CD giveaway, details at end of review
Jay-Z
The Blueprint 3
Roc Nation
out September 11th
68/100
[Rating Scale]
[rating:68/100]
It must be tough to be Jay-Z. Not in the “I’m married to Beyoncé” way, or in the “I’m the reigning elder statesman of rap” way, but in the way that you’ve been around and relevant for so long that you are a magnet for criticism – the oldest active voice of the new school, struggling to remain on the forefront of the game.
Any artist releasing his 11th album faces a challenge. Do you change your style to stay up with the new trends, allowing your sound to evolve while turning your back on the moves that brought you success in the first place? Or do you stick with what works, reprising older successes with a few changes in the hooks and lyrics? It’s a tough decision. Continue reading →
The first time I heard of Mr Hudson was on Kanye West’s utterly fantastic “Paranoid” (this single needs to blow the fuck up, by the way). Since then I’ve discovered the real Mr. Hudson and his band, The Library. Mr. Hudson is signed onto Kanye’s G.O.O.D. music label as well as the UK’s Mercury Records, where he has had more success there. Mr Hudson & The Library made their debut with A Tale of Two Cities, which “uses acoustic guitar interspersed with classically informed piano, soulful, Motown-inspired backing vocals and bass guitar, steelpan, electric drums & unusual rhythm patterns to create an expansive sound.” The album saw mostly positive reviews and its singles received national airplay on Jo Whiley and Zane Lowe’s Radio 1 shows.
