Jay-Z & Kanye West
Watch the Throne
Reviewed by Jonte Allen

At 42 years of age, you would think that a hip-hop artist such as Jay-Z, would be out of the rap game, disappearing from the public eye due to a decline in sales over the years or owing the IRS a large sum of money in back taxes. When you consider the arrogance and self-centered nature of Kanye West, it is mildly surprising that his attitude has not resulted in the demise of his career. However, in spite of Jay-Z’s age and Kanye’s attitude, their recent collaboration on their album, Watch the Throne defies the odds. It is a 16-track album with beautiful artwork displayed on the cover as well as in the booklet. Even though they are already rich and powerful, they still take time out of their busy schedule to make great music. Is this album considered a classic based on the deliverance of dope lyrics and an awesome production of music? It all depends on your point of view.
There are some positives and negatives describing this album. First off, there is a lot of creativity to it. The artists describe their style of rapping as Luxury Rap. They are very enthusiastic and arrogant about having it all – from the places they travel to the designer clothes they wear. However, they also get very serious, talking about the downfalls of success; like the friends they knew and the people they lost when they were coming up. The artists also address the issue of Black on Black violence that goes on across America; while inspiring people to get more out of life and not to lower their expectations. But on another note, they seem to be very arrogant and greedy as well as rich and powerful. The fact that they brag about their success is disheartening especially when you think about the millions of people in America and throughout the world, who are struggling just to survive from day to day.
This album is popular because of the fact that Jay-Z and Kanye West are two of the biggest artists in music. When Kanye had announced that he and Jay-Z were collaborating on an album together, fans were eager to hear what the two had in store for them. On the day of its release, they got what they expected. It was impossible for anyone not to enjoy it.
The primary audiences for the album are those of us who enjoy hip-hop music. We range from young to old and are a variety of races, Asian, Black, Indian, Hispanic and White, just to name a few. Jay-Z and Kanye’s fans number in the millions and live all around the world. Music that is enjoyed by all different types of ethnic groups unites people for a common enjoyment and makes us happy, if only for a short time.
As a huge fan of hip-hop and a musician, I believe it is important that music sends a message to its targeted audience. The quality of any album produced is based on the message that is being sent and whether or not the audience can relate to it on both a pleasurable and intellectual level. The basis of my beliefs is the criteria for my evaluation of the album by Jay-Z and Kanye West, Watch the Throne.