Music should move you. It may seem like that’s a given, but when you listen to a lot of music, it’s easy to take that fact for granted. I haven’t been MOVED by much lately, so when something has that impact on me, I stop and take notice. Such is the case with “Otis,” sample number one from Jay-Z and Kanye West’s upcoming Watch the Throne, due on August 1st in digital form and August 5th on a physical CD.
It’s not a complex track, but its impact is potent. Otis Redding’s passionate vocals from “Try a Little Tenderness” imbue the cut with enough soul to fill an album, yet “Otis” only lasts 3 minutes. Jay is slick, Yeezy is bragging, and the track sets the tone that all competitors should think twice before attempting to steal the Throne. Every time you think hip-hop has lost its way, a track comes along to say “we honor the past while pushing toward the future.” “Otis” does just that.

Stumble It!