by Lundberg - September 9, 2009 - - 2 Comments »
My Jay-Z fandom has caused me to devote a lot of time to the release of The Blueprint 3. I have now had it long enough to digest it and write an official review (this will be the last Jay-Z related post for a while, I promise, or at least I think). Anyway, my expectations were obviously high and they were fully met, if not exceeded.
BP3 goes for a new sound with an overlying message of “I’m Jay-Z and I am really awesome and if you take some initiative and show some ambition than you can be pretty awesome too.” This message is delivered emphatically with some serious backdrops provided by the likes of Kanye West and No I.D. (the bulk of the album), Timbaland, Swizz Beatz, The Neptunes, and more.
Much like the original Blueprint (my favorite album of all time) I consider this a “play through.” You can put it on and don’t HAVE to skip a track. Now that doesn’t mean there aren’t standout cuts. The 2nd track ‘Thank You’ features feel-good horns and some vicious raps that harken back to Reasonable Doubt style delivery (the 3rd verse is just bananas). ‘Empire State of Mind’ featuring Alicia Keys is a New York anthem pulled off to great results and will likely make for a monster single. It makes me want to stick my arms out and spin around in circles.
Meanwhile, songs like ‘On to the Next One’ and ‘Off That’ are sure to punish the clubs and ‘Already Home’ and ‘Hate’ are heat seeking missiles aimed at critics (those who say he can’t rap anymore have officially been silenced). And that is not even mentioning the already hit singles ‘D.O.A.’ and ‘Run this Town,’ or the excellent ode to recent hip hop history ‘A Star is Born.’
After over ten years on top and at almost 40-years-old you would think Jay-Z would run out of ways to come with fresh music but the Blueprint 3 proves otherwise. I guess he really will not lose…ever. AUH!
“I’m in the hall already/on the wall already/I’m a work of art/I’m a Warhol already/on another level/on another plane already/H-O-V/ I got my own lane already.”-’Already Home’
Click here to listen to ‘Already Home’
Beyonce better look out for you.
Hovie’s Home!