"...a retraction is certainly due after this one." -- closing line of my Life & Times of S. Carter diatribe, May 2000

"Mouthpiece for hustlers, I'm back muthaf*ckas." -- Jay-Z, September 2001

When a hip-hop head hears the phrase "5 mics", eyes grow wide and mouths usually hang open. Though lately, The Source has faltered a bit as of late in it's album ratings, in my opinion, no one can deny that the title of 5 mics is no joke, primarily reserved strictly for the elite, the best of the best (or the richest of the rich.)

I picked up a copy of this month's issue to thumb through primarily for the purpose of making fun of Suge Knight's fallen empire and seeing what Nas had to say about Jay-Z's latest lyrical assassination on his character. Upon thumbing through the album reviews, I laughed out loud at the sight of Jay's new album, The Blueprint being awarded the prestigious 5 mics, but didn't think too much of it. I was a huge fan of the artist's first 3 albums, but was convinced he had taken a hit he could never get up from with the release of the God-awful Dynasty: Roc La Familia. However, the more I sat thinking, the more it ate up my head -- is this album REALLY as good as they say it is? I mean sure, the majority of people on Epinions rated it favorably, and sure, that pretentious prick Donlee told me it was "f*cking awesome", but I had to find out for myself.

I hesitantly purchased a used copy of the CD for 7.99 at the local used CD retailer, and popped it in my portable CD player for the long journey home. Slowly, but surely, I realized it -- they weren't exaggerating.

This album picks up right where Jay's debut release, Reasonable Doubt should've left off. Hard, street-smart lyricism that has always been Jay's underutilized claim to fame shines prominently throughout this album. Couple that with his famous gritty street beats, and an excellent array of producers each doing their own thing, and you have a surefire hit of an album, and The Blueprint is a fine example.

Jay-Z made a fatal mistake on his last 2 albums -- he got so caught up in radio airplay and blitkrieging the top 40 music charts, that he forgot what drew fans to him when he was still a hungry young cat from Brooklyn with an appetite for true hip-hop. By some godsend, Hova seems to have rekindled that fire that he thrived on just a few short years ago -- the same fire that sent a low rumble through the heart and soul of the industry with amazing tracks like Brooklyn's Finest, Can't Knock the Hustle, and Where I'm From.

The last 2 albums Jay released seemed to get the same response -- they certainly ate up the radio airwaves, but both recieved an extremely lukewarm reception from the mans dedicated fan base, myself included.

Nearly every track on The Blueprint is a standout in the dark age of hip-hop where no one seems to care about originality or creativity anymore. Herein, Jay-Z proves that not all artists fall in that category, as he reclaims the title as one of hip-hop's finest, entrusted to him so many years ago.

Below is a more thorough run-down of the in-and-outs of the album's flesh and blood:

Standout tracks

1. The Ruler's Back - This is an excellent introduction to the album -- Jay stands his ground and proclaims his dominance in the hip-hop industry. I admire any artist who can tell you exactly what he's going to do, then follow through and do it. Jay does just that here, he doesn't tell you how hot the album will be, then f*ck around and try passing off something whack, like his last CD. Definitely one of the best tracks on the album.

2. The Takeover - Probably my favorite track on the album, this is where Jay explores new ground with disses and battle raps aimed for the jugular of Prodigy of Mobb Deep fame, and Nas, respectively. Though I'm a big Mobb Deep fan, I can't help but admit Jay does a great job of dropping his disses from the Hot 97 Summer Jam on Prodigy. No matter how much I like the artist, if the diss is is a legit, straightforward battle cry, instead of just lame impersonal jokes, it'll be a song I respect, just like Mobb Deep's Drop a Gem On 'em, directed at 2pac, as well as LL Cool J (who I despise) slamming Kool Moe Dee (who I love) with Mama Said Knock You Out. Jay proves that he can stand his ground and hold his own with this track, and the sampling of the Doors for the background is an ingenious idea.

"Yea, I sampled your voice, you was usin' it wrong, you made it a hot line, I made it a hot song."

4. Girls, Girls, Girls - At first, I didn't much care for this MTV mainstay, but it's started to grown on me as of late. I love the soulful sampling of the melodic, musically-oriented beat, and I admire Jay's laid-back lyricism here.

5. Jigga That N*gga - Definitely a track for the clubs, I like how Jay manages to take a more upbeat turn here, but remains true to his roots, and doesn't make it overly poppy. Great bassline, as well, the only thing that bothers me about this song is the line borrowed from Snoop's What's My Name for the chorus. The track could've been just as top-notch if Jay replaced that one line with something of his own.

6. U Don't Know - Normally, I frown upon artists using voice synthesizers, but Jay does in this song, and manages to keep the track a hardcore head-knocker.

7. Hola Hovito - This Timbaland produced track doesn't seem to fare well with many listeners, but I definitely think it's a high point of the album. Jay's lyricism compliments the very Still D.R.E-ish beat perfectly, and I like the catchy, psuedo-call-and-response chorus, a different edge to the pure lyrical-based strength of the bulk of Jay's tracks. This is definitely the token street anthem from the album.

8. Heart of the City - It took me a few listens to catch on to this track, but the soulful chorus sampled from the Bobby Blue Band hooked me. I could have this chorus looped continuously in my head and be perfectly content for the rest of my life.

9. Never Change - This is a perfect follow-up to the previous track. It continues the soul-filled background singing and chorus, which blends surprisingly well with Jay's old-school style verses. Again, I absolutely adore this track, especially for the music.

10. Song Cry - This is a much more emotional song than I'm used to hearing from Jay. It seems to be a lament to a lost lover, but I get the strong impression from hints within that it's something of an I Used To Love H.E.R. style song. Either way, definitely an emotional, standout track.

"I can't see 'em comin' down my eyes, so I gotta make the song cry."

12. Renagade (sic) - This is more of a ho-hum song to me overall, but I'll admit to liking Eminem's verses within. I've always respected the man's lyrical flexibility, but I'm fed up with his overexposure. Nonetheless, he drops a couple of pretty good verses, even better than Jay's own on this particular cut. I think Jay tried to adapt his lyrical style to fit better with Eminem's own, which in the end, just doesn't work. However, the song is at least worth a listen for Slim's first verse.

13. Blueprint (Momma Loves Me) - Yet another soulful song, this track lets Jay really shine in his ability to slow down his raps, without losing the pace set by the rest of the album. Not too many artists today can successfully do that. This track seems to be a nod back to the Hard Knock Life era, in terms of overall production. One of the best songs on the album.

Labels turned me down, couldn't foresee, Clark sought me out, Dame believed, Primo laced me, Ski did too, Reasonable Doubt, classic -- shoulda went triple, mama loved me, papa left me, grandma dressed me, plus she fed me."

Tracks I didn't care for

3. Izzo (H.O.V.A.) - This track was the first I heard from the CD, thanks to it's radio and MTV airplay, but it's just way too poppy for my tastes. Jay flexes his excellent flow here, but it just seems out of place to me when compared side-by-side with the rest of the album.

11. All I Need - I like the sample of the female singing in the background in this song, but overall, it just doesn't hit me as a standout track. The chorus is rather materialistic and lame, in my opinion. I would enjoy this track as an instrumental, but that's it.

Hidden tracks

Breathe Easy (Lyrical Exercise) (title according to OHHLA.com) - This is simply an awesome track, Jigga's metaphors here show why he's on the top of his game today.

"I'm catchin' my second wind the second the first one ends, I'm focused man, and I'm not afraid of death, and I'm goin' all out, I circle the vultures in a van."

Girls, Girls, Girls (Remix) - This isn't really a track I care for too much, I just recently started hearing it on the radio, but it seems to me that it would've been better off released on a maxi-single, possibly, but it doesn't really belong on the album. The hook is extremely annoying, it should've been left to Biz Markie, Slick Rick, and Q-Tip.

One seemingly consistent complaint I've heard about this album is that it only provides 13 tracks, not counting the 2 hidden bonus tracks, but I can say for certain that I'd rather a CD have 13 good, solid tracks, than 20 tracks, few of which have any value, which was the case with The Life & Times of S. Carter. Kudos to Jay-Z for realizing the long-lost art of making an album within the means of quality, not quantity.

One other aspect that I think makes this album great is the lack of guest appearances, the only non-chorus guest appearance at all, in fact, is that of Eminem, which is virtually unheard of today, where when you buy an artist's CD, you're basically buying a CD of that artist's whole clique, as it goes with No Limit or Cash Money artists, and is even the case with talented artists like DMX (pre-Great Depression, post-It's Dark & Hell Is Hot) and Dr. Dre. Jay actually manages to make a strong, solid, album on his own strength alone, and not that of his entire entourage. Proof that it can be done.

I think the biggest asset of all as it pertains to The Blueprint is that it seems to have been written from the perspective of a fan, not of a flossy rapper trying to sell an image of himself. I can easily see Jay sitting down to write tracks from this album and genuinely being interested in what would appeal to his fans, not what would appeal to record execs and that evil bastard, Carson Daly.

I would definitely say that this is one of the best hip-hop albums to come out this year. Any hip-hop fan who is tired of the same old redundant "hip-hop-lite" that's flooded the market for the past few years, take it from me, you owe it to yourself to check this album out, I don't think you'll be at all disappointed.

As a hip-hop fan, I say "thank you" to Jay-Z for going out on a limb, going against the grain, and making a worthwhile hip-hop album. Let's hope it sparks a fire of creativity under other hip-hop artists who have that underlying, untapped talent somewhere in their body. But here and now -- thank you, Shawn Carter.


Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Driving