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The Blueprint
The Blueprint in Bloomington, MN
Current price: $11.89
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Size: CD
When
Jay-Z
dropped
"The City Is Mine"
in 1997 and claimed New York's
hip-hop
throne upon
the Notorious B.I.G.
's demise, many smirked and some even snickered. Four years later in 2001, when he released
The Blueprint
, no one was smirking and no one dared snicker. At this point in time, nobody in New York could match
rhyme for rhyme and nobody in New York had fresher beats -- and many would argue that
Jigga
's reign was not just confined to New York but was, in fact, national. Yes,
had risen to the top of the
rap
game in the late '90s and solidified his position with gigantic hits like
"Big Pimpin"
and
"I Just Wanna Love You (Give It 2 Me)."
Furthermore,
's leadoff single,
"Izzo (H.O.V.A.),"
dominated
urban
radio numerous weeks before the album hit the streets, generating so much demand that
Def Jam
had to push up the album's street date because it was being so heavily bootlegged. So when
opens
dropping rhymes about "runnin' this
sh*t," it's not so much arrogance as it is a matter of fact. And by the time he brutally dismisses two of his most formidable opponents,
Mobb Deep
Nas
, less than ten minutes into the album, there's little doubt that
's status as the top MC in the game is justified. But that's just one song. There are 12 other songs on
-- and they're all stunning, to the point where the album seems almost flawless. Besides rhymes that challenge those on
Reasonable Doubt
as the most crafted of
's career to date in terms of not only lyrics but also flow and delivery,
also boasts some of his most extravagant beats, courtesy of impressive newcomers
Kanye West
Just Blaze
. Moreover, if the rhymes and beats alone don't make
a career highlight for
, the minimal guest appearances surely do. For once, listeners get exactly what they want:
and nothing but
, over beats so loaded with marvelously flipped samples the songs don't even need big vocal hooks. Besides, when you're already the top MC in the game, there's no need for crossover attempts. Uneven albums like
Hard Knock Life
were the crossover attempts, and now that
is "runnin' this
sh*t," a fully realized masterpiece like
is the glorious result. ~ Jason Birchmeier
Jay-Z
dropped
"The City Is Mine"
in 1997 and claimed New York's
hip-hop
throne upon
the Notorious B.I.G.
's demise, many smirked and some even snickered. Four years later in 2001, when he released
The Blueprint
, no one was smirking and no one dared snicker. At this point in time, nobody in New York could match
rhyme for rhyme and nobody in New York had fresher beats -- and many would argue that
Jigga
's reign was not just confined to New York but was, in fact, national. Yes,
had risen to the top of the
rap
game in the late '90s and solidified his position with gigantic hits like
"Big Pimpin"
and
"I Just Wanna Love You (Give It 2 Me)."
Furthermore,
's leadoff single,
"Izzo (H.O.V.A.),"
dominated
urban
radio numerous weeks before the album hit the streets, generating so much demand that
Def Jam
had to push up the album's street date because it was being so heavily bootlegged. So when
opens
dropping rhymes about "runnin' this
sh*t," it's not so much arrogance as it is a matter of fact. And by the time he brutally dismisses two of his most formidable opponents,
Mobb Deep
Nas
, less than ten minutes into the album, there's little doubt that
's status as the top MC in the game is justified. But that's just one song. There are 12 other songs on
-- and they're all stunning, to the point where the album seems almost flawless. Besides rhymes that challenge those on
Reasonable Doubt
as the most crafted of
's career to date in terms of not only lyrics but also flow and delivery,
also boasts some of his most extravagant beats, courtesy of impressive newcomers
Kanye West
Just Blaze
. Moreover, if the rhymes and beats alone don't make
a career highlight for
, the minimal guest appearances surely do. For once, listeners get exactly what they want:
and nothing but
, over beats so loaded with marvelously flipped samples the songs don't even need big vocal hooks. Besides, when you're already the top MC in the game, there's no need for crossover attempts. Uneven albums like
Hard Knock Life
were the crossover attempts, and now that
is "runnin' this
sh*t," a fully realized masterpiece like
is the glorious result. ~ Jason Birchmeier
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