Opposing viewpoints: Blueprint 3 fails to impress
Jay-Z's new album delivers old sounds.
Published Sept. 11, 2009
Jay-Z is almost 40 years old. His output thus far has been impressive and he has the strongest case for title of Best Rapper Alive, but that can't change the fact that the man is aging. Despite all his success, he's got some things to prove. After the clunker that was Kingdom Come and the solid (if unspectacular) American Gangster, a man who compares himself to Michael Jordan has to prove this comeback is more second-threepeat than Wizards MJ. The Blueprint 3 was released almost eight years to the day after the original Blueprint, a classic produced by relative unknowns that had only one guest spot. On The Blueprint 3, Jay-Z assembles a star-studded team of producers and a bevy of guests to craft an altogether underwhelming album.
On opening track, "What We Talkin' About?" Jay declines to acknowledge rumored feuds, placing himself above the fray. This shows a stark change for the man who wrote "Takeover" -- Jay is concerned about the direction of the genre. This motif is repeated with great affect on lead single "D.O.A", an attack on auto-tune and tight, colorful clothing that features the album's best beat. The second single, "Run This Town," is a weaker take on the same idea; Jay's uninspired lyrics and Rihanna's inability to be believable as rebellious is only saved by a strong verse from Kanye West. On the best song in this vein, "Off That," Jay continues his assault on unfavorable trends in rap. Big chains, making it rain, rims -- Jay is over all of these things, and he urges everyone to move on with him.
Aside from featuring some of Jay's more clever lines ('Tell Rush Limbaugh/to get off my balls/it's 2010/not 1864"), "Off That" also serves as a link to another prominent idea on the album -- Jay as an innovator. The Swizz Beatz produced "On To The Next One" introduces this theme amidst a terrible beat and mind-numbing chorus: Jay proclaims he's "gotta keep it fresh." "So Ambitious" picks up where "On To The Next One" leaves off and, more than anything, serves as a reminder Pharrell ran out of ideas after producing every song released in 2003.
Most of the album's standout tracks defy this categorization. "Empire State of Mind," Jay's ode to New York, is bolstered by a grand performance by Alicia Keys and easily becomes the record's most impressive song. "A Star Is Born," a bizarre tribute to Jay's fellow rappers, includes some of the best lyricism on the album ("T.I. literally wanted to shoot up the charts") along with a surprisingly good guest verse from J. Cole. The guest appearances aren't always welcome, though. West's opening verse on "Hate" single-handedly derails the song. The Young Jeezy feature on "Real As It Gets" is uninspired and it doesn't help that Jay follows it with two boring verses.
Ultimately, this is the album's downfall. The number of guests, the lack of cohesive theme, the overall absence of standout production -- these factors add up to an album that is more boring than anything else. Despite attacks on the direction of rap and his insistence that he's an innovator, Jay sounds complacent, which is made clear on closing track "Young Forever." Following a chorus that samples "Forever Young", Jay describes in detail the lush lifestyle he lives. You can't fault a man for a lack of hunger when he's living a "picture perfect" life, much like you can't fault Jay-Z's listeners when they wish that he could stay young forever.