LiveFromLondon
Superstar
Definition of Jay and drug dealer raps eating themselves. Album sounds forced and contrivedI still think it's incredibly overrated but I know I'm in a small minority.
On this day 15 Years ago, Jay Z released American Gangster
- Thread starter Street Knowledge
- Start date
FunkDoc1112
Heavily Armed
Hello Brooklyn was such a weird misfire. It seemed like he only wanted Nas as a feature on the album but also felt he needed to put Wayne on there for his buzz...but it just didn't fit. Especially having him on a Song called Hello, Brooklyn like there weren't better choices like, I dunno...OTHER BROOKLYN ARTISTS
Maybe he wanted Mos Def but since Mos is always elusive it didn't work out. Who knows.
Hello Brooklyn was such a weird misfire. It seemed like he only wanted Nas as a feature on the album but also felt he needed to put Wayne on there for his buzz...but it just didn't fit. Especially having him on a Song called Hello, Brooklyn like there weren't better choices like, I dunno...OTHER BROOKLYN ARTISTS
Maybe he wanted Mos Def but since Mos is always elusive it didn't work out. Who knows.
At that time it would’ve been perfect to have Fab on there. He was supporting him heavy too. It was super odd but Jay is Jay and Wayne was the biggest rapper out at the moment. So it makes sense for him, like you said, to do it for buzz.
But it’s so out of place “But baby I'ma have to rob him like Horry” man I hated it lol
reserved_one
#Ambivertgang
One of the few Jay albums that has little to no filler.
Hello Brooklyn and Blue Magic are the worst songs on the album but I can think of a lot more Jay songs from his album catalog that are worse than those.
Hello Brooklyn and Blue Magic are the worst songs on the album but I can think of a lot more Jay songs from his album catalog that are worse than those.
OfTheCross
Veteran
American Gangster (album) - Wikipedia
en.m.wikipedia.org
Was released in 2007 to rave reviews and was viewed as a return to form after KC
Where do you rank this in his catalogue
this is probably his more overrated album despite it being good
Newark88
Superstar
Classic
It was a very fun and thrilling moment in the game, to put it a bit over dramatically.
The movie was highly anticipated powerhouse performances, marquee director, Denzel and Crowe. The music was being analyzed and profiled in a way I hadn't seen since The Blueprint, which was also true of Graduation, the same year. It felt like a very real and special moment.
Like a lot of memory and nostalgia, this one, upon reflection, is kind of mixed. It's a solid album, but it's overdone in moments, forced at times, and like the movie, had all the right pieces, but somehow comes up short. In real time, it was very exciting and fulfilling to participate, buying the album in store, seeing the movie, a friend had early premiere tickets, and me and three of my best friends saw it together. I was completing a stay in a halfway house at the time, and seeing a movie with three of my homies felt like a trip to Miami for me.
Following the radio premiers of Roc Boys, Blue Magic, Ignorant shyt, analyzing the features, including the terrible Wayne track, it was really like the old days of 2002 or 1999, the way the music felt so important and impactful.
I rarely revisit that album, but it has it's place in my memory. No Hook is probably the one I still play the most.
The movie was highly anticipated powerhouse performances, marquee director, Denzel and Crowe. The music was being analyzed and profiled in a way I hadn't seen since The Blueprint, which was also true of Graduation, the same year. It felt like a very real and special moment.
Like a lot of memory and nostalgia, this one, upon reflection, is kind of mixed. It's a solid album, but it's overdone in moments, forced at times, and like the movie, had all the right pieces, but somehow comes up short. In real time, it was very exciting and fulfilling to participate, buying the album in store, seeing the movie, a friend had early premiere tickets, and me and three of my best friends saw it together. I was completing a stay in a halfway house at the time, and seeing a movie with three of my homies felt like a trip to Miami for me.
Following the radio premiers of Roc Boys, Blue Magic, Ignorant shyt, analyzing the features, including the terrible Wayne track, it was really like the old days of 2002 or 1999, the way the music felt so important and impactful.
I rarely revisit that album, but it has it's place in my memory. No Hook is probably the one I still play the most.
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spencerforhire
All Star
I love the intro. Probably one of my favorites of all time.
InstantKlassik
...
Good album. Crazy overrated.
Lucky_Lefty
Dreams Are Colder Than Death...
Party Life is the last Jay track I really fukks with
SnowflakesByTheOZ
Sorry, that's another B
I believe Toomp said in an interview that JD is the one who's adlibbing "say hello...say hello" on 'Say Hello'. He said they pitched his vocals up. For years I always thought it was a female.
Def a classic album
Never knew that. This makes sense now
But I do remember this. Hov did say this about a puff giving him the beats and I can’t find the video they made with them in the studio. He was literally sitting on the beats lol
Seems like yesterday. Puffy and the movie were part of the selling point.
Jay got himself back in the mix with that album!
2007-2008 was a dope couple years...a variety of rappers was popping. Ye, 50, Jay, Wayne, Soulja boy, T-pain, Plies, mims, Lupe, T.i, Jeezy, Snoop, Rick Ross was all hot and didn't sound the same!!!