Avg Rating: 
4.4 ( 39 total votes )
I feel a little bad for Jay-Z – that is if you can feel bad for a multi-millionaire rap legend with the planet’s hottest girlfriend. His role as the emperor of the Hova empire aside, Jay-Z’s last album Kingdom Come was doomed from the start. We don’t want albums from Jay, we want cultural landmarks. He’s supposed to make platinum selling music that satisfies both the most lyrically hungry backpackers and Gucci-draped club goers. Oh, and he’s also responsible for making Def Jam the biggest label in the game. No one else deals with that … ...Read the full album review
Fans can also check out Jay-Z's previous albums: Jay-Z - The Blueprint 3 | Jay-Z- Kingdom Come
DJBooth Album Review
I feel a little bad for Jay-Z – that is if you can feel bad for a multi-millionaire rap legend with the planet’s hottest girlfriend. His role as the emperor of the Hova empire aside, Jay-Z’s last album Kingdom Come was doomed from the start. We don’t want albums from Jay, we want cultural landmarks. He’s supposed to make platinum selling music that satisfies both the most lyrically hungry backpackers and Gucci-draped club goers. Oh, and he’s also responsible for making Def Jam the biggest label in the game. No one else deals with that kind of pressure, no one. Kingdom Come’s failure was not that it was a bad album, but that it revealed Jay as something less than a hip-hop god, a mere mortal.
With the release of American Gangster Jay-Z is on a mission to prove he’s still the best rapper alive. He succeeds. The album has the kind of intensity and craftsmanship we haven’t seen from Jay in years, maybe ever. American Gangster isn’t a soundtrack to the new film of the same name, Denzel Washington’s portrayal of 70’s drug kingpin Frank Lucas has simply inspired Jay in the same way watching Rocky makes you want to go hit a punching bag. Hova evidently sees a lot of himself in Lucas, he hustles hip-hop like Lucas hustled heroine, and American Gangster is a 70’s soaked story of powerful black men and the crimes they committed to get to the top.
American Gangster starts with Pray, a cinematic flashback that recounts Jay’s lost childhood innocence. The beat pulses with a deadly seriousness as Jay rhymes “everything I’ve seen made me everything I am/bad drug dealer or I victim I beg/what came first moving chickens or the egg?” If this album was a movie, Pray would be the creation of Hova, the birth of the best rapper/businessman hybrid hip-hop’s ever seen. Moving on with the cinematic metaphor, the next scene would be Sweet, a track that has Jay swimming in the rewards of his success. As good as Jay’s flow is throughout the album, and it’s extraordinary, Sweet shows the production is equally clutch. Diddy’s production team The Hitmen (LV, Sean C and Mario Winans) take soul and funk samples from the likes of Marvin Gaye and Curtis Mayfield to create a cohesive musical thesis so 70’s even I’m inspired to grow an afro. Listening to Sweet is like watching the original Shaft, only instead of Isaac Hayes we get intimidatingly powerful rhymes from Jay-Z.
Every high has its low and just like the real Frank Lucas (who went into the witness protection program after giving up info to the cops) Jay admits that fame and fortune has a dark side. During the gospel-organ driven track Success he isn’t bragging when he says “I got watches I ain’t seen in months, an apartment at the Trump I only slept in once,” he’s admitting that his life of luxury is ultimately pointless. Even guest feature Nas (can we stop mentioning the beef now?) agrees when he asks “why is life worth living, is it the hunt for the s*** you want?” How good is American Gangster as an album? Jay and Nas absolutely kill the flow and it isn’t even the best track. For me that honor goes to Fallin’, a track produced by No I.D. Jay-Z reflects on his past and concludes it’s only a matter of time before he meets his downfall; it’s the fate of any real hustler. The knock on Jay during Kingdom Come was that his lyrics were too commercially motivated, a problem he subtly addresses on Fallin’ when he says, “the irony of selling drugs is sort of like using it/guess there’s two sides to what substance abuse is.” Is there really any question who’s the greatest?
I could write a novel about American Gangster and it’s implications for hip-hop, but space constraints force me to skim over some tracks. Roc Boys is the best party track Hov’s released since Big Pimpin, none other than Rakim told me The Neptunes’ produced track Blue Magic is a personal favorite, and the genius of Hello Brooklyn 2.0 featuring sung/rapped verses from Lil Wayne can only be realized with a fully-charged audio system. How good is this album? I’ll put it this way; five years from now if someone looks through your album collection and notices American Gangster missing, they’ll think you don’t know anything about hip-hop. And if you’re on DJBooth that can’t be true, right?
Listen to More: Jay-Z Written by Nathan S.
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Member Reviews and Ratings
Average Member Rating: Total Ratings: 39
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DJ Booth Crew  Total Ratings: 11866 |
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 Best Hip Hop album of 2007. Hands down.
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| Posted on Nov 05, 2007 |
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Yo you hit this one head on. He really does it on this album. Big up's for the review.
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| Posted on Nov 05, 2007 |
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This is a classic. What else ?
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| Posted on Nov 05, 2007 |
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DJ Booth Crew |
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The Grammy for best rap album of the year is going to be crazayyyyy!
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| Posted on Nov 05, 2007 |
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DJ Booth Crew  Total Ratings: 8293 |
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I guess I have to listen to it in its entire form...this is the same rating system that gave Chamillionaire's new album nearly the same score, but I didn't have it anywhere near that rating...I'll be back in a few days with my final rating on this album! Good Review Nate!
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| Posted on Nov 05, 2007 |
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Sad to say, because it was released so late, it won't be eligible for the '08 Grammys.
If it loses the '09 Grammy, though, I'm going to be upset... |
| Posted on Nov 05, 2007 |
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DJ Blaze, Ultimate Victory is one of the best albums ive ever heard. It is one i can actually play top to bottom and not hit the skip button once. Anyway, this album is hot.
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| Posted on Nov 05, 2007 |
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I have to agree with DJ Z!
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| Posted on Nov 06, 2007 |
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DJ Booth Crew Total Ratings: 8293 |
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OK people! I listened to the entire album yesterday and this morning in the car and I must say that This is THE WORST JAY-Z ALBUM I HAVE EVER HEARD! I literally only like 4 tracks on this CD which are: Ignorant Shit, I Know, Fallin, and Blue Magic. You name one CD Jay-Z has come out with that is worse than this one??? I guess I am just not with the grown and sexy type of Jay-Z music, but I must say Kingdom Come was better than this one by far. I didn't like most of the production of this album and I just think Jay-Z's entire flow is changing and for the worst. Another thing...most people on this site love Jay-Z and hate 50-cent, but I will bet that the last 50-cent album outsells Jay-Z album for the first week...All in all, this album would have been decent coming from someone else, but it isn't what I've come to expect from HOVA...
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| Posted on Nov 06, 2007 |
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reminds me of his debut
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| Posted on Nov 07, 2007 |
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DJ Booth Crew Total Ratings: 8293 |
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He's not going to sell 700k records his first week like 50!!!
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| Posted on Nov 07, 2007 |
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DJ Booth Crew  Total Ratings: 1624 |
yo blaze, 50 sold 300+ his first week, not nowhere near 700...hovas comin out on top beatin out chris brown and cassidy
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| Posted on Nov 08, 2007 |
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DJ Booth Member  Total Ratings: 90 |
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I didn't like the album until I saw the movie. After you see the movie it is really impressive how he ties the Frank Lucas story into his own life story. His lyricism is as good as ever if you ask me, and I've never even been a huge fan of Jay but this is dope. Some straight Blue Magic that saw less steps than Britney! And Blaze, record sales are whatever to Jay. He's worth 250 M. Instant Classic!
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| Posted on Nov 08, 2007 |
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DJ Booth Member |
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Worth Ten Bucks At BestBuy... Not His Best But Not His Worst Or Last...
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| Posted on Nov 08, 2007 |
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DJ Booth Crew Total Ratings: 8293 |
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Sorry there guys, but you are mis-informed. The last and latest 50-cent album sold 687,000 copies the first week and kanye did 950,000 the first week. Jay-Z will barely get half of 50's sales. And Music Man, you also have to do your research on who is making the most money. 50-cent made more money this year than Jay-Z easily. He had a 10% stake in Vitamin water and Coca Cola bought it for 4.4 billion. 50-cent has made 440 Million bucks just from vitamin water!!! You will see these stats next year as the 2007 money report comes out. 50-cent also made $6 million more than Jay-Z for 2006 fiscal year...Get the facts straight before you try to come hard at me!
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| Posted on Nov 08, 2007 |
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DJ Booth Member |
I JUST WANNA KNOW WHATS GOOD W/ THE SONG "SWEET' ON THE AMERICAN GANGSTER SOUND TRACK....IT SEEMS HELLA COINCIDENTAL THAT WE BOTH CAME UP W/ THE SAME TRACK...! JUST CHECK ON MY MYSPACE PAGE (MYSPACE.COM/CEREBRO AGENDA) THE TRACK I DID WAS CALLED "YEAH MANE" I DID THAT JOINT A YEAR AGO W/ POSITIVE K'S OLD PRODUCER EASY L.G. FROM THE BRONX, FAT JOES MANAGER MICKEY WAS IN THE STUDIO AN ICKEY C AND BIGGS FROM SOUL SONIC FORCE CAN CONFIRM IT NOW THAT YALL KNOW THE REAL GET AT ME!!!!!!!!!!!! HOLLA AT A PIMP AND LEMME KNOW WHAT THE REAL BIZNEZZ IS!
BY THE WAY.... GOOGLE; "TIME IS MONEY" LATIF feat: JAY-Z OR N.O.E MONEY MYSPACE.COM/MILWAUKEE LATEEF P.S. I DO DIGG JIGGA ON THE REAL!!!! HE IS THE DUDE!!! HOWEVER, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO BE HEARD... |
| Posted on Nov 09, 2007 |
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DJ Booth Member |
AND PLS DONT GET IT TWISTED THE SOUND TRACK IS SUPER SIC WIT IT!!!
ONE HUNNID MILWAUKEE LATEEF |
| Posted on Nov 09, 2007 |
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DJ Booth Member |
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THIS CD RIGHT HERE IS ALLRIGHT JAY-Z GOT A FEW JAMZ ON HERE SAY HELLO IS THE HARDEST SONG ON THEIR
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| Posted on Nov 10, 2007 |
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DJ Booth Member  Total Ratings: 115 |
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turn crack rocks into a chain of 40/40's
sorry my jewelery so gordy. -jay- this album is the shit. DJ Blaze ya i'm talkin to you DJ BLAZE I give you the award for hater of the year. hate hate hate hate hate. Man you get NO RESPECT wheres "pray" "no hook" "success"your the reason hip hop is dying!!! this cd is a classic. On a more important note. I am predicting that American Gangster is Jays last cd. I am making this prediction basied on one lyric, a lyric from the Black album which i'm sure you all are familar with. "So this here is the victory lap Then I'm lea-vin, that's how you get me back After a year of them 16's, it's one point two And that's two point four, and I'm only doin two" Jay has realeased at least one cd every year( 1 individual + .2 Best of both worlds projects) so that equals 1 whole cd + .2 of a whole cd every year. So after the black album Jay retired for 2 yrs. (1.2 + 1.2 = 2.4) He says that he says "i'm only doing 2" Well folks he has done two, kingdom come and American Gangster. this is just a thought I hope i'm wrong. Some of you probally think I am a crazy conspiricy theoriest, you might be right! What does this line mean to other people? |
| Posted on Nov 11, 2007 |
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dj blaze, this album is way better than kingdom come
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| Posted on Nov 11, 2007 |
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yea this is a good album im lovin it!
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| Posted on Nov 11, 2007 |
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dj blaze your comment is just for shock value and shock value only. In this day and age of bad hip hop this is an autobiographical piece about the struggle between hustling and doing the right thing. You disappoint me to call yourself an DJ when u can't acknowledge true hip hop. The problem with u is that u looking at numbers instead of the body of work. 50 cent cd was sold on hype alone and after all the consumers heard the product they were duked into a campaign that was truly oneside.
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| Posted on Nov 13, 2007 |
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DJ BLAZE WHEN I WAS RIDIN 2 THIS ALBUM 2DAY I NOTICE U WAS JUST HATED. WHAT KIND OF DJ R U GET OFF 50 NUTZ DAMN MY MAN. I JUST WANT 2 KNOW ONE THING WHO IN THE HELL CALL U A DJ BECAUSE YOUR RATING SUCK MY MAN
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| Posted on Nov 13, 2007 |
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DJ Booth Member |
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Jay-Z Sucks and he soulda never cheated on a pretty
Girl B. |
| Posted on Nov 13, 2007 |
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DJ Booth Member  Total Ratings: 12 |
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hey Dj Blaze, I got one question for where did you get your facts from? lol question, whats is a money report? You talk alot, but you have no facts to back up what your saying? So until you give us the "real facts" from real and credible sources, We'll all just dismiss your comments.
In my opinion, you don't know the value of money. 440 million from vitamin water b/c 50 has 10% stake in the company. Its sounds alot like fiction. I understand 50 cent is your hero, but damn. Show us the facts that support what your saying.. Cause Men lie, Women lie, but Numbers Don't. |
| Posted on Nov 14, 2007 |
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DJ Booth Member |
I am a Jigga fan first & foremost but I have to say that this album sucks.....Jigga has left his fans behind and now exists in a world created by him for him. Whilst i do NOT like Cassidy his album is way better than this tripe from Jigga. Maybe its time for Hova to spend more time with Beyonce and leave the rap game....sad.
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| Posted on Nov 14, 2007 |
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DJ Booth Crew Total Ratings: 8293 |
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Wow! You guys came at me pretty hard on this one. I am NOT a JAY-Z hater! I really really don't like this album. But I do like Jay-Z...I am a DJbooth owner and I have no reason to bad-mouth an artist that we deal with. I just don't like it at all. It's my opinion. And like I said before, you can look up the earnings of both artists in Forbes (a very reliable source) and they will show you who is making more money for 2006. The 2007 report is not out yet, but will be in the first quarter of 2008 and you will see the $400 million there.
AND These are soundscan facts taken from hitsdailydouble.com Jay-Z 443,000 first week 50-cent 678,000 first week The Jay-Z album is weaker than the 50 album and the soundscan numbers show this. AND trust me guys...I am not a hater in any way. I just am not feeling it. I listened to it all the way through 2 times; and to me its not wussup... Blackanglzinc - I don't need to shock anyone! I have been spinning for 14yrs since I was 12; so I know my shiznit! I am just stating facts and not fiction. Just because I don't like an album, I am now the destroyer of hip-hop? LOL deluex2007 - I'll say it again, I like Jay-Z, but I don't like this album and I am NOT HATING at all, I really don't like it! Don't take it too personal and attack my character, because it will cause you a BAN from making comments on our site! Peace!
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| Posted on Nov 14, 2007 |
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DJ Booth Member Total Ratings: 12 |
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This is how i know you full of it, Dj Blaze. Men lie, Women lie, but numbers don't. when you say something you gotta back it up with facts. You said check Forbes. So I did check Forbes.com. Look at several articles. you 400 million to 50 Cent for vitamin is B.S. divided the amount by 4. Quoting an article from Forbes.com "Hip-Hop Cash Kings"
written by Lea Goldman with Jake Paine 08.16.07, 6:00 AM ET - "And in May, Coca Cola (nyse: KO - news - people ) announced it would buy Glaceau, maker of VitaminWater, for $4.2 billion in cash. Once the deal is consummated, 50 Cent, who agreed to endorse the brand in 2004 in exchange for a small stake, should walk away with some $100 million." check the websites: http://www.forbes.com/business/2007/08/15/hip-hop-millionaires-biz-cx_lg_0816hiphop_slide_2.html?thisSpeed=15000 |
| Posted on Nov 15, 2007 |
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DJ Booth Member Total Ratings: 12 |
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Also check the website: http://www.forbes.com/2007/08/15/hip-hop-millionaires-biz-cx_lg_0816hiphop.html
for the full story, People don't let these rapper gas you, they get money but not like some older rock, country, or pop musicians. there is another article of the top musician money makers. Jay-Z is the top money getter among Rappers but homeys can't @*#$! wid The Stones or Modonna. Unless we as urban music lovers stop BOOTLEGGING and buy the albums or these rapper go make more money off the books. Read articles: http://www.forbes.com/2007/09/19/music-madonna-rolling_stones-biz-media-cx_lh_0919musicians.html -------------------------------------------------------- http://www.forbes.com/home/media/2007/09/18/igetmoney-remix-50cent-biz-media-cz_lg_0918bizigetmoney.html |
| Posted on Nov 15, 2007 |
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DJ Booth Crew Total Ratings: 8293 |
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You are right Joe Grind! I got the two backwards! I knew that one of them beat the other by a few million. We will see how much 50 made from Coca Cola in next year's report. They are just making an estimation. Besides, I don't think forbes would ever actually state that 50 made the $400 million either. We will see next year! BUT...you didn't say anything about album sales which 50 won by a LONG shot! And I definitely know the music industry and that Rockers and POP people make WAAAAAAY more money, but people like 50 and Jay-Z are the exceptions. Back on track...50 sold much more than Jay-Z and will most likely make way more money than Jay-Z for 2008 even if it is only $100 million they will report (which is really $400 million). They even report Donald Trump as not being a billionaire....That's not true...
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| Posted on Nov 15, 2007 |
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Best to ever do it and the Brooklyn track is a banger. Hands down. Hata's Kick Roc's.
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| Posted on Nov 15, 2007 |
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This is one of the best albums I've heard this year. I'm glad Jay came back on some real hip hop music on this album. I wasn't a fan of Kingdom Come. He came correct on this album!
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| Posted on Nov 16, 2007 |
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DJ Booth Member |
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Classic
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| Posted on Nov 19, 2007 |
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DJ Blaze The only reason 50 sold that much was because he started that stupid ass competition with Kanye and whored his @*#$! CD to the max. C 'mon man he had like 4 vidoes out before his CD even came out and you know why because G-Unit has fallen off and he pulled all the desperation moves he could think of to save his CD. People like you are what's wrong with rap music today. Rap sales don't make the album they make idiots like you even less perceptive of whats really worth a listen. lastly as far as money goes Jiggas the richest rapper hands down 547 million get the @*#$! out of here with that 50 vitamin water shit.
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| Posted on Dec 05, 2007 |
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GREATNESS!!!! Man thank you for this cd jigga cause kingdom was a big let down
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| Posted on Dec 27, 2007 |
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| Posted on Dec 27, 2007 |
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I am a Jay z fan to the end! i love this album...Jay pulled off the live band thing really great. dig the the bass behind the horns?? the music video was great too really cool...black superhero music? lol the guy is just on a higher level..Keep dropping em Jay.
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| Posted on Jan 02, 2008 |
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first off, lemme say, THIS ALBUM IS CLASSIC. it's almost flawless. jay's flow has evolved into something u gotta take pepto to cuz it's just...ILL. not gonna be a broken record, cuz the album been pretty well broken down. but, stand out tracks: say hello, blue magic (bonus), fallin', and party life (little mentioned, but the track is absolutely insane).
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| Posted on Jan 10, 2008 |
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This is one of the best albums of the year hands down. Hov delivered a hit album again. On Kingdom come Jay was just warming up, American Gangster fulfills the comeback. The whole album was amazingly crafted. With lines from Party Life such as, "Ya Boy's off the wall these other niggas is Tito" shows that Jay is far from over. This album is pure ILL. DJ Blaze were you high when you heard this album? Cuz thats the way it seems if you gave the arguably best album of the year two stars. Listen to the album again when ya feel like putting ya shit together and giving Hov what he deserves on this.
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| Posted on Feb 04, 2008 |
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DJ Booth Member  Total Ratings: 16 |
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All i got to stay is My Man Lmao
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| Posted on Feb 04, 2008 |
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Ya feel me though on this right? Cuz this fool just gave one of the best albums of 07 an average score, pretty wack if ya ask me.
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| Posted on Feb 05, 2008 |
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EVERY TRACK FITS AND BANGZZZ! my stereo turned off ten minutes ago and this album is like crack. you feel horrible when you aint using it. pray, no hook, success, and roc boyz are the coldest tracks
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| Posted on Mar 28, 2008 |
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im sorry you guyz are hatin, but 50 got shot 9 times, and that is all he raps about. he aint as cold as the God MC.
tupac got sot nine times, but he dont talk about it like its his career! (i know hees dead, but he didnt kill big with the robbery) |
| Posted on Mar 28, 2008 |
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he uses old samples and make it listenable 4 everyone genius
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| Posted on May 12, 2008 |
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This album is an undeniable classic. I'm a true fan of LYRICISTS and Jay is nothing less than that.
"Ignorant Shit" with Beans is so epic I would understand why people don't love it because you don't GET IT. People wanna Give Lil Wayne credit, he aight but he ain't no jigga man. W ho cares about numbers the better artist, album, songs don't always do the best figuratively but hands down Jay has the better lyrics and better album and 50 don't talk about shit. he ain't moved nothing since that first album. He knows HIMSELF that his albums sell off hype and pretty much hype along (other than his loyal DICK riders) He even said on Tyra that he constantly talks shit to keep stuff going to keep a buzz around him, not in those words but the break down of it was that. American Gangster is a CLASSIC and nothing less. "Ignorant Shit" "Say Hello" "Success" "Party Life" "Sweet" & "No HOOK" OMFG r yall serious this is still in rotation in the MP3 and any one who does not like it, in my opinion you CAN'T be a real hip hop head to deny these lyrics. Jay's swag proves to be too much I guess, Glad to see Nathan is among the real that recognized because a lot of mf's didn't! |
| Posted on Dec 15, 2008 |
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| Posted on Jan 13, 2009 |
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| Posted on Jul 01, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Member  Total Ratings: 125 |
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DAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
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| Posted on Nov 12, 2009 |
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| Posted on Nov 17, 2009 |
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Da best jay haz spit since the black album
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| Posted on Nov 21, 2009 |
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