Stripping B3 down to the beats is where you can see the real heavy lifting being done, and the cast of selected producers is dazzling. Jay may have abdicated his throne but heвЂ™s still part of the force, offering some helpful advice to his contemporaries (вЂњGet back to rappinвЂ™/YouвЂ™re T-Paining too muchвЂќ) and leading by example (вЂњI used to drink Cristal/ But those ***ers is racistвЂќ). He spends most of the album just enjoying his new position as the blinged-out Obi-Wan of the rap game. Jay himself is rarely off the mark in the lyrics department with only a few exceptions worth griping about (вЂњIвЂ™m an animal/ half man, half mammalвЂќ from вЂњAlready HomeвЂќ being the most unforgivable). JayвЂ™s choices in production both make and break this album. Blueprint 3 is where Jay set out to prove that he can take what works for everyone else and make it work for himself, and itвЂ™s a mean feat that he proved to be largely correct. He figures if WeezyвЂ™s flow is whatвЂ™s hot, why not try it on for size? Sampling French house tracks made KanyeвЂ™s Graduation the new hotness? Hova can dig it too. Experience has given Jay an ear for what works and what doesnвЂ™t. He doesnвЂ™t give a damn what anyone thinks because heвЂ™s been there, done that and bought the t-shirt several billion times over. The track is enough to make one wonder if this is going to be Manners: Hova Edition, but вЂњThank YouвЂќ soon clears all that up while stacking on the total mind*** of hearing Jay cop LilвЂ™ WayneвЂ™s flow in the first verse. His new attitude is probably responsible for Blueprint 3 kicking off with the synth-storm by the name of вЂњWhat We TalkinвЂ™ BoutвЂќ.

HmmвЂ¦music for the sake of music, eh? Jay might be on to something there. The worldвЂ™s most recognized rapper even went so far as to say that he hopes, вЂњIndie rock will push rap back a bit because it will force people to make great music for the sake of making great music.вЂќ SoвЂ¦what WAS he doing at that Grizzly Bear concert last month? Apparently, Jay just likes good music, and he canвЂ™t help but give credit where credit is due. Jay-Z is the last guy I would ever expect to be fishing for indie cred.

Review Summary: Hova's newest schematics for the future of the rap game are structurally sound.

Jay z blueprint 1 production credit