Watch the Throne, Change The Lens

Every calendar year there's a particular hip-hop release that is tossed into the hype machine as the release that will cause a sea change in the spectrum of rap music. This year that release is Jay-Z and Kanye's super fusion dance "Watch the Throne." The two have been discussing the album since shortly after the release of Jay's "Blueprint 3" and obviously as a fan of both rappers (Jay-Z being my favorite in general) I was excited but given the nature of announcements of such dream parings I was skeptical that it would happen, and skeptical that it would be delivered on time. I was wrong on both accounts obviously as the album is here, and reactions have been quite interesting to say the least, which is why I prompted my feelings with the paragraph you've just read.

So, in discussions I've had I have heard people say they really enjoy the album but what I've heard from fans of the old-school and the more "conscious" rap fans is that the album is just a commercial firestorm of lyrics about wealth and excess. While I agree with these sentiments to an extent there are multiple efforts on the part of these artists to make clear points about race, the future, to resolve demons, to expel demons, to show weakness and to show emotion in ways you wouldn't expect, well at least not from Jay-Z.

Jay at this stage in his career is like the godfather and overseer of a wave of rap he was a major player in creating. The persona of businessman and being a brand in and of itself. At times he is much more "Song Cry," "Regrets," and "Beach Chair" than he is "Big Pimpin," "Money, Cash, Hoes" or "Run This Town."

On tracks like "Welcome to the Jungle," "Murder to Excellence," "New Day," "Made In America," and even "The Joy." These artists touch a gamut of topics that are both relevant and important and more than braggadocio. What do they receive in return from hip-hop purists? The opinion that their efforts to be socially aware, on an album that didn't require it or where it wasn't expected, are corny or seem forced. I can understand this point as it was also raised in reaction to Jay's song "Young Forever" but it just makes me wonder what will satisfy people in regards to consciousness in rap.

Rap was built on a fusion of two, if you look at two rap classics "Rapper's Delight" and "The Message" they represent a blueprint for "I have more than you, I'm the nicest MC" hip-hop and "My people are suffering, you need to hear me" rap. It makes you wonder if people believe they have to remain mutually exclusive just because of the rappers involved.

Jay-Z and Kanye West are essentially the two biggest and most marketable draws in hip-hop today. They have no obligation to feel our pain, to paraphrase Kanye West on "Devil in a New Dress" from his most recent solo release, the critically-lauded "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy," it is pretty hard to be humble when you see your face on a Jumbotron. What should these two rap about to satisfy fans? They understand their target base and make a poignant effort to rap about what they have but also the struggle to get to where they are. I would think this is more of a call for fans to aspire to reach their heights than to be separatist or elitist.

Public Enemy was one of the most necessary acts in music history but for all their aggression they had people follow them but also take their message and deliver it differently. A Tribe Called Quest and the Native Tongues movement took the message of fighting for your rights and your individuality but spun it into exemplifying the message in a positive way and in a way that showcased the beauty of blackness not the evil of "the man."

Ultimately, there seems to be a difficulty in establishing what hip-hoppers want. "Watch the Throne" is not a classic but it is a very good album, it entertains and also touches subjects that are important and necessary to bring to the light. It is equal parts emotion and commercial expression. In many ways it is the purest form of hip-hop.

Perhaps the invitation to watch the throne is not a call to be in awe, but an invitation to see that while "most kings go insane" they have a message of inspiration.