So Jay-Z and Kanye (along with Diddy) were again announced as the richest dudes in hiphop? Watch the Throne, huh? Isn’t “watching the throne” just watching the exploits of the super-rich ruling class all day on TV, ingesting their values through the excretions of an unscrupulous media octopus that’s got us all narcoticized in the first place? Shouldn’t I be watching the fucking worldwide uprising (happening everywhere right now for different reasons that are actually all the same reasons) instead? That seems far more inspiring to me. So who do you identify with? The “other side,” and their fucking trigger-happy frontline shock troops, or the people getting shot, killed, jailed, shamed, and blamed for everything? Rap in general has decided to roll with the winning team, hence its decidedly Republican slant for the last decade plus. “Niggas hate ballers these days,” Jay spits. Maybe that’s because so many people are starting to wake up to the fact that the real ballers get rich on our sweat and they grow fat sucking at our necks. Just saying.
To say I have a level of antipathy for Watch the Throne is an understatement. Not only are supergroups never that tight, Jay and Ye rapping together is only tight like half the time. When in each other’s presence, it’s too easy for them to just make overblown Michael Bay epics about nothing, basically just beating each other off with handfuls of crisp hundreds. If you love it, turn it up, but—to paraphrase Morrissey (and the homeboy Eric Grandy)—it says nothing to me about my life.
Far as I can tell, the current narrative in rap (and perhaps all pop music) is all about the all-consuming desire to be famous, as that’s the highest order of human experience. There is no love, no self-worth, just the fame (if you’re shallow and stupid) and the money (if you’re shallow and smart). In case you haven’t noticed, artists parroting that mainstream party line in Seattle aren’t finding a lot of success here. The folks who want to hear that kind of shit are already programmed to treat it like disposable background music. There’s no real support for it here. I think, for reasons specific to our region, far more people want to hear something from the soul, something that speaks to them. (To you, that might mean that Seattle’s corny, but to me, that means you’re corny.) That doesn’t mean you have to be like A, B, or C who might be so-called successful out here, either, you just have to—in my opinion—be speaking something real (even if you’re sneaking it in) and not rap “real.” Real as in something people can feel in their chest. (Keep in mind there are many types of people, too.) Life doesn’t happen in the fucking club. Just about everybody smokes weed and kicks it—look, after a while, nobody cares. Flex! What else you got? 
You forgot to talk about the actual music. I can respect your take on the message, but I recommend you write something about the music, minus the words.
You forgot to say anything about the actual music. I can respect your take on the message, but something should be said about the actual production.
It’s interesting you take such a cynical stance on this album. Not every album needs to promote a rise against the machine attitude. I just got back from a music festival in San Francisco, where in my opinion, the best performances were put on by groups who produced live music without lyrics.
I’m also a fan of how you undercut your points by the use of the word fucking.
@2 I’m also a fan of how you undercut your point about someone undercutting their point by the use of tired sarcasm
thanks for the fucking recommendation, #1!
Larry, I think I’m in love.
He’s not writing about the actual music because Jay Z and Kanye, in this incarnation, at this time, are not really about the actual music. They are just about the blinkered glory of success and money and their own belief in their mutual fabulousness and how amazingingly talented and special and deserving of their obscene lifestyle they are. That’s not same as not promoting a rise against the machine, that is being the machine.
you basically echo what i’ve said about the album. it’s like audio money porn…so yeah, if you want some fantasy for your ears to jack off to, then yeah turn it up.
otherwise, the average person should be looking at the album like “how the fuck can i relate to this?”
rap has been turned upside down. it used to be made by poor people and it talked about the problems of said poor people. now it’s made by rich people that rap about how rich they are, throwing it in the face of the same poor people who eat up the music for whatever reason. rap really is out of control.
if you want an album that you can probably relate to, buy Saigon’s album.
Great piece my friend.
This was a worthwhile read, Lar. Nice work.
He didn’t comment on the music because he’s a non-famous, non-rich washed up Seattle rapper. Seattle rappers are better at sour grapes and sanctimony than “speaking something real”.
And Seattle Slog commenters are better at pointing out unrelated failings in Seattle Slog writers than saying anything interesting.
I agree with the lack of content in music these days. Everyone loves the party song on the days when your feeling good and enjoying yourself and partying, but what about when you want to listen to something with meaning? It’s really hard to find substance in popular music these days, because thats not what sells. It should really be shame on the consumers, because we are making people rich by buying their non-substance music. The only person that really has a cause in his music (whether you agree with it or not) is Lupe… other than that, I haven’t heard much substance in a while!
As a Seattle to Chicago transplant, I can say that there really is something about the Seattle hip hop scene that is special. And it IS about the message. Not saying there’s not good hip hop in the Chi, but most people won’t realize how special Seattle hip hop is til it’s no longer part of their daily cultural experience. Regarding “Watch the Throne,” Larry’s thoughts mostly echo mine, but are much better articulated. Seriously, who puts out an album called Watch the Throne when the world is literally burning?
@ 11 “And as for the critics, tell me I don’t get it, everybody can tell you how to do it, they never did it”. – Jay Z – “Already Home”
which loosely translated means “don’t criticize me because i am above criticism and if you are not rich and famous you are worthless and do not deserve to have an opinion, even if it is your job to have an opinion.” And as you already stated Larry Mizell Jr did do it, he just was not as ‘successful’ at it.
“Say that I’m foolish I only talk about jewels
Do you fools listen to music or do you just skim through it?”
Jay and Kanye actually speak on real issues, both political and personal, throughout “Watch The Throne.” Check out the verses on “New Day,” “Murder to Excellence,” and “Welcome to the Jungle” again before writing the album off entirely.
Yeah, there’s also plenty of billionaire conspicuous consumption fantasy porn, but that’s kinda to be expected given that IT’S A JAY-Z ALBUM. That stuff has been part of his persona since “Reasonable Doubt,” and I have no problem either ignoring it or enjoying it as dumb escapist fun, depending on my mood.
Even though I disagree with you almost entirely on WTT, your image of the two of them beating each other off with handfuls of bills is pretty hilarious. +1 for that.
I’m out here fightin’ for you, Don’t increase my stress load
Ni**as watchin’ the throne, Very happy to be
Power to the people, When you see me, see you
Only spot a few blacks the higher I go
What’s up to Will, Shoutout to O
That ain’t enough, We gon need a million more
Forget the messages of inspiration to do better in the song to?!?!
Mink coats / pink throats / weak quotes / low hopes / anti-dope / filthy? nope / playing a part / never sharp
Well done, being a 34 yr old I was sucked in 110% by the hip hop of the late 80’s and early 90’s but it seemed like right around 96 on things went to shit and it became all about the $$ (blame Diddy?????) and I checked out and cant check back it. The realness of hip hop and pop culture has left the building but that might just be because I am on old SOB! Peace Larry, thanks again!
OBVIOUS BROTHA YOU FEEL STRONGLY ABOUT THE EXCESS OF DECADENCE ON THIS ALBUM…I AGREE THAT FOCUS ON THE “FINER THINGS” IN LIFE FOR THE DURATION OF A COMPLETE ALBUM GETS MUNDANE AND OLD…BUT @THE SAME TIME I FEEL JAY Z IS THE BEST @ THIS MEGABALLER HIPHOP MENTALITY..WHEN I SAY THIS I MEAN HES THE BEST AT THE DELIVERY AND LYRICAL CONTENT WHEN SPEAKING FROM THIS KINGPIN PERSPECTIVE..IM A HIPHOP HEAD AND COME FROM A SCHOOL WHERE BITIN WAS WACK..IN TODAYS MUSICAL CLIMATE(BARRING A LINE OR TWO HERE AN THERE) JAYZ KICKS MILLIONAIRE BALLISTICS WITH TRENDSETTING VERBAGE,CONCEPTS,AND SLANG..THEREFORE I CAN GET INTO HIM MORE SO THAN THE CLONES THAT PRECEDE HIM…THERE ARE THOSE IN THE WORLD THAT AT TIMES WANNA BALL OUT AND STAY FLY…I HAPPEN TO BE ONE OF THOSE CATS…I GIVE JAY MORE POINTS DUE TO THE FACT THAT TO ALOT OF STREET CATS HE MAKES THE DREAM SEEM MORE TANGIBLE THAN THE NEXT MAN DOES ALSO…WHAT I DONT UNDERSTAND THOUGH LARRY IS WHY NOT AT LEAST MENTION THE BALANCE PROVIDED TO THE PROJECT BY SPEAKING ON THE SOCIALLY CONSCIOUS JOINTS ON THE ALBUM…JAY AND K IN MY MIND DO A DAMN GOOD JOB OF SPEAKING AND TOUCHING ON THE “ISSUES”…ON THE SONG “MURDER TO EXCELLENCE” JAYZ GIVES FACT AND OPINION ON HIS LOVE AND PRIDE FOR HIS BLACK RACE…WE’RE USED TO KANYE EVERY NOW AND THEN SPEAKING ON THE ISSUES BUT JAY?!?!?!?…MONUMENTAL IN MY MIND…FOR SOMEONE OF HIS STATURE AND INCOME BRACKET TO GO THAT DEEP IS GROUNDBREAKING DUE TO THE FACT THAT NOWADAYS NOT TOO MANY POP ICONS MAKE BLACK POWER STATEMENTS FOR THE WORLD TO HEAR..MIKE JORDAN DIDNT..TIGER WONT…MIKE JACK NEVER..DENZEL HELL NO..LEBRON??PLEASE..SO ITS VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE AS A PEOPLE SPEND TIME TALKING ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF WHAT JAY DID..AND NOT LET OUR DISDAIN FOR HIS MATERIAL TASTES GET IN THE WAY..LOOK AT IT LIKE THIS..WHEN RUN DMC ROCKED BACK IN THE DAY..THEY BRAGGED..THEY BOASTED..THEY PARTIED..AND DOMINATED THE HIPHOP AN POP SCENE TO A DEGREE..BETWEEN THE DECADENCE THEY SPIT ABOUT THERE WAS ALWAYS!!!A JEWEL OR TWO DIRECTED STRICTLY TOWARDS OUR PEOPLE…ALWAYS!!!YET THEY STILL PREDOMINATELY SPOKE ON HOW HARD THEY ROCKED AND HOW FLY THEY WERE..AND WE’RE TALKING THE COCAINE 80’S BROTHA…YET THEY WERENT AND ARENT VILLANIZED FOR THEYRE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE GAME…ITS THE SAME FORMULA JAYZ RETURNED TO ON THIS ALBUM…DECADENT YET SOCIALLY RELEVENT…LETS CELEBRATE THE POSITIVE KNOWING HE CAN REACH A WIDER AUDIENCE THEN THE AVERAGE BACKPACKER INSTEAD OF TUNING OUT BECAUSE HE MIGHT HAVE MORE THAN THE NEXT MAN AND ISNT AFRAID TO SAY IT…IN FACT IF YA GO THROUGH THE “LEGENDS” OF THE GAME MOST DID THE SAME THING…CONSISTENTLY REMINDED YOU OF HOW FLY THEY WERE..BALANCE..BALANCE BRAH..
SIGNED/ FLEETAPARTEE
If you’re not feeling the radio jams
check out Kendrick Lamar- Section 80
Real hip hop is out there, waiting to be heard
@21 got it right, Kendrick Lamar Section 80. there is real hip hop out there and radio hip hop. always has been too. you just didn’t have to look as hard for the real hip hop back in the day. now you do. it sucks that the money runs it but money runs the world, if you thought hip hop would be exempt from that then you’re foolish.
Kendrick Lamar is dope. So is shabazz palaces. So are jay and kanye, most of the time.. Enjoyment of these artists doesn’t have to be mutually exclusive, and ideological distinctions don’t need to be drawn between them.
This is the reason I continue to find myself reading the Stranger on such a consistent basis.
If you care to “hear something from the soul, something that speaks to [you]” checkout what Janelle Monae and the Wondaland Arts Society is doing. If your soul is ripe for it, she will make you come alive. Her producers Deep Cotton (Nate Wonder and Chuck Lighting) are about to drop the livest album ive never heard…I HAVE A SCREAM!
Good read, good points.
The “haters gonna hate” mentality seems to have crossed from a “well, you can’t please ’em all, gotta keep at it” stance to a “NO ONE EVER CRITICIZE ME I AM ABOVE IT ALL”