Shawn Carter better known by his stage name Jay-Z; returns with his eleventh studio album, “The Blueprint 3.” Due to be released in the United States on Sept. 11, 2009.
The Blueprint 3 is the third installment in a collection that got started on Sept. 11, 2001. From snares, experimental drum patterns, flow arrangement and manipulation of various sounds and instruments, Jay-Z along with his producers offer only the best in The Blueprint collection.
“The Blueprint 3” CD consists
of 15 tracks and is produced by Jay-Z himself, with additional production efforts from Kanye West, No I.D., Al Shux, The Inkredibles, Timbaland, Swizz Beats and The Neptunes.
Features include Kanye West, Rihanna, Alicia Keys, Young Jeezy, Drake, J. Cole, Kid Cudi, Pharrell, Mr. Hudson and Luke Steele. The album’s running time is approximately 60 minutes.
Jay-Z’s Blueprint collection continues to make a statement and serves as a reminder of what 9/11 represents to most Americans — one of the most horrific and traumatic tragedies to have ever occurred on American soil.
Jay-Z along with New York State Governor David A. Patterson and Fire Commissioner Nicholas
Scoppetta announced that a benefit concert will take place at Madison Square Garden on Sept. 11 to honor the victims and raise awareness of the heroic efforts of those who lost their lives to save others on that day eight years ago.
It is only a matter of days before one of the most anticipated hip hop albums of 2009 hits stores nationwide; Jay-Z has very high expectations to live up to. Since his first studio album “Reasonable
Doubt” which was released in 1996, the artist has had 10 consecutive number one albums.
Jay-Z very proudly recognizes
his musical accomplishments in the song “Thank You” from the Blueprint 3. “How am I a legend? I just got 10 number ones albums, maybe now eleven,” he said.
The official first single from “The Blueprint 3” is a song entitled “D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)” which was released June 5, 2009. The single caught such a big buzz in the hip hop community; it was more than a song; it was a campaign.
Auto-tune has become so common in hip hop and R&B music, many mainstream hip hop artists including fellow rapper and producer Kanye West used the phase “vocoder” for a majority of his most recent album “808’s & Heartbreak”.
Much more than a number, “D.O.A.” made a statement that would in return result in many rappers and R&B artists to stop using auto-tune.
The second official single from the album is a collaboration with rapper Kanye West and R&B singer Rihanna, a song entitled “Run This Town” which was released July 24, 2009. The song along with “D.O.A.” was also produced by Kanye West.
The single is also Jay-Z’s first top five songs on Billboard Hot 100 since “Show Me What You Got” was released in 2006.
Though “D.O.A.” appealed to true hip hop fans and made its mark in hip hop history, “Run This Town” Reclaimed Jay-Z’s spot as a commercial icon who never fails to make music that captures. “D.O.A.” is more for the streets; on the contrary, “Run This Town” was a radio success that prepared and made the way for “The Blueprint
3″.
Jay-Z’s Blueprint 3 will most definitely stand out from the rest of his work with its genius production and signature style sound that captures Jay-Z in a whole new way.
Many fans may expect Jay-Z’s Blueprint 3 to sound like the other two albums, but to truly understand this album, one needs to first understand the meaning of the word blueprint.
Aside from his other albums,
Jay-Z takes a chance to experiment and create something fresh and timeless.
Reviews will be mixed because the album is so different from anything he has ever done before. In this album, just like the preceding Blueprint albums, Jay-Z lays out the direction in which he thinks music will go.
From track one to track fifteen I could honestly say that I was blown away by Jay-Z’s creativity on each of the songs, more than ever I honestly feel that Jay-Z has grown as a musician in terms of wordplay, lyrical content and overall style in this newest installment.
If you are a fan of hip hop music and enjoy experimental sounds and rugged street lingo mixed with undeniable passion then this album is for you.
According to Amazon.com, The Blueprint 3 can be preordered for $9.99 and will be shipped on Sept. 8, 2009. If you are internet savy that would be the perfect way to go, if not make sure you go out and purchase a copy of “The Blueprint 3” on Sept. 11 at your local retail store.