| | Jay-Z American Gangster CD Jay-Z Discography of CDs
 (61 Customer Reviews)
Following up his crossover-ridden return from retirement KINGDOM COME, Jay-Z presents a concept album, AMERICAN GANGSTER, inspired by the Ridley Scott movie of the same name. Contentwise, Jay is in his element, spinning street corner imagery and tales of the drug trade in the same spirit as the film, while, on the production end, 1970s R&B and soul samples dominate. The production team of Diddy, LV, and Sean C accounts for much of the record's cohesion, providing six beats built on loops from the likes of Marvin Gaye, Barry White, and Rudy Love & the Love Family.
Jigga finds plenty room to get jiggy on tracks like "Roc Boys (And the Winner Is)," "Party Life," and "I Know," a Neptunes-produced gem that sounds like a tricked-out "It Ain't Hard to Tell." Undoubtedly Jay's tightest effort since 2001's THE BLUEPRINT, AMERICAN GANGSTER features a few choice guest verses from Lil Wayne, Beanie Siegel, and Nas.Rolling Stone (p.191) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[With] live horns, grooving on some kind of Afro-beat riff over Seventies rumble-in-the-jungle funk..."
Rolling Stone (p.108) - Included in Rolling Stone's "50 Top Albums of the Year 2007" -- "AMERICAN GANGSTER is tripped out on a Seventies-funk fantasia."
Entertainment Weekly (p.103) - "[Jay-Z uses] the film's story and period vibe to color his own elaborate legend....On 'Fallin',' the record's emotional climax, Jay-Z raps frantically as the walls close in."
Uncut (p.91) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[H]ere his favoured old soul classicism -- say, on 'American Dreamin' or 'ROC Boys' -- provides the best backdrop for his rhymes."
Q (Magazine) (p.103) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "AMERICAN GANGSTER sounds reassuringly expensive, with a hotshot production team including Just Blaze, Pharrell and Diddy's Hitmen crew." Jay-Z American Gangster Songs American Gangster Music Review Purchase American Gangster CD To buy, Click on price to add to cart | Jay-Z The Blueprint CD (2001)
American Gangster
 $10.79   
THE BLUEPRINT was nominated for the 2002 Grammy Award for Best Rap Album. "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)" was nominated for the 2002 Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance.
"Song Cry" was nominated for the 2003 Grammy Awards for Male Rap Solo Performance.
It's official. With his fifth album, aptly titled THE BLUEPRINT, Jay-Z has crowned himself the king of rap music. Laying a foundation for other MC's to follow, Jay Hova presents a lyrical masterpiece. And to make matters worse (for the competition, that is), he does so over a selection of the tightest beats (Jus Blaze, Timbaland) to come by hip-hop since fellow Brooklyn-ite Notorious B.I.G. changed the game. Jay-Z sets it off with a clear and concise statement of his purpose, "The Ruler's Back." From then on, each track dares rappers who tried to test his skills to answer back this time. There's also the cleverly worded ...
| | Ugk Underground Kingz CDs (2007)
American Gangster
$9.85
Long before Houston rap came to define the sound of the Dirty South, UGK (the Underground Kingz), along with the Geto Boys, were holdin' it down strong for H-Town. While the duo of Bun B and Pimp C never achieved major cross-over success--spitting woozy gangsta tales a few too many years before mainstream radio was prepared for them--they gained a loyal fanbase and the respect of their fellow MCs (chief among them Jay-Z, who featured ...
| | 50 Cent Curtis CD (2007)
American Gangster
$10.65 
Curtis Jackson is New York hip-hop king 50 Cent's real name, so the title of his third album, CURTIS, implies that everybody's favorite gangsta is keeping it as real as possible. Considering how much 50 Cent's rep and raison d'etre revolve around his hoodlum background and take-no-prisoners approach, he surely does seem to be aiming for some kind of home truth here. The album kicks off with a brace of violent, in-your-face, thug-life scenarios ("My Gun Go Off," "Man Down," "I'll Still ...
| | Kanye West Graduation CD (2007)
American Gangster
$11.89
Given the remarkable critical and commercial success of 2005's LATE REGISTRATION, Kanye West's rich, rewarding sophomore release, expectations were high for 2007's GRADUATION. Ever savvy, West flouts those expectations by delivering a record that delivers curveballs while staying true to his sharply sculpted, commercially minded m.o. West's rapping, never his greatest strength, is still entertaining. He delivers witty, smart, sometimes absurd rhymes (he seems to take more lyrical chances on GRADUATION) that fit nicely with the overall feel of his tracks.
As usual, it's West's productions that stand out. While there are examples of his style-defining use of classic R&B samples and background choirs (as on the feel-good highlight "I Wonder"), West streamlines his sound to center on synth-driven lines, giving many of the tracks a retro-electro new wave feel. "Stronger," for example, another standout, is powered by a vocoder-drenched vocal sample courtesy of French dance superstars Daft Punk, which finds West again more comfortable in hip-hop's uncharted waters. The overall results make for a fun, inventive album that offers ...
| | Alicia Keys As I Am CD (2007)
American Gangster
$13.65
The third full-length from contemporary R&B diva Alicia Keys is called AS I AM, a title that adequately reflects the album's straightforward, confessional soul-pop. Keys built her popularity making stylish, reflective, voice-&-piano music; AS I AM continues that trend, albeit in a poppier vein that balances neatly between neo-soul and adult contemporary. This is reflected in the mid-tempo grooves, songs of empowerment ("Superwoman"), and stirring ballads ("The Thing About Love").
Keys's collaborators on the album include songwriter Linda Perry, who co-wrote three of the album's tracks, and John Mayer, who twines voices with Keys on the sensual "Lesson Learned." Top-notch arrangements, which include gorgeous, retro-tinged flourishes via strings and horns, make the set shimmer, but it's the strength of the hook-heavy tunes and Keys's moving performances that make AS I AM stick. It's not the five-star album she's capable of, but it leaves little doubt that Keys is ...
| | Rick Ross Trilla CD (2008)
American Gangster
$12.49 
| | Spotlite On Jubilee Records Vol. 3 CD (1995)
American Gangster
$12.95
| | Holger Biege Wenn Der Abend Kommt/Circulus CD (1994) (Import) Germany
American Gangster
$9.19
| | B C & M Mass Choir Oh Happy Day CD (2003)
American Gangster
$5.49
Live Recording
| | Strawbs Heartbreak Hill - The Platinum Edition CD (2006) (Import) Import; United Kingdom
American Gangster
$26.29
| | Joe Nacco Head Of A Monkey CD (2004)
American Gangster
$8.55
***BUY ALL 3 JOE NACCO CDS FOR $15***One of the most multi-talented underground artists out there. This pop/rock sophomore release by Joe Nacco pays homage to his glorious roots. Once the storied singer/guitarist/songwriter for indie-favs HEAD, Joe re-records all his favorite early writings from that era.Included is the super smash hit "Down." "Down" was named the #3 song of 2004 (Voter's choice, CRUMBS radio) and the #8 song of 2004 (Critic's choice, ...
| | Kenny Smith Contents Under Pressure CD (2006)
American Gangster
$9.59
| | Bumpus All The People CD (2007)
American Gangster
$10.15
All The People is the fourth album by eight-member Chicago band Bumpus. The band has worked hard over the past 10 years to build a musical reputation for its solid and soulful studio albums and its breath-taking and funky live performances.This album represents a departure from their last release, Bumpus LIVE, recorded at Chicago’s Metro in 2003. “In the past, we’ve always viewed successful songwriting from the standpoint of how well the song would go over live,” Johnston explains. “We have so many up-tempo songs in our show that anything down-tempo or a little moody couldn’t compete for the audience’s attention. So with this album, we chose songs that would be enjoyable to listen to without worrying about how they will be received in a live context. We also took the songs that go over well live and gave them a new identity on record.” Bumpus’ growth is evident throughout the album with a wide range of sounds from the ...
| | Immortal Soul Something Special CD (2007)
American Gangster
$16.45
| | Rasaq Get Green & Stay Clean: Screwed CD (2007) Chop
$10.65 |
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