Mar 24, 2026 at 5:47 PM JAŸ-Z: American Gangster I’ve listened to this album a couple times this week and it falls into the same trap that most JAŸ-Z albums do for me, where he will drop one song that I really enjoy, then the next song will bore the s--- out of me. I’m not sure what it is because Jaÿ’s rapping is technically sound on every song, but there’s several instances where I go from vibing to wanting to take a nap. I did enjoy hearing the blatant influence this album had on Pusha T’s entire career, which was on my mind for the entire album first listen, but especially Fallin’. Overall I had a good time listening to the album, but I do still not understand why JAŸ-Z is as big of an artist as he is. Overall score: 7.5 Favorites: Roc Boys (And The Winner Is)…, I Know, Fallin’, American Gangster Least Favorites: Party Life, Ignorant Sh*t, Blue Magic @AOTWClub @Justin Trudeau
Mar 24, 2026 at 5:55 PM 2 I'm sounding like a hater now smh but Jay isn't a technical rapper. This is crazy and i dont know why people say it...
Mar 24, 2026 at 5:56 PM Did you click your profile picture in the top right corner, go to Mention Groups, and join the group there? You can’t tag a group unless you join it
Mar 26, 2026 at 1:46 AM @AOTWClub @Justin Trudeau Jay-Z - American Gangster So far I've only heard the black album and the blueprint and thought they were both just decent so lets see how this fares lol Intro is doing its job, i find intros with just talking to almost always be trite but it didnt annoy me. Pray is solid, beat is slightly more in your face than i was expecting. Jay is rapping well and his lyrics are run of the mill for him but not in a bad way. Not the biggest fan of the the chick talking between verses. I really really like the production on American Dreamin'. Jays voice is coming through a little hot on the mic on this track (unless im going insane) and im not into his whispery approach. Similar subject matter which i cant complain about cause he usually writes about it well. Hello Brooklyn 2.0 really didn't work for me, I think the beat and yelling in the back is annoying, Jay isnt doing anything special and the Wayne hook isn't good. His verse is mediocre as well. No Hook is a good bounce back, one of my favorites on the record. The writing here is pretty charp, fun stream of consciousness word association rhymes. Rhyme schemes are fun on here and i dig the guitar in the beat. Good song! Roc Boys isn't half bad, goofy fun 70s cop show a--- beat. Decent upbeat track. Idk why Jay doesnt hit for me as much as he does for other people cause i usually really like the way he goes about rhyming but it rarely ever connects fully for me. Sweet is cool, good concept with the parts where he talks about his nephew. Something about it is a little repetitive tho. I liked I Know more than I thought it would, its really goofy but it mostly works for me. Joe Camel looking a--- rapping about women is entertaining. Sample on Party Life is awesome. Song itself is like a worse slower version of I Know and all the talking between verses is a recurring thing that im not a fan of. I like the 2nd verse a decent bit! Ignorant s--- is pretty good! Jays approach works really well with the beat for me on here "Scarface the movie did more than Scarface the rapper to me" was a dope bar. Beanie Siegels part is fun as well. Say Hello is solid, doesn't need to be as long as it is and kinda encapsulates what I feel about the album where its spinning its wheels a bit. The performance is good and i enjoy the beat. Overall one of the better songs on the project for me criticisms aside. Success is good. Napoleon Dynamite a--- beat but Jay flows over it pretty well! Nas does great as always. Fallin' ended up being one of the better tracks to me, Jays flow is great for this beat. Really like the sample. Bars are good too. Blue Magic is fine, beat is kinda annoying. Jay does decent on it. Overall forgettable, 2nd verse has some solid lines tho. American Gangsta is a pretty good closer, i wish the tempo was just a bit slower. Another great sample. His flow is really really good in the 2nd half. Some good lines, one of the better songs for sure. Overall this hasn't changed my opinion on Jay, this is very annoying zoomer of me but I find Jays hyper capitalist mobster persona to be more annoying than entertaining in his music. I don't hate braggadocious rap at all but they way he goes about it always rubbed me the wrong way. Obviously a talented man who can write his a--- off when the time calls for it but is much like his wife overrated to me. I can see myself liking 4:44 whenever I give that a liaten based om how i heard it described but for now this feels like a another Jay Z album that spins in place treading similar concepts. Its not without its high points though and I still think its a decent project just not for me. Genuine thanks to @Michael Myers for choosing this though cause I always like going back and giving stuff I wouldn't have listened to a chance. While not all of it is always to my taste im always happy for an MM pick cause I know its something im not expecting! Favorite Songs: No Hook, Ignorant s---, Success, Fallin, American Gangster RATING 6/10
Mar 26, 2026 at 12:29 PM Blueprint and Black album. Thought both were decent but nothing I'd go back to a ton, liked Black album more.
Mar 26, 2026 at 12:58 PM I like both but he hasn't got multiple classics like most people say he has.
Mar 26, 2026 at 6:45 PM American Gangster - JAŸ-Z REVIEW Score: 7.5 Review: This album always interested me when looking at Jay's discog because it always reminded me of a movie poster or video game box art, so it always had my curiosity peaked. Maybe it's because it reminds me of Hitman? Anyways, I thought this album was pretty good! I did enjoy all of the tracks, the only one I didn't being Party Life. Just simply did not feel as strong as the rest of the album. I even enjoyed Hello Brooklyn 2.0, which apparently is the lowest rated track on the album (according to AOTY), which shocked me. I didn't have a problem with it. Big shouts to American Dreamin', No Hook, Roc Boys, Ignorant Sh*t, and Success (which almost made me spit out my drink when I heard that Eminem I'm Back interpolation). Not a bad first ever HOV album for me! Good pick @Michael Myers @Justin Trudeau @AOTWClub
