by T. Love
I don’t really dig on pretty much 99 percent of the rock music out there but I think it would be awfully ignorant on my part to label something “garbage” just because it is not my cup of tea. Especially art. Do I personally appreciate abstract cubism or even care to comprehend the message it is trying to convey? Nah. Does that not make it art? Whatever it is, it came from another human being’s enlightened creative mind/state and it would be a disservice and foolhardy to dismiss it completely.
With the release of the movie “American Gangster” to DVD—finally—it’s appropriate to revisit the album of the same name. Supposedly, (rapper/producer, etc.) Jay-Z saw an advanced screening of “American Gangster,” and was inspired to make an album based on the events portrayed in the movie. That being said, there was a fair amount of hate when it came out, but the album knocks, plain and simple.
American Gangster is—if not the best—one of the best albums I have ever purchased. Take it from a self-proclaimed hip hop head, shit is dope. I always had a begrudging respect for Jay-Z as an emcee despite my backpacker tendencies. Now, the props I gave secretly have turned to unabashed adulation for Jigga as an arTEEST. Yeah, I said it.
In the newest issue of Rolling Stone there was a letter in “Correspondence” in regards to Jay-Z being on the cover a few weeks back . James B. Glenn-Anderson from Santa Cruz, California wrote that Jay-Z is selling “garbage” and his music has no “rhythm, harmony and creativity.” Dayum dude, is it that serious? Statements like that have been made about hip-hop and black music in general since well, the urban beat hit the suburban street. Read between the lines, people.
So what makes Jay-Z’s opus, American Gangster, so dope? First of all, one of the greatest emcees of our time basically blacked out for a month and blessed us, the record buying public, with a cohesive, relevant, and unmistakably dope concept album. Track for track it traces the movie’s peaks, valleys, plot twists and nuances. In a day and age where rappers pound their chests over how many ringtones they’ve sold, this man stepped out of the box and brought New York back in the process—this in no disrepect to the Dirty South ‘cause every region deserves some shine. But honestly, the hip-hop community is tired of music being made for the lowest common denominator. Ride for the south all you want, but c’mon dawg, the vast majority of what passes for hip hop or rap on Clear Channel and other radio monopolies is a new age minstrel show (B.E.T., I’m talking to you too).
Basically, this is how the making of American Gangster all went down—to my understanding at least. The artist formerly know as Puff Daddy steps to Jay on some ol’, “Ayo, Son, we should collaborate on a project.” Jay respectfully declines until he sees the advanced viewing of the movie. This is where all the chips fall into place. Soon after, the two hip hop moguls put aside egos that had previously prevented any sort of cooperative creative/business venture. Jay-Z is the president of Def Jam Records and Diddy is the president of Bad Boy records—two alpha omegas in the biz. Given the record industry’s huge decrease in profits, label politics, and the dog eat dog, survival of the fittest mentality of the music business, it’s almost a miracle this record happened. However, the release of the movie was a catalyst for a creative synergy that was not going to be derailed, and as hip hop fans we should all be thankful.
As much respect as I have for Jay-Z’s lyrics on this album, the beats sealed it for me. In a nutshell, Diddy reassembled The Hitmen, who were responsible for all of Bad Boy’s hits in the late 90s. Say what you want about the shiny suit era, hip-hop was fun again after the untimely demise of Pac and Big. Ultimately, Jay spits some inspired rhymes over some classic throwback 70s, evoking soulful beats. And as wack as hip-hopp has been the past few years, it was a breath of fresh air.
First and foremost I am not a Jay-Z “Stan” and it took this album to really accept the man for what he is: a genius. On the cover, it states plain as day “Conceptual Body of Genius Work.” Damn, that’s awfully pretentious, no? We expect swagger from our rappers, but turns out it was an understatement. The album is absolutely skip-proof.