After this album, more fans will be awaiting the return of Jay-Z than Christians anticipating the Second Coming.

At first and second glance over the tracks, there are a few standouts, such as “What More Can I Say” and guiltless club banger “Dirt Off Your Shoulder,” which was produced by Timbaland.

–

Don’t be misled, though. Jay-Z also offers more than the “Big Pimpin'” images that non-believers are used to. The song “Lucifer” is reminiscent of his 1996 release “Reasonable Doubt.”

The first single, “Change Close,” doesn’t fit the LP, and shows that Pharrell’s insidious falsetto vocals need to be put to rest.

Lyrically, “Moment of Clarity” is a gift. Jay-Z emphatically says his rap style is merely a marketing tool: “I dumbed down for my audience/ And double my dollars/ They criticize me for it/ But they all yell ‘holla’ … I’d probably be/ Lyrically/ Talib Kweli/ Truthfully I wanna rhyme like Common Sense/ But I did 5 mil/ I ain’t been rhymin’ like Common Sense.”

The lyrics make up for the disappointing, easily identified Eminem beat.

The soulfulness in rhythms provided by beatmakers like Just Blaze and Kanye West add to this phenomenal LP.

However, the usage of some of the industry’s biggest names seems as formulated as an Armadale and cranberry, but without a tipsy feeling in the end, as noted on “99 Problems” produced by Rick Rubin, the mastermind behind Run DMC’s ‘80s hits. The interpolation of Madonna’s “Justify My Love” to “Justify My Thug” was not “justified” at all.

The album closes notes from Christopher “Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace on “My First Song.” The context suggests that despite Jay-Z’s success, he remains humble. But this is not the end of Jay-Z’s reign. The song “Allure” suggests a return to the recording booth. For now, fans can await Shawn Carter’s “The Black Book,” which is coming soon.