Just two weeks after Yeezus sent shock waves across the internets, Kanye’s “Big Brother” has released his 12th studio album, Magna Carta… Holy Grail. The comparisons between MCHG and Yeezus will be inevitable, but ultimately misguided. West made a radical, provactive album, intentionally devoid of any radio singles or mainstream appeal. Jay-Z has made a solid, accessible album that–thanks to Samsung–has already gone platinum.

Where many critics applaud West’s departure from traditional/mainstream hip-hop, it is wholly unfair to denounce another artist’s work for not doing the same. Especially when that artist is, arguably, the greatest rapper alive. Here is our track-by-track review of Jay-Z’s Magna Carta… Holy Grail.

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