Jay Z is considered one of the most successful entertainers of all time, and also a legend in rap, but does his latest album reflect his legendary status? Almost two years after the release of American Gangster, Blueprint 3 is finally here.  Although the album has been followed by enormous expectations, Blueprint 3 does not disappoint and easily stands out as the best album Jay has made since the original Blueprint back in 2001. There are three main reasons why this album can be considered one of HOVA’s best . The first would be the extreme variation of tracks on this album. There are club rocking songs, and more personal, softer tunes with a couple of songs in-between the two extremes. The second reason would have to be the album’s production quality. Almost every song on the album has a great instrumental which adds a great deal to the album as a whole. Songs like “Already Home” ft. Kid Cudi and “Reminders” are particular tracks that really stick out, although all are good in their own way. The final and most important reason, would be the maturity of Jay Z’s lyrics and his deviance from the stereotypical garbage that pollutes mainstream rap. He just doesn’t talk about selling drugs or shooting guns anymore. In fact many of the songs are simply Jay reflecting on his success.  Some examples of these songs would be “Empire State of Mind,” “A Star is Born,” and the popular single “Death of Autotune.” Unfortunately, the album is not perfect and there are some drawbacks. One major flaw is that so many of the songs are “throwaway tracks” and really serve no purpose other than taking up space. Also Jay Z still has a tendency to brag too much, and this can become annoying pretty quickly. Overall, Blueprint 3 is an amazing album and is definitely a CD you should check out.

Rating: 8.5/10

Best Songs: “D.O.A.” “Empire State of Mind”, “Venus vs. Mars”, “A Star is Born” “Already Home”, “Reminder”