The final draft of Watch the Throne proved to be exactly what we thought it would be while at the same time being exactly what we couldn’t predict. Thus the material did exactly what we didn’t expect it to do. While the album is filled to the brim with wildly stylized boasts of wealth, power, sex, drugs and obscenities, and there is plenty of it, at the same time it was thought provoking, cerebral and inspirational. The record also offered a wealth of history, culture, aspirations, dreams realized and dreams deferred. The album is a throw-back to old-school hip hop with new age raps driven by vintage producers, cars and even more vintage samples. The music is classic hip hop delivered in an incredibly fresh way.

The inquisitive first act of the Watch the Throne LP begins with the Frank Ocean backed “No Church…,” while our hosts of the evening deliver incredible lyrics we acquiesce to the idea that the most poignant moments of the song are provided by Mr. Ocean. His vibrant “tenoring” brilliantly ascents the track. “Lift Off,” offers us the moon and the stars and delivers them in a beautifully wrapped Beyonce, the track is the quintessential victorious moment of the first act.

“Niggas in Paris,” can most readily be defined as remarkably executed willful ignorance. The track takes us to a place where Hip Hop isn’t even supposed to be, from the projects to excess, to opulence, to success. Bottom line, this track embodies the “swag,” of the most anticipated album of the year. “Gotta Have It,” is the groovy party track with the most clever name drops we’ve heard in a long time. The close out track of the opening act “New Day,” is aided by the soulfully stylized Nina Simone sample of “Feeling Good.” (Best Nina Simone sample of all time) The song feels like a letter to an unborn child; guiding him/her in the way that they would like them to go, keeping in mind all of the dangers that come along with the abundant access and excess of having wealthy super-star parents.

The first track of the second act “That’s My Bitch,” is a brazen ode to the muses of rap royalty. The tracks witty misogyny is endearing and rarely seems distasteful. The track boasts the type of lyrics that will be flowing from the crimson lips of all the pretty model girls in all the major cities. The second song of the second act is assisted by super producer Swizzbeats entitled “Welcome to the Jungle.” The rapid organ notes help usher in another gritty block anthem. On “Who Gon Stop Me,” we get a sustained funky beat with the cerebral whaling of “I can’t stop,” blaring throughout the song accompanied with a back and forth between Jay-Z and Kanye that sees Jay revive and revamp his signature breathy ad-libs circa 1998. The clean up track of the second act is probably the best song on the album unabashedly titled “Murder to Excellence.” The track is the social conscience of the Watch the Throne LP. While it compares the amount of murders in Chicago to the number of American deaths in Iraq, the track is a celebration of black excellence as it says. Black greatness being derived from the slumps and tragedy is what the track describes as “Murder to Excellence.”

The First track of the closing act gives us another soulful assist by Frank Ocean called “Made in America.” The track plays like a prayer of thanks to some of who we consider black royalty that paved the way for the preverbal American Dream. “Why I Love You,” featuring Mr. Hudson is another cerebral track that plays like a plea for the unrequited love expressed by The Throne duo, to the people who once were a part of their lives. After about three minutes of radio silence a snooping beat emerges through the speakers and builds to braggadocios claims of a European taste-level and being the “Illest Motherfucker Alive,” by Kanye and Jay. What is a classic album without a smooth ode to “Primetime,” himself Deon Sanders. The song speaks to being the best and shouting it from your soapbox. The album closes with the Pete Rock produced “The Joy,” featuring Curtis Mayfield. The track brazenly describes the joy of succeeding against insurmountable odds.

What started out as a concept for an EP, delivered by the two of music’s biggest stars, has become a microcosm seeded with heavenly thanks and hellish indulgences. Kanye and Jay are the last of Roc a Fella Records dying breed; the two being the only remaining members besides another Hip Hop legend Jadakiss who coincidentally did his own mix of the Watch the Throne teaser “Otis.” The release of the Watch the Throne LP has disproven a couple highly regarded theories about music and culture in the digital era. One that two notorious planet-sized egos can come together and produce one of the greatest pieces of art that Hip Hop has ever offered. And two, if you’re quite careful and deliberate you can have a highly anticipated “leak-proof,” album, that is the first major release to be delivered to the masses in it’s entirety, completely un-pirated. Of course an Illuminati membership card doesn’t hurt either. No star rating just G.O.O.D. music.