What is the single Jay-Z album I need?

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Which is the most essential? I've heard Blueprint. Is that true?

― Michelob, Sunday, 11 September 2005 16:58 (twenty years ago)

blueprint

― Googley Asearch (Toaster), Sunday, 11 September 2005 17:04 (twenty years ago)

Nah, "reasonable doubt" and then "the blueprint".

― Ellis, Sunday, 11 September 2005 17:08 (twenty years ago)

I almost said that.

Both are brilliant.

― Googley Asearch (Toaster), Sunday, 11 September 2005 17:12 (twenty years ago)

if u liek golden age hiphop get reasonable doubt if u liek new school ny hiphop with crisp as hell drums check blueprint. and if u liek slow jay z better than fast jazy get blueptinht

― D5ab5BUBNONIC, Sunday, 11 September 2005 17:21 (twenty years ago)

Volume 3

― deej.., Sunday, 11 September 2005 17:26 (twenty years ago)

yep.

― rio natsume, Sunday, 11 September 2005 17:27 (twenty years ago)

for "things that you do" alone.

― rio natsume, Sunday, 11 September 2005 17:29 (twenty years ago)

the 1st one

― billstevejim (billstevejim), Sunday, 11 September 2005 17:32 (twenty years ago)

The Grey Album, mixed by Danger Mouse. If you are looking for only pure studio Jay-Z, read above.

― stevie knicks, Sunday, 11 September 2005 17:34 (twenty years ago)

if you like mediocre bread and butter "golden age" old man rap buy the first album, if you like to imagine what it would sound like if alan sugar was to rap over corny sped up soul samples then get blueprint.

you should get volume 3 really. or volume 2.

― rio natsume, Sunday, 11 September 2005 17:41 (twenty years ago)

For fuck's sake.

― disco violence (disco violence), Sunday, 11 September 2005 17:43 (twenty years ago)

"Volume 1" has some gems on it like "where i'm from", "million and 1 questions/rhyme no more", "streets is watching", "friend or foe '98", "rap game crack game" "real niggaz" with Too $hort and "you must love me".

"Volume 2" was his attempt at "life after death" and when it works ("hard knock life", "nigga what nigga who", "a week ago", "it's like that", "can i get a..", "reservoir dogs", "it's alright" and "money ain't a thing") it's great but there's also some real turds on there

"Blueprint 2" has that amazing "the watcher 2" track with Rakim and Dr Dre, "meet the parents", "hovi baby", "poppin tags" with Big Boi, Killer Mike + Twista, "the bounce", the ridiculous bonus tracks "show u how" and "bitches and sisters" but you gotta wade through a lot of shit to get to them.

"The black album" has that horrible song with his mom on it but it also has "psa", "dirt off your shoulder" and "99 problems".

― Ellis, Sunday, 11 September 2005 17:57 (twenty years ago)

"Dude i only like futuristic sounding rap, yeah!!"

― Ellis, Sunday, 11 September 2005 17:57 (twenty years ago)

2 pac don killuminati: 7 day theory
three 6 mafia - chapter 2: world domination
nas - it was written
fugees - the score
mobb deep - hell on earth
big noyd - episodes of a hustler
chino xl - here to save you all
busta rhymes - the coming
da brat - anuthattantrum or whatever the fuck it's called
E 40 - THE HALL OF GAME
moP - firing squad
westside connection - bow down
ugk - ridin dirty
snoop - tha doggfather
master p - ice cream man
bg - chopper city

― rio natsume, Sunday, 11 September 2005 17:59 (twenty years ago)

reasonable doubt is cool, you can't really argue with "aint no nigga" or "brooklyn's finest" but i'd listen to any one of the aforementioned albums over it. especially the score. you should seriously get volume 3, i'd explain why but it might ruin the surprise!

― rio natsume, Sunday, 11 September 2005 18:02 (twenty years ago)

Not really a listen straight through album, but Volume 2 has my favorite Jay-Z tracks.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Sunday, 11 September 2005 18:06 (twenty years ago)

The Real Live "turnaround" album was another good album from '96. "Crime is money" is still the shit. Peace to my man Larry O workin' at a carwash now.

"Iron man" by Ghost and Rae was some classic '96 too.

"The score" is one of the most overrated records ever. Some good beats though.

Big Noyd was Pharrel 3 years before Pharrel on the cover of that ep. It wasn't bad but "recognize and realize" is the only real standout on there.

― Ellis, Sunday, 11 September 2005 18:08 (twenty years ago)

Who the blunt abuser?
who the stupid hooker user?
the kid with the blow countin' bank in the land cruiser

― Ellis, Sunday, 11 September 2005 18:15 (twenty years ago)

"blueprint" is definitely the most consistently thrilling.

volumes 2 & 3 are both tremendous. some of timbaland's best work on 3, and "money, cash, hoes" featuring dmx (on volume 2) is one of my favourite ever songs.

black album and reasonable doubt are pretty ho-hum. i have never heard volume 1, but i'd like to.

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Sunday, 11 September 2005 18:19 (twenty years ago)

I think volume 2 is probably the cream - "can i get a..."!! "nigga what"... i think blueprint 1 has aged pretty badly, but i don't like slow jay-z... dynasty is probably the one i listen to the most, to be honest, but it's not really a solo album

― dave k, Sunday, 11 September 2005 18:21 (twenty years ago)

oh fuck! i forgot about "money cash hoes" - volume 2 is the winner!

― dave k, Sunday, 11 September 2005 18:21 (twenty years ago)

don't forget "hard knock life"!!

― rio natsume, Sunday, 11 September 2005 18:23 (twenty years ago)

Guerilla pimp
come up on that killer shit
take a nigga brick, smack him and then you sell it back to them
*still there Brooklyn?*
*yeah yeah that's gangsta i'ma roll with that one*
make out a check for $800
Jiggaman..holla !

― Ellis, Sunday, 11 September 2005 18:25 (twenty years ago)

if you like to imagine what it would sound like if alan sugar was to rap over corny sped up soul samples then get blueprint.

No way is "The Blueprint" a tenth as good as you make it sound.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Sunday, 11 September 2005 18:50 (twenty years ago)

dynasty

― f-a-b-o-l-o-u-s (adamwest), Sunday, 11 September 2005 19:30 (twenty years ago)

The 'clean' version of "Can I Get a..." rules.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Sunday, 11 September 2005 19:39 (twenty years ago)

what does amil say instead of "before i put this pussy on your moustache"?

― dave k, Sunday, 11 September 2005 20:00 (twenty years ago)

I was gonna say, no one's mentioned dynasty.

I like Blueprint and BP2, I like Reasonable Doubt, I dont see why i have to reject "old man rap" or "corny soul rap" but really Vol 3 is best.

― deej.., Monday, 12 September 2005 00:33 (twenty years ago)

you don't, my point is that there's much better old man rap than reasonable doubt and that there is much better corny soul rap than the blueprint.

― rio natsume, Monday, 12 September 2005 00:46 (twenty years ago)

Vol 3

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Monday, 12 September 2005 00:51 (twenty years ago)

someone explain the differences between all the different Blueprints I've seen

― kit brash (kit brash), Monday, 12 September 2005 01:11 (twenty years ago)

i still gotta go w/ "reasonable doubt"

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Monday, 12 September 2005 04:42 (twenty years ago)

I suppose Blueprint is a bit weaker in my eyes these days just because the supersexysoulsampling vibe was so much newer sounding back when the album dropped.

― deej.., Monday, 12 September 2005 04:57 (twenty years ago)

Jay-Z's an every other album cat ... Reasonable Doubt, Vol. 2, Blueprint and Black Album are his best ... though all of em have great singles (that's what saves Vol. 3 and Dynasty from the pits). The worst is Blueprint 2 -- what a hastily sewn together piece of crap.

― Chris O., Monday, 12 September 2005 05:35 (twenty years ago)

Blueprint is the most thrilling because of how much ground it breaks, but I think RD is the best -- his best lyrics, his best flows, his best concepts, his most poignant/honest stuff. RD's just pure.

― Chris O., Monday, 12 September 2005 05:37 (twenty years ago)

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