The Blueprint

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For other uses, see Blueprint (disambiguation).

The Blueprint
Studio album by Jay-Z
Released	September 11, 2001 (US)
Recorded	2001
Genre	East Coast hip hop
Length	N/A
Label	Roc-A-Fella/Island Def Jam
Producer(s)	Kanye West Bink Just Blaze Poke and Tone Timbaland Eminem
Professional reviews
All Music Guide (Album pick) link Robert Christgau (A-) link XXL Magazine HipHopDX.com link
Jay-Z chronology
The Dynasty: Roc La Familia (2000)	The Blueprint (2001)	Jay-Z: Unplugged (2001)

The Blueprint (2001) is the sixth album from rapper Jay-Z. Originally intended to be released on September 18, 2001, the album's release was pushed forward one week to September 11, 2001, in order to combat widespread bootlegging. Unfortunately, the album was released on the day of the terrorist attacks in Jay-Z's native New York City, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania. Despite being overshadowed by the attacks, the album eventually went double-platinum, and sales stand at more than 2.3 million copies in the US. Jay would later boast, "Rumor has it, The Blueprint classic/Couldn't even be stopped by bin Laden" on the track "The Bounce" from his follow-up album The Blueprint 2: The Gift & the Curse.

Contents 1 Overview 2 Critical Reception and Impact 3 Track listing 4 Album Singles 5 Music videos 6 Album Chart Positions 7 Singles Chart Positions 8 Accolades 9 Personnel

[edit] Overview

The Blueprint was reportedly cut in two days. Jay-Z was awaiting two criminal trials, one for gun possession, another for assault. At the time he had become hip-hop's most attacked artist, with Nas, Prodigy of Mobb Deep, and others attacking him in song. Half of The Blueprint became a battle album, in which Jay-Z, attacks Nas, Prodigy, and all manner of persecutors. In The Blueprint, Jay-Z and his producers turn to vintage soul, fueling almost every song with a stirring vocal sample: Al Green, Bobby "Blue" Bland, David Ruffin and the Jackson 5. Exceptions include "Jigga That Nigga," "Hola' Hovito," "All I Need," and most notably "Renegade," a track produced by and featuring Eminem. "Renegade" was the only track with a guest appearance, and many fans and critics feel that Jay-Z was overshadowed by Eminem's visceral, assonant rhymes. It also differs in tone from the rest of the album, featuring a much darker beat.

[edit] Critical 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 and receiving special recognition from critics. Upon its release, The Blueprint was rated as Vibe Magazine's "Best Album of the year", and even received a 5 mic (out of 5) rating from The Source (a distinction set aside solely for hip hop classics). Pitchfork Media placed it at 2nd best album of 2000-2004, behind Radiohead's Kid A. The popularity and commercial success of the album established Kanye West as one of hip-hop’s most celebrated producers. Furthermore, The Blueprint signaled a major stylistic shift in hip-hop production towards a more Soul/R&B-esque 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 or jungle music), 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 and dislodged the digitally keyboard-driven production style as the dominant sound in hip-hop music[1]. Kanye West would later incorporate some of the production and sampling techniques he used on this album into his own solo albums (see The College Dropout and Late Registration.)

[edit] Track listing

#	Title	Songwriter(s)	Producer(s)	Performer(s)	Sample(s)
1	"The Ruler's Back"	Shawn Carter Roosevelt Harrel Phil Hurtt Bunny Sigler	Bink	Jay-Z	"If" by Jackie Moore
2	"Takeover"	Shawn Carter Kanye West John Densmore Robby Krieger Ray Manzarek Jim Morrison Lawrence Parker Alan Lomax Eric Burdon B. Chandler R. Lemay	Kanye West	Jay-Z	"Five To One" by The Doors "Sound Of Da Police" by KRS-One
3	"Izzo (H.O.V.A.)"	Shawn Carter Kanye West Berry Gordy Alphonzo Mizell Freddie Perren Deke Richards	Kanye West	Jay-Z	"I Want You Back" by Jackson 5
4	"Girls, Girls, Girls"	Shawn Carter Justin Smith Tom Brock B. Relf	Just Blaze	Jay-Z	"There's Nothing In This World That Can Stop Me From Loving You" by Tom Brock "Trying Girls Out" by The Persuaders "High Power Rap" by Disco Dave & The Force Of The Five MC's
5	"Jigga That Nigga"	Shawn Carter Jean-Claude Olivier Samuel Barnes	Trackmasters	Jay-Z
6	"U Don't Know"	Shawn Carter Justin Smith Bobby Byrd	Just Blaze	Jay-Z	"I'm Not To Blame" by Bobby Byrd
7	"Hola' Hovito"	Shawn Carter Tim Mosley	Timbaland	Jay-Z
8	"Heart of the City (Ain't No Love)"	Shawn Carter Kanye West Michael Price Dan Walsh	Kanye West	Jay-Z	"Ain't No Love In The Heart Of The City" by Bobby Blue Bland "Bumpy's Lament" by Isaac Hayes
9	"Never Change"	Shawn Carter Kanye West Bobby Miller	Kanye West	Jay-Z	"Common Man" by David Ruffin
10	"Song Cry"	Shawn Carter Justin Smith D. Gibbs R. Johnson	Just Blaze	Jay-Z	"Sounds Like a Love Song" by Bobby Glenn
11	"All I Need"	Shawn Carter Roosevelt Harrel	Bink	Jay-Z
12	"Renegade"	Shawn Carter Marshall Mathers	Eminem	Jay-Z Eminem
13	"Blueprint (Momma Loves Me)"	Shawn Carter Roosevelt Harrel Al Green	Bink	Jay-Z	"Free At Last" by Al Green "Slow Dance" by Stanley Clarke

Track 13 contains two hidden tracks: "Breathe Easy (Lyrical Exercise)" produced by Just Blaze, and "Girls, Girls, Girls (Remix)" produced by Kanye West.

[edit] Album Singles

Single cover	Single information
	"Izzo (H.O.V.A.)" Released: August 21, 2001 B-side: "U Don't Know"
	"Girls, Girls, Girls" Released: October 2, 2001 B-side: "Takeover"
	"Jigga That Nigga" Released: January 29, 2002 B-side: "Renegade"
	"Song Cry" Released: August 16, 2002 B-side: "Hola' Hovito"

[edit] Music videos

Jay-Z with girls in "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)" Released: 2001 Director: Dave Meyers

Jay-Z in "Girls, Girls, Girls" Released: 2001 Director: Marc Klasfeld

Jay-Z in "Song Cry" Released: 2002 Director: Sanaa Hamri

[edit] Album Chart Positions

Year	Album	Chart positions
		Billboard 200	Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums	Top Canadian Albums	Top Internet Albums
2001	The Blueprint	#1	#1	#3	#21

[edit] Singles Chart Positions

Year	Song	Chart positions
		Billboard Hot 100	Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks	Hot Rap Singles	Rhythmic Top 40	Top 40 Tracks	Top 40 Mainstream
2001	"Girls, Girls, Girls"	#17	#4	#9	#12	-	-
	"Izzo (H.O.V.A.)"	#8	#4	#7	#4	#17	#22
2002	"Song Cry"	-	#45	#23	-	-	-
	"Jigga That Nigga"	#66	#27	#7	-	-	-

[edit] Accolades

• Ranked #2 in Pitchfork Media's "Top 100 Albums of 2000-2004".
• Ranked #5 in Rolling Stone's "Top 10 of 2001".
• Ranked #7 in Spin magazine's "Albums of the Year 2001”,
• Ranked #4 in NME's 50 "Albums Of the Year 2001"
• Ranked #12 in Wire Magazine's "50 Records of the Year 2001".
• In 2003, the album was ranked number 464 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

[edit] Personnel

• Slick Rick - Vocals
• Biz Markie - Vocals
• Q-Tip - Vocals
• Richard Huredia - Mixing
• Tony Dawsey - Mastering
• Jimmy Douglas - Engineer, Mixing
• Timbaland - Producer
• Jason Goldstein - Mixing
• Poke and Tone - Producer
• Jonathan Mannion - Photography
• Tony Vanias - Recording Director
• Damon Dash - Executive Producer
• Shawn Carter - Executive Producer
• Eminem - Producer (Renegade)
• Kanye West - Producer
• Kareem "Biggs" Burke - Executive Producer
• Just Blaze - Producer
• Jason Noto - Art Direction
• Victor Flowers - Organ
• Josey Scott - Vocals
• Shane "Bermy" Woodley - Assistant Engineer