From the Archives: Now Hear This

Jay-Z and Kayne West
Watch the Throne
Roc-A-Fella, Roc Nation, Def Jam (August 2011)

Trust me, I was ready to hate this album before I even listened to it. To many just the mention of Jay-Z and Kanye West conjure negative thoughts. But if you put aside your biases long enough to just listen to their latest album Watch the Throne, your walls of prejudice may just come crashing down.
WTT was created by with one objective in mind…to raise the bar. Raise the bar they did, but even bigger than that, they created a modern hip-hop classic.
Its obvious even to most haters that these two rap kingpins are talented, but what stands out most on WTT is how well they work together! After repeated listens a deep synergy begins to emerge underneath the lyrics, where the two come together like never before, the track “Gotta have it” being the model.
“New day” represents Kayne’s best effort and the most candid verses on the album. “Who gon stop me” is hands down Jay-Z’s best effort, as the beat is maintained gutturally and from his very core. “Primetime” is surely the sleeper track. But “Illest Mutherfucker Alive” really sums up the essence of what WTT is all about though… two super-ego’s colliding like asteroids to create the banger of all bangers, backed by the best production team on the planet. Admittedly there are two duds in the mix of it all, one including Beyonce. Considering that there are 14 other on-point tracks to keep you interested, I’ll take that ratio any day.
Still havent heard WTT? Well get your weight up, not your hate up, because these heavy-hitters are making hip-hop history, whether your paying attention or not.

Written by Daniel Durham