''"Fight and you'''ll never survive / run and you'''ll never escape / so just fall''¦ / from grace,''" offers Hov in Fallen's final bars, and damn if he doesn'''t mean every word.
Fight, survive, run, escape, fall '' the verb-dominance is no accident. American Gangster'''s biggest upshot '' or at least the one most noticeable in the performance above '' is that Jay finally seems like he'''s done sketching himself in the mirror, and back starring in an active plot. Whether it'''s one of autobiography or of third person contrivance is irrelevant: There'''s a story to tell, and it isn'''t about that one time someone spilled Bud Select on Beyoncé.
The hook's strong, the live band'''s tight '' does anyone care? They'''re standing on the shoulders of giants: Jay that never left, and Jay that '' yeah, okay '' kind of did. It's not a new blueprint, but why bother when the first one's yours?
Jay-Z »
FYI, in case y'all were wondering the black rhinestone jacket with the skull that Jay was wearing on Storytellers is this new brand called Save Your Vanity. Myspace it. That jacket was dope!