Jay-Z inspired by gangster life

PETER VIGLIETTA
News Editor
CD Review

It is all about being real in hip hop these days.

Having rapped his way out of Brooklyn to become president Def Jam Recordings and his own startup Roc-A-Fella Records, not to mention his 10 high-selling rap albums and his Roc-A-Wear clothing line, which netted him $204 million in March, Forbes.com estimated in June that Jay-Z is worth about a half a billion.

For this reason, Jay-Z (otherwise known as Shawn Carter) probably knew that he was going to have a little trouble convincing fans that he is actually still out on the streets selling coke. Match the liner notes and title with the movie, throw in a couple sound clips, and voila! Jay-Z the drug dealer is back.

Although Jay-Z said on "The Late Show with David Letterman" that his album American Gangster is a concept album inspired by the movie, almost none of the lyrics on the album directly refer to Frank Lucas's story. The American Gangster title and artwork seems more like an excuse for Jay-Z to go back to the drug dealing, gun-busting ways, or at least to act like he does for the sake of entertainment.

Like many of Jay's recent albums, there are a few gems intermitted by half decent tracks and a few that could be called downright filler. Like 2006's Kingdom Come, the production on American Gangster echoes a more smooth, refined 70s and 80s vibe as opposed to the heavy drums and fluid bass that characterize most east coast rap beeps and twinkles of dirty south "crunk." On some tracks this more mature approach to hip hop works but sounds a bit flat on others.

Jay-Z came out and admitted on Letterman that Roc Boys, track number six, was the high point of the album. Jay-Z champions his verses of victory in the drug game over an energetic horn line that sounds like a happier version of the Rocky theme and even gets Kanye to say stuff in the background, but does not let him rap.

He does, however, bring out his enemy-turned-friend and label mate Nas on track 12, "Success," where the two talk about the stress of success in an industry where the idea of success might outweigh the reality of it.

Oddly enough, American Gangster sounds more like his first album, Reasonable Doubt, than most of his later catalogue. While the content of his music has varied over the years, he still champions the same unique style, bragging and teasing the listener with his breathy wordplay and assonant rhymes.

The track "Fallin'" which highlights the bad Karma and negative consequences that might come with career drug dealing, might take a close second to "Roc Boys." While much of the slower-paced production makes an attempt to classiness but just become boring, the Fallin' beat is more reminiscent of the catch, Kanye West-esque pop sound that helped sell more than two million copies of The Blueprint in 2001.

The album also features guest appearances from artists such as Lil' Wayen, Beanie Sigel and Beyonce, who Jay-Z never gets tired of showing off. With beats from such super-producers as Just Blaze and The Neptunes, Jigga might be satisfied enough with this one to retire. Again.