After years and years of delays, Jay Electronica has finally delivered his debut album. Titled A Written Testimony, the project features 10 tracks and guest appearances from The-Dream, Travis Scott and lots of JAY-Z.
TIDAL was expected to host three listening parties in New York, Los Angeles and New Orleans for the album on Thursday (March 12), but they were all canceled over concerns about the coronavirus. Instead, TIDAL threw a livestream event.
A Written Testimony marks the New Orleans native’s first project since signing with Roc Nation in 2010 and a follow-up to Act I: Eternal Sunshine (The Pledge).
Check out the stream cover art and tracklist below.
- Omnipotent Situation
- The Ghost of Soulja Slim
- The Blinding f. Travis Scott
- The Never Ending Story
- Universal Soldier
- Shiny Suit Theory f. The Dream
- Intense Flow
- Fruit of the Soul
- The Wheel of Ezekiel f. The Dream
- A.P.I.D.T.A.
He is a joke,shiny suit theory,this is like 10 years old,this is a 10 year old album.
So what ? It’s a dope track, It deserves to be on the album.
Dj Clue?
It’s really good. Both rapped very well, although Jay E slipped up a tad on a couple of the later tracks. Hov snapped on every track. Production is top-notch and Swizz (co-prod by Hit Boy) had a BANGER on there that literally shook the room. Shiny Suit Theory is still dope AF, despite the song being 9 years old. Need to listen to it more since it was hard to clearly hear some of the lyrics.
LOL Jay-z the soul sucker strikes again. He’s all over the album but not in the tracklisting? Because he knew how it would look? He’s the G.O.A.T…. at standing in somebody else’s light. Kanye in his prime with “The Throne.” Beyonce with 444 and the Carter’s album. Ever since people laughed at Kingdom Come he been scared to stand on his own two feet. So he leaches. Can’t knock the hustle huh?
You sound like an idiot
I think he’s right though. JayZ is far too concerned about his image… When any person is too concerned about their image, odds are they won’t be so great anymore. I like the legends who kind of don’t give a fuck, and aren’t afraid to drop whatever the hell they want. That’s one reason I really respect Kanye, because he even goes as far as dropping tracks just to troll people (lift yourself). Drake wanted that beat from Kanye, so Kanye took it, made a stupid, pointless junk song, and it was funny. I like that. People like Jay and Dr Dre are way too afraid to drop music and have dossapointed fans. I’d rather have Dre drop an album ever 3 years, and have half be jot so great, and half be great. Better than one album every 15 years., with only two great ones.
He’s actually spot on.
Damn this shit is fire
Is this watch the throne 2 hov just popped up out the blue on tracks but this definitely a great album
Jay Electronica’s album is featuring Jay-Z on almost every track. Man this album is on a higher tier from industry standards in terms of lyrics. Jay-Z kind of went back to his old flow. Album of the Year from what I just heard!
This album not even close to Album of the Year. The Allegory by Royce is killing this release
You obviously didn’t hear Jadakiss album
Man, even Ra The Rugged Man’s upcoming album will be far better… This isn’t great IMO. Just my 2 cents
wack as expected
This is good… but why is jay-z all over that shit ??? This leech didn’t have to feature on every track of the album. He could have let jay electronica rhymes on his own since the audience waited almost 13 years for his first album. SMH. I would have given this album a solid 4/5 without jay-z features, but i rate this shit only with a 3/5 now
I agree with every word. What the hell was Jay Z doing on every fucking track? Did Jay Elec record such little content that they shoved Hov in it? Did the label fear Jay Elec would get no traction without Jay? If so why the hell did they make it seem like it was a Jay Electronica album and not even credit Jay Z at all on the track listings?
Jay Electronica featuring Jay Z. This shit is dope!!!
Took too long, too high expectations or something…but I can’t fuck with this like that. Big Hov fan, I like Jay Elec a lot, but sonically this doesn’t knock at all. WTF is Just Blaze????
Agreed. This isn’t music you play often. Flow is terrible. Music sonically matters most. Sound matters most. Yes, lyrics also matter, but if something SOUNDS GOOD, you’ll enjoy it, no matter what they are saying. It’s like old school eminem. Some of his dooest tracks had ridiculously stupid and silly, pointless lyrics… But it didn’t matter, because that shit knocked!
Who is just blaze.???, bro go educate yourself
Where the fuck, not who the fuck
I find it funny that one track is called “The Wheel of Ezekiel” (reference to a Biblical prophet Ezekiel) and another is called “All Praise to Allah” lmfao… you cannot believe in the God of the Bible and Allah at the same time, they are mutually exclusive. and please, don’t give me that “all religions teach the same God” nwo crap, do some research. but he’s Jay Z protege, so no surprises
Allah means god! And followers of Islam also study the old testament bible…..smh
its just music man…ur bein all critical and u havnt even heard the shit…
Suspend judgement for a minute. The Koran actually mentions and references many of the same biblical narratives and people from the Old Testament.
The holy.book of Quran is a sinister as bible it’s the wrong ISIS praises rapping and murdering women is like a good thing ya not a good bible
Say it for me slowly, “All Abrahamic religions follow the same God.”
We waited ten years for this? Travis Scott features, Jayz trying to revive his career and an offbeat flow that these kids use? I expected so much more from the guy who made Exhibit A.
JAY-Z’s career need reviving!? Go to slee your stupid
@lmao you clearly have not read the Quran, same prophets in the bible are same prophets in Quran., they are not mutually exclusive, read up bruh..
You clearly haven’t read the emerald tablets that predates the Bible Quran etc
but a 10 song album after a 10 year wait is very low productivity…maybe he should do something else with his life, he doesn’t really want to rap anyway..
And you should have done more than living in your stepmoms basement and working at McDonald’s. It is what it is…
you’re an ass
Dude is a fraud
You are an idiot this is fire fire
if nothing else, it’s solid proof jay e has been jay z’s ghost writer for the past decade.
How so?
Yeah that’s the only reason he keeps him around, why else.
Yo are u on drugs!!!! You must be under 30
Their styles and subject matter (for the most part) are different, care to elaborate?
The broke woman beater Nas, his pathetic stans and the entire Ass Appeal roster are all quaking in their shoes right now. Jay Electricity just dropped the album of the century, and King HOV is dropping wisdom verses now. He’s a totally new, different animal. And these other rappers haven’t caught up to him yet, he’s so far ahead of the game it’s not even funny. Jay Elec didn’t drop 10 years late, he dropped at the perfect time. With all the bullshit happening in the world now, it was only right. It’s the ROC in here!
This album is pure garbage.
Debut album and it has nothing but Jay features the irony! lol
We waited this long and they give us 10 fucking tracks man with one been an intro, fucking disrespectful to his supporters.
These 9 tracks better fire LAVA!
Dope album and all but did we really wait 10 years for a collab album with Jay Z that no one told ahead of time so instead I was blindsided with Jay Z where I didn’t need to hear him more than one verse. This felt more like Jay Z leeching off Jay Elec and was that necessary? Or is did Jay Elec record such little content that they felt the need to insert Jay Z? Whatever the case is, some Jay Electronica is better than no Jay Electronica
Most of these comments talk.about everything but the fucking album. Is it good, mediocre or just bad? Got dam trolls are everywhere like roaches.
The record is fire. Great body of work from 2 great emcees.
It’s way too short for a ten year wait.. Then why is jayz on every track? Smh.. I dunno what to think honestly.. I’ll have to sit with this awhile before I give my final thoughts on it but the length and hov on every song are major negatives to me.. It kinda makes the claim that this is a electronica solo album a false advertisement..
Major nagatives? Wtf are you playing? Jay was impeccable on all tracks. You people are funny, when Jay is collaborating with Kanye you say that he’s on a bandwagon, when he helps out Jay Elec you say that is not needed.
This record is an amazing body of work of 2 great emcees, just enjoy it.
Exactly Fidel Cashflow. I don’t know why people can’t just appreciate good music. Too much this, too little that. Get over it. It’s good music. Isn’t that what we’re here for?
about 10 years too late..nobody checkin for jay electronica
Sadly not very good for first listen… I mean, we really waited this long, for this kind of flow? I thought we’d at least get Exhibit A or C style! This is terrible for what it is. I agree with others that said he was simply. JayZ ghost writer…
All of you are haters on an unbelievable level. Find something better to do than talk shit! Never been a huge fan of jay Electronica or jay-z but this album is fire! Anyone who doesn’t like this album isn’t a fan of real hip hop.
They’re kids! This similar to a lot more music being put out is catering to a much more mature in tune listener. Most of the content will go over most of there heads.
It’s just different!???♂️
Word up !
Daylyt and Royce da 59 are way better than this fake woke dude
People consider signing with Aftermath a curse, you’ll sit on the shelf until Dre is satisfied, if he isn’t you may never see the light of day. Kendrick and Anderson Paak being the exceptions as of recent years. I see Roc Nation as a curse. Huge roster, some big names up there, but they rarely seem to release anything. Electronica had to wait as long as Detox, and the album was done in a 40 day stretch late last year I think. Haven’t heard the record but why is Hov all over a 40 min debut on his label. One verse would have been enough. Stay independent folks, keep it humble, and stay that way. Never take a cheque from these majors, feels like purgatory.
Just listen to the album and stfu
Jigga is all over it because nobody would stream it otherwise. A handful of people know who Jay Electronica is. Legends like Wu Tang are selling less than 20K an album now. Jay Elec has no buzz, no legacy, no marketing at all.
Without Jigga it wouldn’t be worth releasing until he builds up a fan base.
Nah. If that were the case, the songs would say “featuring Jay Z”. They don’t.
Having a pace of one track per year to make an album is just ridiculous. After 10 years I was expecting a classic. A masterpiece. C’mon man.
I’m the biggest bitch in the world
This is my favourite Jay Z album
Why does every song sound like an album intro?
“The slave that shook hands and humbled the duke of oil”, damn, Jay Z stole the show ???
So, rappers should drop albums when the fans want? You’re NOT entitled to that shit. How many people are going to buy the album vs those who won’t and STILL come online to trash the album. You need 60 more comments just to make the trolls point not as prominent. Funny how EVERY review on this site has a bunch of trolls dissing a debut album before a full day has passed. I’m sure you’re hip hop police.
Nope, but they should drop albums when they’re hot, if they don’t then don’t complain when nobody cares anymore…Dude had no album and was the talk of hiphop 10 years ago. The wait is not a reason to hate on the album, but if people lost interest in a promising artist who missed the bus for 10 years, how can you blame them. Most hiphop fans nowadays prob don’t even know who the fuck he is and are wondering why the hype for this no name. And don’t tell me homeboy who left hiphop to live with royalty, is gonna drop 10 years later on some woke shit…so phony.
A WRITTEN TESTIMONY BKA WOKE THE THRONE
Time to get back to that Jada Album
More racist garbage and absolute nonsense. Smh. This clown will find out the hard way that JESUS is LORD.
album not horrible, just expected atleast 12 full songs with no Jigga on 7-8 of them. The shiny suit is old and an intro – so eight songs with 7 of them with Jigga. That’s not how you become a classic pioneer- I saw 10 songs and thought Illmatic , but Nas only had AZ and Q tip on a hook. Again, not a horrible album. Jay Z is dope, but I wanted to hear what Jay Elec had to say. Not totally disappointed, but like damn. Good sandwich, but no bun or drink
Dopeness
Lames Always crying finding something to complain about. Got to chalk it up to having s**it lives
Crying Like females that it took 10 years or Jay-Z on it too much, If your life sucks so bad that the only thing you had to look forward to was a Jay Electronica Album. Electronica doesn’t owe You scrubs anything , Music is art and it doesn’t matter how long it takes if it can stand the test of time and Electronicas music always does
I’d rather get something great rarely then get consistent wack trash like Lil Yachty who dresses up like a broad and raps as if he’s got Down syndrome.
5 songs in Right now and it’s all been Fire,Good time to be a Music Fan , Lots of Guys hoping in the Delorean Going back when you wanted to Spit Dope S**t and not try and rap like their Mothers drank too much while they were in the womb
Sorry for the Novel , First and Last Post just had to say something to all these limp d.ick F.aggots who just complain to complain even when Dope ish is smacking them right in the Face
STFU BITCH ILL STAB YOU IN THE FACE WITH A DIRTY HEROIN NEEDLE!!!!!!!
No you wont LMAO. Guilty conscious much? ?????
That comments for andy.
STOP REPLYING TO YOURSELF YOU FUCKING PISS BABY!!!!
I just can’t believe Shiny Suit Theory is actually on here. That shit is a throwback to me now. I’ll peep this soon though, still excited to see what’s good with this after all these years.
One of the only disappointments for me. But still overall dope album, he just needs to keep going after this. At least one next year.
The album is decent. I’m always up to hear new verses from Hov. To me this looks like Jay-Z realized the only way he was going to see any type of return on his investment in Jay Elect was to jump on all the incomplete Jay Elect songs they had in the vault.
Fair point. There was definitely a push. The push, I do not think was a monetary in scope but more a keep them warm moment. Keep them warm then go in, in a few months.
You and Tohn wanna have a 3way?
Sadly it doesn’t matter if it is good or bad… He Should have just called it a collab album and people would have not been upset about it. Manage people’s expectations man…
I agree, was wondering why Hov was on so many tracks if it was supposed to be Elec’s album (a debut at that). I liked Hov’s verses, but I just weirded out that he was on nine out of the ten songs on the album.
THIS ALBUM SUCKS DONKEY BALLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dude can rap but the beats are garbage ! Another weak album that the sheep will crown to be so good. Bars and beats go together.
Jay Electronica said the album was featuring Jay Z in his first post about it on social media. This is a throwback to how albums in the 90s regularly featured a single guest artist throughout an album. Dr Dre featured Snoop, Mobb Deep featured Big Noyd, Raekwon featured Ghostface. Relax people! This album doesn’t sound like current trends and it shouldn’t. It is dope!
It’s a masterpiece and the ultimate co-sign from a legend! Jay
Masterpiece? Hahahahahaha. You must be a Drake fan.
I honestly would not worry about those who don’t get what you are saying. Real heads know where it’s at!!
Jay Electronica is an absolute homo
That album is complete trash lmaooo
I bet you’re like 15 “lmaooo”
I’M 31 and think this album is garbage, and there’s a 39 year old with me who thinks the same thing. Now what?
This Jay z album reminds me of when Nicky Minaj said she was gay and influenced many to turn gay and then said she was lying about being gay. So now that Jay z is pro black again
( supposedly ) are we his fans to forget about satanism and masonry ? I’m confused. Can someone help me ?
I like where you going that night ain’t pro black that night pro himself and
Money he’s still a Luciferian but this shit is fire from Jay Elec but he definitely gone pull the wool over niggas head
You are a Luciferian for using the internet…. Stop forcing yourself to believe what the internet told you.
The dude has been “pro black” since Reasonable Doubt lmao. You Lindas just weren’t paying attention to the lyrics. Here’s the thing, being pro black is more than just about talking about going back to Africa, kill whitey, or telling black folks whatever you feel like they want to hear, yada yada yada. Jay was (and still is) on his money shit (that’s what makes shit happen). Having ownership, building with those in your circle, leaving something behind for your seeds, giving others opportunities to get on their feet, or helping them start over (helping them get released from jail). Opening doors for representation outside of just playing for sports teams. Look at how a lot of you are reacting to how he’s doing things now lmao (just because he doesn’t always mention who he helps). Some negros are never satisfied.
Well said my dude
That’d hold a lot more weight if he hadn’t spent decades shelving artists instead of helping promote them.
I said I wasn’t gonna listen but I did and it’s shockingly really, really good. Now he should do that album with MF Doom that he talked about all those years ago.
I wonder how Elijah Muhammad and Jay Elec feel about the Arab slave trade
Or Jay z rapping about murder and expensive watches on the same track as some holier than thou BS. Oh, they feel no way about it. NOI are fake Muslims. They don’t speak Arabic and believe the white man was created in a lab, and the moon was formed by a UFO hitting the earth. I couldn’t make this shit up…
Well… probably nothin since the founder of Nation of Islam named as Wallace Fard Muhammad was Turkish himself and slavery in the Ottoman Empire was a significant part of the Empire’s economy and traditional society. Be that as it may the NOI leaders are impostors themselves. They use religion as a political tool to achieve their personal interest. The truth is they don’t give a flying fuck about the community. Malcolm X exposed them before he died that’s why he left the NOI to pursue his own path seekin for the real common truth every human being is seekin on this earth.
Many muslim teachings exist beyond Arabs, so speaking Arabic is pointless….So far as the messages. Farrakhan needs to apologize for believing in that Ham nonsense. Fard taught him some garbage on that one.
Yes! I’m glad someone else is talking about how SLAVERY is still active in many Muslim countries such as Pakistan, Libya, Uzbekistan, and Bangladesh. Where’s JayElec’s righteous words about these atrocities at the hands of his Muslim brothers? Muslims enslaving Africans; there should be a revolution.
Is Jayz Muslim ? He talked as if he was on this albums
I know Im not the only that thinks this guy is super overrated.. I don’t understand the hype
He is a herb and a weirdo. You have to be a strange mfer to have sex with that wacko erykah badu. How u gonna have that birdhead as a baby mother. That kid is prob a little hellion.
Damn I didn’t like the album that much but you’re a pure hater lol bringing up the man’s kid for no reason
L
Man im hella disappointed he should’ve let mf doom handle production we waited for this and its was an epic fail
As I was listening to this album I kept skipping tracks. Really a mediocre album. I just don’t get it how a lot of people think that it’s soooo good. Lyrics on point but who handled the production.
Exactly, the inconsistent production (wasn’t really feeling Jay Elec’s beats) is mainly what made me not like the album as much as a I wanted. At least “The Blinding” and “The Neverending Story” are tracks that I can put on repeat.
The beat selection was terrible jay electronic deserved better since this album was overdue i blame jigga forreal for not let him do him the production suppose been precise from premiere,doom,and etc
Sin but anyone else find he looks like he got liver disease?
This album had great production. Jay Z killed it in rare form. Jay Elek is just terrible. He is such a talented MC and decided to only rap about the NOI, 5% bullshit and has all of these ridiculous Elijah Mohammed samples on there. It’s basically Kanye’s Christian BS turned fake NYC Muslim Mormon with plenty of racist bullshit being spewed. Dude talks shit about holiness etc whole on the same track Jay-Z is talking about his million dollar watch. SMH. Dude is supposed to be one of the last greats.
JE rapped the exact same on every song, and when did JayZ become a Muslim? This whole album was lackluster especially with all the build up. Another thing about the whole Muslim fad is that SLAVERY is still active in many Muslim countries such as Pakistan, Libya, Uzbekistan, and Bangladesh. How SLAVERY can still exist in this world is beyond me. Where’s JayElec’s righteous words about these atrocities at the hands of his Muslim brothers?
jay isn’t muslim he is a 5 preventer
This is the wackest shit Ive heard all year
Who the hell are these people who have been waiting for this and saying he’s elite? He’s not and even if he was he loses that for taking 10 years to make 10 songs that are only half him.
This is a more Z album over E bits, but is it bad? My dream is that it is just starter (it’s at least 4.5 album!!!) to album of ALL times: Instrumental, untitled album of Statik Selektah featuring uncredited vocals of Jay Z and NAS in ALL tracks. Possibile? I thik it IS!!!
What language does your land speak?
The first person to rap on an album is considered his album.
Ghostface – Enter the 36 Chambers
Rebel ins is the first to rhyme on that album fam
Um…. the first word from the first verse on the first song of 36 chambers is literally ‘Ghostface’
This album was kool if your a old school hip hop head he can spit the “Shiney Suit Theory” song was my fav real classic hip hop feel..but his style isn’t very versatile and he gets a little dull sometimes even most of HOV’s verses didn’t blow my mind i’ll give it a 3.2..
A bunch of misinformed fact hip-hop fans in here..reading all these comments let’s me know the number of idiots who lurk in here.
A once promising artist makes his debut 10 years too late and aligns himself with the biggest sellout in hiphop history. The result, cliched lyrics, horrible flows and generic beats. Now, his career is finished before it even really began.