Somewhere in America Miley Cyrus is still twerkin…and somebody is hating on “Magna Carta Holy Grail“

Whether they’re complaining about the Samsung App for the phone they don’t have, or the data mining that’s happening EVERYWHERE, or Hova’s latest muse being the art hanging in his living room, it seems like the chorus of detractors grew to a ubiquitous presence in every corner of “journalism” and “internetism” yesterday.

Make no mistake about it, this is not “The Black Album” or “The Blueprint“, but this is a fun album. The beats are the star here with enough clever wordplay to perk your ears occasionally. This is a barbecue record. This is a drive to the beach soundtrack. This is the best Jay-Z album in years.

He’s no longer talking about the drug game or hotel room shootouts because that’s not his life. What kind of struggle are you looking for? The man wakes up next to Beyoncé every morning, swims in a pool of money, and becomes a sport agent because he’s bored. It’s luxury rap because that’s his lifestyle, and he’s rapping about the art and Tom Ford because HE KNOWS TOM FORD and HE OWNS ART.

Perhaps your perception of a solid hip hop record is a little skewed at the moment because of your “Yeezus” induced PTSD. Kanye West‘s latest offering is amazing. It’s punk rock, it’s aggressive, and it’s experimental in a manner that the game rarely sees. This is not that. “Magna Carta Holy Grail” is more accessible for all the reasons that make “Yeezus” art beyond tradition. The West album is an essential classic. However that doesn’t make this any less of an album. It’s just a different kind of listen.

Put it this way…”Magna Carta Holy Grail” is looking to make love to you. Light a few candles, turn on The Isley Brothers with a remote, tell you about the thread count. Meanwhile, “Yeezus” is just looking to fuck you. Then it’s out!

Will we be talking about M.C.H.G in years to come? Probably not. But I will hold it in higher regard than say “Kingdom Come” or “The Blueprint 3“. Enjoy it for the beach romance that it is. Why so serious?

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