NUMBER TWENTY

There have been quite a few opinions and criticisms surrounding this next choice actually, but after going back and forth with where I sit, based on music alone, this record is more than deserving of its place on the list. So without further ado, bringing us into our top 20 is Jay Z with 4:44.

A lot of people had a problem with Jay's album receiving critical acclaim because it served as a "response or apology" to Lemonade, and given how much I enjoyed Lemonade last year this criticism was something that I kept in mind at first. However, regardless of this specific aspect of the album, there were plenty of other things that this album spoke towards, and I don't think that the apology was the overarching theme here. Also, just as it would be ridiculous to compare a Solange record to a Beyoncé one; it's equally as nonsensical to do so with Jay and Bey. As such, it was pretty easy to hear this record for what it was after blocking out all the other noise.

Biggest tunes on this for me right now are "Kill Jay Z", "The Story Of O.J.", "4:44" and "Family Feud". After seeing Jay at V Festival earlier this year it served as a reminder not only for how many absolute BANGERS he has, but also as a reminder of just how much genius goes into making a Jay Z masterpiece. As much as he's famed for freestyling a lot of his work, some of the most memorable things about this record seem well thought out - his collaborations, his words on leaving a legacy for his children, the list goes on.

Now, this is a good album with nothing but solid songs on it, but for a Jay Z record, it's not in the same ranks as his earlier material in my opinion. I don't feel like this has grown that much since Magna Carta, there are definitely a few aspects of it that are a cut above (e.g. the samples, the influences, the witty lyrics), however in terms of innovation, I wasn't as blown away as I wanted to be. Despite these feelings, I don't foresee there ever being a time where I don't look forward to listening to a new Jay Z album.