Jay-Z- 'Kingdom Come' (Roc-A-Fella/ Island Def Jam) Released 27/11/06

Up until recently, Jay-Z's story has been one of success. As he rapped on 'Encore'... "From Marcy (notorious housing project's) to Madison Square". Along with concerts, Madison Square Garden is home to the New York Knicks and they have a man in a similar predicament to Jay-Z. Isiah Thomas is the General Manager of the Knicks and Jay-Z is the CEO of Def Jam. The Knicks have been unsuccessful with Isiah in charge, as have Def Jam with Jay; only Kanye West and Young Jeezy have sold large amounts of units. Isiah has been forced to come down-stairs and coach the team and Jay has come out of rap retirement. Isiah has recently fallen-out with star-man Stephon Marbury and Def Jam's most talented, Ghostface Killah has recently recorded a Jay-Z dis record, 'Ghost Is Back'.

On the lead single, 'Show me what you got', Jay say's of coming out of retirement... "What you want me to do? I'm sorry". The hollow laughter that follows is an indication that the project was done to prop up Def Jam, rather than Jay needing to get creative. Those street narratives that made us fall for Jay-Z have gone. We needed something like a hip-hop equivalent of Don DeLillo's 'Cosmopolis', which features a very rich man stalking the streets of New York with a lust for life. Instead, we get sentiments like... "You ain't got enough stamps on your passport" (30 Something). What would carbon-neutral Chris Martin say? He's Jay's mate now, featuring on 'Beach Chair', on which Jay-Z rap's... "I'm not afraid of dyin', I'm afraid of not tryin', every day hit every wave like I'm Hawaiian". Yeah it's clever, but also shallow, like a receding tide-line.

The only song with feeling is the New Orleans disaster track, 'Minority Report'... "Helicopters doing fly-by's, take a couple shots". This and the title-track are the only songs worth returning to. Jay-Z's mis-fired with the 'Kingdom Come' album; maybe the next one should be called 'My Kingdom For A Horse'.