Some Songs Considered - Posts Tagged 'jay-z'

January 6, 2010

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“Empire State of Mind” – Jay-Z with Alicia Keys
(Words/music: Shawn Carter, Al Shux, Alicia Keys, Angela Hunte, and Janet Sewell-Ulepic, available on The Blueprint 3, Roc Nation 2009)

“Empire State of Mind” is overplayed. There are better beats on The Blueprint 3. Jay-Z has a few clever turns of phrase but has sounded sharper. Alicia Keys’ voice has sounded better. The hook borders on trite (“concrete jungle where dreams are made of” and “these lights will inspire you” aren’t exactly poetry). It probably doesn’t need the third verse. Wikipedia tells me that the Sex in the City 2 trailer features it. In short, this is Times Square Jay-Z rather than Brooklyn Jay-Z.

Still, Times Square at the right times still feels magical, and “Empire State of Mind” has that same kind of transcendent magic to it. Whether it’s the way the twinkling piano loop tangles itself with the guitar or the high notes Keys reaches for in the hook, it’s hard to resist such an infectiously catchy track. Jay even changes his flow a little bit in the middle, delivering his rhymes at a quicker, corner-of-the-mouth kind of way, tossing off different New York City images. Even if he’s bragged about his success more skillfully before, the combination of the high life with grittier New York images and memories helps paint the city as a multifaceted world. Ultimately, it works because it’s willing to strive for anthem-like levels. It gives Jay the ability to paint the city with broad, bright strokes, and even if he falls short of the high bar he’s set for himself, it’s impossible to take issue with the song when Alicia Keys starts singing.

More on Jay-Z: Allmusic | Amazon MP3 | Emusic | Last.fm

More on Alicia Keys: Allmusic | Amazon MP3 | Emusic | Last.fm

December 28, 2009

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“Get By” – Talib Kweli
(Words/music: Talib Kweli, Nina Simone, and Kanye West, available on Quality, MCA 2002)

Jay-Z, arguably the most successful man in hip hop this past decade, pays Talib Kweli a strong compliment on the track “Moment of Clarity.” “If skills sold, truth be told, I’d probably be lyrically Talib Kweli.” It’s somewhat of a backhanded compliment, as Jay says he’d give Kweli a run for his money if it made money, but it’s a compliment nonetheless. By the time Kweli went beyond his relationship with DJ Hi-Tek and started rhyming over others’ beats, he established his reputation as one of hip hop’s most gifted lyricists. Even if pairing him with Jay-Z’s producers (in this case, a pre College Dropout Kanye West) didn’t yield Jay’s SoundScan numbers, it broadened Kweli’s range.

Of course, skills alone don’t sell, but the “Sinnerman”-spinning beat on “Get By” makes Kweli sound like the most vital MC in the land. West’s bouncy piano beat lets Kweli excel with his occasionally off-rhythm rhymes; when Kweli deviates from the beat – particularly when he spits a longer phrase at a quicker pace – he sounds like a soloist embellishing on a melody. By deliberately breaking the form, Kweli gains a fluidity to his rhymes, letting him play in the space between those piano chords and drum notes the way that few other MCs would dare to attempt. He always finds his way back onto the beat though, and his embellishments never obstruct his lyrics – top notch, of course. “Get By” would be a winner with just Kweli, the drums, and the piano, but the vocal adornments make the track soar. Whether Simone’s sampled vocals, the small choir singing the hook, or West’s secret weapon John Legend reaching for the back row, these additions give “Get By” a fuller feel. Even if it’s a bit of a generalization, “Get By” remains one of the finest tracks in both Kweli and West’s body of work (not the career defining highlight for either, but certainly on their “best of” collections), and if that sounds like my own backhanded compliment, it’s meant as an endorsement of this track.

More on Talib Kweli: Allmusic | Amazon MP3 | Emusic | Last.fm

July 15, 2009

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“Never Let Me Down (f/ Jay-Z and J. Ivy)” - Kanye West
(Words/music: Michael Bolton, Sean Carter, Bruce Kulick, J. Richardson, and Kanye West, available on The College Dropout, Roc-a-Fella 2004)

Kanye West’s car accident is the formative experience of his adult life. Like many who experience a tragedy, West turned inward and started asking questions. On a basic level, West asked the same question that survivors often asked – why me? He doesn’t stop there, using his lyrics to try to reconcile the many contradictions that swirl around his life. While he crystalized this paradox – specifically, why do bad things make me feel good – on Late Registration, Kanye explores these parts of his personality on The College Dropout. These are Kanye’s most compelling moments lyrically – when he lets down his guard and shares his uncertainty with us. In a genre of music that values certainty and confidence on the mic, Kanye holds his own with some of hip hop’s best lyricists (at least in the mainstream) by embracing his contradictions and probing deeper (and it’s this heart-on-sleeve display that makes 808s and Heartbreaks feel human beneath its icy digital finish).

West’s verse on “Never Let Me Down,” takes a broader view on the paradoxes in his life. He details all of the different things he comes from – activist parents, apathetic peers, everyday racism, materialism and the accompanying guilt, and the fear that he’s losing sight of the big picture. His guest verses even pull him in different directions; Jay-Z’s verse represents the “game” of hip-hop and all of the glamor and fame associated with being at the top of your game. Jay has a few inspired turns of phrase in his bookend verses, but poet J. Ivy steals the show with his verse. Ivy delivers his verse as spoken word that floats over the track without reference to the beat, making him sound like a man possessed at points. His verse talks about a higher purpose and at points he sounds like he could be speaking in tongues. These are Kanye’s twin ideals, and like his idols he desperately wants to be both socially conscious and world famous. Both have their pull – Kanye responds to Ivy’s verse with a “take ‘em to church” line and emphasis on the choir-like backing vocals. Then, as soon as Jay-Z comes back, West slips back into his rapper role. He plays both roles well, but he’s at his best when he’s true to himself. This is what makes his lyrics compelling – he often treads on trite language and flirts with cliches, but an honesty and openess radiates from his best verses. Here’s a man who works so hard to cultivate a persona, yet he sounds most interesting when he pulls back the curtain and reveals that he’s as self-conscious, conflicted, and neurotic as the rest of us. I feel his pain and hope he eventually finds peace somewhere in the middle of these two poles. Still, there’s a selfish part of me that hopes that he stays conflicted and keeps searching, if only to keep him artistically sharp.

More on Kanye West: Allmusic | Amazon MP3 | Emusic | Last.fm

June 28, 2009

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“Go Crazy (Remix)” – Young Jeezy with Jay-Z
(Words/music: D. Cannon, J.L. Jenkins, B. Krass, C. Mayfield, available on Let’s Get It: Thug Motivation 101 – Deluxe Edition, Def Jam 2005)

Two things stand out in this remix of “Go Crazy.” The first is the beat – built around a sample of Curtis Mayfield’s “(Man, Oh Man) I Want to Go Back,” this track feels like a lot of the soul based sampling from the middle of the decade. The thing that makes it unique is the way the beat flows – it’s a half-time beat but those drum rolls make it feel like an off-centered washing machine. It still moves in time, but half of the bar feels heavier than the other. Between this odd beat and the hazy use of the sample, producer Don Cannon creates a surreal feel to the song. Jeezy’s verse locks right into the beat, making the drums sound like they’re embellishing around his steadiness. It works perfectly with Jeezy’s style – one that I’ve always felt works better rhythmically than it does lyrically.

Of course, the “Go Crazy” remix benefits from having Jeezy’s then boss Jay-Z on the track. It’s not Jay’s best verse nor his best guest verse, but his presence commands attention. I first heard this track on the radio and had no idea that Jay was on it, so when he emerged it almost sounded like a daydream. Still, even if Jay sleepwalks slightly through the track, he still drops a few gems. As a baseball fan, I’ve always loved the “more than the relief pitcher, I’m the closer / the Mariano of the Mariott” line. If guest verses are like bringing in a relief pitcher to finish it off, bringing Jay-Z in for a verse would be like handing the ball to Mariano Rivera to close out the game.

More on Young Jeezy: Allmusic | Amazon MP3 | Emusic | Last.fm

March 28, 2009

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“Crazy in Love (f/ Jay-Z)” – Beyonce
(Words/music: Shawn Carter, Rich Harrison, Beyoncé Knowles, Eugene Record, available on Dangerously in Love, Columbia Records 2003)

One of my personal reasons for writing this blog was to learn about my taste in music, and while I’ve realized that my taste evolved gradually over time, there are occasional changes in perspective that catch me buy surprise. Beyonce is an excellent example. I never really cared for any of the Destiny’s Child singles and can only think of one or two of them off the top of my head. I remember Destiny’s Child being around, but I never paid much attention to them. “Crazy in Love” stopped me in my tracks, though. I loved it instantly, which made putting up with its ubiquity a little easier. Since then, I’ve enjoyed a handful of Beyonce singles, but none in the same way as “Crazy in Love.” The question becomes – why did “Crazy in Love” grab hold of me when all of the Destiny’s Child singles couldn’t even grab my attention.

I’m tempted to give credit to the horn riff sampled from the Chi-Lites’ “Are You My Woman” and that’s certainly the attention grabber, but there’s a lot of wonderful things going on underneath these punching horns. While the horn sample locks the chorus into a steady rhythmic pulse, the beat flows free during the verses. In particular, the samba cowbells fill the space between the backbeat, letting Beyonce’s vocals dance around the track. Even though she rarely strays outside of her vocal comfort zone, Beyonce lets the tone of her voice and her personality shine through the vocal mix. In particular, she delivers the “ut-ohs” in a giddy, machine gun-like stutter that locks right into the beat. Maybe she was taking note from her beau Jay-Z, who turns in another solid guest verse. Like Beyonce, Jay’s verse seems focused on creating specific rhythmic patterns, as Jay picks out his allusions and internal rhymes (“handle rock like Van Exel” being my favorite) as much for their sound as for their meaning. It’s a solid verse, but even Jay-Z, one of hip hop’s biggest stars, knows where the spotlight is on this track and wisely steps out of the spotlight just in time to let Beyonce take that horn riff one more time. It’s a masterful pop composition because it knows that the focus should be on Beyonce rather than the melody. Producer Rich Harrison lets the horns announce pop’s new queen and then knows enough to reduce them down to occasional accents in the verse, letting Beyonce charm her way to the top.

More on Beyonce: Allmusic | Amazon MP3 | Emusic | Last.fm

TAGGED UNDER: beyonce | 2003 | 2000s | columbia records | jay-z | track analysis | pop |

January 12, 2009

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“Allure” – Jay-Z
(Words: Shawn Carter, music: Chad Hugo & Pharrell Williams, available on The Black Album, Roc-a-Fella/Def Jam, 2003)

Perhaps because I’ve played music most of my life, and perhaps because as a music fan I tend to be immediately drawn in by rhythm and sounds before words, I’m always interested to know who produces hip hop tracks. I’m even more interested when these tracks tend to break type, as the Neptunes’ production on Jay-Z’s “Allure” juts against the sound I normally associate with the production duo. Sure, that’s Pharrell singing the hook (if you want to call it that, as it’s much more subtle than the more radio friendly tracks they produced). The strings and piano backed by a slower beat give it a retro-soul feel (something like the What’s Going On album, production-wise), the perfect sonic landscape for one of Jay’s more contemplative tracks. It almost has the feel of sitting in a booth sharing a drink with Jay, listening to him blow off some steam.

Even if most of us will never sip champagne with a multimedia mogul, I think we can understand Jay’s idea of being drawn in by things we shouldn’t do (mine usually involve turning off my alarm clock and climbing back into bed). It’s also an interesting window into Jay-Z’s personality – even before his so-called “farewell album” ended, he’s promised his return (and now, two albums later, he’s fully un-retired). I can imagine that someone who’s had so much success on so many endeavors might get “bored” of being prolific. At a certain point, success becomes meaningless without a challenge, and if the challenges in front of us aren’t enough (and for most of us, they are), some of us seek out challenges. In that sense, the adrenaline rush of trying something new, even if it means risking failure, feels better in the moment than all of the platinum records hanging on your wall. With “Allure,” Jay tells us that he needed to take a break to see what else was out there, but that in the end he’d come back, if for no other reason than that he’s too good at “the game” to quit playing it for too long.

More on Jay-Z: Allmusic | Amazon MP3 | Emusic | Last.fm

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