Is it fair to compare Jay-Z to Brett Favre? Probably not, except in terms of the lack of surprise on everyone's faces at the news that one or the other is coming out of retirement - again.
There's no disputing Jay-Z's rightful place in the pantheon of hip-hop greatness, by virtue of his ability to simultaneously appeal to the streets and, at the same time, effortlessly cross over to the mainstream and sell records like no other. And be prepared, Mr. Knowles (can I call him that?) will remind of you of it plenty of times duriing the record. But why not? Even with no number one singles under his belt, the man has managed to push ten consecutive number one albums in the span of his career, second only to The Beatles. BP3 will more than likely make number eleven.
But in terms of musical quality and overall excellence - even though many give the title to the original Blueprint - Reasonable Doubt is arguably still Jigga's high mark. Sure, he went on to sell many more units with Vol. 2 and the aforementioned Blueprint 1, but as he began to move away from the street and into the executive lounges, his records occasionally took on an uber-commercial feel.
Regardless, BP3 has a lot more surprising moments than we're used to hearing from Hova: the tinkling xylophone and crunchy guitar of "DOA (Death of Auto-Tune)"; the stuttering drums and Jay's triumphant, ain't-this-easy verses on the opener, "What We Talkin' About"; the big-band horns of "Thank You." This is as much a triumphant 'I still got it' for Kanye as it is for Hov.
BP3 balances the sound of Jay's past with post-modern production tricks and a star-studded guest list (Young Jeezy, Alicia Keys, Swizz Beatz, Pharrell Williams to name a few), and is probably on par with In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 as Jay's fourth-best record. Albeit, there are some outright clunkers, but it's still worth a sync to your iPod.
Beneath are selections from the album that are worthy of a nod and well...some that are not:
Thank You:
A solid way to begin the album, Jay is at home on some of Kanye's best work since the Late Registration days. The chorus is weak, but the self-indignent verses and latent jabs at rap rivals are more than enough to make up for it.
Off That (Feat. Drake):
Frankly, this is God-awful. An awful beat from Timbaland; an even worse hook from Drake. You immideatly get the impression the ex-Degrassi star was included here merely for name sake. Jay's quick paced flow is more than capable, but the song is so lyrically inept it leaves a lot to be desired.
Hate (Feat. Kanye West):
This is merely an extension of the disaster that was "Drunk & Hot Girls" from Kanye's Graduation. What, did they enlist Soulja Boy to write the lyrics? You get the feeling that Jay is trying to go beyond the times, but this hot garbage has no business being on here, and it certainly had no business leaving the studio.
Already Home (Feat. Kid Cudi):
Call me a dork, but Jay's reference to a highway is one of his most clever lines ever: "On another level/On another plane already/H-O-V/I got my own lane already". Bananas! Wikipeida 'HOV Lane' if you're confused. Again, another beautifully constructed beat by Mr. West, but it's too bad that yet another rising star, Kid Cudi, was only tapped to deliver a chorus. While Mr. Solo Dolo does it justice, why not just have the usual T-Pain or John Legend sing? Still, an excellent track.
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