KK's Magna Carta Holy Grail Live Blog Review

[Kat Kid]

Magna Carta Holy Grail Live Review

Holy Grail- I don't know if anyone could've predicted 15 years ago that JT would be in this position.  Good on him.  He is talented and he has picked friends and collabos wisely.  If you would've told me 15 years ago that Jay Z would be quoting Kurt Cobaine lyrics in his tunes it would've been slightly more believable but it is pretty weird in its own right.  It is weird, this song seems way over produced and JT seems to overwhelm Jay.  The opening beat as it is heard in the commercial sounds like it could've been a real gritty solid track that Jay would've just ripped and run with and featured his lyrics and voice.  It peeks through, but it gets lost in the awful back up harmonies, JT and a reluctance to stick with the simple piano and guitar break and try to do 4 or 5 things while burying the winner.

UPDATE/EDIT
2nd and 3rd listen it is a lot better lyrically.  Jay and JT have a lot of fairly interesting things to say about fame.

The song structure is still inexcusable.

[Kat Kid]

Picasso Baby- This bass heavy beat is even grittier and is reminiscent of his earlier work.  It could've been on Reasonable Doubt up until the break at about 3 minutes in when he picks up a beat and rhyming scheme very similar to 99 problems.  Lyrically he raps about crap that must make sense to him, but I am just like wtf?  He wants a Picasso?  He wants to be considered Picasso?  It seems his biggest inconvenience is rough ridin' paparazzi.  It isn't first world problems it is like 1% problems.

[Kat Kid]

Tom Ford- "It's Bordeaux and Burgundies, flush out a Riesling ..... I don't pop molly, I rock Tom Ford"  I mean what in the world?

[Tobias]

picasso baby beat had a VERY "99 problems" feel to it - a little heavy handed IMO...

[Kat Kid]

FuckwithmeyouknowIgotit- intro: "The reason why we like this this jewelry and this diamonds and stuff
They don't understand is because we really from Africa
And that's where all this stuff come from"  what in the hell?

"Hov keep gettin' that dinero, got it
Even if a nigga gotta Robert, get it?"
This is the only good rhyme on this piece of crap

[Tobias]

[EllRobersonisInnocent]

oh how the mighty have fallen. Jay and 'Ye just aren't what they used to be

[Kat Kid]

Oceans- Jay and Frank seem like they actually give a crap on this song.  The most intense song so far.  Frank's hook is closer to a verse than a chorus, but the beat is so frantic that it doesn't distract or lose momentum.  Jay Z seems actually pissed off rapping about his feelings.  It seems like he understands that the crap he buys will and the lifestyle he lives will never get him full acceptance by the truly powerful.  This song he lets loose that he knows he's still stained: "Dope boy still smelling like cocaina
White boat, white robe
Can he be more cleaner"

The tension in his relationship with the excesses of being in the 1% are laid bare when he says:
 "The oil spill that BP ain't clean up
I'm anti-Santa Maria
Only Christopher we acknowledge is Wallace
I don't even like Washingtons in my pocket
Black card go hard when I'm shopping"

That is much more interesting than his pure capitalistic raps.  But I guess they are just further evidence for the tension.

[Kat Kid]

F.U.T.W. (eff Up This World)- It almost seems like as the record goes over we go further in to his brain, like we are in a session with his psychiatrist.

"After that government cheese, we eating steak
After the projects, now we on estates
I'm from the bottom, I know y'all can relate"

He is the self-made man, but he doesn't want to only celebrate his ascent.  He wants to change the system:

"See most of my niggas died early twenties or late teens
I'm just trying to come from under the thumb of this regime
1% of a billion more than niggas even seen"

and

"Make a million another million let my niggas make a million
'til we all check a billion, crap it's just the way I'm feeling
We have yet to see a ceiling, we just top what we top
Cause the bars don't struggle and the struggle don't stop"

[Pete]

Doe every song have loads of cussing?

[Tobias]

Doe every song have loads of cussing?

it's a headphone'r at work and at home around the kids, pete

[Kat Kid]

SomewhereinAmerica- This beat is hypnotic and really good.  Really chill jazzy piano riff with upbeat sax riff over top.

I am the nouveau riche:

"Shout out to old Jews and old rules
New blacks with new stacks
I already been the king
Retro act, I'm just bringing it back
Like Jordan Packs
New money, they looking down on me
Blue bloods they trying to clown on me
You can turn up your nose high society
Never gone turn down the homie
Knock knock I'm at your neighbor house
Straight cash I bought ya neighbor out
You should come to the housewarming
Come and see what your new neighbor 'bout
Yellow Lambo in the driveway
A buck 35 on the highway"

rough ridin' brilliant and hilarious:

"Cause somewhere in America
Miley Cyrus is still twerkin'

[Outro]
Twerk, twerk, twerk, twerk
Twerk, Miley, Miley, twerk
Twerk,
Twerk, Miley, Miley, Miley, twerk
Twerk, yeah, ugh-huh
Twerk, Miley, Miley, Miley
Only in America"

[Kat Kid]

Crown-

Oh yes.  I can get behind this.  Reminding us that he is about to take over the sports world is a pretty boss move.

"You in the presence of a king
Scratch that, you in the presence of a God
Put in the belly of the beast
I escaped, a nigga never had a job
Scott Boras, you over baby
Robinson Cano, you coming with me
These niggas is like rotary phones
It's a new day, hit up KD
Niggas always try to knock a nigga down
Knock me to my knees about a million times
Uncle said I'll never sell a million records
I sold a million records like a million times
These niggas shouldn't let me in
I ball so hard on ESPN
See my name come across on CNN
'Bout 6 minutes, you gonna see it again"

[Pete]

Crown-

Oh yes.  I can get behind this.  Reminding us that he is about to take over the sports world is a pretty boss move.

"You in the presence of a king
Scratch that, you in the presence of a God
Put in the belly of the beast
I escaped, a nigga never had a job
Scott Boras, you over baby
Robinson Cano, you coming with me
These niggas is like rotary phones
It's a new day, hit up KD
Niggas always try to knock a nigga down
Knock me to my knees about a million times
Uncle said I'll never sell a million records
I sold a million records like a million times
These niggas shouldn't let me in
I ball so hard on ESPN
See my name come across on CNN
'Bout 6 minutes, you gonna see it again"

They did a piece on this the other day on the radio.   He's landed Kevin Durant ("hit up by KD").

I listened to a book on audio about a small time agent ("Illegal Procedure"), and it was pretty interesting about the different "pitches" and angles the agents take to land players.  Jay Z should be wildly popular by selling that "You are an entertainer" angle.

[SabiNation]

  can't wait for Boras' rebuttal

[Tobias]

can't wait for Boras' rebuttal

if it's anything like "BBC", he'll have a verse on "Charter of Liberties" in a few years

[Kat Kid]

2nd half review up tomorrow.

[Tobias]

2nd half review up tomorrow.

can't wait KK, i've enjoyed this

[puniraptor]

This is really hard hitting stuff. GJ, KK.

[steve dave]

kk you are very good at this

[Tobias]

2nd half review up tomorrow.

 

[kim carnes]

jay z's music is alright but i think he might be Fake Sugar Dick (WARNING, NOT THE REAL SUGAR DICK!)

[Kat Kid]

Heaven-
Chilled out trance like vibe, great sample.

"That's me in the corner
That's me in the spotlight
Losing my religion"

Quoting Michael Stipe now?  What in the hell was he listening to prepping for this album?  I find this fascinating.  Like did he wait 20 years to drop this line in or did he just discover R.E.M.?  So many questions...

"I'm a motherfucking prophet, smoke a tree of knowledge
Drink from a gold chalice
you gotta love it"

Pretty dope rhyme.

[Kat Kid]

Versus- Interlude.  Whatever.

[steve dave]

Go KK Go!