Music: Jay-Z

All good things must come to an end. That includes even Jay-Z's streak of nine consecutive platinum-plus albums. At his Sept. 24 Madison Square Garden show, he announced that his upcoming Black Album would be his final studio effort. In typical Jay-Z fashion, though, he's going out with a bang. He's commissioned 11 different producers to craft the album's 14 songs in their respective styles. This cast of characters includes The Neptunes, Eminem, Timbaland and 9th Wonder of local hip hop trio Little Brother.

While not as groundbreaking as The Beatles' White Album, it is a fitting culmination of the Jigga Man's illustrious studio career. He begins by lyrically recounting his childhood (with the help of a few spoken word passages read by his mother) in "December 4th," moves on to some more traditional jams with "Justify My Thug" and "Dirt Off Your Shoulder," then concludes with a smooth, bluesy finale entitled "My 1st Song" harkening back to his early material.

The track "Change Clothes" is now in heavy video and radio rotation but should not be assumed to be the CD's prime cut. Produced by The Neptunes with a requisite Pharrell cameo, "Change Clothes" is reminiscent of what has already been played out in "Excuse Me Miss" from Jay-Z's The Blueprint and "Frontin'" off The Neptunes' latest release. "Moment of Clarity" is more heartfelt and "99 Problems" more enjoyable, though both are admittedly less suited for general consumption.

"Moment of Clarity", produced by Eminem, recounts the strength that it took Jay-Z to overcome countless obstacles while coming up in the rap game. Images of crack dealing and shoot-outs are juxtaposed with the current success of his Roc-a-Fella empire to create a subdued opus somewhat reminiscent of "Lose Yourself" from the 8 Mile soundtrack. Former Beastie Boys and Run DMC beat orchestrator Rick Rubin produces the track "99 Problems." This entertaining cut offers razor-sharp rhymes with a little humor stirred into the mix. Jay-Z adds to his library of legendary taunts by describing an adversary as "Loud as a motorbike/ but wouldn't bust a grape in a fruit fight."

Kanye West, beat contributor to Ludacris' Chicken-n-Beer and Fabolous' Street Dreams, produces "Lucifer" with a reggae flavor that punctuates The Black Album's mainly hip hop vibe. Despite the grave topic of a friend's death, you can't help but move with the rhythm. Many are skeptical about whether this will really be Jay-Z's last LP, especially in light of recent comebacks by Da Brat, Fleetwood Mac and Jose Rijo. But even if his recording career is through, with his Roc-a-Fella label and his Rocawear clothing line, chances are we haven't heard the last of Hova.