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.
Imagine bumping one of the greatest hip hop records of all time on your Sony Walkman in the morning on the train to work from Brooklyn and you see a fucking plane hit the World Trade Center. Shit crazy bro.
☆☆☆☆ 1/2
Shut up for a second and understand who the FUCK this man is in front of the mic... this isn't Hov'... this ain't even Jigga...
This man is The Godfather of Hip-Hop.
Not only does the record outclass practically everything else that's been conceived the same year of its release, but JAY-Z's acclaimed "magnum-opus" is a calibre of the genre that holds quite possibly some of the finest moments in all of Hip-Hop history.
"Takeover", to start with, ... read more
Shut up for a second and understand who the FUCK this man is in front of the mic... this isn't Hov'... this ain't even Jigga...
This man is The Godfather of Hip-Hop.
Not only does the record outclass practically everything else that's been conceived the same year of its release, but JAY-Z's acclaimed "magnum-opus" is a calibre of the genre that holds quite possibly some of the finest moments in all of Hip-Hop history.
"Takeover", to start with, ... read more
Without a doubt, one of the most creative and entertaining hip-hop records of the 2000s. Somehow this record sounds very all-over-the-place while still holding a strong traditional hip-hop sound. It's a level of excellency that Jay didn't reach many more times in his career.
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Year End Lists
| #7 | / | SPIN |
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)
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