There’s a small part of me that doesn’t even want to hear Watch The Throne, the new album created by Kanye West, and Jay-Z, two of my favorite artists of any genre. It’s that same part that just wonders how good it will be, and where do we go from here? It’s like one of those you want for a long long time, then you get it, and you don’t know what to do with yourself. I’ll be buying a copy the day it comes out, but still, part of me wouldn’t mind if it forever got shelved, a part of musical lore and history only to be released in shoebox sets and “basement tapes”… But, while I wonder a little bit what Hip Hop will be like post Watch The Throne, I’m still excited as f**k to listen to and analyze the music. A select group of NYC journalists are ahead of the curve, as Jay-Z hosted an intimate listening session last night at the Mercer Hotel.
According to MTV, Jay-Z attended last night’s Yankee’s game hoping to see Derek Jeter grab his 3,000th hit, then play what could possibly be another hit album to add to his collection. Writers were instructed not to post any details to Twitter, as well as to keep song title and lyrics to themselves. Outlets such as RapRadar, Complex, MTV, Billboard, and AllHipHop were all in attendance, with many mentioning stand out tracks featuring Frank Ocean, as well as a record in which Jay-Z and Kanye West rap to their unborn sons. Jay-Z also played some new records he is working on for his solo LP, and hopes to have the Watch The Throne tracklist finalized over the weekend.
Check out Alvin Blanco’s in-depth review for MTV for more.