Magna Carta Records Magna Carta Records Magna Carta Records is an independent record label located in Rochester, New York. Magna Carta was formed in 1989 and is owned by Peter Morticelli and his partner Mike Varney. The label, named for the 1215 English document advancing democracy, the Magna Carta, has a diverse line-up consisting of musicians from many different genres, but is best known for many of its progressive rock/metal acts. Among the artists featured on the label are OHMphrey, Alex Skolnick Trio, Dave Martone, Kris Norris, and Doug Pinnick (of King's X). As of June 1, 2009, Magna Carta began working with
Magna Carta Holy Grail "Magna Carta Holy Grail" received generally mixed reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 60, based on 42 reviews. In "The New York Times", Jon Pareles wrote that Jay-Z was trying to transition from his pop sensibilities but had not yet found a "reliable alternative" on "Magna Carta Holy Grail", where his raps were often mismatched with rigidly produced tracks. AllMusic's Andy Kellman believed the record was hastily produced and despite occasionally impressive lyrics, Jay-Z's pop culture references sounded reflexive. "Spin" magazine's