We may never get Watch The Throne 2, but that’s fine — we have A Written Testimony — its timely spiritual successor.
In 2011 BC (Before Corona), the world was a much different place. Obama was still president. London rioted over the death of Mark Duggan, and against crippling inequality. Game of Thrones premiered. Posting pic stitches on Instagram was still acceptable.
Musically, it was a major turning point. Frank Ocean announced his talent to the world with mixtape — Nostalgia, Ultra. Drake released Take Care the album many deem to be his greatest (NWTS for me). Adele released 21, which sold over 31 million copies globally — becoming the best selling album of the 21st century, and one of the best selling of all time. The Weeknd dropped the first mixtape of his seminal trilogy, House of Balloons. The ascent of Kendrick Lamar began with the release of Section.80. Amy Winehouse, one of the last great female vocalists — was laid to rest. Many of the major musical trends of the last decade were determined by the direction of that year. But despite the exciting emergence of future stars and artists entering their peaks, nothing, musically, was bigger than the release of Jay-Z and Kanye West’s legendary collaborative album — Watch The Throne (WTT).
While Kanye was working on his magnum opus MBDTF, and Jay-Z was working on his… Magna Carta, they were planning to release a collaborative EP. But their schedules limited them to emailing each other verses and mixing remotely (2020 used Tenet to call, wants its strategy back) which was limiting the quality. So Jay, in true big brother fashion, took charge and said: let’s just make it an album. What an album it turned out to be.
Expansive, daring production from West, Q-Tip, RZA, The Neptunes, Jeff Bhasker cut to soulful samples from Otis Redding and Curtis Mayfield, with a sprinkling of orchestral and progressive rock influences… The opulent soundscape created for WTT was truly befitting of two kings. The music was meant to sound like wealth. As Kanye said on Otis …
‘’Luxury raps, the Hermes of verses’’
The braggadocio lyrics that defined WTT exhibited themes of fame, wealth, power and the intersection of all these things. What it meant to be black men in America with incredible financial success. A treatise on black capitalism. The burdens of this success in a socioeconomic context. Despite the idea of WTT being some big Roc Nation x Jay Gatsby exclusive, high society soiree, it’s much more ruminative than people give it credit for. A lot of WTT feels like both Kanye and Jay doubling down on the logic in one of Ye’s earliest Quotables on All Falls Down — ‘’even if you in a Benz, you still a n#gga, in a coupe (coop)’’. Songs like Murder to Excellence, No Church in The Wild, New Day provide balance to the gloriously extra and triumphant Ni**as in Paris, Who Gon Stop Me, Gotta Have It or That’s My Bitch which drive the album’s central messages.
Like every great event, Watch The Throne had us all hoping for a follow-up. But even with Kanye’s wishful thinking, his relationship with Jay has deteriorated dramatically over the years with his vocal support of Trump and general BS making ‘’throne2'’ — impossible.
But. What if the follow-up to Watch The Throne wasn’t from a palace, but from a pulpit? Enter: A Written Testimony.
The release of Jay Electronica’s debut album had grown into a myth of Detox-like proportions. Thirteen years after his initial mixtape, Act 1: Eternal Sunshine, Jay Elect’s first-ever LP released on March 13th 2020. People had no idea what to expect. But what we certainly didn’t anticipate was hearing a peak level Jay-Z on 8/10 of its tracks. It is more or less a collaborative album.
If WTT’s guiding principle was using Flexing™ as a means to inspire liberation, then A Written Testimony uses faith, philosophy and worldly theories to do the same thing. Jay Electronica is a deeply spiritual man and spirituality is at the heart of this album (recorded in 40 days and 40 nights).
It is directly influenced by the Nation of Islam’s doctrine. He raps in Arabic throughout, and speaks of being ‘’in touch with every shrine from Japan to Oaxaca’’ on Shiny Suit Theory, before amazingly flipping one of Biggie’s most famous bars from Juicy ‘’Remember Rappin Duke? Duh-ha, duh-ha You never thought we’d make it to Lā ‘ilāha ‘illā Allah’’ on Flux Capacitor. Even Jay-Z’s omission as a listed collaborator feeds into the shamanic energy that this album exudes. It’s an album that celebrates the journey, whereas WTT loudly celebrated the destination. In spite of the differing directions, both albums have the same goal: black empowerment.
On Shiny Suit Theory, the grown-up B-side to WTT’s Gotta Have It, Jay-Z first says ‘’you being so prosperous is preposterous’’ speaking of his success in the third person against the backdrop of America’s inequality gap. Before asking himself ‘’how could this nappy-headed boy from out the projects be the apple of America’s obsession?’’ In introspective form and influenced by the tension of race relations in the United States, Jay reconnects with the precocious inner child still in Marcy Projects. Asking his adult self — how he evolved from Shawn Carter — to Jay-Z — considering the incredibly uneven odds that black people, in general, continue to face in pursuit of the ‘’American Dream’’. Comparing this to Jay on Gotta Have It where he ‘’wishes I could give you this feeling, I’m planking on a million’’ before ‘’riding through your hood, you can bank I got no ceiling’’ — a genius double entendre, referencing the convertible he’ll be driving, and his unlimited funds to spend. On Shiny Suit Theory, both Jay’s are talking to their therapists. On Gotta Have It both Jay and Ye are talking to their accountants.
The differing tones are a sign of the times. Back in 2011, to have our leading black voices celebrate their wealth and success in Obama’s America was powerful. WTT was a product of its decade. However, in an era where innocent black people are being murdered by the police day after day, the introspective questioning on A Written Testimony reflects the fractious, Trumpian world we’re living in. The album wants to liberate people to find peace and calm in themselves, and not to seek it in material pursuits.
On Ezekiel’s Wheel, Jay Elect says: ‘’Some ask me Jay man why for so many years you been exempt? ’Cause familiarity don’t breed gratitude, just contempt, and the price of sanity is too high, just like the rent’’. Here, Jay Elect is referencing his hiatus from publicity, and the access into peoples lives that social media has created. As well as the high cost of all these things can have: your peace of mind.
The final track, and one of the album’s highlights — A.P.I.T.D.A — was recorded on the night that Kobe and Gianna Bryant tragically passed away. Jay-Z solemnly speaks of this ‘’I got numbers on my phone, that’ll never ring again…’’ while Jay-E achingly wishes Black America to ‘’sleep well’’ amidst the devastating loss of a black hero and his young heroine daughter.
If WTT is luxury rap, then A Written Testimony is lounge chair rap. These are raps you need to immerse yourself in, to pick apart the parables these two preachers propose. Jay Elect always looked at the game from a higher plane. But he needed Jay-Z to come in and help ground his message, one that people grew bored of waiting for. He knew people doubted if it would come ‘’they say it was never gon’ happen’’ — on Ezekiel’s Wheel. Jay-E is a man of precision. He was waiting to release his magnum opus. And the middle of a global/societal pandemic proved the right time. A moment where his words could help inspire, to empower, to teach. WTT’s initial form changed to spread its message properly. Jay Elect’s debut did the same thing. A Written Testimony is the scholastic to Watch The Throne’s bombastic.
Long after the pandemic passes, A Written Testimony will stand strong, with its raps dissected to serve as inspiration for black men and black women on their journey’s to enlightenment and inner peace. Just as Watch The Throne’s extravagant raps of stunting and celebrated success, unapologetically, have done since Jay and Ye first landed in Paris.
