Monday, September 7, 2009

I was wrong



The Blueprint 3 slated to drop tomorrow, is actually quite good. I do think i was right to harbour skepticism. The first couple singles and leaks were not exactly the fire i was hoping for. Take "Run This Town" which is a few minutes too long for my liking. DOA the original street single wasn't exactly a full strength effort either. Jay-z might be taking some knocks for hating on the auto-tune or whatever but i don't think its scathing or personal. He just wants rappers to step up, lyric to lyric. So that was DOA, while Run This Town was an assertion that rap was a two headed monster and to be frank, Kanye kind of helt it down. Timbaland who had in the past brought Jigga some of his bigger anthems kind of regressed on this one but thats pretty much where the negativity ends. The rest of the effort is pretty nice. 7/10 and that puts it right behind American Gangster in my top 5 Jigga albums 1995 to whatever.

Jay-Z - A Star is Born ft. J. Cole

This one is about how everybody got their start somewhere, somehow, and it's a little launching pad for the Nation's first signee, J. Cole, a rapper that curiously waited for Jigga outside of his studio to hand him his demo tape a couple years ago. Every dog has his day.

Jay-Z - Empire State of Mind ft. Alicia Keys

This is that New York Anthem not quite as gritty as one would think an hommage to the rotten apple would be, but this one glorifies rather than pits itself on crime and poverty. Manhattan Alicia Keys approprietly sings the hook. " I make the yankee fitted more famous than a yankee can".

Jay-Z - On to the Next One ft. Swizz Beats


"Niggas like my old shit, buy my old albums". If i can get anything from this song, it's that Jay isn't done just yet. He links up with Swizz once again who samples Justice's D.A.N.C.E if only tacitly.

Jay-Z - Real As It Gets ft. Young Jeezy

One of those rap songs that aims to be epicly uplifting. The snowman comes nice again but it's 2009 and we expect that much. When Jigga is in the building it's no longer recession rap folks.

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