Charge it to the game whatever's left on it. - Jay-Z
As the clock struck 12:00 a.m. Watch the Throne was released to the world. Finally, a joint project from hip hop's top performers was no longer just an unrealistic fantasy, but it was a reality. In the works since late 2010, the album had been kept mostly under wraps and had miraculously not been leaked (the rumor is that the flashdrive containing the files was tied to Kanye's waist at all times). In what was the most anticipated release of the year, the minutes leading up to the midnight iTunes release were comparable to none. Twitter was abuzz as #WTT became the number one trending topic worldwide. Online hip hop forums were filled with threads about the album (at the time I am writing this the WTT thread on Allhiphop.com has 139,893 views). This was perhaps one of the few recent releases that fans were genuinely excited for. But as fans were prepping for WTT critics were doing the same, and the inevitable question arose. Can Watch the Throne live up to the hype? It was up to the hip hop world to answer.
I'll be the first one to admit, I was skeptical about the album. I even tweeted this about an hour before it dropped. First off, I personally believe this album should have been made about three to four years ago. No matter how much we try to deny it, Jay-Z at 42 years old is just not in his prime anymore. Second, I felt like that have been in Hov's and Kanye's circle should have been included on the project; such as J. Cole, Jay Electronica, and especially producer Just Blaze. Finally, there was no way that Watch the Throne could ever live up to the expectations people placed upon it. Ever since "H.A.M." dropped earlier this year, fans had been waiting eagerly for Superman and Batman to finally create a whole album. Through the years we had been given snippets of the chemistry these two had in songs such as "Never Let Me Down" and "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" , but fans and critics alike wanted to know if these two musical giants could collaborate and make an entire album's worth of quality music.
As Watch the Throne was released, it received generally mixed reviews after it's first listen. Many praised the album for it's experimental production mostly handed by 'Ye himself. Others cited both of the emcee's lyricism as the focal point; "Coke on black skin made a strip like a zebra, I call that jungle fever" as Kanye recites in "No Church in the Wild" . Critics of the album panned Hov and 'Ye for using the same old tired themes of wealth and power in the songs. Many critiqued the album simply because it did not live up to the hype surrounding it. Whether the album was loved or hated, one thing that remained true is that the cd was being played; and was being played a lot.
The one theme of Watch the Throne that remains consistent is the idea of symbolism. Everything from the title, to the gold plated album cover, to the Illuminati images and references, and even to the way that Jay-Z and Kanye present themselves. This album is about power, and how rap music has transformed two black men from rough inner cities into two of the richest and most influential people in America. As the titled indicates, Watch the Throne is about letting the world know that Kanye West and Shawn Carter are two of the most talented icons of our time, and that they are sitting on top of the popular culture kingdom with no plans on giving it up. But perhaps on a more personal level the title holds a secret meaning. Perhaps it is more than just watching the throne, but it is watching the hip hop torch being passed from Jay-Z to Kanye West. In the last decade we have been able to witness something special in the way Kanye West has developed from just another rapper to a modern day musical genius. Jay-Z has recognized this, and now it is time for the world to also give Kanye the credit he has earned throughout the years. In the end it isn't so much of us watching the throne. We are watching Kanye West, and we are witnessing something great.
0 comments