10/07/07 - Jay-Z's "American Gangster" : Partial Tracklist + First Review ...

Champaign Jackson · 10-07-2007, 06:19 PM

"L'chaim," Jay-Z pronounced, holding up a shot of Patron rum, joined by the dozen or so journalists he'd invited to his Roc the Mic Studios in NYC on Friday evening. The Hebrew toast struck me as oddly apt: Simchas Torah, the Jewish holiday celebrating the first day of reading the holy scriptures, had ended just hours earlier, and here I was sitting with Jay-Hova, the self-proclaimed God Emcee, moments after he'd blessed us with his latest divine words.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. The sacred writ he shared with us before those Patron shots was American Gangster, the concept album he's planning to release Nov. 6. The unmastered tracks he played for us were missing verses here and there, and he's still mulling over the album's exact sequencing. Even in that incomplete state, though, American Gangster already sounded like a Jay-Z fan's dream come true. Make no mistake — despite the emotional reference points provided by the album's namesake film, which played overhead on a flat-screen TV throughout the listening session, this music is all about Jay and the things that make him a great artist. The beats are dominated by warm, powerful soul samples, even more so than on Jay's 2001 classic The Blueprint; the lyrics outlining a street hustler's mentality are by turns as clever, as incisive, as gritty, as moving as any in his catalogue. (The album is in part a reaction to the lyrical vapidity of hits like Mims' "This Is Why I'm Hot," he said: "When the guy says 'I could make a mil' saying nothing on the track,' you know you've reached a bad place.") After the jump, check out a track-by-track preview of the highlights so far.

"Pray": American Gangster's first cut, one of several produced by none other than Sean "Diddy" Combs — whom Jay still calls "Puffy," harkening back to days long past when both were members of the late Notorious B.I.G.'s circle. "[The album] starts with a kid looking into the game," Jay explained. The beat slams ominously behind his scene-setting rhymes: "Mindstate of a gangster from the '40s/Meets the business mind of Motown's Berry Gordy."

"No Hook": Another wide-screen Puff production, full of dark organ vibes, and more rhymes from an aspiring kingpin's perspective: "F---rich, let's get wealthy/Who else gon' feed we?" The mood is sneering, hungry, with Jay almost seeming to slip into his long-abandoned double-time flow at times.

"Roc Boys": "That's him at his height," Jay said of his persona in this song. "It's a celebration of the whole s---." Exultant horns burst out on the beat (Puffy again) as the rapper revels in a lifestyle funded by ill-gotten riches: "First of all, I wanna thank my connect/The most important person, with all due respect/...Think rosé/Think O.J./I get away with murder when I sling yey'." (The song also includes a reference to "black bar mitzvahs." Maybe that "L'chaim" was even more significant than I realized.)

"I Know": Hard-hitting percussion and sparkling synths underly this conceptual track about desire's many faces: "I know what you like/I'm your prescription/I'm your physician/I'm your addiction." "I'm using a lot of heroin references," Jay noted as he tried to unpack the song's multi-layered metaphors. "[But] on another level, it plays as a song about relationships. And on a drunk-too-much-wine-one-night level, it plays as the game talking to me. It's f---ing weird — but the music is great." He's not lying.

"Ignorant S---": Web-savvy fans may recall a purposefully outrageous outtake from 2003's The Black Album bearing this name. "It's one of those gems you can't let go," Jay said now. So he dusted it off for Gangster, complete with the unforgettably explicit hook in which he boasts, "I got that ignorant s--- you like/N----, f---, s----, a--, b----, trick, plus ice!" Just call him rap's George Carlin. The song now also features a decidedly non-ignorant new verse in which Jay thoughtfully eviscerates Don Imus and all those who've equated the disgraced shock jock with foul-mouthed rappers — plus some tight guest bars from Jay's longtime protege Beanie Sigel.

"Success": The endorphin rush provided by new money starts to wear off on this cut, produced by Chicago veteran (and Kanye West mentor) No I.D. "I used to give a f---, now I give a f--- less," Jay reflects over a rapidly descending organ riff. "Truth be told, I had more fun when I was piss-poor." Jay's former rival Nas talked him into letting him spit on this track; Nas' verse hasn't been mixed in yet, but Jay promises that "It's hot. He killed it."

"Say Hello to the Bad Guy": Atlanta's DJ Toomp (T.I.'s "What You Know," Kanye West's "Big Brother") contributed this beat, which keeps that darkening mood going with church-like organs.

"When the Money's Gone": The title says it all about this one. Jay raps about the inevitable downfall which befalls even the most successful hustlers; Jermaine Dupri produced the backdrop of shuffling drums and cascading synths.

"Fallen": Another J.D. production, and likely the album's final track. Jay reflects on the perverse pleasure the public takes in seeing a star destroyed: "Fallen/They applaudin'." Neosoul crooner Bilal sings the elegiac hook. It's a cathartic ending to an emotionally gripping album.

Conspicuously missing from the evening's playlist was "Blue Magic," the album's fantastic teaser single; Jay still isn't sure yet where it would fit in, and he's even considering making it an unlisted bonus track.

Jay stuck around for a couple more hours of free-wheeling discussion with the Yankees' playoff game in the background, supplemented by the aforementioned libations. As the night went on, he decided to treat us to one more new song — a number that's been giving him some trouble, called "This S--- Right Here." The problem? He's worried that the Marvin Gaye-sampling beat is too laidback for the energetic rhymes he's currently laid down over it. Legitimately interested in getting some feedback, Jay insisted on hearing each and every attendee's opinion on whether he should trade the supremely mellow beat in for something harder-hitting. (For the record, it sounds great as-is, and it'll be a shame if the final album doesn't include that transcendent Marvin sample.)

It was 10 p.m. by the time I took my leave; the studio gathering was still going strong, but I had more than enough food for thought to go on. One remark in particular stuck in my head as I left. "The album plays like a cautionary tale, but it's not really true [for me]," Jay confided with a smile at one point. "I really made it [out of the streets]. Al Capone didn't make it. Michael Corleone, Scarface — I'm iller than all them n----s." Strong words, but the guy sure knows how to back his boasts up.

Reviewed By Entertainment Weekly.

AYO , I DON'T WANT TO BE HYPED ABOUT THIS SHIT , CUZ' MEDIAS ARE FULL OF BULLSHITS , BUT I THINK THIS NEW ALBUM WILL BE REALLY DOPE.

1.

Da Real Deal · 10-07-2007, 06:21 PM

Yea Jay is bringing that gangsta shit type swagger back.

gunitworld50 · 10-07-2007, 06:23 PM

How in the fu** can you review a album this early? lol

Lyrical Menace · 10-07-2007, 06:25 PM

smfh.. puff here, puff there, sprinkled with a lil jermaine dupri..

i'm gonna be pissed if the production on this is ass..

props... waitin for this shit..

Champaign Jackson · 10-07-2007, 06:30 PM

I Hope He Doesn't Put "Blue Magic" Out There.

Thx For The Rep' Y'all.

1.

1125csl · 10-07-2007, 06:31 PM

propz man..

Lyrical Menace · 10-07-2007, 06:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Champaign Jackson

I Hope He Doesn't Put "Blue Magic" Out There ; Song Is Too Simple.

Thx For The Rep' Y'all.

1.

umm.. it's a single....

and i hope he does.. blue magic is the shit..

PresideNt Jay 1 · 10-07-2007, 06:34 PM

Props I Am Back My Children

tonymontana45 · 10-07-2007, 06:57 PM

propz, like blue magic, hope the rest is good as the song, any release date yet

A.T.I. · 10-07-2007, 11:50 PM

the album is certainly getting very strong feedback so far, which is a nice sign...sort of weird that there is no video less than a month before release though

pujols4mvp · 10-07-2007, 11:51 PM

propz man I want to hear those suppose've tracks with T.I., Nas, and Kanye he did.

JUSBLAZE1026 · 10-07-2007, 11:58 PM

puffy still doing beats

bobclown69 · 10-08-2007, 03:46 AM

word. like blue magic

One_Yaself_Hater · 10-08-2007, 04:52 AM

Jay's former rival Nas talked him into letting him spit on this track; Nas' verse hasn't been mixed in yet, but Jay promises that "It's hot. He killed it."

aahhhh shyt!!! yeasssuurrrr!!!

Young Ca$ · 10-08-2007, 08:21 AM

Kingdom Come was wack ... But im gettin hyped over this shit! Release date ?

1125csl · 10-08-2007, 08:26 AM

blue magic wasn't bad lets see hoe the rest is

--BRAVEHEART-- · 10-08-2007, 09:45 AM

wait a minute....

is "i used to give a fuck, now i giv a fuck less" not an eminem line ???

anyway, props on the read!!

Black Superman · 10-08-2007, 11:22 AM

He prolly wont have high charting singles this time around b/c it sounds like he's releasing more street records

WuTangClan127 · 10-08-2007, 11:52 AM

release date is november 2...if really want to find out go to defjam.com, they post rleases on the right side......

Marky G · 10-08-2007, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by --BRAVEHEART--

wait a minute....

is "i used to give a fuck, now i giv a fuck less" not an eminem line ???

anyway, props on the read!!

yeah. some marshal mather lp shit. think it might be im bacl.

any way props. ima cop this it sounds sick.

probs wont sell alot coz of the street sound but you neaver if the film does well thats a whole nother audience away from hip hop / rap fans to.

DXavier23 · 10-08-2007, 06:26 PM

wow iTUnes was completely wrong about everything smh

ReloadedAgain · 10-08-2007, 06:57 PM

damn where did this album just pop up from lol

Babe Truth · 10-08-2007, 07:14 PM

this shit is gonna be sick

great producers

i cant wait to hear the NO I.D. track and the DJ Toomp beat, but obviously puffy is gonna have some serious shit

damn only 4 more weeks till this shit drops

Hannibal Glock · 10-08-2007, 07:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by --BRAVEHEART--

wait a minute....

is "i used to give a fuck, now i giv a fuck less" not an eminem line ???

anyway, props on the read!!

yupp
Jay-Z is the No.1 biter of all times

NEWSKULL · 10-08-2007, 07:25 PM

^indeed And He Will Brick

10-07-2007, 06:19 PM	#1
Champaign Jackson Veteran Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Somewhere. Posts: 4,672 Repped: 3,926 Repped 792 Times in 39 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	10/07/07 - Jay-Z's "American Gangster" : Partial Tracklist + First Review ... 10/07/07 - Jay-Z's "American Gangster" : Partial Tracklist + First Review ... "L'chaim," Jay-Z pronounced, holding up a shot of Patron rum, joined by the dozen or so journalists he'd invited to his Roc the Mic Studios in NYC on Friday evening. The Hebrew toast struck me as oddly apt: Simchas Torah, the Jewish holiday celebrating the first day of reading the holy scriptures, had ended just hours earlier, and here I was sitting with Jay-Hova, the self-proclaimed God Emcee, moments after he'd blessed us with his latest divine words. But I'm getting ahead of myself. The sacred writ he shared with us before those Patron shots was American Gangster, the concept album he's planning to release Nov. 6. The unmastered tracks he played for us were missing verses here and there, and he's still mulling over the album's exact sequencing. Even in that incomplete state, though, American Gangster already sounded like a Jay-Z fan's dream come true. Make no mistake — despite the emotional reference points provided by the album's namesake film, which played overhead on a flat-screen TV throughout the listening session, this music is all about Jay and the things that make him a great artist. The beats are dominated by warm, powerful soul samples, even more so than on Jay's 2001 classic The Blueprint; the lyrics outlining a street hustler's mentality are by turns as clever, as incisive, as gritty, as moving as any in his catalogue. (The album is in part a reaction to the lyrical vapidity of hits like Mims' "This Is Why I'm Hot," he said: "When the guy says 'I could make a mil' saying nothing on the track,' you know you've reached a bad place.") After the jump, check out a track-by-track preview of the highlights so far. "Pray": American Gangster's first cut, one of several produced by none other than Sean "Diddy" Combs — whom Jay still calls "Puffy," harkening back to days long past when both were members of the late Notorious B.I.G.'s circle. "[The album] starts with a kid looking into the game," Jay explained. The beat slams ominously behind his scene-setting rhymes: "Mindstate of a gangster from the '40s/Meets the business mind of Motown's Berry Gordy." "No Hook": Another wide-screen Puff production, full of dark organ vibes, and more rhymes from an aspiring kingpin's perspective: "F---rich, let's get wealthy/Who else gon' feed we?" The mood is sneering, hungry, with Jay almost seeming to slip into his long-abandoned double-time flow at times. "Roc Boys": "That's him at his height," Jay said of his persona in this song. "It's a celebration of the whole s---." Exultant horns burst out on the beat (Puffy again) as the rapper revels in a lifestyle funded by ill-gotten riches: "First of all, I wanna thank my connect/The most important person, with all due respect/...Think rosé/Think O.J./I get away with murder when I sling yey'." (The song also includes a reference to "black bar mitzvahs." Maybe that "L'chaim" was even more significant than I realized.) "I Know": Hard-hitting percussion and sparkling synths underly this conceptual track about desire's many faces: "I know what you like/I'm your prescription/I'm your physician/I'm your addiction." "I'm using a lot of heroin references," Jay noted as he tried to unpack the song's multi-layered metaphors. "[But] on another level, it plays as a song about relationships. And on a drunk-too-much-wine-one-night level, it plays as the game talking to me. It's f---ing weird — but the music is great." He's not lying. "Ignorant S---": Web-savvy fans may recall a purposefully outrageous outtake from 2003's The Black Album bearing this name. "It's one of those gems you can't let go," Jay said now. So he dusted it off for Gangster, complete with the unforgettably explicit hook in which he boasts, "I got that ignorant s--- you like/N----, f---, s----, a--, b----, trick, plus ice!" Just call him rap's George Carlin. The song now also features a decidedly non-ignorant new verse in which Jay thoughtfully eviscerates Don Imus and all those who've equated the disgraced shock jock with foul-mouthed rappers — plus some tight guest bars from Jay's longtime protege Beanie Sigel. "Success": The endorphin rush provided by new money starts to wear off on this cut, produced by Chicago veteran (and Kanye West mentor) No I.D. "I used to give a f---, now I give a f--- less," Jay reflects over a rapidly descending organ riff. "Truth be told, I had more fun when I was piss-poor." Jay's former rival Nas talked him into letting him spit on this track; Nas' verse hasn't been mixed in yet, but Jay promises that "It's hot. He killed it." "Say Hello to the Bad Guy": Atlanta's DJ Toomp (T.I.'s "What You Know," Kanye West's "Big Brother") contributed this beat, which keeps that darkening mood going with church-like organs. "When the Money's Gone": The title says it all about this one. Jay raps about the inevitable downfall which befalls even the most successful hustlers; Jermaine Dupri produced the backdrop of shuffling drums and cascading synths. "Fallen": Another J.D. production, and likely the album's final track. Jay reflects on the perverse pleasure the public takes in seeing a star destroyed: "Fallen/They applaudin'." Neosoul crooner Bilal sings the elegiac hook. It's a cathartic ending to an emotionally gripping album. Conspicuously missing from the evening's playlist was "Blue Magic," the album's fantastic teaser single; Jay still isn't sure yet where it would fit in, and he's even considering making it an unlisted bonus track. Jay stuck around for a couple more hours of free-wheeling discussion with the Yankees' playoff game in the background, supplemented by the aforementioned libations. As the night went on, he decided to treat us to one more new song — a number that's been giving him some trouble, called "This S--- Right Here." The problem? He's worried that the Marvin Gaye-sampling beat is too laidback for the energetic rhymes he's currently laid down over it. Legitimately interested in getting some feedback, Jay insisted on hearing each and every attendee's opinion on whether he should trade the supremely mellow beat in for something harder-hitting. (For the record, it sounds great as-is, and it'll be a shame if the final album doesn't include that transcendent Marvin sample.) It was 10 p.m. by the time I took my leave; the studio gathering was still going strong, but I had more than enough food for thought to go on. One remark in particular stuck in my head as I left. "The album plays like a cautionary tale, but it's not really true [for me]," Jay confided with a smile at one point. "I really made it [out of the streets]. Al Capone didn't make it. Michael Corleone, Scarface — I'm iller than all them n----s." Strong words, but the guy sure knows how to back his boasts up. Reviewed By Entertainment Weekly. AYO , I DON'T WANT TO BE HYPED ABOUT THIS SHIT , CUZ' MEDIAS ARE FULL OF BULLSHITS , BUT I THINK THIS NEW ALBUM WILL BE REALLY DOPE. 1.

10-07-2007, 06:21 PM	#2
Da Real Deal Most Likely To Succeed Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Chicago Illinois/Jackson,MS Posts: 5,484 Repped: 1,132 Repped 3,062 Times in 708 Posts Neg Reps: 217 Neg Repped at 177 Times in 123 Posts	Yea Jay is bringing that gangsta shit type swagger back. __________________

10-07-2007, 11:50 PM	#10
A.T.I. Agitating the Ignorant Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Toronto, ON Posts: 8,241 Repped: 1,702 Repped 2,530 Times in 899 Posts Neg Reps: 173 Neg Repped at 187 Times in 152 Posts	the album is certainly getting very strong feedback so far, which is a nice sign...sort of weird that there is no video less than a month before release though __________________ "I swam down shit's creek and came up clean, with a new lease on life like Andy Dufresne"

10-07-2007, 11:51 PM	#11
pujols4mvp "Kings amongst Kings" Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: O-Town,Ok Posts: 825 Repped: 426 Repped 375 Times in 24 Posts Neg Reps: 1 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	propz man I want to hear those suppose've tracks with T.I., Nas, and Kanye he did. __________________ LONGBEACHSFINEST - how to flop volume 1. Me - I didnt know BWS had already released there 1st album.

10-08-2007, 03:46 AM	#13
bobclown69 Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: 808 Posts: 526 Repped: 119 Repped 18 Times in 2 Posts Neg Reps: 4 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	word. like blue magic __________________ See this little dimple? It's cute. I believe God meant to give me it as a baby, but gave it to me a few years late.

10-07-2007, 06:23 PM	#3
gunitworld50 Brainstorm Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: IN Posts: 2,724 Repped: 959 Repped 678 Times in 174 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 6 Times in 2 Posts	How in the fu** can you review a album this early? lol

10-07-2007, 06:25 PM	#4
Lyrical Menace Duh Nigga Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: ima G Posts: 10,614 Repped: 3,504 Repped 482 Times in 90 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 5 Times in 5 Posts	smfh.. puff here, puff there, sprinkled with a lil jermaine dupri.. i'm gonna be pissed if the production on this is ass.. props... waitin for this shit..

10-07-2007, 06:30 PM	#5
Champaign Jackson Veteran Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Somewhere. Posts: 4,672 Repped: 3,926 Repped 792 Times in 39 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	I Hope He Doesn't Put "Blue Magic" Out There. Thx For The Rep' Y'all. 1.

10-07-2007, 06:31 PM	#6
1125csl Straight G Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: NY Posts: 2,062 Repped: 516 Repped 1,082 Times in 192 Posts Neg Reps: 2 Neg Repped at 15 Times in 12 Posts	propz man..

10-07-2007, 06:34 PM	#8
PresideNt Jay 1 Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Your Mothers Bed... Posts: 4 Repped: 2 Repped 0 Times in 0 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	Props I Am Back My Children

10-07-2007, 06:57 PM	#9
tonymontana45 Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 943 Repped: 307 Repped 176 Times in 40 Posts Neg Reps: 57 Neg Repped at 3 Times in 3 Posts	propz, like blue magic, hope the rest is good as the song, any release date yet

10-07-2007, 11:58 PM	#12
JUSBLAZE1026 Im da next in line Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 466 Repped: 69 Repped 2 Times in 1 Post Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	puffy still doing beats

10-08-2007, 04:52 AM	#14
One_Yaself_Hater The "B-Boy" Circa '82-'88 Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: In A Weed Spot!!! Posts: 5,879 Repped: 1,212 Repped 11,718 Times in 1,408 Posts Neg Reps: 149 Neg Repped at 108 Times in 99 Posts	Jay's former rival Nas talked him into letting him spit on this track; Nas' verse hasn't been mixed in yet, but Jay promises that "It's hot. He killed it." aahhhh shyt!!! yeasssuurrrr!!!

10-08-2007, 08:21 AM	#15
Young Ca$ BUBBLEGUM-RAP HATER Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Suffertown Posts: 169 Repped: 8 Repped 0 Times in 0 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	Kingdom Come was wack ... But im gettin hyped over this shit! Release date ?

10-08-2007, 08:26 AM	#16
1125csl Straight G Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: NY Posts: 2,062 Repped: 516 Repped 1,082 Times in 192 Posts Neg Reps: 2 Neg Repped at 15 Times in 12 Posts	blue magic wasn't bad lets see hoe the rest is

10-08-2007, 09:45 AM	#17
--BRAVEHEART-- Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Glasgow, Scotland Posts: 364 Repped: 153 Repped 2 Times in 2 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	wait a minute.... is "i used to give a fuck, now i giv a fuck less" not an eminem line ??? anyway, props on the read!!

10-08-2007, 11:22 AM	#18
Black Superman Show Time Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 1,589 Repped: 260 Repped 5,423 Times in 619 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 11 Times in 9 Posts	He prolly wont have high charting singles this time around b/c it sounds like he's releasing more street records __________________ HH Board's Top 5 or Better... Who Hotter Than Me? HIT DA REP OR CLICK THE GREEN

10-08-2007, 11:52 AM	#19
WuTangClan127 Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 848 Repped: 173 Repped 32 Times in 11 Posts Neg Reps: 4 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	release date is november 2...if really want to find out go to defjam.com, they post rleases on the right side......

10-08-2007, 06:26 PM	#21
DXavier23 ----------DX------------- Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: NYC Posts: 1,784 Repped: 193 Repped 1,685 Times in 146 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 10 Times in 1 Post	wow iTUnes was completely wrong about everything smh __________________ So save me your sorrys I'm raisin a Army Revolutionary warfare with Damian Marley We sparkin da irons marchin to Zion You know how Nas be NYC state of mind I'm in

10-08-2007, 06:57 PM	#22
ReloadedAgain Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: You Already know that pimpin Posts: 59 Repped: 21 Repped 0 Times in 0 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	damn where did this album just pop up from lol

10-08-2007, 07:14 PM	#23
Babe Truth Da Truth Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 2,912 Repped: 296 Repped 82 Times in 26 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	this shit is gonna be sick great producers i cant wait to hear the NO I.D. track and the DJ Toomp beat, but obviously puffy is gonna have some serious shit damn only 4 more weeks till this shit drops

10-08-2007, 07:25 PM	#25
NEWSKULL PORN ADDICT Join Date: May 2004 Location: Jacksonville, Florida Posts: 14,633 Repped: 1,718 Repped 2,690 Times in 199 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 11 Times in 6 Posts	^indeed And He Will Brick __________________ DAVID BROWN CLOTHING

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