Jay-Z does it live with the all-encompassing Roots backing him up. Not since LL Cool J and De La Soul opened the door to the world of hip-hop with a live band has anyone been able to harness all the powers like Jay-Z.
In all its forms, here is an album to prove that hip-hop can be stripped naked of its slick productions and given the treatment with the bare essentials. From “IZZO (H.O.V.A.)” to “Jigga What, Jigga Who” you find that Jay-Z has more mic prowess than any of us may have imagined.
The real surprise is the potency of “Heart Of The City”. It’s on the wire and the slow grinding jazz atmosphere leave all the past behind. Jay-Z just might have been able to throw lyrics with the greats. Even the pale “Hard Knock Life” gets a strong facelift.
Jay-Z only begins to get hot with “Ain’t No” when Mary J. Blige joins in on the fun with “Can’t Knock That Hustle”. Jigga brings the heart while Mary brings the soul. It’s a surprisingly good match. He continues to light the match with “I Just Wanna Love U” until the lights come down for the finale “Jigga That Nigga”. Unplugged not only brings some light to hip-hop, but proves that Jay-Z is everything he boasts of and more.
+ cc morris
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