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The Blueprint 3

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Untitled

The Blueprint 3 is the eleventh studio album by American rapper Jay-Z, released September 8, 2009 on Roc Nation in the United States.[4][5] The album was released digitally on September 11, 2009, and its United Kingdom and international release followed on September 14 that same year.[6] It is the final installment in The Blueprint trilogy, preceded by the critically acclaimed The Blueprint (2001) and its follow-up The Blueprint²: The Gift & The Curse (2002).

The entire album was leaked on August 31, 2009.[7] When asked about the leak, Jay-Z stated: "It's a preview. I'm excited for people to hear the album. I'm very proud of the work I've done, so enjoy it".[8] Upon its release, The Blueprint 3 received generally positive reviews from music critics, based on an aggregate score of 65/100 from Metacritic. The album sold an estimated 476,000 copies in its first week [9] and it became his eleventh U.S. number-one album, breaking the record he had previously shared with Elvis Presley.[10]

Background

The earliest hype over The Blueprint 3 came when DJ Clue released in January 2008 a mixtape song called "Ain't I", produced by Timbaland. In the intro, Clue says, "Off that Blueprint 3 baby!" However, a spokesperson for Jay-Z said that it was an old, unreleased song and that the recording of The Blueprint 3 had not yet started.[11] In July, Timbaland, a frequent contributor to previous Jay-Z albums, told MTV News that he would be producing the whole album.[12] But in an interview with the Rolling Stone magazine, Jay-Z called the statement "premature".[13] Later that month, Jay-Z appeared onstage to perform the Kanye West–produced song "Jockin' Jay-Z" during the latter's Glow in the Dark Tour.[14] The following day, Jay-Z confirmed The Blueprint 3 as the album's title during an interview with radio station Shade 45.[14]

By November 2008, he had finished the album but with lengthy negotiations with Def Jam, he went onto reworking it.[15] In January 2009, Jay-Z confirmed continued production of the album and admitted the leak of several songs.[16][17] The album's street single "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)" was premiered on June 5 via New York radio station Hot 97.[18] On June 7, 2009 Jay-Z made a guest appearance at Hot 97's Summer Jam concert, and performed D.O.A. live on stage, for the first time. On May 20, 2009, Jay-Z confirmed that he bought out the remainder of his contract from Def Jam Records in order to start his contract with Live Nation, as The Blueprint 3 was set to be released under Roc Nation and distributed by Atlantic Records.[5]

Recording

Most of the album's recording sessions took place in Hawaii at Avex Honolulu Studio,[19] in an effort to avoid leakage. West's protégé Mr Hudson explained to the The Times that he "won't get bothered there" compared to a major city such as New York or Los Angeles.[20] Sessions for the album took place during 2008 to 2009 at Avex Honolulu Studio and several other recording studios, including Germano Studios, Oven Studios, and Roc The Mic in New York City, Kingdom Studios and Lava Studios in Cleveland, Midnight Blue Studios and South Beach Studios in Miami, The Holy Chateau in Perth, Australia, and Westlake Studio in Los Angeles.[19][21]

Jay-Z told Rolling Stone magazine his method of selecting producers: "If Timbaland makes ten great tracks then he produces the album, if Kanye West makes ten great tracks then he produces the album; if he makes three, I'll take three. I let the music dictate the direction."[13] However, judging by the final track listing, it appears that West is producing majority of tracks in the album, and three done by Timbaland. West confirmed two songs, "A Star Is Born" and "Young Forever", during an appearance on the The Wake Up Show in February 2009.[22] Mr Hudson, who is the featured artist on the latter, described it as a flip on the Alphaville record of a similar name.[23] During a joint interview with Hudson, West confirmed that the pop artist would be featured on three songs.[23] Pharrell stated that he emailed "So Ambitious" to Jay-Z the day he was mastering the album. He loved the track so much that he put off the mastering.

In a Billboard magazine interview, Jay-Z confirmed "What We Talkin' About", the album's intro, "Thank You", and "Already Home" as song names and collaborations with Australian dance group Empire of the Sun, rappers Drake and Kid Cudi and singer Rihanna.[15] He also mentioned in an interview with DJ Semtex that his favorite song on the album is "Empire State of Mind".[24] The official tracklist for Blueprint 3 was revealed on August 18, confirming the guest appearances from Drake, Alicia Keys, Rihanna, Kid Cudi, Young Jeezy, J. Cole, and more.[25]

Reception

Commercial performance

The Blueprint 3 debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, selling 476,000 units in its first week. This was the third highest first week sales of 2009.[26] It became Jay-Z's 11th US number one album, breaking the record he had previously shared with Elvis Presley.[10] In its second week, it remained at number 1, selling another 298,000 units, before dropping to second in its third week. After four weeks sales totaled 997,000 units, just three thousand copies short of platinum certification.

In the album's fifth week it sold 65,000 copies bringing the total to 1,062,000 it is Jay-Z's 10th solo album to go Platinum.[27][28] The album in its fifth week is also number 5 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. In its sixth week the album rose up 2 spots to number 3 on the Billboard 200, despite selling 55,000 copies, 10,000 less than its previous week. 43,000 copies were sold in the US in its seventh week, putting it at number 4 on the charts. In week eight the album sold 41,000 copies. In the next week album sold 38,000 units.[29][30] In next three weeks album sold over 100,000 copies and its current sales in the U.S. is over 1,520,000 units.[29]

The album was the 9th best selling album of 2009 in the U.S., selling over 1.52 million copies in 4 months, [31] the album is now at over 1.63 million sold and still in the Top 30. [32] The Blueprint 3 is the second highest selling hip-hop album of 2009 domestically, succeeded by Eminem's Relapse.[33]

Critical response

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[34]
Robert Christgau(A-)[35]
Entertainment Weekly(B+)[36]
The Guardian[37]
NME(8/10)[38]
Pitchfork Media(4.5/10)[39]
PopMatters(5/10)[40]
Rolling Stone[41]
USA Today[42]
Village Voice(favorable)[43]

Upon its release, The Blueprint 3 received generally positive reviews from most music critics, based on an aggregate score of 65/100 from Metacritic.[44] Newsday gave it an A rating,[45] and Robert Christgau gave it an A- rating and called it "fairly superb".[35] USA Today gave the album 3½ out of 4 stars and praised its lyrical qualities, stating "There was a time when a rapper couldn't expect to last past his 20s. Jay-Z, who is nearing 40 and releasing his 11th studio album, shows that for someone who is measured mostly against himself, lyrical dexterity doesn't have an expiration date".[42] Entertainment Weekly gave it a B+ rating and wrote that it succeeds at its goal of "reaching maximum commercial blast radius while maintaining its street bona fides".[36] The Daily Telegraph gave The Blueprint 3 4 out of 5 stars and commended its modern sound.[46] About.com gave the album 3½ out of 5 stars and wrote that it "is a fresh listen, but it doesn’t live up to the hype".[47] The A.V. Club gave it a B+ rating and wrote that "Jay-Z sounds liberated by his legacy rather than weighed down by expectations".[48]

Despite giving it a generally favorable review, Slant Magazine's William McBee called it "predictable" and "complacent," and wrote that "The album is a hip-hop feast, for sure, filled to the brim with elite production and elite rapping, but it lacks the hungriness, the spirit, and the craziness that marks a classic album."[49] The Smoking Section had a similar sentiment, writing "While he's always been able to connect with listeners either by drawing on his humble beginnings or giving them something to aspire to, there’s just not much of that this go around."[50] Chicago Tribune writer Greg Kot gave it a 2½ out of 4 stars and viewed Jay-Z's celebrity and older age as somewhat of a flaw, stating:

It's tough for hip-hop stars to age well. Once they become celebrities living in mansions and starring in family movies, street cred is usually the first thing to go. Just ask Ice Cube. Longevity just wasn't built into the hip-hop lifestyle, with its premium on youthful swagger, street tales and fast turnover ... 'The Blueprint 3' aims to show everyone he still has wicked skills on the mike. It does, even as it illustrates that sometimes he coasts on his celebrity ... The message: Don't mess with ol' Gray-Z.[51]

— Jay-Z

The Washington Post gave the album a negative review and criticized its lyrical substance.[52] Despite calling the songs "more superficial" than Jay-Z's best work, Chris Carle of IGN gave it a rating of 7.9/10 and wrote that "This is commercial rap, but it's well-made, and many of the tracks have been tailor-made to be singles".[53] The Times gave the album 3 out of 5 stars and called it "no great milestone, but far from the predicted disaster."[54] The Guardian's Alexis Petridis gave it a mixed review and wrote that the album "peters out in a mass of indistinct tracks" following its first four songs.[37] In a generally favorable review of The Blueprint 3, Kiilian Fox of The Observer wrote that Jay-Z is "maturing into a responsible elder statesman" through the album.[55] The Blueprint 3 was ranked the best album of the year by Billboard,[56] and seventh best album of the year by MTV.[57] Rolling Stone named it the fourth best album of 2009.[58]

Track listing

No.TitleProducer(s)Length
1."What We Talkin' About" (featuring Luke Steele)Kanye West & No I.D.4:03
2."Thank You"Kanye West & No I.D.4:10
3."D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)"No I.D.4:15
4."Run This Town" (featuring Rihanna and Kanye West)Kanye West & No I.D.4:27
5."Empire State of Mind" (featuring Alicia Keys)Al Shux, Janet Sewell-Ulepic & Angela Hunte (co)4:36
6."Real as It Gets"" (featuring Young Jeezy)The Inkredibles4:12
7."On to the Next One" (featuring Swizz Beatz)Swizz Beatz4:17
8."Off That" (featuring Drake)Timbaland & Jerome Harmon4:06
9."A Star Is Born" (featuring J. Cole)Kanye West, No I.D. & Kenoe3:48
10."Venus vs. Mars" (featuring Beyonce)Timbaland & Jerome Harmon3:10
11."Already Home" (featuring Kid Cudi)Kanye West, No I.D. & Jeff Bhasker (add)4:29
12."Hate" (featuring Kanye West)Kanye West2:31
13."Reminder"Timbaland & Jerome Harmon4:18
14."So Ambitious" (featuring Pharrell)The Neptunes4:12
15."Young Forever" (featuring Mr Hudson)Kanye West4:13
16."Jockin'" (Rhapsody Bonus Track)Kanye West4:42

Personnel

# Title Notes
The Blueprint 3

Executive producer: Kanye West, Shawn Carter
Mastered by: Tony Dawsey
Mixed by: Gimel "Young Guru" Keaton (tracks: 1 to 4, 6, 7, 9, 12, 15)
Recorded by: Gimel "Young Guru" Keaton (tracks: 1 to 12, 14, 15)
Written by: S. Carter

1 "What We Talkin' About"

Songwriters: S. Carter, E. Wilson , K. West , K. Randolph
Sample: "Spirit" by Frederic Mercier
Keyboards: Jeff Bhasker
Additional vocals: Luke Steele

2 "Thank You"

Songwriters: S. Carter, E. Wilson , K. West
Sample: "Ele E Ela" by Marcos Valle
Keyboards: Jeff Bhasker

3 "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)"

Songwriters: S. Carter, E. Wilson, G. DeCarlo, D. Frashuer, P. Leka, J. Nilović, D. Sucky
Sample: "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" by Steam, "In The Space" by Janko Nilovic & Dave Sucky

4 "Run This Town"

Songwriters: S. Carter, E. Wilson , J. Bhasker , K. West , R. Fenty
Sample: "Someday in Athens" by Alatas Athenasios
Vocals: Rihanna, Kanye West

5 "Empire State of Mind"

Songwriters: S. Carter, A. Shuckburgh , A. Keys , A. Hunte , J. Sewell-Ulepic
Sample: "Love on a Two-Way Street" by The Moments, "The Breakthrough" by Isaac Hayes
Vocals: Alicia Keys

6 "Real as It Gets"

Songwriters: S. Carter, J. Jenkins , J. Mollings , L. Elliott , L. Mollings , M. Carpender
Vocals: Young Jeezy

7 "On to the Next One"

Songwriters: S. Carter, K. Dean
Sample: "D.A.N.C.E." by Justice
Additional vocals: Swizz Beatz

8 "Off That"

Songwriters: S. Carter, A. Graham , J. Harmon , T. Mosley
Additional Vocals: Drake

9 "A Star Is Born"

Songwriters: S. Carter, E. Wilson , J. Cole , K. West , M. Jordan
Sample: "Touch Me" by Mother Freedom Band
Keyboards: Jeff Bhasker
Additional vocals: J.Cole

10 "Venus vs. Mars"

Songwriters: S. Carter, J. Harmon , T. Mosley
Additional vocal: Beyoncé (uncredited)

11 "Already Home"

Songwriters: S. Carter, E. Wilson , K. West , S. Mescudi
Sample: "Med Mad Ivy" by Gladstone Anderson And The Mudies All-Stars
Keyboards: Jeff Bhasker
Vocals: Kid Cudi

12 "Hate"

Songwriters: S. Carter, J. Bhasker , K. West
Keyboards: Jeff Bhasker
Vocals: Kanye West

13 "Reminder"

Songwriters: S. Carter, J. Harmon , N. Briscoe , T. Mosley
Background vocals: K. Briscoe

14 "So Ambitious"

Songwriters: S. Carter, P. Williams
Sample:"Memory Lane" by Minnie Riperton
Additional Vocals: Pharrell Williams

15 "Young Forever"

Songwriters: S. Carter, F. Mertens, K. West, L. Bernhard, M. Gold
Sample: "Forever Young" by Alphaville
Keyboards: Jeff Bhasker
Vocals: Mr Hudson

Chart history

Chart procession and succession

Preceded by Billboard 200 number-one album
September 26, 2009 - October 3, 2009 		Succeeded by
Canadian Albums Chart number-one album
September 19, 2009 		Succeeded by
Preceded by UK R&B Albums number-one album (first run)
September 20, 2009 - September 26, 2009 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Tongue N' Cheek by Dizzee Rascal
 UK R&B Albums number-one album (second run)
October 11, 2009 - October 17, 2009 		Succeeded by

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