Track 4. Listen While You Watch The Throne

Another topic that was brought to mind this week while discussing viewer and spectatorship was the persona that todays rappers and hip-hop artists create for themselves, and more specifically Jay-Z and Kanye West.  In August the two of them released their long awaited collaboration album "Watch The Throne."  The album itself is incredible, with production from Kanye as well as a literal who's who of todays best producers.  Also unlike many of todays hip hop albums that are littered with guest appearances from other rappers who usually deliver mediocre verses at best, all rapping on this album is provided from Jay and Ye.  After the release of the album I read an interesting review/critique of the album on Grantland.com by Hua Hsu titled Watch the Throne: Let them Eat Cake.
http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/6844020/let-eat-cake
The article brings up the point of the subject matter of the album.  Much of the album is about how wealthy and cultured Jay and Kanye are with lines like "whole lotta watches I need eight arms/ one neck but got eight charms" and the boasting of "Sorry I'm in pajamas but I just got of the PJ" (PJ=Private Jet) However at the same time while they want to flaunt their wealth and how cultured and famous they are they also want to be culturally conscious "398 soldiers died in Iraq/ 509 died in Chicago" Sometimes these two things contradict themselves in their lyrics, they want to be seen as rich and hard and from the streets but also someone that cares about the streets.  The song "Cant Stop Me Now" ends with "Black cards/ black cars/ whole lotta money in the black bag/ black strap you know what thats for"(black strap= a belt for holding a gun) but then follow that up with a song called "Murder to Excellence" where the first half of the song is about how many people have been killed because of violence in their home towns of Chicago and New York.  But then no more than 2 minutes later the song switches and Jay drops the line "They say my black card bears the mark of the beast" and "Sheep skin coat/ I silence the lambs" This theme of rappers wanting to show there from the streets while still wanting to distance themselves by showing how the money they have made has taken them away from the streets is nothing new. (see: Young Jeezy, Rick Ross, and The Game) Me personally I don't really care that much since it is nothing new and have become so accustomed to hearing it but I definitely get the point that Hua Hsu is trying to make.

Heres the first video from the album, and yes if you are wondering that is a Maybach that they are chopping up, selling price $350,000.