All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

All Music Guide

A fully realized masterpiece.

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100

Uncut

Almost every tune sounds like a hit. [Dec 2001, p.108]

The Onion (A.V. Club)

Trades the chilly, futuristic minimalism of S. Carter for a warmer, more organic sound rooted in the soul and funk of the '60s and '70s

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Pitchfork

The Blueprint is possibly the least sonically inventive hip-hop chart topper in years-- stunning and captivating for sure, but still loungily comfortable enough to sleep to.

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Sonicnet

The Blueprint is not a perfect album. Some of the material is undoubtedly filler. But this recording makes it clear that hip-hop is supposed to be fun -- and that Jay-Z is having a ball.

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PopMatters

While The Blueprint falls short of his debut's brilliance, it is easily the best Jay Z recording since that release.

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New Musical Express

By its close, 'The Blueprint' has eloquently mapped out life's foundations: laughter, tears, joy and pain, and has marked the Jigga as the complete rapper.

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L.A. Weekly

Blueprint is his best since debuting with Reasonable Doubt in 1996.

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CDNow

13 tracks of the kind of confident, effortless wordplay that made him a household name in the first place.

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E! Online

The Bed-Stuy boy musters up enough of his own charisma, charm and wit to build another solid release.

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Dot Music

It's not radically new - although the Timbaland and the Trackmasters contributions are genuinely exciting - but it's exactly what a lot of people want to hear from a hip-hop album right now.

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Entertainment Weekly

But for an MC claiming to represent ''for the seat where Rosa Parks sat,'' one expects a bit more.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this album is 8.3 (out of 10) based on 36 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Balky B gave it a2:
I don't see the appeal of Jay Z. Monotone robotic delivery of weak rhymes that often don't rhyme. I thought hiphop had graduated from "I'm the baddest dude" and "I've got the biggest d***" back in the 80's. Can't compare to Nas- Illimatic or Mos Def- Black on Both Sides. Both with relevant material about the real world. The Blue Print focuses on superficial materialism and club life. Why do hip hop heads believe Jay Z when he says is the best? I wish this was good.

Miguel A gave it a10:
The reason you cant always trust the user ratings on Metacritic (especially in the Rap genre) is because there are the "haters" who will not even listen to the album and rate it a 1 because that rapper has "beef" with his favorite rapper. Even though this album has an 8.5 rating, I'm disgusted. This is one of the greatest Hip Hop albums of ALL TIME. Jay's rapping is sick, and so are the beats. That's all you need to know. It's balanced.

jamie gave it a10:
Its a shame that this albums overall user rating is at 8.4 because 2 people decided to give it a zero. Even if you didn't like this album, its obviously worth more than a zero. An amazing album, and one of the reasons people continue to put jay-z in their top 5. If your a hip-hop head, you deserve to treat yourself to, in my opinion, the greatest mc to ever hold a mic. Im not a "dick rider" in any way....but once i heard the Black Album, i went back and listened to this dudes whole discography......Amazing artist, Amazing album, Amazing dude. G.O.A.T!

richard gave it a5:
Jay-z hires the best song producers in the business. he creates fairly clever but shallow improvised lyrics. but the songs are boring and repetitive. There are much more creative and talented rappers, but since he is an a hole people say he is great. he is overrated.

Cristopher R gave it a10:
This is one of only few albums that you can and must listen to from beginning to end. It is a classic in every way possible.

Greg B gave it a10:
The best rap album since Nas' "Illmatic". It's a masterpiece.

Blake G gave it a10:
Best album of 01.

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The Blueprint

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