The last year passed with something like three Jay Z guest verses that ranged from fulfilled obligation to absolute fire, with one electrifying freestyle thrown in for good measure. There were more gossip headlines than music. But who am I to complain, when the prior year featured a quasi-surprise album that, since everyone else seems to want to act brand new, I'll declare here as actually pretty fucking fire. (It's at least a B.)
But now it's about that time. Not only has it been too long, but fam is pushing 50. Sooner or later he's going to retire, for good this time, and despite a storied discography and a run every other rapper would kill to have, the God MC can't back out on an album only a portion of the rap audience is willing to admit is good. The man who made universally acclaimed long players like Reasonable Doubt, The Blueprint, and an excellent farewell album, cannot bow out with something that has mixed reception. Forget about what he may or may not be planning with the wife. There is, at the very least, one more classic album in Jaÿ-Z. And I'm going to tell him a few worthwhile ways he can go about unleashing it.
Frazier Tharpe is a staff writer at Complex. Follow him at @The_SummerMan.
Warm up with some freestyles.
Take more risks.
Even those who dug MCHG (which I did) have to admit Hudson Mohawke had a slight point when he called Jay out with this salty tweet.
Timbaland laced Hov with some of the best beats he's given any rapper in years. But as mean as, say, "Picasso Baby" is, the beats weren't enough of a challenge. The cool thing about Watch the Throne is how well Jay rapped over beats that were, in some instances, way out of his norm. The now-classic leaked doc shows the god catching a rare struggle over "Why I Love You" (fam really says, "Words are tough"), but look how that turned out. With two decades logged, the way to keep everyone's ears perked is by breaking new ground, with new flows. You know, like he did during his unfuckwitable run in the late '90s and early 2000s, when everyone from Swizz to the Neptunes were giving him cutting-edge heaters. There's also room to grow by simply calling a few already-established dudes who don't usually produce in Jay's lane. Remember when DJ Toomp randomly snuck on American Gangster with one of the album's best songs? What would Hov sound like with DJ Dahi? Or London on da Track?
Hit Kanye up.
Invite Young Guru back to the studio.
Call Just Blaze. Do not call Dr. Dre.
Reach out to Puffy too.
Seek new talent.
Get personal.
Beyoncé...as executive producer?
Commit.
Whatever you do, don't announce it as your last.
