Search - Jay-Z :: Kingdom Come [CD/DVD Combo]

Awful production squashed this one.

Joshua Reynolds | NYC | 12/05/2006

(2 out of 5 stars)

"I like Jay-Z, don't get me wrong. I think his rhymes are great, his ideas are always interesting. But this album is awful.

As an audio engineer, I can hear that there are some interesting samples going on in these tracks, but when it comes down to it, the mix and mastering are what killed this record. The mix is terrible. I have a lot of respect for Dre, but I think this album proves that he needs to stick to beats and that mixing is just simply not his thing.

Listen to the Black Album, then put this one in. The BA sounds really great, at least for a hip hop record, while this one is thin, overcompressed, and not even the bass hits you hard! You would think at least that would be right.

Maybe the next time he retires we'll get a better record..."

The King is BACK!!

Kase One | Southern California | 11/22/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Jay-Z has returned! The king is back and it feels so good to have him back. Its a welcomed break from the tiring new rappers whom dont even deserve mention in this review. The album is strong, probably not his best, but a strong showing from the king of hiphop. The single "show me what you got" is no representation of the rest of the album, as is the case with most Jay-z albums (think "change clothes" from the black album, "izzo" from the blueprint). There are great songs with great lyrics and emotion like "lost ones" and "do u wanna ride" ft. John legend. In "Lost ones" he address his ex-partner Dame Dash, with relationship with Beyonce and his deceased nephew. The lyrics in the last verse are strong and emotional, enough to almost bring a tear to your eye hearing about his nephew dying in the car Jay bought for him. The dvd is a great bonus and worth the couple extra bucks. It has great concert footage of a show jay did with a full orchestra and some behind the scenes footage of the recording of the video for "show me what you got". This album is a nice and welcomed addition to any Jay-z fans collection, it doesnt dissapoint."

Todays Rap Fan Is Tomorrows Critic

Jimmy Garcia | SLC, UT | 11/22/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Lyrically, this is Jay-Z' best album. Not to take away anything from his phenomenal catalog, but this has deeper & more insightful lyrics than any LP he's ever made. Read them, Listen to them, & Understand them. After all the hype dies down from this record and all the haters and critics add their two cents, we all must appreciate Kingdom Come for its originality and pure dopeness! Thanks Jay for keepin Hip Hop alive. Peace!"