On album opener ‘Holy Grail’, Jay Z raps about the pressures of fame and his inability to turn his back on the music business. I have a vague recollection of Jay Z ‘retiring’ in about 2003, but as noted in ‘Holy Grail’, he has barely stopped working over the past 10 years. Unfortunately, the staid, uninspiring nature of this album suggests that maybe the time to hang up the microphone has finally come.
Jay Z is still undeniably a talented lyricist, and has access to some of the best producers and guest artists in the world, and MCHG features, among others, the talents of Frank Ocean, Justin Timberlake, Beyonce, and super-producer Timbaland. One of the problems I found with the album was the lack of variation in Jay Z’s delivery and beats, but I was impressed by the varied themes on the album; the standard rap tropes of bragging about wealth and women are indulged (heavily), but there are also songs that feel surprisingly honest, where Jay Z raps about his fears for his marriage and fatherhood, and reflects on the poverty in which he grew up. In case you’re interested, Jay Z also reveals a great fondness for the work of artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, who is mentioned at least five times on the album.
Basquiat references are accompanied by many more to other famous artists and artistry, the most prominent being on ‘Picasso Baby’, where Jay Z, over an 80s-influenced distorted guitar loop, lets us know how many expensive artworks he owns. This is followed by more boasting on ‘Tom Ford’, one of the best tracks on the album. Rick Ross provides his freaky, unhinged-giant sound on a guest rap at the beginning, and Beyonce caps the track off with a sultry call and response. The weakest part of the track comes from Jay Z himself, whose sulky, spoken ‘Tom Ford’ refrain is weak and jarring. Jay Z is also outshone on ‘Oceans’, where guest vocals from Frank Ocean are delivered with a sensitivity that adds depth to yet another track about being (really, really, really) rich but misunderstood. The best moment for Jay Z himself comes on ‘Jay Z Blue’, which opens with a grab from campy classic, Mommie Dearest, followed up by a heartfelt, honest rap about his new daughter and his fears for her future.
MCHG is at times fascinating for these occasional insights into the life and mind of one of the most famous, wealthy and glorified musicians in the modern rap and wider music world. Ultimately, however, the sum is less than its parts; unvaried delivery, unimaginative beats and Jay Z’s failure to shine beyond the skills of his talented guests results in a bland album that perhaps could have reached its potential with a different artist at the helm.
7/10
Reviewer: Frances Bulley
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtFaIMbAWt0