The wait is over. With the leak of the third installment in his Blueprint series, Jay-Z is all the buzz in hiphop again. As usual, Jay's album is being put under that huge microscope and the reviews are mixed. I must say though, I think this album is really another solid piece to his overall catalog. The first thing I really notice about this effort is that it sounds like no other Jay-Z album. The Blueprint 3, if anything, is a glaring example of why Jay is still relevant in hiphop. He's adapted to change better than any artist who's ever picked up a mic. This album is Jay-Z making 2009 hiphop, putting his own spin on it, and delivering it to his faithful. My absolute favorite song on the album is "A Star Is Born" featuring new Roc Nation artist, J.Cole. On this track, Jay spits somewhat of a tribute to his peers, past and present. And like the title suggests, helps birth a brand new hiphop star. J.Cole does an incredible job of taking advantage of the opportunity handed to him - honestly looking like the best "new artist" on the album. Other songs like "Empire State of Mind" featuring Alicia Keys, "Already Home" featuring Kid Cudi, "Death of Autotune," and "So Ambitious" featuring Pharell Williams really stand out in my opinion. I'd say, at most, there are two duds on the album. And they're both produced by Timbaland - who even admitted in an interview that he didn't bring his "A" game for Jay. Which is evident in the incredibly underwhelming Jay and Drake collabo. But overall, I think this is a very solid album. Not one of the best albums in his catalog, but not near the bottom either. This isn't a full album review, but more so just a few immediate thoughts I have about it. I'd say it approaches a 4/5 rating. Not bad for the old man. Go cop that on 9/11!
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