Staff Writer

8/10

Jay-Z is back with his second post-retirement release, “American Gangster.” Guess what? It’s not terrible.

Interlaced with audio clips from the Ridley Scott film of the same name, the album starts off a little rocky, but eventually picks up by the fifth track, “No Hook.”

What seems to be the central theme in this song is beating the odds.

This album’s strength is that it’s an accurate display of Jay-Z’s life. Lyrically, as always with Jay-Z, there is a fair blend of the gritty life he used to live and the lavish life he enjoys today.

Many times, these two realities clash and make for some amusing metaphors and pop-culture references. An example can be found in “Roc Boys,” assembled by Diddy’s “Hitmen” production team. It carries a revitalizing upbeat sound with the use of brass instruments. On it, Jay says, “Heroin got less steps than Britney/ That means it ain’t stepped on.”

The best-produced track on the album is “Success,” a soulful, organ-filled hard hitter that begins with Jay quoting a line from Eminem’s “I’m Back:” “What do I think of success? It sucks, too much stress.”

Jay flaunts his prosperity in the faces of those who underestimated his potential in the early years of his career and thought that “Hova was over, such dummies/even if I fell, I’d fall on a bunch of money.”

Besides the few standout tracks, the production of the overall album isn’t very impressive. Beanie Sigel and Nas make brief, but trivial appearances. If you’re looking for a throwback to any of Jay-Z’s earlier masterpieces (“Reasonable Doubt,” “The Blueprint,” or “The Black Album”) you won’t find it here.

Despite that, “American Gangster” is very good.

It may not impress initially, but it will definitely grow on you. Still, it isn’t great by Jay-Z standards. Greatness by Jay-Z standards earns a 10.