Album Inspired by Upcoming Motion Picture "AMERICAN GANGSTER"

He has truly come out of retirement again! Roc-A-Fella Records and JAY-Z will release the new album AMERICAN GANGSTER. Separate from the official motion picture soundtrack, this collection of all-new original material is a musical journey and lyrical interpretation of snapshots from the upcoming motion picture American Gangster, which pairs Oscar winners Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe. Based on the true story of criminal mastermind Frank Lucas, who came up from the streets of New York in the '70s, the film is produced by Academy Award-winning producer Brian Grazer and directed and produced by Ridley Scott. It opens on November 2.

“It immediately clicked with me,” Jay-Z told the NY Times. “It was like I was watching the film, and putting it on pause, and giving a back story to the story. Jay-Z said he thought his fans would be amazed by the image of a black man reaching such heights of success.

The conceptual, full body of work of the new album balances the line between pure entertainment and real life. JAY-Z draws upon past experiences, speaking to the harsh reality of the drug trade still taking place in our nation's cities. While not glorifying the Frank Lucas story, JAY-Z articluates the lure of a gangster's life and stands an example of one who chose to leave those streets behind to go on and become one of the most successful African-American entrepreneurs of our time.

Throughout AMERICAN GANGSTER, JAY-Z brings the audience into a world rich in familial relationships, hustling and the lasting effects of drugs on a community. Through its musical tone, the album complements the story as told in the major motion picture release.

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