Jay Z - Fade to Black
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Movie Reviews of Jay Z - Fade to Black
Movie Review: AMAZING...JAY-Z IS ESPETACULAR. AND I LOVE BEYONCE
Summary: 5 Stars
ES ESPECTACULAR.
JAY-Z ES UN SUPER RAPERO..
Y ME ENCATA TODO LO QUE TIENE QUE VER CON BEYONCE...
THIS DVD IS AMAZING
Movie Review: Jay-Z in My Lifetime
Summary: 5 Stars
From begining till the ending rolls, Shawn Carter has done the wittest and most meticulous work to promote his The Black Album in 2003.Movie Review: EXCELLENT PURCHASE
Summary: 5 Stars
Excellent behind the scenes film including studio recording. This was one of the best hip-hop "documentary" I've seen.Movie Review: very good documentary
Summary: 4 Stars
While I have enjoyed watching this 4 or 5 times, I'm left with some conflicting thoughts about "Fade to Black". Now I did say I enjoyed it; yet at the same time I'm thinking Jay Z could use to lighten up a bit and not take himself so seriously. I've got to think Nas had a few good laughs if he ever watched this. (Of course now Jay and Nas have buried the hatchet, thank God)
One thing that bothers me about "retirement" claims from artists, is they rarely do just that (e.g. Bowie, the Who, etc.)
Jay-Z would certainly have you believe he was going to do just that. I don't mind that he has come out of retirement, but this film would have you believe, that this is it...finnito. Therefore it was the intent to put out such a tour de force like this to pay tribute to Jay Z's greatness. Sometimes during watching this documentary (which is what it really is) I was left thinking that Jay Z takes himself way too seriously. What's with all the wardrobe changes, for instace?
Most of the performances in the concert segments are superb; Mary J. Blige in particular, and some are too short like Ghostface and Missy Elliot. The scene with Ghostface getting additional bling from Slick Rick, before going out onstage, is much needed comic relief. The appearance of Foxy Brown helps in that respect as well, and she adds visual appeal to say the least. Beyonce certainly lights up the screen. Something about the R Kelly performance seemed very contrived, and I can't understand the rousing applause he receieved; it seems like he tried to upstage Jay.
The studio scenes show Jay Z as a very serious artist. Maybe too much. He keeps mentioning that "the Black album" is his last record and how important it is to be perfect. Yeah, it's a great record, but perfect? Much is made of Jay's ability to write on the fly, which is admirable and no doubt Jay has skillz in abundance. Jay would have been smart to use more of Rick Rubin's and Timbaland's production. I like how Jay gives props to Rubin, who is arguably one of the best producers today.
One thing I have to take issue with in this film is some of what are supposed to be candid shots in the audience. I've got to think some of these were staged, such as the guy who taps his heart twice before throwing up the peace sign in memory of Biggie, or when it appears people are jumping out of their seats, etc. I like the production of the live segments, and it's a fitting tribute to Jay's career, but at times it seems a bit overproduced. Just my opinion.
All in all, if you like Jay Z you'll no doubt like this. If you're curious about Jay Z you'll see what all the hype is about. It's also a testament to Jay and his ability to steer his career, at times perhaps trying to hard.
Movie Review: He knows what he's doing
Summary: 4 Stars
Jay-Z can easily be classified as haughty; he has been identifying himself as the best rapper alive for years. But, while I don't think he's the absolute best who has ever touched a microphone, he is one of the most skilled rappers ever. His vivid descriptions of life in the `hood and his all-around creative ways to tell stories via rap separate him from average rappers and place him in the ethereal positions that we have put rappers like 2 Pac and Biggie Smalls. "Fade to Black" is a nice documentary/concert starring Shawn "Jay-Z", "Jigga Man", "J-Hova", "Hovi" Carter.
Jay-Z has a slew of celebrities he features in his flick including Twista, R. Kelly, Ghostface Killah, Mary J. Blige, Beyonce', Memphis Bleek (who got more air time than he deserved) and Beanie Siegal. Jay is very crafty, especially the way in which he writes his rhymes. He listens to a beat for awhile and writes his rhymes mentally. It was very intriguing to watch him mentally compose such great music. One thing I appreciated about this film was the candidness of it. Everything from the audience to the informal conversations he had with his celebrities comrades to him chilling at the studio all helped to make his documentary more intimate and personal. Further, I had no idea Jay was such an outstanding performer! He recites his lyrics effortlessly and has great stage presence, yet he is such a calm individual. He never seems to overreact, even when things don't transpire in his favor. He speaks his mind but he's always so unruffled, much like a quiet storm.
He delivers some of his biggest hits like "Encore", "Can't Knock the Hustle", "Song Cry", "Best of Both Worlds" and "What More Can I Say?" He also pays homage to rappers who have passed on and played snippets of their music. Also, the first outfit he wore was a Biggie shirt, jeans and tennis shoes. He also wore a very nice suit and a New Jersey Nets jersey (how ironic, he's part owner of the Nets).
I enjoyed watching Jay express himself musically and personally. He appears to be a mellow and down to earth individual with a good head on his shoulders. Hip hop and rap fans, take a few hours and view this movie.