"What We Talkin About" - Very impressive. Hov came in spitting and for a split second he gave us a taste of what we are used to. The production (which is phenomenal) sets the tone for the entire album where he pretty much tells us he’s not the same as he was and never will be again.
"Empire State of Mind" – A more relaxed paced track where Hov pays homage to his hometown. But at the same time serves as a motivator and a warning saying one could achieve great things here, but don’t get caught slipping because this city will eat you alive.
"A Star is Born" – I’m not a big fan of the hook on this track. It’s cheesy in so many ways. But lyrically Hov brings it as he talks about the rise of some of our favorite rappers. J. Cole’s (Roc Nation’s first artist) contribution on the song showed that he can hang with the boss. With lines like “the flow cold as a shoulder of a gold digging hoe when a broke n-gga approaches” he is proving to be a problem. Keep an eye out for him.
My least favorite track on the album is “On to the Next One.” Though Jay-Z’s lyrics are satisfying to some degree, the track as an entire body of work is lackluster. On the flip side of things, the album is flooded with features from the usual suspects, Kanye West, Rihanna, Young Jeezy, and Pharrel who all bring flare to some of the tracks. Jay even brings aboard some of today’s buzz driven new artists like Drake, Kid Cudi and J. Cole.
All in all the Blueprint 3 is a solid album with quality production and content that isn’t so far gone. Hov ultimately tells us that he has evolved but he is not disconnected. If you’re looking for the next “Streets is Watching”, “Where I’m From” or even “Dead Presidents” you won’t find it here. It’s safe to say he’s officially “Off That.” He’s making music for today and it correlates with his current lifestyle. One can either grow with him or keep living in the past.
“Hov on that new shit, Ni**as like how come? Ni**as want my old shit, Buy my old album” – Jay-Z
