Remember when ITunes unveiled Jay-Z’s American Gangster tracklist and album cover?
Well either Itunes jumped the gun, Def Jam fed them bogus information, or Jay just keeps switching things up. A bunch of music journalists, including people from Vibe and Entertainment Weekly got a taste of the new inspired-by the-soundtrack disc and it appears either Hova has changed song titles or is still tinkering with the album and adding new tracks.
Titles that are different or have been renamed from the original tracklist include “Pray,” “Roc Boys” “I Know,” “Success,” “Say Hello To The Bad Guy” (a DJ Toomp beat) and “When The Money Is Gone,” according to EW’s blog preview.
Keep in mind one song was originally called, “Untitled,” and Jay put together in a quick three weeks, so maybe he’s just finally filling in the blanks?
“It plays like a cautionary tale,” Jay told the reporters in the room of the album. “But it’s not me. I made it. I’m a bad motherfucker.”
“Ignorant Shit,” is apparently a holdover from 2003’s Black Album with a new verse by Beanie Sigel and new rhymes that eviscerate ousted racialist Don Imus. Producers on the album include Diddy’s Hitmen, Jermaine Dupri and longtime collaborator Just Blaze, but other than that, guest spots on the album are scarce. According to Vibe’e report, Gangster is “lush with a live band sound that echoes the deep soul and funk sounds of the film.”
EW said the single “Blue Magic” (which features Pharell/Neptunes) was conspicuously gone from the evening’s playlist and it might now end up as a unlisted bonus track on the album – further evidence to support the idea that Jay-Z is still (or was) tinkering with the album. Another track that may or may not make the album is “This Shit Right Here,” which is led by a tricky Marvin Gaye sample.
