The Jigga man is back with his final album. Nine albums inthe making and this time Jay-Z is going out like a champ on histenth and final album. The Black Album, by far is the bestalbum that he has put out. I’m not saying that theothers were bad, but this one is on a whole other level.

14 tracks, ten different producers, and no guestappearances. This is the way albums should be made.

This album is a lyrical biography on the life of Sean Carter,a.k.a. Jay-Z.

Nowadays there are so many artists putting out albums that havemore guest appearances then the featured artist that sometimes youforget who’s album you are listening to.

This album has style, charisma and depth.

All-star producers Kanye West, 9th Wonder, DJ Quick,Just Blaze, and the Neptunes have all come through on this albummaking it extremely differential from all of his others.

Before looking at the liner notes to find out who produced eachtrack, just listening to the album let you know exactly which trackbelonged to which producer.

One of the most impressive tracks was Timberland’s trackentitled “Dirt Off Your Shoulder” , a track that makesyou want to play loud and with the windows down.

DJ Quick produced “Justify My Thug” in typical DJQuick fashion. Precise beats with rolling baselines that makehis sound what it is.

However, the Eminem produced track, called “Moment ofClarity”, sounds just like every song off of the “8Mile” soundtrack. Leave the producing to Dr. Dre, heknows what he is doing.

Out of all 14 tracks there are only about three that Ipersonally don’t care for.

Jay-Z has shown that he has come a long way from his early daysof doing guest appearances on albums such as the hip-hop classicfrom Big L, “Lifestyles of the Poor andDangerous”. He has earned his spot on the list ofhip-hop’s greatest MC’s, second to Nas.

The Black Album sums up the entire career of a young rappertrying to make money. Jay-Z explains how in his early stageshe was just putting out albums to stricktly make money. He evenadmits this in his lyrics by saying, “dumb down for myaudience to double my dollars.”

He defamed women and talked as if he was the hardest guy on hisblock.

Now he is man enough to admit his mistakes and prove that he isnow a wiser man.

One of the only questions I kept asking myself while listeningto the album was about 9th Wonder. Why wouldanyone who remixed Nas’s album God’s Son, let alone”Ether”, a complete execution of Jay-Z, produce a trackfor him? I guess when money is involved, anyone will putdifferences aside. Never the less 9th Wonder stillcame through on the album.

Even if you are not a fan of Jay-Z, people should buy thisalbum. It is a masterpiece that will eventually transforminto a hip-hop classic.