Watch The Throne

When rumors started swirling that two of my favorite rappers (Jay-Z and Kanye West) were getting together for an album-long collaboration, I understandably got very excited. I bought Watch The Throne (WTT) about a week ago, and have been listening to it more or less nonstop since.

Three reasons why I like the album:

1. Kanye's beats are a better background than what a Jay album normally features. Jay-Z can rap over anything and make it sound awesome, but when it's over a thought-provoking, substantial soundtrack like Kanye's, it raises the bar significantly. My favorite beat of the album is "Otis", with honorable mention going to "New Day" and "Who Gon Stop Me".

2. Jay-Z brings better rapping "chops" to the album than what Kanye can consistently fit into a studio release. His ability to convey a lyrical metaphor throughout the entirety of a verse is better than any other rapper out there right now (see his Pledge of Allegiance analogy in "Made in America"). My favorite rapping display from Mr. Carter is on "HAM" (on the deluxe release), and then a very close second is on "N-Words in Paris". "Why I Love You" gets honorable mention.

3. The surprising debut of Frank Ocean! If he's been on something before this, I missed it. I've never heard of him before, but his voice on "No Church In The Wild" and especially "Made In America" is so freaking good. He's just got some really great vocal strength, and his control over his own voice lets his incredible tonal quality shine.

"Otis" is my favorite track. The perfect blend of Jay and 'Ye trading off over the Otis Redding sample of "Try A Little Tenderness" gets happily stuck in my head for hours at a time. It probably already is pushing my Top 25 Most Played list in iTunes, and rightfully so.

Basically, taking the best of both worlds (Kanye's soundtrack and Jay-Z's lyrics) makes for an incredible collaboration. The interludes linking the tracks throughout the album together are such a professional touch, and it really puts this record over the top. Throw in an up-and-comer singer in Frank Ocean, and that's just a nice cherry on top. Two thumbs up for WTT as a whole, and hopefully I can score some tickets to see "The Throne" on their tour!

(As a side note, I've recently discovered an incredible website for decoding some of the more difficult lyrical passages and references in rap: www.rapgenius.com. Self-described as "A Hip-Hop Wikipedia", it's a user-submitted, moderator-regulated discussion on rap lyrics and references, with a dash of humor thrown in. It's been a great sidekick for listening to new lyrics, as well as for going back and listening through the back catalog. Plus, I'm pretty sure it's run by some Ivy League-educated white guys, for what that's worth.)