Life story told through rap

They say ghosts only return to haunt the living because they have unresolved issues. With American Gangster, Jay-Z rises from the dead (again) to redeem his last comeback album and prove he's not a finished businessman; he's got unfinished business, man. \nOn Jigga's 13th studio release, he's well-aware of his other-worldly status, never hesitating to remind us that he's still the "best rapper alive." But unlike last year's disappointing brag-fest Kingdom Come, American Gangster finds Hova dropping verses that are more thought-provoking than ego-stroking. \nLike the '70s-era mobster flick it's inspired by, American Gangster tells a big-screen-worthy drug-dealer drama that's more than just a promotion of thug life. For 15 impeccable tracks, an older, wiser Shawn Carter explores the forces that shaped his ascent from the streets of Brooklyn to corporate offices in New York City. \nOn the soulful "Say Hello," Jay waxes socioeconomic: "We ain't thugs for the sake of being thugs / Nobody do that where we grew at, nigga duh ... We ain't doing crimes just for the sake of doing crimes / We move the dimes 'cause we ain't doin' fine." \nHova traces his career path back to his old stomping grounds on the Lil Wayne duet "Hello Brooklyn 2.0," a love song addressed to the city responsible for his miseducation. "Hello Brooklyn, you bad influence / Look what you had me doin', but I ain't mad at you," Jay raps over a bass-y Beastie Boys sample. \nOf course, there's still plenty of old-fashioned thug talk on American Gangster. Take the minimalist Neptunes-produced masterpiece "Blue Magic," in which Jigga pulls out enough drug puns make your head spin: "D.A. wanna indict me / 'Cause fish scales in my veins like a Pisces." The difference is that this time we actually believe him when he says he's not glorifying his blood-and-coke-soaked past with these sorts of lyrics; he's just being biographical. \nMusically, American Gangster makes good on its promise to take listeners back to the days of drug kingpin Frank Lucas. Hova does the hustle over samples of Marvin Gaye ("American Dreamin'") and Curtis Mayfield ("American Gangster"); and on the thunderous "Success," he shares a booming organ groove with former nemesis Nas. \nJay goes period again on "Roc Boys," a horn-heavy toast to his Roc-A-Fella empire. At the end of the track, CEO Carter proudly proclaims, "This is black superhero music." And while American Gangster shows that Jay-Z the rapper is nearly invincible, the album also provides listeners with an intimate glimpse into Shawn Carter, the boy from Brooklyn who was forced to play the cards he was dealt. Now, if you can't respect that, your whole perspective is wack.