Artists' views on Jay-Z's "The Black Album"!

What's good Hip-Hop heads! So, I did a review on Jay-Z's the Black album for a site but they weren't feeling it.
I tried to do something new and get some artist's perspectives on the album but the site rejected the review so I'm going to put up what the artist's said about the album and I want to know what all of you think about the album. Post it in the comments and let's see what we come up with. The comments that you make can be as long or as short as you want them to be.

Peace.

HipHopInformant - HAPPY NEW YEAR HIP-HOP!

“Well the Black Album to me was not his best album, (I actually rate it behind Reasonable Doubt, Blueprint, Hard Knock Life, and BP3) but it was a great album. Songs like December 4th, What More Can I say, Encore, and Allure showed Hov's lyrical side, while Dirt Off your Shoulders was a club banger. I honestly believe it was, if anything, one of the best produced albums ever. With Kanye, Timberland, 9th Wonder and The Neptunes all supplying him heat, there was no way this album could lose. My favorite joint on the album was December 4th. Not only was it a great introspective track, it's title December 4th is one day before my birthday, December 5th. That’s dope to me!

His lyrical ability has always been flawless, but I think it was on full display on the Black Album. I was both introspective, but it was so much over your head. Jay is good at that balanced. I think its brilliant how he went from rapping from a drug dealer perspective to being a business man. No one else can do that and stay relevant. Jay-Z sold out and the public rides with him still. That’s why he is the greatest!”

Lottery-Chicago Hip-Hop Artist.

“For me, the black Album is his most complete and honest work to date. I want to say it was a gimmick his "retirement" but even if it was a thematic device to put himself in a frame of mind to be this open about how he feels..it worked. My favorite Jay Z album.”

Hired Gun-Hip-Hop Artist from New York.

“Although the Black album is not my favorite of Jay-Z's discography it is a album that from start to finish speaks to you . December 4th kicks the album off letting jigga tell his story from birth (December 4th) to his current state with even an excerpt from his mother. Songs like "What More Can I say" , " Allure" , and " Encore " makes you feel like you are listening to an event. These are the songs that bring the album to life. Listening to songs like " Lucifer"and "99 Problems" shows you jay z lyrical ability to just work a record and keeps him multifaceted in the rap genre. "Change Clothes" is a collab with Pharrell that we have come to get use to the dynamics and chemistry they have together. At the time this was marked as Jay-z's retirement album and after hearing it I believed it to be a poor exit. Something about it didn’t agree with me as an exit album. Today I look at it as a good album at about 8/10. It’s a very solid album that unfolds like a story. It’s all nicely wrapped at the end with the song "My 1st Song" which is the idea of making everything like the first thing you make. With the same energy and excitement as if I’m finally getting my chance. This is a very noteworthy lyrical conceptual album that will go down as a memorable project from one of the leading artist of our time Jay-Z.”

Natureboy Rowe- Dirty South Hip-Hop Artist.

“To me the Black album is one of Jay-z’s greatest projects. My fav is that threats song produced by 9th wonder.”

Mike Faceless-Hip-Hop Artist from California.