“Jay-Z Has Created His Equivalent Of <em>Zen Arcade</em> or <em>Extreme II: Pornografitti</em>”
So Variety reports that American Gangster will not be sold anywhere it can be purchased track-by-track, and their justification for Jay-Z’s decision to privilege art over iTunes sales brings Hov into the august company of some musicians we never thought we’d see him mentioned alongside.
“Jay-Z has created his equivalent of “Tommy,” “Operation-Mindcrime,” “Ziggy Stardust” or whatever concept album you chose to compare it to, and he wants listeners to absorb it in full doses.”
Wait…Operation: Mindcrime? Well, it is a “concept album about a man becoming disillusioned with American society”. Except instead of Geoff Tate’s beleaguered everyman “joining in a conspiratorial plot to assassinate its corrupt leaders,” Mr. Carter’s protagionist starts poisoning people with high-potency heroin. Close enough. Perhaps next year Jay will tackle his version of The BQE or Tales From Topographic Oceans. (Good looking out on that headline pun, too.)
Jay-Z Puts A Gangster “Lien” On iTunes [Variety]
