What We Talkin' About: The first song really set the scene for the remainder of the album. Touching on everything from the gossip, to the beef, to what is probably the most recurring theme of the album; his maturity and the state of hip hop today. Jay touches on all of the subjects, but doesn't go into much detail, more than likely because he will cover them later on throughout the album. It is an excellent track, with plenty of those witty lines that Jay is know for, like "People keep talkin' bout Hov take it back/I'm doin' better than before, why would I do that". The track gets a 4.

Thank You: This song is a fine line between Jay bragging and him honestly thanking the fans and listeners for all of the support. While being seemling sarcastic when asking "Why am I a legend?" and mentioning more than once his 10 number 1 albums, in the hooks he continues to insist that the song is for the fans and not simply his. Perhaps we as listeners and fans are supposed to come away with the sense that his success is due to our support, but Jay somehow finds such a fine line between boasting and being thakful, you may not know what you are actually supposed to pull away. All and all, this is still a 5.

D.O.A.: Of course, the song that started all of the hype, controversy, etc. and more than likely the reason for the majority of sells that the album will see, D.O.A.'s message is probably more impressive than the song itself. That is not to say that it is bad at all, but it certainly isn't the highlight of the album. While it is not fantastic, it is definitely a song that we, as hip hop heads, needed in the industry. For that reason and the imact of the song, I'll give it a 4.

Run This Town: With help from Rhianna on the hook (which by the way, the more I continue to hear her, the more I enjoy her sound, but that's neither here nor there) and Kanye in one verse, this is an anthem. A anthem for who you might ask...My guess is anybody with dreams, goals, that's motivated, has aspiration, etc. It's not one of those that seems to be targeted simply to the street like something Jeezy might do, or something solely for a more mature audience. This is for everybody, and the more you listen to it, the more you will probably come to enjoy it. It has been mentioned a number of times that Kanye finally got Jay on a song, and while I can't say that I don't disagree, I will say that Jay went in on the track as well (but Kanye was a beast on here lol). This is a 5.

Empire State of Mind: Obviously the title give you the connection between this song and Nas' classic "N.Y. State of Mind." While it is still an ode to NY, it has a much different twist. This is an acknowledgement of where Jay came from, but also what it is like that he has made it. It is both a past and present song. This is seen best with the line "Say what up to Ty Ty, still sippin' Mai Tai's/Sittin' courtside Knicks and Nets give me high 5", where he relives his Reasonable Doubt days (see "Dead Presidents II") but also mentions his current status. It is the blend of street cred and elite status that Jay-Z has had to juggle for many years now, and personally, I think he did it pretty successfully on this track. It's definitely not "N.Y. State of Mind", but it is still well crafted with very nice and unique production. It's deserving of a 4.5.

Real As It Gets: This is another one of those that, judging by the title, you may assume that it is talking directly to the streets. However, as with the rest of the album, Jay-Z is more mature and, while it is sprinkled with reminiscent lines of his drug dealing past, most of the subject matter is reflective more of his status as a hip hop artist and where he is now with his life. Having Young Jeezy on the track makes for a very nice street element however, making it a perfect blend of street and "corporate" if you will (that may not be the precise word, but we'll use it for the sake of comparison). Jeezy actually does a really nice job on the track as well and while he has never been known as a lyricsts, hip hoppers can still listen to it and be satisfied. This is another 4.

On to the Next One: This song is where Jay is blatent about both his maturity and his trendsetting. He talks about how he used to wear throwback jerseys, drink Cristal, etc. and expressing what it is he does now; everything fromm wearing suits, chillin' on yachts, and not getting dropped but dropping the label. We all know Jigga is known for setting all sorts of new trends in hip hop, let's see which one comes from this song. With sick lyrics and production from Swizz Beats (this is a really tight beat), this is a 5.

Off That: This is almost a continuance of the previous song. While it is still some of "this what I used to do, but this is what I do now" type of thing, Jay takes it a little further and it is now a "been there done that" scenario. Along with the help of Drake, Jay tackles all of the different trends, styles, etc. that people seem to be following now and basically says that what is current to all of them is past tense. This is his way of letting them look into their furture, his present. Although slightly repetitive, it is still a 5.

A Star Is Born: This is one of my favorite songs on the album (if not my favorite). The song starts with Jay paying tribute to many of the superstars of hip hop. However, unlike a "Old School" from Tupac, Jay mentions some of the more recent artists that are only beginning to move into the ranks of being considered "old school" (i.e. Eminem, 50 Cent, Diddy, Outkast, Wu-Tang, even DMX, and surprisingly, Nelly). On the third verse, he begins to share the ways in whichhe is now a "star", as well, bringing the song full circle. But, we can't forget about J. Cole's role in the song. He has the fourth and final verse and, believe me, he held his own. With lines like "So clap for 'em, then applaud Hov/he game him the platform, flow so sick though he wrote the rap for 'em". On a side note, I just hope that J. Cole gets his album out soon. This is a song that people can listen to years from now and think back on this time and the past few years in hip hop when it was still at its peak and there continued to be fresh talent coming into the game. This song is another 5.

Venus vs. Mars:  This is not one of the songs that will really stand out on the album, and I can see a lot of people not really gravitating towards it. Give it time and you may come to like it, but it will take some getting used to. Essentially the song is about the similarities and differences between him and his "ride or die" chick. Many times it may seem as if he is talking about Beyonce, simply because of wealth that she has and being from the South, but that proves not to be true when in the end they separate. There are actually a lot of nice lines in the song, but it may be kind of hard to actually pick out given the sound of the track. This I can only give a 3.75.

Already Home: This seems to be a direct shot at all of those that have taken a shot at Jay the past few months (or even years). No names are mentioned and he doesn't seem to be very disturbed, but it is simply an announcement that he is here to stay and a reminder of his status in the game. Kid Cudi on the hook is a real nice touch and the production from Kanye West is great. However, it is still not the greatest song on the album, so it gets a 4.25.

Hate: Honestly, at times this song could be a little annoying on the production end. The production cause both Kanye's and Jay-Z's flows to be altered as well, with the breaking up and stretching of certain words in order to stay on pace with the beat. Once again, it is something that as listeners become familiar with it and are possibly able to block certain things out it could become better, but the first few listens may not be the most enjoyable. This is probably the low of the album, so it is only a 3.5.

Reminder: The title says it all. This is simply a Jay reclaiming his spot on top. In the first verse, Jay proclaims "They think I'm out of shape, so I have to jog they memory", telling all those that may have forgotten just how much he has put into the game and his influence on it. He also references his number 1 albums again, mentioning that only the Beatles are in front of him. Still, the track is very nice and deserves a 5.

So Ambitious: With the Neptunes handling production, you already know that the beat is on point, but Jay on the song is good, as well. Instead of him simply saying that he is on top, this is more of an explanation as to how and why he is. And as you can see from the title, it was his ambition, mainly to prove people wrong, as he explains in the song. I say that this is a 4.75.

Young Forever: The production from Kanye on this track is very mellow, and I love it. Jay fits right in with the beat and it gives you a moment of reflection. This could possibly be what they (Kanye and Jay-Z) were hoping for on this track and if it is, it worked. The other thing that makes this track so nice is how Jay is able to tackle the subject of age without ever really mentioning it. He talks about the lifestyle and the outlooks on life of those whom we would assume to be younger, but never really mentions age. He seems to be at peace with his age (which has of course come under fire a lot as of late), yet still he still yearns for that feeling of being young. This is another one of those songs where he finds the thin line and seems to balance on it perfectly. This is a 5.

Overall, the album is 4.5. Honestly, I wasn't even extremely excited about this album up until maybe the last week or so, and I am a huge Jay-Z fan. But I finally heard a few tracks (I was trying to wait until it actually came out, but somebody was playing it in their while I was in there, so I had no choice), I became extremely anxious to listen to it. Jay mentioned it being a "new classic" and I would have to agree, meaning that it may not compare to those classics of the past (what does?) and the album itself isn't a classic, but that it is a new sound and will at least be the blueprint (pun intended) for creating a new classic sound. There are one or two songs that aren't quite on the level of the remainder of the songs, but the music as a whole is excellent. Jay had mentioned throughout numerous interviews that he wanted to focus on the overall sound of the album, and he succeeded in that. Exceptional production mixed with the lyrics that we all know Jay-Z is capable of makes for a great album.