Throwback Thursday: The Blueprint

Jay-Z was already an established emcee by the time he released the 2001 smash The Blueprint, but proceeded to change the hip-hop world with this groundbreaking album.

From his historical feud with Nas and Mobb Deep to the more sensitive side expressed on “Song Cry,” the subject matter on The Blueprint is as diverse as the beats themselves and the rhymes are just as encompassing. On the opening track “The Ruler’s Back” the listener is hit immediately introduced to the new soulful sound that Jay has decided to take throughout most of the album. However this sound is sidelined for the second track, legendary diss song “The Takeover,” but thankfully picked right back up with the Jackson 5 sampling classic “Izzo.” The trend is then continued for the rest of the album even seeing a departure of Timbaland from his signature style to fit more with the theme of the album. The Blueprint, in production alone, completely shifted the style of mainstream hip-hop, introducing the world to the Kanye West soulful style of production. The album remains a meter for other hip-hop albums to be compared to, and quite frankly very few come close. Not only did it change the style of the music but it was also instrumental in bringing about a widespread idealistic change in the genre. At the time of the release there was a stark feud between the mainstream rappers and the underground emcees but this album brought about one of the greatest crossover collaborations in the history of hip-hop, the MTV Unplugged Session of Jay-Z with The Roots which is just as critically lauded as The Blueprint itself.

Not only was the album groundbreaking, it also remains as an all-around great album. The album really succeeds in showcasing Hov's lyrical diversity. He manages to transfer seamlessly from the flagrant, vicious lyrics of "The Takeover" to something softer like in "Never Change" and right back to classic Jay in "Heart of the City." Through all of these transitions he effectively remains the Young Hov that he embodied on his previous albums while creating a whole new sound and aura about him.

When the 10th anniversary of The Blueprint came around, a special edition, double LP, blue vinyl pressing was released in correlation to the date. After weeks of anticipation my copy finally arrived on my front step and I am happy to report that Jay sounds better than ever. The beats and the words seemingly flow off of the vinyl so fluidly that any other form seems pointless. The cool blue coloring of the vinyl is hypnotic as it spins on the turntable entrancing me, once again, in the classic music of Jay-Z.

9.4 out of 10

-Michi Oshima