Israel Daramola takes a look at '4:44' and how it shows (and doesn't show) JAY-Z's personal growth.

Doc Zeus looks at extreme Capitalism in the age of Trump and Jay-Z's new record, '4:44.'

Zilla returns with a re-working of Jay-Z's Magna Carta Holy Grail.

Think Paul Thompson’s a joke? Har-dee-har Every now and then, there are glimpses of the old Jay Z. You hear the half-maniacal laugh, you can still smell the crack in his clothes. But underneath the Samsung deals and the half-hearted veganism lies a bleak, existential truth: Jiggaman got rich and took the doo-rag off. Shawn […]

Jimmy Ness pays Darren Collison Presidential parties, museum tours and marriage ensure we won’t be getting ‘98 Jigga bars anytime soon, but in 2014 “Seen It All” is as close as it gets. Jay-Z shunned Kanye’s wedding to the Kardashian dynasty last month, so there’s a chance Jeezy may become his new best friend. They’ve […]

Paul Thompson has never once met David Icke. There are conspiracy theories whispered by some Britons that the Rothschild family, a centuries-old banking dynasty, had a hand in Princess Diana’s death. No such evidence exists, but the rumors persist, the family shrouded in a sinister cloud of gossip. If there’s one thing heiress Kate Rothschild […]

This photo screams for a caption contest. That’s what the comment section is for. As for me, I’m suffering from an overdose of Jay Jean Michael this week, what with my review at MTV Hive and the latest episode of Shots Fired. This one was originally supposed to feature Aceyalone, but there was a communication […]

Slava P owns several old New York Posts that once belonged to Dash Snow. Holy Grail feat. Justin Timberlake Unneeded Justin and Nirvana additions stamped through randomly Picasso Baby A new sound, a new tax bracket. Humblebrag that Beyonce fucks good Tom Ford Make a molly song by shunning molly on hook. However, beat slaps.

Doc Zeus has accepted a full-time position at XXL. This will be his last post here for the immediate future. Buy him a bottle of Riesling to celebrate. Let me tell you about my favorite moment of Jay-Z’s post-retirement career. It occurs on “New Day,” off the 1% fantasy Watch The Throne–but ultimately, it underscores […]

Joshua Lerner is dropping knowledge like Galileo dropped the orange. “I try to start off with sixteen dots on the paper.” This is how Rakim explains his process of writing to Ice-T in Something From Nothing: The Art of Rap. He continues. “If it’s a sixteen bar rhyme then at least I know what I’m […]