I dislike most of Jay-Z’s solo material, but when he’s paired with a star like Kanye, Rihanna, Beyonce, Eminem or Linkin Park, he becomes the ultimate compliment. Why do two totally disparate songs work perfectly together? Maybe it’s because Encore is saying goodbye to the rap game (well, pretending to) and Numb is emotionally cutting itself off from a painful family member. Encore provides the energy the depressed Numb is reaching out for.