Why MCHG is a good album yo

[classthe_king]

A lot of people have been hating on this album and I haven't tried to defend it very much so Imma go in depth a lil

First of all, the production is amazing. One of the best produced albums in a long long time. That's the biggest strength of the album and definitely what Jay was trying to play off of. I've seen people criticize Jay's flows and technical ability on this album but I think that's just because it's not outright in your face. People seem to be confusing simple flows with lazy flows. Jay-Z has never been one with overly complex flows as they would detract from his style, which is to be really smooth. Jay's flows may not be as flawless as they used to be but they certainly aren't bad and they're constructed in a way to compliment the production, which again is the main strength of the album.

Now in regards to the technical ability, again that's not what Jay is going for. Trying to get overly technical in regards to rhyming would just clutter up the sound and take away from the simple style he was going for and take away from the overall music. Don't think that it's all one syllable rhymes tho because when you actually look at it, I'd say he used multis on over 50% of the album. Quick example, (no menzo)

They try to slander your man on CNN and Fox
My Miranda don't stand a chance, with cops
Even my old fans like old man just stop
I could if I would but I can't, I'm hot
And you blow, I'm still the man to watch
Hublot, on my left hand or not
Soon I step out the booth The cameras pops
Niggas is cool with it till the canons pop
Now my hand on the bible on the stand got your man in a jam, again
Got my hands in cuffs
I'm like god damn enough
I put down the cans and they ran amok
My hairpin
Piece skin rupture spleens
Cracks rips go through cribs and other things

Then he also has a lot of one syllable internals in there to help the flow so while he's not overly technical and in your face about it he definitely isn't bad. He also has some pretty good wordplay going on too. It's not mindblowingly good but he knows how to fill his verses with them subttely while also not detracting from the main substance of the verse but rather even adding to it, which is admittedly very hard to do. It adds a nice extra flavor to the verse. My favorite example is

On the holiday playing "Strange Fruit"
If I'mma make it to a billi I can't take the same route

It kind of serves the same purpose of Eminem's ham/pig line by not being the focus point of the line but just subtly being there and adding to the verse. If you don't get it Strange Fruit is a song by Billie Holiday. It's about people who were lynched and hung from trees in the 60's so you also have the route/root wordplay there which works really well imo.

Lastly, I actually think Jay-Z is pretty good lyrically on this album and at times is great. He gets a lot of flack for not being very relatable anymore but Jay doesn't know how to rap about much other than his life, which is completely unrelatable to anyone. Since he's not a lyrical genius like Slug who is about to see through other people's eyes and write songs from all kinds of perspectives, it makes his music sort of distant which is why we're getting songs like Crown but I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing if you're listening to the album just to have a fun time. Times where Jay-Z shines tho are in Holy Grail, Oceans, Heaven and Jay-Z Blue. Jay does a really good job at analyzing whatever topic he's on and presenting it in a new and unique way. Accor said that good lyricism is saying complex things in a simple way and I think Jay really does this well on these songs. If you look at the lyrics you can see Jay expressing some pretty serious emotions in an introspective type of way. You really understand what he's coming from. I'll break down my favorite verse but you can see it in really any of the songs.

Looking in your eyes is like a mirror, have to face my fears
Cheer up, why can't you just be happy
Without these back and forth thoughts, you too much like your daddy
Badly I just wanna spent more time with him
Sadly life wouldn't let me get around with him
Now I got my own daughter, taught her how to take her first steps
Cut the cord watch her take her first breath
And I'm trying and I'm lying if I said I wasn't scared
But in life and death if I ain't here

You can clearly see Jay is dealing with some serious problems of trying to raise his daughter. His own father left him and he talks early in the song about how much like his own father he is and how badly he doesn't want to repeat the cycle thats been in his family. Now he's dealing with the fact that she looks just like him and it's scaring him because he doesn't want her to turn out like him. You can see his thought process and feel all of his insecurities even though he doesn't come out and say them because he lets you into his mind and gives you the chance to understand him by getting a glimpse at why he feels the way he does. That's good lyricism imo

[PAINKILLƎR]

Hmm, valid points. Still feel like its an okay project though.

[CrashBand]

It didn't feel that consistent throughout, and the highs aren't even that high.

I preferred Yeezus. New Slaves >*

[classthe_king]

Holy Grail is amazing tho

Because of JT but still

[Kill You]

You don't like Eminem now but you like Jay-Z's sub-par rapping. Okay. This album is incredibly average, not bad, but it's stale. Holy Stale.

Holy Grail is pretty great though, and as you said, because of Justin Timberlake.

[Insidious91]

^more like Holy Fail. Jay Z's rapping put me to sleep on MCHG. What a waste of excellent production tbfh

[momentsgolden]

Holy Grail is amazing tho
Because of JT but still

Agreed. I will give a more thorough reply on the rest but after the video dropped... Justin sang his ass off on this one.

No-one has questioned the production. We all know Timbaland is a beast on the boards. So too Justin Timbalake's singing. We even praise him selling the album like he did but....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMmremi_iJA

Watch Mycke C-town from 17:10. he says everything i was thinking in terms of content and lyrics.

As Ken says Jay Z is the problem. He is so out of his depth in that sea of talent. It feels like a waste. Best example being Holy Grail!!! I fucking HATE him on that song. I mean, its not that he is bad... it just that for people calling him the GOAT and all that, his flow is so elementary. Now, Class was saying the flow was made for this album because of the beats. He had the same flow on most of WTT. On Clique, on Bitch dont kill my Vibe remix. On basically MOST of his recent records. That is now his standard. That "huh" flow and it sounds SOO lazy. Fuck.

[ladelsofgravy]

I give it a 4/5. It's not quite as good as Jay's other major releases, but nonetheless it's very good.

[Mike1]

I've always praised the album for its production, but lyrically, Jay wasn't saying anything. I know Jay was never the type to be super complex with his rhymes, but rapping about money, and being able to fuck Beyonce...we know all that its pretty clear. Which is why I really love Jay Z Blue. The points you made though, really makes me look at MCHG in a whole new light. Still think its average, but I can appreciate it more.

[ladelsofgravy]

I've always praised the album for its production, but lyrically, Jay wasn't saying anything.

do you fools listen to music or do you just skim thru it?

[Mike1]

^Did you really read my post or did you just skim through it?

[Accor]

Blahhh last eminem good album was mmlp blah he sucks nowdays

Blahhhh give Jay z a break for not making a good album for like a fucking decade

put out a classic in 07 thoooooo

[classthe_king]

Did you people even read the OP? The point is that Jay-Z's rapping isn't nearly as bad as you make it out to be. You hate on Holy Grail but he actually had pretty good verses on that song. Particularly,

I think back
You asked the same person
If this is all you had to deal with
Nigga deal with
It, this shit ain't work
This light work
Camera snapping, my eyes hurt
Niggas dying back where I was birthed
Fuck your iris and the IRS
Get the hell up off of your high horse
You got the shit that niggas die for
Dry yours
Why you mad
Take the good with the bad
Don't throw that baby out with the bath water

Where he's weighing the consequences of fame vs. the life he used to live and is having a conversation with his past self. Also your Nas comparison doesn't really work because Jay-Z had a better verse than Nas on BBC, shrug

[Francesco]

Good look Class...

[D'Leh]

I'm fuckin' sick of:
awwww bla bla bla awww bla bla bla awwwwww bla awwww, etc