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Jay-Z ‘Magna Carta Holy Grail’ Album Review

Perhaps more than any other figure in the music industry, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to separate Jay-Z the entrepreneur from Jay-Z the musician, who put out one of the finest hip-hop releases of all-time with Reasonable Doubt and The Blueprint. Since the latter was released in 2001, Jay-Z’s finest moments have often come via high-profile collaborations and business ventures, aiding the production and flow of Kanye West’s popular releases while forming a sports agency business that has already signed to the likes of Robinson Cano. Perhaps it’s the overbearing tasks of running a business, but Jay-Z seems only half-there on his twelfth studio album, Magna Carta Holy Grail. An over-reliance on out-of-place pop culture references, cameo appearances, and mind-numbing repetition makes the release one of the worst in Jay-Z’s discography. Most fans will struggle finding anything to relate to.

Justin Timberlake gets the album off on proper footing with a stellar vocal performance over a somber piano lead. Jay-Z’s rap delivery is stale and lifeless, making Timberlake’s re-emergence mid-way through a welcoming sight. Jay-Z is accompanied by short piano trickles, where Timberlake is graced by a more flowing lead, a very apt production choice courtesy of all-star production team The-Dream, Timbaland, J-Roc, and No I.D… It’s not the production on Magna Carta Holy Grail that makes it such a lackluster showing. Timbaland and J-Roc deliver the usual polished goods. The album’s issue is simply Jay-Z’s deluded belief that his appearance alone can elevate the track, and that dull repetition can somehow by voided by scattered cameo appearances and lazy rhymes. Lines on “Picasso Baby”, which include “Christie’s with my missy” and “Jeff Koons balloons”, just don’t do anything, apart from informing listeners that Jay-Z knows who Jeff Koons is. He’s an artist like Picasso, too! The track attempts to mix things up mid-way through, but a series of grunts over halted distorted loops doesn’t provide any more excitement.

“Tom Ford” explores more tropical vibes with stuttering vintage synths, providing a more interesting backbone than most attempts on Magna Carta Holy Grail. Kid Cudi would probably love to play with this beat, especially as Jay-Z doesn’t ascend beyond the spoken tone in the intro. The hook here is simply the addition of reflectively seductive female vocals, and despite the interesting synths – which resemble Gorillaz in its late-night push – the bulk of “Tom Ford” is a derivative and predictable ride. “Fuckwithmeyouknowigotit” offers more predictability, but in a more macho and fiscally superior sense. Rick Ross and Jay-Z speak of shopping in Europe with unlimited credit, with Ross delivering the “hook” – “Fuck with me, you know I got it!” Ross, like Jay-Z, relies on past credentials here to enforce the notion that his inclusion in the song alone is a treat to listeners’ ears. Perhaps if “Fuckwithmeyouknowigotit” ever ascended beyond the same initial loop he would have a reason to brag, but here they both sound over the hill. It plays like a lame sequel whose stars are over the hill, which is a disappointment considering both Ross and Jay-Z still have plenty to offer when pretentious delusions don’t get in the way.

The majority of Magna Carta Holy Grail is in poor form, but there are stretches that show bursts of vintage Jay-Z brilliance. The one-two punch of “Ocean” and “F.U.T.W.” are no-frills examples of Jay-Z on top, the latter showing a driving force that integrates twinkling synths with haunting wordless backing croons. Horror-film bouncing keys provide an extra punch, as Jay-Z delivers an infectious performance with lines like “After that government cheese, we eatin’ steak / After the projects, now we on estates,” showing Jay-Z’s ever-popular theme of rising wealth. There is no new lyrical exploration to speak of on Magna Carta Holy Grail, which resembles The Blueprint 3 in its focus on money, family, and fame. But that doesn’t mean “F.U.T.W.” doesn’t pack a stellar punch. “Oceans”, with its drawing brass lines and click-clacking percussion, provides a nice backdrop for Frank Ocean and Jay-Z to deliver the goods in commendably melodic form, even if it resorts to Jay-Z’s favorite technique of name-dropping pop culture (“ocean’s eleven”, a nod to Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit”) that serve as little more than Jay-Z patting himself on the back for being aware.

In addition to the one-two punch of “Ocean” and “F.U.T.W.” on Magna Carta Holy Grail, listeners will also be drawn in by “Versus”, with a ferociously ingenious that is sadly under one minute long, and Beyoncé’s smooth stylings on “Part II (On the Run)”. She sings beautifully over twinkling ambient synth arrangements, which transform into a glistening piano-accompanied wonder when the percussion drops. “Boy meets girl, girl perfect woman,” Jay-Z sings during his entry, soon giving way to his wife’s vocal talents over a lively piano accompaniment. It’s another long-awaited duet between the most powerful husband-wife combos in the industry, and for the most part it flows with the beauty and grace one would expect. Unfortunately for the majority of Magna Carta Holy Grail, that grace and effective conciseness is absent. Jay-Z continues to tread even further from aspects of life that fans can relate to, and his tendency to rely more on appearance than performance is a big hindrance on the album. At least a touch of humility would do Hova some good on his next release.

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