"H to the Izzo" wasn't a summer jam for me. No TV, sadly, means no BET. I'm too far from ATL to get good radio, and the only thing bumping out the trunk at stoplights was that fucking White Stripes album. I was so deprived that when Nas pondered if Jay-Z might be "H to the izzo/ M to the izzo," I didn't even get the damned reference. Approaching a Jay-Z album in a cultural vacuum is a dangerous venture-- something I haven't done since his 1996 debut, Reasonable Doubt-- and my hopes were a lot lower for this new one, which was rumored to be short on bigger-than-Jesus superproducers and entirely free of perpetual Roc-a-Fella sidemen Beans and Bleek (both of whom I've come to like far better than Jay himself). Honestly, I was expecting mediocre shit-- the worst kind of boredom that comes with return-to-my-roots formalism, or maybe a chorus or two from a children's musical. What I got was the plush defining statement from hip-hop's last great personality.
As for the rest, well, there's nothing really awful (the cringeworthy track or two that seems to lurk at the end of every Jay-Z album is notably absent), but there's nothing really shocking, either. But the other tracks are so forward-moving and hallucinatory that even Timbaland can't stab his way out of the haze. What holds it together is Jigga's overwhelming self-assuredness-- the kind of justified confidence you can imagine witnessing from a world conqueror or cult leader. When the pitchshifted chorus of "U Don't Know" exclaims, "You don't know... what you're doing," Jay is quick to respond: "Sure, I do." He then goes on to casually add up his yearly earnings and ponder the total like Mos circa Mathematics if possessed by Gordon Gekko, and you realize that this is for real: Shawn Carter finally entirely synchronized with the Jigga-man rapping persona for an entire album.
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Gradually, the other tracks start to make sense; "Hola Hovito" is a Swizz Beatz eulogy with Roger Troutman shouting nonsense from the bathroom. "Jigga That Nigga" is all the lovely French females from "Girls, Girls, Girls" asking him to kick it 1998-style once again. "Heart of the City," possibly the best song that actually works in the style of the album, deftly grinds with tiptoeing smoothness like a bugged-out Cluster track while Jay makes a convincing case for holding it down six summers straight. "Niggaz pray and pray on my downfall/ But every time I hit the ground I bounce up like round ball."
Bouncing up means coming down, and he does for "Renegade," teaming with the world's other greatest MC to whine about the perils of being the world's greatest MCs and all. I shouldn't have to mention the brilliant rhymes, but (surprisingly, after a few bombs on the d12 album) it's almost ridiculous how good Eminem's beat is-- strings, synth and "Good Vibrations"-style theremin tones roll easy like 1987. After that, Jay puts focus in full on his rep, bigging up Reasonable Doubt more times than every other cut of his career combined. Jay's always been moving towards abolishing the hardcore production style that originally went with being gangsta, but the funny thing about this is how overwhelmingly post-gangsta he is-- the fruits of a thug life that was too long ago to dwell on.
If you check the lyrics, there's actually a basketball reference in there, but mostly it seems to be about dealing drugs. Anyway, that's one hell of a song right there. Of course, it's from Jay-Z's Blueprint album, which is a legend of its kind and one of the best-reviewed and top-selling albums of all time.
The contributions of Kanye West to The Blueprint set the stage for his eventual domination of rap music and furthermore, entrenched this record's impact on hip hop for at least the next two decades after its release. Additionally, the heavy use of sampling on rap records made a huge comeback after the commercial success of the album. Labels were more forthcoming with spending dollars on clearing samples if it meant getting access to a Kanye beat.
Welp! I'm back on Tidal. I know everyone keeps saying you don't HAVE to get Tidal to listen to their exclusives, but c'mon. If I'm someone who is going to make my dog wait to go for a walk so I can listen to the new JAY-Z album during the walk as soon as its available. I probably should just cave in to Tidal.
The good news, other than there is a new JAY-Z album out, is that I get to listen to all the JAY-Z albums on my phone again. Needless to say this makes me want to list the top 3 songs on each album just like I did for Kanye. So let's do just that!
Top 3 Songs:
1) "Can't Knock The Hustle" (ft. Mary J. Blige)
2) "Brooklyn's Finest" (ft. The Notorious B.I.G.)
3) "Dead Presidents II"
This was probably the hardest album to pick a top three on. I love every song on this album except for "Bring it On" I only recently gained an appreciation for it. The production on worldplay on this album still finds way to surprise me after all this time. "Can't Knock The Hustle" is the album in one song. Amazing insight into "the life" with introspective double entendres and a soundbed that feels instantly classic. "Brooklyn's Finest" is exactly what it says it is and everyone comes out a winner. The artists and the fans! "Dead Presidents is Jay on his own killing another instantly classic sounding beat.
Top 3 Songs:
1) "Where I'm From"
2) "A Million and One Questions/Rap No More"
3) "The City is Mine" (ft. Blackstreet)
This was actually the first album I wanted to buy from JAY-Z thanks to "The City is Mine." For some reason didn't think his 11 year old should have this album. I can't say I blame him, but he certainly made me late to the party. At least he OK'd the purchase of The Simpsons album. "Where I'm From" has such a hard beat. I just love that song. The Intro made the cut mostly for the Million Questios portion. That song has some of the first lyrics by JAY-Z I ever memorized.
Top 3 Songs:
1) "Money, Cash, Hoes" (ft. DMX)
2) "Can I Get A..." (ft. Amil & Ja Rule)
3) "Ride or Die"
This was the first JAY-Z I actually owned on cassette thanks to a friend's parents not knowing the lyrical content of Mr. Carter's albums. I was a Ruff Ryders fan before I was a Jigga Warrior so I obviously love "Money, Cash, Hoes" for the Swizz beat and X on the Hook and with a killer verse. I get that it sounds like someone sitting on a keyboard repeatedly, but I can't help but become 12 year old YG every time I hear the song again. You didn't grow up with Rush Hour and not love "Can I Get A..." As I mentioned to Pauline when I forced her to listen to this song during one of our road trips, "Ride or Die" is great because it's a Ma$e diss and has a Bad Boy producer on the intro saying he's rolling with Roc-A-Fella! ILL!
Top 3 Songs:
1) "It's Hot (Some Like It Hot)"
2) "Big Pimpin" (ft. UGK)
3) "Snoopy Track" (ft. Juvenille)
If you care, this is the first JAY-Z album I bought with my own money since I was out with my grandmother and she didn't know my parent's stance on that Parental Advisory sticker in the corner. I didn't get that Jay was dissing 50 on "it's Hot" even though it's obvious I just liked the Timbaland beat and how Hov spit over it. It clearly aged well with time once I knew what was up. Obviously "Big Pimpin" is in the top 3. I kinda like Bun B's verse the best actually. Even though I actually tried to memorize Jay's verse. "Snoopy Track" may not be the obvious choice to round out the top 3 but I can't help how much I liked Juvenille at the time and the way I loved singing along to this hook.
Top 3 Songs:
1) "This Can't Be Life" (ft. Beanie Sigel & Scarface)
2) "You, Me, Him & Her" (ft. Memphis Bleek/Beanie Sigel/Amil)
3) "1-900-HUSTLER" (ft. Beanie Sigel/Memphis Bleek/Freeway)
I bought this album just cause. I think I appreciated being in High School and having new freedom in terms of what music I could openly listen to. Nothing would please me more than a joint album between JAY-Z x Beanie Sigel x Scarface. If every track even hist 50-75% of the dopeness of "This Can't Be Life" I'll be happy. I used the beat of "You, Me, Him, and Her" once for a a song called "Utterly Ridiculous". That was fun! I really like the energy of the beat and overall song. "1-900-Hustler" taught me what getting indicted is so thank you very much Beans! It was also my introduction to Freeway who has got to be one of the most underrated rappers out there.
Top 3 Songs:
1) "Takeover"
2) "Renegade" (ft. Eminem)
3) "Hola' Hovito"
So my high school had 4 periods for a possible lunch time. I got the first possible one which meant I had lunch at 10am and would always wait for the Future Shop to open and I'd browse the New Release section. The Blueprint was the first time I went specifically for an album and something about the date September 11, 2001 stopped me from actually getting the album the day it came out. That meant it had a lot to live up to when I finally got my hands on it a week later. This was the album that made me go back and buy the albums I didn't already have on CD because "Takeover" made me realize Shawn Corey Carter is my favourite rapper. To Nas' credit I always wished Eminem's verse came earlier on "Renegade" but that doesn't matter. The song has two of the greatest on one track... we all win again! "Hola' Hovito" is classic JAY-Z and Timbaland. I don't care what you say, the song is all sorts of dope.
Top 3 Songs:
1) "U Don't Know (Remix)" (ft. M.O.P.)
2) "Poppin Tags" (ft. Twista/Killer Mike/Big Boi/Sleepy Brown)
3) "The Watcher 2" (ft. Dr. Dre/Rakim/Truth Hurts)
I liked "U Don't Know" on The Blueprint, I loved the remix on this album. I was so happy M.O.P. and JAY-Z were not only on the same song again, but on the same label! You can hate if you want, but "Poppin Tags" goes hard in my circle. Some Kanye & Dungeon Family mixed with the ROC! I really like when Jay, Big, and Mike get together plus Twista is always a welcome addition. I'm mostly on board with "The Watcher 2" for the fact that I loved the beat on 2001 and Rakim finally got on a track with JAY-Z. be457b7860
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