Kingdom Come

It's been said that Jay-Z put on his retirement show just so he could call himself "the Mike Jordan of rap." He might've also named his ninth studio album (and his first post-retirement) KINGDOM COME to draw equally boastful Superman comparisons. Supposedly taking the title from a Superman comic book in which the Man of Steel comes out of retirement to save the world yet again, Jiggaman seems to think hip-hop needs rescuing once more. Whether KINGDOM COME is the album to do it is debatable; however, Jay-Z's 2006 comeback offering might live up to the hype, after all. The album sparkles musically, thanks in large part to wisely chosen production from Just Blaze, Swizz Beatz, the Neptunes, B-Money, DJ Khalil, Kanye West, and Dr. Dre (who serves up four tight beats), and Jay's plain-and-simple, top-shelf mic command finds new focus here as he spits as much about mid-life introspection as he does on standard hustler-to-mogul braggadocio. On "Lost Ones," Jigga speaks of his split with Dame Dash and the trials of his highly publicized love life, and "Minority Report" is yet another hip-hop protest song dedicated to Hurricane Katrina victims. KINGDOM COME also benefits from a typically all-star guest list that includes John Legend, Usher, Pharrell, Nelly, Chrissette Michelle, Sterling Simms, Beyonce, and, most surprisingly, Chris Martin of Coldplay.