While the release of “H.A.M.” inspired nothing short of a collective disappointed groan, “Otis” seems to have successfully reestablished all the momentum for Kanye West and Jay-Z’s forthcoming Watch the Throne. But that they’ve pulled this song off is actually surprising, especially when given all the objectively off-putting routes they’ve taken with it.
“Otis” is basically your standard-issue hype track, with Jay-Z rapping about his watches and international connections and Kanye West doing his best to one-up him with lines about having multiple Mercedes and private jets. Though there are some great lines here (Kanye’s “I made Jesus walk so I’m never goin’ to hell” jumps out), the lack of a chorus and the shallowness of the verses make this thing sound a lot more like a tandem freestyle than a studio effort. Considering this, it actually seems like an insult to sample Otis Redding’s emotionally powerful “Try a Little Tenderness,” a song that offers up far more than dry posturing. Of course, hip-hop and presumably Watch the Throne as a whole are all about trumpet-blowing; why else would the two biggest figures in rap be embarking on something like this together other than to remind everyone that they are, in fact, running the game?
Aside from the verses wasting a great sample, the production here is all sorts of messy. The bass has the same general effect as someone knocking their knuckle against a tabletop. It has no pop at all. The mixing and mastering is muffled and crunchy, especially when Jay-Z puffs “I guess I got my swagger back,” a moment that tries too hard to emulate the production techniques used on My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, specifically the compression of “Gorgeous.” The screams that come in at the end of the track are a little unnecessary too.
Yet in spite of all of these critiques, “Otis” still manages to be a pretty damn good song. The Redding sample and the verses exclusive of one another aren’t bad, they just aren’t the greatest fit together. Yet as the listens pile up, these complaints all just naturally dissipate, completely overrun by the lasting impression that “Otis” is just good, fun entertainment, even if it gets there in spite of itself.
