Just a Gwai Lo

Elizabeth Mendez Berry: “Jay-Z's recording persona is so compelling because though he's still a caricature—certain features are disproportionately emphasized—he's an elegantly rendered one. [...] Somehow, in spite of the disposables he's picked up along the way—shiny shirts, Shaquille O'Neal collaborations, rotating cast of Roc-A-Fella sidekicks, endless product placements—Jay-Z's Teflon nonchalance seems timeless.”