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When Jay-Z and Kanye West announced plans to record a joint album, they promised to bring back that old-fashioned collaborative spirit at a time when hip-hop can feel devoid of spontaneity thanks to an MC’s ability to email in a verse. These two have a history of bringing out the best in each other, and Watch The Throne is no exception. It’s a grandiose showcase of each man’s ability to craft metaphor and narratives full of hyperbole, humility, politics and punchlines.
Co-produced by West and a roster of respected producers, it’s a dense, grimy and often angry album with flashes of sweeping grandeur and tenderness. The best tracks are the most pointed, because they go beyond technical style and really delve into each rapper’s head. On New Day they pen letters to their unborn sons the dreamy Made In America tells parallel “come up” stories and uncomfortably visceral opener No Church In The Wild – with its filthy Phil Manzanera guitar sample and mournful Frank Ocean chorus – cuts to the heart of Watch The Throne’s power dynamic.
Top track: New Day
