Jay-Z - The Blueprint
by Sarah Rowland
published: 13 / 2 / 2010

Label:
Select Label
Format: N/A
intro
In our 'Re:View' section in which writers look back at albums from the past, Sarah Johnson reflects on Jay-Z's 2001 rap breakthrough album, 'The Blueprint'
Before ‘The Blueprint’ I’d have left the room if rap music made its way on to the stereo. The swearing, violence and references to ‘ma bitch’ just didn’t appeal. It wasn’t until recently that I failed to leave the room fast enough and realised the same rules apply to rap as other music – there’s bad rap and good rap, and I’d never heard Jay-Z. ‘The Blueprint’ rolls through the speakers opening with ‘The Ruler’s Back’. Vocals are backed with a 70’s soul brass sample, and that’s the first surprise, the music that slides over the rap is slick and inventive. The next revelation is that ‘The Blueprint’ has a sense of humour. Jay-Z not only raps with a smooth rhythm, gliding from one line to the next, his words are narrative and at times pretty funny. Track 3, ‘Izzo (H.O.V.A.)’ has the line “Cops wanna knock me/D.A. wanna box me in/but somehow,I beat them charges like Rocky”– trust me, when Jay-Z says it it’s funny. ‘Girls, Girls, Girls’ manages to pull off lyrics about how many women he has on the go at once while maintaining the sincerity of a Motown love song. Not many singers could do that. The bass line behind Jay-Z’s rap music is also a surprise. ‘Hola Hovito’ has a tinny drum beat that bounces along the bass line giving the song a reggae quality while still tying in with the overall soul sound of the album. The samples on ‘Heart Of The City’, ‘Never Change’ and ‘Song Cry’ are right out of the Motown era and would not expect to lend themselves to rap, but do with incredible ease. Although when comparing Jay-Z’s lyrics about growing up and city life to Marvin Gaye’s ‘What’s Going On’, the parallels are not hard to spot, so perhaps the mix isn’t such a shock. One of the biggest surprises on the album is ‘Takeover’. The only way to describe the song, is that is sounds like how ‘cool’ would sound. It sums up Jay-Z’s effortless ‘cool’, which is one of the things so appealing about his music. It’s hard to put a finger on but there’s a quality to his music that gives it an edge not many could pull off. With ‘The Blueprint’ Jay-Z has managed to make rap accessible without diluting the genre or ‘pop-ifying’ it. I’d certainly not heard rap like this before and it’s persuaded me to linger at the sound of a hip-hop beat rather than close the door behind me.
Track Listing:-
Picture Gallery:-


most viewed articles
current edition
Spear Of Destiny - InterviewRobert Forster - Interview
Fiona Hutchings - Interview
When Rivers Meet - Waterfront, Norwich, 29/5/2025
Carl Ewens - David Bowie 1964 to 1982 On Track: Every Album, Every Song
Brian Wilson - Ten Songs That Made Me Love...
Chris Wade - Interview
Pistol Daisys - Waterfront, Norwich, 29/5/2025
Credits - ARC, Liverpool, 17/5.2025
Gary Numan - Berserker
previous editions
Heavenly - P.U.N.K. Girl EPBoomtown Rats - Ten Songs That Made Me Love....
Barrie Barlow - Interview
Manic Street Preachers - (Gig of a Lifetime) Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, December 1999
Oasis - Oasis, Earl's Court, London, 1995
Dwina Gibb - Interview
Pixies - Ten Songs That Made Me Love...
David Paton - Magic: The David Paton Story
Chuck Prophet - Ten Songs That Made Me Love...
Sound - Interview with Bi Marshall Part 1
most viewed reviews
current edition
Peter Doolan - I Am a Tree Rooted to the Spot and a Snake Moves Around Me,in a CircleGarbage - Let All That We Imagine Be The Light
Vinny Peculiar - Things Too Long Left Unsaid
Little Simz - Lotus
John McKay - Sixes and #Sevens
Suzanne Vega - Flying With Angels
HAIM - I Quit
Morcheeba - Escape The Chaos
Vultures - Liz Kershaw Session 16.06.88
Billy Nomates - Metalhorse
Pennyblackmusic Regular Contributors
Adrian Janes
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank
Kimberly Bright
Lisa Torem
Maarten Schiethart