1. The Rulers back- A nice track to open the album with, lots of
quotables from this track.

"I'm representin for the seat where Rosa Parks sat Where Malcolm X was shot, where Martin Luther was popped"

He even threw in some nice wordplay with names on this track:

"There's a lot of rappers out there tryin to sound like Jay-Z
I'll help you out, here's what you do
You gonna need a wide lens cause that's a VERR' big shoe
And you got a couple of +Beans+ and you don't have a +Clue+?
You situation is +Bleek+, I'ma keep it +Rell+ cause
Fuckin with me, you gotta drop +Amil+"
10/10

2. Take Over- Comming at Mobb Deep and Nas with a pretty original sounding diss track. Lots of quotables from this too, but i won't get into those. This is the one that started all of the beef or atleast the track that that made their beef public knowledge. A nice first strike
9/10

3. Izzo(H.O.V.A.)- Probably the most radio fiendly track from the
album, i liked the way Kanye used the Jackson 5 sample. Overall Not a great track though.
6/10

4. Girls, Girls, Girls- Alot of people seem to miss the whole point of
this track. The amount of differant stereotypes and traits that he
includes in this song are impressive. The hook with Q-tip, Slick Rick and Biz Markie is a lil annoying, but i guess you get used to it. The Just Blaze beat on this track is just plain inspiring. But when it comes down to it, it is just another song about girls right?
7/10

5. Jigga That N***a- Jay Z spits with a nearly flawless flow over a
uptempo Track Masters(Poke n Tone) beat.

"I am, killin 'em out there, they needin first aid
Cause the boy got more 6's than first grade"

A decent song, but just another average track for Jay Z.
7/10

6. U Don't Know- This track has an amazing Just Blaze beat, he used the Bobby Byrd sample almost perfectly. I've never heard a rapper break down his game plan completely like Jay Z does in this song. Lyrically this track is pretty good also

"But this is worse than the Dow Jones your brains are now blown
all over that brown Brougham, one slip you are now gone"

One flaw in this track might be that Jay almost makes it sound TOO easy.

"I sell ice in the winter, I sell fire in hell
I am a hustler baby, I'll sell water to a well
I was born to get cake, move on and switch states
Cop the Coupe with the roof gone and switch plates
Was born to dictate, never follow orders
Dickface, get your shit straight, fucka this is Big Jay"
10/10

7. Hola Hovita- The Timbaland beat isn't great, i think he tried to
give it a Spanish type flavor. Still dropped some nice quotable lines

"I ball for real, y'all niggaz is Sam Bowie
And with the third pick - I made the earth sick
M.J., hem Jay, fade away perfect
I rhyme sicker than every rhyme spitter
Every crime nigga that rhyme or touch a mic because my mind's quicker"

He also spits one of the boldest lines of his career:

"If you haven't heard, I'm Michael Magic and Bird
all rolled in one - cause none got more flows than Young
Plus got more flows to come
And if I ain't better than Big, I'm the closest one"

This track i would consider a lil bit of a dissapointment compared to the rest of the album, even though it's still FILLED with quotable
lines.
7/10

8. Heart Of The City(Ain't No Love)- Another dope beat, they just keep comming with this album. This time Kanye West takes another turn using a Bobby "Blue" Band sample. Nice track all around, lots of quotables again...

"I thought I told you characters I'm not a rapper
Can I live? I told you in ninety-six
that I came to take this shit and I did, handle my biz
I scramble like Randall with his
Cunning-ham but the only thing runnin is numbers fam
Jigga held you down six summers; damn, where's the love?"

Overall Jigga basically just addresses the issue of all that he's given us the last few years, to receive no love in return.
10/10

9. Never Change- Another nice Kanye beat with great sample usage. Jay Z brings a solid effort to this track, with a few hustling tales included.

"We run streets like drunks run street lights"

"What, the streets robbed me, wasn't educated properly
Well fuck y'all, I needed money for Atari
Was so young my big sis' still playin with Barbie"
8/10

10. Song Cry- It seems like it wouldn't be right to not give the
producer props when speaking about songs from this album, so i have to mention that this is yet another nice Just Blaze beat. Overall this is a very emotional track for Jay Z, differant from his usual types of
songs. The subject is a relationship from a few years prior, he
explains the whole situation and realizes his own mistakes all at once.
10/10

11. All I Need- An ok beat, an above average track. On most albums this would probably be one of the better tracks. But on this it's just average.
6/10

12. Renegade(feat. Eminem)- The only major guest appearance on this album with Eminem producing and rapping on the track. This is flat out one of the best collaborations in hip hop history. Eminem spits a
couple of the deepest verses of his rap career, and brings it lyrically in an amazing fashion. Jay Z more than holds his own on this track, with some deep and amazing lyrics as well.

"Motherfuckers -
say that I'm foolish I only talk about jewels (bling bling)
Do you fools listen to music or do you just skim through it?"

I think that Jay Z quote summarizes alot of swallow-minded haters perfectly.
10/10

13. Blueprint(Momma Loves Me)- Nice simple beat that suits this track nicely. Jay basically speaks on himself comming up

"Marcy raised me; and whether right or wrong
Streets gave me all I write in the song"

"Kitchen table - that's where I honed my skills
Jaz made me believe the shit was real
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"
8/10

**Bonus Tracks**

14. Breathe Easy (Lyrical Exercise)- A really nice bonus track where Jay z relates everything in rap to exercising. Alot of pretty good wordplay in this track.
8/10

15. Girls, Girls, Girls (Remix)- Not quite is good as the original, he
doesnt really include the various stereo types and stuff.
6/10


The beats on this album were just amazing, no other way to put it really. Just Blaze, Kanye West especially really outdid themselves or maybe they're just getting started. Beats: 10/10
Jay Z comes with good lyrics and a killer flow throughout the whole album. Lyrics: 9/10
This album should easily be considered a classic, it's easily in the
top few albums to drop in the new millennium. 9.5/10

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Nice review.but you kinda overrated the songs.Renegade is the only song that I think deserves a 10.

i've heard a few tracks. not alot i consider amazing but eh. have you got a link for it?

Classic album....not much more needs to be said, 5 mic rating....every track has a dope beat and excellent lyrics. Pen, I think u overlooked tha flow on some of these tracks. It's simply flawless on most, which in some instances makes up for a lack of "quotables" (which he rarely doesn't have enuff of).....soooo....this is definitely 1 of his 2 best albums

~~H-N-I-C

good review this is a good album not hte best he has produced but still good review thanks

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OYD MAFIA

na the blueprint was da shit

Overrated too many tracks...it was ight....but not as godly as ya making it look

underrated "izzo" and "hola hovito"

I think this album is huuuugely overrated. Everyone says it's a classic and with ratings in the 9's and 10's, I hate it. I'd give it about 4/10. The only tracks I really like are Takeover and Renagade.

^^ word I like this album though it has a lot of great tracks in it..it makes me wanna bob my head but I guess u guys dont like it lol

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