The Phaded Life

Late Pass: Thoughts on Watch The Throne

I waited a while to write about this album. This is probably one of my favorite albums of 2011 and I’ll continue to play it’s music. My issue with the album wasn’t with the production or the artists but rather with Hip-Hop fans and “purists”. I defended the album so hard on twitter, you would’ve thought my name was in the liner notes. In hindsight, I should’ve just ignored their opinions because after all, we as individuals are all entitled to them but my mischievous side never allows me to chill out when it comes to a argument.

First, I would like to acknowledge the argument that it isn’t cool to talk about wealth, materialism on records when the country faces financial turmoil in a stifling economy. Jay-Z and Kanye West are two young, black and wealthy hip-hop artists who are far from impoverished so why would they continue to write and perform songs about something that’s no longer an issue in their lives. 

You don’t have to tell me twice about how ridiculously difficult it is to find a job. Sending out countless resumes without any chances in hell of getting employed. When I heard Watch The Throne, I looked past the talk of cars, women, bottle popping, and endless stacks of cash to find something that I aspire to be: affluent. Living from check to check doesn’t do much in terms of boosting one’s morale and I could be a lot more powerful with a nice chunk of change in my back account. I’d love to have the luxury of travelling to  Paris, London, and Tokyo without worrying how each trip would affect my pockets. Being a broke is a joke that I refuse to find hilarious.

I admit, some people may listen to Watch The Throne and only hear tales of extravagance and decadence because its all that they desire or it’s all that their closed minds (and ears) absorb. In my opinion, being materialistic makes everything in life superficial and though you will be rich in assets, you will be poor in spirit. Watch The Throne may not be everyone’s cup of Earl Grey tea but before you denounce it because of its apparent opulence, check out “Murder To Excellence” to get an idea of what the fuels this album.