Reviews (page 6 of 9)
Sooo brilliant ist das nun nicht. Beinahe 2.
One of the few albums I remember getting released on 9/11, its alongside Ben Folds "Rockin the Suburbs" and They Might Be Giants "Mink Car" with the latter being one of two acts of terror put upon the American public that particular day... This was alright Jay Z, but it would get exponentially better when he would perform the best bits of it on MTV Unplugged...
You know, I wasn't looking forward to listening to this at all. Well, maybe a little, just to see what the famous JAY Z sounded like. I will say, I liked this better than the other bragging, crime glorifying, n-word saying rap albums I've heard on this list. I guess he's just better at putting together backing music for his mf-laden songs. It also prompted me to look up the original version of Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City. After hearing JAY Z's, I was pretty sure there must have been one earlier than the Whitesnake version I was familiar with. Look up Bobby "Blue" Bland's original - it's great. Still, he calls himself JAY-hova and wants everyone to know he's runnin' this rap shit. Sure thing 👌
The samples are nice and well implemented. Overall didn't like it as much as I did first time around. Kind of starts sounding the same after an hour.
Spacca, mi piace moltoo. Unica pecca canzoni un po’ troppe lunghe per la mia attenzione uguale a quella di un pesce rosso
avevo aspettative altissime per questo album, essendo Jay-Z, e mi è piaciuto, ma non so perchè, non tanto quanto avrei voluto. è comunque una mina atomica e Renegade spacca.
Bravo Jay-Z, hai fatto bene il tuo lavoro.
Ci sta, ci sta
Turns out all the songs Kanye produced on here are bangers. I hate how much of an appreciation I’m developing for him. Takeover is an absolute monster of a track. That being said…I can’t help but find Jay-Z a bit silly and hard to take in large doses. Still a fun record but far from perfect.
Jay-Z is certainly one of the best in the game, but the production outweighs the flow on this one for me. Production is top-notch but bars feel same-samey. There's not a lot of content to be had here, but still some bangers to be had. Not the best Jay-Z album but still pretty solid. Standout Tracks: Izzo (H.O.V.A.), Heart of the City (Ain't No Love), Renegade
I get it you are really good but I didn't need you to tell me that in every single song. A little bit of variety would have been appreciated. It was good but some variety would have made it better.
Probably holds its place in being influential, but just not really for me. Too long.
Decent!
The hits are good. But the filler really didn’t do much for me.
The production on here is really good, but I’m not really sure using soul samples is all that innovative. The wiki for this record says it’s one of the best rap albums of all time. The fuck? Jay Z is just a mediocre rapper and the fact that one of the best songs on here disses Nas (a far superior rapper) and one of the other “best songs” features Eminem (a far superior rapper) kinda says it all.
The production of this album is excellent and there were lot of things quite enjoyable musically, perhaps because there was a lot of 70s soul vibe. I didn't listen to the lyrics carefully - thankfully, probably - but the music was quite good.
Some classics on here with a song that samples David Bowie's fame. That was the first time I've heard the song. The others were ok.
Essentially for me this was arrogant unlistenable garbage. But I do realize it is a classic in the genre. 2 stars for me 4 for fans of the genre Equals 3
"The Blueprint" by Jay-Z is a seminal album in hip-hop history, released in 2001. It's praised for its production, featuring beats from Kanye West, Just Blaze, and Timbaland, among others. Jay-Z's lyricism is sharp and introspective, with tracks like "Takeover" and "Song Cry" showcasing his storytelling prowess. However, the album does have its drawbacks. Some tracks feel repetitive or lack the innovation seen in other parts of Jay-Z's discography. Additionally, the album's focus on materialism and boasts can be off-putting to some listeners. Overall, "The Blueprint" is a solid album that helped solidify Jay-Z's status as one of hip-hop's greatest artists. While it may not be his most groundbreaking work, it's still an important piece of hip-hop history.
Ratings: 5: I will happily play this album anytime 4: I may occasionally play this album of my own free will 3: I will happily listen to this if someone plays it in the background 2: I will tolerate this if it is playing in the background 1: I will leave the room if someone plays this in the background Similar to "Ready to Die"...though I liked what was done with the sampling in Takeover. Overall happy to have listened to it for a bit, but the genre is just not my thing.
Se capissi qualche altra parola oltre a Nigga e Motherfucker (mia ignoranza), gli darei 4*. Basi notevoli, flow impeccabile.
Not my type of music, but I can definitely see why someone would really enjoy this. Overall I think the sample work is really good and the rapping is good. Tracks 1-3 and Renegade are a lot of fun, tracks 4-7 are the worst one and the samples are kind of annoying. Then the rest of the tracks are fine. 2.5
ganz ok für hiphop
Musically this is interesting and if I could tune out the lyrics I think I would like it. Unfortunately, I can't, so I don't. Not my thing. Sexist and vulgar.
Tough to judge, Jay-Z was always pretty funny and without much gimmicky stuff or unimaginative swearing. He picks good tracks to mix, but it does get a little same-ey after a while
Gear: DCA ÆON 2 Noire Mix: durchweg premium Produktion mit ebenso breiter Brust wie die Lyrics Musik: phänomenale Delivery von aufsehenerregend dämlichen Lyrics ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Wertung: 3-4/5 (inkl. +1 für "Renegade")
i liked it brought back memories!
Song cry slaps
ну чё-то не, недостаточно задора (тщщйе)
It’s Ok
I was sirprised to find myself enjoying this album. Even let some of it repeat. Not my jam, but good within the genre.
he obvs writes some good bars but his flow is a lil boring imo. enjoyed the keys ! it's a 3.5 but can't do that here so
Again, not my meat and potatoes, but a very solid album.
Basic Jay Z album. Best song Heart of the City (Ain't No Love). Rest of the album, tracks are good BUT would have been better served if he didn't bother with lyrics. "Never Change"... Really? I'm rich but I still do crime, but I still have street cred. Ok Jay Z if that's what you need to tell yourself.
Well he can’t sing but he can rap. Loved the mix of different instruments but overall not a fan of some of the more graphic songs.
pretty enjoyable, surprisingly musical, especially tracks that sampled orchestral pieces pretty heavily. i find his style to be fairly repetitive though, which negates a lot of what i like about it. 3.5 rounded down to 3.
the late 90s/early 00s is an era of hip hop that doesn't really interest me, but hov interests me more than the rest. You can only hear Jay-Z talking about beating the charges so many times before you get tired of it, but I will readily admit he is the best at it.
3.5
Dripping with braggadocious swagger, a classic NYC rap album that I'll always appreciate -- THAT SAID -- of the two 2001 albums I'd bring to my desert island it would be the 1999 "2001" from Dre (and company) instead, sorry, Jay-Z. I had a hard time finding the original "The Blueprint" release on my streaming service of choice and was presented with "The Blueprint Collector's Edition" which is a disservice to Jay-Z IMO, again, sorry to Jay Z that I'm not on Tidal. Standouts: - All of the beats! - "Heart Of The City (Ain't No Love)" - "Hola Hovito"
Some unusual samples on this which I really liked. Renegade is probably my favourite rap song ever, my favourite verse from both Eminem and Jay. Really like Jay-Z's flow. He loves rapping about money, it's like listening to an accountant at times 😅
Didn't finish but it was great
I liked it better than most rap, maybe because there are a lot of samples in here from songs that I like. Probably won't listen to it again, but I am glad to have listened once. 3 stars.
This album was generally a fun listen. I really liked the music and the flow. A few songs did offend my feminine gen-z sensibilities (Girls, Girls, Girls) I also found Song Cry a bit grating (and the “yeah, yeah, yeahs” reminded me of that one James Charles meme 😩). Also, I know it’s because he’s from New York, but I hate how he doesn’t pronounce the “r” on words like “adore” and “tour.”
Some great cuts on here no doubt, but Jay always was more of a singles artist
I don’t know anything about Sean Carter personally. I do not like the Jay Z persona. I find a lot of his lyrics problematic, but some songs are just pretty fun anyway.
There was a lot about this album I liked. And yes, that surprised me a little. When things clicked, the combination Jay-Z's swagger and the thick bed of backing tracks was impressive. On the flip side, when things go south, they go all the way. The "singing" on "Girls" was difficult to endure, the repetitiveness of "Izzo" was tiring, the stupidity of "Takeover" exemplifies some of the least interesting things about rap for me. So, this had some real highs and real lows, which means this tread middle ground on the balance.
alla med! Vi ska ge makt till Jayz om eftersom han AGERAR tufft... Varför? Det är inte so logisk det här.. JAg förstår jag förstår.. det är inte så logisk.. det är möjlighetet att lyssna på spännande musik! Du måste görä ge makt to honom ANNARS fungerar det inte Allcaps sanat ovat: Agera Verbit 1. toimia 2. esittää 3. näytellä ANNARS Adverbit 1. muuten 2. muutoin Muut/tuntemattomat 3. tai muuten
- Takeover
Fine but I much prefer other albums by Jay-Z
Tight production, good to listen to but nothing incredible.
Love The Doors sample
Bit hit & miss for me.
Liking it more than expected. Not normally my sound and no massive stand outs but a very solid album I was able to get through multiple times without a problem.
Never really got Jay Z - he works with the best producers out there, however his vocals are always the most basic sort, no interesting flows and are all based on boasting how much money he has. Even the stand out tune "Izza" he breaks up the flow by literally claiming over and over "that's the anthem" like an excited child who's just heard the beat, making it possibly the worst chorus of all time. "Heart of the city" which I know is a Kanye beat as he talks about it on one of his albums is such a wasted tune. Some wonderful samples and the vocals just ignoring them. The one time I loved this album was Eminem's vocals on Renegade. I suppose this is important as it marks a move away from the posing "gangsta rap of the 90s" to the posing "billionaire rap" of the 00's. I know which I prefer. Anyway the album was almost exactly what I expected; some amazing beats and his vocals all blurring together. However towards the end of the album, particularly "Blueprint" & "Lyrical exercise" which is the best tune on the album shows he is immensely talented and enough to push this to a 3.
alright
The best songs on this record are written/produced by Kanye. 🤷♂️
Okay
3.5/5 - a classic hip hop album. One of Jay-Z's best.
3,5
Helluva producer, like the production was amazing and I can totally see how Jay Z made his squillions. The content was; however, a little bit shit. I mean, can you imagine Jay Z bangin' in the Bronx?
Not a bad collection of songs and samples, given time I could probably develop a bit more tolerance for this sort of thing.
it was alright, never expected my favourite part of any album to be an Eminem verse
It's really well produced, I just don't personally like a lot of the subject matter
This sounds like it was a major turning point from early hip hop to modern hip hop. In that sense, it's a great listen and finely produced, if not entirely entertaining.
Pretty above average so I would give a 4 but he beefed with Nas so that automatically knocks him down a star. Solid 3.
Album 259 of 1001 Jay-Z - The Blueprint Rating : 3 / 5 Not for me. Just a matter of taste, I suppose. A couple of tracks that I found somewhat enjoyable.
girls girls girls
Type 58008 into a calculator and turn it upside down.
I want to give this 3.5. Not a fan of his voice and it’s a bit patchy and too long but there’ are some great tracks
The music was very good but the rest… so it’s only three stars.
I went into this album expecting great things since I’ve heard nothing but praise for it. What I got was a very mixed bag full of poorly aged parts. I’m shocked how it went back and forth between great song and terrible song. I would probably give it 3 and a half stars but idk how to do that on here
3.5
thought i'd hate it girls, girls, girls heart of the city never change song cry blueprint
Really good beats, but I need more melody.
Some excellent beats and some lyrics that not aged well at all.
I like girls too
Jay Z is the most overrated rapper of all time. MOROAT
3.25
Can't listen to it, was not available in Spotify
The production on this, as with most Jay Z works, is stellar. He isn't my favorite lyricist by any means, and is definitely a better producer than he is rapper. That said, the choices of sampling in this record are pretty fun to listen to throughout. I had fun listening to it, but probably won't grab on vinyl.
Great beats, loved the samples interspersed into the hip hop. His style of rapping is iconic, you can immediately identify his voice and flow. This album was very big when it came out, Izzo, Girls Girls Girls, and Renegade with guest vocals by Eminem were the big hits. At the time, Jay-Z was churning out albums, but overall a decent album
A good Jay-Z record or a bad Kanye record? You be the judge. Favorite tracks: Hola' Hovito, Never Change
Better music than a majority of the hip hop on this list but the lyrics, it's still the lyrics - I don't get the acceptance of sexism and homophobia, I just don't.
JAY Z did for rap and hip-hop what artists like N.W.A. did in the 80s and Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, and Snoop Dogg individually in the 90s: he was paramount in re-imagining it for a new decade. JAY Z was certainly already making groundbreaking, well-received music in the late 90s, but this album, landing at the beginning of a new decade and millennium, certainly stands as a bit of a milestone. It is a culmination of an already strong foundation that JAY Z had laid for the development and progression of the genre, sound-wise. His influence would define another decade or more of rap and hip-hop. This album, which now at this point already clocks in at over 20 years old, doesn't feel nearly as dated as hip-hop albums that are just another 5-10 years older. It really goes to show the length of influence JAY Z has earned. I don't have the knowledge to speak on all of the nuances, but there is likely also something to be said here about this all marking the rise of east coast hip-hop, whereas previously, west coast hip-hop was reigning supreme. Hip-hop can definitely be hit or miss for me; I don't vibe with all of it, or even a lot of it. But all in all, I found this to be a pretty good listen, and certainly a deserving entry!
3.5
I don't know much about rap but I think it was good album.
Not my favorite themes. Lots of bragging and vulgar concepts. He seems insecure and his persona seems overly puffed up and aggressive. I prefer more nuanced and deeper themes.
I really don't pay attention to lyrics so there might be some really cool lyrics that I'm missing. But the beats are really cool.
Hip hop is hit-or-miss for me, but it’s a solid album. It probably hit different when it first came out.
Jay-Z has a small winky, pass it on. As it happens, I was going to skip this but in the spirit of the project I ploughed on fully expecting to hate it, but ... I didn't. The music production is great, a rap record where I don't just think every song sounds the same. But, ffs guys, let's find something else to talk about than h*es and n*ggas?
Sehr poppig, sehr kommerziell.
+1 for not being a Bowie album.
Eh knowing some of the history on it makes it a little more interesting but overall just okay
Its okay. Not that many memorable songs. I mean it is a landmark album for the genre, but I was not into it. 3/5.
3-3.5 for me. Huge wave of nostalgia for 2k17 hit when heart of the city came on. When that song plays I feel like I could green Carmelo Anthony’s jump shot with my eyes closed.
Jay Z makes it E Z. Reasonable Doubt > Blueprint, but he also isn't a go to of mine personally.
Nice instrumentals, voice is nice but too placative
Enjoyed this album much more than new JAY Z stuff but still not a huge fan
Insane beat selection
Enjoyable album
Great album by Jay-Z, not as good as the older stuff but I still enjoyed it
Landmark hiphop album, which apparently released on 9/11. I liked it but it doesn't really scratch the hip hop itch I'm feeling currently? It's good music don't get me wrong, but without me knowing this is an album that reintroduced sampling to the hiphop scene and put Kanye on the map as a producer it'd not really realise it's significance.
Brani Preferiti: - "Takeover" - "Renegade" - "Never Change" Note: Album che contiene qualche canzone interessante, per il resto non c'è niente di orribile ma manco niente di eccezionale. In generale Jay riesce ad usare (come al solito) una buona combinazione di parole e rime alla musica strumentale ben fatta.
Cohessive album. Great intro for me to look into his discography. However, I'm still more drawn to 90s rap for now.
Favorite Tracks: The Ruler's Back, Takeover, Izzo (H.O.V.A), Girls, Girls, Girls, U Don't Know, Heart of the City (Ain't No Love), Never Change, Song Cry, Renegade, Lyrical Exercise
3.25
One of those rap albums I always hear about, but had never lat down to listen to. I'd be lying if I said the track with Eminem wasn't my favorite. The whole of the album was pretty good, he's got a unique style I had to get into. Good, but not as legendary as I was expecting.
Second favorite hova album.
Solid. But with that said, I think he can do better.
3.25/5 enjoyable album, not my favorite of Jay Z but worth listening to
Good album. The music is great. The lyrical content seems to be the same in every song.
03.09.23 - This was cooler than I thought, it had that song Izzo on it, which is a classic. I need to revisit this
Ja dit is wel een pareltje hoor. Wel soms veel van hetzelfde dus niet per se heel hoge rating. Kan me voorstellen dat dit wel echt een klassieker is, met veel vette nummers.
It’s not his best album, but the more I listened to it this time, the more I appreciated it. You can definitely tell which songs were produced by Kanye! Listen again: probably Purchase for my collection: maybe Favourite Song: U Don’t Know or Renegade
Not my favorite genre, but a good listen
Good beats and rhythms. Lyrics and rhymes a little lacking. Decent album though.
Interesting samples, always fun to have something new to look for. Nice vibe on some tracks. + Takeover + Heart Of The City (Ain't No Love) + Never Change + Song Cry + All I Need + Girls, Girls, Girls (Part 2)
He was clearly a master craftsman at this point, and there's an effortlessness to the often quite complex delivery that is magnetic. I think everything just felt a little broad for me, and while each track is undoubtedly engaging, many overstay their welcome a little without really getting to an incisive point. Three and a half. Fave track: Izzo (H.O.V.A.)
Some songs are cool. Some are not so good.
Mediocre
2.5 Sometimes a bit too R&B, but some cool beats too.
Not bad. Lyrics are shallow, the Eminem song was decent. Can hear the dying breaths of 90s rap/hip-hop in there.
Musically interesting, lyrically questionable
Vond de eerste helft van het album veeel leuker dan de andere helft. Die heeft niet zo veel indruk gemaakt. Over all wel echt leuk om eens een keer een album van jay z helemaal te luisteren want eigenlijk hem altijd in features gehoord
Solid rap album, especially the use of soul samples is cool
Never listened to a full JAY Z album before. Timbaland, Kanye, and Eminem were my favorite parts. The idea that JAY can't cry so he has to cry through his songs is hysterical. Lyrically, he does start to open up for the audience emotionally in a lot of of other ways though. Like on "Blueprint (Momma Loves Me)."
good hiphop album
Bit shit nigger!
Was OK
Jay-z is, in a sense, much like Eric Clapton or the Beatles, strangely underrated. I prefer the black album, but this is solid, with his excellent narrative style mixing beautifully with phat rhythm.
Main review - started as a 4 or 5 but i see how others ended on a 3... His voice works for the genre, and he has a distinctive sound, and a lot of melodic complexity, breaks out into singing - the very well woven in (seemlessly?) samples and mixed with other singers - what a great example. Apparently 20 years on. The beats and sounds work for my ear, and bring a playful joy and intricacy that is both polished and enjoyable ... Energy and yet - slow beat - is this called swingin' ? I cant but agree with terms like “lush” and “effortless” The best tracks have a warm richness and evoke fun motown so smoothly woven / counterpointing the samples. But ... then it takes darker turn (so awkwardly it sounded like caricature/irony/pisstake to me.. I thought Weird Al Yankovic got the mic) - oh boy - he needs to claim and show and explain how great he is.. And it get less happy in tone and the words revert to bragging themes... As the albums cover suggest ( on urban african american posing on a large wooden desk with leather writing pad, smoking a cigar, showing status and holding audience - ) in the end, has all the hip hop signs of “show and explain” the status and triumphant superiority and brittle socially constructive redemption and mutual destruction inherent to urban masculinity. Which is abrasive and boring, and doesn't give something that i take up and run with, thats for sure... is it the cover for urban boys - puffed up status - so hollow. Post script I know so little about Hip hop, I had to look up how it differs to rap (which I now know is a musicall offshoot of 4 part culture/artistic movement of music dance street art and xxx) . This album - released 11 September 2001 - (yes, 9/11) continues my exploration of the genre which is due to this 1001 list. Before this I mostly hear it incidentally if it was charting (although I once owned a cassette by “the disposable heroes of hiphoprisy” which i found interesting social commentary) When I hear one I like, I am basically surprised, so I have started a playlist called something like “rap & hop hop I actually like” (because I cant tell the difference between hop hop and rap yet - and it mostly unusual to find one that is energising happy and pleasant - I dislike most for their harsh rapping, misogyny and violent dissing and shgit-taliing, and general non melodic aggressive beats - ) . Some are cool - and have warm grooves and powerful lyrics, and - maybe - a pleasant voiced singer who does something other than claim exceptional amazing, superior dominance and power over enemies he wants to smoke for their transgressions. There is some literature on the particular socially constructed (reactionary/ insecure/shame based debased then exalted) male identity, misogyny etc of the genre. Because it is reactionary - emergent and I’d like to know better how to describe what this is, socially, psychologically and in terms of identity. Is it self aware? Its definitely archetypical and caricature - young bloods, gnasters, bosses, intimidations and war etc . Its about “getting out” and not being like the rest (which is what they were so.....?). Rejection of the self - shame and a type of false confidence and a constructed and possibly false self? Disowning a part of yourself - and them I remember “Jenny from the Block” , when she goes back and owns that part of herself her past , her origin story, transforming the whole identity or making peace with it, or is it PR? I would like to read more on this thing. But pain produces something beautiful sometimes and this subculture gives a voice about injustice, social political and identify issues.... Unique. Important. If harder to understand when you aren't the intended audience.
I love the structure. I love the music. I really like the sampling - any track that’s based on The Doors Five To One will do me. It was obviously influential. That cartoon female voice in U Don’t Know must have given Hilltop Hoods the idea to use such a voice in their classic, The Nosebleed Section (2003). Great to hear Bobby “Blue” Bland’s sweet vocals (Heart Of The City). In fact, quite often I enjoy the samples way more than the vocals, which I find boringly repetitive. Some hip-hop really works for me &, like I said, most of the music & sampling here is terrific. But his rapping bores me.
I really love the production of this record; the use of old soul records (including the pitch-shifted 'chipmunk soul' samples) was massively influential, but rarely matched. The use of samples is lush and big scale (not the scratchy old funk samples that had been previously more common), and, as lover of the original tracks, I find this really listenable. It's pop rap, but it's hard to argue when it sounds this good. Jay-Z's skill and flow are pretty amazing, although he manages to make it sound effortless and natural. That said, this album (as most of Hova's output) is a monument to his ego. The endless braggadocio is just a bit of a yawn after a while. If it was me, I'd trim this album back by 20 minutes, and maybe encourage Mr Carter to expand his areas of lyrical interest.
There's a few decent songs and some good production. The lyrics are largely raps about having a lot of money, dissing other people, and misogyny. It's obviously a very popular album but I really don't see the appeal.
Good
Quite enjoyed this overall, and there were some nice bit and pieces. But as with most hip-hop I'm unlikely to listen to it again anytime soon, so it's 3 stars
I get similar vibes as 2Pac. Both make boring Hip-Hop. I'm sorry for that controversial opinion but it is what it is. It is a bit better than Me Against the World. 3/5
-i haven’t listened to a lot of jay z -takeover has a pretty cool vibe so far -everytime i hear jay z i just think of new york state of mind -the beats are really interesting -this album does feel a bit slow -honestly not as good as jay z’s other stuff -hola’ hovito is probably my favorite -the song with eminem was really cool -this definitely is very new york, duh its jay z
There is something a little interesting about a New York rapper releasing an album on 9/11. In general there was a strange number of iconic albums that either released or were set to release on 9/11. That being said, JAY-Z just isn't really my thing. Good album, just not for me.
What makes Hip Hop? I think the flow, the beat, the samples, the swagger. Not necessarily in this order. Best test of flow is imagining the song acapella, as rap once used to be. A voice and perhaps a beatbox. "All I Need", for example, wins hands down here. Some of the other songs, most emphatically not. Kanye is not a bad producer. (He *was* not a bad producer – I'm not sure what exactly he is now.) Here, though, his palette seems rather narrow at times. Cratedigging for a good loop + pitch shifting does not a good melody make. At least, not alone. Or, well, i suppose it's the dividing line between pop and hip hop. (No one would ever dare call Pete Rock a pop star. Nor J. Dilla, despite his recent (and long overdue, imnvho) canonisation. Now, those guys knew what to do with a sample. Or samples, which is another dividing line.) Hov had the swagger. Y'know, this album is 22 years old. Damn. He still has the swagger. I mean, now, he's a silver fox. But he never was a yung 'un. Mature before his time etc. (As mature as the music industry and its inherent braggadocio can ever allow one to be. Back then, the notion of elder statesmen of rap simply didn't register. How could it?) Did the MPC 1 elevate or destroy hip hop? Not a provocation, an honest question. It is an instrument, which is to say it is only as good as the person playing it; it also was the harbinger of the washed out sameness that runs through a lot of hip hop production nowadays. Perhaps the question should beg would we be (on the whole) better off if the MPC never existed? We'll never know. Listen to (say) DJ Shadow sample a good drum beat and you'l get what I mean.
3/13, 23%
I like this album, but it always represented raps shift to pop for me. 3/5
Wasn't sure what to expect and I guess I was pleasantly surprised. Not really my cup of tea but I did enjoy Takeover and U Don't Know.
I was expecting to quite dislike this as braggadocio rap really isn't my thing, but the production was pretty good. I suspect Jay-Z is benefitting from me listening to this while working, and if I actually played closer attention to the lyrics my score would drop... Fave track - "Takeover" - pretty badass samples underpinning this one....
Though I love a couple of Jay-Z tracks from other albums, I think listening to hip hop from this era is a bit weird for me - the sound inherently feels dated and just reminds me of being a teenager. I liked Izzo (H.O.V.A.). It's smooth listening and I can appreciate the technical skill and production, but it doesn't really connect with me much.
Pretty good New York Rap album. Just drags a bit of especially towards the end.
I don't know man. I tried really hard to like this. The beats were so good, and the vibe slaps. But nobody, and I mean nobody, loves Jay Z as much as Jay Z loves Jay Z. This whole album is nothing but diss.tracks and hype tracks and Jay Z talking about how great he thinks he is. That'll wear a fella out real quick. Four songs in and I was ready to be done hearing about how great Jay Z is. If you gotta say it that often, one starts to wonder... Feels like compensating to me.
wasn’t in a huge rap mood today but okay
P good, new to me
Okay .... popular rap funk
3/5
It's OK, I guess the Eminem song is the best one
First song was really good but it sort fell off from there
This was better than I was expecting after the first track. It's still not my scene, but there's plenty to appreciate. The production is really what makes the album for me, which is pretty consistently interesting and well done across the board. Girls Girls Girls works well, as does Hola' Hovito. I'm not a fan of the lyrical content or his rapping style particularly. "U Don't Know" in particular is terrible. Ah you've got so much money and you're so great and brilliant and untouchable. Good for you.
Nah
Highlights: "All I Need," "Takeover," "Blueprint" Musically, probably most important as Kanye's big break and a major showcase for Just Blaze. The other things that make it historic are regrettable. Jay-Z's confidence is a double-edged sword. It's the thing that allows him his smooth flow, coasting on internal rhyme schemes that get there when they get there, breaking lines unbothered by expectations so long as he has enough double-take compound rhymes to tie things off. It can be excellent. But it's also the thing that prevents him from revising stuff that's laughably bad. All of "Girls, Girls, Girls" is a disaster, but two main things there represent his biggest flops: it has aged extremely terribly, and sometimes he just - oops! - forgets to rhyme. See the end for my list of personal favorite atrocities. This isn't just a lyric problem; it's a thematic or argumentative problem. This album is where Jay-Z really stakes out this neoliberal third way curatorial position about what hip-hop is for, particularly with "U Don't Know," "Izzo," and "Renegade." As he sees it, it's impossible for black people to sell out -- that's just aspirational. Getting your money right, helping yourself, *is* helping others. The biggest issue is not the position in itself, but how he addresses the listener. When he says he dealt drugs so others wouldn't have to, it's hard to see what he means. How does that work? If they buy into the cargo cult and blow a check on the bottle of Army and a Roc bucket that his music is made to advertise, are they then uplifted? Are they building their worth by purchasing his grindset anthems? This will spare them from the drug life that he mentions he will never stop living because it pays so well? The things that are supposed to elevate the album thematically end up undermining it. But you could definitely say it's historically important for this. It's a position Kanye would spend the next twenty years running into the ground. Best dumb lyrics: "Cops want to knock me, D.A. wants to box me/ in But somehow, I beat them charges like Rocky" "Not guilty/ he who does not feel me is not real to me/ therefore he doesn't exist/ So poof, vamoose, son of a bitch" "To try and to fail, the two things I hate Succeed and this rap game, the two things that’s great" [You can tell he hates trying cause he wrote this] "you now lookin at the forty million dollar boy/ I’m rapin’ Def Jam ’til I’m the hundred million man" "if the record's two mil I'm just tryna move three/ Get a couple chicks, get ’em to try to do E/ Hopefully they’ll ménage before I reach my garage" "We was together on the block since free lunch We shoulda been together havin’ Four Seasons brunch" "Niggas pray and pray on my downfall But every time I hit the ground, I bounce up like roundball" I BOUNCE UP LIKE ROUNDBALL!!! ROUNDBALL!!!
Driving back to marrakech from Saraha. 30th March. Thursday. Early morning quad biking.
I really like Jay-Z's rapping style, it sounds so clear and crisp. There are some great beats and raps on the album, however he has far better albums than this. Highlights: Izzo Renegade U Don't Know Heart of the City
Awesome bass tone on the opener. And it continues into the next track! I thought H to the Izzo was a meme, turns out it's actually a song! I take it Jigga is a Jay-Z thing? So is Jay-Z upset that he was fucking around behind this woman's back, and now she's angry, but it's not his fault honest, he was just fucking them, no big deal? Cool bass is back! 'Renegade' is excellent. Hmm, I think it started off very well, then kind of lost my attention through the middle of the record, then the song with Eminem was superb and then it ended. 3 / 5 stars.
Kanyen tuottamat biisit kovia, mut muuten ei oo ihan niin hyvin kestänyt aikaa.
Oman genrensä eli eräänlaisen bileräpin järkäle. Poplevynä aika toimiva! 3/5
2.5
After changing rating criteria :)
Not too shabby. 3.5 stars from me.
I think I know one song by Jay Z and it is not off this album so I know next to nothing. I did find it very surprising that this album came out on 9/11 though. I don't always read the little blurbs but this time I did. Something about the mixing on the chorus of Girls, Girls, Girls, is weird. I can't place it but it's just odd, sometimes it's okay though. This isn't a genre I really listen to but I can appreciate how different it sounds from more modern artists. I can see why a lot of people really enjoy more old school rap.
Pretty cool. Better than I expected. I've always imagined Jay Z as more refined/corporate or more of a collaborator. Guess I'm not quite old enough. Standout Track: Takeover
The production on this album is insanely good. So good that it makes Jay-Z sound better than he is. Dude has great lyrics but his flow is kinda like "we have Biggie Smalls and Puff Daddy at home". Saved tracks: "The Ruler's Back", "Girls, Girls, Girls", "Jigga That Nigga", "Renegade" and "Lyrical Exercise".
Good album, not my favorite of JayZ's but good.
Decent. The wild thing is you can totally hear how he’s going to eventually be a much bigger deal than this album. 3/5
a good chunk aged poorly, but still enjoyable with good beats and lyrics
This NYC rap album was released on 11/09/2001. That's something, right? I hope so, because I have very little else to say about it. Rating: 2.5/5 Playlist track: Takeover Date listened: 08/02/23
How are you gonna have biz markie, q tip, and slick Rick on a song and make them just go the hook? Man 2001 Eminem was awesome
Rhe beats and production are great. Jay Z's rhymes, while I can't always relate, are great. I like his style. Eminem is a good feature on Renegade. 7/10.
No soy mucho del hip hop pero está bastante bien este.
Esta bien, es divertido. Buenos beats pero Jay tiene el flow muy repetitivo par mi gusto. Algunas de las canciones no envejecieron tan bien.
The accolades for this album are pouring from every cranny. What am I missing? I know I'm white but it's not like I shop at the GAP. This album was one of the most extreme "yesterday I was wrong" ranking resets in the Rolling Stone Mag's best albums list. It went from #486 on their 2003 version of the list to #50 in the 2020 iteration. The music is interesting to listen to but if I were in charge of Rolling Stone, I would have stuck with my initial ranking.
I like the production, especially the way the soul-snippets get worked into the song, like an early Kanye West LP. It's more melodic than many rap albums, though Jay Z's rapping style is too close to yelling to suit me.
It's all good, but nothing stuck in my head. Wide variety of samples, good flow in the lyrics, not too repetitive, it stays at the same level until the end. He sure likes himself very much for all the wrong reasons, according to the lyrics. Favorite song: All I Need.
I always kind of groan when I hear Jay Z. He seems too over-hyped, too mainstream, too... whatever. And he is. But I also kind of like his voice and a lot of the beats are great. But the content of his music is just kind of blah. There's way better hip hop out there but for some reason he's this godfather in the genre. I don't get it.
I mean he's good and all but it got very repetitive. A couple of incredible tracks though (especially Renegade) and he has a real way with words but I don't think I'll be listening again.
The production is great and overall the flow works well - however some of the lyrics and themes have aged poorly.
Hip hop albums should not be more than 45 minutes at best. Jay-Z's The Blueprint clocks in at 63 minutes and is about 40 minutes too long. I'd be in favor for certain collections of greatest hits being considered for this list, Jay-Z is one. Albums with individual bangers don't make an album a must listen and this is an example. 3/5.
I like the "H to the Izz-O, V to the Izz-A". Standout is Renegade for me. Will probably listen again.
Inumin.
A solid 3 stars. Excellent production throughout, but some tracks a little underwhelming.
Better than I thought, but still not my thing
Mostly boring, thought nothing awful here
T3B 1. Renegade 2. Izzy (H.O.V.A.) 3. Girls, Girls, Girls
aight
Fine I guess. I liked Takeover and Renegade best.
“ Males shouldnt be jealous. Thats a female trait.” Spoken like a true incel Best: All I Need, Izzo Dishonourable mention: The girls gurls girls chorus, for both songs, what the fuck?
Jay Z is good but he's not my style
if you are not interested in the lyrics of the songs it's not for you
Hupailubiisit naurattavat aidosti, ja välissä on kappaleita, joiden flow pysäyttää. Nimibiisistä sain jopa kylmät väreet. Toisin sanoen tämä on perustellusti levy, joka "kannattaa kuulla".
I don't know anything about the history of rap / hip hop but it's interesting to me that this was only 2 years after The Slim Shady LP. Enjoyed this one much more
Solid but I'd prefer his Black Album any day. I don't know what nearly every track needs a big name guest. Tracks with Big Boi and Beyonce stand out but the whole project is tainted by collabs with Eminem and Lenny Kravitz.
Music, beats and production is excellent - however on this record Jay Z is an intolerable dick. He just sounds like a rhyming CEO and I have expect him to pull out a power point at an all hands meeting. It’s basically C-Level hip hop and not in a good way. It rhymes, it flows, it’s about to be fun but Jay’s eagerness to show how awesome he is falls short and sounds like overcompensation - which if he chilled it’s obvious that he would be awesome if he stopped getting in his own way. Better than Biggie? No - he doesn’t have the true swagger and effortless charm. Even when Biggie goes low he’s always a cut above - Jay Z spends an entire album just dissing and not much else to the extent Eminem’s guest appearance is almost welcome dose of adulthood. Shame cos the record could have been perfect and Jay is a true master of flow. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
80/100: I had high expectations going into this album; perhaps too high. I've heard a lot about "The Blueprint," and as someone who's really enjoyed most Jay-Z song's that I've listened to but never dove into his work, I was really excited to listen to this. I'm really disappointed that my expectations weren't met. This is a good rap album, no doubt, but—I don't know—I find it hard to believe this is considered Jay-Z's best work. I think maybe Jay-Z is a great single-producing artist, but his albums themselves aren't great standalone works. I know all of this is really controversial, and I hate that this is how I feel—I really wanted to find this to be a masterpiece. I just can't honestly say this is that great. There are some pretty cool lines, like "I sell ice in the winter, I sell fire in hell. I am a hustler baby, I'll sell water to a well," but they're just well-worded variants of the typical braggadocious lines you can find in any mediocre rap album. I don't think that makes a good album, especially in the rap genre where competition for the top spot is hotly contested.
Not my favourite hip hop artist, but not bad
Solid flows, a lot of good beats, kinda boring at times though. No song on here comes close to shook ones, and the album is no illmatic, so not sure I would say takeover really hits home.
Honestly, never been that big a fan of Jay-Z, is there something wrong with me? Beats are okay, lyrics are too heavy on the “this is why I’m better” train, and idk about his flow… I like the Girls song though
Nostalgic!
Favourite song: Takeover One for the karaoke: Izzo One for the car: Heart of the City It’s a high 3 for sure
Blueprint 3 was good, did t see this one.
Not my kind of thing but I do respect the production values
I appreciate his skills but not really my jam
Best Song: Izzo (H.O.V.A). Real funky dance track, that sounds like an extended intro but in a good way. Worst Song: Girls, Girls, Girls. It's really just Jay-Z obnoxiously shouting "Girls" over a mediocre beat. I guess at least it's as advertised? Overall: For a guy who seems like he's such a big part of pop culture, this is by far the most Jay-Z I've ever in one sitting. Turns out the best parts of the album are the parts that aren't him. Many of the beats, most of the samples... Great. It's when he starts "yeah"-ing overtop those samples that things start falling off. Lyrically, not exactly heavy hitting either. Never, while listening to this album, do I think, "I'm glad Jay-Z said that thing, and I'm glad that's the way he said it." Can't believe lyrics like "I can't see 'em comin' down my eyes" made it past being shown to literally anyone. And am I wrong to say that "Renegade" is an Eminem song with a Jay-Z feature, rather than vice versa?
Great beats and samples. It's a lush, rich album just ruined by Jay Z being such a complete dick. If only it were in another language, then I could probably enjoy it.
Izzo, not bad.
This album has some of the best beats by JAY-Z... But some of his worst lyrics too. So uh... I guess it's a perfect balance?
A 2000's hip-hop classic. Doors sample on The Takeover is fun HOV is a much better poet than Morrison and probably less of an asshole. I remember when the NAS beef was a thing. Do they still have beef? Probably not, they're too old and too rich. Remember when Jigga was only worth 120 mil? I forgot Eminem was on this. So 2001. I miss Em's old playful style before he became the Rap God of spiritual lyrical miracle rappers. The album that for better or worse (better IMO but some might debate...) introduced the world to Kanye West. Hugely culturally relevant album in hindsight. In 2022 it's really easy to hear which tracks are the Ye ones: the good ones with the soul samples. Girls, Girls, Girls is probably not PC anymore but still less egregious than the Beastie Boys of Motley Crüe songs with the same name. Decent album overall but too long like most rap albums from the CD era
I mean, it's all right. So far i can recognize its well made art but I'm just mostly not vibing with this style of rap overall.
All surface. Rap mechanics in place of depth. But hey, he's a billionaire. Just ask him.
Alltid gillat jayz kaxiga rappstil men inte mitt album of choice.
I like Takeover. Renegade with Eminem is good. The album was all right, it was good.
лучше слушать, не читая, а то как-то... ну :) айкью падает "м йе мм йе, бэйби" ... 1 час такое слушать скучно. вот понравилась мне по звучанию песня Heart of the City я думаю: а почитаю текст. а там... ну как же скучно... по звуку еще never change
Antingen en stark trea eller svag fyra.
The Blueprint is the sixth album by American rapper Jay-Z. At release it was considered Jay-Z's best album since his debut album, and today it is considered one of the best hip-hop albums of all time and has been certified double platinum. The album's hip hop beats were inspired by vintage soul music, and some parts of old soulful songs & vocals were sampled on this album. The sampling on this album influenced other producers to begin sampling music again, since most artists stopped sampling sometime in the late 90's to focus more on creating new beats and melodies. This album also introduces Kanye West to the music world as a producer because he produced 4 of the tracks. Eminem is featured on 1 track as the producer and the only other rapper with verses on this album. The Blueprint was a great album to listen to and its music still holds up to this day.
The whole rappers feuding with other rappers and dis track thing doesn’t really do me. Never the less, nicely produced with some good tunes in there.
Not such a fan of this egocentric style of hip-hop. Strong beats and production though. Heart of the City is a tune.
Not my favorite Jay Z album and actually sounds pretty washed out compared to hip hop production today
Probably one of my least favorite genres. But, this is one of the best 90's hip-hop albums I've heard. Hats off to Mister Z. I'd give it a bit of a higher score by the language really destroys the music. 3/5
I rather like this album. The beats are uncomplicated. The delivery is classic. Kanyes production is tight. The repetitive "i was a nobody but now I am important" is a bit repetitive but still it kinda fits. Girls(x3) seems a bit eye rolling. 3.
I like me some good hiphop, but overall I just find this a very inconsistent album, with on one hand some absolute great songs (TakeOver, U Don't Know, Renegades) and on the other atrocious missteps like Girls Girls Girls and Never Change. I seem to always be in the minority when it comes to this album. I have a lot of time for Jay-Z, but this isn't just fully it. Would love to see an album with the quality of the top songs throughout. And this just isn't it. 3,5*
Fav songs: - Heart of the City (Ain't No Love) - Renegade
He likes girls. He could sell water to a well. He's the sinatra of his day. Funky sample use.
Best tof! Goeie samples en niet zo over de top als mening andere rappert. En ik luister meestal toch niet zo naar de teksten en dat is hier ook wel goed. :-)
Enjoyed Takeover with the doors/ray manzarek sampling
I guess if you're going to listen to hip hop, this might be the way to go. Personally I like my hip hop more Australian. (#hilltophoods 😊) The samples and collabs make this varied and listenable.
Hip-hop week continues, and this is the weakest of the bunch. I've heard plenty of Jay-Z, I think he's fine but his rap is exactly the kind I'm not into. All he's talking about is himself, how much money he has, how tough he is, how many women he gets and treats like garbage. Pure bravado, no art. Points because it's competently made but not something I would ever seek out.
Really good use of music/samples for a very accessible and pop feel. Pretty good listen for a non hip-hopper! A high 3.
nja, det blir lite lame ibland.
Les beats sont nice mais la voix et le flow de Jay-Z viennent monotone à la longue
There's a reason why Jay-Z is one of the top rappers of the late 90s/early 00s, and this album is one of them. Overall it was a decent hip-hop album, but I think it's just the style of late 90s/early 00s hip-hop that I have never really enjoyed, but there's no doubt that this album had a huge influence at the time. Best: Izzo (H.O.V.A.); Renegade Worst: Jigga That Nigga
the odd cracking sample
Considering that I've never been a fan on his singles that I would catch on the radio sometimes, that was way better than expected. You can see that this had a lot of influence on Kanye and that he indeed surpassed the master pretty quickly, but the beats are still great for the most part.
It was better than expected, but some parts I was wondering what was going on (in a bad way)
While at first refreshing, it quickly becomes stale. While some of the tracks have pretty great beats, and some of the lyrics and flows are fun, those rarely conincide. The overall length also plays it no favours. Some of the lyrics also did not age well.
Na pierwszy przesłuch, bit był nie najgorszy, ale jak zacząłem dogłębniej słuchać tekstów, to znowu ciężko się utożsamić jak śpiewa tylko o hajsie, dragach i dziewczynach. W dodatku muzyka często nie przeszkadza w jego flow i wychodzi taka średniawka. Ponad godzinę tego słuchać to jednak trochę za dużo. Najlepsze Izzo (H.O.V.A).
Pleasantly surprised by this, though he's a name of course. Not just the flow, which is listenable, but the beats and hooks are great.
Solo he escuchado el Black Album de él, pero parece que este es su trabajo más importante en vista que ha seguido haciendo "blueprints". Me ha gustado Takeover con los samples de The Doors, interesante musicalmente Udon't know y Hola'Hovito.
Bon album de hip-hop, mais j’ai du mal à comprendre pourquoi il est considéré comme une œuvre majeure.
Achei repetitivo found it repetitive
Bit boring tbh!
I was surprised to have known as many of these songs as I did. That said there are better Jay Z albums.
3.3
okay besides the blatant misogyny
Hip-hop. Ni fu ni fa.
Weird choice. It's okay, but this being the sole Jay-Z album over Reasonable Doubt, Vol. 2, Vol. 3, Black Album, or 4:44? I don't get it.
Rap, hip/hop de un compositor muy reconocido. Personalmente no lo veo tan distintivo con relación a otros artistas del mismo género. El disco se puede escuchar sin más. No destaca en nada ni defrauda
Mon premier Jay Z. Intéressant d'entendre les productions de Kanye West sur cet album. Un peu redondant par contre, mais la production est solide.
Pretty good, but sounds too safe. Girls Girls Girls is shite. Heart of the City is good
Ca se laisse écouter. Mais me laissera pas un souvenir impérissable
-Sweet bass groove in "Takeover." Also it took a second listen but I noticed the sampling of the Doors on the second listen -I like the very triumphant beat and lyrics to "U Don't Know" -Mu favorite track was "Renegade," because I like Eminem and he is on that track. I also like how JAY-Z totally changed his flow to be more rhyme-scheme based to keep up with Eminem -Why we're some of my favorite rhymes and flows on the hidden track "Girls, Girls, Girls (Part 2)?" -Overall the beats were solid, although the flow wasn't my personal favorite
2 songs save this album from being complete trash.
I thought I’d be indifferent with this album going in, but I actually enjoyed it way more than I thought I would. Not a rap fan at all, but the samples kept it interesting and it was really catchy in parts. 3/5 - The second half of the album dragged a little bit, I think it might have benefitted from being a bit shorter.
Really well produced. Excellent flow and delivery. Consistently high quality the whole way through - not marred by stupid 'skits' that were so prevalent in a lot of hip-hop at that time. Questionable lyrics - not particularly into the whole 'guns and bitches' thing - but as it's all bullshit bravado anyway I'm okay with it. (3.3)
Would definitely not mind listening to the album while working or something. Wouldnt download most of them, maybe a few
Fun vintage stuff from the world of sampling whatever you want to.
OK. Had higher expectations.
No doubting his talent but this isn't much fun.
Not my thing. More melodic than I thought, but I can't appreciate the lyrics.
I can't believe that I've never listened to a JAY Z album before! It was very cool. I loved the grooves and the samples made me want to explore the originals. A great example of using music to honor a legacy. My big critique is how he talks about women (using the b work) and money. But.......there's probably some depth to that history as well.
Solid album, but seemed somewhat generic to this here metal head
Never change is fire. I appreciate The more reflective moments more than the flex tracks, which get redundant. Good flow from Jayz and instrumentals overall, but shows it’s age a bit with an over abundance of choruses and songs that could’ve used some trimming
Excellent production and some classic tracks. A powerhouse of the 2000s for a reason
A very even keeled album. Solid and dependable to the point where it verges on being boring for me. Just kind of starts blurring together after the first few tracks. I like Jay Z's voice but the mixing on the album sometimes sounds a bit wonky to my ear. Some details stick out more than they should and maybe I just want more reverb or something to smooth it out and give it more atmosphere. As is it's a bit too clean to the point of coming across kinda flat.
Never got into Jay-Z, always felt he was very typical in terms of rap, which I guess you can say he is a classic. Honestly a bit bored of the album and it's fine... just not my thing,
very enjoyable!
Aside from some of his mega hits, I don't really love Jay Z all that much. Maybe it's because I have hard time separating the art from the artist, and Jay Z is kinda gross. Izzo is still great, and is the best track on the album, but it's not his best.
This exercise has given me a new appreciation for hip hop, however this album though not bad seems a little clichéd to me. Two or three really good songs, especially the one with Eminem. I'm rating it at 3.5 🌟 for overall enjoyment.
I'm a big hiphop fan but I was only 2 years old when this album came out so I haven't actually listened to it fully. I know that this is truly a classic album, and I really enjoyed it. I'm a bit torn between a three and four star rating but I will give it a strong 3.
Nice rap album top to bottom
This album isn't really my style, but I think I can tell it's well-done. The tracks I liked most were The Ruler's Back and Izzo (H.O.V.A.). I also thought it was sweet how in the title track he gave shoutouts to important people in his life.
First time listening. Enjoyed, might be Jay Z at his best. Liked the Eminem feature. Probably not one I’ll listen to again.
5/10
There was a lot to unpack with this album
19th October 2021 Listened on my phone in the office on a nightmare of a day where the sofa bed got delivered and the Internet went down. Interesting that it was released on 9/11, felt like a prelude to the black album but still liked it. No real stand out but a good collective.
I've of course heard *of* Jay-Z but have never heard a song by him, so this is perfect - let's go.... My initial impressions over the first two songs were - ehhh I like the music, I don't love the rapper/rap-style. Just didn't click - there's an aggressive monotony that I don't "get" but the third track "Izzo" is great. Jay-Z does a great job rhyming and it's really the rhythm of his rap here which is catchy as hell. More of this please. I don't know...this is a tough one to rank after only listening once - I feel like there's such a density here that I missed a ton, BUT - most of the time the music is the real attraction here. Great sampling and the production is top-notch. Overall though there's a lot of hit and miss for me - the aforementioned "Izzo" "Hola Hovito" and "Heart of the City" (last one really/mostly for the sampled original song) and "Blueprint" are my standouts but as an album it didn't have enough to make me mark it as a keeper. i.e. wouldn't reject it if it were on but probably wouldn't voluntarily listen again. 5/10 3 stars
I had always considered this to be one of my favourite rap albums but had not listened to this in a long time. It still sounds great today but listening now from start to finish it also feels to long and too many tracks I’d skip past. Some cracking individual tracks on here though
So it all gets a little repetitive for me. I love Jay Zs vocal style and there are some brilliant moments but bar a couple of tracks not much elevates this to justify more than a really good 3
Smooth flows, enjoyable lyrics, and nostalgic sounds. I’ve not listened to a lot of JayZ before but the music was still enjoyable.
I liked that more than I thought I would.
Si inizia molto male, i primi pezzi non mi arrivano in alcun modo e anche musicalmente non capisco bene l'idea di Jay Z e mi ha fatto pensare "me lo ricordavo meglio", poi dopo aver superato un dei peggiori pezzi (girls girls) il disco è andato a migliorare e ho trovato pezzi un pò più solidi e che mi arrivavano di più con alcuni bei campiono soul. Comunque è un 3 molto scarso.
Not bad, but Rap is definitely not my style, I can enjoy it but it's not my thing.
classic j but nothing really stands out 3.5
Hip-hop is not my favorite genre, but this was pretty good. But what does that say when my favorite song on the album is the one featuring Eminem? Anyway, better than most. 3.2/5
Exceptional beats in most of the songs, the lyrics not so much though. I'm not very into what Jay Z represents and is preaching here, but if you aren't paying a lot of attention to what he is saying then yeah it's a great album.
Disc de hip hop molt musical, amb apropaments al soul, pop i tot de tonades i samples que el fan d'escolta molt lleugera. Amb el flow característic de Jay-Z i alguns dels millors temes de la seva discografia
dudes got the sauce
The first Jay-Z album I've listened to. He's clearly talented and has some clever lyrics, but I think it's telling that my favorite track on the album is the one where Eminem takes the lead.
Not my fav, not bad?
This album sounds incredible but the lyrical content really holds it back. Bragging and misogyny have never really been my thing.
I expected to like this a lot more than I did.
Seems like a classic, I just don't really like hiphop
Had a few good tracks. Didn’t care for the mixing. Wouldn’t listen to again besides maybe 1 or 2 tracks
Very nice, but not my favorite Jay Z album by a long shot. I know it's beloved, but, I don't know, I just don't love these tracks. The flows are peak on here, though.
The first half was really uninspired I think with som really mediocre beats, but then it began to pick up and was actually ok. Song cry and heart of the city were great
3/5 nice one, could be better
production is fantastic, and i'm sure it's an important entry in his oeuvre and music of that era. not really my jam, though. highlights for me were kanye's production on takeover and heart of the city.