The Blueprint 3 Review

The other day, Wes Blaze called me and told me that Jay-Z on The Blueprint 3 remind him of when Michael Jordan came back with the Washington Wizards. At first, I wasn't sure if the comparison fit. But the more I thought about, the more I realized how eerily similar MJ and Jay-Z's careers have been. Both had an excellent rookie season, with Jay-Z dropping Reasonable Doubt (A classic in every sense of the word) and MJ averaging a ridiculous 28 points a game his rookie year with the Bulls. Both men have been in the game for a long time, with a long list of credentials. Both have a retirement under their belt, and both weren't quite as sharp when they came back from their short hiatus (I am referring to MJ's second retirement). Now when MJ returned from his second retirement with the Wizards, he still averaged 20 points a game. But he was older, slower, and a far cry from the man who won 6 championships. Jay-Z, upon returning from his retirement, put out Kingdom Come, which is many people's opinions, is his worst work to date. He then rebounded with the excellent American Gangster, and now he has brought us The Blueprint 3. Like MJ with the Wizards, there are some great tracks on the new record. But, there also a few flops, and it seems to be a far cry from his first Blueprint and Reasonable Doubt.

The CD starts out strongly with "What We Talkin' About" followed by "Thank You," which is one of the best tracks on the CD because it evokes memories of older Jay-Z. The beat is reminiscent of a Reasonable Doubt cut and Jay's flow is vintage Hova. I happen to be a big fan of Jay's two singles, D.O.A (in which we find Jay using his legendary status to tell shitty rappers to stop making music. It's like Emmit Smith telling Tony Romo to be a better leader. When a legend calls you out, you listen) and "Run This Town." "Empire State of Mind" might be my favorite track on the album, as Jay takes us on a journey through New York City, his birthplace. As someone who has frequented New York and loved every minute of it, you can really hear the passion Hova has about his hometown. Alicia Keys kills the chorus, completing this stellar track.

Sadly, the collaboration with Young Jeezy is a bit boring, finding nothing lyrically new from either one of them even though the beat is a definite head bobber. "On To The Next One" finds Jay stepping up his lyrical game, but the repeated chant of "on to the next one" that makes up the beat gets a tad annoying as the song progresses. Swizz Beatz doesn't seem to have a ton of variety with his sound these days.

The Blueprint 3 rebounds with another of my favorites on the album, the Drake-assisted "Off That." With Jay waxing poetic about what isn't hip anymore (you hear that Pac Man Jones? We don't make it rain anymore, we off that) over a sinister Timbaland beat, it's one of the best on Blueprint 3.

"A Star Is Born" is another gem on Jay's latest effort, as we find Jay-Z reminiscing about his favorite rappers and commenting on the current stars in the game. He then hands the mic over to a true upcoming star in J. Cole, his first signee to Roc Nation. Cole goes in with his 16 bars, Cole starts off his rhyme with this ridiculous rhyme pattern: “The flow cold as the shoulders of gold diggin’ hoes when a broke nigga approaches," and then continues to tear up the rest of his verse

Unfortunately, the rest of The Blueprint 3 begins to slide downhill very quickly. The chorus on "Venus vs. Mars" is just plain boring and uncreative, while the beat on "Reminder" makes me skip the track immediately. "I'm Already Home" showcases a great chorus for the Lonely Stoner, aka Kid Cudi, but Jay sounds bored as he raps, and his lyrics suffer because of it. "Hate" isn't bad, but Kanye, for the second time on the CD, outshines Jay-Z, who comes pretty weak when Ye' brought his A game. "So Ambitious" is horrendous. I can't believe Pharell spent any more than 10 minutes on this beat, and why Jay chose this one over the hundreds of others he was probably sent is beyond me. Hov's boring lyrics match the boring beat, making this my least favorite track on the CD. I feel like I need to say 'pause' when I listen to "Young Forever" but Mr. Hudson comes through with the vocals. Jay though, once again, is uninspiring with lyrics, leaving you with mixed feelings as the CD comes to a close.

In the end, The Blueprint 3 is not a bad CD by any means. But we all know Jay could have done better, a lot better. Lyrically, I don't think Jay came very hard on this CD. Jay has never been the guy to drop witty one-liners on you, but he was creative and gritty. His ability to tell street stories through his music is what gave Hova his rise to fame. I just don't see or hear that same grittiness on The Blueprint 3. For now though, the good songs will be bumping in my car, and it is still definitely worth a buy. Like MJ with the Wizards, it leaves you thinking back to the old days when Jay and Mike were taking over the game single-handily.

"I'm doin it to the Maximum, Nissan"

Here's some new material from somebody who has become one of my favorite artists this past summer: J. Cole. After listening to The Warm Up for about 2 months straight, this dude has risen high on my charts. He's got the whole package: swagger, style, validity, wordplay...oh and did I mention he's signed by Jay-Z? He will be making a feature on Blueprint 3, which gives me just one more reason to get excited for that album. Also, according to Cole's blog, we could be seeing some new material soon.

"While I'm workin on the album I get urges to go off on certain beats I love. This is similar to the process of how The Warm Up originally started. I'm already sitting on some gems as we speak. I figured yall been rockin that warm up for a couple months, let's let some of them out. What's all this leading to? Shit, it ain't no tellin..
"I Came Up, I Warmed Up, the next up... "



DOWNLOAD: Back To The Topic Freestyle

Verse of the Day is BACK

One of the features I like about our blog is the verse of the day, a verse selected to show off an artist's prowess in lyricism. However, we haven't put one up in quite a while, so here is a nice verse from J. Cole off of The Warm Up. (If you still haven't gotten that, do so now)

From the track "Grown Simba"

"Pardon the Interruption
A proper introduction is necessary when your shit is lengendary, man
Greedy brothers wouldn't let me in the cafeterian
Cuz they ain't believe/suddenly they presbetarian
The hoes is librarians/they lookin me up
She got a jones like marion/she lickin me up
Then we cut, look how she say my name
I got her moanin j. cole/ they used to say jermaine
Inever change, im like a corpse in a coffin, 6 feet/shits deep
I was low, just a dollar and some hope/fix me
Cuz I was broke plus the weed that I would smoke would make me worser
Lord please let my problems disappear like Ron Mercer
I'm a star, converses/ conversin with them girls with the curves like cursive
They open like curtains cuz my shit is unheard of like curses on the radio
Same bitches used to play me though/now they yellin where you goin?"

Hard to top that....

Warm Up!

First, I just want to thank J. Cole for staying true to his word and dropping his mixtape today. Some of you rappers, cough Wale cough, need to learn how to stick to dates, or at least tell fans what's going on if your music is getting pushed back. Ok, had to get my rant on for a second there. I am now proud to link all of you hip-hop heads to the second mixtape from J. Cole, the first artist signed to Jay-Z's Roc Nation label. Entitled "The Warm Up," the growth on this tape compared to Cole's first one, "The Come Up," is almost tangible. His lyrics are deeper, his flow has been polished, and it is exciting to watch a guy with so much talent finally come into his own. Representing Fayettville, NC, I bring you "The Warm Up," courtesy of J. Cole. Enjoy it and please spread it around!


Download: J. Cole-The Warm Up Via: J.Cole's official website

Checking Up On Those Freshman

I have to really credit XXL with putting me on my current hip-hop shit. I was in the bookstore of the University of Missouri when I saw my man Wale gracing the cover of XXL's latest "Freshman To Watch" issue. I purchased the magazine, came back to my house and began downloading all the music I could from the various artists that made up the cover. That issue came out in late 2008, so I decided to check up on these cats and take their temperature. The future of hip-hop is in their hands, so let's see how they are handling it.

Buzz So Big They Could Probably Sell A Blank Disk

Drake-Probably the most hyped new artist out there, and he was not even on the XXL cover. Replace Ace Hood with Drake and XXL would have been golden. Having already dropped one of the most successful mixtapes the game has seen, Drake has already been in the studio with Jay-Z, Kanye West, and Pharell for work on his debut album. Sometimes it seems like Drake has been in the game for years. With a bidding war commencing between major record labels for the rights to distribute his album, with prices rumored to be as high as $2 million, Drake is pretty much set. Be on the lookout for his debut album in the fall. Drake is also rumored to be on the next single off of "The Blueprint 3" with Jay-Z.

Buzz Is Getting Louder

Wale-Since no one is quite on the level of Drake, quite a few newcomers fall into this category. We start with my man Wale Folarin, who's buzz fell off briefly a few month ago but is steadily climbing back into the forefront. After all sorts of problems with his next mixtape "Back To The Feature," Wale finally leaked a few tracks, both which were absolutely dope. Only increasing the hype of the tape, Wale also released "Family Matters," which takes a introspective look at a family made up of a prostitute and her child. Wale announced on his Twitter yesterday that the mixtape was finished, so we could have the tape in our hands tomorrow. If that happens, put Wale up in the category with Drake, for this mixtape will be epic. With his debut album dropping in July, and always killing MCs on whatever track he is on, Wale is going to be in the game for a long time.

J.Cole-The MC of of Fayettville, North Carolina has been slept on for quite some time, even after the release of his debut mixtape, "The Come Up." Hip-hop blogs such as Nahright and Onsmash have finally gotten hip to his talent, posting interviews and information about his new mixtape, "The Warm Up" which drops on Monday. My second favorite newcomer after Wale, J. Cole spits gritty, and about real life. I've said it before, but don't sleep on this kid. Warm Up!

Curren$y-After quietly putting out seven mixtapes over the years, Curren$y really helped his buzz with the release of his debut album, "This Ain't No Mixtape" a few months ago. Overall a great album (if you don't own it I highly suggest you pick it up) that showcases Curren$y's unique New Orleans flow which sounds nothing like Lil' Wayne, Curren$y has been out doing shows and most recently has been in the studio with Wiz Khalifa working on their joint mixtape which should be out by the end of June. Definitely still slept on, Curren$y is slowly pushing himself to the forefront of good music, with artists all over wanting to get a verse from him.

Waiting On Their Next Move

Kid Cudi-Although he has popped up here and there over the past months, Kid Cudi has largely been quiet of recent. By no means does that mean he has not been on his grind though. Giving us a release date for his debut album (August 25) and also working on a mixtape with fellow Clevelander Chip Tha Ripper, Cudi is poised to blow up come end of summer. Having worked with Kanye West and Swizz Beats on the album, Cudi is confident his music is going to blow people away. We shall see, but Cudi is never one to take time off. I know he is putting in work and hopefully it will pay off.

B.o.B aka Bobby Ray-Disappeared for a little while before resurfacing towards the end of May. Recording the song "Put Me On" for the Reebok Classic Series, which is an excellent song which showcases all of his talents (singing, guitar playing, and spitting) and the announcement of a new mixape coming soon entitled "B.o.B vs. Bobby Ray," look for Mr. Ray to get back on the music scene with his array of talents.

You Just Suck

Charles Hamilton-Sigh....what is there to say about Mr. Hamilton. Besides, in my opinion, being a mediocre rapper, Hamilton seems to enjoy infuriating the entire hip-hop community. Wale is on his label and doesn't fuck with him, Rhymefest hates him, and apparently his girlfriend isn't a big fan of him either. I am sure by now everyone has seen the video of Charles being punched in the face by his better half. With his awful idea of wearing a Sonic shirt over a button down, could it get any worse for Hamilton? Yes, it could. Recently, Charles Hamilton claimed that the legendary J. Dilla executive produced his album, even going as far as to put his name on his album cover. Claiming he was close with Dilla and his family in Detroit, a few hip-hop giants in the D did some investigating. What do you know, no one close with Dilla knows Hamilton, nor did Dilla have anything to do with his album. Way to go Charles, way to go. You sure are a class act.


Other rappers to grace the cover of XXL, like Blu, Mickey Factz, and Cory Gunz, I have not listened to throughly enough. That excludes Blu though, who has been very quiet of late.

Morning Updates

It's Monday morning and apparently I am grounded, so while I sit in my room I have scoured the internet for what's coming up this week and later in the world of hip-hop. I stumbled upon these tasty tidbits:

-Pushing back their projects seems to be all the rage these days for rappers. First it was Wale with his latest mixtape, and now, unfortunately, it is one of my favorite newcomers, J. Cole, announcing the push back of his new tape, "The Warm Up." Via his blog, J. Cole says that due to some last minute kinks he had to work out, the tape will not be dropping today. But he at least gave us the final release date for the project, which is now June 15th. If Wale sticks to his word, which is highly unlikely, and drops his mixtape before June 13th, there is going to be some amazing music coming out that week. Don't sleep on J. Cole, he is absolutely dope. He did drop a video for his song, "Simba" (he really likes the whole Lion King theme) so check that out and just listen to him flow, I think he is amazing.

Update: Can't post the embedded link for the video here, so click on the link to J. Cole's blog up above to check out the video. Sorry bout that.


-This morning on Twitter, Wale leaked K'naan going in over Cudi's " Day N' Nite" beat. He speaks on the situation with the Somali pirates that went on a little while back. K'naan is so versatile, look out for some tracks he and Wale did in the near future.

K'naan-Dayless Nite


Those are your morning updates, I will be back later with any other news.

Artist Spotlight: J. Cole

I know I have said a lot of artists are "my shit." Wale is my shit, I have been following the dude for two years. Drake is my shit, I have been bumping him ever since "So Far Gone" dropped. Blu is my shit, when my boy Colin played me "Below The Heavens" for the first time I was in awe. Curren$y is my shit, Asher Roth is my shit, I could go on and on but you understand me. Everybody has their artist that they lay claim to. You discovered him before any of your friends did, and although probably thousands of people heard him before you did, that is your artist. That is like Wale to me. But I may have found someone that rivals, if not beats, the excitement and amazement that I felt when I first heard Wale. You know, that "Wait a minute, what did he say?" feeling. Lyrics that make you press pause on the Ipod and rewind the track so you can fully understand what the MC just said. Well, ladies and gentleman, I bring you J.Cole. Surfing around nahright, and Onsmash, all the regular hip-hop blogs, I had heard of this kid, but never really bothered to look in to him. With Asher and Curren$y putting out new music and Big Sean dropping a mixtape a few weeks ago, I had enough music to listen to at the time. The I read on Wale's Twitter that J. Cole was going to be on his highly anticipated mixtape, "Back To The Feature." So I was like, ok, this kid has to be decent if Wale is working with him. Then I read that J. Cole was the first signee to the brand new label, Roc Nation, started and managed by Jay-Z. So I thought to myself, Jay-Z, one of the greatest rappers of all time, started his own label, and this is the first kid he signed? Like, the very first? The face of his label? He has go to be dope. So I checked him out, downloading his first mixtape, The Come Up, and then recently bumping the sampler to his upcoming mixtape, The Warm Up. I was blown away. On laid back, piano he beats, he sounds like Blu. On sped up beats he reminds me of a hungry Kanye West mixed with a little bit of Jay-Z. From Fayetteville, NC, J. Cole is absolutely dope. I may be a little late to this kid, but he has less than 1,000 followers on Twitter so, I can't be that late right? He can rap about the struggle, he can rap about girls, he can rap about money, he can rap about life. He spits about anything and does it seamlessly. 10 minutes ago I was sitting in my bed with my headphones on, listening to The Warm Up Sampler. A song came on where Cole raps over the "93 Til Infinity" beat by Souls Of Mischief, a classic hip-hop song. Not only does Cole destroy the beat...he says this:

"Far from a thug but I'll drop em/Far from a scrub but I'll mock them/Watch em/Better leave them alone like Stockton"

Now if you don't understand the brilliance of this line, let me help you. Most people, even if you don't like basketball, know the Utah Jazz combo of Karl Malone and John Stockton. So Cole says, "Leave them alone like Stockton" which equals, "Leave the Malone like Stockton." So sick. I have never heard this line used in any hip-hop song before. It just blew my mind, so I got out my laptop and started blogging. Check out his video below, called "A Dollar and a Dream II" and get hip to J. Cole because the kid is going to be huge.



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