Jay-Z: The Blueprint 3 (2LP) [ROC NATION]

Why you'll love it

The Blueprint 3 comes as a 2LP set. It debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 476,000 copies in its first week, and its singles won six Grammys between them.

This edition

• 2LP set

About the album

Eleven No. 1 albums is a lot of No. 1 albums. The Blueprint 3 was the one that pushed Jay-Z past the record he had shared with Elvis Presley, and it marked his first album for his own Roc Nation, completing a trilogy that began with The Blueprint in 2001.

Kanye West and No I.D. shape much of the sound, with The Neptunes, Timbaland, Swizz Beatz, Jeff Bhasker and Al Shux all chipping in. "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)" is a stripped-down, horn-blasting jab at the trends of the day, "Run This Town" is a stadium-sized summit with Rihanna and Kanye, and "On to the Next One" with Swizz Beatz is all clatter and swagger. Young Jeezy, Kid Cudi and a young J. Cole (on "A Star Is Born") drop in, and Jay named "Empire State of Mind," with Alicia Keys on the soaring hook, as his favourite song on the record.

Toronto's own Drake turns up on "Off That," an early sign of the passing of a torch or two. We'll admit it's a little odd for a Toronto shop to sell this many copies of a love letter to New York, but the piano intro is very persuasive.

Also at Kops: more Jay-Z on vinyl · browse Hip Hop / R&B

Tracklist

Listen

On Roc Nation (cat# 520856-1), the 2009 album.