music revs – jay-z – the blueprint 3

Jay-Z – The Blueprint 3 – released September 11, 2009 on Roc Nation, Atlantic

Been rumored for quite a lengthy time, The Blueprint 3 has been long awaited.  It’s one of those “surprises” Jiggaman keeps throwing at us that don’t really seem to pan out because his career moves are so analyzed that they become predictable.  Much of that has to do with seniority, however, which could lead to a hit or miss to the latest installment of what is now a trilogy.  Jay-Z could undoubtedly wrangle a good number of critics that would crown him as the most important MC of the last decade, but nearing age 40 and releasing his 11^th studio album, his biggest competition is himself.  That is a bit much to measure up to.  Recently buying out his contract with Def Jam, this is his first LP on his own newly founded label, Roc Nation.

Listeners may be reluctantly fooled with the first few tracks into thinking there is semi-cohesion in the album.  But truthfully, after “Empire of the State”, Blueprint 3 becomes a disoriented and intolerable mess.  With the relative success of the first single “D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)”, another single can be squeezed out with Kanye and Rihanna’s help on “Run This Town”.  Alicia Keys’ vocals on the NY pride song “Empire of the State” complements Jay’s flow well, but following is a collection of work that is neither radio-friendly nor creatively commendable, becoming a mediocre mix tape at best.

The Blueprint 3 is predictable and doesn’t contribute to the revival of Hip Hop that Shawn Carter promised he would bring.  The elite production and choice of collaborators can be admired, but for his stature, it’s a given.  In fact, if it wasn’t for the resources he received as Hova, which were the most of any of his previous albums, the LP would be a complete disaster, instead of a reluctant disappointment.

Rating: 3/10

hotshit hipster and the stream of main

Sporadic collections of mainstream entities perceiving their alternative counter-parts aka hotshit-hipster-anything…

1. X-tina Aguilera’s next album includes such collaborators as MIA, Santigold, Goldfrapp, Le Tigre, Ladytron, Sia.  Also rumored are The Neptunes and the new Diplo/Switch sensation, Major Lazer. RS article here.

2. Jay-Z’s new “Blueprint 3″ leaked and the MGMT feature seems to be missing (unless they strictly produced, in which we have to wait for official credits to confirm).  There is, however, the first track that includes Luke Steele (Empire of the Sun, Sleepy Jackson) singing. Oh and here’s Jay and B dancing to Grizzly Bear recently at their Williamsburg show. I’ll refrain from relaying his praises, but his body language tells the story already. Hi Chromeo cameo.

3. Dirty Projectors on Letterman, network television debut.

4. NY Times believes it’s trendy for hipsters to be round.  Dissection of a sub culture is fascinating to me when ‘experts’ can diagnose this belly trend to be a counter-culture effect to the popularity of our new physically fit president.  But if mainstream media is printing this, wouldn’t hipsters have to cycle back? Oh jeez. Conundrum. Article here.