1001 Albums Generator
The Blueprint by JAY Z

The Blueprint

JAY Z

2001
3.18
Rating
24496
Votes
1
10%
2
18%
3
31%
4
28%
5
13%
Distribution
Genres: Hip-Hop Styles: Hardcore Hip-Hop

Reviews (page 7 of 10)

I dunno, couldn't vibe with it.

I have never been a Jay Z fan and never really understood the hype. Listening to this album put into perspective why he was so big in the first place. I not into rap or hip hop but even I can see how valuable this album was. I'm sure his albums before this were even better.

3.5/5 - a classic hip hop album. One of Jay-Z's best.

Maybe this was more of a phenomenon at the time but this just seems to blend into all the other rap albums of today. Low 2.

You’d have to be living under a rock to not know Jay-Z. Apparently though, I might live under a rock. The only songs that I can think of that he was involved in are that one by Kanye about Paris (as a white woman, I don’t really want to type out the title…), and the intro to Umbrella by Rihanna. I don’t think I could name a song actually by Jay-Z. Songs I already knew: none Favourites: IZZO, Song Cry, Renegade This album felt pretty much flawless. There is a nice variation of serious and tongue-in-cheek humour, as well as a surprising vulnerability in Song Cry. I like the way Jay raps - seemingly lots of modern rap songs actually have the lyrics in their videos as they either mumble or rap too fast to understand. Jay isn’t particularly fast, but is very easily understandable which feels significantly more important if you want people to feel your lyrics. Overall, this album is up there with my all time hip hop favourites after this listen.

Really enjoyed it! Folk rock. A bit of Psych a great album! Added it to my library.

Heel fijn aan de oorballen

4,5 ik vond dit echt lekker! zeker dat nummer met aminam

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

I wasn't looking forward to this having heard some Jay Z stuff before. I can't stand lyrics that have nothing more to offer than "I'm the greatest, look how good I am". Unfortunately that's exactly what I got on the first track, and the second. The fourth track mixed it up with a song about girls, and how he has sex with all of them, you know because he's the greatest. I pretty much tuned out the lyrics after that, well until Eminem randomly turned up. Ironically he rapped about how he would talk about anything. Honestly the only things I find even mildly interesting in this album are some of the samples chosen.

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.

1.0 stars

Great album. His delivery and voice appeal in a way most others don't. Only compaint is maybe it gets a little "samey" after a while.

Lovely soul samples, smooth rapping. Enjoyed it even though it's not my preferred style of music.

Aggressive from start to finish

girls girls girls

Man sometimes I forget how much beef there used to be in the rap world. A great album by one of the all time greats, Jay Z comes in with a chip on his shoulder and delivers. This isn't 5 stars just because I feel that he surpasses this work in his later releases. Favorite track I ain't know love.

Exactly what I expected: a solid venture from JAY Z. I think there were strong samples on here with a few banger tracks as well as some of the best lyricism I have heard from a modern Hip-Hop album. Just overall very solid.

not my vibe, has two iconic songs, didn’t dig the rest, but most re listen.

Hits the sweet spot of good rap songs + sampling.

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

Type 58008 into a calculator and turn it upside down.

I really do not enjoy this type of music — can do a song not an album

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

Suprisingly dope! lots of good melodies here

nice raps (I don’t know what to say)

Great lyrics, pretty bland music. The themes / presentation felt pretty tired to me (girls girls girls, so much coke you could run a slalom, etc), granted this album was from 2001. Listening through this I was just thinking about Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers. Who is presenting wealth and sex appeal to cover their trauma? Glad to have a chance to learn more about Jay Z and his prolific career.

I was Team Nas in this era but this album is still GOAT status.

Listening to more hip hop still doesn't make me like it

Never listened to this whole album, solid Jay-Z. Some great bass on certain tracks. Cool trivia note that it was released on 9/11/2001 4 - Will definitely listen again

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

Dette slapper. Jeg må legge feministen i meg til side. Ganske klassisk hiphop, særlig fra den tiden, men det er nice

Album less good than I remember. U Don't Know track is good lyric wise. Selling water to a well. Heart of the City melody recognizable

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

thought i'd hate it girls, girls, girls heart of the city never change song cry blueprint

Not a fan of rap.

Glemte å følga med, trur da va greit nok

hell yeah man

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

I love Jay Z. My favorite album is The Black album but I enjoy The Blueprint as well.

bars + flows could i write poetry to this: yes

I'll never forget the day this album dropped. I gotta say it wasn't a good day. While I recognize the cultural value of the album, I really doesn't mean much to me musically.

Really I would give this 2.5 stars if I could. I’ve never been able to connect with Jay Z.

I was torn between a 3 and a 4 for this one. Jay-Z has always been more of a "greatest hits" guy for me, but this album might as well be a greatest hits album. I also think the production, particularly the Kanye West and Just Blaze tracks, is a big part of this album's success.

Really good beats, but I need more melody.

Not my thing.

Has a bunch of good songs, but drags a bit 3.5/5

Hard pass!

Some excellent beats and some lyrics that not aged well at all.

Favorite Song: The Ruler's Back Despite me giving it a 2/5, this is not a bad album by any means. I just don't enjoy the genre of rap as much as some people, so it played a factor in why I rate this so low. My personal favorite songs on this album were the opening track "The Ruler's Back" and the ninth track "Never Change".

Luckily I already listened to this with the other group, so I don't have to sit thru the dog water again. 2/5

I like girls too

Jay Z is the most overrated rapper of all time. MOROAT

2. No me aporta nada.

Rich – and one isn't referring to the tunes that sound like finance meetings. It's slow to get going but the middle to back stretch -– from "Hola Hovito" to "Heart of the City" through "Song Cry" to "The Blueprint"– is very stong. Jay-Z isn't the best on the mic, stiff and slow seeming at times, nor has he the best voice but it's all quite relatable, perhaps because of the open ambition.

Brilliant album, loved it!

One of the best hip hop albums.

Erste drei Lieder ganz geil, bei „Girls, Girls, Girls“ muss ich aber skippen. Lied 5 dann wieder okay, aber auch nicht so richtig geil Skip zu Lied 6: Jetzt schon genervt. Lied 7: auch nervig Komm, noch das Lied mit Eminem und dann ist Schluss. Das fängt auch direkt sehr langweilig an. Geht auch langweilig weiter. Denke ich könnte mir aus allen Jay-Z Liedern, die geil sind, ein halbes Album zusammenstellen.

zacudujuce nice

I really enjoyed it. I don't think I had listened to this entire album previously and there are some definite hits on it. Although, I have never really liked H to the Izzo. It is a little long at just over an hour. The rapping is top notch and it is different sound from the west coast rap. I am not sure this Jay-Z's best album though as I think that belongs to The Black Album. I would listen to it again. It is better than a 4 but I will not round up.

It's Jay Z. All you need to know.

Man I just don’t like how the beat and lyrics don’t match, and I also don’t like jay z’s voice as it is very nasally

Can't listen to it, was not available in Spotify

A classic Jay-Z album

man this album sounds so good. the production is top notch. jay-z is at the height of his game. this is one that has aged really well - it sounds of its era but you can tell how influential it was upon subsequent rappers and producers. good stuff!

One of the best rap albums. Takeover the best diss track ever imo.

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

dude's just a biiiiit too into himself

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.

Certified classic. This album changed hip hop. Some of the sounds are dated but this was an undeniable juggernaut of a record when it came out. Personally I like other Jay Z records more but this one is still Goated

Well I did enjoy this. Other than Renegade that was bad and annoying. I can see why Kanye aspired to work with Kay Z. Lots of similarities there. The same punchy samples

This was great

jay-z's the blueprint came out in 2001 but still sounds fresh. the beats, as the kids say, are sick. i found nothing repetitive, just lots of creativity. the samples used were purposeful, like on "song cry." the original song "sounds like a love song" provides a beautiful background for jay-z's version and allows jay-z to show a gentler side musically and explore his emotions. who says music isn't therapy? when i got to "renegade," i did not realize that eminem had such a distinct sound! i didn't know jay-z and eminem had a collaboration, but as soon as that song started, i instantly recognized it as such an eminem-esque song. titling an album the blueprint is quite a declaration, but incredibly well deserved, even by someone who isn't as well versed in hip hop.

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!

All of the rap and hip-hop in this list I've heard so far has been NY based and Jay Z is no different! Is there bias, where is Snoop? This feels like middle album from Jay-Z after he's already been established and has a flow. It is a really well mixed and produced album, and the wiki tells me that Kanye produced a few tracks - I hear it.. It's like the era of dis-tracks and being angry.. I'm not sure what it is that makes this a bit off-putting -- maybe it's Kanye? I never dug him either... Maybe it's the people that I associate with this sort of swagger? It all just comes off so trite. Money, drugs, hoes. Who cares? I'm only two tracks in and this might be a slog I may not finish. This gets a 2 because of production value and the relevancy to rap after it.. not because the content is particularly any good . -- Phew. it lightens up on track three and four..hearing these makes me feel like I'm a teenager again. I Don't mind the production, but the content... Jay-Z gets in the way of his own ego. The Eminem track didn't really do it for me either. Review of Reviews: 2023 people don't like the clout, I agree. Best Track: Izzo

The Ruler's Back - 2/5 Takeover - 2/5 Izzo - 1/5 Girls, Girls, Girls - 1/5 Jigga - 1/5 You Don't Know - 3/5 Holá Hovito - 1/5 Heart of the City - 2/5 Never Change - 2/5 Song Cry - 2/5 All I Need - 2/5 Renegade - 3/5 Blueprint - 2/5 Lyrical Exercise - 2/5 Girls, Girls, Girls 2 - 1/5

Hyviä taustoja ei siinä. Tyyli ei vaan oikeen uppoo.

Decent but not my thing. 2/5

Production on point, so crisp. Jay-Z on form too, and this was at the time of the Nas beef. Top stuff. Can't believe the people here down voting for him telling his rags to riches story. Mad. And everyone else taking shots at Jigga, you only get half a bar...

Didn’t appeal to me.

Not a Jay Z fan to be Frank. Again, this is going to be solely my opinion on his music, and not an accurate judge of its caliber.

some good songs but overall seems to be lacking creativity in lyrics. lot of solid beats but most songs just aren't particularly fun or interesting

I don't know much about rap but I think it was good album.

An incredibly impactful album in the world of hip hop, The Blueprint takes the incredible lyricism of Jay-Z and puts it together with incredible production. This record never drags, it doesn’t leave you bored or wanting to turn it off at any point. Amazing album 5/5

Full album is straight heat; there's a reason so many people have him in their top 5. First 5/5 from me

Have embarrassingly not really ever listened to Jay-Z, so I was really excited this was the pick! Liked it more than I expected, especially some of the more R&B-ish tracks like Heart of the City and Never Change. Also a sucker for a good diss track so I thought Takeover was really fun and it sent me down a rabbit hole learning about the Jay-Z/Nas beef

i don't rly love his style or instrumentals, i prefer ppl like tribe called quest/digable planets/MF DOOM

Lol the ladies and gentlemen stuff builds so much hype. Girls girls girls didn’t age super duper well. The chicken line is so funny

They don't call him The Greatest Rapper alive for nothing.

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.

O Beyonçó AMASSA

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.

Don't really listen to Rap but Ig this was alright? Liked the beats and that one with eminem and the last song was good Wished could have rated it high but not now. Will not listen again ( except the eminem song? )

Pretty good

S Tier————————— A Tier————————— Heart Of The City (Ain’t No Love) Renegade B Tier————————— Never Change The Ruler’s Back Takeover Song Cry Izzo U Don’t Know Girls, Girls, Girls (Part 2) Jigga That Nigga C Tier————————— All I Need Blueprint (Momma Loves Me) Girls, Girls, Girls Hola’ Hovito D Tier————————— Lyrical Exercise

Friday 10/27/2023, 10:20, home S Tier————————— A Tier————————— Renegade Izzo (H.O.V.A) Takeover B Tier———————— Heart of The City (Ain’t No Love) The Ruler’s Back U Don’t Know Lyrical Exercise C Tier————————— Hola’ Hovito Jigga That Nigga All I Need Song Cry Blueprint (Momma Loves Me) D Tier————————— Girls, Girls, Girls Never Change Girls, Girls, Girls pt. 2

Great rap and beats. Kanye beats, Jay’s verses, can’t miss

Haha I don’t like rap I’m so quirky and contrarian

An interesting listen, if only for how much hip-hop has changed in 25 years. Jay-Z flexing over imperial-era Just Blaze and pre-nazi Kanye - overlong but there's some fantastic stuff here.

Not a huge fan of this album butttt I didn’t give it a careful listen. It’s a bit too egotistical for me.

Not my fav, but some good early 2000 vibe

I wish there was a karaoke version I could listen to.

Hip hop is hit-or-miss for me, but it’s a solid album. It probably hit different when it first came out.

The greatest standout here is Kanye West's production. This album and especially songs like Takeover and Izzo are finely crafted to perfection. The music is also great. Some fun instrumentals, beats, melodies, and samples. I'm not a huge fan of Jay-Z's voice despite the obvious talent on display. His casual presentation of some clever wordplay is cool and often funny but not really my style. I went in skeptical but the first several songs were winning me over. The latter half of the album isn't as consistent. Eminem and the song Renegade were solid but surrounded by stuff that never reached the earlier songs' heights. 4/5 for the music and strong opening songs.

Nice beats

I didn't like it in 2001, but it has grown on me. I guess that's the sign of a classic. But it's also showing its age when compared with more recent rap.

A classic album.

Of course we know JAY Z, but this album was such a pleasant surprise. The songs flow together so nicely, and 20 years later there is still a freshness to them. The beats are strong, the lyrics are meaningful, and it’s all together just a wonderful album that was great for driving and reminded me of Summer for some reason. I hadn’t heard “Renegade” in a long while either and I really had some nostalgia hearing that song.

Passabler Rap.

Not for me. The most interesting part was learning it was released on 9/11????

Maybe I would take dinner with Jay-Z.

100% classic. This album is the exact kind that should be on here. It's both amazing to listen to, and hugely influential. It's a shame how far downhill Jay has gone but this album is proof of how great he could be.

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?

1 - Don't think there's an artist that thanked me for my purchase before. For an intro track, it was pretty good. 2 - I liked this diss track. Actually laughed at the Bowie-esque Fame interludes. They did a good job with this. 3 - Eh, compared to the first two this is a lot more subdued. Not a fan. 4 - Starts off fine enough. Decent overall. I felt the mixing and background instrumentals worked well here with Jay-Z. 5 - Just ok. Didn't hit with me. 6 - Good beat, good lyrics. Enjoyed it though not of the weird electronic backing voice. 7 - Alright. I liked the funky sound to background. 8 - So far, probably my favorite of the album. Bombastic sound with great lyrics. 9 - This is another one I find that I like. I thought the last track led into this one pretty well. 10 - It's alright; definitely a shift from the tough persona he typically presents. 11 - I didn't really like this one for some reason. To me, it just feels.. off from the recent tracks and album? 12 - Subdued, dark backing mixed with good lyrics. This one grew on me after a time. 13 - Technically, there are hidden tracks with this one, but I'm only focusing on the first part. Good ending track though. Solid beat and lyrics to send us off. After taking some time to think on this, I don't think I can give it a five since there are a few misses to me. It's a solid 4 though and can see why this one is on the list.

My favorite album from Jay Z. It's dated, but still some of his best work.

Sehr poppig, sehr kommerziell.

This album released on Sept 11. Just like Ben Folds Rockin the Suburbs did. 2 of my fave albums. This album manged to make a big splash while the BF album seems to have been lost in the confusion of the time. My only issue with this album, and why i didnt 5 star it, was because it helped Kanye West become the wildly famous asshat he is, and set his ego loose on the world.

+1 for not being a Bowie album.

So many good tracks on this album created by Kanye. Sidestory on it is hilarious too. Eminem murdered you on your own track. Firmly cemented Jay-Z as a top dog.

decent for rap

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.

Not my fave genre of rap, but appreciate the watershed that it was…after reading about it on Wikipedia.

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.

Finally! A true5 for moi. Jay-z shows his range and vision. One of the greats with an undeniably great album.

Er ég að hlusta á textana? Nei, í raun ekki. En fíla ég þessi soul-sömpl sem bera lögin uppi? Já, alveg í botn. Og finnst mér þetta þá fínt? Jújú, þetta er eiginlega ljómandi fínt.

Not a jayz fan

Not a fan of Rap, but I quite liked the controversial "Takeover" mainly due to it's sampling of "Five to One" by The Doors and the use of David Bowie's "Fame".

Nice instrumentals, voice is nice but too placative

Enjoyed this album much more than new JAY Z stuff but still not a huge fan

I’m not a huge fan to be honest

#1 10/6/23

Insane beat selection

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

Enjoyable album

This ISN'T his best album (wait until we ultimately get to RD) but there's a reason why its literally called what its called. The prime definition of what it means to become cemented in your legacy. This was the album that reminded the world (in its darkest period) that there was reason for the sun to shine. The genre of rap, got its own revitalization from the simple act of Jay-Z flexing his own chops. Add soul samples and strong instrumentation and its a match made in heaven. Truly a jack of all trades. 5 out of 5. Necessary hip hop listening.

Great album by Jay-Z, not as good as the older stuff but I still enjoyed it

Still don’t like him.. his music is good though

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

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.

Take Over is hard Aint no love leuke sample

Not a big rap fan but this was a let down considering how popular Jay-Z is.

Great raps. Love the chipmunk soul beats. That Kanye West fella who made some of em seems pretty talented. Wonder what he’s up to these days Best song: Izzo (H.O.V.A)

The enerG! Each track makes you want to bounce ur head. Hip hop at its finest and an end of an era. The blueprint is a masterpiece. Too many bangers to mention so just try to stay still listening to this album. I dare ya. 5

This felt so improv'd, off the cuff, live. So unique for a rap album. Classic.

Трудно е да оцениш Jay Z след Wish you were here на Пинк Флойд 😅

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.

War ganz okay für nen Hip Hop Album, mag ja Jay Z Stimme das passte schon ganz gut.

Cohessive album. Great intro for me to look into his discography. However, I'm still more drawn to 90s rap for now.

Bought this album when it came out. I like it quite a bit, I would say I like it better these days than when it came out.

My first reaction to this listen was "Another Jay-Z album on this list, really?" While I still find Jay-Z to be overrated, mainly due to the excessive amount of time spent on diss tracks, I can't deny his lyrical flow. The man can turn a phrase. On "U Don't Know", the verse "I sell ice in the winter, I sell fire in Hell I am a hustler, baby, I'll sell water to a whale", just is pure brilliance. Excellent imagery. For now, I'll give this listen a 4 because I ended the album with a more appreciative perspective than what I started with. May re-review at a later date.

Wow, did not know the did a The Doors sample. Couple of bangers, not much else there doing it for me

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

I remember H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A. Still a catchy song. Jigga is also banging. Heart of the City has some solid sampling. Didn't know who Kanye West was going to be at the time, so it's kind of cool to look back. Song Cry is nice too. Solid album for sure... there's some filler, as typical. But overall at least a 3.5

Great album, just couldn't get to 5. Listen to Big Brother by Kanye to see how much of an ass Jay was to Kanye during this time

Mid-Z. Some of these beats really are iconic tho. Izzo & U don’t know & heart of the city come to mind. but kinda resident sleeper listening to Jay rap for this long ab his $. Idk i never really got into Jay and this didn’t really help.

Прикольно, в целом. Учитывая, что Cee Lo Green я поставил 4, а этот альбом лучше, чем у Cee Lo Green, то ниже 4 поставить не могу. Но я бы не сказал. что стал бы переслушивать. Рэп -- не моё.

Will always have a soft spot for the Old Kanye production

Probably won't listen again.

1/5. This is where rap went downhill. The album has that early 2000s NYC style like Beyoncé uses on her original music. Rap instead of being fun and danced to; it turned into a modge podge of how lazy the community is as well as their concerted efforts to shag as many women as possible.

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.

Some catchy music, but not really my thing. Got burned out pretty just a few songs in.

Great if you're in the mood for rap!

Solid. But with that said, I think he can do better.

Surprised me by being much more enjoyable than I expected. Some of the usual boring rap misogyny, of course, but there's some really great tracks as well.

A classic. Grew up listening to this with my family

3.25/5 enjoyable album, not my favorite of Jay Z but worth listening to

not for me

I have given Jay Z enough chances at this point and wont even bother listening

"The Blueprint" by JAY-Z is an iconic masterpiece that continues to define hip-hop excellence. Released in 2001, it showcases Jay-Z's lyrical prowess, unmatched flow, and impeccable production by Kanye West, Just Blaze, and Timbaland. Tracks like "Takeover" and "Renegade" display Jay-Z's storytelling prowess and introspection, while "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)" and "Blueprint (Momma Loves Me)" reveal his personal growth and vulnerability. The album's impeccable sampling and innovative beats set a new standard for the genre. Two decades later, "The Blueprint" remains a timeless classic, cementing Jay-Z's legacy as one of hip-hop's greatest artists.

Genuinely shocked by how much I liked this album. Easily my favourite rap music I’ve ever listened to (excluding songs I like because I’ve heard them a million times). Tentatively favourite song Girls, Girls, Girls but I liked most of them so it’s hard to choose. Five stars instead of four because I like specifically this album, rather than liking it because of the genre. Also was not expecting to hear Japanese on this album!

Good album. The music is great. The lyrical content seems to be the same in every song.

What can I say, I’m just a girl who loves this kind of music. A girl who doesn’t even know what to call this style of music. I Don’t know why, I know it’s not made for me, I am not the target audience. But hey, it takes all sorts. First half had me a-head bopping for sure. Second half was a bit darker but still enjoyable.

Breeze and blast of 2001 Dexterous sampling and sumptuous strings

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.

Een heel origineel album met heel veel samples. Onder andere the Jackson 5. Manier van muziek maken is altijd net wat anders bij Jay-Z. Redelijk uniek in stijl.

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

Niet veel van geluisterd maar het was ook niet heel interessant

Listened to this straight through after work, thoroughly enjoyed it, made me want to learn more about the process for crafting the album. I know JayZ had different producers he worked with - how did they choose the musical sub themes? They really augment the lyrics and the meter, they include nods to a lot of R and B classics. Is it obvious my background is in classical music and I don't listen to enough rap to know how to write about it haha...

A surprise for me. Had heard Izzo before, but was pleasantly surprised by the rest of the album.

Listening to Girls Girls Girls (and trying but failing to push through Girls Girls Girls pt. 2) I am now even more certain that I'm on the asexual spectrum. I like Jay-Z's sound, and enjoyed a few of the tracks on the album, but I don't think I'd go back and re-listen to the whole thing again intentionally.

Not my favorite genre, but a good listen

Solid album. Personally not the biggest fan of Jay Z but coming from 9/11/01, surprisingly good.

I liked this a whole lot better back than I thought I would

One of my least favorite rappers from the early 2000s. Not a big fan of this.

I definitely appreciate that this is a very good rap album. At the same time, it's pretty unlikely that I'm going to listen to this album again.

Every so often I pick out a line that is so clever and witty that I can't help smile, even if I'm not focusing on the lyrics themselves. I enjoyed the beats on most songs, with a few standing out enough to force me to stop to enjoy. I wish there was an album like this without the mature content (beyond what simply censoring expletives would accomplish), but I still enjoy the style and flow. Only other gripe would be album length, but that's an issue with my own attention span.

Overall I really enjoyed this album. The collaboration songs were my favorite. Didn't always understand what Jay Z was saying but the beats were good.

Only really like Jay Z when he collabs with Linken Park or Beyonce

A bit samey

bit of a slog for me, but I liked Heart of the City

More boring chat from some guy. Wow you sold drugs and hate women please tell me more?

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)

Braggadocios but lacks the wit, charm and fun to pull it off. The whole project felt insincere. The few moments he shines most on this are when he strips back the ego and offer's genuine introspection. Much prefer 'The Black Album', where the braggadocio is paired with bigger, better production and loads more fun. Fav Track: Song cry 2/5

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.)

A great album and huge achievement in hip hop. Some of the best beats from the 2000s and Jay at the top of his game. Layered lyricism and verses that unfold more each listen, with some singalong hits throughout as well. Just a banger. Four and a half. Fave track: Never Change

Tampoco soy yo el más fan de este rollito de rap (2.5)

Incredible production for absolute cornball lyrics

Some songs are cool. Some are not so good.

Good intro to jz

Slow start mid album is when it got good

Didn’t know he roasted nas

It was cool I don’t know could really hold my attention 2.5

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.

7/10. Hell, maybe by the time I finish this list I'll think of myself as someone who likes hip hop

It’s good, I like Jay-Z. I just think it was a little unnecessary to include two full songs about how he likes girls. You compensating for something, bud? 8/10

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

Het ergste wat New York op 11 september 2001 is overkomen (ik weet niks van geschiedenis)

Jay Z on top form here.

Solid rap album, especially the use of soul samples is cool

Objectively: 3 Subjectively: 1 Overall: 2 This ain't it. Annoying breath noises, annoying voice right off the bat. The beats are average at best. Sometimes the bass distracts me enough to forget what I'm listening to. Otherwise, it's full of stereotypes, mediocre trash, loves to recite the alphabet, weak rhymes. N to the izz-O. T to the izz-hanks.

Very hard listen for. Felt repetitive. Some songs even felt like they were threw together in just a few minutes. They lack the depth that music is an outlet for.

Nas is the goat Ye carried

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)."

Really good JAY-Z Album. Hard to argue with. Very good hooks, very good early Timbaland productions, early Kanye productions, Just Blaze, you know! 2001 and the gang’s all there. I’m always gonna like JAY-Z, something about him is kind of endearing and I can’t put my finger on why, even with so much swagger and confidence and braggadocio. He seems like a good person to have at your party. I really like this. It’s good, but compared to the heights he’d reach on The Black Album, Blueprint 3, Watch the Throne upcoming… this is the entree. 4/5

Really enjoyed it. I like the samples in girls.

I got this album when it came out and I thought the parental advisory was so so cool. I really like All I Need and Girls Girls Girls Part 2. So many people have copied him since so it seems less novel.

good hiphop album

Jay-Z reste mon artiste hip-hop préféré. Je pense que c’est parce que la musique reste au cœur du projet, plus que le personnage ou la posture. Beats et échantillons solides.

Bit shit nigger!

I liked this. It was my first time hearing this album, so it was interesting to hear early Jay Z. Not my favourite hip hop album, but still good stuff. 4/5

Not fan of his style or his songs. I think Jay Z is overrated. There's better NY rappers and I never understood why he's so popular. 99 problems, Hard knock life and Dirt off your shoulder are bangers but he's got so many duds and this album really showcases it.

Dated. Bling era hip hop has aged poorly. Girls is a stupid song. Nas is king.

This classic is the one album by Jay Z you need to listen to. It has clever wordplay and dope production. It is another album that showed us Kanye West's production skills.

Très inintéressant, aucun style, show off de cash en permanence

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.

it is indeed a Blueprint !

Es un gran disco de rap. No llega al nivel de los que más me gustan pero se me hacía poco darle un 3.

This came from the era of JAY Z I like. Smooth flow, fun beats.

Solid classy hip hop

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.

Yeah I can tell how this is a classic. Maybe surprisingly but this is my first time listening to this in full and only my 2nd Jay z album. After finishing this I get the sense like Jay z didn't do that many rap verses despite being such a rap giant? The beats were cool, takeover and heart of the city especially. Some of the others were just alright. I didn't realise just how much Jay z is lyrically referenced in other rap projects. So many examples but I didn't know Joey badass's I couldn't see it in my eyes so I had to make the song cry came from this album. Overall super solid album but nothing life changing saldy. Kanye took his production credits from this album and blew it out the water on his debut a couple years later. Sorry jay Idk why this is getting such bad reviews on this site. Ik it's not the best rap album oat but it is very solid. Also it's gas that this came out on 9/11 2001

not my bag. It just inst interesting to me and i would rather listen to the original tunes used as the backing tracks rather than these versions.

Never really listened to JAY Z, won't after this. Feels watered down compared to NWA, Wu-Tang, Nas, etc.

All time Jay Z album, all the stuff shows up on the unplugged special

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

A couple of ok tracks when he decides not to rap about getting bitches and “running the game”

Great. 5/5

No thank you. Awful, but then again I’m a fifties child.

-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.

Illmatic's better, but it's still a 5/5.

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.

bro this slaps

3/13, 23%

A monster album that would live up to it's name and would define hip-hop's sound for the next decade. Bombastic, braggadocious, and bad enough to back it up. The instrumentals on this thing are legendary. The lyrics tight and sharp. A classic from day one. In the context of this list a hip-hop album has to essentially be perfect or earth shaking to be counted. While not perfect, this album rises head and shoulders above table scraps from The Beatles and Bob Dylan. Unlike many on this list, this one is required listening.

Jay-Z’s Blueprint ticks all my boxes. Nostalgia factor is high but so it the relistenability. I actually sighed in appreciation of his world weary lyrics like “I don’t want much, fuck I drove every car. Some nice cooked food. Some nice clean drawers.” It’s beyond charming. I love the flow and most (not all) songs aged beautifully because the production is just so on point, thanks to Kanye. It’s two artists at one of their peaks and I had a great time listening on my cycle to work.

I like this album, but it always represented raps shift to pop for me. 3/5

Well more melodic than some of the other rap albums we’ve been subjected to. I still resent having M......F......... and worse shouted at me during the course of a song. I wouldn’t choose to listen again so 2*

It was alright.

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....

One of the best hip-hop albums of all time.