In 2001, Michael Jordan, the greatest basketball player who has ever lived, decided that his career as a Washington Wizards front office executive was unfulfilling of his hunger for competition. He traded in his suit and tie for a basketball uniform, and at the ancient age of 38, he managed to lead his team in points and help improve its record by 18 games.

This year, the man who once called himself "the best rapper alive" traded in his suit and tie for the microphone. Unlike Jordan, however, Jay-Z's trade left him naked, exposed and humiliated. The emperor's got no clothes.

Kingdom Come, Jay-Z's attempt at a Jordanesque comeback, relies too heavily on producers and collaborators to carry him through. Jordan had a sidekick in Richard Hamilton but not much else. Jay-Z has the supporting cast but can't hold up his own end of the deal. Young Hov enlists the class of hip-hop, featuring production by Dr. Dre, Kanye West and The Neptunes, among others. He works with R&B superstars John Legend, Beyoncé and Usher. He even crosses over, using the production talents of Coldplay's Chris Martin for one track. However, despite all the big-name producers and collaborators, Jigga sounds stale.

When Jay-Z originally announced his retirement around the time of the release of The Black Album, it should have been met with sighs of relief. Jay has certainly left his mark on hip-hop's history, but his time for musical impact has come and gone. He'll have his hit songs, much like he did on The Black Album, but it's apparent from Kingdom Come that he no longer has anything left in his bag of tricks. There isn't a single memorable rhyme on the album, and though his flow is still intact at points, at others it's just embarrassing. He stumbles through the verses of "Lost One," using awkward syncopation and tactless half rhymes to carry the song. Instead, he drops the ball.

Always sensitive to sociopolitical issues, Jay-Z tries his hand at post-Katrina backlash on "Minority Report." While Dr. Dre's creative use of sound clips from news reports delivers the message sincerely and effectively, Jay-Z's lyrics are a case of preaching to the choir. America's unity in the hurricane relief was the lone bright spot amid the tragedy, and I'm not convinced anyone really needs to hear what Jay-Z thought about the aftermath. Nowhere near as incendiary as Kanye West's iconic quip, "George Bush doesn't care about black people," the track just beats a dead horse. When he says, "Seems like we don't even care," one has to wonder -- what's all this "we" stuff, kemosabe?

Eventually, every comeback falters. After Jordan's second season with the Wizards, his age had become more apparent, and the team failed to improve further. At that point, Jordan realized the NBA had to move on without him on the court. Jay-Z may still have gimmicky self-aggrandizing and a stable of ready production talent, but the game has passed him by. Maybe he once was the best rapper alive, but that time is gone. Like Jordan, Jay-Z should see if he could get tradebacks on that suit and tie. Grade: D+