Kingdom Come [Explicit Lyrics]

Jay-Z | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 21, 2006)
• Original Release Date: 2006
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Explicit Lyrics
• Label: Roc-a-Fella
• ASIN: B000JJSRUM
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (203 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,555 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #41 in Music > Rap & Hip-Hop > East Coast
  • #57 in Music > Rap & Hip-Hop > Gangsta & Hardcore

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. The Prelude

2. Oh My God

3. Kingdom Come

4. Show Me What You Got

5. Lost One featuring Chrisette Michele

6. Do U Wanna Ride featuring John Legend

7. 30 Something

8. I Made It

9. Anything featuring Usher & Pharrell

10. Hollywood featuring Beyonce

See all 14 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Politics As Usual

2. Can't Knock The Hustle

3. Can I Live

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Few retirements are as short-lived as that of New York rap mogul Jay-Z. Barely two years after bowing out in 2004, he's back with Kingdom Come--and if he's set down the mic for a minute, it doesn't show. Backed by a dream team of producers (Just Blaze, Kanye West, Dr Dre, the Neptunes), with special guests including Pharrell, Beyonce, and Coldplay's Chris Martin, it's an A-list cast. Naturally, though, it's the Hova who's the star attraction, slightly older and prone to pontificating on his ten years in the game (see "30-Something"), but certainly no wiser: as he raps on "Trouble," he's still got "hands in the cookie jar." The first few tracks are pure consolidation, gleaming and boastful productions that remind you just how great Jay-Z is on the mic. Further in, though, Kingdom Come branches out in style: "Hollywood," the duet with Beyoncé, is a jaded take on celebrity culture, while "Minority Report" relives the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina with the Bush Administration in the metaphorical sights. Finally, the Coldplay-produced "Beach Chair" concludes the album on a spiritual note, Jay-Z announcing "life is but a dream" as Chris Martin trills like an angel atop echoing drums and distorted, music-box guitar. If you thought it could never work, you were clearly underestimating.--Louis Pattison

Product Description

After a somewhat half hearted attempt at early retirement, Jay Z is most definitely coming back with a bang. His album Kingdom Come Explicit version who Jay collaborated with on 'Big Pimpin' with back in 2000. Also showing up on this project is Beyonce who returned the favor of his guest appearances on her recently released Birthday. She aids her man on a track titled 'You Remind Me'. Production on the album can't get any better than this, Dr Dre adds his magic to a track featuring Mary J Blige called 'Tears' and Eminem produces and also features on 'Shades of Grey'. Other producers down with El Presidente on this come back which is slated to move approx. 1.5 million units the first week it hits shelves are, The Neptunes, Kanye West, Just Blaze, Rick Rubin and The Runners. Keeping pretty much to the same blueprint (no pun intended) as The 'Black Album', the additional cast members like the aforementioned Dr.Dre, Eminem and Chris Martin who along with band members Cold Play feature on the self titled track 'Til Kingdom Come', only enhance the standard of what we expect from Brooklyns finest. Jay's new album feature production from Dr. Dre, Timbaland, Kanye West and Coldplay's Chris Martin. After settling into the top job at Def Jam, the CEO coaxed his biggest artist himself to record 'Kingdom Come,' the comeback disc that tops EW's list of must-hear albums.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

95 of 116 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Jay-Z's most complicated work November 21, 2006

By Akash VINE™ VOICE

Format:Audio CD

Jay-Z had quite a bar to clear with Kingdom Come, a bar he himself set with albums including Reasonable Doubt, Blueprint and Black Album. Some might say that fans expected too much from this set, but it was Jay-Z himself who orchestrated the hype machine by "retiring" and then feeding the streets a verse here and there alluding to his lyrical genius. The question remains, does Jay-Z live up to expectations? I offer an interesting answer for those listening to the album for the first time: Not yet, but he will.

Kingdom Come is an album whose quality cannot be fully understood on the first listen, or the second, or maybe even the first 10. But eventually, it'll seep into your brain. You'll notice that the more you listen, the more the subtle nuance, the little lyrical jabs, the understated but ultimately intricate flow will come into relief. I jumped on the leak (though, I've now purchased the special edition of the album) and have been listening to the album pretty much nonstop (cleansing my palette with Doctor's Advocate and Hell Hath No Fury every now and again) for over a week now. At first I definitely thought it was trash, epitomized by "Hollywood."

But then I really started to listen to the words. I heard his regret for not doing more for his community after Katrina on Minority Report ("Sure I ponyed up a mil', but I didn't give my time/So in reality I didn't give dime or a damn"). On Dig a Hole I heard him rap about the frustrating position he's in when it comes to beef ("It's hard to do when you've got nothing to prove/ Everybody knows you're better, you're in a lose-lose/ Cause even when you win ultimately you lose/ Real brothas like `Hov' why you talkin' to dude?'"). On I Made It, Jay thanks his mother for facilitating his growth in the absence of a father ("Didn't have a man in the house, so you made one/ That's why I act like your husband and I'm only your son"). On Lost Ones (leaked earlier this year) we hear one of the most personal Jay tracks ever recorded, to the point where he alludes to his rocky relationship with Beyonce, something he's normally very guarded about, "Breath mami, it's deserved/ You've been put on this earth to be all you can be, like the reserves/ But me, my time in this army is served/ So I hafta allow she, her time to serve/ The time's now for her, in time she'll mature/ And maybe we can be we again, like we were." I heard the superhero themes on Kingdom Come ("Take off the blazer, loosen up the tie/ Step inside the booth, Superman is alive"). And I even began to appreciate the meaning behind the words (over a disgusting beat) on Hollywood. Not to mention a touching song to his imprisoned cousin on Do You Wanna Ride, and my personal favorite track, Beach Chair, which speaks for itself.

In short, I honestly believe that Kingdom Come is a little above us when we first listen to it. It needs to be heard, and heard again. Is that the way entertaining music is supposed to work? No! But that's the way art works. There's no Big Pimpin' here, there's no I Just Wanna Love You, or Girls, Girls, Girls. This is above the commercial single, which is why I don't know how big a success it will be when it comes to airplay. This is art, this is complicated, try to understand the artist's strokes and you'll find a pretty awesome experience. This is Jay-Z's most complicated work and I think it will ultimately be appreciated years down the road, as a great deal of art is.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The King is BACK!! November 21, 2006

By Kase One

Format:Audio CD

Jay-Z has returned! The king is back and it feels so good to have him back. Its a welcomed break from the tiring new rappers whom dont even deserve mention in this review. The album is strong, probably not his best, but a strong showing from the king of hiphop. The single "show me what you got" is no representation of the rest of the album, as is the case with most Jay-z albums (think "change clothes" from the black album, "izzo" from the blueprint). There are great songs with great lyrics and emotion like "lost ones" and "do u wanna ride" ft. John legend. In "Lost ones" he address his ex-partner Dame Dash, with relationship with Beyonce and his deceased nephew. The lyrics in the last verse are strong and emotional, enough to almost bring a tear to your eye hearing about his nephew dying in the car Jay bought for him. The dvd is a great bonus and worth the couple extra bucks. It has great concert footage of a show jay did with a full orchestra and some behind the scenes footage of the recording of the video for "show me what you got". This album is a nice and welcomed addition to any Jay-z fans collection, it doesnt dissapoint.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Wackest Jay-Z album ever January 11, 2007

By S. Berkley

Format:Audio CD

Jay-Z put out this wack album and I hate it...I gave mine away because it was not worth keeping on my shelf...I think Jay-Z didn't put as much time and thought into this album...He sold strictly cause of his name and New York...