From his 1996 debut Reasonable Doubt to his 2001 soul masterpiece The Blueprint, Jay-Z has set the bar high for himself, so whenever he drops something new, he’s judged by the highest rap standards.
So how will Magna Carta Holy Grail stand up? Pretty darn well, Swizz Beatz says.
“When you hear somebody’s album you always want go back to the classics,” Swizz told Vibe.com, remarking on the fans who still can’t seem to get enough of Jay’s earlier works.
In fact, it’s a subject Jigga touched on with his last solo album The Blueprint 3. “N—as want my old sh–, buy my old albums,” he rhymed on the Swizz Beatz-produced single “On to the Next One.”
“It’s always going to be that,” the multiplatinum hit maker said of the fans yearning, but he feels Magna Carta will quell that hunger. “For the first time in a long time I think somebody solved that problem and I think he did that with this album for sure.”
Swizz worked alongside celebrated producers Rick Rubin, Timbaland and Pharrell Williams to craft MCHG with Jay-Z. The five friends can be seen laughing and theorizing in the studio a string of documentary-style Samsung ad campaigns designed to ramp up excitement for Hov’s July 4 release.
“That stuff is happening for real, though. What they were seeing on TV wasn’t no script, it just happened to be cameras rolling. We was vibin’ like that for real,” Swizz assured. “The vibe was great, his energy was great, and that’s why this album was great.”
The former Ruff Ryders board banger doesn’t just marvel at Jay’s new music, he is also impressed by the business surrounding Magna Carta. Samsung has already purchased a million copies of the album and will be offering it to their smartphone users for free on July 4 via a special Jay-Z app. Still, as of now, Billboard will not count those bulk Samsung sales towards MCHG‘s first week tally.
“He was being innovative. Some people they can’t relate to innovation. It’s his album; he can do what he wants to do. He’s earned the rights to do whatever he wants to do,” SB argued. “He’s put enough time into this game with Billboard and any other outlet. He’s his own boss; he can do whatever he wants to do. There’s a reason why he did it that way.”
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