The thought-provoking lyrics of the prolific Jay-Z have resurfaced on his latest effort, American Gangster, the hip-hop mogul's second full length release after un-retiring in 2006.
Picking up where he left off the rap idol effortlessly laces his new album with "heroin tracks," forming his own comparison to Frank Lucas, the NYC drug lord played by Denzel Washington in the film of the same name.
Paying tribute to his hometown on a song entitled "Hello Brooklyn," Jay-Z tells a story while he collaborates with the poetically smooth rapper Lil Wayne.
"Brooklyn you crazy/look how you made me/razor blades in my mouth walkin' around behaving/all demented, black hoodies and Timberlanded," raps Jay-Z.
Jay-Z then turns the thanks around and pays homage to both himself and Lucas, painting a vivid picture of the struggle and of course, the triumph in this hard knock life.
With a skit-free track listing of pure variety, listeners are guaranteed to enjoy some musical enlightenment from this lyrical genius.
The first two singles "Blue Magic" and "Roc Boys (And The Winner Is)," give only a small taste as to how powerful American Gangster is, and what listeners can expect from the rest of the album.
"Blue Magic" compares the effect Frank Lucas' heroin has on the fiends to the effect Jay-Z's addicting lyrics have to the masses. Meanwhile, "Roc Boys (And The Winner Is)" has already proven itself to be a major club hit, highlighting the fact that Jay-Z and Kanye West are the only Roc-A-Fella artists left making waves in the mainstream.
Following up the strong start is "Falling," a track that promises to leave listeners with a detailed idea of the hard life situations that take hold of anyone.
"Godfather, Goodfellas, Scarface, Casino/ ya seen what that last run did to DeNiro/ when he can't beat the odds, can't cheat the shark/ Can't blow too hard life's a deck of cards," raps Jay-Z.
Elevating the level of consciousness in his rhymes and raising the bar in hip hop music, Jay-Z's American Gangster pays respect to criminals like Frank Lucas, the hard streets of Brooklyn, and the rapper himself, emerging as a post-retirement album that's worth a listen.
