Lyrical Discourse: Watch The Throne

In sifting through the troves of writings from the pop culture cognoscenti regarding Kanye West and Jay-Z's album Watch The Throne, two dominant critiques emerged. One, this opus is masterpiece of opulence, decadence, or whatever other terms one can find that mean boastfully materialistic. Two, this album's bombast sits outside of the nation's zeitgeist, particularly given the nation's political and economic turmoil of the last few weeks.

Are these themes fair to point out? Sure. Much of Watch The Throne's lyrics pay homage to lifestyles most people cannot replicate, absent some CGI and the NZT pill from the movie Limitless. These assertions, however, are easy to make, and frankly, are the equivalent of political red meat for critics. It is sexy yet cliché to assert the trope of excess as it relates to hip hop, and overshadows other themes that merit equally robust dialogue, especially given the ongoing debate of hip hop's influence within the African-American landscape.

As such, a number of interesting concepts conveyed within Watch the Throne's lyrics sit well within the mosaic of conversations that African-Americans carry out in various settings of debate throughout Black America. While it would certainly be a mistake to conflate lyrical dexterity with wisdom, I think it is fair to point out occurrences that potentially expand the discourse. Here are five:

1) Opulence as re-appropriation -- Watch The Throne is full of "luxury raps;" but is there a method to the madness? Rhymes Jay-Z in "Illest Motherf**ker Alive," "Basquiats, Warhols serving as my muses/My house is like a museum, so I see em when I'm peeing/Usually you have this much taste you European/That's the end of that way of thinking." Could the objective in trumpeting these particular icons and artifacts be to assert that for the uninitiated, an aesthetically cosmopolitan worldview should extend beyond an Anglo-European guise and focus?

2) Spirituality vs. Secularity -- the relationships between African-Americans and religious theology have always been strong. West and Jay-Z address tensions between it and alternate "worldy" perspectives in "No Church in the Wild." Hov (shorthand for "Jay-Hova") questions the parameters of piety ("Is pious pious cause God loves pious?") and the extent to which God's mercy is accessible to marginalized souls ("I'm wondering if a thug's prayers reach"). West challenges conventional definitions of sin ("We formed a new religion/No sins as long as there's permission/and deception is the only felony;" and later, "Two tattoos one read No Apologies/the other said Love Is Cursed By Monogamy"). The question: how applicable versus anachronistic are specific religious tenets to black folk in today's landscape?

3) The politics of abandonment -- the plight of the black male has been well documented, to which Jay-Z and Kanye West take note. "Murder to Excellence" explores one possible reason: "What's the life expectancy for black guys?/The system's working effectively, that's why" (West). In "Welcome to the Jungle," Jay-Z raps: "My tears are tatted/My rag in my pocket/I'm looking for love/I know somebody got it... Where the f**k is the press? Where the f**k is the Pres? Either they know or don't care, I'm f**king depressed." How effective has the African-American community been in effectively addressing the needs of individuals who feel trapped in their hardships, currently or otherwise? What is the ultimate role of government as a facilitator in this process?

4) The politics of gender -- I have encountered many women who have stopped listening to hip hop altogether due to the sexist lyrics. Watch The Throne does little to settle the matter one way or the other. Is it possible to reconcile arguing for more inclusive standards of beauty while employing one of the most controversial female epithets within the song title (Jay-Z, "That's My Bi**h"); or, laud women while objectifying them within a biblical reference ("Damn Yeezy, they all gotta be dimes?/Well, Adam gave up a rib so mine better be prime;" West, "Primetime")? What role does context play? In the name of gender equanimity, should a lyric like "thinking about the girl in all leopard/Who was rubbing the wood like Kiki Sheppard" (West, No "Church in the Wild") be complemented somewhere by lyrics that place a male in an equally subordinate sexual position? What should the appropriate gender balance within hip hop lyrics look like? Or in the greater context of inequality, are we missing the bigger picture (as Jay-Z once rhymed, "when Jena 6 don't exist tell them that's when I'll stop saying bi**h!")?

5) The politics of race -- Irrespective of Jay-Z and Kanye West's status as hip hop and popular culture giants, they are still Black in America. What it means to be African-American in this country, despite all of the post-racial rhetoric, still matters significantly. In fact, it is only within the context of race that the "heavy are the black heads that wear crowns" trope that is amply expressed in Watch The Throne gets traction. "On Gotta Have It, New Day," and "Primetime," West battles against the angry black man diagnosis he garnered via his outspoken irreverence. From "Primetime": "Coloring out of the line/Cause they don't want nobody that's colored out of the lines/So I'm late as a motherf**ker, colored people time." As race runs part and parcel with power structures in this country, the color dynamic contextualizes every point addressed in this article. If this album serves as any indication, a post-racial context has yet to materialize for Mr. Carter and Mr. West.

By most measures, Watch The Throne is enjoying all the makings of a great hip hop and pop culture moment. The spoils of success clearly fare well in this album, but other themes emerge that give way to equally vigorous analysis. Jay-Z provided an argument for deeper inquiry of hip hop lyrics when he released his book Decoded last year. As we continue to assess the impact of this album artistically and culturally, we should continue to expand on that vision.

 

Comments

[Brandon Q James]

04:53 AM on 09/24/2011

Most people don't take the time to analyze lyrics. They hear money and luxury being mentioned and assume that that's what the song is about. Or they hear drugs being mentioned and assume that the rapper is glorifying selling drugs. It's not that simple. This album is about two black men who have expanded their horizons beyond America and become extremely successful, while acknowledging that they are rare cases and many more blacks aren't as lucky. For the record, Kanye was never a drug dealer. Only people that don't know hip-hop think he was. Jay-Z did sell drugs, but what is to be expected when his family is extremely poor and can barely eat or pay the bills?

[Jehosafats]

04:05 AM on 08/23/2011

"No Church In The Wild" and "Murder to Excellence" have the sort of rush-the-gate beats to justify all the talk about a revolutionary moment. At first I thought it was just alright, but having given a few more listens I have to say it lives up to the hype.

[skipowit]

12:08 AM on 08/20/2011

1) Opulence as re-appropriation: “Could the objective in trumpeting these particular icons and artifacts be to assert that for the uninitiated, an aesthetically cosmopolitan worldview should extend beyond an Anglo-European guise and focus?” I don’t think that’s what he’s saying in that verse. I think he’s saying that he has Warhol’s and Basquiat’s in his bed room/bathroom/dog house etc. Which is usually a taste only understood/appreciated/embraced by Europeans but now you have to acknowledge that black people have just as much taste in “fine art” as Europeans; So really he’s saying that instead of extending beyond the Anglo-European art focus he and other African American’s have whole heartedly embraced it.
2) Spirituality vs. Secularity: The issue here is that the themes Jay-Z touches on have been explored by everyone from Tupac (Heaven for a G & Heaven Got a Ghetto) to Biggie (Ready To Die) to Master P (Is There a Heaven for a Gangster) and explored with more depth. Jay’s verse is a retread of a well worn tire. And Kanye just wants to get his Big Love on ... I ain’t mad at it.
4) The politics of gender: That’s My B!tch contains some of the most pro women of color lyrics Jay has EVER recited but it’ plagued by that title. It’s ultimately reduced to a back handed compliment in the vein of “You’re cute for a dark girl,” or “You are a beautiful b!tch.”
-Jon Goode

[cutitout321]

03:44 PM on 08/19/2011

Rap has always been about bragging. It started with bragging about "My adidas" and dookie-ropes, now it has graduated to talk about million dollar artwork and luxury homes and cars. the wholered black and green, africa pendents and malcom x hats and t-shirts was a faze in the late 80's and early 90's, it was not the beginning, a lot of folks forget that. You can only go so deep into issues before, your rhymes stop being rhymes and star being a political soapbox and book on tape. If thats what you want just buy an audio version of a cornel west book, not a kanye west album.

[ThreeCrows]

02:11 PM on 08/19/2011

Your analysis of Throne is almost lie an English class breaking down the structure of a sentence or peotry. Thoug it may not reach many eyes, most of what you said will be lost on those more interested in the visual and audio stimuli than the message in the mp3 bottle. The recent video of the car and the women rehashes old grounds of look at me and the excess that I can spend on because it's all about me video. Is there money in rap to talk about getting an education, that there's other choices in life other than being an athlete, musician or actor or having a stable of holler back girls? I listen to news report that there are jobs out there but they can't be filled because the jobs are math and science related in the oil and gas field. And they pay well but they sit vacant. Rap won't talk about that. We are steady bogged down by the pettiness of nothing. We argue about nothing, we discuss hour upon hour of nothing, we watch nothing. does anyone who's not a black Republican watch PBS or listen to NPR? Can you hold a conversation talking about Syria, global warming, the works of Booker T. Washington with the same amount of in depth thought as you would when speaking about Tiger Wood's stats or Nicki Minaj's butt? Stop being the default stereotype and make that change.

[StillLiveUrLife2011]

04:22 PM on 08/18/2011

"Understand the INTELLIGENCE that JAY-Z has."/ That's even more of a reason not to give U a pass./ Just because U got the kind of money that JAY-Z has./ You got a minute? Both YOU and YE, can come to THIS class! FOR what is a Man profited, if he shall GAIN the whole world, and lose his own SOUL? Or what shall a MAN give in EXCHANGE FOR his SOUL? I pray U didn't just use "OUR DANROY HENRYS' just to make " U MO MONEY." 'CAUSE this BLACK WOMAN got THE MESSAGE! AND AIN'T A DAMN THING FUNNY!

[Milwaukeetj1]

11:44 AM on 08/18/2011

What? my comment can't wasn't happy so it can't be posted, wow.

[wanglog]

05:57 PM on 08/18/2011

yeah, mine got killed too. maybe i was too negative about rap stereotypes. i don't have the energy to write it again.

[Milwaukeetj1]

11:42 AM on 08/18/2011

I'm good on watching a throne, and it won't be JayZ's or Kanye's due to the fact rap has lost its message and they are the front runners coo&&g. It is utterly embarrassing. And the black community plays right in to be their consumer. Say for instance the rappers Common or David Banner, they tirelessly convey the message materialism is nothing, get your education, if you are a hustler change your game you killing your people....but they don't get the accolades or acknowledgment as such above. Jay and Ye + affiliates are interested in how rich they can get to be like you know who.

[muvaphknmega]

04:00 PM on 08/18/2011

Rap has lost it's message? I can agree to a certain extent with that assesment but that was a conciousness gained in it's teenage years. Before that, it was pretty much a lot of the same themes you hear now. WTT is a good listen, maybe you should listen to the album before commenting on it. Kanye out of 99.9% or rappers out there has been the only one with the COJONES to call out the racism that surrounds african-americans. Was he not the guy that called Bush out on live tv during Katrina? In my hip-hop world any theme is allowed to exist. If guys wanna talking about diamonds, jewels, & living the good life so be it. If you want to be a conscious rapper so be it. And if you want to rap about killing your baby momma and how your mom got you addicted to drugs so be it. It's entertainment. Today's listener takes everything so literal. All guys like Kanye & Jay try to do is inspire people to be on their hustle and not in the criminal way.

[Loretta Farmer]

08:40 AM on 08/18/2011

It's just not that deep! It's a CD! If you like it buy it, play it enjoy it! If you don't like it leave it alone! I like it! I bought it! I Play it! I enjoy it! Nuff Said!

[GirlInNYC]

12:26 PM on 08/19/2011

It actually is "that deep" when you see an entire generation lacking guidance, heavily influenced by those who look like them who are bragging about what they don't have and how to get it. So when you're balling, talking about dealing drugs or making shooting people who look like you seem cool/gangsta, all the while getting paid more than anyone those kids know, it misdirects them. It partially accounts for the high numbers of black kids who want to grow up and be rappers and athletes instead of exploring other, more diverse lines of work. Not buying it doesn't mean it's not going to have an impact.

[cutitout321]

03:45 PM on 08/19/2011

raise your kids to direct themselvesand there will be no problem.

[Loretta Farmer]

10:58 AM on 08/20/2011

If you raise your children right this CD is not a problem! Yes I am a mother, my daughter is 20, a college student and has no children, so it can be done! We must raise our children ourselves and not let the media do it for us!

[goodgravy]

11:25 PM on 08/17/2011

what a hideous collaboration.