[20] The track incorporates a sample of Nina Simone's 1965 song "Feeling Good" through an Auto-Tune voice processor.

[20][36] The track contains a "sledgehammer beat" which is built around French house duo Cassius' 2010 single "I <3 U So".

I had a room where I was cranking out beats, and then I'd go into the main room with Jay and [Kanye] and play beats for them. "[13] It apparently sampled Andrea Bocelli's "Con te partirò" and was described as catchy but for unknown reasons, the song never made it onto the album. "[114], Watch the Throne received nominations for Best Rap Album and Best Recording Package at the 54th Grammy Awards in 2012.

[9] He said in the interview that they planned to record in the south of France.[9]. [8] Following this, Kanye West announced on Twitter his intention to drop a five-track EP with Jay-Z, titled Watch the Throne.

[26] In early May 2011, rumors arose that "Lift Off" was to feature Bruno Mars who had recorded vocals.

commented about the project that "you're going to sell, because you're already big. [13] In an interview for Billboard, Jay-Z said that they often recorded in hotel rooms and that the album went through three iterations, as he and West had scaled back from their original musical direction.

[11] One of the tracks that was recorded but didn't make the cut for the album was "Living So Italian.

[42] Andy Kellman of Allmusic characterizes much of the album's lyrical content as "ruthless flaunting of material wealth and carte blanche industry resources. [62] The sales strategy received criticism from other retailers, who accused the labels of giving preferential treatment to iTunes and Best Buy.

The album also expresses other topics, such as Jay's thoughts on fatherhood, West's reflection on being deemed a social villain, and their success as performers. [8] Also according to the rapper, the track "Monster" was intended for the EP, though that failed to surface. [16] Recording artist and producer Ryan Leslie also confirmed his involvement in the recording of Watch the Throne. [1] Production began in November 2010 in England and continued during available times in Jay-Z's and West's schedules at locations in Australia, Paris, Abu Dhabi,[12] New York City, and Los Angeles.

[106] Chris Richards of The Washington Post ranked it number two on his list and stated, "Instead of blushing over their embarrassment of riches, pop's most intriguing partnership delivered a self-congratulatory opus that was adventurous enough to remind us that they're rap visionaries first, 1 percent bazillionaires second. [38] Sharing the name with a Guns N' Roses track, Jay describes himself as the "black Axl Rose" over a jittery, treble-heavy Swizz Beatz production. "[48] Randall Roberts of the Los Angeles Times deemed it "a cocksure, fiery, smart, if problematic, collaboration that showcases the pair's distinct lyrical skills. Many writers interpreted the subject matter to concern the rappers' plight as African Americans struggling with financial success in America. [89] By February 2012, it had reached digital sales of two million in the US. [87][88] "Niggas in Paris" was sent to Top 40/Mainstream radio on November 8.

[17] Producer 88-Keys reportedly played 20 of his beats to West and Jay, who only eventually used one on the finished album. "Illest Motherfucker Alive" features additional vocals by Kid Cudi, Bankulli, and Aude Cardona. Credits for Watch the Throne adapted from liner notes. Obviously there aren't a lot of details, but this should definitely give hope to folks who'd long since given up on the idea of a new Hov and Yeezy album.

At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 76, based on 42 reviews. Its braggadocio lyrics exhibit themes of opulence, fame, materialism, power, and the burdens of success, as well as political and socioeconomic context. [50][54], On "New Day", they address future sons about fame. "[30], Julian Benbow of The Boston Globe writes that the album's music is as "massive, dour, and relentlessly unconventional" as that of West's previous 2010 album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.
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.

It's people that's in the forefront of the music. 1", "Spike Jonze to direct Kanye & Jay-Z's "Otis" video", "Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles – Issue Date: August 27, 2011", "FMQB: Radio Industry News, Music Industry Updates, Arbitron Ratings, Music News and more! Sample of "Otis" which features Jay-Z and West trading verses over the riff of the sample.

[28] Additional vocalists Elly Jackson, Connie Mitchell, and Justin Vernon provide the hook on "That's My Bitch", Vernon had previously appeared on West's album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, when West sampled Vernon's band Bon Iver's song "Woods", Vernon also provided additional vocals on songs such as "Dark Fantasy" and "Monster".

[112] In 2018, Revolt listed the album at number one on their list of the 10 rap collaboration albums.

"[53] "Niggas in Paris" incorporates staccato orchestration and fizzing industrial noise, topping it all off with a menacing beat and icy synthesizer notes.

"[103], Watch the Throne was one of the top-ranked albums in year-end lists by music critics and publications. "[39] Randall Roberts of the Los Angeles Times notes "musings on the spoils of riches and the chaos that accompanies it," adding that "[the] tension between worshiping the spirit and celebrating the bounty drives Watch the Throne [...] The record questions faith while clinging to heritage and family, places this moment in an historical context, wonders on the mystery, power and confusion of the gilded life — while rolling around in amulets.

[60] On July 4, 2011, it was made available to pre-order on Life + Times, Jay-Z's lifestyle webzine, which redirected to Island Def Jam's website that featured the deluxe version available for $16.99, standard CD for $13.99, a deluxe digital version for $14.99, and standard digital album for $11.99. [12], Parts of the album were recorded in New York City's Tribeca Grand Hotel. [128] It reached number one on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and Top Rap Albums charts. [128] It serves as Jay-Z's 12th number-one album and West's fifth number-one album in the US. It can be replaced by other forms of music. We'll just have to wait and see. Kevin Mazur/WireImage. [73], Watch the Throne spawned seven official singles, with varying degrees of success. The project features guest appearances from Frank Ocean, The-Dream, Beyoncé and Mr Hudson, as well as posthumous vocals by soul musicians Otis Redding and Curtis Mayfield.
Club wrote that "exhilarating messiness and go-for-broke spontaneity infect Jay-Z and push him outside his comfort zone and into a realm of intense emotional reflection. [15] In an interview with Complex, No I.D. [38][47] The song has been described as an understated soft-pop track with influence from Michael Jackson and his 1985 charity single "We Are the World". "Primetime" contains samples of "Action", written and performed by Orange Krush. [145] The album peaked at number two on the Australian Albums Chart, the German Albums Chart the Danish Albums Chart, and at number three on both the Scottish Albums Chart and the UK Albums Chart. [50] Jay-Z muses on his drug-dealing past with lines like "our apple pie was supplied by Arm & Hammer", with West's verse describing his conflict with fame. [71] By the end of 2011 the tour had grossed $48.3 million making it the then highest grossing hip-hop tour[72] (until being surpassed by Summer Sixteen Tour) and the eighth highest-grossing tour of 2011. A short time later, Yeezy was hospitalized after suffering "temporary psychosis due to sleep deprivation and dehydration.". On the track, Hov spits, "But this 'fuck everybody' attitude ain't natural/But you ain't the same, this ain't KumbaYe/But you got hurt because you did cool by 'Ye/You gave him 20 million without blinkin''/He gave you 20 minutes on stage, fuck was he thinkin'?". [90] The song was promoted with a music video directed by West himself, featuring concert footage.

Hov eventually addressed Yeezy's mid-concert rant about him on his 2017 album, 4:44.

Talks About 'Swagger Like Us,' Leaked Single Featuring Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, Kanye West", "Kanye West Reveals Which Good Friday Tracks Are On Fantasy", "Kanye West & Jay-Z Said To Release Five-Song EP, "Watch The Throne, "Kanye West and Jay-Z Planning Joint Album", "Jay-Z Talks 'Watch the Throne' & Calls Beyonce 'The Second Coming, "How Jay-Z and Kanye West finally made 'Watch the Throne, "Jay-Z Previews 'Watch the Throne' in New York", "Interview: No I.D. [128] Its debut week serves as the second highest debut week of 2011, while its first week digital sales of 321,000 downloads serve as the second highest one-week sales tally in digital history. [45] Redding's vocals are chopped up so thoroughly that his voice serves as a mere melodic riff on the track, with both rappers promptly rapping over it in a braggadocio fashion. [84], The album's fourth and fifth singles were released simultaneously; in September 2011, "Why I Love You" was sent to US rhythmic radio, and "Niggas in Paris" was sent to both rhythmic and urban radio. "[43], Slant Magazine's Matthew Cole was less impressed, believing West had contributed a "powerhouse production" but that the album "requires you to tolerate the artists' self-mythologizing and put up with their sometimes awkward attempts at experimentation. 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.

[95] "Gotta Have It" peaked at position 69 on the Hot 100, with "No Church in the Wild" peaking at 72.