Reviews (page 4 of 10)
Nice beats, didn’t seem super strong vocally but I’m less familiar with hiphop.. 2.5/5
I've given rap a bit of hard time but on this occasion I have to say I enjoyed it. I don't really know why, it's tough to explain. This album sounds nostalgic yet fresh. I like the style, I like the beats, the samples and general sound. I like the way Jay-Z raps, he has a good flow, sounds serious, has great diction and is good at what he does. 'Izzo (H.O.V.A)' is one I already knew and is definitely a highlight. It's still a little long for my liking, but this is definitely up there with the better hip hop albums I've had.
This is the type of hip hop that I find really boring. Just a lot of bragging and machismo with no real substance. This is definitely my first time listening to a Jay-Z album and I don't think I ever need to listen to another album of his. It's pretty basic stuff, I can see he is talented but it's not for me. That was a very long hour and three minutes.
d beats mached uuuuhuere viel. ich find de jay z het afoch e geili stimm und ha nonie gfunde woow was en lyricist. die erste zwei songs sind sehr repetitiv und etz nöd mega speziell. er isch mega am sich selber am ufehype. izzo findi etz au ehner underwhelming da isch so am kanye sin durchbruch gsi als producer, hä? aso guete beat aber s isch mega laid back. jö das isch de biz markie uf girls girls girls. find de song gad chli sehr schliimig horny. lustig dass de will smith au son song usegeh het das johr. beat vo jigga goht huuere hard. hola hovito findi mad langwilig. bin allgemei. chli enttüscht. s isch nüt mega mega cool. bin bi song cry, ich check waser macht ich bin afoch null mitgnoh.
das album isch ah 9/11 ussecho?😭 muss sege, han de jay-z nie ganz cheggt, aber ich kenn au sehrsehr wenig vo ihm (ussert natüürlich d lieder/remixes woner mit linkin park gmacht het) ok ruler's back isch na hard, es het halt das epische IZZO I MISS YOU han ständig denkt de chester chunnt na hahah girls girls girls findi jz naja aber chegg de reiz scho sehr, d atmosphäre isch echt cool bi u don't know findi ghörtmer megaaa de kanye spass bi dem ischer nöd debii gsi hahahaha iwie hanis gfühl, dass die beats datet "müsstet" töne aber sie funktionieret immerno? macht das sinn never change findi na süess (musikalisch) renegade isch halt en insane banger, au wenns nöd gaaanz ufs album passt? chli z wenig upbeat? find jz beidi girls girls nüt unglaublichs. isch aber es megaa guets album, v.a. ide zweite hälfti wos nomal chli villsiitiger wird? gueeets 4i
It's cool hearing things that are referenced in other songs that come from this album. Sure things are a bit dated and also led to mad releasing ether but it was a great album nonetheless
Def the best thing to come out on 9/11 (shout out to Zoolander too)
Classic hip hop album!
East coast rap extravaganza, with all the bravado. Samples that warm the heart with self-indulgent tirades that are cringe worthy
Weak. Empty. Nothing special. Nothing interesting. Has nothing to say.
the second biggest fire that weekend
Not for me.
This was a really good album but I don’t like the sound as much as some of the similar albums by other artists. Had Biggie right before and the was a for sure 5. This is more of a solid 4.5 on the 4 side.
I've just never been into jay zs voice.
Some catchy music but definitely not really my thing.
No
Kinda got just bored with his style. I dig some good hip hop. This has some great beats, but much of it felt... meh
2.5/5, but I'm gonna round down to 2 based on how I've rated other albums. Still, at least it's not Kanye.
Pretty good Not my favorite Jay-Z lowkey mid
Jay-Z is really overrated, but this album along with Reasonable Doubt make me respect and appreciate him. Tough lyricism, superb Chipmunk Soul production by the likes of Kanye West and Just Blaze, and the overall context of this album make it one of the greatest albums of all time. Goes without saying, however, that Nas bodied him on Ether.
Misogyny and homophobia, those are Jay Z traits.
He likes girls (girls girls)
Really enjoyed this. Im no hip hop afficionado but the production is very fuckin good and i do like his voice. Feel like i could listen to this anywhere if you know what i mean. Like im doing housework to it but i would also chill out on the grass to it or drive fast to it. Does that make it entry level and broad appeal?? Probably like i said im not deep into hip hop but i dont think thats a bad thing. ....Shame about the Eminem jumpscare. Has he ever written a line that wasn't like ooooh middle America doesn't like what I have to say. And then all he has to say is that people dont like him. Fuckin edgelord. Piers Morgan ass.
Тъпотия. И постоянно се повтаря Нига
Overall: 5/10 It's nothing special. His lyrics are lame, his flow is mediocre and so are most of the beats. Occasionally there was a song that got me hyped but they're few and far in between. Jay-Z always just seemed a little fake to me as well. Not bad, not good. Fav Song: Heart of the City (Ain't No Love)
Good samples, good production, I like the parts where you can tell Kanye is behind the wheel. 'Izzo' is iconic. Lyrically the album is pretty self-aggrandizing. But hey, it was 2001. Overall I’ve enjoyed the rap on the 1001 list more than I would’ve thought.
Really liked listening to this. Great energy, great flow, some cool moments that break it up well. Found myself nodding along throughout.
H to the Izzo V to the Izzay
Not a bad song on this album. Best Song: Takeover Rating: 9.0/10 Stars: 5
It's ok... 2 1/2
The production and the beats really elevate his rapping to a higher level, which I believe to be very good already because he's quite smooth and I like his voice Some of the songs weren't as good and it made the album drag on a little bit. But for the most part, pretty damn good.
Great album. Renegade is the highlight for me.
Didn’t do much for me
Some of Jay Z’s lyrics are crude, some tracks feel like marketing material for his other businesses, and some contain gems: “You’re a candle in the sun, that shit don’t even out” While Jay’s contributions are mixed, Kanye’s productions, without fail, are exceptional. I would give them six stars if I could. But it’s not a Kanye album.
Fantastic production and great rhymes. Went back and forth between 4 and 5, but since every track didn’t grip me 100% I have to say 4
Rumor has it The Blueprint classic Couldn’t even be stopped by Bin Laden…
Kanye has better flow. That being said, the production on this is pretty great. No more just scratching or simple beats. Set the stage for a lot of what was to come.
I can see how he ended up with Beyonce because both of their music is just a 3
Not for me
Hits were good. Remember from back in the day. I didn't realize it was released on 9/11 pretty crazy.
Favourite Track: Heart of the City (Ain’t No Love), Never Change
Not my genre but not unpleasant
The Ruler's Back - 3/5 Takeover - 5/5 Izzo (H.O.V.A.) - 5/5 Girls, Girls, Girls - 3/5 Jigga That Nigga - 4/5 U Don't Know - 4/5 Hola' Hovito - 4/5 Heart of the City (Ain't No Love) - 5/5 Never Change - 5/5 Song Cry - 4/5 All I Need - 5/5 Renagade - 5/5 Blueprint (Momma Loves Me) - 4/5 Lyrical Exercise [bonus track] - 4/5 Girls, Girls, Girls (Part 2) [bonus track] - 3/5 Average score: 4.1/5
A classic So many good songs A bit long But the second greater hip hop album ever
Good rapping
Geouwehoer, gehouwehoer... Het houdt maar niet op. Er staat echt veel te veel te veel te veel van dit oervervelende genre in deze lijst. Het is gewoon saai en bovendien ergerlijk met die irritante schuttingtaal. Als er al iets muzikaals gebeurt, zorgt het bozemenerengepraat ervoor dat je er niet van kunt genieten. Yeah, yeah, ohwm, ohwm.
Jay Z is een stereotype rapper. Om het kort te houden. Elk nummer van dit album krijgt weer de annotatie 'explicit lyrics'... Ik wil dit eigenlijk niet zo fijn vinden. Maar ik kan de manier van rappen heel goed aanhoren. Je kan het lui noemen, maar het luistert daardoor ook makkelijk. En daarnaast wordt eigenlijk altijd wel een fijne match gevonden. Veel rappers schermen met een soulbasis. Dat maken ze zelden echt waar. Maar Jay kan dit wel met een gerust hart zeggen. Niet dat ik het vervelend vind, maar die soul is vaak wel wat gemaakt. Goed, wiki meldt ook maar liefst 5 producers (neem ik die losstaande track van Eminem even niet mee). Twee van die producers zijn Timbaland en meneer West. Yep, dat hoor je. Het is de doorbraak van zowel West als Just Blaze als producer lees ik. Het is leuk ze op dit album naast elkaar te zetten. Voor het gemak hebben ze beide een versie van Girls, Girls, Girls erop staan. West is duidelijk wat meer helder en toegankelijk. Wellicht is hij gewoon wat slimmer. Een handig passend sampletje maakt al snel het verschil.
Uiteraard luister ik amper naar de teksten, maar ik lees wel de wiki en daar staat dan in dat het veel diss-tracks zijn en dat Jay-Z bekend staat om zijn braggadocio (een moeilijk woord voor wat ik altijd kinderachtig noem). Dus daar gaat alweer een puntje af. Wel vind ik de manier waarop Jay-Z rapt geinig, hij is een beetje lui. Qua rap bedoel ik dan he, voordat ik de racismekaart krijg toegeschoven. Ook qua muziek vind ik het prima moet ik zeggen. Er zit altijd een leuk sampletje in of een interessante beat, zoals bijv bij track 2 Takeover dat de rockdrum van the Doors nadoet of track 3 van zo te horen the Jackson 5. Met name zo'n track a la the Doors is heel anders dan veel andere hiphop en daarmee onderscheidt de muziek zich soms. Door het veelvuldige gebruik van samples, voelt het als meer dan just another rapalbum. Het lijkt zo meer op een soul-album met wat raps er over heen. Het maakt het voor mij een stuk beter luisterbaar en ik kan zelfs zeggen dat ik met enig plezier heb geluisterd. Op het einde zit een nummer met schijtlolbroek Eminem, wat ronduit irriterend is. Eminem past totaal niet in de flow van de rest van het album wat mij betreft. Het stoort me gewoon. Het album balanceerde op de rand van de 3,5, maar dit maakt de keuze gemakkelijk.
Lots of radio friendly hits and some decent rhymes but just not as gritty or cutting edge that I would like in my hip hop
Nice
I need someone to explain the appeal of some guy bragging for a whole hour over OK music. And really, the music isn't even that good. You could randomly select an album and chances are it's better musically. 1.5/5.0: Bad
jay has made some of the top rap songs of the 2000s but unfortunately they are scattered throughout multiple albums. there are probably only two songs from this album that make that list. all the songs have good instrumentals and very slick production and the samples are excellent. i appreciate the fact that there weren't any interludes or skits but it still felt way too long.
It's definitely a product of it's time. There's some good production and sampling on here, but I couldn't make it through. I was angry when I was listening to this album, and it didn't really improve my mood. I feel like I should revisit it to give it a fair shake, but I probably won't.
Pretty decent effort from Mr Zee. High production values, and some smooth raps, bu give me some Dre, Cube or 'Nem any day.
First time I listened to it through and yeah, I see why its supposedly his best album.
Seminal album and a pivot point in all of hip hop
Idk. Did I like the Doors one? Nah
Somehow every single thing he raps has the same flow sound to it, idk man
I like it, good vibe. Studying to the music which works very well. Enjoyed it more than expected, saved a couple of songs in my playlists.
2 out of 5. For me this album all kind of blended together and aside from some stray beats here and there nothing really stood out.
For what it is, it's ok. Just not for me.
The music is decent but not good enough to get out of the way of the lyrics
Nokkur feit beat en hrikalegt þegar Joe Camel opnar á sér kjaftinn. Hvernig svona ljótur maður getur haft þetta egó er mér óskiljanlegt.
In rap, this kind of proved Jay Z's ascendance to the top or near top of the NYC rap world. People will argue forever on whether Takeover is a better diss track than Nas' Ether, but I'd argue both won, kind of splitting the title of King of New York rap they were fighting over. Jay Z proved he was the bling king, rapping about money and swag. Nas proved he was the underground king, the "rapper's rapper." Nas battle aside, the beats really pushed rap into the direction that it would go for the next decade, for better or worse. Kanye makes his first big appearance as a producer here. Also a cameo from Eminem, who was still fresh in his career and excellent at this point. "Em murdered you on your own track..."--Ether. Jay's flow here is relaxed, and almost sounds too comfortable at times, as it did for most of his career post his first two albums. He doesn't rap with the fast wit and flows he used while still a hungry no-name rapper. Swag is the driving force that carries him through these tracks. The top-notch beats boost him along. As usual, and unfortunately, I'm always rating the very few rap albums Dimery includes on here against the ones he didn't include. Is this better than Reasonable Doubt, which likely wasn't included? No. Is it a solid album, among Jay's best, that should be on a list of 1001 albums to hear before you die? Yes. It's not a clean 5 like Reasonable doubt as there are definitely some filler tracks, but rounds up to a 5.
3.5
not good,
Takeover Izzo (H.O.V.A.) Girls, Girls, Girls Heart of the City (Ain't No Love)
Jay-Z має досить непогане резюме для заявки на кращу реп-дискографію, якщо зважати на кількість альбомів та тривалість карʼєри. Цей альбом досить часто позначають як його кращий. Я з цим твердженням не можу погодитись, бо тут як на мене забагато прохідних пісень для такого статусу. Водночас дуже важливий та впливовий альбом. Повернення соул бітів в великий хіп-хоп руками Каньє та Джаст Блейза. Дуже сильні хайлайти, один з найбільш відомих дісів, праймовий Ем на фіті.
Я не фанат хіп-хопу нульових, це ніби й непоганий альбом, але я від такого не кайфую.
я настільки не слухаю хіп-хоп, що мені навіть соромно, тому я намагаюсь це виправити. але я зовсім не розумію орієнтирів в цьому жанрі, що є поганим, а що ні. мені подобається, як звучить цей альбом, в мене є дещо ностальгії за нульовими, і мені здається тут дійсно хороший продакшен, але тексти звісно настільки повз мене, наскільки це можливо.
Not the Jay Z album I’d have selected
Good album. Jay Z is creative and gets the message out.
First time I’ve ever listened to this album…and it is incredible! Also second time I listened to this album. Sounds SO GOOD! The third time I listened I locked in the rating.
I really tried with this. It felt to me like music by committee - a whole bunch of different Producers chipping in to leave one big puddle of soulless compromise
Nice try Diddy
I've never been big on Jay-Z but I can't lie this is mostly bangers. A few bloat that could have been cut but still pretty nice album. I like the beats
Nah
So it was recorded a few miles away from the twin towers and was released on September 11th 2001. And I’m sure that everyone knows that. Also pre crazy kanye produced a lot of this including ‘takeover’ which is a good song, theres also renegade with eminem which serves as a great climax. But girls girls girls and Jigga weren’t that good to me 3/5
The Blueprint by JAY-Z is a solid record form start to finish. But since it is being held as one of the best hip hop records of all time, I was underwhelmed. The Blueprint is overall really tame, especially in terms of musical innovation.
2,8/5
I gave up. Maybe it wasn’t made for me
It was a good album. Reminds me of my SAIT days. Yes, I’m old… haha I would have to say that my favourite song of the album would have to be, “renegade” feat. Eminem.
Another really good album. I've always liked Jay-Z more than most other rappers so I'm a little biased. No bad songs but the album felt a little long. 4 stars
"You have to film MTV cribs for a week". Jay Z has flow! This man is seriously talented in his writing. He has excellent pacing and all his lyrics come off clean. I wouldn't say his beats are my favorite, but they do match his lyrics well. Overall impressive, just not my style of rap. There was a nice variety amongst this album, from growing up poor to straight up gangster shit. Favorite song Hola' Hovito , "If I ain't better then BIG, then I'm the closet one" 7 out of 10
One of Kanye's big producing breaks. I struggled to get through this album. Hov never appealed to me outside the hits. Some would put this album in the best rap album of all time conversation, but for me, this doesn't come close. I didnt absolutely hate it, and there was some interesting soul samples (Kanye), so it's saved from a 1 star.
Capital. Misogyny. Bravado. Blah.
A hip hop highlight of the early 2000s and arguably Jay’s best. Also probably the introduction to the production of Kanye West for a lot of people, and his contributions are outstanding.
Solid album that doesn’t much for me. Pretty meh
All the tropes are here. Honestly, Eminem shows smoother, tighter rapping on the song he features in. Jay Z sounds, like many of these rappers do, like he has an inferiority complex and, as a result, tries too hard to pretend he is the greatest. Who wants to hear bragging?
Blech.
3.8 2x one of the better rap albums. brought back good memories and made me seek out the Grey Album by Danger Mouse.. even better
This isn’t really my taste at all, but the one thing that really caught my attention was the basslines—they’re genuinely awesome. I wish I could extract just the bass.
I typically like this type of music, so I was excited to see this album pop up because I’ve heard a lot about it. I do think it’s important to note tho that I very rarely listen to the lyrics, I mostly just pay attention to the background stuff when listening to music like probably 98% of the time so I’m sure the language isn’t great in this album, but I genuinely appreciated the other parts
Not a fan of rap, especially rap that doesn’t sound good either. The one song Eminem was featured on was fire though. Don’t conform any of this music and barely actually listened… I just remember from when I was a kid…
I listened to about half of it. There were some cooler songs but it’s just hard for me to connect w this type of music. I can appreciate it though!
If you can disregard and not pay too close attention to the lyrics, the music and flow is great. There were a few bars that hit but several that made some songs hard to listen to, esp Girls, Girls, Girls 1&2. I really enjoyed the back half of the album, namely Heart of the City, All I Need and Blueprint. I have never listened to Jay-Z before and while I don’t listen to a lot of rap outside of Kendrick Lamar 😅, I think this album got me more interested in expanding my horizons. 7/10
Ego, misogyny, and conflict. “I’ve got a lot of money and girls. Some people hate me, but it doesn’t matter cause I’m better than them.” The lyrical content is mostly un-relatable, unrepeatable, and unremarkable. The production is very cool. There is a bounce and depth that coerces head nodding. That is definitely the highlight of this record. The album was very cohesive; however, it felt to me like each track was not accomplishing anything new. The flows, the beats, the production from track to track rarely evolved or did something musically different from another. Therefore, songs began to feel too long, too repetitive, and monotonous. At over an hour, the runtime was bloated and filled with songs that were indistinct. 4.5-5/10 Standout: Heart of the City (Ain’t No Love) Renegade
I guess this was peak Jay-Z? Not a massive fan, but other than the collision course album, I've never really rated what he has done. Top 3 are takeover, song cry and izzo.
By 2001, Jay-Z wasn’t just another rapper—he was the standard-bearer for commercial hip-hop. The Blueprint doubles down on that stature with its polished mix of soul samples, booming basslines, and hooks that stick to the ribs. A showcase for early Just Blaze and Kanye West production, the record leans mainstream by design, sometimes too sleek for its own good. Still, it’s stacked with definitive moments: “The Ruler’s Back” announces Hov’s dominance with blaring horns, while “Takeover” cements itself as one of rap’s fiercest diss tracks. “Heart of the City (Ain’t No Love)” rides a masterfully flipped soul loop into instant anthem territory, and “Song Cry” shows a rare vulnerability—even if its glossy sheen feels a little misplaced here. Then there’s “Renegade,” where Eminem steals the spotlight with ferocious verses. If The Blueprint sometimes sounds overly tailored for mass appeal, it also proves Jay-Z knew exactly how to balance artistry with empire-building.
Has its moments but somewhat tiresome.
Surprisingly musical but unsurprisingly egotistical and misogynistic. Jay Z inhabits a world that has no overlap with my reality - there is nothing lyrically I can relate to. And the music doesn't move me - it's snippets of quality among a sea of crap.
The production on here is unreal, every beat has so much bounce, each sample hits the ears just right. As for the rapping, it’s mooostly good - not on par with the quality of the production, but mostly good. Like a lot of rap of it’s time, some dated language and corny lyrics disrupt an otherwise very recognizable set of flows JayZ delivers. “Takeover” was the first beat that had me nodding my head - so bouncy! “Izzo (HOVA)” is iconic and reminds me to use this space to encourage you to go listen to the mashup EP JayZ and Linkin Park put together, which includes this song. It’s one of the most unique ideas you’ll ever hear and is pulled off perfectly. “U Dont Know” has some cheesy lyrics but a great chipmunk soul sample. Same can be said for “Ain’t No Love”. He’s maybe a little one-note in terms of what he’s rapping about, but JayZ hit his stride here in many ways. Strong 3/5
It’s OK
Tough listen. I spent the half the time wondering if he was going to talk about anything other than himself, and the other half wondering if he was going to at least vary the delivery of the relentless narcissism. Spoiler alert - neither happens. Production is dated and kind of monotonous. 1 point for the Eminem guest appearance - highlight of the whole thing.
nice album jay z
I really wasn't looking forward to this, but I actually enjoyed the music a decent amount. The album is overlong and could do with the last 15 minutes or so being cut out as it gets weaker towards the end. Lyrically it's also heavily infected with the cancer of American capitalism, with it's celebration of materialism, but it's hardly the first album to be like that.
well at least now i know who runs new york. 3/5
Ahhh such a good album! Has so many classic hova songs! Bro has me back to high school too! Good times!
Certified Classic
Rappy, and I don't really go for rappy. Not memorable at all.
I enjoy Jay-Z’s flow and beats
Med så meget melodi i musikken er det svært at se sig sur på rappen, så det her var faktisk fint nok.
Det er et af de Hip-Hop albums der faktisk er til at holde ud at høre. Dejligt befriet fra interludes. Der er dog også kun få tracks der virkelig rykker i mig.
Not bad for a rap album. Crazy this album came out on 9/11
Great rapper right? But when he compares himself to Malcolm X and Rosa Parks it's disorienting. "Song Cry" is probably the most authentic song I've heard from Jay-Z so he's got that. Takeover is dope. The good songs carry the album but this has too many skips for me.
Much of the backing music is good, but this is a Jay-Z album and he is the worst thing about it. What a boring rapper!
Hell yea
Ебать, это классика. Руки не доходили - и вот дошли. Не зря.
Not a big fan but I can listen to some of his music
Rap crap. Since I don't consider rap as music.
Jeg ved jeg ikke kan lide ham. Did not listen
Jay Z is extraordinarily talented in this album, I think production and lyrically this is up there with one of the best of all time
I've heard a few of these before but enjoyed the whole album. I haven't listened to Jay-Z if forever and this was aged well IMO.
The rhythm was good overall, but wasn't really attention-grabbing. The classic, Izzo, was definitely my favorite. Beyond that, it seemed plain.
Mid
He seems to be so popular but I just don't get it. Very repetitive. Didn't make me happy.
Renegade was the best track by far. A lot of the lyrics fall flat here, and the production is boring.
Not my thing
Some classic songs on this record. It felt a little too long
I like this album
Having listening to Kendrick Lamar, this album isn't really doing much. The lyricism isn't there for me. The flow isn't working. I'm learning a lot about hip-hop through this project and a few other things (incl. that I like hip-hop!). I am now confident enough to say that it's an album of its time and leave it at that.
gostei em
Funny, it's like the generator knew I needed to listen to Jay Z today. H.O.V.A is a banger. Not a big Jay Z fan, but honestly, it's not bad. Might appreciate more with more listens.
Good beats, a little too much sex and money hip hop for me though
Flawless!
ok album. YouTube has a "deluxe" version that is nearly 3 hours long. No thanks. He should be smoking a blunt on the cover :-)
One of theost sophisticated rap albums I've heard. Killer beats and some really masterful mixing make for a great first listen, and the lyrics are rewarding to dive into on subsequent listens. Pretty varied style between songs keep the album consistently fresh. No real low points or dragging moments, just a very well made record all around
I apologize in advance to the Jay-z fans. But I’ll rip off the bandaid first. I don’t like jay-z’s vocal delivery. I think his voice is grating and his flow slightly off. I don’t think he’s lacking talent. He has very clever bars, but I think he is just oil and water to the BEAUTIFUL beats. But that’s the big positive i want to highlight. His actual music/beats are immaculate. That should be his legacy is how great his actual music is. The best example for me is Renegade. This exemplifies my whole point, which is that Eminem steals the show on this track. I think I’d probably enjoy the whole album more if there were more features. But seriously Jay-z does nothing for me, I think I’d be one of his biggest fans if he was more of mc/dj where he could rap here and there but focused fully on the music and got other people to drop his bars. But that’s my hot take on Jay-z. Like if someone else did the vocals for this album I bet I’d love it.
Good beats. Perhaps the blueprint for writing arrogant and braggadocios lyrics though. I wonder what Beyoncé thinks about all his girls, girls, girls?
Very bad lyrical content, but the instrumentals are pretty good.
I can't say I see the appeal. The Renegade track just makes me wish Jay put any emotion into any of his tracks.
This is a really good album. I'm not a hip hop head, but this is very engaging start to finish.
If I could give this album six stars I would. The artistry simply stands above.
Great beats, easy and assured flow.
Interesting
very good never listens to jay z before but now i think i will
Undeniable flow, excellent production. Added to the long list of pop culture that Kanye has made uncomfortable for me despite it’s strong merits.
pfff
De beats en samples waren best amusant, maar als uw teksten niet meer zijn dan gezever over hoeveel geld je hebt of wat je allemaal wenst te doen met vrouwen, dan sla je de bal toch mis. Voor een genre dat vooral steunt op woorden en ritme, heeft dit weinig inhoud en komt het nogal kinderachtig over. 1.5
Cover 7 I suppose this would take additional listens. First time listening, I didn't care much for it. Too many rap songs are about themselves. I I tend to find these boring and overplayed.
It was good to hear that he was talking about his problems but didnt exactly enjoy it.
I may have liked this better when I was younger. But I’m not into rap music. I tried to listen to this entire album just so I could say I did. But I was so ready to be done.
Poorly mixed music and background vocals on the first 4 tracks that get better into the middle of the album; maybe the sound they were going for with pop candy hip-hop. Was told this album defined a generation and I grew up with Grandmaster Flash, NWA, and into gangsta rap, Dre, Snoop, Pac, Biggie, then Em, so this one just didn't take.
Oh please make it stop. It looks like I'll have to listen to about 20 rap albums while doing this. I have no idea what makes them good or bad. Jonny tells me to listen to the lyrics but they are just swearing and posing. This music just seems made to aggravate and alienate me!
Jay Z has an amazing flow, and the beats are really well done. All that said, the bragging and coke bars got old quickly. I felt like halfway through the album, he didn't have anything new to add. fav track: "Renagade" 3/5 This project is not the kind of hip-hop that speaks to me.
Highlight Song/s: Takeover, Girls, Girls, Girls (Part 1), U Don't Know and Renegade This is my first good listen to Jay-Z. I had previously listen to a couple of his other songs such as "Dead Presidents II" and "Empire State of Mind"; I am a big fan of Dead Presidents. In other words I am saying that this review comes from a completely new perspective and not a Jay-Z fan perspective. The production is pretty good, it makes some songs sounds really big and powerful (for better or for worse.) Jay-Z's rap and flow style is a bit difficult for me to get into; I am not too sure why. I don't believe it's something that I could come around to either. Not everyone is for everyone I guess. The track that stands out the most is "Takeover" which is a diss track about Nas and Prodigy (from Mobb Deep,) one of my favourite hip-hop songs is "Ether" by Nas, so it was a bit of a surprise when Nas took the flow of the chorus "we running this rap shit" as the outro, I was like "Oh!, that's where the thing is from." Nas mocking Jay-Z by using parts of the his songs, reminds of Eazy-E doing the same thing with Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg; mocking them and their songs "'Nuthin But A 'G' Thang" and "Dre Day" on Eazy's song "It's On." Conclusions for the song, It's not too bad, but it isn't as great as "Ether." Having had listened to both songs now, it has made me appreciate both songs and the entire feud with Nas and all the great songs that have come from it.
Don't get the hype for JayZ... Nothing ever really jumps out at me to be special. Just lots of "huh" and "yeah yeahs".
one of the goats
As usual, I’m disappointed with this list’s picks in the hip-hop category. I’m pretty sure by now the author has a non-existent rap culture, and just checked which albums were trending each year... I love hip-hop, but Jay-Z is hardly a groundbreaking artist, and The Blueprint isn’t really his best work. Nothing beats his first album (with the Black Album a close second). The Blueprint is... kind of all right, I guess ? It’s not bad – it’s reasonnably good mainstream hip-hop, and Jay-Z earns extra points with me for not assaulting us with 37 useless skits and 23 featurings with the latest trendy MCs. It’s a well-trimmed album with 12 tracks that go straight to the point. That being said, the production is a mixed bag. I was filled with hope after Takover, which had fantastic sampling ; but most of the following songs fell back into the kind of heavy "club hip-hop" nonsense I hate. The last track, Renegade, was the only other song I really cared for – probably the high point of this album in terms of production (thanks to Eminem). Jay-Z’s flow sounds a bit flat, it’s like he’s just going through the motions. To be fair, Jay-Z never had a particularly great flow to begin with, but he at least showed passion in his first album. Nothing really memorable happens here – it’s all rehashed tropes and tired brags we’ve already heard a thousand times. It’s never as obvious as in Renegade, where Eminem’s perfect flow suddenly eclipses everyone else. Fortunately it’s a short album that doesn’t overstay its welcome. It’s all right for a casual listen... but surely there were better picks available ? 4/10
The Blueprint off to a strong (3-fer) start and clever sampling of that particular Doors song / Jim Morrison.) Got some very listenable rap-hop through the middle (especially Heart Of The City)and a strong finish from Renegade to the end. Good idea teaming up with Slim Shady, too. (4.0*s) Since this was just an audio experience for me, I did miss J-Z pointing’ at me.
Jay-Z the Jigga man is way HOVA rated. Other than a few releases over his career, I've never been a fan despite everyone else swooning. It's not as bad as some current BS but bragging about your money and talent without bringing anything new is boring. Best track is "Renegade" where his potential lyrical skill finally shines...too bad a white boy from Detroit shines brighter. I get why Blueprint makes the list cause it was a huge album (maybe 9\11 helped) but I'm still not that in...1.93 stars.
I'm not much of a rap fan overall but I've found some artists throughout this list that have impressed me. I guess I'm not much of a Jay Z guy because I found this album mostly a snooze. It's not bad, it just did little to hook me in any way. Production, lyrics and hooks were all kinda down the middle. Everything from Jay Z sounds like it is produced for mass appeal so it just flies overhead as forgettable to me. Most memorable section was Eminem showing up and clearly outclassing Jay Z. I don't have any ties to this from 9/11 so at the end of it I was happy to shelve it and move on. I'm sure Jay Z and this album specifically are deserving of the entry but it isn't in my wheelhouse and did nothing convince me otherwise. 1.99 stars
shit
Liked a few of these songs WAY more than I ever thought I would like Jay Z, but overall, it really drug on for me
Some distant beats here and there, but maybe not a classic
The bombast and ego get tiring quickly, especially against the super slick production. Not my favourite era of hip hop.
This was a fun enough listen. I didn’t appreciate the misogynistic or homophobic lyrics, though. They were unnecessary and took me out of the song. The lyrics, otherwise, are very well thought out. Not perfect, but I can tell a lot of care went in to making them. Production is pretty solid, but there’s a little room for improvement. I do enjoy how he uses samples, his flow, cadence, and beats. 4/5
One of the staple classics of hip hop. Jay hasn't ever been my favorite emcee, but I've always respected what he's done for the scene and the music he's helped to produce. The production and style is uncanny, representing some of the best that hip hop has put on display. This record came out after the golden era, but helped keep hip hop as a mainstay in music into the 21st century. Overall, this record is a great listen and showcases some of the early pieces that have made hip hop what it is. Soulful vibes, easy cadences, and a simple, yet fantastic collaboration with Eminem on one track. Classic record.
After a few dud millennium rap and RnB albums, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this and how essential it felt. Great rhymes, interesting samples and music sitting behind it. Think this is a solid 3.5 stars for me - maybe not something I’d return to again and again but I would enjoy again if I was in the mood for this.
Favorite: Renegade On renegade I think that JAY Z was being pushed to be better and bring it more and I think that works but I wish he was at that level the whole album.
I've never been a big fan of Jay-Z and always thought his music is just plain boring. This album just kind of proves my point. It really ranges from bland to mediocre to me. I feel that most of Jay-Z's discography other than a couple tracks (ie Hard Knock Life, Big Pimpin') are saved by features with people like Rihanna, Kanye (before his recent situations), or Eminem that have had better songs or better albums as a whole. There are a few tracks that have good beats and good flow but other than that, I don't really see the appeal. I've always heard that Jay-Z is considered to be one of the greatest rappers of all time. Something like that is pretty debatable especially when there is better from the East Coast like Wu-Tang, Biggie Smalls, or the Fugees. But also consider rap as a whole when there was NWA, Tupac, Public Enemy, 50 Cent, OutKast, you get what I'm saying. I always think of Jay-Z more as a business man rather than a rapper today because he really can get mediocre at times. Other than some criticism, I think the production and mixing of this album is really nice and sounds incredibly clean. With the combination of pre-rapper Kanye, Eminem, Timbaland, etc. I think it's what makes the record listenable and palatable because without it, I think it would have been panned all over the industry. But other than that, I didn't really care about this album and I'm not really sure why it is considered to be one of the hallmarks of 90s or 2000s rap when there is defiantly better out there. I just found it really boring and not different from most of the rap game from that time period. Favorite Tracks: Girls Girls Girls, Heart of the City, Song Cry, Renegade Rating: 2.5/5
it didn’t emotionally resonate or feeling particularly moving for me, but was fun to listen to. i vacillated between being into his bravado and feeling pretty uninterested by it. overall i appreciated the cohesion of the album though + his addresses to the listener. highlights: the ruler’s back, hola hovito, heart of the city.
Excelente álbum. QKZxHBB Hades
This album is loaded with bangers, at least the first 10-11 tracks are all great with a little back-end slippage. A very enjoyable listen.
When this was released I really knew Jay Z but more casually. This record was somewhat groundbreaking for him and really brought him to the forefront of hip-hop/rap music. Great production and excellent music combined to make this a record for the ages.
I enjoyed this more than I expected. First of all, the music itself is good. Very catchy, a lot of nice hooks. The production is immaculate. It sounds great. Where it all falls down is Mr Zed himself. His voice is dull to listen to. Worse than that, his raps are all the most obvious, repetitive gangsta shit; either "I have acquired material wealth, drugs and women" or "It sure was tough to acquire material wealth, drugs and women when I was younger," with an occasional break for some misogyny. I'm really disappointed that this is the route so much Hip-Hop took from the 90s onwards.
I expected to be more impressed. Didn't do anything for me.
This is rap which I dont like, but To some extent I can relate to rhis.
No me gusta el hip hop. Me cuesta seguir las letras por la velocidad en la que hablan. No me hablan a mi, y la musica en general es bastante basica para poder apreciarla.
delirei
This album doesn't hit. It (to me anyway) seems like Jay doesn't have much left to say but felt like he should say something regardless.
I remember the day this album came out, as many of us do (but not the fact about the album). It was a clear and beautiful September day in 2001, a day that changed the course of history. On that Tuesday, like every Tuesday I would walk to the local record/cd shop for the new releases. I wasn't sure if they would be open, because so many other businesses had closed that day not knowing what would happen next, but being in Milwaukee, WI, the record store was pretty certain that a plane would not be directed their way. I bought this album, not being much of a Jay fan, really not at all, but I knew about the beef with Nas and "The Takeover" was already all over the early days of the internet and it was pretty slick (I was, and still am a big Nas fan). I really like this album then, and still do today. This is really the only album of Jay's that I dig. It is probably due mostly to the production value. Guru, Timbo, Em, and a relatively unknown producer from the South Side of Chicago who would soon take the world by storm musically and later controversially. Jay has some ok lyrics, but he has very minimal range in his storytelling and width or topics. His voice is ok, but he never changes his pitch or tone. His flow is damn near the same on every song. All that set aside, he actually pushes his limits on this album, to levels I don't think he evercame close to ever again. Jay is severely overrated as a rapper/artist, but this album is really good, his magnum opus. It deserves to be on this list. 8.2/10 108/1001
3.69
Great album, awesome use of samples. Just a bit long and it lost a bit of my attention towards the end. Anyway, 4 stars.
5 / 10 - feels to me like a very standard rap album for the time. lyrics are quite shallow. I think Jay Z works best when with other artists
jay z solo stuff aint my cup of tea. he got some hits but this album falls a bit flat imo
Solid album, renegade is the best tune on it. Would probably listen to it again as it was funky with very little down spots
Listened Jan 2021. One of Jay-Z's best albums. He's never been my favourite rapper, but it's easy to understand why he became such a star.
do you think jay z is connected to 9/11
Finns väl någon musik mellan alla nigga och mothafucka.
Decent--the hits were the highlights.
I appreciate Jay-Z but I feel like this album isn't quite hitting for me because I didn't grow up with it. His skilled lyricism is there, as is the legendary beef with Nas. But nothing to hook me as a new listener
There’s no doubting the classic status of this one. The debate for me is 3 or 4 stars…and I keep bouncing back and forth. Love Heart of the City and had never heard it before - but honestly, that’s as much the sample as anything.
Didn't like at all. 1 star, despite the Doors sample. Gratuitous profanity just doesn't do it for me. God knows I use enough myself, but gratuitous use is annoying.
For sure not my type of music. Worst Song: Takeover Best Song: Renegade, Girls, Girls, Girls, Heart of the City, Never Change Added to Liked Songs: Renegade
3.6 coulda been better with some cuts tho
Miss old Kanye beats
Y'know, my initial idea for this review/babble was that while I was gonna acknowledge JAY-Z's skills as a rapper, the main thing I would wanna focus on is the beats. But off the top, though, I think it is really worth narrowing in on the fact that JAY-Z is actually a damn good rapper. Like, would I say he's a "GOAT," so-called? No, no, not really; there's others I'd say I like more. But his writing — and I don't mean in terms of quotables and one-liners, but in just painting a picture with his words, I think his writing is very strong. It could always be stronger, of course (Nas famously kicked JAY's ass with "Ether", his response to "Takeover" from this album), though if there's anything that particularly elevates the words here, it's JAY's voice. I mean, you could have anyone rap these lyrics and they'd probably be fine, but I want you to seriously, honestly listen to Hov's voice: the tone, the inflections... Right? He's got a voice that was just made for rapping. I love listening to it flow. It's honestly his greatest strength, I feel like — not that he can't write incredible lyrics (look at "The Story Of O.J." and "4:44"), but honestly, he could be saying whatever and I'd be down for it with his voice. Of course, though, a rapper is nothing without his beats, and good goodness gawdamn me, this thing has some fuckin' **beats**. I've said before, rap albums are some of the hardest for me to talk about because I'm such a "melody first" kinda AuDHD woman, so oftentimes all I'd have to latch onto is the beats, and a lot of times they're just not intresting enough to hold my distracted ass's attention... But here, though? Here? Oh, these are some all-time beats. As much as I wanna acknowledge JAY's skills as a rapper, and he's absolutely a non-zero factor, but let's be real: the beats are probably maybe **the** reason why this album is in this book. It's just stellar work, front to back, from the likes of Just Blaze and (yes) Kanye West. In fact, Kanye's work was so good here, it's what launched his career, practically. And, look, with the connective strings leading to the fuck awful shit he's doing these, we could debate on whether or not that's a good thing, but, y'know, credit where credit is due (and I loathed to give him credit), when he was on top of his game, he was absolutely stunning. Just Blaze still clears, though. While I'll maintain my favorite kind of production is the sampledelic stuff present on PAUL'S BOUTIQUE and FEAR OF A BLACK PLANET, when a good soul sample is flipped right, there can be almost nothing like it. I think my favorite might actually be on "U Don't Know" just for the way the vocal snippet is incorporated into the lyrics; that's real neat. Though, natch, we can't forget about what "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)" did with "I Want You Back" — that's just great. And even the tracks that aren't built on soul samples still hit damn well. Timbaland's work on "Hola' Hovito", with that chorus? Oh, I love that. And Eminem and Luis Resto's beat on "Renegade" cannot go without mention. And seriously, about "Renegade": I'll stress for a third time that JAY's a good rapper, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't kind of agree with Nas that Em showed Hov' up a bit here. Like, Eminem's the only guest rapper on this album, and, damn, what a verse, I tell yeah. I read in a fellow group member's review that this is the only JAY-Z album on this list, and while I wouldn't have assumed that given the love I've heard for THE BLACK ALBUM... Yeah, I feel like if you were only gonna listen to one JAY-Z album, this would be. It's Hov' at the top of his game, no doubt. I mean, at an hour, is it a little long? Maybe, but it's as notable here as it is on some other albums. But for real, I'll tell you, any album that's strong enough to where I can even find the time before the conclusion to mention that this thing came out on **September 11th, 2001**... Look, it's gonna be doing **something** right if that only ends up being unfortunate trivia. And with these beats, and with JAY-Z's voice and writing skills... He's doing something damn right.
A masterpiece of hip hop, through and through. Solid 5 Stars.
I’m at a 5. It’s our first Jay-Z album on the list, but also our last. Outside of maybe The Black Album or Reasonable Doubt, you probably couldn’t pick a better one than this. I haven’t heard this album in full in a while, and unlike a lot of the other albums that I have some level of familiarity with on the list, I basically forgot everything here, save for the hooks & choruses on the really famous stuff. Thankfully, I was very quickly reminded why I had every track from this album in my big playlist to begin with; this album just fucking rules, man. Unfortunate release dates aside, this thing is the perfect blend of the Biggie/2pac era of production & the chipmunk soul that would come to define Roc-a-Fella records throughout the mid 2000s, including some guy called “Kanye West” who happens to have produced a few tracks here. Modern insanity aside from the man (total fucking dickhead), I’ve always said I like the version of the guy from 2004, and an even younger, hungrier one is present here, and he does have some of the best beats on the entire album. “Heart of the City (Ain't No Love)” is the shining example to me; I fucking love that sample flip. That said, Just Blaze is the star of the show beat-wise here, and Jay fucking flows on all of these tracks regardless of who made them. It’s extremely easy to just sit back & zone out whenever Jay-Z is rapping, because the tone of his voice & all of the minor inflections that he does to give extra emphasis on each line just add a lot to each track. I know, it’s just the way his voice is, but that means the man was literally born to rap. If you get that type of voice, you gotta do it. Zoning out on these tracks though means you’re missing out on a world of wordplay, interpolations, flips & pop culture references – Jay-Z’s style here is, unironically, The Blueprint for the more soulful direction rap would take in the mid-2000s, while still retaining & blending in the swagger & braggadocious lifestyles of the 90s. There’s not THAT many specific bars or witty one-liners, ala modern day Instagram captions or a banger Kendrick lyric, but Jay’s style lends itself to smarter lines, layering them onto each other, in an effort to paint a picture. It’s a style I like, and it’s a style that Jay himself would refine later down the line, to keep up with the contemporaries who bit & expanded upon his style. I’ve genuinely got no complaints – great production, great flows, great lyrics, and if nothing else, this album delivered us both Eminem’s first verse on “Renegade” & kickstarted the beef with Nas that would eventually lead to “Ether”. Jury’s out on if giving us Kanye West was a good thing in the super long run, but I’ll be damned if it didn’t pay off for about 10 years. Sure, it’s a little long at an hour, but when it’s that entertaining, is the runtime really that big of a deal? I really enjoyed it, and I’m very glad it’s here to give me an excuse to give it a re-listen. A pretty easy 5.
I'm not versed in a lot of hip hop but have been trying to familiarize myself with the classics. Cool production from a pre-not see Kanye but the words are meh.
Great production
not my thing at all 1/5
Agradable descubrimiento también
Fresh soundscape with good selection of samples on the album. Favorite track: Song cry other picks: renegade, u don’t know, izzo, girls girls girls, heart of the city
I know this is a somewhat landmark album in the Hip Hop genre but it just doesnt have the same appeal to me as the 90's hip hop. I mean its fine but it feels very 2000's but not in a good way. Don't get me wrong I still like it but I just don't rate it as highly as maybe I should. More R&B on this album than I was expecting.
Cool
Jay Z is the best. He told me so himself.
3-
Listening to Takeover outside of the context of the Jay-Z/Nas beef was interesting. I don't think this is nearly as strong as Ether, but that's neither here nor there. The production value and the choruses on this thing were definitely of extremely high quality. However, Jay-Z's braggadocios tone and rap style does really get on my nerves. I don't need to listen to some cunt brag about how rich he is for an hour. Imagine paying actual physical money just for the artist you like to flex on you the entire time about how rich he is. Bet that made your fans feel good, huh. I don't think I can emphasise enough how good the production on this thing is though. Girls Girls Girls, Jigga, Never Change, etc. all hold up so well as beats. It's just ruined by Jay-Z's cunt voice. I think a 3 is a generous rating. Pretty much just for the production value. I realised I don't like Jay-Z after listening to this thing. Hopefully that's all there is for Jay-Z, but I have a feeling Blueprint 3 will be on here, too.
Tragically it has been brought to my attention that someone has already made a 9/11 joke about this album, the displeasure I had at learning this news was roughly about the same feeling I had while listening to The Blueprint.
Good use of samples throughout the album, but it hasn’t aged well overall. This doesn’t seem to be my speed. I am, however, quite fond of the bass line on Renegade. The album did have a couple of bangers. A few of these songs sucked quite bad, like All I Need, Renegade and Girls Girls Girls. This album was a bit of a slog to get through at points, the runtime really didn’t help it. Highlights: Izzo, Heart of the City, Blueprint
Jay Z looks the way someone who had no exposure to black people outside of Jim Crow era propaganda would imagine they look. The album was ok.
7/10
This was the worst thing to happen on the 11th of September 2001.
Jay-Z bores me but some of the beats are better than expected.
Basically 60 minutes of Jay Z telling us what a badass he is. Kinda boring.
I was all primed and ready to say "just not my cup of tea and that I'm not a Jay-Z fan". I wouldn't say that I loved this album. But...I certainly didn't hate it. The first couple of songs in particular were bangers. It didn't really hold my attention after that (save for the few songs I'm generally familiar with including Renegade with Eminem which was a highlight).
I must admit this was better than I expected
I love Kanye’s early production. No wonder he went on to make great music. This album was surprisingly good, I may come back to it when I’m in the mood
Music interesting. Lyrics are occasionally interesting but not overall remarkable. Seem to fall into a common set of topics and style.
Another american dog shit!! This motherfucker muisc is a piece of shit, do you know what I mean? Its like shit into your ears. Nobody deserve this shit nigga
Probably deserves a 4 but giving a high 3. I'm not the biggest hip hop guy and can see why the die hards might not be into this but I'm a sucker for the soul influenced sound that he/Kanye go for. Some fun songs on here and there was a lot that I was close to adding to library but didn't quite get me there. Rating: 3.4
This is a really smooth and really good hip hop record. It has a pretty smooth flow with some ok songs here and there. There’s really only like two songs that I thought were ok. It was really good though!
enjoyable
Would have been a 1, but it had some moments of musical redemption. Otherwise, the usual sophmoric cRAP
I hadn’t listened to this before and have managed to avoid listening to any Jay-Z albums. Having listened to this my decision has been shown to be a good one. The music is good, which isn’t surprising given who produced it. The rapping isn’t. H to the Izzo. Who the fuck cares?
Just not my jam.
I type this knowing full well how ridiculous this statement is, but I think I may have slept on Jay-Z. I had written him off since he sampled Annie, and while I liked "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)" fine when it was the biggest song in the world, I never listened to The Blueprint all the way through. Hearing it today, I didn’t stop bobbing my head for the entire hour it was on. I’m sure Kanye’s production played a big part of that but, honestly, everything except Eminem’s verses worked for me. This is embarrassing, but I am figuring out in 2025 that one of the best selling rap albums of all time is actually really good. I feel like someone saying “Man, did you guys know McDonalds makes good French fries?”
Not for me
Not a fan
JAY Z is to Hip Hop what Starbucks is to coffee.
Really like a bunch of Jay Z songs. WTT & 4:44 are both pretty great. This whole album is just him jacking himself off. Great production but super overrated & full of lyrics about how amazing he is.
soprendentemente me ha gustado he disfrutado escuchandolo la vd
40 songs A lot Spójny
His sixth album. Rap. The production budget and values are humongous. The other thing on this album that is humongous is Jay Z's ego! We get it, you were poor and now you're not. He's not believable or humble. A couple of catchy tracks but overall it's the bragging of a bell end.
Slappe tekst matige beats
Liked it, alot of bangers
Badass album. Great beats and one of my faves from Jay-Z. The Eminem feature is goofy but peak Em. Faves are Song Cry, Girls x3 and Girls x3 pt. 2
Track 2 with the “Doors-Five to One” sample backbeat was decent. I recognized “Izzy”, and the one with Eminem was ok. Outside of those, again this era of rap just all blends together and sounds the same with limited style and ideas.
Jay-Z’s Ego is a more fitting album title. Same old stuff with the same old braggadocio and often misogynistic lyrics. Every song coming in around the same tempo doesn’t help either. The duet with Eminem was a real top tune, but rating up as the true standout here is the production and clever choices of sampling.
One of the best to do it, and one of his best. Runs a bit long, but includes some all timers.
I like jays beats, flow, rhymes and voice. This is a most solid listen.
One of those records that always shows up in the top 10 in “best of rap” lists but always felt a tad short to me. Mostly just Jay Z rapping about how good he is about rapping. That said, there’s enough hits and enjoyable tunes to justify rounding up. 3.5/5
nah. Disrespectful to women and lame 2 stars
Not bad - misogyny hit a bit hard like
I tried to understand why this is as critically acclaimed as it is and admittedly the sampling and production is impressive. Jay-Z is a good rapper and some of his unique quirks with his delivery are neat enough but sometimes his odd grunts are annoying and I understand he’s just rapping his thoughts but a lot of the time I find his thoughts to be dumb. 3 stars
There’s a few bangers, there’s more not-bangers
ok
I'm not really a fan of Jay-Z's style of rap, without trying to sound like an utter wank I'm not that keen on mainstream, radio pop hip-hop. The only track I felt went against that was Takeover. The Five to One sample was a bit jarring and distracting to begin with, but I eventually liked it. I didn't pay that much attention to the lyrics, but Girls, Girls, Girls was very dated and a bit cringe I will say the production has a large, grandiose style that is quite nice. There are some decent beats too, but they just get a bit repetitive Probably didn't help my enjoyment having an Eminem feature near the end of the album, I can't stand Eminem Kind of boring really. I can see why people would like it but it's not my thing Highlights: Takeover
Very much 2000s album. I don't recognize any song, and mostly for the right reasons. Not much to see (or hear).
This still bounced along nicely and its certainly a top album for this time and genre, but its lost its bite over time for me.
The production on this is fantastic. Eminem's guest spot is awesome. Jay-Z is fine. I don't love his voice or content.. it's just not that interesting. I've tried, and there are a couple of his tracks I really like. But generally not a fan.
A lot of undeniable talent but Jay doesn’t really tickle my pickle. His flow is so slow and consistent it’s practically sleepy. Kweli is still my GOAT MC, this album doesn’t change it. Yikes, there is some “dated” language. Not just homophobe slurs, but the entire track “Girls Girls Girls.” The Nas beef is silly, but it’s hilarious that even in a diss track Hov has to admit that Illmatic is great.
It's just not for me. As someone who doesn’t like rap, this album sounds like total gibberish. I can appreciate the skill involved, but the flow and lyrics just go over my head. It’s a hard pass for me and definitely not my vibe!
Can tell why it's a great album - so many hits
I liked "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)" and "Heart Of The City (Ain't No Love)". But the rest of the songs just didn't work for me. I can't put my finger on it, but there is something inauthentic about the lyrics.
If this is considered one of the greatest rap albums, I’m highly unimpressed by the state of rap. Give me Run DMV or Tribe any day.
Dope
I don’t usually like rap, but I gave this a shot because it’s the Jay-Z album. Sadly, it felt more like a blueprint for boredom.
Great Album!
Only getting knocked down because he and Diddy should be in prison
I thought Jay Z did pop.... I guess he just does middle of the road rap. It's not offensive or particularly crappy, it's just whatever. No special interest factor to his songs sadly. 2/5 stars.
It was alright. I'm not a rap guy. I know Jay-Z is important to the genre, but I wasn't really feeling it.
This was fine for the first 4-5 tracks, then it got horribly repetitive. Samples and beats were good, but 63 minutes is a long time to hear someone talk about how much money they have.
This was fine. The music is more agreeable than many other rap albums on this list and the n words are aplenty.
8/10…hip hop / east coast
I thought I wouldn´t like this, but i was wrong. loved it to be honest. Some very good hits here. 4/5
Not a fan particularly
At first the hip hop was a refreshing change but I have a few in a row and this is maybe suffering from that but not enjoying it as much as snoop dog or notorious BIG. Feel this is a okay album.
What a day to release an album. Favorite track: "U Don't Know," probably
There's some bangers here for sure like Heart of the City, but ultimately this album I feel is overrated. Minus a full star for just Girls, Girls, Girls and how it sucked when I first heard it and its only gotten worse since to be honest. Fun hearing all the moments that Nas later took to cook him on Ether, and the moment on album where Eminem cooks him on Renegade.
3.5
3.5
3.5
4.5
I'm going with a (6.8) ★★★ for *The Blueprint* and thus might have room to grow. There are some rap tropes in here that are reasons why rap is not a preferred genre for me, most notably the endless boasting and posturing. Still, there was enough compelling elements too to kinda perk up my ears. One is the nod to Bowie on "Takeover". I actually am not crazy about the song, but the use of "Fame" gave me a pleasant chuckle. Surprisingly one of my favorite tracks on the album was "Renegade" with Emenem which suprised me in that that period of Emenem is one that usually grates on my nerves. But honestly the more self revealing title track really tugged my emotions a bit. I can't say I'm full in on this album or even 75%, but but there is much to admire
A bit repetitive, but quite good hiphop. 3.5 stars
This is often considered one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time, and rightfully so. No dumb skits, it's just all killer and no filler. It also defined hip-hop in the 00s, putting a couple of up-and-coming producers named Just Blaze and Kanye West on the map. It sounds great and it feels not just like a classic hip-hop album, but a classic album. "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)", "Girls, Girls, Girls", "Song Cry" are all great, but the Doors sampling, Bowie interpolating "Takeover" is one of the best tracks Jay-Z ever released. 5 stars.
4.5
More like The Poo Print. I got 9999 listening projects but Jay Z ain’t one.
Eh, didn't really vibe with this one too much
Amazed how much the rap albums I actually seem to enjoy.
I've never listened to Jay-Z. Not my bag. Like most music I avoid, it was better than I was expecting.
I've always thought Jay-Z was a bit overrated and this confirmed it - family friendly pop rapper who definitely should not be above the records it's above. There are pleasant songs on here but none of it is as vital as the true classics of the genre.
The best song, and frankly the only good song, on this album isnt even jayz's song. Its renegade and was written by eminem. Rest of the album barely even hits mediocre. 3 stars for eminem outperforming jayz on his own album.
Liked it more than I was expecting
Not bad, but didn't enjoy the disses trackes
Crazy. Really good.
Overrated asf in my opinion
First time I listen to on of Jay Z tune (with knowledge). I am pleasantly surprised. Difficult to tell anythoing about the lyrics after a quick glance. I am not sure I understand what the message is. There's the gansta attitude...
This is heavy stuff, the peak of commercial and pop rap. But it still has real qualities. The production is excellent (Kanye West is involved, so that makes sense). Some tracks have surprising and original mixes, like D.O.A., which is eclectic but works. The lyrics are good, like with Nas, there’s some irony behind all the talk about money. But Jay-Z’s voice is flat and emotionless, which is a total letdown to me. Still, it’s a much better album than I expected, with nice surprises in terms of the features. Too bad it’s Jay-Z doing the rapping…
Mediocre rapper flexes unimpressive accomplishments for an hour. Dull as ditchwater
Aggressively fine. Jay-Z gets away with corny lyrics with attitude and Timbaland beats. The beats shine through way more than anything Jay raps over them. There’s nothing outstanding here other than the background.
eminem brings this down even further
I like the accompanying music
This is my first (and last) listen because this is really not music that was made for me. Some really nice samples, and it is a very slick production, but my god he goes on! Not a fan of his style, his constant grunting would have been better turned into some kind of melody. Also not a fan of his or amazing ability to praise himself. The album is at least 20 minutes too long and I almost gave up listening 4 or 5 times. Maybe it’s a grower, but my ears could stand giving him the chance. Definitely won’t listen again. Will not listen
I don’t get it.
Some of the lyrics could only be described as corny, which was kind of off putting. The beats were generally good, and you can really hear Kanye in a lot of them (for better or worse). I like Takeover the best - loved the Bowie allusion.
My favorite is "Girls, Girls, Girls". Funny enough, I've never been a huge fan of Jay's music as weird as that sounds and I looooove older hip hop. This one was honestly pretty great as it contained lots of songs that I hadn't heard in quite some time. 8/10