- Critic score
- Publication
- By date
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A fully realized masterpiece.
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13 tracks of the kind of confident, effortless wordplay that made him a household name in the first place.
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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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The Bed-Stuy boy musters up enough of his own charisma, charm and wit to build another solid release.
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But for an MC claiming to represent ''for the seat where Rosa Parks sat,'' one expects a bit more.
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Blueprint is his best since debuting with Reasonable Doubt in 1996.
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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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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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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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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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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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UncutAlmost every tune sounds like a hit. [Dec 2001, p.108]
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 279 out of 305
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Mixed: 5 out of 305
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Negative: 21 out of 305
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Aug 17, 2010
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BlakeGMay 24, 2007Best album of 01.
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chimsijhehFeb 20, 2004wack dont was ur time