When Jay-Z dropped The City Is Mine in 1997 and claimed New Yorks hip-hop throne upon the Notorious B.I.G.s demise, many smirked and some even snickered. Four years later in 2001, when he released The Blueprint, no one was smirking and no one dared snicker. At this point in time, nobody in New York could match Jay-Z rhyme for rhyme and nobody in New York had fresher beats -- and many would argue that Jiggas reign was not just confined to New York but was, in fact, national. Yes, Jay-Z had risen to the top of the rap game in the late 90s and solidified his position with gigantic hits like Big Pimpin and I Just Wanna Love You (Give It 2 Me). Furthermore, The Blueprints lead-off single, Izzo (H.O.V.A.) dominated urban radio numerous weeks before the album hit the streets, generating so much demand that Def Jam had to push up the albums street date because it was being so heavily bootlegged. So when Jay-Z opens The Blueprint dropping rhymes about runnin this rap sh*t its not so much arrogance as it is a matter of fact. And by the time he brutally dismisses two of his most formidable opponents, Mobb Deep and Nas, less than ten minutes into the album, theres little doubt that Jay-Zs status as the top MC in the game is justified. But thats just one song. There are 12 other songs on The Blueprint -- and they are all stunning, to the point where the album seems almost flawless. Besides rhymes that challenge those on Reasonable Doubt as the most crafted of Jay-Zs career to date in terms of not only lyrics but also flow and delivery, The Blueprint also boasts some of his most extravagant beats, courtesy of impressive newcomers Kayne West and Just Blaze. Moreover, if the rhymes and beats alone do not make The Blueprint a career highlight for Jay-Z, the minimal guest appearances surely do. For once, listeners get exactly what they want: Jay-Z and nothing but Jay-Z, over beats so loaded with marvelously flipped samples the songs don not even need big vocal hooks. Besides, when you are already the top MC in the game, there's no need for crossover attempts. Half-satisfying albums like Hard Knock Life were the crossover attempts, and now that Jay-Z is runnin this rap sh*t a fully realized masterpiece like The Blueprint is the glorious result. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide
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