Jay-Z (The Blueprint)

[Slim Zaddy]

Released September 11, 2001
Recorded 2001
Manhattan Center Studios
Baseline Studios
(New York, New York)
Genre East Coast hip hop , Mafioso rap
Length 63:52
Label Roc-A-Fella/Island Def Jam
Producer Jay-Z (exec.), Damon Dash (exec.), Kareem "Biggs" Burke (exec.), Kanye West, Just Blaze, Bink, Timbaland, Eminem, Poke and Tone

Background:
The Blueprint is the sixth studio album by rapper Jay-Z. It was released on September 11, 2001 (a week earlier than planned, to combat bootlegging). Despite being overshadowed by the 9/11 attacks, the album sold over 426,000 copies in its opening week, becoming Jay-Z's fourth consecutive album to reach number one on the Billboard 200. It was certified two times platinum as sales stand at over two million units in the U.S.[2][3] Jay-Z boasted about the record's success on the track "The Bounce" from his following album The Blueprint²: The Gift & the Curse.The Blueprint was reportedly cut in two weeks, with Jay-Z allegedly writing the lyrics in two days.[4] Jay-Z awaited two criminal trials for gun possession and assault. At the time he was engaged in feuds with Nas, Prodigy of Mobb Deep, and others attacking him in song. Parts of The Blueprint became a battle album, particularly in "Takeover", in which Jay-Z attacks Nas, Prodigy, and all manner of persecutors, set to the hard rock of samples of The Doors' "Five to One". "Takeover" closes with the line "To all you other cats throwing shots at Jigga/You only get half a bar, fuck y'all niggas" as a blanket response to all his enemies not mentioned elsewhere in the song.In The Blueprint, Jay-Z and his producers turn to vintage soul, fueling almost every song with a stirring vocal sample: Al Green, Bobby "Blue" Bland, David Ruffin and the The Jackson 5. Exceptions include "Jigga That Nigga", "Hola' Hovito", and most notably "Renegade", a track produced by and featuring Eminem.


Reception and impact
The Blueprint contained a unique and balanced blend of soulful samples that had both street credibility and mainstream appeal, thereby garnering praise from all quarters of the hip-hop community and receiving special recognition from critics. Most consider The Blueprint to be one of Jay-Z's best albums, holding it on a level close to that of his debut, Reasonable Doubt. Upon its release, The Blueprint was rated as Vibe Magazine's "Best Album of the year", and even received a 5 mic (out of 5) rating from The Source (a distinction reserved for hip hop classics). Pitchfork Media named it the 2nd best album of 2000-2004, behind Radiohead's Kid A. The popularity and commercial success of the album established Kanye West and Just Blaze as two of hip-hop’s most celebrated producers. Furthermore, The Blueprint signaled a major stylistic shift in hip-hop production towards a more Soul/R&B-centric and sample-reliant sound, creating a number of imitators who attempted to emulate the album's atmospheric style. Prior to The Blueprint, mainstream hip-hop producers had largely eschewed music sampling in favor of the keyboard-driven Timbaland sound (characterized by a shifting, syncopated rhythm, similar to samba or jungle music), due to the financial and legal issues associated with copyright laws. The Blueprint, however, revived musical sampling as a common practice in hip hop music and dislodged the digital keyboard-driven production style as the dominant sound in hip-hop music.[5] Kanye West would later incorporate some of the production and sampling techniques he used on this album into his own solo albums (see The College Dropout, Late Registration and Graduation.)

The song "Heart of the City (Ain't No Love)" has later on been used in the movie trailer for the film American Gangster, in which Jay-Z did not have a role. But later, Jay-Z based an album off the movie's concept which also became number 1.

Tracks
1 The Ruler's Back Carter, Harrel, Hurtt, Sigler 3:49
2 Takeover Burdon, Carter, Chandler ... 5:13
3 Izzo (H.O.V.A.) Carter, Gordy, Mizell, Perren ... 4:00
Composed by: Carter, Gordy, Mizell, Perren, Richards, West
4 Girls, Girls, Girls Brock, Carter, Relf, Smith 4:35
5 Jigga That N***a Barnes, Carter, Olivier 3:24
6 U Don't Know Byrd, Carter, Smith 3:19
7 Hola' Hovito Carter, Mosley 4:33
8 Heart of the City (Ain't No Love) Carter, Price, Walsh, West 3:43
9 Never Change Carter, Miller, West 3:58
10 Song Cry Carter, Gibbs, Johnson, Smith 5:03
11 All I Need Carter, Harrel 4:28
12 Renagade Carter, Mathers 5:37
13 Blueprint (Momma Loves Me) Carter, Green, Harrel 12:08

Music Videos
none

Bonus Tracks
As with Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter, Jay-Z put two hidden bonus tracks at the end of the final track. "Blueprint (Momma Loves Me)" is 3:41 by itself. Twenty-five seconds of silence follows after that and "Breathe Easy (Lyrical Exercise)" begins. That song fades and is immediately followed by "Girls, Girls, Girls (Part 2)." The final track as a whole is 12:08.



charts
Canadian Albums Chart 3
Swedish Albums Chart 30
U.S. Billboard 200 1
U.S. Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums 1
U.S. Top Internet Albums 21


Singles
Billboard Hot 100 Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks Hot Rap Singles
2001 "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)" 8 4 7
2001 "Girls, Girls, Girls" 17 4 9
2002 "Jigga That Nigga" 66 27 7
2002 "Song Cry - 45 -

Personnel
Slick Rick - Vocals
Biz Markie - Vocals
Q-Tip - Vocals
Richard Huredia - Mixing
Tony Dawsey - Mastering
Jimmy Douglas - Engineer, mixing
Timbaland - Producer, vocals
Jason Goldstein - Mixing
Poke and Tone - Producer
Jonathan Mannion - Photography
Tony Vanias - Recording director
Damon Dash - Executive producer
Shawn Carter - Executive Producer
Eminem - Producer, vocals
Kanye West - Producer, vocals
Kareem "Biggs" Burke - Executive producer
Just Blaze - Producer
Jason Noto - Art direction
Victor Flowers - Organ
Josey Scott - Vocals
Shane "Bermy" Woodley - Assistant engineer

Credits
Biz Markie Vocals
Kareem "Biggs" Burke Executive Producer
Shawn Carter Executive Producer
Damon Dash Executive Producer
Tony Dawsey Mastering
Jimmy Douglas Engineer, Mixing
Eminem Producer
Victor Flowers Organ
Jason Goldstein Mixing
Richard Huredia Mixing
Just Blaze Producer
Jonathan Mannion Photography
Michele Mills Vocals
Jason Noto Art Direction
Poke & Tone Producer
Q-Tip Vocals
Josey Scott Vocals
Slick Rick Vocals
Timbaland Producer
Tony Vanias Recording Director
Kanye West Producer
Doug Wilson Mixing
Shane "Bermy" Woodley Assistant Engineer

Review:
Jay-Z's trick is to conjure a better hip-hop era where every other cut was a euphoric soul-sampling rallying call to young black America. He's aided in this quest by producers Kanye West and Just Blaze who dig just deep enough in the soul crates to keep the people happy and avoid obscurities. A Jackson 5 sample features on the leadoff single and the whole album is shot through with classic soul samples and dusty harmonies.Another important trick on 'The Blueprint' is the refreshing lack of celebrity cameo spots - a typical spot by Eminem excepted. This could be a side effect of Jigga's colossal ego but it's a blessing all the same in times when we're often in danger of forgetting exactly whose hip-hop album we're listening to.It's not radically new - although the Timbaland and the Track masters contributions are genuinely exciting - but it's exactly what a lot of people want to hear from a hip-hop album right now and, even if for that reason alone, you're forced to acknowledge that Jay-Z really has left Nas far behind him, actually right know he is one of the best at the moment beside eminem , he is known to be having solid lyrics and complexity so yeah i advice anyone to listen to this album and give it a try listen to the beats and for the vocals giving by eminem ,,, dope shit no doubt

[DrRapid]

Awesomeness, this album is highly recommended when it comes to hip-hop listeners who don't know why Jay-Z is considered one of the best (this included me), check The Blueprint out it's greatness. From track 1 to track 13 you will not be disappointed.

[Slim Zaddy]

Awesomeness, this album is highly recommended when it comes to hip-hop listeners who don't know why Jay-Z is considered one of the best (this included me), check The Blueprint out it's greatness. From track 1 to track 13 you will not be disappointed.

yeah you damn right this guy is just awesome , he had some great songs actually particularly in this album , i think it's the best from him for me, and yup for anyone who didn't listen to him just it give it a try ,

[Solace]

Aren't you supposed to write your own review, not find one and add 2 lines to it right? Anyways, freaky stuff it was released on September 11th, 2001. Great album I must say.