The Dynasty Roc La Familia (2000- ) Review

07/13/2005 6:59 AM, AMG


At the time of The Dynasty Roc la Familia's release, Jay-Z had already established himself as a towering figure in the rap world. His previous two albums -- Vol. 2: Hard Knock Life and Vol. 3: Life and Times of S. Carter -- spawned numerous gigantic hits and were filled the brim with the biggest hitmakers in rap: producers like Timbaland and Swizz Beatz; rappers like Juvenile and DMX. So rather than try to one-up these albums with yet more super-producers and big-name rappers, Jay-Z took a different approach on The Dynasty. He brought in a stable of up-and-coming producers -- the Neptunes, Just Blaze, Kayne West -- and handed the mic to his in-house roster of Roc-a-Fella rappers -- Beanie Sigel, Memphis Bleek, Freeway -- in hopes of recording a fresh album unlike his previous work while furthering his "dynasty" of young labelmates at the same time. The approach works well. The Dynasty Roc la Familia still sounds like a Jay-Z album, but it's different enough from his past work to make it exciting and unique. In particular, the production set Jigga apart from his peers in 2000, especially "I Just Wanna Love You (Give It 2 Me)" by the Neptunes, a fun, playful song miles away from the rugged Ruff Ryder beats Swizz Beatz had been offering Jay-Z a year earlier. In regard to rapping, the omnipresence of Beanie Sigel and Memphis Bleek spices up "Parking Lot Pimpin'," another album highlight, but you tire of them as the album lumbers on toward its long-winded conclusion. Guest appearances by Snoop Dogg and Scarface are much more welcome, two of only three non-Roc-a-Fella guests invited along. Thus in the end The Dynasty plays like a Roc-a-Fella showcase rather than a Jay-Z album. This, of course, means you have to endure a lot of promotional posse tracks, particularly toward the end of the album. Still, the few standout tracks here are career highlights and well worth wading through the filler to find. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide