3.5 out of 5 stars
Jay-Z described himself better than any reviewer could when he rapped, “I’m not a businessman, I’m a business, man.” When you consider that classic quip in the context of Magna Carta…Holy Grail, it really begins to make sense.
Plain and simple, Magna Carta is a good album, but it doesn’t stand up against Jay’s previous efforts. Magna Carta may not have a smash hit like “Izzo” or a groundbreaking track like “Dead Presidents II,” but that doesn’t mean it’s a failure.
Magna Carta was announced during Game 5 of the NBA Finals and dropped less than a month later. It follows in the tradition of Yeezus—it was finished and swiftly released to the world, foregoing the traditional album cycle that finds fans waiting months to hear music that’s been sitting on the shelf, building hype.
Jay-Z sold 1 million copies of Magna Carta before fans heard even a sliver of its music thanks to his lucrative deal with Samsung, a move that all but solidifies Jay’s status as a business, man. But when you’re the most successful hip-hop artist of all time, that isn’t something you have to do—you are your own built-in hype machine. However, even without a standard promotional cycle, Magna Carta…Holy Grail still feels over-hyped.
Tracks like “Picasso Baby” showcase Jay-Z’s sheer lyrical finesse by weaving in and out of a stellar beat from Timbaland. He also showcases his cultural status by rapping about how his baby daughter can lean on lavish paintings because he simply lives like that.
However, amid all of his luxury he still sounds hungry. While Jay is one of the most accomplished hip-hop artists in the world, he can’t help but yearn for more. He’s not satisfied with nearly being a billionaire, he’s aiming for a trillion.
However, while some of these songs echo the determination and drive found on his previous efforts, some just feel like Jay is riding on cruise control. The album is peppered with references to Mike Tyson and Frank Sinatra, but they’re old, recycled lines that feel like Jay is just phoning it in. In efforts to counteract these dated references he throws in nods to Nirvana and R.E.M lyrics, but does so in a forced, contrived manner.
But tracks like “Tom Ford” and “SomewhereinAmerica” highlight that this 43-year-old icon still has a few rounds left in him. “Tom Ford” finds Jay riding on top of a trap-style beat and making references to hash-tags, Tumblr and popping mollies. “I don’t pop mollies/I rock Tom Ford” feels oddly similar to his Black Album line where he looks down on the jersey-wearing culture in favor of “crisp jeans and button-ups.”
Some of this is Jay-Z showing is age, and some of it is Jay-Z reminding us that he’s one of the most innovative hip-hop artists of our time. “SomewhereinAmerica” boasts a banger of a beat from Hit-Boy with triumphant horns and a sleek piano riff that Jay-Z ran laps on, boasting about his millions and Lambos while reminding us that “somewhere in America Miley Cyrus is still twerkin’.”
All in all, Magna Carta…Holy Grail is a dichotomous album. For every standout track on the album there are two or three more that just feel forced. However, after considering this is Jay-Z’s 12th studio album, it’s understandable that they can’t all be winners.
Those who compare Magna Carta…Holy Grail with Jay’s previous work will most likely be disappointed. It’s no Blue Print or Black Album, but it’s an album that makes sense for Jay-Z within his current lifestyle.
Jay still loves to remind us of his drug-dealing-come-up, but he has evolved into a luxury rap artist and, quite frankly, there’s nothing wrong with that. However, the subject matter isn’t the disappointing side of this album, it’s the fact that we see little of Jay-Z’s personality shining through.
Sure “Jay-Z Blue” is dad-rap at its finest, showcasing Jay-Z’s struggle to be a good father while struggling with his fatherless childhood, but there simply aren’t enough moments like this. “Oceans” highlights African-American struggle within an enslaved past, but much of this album just feels like a victory lap for an already accomplished artist.
Previous work aside, Magna Carta…Holy Grail contains some truly brilliant tracks, but more often than not it’s filled with recycled ideas and poorly executed tracks. But it will still go platinum, it will still produce chart-topping singles, and we will still see Jay-Z heralded as one of hip-hop’s finest. If Jay-Z is a business, then he has reached corporation status—he’s simply too big to fail.
