I finally got around to reading Jon Caramica's Watch The Throne review, in NYT, August 9th (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/14/arts/music/jay-z-and-kanye-wests-watch-the-throne.html?pagewanted=1&ref=music) and while I am impressed (I couldn't have written it even as a cut and paste job, I think it is… really, really missing the point.
" what’s on display is curiosity and risk" Jon writes, and it might be many things, but it ain't that. "Otis", "H.A.M." at least are business as usual and the darker the raps get, the more in keeping with the marketplace it becomes. From Kid Cudi to Drake to Tyler, The Creator -the rapping gets darker and darker. The influence of RZA and Wu Tang Clan is complete: everything see,s to be the same shade of black and if "New Day" is a serious take on success in the USA, nothing here hits me as being such a smart take on the subject.
"making “Watch the Throne” perhaps the most ambitious and effortful late-career album hip-hop has ever seen" Oh, really? How about Public Enemy's he Got Game -right off the top of my head, by the way.. I could also point you to stuff by everyone from Nas to Rakim, no problem.
Jon got overwhelmed by reviewing it seems. And despite his "several phenomenal moments, even if it doesn’t quite add up to a phenomenal album" comment, he sure don't pinpoint them.
This is the follow up to Keezy's greatest album and it ain't in the same league. Is that worth mentioning? Jay-Z is 41 years old and on the downside, we're talking crap album after crap album since his unretirement. Is that worth mentioning. And Frank Ocean comes out a superstar (he has had a holy hell of a year by the way). Is that worth mentioning?