jay-z

Retirement used to mean office parties, pension plans and permanent relaxation, but now-a-days it's just a synonym for temporary vacation. The formerly retired Jay-Z came back in 2006 with the solid but underplayed Kingdom Come and is now at it again with his tenth studio album, American Gangster.

Usually concept albums are cause for hesitation. For every Ziggy Stardust and Dark Side of the Moon there are five unbearable albums, like Bob Dylan's Saved or Rush's 2112. Hova's inspiration came from the new Ridley Scott movie of the same name. After viewing the Denzel Washington-driven film, Jay-Z was sparked by Frank Lucas' rise to the top of mob-dom, which invoked memories of Jay-Z's own rise from a Marcy Projects denizen to an entertainment tycoon. The semi-autobiographical masterpiece manages to hit every high note, making it the best Jigga album since The Blueprint in 2001.

Those looking for the same Jay-Z who wrote "Change Clothes" and "Girls, Girls, Girls" will be seriously disappointed. Mr. Izzo has gone back to his roots with songs that sound like updated tracks from Reasonable Doubt (his first album, which was released over a decade ago).

The first single "Blue Magic"-a reference to Lucas' special brand of heroin-features stripped-down drums, syncopated synth and Pharell singing the chorus from En Vogue's "Hold On." The track shows off a more-casual-than-usual flow combined with Jay's off-the-cuff humor-the legend refers to himself as Gray Hova over sampled dialogue from Frankenstein.

Jay-Z ditches normal collaborators the Neptunes and Just Blaze in favor of well-polished tracks courtesy of hip-hop rival Diddy. The masterful, sample-heavy rhythms reaffirm that Diddy needs to stay out of the recording booth and stick to the mixing table. However, the album's real highlight is the climactic final song, "Fallin'," produced by Mr. Janet Jackson himself, Jermaine Dupri.

The somber but fast-paced track ruminates on the seemingly inevitable downfall of most gangsters. The hypnotic beats are the perfect accompaniment to Jay-Z's syllable-filled lyrics. Only Jigga Man can make rapping about High Definition and Sudoku seem cool. But I guess it's a talent that naturally comes along when a Young Hova fades to gray.