A Side B Side Podcast Episode 001 #AOTY2017

The piece that brought you all here is back. Album of the Year: The 2017 Edition.

Some years fall short, some blossom. This year was the latter and outstanding for music. Instead of writing a long drawn out piece counting down the top five I enlisted some help for this one. Charles Polk, Kyle Gill and myself give you our pilot episode of A Side/B Side Podcast presented to you by What's The Movement. In this episode we break down the top five hip-hop albums this past year. Same deal as always: Flow, Lyrics, Production, Impact, and uniqueness is how we rate our top five. I won't spill too much. The music in this episode is F*ck 12 by Khalil Jibran. I just need you to feel this. Press play below.

Are You Even Listening? (Why Kingdom Come isn't Jay-Z's Worst) words by: Kyle Gill

The project was Grammy nominated for best rap album in 2008, and still outsells more than half his discography to date. Dr. Dre produced four tracks and mixed it in it's entirety. It reached 680,000 sold his first week, and peaking number one on Top 200 billboards. This album was an actual success. In fact, Mr. Carter hadn’t dropped an album in three years and was able to accomplish so much. If you ever listened to this album I’m pretty sure you can relate it to so much while nodding your head to jazzy instruments with a mix of current and new vibrations. So, with all this success surrounding this musical publication, why do people plague this in-depth description of Jay-Z’s mental with the inscription of being the King of Hip-Hop’s worst album? If you really listened to this album I think you can understand why I’m here to telling you the truth. It’s not.

Here's our first argument: The platinum success of Jay-Z’s The Black Album had been three years removed from his return. When someone steps down there is always a shift in what should be and what shouldn’t. With that things tend to change. The sound had gone in a different direction. Around this time the main airwaves were being controlled more by Rock, Pop, and R&B. At a time where High School Musical, and American Idol were thriving and a panic of written sins not tragedies mixed with a chemical romance that had everyone talking about a black parade (did you catch that?) what was hip-hop doing? 

Looking back to 2006 Jigga Man battled other hip-hop successes such as T.I.’s King, P. Diddy’s Press Play Ludacris’s Release Therapy AND still achieved platinum status. Not to mention the airwaves were controlled by Timbaland Productions including Justin Timberlake and Nelly Furtado both selling over 8 million copies each. We have said all of this without mentioning Lil’ Wayne at the helm of it all with a mixture of hip-hop but more of a pop sound. While Tip coming into his own, S.Carter decides he’s going to drop an album. Unlike everyone else he took it in a different route and changed the setting with soulful instruments and heartfelt lyrics of his mental state. 

No one cared. People bought the album sure, I mean it's Jay-Z but…did you hear the album? 

I mean the format was perfect. This was the hip-hop era of dance, dumbed down music and it was consistent. Jay responds, Hmm...maybe I’ll bring something honest and legit to the table and push the culture this way. I'll drop real music with lyrics that show me in a vulnerable state. The music you don’t hear every day and will leave a mark on hip-hop. No, That’s not going to work? Grammy nomination and platinum displays later it’s still the worst album out of his discography really? It’s a dud? No one will remember anything other than Bleacher Report due to relevance?

Right, that’s why exactly ten years later hip-hop is in the same state. Mumble rap is the new pop with a lack of creativity, and J.Cole can do exactly the same thing as Jay-Z (yeah I said it!). Cole uses the same sound and drops an album in the middle of the musical chaos, and now he can be legendary. He’s one of the best ever right? This shows that Kingdom Come the album wasn’t his worst album of his catalog it really was just before its time.

So I got daughters on the way

If the prophecy's correct

Then the child should have to pay

For the sins of a father (Beach Chair)

And if my children knew, I don't even know what I would do

If they ain't look at me the same

I would prob'ly die with all the shame

"You did what with who?"

"You risked that for Blue?" (4:44)

Blue Ivy was born in 2012. Jay-Z is no fortune teller. With our sound today, if he dropped the ninth studio album it would flourish. It'd probably double its success and I think people argue that it is one of his best. He let you inside a place where no one knows how or what Sean Carter really feels. This album is a rarity. In fact, he’s done this a complete three times: Where he’s from Reasonable Doubt, where he is going which is Kingdom Come, and where he is at his most recent 4:44. Each one of those albums were down played except the latter. Everyone says his first was legendary and arguably his best. Shawn Carter was vulnerable long before this year, and I think most of us just missed it because we weren't clever enough to catch it. It doesn't make sense to name Kingdom Come his worst. Go back and listen. When you do you'll see 4:44 is a clone of Kingdom Come. The only difference is topic and setting but, essentially it is the same. Would you say 4:44 is his worst album?

If Kingdom Come isn't his worst then what is? I would have to argue In My Lifetime Vol. 1 easily. There are only five songs of 14 that are worth it. Honestly, it was definitely lacking after his debut album but Kingdom Come is definitely top five. If you made it this far go back and check it out for yourself. There is a lot you missed on that album and you will see what I’m talking about. When you’re done after the numbers and arguments about if it is or is not the worst album he put out, I just have one question….Are you even listening?

4:44 Review - by @jephtoda

In four years so much can change. Presidential terms end, entertainers come and go, fashion changes, TV shows get canceled. However with all that being said one thing seems to stay the same. Everyone and everything will stop and listen when Jay-Z drops an album. 

4:44 is Hov’s 13th solo studio album and at the age of 47 we were all waiting to hear what he would sound like and if it would connect. At this day and age less and less rappers are actually rapping and many wondered if Jay would follow suit Even more importantly, how it would translate? I'm happy to report that Hov is still Hov and everything he raps is still gold. 

4:44 starts with the self deprecating and shot filled song Kill Jay Z. Although throughout majority of the three minute track he speaks on his own flaws, what sticks out the most is the “shot” that he takes at Kanye. Longtime friends, Jay finally opens up about the frustrations he has with Mr. West and digs into the root of some of their issues. It's safe to say hopes for a Watch the Throne II are dwindling. 

art by Jeff Rose King

"you got hurt because you did cool by 'Ye

You gave him 20 million without blinkin'

He gave you 20 minutes on stage,

But if everybody's crazy, you're the one that's insane"(Kill Jay-Z)

Kanye isn't the only rapper he jabs at on track one. The triple entendre king plays on words also mentioning Future and his dealings with Ciarra, Russell Wilson and their son. Bye Jay-Z he ends. It's almost as if Jay-Z has been an alter-ego this entire time and Sean Carter emerges for the first time in forever. From there he quickly switches gears and kicks some much needed game in The Story of OJ. Hearing an artist dive into how to work your money instead of spend it is refreshing. Hearing it come from a guy who was once notoriously known for balling and being super extravagant is a new feat. The Story of OJ is a message on how to keep it for generations and make your money stretch. The video takes a minstrel show approach, oh the irony.



Jay has a history of a braggadocio flow and talks about expensive wine, classic art, and the finer things in life. Sean Carter is that uncle at the cookout dropping knowledge. For $9.99 he put us all on game about themes of gentrification and generational wealth (okay we know you got that free trial just for this album, we did too). This father like approach of trying to teach us through his mistakes is riddled throughout this whole album.

Alright my friends. Jay Z has spoken. We are diversifying our assets, investing in our communities, and creating generational wealth. pic.twitter.com/U2FeUW3k9U

— michael (@michaelilynch) June 30, 2017

In some of the songs Hov abandoned prose and rhyme to just tell the truth. Not that he hadn't been honest before but I've never heard The Jigga Man be so vulnerable since maybe Song Cry. Whether it be infidelity on the title track 4:44 , unity on Family Feud, or independence with Moonlight, the album hits home on so many values and topics that are generally not touched. Without a doubt one of the most personal and helpful Jay albums, 4:44 feels more like a letter that he’s leaving us or even more a will (ironically enough Blue asks “Daddy what’s a will?” on the final track Legacy). After all these years of stunting on everyone it seems like “the greatest rapper ever” wants to part wisdom on us all and help us grow, a fourth blueprint if you will. Well as a fan and admirer I’d like to say thank you Mr. Carter thank you, you’re far too kind.