*** (out of 5)
I don't run New York no more / I run the map.
This is how the story goes for just about every mainstream MC: burst onto the scene with a phenomenal debut, go pop, lose your street cred, and eventually lose your record contract. The first phase of Sean Carter's career was just that. Reasonable Doubt was released in 1996 to limited commercial success but glowing praise, immediately drawing comparisons to Nas's Illmatic and firmly establishing Jay as a contender for New York's hip-hop throne, which had been vacated following Biggie's passing. Over the next several years, subsequent albums such as In My Lifetime and The Life and Times of S. Carter turned Jay-Z into a superstar. Featuring production from the likes of Puff Daddy and the Neptunes, these albums had a much more polished pop sound that created some of the decade's biggest hits ("Big Pimpin," et al). For hip-hop heads, however, this music was a far cry from the Jay-Z they had adored earlier on. At the turn of the millenium, Jay-Z had risen to the top of the rap game, but left many wondering if true hip-hop still had any place left in his mind.
Headed towards has-been status? Not at all. In 2001 (9/11 to be exact), Jay-Z pulled off a first in popular hip-hop history -- he went back to his roots. The result -- after just two days of writing and two weeks of recording -- was The Blueprint, an absolute masterpiece of an album that, true to its title, helped set the standard for modern hip-hop. Boasting hard-hitting social commentary, and a unique soul-meets-gangster production style thanks largely in part to a relatively unknown beatmaker named Kanye West*, the album catapulted Jay-Z into rap's stratosphere, and he has not relinquished his status since.
Now of course, in the world of hip-hop there have been superior MC's, both in terms of lyricism and commercial appeal. What The Blueprint did was establish Jay-Z as hip-hop's greatest crossover, one who has mastered the delicate balance between the streets and the clubs, and who as a result has continued to prosper as others have only temporarily triumphed.
This position has had its ups and downs, no question about it. From a pure celebrity standpoint, Jay-Z is a global icon. He sells out soccer stadiums in Europe, tours Africa as a UN ambassador, and meets Bill Gates for lunch. Really, the only people left to do battle with are Mick Jagger and Bono. Artistically, however, Jay is at a point where he can say whatever he wants and remain atop the charts regardless. This has led to a decidedly mixed repertoire post-Blueprint, ranging from The Black Album (classic) to Kingdom Come ($5 bin at WalMart), with the overstuffed Blueprint 2 and cool-but-slow American Gangster lying somewhere in between.
All of this leads to last week's release of The Blueprint 3, which, musically, is an accurate portrayal of where Jay-Z is at right now. As mentioned before, this often leads to mixed results, but thankfully, when you have this man on the mic, you're far more likely to be entertained than disappointed. The first half of the album ranks with his best work, with each track guaranteed to fill the airwaves for the next year. He seems truly hungry for the first time since his "retirement" six years ago, as evidenced by his call to arms in "D.O.A. (Death of AutoTune) and the lyrical prowess of opener "What We Talkin' About" ("Grown men want me to sit 'em on my lap / But I don't have a beard and Santa Clause ain't black"). The album's standout has to be the Kanye-produced "Empire State of Mind," an ode to the Big Apple with another one of New York's finest, Miss Alicia Keys, anchoring the chorus. It's amazing that these two have never collaborated together before -- the combination is perfect.
The last bars of "On to the Next One" ("MJ of SummerJam / Obama on the text...) close out what would have been a fantastic seven-track EP...if only the album didn't drop off so steeply during the second half. The three Timbaland tracks are undercooked, with "Off That" the only one that can make heads nod a bit. "A Star Is Born" is meant to be a shout-out to all of the other MC's doing their thing nowadays, but given that Jay spends every song beforehand bashing all of them, in context it makes absolutely no sense. And two more Kanye productions, "Haters" and "Young Forever," should have been left out completely.
So there you have it. The album's first handful of songs is Jay-Z the rock star showcasing why he became one in the first place, and as for the rest...well, to paraphrase the Jigga man himself, "What more can I say?" The Blueprint 3: inconsistent. Jay-Z: still on top.
SPECIAL NOTE: When the official numbers are in tomorrow, The Blueprint 3 will debut at #1 on the Billboard charts, giving Jay-Z his 11th chart-topper. He will then be trailing only the Beatles as the artist with the most #1 albums of all time, and will gain sole possession of the record for a solo act. That's right. As of tomorrow, Jay-Z will have more #1 albums than Elvis. Unbelievable.
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