I upped the pic for this drop after I returned home from the Watch The Throne listening event at the Hayden Planetarium. My plan was to finish the drop in the morning before I went off to the day grizzle. I was still kind of buzzed too from the unlimited Belvedere being poured into my mouf.
First off, let me just tell you that record company people are CRAYZAY. The event felt like the launch of a spaceship and some of the folks who had gathered were concerned whether they would be allowed on the rocket or were they there simply to be the rocket’s fuel. I had no such misgivings tho’. I was sure I was to be used as a booster module which is discarded and sent back to Earth after the rocket has broken the atmosphere. Some folks, like my homegirl Stacey were upset when they didn’t find themselves in the inner circle sanctum.
Multi-colored wristbands and secret handshakes aside we were all here to hear an album which we imagine will be the zenith of pop culture rap for our generation. What I find to be a profound backdrop is the economic state of America as posited next to two artists who can’t spend money fast enough. Obaama should have just gone to Jay-Z for a loan to help pay off the deficit instead of acquiescing to a bunch of old white who call him a ‘tar baby’ even tho’ he is high yellow (schmores marshmallow baby: Just enough chocolate).
Jay-Z and KanYe are the high life personified in Black entertainment. Who is left to live this lavish? Michael Jackson dead. Eddie Murphy has issues. Tiger Woods isn’t a swinger anymore. Michael Jordan lost half in a divorce settlement. There isn’t anyone left to tell us what to spend our tax return checks on and do it with so much charisma. Watch The Throne however isn’t a paean to overpriced luggage. Watch The Throne is KanYe’s statement that he is no longer the little brother who Jay can give rap noogies too.
I think KanYe is giving Jay-Z a bit of his own medicine on being annoying and self-absorbed. The album listening session was too loud for me to really connect to the record but there were enough moments and gems that I was able to pluck from the cosmic background. Sadly, the album doesn’t surpass my expectations at this point. Maybe on a subsequent listen it will all make sense to me. Maybe KanYe and Jay-Z are so far ‘out there’ that they are rapping in another galaxy? A universe filled with fiances named BeYonce.
I can’t call it else I might spoil it. You listen to Watch The Throne and tell me what you think. Spaceship status or a spaced out shit platter?
