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| Misc = }} ''Watch the Throne'' is a collaborative studio album by American rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West, released on August 8, 2011, by Roc-A-Fella Records, Roc Nation, and Def Jam Recordings. Before the album, Jay-Z and West had collaborated on their respective singles and with West as a producer on Jay-Z's work. As longtime friends, they originally sought out to record a five-song EP together, but the project eventually evolved into a full-length album. Recording sessions took place at various locations and began in November 2010. The album was produced by West, 88 Keys, RZA, Swizz Beatz, Jeff Bhasker, and Mike Dean, among others. Expanding on the dense production style of West's 2010 album ''My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy'', ''Watch the Throne'' incorporates orchestral and progressive rock influences, unconventional samples, and dramatic melodies in its sound. Jay-Z and West's braggadocio lyrics exhibit themes of opulence, fame, materialism, power, and the burdens of success, as well as political and socioeconomic context. The album expresses other topics such as Jay-Z's thoughts on fatherhood, West's reflection on being deemed a social villain, and their legacy as performers. Music writers interpreted the subject matter to concern the rappers' plight as African Americans struggling with financial success in America. The album produced seven singles, including the international hits "Otis", "Niggas in Paris", and "No Church in the Wild", which all received music videos. "H•A•M" and "Gotta Have It" were successful US ''Billboard'' singles, with "Why I Love You" and "Lift Off" attaining success internationally. Jay-Z and West promoted the album with the Watch the Throne Tour that spanned October 2011 to June 2012 and became the highest grossing hip-hop concert tour in history. ''Watch the Throne'' debuted at number one on the US ''Billboard'' 200 chart, selling 436,000 copies its first week. It received generally positive reviews from music critics, who commended its production and the rappers' performances, although some criticized its subject matter and cohesiveness. It was also one of the top-ranked albums in year-end lists by critics and publications and earned Jay-Z and West seven Grammy Award nominations. The album is certified platinum in the US. == Background == Jay-Z and Kanye West first worked together on the song "This Can't Be Life", from Jay-Z's 2000 album ''The Dynasty: Roc La Familia'', produced by West,〔Pendergast (2006), p. 174.〕 then on Jay-Z's 2001 album ''The Blueprint'', which showcased West's distinctive style of hip hop production at the time. West's early production work on Jay-Z's music helped raise his profile in the music industry.〔 While originally only viewed as a producer, West eventually was seen as both a viable rapper and producer thanks to the success of his debut album ''The College Dropout'' and its singles.〔Pareles, Jon. ("Review: ''Late Registration"'' ). ''The New York Times''. Retrieved on October 6, 2009.〕 West continued to be one of Jay-Z's main producers on subsequent albums such as ''The Black Album'' and ''Kingdom Come''.〔 Jay-Z appeared on Kanye's first two albums as well, and the two frequently collaborated.〔〔 Further collaborative work by the two included singles such as "Swagga Like Us" from rapper T.I.'s ''Paper Trail'', "Run This Town" from Jay-Z's ''The Blueprint 3'', and "Monster" from West's ''My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy''.〔 During the promotional stages of West's ''My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy'', a remix of the song "Power" surfaced featuring Jay-Z. Following this, West announced on Twitter his intention to drop a five-track EP with Jay-Z, titled ''Watch the Throne''.〔 Also according to the rapper, the track "Monster" was intended for the EP, though that failed to surface.〔 It was later revealed by West that the project had been expanded into a full-length album in an October 2010 interview for MTV. He said in the interview that they planned to record in the south of France.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Watch the Throne」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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