Before the album, Jay-Z and Kanye had collaborated on various singles, and with the latter as a producer on the former's work. "[35] Jon Caramanica of The New York Times writes that its production "can be roughly segmented into three categories," noting "Southern-inflected tracks" such as "Niggas in Paris" and "H•A•M", "moody and harsh numbers" like "Who Gon Stop Me" and "Why I Love You", and "the nostalgia that creeps over much of this album, giving it a sonic through-line and mission statement. 1", "Spike Jonze to direct Kanye & Jay-Z's "Otis" video", "Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles – Issue Date: August 27, 2011", "FMQB: Radio Industry News, Music Industry Updates, Arbitron Ratings, Music News and more! "That's My Bitch" contains samples of "Get Up, Get Into It, Get Involved", written and performed by James Brown; and samples of ", "Who Gon Stop Me" contains samples of "I Can't Stop", written and performed by, "Murder to Excellence" contains samples of "LA LA LA", written and performed by, "Why I Love You" contains samples of "I Love You So", written and performed by. [138], Watch the Throne was also a success outside the US. Watch the Throne is a collaborative studio album by American rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West. [129] This also became the second highest debut week of 2011, while its first week digital sales of 321,000 downloads served as the second highest one-week sales tally at the time. [139] In its second week, the album remained at number one on the chart, selling 15,900 more copies. Please report any encountered bugs. It was also certified quintuple platinum in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in November 2020. [90] By February 2012, it had reached digital sales of two million in the United States. I love Watch the Throne and really wanted this LP to be a part of my collection but my first order came in and the vinyls kept skipping and had an annoying pop noise to them. [25] Ocean mused about the project: "I rarely do collabs, so that's just one of the ones you absolutely do. [32] Music journalist Jody Rosen characterizes the music as "vast, dark and booming," commenting that West "continues in the sonic vein he introduced in My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, lacing the songs with rock dynamics, layering his beats with eerie vocal chorales, piling on proggy flourishes. I had a room where I was cranking out beats, and then I'd go into the main room with Jay and [Kanye] and play beats for them. [81] "Otis" reached number 12 on the Hot 100. [15] In January 2011, they regrouped and rented a block of rooms at the Mercer Hotel in New York City and invited a select group of producers and recording artists. [20] Watch the Throne was mastered by producer and engineer Mike Dean at the Mercer Hotel.[11]. The phrase in itself inherently implies that one is to guard, protect, or remain vigilant over a possession. [13] In an interview for Rolling Stone, Jay-Z discussed their insistence on recording in person and attributed it to the delay in releasing the album, stating "If we were gonna do it, we were gonna do it together. [63] The sales strategy received criticism from other retailers, who accused the labels of giving preferential treatment to iTunes and Best Buy. Subscribe to hear Travis & Chris discuss Kanye West's entire discography song by song. One of the main exceptions was producer No I.D., who felt that the two artists weren't pushing forward enough with the music. [12], Parts of the album were recorded in New York City's Tribeca Grand Hotel. [45] It references the line "me and the RZA connect" from Raekwon's 1995 song "Incarcerated Scarfaces", which was also produced by RZA. [13], In 2013, Jay-Z released his twelfth studio album Magna Carta... Holy Grail, in an interview he revealed that two songs on the album were initially recorded for Watch the Throne, the song "Oceans" which features Frank Ocean and the song "Holy Grail" which went on to feature Justin Timberlake (Although Timberlake's contribution to the track was not anticipated at the time, until the duo collaborated on Timberlake's 2013 comeback single "Suit & Tie" and "Murder" from The 20/20 Experience and The 20/20 Experience 2 of 2 respectively). Club wrote that "exhilarating messiness and go-for-broke spontaneity infect Jay-Z and push him outside his comfort zone and into a realm of intense emotional reflection. 2011 studio album by Jay-Z and Kanye West. High quality Watch The Throne gifts and merchandise. Bows at No. It's people that's in the forefront of the music. [17] Producer 88-Keys reportedly played 20 of his beats to West and Jay, who only eventually used one on the finished album. [2] While originally only viewed as a producer, West eventually was seen as both a viable rapper and producer thanks to the success of his debut album The College Dropout and its singles. "[14] On August 1, Jay-Z and West held a listening session for the album at the Rose Center for Earth and Space in New York City's American Museum of Natural History. "[45] Jon Caramanica writes similarly, "breaking [...] old barriers is a means to acceptance and stability" for Jay-Z, while "West sounds lonely" with his fame, adding that "For Mr. West every flash of Dionysian extreme is tempered by the realization of its hollowness. The longtime friends and music innovators inspired each other to new heights with their collaboration on Watch The Throne, recorded at various locations around the world. [132] In its fourth week, the album dropped to number four on the chart, selling 80,000 copies. [140] In Australia, the album peaked at number two on the Australian Albums Chart and number one on the Australian Urban Albums Chart. [74], Watch the Throne spawned seven official singles, with varying degrees of success. With help from Anita Kumar, Erin Banco, Darius Tahir and Renuka Rayasam. ", "Music Charts, Most Popular Music, Music by Genre & Top Music Charts", "Urban/UAC Future Releases | R&B, Hip Hop, Release Schedule and Street Dates", "Top 40/M Future Releases | Mainstream Hit Songs Being Released and Their Release Dates ...", "Week Ending Feb. 5, 2012. The braggadocio lyrics exhibit themes of opulence, fame, materialism, power, and the burdens of success, as well as political and socioeconomic context. [97], Watch the Throne received positive reviews from music critics. [26] In early May 2011, rumors arose that "Lift Off" was to feature Bruno Mars who had recorded vocals. Best of Kanye West: https://goo.gl/2FXUVWSubscribe here: https://goo.gl/AgJE59WATCH THE THRONE: Kanye West & Jay-Z - Otis © 2011 Roc-A-Fella Records, LLC … Returned for replacement and the replacement had the same issue. [85], The album's fourth and fifth singles were released simultaneously; in September 2011, "Why I Love You" was sent to US rhythmic radio, and "Niggas in Paris" was sent to both rhythmic and urban radio. WATCH THE THRONE. [42] Andy Kellman of Allmusic characterizes much of the album's lyrical content as "ruthless flaunting of material wealth and carte blanche industry resources. Name: Watch the Throne (Deluxe).zip. "[44] Jody Rosen of Rolling Stone felt that "on a record this ambitious, this sonically bold, it's a shame two of music's greatest storytellers don't extend their gaze beyond their own luxe lives. [50] Jay-Z muses on his drug-dealing past with lines like "our apple pie was supplied by Arm & Hammer", with West's verse describing his conflict with fame. [64][65], On July 7, 2011, Jay-Z hosted a private listening session at the Mercer Hotel in New York City, previewing the album's songs from his MacBook Pro for a select group of reporters and music journalists. The second time I went it was Barry Weiss, Jay, Beyoncé, Kanye, couple other people, it was a pretty heavy room. "[13] It apparently sampled Andrea Bocelli's "Con te partirò" and was described as catchy but for unknown reasons, the song never made it onto the album. Star's situation with the law intensifies, while Noah juggles new priorities. [56] Ocean's hook pays tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr., Coretta Scott King, Malcolm X, Betty Shabazz and Jesus on one of the album's more serene tracks. I say all this to say, Watch the Throne holds that special status as one of my top ten albums of all-time, and quite possibly my favorite rap album ever. "Niggas in Paris" peaked at number five on the Hot 100. "[15] While his advice was acknowledged to a degree, he ultimately had very little part in the finished project. In an August 2011 radio interview with WEDR Jay-Z shared the meaning behind the album's title; "It's just protecting the music and the culture. Daily Themed Crossword features the best themes with a wide range of topics and new content everyday. "[102] In the Chicago Tribune, Greg Kot found the record plagued by Jay-Z and West's "self-regard", writing that "they urge listeners to 'watch the throne,' and gaze in awe on their good fortune. "[39] He compares it to Yinka Shonibare's 1998 piece Diary of a Victorian Dandy, "in which the artist luxuriates in all the genteel pleasures of the time. [51] On the album, the song closes with a segment of Italian avant-prog band Orchestra Njervudarov's 1979 piece "Tristessa", which reappears at the end of several other songs. I didn't really think about any of it. ‘Watch The Throne 2’ is on the Way, According to One Half of the Throne Kanye West tweeted that a sequel to his collaborative album with Jay-Z is on the way. [97] Though not released as a single, "Who Gon Stop Me" peaked at 44 on the chart. It was released on August 8, 2011, through Roc-A-Fella Records, Roc Nation, and Def Jam Recordings. Tracklist: Kanye West & Jay-Z Watch The Throne (Deluxe Edition) 1. In an interview with Zane Lowe, Jay-Z said: "[There were] no lyrics on 'Holy Grail' and I recorded 'Oceans' and I played those records for Kanye," Jay explained. [14] Jay-Z announced that it was unlikely that the track would ultimately make the album. 1 on Billboard 200", "Jay-Z and Kanye's 'Watch the Throne' Keeps Its Billboard 200 Crown", "Game's 'R.E.D.' Jay-Z and West embarked on the Watch the Throne Tour for promotion that spanned from October 2011 to June 2012 and became the highest-grossing hip hop concert tour in history. [36][45] "Gotta Have It", produced by The Neptunes, incorporates chopped-up James Brown vocal samples and Eastern flute melodies. [112] In January 2015, the album was placed at number 8 on Billboard's list of "The 20 Best Albums of the 2010s (So Far)". No mailing it in". On Watch the Throne, they push each other and have fun doing it, and the result is a stadium-sized event-rap spectacle that still sounds like two … [50] "Murder to Excellence" addresses black-on-black crime and limited social mobility for African Americans. [21] "No Church in the Wild", the last song recorded for the album, was conceived by Jay-Z, West, and the song's producer 88-Keys throughout most of June. Jay-Z is tidy. "[115], Watch the Throne received nominations for Best Rap Album and Best Recording Package at the 54th Annual Grammy Awards in 2012. [107] Chris Richards of The Washington Post ranked it number two on his list and stated, "Instead of blushing over their embarrassment of riches, pop's most intriguing partnership delivered a self-congratulatory opus that was adventurous enough to remind us that they're rap visionaries first, 1 percent bazillionaires second. Jay-Z and West worked with several guest recording artists, including Beyoncé, Frank Ocean, and Mr Hudson. The track is similar to the style of early West productions. [32], Their lyrics also exhibit political and socioeconomic context,[40][46] which Jody Rosen denotes as "serious, sober, weighty. [34] On the songs' structure, Cole states, "every track eschews the standard verse-hook-repeat format in favor of more dynamic material. He displays levels of unequaled audacity. [4] West continued to be one of Jay-Z's main producers on subsequent albums such as The Black Album and Kingdom Come. Push intelligence and decadence and all of the above forward in a creative manner. Not worth the $100+ asking price. [35] The sample is used in a way that is reminiscent to past Kanye productions, like the tracks found on his album The College Dropout. However, a few reviewers found the lyrical content uninspiring. [129] This became Jay-Z's 12th number-one album and West's fifth number-one album in the US. I would come in with a beat and he'd be like, 'Take this out, slow it down.' Inspired designs on t-shirts, posters, stickers, home decor, and more by independent artists and designers from around the world. Recording sessions took place at various locations and began in November 2010, with production led by West and a variety of high-profile producers, including Mike Dean, Swizz Beatz, Tyler Pase, Pete Rock, RZA, Jeff Bhasker, The Neptunes, and Q-Tip. [92], The sixth single was "Gotta Have It", which impacted Urban radio on December 6, 2011,[93] and Rhythmic radio on January 31, 2012. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. 1 on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 436,000 copies in its first week. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 76, based on 42 reviews. [13] In an interview for Billboard, Jay-Z said that they often recorded in hotel rooms and that the album went through three iterations, as he and West had scaled back from their original musical direction. [50] Both Justin Vernon and La Roux appear on "That's My Bitch", spitting off hooks over a quick, melodic beat, with West at his most abrasive lyrically. By TERESA WILTZ and RISHIKA DUGYALA . commented about the project that "you're going to sell, because you're already big. [50] A sample from Indiggo's "LA LA LA" can be heard on the song. Available in a range of colours and styles for men, women, and everyone. [8] It was later revealed by Yeezy that the project had been expanded into a full-length album in an October 2010 interview for MTV. [52] The pop-oriented "Lift Off" features baroque strings and a chorus sung by Beyoncé Knowles, accompanied with synthesizers. [...] One could venture that maybe Watch the Throne divvies up the way it does for rhetorical purposes—that one king plays the hero and the other the hedonist, two equally royal hip-hop archetypes. [134][135] It was also the fourth top selling album on iTunes in 2011. [39] Jay-Z's and West's lyrics include boasts of obscene wealth, grandiosity,[40] and social commentary. [9] He said in the interview that they planned to record in the south of France.[9]. Watch the Throne. Jay-Z & Kanye West "Murder to Excellence" (2011) — The 20 Best White Girl Vocal Samples in Rap History", "Indiggo Twins din nou la The Bitter End din New York", "Kanye West and Jay-Z Form New Group! [20] The track incorporates a sample of Nina Simone's 1965 song "Feeling Good" through an Auto-Tune voice processor. [95] Romain Gavras directed a music video for "No Church" though it featured none of the featured performers. "[21][24] Ocean admitted that Jay-Z has intentionally intimidated him during recording sessions but declared his enjoyment of working with the two. Music critic Greg Kot views that the album is about "mutual admiration" and writes of the rappers' respective personas, "Jay-Z is about imperious flow, bridging his gritty past life on the streets with his current status as a cultural tastemaker and business mogul. [35] West and Jay-Z's lyrics frame their rags to riches story on the song. [22][23] The release of the mixtape interested Jay-Z and West. Das Album wird dem Genre Hip-Hop zugerechnet. [145][146]The album peaked at number two on the German Albums Chart the Danish Albums Chart, and at number three on the Scottish Albums Chart. M”, “Primetime”, & “The Joy” are all bonus tracks from the album. [61] On July 4, 2011, it was made available to pre-order on Life + Times, Jay-Z's lifestyle webzine, which redirected to Island Def Jam's website that featured the deluxe version available for $16.99, standard CD for $13.99, a deluxe digital version for $14.99, and standard digital album for $11.99. Presented by Intel. 03 Apr 2018 20:48. [3] West's early production work on Jay-Z's music helped raise his profile in the music industry. [130] In its second week, the album remained at number one on the chart, selling an additional 177,000 copies. “Primetime” is the second-to-last song on Watch the Throne’s deluxe … "[46] Claire Suddath of Time ranked it number three on her top-10 albums list and called it "a beautifully decadent album". "[30], Julian Benbow of The Boston Globe writes that the album's music is as "massive, dour, and relentlessly unconventional" as that of West's previous 2010 album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. [33], Watch the Throne was released by Roc-A-Fella Records, Roc Nation, and Def Jam Recordings,[60] Jay-Z's and West's respective record labels. Losing hope that there’s a quality version of it out there. "[48] Claire Suddath of Time views the rappers' "bacchanal celebration of the finer things in life" as secondary to the theme of "two men grappling with what it means to be successful and black in a nation that still thinks of them as second class.