Album Review- Jay-Z (Magna Carta Holy Grail)

On this album, Jay-Z does what he knows how to do best- brag about his wealth, speak a little about his crack-cocaine hustling days, and about the fact that he bagged the most beautiful female musician on the scene. If you are a Jay-Z fan, you will definitely love this album, cos Jay has grown, and his businesses have changed, so he has more to talk about. If you are just a hip hop lover, and not necessarily a Jay fan, you might not like Jay's lazy flows on some songs off the album, but the production is on-point, and Jay rides the beat well on majority of the songs, so you would still like the album. At least, It is a better put together album than 85% of the Hip Hop albums that has dropped in the last 2 years or so.







The album starts off with Justin Timberlake singing on Holy Grail, the first track on the album. Timberlake's singing goes a little into the second minute before Jay-Z's voice can be heard. I think this is a cool way to get all demographics and people with different taste in music to be interested in the album. After this track, Jay comes with Picasso Baby, the hardest song on the album; A hard hitting Timbaland beat, with a switch of beat mid-way through the track. This is vintage Jay-Z, and he is at his best here; especially on the second half of the song. I think the second half of the song will give any appreciator of hiphop music the chills. Tom Ford is just a fun song, and is perfect for a track 3. After that comes a classic collaboration between Jay and Rick Ross- FuckWithMeYouKnowIGotIt. With this song (FuckWithMeYouKnowIGotIt), you know the chemistry with these two has grwon over the years, to a very comfortable place. It's great to hear Jay on a southern beat with Rick Ross, and see him deliver so well.





This album is no Blue Print 3. BP3 had Jay-Z doing rapid-fire verses, with a mix of hunger and passion. BP3 had a lot of songs that you hear once and know- this is a potential single. Magna Carta has fewer songs like that, and it is a laid-back Jay; but is still a really cool album. The songs to watch out for are FuckWithmeYouKnowIGotIt, Nickles & Dimes, Picasso Baby, Crown, and Part 2 (On the Run). On Nickles & Dimes, he drops deep an emotional lines like-

Between beauty and beast, I walk the line
Johnny Cash, I'm a real G
I cut my self today to see if I still bleed
Success is so sublime
Gotta do that time to time so I don't lose my mind
Something 'bout the struggle so divine
This sort of love is hard to define

People shouldn't confuse the La Familia song as a full fledge diss track towards lil Wayne; it is just Jay having fun on a southern sounding Timberland beat. He just threw a couple of shots Wayne's way to check him...that's all. Unfortunately, the song with Nas, Pharrell, Timbaland, Justin Timberlake,  and Beyonce was a disappointment. I guess there were too many cooks in the kitchen. The Pharrell beat is not something you would want to hear Nas on. And Beyonce and Justin Timberlake are hardly on the song. Good album overall, but not a classic like BP1, and not as good as BP3. Jay gets motivational on must of the songs, and even kicks some knowledge on "Heaven." I'd give Magna Carta Holy Grail a 4 out of 5 in ratings.