Watch The Throne.

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, andDef Jam Recordings. Recording sessions for the album took place at various recording locations and began in November 2010. It was produced by West, 88 Keys, RZA,Swizz Beatz, Jeff Bhasker, and Mike Dean, among others. Expanding on the dense production style of West's 2010 album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Watch the Throne incorporates orchestral and progressive rock influences, unconventional samples, and dramatic melodies in its sound. Jay-Z and West's braggadocio lyrics on the album exhibit themes of opulence, fame, materialism, power, and the burdens of success, as well as political and socioeconomic context.

The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 436,000 copies its first week. It has produced two singles, "H•A•M" and "Otis", both of which attained Billboard chart success. Upon its release, Watch the Throne received generally positive reviews from music critics, who commended its production and the rappers' performances, although some criticized the subject matter and the album's cohesiveness. Jay-Z and West will promote the album with a concert tour during October to December 2011. The album has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America and, as of October 2011, has sold 954,000 copies in the United States.

Recording sessions for the album took place at Avex Recording Studio in Honolulu, Hawaii, Barford Estate in Sydney, Australia, Electric Lady Studios, The Mercer Hotel, MSR Studios, and Tribeca Grand Hotel in New York, New York, Le Meurice in Paris, France, and Real World Studios in Wiltshire, England. Production for the album began in November in England and continued during available times in Jay-Z's and West's respective schedules at recording locations in Australia, Paris, Abu Dhabi, New York City, and Los Angeles. In an interview for Billboard, Jay-Z said that they often recorded in hotel rooms and that the album went through three iterations, as he and West had scaled back from their original musical direction for the album. He also noted difficulties in the recording process, including arguments with West regarding their direction. The album's earlier sessions produced little material that made the final cut.

In January 2011, they regrouped and rented a block of rooms at the Mercer Hotel in New York City and invited a select group of producers and recording artists.Chauncey "Hit-Boy" Hollis, who produced the track "Niggas in Paris", said of recording at the hotel, "There was music going on in every room. I had a room where I was cranking out beats, and then I’d go into the main room with Jay and [Kanye] and play beats for them. Kanye is really hands-on. I would come in with a beat and he’d be like, ‘Take this out, slow it down.’ It would make it sound 100 times better. Jay would then mumble different flows to the beat." Parts of the album were also recorded in New York City's Tribeca Grand Hotel. In an interview for Rolling Stone, Jay-Z discussed their insistence on recording in person and attributed it to the delay in releasing the album, stating "If we were gonna do it, we were gonna do it together. No mailing it in." The album was mastered by producer Mike Dean at the Mercer Hotel.

Jay-Z and West worked with several guest recording artists, including Beyoncé, Frank Ocean, and Mr Hudson. "No Church in the Wild", the last song recorded for the album, was conceived by Jay-Z, West, and the song's producer 88-Keys throughout most of June. Producer and recording artist The-Dream sings a verse on the track using AutoTune. Additional vocalists Elly Jackson, Connie Mitchell, and Justin Vernon provide the hook on "That's My Bitch".Swizz Beatz, who produced "Welcome to the Jungle", also provided background vocals to the track, and Kid Cudi contributed additional vocals to "The Joy" and "Illest Motherfucker Alive", bonus tracks on the album's deluxe edition.