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| Value for Money | 9/10  |
|---|---|
| Overall rating | 9.5/10 |
By dblock
on 30th Mar 2007
| Other Artists Listened To | Nas, Kanye West |
|---|---|
| Format | Audio CD |
| Value for money | 8/10 |
| Overall value | 9/10 |
 dblock's recommendation | |
High quality rhyming skills, last seen on 'Reasonable Doubt'.
Great production from Kanye West, Just Blaze, Eminem and Timbaland.
Perhaps one or two more collaborations.
The Blueprint ranks as perhaps Jay-Z's finest album since his debut Reasonable Doubt. He marked a change in direction for Jay-Z and it integrated him back into the echelons of the hip hop fraternity. It had been remarked that Jay-Z's previous albums had been overly commercialised, and despite doing well in the U.S. charts, they had alienated him from core rap fans.
On this album we see many sides of Jay-Z. One of the main themes appears to be a soulful backdrop, in which his rhymes are heard. The lyrics are sharp and witty, and the mood is set by the track 'Takeover', which is second in the playlist. The track is supposedly the 'diss track', infamous within the hip hop circles, where rappers take aim at each other, lyrically speaking. On this occasion Jay-Z in particular singles out rapper Nas for criticism, and in some ways he effectively resurrects his career and instigates a retaliation track by the name of 'Ether' on Nas' Stillmatic later that year. Thus, the track goes on to be one of the biggest selling points of the album.
The album will always be remembered for the fact it was released on September 11 2001, but this didn't really stop the album from being a success, and it is little wonder why. There are many stand-out tracks on the album; in particular the Motown sampled 'Heart of the City', which is a collaboration with Eminem on Renegade, and an emotion 'Song Cry'.
The production on this album is exceptional, and in many ways it put talented producers Kanye West and Just Blaze on the map. There are hardly any filler songs at all. The album is much shorter than some of his previous attempts, and this was a quality over quantity approach, which in effect worked really well. The album was very well acclaimed, and it is consistently ranked amongst the top 10 albums of 2001, and it is hard to dispute that case. It is certainly an album you will listen to again and again.
1. The Ruler's Back
2. Takeover
3. Izzo (H.O.V.A.)
4. Girls, Girls, Girls
5. Jigga That N***a
6. U Don't Know
7. Hola' Hovito
8. Heart Of The City (Ain't No Love)
9. Never Change
10. Song Cry
11. All I Need
12. Renagade
13. Blueprint (Momma Loves Me)
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Roc-A-Fella, September 17, 2001, Catalog Number: 5863962
Roc-A-Fella, April 07, 2003, UPC: 0044007734421
Roc-A-Fella, November 18, 2002, UPC: 0044006338125
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