"What We Talking About" is the intro to Jay-Z's epic, new sounding album, The Blueprint 3. Now before we break down the song, ask this question outloud to yourself? What are we talking about. What is Jay, himself talking about? What are we expecting him to talk about? AND does he have anything LEFT to say. After reading over 15 reviews on the album, many pose this question what more can he say? The reason they ask this is because Jay-Z himself, prior to his comeback album Kingdom Come asked us the question firs. "What More Can I Say" Jay-Z proclaimed on the album and many people believe that he doesn't have much MORE to say, cause he has said it all. Now it's just the same old talk but in a new way. There's nothing WRONG with that but i indeed asked myself the question, how does Jay-Z, 11 solo albums in, millions and millions of dollars in, and countless other venues, shows, and parties in, have something to still SAY and something to GIVE listeners and MAINLY hip-hop. Jay's answer is quite simply this:
"
What we talkin' bout real shit? Or we talkin' bout ryhmes
You talkin' bout millions Or you talking' bout mine
What we talkin' bout Cuz I ain't got time
For what people be talkin' bout all the time
What we talkin' bout fiction Or we talkin bout fact
You talkin' bout fiction? Hold up pardon my back
I'm talkin' bout life And all I hear is Oh yeah he keeps talkin' bout crack
I ain't talkin' bout profit I'm talkin' bout pain
I'm talkin' bout despair I'm talkin' bout shame
I ain't talkin' bout gossip I ain't talkin' bout Game
I ain't talkin bout Jimmy I ain't talkin' bout Dame
I'm talkin' bout real shit Dem people playin'
What is you talkin' bout I don't know what y'all sayin'
People keep talkin' bout Hov take it back
I'm doin' better than before Why would I do that?
Ain't nothing cool bout carryin' a strap
Bout worryin' your moms And buryin' your best cat
Talkin' bout revenge While carryin' his casket
All teary-eyed Bout to take it to a matress
I'm talkin' bout music I ain't talkin' bout rap
You talkin' bout who's hot I ain't talkin' bout that
The conversation is changed Lets yap about that
I don't run rap no more I run the map"
Now what i highlighted is Jay-Z telling rap fans to STOP! expectating something of the same variety of what he use to do. He can't do it! without coming off as a gimmick. He got lucky with American Gangster because it was a "concept" album, that i personally loved but ladies and gents Hov's moved on and you should too. But let's get back to the question, of what he's trying to do here. Hov's trying to make a statement, in english terms a thesis statement but the problem is, that his statement is unclear to the audience and to himself. With an unclear thesis statement there are going to be holes and things that seem a bit, confusing. That's what the rest of the album is like. For example , DOA (Death of the Autone) is an amazing concept with an even better excution, especially production wise. Produce No I.D. straight ripped this. With the horns and screeching violens, as an artist i always want to just jump on and rap on it, and as a listener it's just a BANGER. It knocks so hard in my headphones and although people are probably sick of this song by now, anytime i listen to it, i just love it. The vibe is dope and Hov's flow is wondeful and NEW. The problem is that the lyrics although great are relatively simple for Jay-Z's taste. Lyrically it's kind of subpar compared to the rest of the album but subpar Jay-Z is like asking your mom to cook you a full course meal and all she forgot was the salad. I think we can live with that.
I believe this is the same with the other single, Run This Town featuring star guest appearances from Kanye West and Rhianna. The production on Kanye's behalf is phenemonal. The drums and claps are captivating. Rhianna's voice and chorus grew on me A LOT and makes the song an Anthem, probably the only one on the cd. Before i run i listen to this song, cause "i can feel it in the air, the screams from everywhere." The chorus is pure poetry if you can't dig it, lyrically all i can do is shake my head. Lyrically, Jay-Z wise again, it's a bit average, just above average and we don't expect him to make AVERAGE music, let alone average verses. But as everyone knows KANYE WEST, yes MR. WEST, the LouiVattaonDon steals the show with this one. His drop, verse, vibe, everything was what not only put the wipcream and cherry on top but the sprinkles too.
Other standout songs include Empire State of Mind featuring Alicia Keys, Already Home featuring Kid Cudi, Venus Vs. Mars, Star is Born featuring J.Cole, and i want to put Thank You and Reminder on it as well but i'll explain why their honorable mentions.
Thank You is another Kanye produced track. It's different. Fresh of breath air. New. But i'm not really feeling Hov's accent although i like that he tried something different. It's a little too much i think, the bragging and boasting YET your suppose to be thanking YOUR FANS, that helped him almost go gold the first week AND kept him at Number one on billboard TWO WEEKS IN A ROW, which now a days is unheard of. Lyrically the track is nasty but it just doesn't do MUCH for me. If i could just skip to the third verse "I was gon' do it with the flow/But they did it with their sales/I was gon' 9/11 'em,/but they didn't need the help..." " Niggas thought they was ill found out they was...ILL/ And it's like you knew exactly how I wanted you to feel" Oh My God the flow was ILL!! or EWWW!!! lmao.
Reminder i think it's a good track. Lyrically one of the best in the album. Chorus is okay, i can deal with it as well as the uninspired beat that Timberland made. Mastered it sound SO much better than the first version i heard online but of course it's suppose to sound better. It's just that i don't know maybe a different beat, more gangster chorus this song could have been the best song on the cd.
Real as it Gets is a cool song as well but it doesn't do much for me. Hov lyrically sounds awesome. Young Jeezy actually surprised me, again, with some concious lyrics as well as an infectious chorus but i feel, again and again, that there's just something missing, that UMPH. THe thing that separates good albums to great albums and great albums to...dare i say "CLASSIC." The song is good though. Listenable. I just think if this was on a Jeezy album it would of been BETTER.
Hater is a short, catchy, new-age, futuristic, display of dope lyriscism from Mr. West and his big brother but this track too i felt had more potiential. Making this a little longer with a chorus, a real chorus but keep the back and forth, this could of easily been a third or fourth single. I like the beat. People compare it to the A-Milli beat or a leftover track from 808 n Heartbreaks but i don't know if i agree. Song grew on me, definitely one of the better tracks.
The problem is that it's hard to formulate YOUR OWN opinion with so many others influencing you and etc.
On to the Next One featuring Swizz Beats, just plain sick, as sickest as can be for Jay-Z. All three verses are MURDER!!! The beat, maybe a different production would have made this the LONE BEST track on the CD. But i dig it. FREEZE!
(god damn my hand is hurting)
Off That, Young Forever, and So Ambitious... Young Forever, i love the concept, the excution was good but the track just doesn't do much for me. I wanted something REAL EPIC for the last track. I felt like this was a track or two before the finish. Mr. Hudson's voice is nice but the production too Kanye was slacking a bit using the same sound he used for Supernova (Mr. Hudson, Kanye West assisted single) and Stronger (Graduation). Off that featuring Drake, the potiential was HUGE, bigger than HUGE but i think it dissappointed. Lyrically Jay-Z goes off, one of the best lyrical tracks, "Got blueprints on my white ipod," but Drake maybe deserved a verse or something. JUST SOMETHING WAS MISSING. Drake didn't seem uppity. He was kind of just whatever to the track. He didn't add his normal spunk. Timberland too. The knock of the beat could have been way better. WAY BETTER. Go download Bubba Spark's Ugly song and see the difference in Timberland production. The way Venus and Mars beat was is how Off That should hit your ears when you put your headphones on. So Ambitious, really good concept, outstanding lyrics but the overproduct, another short coming. DAMN YOU, Pharrell. Lyrically i like the chorus and shit. Dope. Hov came extra correct, teaching a lesson. Stepping outside his normal self to produce something grand. Potiential was high, track not so much with the delivery.
The problem for this album with me is that it is just above average. Lyrically and flow wise, NO ONE is better than Hov. Nobody not at 39 and certainly not at 26. I don't want Hov to ever stop making albums and music even if it means every album sounds like this one. I just don't want him to go and i know many of you feel the same way. I just wish something really, really stood out about the album JUST one track that everyone could agree was phenemonal. The closest two are Already Home and Empire State of Mind (two best songs on the album, Alicia Keys (in non-poppy) chorus (which was so heartfelt) and Kid Cudi's amazing chorus plus Hov's painting skills made the tracks amazing) but i felt like the bump wasn't right. When i say bump i mean the way it sounds when you play it in your car, top down, windows down. There was UMPH but not enough. The large amount of features bothered me too although it didn't really effect Hov except on Run This Town and Real As It Gets. Star is born should be right up there too because Sean Carter is also stepping out of his box and i'm glad he brought J. Cole along for the ride with him.
I just have to say this is an EXCEPTIONALLY GOOD ALBUM. Rolling Stone gave it 3 stars because even if Jay-Z is talking about the same things he's doing it really well and hip/new lol. I give it a 3.75. It was almost good enough to be a four if it just would've had that one track. I do believe though that Jay does have ONE Classic ALBUM left in him, I just hope it gets to see the daylight.
P.S. If you haven't bought the album already PLEASE DO!
GOD DAMN, that took me an hour...smh
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