Prelude to a Legacy 9.11.09: The Blueprint
Posted by Fred Richani on 09.11.2009
The schematic to a classic album. Pun intended.
September 11, 2001. It's a sad, tragic day in the United States of America's history that will live in infamy. Everyone was affected by the terrorist attacks and hip-hop was certainly no different. What should have been a great day in hip-hop was overshadowed by 9/11—this generation's version of Pearl Harbor Day. Why was it supposed to be a great day?
September, 11, 2001 was supposed to be the day Jay-Z unleashed lyrical hell on his rivals, specifically Nas and Mobb Deep of Queensbridge. It was supposed to be the day Jay-Z showcased his prowess as a SoundScan lion. Well, that did happen, as The Blueprint sold 426,000 copies its opening week. And while 9/11 overshadowed the album's huge release, the music by Jay-Z helped people, particularly rap fans, forget about their problems and the terrorist attacks. Okay, well maybe not forget, but definitely helped cope with the anxiety attack America was having at the time.
And as predicted by many hip-hoppers, Jay-Z did indeed unleash hell on his rivals and others who dared to stand in his way of rap supremacy. It's only appropriate that this week, we look back at Shawn Carter's classic album The Blueprint. The Blueprint 3 has been released in the U.S. and only time will tell whether it will be remembered like the original. I remember it vividly, as do fans. Whether you bumped this album day and night or have always wondered what the fuss is all about, get ready to take a look at an album many have deemed a true classic—The Blueprint.
Back-story
Ah, the Summer of 2001. It's been rumored that The Blueprint was recorded in about two weeks. Not exactly on 2Pac's 7-Day Theory status of tine constraints, but if true, an impressive feat nonetheless. At the time, Jay-Z had been on top of the world, quickly finding out that at times it can be very lonely at the top. Three multi-platinum albums and a string of hits had him as rap's top dog (no offense, DMX). It was also around this time Hova was going through a few legal problems, coupled with a feud sparked between the Brooklynite and Queensbridge, NY natives Mobb Deep and Nas.
Shots Fired
Jay-Z's "The Takeover" is a significant song in hip-hop history. It is what many would call the ultimate diss track. For wrestling fans, it's like Hulk Hogan joining the New World Order (n.W.o.). For Chargers fans its like Eli Manning saying in 2004 that he didn't want to play for your team because in recent years they've sucked. For a housewife, it's like telling your husband he hasn't made good love for ten years. Okay, maybe that last one was a little much, but you get the point. Later on, Nas released "Ether", an arguably harder diss track in response to Jay-Z, but that's another column for another day. The song "The Takeover" was so highly regarded at the time of its release in summer of 2001 (and still is) that nobody thought Nas and Mobb Deep could get their hip-hop mojo back after that. Well Nas did. I can't say the same for Prodigy of Mobb Deep. Plus it was a hot track produced by current rap phenom Kanye West, who sampled "Five to One" by The Doors and KRS-ONE's "Sound of da Police". Not a bad choice of samples. The track debuted at Summer Jam 2001, which was presented by New York's then-only radio station HOT 97. Now besides putting a 1988 picture of Prodigy as a male ballerina up on the huge concert screen, Jay-Z also killed Mobb Deep's swag with his lyrics. Nas was certainly not spared either. Take a look at some of the key lines of "The Takeover":
I don't care if you Mobb Deep, I hold triggers to crews
You little FUCK, I've got money stacks bigger than you
When I was pushin weight, back in eighty-eight
you was a ballerina I got your pictures I seen ya
Then you dropped "Shook Ones," switch your demeanor
Well - we don't believe you, you need more people
Roc-A-Fella, students of the game, we passed the classes
Nobody can read you dudes like we do
Don't let 'em gas you like Jigga is ass and won't clap you
Trust me on this one - I'll detach you
Mind from spirit, body from soul
They'll have to hold a mass, put your body in a hole
No, you're not on my level get your brakes tweaked
I sold what ya whole album sold in my first week
You guys don't want it with Hov'
Ask Nas, he don't want it with Hov', nooooo!
Four albums in ten years nigga? I can divide
That's one every let's say two, two of them shits was due
One was - NAHHH, the other was "Illmatic"
That's a one hot album every ten year average
And that's so - LAAAAAAAME!
Prodigy probably wants to forget about that hot summer day in 2001.........
So let's recap....Jay-Z did the following in "The Takeover":
1. Acknowledged the rumored beef between him and Nas with the song being the first shot in their public feud
2. Claimed Prodigy of Mobb Deep was a ballerina (photographic evidence provided)
3. Dissed Nas's discography
4. Claimed Nas was only relevant because of one great album in 10 years (Illmatic)
5. Claimed his sampling of Nas's voice in "Dead Presidents" (on Hov's first album Reasonable Doubt made it a hot song, as opposed to just a hot line.
6. Claimed Nas exaggerated his street cred and criminal past
7. Ridicules Nas's style
8. Ridicules Nas's flow
9. Ridicules Nas's career choices
10. Completely rips Nas and Mobb Deep apart
The Album
Oofah (that's not a word but shut up and don't question me!). Now THAT'S a diss record! People forget that Jay-Z had 14 other tracks (two are bonus tracks) on The Blueprint that were pretty damn good. One of them being a classic mainstream hit. Speaking of classics, it's time to break down the entire album and what made it so great. One of the reasons for its greatness was the production. Not only was Kanye West put on the map after The Blueprint, but Just Blaze too. Kanye West produced "Never Change", a song about not evolving from a life of crime and staying the same. The sampling of "Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City" by the Bobby Blue Band was very well done on "Heart of the City". Of course, we just covered "Takeover" and its impact. Despite those excellent tracks produced by Kanye West, it was "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)" that put him on the map with the mainstream, cracking Billboard Magazine's top 10 on their Hot 100 songs chart.
Just Blaze was not to be outdone, producing the emotional "Song Cry" and banger "U Don't Know" (later remixed with M.O.P. And Jay-Z on The Blueprint 2: The Gift& The Curse. "Girls Girls, Girls" is a song about...well, you can figure it out via the title. And if you haven't noticed by now, The Blueprint contains a ton of samples from different songs. That can normally be detrimental to an album, yet this IS Jay-Z and if anyone could make it work, he can. And he did.
As far as completely original production goes, Eminem can be the one to thank for that on The Blueprint with the smash hit "Renegade". The track was originally supposed to feature then-Shady/Aftermath artist Royce Da 5'9" (he recorded a version with Em that was never released, but eventually leaked.), but the opportunity for Eminem to collaborate with Jay-Z on his own beat was too good of an opportunity to pass up. The result was a collaboration that will never be forgotten between the two. Some critics have even said that Eminem out-rapped Jay-Z on his own album! It is an accusation Nas was kind enough to bring up, stating Eminem "murdered you on your own shit". How kind....
Nas and Jay-Z have since squashed their beef
Legacy
Overall, The Blueprint is a classic for a variety of reasons. Some people love the production. Others think Jay-Z was truly at his lyrical best in 2001. Perhaps if he was not in the midst of a feud with Mobb Deep and Nas, the album would have likely been very good, not great. Well the album is great for all the reasons above and then some. XXL Magazine and The Source gave the album a perfect rating. It was even named one of the 500 greatest albums of all-time by Rolling Stone in 2003. Heck, eight years later and the album still hasn't aged (at least not badly). Then again, outside a handful of mainstream rappers, there hasn't been much competition in the "classic album" category. It's also funny how eight years later, The Blueprint 3 has been released and is compared to, you guessed it, the original Blueprint, as opposed to its predecessor American Gangster (or Kingdom Come since American Gangster was technically a concept album/soundtrack.). What else is there to say? The album is arguably the crown jewel of Jay-Z's discography, outside of his first album Reasonable Doubt. The only thing to be said about the album is what the title implies—The Blueprint is the schematic for a classic album.
Oh, one more IMPORTANT thing....
God bless the victims' families of 9/11 and all those who were affected by the tragedy. United we stand, divided we fall.
