Jay-Z - The Blueprint (Album Review)
What up one & all. Sky Bento here on the check-in once again. Big Bento Energy is most definitely in full effect. Hope you & yours are doing good & well. Drinking water, protecting your mental health, knowing the vibes & all.
So peep, today is a very special day in American history. 20 years ago, New York changed forever. So I gotta say RIP to all who died in 9/11. But let’s get down to business and discuss what we are all here for. The other reason New York changed forever. Soul samples and an independent 90’s rap icon about to become who many would consider the GOAT. I’ma rip the band-aid off right now. I disagree. That being said, if all of his albums were as good as this - I wouldn’t. I love The Black Album and Reasonable Doubt is a classic. But this right here? This is a true classic in every sense of the word. Jigga flows so effortlessly elite on this project that it would inspire my choice for GOAT (we’ll get to that next month…). This would become the blueprint for rappers in the five boroughs and outside of them to follow.
This is The Blueprint.As always, these are just MY opinions and do not reflect the views of TDN as a staff, brand or a m***********g crew. Feel free to crucify me on Twitter @plzsaythebento. Iight, let’s get to it.
1. The Ruler’s Back - Right from that first drumroll, you feel the vibe. You know what time it is. That sample echoes in and smacks you in your face with a horn section. It’s powerful. And then Shawn Carter comes through to let you know he’s just giving you his thoughts at the time, right or wrong. The bassline then slides in like Kramer’s racist ass into Jerry’s apartment. Jay then invites the remaining living hustlers to gather around and hear the legend of the king himself. The trumpets come in and the crown (a Yankee fitted, you know the vibes) gets lowered onto Jay’s head like Darth Vader’s helmet. The ruler is indeed back. This the king of New York asserting his dominance. You are watching the throne, ten solid years before Watch The Throne. Hov has always had this smooth flow like he was in total control of everything, even this early in his career (if five years in the game could be considered early). The first thing this album established was that he was ahead of the pack. But more-so than with this track, with the very next…
2. Takeover - R-O-C, WE RUNNIN’ THIS RAP SH*T. Now this is the logical continuation of the last record. We are seeing why Jay Z is the king he is, notably with shots at Mobb Deep and, of course, Nas. With a thumping sample of The Doors’ “Five To One” courtesy of an up and coming producer by the name of Kanye West (more on him later), Jay comes through with what feels like a scroll of disgraces his enemies have committed. Tearing down any opponents without sounding bitter and angry is Hov’s M.O. on this track and it’s so legendary how he just rips into Nas with receipts. Breaking down the math to his “one hot album every ten year average”. Then he comes back with a fourth verse that ends with the iconic “you only get half a bar, f*** y’all n****s”. No hook coming back. This is all the energy you’re getting from this man on the subject. He’s a king and has king matters to attend to. (I still prefer Ether though, that one became a damn verb.)
3. Izzo (H.O.V.A.) - Now with all of that context think of how this record (the big single) starts. “Ladies, gentlemen, let’s put our hands together for stylings of H to the izzo”. Sounds like an announcer saying who won the battle. Sequencing is so important. Artists take notes. This album really a blueprint. But anyways, we go from a dark almost Yeezus-esque Kanye West beat with distorted pulsing guitars to a bright College Dropout-esque Kanye West beat complete with a beautifully looped Jackson 5 sample. This one is a celebration of Jay Z’s own presence. How he came from dribbling down in VA to showing us how to move in a room full of vultures. And sure enough, he took over the shady ass industry. He later became the president of Def Jam. He became perhaps the biggest hustler that rap has even seen. He became a real GOAT. He also places a new context on his tales of drug dealing with “Hov did that so hopefully you don’t have to go through that”. Hov sold work for our sins. He was a man of the people. A king. See the pattern? Jay had always been a boss, a hustler with a love for the finer things. But this project here mythologized the man.
THIS ALBUM MADE JAY Z A KING.
4. Girls, Girls, Girls (feat. Q-Tip, Slick Rick & Biz Markie) - Now that he’s a king, it’s time for a queen. Or… several. All different types of queens. And boy do he got some stories about them. Over a smooth soul sample with some slow boom bap complete with Biz Markie beatboxing (RIP Biz). First of all, how ill is it that this man is literally explaining his romantic (or not so romantic) exploits over a beat singing out “oh baby” and “my baby”. Without knowing the sample, I assumed it was a woman’s voice too. I was wrong. Shout out Tom Brock. But there are some female vocals in the back in different places at least. Anyways, I remember this record being one of my favorite Jay Z joints as a kid. That hook was catchy as all hell. This joint just straight smooth. You can 2 step to it, or just bob your head. You can even get a little jiggy with a lady to this. Hov’s dating history is presented hilariously. It’s like you sitting in the barber shop with him. This record so solid, just wow. It’s impressive this man made this many different scenarios all flow together so well.
[Moment Of Silence]
5. Jigga That N**** - Okay now let’s be honest about this one right here. It has not aged well, specifically the production. It is clearly a product of it’s time and way too obvious an attempt at a club record. That said, the line “Gnarly dude, I smoke Bob Marley dude/ All day like rastafaris do” is stuck in my head to this very day. So clearly Jay Z still rapping his ass off. Personally, I just prefer smooth, laid back Jay Z to anything uptempo by him. But again, points for sequencing. This starts with a woman sensually speaking some sort of foreign language and throwing up the Roc. Then we get the women on the hook. Could this be the Spanish chick, French chick, Indian, and Black? Or maybe young chick, stewardess, project and model? It’s the details yo. You can’t deny this is a masterclass in sequencing even if this uptempo product of its time doesn’t seem like it follows the smooth slow jam vibes it’s being forced to. But it does signify that there’s so much more to Jay Z than what the women think of him.
6. U Don’t Know - And now we back to the king vibes. “Your brains are now blown all over that brown Brougham, one slip you are now gone”. You never know exactly where Jay’s rhyme is going to fall because his flow is that chill and lackadaisical (that’s like 50 points in Scrabble; you’re welcome). This is why when Jay strings together a bunch of internal rhymes with a smooth consistent rhythm like this it’s a flex few can match. Jay famously said he “dumbed down for his audience to double his dollars” and honestly that’s always been my biggest criticism of him but that said it makes his lyrical ability even iller because his capabilities are so much higher than what he presents you have to respect the control. He just casually leaks out just as much greatness as he wants to and weaves in extra layers of complexity with ease. And on top of that, Jay is here talking to his sample on the hook. While a lot of rappers use samples to subconsciously feel bigger and speak over the record, showing their own importance, Jay is cool, calm and respected. He doesn’t seek to be the loudest in the room, he’s just the one pulling all of the strings. The sample is going crazy in the background and Jay isn’t even raising his voice. Completely unfazed. He knows better than to argue with fools. So when he says “I will not lose” with a cadence that’s the audio equivalent of someone sending each individual word in it’s own text message, you believe him.
7. Hola’ Hovito - Now I’ve got a bit of a controversial opinion. Timbaland is one of my favorite producers ever. Literally, top three for me. His work with Aaliyah, Justin Timberlake, Missy Elliott, and pretty much everybody from like ‘07-’09 is incredible. I’m talking serious classics. I’m talking a real bonafide legend before he blessed us with Verzuz. Give him his flowers. That said, I’m not a fan of most of the beats he’s given Jay Z. I love “Big Pimpin’” (especially as a UGK fan, RIP Pimp C). But like I said before, I’m a fan of the smooth, calculated Jay Z. That’s the king this album puts on full display. And Timbo clearly picked up on that energy and delivered a beat more in line with the feel of the album than the Trackmasters did. The slow guitar-heavy beat is a good foundation for Hov to talk that talk on. The hook I can live without (although Timbo’s harmony was cool for a second). Overall the feel matches the vibe of the album and doesn’t destroy it, but aside from admitting he’s either better than Biggie or he’s the closest one, lyrically this one’s just not as memorable for me. Feel free to disagree with me. My Twitter is right at the top fam. Thankfully, this is the last of the records I don’t exactly love. So let’s get into my favorite song on this entire album.
9. Heart Of The City (Ain’t No Love) - “FIRST THE FAT BOYS BREAK UP, NOW EVERYDAY I WAKE UP SOMEBODY GOT A PROBLEM WITH HOV”. MAN. Rest in peace to DMX but I’m so glad he didn’t get this beat. This is Jigga in top form. Just listen to it. For once since I started reviewing albums, I love a song so much I don’t even know what to say. I’m speechless. Not even going to hold you, I just committed a writer’s sin and gave you not one but four sentences of fluff. That’s how incredible this is. But okay let me try and put the greatness of this joint into my own words. Remember the whole theme of the album being this propping up Hov as this mythical figure? A legend in the making? This is “NY State of Mind” from the point of view of the King of New York. I’m going to start capitalizing the K in King now because this record deserves it. New York is a cold city. Well known for their distinct attitude. Roasting is a love language to cats in New York. Word is bond. Yet, Hov still the King. Try as they might to hate him, he still rose to the top. He has the heart of the city. He knows there ain’t no love there. But it’s still his city. And there’s love in that. Also them background ass nana-nana’s season the hook perfectly. Them hums are Cudi level before Cudi was even a thing. Like any good King Jay wants his people to love him but regardless, he’s gonna collect these accolades. He predicted in ‘96 he would be here. Labels turned him down. He started his own. He climbed his own mountain. And that’s when the hate really came in. “You knew me before records, you never disrespected me. Now that I’m successful, you pull this sh*t.” They really turn on you when you make it to a certain point. But this record shows you just gotta pay them no never mind. Words can’t knock the crown off the head.
10. Never Change (feat. Kanye West) - Regardless of all the hate, Hov still Hov. Critics at the time called his materialistic themes out, usually pointing directly at his record “Money, Cash, Hoes” (again, RIP DMX) as the pervading theme of his entire discography. But there’s a lot of nuance to Jay’s writing. The complexity weaves in and out just like Kanye weaves in and out of the production credits of this album. Even before his own classic discography, the man had classics. He wasn’t even listed as a feature on this joint, he was just doing the typical post-Diddy-and-Timbaland producer thing and getting in the booth himself with some bars that don’t fit himself but rather the main attraction - the artist. Commendable. And it’s that dedication to the craft that makes Jay Z feel like such a (guess) King throughout this record. But as a blueprint for other artists, the life lessons Jay presents throughout these album are a much more potent version of the same bible scriptures he’s been sticking to since Reasonable Doubt. This album is about dodging the evil energy being directed toward you when you’re at the top of your game. One of the most important lessons is this record right here. It’s in the title. Never change. Stay true to you, regardless of gossip. Nothing can get you further than integrity. Nobody knows your own integrity better than you. Others will question it, but you know what your doing. At least, you do if you’re Jay Z. A Roc representer, Summer to Winter, dead or alive, 24/7/365. Hov is sticking to his roots on this joint right here and that’s important as we pass the halfway point of the album. We’ve gone through so much mythologizing with this album, it’s great to be reminded that this is the same mortal man we were introduced to (formally) in ‘96. Even as a King he can still reflect and say “f*ck y’all, I needed money for Atari”.
11. Song Cry - First and foremost, it’s a travesty that this is the only video available on YouTube. I was really looking forward to peeping “Izzo (H.O.V.A.)” again since it was such a big part of my childhood. Anyways in keeping with the narrative of the last track, we get another glimpse into what really goes on inside of the castle. Trouble in paradise I believe they call it. King or not, we all have our problems and heartbreak is one of the most fundamental to the human experience. Can I once again start with the instrumental? Cool. So this is my favorite beat on the album. This might be my favorite Jay Z beat ever. This is my favorite Jay Z song ever when I can see my own breath. The way the sample fades in. “Sounds like a love song”. Until it doesn’t. Seriously. I remember being like 12 with no real relationship experience to speak of bumping this on my iPod nano and really feeling this whole vibe. It connected on such a human level that a child could understand it. The production is a sadness that occasionally gets broken by a smile from a happy memory. The piano keys are teardrops rolling fastly down a dry cheek before a slow creep, pause, and drop onto the floor. The drums feel like Dr. Dre’s perfected G-funk, slowed down to a UGK tempo, with a slight New York swing to it to keep it from becoming R&B. It’s immaculate. Then Hov comes in. “Good dude, I know you love me like cooked food…” Nah dog, I could quote the whole first verse right now. He spends the whole record listing memories smooth enough to feel detached. Detached enough to feel like these are facts that can only be delivered in retrospect. She really held this man down. They used to use umbrellas to face the bad weather. Then they traveled first class to change the forecast. Then he really did her wrong. And now he’s really hurting because of it. He gotta live with the fact he did her wrong forever. I feel that. The song really crying when that sample come back in too. But not me. Really. I swear. I’m not crying. You are… But it was f*cked up girl.
12. All I Need - Iight, that last 3 song stretch got hella emotional right quick and it was fire. But maaan! Hov don’t need no damn love! He’s shown that throughout this album. He’s going to handle his business. He’s going to tell you what he needs. He even flips 2Pac’s classic “Me & My Girlfriend” (two years before “‘03 Bonnie & Clyde”) and alludes to not any of the “Girls, Girls, Girls” girls, or the one that made the song cry, but instead Peggy Sue his little .22 caliber. Prime Hov really a cold dude. A masterclass in track-list sequencing if ever there was one. The smooth beat is almost just drums too, echoing the sentiment that it really is lonely at the top. The sample and some background vocals occasionally come in like fair-weather friends, but it’s really just the King talking. Salute to Bink! on this one. Underrated contributions throughout Jay’s catalogue. Despite the ups and downs, Hov is still a King.
13. Renegade (feat. Eminem) - Another genius choice in the tracklisting. After showing how in control he is and how lonely it is at the top (despite what I’ve put in this article, this is the only listed feature) the King is here verbally sparring with a worthy competitor. He don’t need love, but he’s out for his respect. He’s going up against any and all critics, and at the same time going up against what at the time was his real competition. Eminem’s records sales have always been crazy. Of course a large part of this is that he caters to the majority population a lot easier than pretty much any other artist in the genre he’s in (i.e., he’s white). So conspiracy theory time. Maybe, Hov’s strategic ass made this as a statement. To me, his choice of an Eminem feature is him saying “I don’t care if y’all support me, I am bigger than just the hood. I’m out here doing business with these white folks now and I’m getting real paper. Young! Ha ha ha…”. Beyond that, Em makes sense because he is an actual renegade in every sense of the word. He goes against the grain not just be being a white rapper (in a sea of, well… rappers) but by his choice of subject matter. Slim Shady is known for constantly poking holes in the mainstream, his crude sense of humor, and his overall serial killer-vibe. He’s not an obvious choice for best rapper, but he arguably was just that at this point in time. Even Nas would famously go on to say Eminem murdered him on this, and while “ethered” is a fire term, I’d argue “renegaded” should be just as important.
Now did Em really have the better verse? There answer is yes. Eminem had home field advantage by producing the beat. Not only that, but Em’s energy fit the overall theme of the record. Remember this is peak Eminem before he pushed his multisyllabic flow to its unbearable limit. Jay’s less predictable flow, and smooth, calm delivery is a great contrast to Em, especially on the second verse when he flexes that complexity again. “Do not step to me. I’m awkward, I box lefty. A orphan, my pops left me and often my momma wasn’t home.” Had Hov leaned into this complexity more like Em did while we would lose a little bit of the contrast between the two, but he would’ve had a better performance than Eminem pretty easily. His voice fits the lowkey strings and bassline to a tee for the most part, while the chord stabs and choirs fit Eminem’s horror movie delivery perfectly. This is a classic rap record and you don’t need me to tell you that. Jay Z snapped. But Eminem amazed in 2001 when this dropped with his more obvious skill. Hov’s metaphors and deeper lyrics really reward repeat listens. But yeah, Eminem renegaded him. This alone does not a King make, however.
14. Blueprint (Momma Loves Me) - Again just drums to start. Subtly conveying that it’s just you and Hov. Now let the man tell you about how his Momma loves him. And his Pop left him. Basically, how he came up. He’s telling you the legend… of himself. This dude is just incredible. He really built his own legend with this album. He had given us prophecy on his first joint. Then he maintained his pace, continuing to steadily build his legacy. And here on this album he shows he fully understands it and he is at the point he once dreamed of. This is his story, and at the same time it’s the credits rolling. He’s showing a true understanding that he wouldn’t be where he’s at without any of these people. Mothers are supposed to love their children no matter what of course. But when Hov says “my momma loves me” at the end of the track, you gotta feel Ms. Gloria Carter for a second. She must be proud. She gave birth to a King. A King that after all of the trials and tribulations realizes he is loved. And it’s that love others had for him that got him where he is. That’s what’s so beautiful about this album. Jay Z’s kind of low-key emo inside at this point in his career. It’s lonely at the top. He’s a King that has to watch his back. The soul is in the samples. Jay is smooth, chilling, calculating, establishing the facts throughout this entire album. He never gets lost in a fantasy, the reality is too good. But with great power comes great responsibility and you can’t please everyone. When you’re a King, you’re going to make some enemies. Makes you wonder where’s the love for real. Probably why he ended up “retiring” in 2005 with The Black Album. He really did say “maybe you’ll love me when I fade to black”. The only time he feels the love is when he reflects, hence the spooky sounding soul sample. It’s like ghosts coming in every bar. This album in retrospect makes Hov’s whole character arc with Beyonce incredibly interesting and you’ve just got to respect how far he’s come from this as well as how far he’d come to even get to this point.
Iight boom. So on the original joint the two bonus tracks you see on streaming services were actually hidden and part of track 13. So out of respect for this song as an outro, I’m going to not list them separately and just go over them real quick. “Lyrical Exercise (Breathe Easy)” is a flex. Literally. It’s showing how Jay Z became the King - by rapping extremely well. The exercise metaphor is incredibly well executed. That’s really all it is, an extended exercise metaphor. The concept is dope and it’s Hov. He really rapping rapping. He’s showing you how deep his writing really can get, even though he reportedly doesn’t write. This is why I’m examining the album and sequencing as deep as I am. This is a true artist whose body of work has several layers to it. And this is why I can’t help but be hard on the rest of the King’s work no matter how much I love it. Then we have “Girls Girls Girls, Pt. II” which isn’t nearly as good as the original. It’s dope that he was able to continue the concept and the story. The most interesting thing about it is that it supposedly features uncredited background vocals from Michael Jackson. Not sure if it’s true. I hear it, but I thought that Drake joint really had Mike too so don’t mind me. Also the sample chop at the beginning of every verse is crazy. Let’s be honest though, ain’t nobody playing this before the original.
So that’s The Blueprint. Jay Z’s magnum opus. Easily one of the greatest rap albums of all time, even if you’re not a Jay fan. The production alone is ridiculous. The subject matter ties together in a very unique way thanks to the sequencing. There’s layers. Layers to the money. Layers to the cash. Layers to the hoes. The album is really a masterpiece. But deeper than that, it’s an exploration of the mentality of a King. Despite having it all, he still doesn’t have it all until he realizes he does. Money can’t buy happiness. The prize was the friends we made along the way. You know the vibes. But seriously, the album slaps. I know you probably weren’t expecting the review to get this deep into the psychology of Jay Z, but honestly that’s the respect that an artist like this earns when they release the type of art that Jay Z does. I mean, the man’s book was called Decoded. He’s well aware of the implications of his work, he’s not just rapping well to rap well. He’s laying out a blueprint of what comes with the territory and how navigate it. Jay has been obsessed with his own legacy since his first album didn’t immediately get the love he felt it deserved. And this is where his legacy cemented. If ever there was a moment where Jay Z truly became the greatest of all time, it’s this. So as it says in the bible: “Jay don’t have an Illmatic. Jay don’t even have a Ready To Die. But Jay has The Blueprint.”
