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The Blueprint

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The Blueprint (2001) is the sixth album from rapper Jay-Z. Originally intended to be released on September 18 2001, the album's release was pushed forward one week to September 11, 2001, in order to combat widespread bootlegging.

Contents

Overview

The Blueprint was reportedly cut in two days. Jay-Z was awaiting two criminal trials, one for gun possession, another for assault. At the time he had become hip-hop's most attacked artist, with Nas, Prodigy of Mobb Deep, and others attacking him in song. Half of The Blueprint became a battle album, in which Hova, from on high, attacks Nas, Prodigy, and all manner of prosecutors and persecutors. Jay-Z deepens his sound on The Blueprint as well. Here, 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 Jackson 5. Exceptions include "Jigga That Nigga," "Hola' Hovito," "All I Need," and most notably "Renegade," a track produced by Eminem. "Renegade" was the only track with a guest appearance (featuring Eminem) and many fans and critics feel that Jay-Z was overshadowed by Eminem's visceral, assonant rhymes.

Critical 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 and receiving special recognition from critics. 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 set aside solely for hip hop classics). The popularity and commercial success of the album established Kanye West as one 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-esque 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 (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 digitally keyboard-driven production style as the dominant sound in hip-hop music[link]. 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 and Late Registration.)

Track listing

  1. "The Ruler's Back" (Carter/Harrel/Hurtt/Sigler) (Produced by Bink, contains sample of "If" by Jackie Moore) - 3:49
  2. "Takeover" (Burdon/Carter/Chandler/Densmore/Krieger/Lemay/Lomax/Manz/Morrison/Parker/West) (Produced by Kanye West, contains sample of "Five to One" by The Doors) - 5:13
  3. "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)" (Carter/Gordy/Mizell/Perren/Richards/West) (Produced by Kanye West, contains sample of "I Want You Back" by The Jackson 5) - 4:00
  4. "Girls, Girls, Girls" (Brock/Carter/Relf/Smith) (Produced by Just Blaze, contains sample of "I Love You More and More Every Time" by Tom Brock) - 4:35
  5. "Jigga That Nigga" (Barnes/Carter/Olivier) (Produced by Trackmasters) - 3:24
  6. "U Don't Know" (Byrd/Carter/Smith) (Produced by Just Blaze, contains sample of "I'm Not to Blame" by Bobby Byrd) - 3:19
  7. "Hola' Hovito" (Carter/Mosley) (Produced by Timbaland) - 4:33
  8. "Heart of the City (Ain't No Love)" (Carter/Price/Walsh/West) (Produced by Kanye West, contains sample of "Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City" by Bobby "Blue" Bland) - 3:43
  9. "Never Change" (Carter/Miller/West) (Produced by Kanye West, contains sample of "Common Man" by David Ruffin) - 3:58
  10. "Song Cry" (Carter/Gibbs/Johnson/Smith) (Produced by Just Blaze, contains sample of "Sounds Like a Love Song" by Bobby Glenn) - 5:03
  11. "All I Need" (Carter/Harrel) (Produced by Bink) - 4:28
  12. "Renegade" (Featuring Eminem) (Mathers/Carter) (Produced by Eminem) - 5:37
  13. "Blueprint (Momma Loves Me)" (Carter/Green/Harrel) (Produced by Bink, contains sample of "Free at Last" by Al Green) - 12:08
  14. * The regular audio track is followed by a period of silence, and then two hidden tracks, "Breathe Easy" (3:45) and a Kanye West-produced remix of "Girls, Girls, Girls" (4:16)

Accolades

In 2003, the album was ranked number 464 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

Personnel

Jay-Z
Albums, Compilations and Collaborative studio albums
Reasonable Doubt | In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 | ' | ' | ' | The Blueprint | Unplugged | The Best of Both Worlds | ' | The Black Album | Unfinished Business | Collision Course
Singles
Can't Knock the Hustle | Ain't No Nigga/Dead Presidents | Feelin' It | Who You Wit | Sunshine | The City Is Mine | Wishing on a Star | Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem) | Nigga What, Nigga Who (Originator 99) | Money, Cash, Hoes | Can I Get A... | Money Ain't a Thing | Big Pimpin | Do It Again (Put Ya Hands Up) | Jigga My Nigga | Girl's Best Friend | I Just Wanna Luv U (Give It 2 Me) | Change the Game | Guilty Until Proven Innocent | Izzo (H.O.V.A.) | Girls, Girls, Girls | Jigga That Nigga | Song Cry | '03 Bonnie & Clyde | Excuse Me Miss | Change Clothes | Dirt Off Your Shoulder | Encore | 99 Problems | Big Chips

Collaborative Singles
Frontin | Crazy in Love

 

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