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Jay-Z's All-American Release
09/20/2007 8:32 AM, E! Online
Jay-Z has announced a rapidly approaching release date for his latest album, but this time around, the drop won't carry with it the threat of early retirement.
Been there, done that.
But that doesn't mean American Gangster isn't going to get some serious hype. The collection is being billed as the Hova's first concept album.
American Gangster has been slated for a Nov. 6 release, following the opening of the identically monikered Oscar-bait movie on Nov. 2.
But while the album will be released in conjunction with the Denzel Washington-Russell Crowe flick, it will be separate from the film's official soundtrack. Instead, Jay-Z says his opus will be a complement, featuring a "musical journey and lyrical interpretation" of the flick, which centers on the true story of New York drug kingpin turned informant Frank Lucas.
"It was like I was watching the film, and putting it on pause, and giving a backstory to the story," he told the New York Times, adding that he began work on his first concept album after being particularly moved by an early screening of the movie. "Watching that film, it brought back all these memories. It took me back to those emotions."
The emcee has so far completed nine tracks, each inspired by a specific scene in the movie. Titles include "No Hook" and "Blue Magic," which was produced by Pharrell and will serve as the first single.
But fans amped by the recent West-Fiddy chart-battle royale shouldn't hold their breath for a similar Jay-Z showdown.
"We all know that battle was a one-off," Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, told Billboard. "That's not a template on how to do business."
Maybe not, but it didn't stop the rap mogul, whose Def Jam label put out West's Graduation, from nonetheless pointing out some flaws in 50 Cent's game plan.
"Fiddy, in his arguments, focused on his numbers and sales," Jay-Z said. "Kanye focused on making the best art he could make at that time. Artistry wins. If you're going to emulate something, then emulate art. Because you can emulate a record or a trend, but that doesn't win at the end of the day."
American Gangster will be Jay-Z's first all-new release since last year's Kingdom Come, his critically praised comeback album that has sold roughly 1.6 million copies to date. While the figure is impressive by anyone's standards, the Hova told the Times he thought the album's sales suffered, as it was likely too "sophisticated" for the audience.
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