вЂњAmerican GangsterвЂќ was a certified classic, yet it didnвЂ™t sell anything like his usual numbers due to a lack of big singles. вЂњKingdom ComeвЂќ was a pretty colossal failure, saved only by a strong first week вЂ“ and lyrically he droned on about brands so exclusive, normal people couldnвЂ™t relate in any form. But after that, the rest of BP3 becomes disparate, random even вЂ“ and not just the music. Whilst GM-modified hits such as вЂњRun This TownвЂќ are a touch cold, clinical even, in their creation, the first five tracks work well, culminating in the spine-tingling вЂњEmpire State of Mind.вЂќ If I hadnвЂ™t been travelling around New York at the time, it may well have had a Google Maps feel to it вЂ“ but it is a stunning and certified banger of a homage to the Big Apple. It must be said that the top-heavy first third is virtually unimpeachable вЂ“ whilst not all-time classic Jigga, it is still very successful and will worm its way into your psyche without warning. MarsвЂќ sounds undercooked and out of place вЂњReminderвЂќ isnвЂ™t as awful as first thought, but still far from his best. TimbalandвЂ™s efforts are the most play-it-safe beats that he has cooked up for years: вЂњOff ThatвЂќ is a poor relation to the Justin/Furtado takeover of 2006 вЂњVenus Vs. It is musically ambitious opus, but whilst the Neptunes may have fallen off from making smash hits, they have quietly been crafting beautiful album closers for a few years now вЂ“ and they succeed with вЂњSo Ambitious,вЂќ whereas Kanye flails helplessly with musical clangers like вЂњA Star Is BornвЂќ and вЂњAlready HomeвЂќ (surely sponsored by Garageband Loops). In the past, you could always rely on Jay-Z to have that ear for music вЂ“ and the better his taste in music, the better his lyrical content tended to be. After initial listens, my friend and I simultaneously emailed one another that it sounded like a Nas album except without the stunning lyrics to save it. Expect Swizz Beatz imitating the Neptunes вЂ™01, Timbaland imitating Timbaland circa вЂ™03/вЂ™06, Kanye imitating everyone EXCEPT Kanye West вЂ™01вЂ¦ One of the shocks to the system is the middling beats that have snuck in. DonвЂ™t believe the hype: it is barely noticeable, as he doesnвЂ™t really commit to ANY style, preferring instead to genre-hop between hip hop, R&B and sample-driven dance. Much has been made of JayвЂ™s flirtation with the indie-rock-hipster scene. In other words, Em and Jigga can take 8 years off between them and still be the two biggest rappers in the world (other MCвЂ™s need to step their game up next decade). The significance of this? They are the top 2 selling rappers this decade, even though they both took extended breaks. The last time that Eminem and Jay-Z released full-length solo LPвЂ™s in the same year? 2002 вЂ“ вЂњThe Eminem ShowвЂќ and вЂњThe Blueprint 2вЂќ. After all, this is a huge release from an industry giant.

A select few are firmly hedging their bets вЂ“ allowing themselves to actually LISTEN to the album more than once on their shitty laptop speakers.

The diehard fan base has generally been pleased, declaring it another classic вЂ“ the rest of the world thinks it a Roc Nation abomination. Since вЂњThe Blueprint 3вЂќ leaked just over a week ago, everyone has been rushing to post their own online reviews and the reviews have been incredibly mixed, perhaps forcing Camp Carter to bump up the release date to the regular Tuesday, as opposed to Friday 9/11. And here we go with another Jigga effort, his seventh proper one this decade and, for some bizarre reason, the last in the apparent вЂњBlueprint Trilogy.вЂќ Make no mistake, though, this one has practically nothing to do with the original. Yet the rap game is in an interesting transitional phase вЂ“ the old guard are still retaining much of their fan base, whilst dropping impressive efforts every now and then that make young critics swoon at how they are вЂњrolling back the years.вЂќ Then, you have relative youngsters like Drake, Kid Cudi and co that are being declared legends by kids who just donвЂ™t know any better: they have yet, at this very point, to even release albums, so relax and let them progress a while. Live fast, die young, relate to the youth, fuck the old guard. ItвЂ™s interesting, because in hip hop that age is unfairly regarded as the dawn of senility, not wisdom вЂ“ and the genre is probably the most ageist one around. Jay-Z will turn 40 in a couple of months.

Listen to blueprint 3