The Blueprint
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CRITIC REVIEWS
100
Besides rhymes that challenge those on Reasonable Doubt as the most crafted of Jay-Z's career to date in terms of not only lyrics but also flow and delivery, The Blueprint also boasts some of his most extravagant beats.
100
With his well-established flow, comedic verses and “rewind-me” lines, Jay Z has hit the streets with an album that shows why he is the number one contender for the crown of New York.
87
What holds it together is Jigga's overwhelming self-assuredness-- the kind of justified confidence you can imagine witnessing from a world conqueror or cult leader.
80
Jay-Z is the don of the one-liner, the couplet, the verse and the chorus too.
70
Though he's a sharp, detailed writer, a meticulous craftsman and an influential stylist ... Jay-Z is not extremely expressive or innovative, and The Blueprint threatens at times to slide into monotony.
60
Less is often more, and with tracks like “Never Change,” Jay-Z fails to make the samples his own. They are the “blueprints” on which the rapper lays his rhymes and, in essence, takes all the credit.
The Highschool Dropout.
Favs: The Ruler's Back, Takeover, Izzo, Hola Hovita, Heart of the City, Never Change, Song Cry
Favs: The Ruler's Back, Takeover, Izzo, Hola Hovita, Heart of the City, Never Change, Song Cry
POWERHOUSE
LEGENDARY... there's an odd amateurish vibe to this, you can tell... I mean this album has definitely aged, in the best way possible, in the best way possible. Jay just has the greatest production team on this, these instrumentals and the bars are the stuff of legend. I'm speechless, The Blueprint has blown me away.
Best: Heart of The City, The Ruler's Back, Takeover, Izzo, U Don't Know, Hola Hovito, Never Change, Song Cry, All I Need, Renegade, Blueprint
Weakest: Jigga That ... read more
LEGENDARY... there's an odd amateurish vibe to this, you can tell... I mean this album has definitely aged, in the best way possible, in the best way possible. Jay just has the greatest production team on this, these instrumentals and the bars are the stuff of legend. I'm speechless, The Blueprint has blown me away.
Best: Heart of The City, The Ruler's Back, Takeover, Izzo, U Don't Know, Hola Hovito, Never Change, Song Cry, All I Need, Renegade, Blueprint
Weakest: Jigga That ... read more
There's no secret that Jay is aware of his status as a trend setter, and naming his album The Blueprint was a confident statement, knowing he was about to flip hip hop on its head.
In the late 90s and early 2000s, hip hop albums were bloated to the gills. Rappers had 80 minutes on a CD available to fill, and god damn if they weren't going to try and fill every minute possible with a dozen features, lazy filler and pointless skits that nobody outside of the studio they were recorded in found ... read more
In the late 90s and early 2000s, hip hop albums were bloated to the gills. Rappers had 80 minutes on a CD available to fill, and god damn if they weren't going to try and fill every minute possible with a dozen features, lazy filler and pointless skits that nobody outside of the studio they were recorded in found ... read more
END OF YEAR LISTS
| #7 | / | SPIN |
MISC LISTS
Track List
- The Ruler's Back
- Takeover
- Izzo (H.O.V.A.)
- Girls, Girls, Girls
- Jigga That Nigga
- U Don't Know
- Hola' Hovito
- Heart Of The City (Ain't No Love)
- Never Change
- Song Cry
- All I Need
- Renagade
- Blueprint (Momma Loves Me)
In Library (50)
