Jay Z:
The Gift and The Curse - Rocafella.

Release date: 12 November, 2002

Album review by: Mark Brown

3. Watcher 2, The - (featuring Dr Dre/Rakim/Truth Hurts)

4. '03 Bonnie & Clyde - (featuring Beyonce Knowles)

5. Excuse Me Miss

6. What They Gonna Do - (featuring Sean Paul)

7. All Around The World - (featuring LaToiya Williams)

8. Poppin' Tags - (featuring Big Boi/Killer Mike/Twista)

9. F**k All Nite

10. Bounce, The

11. I Did It My Way

DISC 2: THE CURSE:

1. Diamond Is Forever

2. Guns & Roses - (featuring Lenny Kravitz)

3. U Don't Know - (remix, featuring M.O.P.)

4. Meet The Parents

5. Some How Some Way - (featuring Beanie Sigel/Scarface)

6. Some People Hate

7. Blueprint 2

8. N***a Please - (featuring Young Chris)

9. 2 Many Hoes

10. As One - (featuring Memphis Bleek/Freeway/Young Guns/Peedi Crakk/Sparks/Rell)

11. Ballad For The Fallen Soldier, A

12. Show You How - (bonus track)

13. Bitches & Sisters - (bonus track)

14. What They Gonna Do Part II - (bonus track)

'Bonnie and Clyde' is the first single released off Jay Z's latest album, 'The Blue Print 2 - The Gift and The Curse'. The single, criticised for not being original, covers 2 Pac's, 'Me and My Girl Friend' and sees Jay Z return with yet another club hit featuring Beyonce of Destiny's Child. I personally like the track which uses an added Mexican guitar rift which reinforces the theme of the video, where Beyonce and Jay Z act as a couple, being pursued by police as they attempt to reach the Mexican border.

But what of the rest of the album? Well first, let me tell you that it's a double CD, one called 'The Gift', the other, 'The Curse'. I'm not aware of any apparent concept, just random tracks thrown together ranging from party joints and street anthems to egotistical praises of self and financial worth. But hey, this is Jay Z, let him do what he does best.

Featuring a range of top artists including Rakim, Scarface and Lenny Kraviz to producers such as Dre and the Neptunes, Jay Z brings together a diverse selection of tracks, some of which are real head bangers.

Track 1, 'A Dream' featuring Faith Evans and Biggie, is simply average. I wasn't really feelin the production. This is followed by track two, 'Hovi Baby' another average track which leads onto track three, 'The Watcher 2', featuring Truth Hurts, Rakim and Dre. Here, Dre demonstrates that he still has what it takes as both a producer and an MC. Jay Z also spits a tight verse and Truth a nice hook. Next up is the first single off of the album, the Toni Braxton, or should I say, Tupac inspired track, 'Bonnie and Clyde'. Tracks five, six and seven, yawn, eight, sit up, nine, yawn again, in fact go to sleep, ten, get up and 'Bounce'. Thank God for Timberland who managed to wake me up from a nightmare. Eleven, where's my pillow.

Starting off CD 2 (The Curse) is, 'Diamond is Forever' a descent cut, followed by, 'Guns & Roses' featuring Lenny Kravitz. This track might not be for everyone, but I'm definitely feelin its creativity. 'Next up, recently signed Roccafella group, MOP join the roster and let all hell loose on the remix of 'U Don't Know'.

Whilst I would love to run through all the tracks on the album, the editor has told me I have a word limit of 500 words, and I don't think I'm gonna make it, so I'll get straight to the point. As I mentioned earlier, Jay Z has a descent amount of tracks on this album. At the same time, many fall short of the mark. Is asking for 25 tight tracks too much to ask, well I think so, which is why my belief is that he should have stuck to making a single album using only the best. You have to be cruel to be kind. The same way an editor might have to cut all of the wonderful things I've got to say out, to keep within a tight structure, Jay take heed.

Overall, the first disc, offers a lighter and more radio-friendly CD, whilst the second, gets that little bit harder. I prefer the later. I am slightly disappointed in this album, as I feel Jay Z is a top quality artist and that he simply could have done better. I just feel he needs to slow down and stop believing that if he takes a short break people will forget about him. If he doesn't people may start wishing he took an extra long vacation. I think that the original Blueprint was much better than Part 2, but there are a good deal of cuts on here, I'll give him that.

Before I depart, what would an album review of BP2 be without talk of the ongoing Nas Beef. We'll, what did my ears manage to pick up. Nothing much. There was no track fully dedicated at slandering Nas, Jay played it safe resulting in subliminal and occasional direct taunts, probably playing it safe, as not to create another storm like, 'Ether'.

Hip Hop Headz - You have to buy this whether you love or hate it. And not from no bootleggers either. Think, what would your collection be without it. Overall...

3 Out of 5

P.S O.k so I didn't make the 500 word limit (723 to be precise), but hey, it's a double album.

Favorite Tracks

3. Watcher 2
8. N***a Please (Disc 2)
4 . Meet The Parents (Disc 2)

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z