"Watch the Throne" is a collaborative studio album by American rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West, released on August 8, 2011, by Roc-A-Fella Records, Roc Nation, and Def Jam Recordings. Known collectively as The Throne, Jay-Z and West had previously collaborated on various singles, with West also producing for Jay-Z. Initially planned as a five-song extended play, the project evolved into a full-length album featuring guest appearances from Frank Ocean, The-Dream, Beyoncé, and Mr Hudson, among others. It also includes vocal contributions from artists like Kid Cudi, Seal, and Justin Vernon, with samples from soul musicians Otis Redding and Curtis Mayfield.
Recording sessions began in November 2010 at various locations, with production led by West and other high-profile producers such as Mike Dean, Swizz Beatz, Pete Rock, RZA, Jeff Bhasker, The Neptunes, and Q-Tip. The album expands on the dense production style of West's previous album, "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy," incorporating orchestral and progressive rock influences, unconventional samples, and dramatic melodies. The lyrics focus on themes of excellence, opulence, fame, materialism, power, and the burdens of success, as well as political and socioeconomic critique. The album also explores Jay-Z's thoughts on fatherhood, West's reflection on being seen as a social villain, and their success as performers, with many interpretations regarding the financial struggles of African Americans in America.
Seven singles were released from "Watch the Throne," including "H•A•M," "Otis," "Lift Off," "No Church in the Wild," and the Billboard Hot 100 top five hit "Niggas in Paris," with three of the singles receiving music videos. To promote the album, Jay-Z and West embarked on the Watch the Throne Tour from October 2011 to June 2012, which became the highest-grossing hip hop concert tour in history. The album received highly positive reviews from music critics, who praised the rappers' performances and production, though some found the lyrical content uninspiring.
"Watch the Throne" appeared on many year-end best-of lists, including those from Rolling Stone and The Washington Post. It debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, selling 436,000 copies in its first week and breaking the iTunes first-week sales record at the time. The album reached the top ten in 11 other countries, including Canada and the United Kingdom, and was certified quintuple platinum in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in November 2020.
