American Gangster [PA] by Jay-Z (CD, Nov-2007, Def Jam USA)

Jay-Z's flaccid 2006 comeback album, "Kingdom Come," showcased a disenfranchised rapper with a "been there, done that, been there again" attitude.

Instead of the album serving as Jay's victory lap, it suggested he had nothing left to add to the genre he had previously made his own.

Considering Jay-Z's illustrious career, the revelation didn't come as much of a surprise.

It still raised the question why one of hip-hop's most accomplished emcees would bother to emerge from alleged retirement without the proper ammo.

The complacency that dominates Kingdom Come didn't evoke much faith in Jay-Z's 10th studio album, "American Gangster."

Inspired by the recent Denzel Washington film of the same name, "American Gangster" is Jay's first crack at a concept album.

Jay stated in interviews that a particular scene from the movie inspired each track on the album.

While the album admirably depicts the film's rise-and-fall arc that seems synonymous with organized crime, Jay uses it as an opportunity to intersperse recollections of his own drug-dealing days.

Although it falters a bit as a concept album, it features the return of the Jay-Z fans remember from "Reasonable Doubt" and "The Blueprint."

The jaded, and at times, cantankerous Jay-Z of "Kingdom Come" is kicked to the curbside. In his place is the Jay-Z unafraid to contort the English language, utilize pauses, and toy with meter to create the visuals of a drug- and crime-infested New York upbringing.

"No Hook" is three minutes of Jay using intricate rhyme schemes and manipulating language to craft imagery of a life with few options.

The results are sequences such as, "Stay out of trouble, momma said, as momma sighs / Her fear her youngest son being victim of homicide / But I got to get you out of here, momma, or I'mma (pause) die (pause) / Inside (pause) and either way you lose me, momma, so let loose of me."

American Gangster's production helps reiterate the peaks and valleys the album conveys.

Tracks such as "Pray" and the aforementioned "No Hook" are backed by music that is sparse and at times haunting.

The horn-filled "Roc Boys (And the Winner Is)" is an anthem for celebration if there ever was one, while the bubbly, soulful soundscape of "Say Hello" compliments Jay's unapologetic response to his detractors.

One of American Gangster's few blemishes is the inclusion of two bonus tracks. Their quality isn't so much an issue – The Neptunes-produced "Blue Magic" is actually the album's lead single – as is their positioning on the track list.

"Fallin'," the track that precedes the bonus offerings, is the ideal closer for an album attempting to thematically depict a meteoric rise and fall.

Instead, listeners get a prime example of how tacked on bonus tracks are sometimes a detriment to the overall product.

Minor quibbles aside, "American Gangster" is tangible evidence Jay hasn't lost the Midas touch. He just momentarily misplaced it.

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