If you love your job, you can relate to how Jay-Z feels. While one side of his life is pulling him in a corporate.. the other side keeps him close to the streets, Hip-Hop and the love of rhyming. Following up his crossover-ridden return from retirement KINGDOM COME, Jay-Z presents a concept album, AMERICAN GANGSTER, inspired by the Ridley Scott movie of the same name. "American Gangster", the album, came together in about a month's time. The production team of Diddy, LV, and Sean C accounts for much of the record's cohesion, providing six beats built on loops from the likes of Marvin Gaye, Barry White, and Rudy Love & the Love Family. AMERICAN GANGSTER features a few choice guest verses from Lil Wayne, Beanie Siegel, and Nas. The "Intro" sets the tone for the album. The theme? "Gangster." This leads into "Pray", one of six songs produced by Diddy and the Hitmen (Sean C. & LV). A pulsating beat accented by faint background screams provide Jay the canvas to tell stories of watching drug sales and transactions go down. The song is a great departure from the glossy Jay-Z sound and takes it back to Jigga getting money by any means necessary. On the track titled "Hello Booklyn 2.0", Lil' Wayne's appearance is probably the most cohesive lyrically he has ever done, but it just doesn't work on this song. Overall the track is sub-par and interrupts the flow of the album unnecessarily. The album's two buzz singles, "Blue Magic" and "Roc Boys", effectively set the tone for "American Gangster" and let listeners know that while Jay-Z was still celebrating, he was doing it as if he had made his $500 million strictly off the white stuff. Gangster celebrations with an 80s Hip-Hop backbone. "No Hook" and "Success" Feat. Nas are the album's two highlight songs lyrically. "No Hook" sees Jay reflecting on his father, his career and the legal system. "Success" is a straight New York City banger as Jigga reflects on success, even utilizing one of Eminem's famous lines when he says "I used to give a fuck/now I give a fuck less/what do I think of suck-cess?/it sucks...". Additional highlights include "Ignorant Shit" (with a strong new verse from Beanie Sigel) and "Party Life."