Watch the Throne
{{Short description|2011 studio album by Jay-Z and Kanye West}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2017}}
{{good article}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Watch the Throne
| type = studio
| artist = Jay-Z and Kanye West
| cover = Watch The Throne.jpg
| border = yes
| alt = An image of a highly embellished gold square. It is completely symmetrical with abstract carvings. Only the center of the image has no carving
| released = {{start date|2011|8|8}}
| recorded = {{hlist|July 2010{{efn|Though the recording sessions for Watch the Throne formally began in November 2010, the songs "That's My Bitch" and "The Joy" were recorded for West's previous album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy as early as July 2010.{{Cite web|url=https://www.vulture.com/2010/07/is_this_the_tracklist_for_kany.html|title=Is This the Track List for Kanye's New Album?|date=July 9, 2010|access-date=August 1, 2020|author=Barshad, Amos|website=Vulture}}}}|November 2010 – July 2011}}
| studio = {{hlist|Avex (Honolulu)|Barford Estate (Sydney)|Electric Lady|The Mercer Hotel|MSR|Tribeca Grand Hotel (New York City)|Le Meurice (Paris)|Real World (Wiltshire)|Unknown location (Abu Dhabi)}}
| genre = * Hip-hop
| length = {{Duration|m=46|s=12}}
| label = * Def Jam
| producer = * Kanye West
- 88-Keys
- Hit-Boy
- Pete Rock
- Jeff Bhasker
- Mike Dean
- No I.D.
- The Neptunes
- Q-Tip
- RZA
- Sak Pase
- Swizz Beatz
- Avery Chambliss
- S1
- Southside
- Lex Luger
| misc = {{Extra chronology
| artist = Jay-Z
| type = studio
| prev_title = The Hits Collection, Volume One
| prev_year = 2010
| title = Watch the Throne
| year = 2011
| next_title = Live in Brooklyn
| next_year = 2012
}}
{{Extra chronology
| artist = Kanye West
| type = studio
| prev_title = My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
| prev_year = 2010
| title = Watch the Throne
| year = 2011
| next_title = Cruel Summer
| next_year = 2012
}}
{{Singles
| name = Watch the Throne
| type = studio
| single1 = H•A•M
| single1date = January 11, 2011
| single2 = Otis
| single2date = July 20, 2011
| single3 = Lift Off
| single3date = August 23, 2011
| single4 = Niggas in Paris
| single4date = September 13, 2011
| single5 = Why I Love You
| single5date = September 13, 2011
| single6 = Gotta Have It
| single6date = December 6, 2011
| single7 = No Church in the Wild
| single7date = March 20, 2012
}}
}}
Watch the Throne is a collaborative studio album by American rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West. It was released on August 8, 2011, by Roc-A-Fella Records, Roc Nation, and Def Jam Recordings. Prior to its release, Jay-Z and West had collaborated on various singles, and with the latter as a producer on the former's work. They originally sought to record a five-song collaborative extended play, which evolved into a full-length album. The album features guest appearances from Frank Ocean, The-Dream, Beyoncé and Mr Hudson. It also features vocal contributions from Kid Cudi, Seal, Justin Vernon, Elly Jackson, Connie Mitchell, Charlie Wilson, and Pete Rock, among others; samples of vocals by soul musicians Otis Redding and Curtis Mayfield are both credited as guest features on the album.
Recording sessions took place at various locations and began in November 2010, with production led by West and a variety of high-profile producers, including Mike Dean, Swizz Beatz, Pete Rock, RZA, Jeff Bhasker, The Neptunes, and Q-Tip. Expanding on the dense production style of West's fifth studio album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010), Watch the Throne incorporates orchestral and progressive rock influences, unconventional samples, and dramatic melodies in its sound. The braggadocious lyrics exhibit themes of excellence, opulence, decadence, fame, materialism, power, and the burdens of success, as well as political and socioeconomic critique.{{cite book |last1=Rollefson |first1=J. Griffith |title=Critical Excess: Watch the Throne and the New Gilded Age |date=June 2021 |publisher=University of Michigan Press |location=Ann Arbor |isbn=978-0472054879 |url=https://criticalexcess.org/}} The album also expresses other topics, such as Jay-Z's thoughts on fatherhood, West's reflection on being deemed a social villain, and their success as performers. Many writers interpreted the subject matter to concern the plight of African Americans struggling with financial success in America.
Seven singles were released for Watch the Throne, including "H•A•M", "Otis", "Lift Off", "No Church in the Wild", and the Billboard Hot 100 top five hit "Niggas in Paris", with 3 of the singles receiving music videos. Jay-Z and West embarked on the Watch the Throne Tour for promotion that spanned from October 2011 to June 2012 and became the highest-grossing hip-hop concert tour in history. The album received highly positive reviews from music critics, who mostly praised the rappers' performances and the production. However, some reviewers found the lyrical content uninspiring.
Many critics and publications named Watch the Throne to their year-end best-of lists, including Rolling Stone and The Washington Post. The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, selling 436,000 copies in the first week, and broke the iTunes first week sales record at the time. It reached the top ten in 11 other countries, including Canada and the United Kingdom. It was also certified quintuple platinum in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in November 2020.
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.{{cite web|last=Birchmeier|first=Jason|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/kanye-west-p353484/biography|title=Kanye West|work=Allmusic|at=Biography|year=2010|access-date=August 11, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120904031702/http://www.allmusic.com/artist/kanye-west-mn0000361014|archive-date=September 4, 2012|df=mdy-all}} 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. [https://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/29/arts/music/29choi.html?scp=1&sq=a%20producer%20in%20another%20star&st=cse "Review: Late Registration"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110820071538/http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/29/arts/music/29choi.html?scp=1&sq=a%20producer%20in%20another%20star&st=cse |date=August 20, 2011 }}. 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.{{cite web |first=Peter |last=Macia |title=Kingdom Come – Jay-Z > Review |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/9647-kingdom-come/ |website=Pitchfork |date=November 20, 2006 |access-date=December 25, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121228124026/http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/9647-kingdom-come/ |archive-date=December 28, 2012 |df=mdy-all }} Jay-Z also appeared on Kanye's first two albums, 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 both "Monster" and "So Appalled" from West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.{{cite web|first=Shaheem|last=Reid|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1593422/20080823/t_i_.jhtml|title=T.I. Talks About 'Swagger Like Us,' Leaked Single Featuring Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, Kanye West|publisher=MTV News. Viacom|date=August 25, 2008|access-date=August 11, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120823081835/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1593422/ti-talks-new-single-featuring-jay-z-lil-wayne-kanye.jhtml|archive-date=August 23, 2012|df=mdy-all}}{{cite web|last=Montgomery|first=James|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1650356/20101019/west_kanye.jhtml|title=Kanye West Reveals Which Good Friday Tracks Are On Fantasy|publisher=MTV News. Viacom|date=October 19, 2010|access-date=August 11, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105171954/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1650356/kanye-west-reveals-which-good-friday-tracks-on-fantasy.jhtml|archive-date=November 5, 2012|df=mdy-all}}
During the promotional stages of West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, a remix of the song "Power" surfaced featuring Jay-Z.{{cite web|last=Jacobs|first=Allen|url=http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.12075/title.kanye-west-jay-z-said-to-release-five-song-ep-watch-the-throne|title=Kanye West & Jay-Z Said To Release Five-Song EP, "Watch The Throne"|work=HipHopDX|date=October 19, 2010|access-date=August 11, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110823161338/http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.12075/title.kanye-west-jay-z-said-to-release-five-song-ep-watch-the-throne|archive-date=August 23, 2011|df=mdy-all}} Following this, Kanye 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.{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/news/40504-kanye-west-and-jay-z-planning-joint-album/|title=Kanye West and Jay-Z Planning Joint Album|date=October 25, 2010|first=Ryan|last=Dombal|website=Pitchfork|access-date=October 26, 2010|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120902185918/http://pitchfork.com/news/40504-kanye-west-and-jay-z-planning-joint-album/|archive-date=September 2, 2012|df=mdy-all}} He said in the interview that they planned to record in the south of France.
In an August 2011 radio interview with WEDR, Jay-Z shared the meaning behind the album's title;
"It's just protecting the music and the culture. It's people that's in the forefront of the music. Watch the Throne, like protect it. You just watch how popular music shift, and how hip-hop basically replaced rock & roll as the youth music. The same thing can happen to hip-hop. It can be replaced by other forms of music. So it's making sure that we put the effort into making the best product so we can contend with all this other music, with dance music that's dominating the charts right now and indie music that's dominating the festivals."{{cite magazine |author1=Erika Ramirez |title=Jay-Z Talks 'Watch the Throne' & Calls Beyonce 'The Second Coming' |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/the-juice/467908/jay-z-talks-watch-the-throne-calls-beyonce-the-second-coming |magazine=Billboard |access-date=February 4, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160402051856/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/the-juice/467908/jay-z-talks-watch-the-throne-calls-beyonce-the-second-coming |archive-date=April 2, 2016 |date=August 15, 2011 |url-status=live}}
Recording
File:RealWorldSide.jpg in Wiltshire, England.]]
Recording sessions for the album took place at Avex Recording Studio in Honolulu, Hawaii; Barford Estate in Sydney, Australia; Electric Lady Studios; The Mercer Hotel; MSR Studios; and Tribeca Grand Hotel in New York City; Le Meurice in Paris, France; and Real World Studios in Wiltshire, England.{{cite AV media notes |title=Watch the Throne |author1=Jay-Z |author2=Kanye West |year=2011 |type=PDF digital booklet |publisher=Universal Music Group }} The songs "That's My Bitch" and "The Joy" were previously recorded for My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy as early as July 2010. 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, New York City, and Los Angeles.{{cite magazine|last=Vozick-Levinson|first=Simon|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/jay-z-previews-watch-the-throne-in-new-york-20110708|title=Jay-Z Previews 'Watch the Throne' in New York|magazine=Rolling Stone|publisher=Wenner Media|date=July 8, 2011|access-date=July 17, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717141711/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/jay-z-previews-watch-the-throne-in-new-york-20110708|archive-date=July 17, 2011|df=mdy-all}} 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.{{cite magazine|last=Meadows-Ingram|first=Benjamin|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/469319/watch-the-throne-inside-jay-zs-private-listening-session|title='Watch The Throne': Inside Jay-Z's Private Listening Session|magazine=Billboard|publisher=Prometheus Global Media|date=July 8, 2011|access-date=July 21, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130529202743/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/469319/watch-the-throne-inside-jay-zs-private-listening-session|archive-date=May 29, 2013|df=mdy-all}} He noted difficulties in the recording process, including arguments with West regarding their direction. Following the release of lead single, "H•A•M" in January 2011, Jay-Z stated that the less-than-stellar reception caused a change in the production of the album. Jay-Z announced that it was unlikely that the track would ultimately make the album. The issues at the beginning of production had caused a delay in the release. In an interview for Rolling Stone, Jay-Z discussed their insistence on recording in person and attributed it to the delay in releasing the album, stating "If we were gonna do it, we were gonna do it together. No mailing it in".
The album's earlier sessions produced a little material that has made the final cut.{{cite web|author=Golianopoulos, Thomas|url=http://www.complex.com/music/2012/02/interview-no-id-talks-def-jam-kanye-west-how-he-affected-watch-the-throne/page/3|title=How Jay-Z and Kanye West finally made 'Watch the Throne'|work=New York Post|publisher=News Corporation|date=February 6, 2012|access-date=August 8, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120209024027/http://www.complex.com/music/2012/02/interview-no-id-talks-def-jam-kanye-west-how-he-affected-watch-the-throne/page/3|archive-date=February 9, 2012|df=mdy-all}} West had brought a majority of his usual production crew onto the project, the same crew that had assisted in the creation of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. One of the main exceptions was producer No I.D., who felt that the two artists weren't pushing forward enough with the music. In an interview with Complex, No I.D. commented about the project that "you're going to sell, because you're already big. But you guys are important to push this forward. Push intelligence and decadence and all of the above forward in a creative manner." While his advice was acknowledged to a degree, he ultimately had very little part in the finished project.{{cite web|last=Kim|first=Soo-Young|url=http://www.complex.com/music/2012/02/interview-no-id-talks-def-jam-kanye-west-how-he-affected-watch-the-throne/page/3|title=Interview: No I.D. Talks Def Jam, Kanye West, & How He Affected "Watch The Throne" (Page 3)|work=Complex|publisher=Complex Media|date=February 6, 2012|access-date=July 21, 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120626075837/http://www.complex.com/music/2012/02/interview-no-id-talks-def-jam-kanye-west-how-he-affected-watch-the-throne/page/3|archive-date=June 26, 2012|df=mdy-all}} In January 2011, they regrouped and rented a block of rooms at the Mercer Hotel in New York City and invited a select group of producers and recording artists. Chauncey "Hit-Boy" Hollis, who produced the track "Niggas in Paris", said of recording at the hotel, "There was music going on in every room. 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. Kanye is really hands-on. I would come in with a beat and he'd be like, 'Take this out, slow it down.' It would make it sound 100 times better. Jay would then mumble different flows to the beat".
Parts of the album were recorded in New York City's Tribeca Grand Hotel.{{cite web|last=Blanco|first=Alvin|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1667314/jay-z-kanye-west-watch-the-throne.jhtml|title=Jay-Z, Kanye Get To Work In Watch The Throne Studio Pics|publisher=MTV News. Viacom|date=July 14, 2011|access-date=July 19, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718104222/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1667314/jay-z-kanye-west-watch-the-throne.jhtml|archive-date=July 18, 2011|df=mdy-all}} Recording artist and producer Ryan Leslie also confirmed his involvement in the recording of Watch the Throne.{{cite web|url=http://hiphopdx.com/news/id.15103/title.ryan-leslie-explains-work-on-jay-z-kanye-wests-watch-the-throne|title=Ryan Leslie Explains Work On Jay-Z & Kanye West's "Watch The Throne"|date=May 12, 2011|publisher=Hiphopdx.com|access-date=May 12, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151001015624/http://hiphopdx.com/news/id.15103/title.ryan-leslie-explains-work-on-jay-z-kanye-wests-watch-the-throne|archive-date=October 1, 2015|df=mdy-all}} Producer 88-Keys reportedly played 20 of his beats to West and Jay, who only eventually used one on the finished album. The Wu-Tang Clan's RZA, who had worked on West's previous album,{{cite magazine |author1=Dukes, Rahman |author2=Reid, Shaheem |title=The Clipse Hint At Kanye West Collabo: Mixtape Monday |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1602920/20090116/story.jhtml |magazine=Rolling Stone |publisher=Wenner Media. |date=January 19, 2009 |access-date=January 19, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090122023428/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1602920/20090116/story.jhtml |archive-date=January 22, 2009 |df=mdy-all }} is credited as a producer on the track "New Day".{{cite news|last=Caramanica|first=Jon|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/14/arts/music/jay-z-and-kanye-wests-watch-the-throne.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1|title=Merging Empires – Jay-Z and Kanye West's 'Watch the Throne'|work=The New York Times|date=August 9, 2011|access-date=August 10, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170701104349/http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/14/arts/music/jay-z-and-kanye-wests-watch-the-throne.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1|archive-date=July 1, 2017|df=mdy-all}} Watch the Throne was mastered by producer and engineer Mike Dean at the Mercer Hotel.
File:Frank Ocean Lollapalooza 2012.jpg appears on "No Church in the Wild" and "Made in America". Ocean was brought onto the project per the reception of his prior musical ventures.]]
Jay-Z and West worked with several guest recording artists, including Beyoncé, Frank Ocean, and Mr Hudson.{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.co.uk/news/kanye-west/324238-kanye-west-jay-z-watch-the-throne-release-date|title=Kanye & Jay-Z Confirm 'Watch The Throne' Release Date|work=MTV UK|publisher=Viacom|date=July 19, 2011|access-date=July 19, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723195340/http://www.mtv.co.uk/news/kanye-west/324238-kanye-west-jay-z-watch-the-throne-release-date|archive-date=July 23, 2011|df=mdy-all}} "No Church in the Wild", the last song recorded for the album, was conceived by Jay-Z, West, and the song's producer 88-Keys throughout most of June.{{cite magazine|last=Thompson|first=Erica|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/the-juice/467974/88-keys-talks-the-making-of-watch-the-throne-track-no-church-in|title=88-Keys Talks the Making of 'Watch the Throne' Track, 'No Church in the Wild' – The Juice|magazine=Billboard|publisher=Prometheus Global Media|date=August 11, 2011|access-date=August 12, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130419061342/http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/the-juice/467974/88-keys-talks-the-making-of-watch-the-throne-track-no-church-in|archive-date=April 19, 2013|df=mdy-all}} Producer and recording artist The-Dream sings a verse on the track using AutoTune. The song features R&B singer Frank Ocean, who released his debut mixtape nostalgia,ULTRA in early 2011 to critical acclaim.{{cite web|last=Youngs|first=Ian|title=Sound of 2012: Frank Ocean|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-16390456|publisher=BBC . BBC Online|access-date=June 1, 2012|date=May 1, 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120802100117/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-16390456|archive-date=August 2, 2012|df=mdy-all}}{{cite web|last=Baker|first=Ernest|title=In His Own Words: Who is Frank Ocean?|url=http://www.complex.com/music/2011/03/who-is-frank-ocean|publisher=Complex Magazine. Complex Media|access-date=April 28, 2011|date=March 18, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110322024457/http://www.complex.com/music/2011/03/who-is-frank-ocean/|archive-date=March 22, 2011|df=mdy-all}} The release of the mixtape interested Jay-Z and West. Jay-Z's wife Beyoncé recommended the involvement of the singer in particular, who appears on both "No Church in the Wild" and "Made in America".{{cite web |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1667490/beyonce-complex-frank-ocean-kanye-west.jhtml |title=Beyonce Shares Her Love For Frank Ocean, Kanye West |first=Jocelyn |last=Vena |publisher=MTV News. Viacom |date=July 19, 2011 |access-date=August 21, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110822110501/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1667490/beyonce-complex-frank-ocean-kanye-west.jhtml |archive-date=August 22, 2011 |df=mdy-all }} Ocean admitted that Jay-Z has intentionally intimidated him during recording sessions but declared his enjoyment of working with the two. Ocean mused about the project:
"I rarely do collabs, so that's just one of the ones you absolutely do. It's like a no-brainer. I didn't really think about any of it. The last thing on my mind was working with artists who I've held in high esteem for years. [...] I worked with Jay on his solo album before I did the Watch the Throne sessions. The second time I went it was Barry Weiss, Jay, Beyoncé, Kanye, couple other people, it was a pretty heavy room."{{cite web|url=http://www.rap-up.com/2011/09/21/frank-ocean-talks-odd-future-jay-z-watch-the-throne-tour/|title=Frank Ocean talks Odd Future, Jay-Z & Watch the Throne Tour|work=Rap-Up|publisher=Devin Lazerine|date=March 17, 2012|access-date=May 20, 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120310112531/http://www.rap-up.com/2011/09/21/frank-ocean-talks-odd-future-jay-z-watch-the-throne-tour/|archive-date=March 10, 2012|df=mdy-all}}
"Lift Off" was recorded in Sydney, Australia.{{cite web|url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/music/album-review-watch-the-throne-by-jay-z-kanye-west/story-fn7oonq8-1226113047989|title=Album review: Watch the Throne by Jay-Z & Kanye West|work=Herald Sun|publisher=The Herald and Weekly Times. News Corporation|first=Cameron|last=Adams|date=August 11, 2011|access-date=August 3, 2011}} In early May 2011, rumors arose that "Lift Off" was to feature Bruno Mars who had recorded vocals. It was reported that the song would be released as the lead single from the album.{{cite web|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/news/a317496/beyonce-bruno-mars-record-collaboration.html|title=Beyoncé, Bruno Mars record collaboration|publisher=Digital Spy. Hachette Filipacchi Médias|first=Lewis|last=Corner|date=May 3, 2011|access-date=August 3, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110826125446/http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/news/a317496/beyonce-bruno-mars-record-collaboration.html|archive-date=August 26, 2011|df=mdy-all}} However, Mars never appeared on the song and Beyoncé sang several lines during the chorus instead.{{cite web|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/news/a329593/jay-z-kanye-west-reveal-watch-the-throne-deluxe-tracklisting.html|title=Jay-Z, Kanye West reveal 'Watch The Throne' deluxe tracklisting|publisher=Digital Spy. Hachette Filipacchi Médias|first=Lewis|last=Corner|date=July 13, 2011|access-date=August 3, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714231335/http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/news/a329593/jay-z-kanye-west-reveal-watch-the-throne-deluxe-tracklisting.html|archive-date=July 14, 2011|df=mdy-all}} 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".{{Cite web |url=https://www.vulture.com/2010/11/bon_ivers_justin_vernon_on.html |title=Bon Iver's Justin Vernon on Recording Kanye's Dark Fantasy |date=November 24, 2010 |access-date=September 27, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170927165550/http://www.vulture.com/2010/11/bon_ivers_justin_vernon_on.html |archive-date=September 27, 2017 |url-status=live }} Swizz Beatz, who produced "Welcome to the Jungle", also provided background vocals to the track, and Kid Cudi contributed additional vocals to "The Joy" and "Illest Motherfucker Alive", bonus tracks on the album's deluxe edition. One of the tracks that was recorded but didn't make the cut for the album was "Living So Italian". 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.
In 2013, Jay-Z released his twelfth studio album Magna Carta... Holy Grail. In an interview, he revealed that two songs on the album were initially recorded for Watch the Throne - the song "Oceans", which features Frank Ocean, and the song "Holy Grail", which went on to feature Justin Timberlake. (Timberlake's contribution to the track was not anticipated at the time, until the duo collaborated on Timberlake's 2013 comeback single "Suit & Tie" and "Murder" from The 20/20 Experience and The 20/20 Experience – 2 of 2 respectively.) West and Jay-Z argued for four days about having them included on the Watch the Throne, however West eventually relented and the duo recorded "No Church in the Wild" and "Made in America". In an interview with Zane Lowe, Jay-Z said: "[There were] no lyrics on 'Holy Grail' and I recorded 'Oceans' and I played those records for Kanye," Jay explained. "And he was like, 'No those have to go on Watch the Throne,' so we spent four days arguing about those records and I was explaining to him why it wasn't right for this project and I had a whole idea for making this album called Magna Carta... Holy Grail, the "Holy Grail" part of the name came after."{{cite web|url=http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.24679/title.jay-z-says-kanye-west-wanted-holy-grail-oceans-on-watch-the-throne-|title=Jay-Z Says Kanye West Wanted "Holy Grail" & "Oceans" On "Watch The Throne"|publisher=Hiphopdx.com|access-date=December 14, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141025154456/http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.24679/title.jay-z-says-kanye-west-wanted-holy-grail-oceans-on-watch-the-throne-|archive-date=October 25, 2014|df=mdy-all}}
Music and lyrics
File:Kanye_West_Coke_Live_Music_Festival_2011_(6314648600)_(cropped).jpg
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. Music writer Robert Christgau describes West's production as "a funkier and less ornate variant of the prog-rap of 2010's acclaimed My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy".{{cite web|last=Christgau|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Christgau|url=http://bnreview.barnesandnoble.com/t5/Rock-Roll/Brag-Like-That/ba-p/5743|title=Brag Like That – The Barnes & Noble Review|publisher=Barnes & Noble|date=August 19, 2011|access-date=September 20, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110924071857/http://bnreview.barnesandnoble.com/t5/Rock-Roll/Brag-Like-That/ba-p/5743|archive-date=September 24, 2011|df=mdy-all}} Music journalist Jody Rosen characterizes the music as "vast, dark and booming," commenting that West "continues in the sonic vein he introduced in My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, lacing the songs with rock dynamics, layering his beats with eerie vocal chorales, piling on proggy flourishes." Conversely, Matthew Cole of Slant Magazine finds West's "knack for dramatic, melodically sophisticated tracks [...] channeled away from the Olympian scale" of his previous album "and toward the more commercial vein of Jay-Z's recent work," which he attributes to West splitting production work with several other producers. On the songs' structure, Cole states, "every track eschews the standard verse-hook-repeat format in favor of more dynamic material."
Music journalist Alexis Petridis comments that the album incorporates "unlikely samples." Jon Caramanica of The New York Times writes that its production "can be roughly segmented into three categories," noting "Southern-inflected tracks" such as "Niggas in Paris" and "H•A•M", "moody and harsh numbers" like "Who Gon Stop Me" and "Why I Love You", and "the nostalgia that creeps over much of this album, giving it a sonic through-line and mission statement." Pitchfork's Tom Breihan perceives "pure orchestral excess" on some of its songs and describes the album's musical scope as "a tribute to [West's] distinctive taste and sense of style."
The album features themes of opulence, fame,{{cite web|last=Harvilla|first=Rob|url=http://www.spin.com/reviews/jay-z-and-kanye-west-watch-throne-roc-felladef-jamroc-nation|title=Jay-Z and Kanye West, 'Watch the Throne' (Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam/Roc Nation)|work=Spin|publisher=Spin Media|date=August 10, 2011|access-date=August 10, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111028205858/http://www.spin.com/reviews/jay-z-and-kanye-west-watch-throne-roc-felladef-jamroc-nation|archive-date=October 28, 2011|df=mdy-all}} materialism,{{cite web|last=Jones|first=Steve|url=https://www.usatoday.com/life/music/reviews/2011-08-08-jay-z-kanye-west-watch-the-throne-music-review_n.htm|title=Listen Up: Jay-Z and Kanye West raise the bar with 'Throne'|work=USA Today|publisher=Gannett Company|date=August 8, 2011|access-date=August 9, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110809002656/http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/reviews/2011-08-08-jay-z-kanye-west-watch-the-throne-music-review_n.htm|archive-date=August 9, 2011|df=mdy-all}} power, and the burdens of success.{{cite web|last=Abebe|first=Nitsuh|url=https://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2011/08/watch_the_throne_review.html|title=Watch the Throne: Uneasy Heads Wear Gaudy Crowns – Vulture|work=New York|publisher=New York Media|date=August 12, 2011|access-date=August 17, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110822201227/http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2011/08/watch_the_throne_review.html|archive-date=August 22, 2011|df=mdy-all}} Jay-Z's and West's lyrics include boasts of obscene wealth, grandiosity,{{cite web|last=Rodriguez|first=Jayson|url=http://www.xxlmag.com/reviews/2011/08/the-throne-jay-z-kanye-west-watch-the-throne/|title=The Throne (Jay-Z & Kanye West), Watch the Throne|work=XXL|publisher=Harris Publications|date=August 12, 2011|access-date=August 13, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110930132345/http://www.xxlmag.com/reviews/2011/08/the-throne-jay-z-kanye-west-watch-the-throne/|archive-date=September 30, 2011|df=mdy-all}} and social commentary. Sputnikmusic's Tyler Fisher describes Watch the Throne as "an album centered around larger-than-life egos."{{cite web|last=Fisher|first=Tyler|url=https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/45036/Jay-Z-and-Kanye-West-Watch-the-Throne/|title=Jay-Z and Kanye West – Watch the Throne (staff review)|website=Sputnikmusic|date=August 10, 2011|access-date=August 11, 2011|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121216114533/http://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/45036/Jay-Z-and-Kanye-West-Watch-the-Throne/|archive-date=December 16, 2012|url-status=live}} Robert Christgau notes "regal grandiosity" and "glory" as primary themes on the album.{{cite web|last=Christgau|first=Robert|url=http://social.entertainment.msn.com/music/blogs/expert-witness-blogpost.aspx?post=a85e83f3-b6a0-4cea-9f27-a001d8f9af6f|title=Jay Z Kanye West/Classic Rock Gold|work=MSN Music|publisher=Microsoft|date=August 26, 2011|access-date=August 26, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110929042300/http://social.entertainment.msn.com/music/blogs/expert-witness-blogpost.aspx?post=a85e83f3-b6a0-4cea-9f27-a001d8f9af6f|archive-date=September 29, 2011|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}} Andy Kellman of Allmusic characterizes much of the album's lyrical content as "ruthless flaunting of material wealth and carte blanche industry resources." Rob Harvilla of Spin views that their lyrics express elitism, narcissism, "relentless capitalism," and "smug yet undeniable greatness."
File:Jay-Z Kanye Watch the Throne Staples Center 7.jpg themes pertaining to opulence, fame, power and the burdens of success in addition to socio-political commentary on the financial struggles of African-Americans in America.]]
Music critic Greg Kot views that the album is about "mutual admiration" and writes of the rappers' respective personas, "Jay-Z is about imperious flow, bridging his gritty past life on the streets with his current status as a cultural tastemaker and business mogul. [...] West is more desperate, transparent, awkward, vulnerable." Music critic Nathan Rabin states that Jay-Z and West "are a study in contrasts: the businessman and the bohemian, the faithful husband and the drugged-up playboy, the walking press release and the loose cannon. Jay-Z is tidy. Kanye is nothing but rough edges." Jon Caramanica writes similarly, "breaking [...] old barriers is a means to acceptance and stability" for Jay-Z, while "West sounds lonely" with his fame, adding that "For Mr. West every flash of Dionysian extreme is tempered by the realization of its hollowness." In his article "Brag Like That" for Barnes & Noble, Robert Christgau comments that "Jay-Z is a grown man and Kanye is not" on the album and elaborates on their lyrics, stating:
{{blockquote|Both co-kings flaunt their arrogance even by the standards of a genre where braggadocio is the main event, and neither is shy about pretending that the line of succession from Otis Redding and Martin Luther King is paved with their gold. [...] One could venture that maybe Watch the Throne divvies up the way it does for rhetorical purposes—that one king plays the hero and the other the hedonist, two equally royal hip-hop archetypes.}}
Their lyrics also exhibit political and socioeconomic context,{{cite magazine|author=Staff|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/50-best-albums-of-2011-20111207/jay-z-and-kanye-west-watch-the-throne-19691231|title=50 Best Albums of 2011: Jay-Z and Kanye West, 'Watch the Throne'|magazine=Rolling Stone|publisher=Wenner Media|date=December 7, 2011|access-date=December 9, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120107172208/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/50-best-albums-of-2011-20111207/jay-z-and-kanye-west-watch-the-throne-19691231|archive-date=January 7, 2012|df=mdy-all}} which Jody Rosen denotes as "serious, sober, weighty." Nitsuh Abebe of New York views that the album is "about the relationship of black American men to wealth, power, and success. [...] a portrait of two black men thinking through the idea of success in America." He compares it to Yinka Shonibare's 1998 piece Diary of a Victorian Dandy, "in which the artist luxuriates in all the genteel pleasures of the time." 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." Writer Kitty Empire interprets it to be about "black power [...] conceived as a swaggering taunt of achievement, in line with both men's previous works, which routinely double as shopping guides. [...] [T]hey need to humanise all the conspicuous consumption." Claire Suddath of Time views the rappers' "bacchanal celebration of the finer things in life" as secondary to the theme of "two men grappling with what it means to be successful and black in a nation that still thinks of them as second class."
Songs
{{Listen|pos = right
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|filename2 = Otisreddingyeezy.ogg
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The opening track "No Church in the Wild" features a cinematic production style. Singers Frank Ocean and The-Dream lend their voices to the album's grim opener, which sets the mood with a gnarled guitar sample.{{cite magazine|author=Perpetua, Matthew|title=Kanye West and Jay-Z's 'Watch the Throne': A Track-by-Track Breakdown|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/kanye-west-and-jay-zs-watch-the-throne-a-track-by-track-breakdown-20110809|magazine=Rolling Stone|publisher=Wenner Media|date=August 9, 2011|access-date=December 27, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111224074301/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/kanye-west-and-jay-zs-watch-the-throne-a-track-by-track-breakdown-20110809|archive-date=December 24, 2011|df=mdy-all}} Over the rock-centric, rolling production, both rappers muse over familiar themes of loyalty, sexuality and maternal solidarity.{{cite news|last=Gill|first=Andy|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-watch-the-throne-watch-the-throne-mercury-2336024.html|title=Album: Watch The Throne, Watch the Throne (Mercury) – Reviews, Music|work=The Independent|publisher=Independent Print Limited|date=August 12, 2011|access-date=August 12, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121112011808/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-watch-the-throne-watch-the-throne-mercury-2336024.html|archive-date=November 12, 2012|df=mdy-all}} On the album, the song closes with a segment of Italian avant-prog band Orchestra Njervudarov's 1979 piece "Tristessa", which reappears at the end of several other songs.{{cite web|last1=Horner|first1=Al|title=A guide to the samples on Jay Z and Kanye West's Watch The Throne|url=https://www.factmag.com/2016/08/14/kanye-west-jay-z-watch-the-throne-samples/|website=Fact|access-date=15 February 2023|date=14 August 2016}} The pop-oriented "Lift Off" features baroque strings and a chorus sung by Beyoncé Knowles, accompanied with synthesizers.{{cite magazine|last=Anderson|first=Kyle|url=http://music-mix.ew.com/2011/08/09/watch-the-throne-review/|title=Kanye West and Jay-Z's 'Watch the Throne': Read the EW review|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|publisher=Time Inc.|date=August 9, 2011|access-date=August 9, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111114203721/http://music-mix.ew.com/2011/08/09/watch-the-throne-review/|archive-date=November 14, 2011|df=mdy-all}} The song contains horns and martial drums as Knowles sings, "We gon' take it to the moon/ Take it to the stars."{{cite web |url=http://www.rap-up.com/2011/08/08/new-music-jay-z-x-kanye-west-f-beyonce-lift-off/ |title=New Music: Jay-Z x Kanye West f/ Beyoncé – 'Lift Off' |work=Rap-Up |publisher=Devin Lazerine |date=August 8, 2011 |access-date=August 11, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121018034340/http://www.rap-up.com/2011/08/08/new-music-jay-z-x-kanye-west-f-beyonce-lift-off/ |archive-date=October 18, 2012 |df=mdy-all }} "Niggas in Paris" incorporates staccato orchestration and fizzing industrial noise, topping it all off with a menacing beat and icy synthesizer notes. The track features an unusual sampling of dialogue from the 2007 film Blades of Glory, notably the "we're gonna skate to one song and one song only" line. West and Jay-Z's lyrics frame their rags to riches story on the song.
"Otis" samples Otis Redding's 1966 song "Try a Little Tenderness", manipulating it into a rhythm track with Otis Redding's vocals and grunts. The sample is used in a way that is reminiscent to past Kanye productions, like the tracks found on his album The College Dropout. 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 braggadocious fashion. "Gotta Have It", produced by The Neptunes, incorporates chopped-up James Brown vocal samples and Eastern flute melodies. The song contains haunting backing vocals and an accompanying tambourine with the two rappers trading verses with the vocal riff playing over them. Much like "Otis", the track features sliced-up vocal snippets and an aggressive bass backing, with the two rappers trading lines and making references to the Yung Chris song "Racks" and other contemporary rap trends.{{cite web|author=Exton, Emily|url=http://popdust.com/2011/11/14/rihanna-talk-that-talk-birthday-cake-leak-new/|title=Gotta Have It by Kanye and Jay-Z Review|publisher=Popdust|date=November 14, 2011|access-date=October 7, 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120511060608/http://popdust.com/2011/11/14/rihanna-talk-that-talk-birthday-cake-leak-new/|archive-date=May 11, 2012|df=mdy-all}}
On "New Day", they address future sons about fame. It references the line "me and the RZA connect" from Raekwon's 1995 song "Incarcerated Scarfaces", which was also produced by RZA. The track incorporates a sample of Nina Simone's 1965 song "Feeling Good" through an Auto-Tune voice processor. Both rappers discuss their futures as fathers on the track, flowing smoothly over mellow, lightly psychedelic synthesizer tones. Both Justin Vernon and La Roux appear on "That's My Bitch", spitting off hooks over a quick, melodic beat, with West at his most abrasive lyrically. On "Welcome to the Jungle", Jay-Z laments personal losses and overcoming struggles. 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.
"Who Gon Stop Me" features bombastic production and samples Flux Pavilion's 2011 song "I Can't Stop", reinforced with heavy synthesizer and tone shifts.{{cite magazine|last=Amidon|first=David|url=https://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/146028-jay-z-kanye-west-watch-the-throne|title=Jay-Z & Kanye West: Watch the Throne|magazine=PopMatters|date=August 12, 2011|access-date=August 12, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927000237/http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/146028-jay-z-kanye-west-watch-the-throne|archive-date=September 27, 2011|df=mdy-all}} The song utilizes an often experimental, bass-driven and dubstep-influenced style of composition, with West forcefully rapping lines like "this is something like the Holocaust". "Murder to Excellence" addresses black-on-black crime and limited social mobility for African Americans. Midway through the song the beat switches up, with Kanye musing over the horrors of black-on-black violence in the first half, and Jay-Z delivering equally meditated comments on black excellence on the more choir-heavy second half. A sample from Indiggo's "LA LA LA" can be heard on the song.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/14/arts/music/jay-z-and-kanye-wests-watch-the-throne.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0|last=Caramancia|first=Jon|title=Two Titans Share the Seat of Power|newspaper=The New York Times|date=August 9, 2011|access-date=February 24, 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140310213700/http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/14/arts/music/jay-z-and-kanye-wests-watch-the-throne.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0|archive-date=March 10, 2014|df=mdy-all}}{{cite magazine |url=http://www.complex.com/music/2013/01/the-20-best-white-girl-vocal-samples-in-rap-history/jay-z-kanye-west-murder-to-excellence |last=Iandoli |first=Kathy |title=18. Jay-Z & Kanye West "Murder to Excellence" (2011) — The 20 Best White Girl Vocal Samples in Rap History |magazine=Complex Music |date=January 24, 2013 |access-date=March 4, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140701211855/http://www.complex.com/music/2013/01/the-20-best-white-girl-vocal-samples-in-rap-history/jay-z-kanye-west-murder-to-excellence |archive-date=July 1, 2014 |df=mdy-all }}{{cite web |url=http://www.napocanews.ro/2013/07/indiggo-twins-din-nou-la-the-bitter-end-din-new-york.html |language=ro |title=Indiggo Twins din nou la The Bitter End din New York |website=Napoca News |date=November 7, 2013 |access-date=March 4, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140304043743/http://www.napocanews.ro/2013/07/indiggo-twins-din-nou-la-the-bitter-end-din-new-york.html |archive-date=March 4, 2014 |df=mdy-all }} At 5 minutes in length, "Murder to Excellence" is the longest track on the album.
"Made in America" has themes of family life and the American Dream, with Jay-Z and West discussing their respective rises to fame, while acknowledging those who helped and inspired them. 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". Ocean's hook pays tribute to Martin Luther King Jr., Coretta Scott King, Malcolm X, Betty Shabazz and Jesus on one of the album's more serene tracks. 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. "Why I Love You" has Jay-Z lamenting betrayal and how his past protégés failed to maintain without him. The track contains a "sledgehammer beat" which is built around French house duo Cassius' 2010 single "I <3 U So". West's production continues in the sonic vein he introduced in My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, lacing the song with rock dynamics, layering the beat with eerie vocal chorales in the style of progressive rock songs.
Release and promotion
File:Jay-Z Kanye WTT Tour.jpg, 2011.]]
Watch the Throne was released by Roc-A-Fella Records, Roc Nation, and Def Jam Recordings,{{cite press release|title=Kanye West and Jay-Z Form New Group! They Are Now Called 'The Throne' and Confirm the Most Anticipated Album & Tour of the Year: Watch the Throne|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kanye-west-and-jay-z-form-new-group-they-are-now-called-the-throne-and-confirm-the-most-anticipated-album--tour-of-the-year-watch-the-throne-126104973.html|publisher=Live Nation Entertainment|date=July 25, 2011|access-date=July 29, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121015064250/http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kanye-west-and-jay-z-form-new-group-they-are-now-called-the-throne-and-confirm-the-most-anticipated-album--tour-of-the-year-watch-the-throne-126104973.html|archive-date=October 15, 2012|df=mdy-all}} Jay-Z's and West's respective record labels.{{cite web|author=Gyant|url=https://www.bet.com/article/kd76af/watch-out-jay-z-and-kanye-west-collabo-could-fall-short|title=Watch Out: Jay-Z and Kanye West Collabo Could Fall Short|work=BET|publisher=BET Interactive|date=July 5, 2011|access-date=July 17, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110709025000/http://www.bet.com/news/opinion/sound-off/watch-out-jay-z-and-kanye-west-collabo-could-fall-short.html|archive-date=July 9, 2011|df=mdy-all}} 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. On July 22, its pre-order was made available on the iTunes Store.{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/the-juice/469381/kanye-west-and-jay-z-offer-watch-the-throne-pre-order|title=Kanye West and Jay-Z Offer 'Watch the Throne' Pre-Order|website=billboard.com|date=July 4, 2011|access-date=June 28, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161110144543/http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/the-juice/469381/kanye-west-and-jay-z-offer-watch-the-throne-pre-order|archive-date=November 10, 2016|df=mdy-all}} Internationally the album was released digitally on August 8 exclusively through iTunes, while its physical release was made available on August 12.{{cite web|last=Christman|first=Ed|url=http://billboard.biz/bbbiz/industry/retail/jay-z-and-kanye-west-s-watch-the-throne-1005296922.story|title=Jay-Z and Kanye West's 'Watch the Throne' Exclusives Have Retailers Up in Arms|work=Billboard.biz|date=July 28, 2011|access-date=July 29, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120906081627/http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/industry/retail/jay-z-and-kanye-west-s-watch-the-throne-1005296922.story|archive-date=September 6, 2012|df=mdy-all}} Its deluxe CD edition was sold exclusively by Best Buy through August 23, when it became available at other retailers. The sales strategy received criticism from other retailers, who accused the labels of giving preferential treatment to iTunes and Best Buy. One of the most anticipated releases in 2011, Watch the Throne became one of the few major label albums in the Internet age to avoid a leak.{{cite web|last=Gissen|first=Jesse|url=http://www.xxlmag.com/news/2011/08/jay-z-kanye-west-miraculously-manage-to-keep-watch-the-throne-leak-free/|title=Jay-Z & Kanye West Miraculously Manage to Keep Watch the Throne Leak-Free|work=XXL|publisher=Harris Publications|date=August 8, 2011|access-date=August 12, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110816204001/http://www.xxlmag.com/news/2011/08/jay-z-kanye-west-miraculously-manage-to-keep-watch-the-throne-leak-free/|archive-date=August 16, 2011|df=mdy-all}}{{cite magazine|last=Perpetua|first=Matthew|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/jay-z-and-kanye-west-avoid-watch-the-throne-leak-20110808|title=Jay-Z and Kanye West Avoid 'Watch the Throne' Leak|magazine=Rolling Stone|publisher=Wenner Media|date=August 8, 2011|access-date=August 12, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110919061629/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/jay-z-and-kanye-west-avoid-watch-the-throne-leak-20110808|archive-date=September 19, 2011|df=mdy-all}}
On July 7, 2011, Jay-Z hosted a private listening session at the Mercer Hotel in New York City, previewing the album's songs from his MacBook Pro for a select group of reporters and music journalists.{{cite web|url=https://www.bet.com/article/70apqs/jay-z-unveils-watch-the-throne-at-listening-session|title=Jay-Z Unveils "Watch The Throne" At Exclusive Listening Session|last=Osorio|first=Kim|publisher=BET|access-date=July 7, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304100112/http://www.bet.com/news/music/2011/07/08/jay-z-unveils-watch-the-throne-at-exclusive-listening-session.html|archive-date=March 4, 2016|df=mdy-all}}{{cite magazine|url=http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.15880/title.details-emerge-on-jay-z-kanye-wests-watch-the-throne|title=Details Emerge On Jay-Z & Kanye West's "Watch the Throne"|date=July 9, 2011|first=Steven|last=Horowitz|magazine=HipHopDX|access-date=July 9, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110711010053/http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.15880/title.details-emerge-on-jay-z-kanye-wests-watch-the-throne|archive-date=July 11, 2011|df=mdy-all}} It was also exclusive to two teenage fans who had won access to the session for being the first people to pre-order the album through Jay-Z's Life + Times website. The album's cover and artwork, both designed by Italian designer Riccardo Tisci, were also premiered at the session.{{cite web|last=Vadala|first=Nick|url=http://www.mxdwn.com/2011/07/16/news/jay-z-holds-watch-the-throne-listening-party-reveals-album-cover-and-other-details/|title=Jay Z Holds Watch the Throne Listening Party, Reveals Album Cover and Other Details|work=mxdwn|publisher=Velum Media|date=July 16, 2011|access-date=July 17, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721001532/http://www.mxdwn.com/2011/07/16/news/jay-z-holds-watch-the-throne-listening-party-reveals-album-cover-and-other-details/|archive-date=July 21, 2011|df=mdy-all}} Benjamin Meadows-Ingrim of Billboard, who attended the session, said of the previewed material, "The songs were dramatic and boastful, with Jay-Z often taking the lead lyrically, and the collection showcased the differences between the two artists – Jay-Z, the technical marksman, and Kanye, the emotive chest beater." On August 1, Jay-Z and West held a listening session for the album at the Rose Center for Earth and Space in New York City's American Museum of Natural History.{{cite web|last=Persse|first=Kim|url=http://idolator.com/5959182/watch-the-throne-kanye-west-jay-z-american-museum-of-natural-history|title=Jay-Z And Kanye West Unleash 'Watch The Throne' At The Museum Of Natural History|publisher=Idolator|date=August 1, 2011|access-date=August 2, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130126020408/http://idolator.com/5959182/watch-the-throne-kanye-west-jay-z-american-museum-of-natural-history|archive-date=January 26, 2013|df=mdy-all}} The session premiered the album in its entirety and featured attendance from journalists, models, industry types, and recording artists such as Busta Rhymes, 88-Keys, and Beyoncé Knowles. On August 28, Jay-Z and West performed "Otis" at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards.{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/the-juice/467704/jay-z-and-kanye-west-perform-otis-on-2011-mtv-vmas-watch|title=Jay-Z and Kanye West Perform 'Otis' on 2011 MTV VMAs: Watch|website=billboard.com|date=August 29, 2011|access-date=June 28, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170216215455/http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/the-juice/467704/jay-z-and-kanye-west-perform-otis-on-2011-mtv-vmas-watch|archive-date=February 16, 2017|df=mdy-all}}
Jay-Z and West promoted Watch the Throne with a 34-date, North American concert tour produced by Live Nation,{{cite web|last=Markman|first=Rob|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1667833/jay-z-kanye-west-tour-dates-watch-the-throne.jhtml|title=Jay-Z, Kanye West Announce Watch The Throne Release Date, Tour|publisher=MTV News. Viacom|date=July 25, 2011|access-date=July 25, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110924030932/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1667833/jay-z-kanye-west-tour-dates-watch-the-throne.jhtml|archive-date=September 24, 2011|df=mdy-all}} which began on October 28 and concluded on June 22, 2012.{{cite press release|title=Kanye West and Jay-Z Confirm New North American Watch the Throne Tour Schedule with an Overwhelming Response to Presale Tickets|publisher=PR Newswire|date=August 3, 2011|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kanye-west-and-jay-z-confirm-new-north-american-watch-the-throne-tour-schedule-with-an-overwhelming-response-to-presale-tickets-126731938.html|access-date=August 5, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121015064313/http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kanye-west-and-jay-z-confirm-new-north-american-watch-the-throne-tour-schedule-with-an-overwhelming-response-to-presale-tickets-126731938.html|archive-date=October 15, 2012|df=mdy-all}} By the end of 2011 the tour had grossed $48.3 million making it the then highest grossing hip-hop tour{{cite news|author=Fleming, Mike|title=CAA Signs Kanye West|url=https://www.deadline.com/2012/07/caa-signs-kanye-west/|website=Deadline Hollywood. PMC|date=July 19, 2012|access-date=July 28, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120726222242/http://www.deadline.com/2012/07/caa-signs-kanye-west/|archive-date=July 26, 2012|df=mdy-all}} (until being surpassed by Summer Sixteen Tour) and the eighth highest-grossing tour of 2011.{{cite news |author=Lewis, Randy |url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2011/12/u2-taylor-swift-have-highest-grossing-concert-tours-of-2011.html |work=Los Angeles Times |title=Pop & Hiss |date=December 28, 2011 |access-date=July 4, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120128202138/http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2011/12/u2-taylor-swift-have-highest-grossing-concert-tours-of-2011.html |archive-date=January 28, 2012 |df=mdy-all }}
Singles
File:Jay-Z Kanye WTT Sprint Center.jpg.]]
Watch the Throne spawned seven official singles, with varying degrees of success. Following West's announcement via his Twitter account, "H•A•M" was officially released as a digital download in January 2011 as the lead single.{{cite web|last=Fitzmaurice|first=Larry|url=https://pitchfork.com/news/41134-kanye-reveals-first-jay-z-iwatch-the-thronei-single/|title=Kanye Reveals First Jay-Z Watch the Throne Single|work=Pitchfork|date=January 7, 2011|access-date=July 21, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726230126/http://pitchfork.com/news/41134-kanye-reveals-first-jay-z-iwatch-the-thronei-single/|archive-date=July 26, 2011|df=mdy-all}}{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004IVFAVQ|title=HAM: Kanye West: MP3 Downloads|website=Amazon|access-date=July 26, 2011}} It charted at number 23 on the US Billboard Hot 100.{{cite magazine|last=Trust|first=Gary|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/473574/britney-spears-hold-it-against-me-debuts-atop-hot-100|title=Britney Spears' 'Hold It Against Me' Debuts Atop Hot 100|magazine=Billboard|publisher=Prometheus Global Media|date=January 19, 2011|access-date=July 23, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130617091256/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/473574/britney-spears-hold-it-against-me-debuts-atop-hot-100|archive-date=June 17, 2013|df=mdy-all}} In July 2011, "Otis" became the second single when it was premiered on Funkmaster Flex's Hot 97 radio show and subsequently leaked to the Internet.{{cite web|last=Markman|first=Rob|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1667617/jay-z-kanye-west-otis-watch-the-throne.jhtml|title=Jay-Z And Kanye West Drop 'Otis'|publisher=MTV News. Viacom|date=July 20, 2011|access-date=July 21, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120624110745/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1667617/jay-z-kanye-west-otis-watch-the-throne.jhtml|archive-date=June 24, 2012|df=mdy-all}} It was sent to rhythmic contemporary and urban contemporary radio on August 9.{{cite web|url=http://www.allaccess.com/top40-rhythmic/future-releases|title=Top 40 Rhythmic Future Releases
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.{{cite web|url=http://www.fmqb.com/Article.asp?id=16691|title=FMQB: Radio Industry News, Music Industry Updates, Arbitron Ratings, Music News and more!|work=FMQB|date=September 6, 2011|access-date=September 6, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130322142450/http://www.fmqb.com/Article.asp?id=16691|archive-date=March 22, 2013|df=mdy-all}}{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/2011-08-27/hot-100?order=gainer |title=Music Charts, Most Popular Music, Music by Genre & Top Music Charts |magazine=Billboard|date=September 12, 2008 |publisher=Prometheus Global Media|access-date=September 8, 2011}} "Why I Love You" served as a European-centric single while "Niggas in Paris" was promoted as a domestic single. "Niggas in Paris" peaked at number five on the Hot 100.{{cite web|url=http://www.allaccess.com/top40-rhythmic/future-releases|title=Top 40 Rhythmic Future Releases
The sixth single was "Gotta Have It", which impacted Urban radio on December 6, 2011,{{cite magazine|url=http://gfa.radioandrecords.com/publishGFA/GFANextPage.asp?sDate=12/06/2011&Format=5|title=®R&R :: Going For Adds™ :: Urban|magazine=Radio & Records|access-date=March 11, 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120709045324/http://gfa.radioandrecords.com/publishGFA/GFANextPage.asp?sDate=12/06/2011&Format=5|archive-date=July 9, 2012|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}} and Rhythmic radio on January 31, 2012.{{cite magazine|url=http://www.fmqb.com/Article.asp?id=16691|title=FMQB: Radio Industry News, Music Industry Updates, Arbitron Ratings, Music News and more!|magazine=FMQB|access-date=March 11, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120207201809/http://www.fmqb.com/Article.asp?id=16691|archive-date=February 7, 2012|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}} Seventh and final single "No Church in the Wild" impacted Urban radio on March 20, 2012.{{cite web|url=http://www.allaccess.com/urban/future-releases|title=Urban-UAC Future Releases|publisher=All Access Music Group|access-date=March 21, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120416053133/http://www.allaccess.com/urban/future-releases|archive-date=April 16, 2012|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}} Romain Gavras directed a music video for "No Church" though it featured none of the featured performers.{{cite web |author=Markman, Rob |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1686043/jay-z-kanye-west-no-church-in-the-wild-music-video.jhtml |title=Jay-Z, Kanye West's 'No Church' Video Sparks Revolution |publisher=MTV. Viacom |date=May 29, 2012 |access-date=May 20, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120601190400/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1686043/jay-z-kanye-west-no-church-in-the-wild-music-video.jhtml |archive-date=June 1, 2012 |df=mdy-all }} "Gotta Have It" peaked at position 69 on the Hot 100, with "No Church in the Wild" peaking at 72. Though not released as a single, "Who Gon Stop Me" peaked at 44 on the chart.[{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=kanye west|chart=Hot 100}} "Kanye West Album & Song Chart History: Hot 100"]. Billboard. Prometheus Global Media| Retrieved August 15, 2010.
Critical reception
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev1Score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}
| rev2 = The Daily Telegraph
| rev3 = Entertainment Weekly
| rev3Score = B−{{cite magazine|last=Anderson|first=Kyle|url=https://www.ew.com/article/2011/08/09/watch-the-throne-review|title=Kanye West and Jay-Z's 'Watch the Throne': Read the EW review|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|date=August 9, 2011|access-date=August 11, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402221009/http://www.ew.com/article/2011/08/09/watch-the-throne-review|archive-date=April 2, 2015|df=mdy-all}}
| rev4 = The Guardian
| rev4Score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite web|last=Petridis|first=Alexis|author-link=Alexis Petridis|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/aug/11/jay-z-kanye-west-review|title=Jay-Z & Kanye West: Watch the Throne – review|work=The Guardian|publisher=Guardian News and Media Limited|date=August 11, 2011|access-date=August 11, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140301204531/http://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/aug/11/jay-z-kanye-west-review|archive-date=March 1, 2014|df=mdy-all}}
| rev5 = The Independent
| rev6 = MSN Music (Expert Witness)
| rev7 = Pitchfork
| rev8 = Rolling Stone
| rev8Score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}
| rev9 = Spin
| rev10 = USA Today
| rev10Score = {{Rating|4|4}}{{cite web|last=Jones|first=Steve|date=August 8, 2011|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/music/reviews/2011-08-08-jay-z-kanye-west-watch-the-throne-music-review_n.htm|title=Listen Up: Jay-Z and Kanye West raise the bar with 'Throne'|work=USA Today|access-date=October 31, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104181134/http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/music/reviews/2011-08-08-jay-z-kanye-west-watch-the-throne-music-review_n.htm|archive-date=November 4, 2012|url-status=live}}
}}
Watch the Throne received positive reviews from music critics. 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.{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/watch-the-throne/kanye-west|title=Reviews for Watch the Throne by Kanye West|work=Metacritic|publisher=CBS Interactive|access-date=August 9, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130707155209/http://www.metacritic.com/music/watch-the-throne/kanye-west|archive-date=July 7, 2013|df=mdy-all}} Nathan Rabin of The A.V. 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."{{cite web|last=Rabin|first=Nathan|author-link=Nathan Rabin|url=https://www.avclub.com/kanye-west-and-jay-z-watch-the-throne-1798169205|title=Kanye West and Jay-Z: Watch The Throne|work=The A.V. Club|publisher=Onion Inc.|date=August 9, 2011|access-date=August 10, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110910163008/http://www.avclub.com/articles/kanye-west-and-jayz-watch-the-throne,60177/|archive-date=September 10, 2011|df=mdy-all}} Pitchfork{{'}}s Tom Breihan felt that it "works best when Jay and Kanye are just talking about how great they are," adding that "Kanye is this album's obvious guiding force ... He displays levels of unequaled audacity."{{cite web|last=Breihan|first=Tom|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/15725-watch-the-throne/|title=Jay-Z / Kanye West: Watch the Throne|work=Pitchfork|date=August 11, 2011|access-date=August 11, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110816074218/http://www.pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/15725-watch-the-throne/|archive-date=August 16, 2011|df=mdy-all}} Claire Suddath of Time called it "a beautifully decadent album by two of hip-hop's finest artists—men with a lot of things to say and a lot of money to spend."{{cite magazine|last=Suddath|first=Claire|url=http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,2087509,00.html|title=Watch the Throne Review: A Gold-Plated Luxury Vehicle, with a Message|magazine=Time|publisher=Time Inc.|date=August 9, 2011|access-date=August 9, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110810025643/http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,2087509,00.html|archive-date=August 10, 2011|df=mdy-all}} Neil McCormick of The Daily Telegraph praised West's "attention to detail" and found their "wit and absurdity [...] entirely suited to the epic scale of productions."{{cite web|last=McCormick|first=Neil|author-link=Neil McCormick|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/cdreviews/8695251/Jay-Z-and-Kanye-West-Watch-the-Throne-CD-review.html|title=Jay-Z and Kanye West: Watch the Throne, CD review|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=August 12, 2011|access-date=August 12, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110813032536/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/cdreviews/8695251/Jay-Z-and-Kanye-West-Watch-the-Throne-CD-review.html|archive-date=August 13, 2011|df=mdy-all}} Kitty Empire of The Observer stated, "Some find this sort of branded gloating distasteful, but at their best both rappers can still make you laugh."{{cite web|last=Empire|first=Kitty|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/aug/14/jay-z-kanye-throne-review|title=Jay-Z & Kanye West: Watch the Throne – review|work=The Observer|publisher=Guardian News and Media Limited|date=August 14, 2011|access-date=August 14, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131019114454/http://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/aug/14/jay-z-kanye-throne-review|archive-date=October 19, 2013|df=mdy-all}} Randall Roberts of the Los Angeles Times deemed it "a cocksure, fiery, smart, if problematic, collaboration that showcases the pair's distinct lyrical skills."{{cite web|last=Roberts|first=Randall|url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2011/08/album-review-jay-z-and-kanye-wests-watch-the-throne.html|title=Album review: Jay-Z and Kanye West's 'Watch the Throne'|work=Los Angeles Times|date=August 8, 2011|access-date=August 9, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110810171246/http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2011/08/album-review-jay-z-and-kanye-wests-watch-the-throne.html|archive-date=August 10, 2011|df=mdy-all}} Julian Benbow of The Boston Globe observed "an undeniable synergy that they embraced for this project."{{cite news|last=Benbow|first=Julian|url=https://www.boston.com/ae/music/cd_reviews/articles/2011/08/09/kanye_west_and_jay_z_share_the_spotlight_on_watch_the_throne/|title=Kanye West and Jay-Z share the spotlight on 'Watch the Throne'|work=The Boston Globe|publisher=The New York Times Company|date=August 9, 2011|access-date=August 9, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121103224903/http://www.boston.com/ae/music/cd_reviews/articles/2011/08/09/kanye_west_and_jay_z_share_the_spotlight_on_watch_the_throne/|archive-date=November 3, 2012|df=mdy-all}} AllMusic editor Andy Kellman called it "an audacious spectacle of vacuous pomposity as well as one of tremendous lyrical depth."{{cite web|last=Kellman|first=Andy|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/watch-the-throne-mw0002107551|title=Watch the Throne – Jay-Z / Kanye West|work=AllMusic|publisher=Rovi Corporation|access-date=August 19, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111004153707/http://www.allmusic.com/album/watch-the-throne-r2133476/review|archive-date=October 4, 2011|df=mdy-all}}
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."{{cite magazine|last=Cole|first=Matthew|url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/review/jay-z-and-kanye-west-watch-the-throne/2584|title=Jay-Z and Kanye West: Watch the Throne|magazine=Slant Magazine|date=August 11, 2011|access-date=August 12, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110925191831/http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/review/jay-z-and-kanye-west-watch-the-throne/2584|archive-date=September 25, 2011|df=mdy-all}} Andy Gill of The Independent was more critical and found their rapping "pretty mediocre", partly because "too often here their complacent, back-slapping laxity leaves tracks floundering."{{cite news|last=Gill|first=Andy|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-watch-the-throne-watch-the-throne-mercury-2336024.html|title=Album: Watch The Throne, Watch the Throne (Mercury)|work=The Independent|publisher=Independent Print Limited|date=August 12, 2011|access-date=August 12, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121112011808/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-watch-the-throne-watch-the-throne-mercury-2336024.html|archive-date=November 12, 2012}} In the Chicago Tribune, Greg Kot found the record plagued by Jay-Z and West's "self-regard", writing that "they urge listeners to 'watch the throne,' and gaze in awe on their good fortune."{{cite web|last=Kot|first=Greg|author-link=Greg Kot|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/music/turnitup/chi-watch-the-throne-review-jayz-and-kanye-west-album-reviewed-20110808,0,1193538.column|title=Watch the Throne review; Jay-Z and Kanye West album reviewed|work=Chicago Tribune|publisher=Tribune Company|date=August 8, 2011|access-date=August 9, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110809024112/http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/music/turnitup/chi-watch-the-throne-review-jayz-and-kanye-west-album-reviewed-20110808,0,1193538.column|archive-date=August 9, 2011|df=mdy-all}} Jody Rosen of Rolling Stone felt that "on a record this ambitious, this sonically bold, it's a shame two of music's greatest storytellers don't extend their gaze beyond their own luxe lives."{{cite magazine|last=Rosen|first=Jody|author-link=Jody Rosen|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/watch-the-throne-20110811|title=Watch the Throne|magazine=Rolling Stone|publisher=Wenner Media|date=August 11, 2011|access-date=August 11, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110919092554/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/watch-the-throne-20110811|archive-date=September 19, 2011|df=mdy-all}} Sasha Frere-Jones of The New Yorker stated, "Weed the album down to a healthy ten, and [it] doesn't become either classic or coherent, but it does work as an entertaining document of two wildly creative, not particularly wound-up friends."{{cite magazine|last=Frere-Jones|first=Sasha|url=https://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2011/08/watch-the-throne.html|title=News Desk: Disassembled "Throne"|magazine=The New Yorker|publisher=Condé Nast Digital|date=August 12, 2011|access-date=August 15, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110821225937/http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2011/08/watch-the-throne.html|archive-date=August 21, 2011|df=mdy-all}}
Accolades
= Critics' rankings =
File:Jay-Z Kanye Watch the Throne Staples Center 2.jpg
Watch the Throne was one of the top-ranked albums in year-end lists by music critics and publications.{{cite web|last=Dietz|first=Jason|url=https://www.metacritic.com/feature/music-critic-top-ten-lists-best-albums-of-2011?tag=supplementary-nav;article;2|title=Music Critic Top 10 Lists – Best Albums of 2011|work=Metacritic|publisher=CBS Interactive|date=December 9, 2011|access-date=December 9, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120107201513/http://www.metacritic.com/feature/music-critic-top-ten-lists-best-albums-of-2011?tag=supplementary-nav%3Barticle%3B2|archive-date=January 7, 2012|df=mdy-all}} Q ranked the album number six in its list of the Top 50 Albums of 2011.{{cite journal|author=Staff|title=Top 50 Albums of 2011|journal=Q|publisher=Bauer Media Group|date=January 21, 2012|issue=306}} Rolling Stone named it the second-best album in its year-end list, commenting that "What could have been a crash-and-burn anticlimax turned out to be as fun as any record in a dog's age. From the cinematic 'No Church in the Wild' to the Stax-soul update 'Otis,' Throne testifies to Kanye West's talent for beats both iconoclastic and pop-savvy." Claire Suddath of Time ranked it number three on her top-10 albums list and called it "a beautifully decadent album".{{cite magazine|last=Suddath|first=Claire|url=http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2101344_2101364_2101583,00.html|title=Kanye West and Jay-Z, Watch the Throne – The Top 10 Everything of 2011|magazine=Time|publisher=Time Inc|date=December 7, 2011|access-date=December 10, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111208103021/http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2101344_2101364_2101583,00.html|archive-date=December 8, 2011|df=mdy-all}} 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.{{cite news|last=Richards|first=Chris|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/chris-richardss-best-pop-albums-of-2011/2011/12/07/gIQATmHtfO_gallery.html#photo=9|title=Chris Richards's best pop albums of 2011|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=December 7, 2011|access-date=December 10, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111215034847/http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/chris-richardss-best-pop-albums-of-2011/2011/12/07/gIQATmHtfO_gallery.html#photo=9|archive-date=December 15, 2011|df=mdy-all}} The A.V. Club ranked it number nine on its year-end list, commenting that "Watch The Throne thrives on the bristling tension between Kanye's live-wire energy and rule-breaking abandon, and Jay-Z's innate cautiousness. It's an album of the moment—a point underlined by the presence of Frank Ocean on two tracks—yet it has the substance to endure."{{cite web|author=Staff|url=https://www.avclub.com/articles/the-best-music-of-2011,66004/2/|title=The best music of 2011|work=The A.V. Club|publisher=Onion Inc|date=December 6, 2011|access-date=December 10, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120107080500/http://www.avclub.com/articles/the-best-music-of-2011,66004/2/|archive-date=January 7, 2012|df=mdy-all}} Stereogum placed Watch the Throne at number 10 on its list of the "Top 50 albums of 2011"{{cite web | url=https://stereogum.com/891411/stereogums-top-50-albums-of-2011/franchises/listomania/ | title=Stereogum's Top 50 Albums of 2011 | work=Pitchfork | date=December 5, 2011 | access-date=January 15, 2012 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120112195029/http://stereogum.com/891411/stereogums-top-50-albums-of-2011/franchises/listomania/ | archive-date=January 12, 2012 | df=mdy-all }} while Pitchfork placed the album at number 21 on its list.{{cite web | url=https://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/8727-the-top-50-albums-of-2011/3/ | title=Staff Lists: The Top 50 Albums of 2011 | work=Pitchfork | date=December 15, 2011 | access-date=January 8, 2012 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120108003904/http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/8727-the-top-50-albums-of-2011/3/ | archive-date=January 8, 2012 | df=mdy-all }}
In 2012, Complex named the album one of the classic albums of the last decade.{{cite magazine |url=http://www.complex.com/music/2012/12/25-rap-albums-from-the-past-decade-that-deserve-classic-status/jay-z-kanye-west-watch-the-throne |title=Jay-Z and Kanye West, Watch The Throne (2011) — 25 Rap Albums From the Past Decade That Deserve Classic Status |magazine=Complex |access-date=February 11, 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121227074808/http://www.complex.com/music/2012/12/25-rap-albums-from-the-past-decade-that-deserve-classic-status/jay-z-kanye-west-watch-the-throne |archive-date=December 27, 2012 |df=mdy-all }} In January 2015, the album was placed at number 8 on Billboard{{'}}s list of "The 20 Best Albums of the 2010s (So Far)".{{cite magazine|title=Billboard's Top 20 Best Albums of the 2010s (So Far)|magazine = Billboard|date = January 13, 2015|url=https://www.billboard.com/photos/6436436/20-best-albums-2010s-half-decade?i=541727|access-date=January 13, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150124101823/http://www.billboard.com/photos/6436436/20-best-albums-2010s-half-decade?i=541727|archive-date=January 24, 2015|df=mdy-all}} In 2018, Revolt listed the album at number one on their list of the 10 rap collaboration albums.{{cite web |title=The 10 rap collaboration albums that moved the culture forward |url=https://revolt.tv/stories/2018/10/10/top-10-rap-collaboration-albums-0700711934 |website=Revolt |access-date=July 13, 2019 |date=October 11, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190713180923/https://revolt.tv/stories/2018/10/10/top-10-rap-collaboration-albums-0700711934 |archive-date=July 13, 2019 |url-status=live }} In 2019, Billboard named Watch the Throne the biggest collaborative album of all time, asserting, "From the iconic album artwork to the brash, decadent lyrical themes, esteemed guest list, and recording around the globe, the Throne would set the standard for what a pristine rap album should embody at the highest of levels."{{cite magazine |author1=Michael Saponara |title=Drake & Future, Lady Gaga & Tony Bennett and Beyond: Here Are the Biggest Collab Albums Across All Genres |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/8518030/six-biggest-collab-albums-all-genres-drake-lady-gaga-kanye-west |magazine=Billboard |access-date=July 13, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190713174155/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/8518030/six-biggest-collab-albums-all-genres-drake-lady-gaga-kanye-west |archive-date=July 13, 2019 |date=June 29, 2019}}
= Industry awards =
Watch the Throne received nominations for Best Rap Album and Best Recording Package at the 54th Annual Grammy Awards in 2012.{{cite web|url=http://www.grammy.com/nominees|title=Nominees and Winners|publisher=Grammy Awards. The Recording Academy|access-date=December 1, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120213215027/http://www.grammy.com/nominees|archive-date=February 13, 2012|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}} It lost the former to West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. "Otis" was nominated for Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song, winning the former. At the 55th Annual Grammy Awards in 2013, "Niggas in Paris" won Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song, and "No Church in the Wild" won Best Rap/Sung Collaboration.{{cite web |url=http://www.grammy.com/nominees?genre=28 |title=The Official Site of Music's Biggest Night |publisher=GRAMMY.com |date=February 10, 2013 |access-date=February 11, 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120418084240/http://www.grammy.com/nominees?genre=28 |archive-date=April 18, 2012 |df=mdy-all }}
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
! scope="col"| Year ! scope="col"| Organization ! scope="col"| Award ! scope="col"| Result |
| scope="row" rowspan="4"| 2011 |
|---|
| Best Art Vinyl Awards
| Best Vinyl Art |
| Soul Train Music Awards |
| Sucker Free Awards
| Best Album of the Year |
| scope="row" rowspan="8"| 2012 |
| BET Hip Hop Awards
| CD of the Year |
| Danish Music Awards
| International Album of the Year |
| Dieline Awards
| Dieline Package Design Award |
| rowspan="2" |Grammy Awards |
| Best Rap Album |
| NME Awards
| Best Album Artwork |
| Swiss Music Awards
| Best Album Urban International |
Commercial performance
Watch the Throne debuted at No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 436,000 copies in its first week.{{cite magazine|last=Caulfield|first=Keith|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/467883/jay-z-kanye-wests-throne-sells-436000-debuts-at-no-1-on-billboard-200|title=Jay-Z & Kanye West's 'Throne' Sells 436,000, Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200|magazine=Billboard|publisher=Nielsen Business Media|date=August 17, 2011|access-date=August 17, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130417041511/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/467883/jay-z-kanye-wests-throne-sells-436000-debuts-at-no-1-on-billboard-200|archive-date=April 17, 2013|df=mdy-all}} This became Jay-Z's 12th number-one album and West's fifth number-one album in the US. This also became the second highest debut week of 2011, while its first week digital sales of 321,000 downloads served as the second highest one-week sales tally at the time. Watch the Throne broke the US iTunes Store's one-week sales record at the time when it sold nearly 290,000 downloads. The album also reached number one on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and the US Top Rap Albums charts.{{cite magazine |url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=jay-z|chart=all}}|title=Watch the Throne – Jay-Z / Kanye West|magazine=Billboard|publisher=Nielsen Business Media|access-date=August 18, 2011}} In its second week, the album remained at number one on the chart, selling an additional 177,000 copies.{{cite magazine|last=Caulfield|first=Keith|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/467777/jay-z-and-kanyes-watch-the-throne-keeps-its-billboard-200-crown|title=Jay-Z and Kanye's 'Watch the Throne' Keeps Its Billboard 200 Crown|magazine=Billboard|publisher=Nielsen Business Media|date=August 24, 2011|access-date=August 24, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130524041416/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/467777/jay-z-and-kanyes-watch-the-throne-keeps-its-billboard-200-crown|archive-date=May 24, 2013|df=mdy-all}} In its third week, the album dropped to number two on the chart, selling 94,000 more copies.{{cite magazine|last=Caulfield|first=Keith|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/467655/games-red-bows-at-no-1-on-billboard-200-albums-chart|title=Game's 'R.E.D.' Bows at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Albums Chart|magazine=Billboard|publisher=Nielsen Business Media|date=August 31, 2011|access-date=September 1, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130529015027/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/467655/games-red-bows-at-no-1-on-billboard-200-albums-chart|archive-date=May 29, 2013|df=mdy-all}} In its fourth week, the album dropped to number four on the chart, selling 80,000 copies.{{cite web|url=http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.16768/title.hip-hop-album-sales-the-week-ending-9-4-2011|title=Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 9/4/2011|website=HipHopDX|author=Allen Jacobs|date=September 7, 2011|access-date=September 11, 2011}} In 2011, Watch the Throne was the ninth best-selling album in the US, and the first collaborative album to make the year-end top ten in Nielsen SoundScan history.{{cite web |title=Chart Watch Extra: The Year's Top Albums |url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/blogs/chart-watch/chart-watch-extra-top-albums-234444911.html |website=Yahoo |access-date=April 13, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190331020218/https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/blogs/chart-watch/chart-watch-extra-top-albums-234444911.html |archive-date=March 31, 2019 |date=December 7, 2011}}{{cite magazine |author1=Keith Caulfield |title=Adele Rules 2011 With Top Selling Album & Song |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/513431/adele-rules-2011-with-top-selling-album-song |magazine=Billboard |access-date=April 13, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140220231245/https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/513431/adele-rules-2011-with-top-selling-album-song |archive-date=February 20, 2014 |date=January 4, 2012}} It was also the fourth top selling album on iTunes in 2011.{{cite web |author1=Shirley Halperin |title=Adele Is iTunes' Top Seller in 2011, Foo Fighters' 'Wasting Light' Named Album of the Year by Apple Staff |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/adele-itunes-best-selling-foo-fighters-271379 |website=Hollywood Reporter |access-date=October 31, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170730034334/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/adele-itunes-best-selling-foo-fighters-271379 |archive-date=July 30, 2017 |date=December 8, 2011}} As of July 2013, the album has sold 1,573,000 copies in the US, according to Nielsen SoundScan.{{cite web|title=Top Selling Albums of the Decade So Far |url=http://thelavalizard.com/2013/07/top-selling-albums-of-the-2010-2019-decade-so-far/ |work=The Lava Lizard |access-date=July 29, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130731200241/http://thelavalizard.com/2013/07/top-selling-albums-of-the-2010-2019-decade-so-far/ |archive-date=July 31, 2013 }} On November 23, 2020, the album was certified quintuple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for combined sales and album-equivalent units of over five million units in the United States.{{cite web|url=http://riaa.org/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&action=&title=&artist=Kanye%20West&format=&debutLP=&category=&sex=&releaseDate=&requestNo=&type=&level=&label=&company=&certificationDate=&awardDescription=&catalogNo=&aS|title=RIAA – Recording Industry Association of America|publisher=Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)|access-date=September 17, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/6AAQnG1KY?url=http://riaa.org/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=resultpage%3D1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&action=&title=&artist=Kanye%20West&format=&debutLP=&category=&sex=&releaseDate=&requestNo=&type=&level=&label=&company=&certificationDate=&awardDescription=&catalogNo=&aS|archive-date=August 24, 2012|df=mdy-all}}
Watch the Throne was also a success outside the US. In Canada, the album debuted at number one on the Canadian Albums Chart, selling 25,000 copies in its first week.{{cite web|last=Dowling|first=Marianne|url=http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Artists/W/West_Kanye/2011/08/17/18565936.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120711105156/http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Artists/W/West_Kanye/2011/08/17/18565936.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=July 11, 2012|title=Kanye, Jay-Z Take Over the Throne|work=Jam!|publisher=CANOE, QMI Agency|date=August 18, 2011|access-date=August 18, 2011|df=mdy-all}} In its second week, the album remained at number one on the chart, selling 15,900 more copies.{{cite web|last=Williams|first=John|url=http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Artists/J/Jay_Z/2011/08/24/18595626.html|title=Kanye, Jay-Z nearly toppled by Adele|work=Jam!|publisher=CANOE, QMI Agency|date=August 24, 2011|access-date=August 24, 2011|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120711194527/http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Artists/J/Jay_Z/2011/08/24/18595626.html|archive-date=July 11, 2012|df=mdy-all}} In Australia, the album peaked at number two on the Australian Albums Chart and number one on the Australian Urban Albums Chart. In the United Kingdom, the album debuted at number three on the UK Albums Chart and number one on the UK R&B Albums Chart. The album topped the UK R&B Albums Chart for six non-consecutive weeks between 2011–12. In addition, Watch the Throne peaked at number one on the Norwegian Albums Chart and the Swiss Albums Chart. The album peaked at number two on the German Albums Chart the Danish Albums Chart, and at number three on the Scottish Albums Chart. It also debuted within the top ten on the Belgian Albums Chart, the Dutch Albums Chart, the French Albums Chart, the Irish Albums Chart, the Russian Albums Chart and the New Zealand Albums Chart.
Track listing
{{Track listing
| extra_column = Producer(s)
| title1 = No Church in the Wild
| note1 = featuring Frank Ocean & The-Dream
| writer1 = {{flatlist|
- Kanye West
- Shawn Carter
- Christopher Ocean
- Charles Njapa
- Mike Dean
- Terius
- Gary Wright
- Phil Manzanera
- James Brown
- Joseph Roach
}}
| extra1 = {{flatlist|
- 88-Keys
- Kanye West
- Dean
- Om'Mas Keith{{ref|c|[c]}}
}}
| length1 = 4:32
| title2 = Lift Off
| note2 = featuring Beyoncé
| writer2 = {{flatlist|
- West
- Carter
- Jeff Bhasker
- Dean
- Pharrell Williams
- Bruno Mars
- Seal Samuel
}}
| extra2 = {{flatlist|
- West
- Bhasker
- Dean
- Q-Tip{{ref|a|[a]}}
- Pharrell Williams{{ref|a|[a]}}
- Don Jazzy{{ref|b|[b]}}
}}
| length2 = 4:26
| title3 = Niggas in Paris
| note3 =
| writer3 = {{flatlist|
- West
- Carter
- Chauncey Hollis
- Dean
- W.A. Donaldson
}}
| extra3 = {{flatlist|
- Hit-Boy
- West
- Dean{{ref|a|[a]}}
- Anthony Kilhoffer{{ref|b|[b]}}
}}
| length3 = 3:39
| title4 = Otis
| note4 = featuring Otis Redding
| writer4 = {{flatlist|
- West
- Carter
- Harry Woods
- Jimmy Campbell
- Reg Connelly
- Kirk Robinson
- Roy Hammond
- Brown
- Roach
}}
| extra4 = West
| length4 = 2:58
| title5 = Gotta Have It
| note5 =
| writer5 = {{flatlist|
- West
- Carter
- Williams
- Brown
- Roach
- Fred Wesley
- Tony Pinckney
}}
| extra5 = {{flatlist|
- The Neptunes
- West{{ref|a|[a]}}
}}
| length5 = 2:20
| title6 = New Day
| note6 =
| writer6 = {{flatlist|
- West
- Carter
- Robert Diggs
- Dean
- Leslie Bricusse
- Anthony Newley
}}
| extra6 = {{flatlist|
}}
| length6 = 4:32
| title7 = That's My Bitch
| note7 =
| writer7 = {{flatlist|
- West
- Carter
- Kamaal Fareed
- Bhasker
- Justin Vernon
- Brown
- Bobby Byrd
- Ronald Lenhoff
- Jeremiah Lordan
}}
| extra7 = {{flatlist|
- West
- Q-Tip
- Bhasker{{ref|b|[b]}}
}}
| length7 = 3:22
| title8 = Welcome to the Jungle
| note8 =
| writer8 = {{flatlist|
- West
- Carter
- Kassem Dean
- M. Dean
}}
| extra8 = Swizz Beatz
| length8 = 2:54
| title9 = Who Gon Stop Me
| note9 =
| writer9 = {{flatlist|
- West
- Carter
- Shama Joseph
- M. Dean
- Maurice Simmonds
- Joshua Kierkegaard
}}
| extra9 = {{flatlist|
- Sak Pase
- West
- M. Dean{{ref|b|[b]}}
}}
| length9 = 4:16
| title10 = Murder to Excellence
| note10 =
| writer10 = {{flatlist|
- West
- Carter
- K. Dean
- Larry Griffin Jr.
- Scott Mescudi
- Quincy Jones
- Harvey Mason Jr.
- Joel Rosenbaum
- Caiphus Semenya
- Bill Summers
- Mihaela Modorcea
- Gabriela Modorcea
}}
| extra10 = {{hlist|Swizz Beatz|S1}}
| length10 = 5:00
| title11 = Made in America
| note11 = featuring Frank Ocean
| writer11 = {{flatlist|
- West
- Carter
- Joseph
- M. Dean
- Breaux
}}
| extra11 = {{flatlist|
- Sak Pase
- M. Dean{{ref|b|[b]}}
- Keith{{ref|c|[c]}}
}}
| length11 = 4:52
| title12 = Why I Love You
| note12 = featuring Mr Hudson
| writer12 = {{flatlist|
- West
- Carter
- M. Dean
- Philippe Cerboneschi
- Hubert Blanc-Francard
- Tony Camillo
- Mary Sawyer
}}
| extra12 = {{flatlist|
- West
- M. Dean
}}
| length12 = 3:21
| total_length = 46:12
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = Deluxe edition (bonus tracks)
| extra_column = Producer(s)
| title13 = Illest Motherfucker Alive
| note13 =
| writer13 = {{flatlist|
- West
- Carter
- M. Dean
- Joshua Luellen
- M.Robinson
- Mescudi
}}
| extra13 = {{flatlist|
- Southside
- West
- M. Dean
}}
| length13 = 5:23
| title14 = H•A•M
| note14 =
| writer14 = {{flatlist|
- West
- Carter
- Lexus Lewis
- M. Dean
- M. Robinson
}}
| extra14 = {{flatlist|
- Lex Luger
- West{{ref|a|[a]}}
- M. Dean{{ref|b|[b]}}
}}
| length14 = 4:35
| title15 = Primetime
| note15 =
| writer15 = {{flatlist|
- West
- Carter
- Ernest Wilson
- Russell Simmons
- Lawrence Smith
- Maureen Reid
}}
| extra15 = No I.D.
| length15 = 3:19
| title16 = The Joy
| note16 = featuring Curtis Mayfield
| writer16 = {{flatlist|
- West
- Carter
- Curtis Mayfield
- Peter Phillips
- Mescudi
- John Cameron
- John Zachary
}}
| extra16 = {{flatlist|
- Pete Rock
- West
- M. Dean{{ref|b|[b]}}
- Bhasker{{ref|b|[b]}}
}}
| length16 = 5:17
| total_length = 64:37
}}
- {{note|a|[a]}} signifies a co-producer
- {{note|b|[b]}} signifies an additional producer
- {{note|c|[c]}} signifies an additional vocal producer
- "Lift Off" features additional vocals by Seal, Mr Hudson, Don Jazzy, Bankulli and Ricardo Lewis.
- "Gotta Have It" features additional vocals by Kid Cudi.
- "That's My Bitch" features additional vocals by Elly Jackson, Connie Mitchell and Justin Vernon.
- "Welcome to the Jungle" features additional vocals by Swizz Beatz and Acapella Soul.
- "Who Gon Stop Me" features additional vocals by Mr Hudson, Swizz Beatz, and Verse Simmonds.
- "Murder to Excellence" features additional vocals by Kid Cudi.
- "Illest Motherfucker Alive" features additional vocals by Kid Cudi, Bankulli, and Aude Cardona.
- "H•A•M" features additional vocals by Aude Cardona and Jacob Lewis Smith.
- "The Joy" features additional vocals by Pete Rock, Kid Cudi, and Charlie Wilson.
- "No Church in the Wild" contains samples from "K-Scope", written and performed by Phil Manzanera; samples of "Sunshine Help Me", written and performed by Spooky Tooth; and samples of "Don't Tell a Lie About Me (and I Won't Tell the Truth About You)", written and performed by James Brown.
- "Lift Off" contains samples of dialogue from the Apollo 11 launch as spoken by Jack King{{cite web | url=https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2011/08/the-nasa-sample-on-the-new-kanye-jay-z-album-its-from-apollo-11/243642/ | title=The NASA Sample on the New Kanye/Jay Z Album? It's from Apollo 11 | website=The Atlantic | date=August 15, 2011 }}{{cite web | url=https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2011/08/jay-z-and-kanye-sample-the-apollo-11-launch/ | title=Jay-Z and Kanye Sample the Apollo 11 Launch | date=August 16, 2011 }}
- "Niggas in Paris" contains samples of the Reverend W. A. Donaldson recording "Baptizing Scene"; and dialogue between Will Ferrell and Jon Heder from the 2007 comedy film Blades of Glory.
- "Otis" contains samples of "Try a Little Tenderness", written by [Jimmy Campbell and Reg Connelly, Harry M. Woods] and performed by Otis Redding; samples of "Don't Tell a Lie About Me (and I Won't Tell the Truth About You)", written and performed by James Brown; and elements of "Top Billin'", written and performed by Audio Two.
- "Gotta Have It" contains elements of "Don't Tell a Lie About Me (and I Won't Tell the Truth About You)"; samples of "People Get Up and Drive Your Funky Soul"; and elements of "My Thang", written and performed by James Brown.
- "New Day" contains samples of "Feeling Good", written and performed by Nina Simone.
- "That's My Bitch" contains samples of "Get Up, Get Into It, Get Involved", written and performed by James Brown; and samples of "Apache", written and performed by Incredible Bongo Band.
- "Who Gon Stop Me" contains samples of "I Can't Stop", written and performed by Flux Pavilion.
- "Murder to Excellence" contains samples of "LA LA LA", written and performed by The Indiggo Twins; and samples of "Celie Shaves Mr./Scarification" from the 1985 drama film The Color Purple, written and performed by Quincy Jones.
- "Why I Love You" contains samples of "I <3 U So", written and performed by Cassius.
- "Primetime" contains samples of "Action", written and performed by Orange Krush.
- "The Joy" contains samples of "The Makings of You (Live)", written and performed by Curtis Mayfield; and elements of "Different Strokes", written and performed by Syl Johnson.
Personnel
Credits for Watch the Throne adapted from liner notes.
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
- 88-Keys – producer
- Virgil Abloh – art direction
- Acapella Soul – vocals
- Mat Arnold – assistant
- Bankulli – vocals
- Beyoncé – featured artist
- Jeff Bhasker – producer
- Vincent Biessy – creative input
- Carol Corless – package production
- Don Crawley – A&R
- Andrew Dawson – engineer
- Mike Dean – additional production, cello arrangement, engineer, keyboards, mastering, mixing, musician, producer
- Don Jazzy – vocals
- The-Dream – vocals
- Laura Escudé – violin
- Noah Goldstein – engineer, mixing, producer
- Alex Haldi – art producer
- Hit-Boy – producer, programming
- Gaylord Holomalia – assistant
- Elly Jackson – vocals
- Jay-Z – executive producer, primary artist, writer
- Sham "Sak Pase" Joseph – producer
- Kyambo "Hip Hop" Joshua – executive producer
- Kid Cudi – vocals
- Anthony Kilhoffer – additional production, engineer, mixing, producer, programming
{{col-2}}
- Brent Kolatalo – engineer
- Ken Lewis – additional production, engineer, musician
- Ricardo Lewis – vocals
- LMFAO – mixing, programming
- Mr Hudson – featured artist, vocals
- Connie Mitchell – vocals
- Christian Mochizuki – assistant
- The Neptunes – producer
- Frank Ocean – writer, featured artist
- Q-Tip – additional production, mixing
- Otis Redding – featured artist
- Gee Roberson – executive producer
- Todd Russell – art producer
- S1 – producer
- Lenny S. – A&R
- Seal – vocals
- Pawel Sek – engineer
- Chris Soper – assistant engineer
- Swizz Beatz – producer, vocals
- Bu Thiam – A&R
- Pat Thrall – engineer
- Riccardo Tisci – artwork, creative director
- Scott Townsend – art producer
- Justin Vernon – vocals
- Blair Wells – mixing
- Kanye West – executive producer, primary artist, producer, writer
- Kristen Yiengst – art producer
{{col-end}}
Charts
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
= Weekly charts =
{{col-2}}
= Year-end charts =
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| scope="col"|Chart (2013)
!scope="col"|Position |
|---|
| Australian Urban Albums (ARIA){{cite web|url=https://www.ariacharts.com.au/annual-charts/2013/urban-albums-chart|title=Top 50 Urban Albums 2013|publisher=ARIA Charts|access-date=September 18, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190904132902/https://www.ariacharts.com.au/annual-charts/2013/urban-albums-chart|archive-date=September 4, 2019|url-status=live}}
| style="text-align:center;"|39 |
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| scope="col"|Chart (2015)
!scope="col"|Position |
|---|
| Australian Urban Albums (ARIA){{cite web|url=https://www.ariacharts.com.au/annual-charts/2015/urban-albums-chart|title=Top 100 Urban Albums 2015|publisher=ARIA Charts|access-date=September 18, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190417030424/https://www.ariacharts.com.au/annual-charts/2015/urban-albums-chart|archive-date=April 17, 2019|url-status=live}}
| style="text-align:center;"|91 |
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| scope="col"|Chart (2015)
!scope="col"|Position |
|---|
| Australian Urban Albums (ARIA){{cite web|url=https://www.ariacharts.com.au/annual-charts/2015/urban-albums-chart|title=Top 100 Urban Albums 2015|publisher=ARIA Charts|access-date=September 18, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190417030424/https://www.ariacharts.com.au/annual-charts/2015/urban-albums-chart|archive-date=April 17, 2019|url-status=live}}
| style="text-align:center;"|98 |
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| scope="col"|Chart (2016)
!scope="col"|Position |
|---|
| Danish Albums (Hitlisten){{cite web |title=Top 100 Albums 2016 |url=http://hitlisten.nu/top2016.asp?list=Album%20100 |website=Hitlisten |access-date=December 14, 2019}}
| style="text-align:center;"|98 |
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| scope="col"|Chart (2023)
!scope="col"|Position |
|---|
| Icelandic Albums (Tónlistinn){{cite web|url=https://plotutidindi.is/tonlistinn-plotur-2023/|title=Tónlistinn – Plötur – 2023|publisher=Plötutíðindi|access-date=January 14, 2025|language=is}}
| style="text-align:center;"|77 |
=Decade-end charts=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| scope="col"| Chart (2010–2019)
! scope="col"| Position |
|---|
| US Billboard 200{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/decade-end/billboard-200|title=Decade-End Charts: Billboard 200|magazine=Billboard|access-date=November 15, 2019}}
| style="text-align:center"| 145 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard){{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/decade-end/hot-r-and-b-hip-hop-albums|title=Decade-End Charts: Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums|magazine=Billboard|access-date=November 15, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191115074612/https://www.billboard.com/charts/decade-end/hot-r-and-b-hip-hop-albums|archive-date=November 15, 2019|url-status=live}}
| style="text-align:center"| 30 |
{{col-end}}
Certifications
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Australia|type=album|title=Watch the Throne|artist=Jay-Z & Kanye West|award=Platinum|relyear=2011|certyear=2016|access-date=September 18, 2019}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Canada|type=album|title=Watch the Throne|artist=Jay-Z & Kanye West|award=Platinum|relyear=2011|certyear=2011|access-date=September 18, 2019}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Denmark|type=album|title=Watch the Throne|artist=Jay-Z & Kanye West|award=Platinum|number=2|id=11763|relyear=2011|certyear=2022|access-date=October 25, 2022}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Germany|artist=Jay-Z & Kanye West|title=Watch the Throne|type=album|award=Gold|relyear=2011|certyear=2024|access-date=September 22, 2024}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Italy|artist=Jay-Z/Kanye West|title=Watch the Throne|type=album|award=Gold|relyear=2011|certyear=2024|id=12595|access-date=May 20, 2024}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Sweden|type=album|artist=Jay-Z & Kanye West|title=Watch the Throne|award=Gold|relyear=2011|certyear=2013|source=artist|access-date=August 9, 2021}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=album|title=Watch the Throne|artist=Jay-Z & Kanye West|award=Platinum|id=8915-2448-2|relyear=2011|certyear=2013|access-date=September 18, 2019}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=album|title=Watch the Throne|artist=Jay-Z & Kanye West|award=Platinum|number=5|refname="riaa"|relyear=2011|certyear=2020|access-date=November 23, 2020}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|streaming=true|nosales=true}}
Release history
| class="wikitable" |
| Region
! Date ! Format ! Label ! {{abbr|Ref.|Reference(s)}} |
|---|
| rowspan="2" | United States
| August 8, 2011 | rowspan="3" | {{flatlist| }} |
| August 11, 2011
| CD |
See also
Notes
{{Notelist}}
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
Bibliography
- {{cite book |last1=Pendergast |first1=Sara |last2=Pendergast |first2=Tom |title=Contemporary Black Biography: Profiles from the International Black Community |edition=illustrated |volume=52 |date=January 18, 2006 |publisher=Gale Research |location=Farmington Hills, Michigan |isbn=0-7876-7924-0 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/contemporaryblac0052unse }}
External links
- {{Discogs master|type=album|361232}}
- [https://www.metacritic.com/music/watch-the-throne Watch the Throne] at Metacritic
{{Jay-Z}}
{{Jay-Z songs}}
{{Kanye West}}
{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for Watch the Throne
|titlestyle = background: lightblue
|list1 =
{{BET Award for Best Group}}
{{BET Hip Hop Award for Album of the Year}}
}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:2011 collaborative albums
Category:Def Jam Recordings albums
Category:Progressive rap albums
Category:Roc-A-Fella Records albums
Category:Albums produced by 88-Keys
Category:Albums produced by Hit-Boy
Category:Albums produced by Jeff Bhasker
Category:Albums produced by Kanye West
Category:Albums produced by Lex Luger
Category:Albums produced by Mike Dean (record producer)
Category:Albums produced by the Neptunes
Category:Albums produced by Q-Tip (musician)
Category:Albums produced by RZA
Category:Albums produced by Southside (record producer)
Category:Albums produced by Swizz Beatz