Watch the Throne by Jay Z and Kanye West

After having reviewed the single " Otis " which was and is my favorite song of the moment I took advantage of Spotify and listened to the whole album this evening as I watched the ballgame on mute.

I am no expert on rap but this is accessible for anyone. Kanye West makes good rhymes and Jay Z gives the album credibility in rap circles. The sampling on this album connects old and new. Who Gon Stop Me and Why I Love You are catchy and synthed up. More notable are Murder to Excellence and Made in America which are songs that both say more than most comparable songs. I suppose a backlash is possible saying that West and Jay Z are pretentious in thinking they can write better on this subject than most..but they do combine rap sensibilities, with musical genres wide and lyrics that are literate and snappy.

I just know what I like. I would buy this album even if I do not know what all the lyrics mean. Otis, Made in America, and Murder to Excellence are three of the best songs you will hear this year from any genre

Otis by Jay Z and Kanye West

I am not a rap music fan. I do however have an appreciation for it that is more than I ever thought it would be. I think Eminem is talented and Lil Wayne is vulgar, rude and mysoginistic. He is also however incredibly good at turning a hook.

Jay Z has become for all intents and purposes an elder statesman, a Godfathr if you will of rap. A media darling with his recent biography and of course his marriage to Beyonce he can really do no wrong these days.

His most recent album, a collaberation with Kanye West has been for many " the most anticpated release of the summer. " Far from that for me but with the help of my new favorite music item in the world, Spotify, I have been listening to all kinds of new music. It really is like a jukebox of all the music you can think of.

Having just listened to a couple of the songs thus far I can tell you the album is intelligent and interesting. This blog however is about the song Otis. Rap music is often about the sample that is used in the song. In this song Otis Redding is the third memeber of the band, sampled widely and throughout the entire song. The result is audacious and bold and superior to anything on the rap spectrum I have heard this year. I do not pretend to be a connisuer of rap music but I know what I like. This song rocks.