Jay-Z: The Blueprint 3

Though Jay would never admit it, the status he’s attained does have its downsides. Being hip-hop’s global ambassador for more than a decade has changed his perspective, but more than that, it’s changed his lifestyle. As we saw on Hov’s comeback album Kingdom Come, the witty crack-rap that made him the legend he ultimately became is in short supply. Jay isn’t that guy anymore and hasn’t been for some time. It comes as little surprise then that he isn’t making that type of music anymore.

Instead, The Blueprint 3 is heavy on collaborations and light on subject matter. Two middling singles have already received massive radio play: the underwhelming “D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)” and “Run This Town,” on which producer Kanye West delivers by far the best verse. Weak tracks are all over the back end of the album, including two Timbaland beats—“Venus vs. Mars” and the aggressively irritating “Reminder.” And gimmicky album closer “Young Forever” fittingly recalls “Beach Chair” from 2006 LP Kingdom Come, the closest sonic relative to The Blueprint 3 in Jay’s catalogue.

There are occasional bright spots. “Empire State of Mind”—the concept cribbed from Nas’ “N.Y. State of Mind”—stands out, as Jay’s tribute to the city is complemented by Alicia Keys’ overcooked-to-perfection hook. The Swizz Beatz-produced “On to the Next One” also works well with Jay talking about his wealth with uncommon acuity, including the Don-status boast, “MJ at the Summer Jam, Obama on the text/Y’all should be afraid of what I’m gonna do next.”

But the end result is disappointing, and not simply because The Blueprint 3 doesn’t live up to its namesake. Jay’s latest offering reinforces the idea that we shouldn’t expect much better out of him anyway.