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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
another hot jay-z lp, September 13, 2001
This review is from: Blueprint (Clean) (Audio CD)
Listen up Jay-Z fans....the only reason this CD got 4 stars if because no other Jay-Z cd will come close to reasonable doubt. Another reason is the obvious samples...but only Jigga could get away with sampling a Doors song and make it sound good. Only 2 collaborations on the whole CD also show that Jay-Z is self reliant and has some major staying power....however, the best track on the CD might be the huge collaboration on track 4 titled "Girls, Girls, Girls" in which Q-Tip, Slick Rick, and Biz Markie take turns spitting the chorus. The collaboration on track 12 with Eminem was different...a less flossy Jay-Z. I gave this CD 4 stars but if I could give it 4 and half I would. Next to Reasonable Doubt, this is some of Jigga man's best work. A must buy.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Focused and definitive...a true masterpiece, July 6, 2007
This review is from: Blueprint (Clean) (Audio CD)
By 2001, Jay-Z had already released five bestselling albums and established himself as one of the true New York heavyweights in hip hop history. With his last efforts, Jay appeared to be moving in a mainstream direction, making catchy, accessible tunes and putting more and more effort into making his Roc-A-Fella Records crew an empire. This is part of what made "The Blueprint" so shocking. Jay-Z totally got the formula right on this album. With such a perfect balance of radio singles, emotional commentaries, nostalgic reminiscences, and cocky boasts, it's amazing this album was put together so quickly. But even on the obvious singles, it's amazing because Hov still wows on the mic. His hilarious references and punchlines are pure and easy-flowing, and always clever when he's having fun. But his dramatic and emotional raps come across equally as effective.
Also chalk up the consistency to the producers. A young and then-unknown Kanye West produced five of the tracklist's songs, creating soulful, nostalgic, and memorable productions. Just Blaze did four, Bink did three and Poke & Tone, Timbaland, and Eminem did one each. The music on "The Blueprint" is often spectacular, and it's also very consistent. Adding to the consistency, the album only has one guest verse, from Eminem, in sharp contrast to his previous work.
The album leads off with "The Ruler's Back," a fist-pumping, horn-heavy banger full of boasts, threats, and warnings. "Takeover" is a diss track towards numerous New York rappers, including Nas and Mobb Deep. The pounding, guitar-laced beat makes a nice backdrop for his ruthless disses. The absolutely classic "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)" follows, a musically catchy and lyrically hilarious song. This is one of Jay-Z's finest works in my mind, clever and effective, but most of all, fun. "Girls, Girls, Girls" contains verses about his dealings with different women. Another single, "Jigga That N..." is a pretty well-done club track. The thumping "U Don't Know" is a track aimed towards the streets, with awesome production from Just Blaze, who uses a great sample. "Hola Hovito" is Timbaland's sole production here, a song meant to be a club banger and nothing else. My favorite song though, is certainly "Heart of the City." Jay-Z's lyrics are among his most inspired and well-thought ever, but Kanye's production, which samples classic soul and utilizes great horn instrumentation, is in my mind the finest of his career. "Never Change" profiles his determined character. Another classic, the single "Song Cry," is another of his finest tracks. He speaks to a woman, as he watches their relationship drift apart. It's one of his most inspired performances, and the pumped-up slow jam by Just Blaze is perfect. The cool "All I Need" precedes the incredible Eminem collabo "Renegade." Both Jay and Em's verses are truly awesome. The title track is a shout-out to everyone who helped him, and the throwback-styled production is nice. Two bonus tracks, "Breathe Easy" and the popular "Girls, Girls, Girls" remix, are nice throw-ins.
Without a doubt, "The Blueprint" is one of the finest hip hop albums of the new millennium, and easily one of Jay-Z's greatest efforts. This album really molded and changed hip hop for a time, and even though it wasn't that long ago, a lot has changed since "The Blueprint." I long for the days when an album this good captured mainstream radio. For those who missed it, consider "The Blueprint" a must have.
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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Another classic by Jay-Z, April 7, 2002
This review is from: Blueprint (Clean) (Audio CD)
This is one of the best all-around CD's out now. From commercial songs (Izzo & Girls, Girls, Girls) to the underground-like diss (Takeover) to the thuggish songs, Jay-Z keeps it real and bangin throughout. The beats are pretty good on this LP but I think he should have had more guest spots on this CD. He has no ROC artists featured on this. But one guest spot made me get this CD...Eminem's appearance on Renagade. Yeah, Slim outshines Jigga on this track, but who can honestly outshine Eminem? The songs to check out are definitly Renagade, Jigga That N***a, Hola Hovito & Song Cry. The following is my track rating (1-5): 1. The Ruler's Back - 4 (decent for an intro)
2. Takeover - 4.5 (beat gets annoying...Jigga disses Nas & Mobb Deep here)
3. Izzo - 3 (it got played out)
4. Girls, Girls, Girls - 2 (this did too)
5. Jigga That N***a - 5 (the beat and hook keep it bangin)
6. U Don't Know - 4 (beat sounds like it's from a Jay-Z intro)
7. Hola Hovito - 5 (one of the best on here)
8. Heart Of The City - 4
9. Never Change - 3.5
10. Song Cry - 5
11. All I Need - 4.5
12. Renagade - 5+++
13. Blueprint (+ 2 BONUS TRACKS) - 3
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