“Ten number one albums in a row. Who better than me? Only the Beetles. Nobody ahead of me.” –Jay-Z “Reminder”


A great deal of time has passed since Jay-Z’s last album American Gangster. Yesterday, he fed the streets one again with The Blueprint 3. The album comes on the week of the eighth anniversary of the twin tower attacks and his album The Blueprint. The Blueprint 3 is his first post-Def Jam album. Accompanying the album this week is a huge concert at the world famous Madison Square Garden with proceeds going to the families who lost loved ones in the twin tower attacks. The album holds special meaning, but it reminds some people of his arguably worst album Kingdom Come. Has he simply lost his touch or is there something deeper that is going over people’s heads?

I’m not a hardcore Jay-Z fan, but I was excited about The Blueprint 3. I was happy with American Gangster and couldn’t wait to see what he came up with next. Hearing “Jockin’ Jay-Z (Dope Boy Fresh)” is what created the great excitement I had for The Blueprint 3. A lot of people including a few journalists I know didn’t like it. This puzzled me because I felt that Jay was reinventing himself. Sure, it was the same cocky Jay-Z, but this felt and sounded different. The energy he brought when he premiered the record by performing it was amazing.

This new Jay-Z is a Jay-Z who wants his name to be etched in stone forever for all to see. He wants to be better than the Beetles. This is all shown in his second promotional single the Beetles sounding “History” and the album cut “Young Forever” assisted by the British singer Mr. Hudson.


The Blueprint 3 is a true capstone to Jay’s career (“And that all blue Yankee is my graduation cap” –Jay-Z “Swagga Like Us”). It is a response to those who criticized him his whole career. It is the real top of the latter album unlike Kingdom Come which he was reportedly forced to make by the way. This album is different than Kingdom Come because you can hear the freedom in his voice and the hunger he has to be the best artist of all time. Being free from Def Jam gave him the ability to try different things with this album. Trying different things when you are known for one thing is a daring task. He could risk losing a great deal of his fan base. But he did not seem to care. He wanted The Blueprint 3 to be his final testament. He did keep and shoot the venom he is known for on “Reminder.” On the flip side of that, he sparks inspiration and hope on “Empire State of Mind” and “A Star is Born.”


Deep down everyone wants to be known for eternity. For some it is for public service. For others like Jay-Z it is for their art. Jay-Z wants to be known for the cleverness of his complex rhymes to his secret messages to his inspiring ones. This album is a great step to that greatness he wants to achieve. To him, it is not enough for multicultural people to hold him higher. He wants to be known by all forever. He wants to be the one young people today talk to their grandchildren about in the future. He wants those children to discover him just like how the Beetles are discovered by many young children today.

I do believe that Jay-Z will achieve this, even more so than NaS. This is certainly a lot coming from me. I am glad to have discovered Jay-Z. He really has grown since I heard my first Jay-Z record “Hard Knock Life (The Ghetto Anthem).”


Listening to all of his albums is a great journey. I met him a couple years ago. Then, I didn’t think much of him. I didn’t know that I was standing in front someone who was destined to make history. Now, I’m glad to have been blessed with his presences. A star was born on December 4, 1969, indeed.