Concert Review: Were You Watching The Throne?!?!?! Jay-z and Kanye Watch The Throne Tour

First off, let me begin by saying that I have seen Jay-z in concert on many occasions, however, this was my first time seeing Kanye perform live and in person.  Besides his stellar award and televised concert performances, I could only anticipate the performance that Kanye would deliver at the Watch The Throne concert.  Unlike Kanye, Jay-z has had so many world tours its too many to name (Hard Knock Life, Roc The Mic, Jay-Z and Friends, etc.).  Contrary to Jay-z's previous performances, he and Kanye had no guest appearances, no dancers, and surprisingly, not even a visible band at the Watch The Throne concert at Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles.

It seems as though the bulk of the budget went into pyrotechnics, smoke, high tech lasers and two digital cubed HD screens that elevated about 60 feet in the air showing video footage that was selected to accompany each song, with Jay-z and Kanye standing on top of the screens, no less.  Jay and 'Ye won the crowd over with hits from the album like No Church In The Wild, Lift Off, Otis, Who Gone Stop Me and Welcome To The Jungle to name a few, and also took us back with classic hits like Big Pimpin', Is That Your Chick and Hard Knock Life as well as Flashing Lights, Diamonds Are Forever and Gold Digger that kept the fans' diamond/roc signs up all night.

 
The Roc Nation affiliates mellowed the mood and turned down the flashing lights to focus on one of my favorite songs off the album, New Day.  As they both reflected on the future life of their unborn children and how they would make things better for them once they were born, Jay thanked the crowd for sharing the moment with them, as it was an emotional performance that the concertgoers could actually connect with.

No performance of Watch The Throne would be complete without Sweet Baby Jesus, a nostalgic track that boasts the melodic voice of Frank Ocean, as he proclaims, "we made it in America".  The American flag was a common theme throughout the concert, as Kanye and Jay-z exemplified what it means to live the American Dream.  Besides, isn't that what the album was all about?  The concert was not without its other deep moments, like when they performed Murder To Excellence, with Kanye declaring, "I feel the pain in my city wherever I go. 314 soldiers died in Iraq.  509 died in Chicago."  As the 60 foot screens rose to the ceiling, Kanye and Jay-z depicted historic and graphic footage of police brutality, political marches and speeches and this is where the crowd got a bit quiet and reflective.

I was also surprised to see that the majority of Kanye's and Jay-z's fans were not African American, and even further, that the crowd was overwhelmingly full with fans of Kanye.  Nevertheless, I held Hov down like the true fan that I am and recited every word to every song, just because I'm cool like that.  All in all, the concert was very enjoyable and I'm glad I sprung for the c-note (and them $ome) to attend such a monumental and epic tour.  Kanye and Jay-z gave us a performance we could be proud of and made a clear statement to the world that everyone should heed...."Watch The Throne".

WEIGH IN
Have you ever seen Jay-z or Kanye West perform live?
Did you attend the Watch The Throne concert in your city?
What did you like about the performances?
What did you think was missing, if anything, from the tour?
Would you pay to see Kanye and Jay-z on tour in the future?

Jay-Z and Kanye West's Watch The Throne sets iTunes record

In typical fashion, Jay-Z and Kanye West managed to break the iTunes sells record for the most downloads in one week, ousting Coldplay's 2008 record with their album Viva La Vida Or Death and All His Friends which sold 282,000 in its first week.  Kanye and Jay's physical release of the album on Friday, August 12th in stores and its electronic release online on August 8th had the Internets ablaze with talks of it either being dope or wack.  Many people were complaining saying that in this time of economic downturn, Jay and 'Ye shouldn't be flaunting their wealth in the faces of the poor and marginalized Americans that purchase their albums. 

Once I listened to the album and saw the video, it was much more clear that Jay-Z and Kanye were not throwing their money in our faces, but more so celebrating the lifestyle and riches that their hard work has afforded them.  When I take a look at the new video for the Otis track, with the American flag prominently displayed in the background, I see two kids from the inner city, elated and relieved, celebrating making something out of nothing.  I see the hard work, blood, sweat and tears; the let downs, denials and doors closed in their faces, which only propelled them to greater heights, why? Because they never gave up.

Thinking back to the day when Jay-Z was trying to get a major label deal.  All of the then top music labels denied him.  When Kanye was trying to sell more than just beats, in an effort to rhyme, he was shut down by his fair share of naysayers.  Looking at them now, it seems like they have it all.  But the best is yet to come.  I am anxious for the Watch The Throne tour and who will be the surprise guests tagging along.

To get an idea of what I'm referring to, take a look at the video for Otis, the debut track off the Watch The Throne album:

Selling 290,000 units on iTunes is a admirable task.  One which I am sure Jay-Z and Kanye are very proud of.  But I want to get back to the negative comments I've heard people spew in reference to the tone and message on the album.  Jay said it best when he inquired, "Do you fools listen to music or do you just skim through it?"  I now understand what Mr. Carter meant when he uttered the aforementioned line on a previous song.  How could someone listen to tracks like No Church In The Wild where Kanye and Jay address topics like God, priests, the church, etc. and think it has no depth?  Or how could they hear them talk about their unborn children and how they would right their wrongs through the birth of their seeds on New Day and proclaim that they are merely shallow and self-absorbed?

Hov and Martin Louis The King, Jr. also blast off on a track called Welcome To The Jungle where they speak of sadness and loss.  I don't know about ya'll, but that material sure sounds deep and thought-provoking to me.  But I will let you be the judge. 

ITS TIME TO WEIGH IN:

Did you buy the new Watch The Throne album?
If so, do you like the subject matter of the tracks?
Which track are you feeling the most?
Are you disappointed with Jay-Z's and Kanye's braggadocious rhymes?
How would you rate the album on a scale of 1-10?

Check out some more artwork from the album:

Kelly Rowland Watch

You guys know from previous posts that I am a big Kelly Rowland fan.  I've always followed her career, but I'm even more interested lately with her new found success.  I posted the video to Motivation, her first single off the Here I Am album, which is slated to be in stores on July 26th.  I was thinking that she needs something really good to follow up the #1 Billboard hit she achieved with Motivation.

Her next single features G.O.O.D. Music artist Big Sean and its called Lay It On Me.  The video has yet to be released, but the track is ready, so take a listen below and let me know if it moves you or if she needs to go back to the drawing board.

ENJOY!

Video Spotlight: Pusha T - Alone In Vegas

I've always been a big fan of The Clipse and now that Pusha T is working on a solo effort with Kanye's G.O.O.D. Music imprint, I'm excited to see what he's going to produce. My favorite track off the Fear of God mixtape is Alone In Vegas. My fav line goes like this:

"Feels like I'm doomed to dealing with women who
relationships with their fathers won't allow us to bloom
and blossom, I swear them Vegas nights was fucking awesome"

Pusha's wordplay has always been fresh, new and exciting. From his drug dealing exploits to the clever way he explains his fascination with money, cars and clothes. Although that may seem quite shallow to most, I have a feeling that he will dig a bit deeper this time with the help of Kanye.

The video was produced by Orson Whales, which displays Pusha in the Mojave Desert with a hooded character that has his hands tied and is waiting for his fate, execution style, as well as, dynamic shots of the Las Vegas Blvd. Strip from his hotel suite all the way down to the street level action.  Let me know what you all think of the video and the song: