What's in Store

After watching an early screening of American Gangster, the Ridley Scott film that stars Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe, Jay-Z became inspired to start recording music again. His last album Kingdom Come, dealt with the life of a mature and successful Jay-Z, but he received some backlash from going too far against the grain. With American Gangster, he’s closer to where he started than ever before.

The music writers at Epinions.com have scored the album 4 1/2 stars out of a possible 5. Balogun, a top reviewer, calls the album a proper comeback album, more so than his actual comeback album. Some have called this album a mix of his first classic album Reasonable Doubt and his 2001 album The Blueprint, because it combines the tales of his hustler days from the first album, and the soulful vibe of the latter. It’s also one of the more artistic albums of his career, where the hot single wasn’t as important as the entire work. Speeddemon531 says, “What winds up being most impressive here is that Jay sounds like this time he’s coming back because he has something to say and not because he wants to show everyone that he still has “it”.”

Trey_stone says that Jay-Z is “returning to his roots” with the hustler lyricism, which to many Jay-Z fans, was important. But according to Jay-Z, in an MTV.com article, he couldn’t easily go back to that place and be genuine about it at the same time. With this album, he was able to go back to places he hadn’t been in a long time. Yinyang205 says, “More than just being a good album, it shows that an artist at the latter stages of his career, can still grow.”

Jay-Z might have to go back to making music about being the CEO of Def Jam, or finding ways to bring water to third world countries, but this time around, he made many of his fans happy.

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Rihanna has been on the music scene for over three years now. It’s hard to believe that this nineteen year old is already on her third album. Signed to Def Jam when she was just fifteen years of age by Jay-Z, she has already accumulated her share of number one hits. Her latest album, Good Girl Gone Bad is her best received work thus far. Though it’s not in the territory of Janet Jackson’s coming out party Control, the album is being described as Rihanna’s transition from child singer to adult singer.

This album isn’t a large step in a different direction for Rihanna. It’s very much pop music. It’s just that in the realm of pop music and what it means to radio, this album takes a few leaps forward in what at times is a copycat industry. Calling the album “insanely addictive”, Epinions music reviewer, Monnie1976 says the album has all the elements needed to be one of the best of the year.

You can’t talk about this album without starting with first single and big hit, Umbrella. Speeddemon531 says, “From the sludgy synthesizer sound to Rihanna’s stuttering in the chorus, it’s sensual and catchy simultaneously.” Umbrella is currently the number 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100 charts.

The album isn’t a one trick pony though. Hate That I Love You has single written all over it. The duet with label mate Ne-Yo could’ve been released on his new album and no one would’ve batted an eye. It has the signature Ne-Yo singable lyric set and their voices are very well matched together. Don’t Stop The Music is a club track that is reminiscent because of the sampling of the “ma ma se ma ma sa ma ma coo sa” chants from Michael Jackson’s Wannabe Startin’ Something. Shut Up And Drive samples New Order and continues with the pop fun. Rehab is penned by Justin Timberlake and no, it isn’t a quick and dirty Amy Winehouse remake. It’s a scary ballad that compares her love for someone like a disease. Produced by both Timberlake and Timbaland, it’s a very grown up song and musically sounds a lot like some of Timberlake’s ballads.

On Epinions.com Rihanna’s Good Girl Gone Bad has been rated 4 stars (out of a possible 5). Though Floatingcity says the album is all icing and no cake, and is best consumed only by chart purists with a hardened Stefani (Gwen)/Furtado (Nelly) sweet tooth, 6 out of 8 reviewers give it at least 4 stars.

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