The Blueprint²: The Gift & the Curse
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| The Blueprint²: The Gift & the Curse | |||||
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| Studio album by Jay-Z | |||||
| Released | November 12, 2002 (US) | ||||
| Genre | East Coast hip hop | ||||
| Label | Roc-A-Fella/Island Def Jam | ||||
| Producer | Kanye West, Just Blaze, Dr. Dre, The Neptunes, Timbaland, No I.D., Heavy D, Big Chuck, Ron Feemster, Charlemane, Darrell 'Digga' Branch | ||||
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| Singles from The Blueprint²: The Gift & the Curse | |||||
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The Blueprint²: The Gift & the Curse is rapper Jay-Z's seventh studio album released in 2002. Parts of the album were later reissued as The Blueprint 2.1 in 2003.
This album, like Jay-Z's previous four, debuted at #1 with over 545,000 units shipped in its first week of sales. The album was criticized for its more pop-oriented sound as well as its plethora of guests, while The Blueprint had been almost devoid of guest appearances.
Though the album has no strict concept in view, the first disc The Gift generally has more upbeat, party tracks, including the hit singles "'03 Bonnie & Clyde" and "Excuse Me Miss." The Curse has a somewhat darker tone, including disses to Nas, Ja Rule and Jay-Z's former mentor Jaz-O on "Blueprint 2" and a dramatic street tale on "Meet the Parents."
Signed Roc-A-Fella Records producers Kanye West and Just Blaze, as well as longtime collaborators The Neptunes and Timbaland contributed heavily to the album's production. Other producers are Dr. Dre, Heavy D, and No I.D.. At this time, it is assumed that Jay-Z had just started a relationship with actress, singer, dancer, Beyonce Knowles.
Contents |
[edit] Track listing
[edit] Disc one: The Gift
| # | Title | Songwriters | Producer(s) | Featured guest (s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "A Dream" | S. Carter, C. Wallace, K. West, S. Combs, J.C. Olivier, J. Mtume | Kanye West | Faith Evans & The Notorious B.I.G. |
| 2 | "Hovi Baby" | S. Carter, J. Smith, K. Edmonds | Just Blaze | Additional vocals: Christy Love |
| 3 | "The Watcher 2" | S. Carter, A. Young, W. Griffin | Dr. Dre | Dr. Dre, Rakim & Truth Hurts Background vocals: Terri |
| 4 | "'03 Bonnie & Clyde" | S. Carter, K. West, T. Shakur, D. Harper, T. Rouse, T. Wrice, P. Nelson | Kanye West | Beyoncé Knowles |
| 5 | "Excuse Me Miss" | S. Carter, P. Williams, C. Hugo | The Neptunes | Additional vocals: Pharrell Williams (uncreditted) |
| 6 | "What They Gonna Do" | S. Carter, T. Mosley | Timbaland | Sean Paul |
| 7 | "All Around the World" | S. Carter, D. Wilson, G. Clinton Jr., W. Collins, Hawkins, J. Jefferson, C. Simmons, J. Vitti, J. Theracon, B. Hawes | No I.D. | LaToiya Williams |
| 8 | "Poppin' Tags" | S. Carter, A. Patton, C. Mitchell, K. West, W. Robinson, R. Michael | Kanye West | Big Boi, Killer Mike & Twista Additional vocals: Sleepy Brown and Debra Killings |
| 9 | "Fuck All Nite" | S. Carter, P. Williams, C. Hugo | The Neptunes | Additional vocals: Pharrell Williams (uncreditted) and Tanisha Carnes |
| 10 | "The Bounce" | S. Carter, T. Mosley | Timbaland | Kanye West (uncreditted) Guest vocals: Raje Shwari |
| 11 | "I Did It My Way" | S. Carter, C. Stanton, J. Kendrix, J. Revaud, G. Thibaut, P. Anka, C. Francois | Jimmy Kendrix and Big Chuck | Paul Anka |
[edit] Disc two: The Curse
| # | Title | Songwriters | Producer(s) | Featured guest (s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Diamond Is Forever" | S. Carter, C. Stanton, T. Feemster | Ron Feemster and Big Chuck | Additional vocals: Michelle Rosario |
| 2 | "Guns & Roses" | S. Carter, D. Myers, J. McCrea | Heavy D | Lenny Kravitz |
| 3 | "U Don't Know (Remix)" | S. Carter, J. Grinnage, E. Murray, J. Smith, B. Byrd | Just Blaze | M.O.P. |
| 4 | "Meet the Parents" | S. Carter, J. Smith | Just Blaze | |
| 5 | "Some How Some Way" | S. Carter, D. Grant, B. Jordan, J. Smith, M. McGloiry | Just Blaze | Beanie Sigel & Scarface |
| 6 | "Some People Hate" | S. Carter, K. West, B. Russell | Kanye West | |
| 7 | "Blueprint²" | S. Carter, H. Charlemagne, E. Morricone | Charlemagne | |
| 8 | "Nigga Please" | S. Carter, C. Ries, P. Williams, C. Hugo | The Neptunes | Young Chris Additional vocals: Pharrell Williams (uncredited) |
| 9 | "2 Many Hoes" | S. Carter, T. Mosley | Timbaland | Additional vocals: Timbaland |
| 10 | "As One" | S. Carter, M. Cox, L. Pridgen, C. Ries, E. Del Barrio, K. Johnson, M. White, V. White, J. Smith, P. Ziyas, H. Muhammed | Just Blaze | Memphis Bleek, Freeway, Young Gunz, Beanie Sigel, Peedi Crakk, Omillio Sparks & Rell |
| 11 | "A Ballad for the Fallen Soldier" | S. Carter, P. Williams, C. Hugo | The Neptunes | Additional vocals: Marc Dorsey |
| 12 | "Show You How"* | S. Carter, J. Smith | Just Blaze | |
| 13 | "Bitches & Sisters"* | S. Carter, J. Smith, I. Hayes, D. Porter | Just Blaze | |
| 14 | "What They Gonna Do Part II"* | S. Carter, D. Branch | Darrell "Digga" Branch |
*Bonus tracks
[edit] Samples
[edit] The Gift
A Dream
Hovi Baby
- "Diggin' On You (Live)" by TLC
'03 Bonnie & Clyde
All Around the World
- Interpolation of "Sadie" by B. Hawes
- "Theme From The Black Hole" by George Clinton
- "Children Get Together" by Ed Hawkins
Poppin' Tags
- "After All" by The Marvelettes
I Did It My Way
- "My Way" by Paul Anka
[edit] The Curse
Guns & Roses
- "Arco Arena" by Cake
U Don't Know (Remix)
- "I'm Not To Blame" by Bobby Byrd
Some How Some Way
- "Castles Of Sand" by Jermaine Jackson
Blueprint 2
As One
- "Fantasy" by Earth, Wind & Fire
Bitches & Sisters
- "When Something Is Wrong With My Baby" by Kim Weston
- "A Bitch Iz a Bitch" by N.W.A.
Some People Hate
- "A Word Called Love" by Brenda Russell
[edit] Charts
| Chart (2002) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard 200 | 1 |
| U.S. Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums | 1 |
| Top Canadian Albums | 8 |
[edit] Singles
| Year | Song | Chart positions | |||
| Billboard Hot 100 | Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks | Hot Rap Singles | |||
| 2002 | "'03 Bonnie & Clyde" | #4 | #5 | #2 | |
| 2002 | "Hovi Baby" | - | #76 | - | |
| 2003 | "Excuse Me Miss" | #8 | #1 | #2 | |
| Preceded by 8 Mile (soundtrack) by Various artists |
Billboard 200 number-one album November 30 - December 6, 2002 |
Succeeded by Up! by Shania Twain |
