What's happening kind folks! Moving on to our next twentieth anniversary salute is an album that has long been revered as one of hip-hop's most complete albums. A star making album in every sense of the term, this album was a blistering reminder of this artist's stranglehold on the top of hip-hop seemingly at the time. From the moment Prodigy and Nas were on blast on that Hot 97 Summer Jam screen, the first shot was let off and what came was an album that was the most polished and cohesive of his career. Ladies and gentlemen, we salute Jay-Z and his fifth album, The Blueprint.
Many hardcore Jay enthusiasts are quick to state (and rightfully so) that his debut, Reasonable Doubt, is his true magnum opus. Much like Nas with Illmatic, Reasonable Doubt was, in fact, a moment in time for Hov. There's no one hundred percent guarantee an artist can reach levels that are that high in terms of critical and street appeal. However, an artist can move forward and strive to make another high level of classic acclaim for another effort. Nas did it with Stillmatic, It Was Written and his latest amazing effort Kings Disease 2. With Jay, it was arguably Vol. 2...Hard Knock Life, his third album that sold over four million units at the time. Then, he dropped one of hip-hop's most scathing disses in "The Takeover", and it set the stage for album number five, The Blueprint. At best, every single cut on the album is a hit. A certifiable hit. You've more than likely heard every cut on the radio at some point before and after its release. Each cut reflected where Jay's status was at the time. There were no street tales of hustling and surviving. This was more or less a celebration of his status as hip-hop's biggest deal.
While Reasonable Doubt was very street-laced, this was absolutely for the radio and clubs, with topics that were moreso about his luxurious lifestyle, the hate he received, and just enjoying life. Obviously, "Takeover" set the tone, but once his official first single, "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)" made it on to the airwaves, it was clear he was beating his chest as the biggest star in the game, but other cuts like "Girls, Girls, Girls", "Jigga That Nigga", and "Hola Hovito" were as perfect for Jay as any cut we've ever heard from him. The Just Blaze-scorcher "U don't Know" could've likely fit in on Reasonable Doubt, as it's among the hardest cuts Jay has ever presented to this very day. However, the second half of the album is a bit more reflective. "Ain't No Love" addresses hate and jealousy he's experienced on his way to the top. Meanwhile, the title track is arguably the cut with the most feeling, as he reminisces about his youth all the way to his stardom saluting everyone from his mother to his brother to Jaz-O. Over a hypnotic Blaze beat, he goes deeper than the majority of this album, however "Song Cry" goes even deeper with "Song Cry", as the wailing sample of this cut makes this song bring more of a melancholy vibe to it as Jay reflects on regrets and homies he misses. Among the most introspective cuts of his career. We move on to the much talked about "Renegade", where Nas so eloquently stated that "Eminem murdered him on his own shit" on his retaliation cut "ether". Jay did indeed get outshined by a red hot Eminem, but was still an impactful cut during this era.
With other cuts like "The Ruler's Back", "Never Change", and "All I Need", this was the complete Jay-Z album. This incorporated everything that made Jay what he was in 2001. The streets of Reasonable Doubt, the commercialism of In My Lifetime Vol. 1, and the crossover appeal of Vol. 2...Hard Knock Life were all represented here and then some. He was at the top of his game lyrically and stylistically. The board work Kanye and Just Blaze did here was nearly perfect, especially for Jay. Likewise, Bink, Timbaland and Trackmasters (whatever happened to them?) provided bumping boardwork for Jay to deliver over.
While his later discography had its share of highs (American Gangster, 4:44, The Black Album) and Lows (Blueprint 2, Blueprint 3, Magna Carta Holy Grail, Kingdom Come), The Blueprint remains his all-around triumph and definitive statement that showed he was arguably the biggest star in hip-hop even in the midst of highly in-demand artists such as Eminem, DMX (R.I.P.), Nas, Snoop Dogg. His debut may still be considered by many as his absolute classic work, The Blueprint showed him transitioning fully from the streets to the mansion without forgetting who he was or where he came from. He may had been playing golf more than hustling, but he worked very hard to better himself and his family through The Blueprint. While he was at times he was an instigator and wanted to assert his status as the big dog in pretty eye-browsing ways, as a whole, if there was an album that perfectly represented who Shawn Carter was and who he was becoming, this is that album. It's clear that The Blueprint foreshadowed his distinction being among the true GOATs of hip-hop. Did we mention this album got inducted into the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress as well? Well, if you know about all the historic recordings and albums that dwell in the NRR (Illmatic, To Pimp A Butterfly, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Purple Rain, Raising Hell, Straight Outta Compton, and The Chronic among others). To this, we salute Jay-Z's enormous triumph, The Blueprint, and its twentieth anniversary. Until next time!
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