Jay-Z

Kingdom Come

Roc-A-Fella

James Simons (CHARTattack)

11/21/2006 10:42am

Despite a lyrically rich classic debut, Jay-Z's dropped countless sub-par rhymes, a fact we generally forgive due to his impressive number-runner's style: no pen, no pad, all passion. And despite The Blueprint and Black Album's beat bible status, Jay's also spit over clunky Swizz Beatz crap ("Money, Cash, Hoes") and sleazy synth-soaked '80s B-skinema soundtracks ("The City Is Mine"). Finally, despite Hova's BFF thing with B.I.G., he's since collaborated with lame emo rap-rockers, R&B scumbags who use teenaged groupies as urinal cakes and, on his latest, Coldplayed-out Chris Martin. Bottom line: Hova's Kingdom comeback is predictably neither a top-of-the-heap classic, nor a bottom-line-minded swindle. For every been-there Oedipal ode and Robb Report rap littered with lazy lines, Jay sincerely addresses his post-Katrina guilt, wrestles with aging and even defends his sandals against fashion fascist Cam'Ron's attacks. He also convincingly compares himself to Spiderman, Bruce Wayne and Flash Gordon — pretty much every hero short of Catwoman. Sure enough, only a superhero could team with Just Blaze and rescue Wreckx-N-Effect's "Rump Shaker" sax and assertively fondle Rick James' "Super Freak" after Hammer ensured no mere mortal would want to touch it ever again.