Jay-Z - The Blueprint 3

**SHEEPISH LORD OF CHAOS** · 08-31-2009, 12:50 PM

When the hype around your album has garnered more press than the music has yet your first single was received luke warmly and you need features to suture up the fact that you may not have it anymore. It is the results on the Blueprint 3 that just hasn’t been traced yet that this reviewer is concerned with. With as much respect I have for Jay-Z and his music his albums to me have ranged from dope to hot and the faux classic that “The Blueprint” and it’s more is less concept of “The Blueprint 2: A Gift and The Curse” was and the hype surrounded Jay’s come back with the dope but kinda “huh” reaction of “Kingdom Come” and the apparent hunger of “American Gangsta” has me at awe and just not really seeing the BP3 for what it is.

From the day that D.O.A. (Death of Autotune) dropped to “Off that” featuring Drake to “Run This Town” featuring Rhianna & Kanye West in where the singles were dope but you start wonder when you have non-sensetical subject matter to political speak with swagger lines to a dope single proclaiming your legacy yet Kanye kills the track aka “Murdered on your own ish” (see BP1 featuring Eminem). I don’t see the hype around the album because it has its shine moments like “Empire State of Mind” featuring Alicia Keys to those wtf type of songs like “Venus vs. Mars”.

I love Jay and his music is always been dope but unlike Nas’ catalog at least last year’s “Untitled” the music matched the vibe he was sending off and Jay’s BP3 is too swagger and too egotistical maybe the hype doesn’t satisfy the vibe the music is trying to convey. But overall for the most part the BP3 may seem all over it’s still dopeness production wise but lyrically it’s not so great. Overall I’m giving this album a 3 out 5 stars for the fact that the album doesn’t seem focused and seems too caught up being and sounding bigger than the album can do. But stand out songs none the less on tracks like “Reminder” is a flashback to how Jay can and used to be before he went pop.

3 OUT OF 5 STARS

**DR. NICK RIVIERA** · 08-31-2009, 12:55 PM

Vatican *ehm*

**SHEEPISH LORD OF CHAOS** · 08-31-2009, 01:08 PM

Originally Posted by wera

Vatican *ehm*

waiting for rae's to drop gonna be the better album

**Hollow Dartz** · 08-31-2009, 01:25 PM

Yeah I'mma meet you guys in the vatican, I'm skipping out on this one.

**Dr. Simon Hurt** · 08-31-2009, 02:52 PM

downloaded it...haven't listened yet...my expectations are subterranean

**staliondan23** · 08-31-2009, 03:36 PM

Just listened to it and its definitely better than i thought it would be. Kanye killed it with his production, he should have just produced the whole album. Wasn't feelin the timbo/swizz beatz/neptunes tracks though. I just don't get their appeal at all.

Favorite tracks: Young forever, already home, hate, a star is born, thank you, empire state of mind.

**claaa7** · 08-31-2009, 03:47 PM

have listened to about six tracks so far and my feelings is mixed, it is sounding okay but it's to bright and sparkling. Jay apparantly doesn't make hip-hop music anymore, this is straight up pop music, a far cry from the original "Blueprint" both with production and lyrics plus the features are ass (why the fuck did he switch Nas for Alicia Keys and wtf is Rhianna doing here)?

**staliondan23** · 08-31-2009, 03:49 PM

^^Nas would have been nice but you don't think Alicia Keys sounds good on the hook??

**DR. NICK RIVIERA** · 08-31-2009, 03:54 PM

lyrically, it's quite good, but some questionable flows are used

also, the guests aren't as bad as we expected. a good album, will listen to it more, at least I have something to listen to before the rush of important albums this end of year

**Dr Sleepwalker** · 08-31-2009, 04:12 PM

WEAK. I gave it 2 full rotations, my thoughts are still the same.

**claaa7** · 08-31-2009, 04:28 PM

Originally Posted by staliondan23

^^Nas would have been nice but you don't think Alicia Keys sounds good on the hook??

yeah she does sound nice but i'm just pissed cuz both of the previous Jay-Z/NaS collabos was hot to death.. this album might grow on me though, i was bumping "Reasonable Doubt" before putting it on so that might make my judgement a little clouded.

**tical2000** · 08-31-2009, 07:42 PM

wow, not sure what some of you cats are hearing, this album sounds a hell of alot better than "Kingdom Come" and "American Gangster"

Almost every song sounds like a single, futuristic sounding beats, I like it

**SHEEPISH LORD OF CHAOS** · 08-31-2009, 11:18 PM

Originally Posted by tical2000

wow, not sure what some of you cats are hearing, this album sounds a hell of alot better than "Kingdom Come" and "American Gangster"

Almost every song sounds like a single, futuristic sounding beats, I like it

i'll take american gangster, but out of the three this album bp3 maybe a close second dope but i wanted something sharper from jay ahhhhhhh had no expectations for it anyway