The Blueprint

I'm addicted to buying unbelievably expensive custom helicopters (yeeeeeeaaahhhh) In a brief moment of lucidity I went to the helicopter dealership and told them "Do not, under any circumstances, sell me more helicopters" I was back there half an hour later, wearing a fake moustache, and I said "Hello gentlemen, I am Ray Z, a man you have never met before. Give me 10,000 helicopters covered in diamonds"

A couple of good tracks but I'm not a massive fan of his style. I get it you have lots of money now but didn't always.

Didn't seem genuine. I would describe it as the panhandler who drives home in his Mercedes. Music was very good, it just fell about whenever Jay Z opened his mouth.

I never saw the appeal to Jay-Z. I find this record, and the rest of his catalog, trite and mediocre.

70s-soul and pop infused, via garage rock / grind house filters. Bonus points for Osmond's sample in "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)." Interesting music / samples. But, it's RAP. Not enough melody. Too much swagger, cussin', and misogyny. If only there were more (any?) melody, and lyrics and not spittin'.

Pop rap. Good music, guy is a great producer and can assemble a good beat/sound. The ego though, dude - just shhhh... If I could give a 1/2 star I'd error a bit higher - as is, enjoy your 2 stars, schmuck.

First thought is that this sounds nostalgic, even though i have never heard it before. I like the opening groove on ruler's back, so richly textured, though the trumpets and brass is cheap sounding. The Takeover is one of those great follow-up tracks with a Fame callback. so good. Dude every track is incredibly crafted. I think that the track Renegade is the weakest one on the album

The only thing larger than the production values is that mans ego. Braggadocio is not my favorite means of expression.

Classic and appreciate his talent but not my cup of tea

I’m not sure how Jay Z got to be a billionaire. The production is pretty great tho.

Honestly really enjoyed this album, haven't listened to a lot of Jay-Z before, but I thought it definitely was a classic, great album. Also, interesting that this is basically the last NYC rap album before 9/11, releasing right on the day.

Good beats, bad lyrics

The lyrics are just not relatable for me.

Suuuucks

Idk, I don't see the appeal.

Pretty terrible.

Not for me.

there's a reason i haven't listened to this before

Ok. Nothing different from most rap talking about being with lots of women and drugs.

I can really see why people like this album. Every song is a head bobber Jay-Z has a great flow and some pretty entertaining bars (Pack heat like the oven door). But for me it just doesn't captivate. Jay-Z says up top that these are his thoughts but he must only think about money, hustling, women and hip-hop because there isn't much else he raps about on the album. I hate to say it but the Eminem feature was actually a welcome change of pace from Jay-Z's rapping. Not that what he does isn't impressive but for me this album is more about the beats. Kanye and Blaze's production really steals the show for me and I actually think I would enjoy an instrumental of this album more. I could easily recommend this to any hip-hop fan but for me it won't stay in my rotation. Favorite songs: Girls, Girls, Girls, Heart of the City, Song Cry, Renegade,

Jay-Z is a lyrical genius (U Don't Know has some great lines), and his knowledge of pop culture is ridiculously extensive (check out The Ruler's Back). It makes it a lot of fun listening to his lyrics and what reference he'll slip in for a rhyme. His beats and mixes are cool too, easy to get into and move your head (or more) to. It's also surprisingly soulful (Never Change and Song Cry have their tender moments). I was surprised this was his 6th album - then saw he put out 6 albums in 6 years. Damn. One of the greatest rappers of all time and a damn good album (especially considering no massive hits on it).

This is the sound of a newly-crowned king. Jay-Z is on top of the hip-hop mountain, and he’s executing anyone who challenges for the throne with precision. He’s telling the stories that made him king and cementing his legacy for generations to come.

There aren’t any fancy beats on this album and it works well. The beats set the mood but otherwise stay out of the way of Jay-Z’s lyrical flow. Jay-Z’s style feels almost conversational. I appreciate that he doesn’t necessarily rhyme each verse. I admire the reverence he pays to those that took care of him growing up on Blueprint (Momma Loves Me). The distorted beats on Takeover are well placed to get my head bobbing. While I like Eminem’s appearance on Renegade is good on its own, it doesn’t really fit sonically with the rest of the album. I also recognize the Izzo (H.O.V.A.) line “Can’t leave rap alone, the game needs me” from its inclusion on Eminem’s Business from his album The Eminem Show. This is an album I will be listening to more in the near future.

Just incredibly good, obviously a foundationally important album. Renegade is astonishing. I could have listened to another hour of this, and I need to hear it again to pick up more from it.

Genre: East Coast Hip Hop 5/5 When it comes to rap album classics, The Blueprint is one of the true icons of the genre. From the beautiful and timeless chipmunk soul production, to Jay-Z’s quick wit and lyrical talent, this album is a sure fire hit for any hip hop fan. While I’m not sure it’s my favorite Jay-Z project, The Blueprint is still a force to be reckoned with. It became, for rap music at that time, exactly what its title suggests it is: the blueprint.

Not quite my subgenre, but I think this is a nearly-pristine hour of pop rap. The Kanye tracks have a special sparkle, but there is a ton of variety and very few low points. Eminem shows up and fits in well, though Renegade's subject matter rings hollow next to the lyrics and production of Takeover.

Jay-Z was always big but this is before everyone's grandparents knew who he was. H to the Izzo is a classic. Takeover is ruthless. Girls, Girls, Girls is funny as shit. I like the reminder that before Jay-Z hung out with Obama he stabbed a guy in a club a month after this album came out. Definitely gets a little repetitive (drugs, girls, etc) but I like that each song has a structure and arc and sticks to a subject unlike most rap today. The middle of the album is little weaker and I was excited for Renegade but it was kind of whatever. Still, I think its great. 4.

Really don't like this - Jay-Z strikes me as an rapper with pretty limited skills, stuck on boring obvious content. Don't understand his status

Bleh jay z. He’s the McDonald’s of rap.

So as I’ve said before, I’m a big rock guy – and my exposure to rap and hip-hop has been extremely limited… I typically know the more popular tracks from a couple of artists, but that’s about it – so the 1,001 has forced me to listen to a number of rap and/or hip-hop albums so far, as I’m about 150 or so in right now… So far, I’ve had some NWA, Public Enemy, Run-DMC, Queen Latifah, Outcast – and a few others – but hands down, Jay-Z is the best rapper in my opinion, and this album was absolutely fabulous… - Love his style, and how clever and witty his rhyming is… I almost added “writing” as well, but from what I’ve read – it sounds like much of what he creates is spontaneous – which makes it even more amazing… - His songs are genuine, and far-less focused on “thug life’ as opposed to like “Doggystyle” by Snoop Dogg – and the lyrics are more about his rise and work ethic – which sends a much more inspirational message… - I found the musical tracks backing his raps, to be among the best quality when compared the 15 or so other rap albums that I’ve listened to so far… The vibe I get, is that either Jay-Z is way more detailed oriented than most of the rappers I’ve listened to, or most of the others either don’t really care all that much for the music, and or aren’t that detail-oriented (i.e. making sure that every aspect of the album is top-shelf) – or both… - Best tracks IMO were – “Takeover” – Loved the backdrop of The Doors track on this one, and exceptionally well done… “Izzo (HOVA) – Really enjoyed this, as well as the story behind how the HOVA name came to be – do yourself a favor and Google it… Great track… “Blueprint” – This one is really well done as well, and a great way to close the album… The rest of the tracks are incredibly solid – and there is great diversity throughout the album, although the weakest tracks were the 2 “Girls, Girls, Girls” tracks (i.e. certainly catchy, but not nearly as good as the other material on this album…) – and surprisingly, the Eminem track “Renegade”, was not nearly as good as I thought it would be… Fells like this should be a 5 – and I don’t give many of those (i.e. maybe 10% of the 150 or so albums I’ve listened to so far…), so that’s what I’ll give it…

I actually prefer the “MTV Unplugged” renditions of these songs with the “Most Incredible Roots Band” backing up HOV. But this is the album that spawned those classics. Just peak Kanye as a producer and Jigga flexing … until Nas fired back with one of the greatest diss tracks ever.

New York State of Mind

Good mixes, good beats, good god let's eat! The most unfortunate part of this album is the release date. Is it a bit dated? Sure, but I can forgive it. Jay-Z proved (on more than just this album) he had the chops to be at the top. Only thing now is how strange it is to hear him rapping about the shadiness of the music industry and those within it, given all the recent headlines.

No. 193/1001 The Ruler's Back 5/5 Takeover 3/5 Izzo 4/5 Girls, Girls, Girls 4/5 Jigga That N**** 3/5 U Don't Know 5/5 Hola' Hovito 4/5 Heart Of The City 5/5 Never Change 4/5 Song Cry 3/5 All I Need 4/5 Renegade 3/5 Blueprint 3/5 Lyrical Exercise 3/5 Girls, Girls, Girls (Part 2) 4/5 Average: 3,8 Really good album, although my personal favorite from him is Reasonable Doubt.

This was like 3 hours of songs I'm not allowed to sing along too. I've never been into jayz, but this was a quality listen.

So I thought I was going to love this. Girls Girls Girls has always been one of my favourite songs of his and I really liked the first few tracks And then it just seemed to run out of steam a bit. Never bad but a bit … samey

The album was pretty average, in my opinion. A few songs were good, but most weren't. I struggled to finish the album. I don't think I'd ever revisit it properly again, not even the songs I liked really.

Quite grating, featuring very little of what you might call songs and full to the brim of beats that go stale while a man goes on and on about nothing.

i hate this

Love the music, but Jay Z's voice is a snoozefest

People who spend 45 minutes rhyming about how much money they have and how much tail they pull make me roll my eyes. I find it nearly impossible to look past that to any artistic interest or cultural significance.

Jay Z is a good lyricist and the production value on this album is top notch, but hot take: Jay Z is an overrated rapper. I just find his rapping so monotone. I skipped several tracks because they just sounded repetitive to me. This album was ok.

This is everything that I hate about rap in one album. A pompous asshole rapping about being rich and insulting people. Why can't you just be happy with what you've got, Jay? In a world with enlightened rappers like Blackalicious, Kendrick Lamar, Blue Scholars, Black Thought, Q-Tip, MF Doom, and so many others that actually have interesting things to say, I am truly baffled that anyone listens to idiots like Jay-Z, DJ Khaled and Kanye West.

20 years have passed, since this was released, and I must say, it still does little me. I spend my time trying to zone out his voice. And the drumbeat. Somehow I got to the end Not for me. Never again

The first discernable word on the album is "niggers" - it lost me at that point (about 20 seconds in). After that it's just spewing doggerel, not music, it seems to be political so why don't you just start a political party and run for office? 'Cos you definitely aren't a musician. I loathe rap. No stars.

I grew up on the suburban streets of Beavercreek I DONT RELATE

was prepared to absolutely hate this. and I do hate this, though a little less than I thought I would. still, there's nothing interesting in this album whatsoever – same beats, same lyrics as all the other rappers in this genre. and while it's the only Jay-Z album I've heard so far, I think he's massively overrated. I even enjoyed the 50 Cent album more, and I hated that shit too

Terrible. One of the few albums I couldn't stand to finish. Take generic simple beats, samples from better music, and drone talking about how much of a badass nigga you are and you have JAY Z.

OMG! Rap sucks! Cheap sounding drum beats repeated endlessly with the same sound to the voice in every “song”. Listening to this junk is like banging your head on a brick wall for an hour. Garbage!

Blech! Rap is so not for Boomers. It sounds like crap to me.

Usually, I am quite open to listening to music in a different language, but I do not understand or appreciate or ever want to learn the language of Arrogant Tosspot. The language of misogyny, sexism and narcissism is something I never want to engage in. I appreciated the beats and samples, but the lyrics were horrendous. And the man’s attitude is distasteful, nigh on deplorable. I just wonder if he’s alienating the people he’s supposed to represent - if he really does remember his roots then stop bragging about the money and share it out properly.

what the fuck is he going on about? he's waffling on and on and all i can get out of it is that he's fucking mint and everyone else is a gimp. the only blueprint i'm getting off this is a blueprint for rap music for girls.

Impossible to get into because of the lyrics. Consistently distasteful, frequently sexist, occasionally homophobic and racist.

The point where I tuned out of commercial hip-hop Don't like this production at all. Rapping is good. No thanks

Typical foul-mouthed rubbish. This is a zero star piece of crap.

Honestly, I did not enjoy a single song on this album. I liked elements of some songs - some beats were nice, a few clever lyrics here and there. But overall, I just could not get into this at all. Maybe part of it is that I'm biased against Jay-Z himself. The sound of his voice grates on me. I gave it a go. I even listened to a few songs twice, trying to get into them more, trying to see if I just needed time to come around to them. But no. This just wasn't for me.

I listened to this A LOT in college. Before Kanye turned into a crazy person, he was an all-time great producer and I'm pretty sure this is the first album I heard him on.

Jay-Z’s Comeback masterpiece. This is one of those albums just click. Up there with the best hip hop albums

Great Jay-Z album - not sure if this is because of the excellent choice of sampled songs (samples are based on great songs) but of course the way these songs are sampled by Jay-Z / Kanye West is very smooth as well.

"The Blueprint" is the sixth studio album by American rapper Jay-Z. Of note, it was released on 9/11/2001 to combat bootlegging. It had quite a list of producers including Kanye West, Just Blaze, Blink, Timbaland, The Trackmasters and Eminem. The album was noted for being soul-centric and sample reliant which was a shift in rap at the time from more keyboard driven. Yeah, the sampling which is more soul-based and the lyrics are both excellent. High, high production levels here. The albums has received and continues to receive a lot of very high critical praise and the Library of Congress also selected it to the US National Recording Registry for its "cultural, historically or aesthetically" importance....the first album of the 2000's. Jay-Z comes out thanking everyone for their purchase on "The Ruler's Back." A soul intro. Free and easy sounding. The horns gives this almost a theme from "Rocky" vibe. "Takeover" just has some creative sampling. "Five to One" by the Doors with Jim Morrison screaming "Come on" and a distorted sample of David Bowie's "Fame" making it purposely sound like "Lame" as Jay-Z discusses rappers Prodigy (Mobb Deep) and Nas...lol. "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)" was the first single and samples The Jackson 5's "I Want You Back." Nice easy groove. Jay-Z raps about helping other blacks with his record label and how drugs ruin lives. The mood lightens up with the second single "Girls, Girls, Girls" with some hilarious backing vocals by Q-Tip, Slick Rick and Biz Markie. Also, a great sample chorus of "High Power Rap" by Crash Crew and a sample of "There's Nothing in This World That Can Stop Me from Loving You" by Tom Brock. The song is about Jay-Z's (Ahem) promiscuous lifestyle. "Heart of the City (Ain't No Love)" has a great beat and soulful feel. You got to watch your back. A Bobby Bland sample. "Song Cry" was the fourth single and is just a great slow, melodic ballad. My favorite song on the album. About infidelity and neglect. Jay-Z at his most vulnerable. A sample of Bobby Glenn's "Sounds Like a Love Song." The only guest appearance on the album is Eminem on "Renegrade" and he just kills it. A song he orginally wrote with Royce da 5'9". Jay-Z has the first few verses as tells about his fatherless upbringing. Eminem then takes over and goes after the hypocrisy of the public outcry against him. This album is consistent and an enjoyable listen throughout. Not a dull moment. Its critical appeal has only grown extremely high over time. An obvious high recommendation.

Like this way more than I recall. At the time, I was more into MF Doom, Del Tha Funkee Homosapien, and Eminem. Kind of avoided Jay-Z, but this reminded me that I need to listen to more of his catalog.

I mean, being a hip hop fan this is an easy 5 stars. certified classic

Jay-Z’s finest album and a hip hop classic. The record is packed full of catchy hooks, nostalgic soul samples and wicked beats, all created to let Jay’s rhymes shine, almost float over the top (Kanye’s influence all over this album, take a bow). Thematically, there’s a lot of score settling and bragging which could tire but there’s enough humour and wit throughout to keep it engaging. Jay also shows respect to the old school, with allusions to classic lines from hip hop’s past throughout and guest spots from Bizmarkie (RIP), Slick Rick (a huge influence) and Q-Tip on Girls, Girls, Girls. The album doesn’t fall into hip hop’s usual trap of being absurdly long and as for collaborations there’s only one in Eminem who, let’s be honest, on this track, murders Jay on his own $#!+, just like Nas said. But it’s a welcome change from albums stuffed with guest stars spitting weak verses and the absence of protégés Memphis Bleek and Beanie Segal is a relief (has any successful rapper discovered any decent rappers cause I ain’t heard any. The Outlawz? Junior Mafia? D12? Please…). Jay fouled up the formula on the tedious double album follow up imaginatively titled Blueprint 2 (with an impressive Roots collaboration on Blueprint Unplugged and an ill advised Best of Both Worlds collaboration with, er, R Kelly in between). Blueprint really captures Jay’s verbal dexterity and his whip smart lines brilliantly who perhaps for the first (and only?) time lives up to his billing as best rapper alive.

Amazing album.

What an album this is. Magnum Opus. Favourite song - Takeover and Song Cry One for a run - Izzo One for Karaoke - Girls, Girls, Girls

Undeniable HOVA

fav tracks: Song Cry, U Don't Know, Girls Girls Girls

Old school bangers

classic jay-z rhymes with funky, hype and svelte backing. gotta love the digs at Nas, though maybe the digs at women haven't aged as well

Classic. Nothing else to tell

8/8 blues printed

Great album. Great production and Hov is at his best with his lyricism.

Vraiment un bon album de jay-z. Renegade a elle seule fait monter la note mais l’album est tellement buen construit et c’est un classique du rap. 4.95

Rating: 9/10 Best songs: The ruler’s back, Takeover, Izzo, U don’t know, Heart of the city, Never change, Song cry, All I need, renegade, Blueprint

Amazing album. Standouts "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)", "U Don't Know", and "Heart of the City".

Amazing!

One of my all-time favorite albums. Period.

so cool

Classic, probably Jays best work

Hard to believe this is 2 decades old. Every song on this album is a masterwork and a breakthrough for rap that changed the game and level set the bar up into the sky. Triumphs. Ain't no love in the heart of the city is one of my favorites. All the references and shoutouts. Marvin Gaye, Jim Morrison, and many hauntingly beautiful samples I didn't know before I looked them up like Bobby Glenn's 'Sounds Like a Love Song'. The Blueprint is an album in my general rotation even today that I listen to when I'm feeling frustrated by everything and I want to rise above the chaos. Renegade is awesome. Eminem fits right in. Girls, girls, girls is the weak link in the album that I don't think will stand the test of time. Beasties did it on License to Ill and it doesn't hold up.

Loved it.

New York, 2001. So many so-called kings of the borough but only one looked as if he needed something to prove. And, for that, he laid out the blueprint and wound up making history. Not even the world shifting, beyond tragic events of the album's release date could halt JAY Z's inevitable trajectory as the true successor of Biggie's throne. Some may call this his greatest album (though others before or since have the right to assume that position) and it cannot be denied that The Blueprint set in motion a chain of events that would end up defining its makers and its genre for better or for worse.

It's been a long time since I came back to this album. Historically, I've always preferred Reasonable Doubt to this album. However, listening to this after getting a better understanding of the history of hip-hop, it's really hard to deny how incredible The Blueprint is. It has plenty of hits, but it also features a lot of the production styles that would be featured during the next decade of rap music. The name The Blueprint ended up being prophetic in that sense. I don't hand out 5 stars to many albums, and I wasn't anticipating doing it for this album, but I can't think of a single argument for why this album doesn't deserve it 5/5

Schwächste: Jigga That N. Beste: Takeover Spasigste: Izzo

The Rulers Back cheia de ideias, riff, vocais. Jigga That Nigga fantástica! Hola Hovito tem um synth muito bom. All I Need tem uma percussão interessante.

fadão

More familiar with The Blueprint 2 prior to this, but still so good. (And H to the Izzo is the worst song on this album tbh.)

Hova!

Maybe his best. Great beats, he can definitely spit it (but taking on Nas? Sheesh...) And a nice Em guest spot.

I don't even know what makes this so good, but it's so good. It's pure swagger, and they use real instruments. The music itself is much more complex than most rap music, and Jay-Z is just so . . . smooth, I guess is the word. I kinda hate that a lot of the credit goes to Kanye West, but whatever - he knows how to produce an album.

Listened to it a couple of months back for the first time... checks out

Great album.

I wish this was a bad album so I could make a joke about it being the worst thing to happen on September 11 of 2001 but unfortunately it's really good. The production is great on almost every song (some are very early 2000s) and all of the features are excellent too. renegade and u don't know are my favs

Loved it!

The title is apropos. It is The Blueprint for where Hov went next in his career. Some great singles and highlights mixed with underrated b-sides. A few fillers along the way.

I like to rate rappers in three main categories: lyrics, technical skills and performance. Jay-Z is a very good lyricist and his technical skills are excellent but the category he most shines in is performance. There's never any question who you're listening to when he's on a song. He has one of the most recognizable voices in music and he infuses his verses with personality and humor. I'd have a hard time naming a more charismatic rapper. This album has gotta be his best. He's at the height of his popularity here and he doesn't take it for granted, though he does sound relaxed. He's enjoying himself in a way that I find infectious. On a great Jay-Z album like this one, I end up smiling and laughing a lot. The beats are fantastic too. Great use of sampling with big, catchy hooks that make this accessible as a pop album. Sometimes the beats are so good that it can be hard to focus on Jay-Z's rapping. You can get lost in the greatness of the music. Which brings me to the elephant in the room. Kanye produced a third of this album and those tracks are all phenomenal. I haven't listened to any Kanye music since his bizarre appearance on the Alex Jones show a few weeks ago and I've been avoiding it. I figured this would be a good way to test the waters since he's mostly in the background. But man, "Never Change" made me feel sad. The best is so quintessentially Kanye -- chopped up soul samples with hard-hitting drums. It reminds me why I fell in love with his music. Listening to it again was like hearing a voicemail from a friend I've lost touch with. There's an unresolved tension for me with Kanye though. It's upsetting to hear music that I love and to think about what's happened to the man that made it. But I also don't fully understand what's happened to him. Have we finally lost him completely? And what have we lost him to? Right-wing extremism? Mental illness? Was he always despicable, deep down? The story doesn't feel like it's over yet, for better or worse, which leaves me in a weird place when revisiting his music. I can't quite compartmentalize my feelings yet. It feels too soon to be able to separate how awful I feel when I think about him from the joy his music has given me over the years. But revisiting this album at least reassured me that I wasn't wrong about how great he was. "Takeover" goes so hard, "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)" is one of the greatest pop-rap songs of all-time and "Heart of the City (Ain't No Love)" is still one of the songs I'd play for someone who thinks they don't like rap to convince them they're wrong. Those songs, combined with the other hits on the album make this a classic in my book. Side note: Jay-Z's use of the other f-bomb at 0:24 on "Heart of the City" feels late for that word. It's an unfortunate fact that a lot of old-school rap tosses the word around but I was surprised to hear it here on an album from 2001.

Best Tracks: Takeover, Izzo (H.O.V.A.), Girls Girls Girls, U Don't Know, Hola' Hovito, Heart Of The City, Song Cry, All I Need, Renegade One of the best non-experimental rap albums. Production is insanely good. Jay-Z is good not great, but I don't think anyone could make something bad with these beats. Not a bad song on here.

CLASSEEK!

Best so far

A classic of the genre.