New York City has long been a landmark in hip-hop, from its humble beginnings during the early 70’s in The Bronx to the infamous East/West feud in the late 90’s to the NYC Drill Movement that’s been prominent since Bobby Shmurda’s rise to fame in the mid-2010’s. Put simply, New York City is the home of hip hop and will forever remain that way. And when you think of iconic NYC MC’s there’s really only three that indisputably top the list– Nas, Notorious B.I.G., and Jay-Z.
Jay-Z’s career has effectively been the living embodiment of the American dream– from growing up in the Marcy Housing Projects to becoming hip-hop’s first billionaire. Along the way he’s dropped numerous critically acclaimed albums, founded countless business ventures, and married fellow pop culture powerhouse Beyonce. It’s been a damn ride.
The Blueprint is one of Jay-Z’s most iconic cuts, a throwback to NYC hip hop roots that features a heavy dosage of samples from soul and R&B songs from the 70’s. It was the album that sent then relatively unknown Kanye West soaring into the stratosphere and cemented Jay-Z as one of hip hop’s all-time great. From Jay-Z’s crystal clean flow that expertly weaves between verses to his well-documented lyrical witticism that consistently catches you and never lets go (“What you eat don’t make me shit” from “Heart of The City” is one of my all-time faves), Jay-Z’s brilliance is on full display throughout The Blueprint. Much like Nas’ magnum opus Illmatic, listening to this album transports you straight into the heart of New York City in a way like very few other albums can.
Standout Songs: “Izzo (H.O.V.A.), “Heart of the City (Ain’t No Love)”, “Girls, Girls, Girls”, “Never Change”
