While the arrogance and cool menace is great, Jay-Z has always been at his absolute best when he’s honest and vulnerable. While much of the production is lavish and feels grandiose, parts of the album feel unfinished, from the under-a-minute throwaways like “Versus” and “Beach Is Better” to “BBC,” an absolutely star-studded posse cut with features from Nas, Beyoncé, Justin Timberlake, Nigo, and Swizz Beatz with production from Timbaland and Pharrell that is fun but still feels more like a freestyle outtake rather than an actual song. There are moments of poignancy, like the ode to his daughter, “JAY Z Blue,” and the survivor’s guilt confessional, “Nickels and Dimes,” but they come towards the end, a bit too late. Occasionally this works, like on “Picasso Baby,” but more often it does not.
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The height of luxury rap, Magna Carta Holy Grail is full of references that are lost on the average listener and felt like Jay was bragging at us rather than rhyming to us. Much of the boasting feels reductive – the listener should believe he is good because he’s successful and his success is proof that he’s good.
It’s baffling how this was included in so many best-of-the-year lists because The Blueprint 3 is the musical equivalent of an All-Star Game that’s full of incredibly talented people that have no desire to be part of the festivities. Mars” would be the worst song on the album if not for “Young Forever,” which is in the conversation of worst Jay-Z songs ever. Throughout the project, Jay’s pedestrian bars match the lackluster beats. “Venus vs. Cole, Drake, and Kid Cudi, only Cole – a Roc Nation artist – is allowed a verse rather than being relegated to performing a forgettable hook. He also hedges on the collaborations, because while he keeps with the future vibe by featuring the next generation in the form of J. Songs like “Already Home” and “Reminder” sound like the work of a deeply insecure artist that is petrified of his achievements being forgotten, yet on “Off That” and “On To the Next One,” Jay chastises the listener for focusing on his past achievements. Why is this a Blueprint album? It sounds nothing like the first two, the soul samples replaced by beats that are the result of asking a producer to make something “futuristic.” Perhaps that was Jay’s point – he’s making the blueprint for the future? The music is just as confusing as the title. Carter Collection) or any of his non-album appearances.Įven his worst LPs are still better than most artists’ best, but what are his greatest albums? Kelly ( The Best of Both Worlds Unfinished Business), Linkin Park ( Collision Course), Kanye West ( Watch the Throne), and Beyoncé ( Everything Is Love) live albums ( Unplugged Live in Brooklyn) soundtracks ( Streets Is Watching) other compilation albums ( Blueprint 2.1 Greatest Hits) mixtapes ( The S. It does not include all of his other releases, like the collaborative albums with R. The list below includes only solo studio albums.
It was impossible for anyone to imagine that this would be the outcome for the guy with the rapid-fire delivery that was best known as Jaz’s sidekick, but he’s reinvented his sound several times (with varying results) and has become a worldwide superstar. With 14 number-one albums on the Billboard chart (11 in a row as a solo artist), 21 Grammys, over 100 million records sold, and countless other side deals, he has repeatedly gone beyond the normal bounds of what a rapper could do.
Ranking Jay-Z’s Albums: Jay-Z is the most successful emcee in history.
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