A king's reign ends with a whimper

Jay-Z is the Michael Jordan of rap.\nAfter a long reign on top, Michael Jordan retired, tried his hand at playing baseball and being an executive and returned, slightly shamed and not quite as skilled to the game. After Def-Jam's crushing failure with Rick Ross' ill-conceived "Port of Miami," Jay-Z, the self-proclaimed MJ of rap, was forced out of retirement and Kingdom Come is his slightly shamed, not-quite-cutting-it attempt to breathe life into his talent-starved record label. \nKingdom Come is almost completely about an aging Jay-Z's insanely large bank account. Jay-Z also talks a bit about other rappers' lack of skill (compared, of course, with his stellar rap abilities), weed and women, including a stripper who will always have a special place in his heart, but for the most part, it's all about having more money than God. Juxtaposed with rap's humble beginnings as party music in the projects of New York City, Jay-Z's approach will sit well with Republicans everywhere.\nAn entire generation of yuppies will be glad to hear "30 Something," Jay-Z's ode to being nearly 40. In this song, Jay-Z, now 37, claims 30 as the new 20, boasts about his good credit, being able to buy his favorite basketball team and nightspot, and being young and hip enough to know what clothes, cars and watches are cool, but old enough to manage his money.\nEven more ridiculous than "30 Something" is the pairing of "I Made It" and "Anything." "I Made It" reminisces about his rise from young boy freestyling over a cheap boombox to rap icon. The hook pays tribute to his mother, who encouraged him all the way. The next song "Anything," is about getting nasty with a stripper. Mom must feel great! \nIn his defense, Jay-Z's flow is more polished than ever, his beats are worlds above those on The Black Album, and lyrical content aside, Kingdom Come is a pretty solid album. The complete package is pretty mature, but it's clear that Jay-Z has lost touch with his roots. If this were his freshman or sophomore effort, it would be a very impressive display of great promise, but for a seasoned veteran with 10 albums under his belt, Kingdom Come is as pathetic as MJ's batting skills.