Part of the reason I like to stay up after midnight is to read Pitchfork.com. Shortly after midnight, they usually post their reviews of the latest albums. Last year I remember refreshing my page and seeing them give Kanye's latest a perfect score. Was it as really good as "Kid A" or "Soft Bulletin" or "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" or hell, even "Source Tags and Codes"? No it wasn't. But the chances Kanye took were worthy of any praise it was receiving. It was a hip hop album we hadn't heard yet, there were King Crimson samples, nine minute songs with auto-tune solo's, a unnecessary Chris Rock appearance, oh and lyrically, Kanye couldn't be touched. So here we are, a rap superstar at the top of his game, with no place else to go.
Something funny happened though, he buddied back up with the elder statesman in Jay-Z. Hova is fresh off of what was probably his worst album, he headlined Bonnaroo and Coachella, scored a number one hit, and yet seemed unsatisfied. So now the best rapper of all time teams up with the most polarizing artist in the world. So usually these things are supposed to suck. Jigga isn't a stranger to these collaboration albums, he did some clunkers with R. Kelly which ended in a disastrous tour with Kelly being maced. Hell, I was skeptical, considering the lead single "HAM" sucked (thankfully it's on the deluxe edition), I set myself low. I should've known better.
What works with "Watch the Throne" is that it's two artists in their prime, just having fun. Yes, they're flossing their gifts in a dire economic climate, but damned if I can't get a kick out of it. Latest single "Otis" uses a sample by Mr. Redding and is the running for the song of the year. The two giants trade back and forth like a couple of kids arguing who had the best summer to a backing track of "Try a Little Tenderness", it's a fucking broment on an album, the type of broment you and your BFF have when you realize how awesome it is to know someone who can keep up with your lifestyle.
Nearly every song features bars being traded, "Niggas in Paris" samples the underrated Will Ferrell comedy "Blades of Glory" to a Yeezy beat and well, it's about flaunting. Album highlight and opener "No Church in the Wild" starts with an eerie line sung by Frank Ocean from OFWGKTA and gets darker and better from there. Ocean guests on two tracks here and his stock will probably rise considering this will be a hit album, and his collective has been taking the internet by storm.
There are some clunkers though, "Lift Off" features a cheesy chorus from Beyonce and has a beat and lyrics akin to a Lonely Island parody, it's nearly laughable, especially coming off of the tremendous opener. Closer "Why I Love You" is pure cheese that may or may not be a hit single and features the nerve shattering Mr. Hudson who guested on probably the worst Jay-Z song ever. I won't even mention it here to spare you. But what it lacks in trying to be serious, it makes up for being fun.
Both Yeezy and Jigga are at their best when they're being themselves and having some fun. It's easy to tell when they try to hard, but when they forget everything and want to one up each other, we as fans win. While I'm sure there's tons of money to be had in a sequel, I can't help but think where they go from here. Can this rejuvenate Jay-Z and help him forget about aging and wanting to stay relevant? Can Kanye keep up the pace he's set for himself since he picked up a mic? Time will tell, but if I may be a little cheesy here, this album proves that nobody is even close to usurping the throne.
**** 1/2 out of *****
-bro sport
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