After the first time listening to the album, Magna Carta Holy Grail, it is apparent that Jay-Z wanted to create an album with a variety of different sounds. He recorded it during a time where the sound of popular hip-hop was going through changes, yet again the genre was becoming more about new artists and their ability to have pop elements and innovative autotune sounds rather than just recording and performing as a traditional MC.
The album covers all the bases. Every song has a unique sound. Collectively, one of the standout images based on the lyrics is Jay-Z’s ability to create the aesthetic that matches his personality. There are many references to artists and galleries like The Met where he likes to observe visual art. The album is about taking an interest in art in a direction where it can add something to hip-hop culture.
It is also important to note that many hip-hop fans have a stake in Jay-Z’s success because he’s the most popular rapper from New York right now. New York is the birthplace of hip-hop, but many of today’s stars are coming from southern cities like Atlanta, New Orleans and Houston among others. Jay-Z, being from New York, understands what that means in hip-hip and he continues to make music because he knows that he has a significant influence on the culture.
Beyonce worked with Jay-Z on this entire album. She gave her stamp of approval on each track. She is featured on one song, but her voice can be heard in the background on several songs where she adds her own commentary to the music.
Magna Carta Holy Grail released July 8, 2013.
“Holy Grail (featuring Justin Timberlake)”: The song is about opportunities that are present but things falling apart if not handled correctly. Jay-Z makes references to other celebrities in the song; however, the one that really underscores what the song is about is his sampling of part of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” The instrumentation is live piano over drum machine.
“Picasso Baby”: Jay-Z mixes his appreciation for visuals arts with hip-hop in this song. It sets the direction for the other arts-inspired lyrics throughout the album. The music changes direction in the final verse of the song to give it a different a sound.
“Tom Ford”: Jay-Z is creating the aesthetic of art and designer fashion mixed with hip-hip. It describes what creative elements he would like to introduce to hip-hop culture.
“F*ckwithmeyouknowIgotit (featuring Rick Ross)”: The drum machine sounds like other rap music from the time period, as opposed to the completely original sounds of the first three tracks. Jay-Z’s verse sounds like an early version of himself with a speedier rap flow.
“Oceans (featuring Frank Ocean)”: The production on this song is really interesting. It sounds like Jay-Z and Frank Ocean are on a paddle boat in a rain storm. The sound is juxtaposed against lyrics that describe yachts and other flashy things. The goal is to get the listener to understand that success does not happen overnight, there will be rainy days that people will have to persevere through.
“F.U.T.W.”: It is a song about perseverance. Jay-Z has made many songs on this topic throughout his career. He is recommending for people to ignore the naysayers and continue to follow their dreams no matter what it takes.
“Somewhereinamerica”: This a brief song that double downs on the notion that perseverance is key to be successful in life.
“Crown”: The song has a more contemporary beat like the one with Rick Ross. It is about going through a period of isolation when going for success. Sometimes others do not know how to respond to people when they are trying to achieve a goal. Sometimes there can be jealously or some other negative emotions involved. The song is about thriving through all of that and never forgetting that certain people have tried to hold you back to no avail.
“Heaven (featuring Justin Timberlake and Timberland)”: “Heaven” is my favorite song by Jay-Z. It is surprising to assert that because I appreciate some of his previous work as well such as “D.O.A. (Death of Autotune)”, “Girls, Girls, Girls” and “I Just Wanna Luv You.” “Heaven” is a great song because it addresses the rumors surrounding Jay-Z and religion. In the verses he makes it clear that he is secular, but it is apparent that he has a lot of fun using lyrics that are ambiguous to make people think otherwise. Timberland’s production on this track is stellar. The music sounds twisted in a way, it’s very hip-hop but it has a sharper edge to it. The edge even appears in the lyrics. For example, Jay-Z samples “Losing My Religion” by R.E.M. in this song.
“Versus”: A short song that highlights some of the successes that he has experienced in hip-hop.
“Part 2 (On The Run) [Featuring Beyonce]: Jay-Z and Beyonce describe the love story between them and assert how it all started.
“Beach is Better”: This is another short song about how Jay-Z spends his time and wealth.
“BBC (featuring Nas)”: This is an upbeat song about working hard in business. It’s good to hear Jay-Z and Nas on the same song since they had their difficulties with each other in the past. Both of them deliver stellar verses. Jay-Z in particular sounds like his earlier work in this song as well.
“Jay Z Blue”: This song is very unique and innovative. It is about not falling into the trap of becoming a bad parent and instead pushing forward with wanting to be successful for the future generations. It samples quotes from the 1981 film Mommie Dearest. It also samples lyrics from the late Notorious B.I.G., which is surprising because in the 2000s Jada Kiss made a freestyle about people who sample B.I.G.’s voice and music without ever meeting him. Even though he did not have a close relationship with or created any songs with him, Jay-Z was fine with using the sample. The production builds to the point where the emphasis is placed on the movie quote “No wire hangers ever!”; it is followed with a strong verse about Jay-Z’s commitment to his daughter Blue Ivy.
“La Familia”: This is a fun song about being there for his biological family and the other artists he works with on Roc-A-Fella Records and Def Jam.
“Nickels and Dimes”: This song is about the obstacles that can get in the way when trying to achieve a goal. Rather than being sidetracked Jay-Z would rather focus on being successful and having something to pass down to his children.