Happy Fourth of July!
We’ll have a full review of Jay-Z’s “Magna Carta Holy Grail,” but until then, enjoy half of the title track, “Holy Grail,” featuring Justin Timberlake. Actually, the song way more than ‘features’ Timberlake. The first verse is his and the third, as he laments “I just can’t crack ya code/One day screaming you love me/the next day you’re so cold…and I still don’t know why I love you so much.”
While it sounds like it may be about a woman, upon closer listen, it seems to be about fame, as the two address how fickle a mistress fame is and how it’s cut down many a man, including MC Hammer and Mike Tyson, both of whom are namechecked.
Jay-Z also drops Kurt Cobain’s name before he and Timberlake go into a “Smells Like Teen Spirit.”
Timberlake sounds fantastic and you’ll also recognize Timbaland’s touch on this one (especially at the end when it uses the same sound effects as “Mirrors.” Damn if it’s not a better vocal performance than almost anything on “The 20/20 Experience.”
What do you think?