Jay-Z - Kingdom Come Review
Posted by MSD on 11.22.2006
Jigga returns...
You think I'm in the office, I'm off my grind
That's how kids become orphans – you lost your mind
I keep my enemies close, I give ‘em enough rope
They put themselves in the air, I just kick away the chair
* "Dig A Hole"
Forget the retirement. Forget "I Declare War". Forget Def Jam, Nas, Jimmy Jones and Beyonce. It's 2006. Can big Jigga still dominate the backboard like he did before the Dirty South took over? Beyond the music, is Jay-Z really the "Mike Jordan of recordin"? If so, which one will we see – Bulls or Wizards? Does Jay-Z have what it takes to be the 4th quarter clutch man for an industry in desperate need of an "event album" (like he's promised)? Only time will tell, and that time is upon us now.
Jay-Z
KINGDOM COME
Roc-a-Fella Records
2006
Deluxe limited-edition version features a double wide CD package encased in a ruby-red slip case. Jay-Z in his more familiar Yankees hat-wearing late-90's B-Boy era greets us on the cover. But when you remove the ruby-red slip case, his evolution into the wide lenses-wearing playboy CEO of today is revealed. Same deal on the flipside with the image-altering red vinyl. Jay-Z tips his hat without the cover, and magically turns around when the red cover slip is replaced. This optical illusion continues on the inside with the rhymes "All this from singing songs coming up though we thought slinging raw was the end all, be all" being visible without the slip, and continuing with "to being rich, didn't we – little did I know my mo potent delivery would deliver me, kingpin of the ink pen". Bonus DVD includes his live concert in England with behind the scenes footage as well as the video for "Show Me What You Got". CD booklet includes lyrics for every song in this 14-track collection. No filler, straight raw.
"The Prelude" opens the disc with a breezy B-Money instrumental built off the back of a Mel & Tim sample ("Keep the Faith"). Here, Jigga rocks the practically-Rat Pack era beat with a NY flare that's straight out of high school. His lyrics are cultured and comfortable yet his flow hungry and urgent. He spits one steady verse that lays all his cards on the table ("forget this rap shit, I need a new hustle – a lil bit of everything, the new improved rustle"). This segues into the first of many Just Blaze bangers called "Oh My God". Jigga's obsession with his age continues as he states "when you sixteen coming through roofless, yeah ya boy ruthless" and calling his younger peers "baby baller toy rappers". Just Blaze whips a "Whipping Post" sample by Genya Ravan into another soul-charged cry that will rattle Acuras from Manchester-by-the-Sea to Sacramento. "When your ten years in, holla back then". Next up is the title track "Kingdom Come", produced again by Just Blaze. This is his "Super Freak"-sampled battle rap towards every critic and rival in the business. Lyrically this could be the most challenging, dense, entertaining song on the entire disc. But after a whole weekend of analysis, complete with many clouds of marijuana smoke, I just can't dig this beat. Why "Super Freak" the most overused and tiresome sample in Hip Hop? I'll just wait for an eventual mash-up of Jigga's rhymes over an equally-hot instrumental before calling this one a classic.
"Show Me What You Got" is the lead single and has been blowing up the mixtape scene for a while. Matter of fact, the bonus DVD plays this track over the title screen. Opens with that old "Rump Shaker" intro before exploding into a frenzied musical sound scape that soars from luxury liners in the Bahamas to concert halls in London, England. Absolutely epic-level, regal Hip Hop anthem that even King Booker could be proud of. This is a complete attempt at wide scale commercial appeal that will certainly touch the same millions of aging white hipsters that helped propel Speakerboxxx/Love Below into the stratosphere. Only Jigga could pull off this kind of blatant pandering with some modicum of class. Next up is "Lost Ones", a track is "not a diss song, it's just a real song". Over a mellow Dr. Dre (and Mark Batson) head nodder, Jigga rocks the sparse piano loop and crisp snares with his own brand of tender soul bearing. He addresses Dame Dash ("I heard muthaphuckkers say they made HOV – then make another HOV"), his now ex-flame(?) Beyonce ("I don't think it's meant to be, B – for she loves her work more than she does me") and even the car accident that killed his little nephew. For a player who was mostly known for his chilly demeanor this is a welcome respite in the vein of "Song Cry" and "Soon You'll Understand". This song also made the mixtape rounds a while ago.
"Do You Wanna Ride" is stacked in his favor (featuring board work by Kanye West and crooning by John Legend), but still falls a little flat in the center. Maybe it's his heavy-handed attempt at being thought-provoking and deep that has me thinking the CEO of Hip Hop took a page out of Nas' rhyme book. This is the song that mysterious quote in the CD jacket came from (see above). Overcoming that minor road bump is the Dr. Dre produced "30 Something" – an epic attempt at trend setting and the pinnacle of Jay-Z's fixation on old age. He's basically trying to reverse everything Cam'Ron espoused when he said "if 16 year olds don't give a fuck about it neither do I". Whereas Jigga's opening track "The Prelude" harkened back to high school ciphers, "30 Something" takes that image and trashes it. He talks about his whips ("I'm young enough to know the right car to buy yet grown enough not to put rims on it"), the clothes that Dip Set ridiculed (""I used to let them pants sag… now I'm all grown up") and other adult things like "black cards" and "good credit". The sermon is complete with a brash hook that says "30 is the new 20, n***a – I'm still on fire". This could go either way with me cuz in another 5 years I'll be 30, but it the same time it brings back unpleasant memories of his 1996 debut (when he took rap away from me and said you now had to be rich to enjoy it). This could be a slick rebuttal or even more fodder for his foes. But it does have a Dr. Dre beat.
"I Made It" is a soul-drenched ode to his mother ala "Dear Mama". Produced by DJ Khalil, "I Made It" utilizes live instrumentation to paint a perfect picture of maternal appreciation. Switching gears 180 degrees comes "Anything", featuring Usher and Pharrell and produced by his Neptunes brand. Strictly for the strip clubs. It is what it is. Contrary to "Lost Ones" where Jigga apparently ended his relationship with Beyonce, the former Destiny's Child member appears on his next track, "Hollywood". Sounds like he could be analyzing their relationship beneath the bright glare of a million camera lenses, but he's also painting a picture of the same scene that stole away Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, Janis Joplin and James Belushi (all mentioned by name in his final verse). This song perfectly captures the glitz, glamour and seedy underbelly of the American dream all in one take. "Hollywood – the most addictive drug in the world!" Changing up the vibe comes "Trouble" where Jigga promises he's "never gonna change" over another Dr. Dre/Mark Batson smash. Dark, street corner rap that also bleeds over into the subterranean "Dig A Hole" (featuring Sterling Simms) which immediately follows. This is Swizz Beats lone contribution to Kingdom Come and he comes correct with a murky, high-octane instrumental that bumps hard under Jay-Z's pristine flow. Once again Jordan isn't a deep enough metaphor, so Jigga relates himself to God on the microphone ("let's open our bibles").
"Minority Report" opens with a news montage from Hurricane Katrina and the chopping of a dozen ghetto birds in the background. Mafia strings opens a moody instrumental that bangs with lunch room percussion. Produced solely by Dr. Dre, "Minority Report" allows Jigga to touch on the political predicaments plaguing the Hip Hop nation in 2006 and beyond. His flow is delicate and fluctuates between cracked syllables and a strained, teary-eyed delivery. Various sound bites litter the hook, including Kanye's infamous "Bush don't care about black people" barb. Pretty heady stuff for a guy that once only rapped about bitches and jewels. Wrapping up the set, is the mystical highly-touted collaboration with Coldplay's Chris Martin called "Beach Chair". I guess that's where we can find the CEO of Hip Hop these days, since he's all grown up. Lyrically this song is powerful, and the lush instrumental only adds to its potency.
The 411: If we do disregard all the extracurricular intangibles surrounding this record like I suggested in the opening passage, we would be doing this record a disservice. By limiting the events that combined to make this an "event record", we risk reducing it to just another rap release. Beyond his CEO maneuverings, mainstream appeal and path of broken bodies, we're left with a collection of music that could stand on its own merits without any crutches or stilts. But the question is, does it live up to the hype? It's true he tackles more difficult and personal issues than he has on any other record up to this point, but aside from some vocal inflections his flow never changes. No demure southern delivery or any blatant stabs at hyphy, crunk or snap appeal. But no Brooklyn stylee or double-time lyrics either. He limits his guest appearances to hooks so nobody can say he gave up the spotlight on his own project. And of course his production team is an All-Star cast. Funny how Game couldn't get a Dr. Dre beat but Jigga sure does. Not only that, Dr. Dre mixed every single song on this album. So he had his hand in the pot on this one since day one. Overall you can see Jay-Z is still smarting from the age confliction we have going on in the game today – a little dilemma I like to call "The Jerry Lawler Complex of Rap". He's really trying hard to change the perception that Hip Hop is a young mans sport. I believe he has the skill to make that transition complete. This is a well-rounded record that touches every area of the globe without compromising it's homegrown East Coast ideals. There are a few clunkers here that keep this from becoming a pure classic, and it's very much like a Black Album Part II. But it's still one of the most consistently entertaining and enriching releases of the past 12 months. And to all those people still salted that Jay-Z never called Snitch Set out by name, I say "fuck that – that's what Tru Life is for".
