American Gangster : Jay-Z : Review : Rolling Stone

"This is black superhero music," Jay-Z proclaims in his excellent new "Roc Boys." That means live horns, grooving on some kind of Afro-beat riff over Seventies rumble-in-the-jungle funk, while Jay-Z tosses off boasts like "Pink rose, think O.J./I get away with murder when I sling 'ye." It might be the hottest song on Jay's new American Gangster, but it has plenty of competition. The superhero is 1970s Harlem hustler Frank Lucas, as portrayed in the new Denzel Washington flick. Inspired by the movie, Jay turns it into his own superfly Seventies crime epic, casting himself as the lead. It's the same old story he's told since Reasonable Doubt. But having a fictional character to play around with gets Jay out of his post-retirement rut. Lucas may not cut it as a hero — but it doesn't matter as long as he gets Jay feeling like one.

Jay returned last year with Kingdom Come, which you may or may not remember. Kingdom Come was hardly the creative flop it was cracked up to be, but it never had a prayer of living up to everybody's hopes. People don't just expect new records from Jay — they expect epochal events, game-changing statements. Yet Jay's retirement put his myth-building on pause, kind of like Bob Dylan's motorcycle crash in 1966. Jay stands where Dylan did in the late Sixties; he wants to get back to making music without getting stuck under his own legend. So Frank Lucas fires his imagination the way John Wesley Harding did for Dylan — an old-time outlaw who's kind of a tool, not to mention a failure, but an easily romanticized figure who helps push the artist outside his own head.

American Gangster definitely doesn't have any fluff like Kingdom Come's "30 Something" or "Beach Chair." Jay sounds relaxed, no longer worried about impressing anyone. Instead, he follows the story from the uptown dope-king ambition of "American Dreamin' " to the big-payback crash of "Fallin'." He evokes the 1970s drug underworld, playing on old-school heroin brand names in "I Know": China White, Black Rain, 9 1/2 Weeks. He indulges in the dense wordplay that was missing on Kingdom Come: "I need a personal Jesus, I'm in depeche mode/They say it's celestial, it's all in the stars/It's like Tony La Russa on how you play your cards." He connects to the Frank Lucas era in terms of music ("Papa was a rolling stone/It's in my ancestry") while indulging in his usual fly-life boasts about the view from the top ("I got watches I ain't seen in months/Apartment at the Trump I only slept in once").

The music has the Seventies vibe of The Blueprint, led by Puffy, who oversees five tracks with his reassembled Hitmen production squad. Puff keeps the Harvey's Bristol Cream flowing through "Roc Boys," "Party Life" (with a killer Miami disco sample from Little Beaver) and "American Dreamin' " (with a Marvin Gaye chorus and fierce live drums from Mario Winans). No-ID produces the crazy organ loop "Success," which also has a verse from former Jay nemesis Nas, who dubs himself the "Ghetto Othello, Sugarhill Roemello." "Hello Brooklyn" is a surprise duet with Lil Wayne, of all people, crossing the Mason-Dixon line with a wiggy Beasties bass sample. Jermaine Dupri does "Fallin' " with a soulful hook from Bilal, while the Neptunes give up the Eighties-synth mega-cheese of "I Know" and "Blue Magic" with its shouts to Rakim and break dancers. Just Blaze contributes "Ignorant Shit," an outtake from The Black Album that's spruced up with a funny Don Imus dis and a defense of hip-hop lyrics: "Are you saying that what I'm spittin'/Is worse than these 'celebutantes' showing they kitten?" This obviously has nothing to do with the concept; neither do references to the Jena 6 or dope that has "less steps than Britney." But then the concept is really just a spark to get Jay started. Forget Frank Lucas: The real black superhero here is Jay, and with American Gangster, Gray-Hova is back in black.

ROB SHEFFIELD

(Posted: Nov 15, 2007)

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Track List

Play All

Intro (Edited) (track not available in Rhapsody)
Pray (Edited)
American Dreamin' (Edited)
Hello Brooklyn 2.0 featuring Lil Wayne (Edited)
No Hook (Edited)
Roc Boys (And The Winner Is)... (Edited) (track not available in Rhapsody)
Sweet (Edited) (track not available in Rhapsody)
I Know (Edited)
Party Life (Edited)
Ignorant Sh*t featuring Beanie Sigel (Edited)
Say Hello (Edited)
Success featuring Nas (Edited) (track not available in Rhapsody)
Fallin' (Edited)
Blue Magic (Edited)
American Gangster (Edited)

Your Turn

Give us your review of American Gangster

Review 1 of 10

4of 5 Stars

Jay-Z is a genius, making a comeback album from the mediocre Kingdom Come. Instead of normal Roc-A-Fella producers like Kanye and Just Blaze, he tries Diddy and the Hit men, and Jay shouldn't be sorry, the production is some of the best I've heard all year.

The only true down fall of the album is actually Jay-Z sometimes, and also his guests. why would you want lil wayne on a song about brooklyn? thats like having having Ja Rule on a song about Chi-Town. And "I Know" has the dullest production on the album, curtiousy of The Neptunes, and Jay ain't exactly riding the beat well either.

Other than those few exceptions, this must be Jay's best album since, well, The Black Album. It blends an almost united jazzy beat with excellent rhymes by Jigga, making it one of the best albums of the year.

Mar 14, 2008 20:47:47

Review 2 of 10

3of 5 Stars

I am guessing the reason this record is being received so well is that there wasn't a ton of hype to build up expectations before the release. While some of the tracks are very good, none stand out as classics. In all honesty I was pretty disappointed, since every single one of Jay-z's other albums have had atleast one track I would keep on my regular playlist for a month. This album however does not have any stand out tracks for me. So I will probably only listen to this album for a couple of weeks before getting tired of it. Atleast P. Diddy is getting a little bit of props for his production on this album since normally he gets torn to shreds by critics. I am still waiting for Jay-Z to create another album of the caliber and precision of The Blueprint. That album is a certifiable classic, American Gangster however is not. I will say this though, it does have a lot more quality then most of the Rap albums released this year.

Dec 26, 2007 02:43:03

Review 3 of 10

4of 5 Stars

I really like his new sound.. Totally awesome style and lyrics are amazing too. lots of people think this is different side of JZ and hates the album but i really like his style so i am giving him four stars.

Dec 8, 2007 23:34:19

Review 4 of 10

1of 5 Stars

This album gives us a feeling of a rainy day in Amerika when George Bush has become president of a nation almost tranformed by artistic integrity, lyrical and musical talent, and rebellion in the 60's and 70's only to push it further into a downward spiral of capitalism and money hungry pigs who need their own vodka when they already have the most money of anyone born after 1970. This album already sucks and I never heard it. How can I say that? read this review again.

Dec 6, 2007 07:26:00

Review 5 of 10

5of 5 Stars

This album is one of the better rap concept albums ever made. Hova really shows his brilliance. This album gets better the more times you listen to it. The album sounds like a rainy night in New York. Album is up there with the Black Album and Reasonable Doubt. Buy the album don't just download 1 or 2 songs or you will miss overall effect of the album. Better then the movie!

Nov 14, 2007 14:20:48

Review 6 of 10

4of 5 Stars

Well, this album is definately a turn in mr.Carter style. More melodical, less "violent" lyrics compared to the old albums, but still amazing flow and style.

Nov 14, 2007 04:14:48

Review 7 of 10

4of 5 Stars

Jay-Z is in his normal form. I am one of those fans that has felt he never fell off. Music has changed but this emcee was and still is sick. American Gangster just shows us that he is still able to do it without following industry rules. It reminds me of his first because he had nothing to lose, nothing to live up to. I feel he's came full circle due to the fact he has nothing to prove and nothing to lose again. American Gangster is a pretty smoove Cd from beginning to end with only one bump in the road (Hello Brooklyn). I don't think Lil Carter holds his weight and who told him he could sing hooks. Besides that another great Cd those that don't like J this time around need to listen to A.G. more than once. J has always been a deep listen (due to his word play) you got to listen to all his Cd's more than once (before judging weather like it or not). If you got to get it the first time out maybe your better off listen to Chris or Mr. Tell em'. Keep em' comin' Hov!

Nov 9, 2007 17:59:13

Review 8 of 10

Not Rated

i just wanna say that he is a wanna be and a if it wernt for tupac & biggie going the rap game would have been bloody exellebnt

Nov 7, 2007 08:02:13

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