Jay-Z - "Heart of the City (Ain't No Love)" X "Bittersweet Dirt Off Your Shoulders" w/ The Verve

Had to take a minute break from studying to post these surefire songs.  The prior is one of my favorite Jay tracks, showcasing his ability to produce lyrically potent, popular songs.  I may not like Kanye the rapper as much, but this song proves that Kanye the producer is simply untouchable.  Despite J-Hova's lyricism, it is the soulful sample of Bobby "Blue" Bland's "Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City" that makes the song.  "Heart of the City" is one of the best tracks on one of the outstanding albums of hip hop history.  Despite being on The Blueprint (2001), it took the ad campaign for American Gangster to really make this song popular in a wider audience.

The latter is further evidence that Jigga's rhymes know no genre boundaries.  He's been mashed up with the Beatles, Coldplay, Oasis, and Linkin Park among others and each version of his songs only adds to the depth and meaning the tracks.  The Blueprint 3 may not have lived up to expectations, honestly, there was no way that it wasn't going to be overshadowed by the massive legacy of the greatest rapper of day and age, but this mash-up with The Verve's timeless "Bittersweet Symphony" only adds to the acclaim of the song of The Black Album.

I'm sorry if this seems like a fairly one-sided post, but I'm tired and hopped up on caffeine and there really isn't any legitimate criticism I can levy against Jay.  I hope this post finds you in good health, and that you continue to check into the blog.  As always, I appreciate feedback regarding my musical taste and writing as well as recommendations for future listening.

Peace, Love, & Hip Hop,
WordIsBorn



"Bittersweet Dirt Off Your Shoulders"

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