The Blueprint
Encyclopedia
The Blueprint is the sixth studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...

 by American rapper Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...

, released September 11, 2001 on Roc-A-Fella Records
Roc-A-Fella Records
Roc-A-Fella Records is a record label founded by Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter, Damon "Dame" Dash, and Kareem "Biggs" Burke. Today it operates as a subsidiary of Universal Music Group, and is distributed by Island Def Jam Motown Music Group.-Formation and Early Years:...

 in the United States. Its release was set a week earlier than initially planned in order to combat bootlegging
Bootleg recording
A bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging...

. Recording sessions for the album took place during 2001 at Manhattan Center Studios
Manhattan Center
The Manhattan Center building, built in 1906 and located at 311 West 34th Street in Midtown Manhattan, houses Manhattan Center Studios , its Grand Ballroom, and the Hammerstein Ballroom, one of New York City's most renowned performance venues...

 and Baseline Studios in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

. Contrasting the radio-friendly sound of Jay-Z's previous work, The Blueprint features soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...

-based sampling
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...

 and production handled primarily by Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...

 and Just Blaze
Just Blaze
Justin Smith, better known as Just Blaze, is an American hip hop music producer from Paterson, New Jersey. Blaze is also the CEO of Fort Knocks Entertainment. He is most well known for producing Jay-Z songs on the albums The Blueprint, The Blueprint 2, and The Black Album. He is also known for...

. At the time of its recording, Jay-Z was awaiting two criminal trials, one for gun possession and another for assault, and had become one of hip hop's most dissed
Diss track
A diss track or diss song is a song primarily intended to disparage or insult another person or group. While musical parodies and attacks have always existed, the trend became increasingly common in the hip hop genre as part of the hip hop rivalry phenomenon...

 artists, receiving insults from rappers such as Nas
Nas
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, who performs under the name Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in hip hop and one of the most skilled and influential rappers of all-time...

, Prodigy
Prodigy (rapper)
Lance Albert Johnson Banks, better known as Prodigy, is an American rapper and one half of the hip-hop and rap duo Mobb Deep....

, and Jadakiss
Jadakiss
Jason Phillips , better known as Jadakiss, is an American rapper. He is a member of the group The LOX. Jadakiss is one of the three owners of the imprint known as D-Block. In early 2007, Jadakiss signed to Roc-a-Fella Records / Def Jam Records.-Early life:By the age of 16, Jadakiss was a freestyle...

.

In spite of its release coinciding with the 9/11 attacks, The Blueprint sold over 426,000 copies in its opening week, becoming Jay-Z's fourth consecutive album to reach number one on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...

 chart. It was certified double platinum
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...

 as sales stand at over two million units in the U.S. The album received a perfect "XXL" rating from XXL
XXL (magazine)
XXL is a Hip-Hop magazine, published by Harris Publications.In 1997, XXL was founded by former Source staffers as well as other Harris Publication employees, who wanted to create their own magazine about the hip-hop music and culture using the model developed by the founders of The Source...

 magazine, while The Source
The Source (magazine)
The Source is a United States-based, monthly full-color magazine covering hip-hop music, politics, and culture, founded in 1988. It is the world's second longest running rap periodical, behind United Kingdom-based publication Hip Hop Connection. The Source was founded as a newsletter in 1988...

 awarded The Blueprint a classic 5 mic rating. The Blueprint received general acclaim from most music critics, based on an aggregate score of 88/100 from Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...

. In 2003, the album was ranked number 464 on Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...

 magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time
The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
"The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" is the title of a 2003 special issue of American magazine Rolling Stone, and a related book published in 2005.Related news articles:...

. In 2010, Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...

 ranked it number 5 on their The Top 200 Albums of the 2000s list

Background

The Blueprint was reportedly cut in two weeks, with Jay-Z allegedly writing the lyrics in two days. At the time, he awaited two criminal trials for gun possession and assault
Assault
In law, assault is a crime causing a victim to fear violence. The term is often confused with battery, which involves physical contact. The specific meaning of assault varies between countries, but can refer to an act that causes another to apprehend immediate and personal violence, or in the more...

, and was engaged in feuds with various rappers, in particular Nas
Nas
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, who performs under the name Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in hip hop and one of the most skilled and influential rappers of all-time...

 and Mobb Deep
Mobb Deep
Mobb Deep is an American hip hop duo from Queensbridge, Queens, New York, U.S., that consists of Havoc and Prodigy. The duo is "one of the most critically acclaimed hardcore East Coast hip-hop groups." The group is best known for its dark, hardcore delivery, as exemplified by the single "Shook Ones...

 member Prodigy
Prodigy (rapper)
Lance Albert Johnson Banks, better known as Prodigy, is an American rapper and one half of the hip-hop and rap duo Mobb Deep....

; on "Takeover
Takeover (song)
"Takeover" is a track recorded by Jay-Z for his 2001 album The Blueprint. The song is a diss track aimed at rappers Nas and Prodigy of Mobb Deep.-Background:...

", Jay-Z attacks the two Queensbridge rappers over a sample of The Doors
The Doors
The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore, and guitarist Robby Krieger...

' "Five to One
Five To One
"Five to One" is a song by The Doors, from their 1968 album Waiting for the Sun.-Origin:"Five to one" is rumored to be the approximate ratio of whites to blacks, old to young, or non-pot smokers to pot smokers in the US in 1967, depending on whom you ask. A further urban legend has it as the ratio...

" with an interpolation of David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...

's "Fame
Fame (David Bowie song)
"Fame" is a song recorded by David Bowie, initially released in 1975. It reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 during the week of September 20, 1975.-Song development:...

".
On The Blueprint, Jay-Z and his producers turn to vintage soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...

, fueling almost every song with a stirring vocal sample
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...

: Al Green
Al Green
Albert Greene , better known as Al Green, is an American gospel and soul music singer. He reached the peak of his popularity in the 1970s, with hit singles such as "You Oughta Be With Me", "I'm Still In Love With You", "Love and Happiness", and "Let's Stay Together"...

, Bobby "Blue" Bland
Bobby Bland
Robert Calvin Bland better known as Bobby "Blue" Bland, is an American singer of blues and soul. He is an original member of the Beale Streeters, and is sometimes referred to as the "Lion of the Blues"...

, David Ruffin
David Ruffin
Davis Eli "David" Ruffin was an American soul singer and musician most famous for his work as one of the lead singers of the Temptations from 1964 to 1968...

 and The Jackson 5
The Jackson 5
The Jackson 5 , later known as The Jacksons, were an American popular music family group from Gary, Indiana...

. Exceptions include "Jigga That Nigga
Jigga That Nigga
"Jigga That Nigga" is a song by American rapper Jay-Z. It was the third single from his sixth studio album, The Blueprint. It features additional vocals from Stephanie Miller and Michelle Mills but they are not credited as featuring. The song peaked at #66 on the Hot 100....

", "Hola' Hovito", and most notably "Renegade", a track produced by and featuring Eminem
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...

.

Blueprint Lounge Tour

In late August, Jay-Z announced a September–October tour in small venues. Because of the 9/11 attacks, the first two performances were rescheduled, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...

, San Francisco and Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...

 were added and donated a dollar out of every ticket sold to relief organizations.

Reception and impact

The Blueprint contained a unique and balanced blend of soulful samples that had both street credibility and mainstream appeal, thereby garnering praise from all quarters of the hip-hop community and receiving special recognition from critics. Most consider The Blueprint to be one of Jay-Z's best albums, holding it on a level close to that of his debut, Reasonable Doubt
Reasonable Doubt
Reasonable Doubt is the debut album of American rapper Jay-Z, released June 25, 1996 on Roc-A-Fella Records in the United States and on Northwestside Records in the United Kingdom. The album features production by DJ Premier, Ski, Knobody and Clark Kent, and guest appearances from Memphis Bleek,...

. Upon its release, The Blueprint was rated as Vibe Magazine
VIBE
Vibe is a music and entertainment magazine founded by producer Quincy Jones. The publication predominantly features R&B and hip-hop music artists, actors and other entertainers...

's "Best Album of the year", and even received a 5 mic (out of 5) rating from The Source
The Source (magazine)
The Source is a United States-based, monthly full-color magazine covering hip-hop music, politics, and culture, founded in 1988. It is the world's second longest running rap periodical, behind United Kingdom-based publication Hip Hop Connection. The Source was founded as a newsletter in 1988...

 (a distinction reserved for hip hop classics). Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...

 named it the 2nd best album of 2000-2004. The popularity and commercial success of the album established Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...

 and Just Blaze
Just Blaze
Justin Smith, better known as Just Blaze, is an American hip hop music producer from Paterson, New Jersey. Blaze is also the CEO of Fort Knocks Entertainment. He is most well known for producing Jay-Z songs on the albums The Blueprint, The Blueprint 2, and The Black Album. He is also known for...

 as two of hip-hop’s most celebrated producers. Furthermore, The Blueprint signaled a major stylistic shift in hip-hop production towards a more Soulcentric
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...

 and sample-reliant sound, creating a number of imitators who attempted to emulate the album's atmospheric style. Prior to The Blueprint, mainstream hip-hop producers had largely eschewed music sampling in favor of the keyboard-driven Timbaland sound (characterized by a shifting, syncopated rhythm, similar to samba
Samba
Samba is a Brazilian dance and musical genre originating in Bahia and with its roots in Brazil and Africa via the West African slave trade and African religious traditions. It is recognized around the world as a symbol of Brazil and the Brazilian Carnival...

 or jungle music
Drum and bass
Drum and bass is a type of electronic music which emerged in the late 1980s. The genre is characterized by fast breakbeats , with heavy bass and sub-bass lines...

), due to the financial and legal issues associated with copyright laws. The Blueprint, however, revived musical sampling as a common practice in hip hop music
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...

 and dislodged the digital keyboard-driven production style as the dominant sound in hip-hop music. Kanye West would later incorporate some of the production and sampling techniques he used on this album into his own solo albums. Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...

 put it on its end-of-the-decade, "best-of" list, saying, "One of the greatest poets ever to pick up a mic released his magnum opus in 2001. One retirement and one un-retirement later, it's still his finest hour."

Accolades

  • Ranked #42 in Paste Magazine
    Paste (magazine)
    Paste is a monthly music and entertainment digital magazine published in the United States by Wolfgang's Vault. Its tagline is "Signs of Life in Music, Film and Culture."-History:...

    's 50 Best Albums of the Decade.
  • Ranked #20 in Rhapsody
    Rhapsody (online music service)
    Rhapsody is an online music store subscription service, launched in December 2001, and available in the United States only. On April 6, 2010, Rhapsody officially declared its independence from RealNetworks. Downloaded files come with restrictions on their use, enforced by Helix, Rhapsody's version...

    's "100 Best Albums of the Decade" in 2009.
  • Ranked #2 in Entertainment Weekly
    Entertainment Weekly
    Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...

    s Best Albums of the Decade
  • Ranked #5 in Rolling Stone
    Rolling Stone
    Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...

    s "Top 10 of 2001".
  • Ranked #5 in Pitchfork Media
    Pitchfork Media
    Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...

    's "The Top 200 Albums of the 2000s".
  • Ranked #2 in Pitchfork Media
    Pitchfork Media
    Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...

    's "The Top 100 Albums of 2000-04".
  • Ranked #7 in Spin magazines "Albums of the Year 2001".
  • Ranked #4 in NME
    NME
    The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...

    s 50 "Albums Of the Year 2001".
  • Ranked #12 in Wire magazine
    The Wire (magazine)
    The Wire is a British avant garde music magazine, founded in 1982 by jazz promoter Anthony Wood and journalist Chrissie Murray. The magazine initially concentrated on contemporary jazz and improvised music, but branched out in the early 1990s to various types of experimental music...

    's "50 Records of the Year 2001".
  • Ranked #456 in Rolling Stone
    Rolling Stone
    Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...

     magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time
    The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
    "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" is the title of a 2003 special issue of American magazine Rolling Stone, and a related book published in 2005.Related news articles:...

     in 2003.
  • Ranked #4 in Rolling Stone
    Rolling Stone
    Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...

     magazine's list of the 100 Best Albums of the Decade in 2009.
  • Ranked #6 in Billboard
    Billboard (magazine)
    Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...

    s Critics Pick of the decade 1999-2009
  • Ranked #5 in Stylus Magazine
    Stylus Magazine
    Stylus Magazine was an online music and film magazine launched in 2002. It featured long-form music journalism, four daily music reviews, movie reviews, a number of different podcasts, an MP3 blog, and a text blog....

    's "Top 50 Albums of 2000-2005".
  • Ranked #7 in The Stylus Decade
    Stylus Magazine
    Stylus Magazine was an online music and film magazine launched in 2002. It featured long-form music journalism, four daily music reviews, movie reviews, a number of different podcasts, an MP3 blog, and a text blog....

    's "Top 100 Albums of the 2000s".
  • Ranked as one of Nick Grimshaw
    Nick Grimshaw
    Nicholas Peter "Nick" Grimshaw is a British television and radio presenter. Commonly known as 'Grimmy', he has presented shows for Channel 4, E4, BBC One, BBC Two and Channel 4 youth strand T4...

    's 1000 Albums everyone says you should have.

Track listing

# Title Producer(s) Samples and notes Length
1 "The Ruler's Back" Bink
Bink (producer)
Bink is a Grammy nominated hip hop producer who is noted for his work with Roc-A-Fella Records artists. His most high-profile work has been Jay-Z's critically acclaimed album The Blueprint, for which he produced three tracks, including the first and last tracks on the album...

  • "If" by Jackie Moore
  • Contains an interpolation of "The Ruler's Back" by Slick Rick
    Slick Rick
    Richard Walters , better known by his stage name Slick Rick is a Grammy-nominated English-American rapper...

3:50
2 "Takeover
Takeover (song)
"Takeover" is a track recorded by Jay-Z for his 2001 album The Blueprint. The song is a diss track aimed at rappers Nas and Prodigy of Mobb Deep.-Background:...

"
Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...

  • "Five to One
    Five To One
    "Five to One" is a song by The Doors, from their 1968 album Waiting for the Sun.-Origin:"Five to one" is rumored to be the approximate ratio of whites to blacks, old to young, or non-pot smokers to pot smokers in the US in 1967, depending on whom you ask. A further urban legend has it as the ratio...

    " by The Doors
    The Doors
    The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore, and guitarist Robby Krieger...

  • "Sound of da Police
    Sound of da Police
    "Sound of da Police" is the second and final single from rapper KRS-One's first solo album, Return of the Boom Bap. The song begins with KRS-One whooping twice to evoke a police siren ; this recurs several times throughout the song. This song was used in the trailer for Cop Out...

    " by KRS-One
    KRS-One
    Lawrence Krisna Parker , better known by his stage names KRS-One , and Teacha, is an American rapper...

  • Contains an interpolation of "Fame
    Fame (David Bowie song)
    "Fame" is a song recorded by David Bowie, initially released in 1975. It reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 during the week of September 20, 1975.-Song development:...

    " by David Bowie
    David Bowie
    David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...

  • 5:13
    3 "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)
    Izzo (H.O.V.A.)
    "Izzo " is a single released by Jay-Z from his sixth album The Blueprint. It is among his most popular singles. This was the second song released off The Blueprint, after the diss track "Takeover", but the lead single from it. The song reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S...

    "
    Kanye West
  • "I Want You Back
    I Want You Back
    "I Want You Back" was released in 1969 and in early 1970s became a number-one hit single recorded by The Jackson 5 for the Motown label. The song, along with a b-side cover of Smokey Robinson & the Miracles' "Who's Lovin' You", was the only single from the first Jackson 5 album, Diana Ross Presents...

    " by Jackson 5
  • 4:00
    4 "Girls, Girls, Girls
    Girls, Girls, Girls (Jay-Z song)
    "Girls, Girls, Girls" is the second single from rapper Jay-Z's album The Blueprint. It is a playful description of the artist's promiscuous lifestyle. The song contains a sample of "There's Nothing In This World That Can Stop Me From Loving You" by Tom Brock. The chorus features a lyrical...

    "
    Just Blaze
    Just Blaze
    Justin Smith, better known as Just Blaze, is an American hip hop music producer from Paterson, New Jersey. Blaze is also the CEO of Fort Knocks Entertainment. He is most well known for producing Jay-Z songs on the albums The Blueprint, The Blueprint 2, and The Black Album. He is also known for...

  • "There's Nothing in This World That Can Stop Me from Loving You" by Tom Brock
    Tom Brock (singer)
    Tom Brock is an American soul singer, born in Los Angeles. Brock worked with Barry White on the 20th Century Records label in the 1970s. He wrote songs for Gloria Scott's 1974 album What Am I Gonna Do?, including "A Case Of Too Much Love Makin"...

  • "High Power Rap" by Crash Crew
    Crash Crew
    Crash Crew was an early hip-hop group who recorded for Sugar Hill Records. The group, based in New York City, consisted of members DJ Daryll C. , G. Man, La Shubee, Barry Bistro, Ek Mike C., and Reggie Reg. According to JayQuan.com, the six met at a talent show sometime in 1977...

  • 4:35
    5 "Jigga That Nigga
    Jigga That Nigga
    "Jigga That Nigga" is a song by American rapper Jay-Z. It was the third single from his sixth studio album, The Blueprint. It features additional vocals from Stephanie Miller and Michelle Mills but they are not credited as featuring. The song peaked at #66 on the Hot 100....

    "
    Trackmasters
    Trackmasters
    The Trackmasters are the successful production duo of Poke and Tone , sometimes credited as Poke & Tone, best known for their commercial hit records in the late 90s and early 2000s. Throughout their career they have worked with various hip-hop and R&B artists including R...

    3:24
    6 "U Don't Know" Just Blaze
  • "I'm Not to Blame" by Bobby Byrd
    Bobby Byrd
    Bobby Byrd born Robert Howard Byrd was an American funk/soul/R&B/gospel musician, songwriter and record producer. He was born in Toccoa, Georgia, and is a 1998 winner of the Rhythm and Blues Foundation's prestigious Pioneer Award...

  • 3:19
    7 "Hola' Hovito" Timbaland
    Timbaland
    Timothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper....

    4:33
    8 "Heart of the City (Ain't No Love)" Kanye West
  • "Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City
    Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City
    "Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City" is a 1974 R&B song written by Michael Price and Dan Walsh and first recorded by Bobby "Blue" Bland for the ABC Dunhill album Dreamer. While Bland scored a minor hit with the song, landing in the top ten of the R&B charts, it is perhaps best known through...

    " by Bobby Blue Bland
  • 3:43
    9 "Never Change" Kanye West
  • "Common Man" by David Ruffin
    David Ruffin
    Davis Eli "David" Ruffin was an American soul singer and musician most famous for his work as one of the lead singers of the Temptations from 1964 to 1968...

  • 3:59
    10 "Song Cry
    Song Cry
    "Song Cry" is a song by American rapper Jay-Z and produced by Just Blaze. It was the fourth and final single from his sixth studio album The Blueprint...

    "
    Just Blaze
  • "Sounds Like a Love Song" by Bobby Glenn
  • 5:04
    11 "All I Need" Bink
  • "I Can't Break Away" by Natalie Cole
    Natalie Cole
    Natalie Maria Cole , is an American singer, songwriter and performer. The daughter of jazz legend Nat King Cole, Cole rode to musical success in the mid-1970s as an R&B artist with the hits "This Will Be ", "Inseparable" and "Our Love"...

  • 4:29
    12 "Renegade
    Renegade (Jay-Z song)
    "Renegade" is a song by rapper Jay-Z, which appears as the 12th track on his sixth album The Blueprint. The song is produced by and features Eminem, who is the only guest appearance on the album with rap verses. It was originally a collaboration between Eminem and Royce da 5'9" as part of the Bad...

    " (featuring Eminem
    Eminem
    Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...

    )
    Eminem
    Eminem
    Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...

  • Remake of "Renegades" by Eminem and Royce da 5'9"
  • 5:38
    13 "Blueprint (Momma Loves Me)" Bink
  • "Free at Last" by Al Green
    Al Green
    Albert Greene , better known as Al Green, is an American gospel and soul music singer. He reached the peak of his popularity in the 1970s, with hit singles such as "You Oughta Be With Me", "I'm Still In Love With You", "Love and Happiness", and "Let's Stay Together"...

  • 3:41
    Hidden bonus tracks
    * "Breathe Easy (Lyrical Exercise)" Just Blaze
  • "Got to Find My Own Place" by Stanley Clarke
    Stanley Clarke
    Stanley Clarke is an American jazz musician and composer known for his innovative and influential work on double bass and electric bass guitar as well as for his numerous film and television scores...

  • 3:45
    * "Girls, Girls, Girls" (Part 2) Kanye West
  • "Trying Girls Out" by The Persuaders
    The Persuaders (band)
    The Persuaders are a New York based R&B vocal group, with some fame in the 1970s, best known for their hit single, "Thin Line Between Love and Hate"...

  • 4:14

    Bonus tracks

    As with Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter
    Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter
    Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter is the fourth studio album by American rapper Jay-Z, released December 28, 1999 on Roc-A-Fella Records. It exhibits a return to the street-oriented sound of his debut album, Reasonable Doubt...

    , Jay-Z put two hidden bonus tracks at the end of the final track. "Blueprint (Momma Loves Me)" is 3:41 by itself. Twenty-five seconds of silence follows after and the bonus track "Breathe Easy (Lyrical Exercise)" begins. That song fades and is immediately followed by "Girls, Girls, Girls (Part 2)." It is reported that the latter song features uncredited vocals by Michael Jackson
    Michael Jackson
    Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...

    . The final track as a whole is 12:07. On the iTunes Store
    ITunes Store
    The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...

    , however, these bonus tracks are released as separate tracks, thus making the album 15 tracks long.

    Personnel

    • Jay-Z - performer, executive producer
    • Eminem - performer, producer, mixing
    • Slick Rick - vocals
    • Q-Tip - vocals
    • Biz Markie - vocals
    • Demme Ulloa - vocals
    • Schevise Harrell - vocals
    • Lauren Leek - vocals
    • Keon Bryce - vocals
    • Stephanie Miller - vocals
    • Michele Mills - vocals
    • Josey Scott - vocals
    • Victor Flowers - organ
    • Kanye West - producer
    • Just Blaze - producer
    • Bink - producer
    • Timbaland - producer
    • Poke & Tone - producer
    • DJ Head - drum programming

    • Damon Dash - executive producer
    • Kareem "Biggs" Burke - executive producer
    • Gimel "Young Guru" Katon - engineer, mixing
    • Jimmy Douglas - engineer, mixing
    • Shane Woodley - assistant engineer
    • Jason Goldstein - mixing
    • Richard Huredia - mixing
    • Supa Engineer "Dura" - mixing
    • Doug Wilson - mixing
    • Tony Vanias - recording director
    • Tony Dawsey - mastering
    • Lenny S. - A&R
    • Rob Mitchell - A&R
    • Kyambo Joshua - A&R
    • Darcell Lawrence - A&R
    • Jason Noto - art direction
    • Jonathan Mannion - photography
    • Della Valle - images


    Chart positions

    Album
    Chart (2001) Peak
    position
    Canadian Albums Chart 3
    U.S. Billboard 200 1
    U.S. Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums 1

    Singles
    Year Song Chart positions
    Billboard Hot 100
    Billboard Hot 100
    The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...

    Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks Hot Rap Singles
    2001 "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)
    Izzo (H.O.V.A.)
    "Izzo " is a single released by Jay-Z from his sixth album The Blueprint. It is among his most popular singles. This was the second song released off The Blueprint, after the diss track "Takeover", but the lead single from it. The song reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S...

    "
    8 4 7
    "Girls, Girls, Girls
    Girls, Girls, Girls (Jay-Z song)
    "Girls, Girls, Girls" is the second single from rapper Jay-Z's album The Blueprint. It is a playful description of the artist's promiscuous lifestyle. The song contains a sample of "There's Nothing In This World That Can Stop Me From Loving You" by Tom Brock. The chorus features a lyrical...

    "
    17 4 9
    2002 "Jigga That Nigga
    Jigga That Nigga
    "Jigga That Nigga" is a song by American rapper Jay-Z. It was the third single from his sixth studio album, The Blueprint. It features additional vocals from Stephanie Miller and Michelle Mills but they are not credited as featuring. The song peaked at #66 on the Hot 100....

    "
    66 27 7
    "Song Cry
    Song Cry
    "Song Cry" is a song by American rapper Jay-Z and produced by Just Blaze. It was the fourth and final single from his sixth studio album The Blueprint...

    "
    - 45 -


    Chart procession and succession

    See also

    • Jay-Z vs. Nas feud
      Jay-Z vs. Nas feud
      The Jay-Z–Nas feud was a hip hop rivalry during the early-2000s and one of the most high-profile feuds in the history of hip hop music. It was characterized by comments between Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter and Nasir "Nas" Jones from 2001 until resolved in 2005...

    • List of number-one albums of 2001 (U.S.)
    • List of number-one R&B albums of 2001 (U.S.)

    External links

    • The Blueprint at Discogs
      Discogs
      Discogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...

    • The Blueprint at Metacritic
      Metacritic
      Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...

    • Album Review at Blender
      Blender (magazine)
      Blender was an American music magazine that billed itself as "the ultimate guide to music and more". It was also known for sometimes steamy pictorials of celebrities....

    • Album review at Stylus Magazine
      Stylus Magazine
      Stylus Magazine was an online music and film magazine launched in 2002. It featured long-form music journalism, four daily music reviews, movie reviews, a number of different podcasts, an MP3 blog, and a text blog....

    • Album accolades at acclaimedmusic.net
    The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
     
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