![]() The remainder of The Gift disc is a thoroughly unsatisfying collection of bland lyrics (“Excuse Me Miss”, “All Around the World”) and tepid beats (“Fuck All Night”, “The Bounce”). The Gift’s obligatory radio song comes in the form of “’03 Bonnie & Clyde”, as Jay-Z and sidekick Beyoncé Knowles simultaneously jack Tupac (“Me and My Girlfriend”) and Prince (“If I Was Your Girlfriend”) for hits. Dre, while Rakim continues his admirable comeback with a strong verse of his own. Dre-produced “The Watcher 2”, Jay-Z brings enough lyrical heat for himself and Dr. Listening to Jay-Z spit complex verses and subtle metaphors over an addictive jazz beat, one cannot help but wonder how amazing Jay-Z would be if he committed himself to this type of artistic experimentation instead of courting suburbanites and club hoppers. The strong lyricism continues with the hypnotic “Hovi Baby”, perhaps the most lyrically satisfying song on either disc. Rappers still have the permission of record execs to talk about “bitches”, “hoes”, “fags”, and “niggas” ad nauseum.) In addition to being trite, the sample fails to match the style and intensity of the first verse, encouraging the listener to compare the two MC’s out of context and declare Jay-Z the winner. “), minus the now politically incorrect reference to the World Trade Center, over the much slower track (Not to worry though. said, ‘Hov remind yourself/Nobody built like you, you designed yourself’.” Unfortunately, the track loses steam as Jay-Z superimposes B.I.G.’s entire first verse from the classic “Juicy” (“It was all a dream. : “The first thing I wanted to know was the reason he was dead/ ‘More money more problems better believe it’, he said/ ‘Be careful what you wish, you might receive it’, he said/’I see’, I said/’Jealousy’, I said/’Got the whole industry mad at me’, I said/ Then B.I. The Gift begins powerfully with “Dream”, where Jay-Z waxes spoken word poetic as he recounts a dream conversation between him and Notorious B.I.G. Despite showing several flashes of brilliance, Jay-Z stumbles through his most uninspired and disappointing album to date. Nowhere is this more apparent than on Jay-Z’s lackluster double CD, Blueprint 2: The Gift and the Curse. Jay-Hova, the god MC, has fallen from grace. When he boasts “I’m focused MAN” on a track, we no longer believe it. ![]() Much like Muhammad Ali after his legendary battles with Joe Frazier, Jay-Z has emerged from the greatest rivalry in hip-hop history as a shell of his former self. The man who often declares “I will not lose” was handed a stunning and unexpected loss by questionable decision. New York urban radio) named him the victor. Though “Ether”, Nas’ visceral retort to Jay-Z’s “The Takeover”, was lyrically inferior, the court of public opinion (i.e. Jay-Z didn’t just fall off Nas pushed him. But like all great dynasties, the Carter Administration is neither ending voluntarily nor dissipating slowly. After six years as hip-hop’s most dominant force, Jay-Z has finally fallen off.
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