The BluePrint - Jay-Z

Admittedly, I haven’t listened to much of Jay-Z’s discography. This is something I am trying to change. My first full listen of Jay-Z’s 2001 album The Blueprint definitely provides the incentive to complete this task. Complete with 15 tracks filled with tasteful samples and vicious bars, this listen made for an incredible running experience.

The project starts off hot, as Jay-Z immediately takes aim at Mobb Deep and Nas on the infamous track “Takeover”, which accurately describes Jay-Z’s intentions in the rap game at the time. When it comes time to deem the actions of his peers as “lame”, producer Kanye West utilizes David Bowie’s song “Fame” to do the work, sampling his monstrous drawl of the word.

With anthems like “Girls Girls Girls” and “Heart of the City” keeping the pace, I felt content on my run knowing I was experiencing a masterpiece. Not only does this album stand the test of time, but it serves as a reminder of what a thorough project should sound like in an age of rushed, incomplete works.

Of the 15 tracks, the tenth track “Song Cry” is easily my favorite. Having heard this track long before listening to the album in its entirety, the chorus of “I can’t seem em’ comin’ down my eyes, so I gotta make this song cry,” has always struck a chord. I even wrote a final paper for a music class on the piece.

Listening to this project while on my run made me feel every emotion. From what I’ve read, this could be Jay-Z’s best work, and if that’s true, this could be one of the greatest rap albums of all time.