CD Review: Jay-Z

Posted on Monday, September 14th, 2009, 1:39 am

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Jay-Z has outdone himself yet again with his latest release “The Blueprint 3” — easily his best record since he “retired” back in 2003. “Kingdom Come” was clearly a let-down, and while “American Gangster” was infinitely better, “The Blueprint 3” officially marks a return to the musical prowess Jay-Z exhibited years ago.

The album is distinctly void of the weak spots rampant throughout Jay’s most recent releases. The lyrics, hooks, guest artists, production and overall mind-set come together to form the type of complete package not seen since “The Black Album” or “The Blueprint.”

The album’s singles have already changed the game. He laid rap’s cheesiest trend to rest with his song, “D.O.A. (Death of Auto-tune),” and “Run This Town” — featuring an anthemic hook sung by Rihanna and one of Kanye West’s best verses to date — is a not-so-subtle reminder of why he’s the best. But the album goes so far beyond these immaculate songs.

The list of producers on “The Blueprint 3” is pretty standard for Jay: Kanye West, No ID, Swizz Beats, Timbaland and more. Each producer brings something different to the table. Kanye’s production gives Jay-Z room to assault the audience, while Swizz Beats and Timbaland bring beats that are headed straight to the club. On “On To The Next One,” Swizz Beats uses a jerky Justice sample to create one of the heaviest tracks for Jay in a while.

In addition to his A-list producers, his guest artist catalog is lengthy. The veterans — Rihanna, Kanye, Alicia Keys, Young Jeezy — all shine brightly alongside up-and-coming artists like Kid Cudi, Drake and Mr. Hudson. No guest spot is wasted, either. Each artist adds what they are best at, whether it be rapping or singing, but let Jay-Z do what he does best: rap.

Lyrically, Jay-Z has always been unstoppable. Even on his weaker albums, certain lines could burn their way into your head simply because they were so clever. Metaphors, puns and jokes bulk up his flow as he spits lines like, “For ‘The Color of Money’ like a Tom Cruise flick/Cept I put 8-balls in corners without using pool sticks,” or when he proclaims, “I made the Yankee hat more famous than a Yankee can.”

The most refreshing part of the album is its overall atmosphere. It just feels like Jay-Z album through and through. It’s the kind of album that should be heard echoing off of New York City subway rails, blasted in the most prestigious clubs and played softly as the sun sets over the skyline. Tracks like “Empire State of Mind” take listeners back to the golden days of “Heart of the City (Ain’t No Love).”

New York City made Jay-Z and he constantly gives back. “The Blueprint” was released on September 11, 2001 so it only seems fitting that he released “The Blueprint 3” exactly eight years later and performed the whole album that night at Madison Square Garden. Eight years later, New York has rebounded. So has Jay-Z.

Grade: A