Chesstown King's Reviews and Thoughts

The middle album in Jay-z’s volume trilogy. It has great lyrics and beats throughout. However the album is single heavy and filler heavy. There’s a good guest list too like DMX, Ja Rule, Jermaine Dupri, and Amil. Its got the monster songs Money Aint   a Thing, Can I Get A….,and HardKnock Life. Looking back this is the album that made Jay a commercial force in rap. It has better production than Vol. 3, but its my least favorite of the trilogy. Verdict: 8.7

The Verdict: 8.8 This is the conclusion of the Jay-z Volume trilogy. This is the album that has the monster song Big Pimpin which is arguably Jay’s biggest hit. The album has a good set of hits but its not incredibly deep though. So Ghetto, Do It Again, It’s Hot(Some Like It Hot), and Snoopy Track are some great songs. Then there’s some obvious filler but hey I really like the production on this album. Also his lyricism isn’t Jigga’s best but its still a 9/10. So if you haven’t heard this yet go ahead and listen to it.

Verdict: 8.2/10 Okay so Jay-z double album is actually very good. Perhaps I just have held Jigga to such crazy standards, or maybe this album is just in Blueprint 1’s shadow….well both of those are likely true. Like with Nas’s Street’s Disciple there is FILLER. The first disc, the GIFT part is probably the better disc. It’s got 03’ Bonnie & Clyde and Excuse Me Miss on it. Also there is a part 2 to Dr. Dre’s The Watcher song.   Disc 2, the CURSE, also has some bangers on it like Guns & Roses and U Don’t Know Remix. The album features really good production, but the lyrics are noticebally a couple steps down from Jay-z’s near flawless standards. They aren’t bad but you get the picture. There’s a huge guest list including Beyoncé, Scarface, Lenny Kravitz, MOP, Sean Paul, Big Boi, Twista, Faith Evans, and Dr. Dre. Overall it’s a decent album with depth issues, and a good Blueprint behind an excellent one, and before BP3, a great one…

I don’t know what’s with all the criticism to this album. I guess its just because this isn’t as good as the Black Album. Anyway this is a GOOD album, not great. The album has some really tight beats, but not on every track. The self titled track might as well be the best here, but Trouble and SMWYG are great also. Lost One is touching, as is the sorrowful Minority Report. Do You Wanna Ride is nice also, as is the almost out of control OMG. Some songs aren’t all that like I Made it and 30 Something, which are rather boring but have good subject matter. Nothing is worst than Beach Chair, one of the worst songs he’s ever made. The album is good, but Hov’s lyrics aren’t as excellent as I’m used to.  The verdict 8.4/10

Opening Opinion: 10/10 As you may or may not know, this is, what I consider to be the best rap album of all time. I’ve had this opinion actually for a while now. Let’s get into the review. Jay-z aka Shawn Corey Carter dropped this album back on 9/11/01 a day that lives in infamy. He even brags on the Blueprint 2 that the terrorist attack couldn’t stop this album from being successful. So what really makes this superior to Reasonable Doubt? Let’s go! First there’s the lead single, Izzo (H.O.V.A.) , a great party track that just feels really damn good on the ears you know. The beat is infectious here. It’s one of the things that makes this album so damn good. Jay raps about his come up. Another single, Girls Girls Girls , is a classic. Jay raps about a variety of girls; Young, Project, African,Chinese ,Indian, Model, you name it. The thing is the sample is just beautifully integrated with a laid back beat. Back to the beginning of the album. Jigga runs through The Rulers Back w...

This is another My Thoughts blog.  Jay-z is an incredible rapper, a great businessman, and he is married to Beyonce. I wasnt into rap when Jigga rose to the top in 98'-00, but i was a big fan of his work even as a casual rap fan. Let's start with BLueprint 1 which is easily one of raps best albums. Later on i'd get the BP2 which was ok. By the time Black ALbum rolled around I was a huge fan of Shawn Carter. Later he'd retire, which i think was more of a publicity stunt lol. In 2006 Jigga returned to the game. I was happy he did, cause rap really needed him. He had squashed his beef with another favorite rapper of mine Nas in 05 i think. I think that Nas won that beef but that's a story for another blog. Jay has made nothing but great albums since 2007 in my opinion. American Gangster was great as was BP3,Magna Carta Holy Grail, and of course Watch the Throne with Kanye. I would say Jay doesnt need to prove anything, but he can still make great albums so ke...

In this battle I’ll put Jay-z’s 2 best albums against each other…that’s right: Reasonable Doubt(1996) vs. Blueprint 1(2001). OP Is a tie. Album Reasonable Doubt Blueprint Result Singles B+ A+ BP Lyrics A+ A+ Tie Beats A A+ BP Cohesiveness A+ A+ Tie Legacy A+ A RD Final Result: A close battle. The winner is the 1 st Blueprint. The two albums tied in lyrics and Cohesiveness. However I felt BP’s beats are flawless, while some on RD aren’t as stellar….even considering the time difference. RD did have more of a legacy than BP1.

Jay-z vs. Nas Recent Rivalry               For a long time I have considered Shawn Carter aka Jay-z and Nasir Jones to be 2 of the best rappers not only alive….but all time. I’m not trying to favor one over the other, but this particular blog compares their discographies latest additions.               I’m going to do their last 2 solo albums, and their recent collabo albums. Let’s start with their most current works….   Round 1 Category Jay-z Nas Winner Title(is not graded) Magna Carta..Holy Grail Life is Good   Lyrics B+ A Nas Production A- B Jay-z Legacy B A- Nas Songs B- B- Tie Use of Features A- ...

Rapper-Jay-z Breakdown Date: Late Summer 2013 “The God Mc”   Rapper Albums Reasonable Doubt 1996 Top 3-5 Songs: Dead Presidents II, Can’t Knock the Hustle, Aint No N**ga Album Score: Beats-4.2, Lyrics-5= 4.6 Rapper Stats: Flow-99, Versatility-87, Relevancy-91, Rapper Rating: 92.3 Comments- Jay-z’s debut album is incredible lyrically. The beats aren’t bad either. It’s obvious that from the get go, Jay would be a force in Rap. The album doesn’t really showcase his versatility but that would come later.   In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 1997 Top 3-5 Songs: The City is Mine, (Always Be My) Sunshine, Who You Wit II Album Score: Beats4.3, Lyrics-4.8= 4.55 Rapper Stats: Flow-98, Versatility-88, Relevancy-87 Rapper Rating: 91 Comments- The 2 nd album from Jay didn’t really elevate his status but it was a great album none the less. Beat wise its better than R.D.   And it’s just as deep and cohesive.   Vol. 2….Hard Kn...

  Great Hova(No Longer Young) has returned from above the clouds to bless us with another dope rap album. His last solo album, Blueprint 3, had flashier beats than this one. This album has more replay ability than BP3 though. The album is also very very cohesive. Its comparable to Nas’s Life is Good album, but it’s not quite that good. The album is pretty much standard Jay-z. The guest list is short compared to BP3;Only Beyonce, Justin Timberlake, Rick Ross and Frank Ocean accompany J. There aren’t any real “Whoa did he just say that” moments…but the album is a testament to Jay-z’s versatility and great execution. Every song is good, but there aren’t that many stand outs. On the plus side this is one of Jay’s finest works to date. Final Verdict: 9.5/10. Its a solid album with few flaws  

I’m going to make a bold statement; This is the last album Jay-z should of made. I say this because its not only a classic, but it proves Jay didn’t need another rapper to spit a verse, while keeping your attention. Jay went to different producers for different sounds like Timbaland, Kanye West, 9 th Wonder, and even Eminem. The result is an album that is almost flawless. My favorite song is Dirt Off Your Shoulder, although many may claim 99 Probs is a better track. You already know the lyrics are on point, and the beats are stellar, and the album doesn’t get old, even after many listens. The only flaw is some of the songs are a little overshadowed by some of the better ones. Jay-z was on top when he made this, and you could argue he’s still on top now, but in late 2003 there was no argument. Overall i give this album a 9.9/10. Its just one of those really special rap albums!