Jay-Z’s Subway Friend Reviews ‘Magna Carta Holy Grail’

Remember when Jay-Z rode the New York subway and bumped into Ellen Grossman last year? You know, the lady who didn’t realize who HOV was?

Well, it’s safe to say that she’s up to speed now. In fact, the 67 year old even picked up a copy of the rapper’s latest LP, ‘Magna Carta Holy Grail,’ and offered her opinion on Jay-Z's latest body of work.

"It sounds like he's really going deep into his heart and into fatherhood and even the meaning of fame," Grossman told MTV News after her first listen. "[He's saying] that the money's nice, but there's life beyond that, that he's exploring. I picked that up from the papers but I felt it in the man too, when I met him. That he had a depth to him."

She went on to say, "I don't get all of the words but I get a lot of them and I'm really enjoying it. I like jazz and what's called 'new music' and I can relate to all the soundscapes. It's really innovative stuff.”

She said that the track 'Holy Grail' (featuring Justin Timberlake) "started out as a complaint about lovers and relationships. It was pretty mellow and you could go with it… but when Jay-Z came in and he was talking about Kurt Cobain, [he was saying] 'OK, fame has its price.' And even someone very famous and rich is capable of suicide. It really hit you hard and the soundscape was just exquisite, so it was pretty amazing."

Grossman also gave a glowing review to ‘Part II (On the Run),’ featuring Hov's wife Beyonce.

"It was very sexy,” she remarked. “I heard Jay-Z refer to himself as an outlaw and I think [Bey's] response seemed to be that she would embrace it all. There's a real connection and real willingness to show their vulnerability… It was pretty awesome."

Since Grossman is a visual artist, she even voiced her thoughts on his possible aesthetic choices for the new album. "He does a lot of the glamour stuff — the lights and the good clothing, or even the casual clothing, but incredible lighting, strobing and audience reaction but I wonder, since his album seems something of a shift, if he'll go somewhere else with it,” she said.

It won’t be long until we find out — ‘Magna Carta Holy Grail’ hits all major retailers tomorrow (July 9)!

The video footage of their earlier subway encounter can be found on Jay-Z’s 24-minute documentary, 'Life+Times.' Click here to watch the touching clip.