Kanye West's and Jay-Z's new collaboration album has recently been recently released on Aug. 8th. I was a little worried what the album what sound like after hearing the debut single HAM. I will write a pretty detailed review all of the 16 tracks (including bonus tracks). I will also provide a ranking out of a 100 (remember, this is my opinion, you might love the song I hate and vice versa) Here's what I think about it :
Otis - The 2nd single, and probably the best song, from the album Watch the Throne. Heavy sampling from oldies superstar Otis Redding gives a very soulful, 70's vibe to this song. The beat is really good and creative. Kanye's and Jay-Z's lyrics were a little above average in my opinion. They've both had a lot more better songs, lyrically. Over all a very good song, 80/100.
Murder to Excellence - A surprisingly good song and with very good lyrics. Both Kanye and Jay killed it. My favorite line is when Kanye West said, "I'm from the murder capital where they murder for capital." Sounds very much like the old Kanye songs from Graduation and College Dropout. Very Very well produced and performed. 87/100
New Day - A very thought provoking and creative song, New Day, also like Murder to Excellence, songs similar to the old Kanye Graduation/College Dropout songs. The song is relaxed and the woman singing in the background fits in almost perfectly. Basically, the song is about Kanye West and Jay-Z rapping about how they will raise their sons (if and when they get them). I loved the track. 84/100
No Church in the Wild - I knew this song was going to be good just by the title. It starts out with a heavy bass synth which immediately captures your attention. Then a relative newcomer, Frank Ocean, who has received some very justified hype from this album, follows up by saying some very powerful lines. The lyrics and a full, line by line, explanation is available at: http://rapgenius.com/Kanye-west-no-church-in-the-wild-lyrics
The song is surprisingly deep and meaningful. A great song. 88/100
HAM - The album's debut single is usually the best song, but not in this case. The song has actually been downgraded to be a bonus track. But it's still a good song. A bit too abnoxiuos, but still a good song. 62/100
Gotta have it - I'm liking this song. The beat and chorus make this song what it is. Jay-Z and Kanye don't do anything too special lyrically. But Jay-Z does throw in a couple creative lines, for example,"wish I could give you this feeling, I’m planking on a million".
Overall, a pretty good song. 74/100
Ni**as in Paris - The beginning is really good, and Jay-Z kills it on the chorus. But just like many recent songs, the lyrics and the way it's said totally destroy the song. And it has a pointless ending (it goes on too long). It would've been a really good song but falls short by some pretty stupid mistakes. With a couple of changes with Audacity, however, I made it in into a pretty good song. 56/100
Prime time - The beat is really good . It seems like every song on this album has a good beat and flow to it. The first verse, rapped by Jay-Z, is really good lyrically. It might be bonus track, but this goes hard. A great track. 78/100
Illest Motherfuc*er Alive - When the song actually starts, the beat immediately puts you in the right mood. The Opera that comes in at about the 4:30 mark is surprisingly compatible and matches the rest of the song. Also like Prime time, it's bonus track, but is still very good. 74/100
Lift Off - With an album with very little featured artists, Lift Off, can easily be mistaken for one of the best songs on the album. The song features Beyonce, the only big name in the entire album other than Jay and Kanye. And she is the only brightspot on the entire song. Great chorus, but suprisingly bad rapping, dull, and boring verses from Jay and Kanye. I believe that it's going to be the 3rd single from the album. Had alot of potential, but fell short. Really short. 54/100
Who gon Stop Me - Overall great song. Kanye always finds the best vocal samples for his songs. Great lyrics, great beats, but kind of annoying end. Still a good song. 70/100
Why I Love You - This song features Mr.Hudson, who is pretty good on this song. The hook gets you in the right mood for the song. Then Jay and Kanye take it up a notch with great flow and lyrics. I liked this song. 83/100
Welcome to the Jungle - Swizz Beatz is always a positive addition to every song. He provides some background vocals and helped Kanye produce the song. When you have 2 of the best producers in music on one song, the beat has to good. And it is. Lyrics are good but not amazing. Great song. 74/100
Made in America - Frank Ocean did really good on both of the songs he was featured on. He has the perfect voice for Kanye's beats. And once again, the beat was really good and fit in perfectly. It sounded effortless and natural, nothing was forced. Great lyrics by both Jay and Kanye. Overall, a great song. 77/100
The Joy - Not much to say here. An okay song. Nothing too special about it. But the hook is great. It's worth a listen. It kind of fell just a little short for me. Average song. 67/100
That's my Bitch - Exactly like The Joy, it's a good song with a few mistakes. Also as in The Joy, the hook is the best part. It was alright and at least worth a listen. 65/100
85+ Classic -3
80+ Excellent -2
75+ Very Good -2
70+ Good -4
60+ Above Average - 3
50+ Below Average - 2
40+ Bad - 0
1-39 Horrible - 0
Overall Album, Watch The Throne ranking: 82/100
Summary: Could have achieved far more in my opinion. It has a couple of duds, but other than that, the album was amazing. Easily the best album of the year. Definitely worth it to buy the album, whether it's online or in a record store. Kanye West and Jay-Z did it again.
