Jay-Z - Blueprint Collector's Edition CD

Blueprint Collector's Edition buy CD music With Recovery, it becomes obvious that Eminem's richest albums aren't necessarily his most structurally sound, which isn't much of a surprise when considering the rapper's full-on embrace of flaws and contradictions. This lean, mean, bipolar machine began life as Relapse 2, but when Shady decided he wasn't really Shady at the moment, and that he was no longer keen on Relapse -- or the last two albums, as he states on "Talkin' 2 Myself" -- it became Marshall Mathers time again, so damn any 11th hour issues. This results in an album where a shameless but killer Michael J. Fox punch line ("The world will stop spinnin' and Michael J. Fox`ll come to a standstill" from "Cold Wind") is followed by a song with another, less effective MJF joke ("Make like Michael J. Fox in your drawers, playin' with an Etch-A-Sketch"), although that song is the lurching heavy metal monster "Won't Back Down" with P!nk, and it could be used as the lead-in to "Lose Yourself" on any ego-boosting mixtape. Ignoring these contradictions, fans can feed on the energy, the renewed sense of purpose, and Marshall doing whatever the hell he wants, up to and including shoehorning a grand, D12-like comedy number ("W.T.P.," which stands for "White Trash Party") into this emotionally heavy album. It's fascinating when Em admits "Hatred was flowin' through my veins, on the verge of goin' insane/I almost made a song dissin' Lil Wayne" and then "Thank God I didn't do it/I'da had my ass handed to me, and I knew it," before sparring with said Weezy on the Haddaway-sampling "No Love." When the recovery-minded "Going Through Changes" gets back on the wagon by sampling Black Sabbath's very druggy "Changes," it's a brilliant and layered idea that's executed with poignant lyrics on top. Add the man at his most profound (the gigantic hit "Not Afraid") and his most profane ("You wanna get graphic? We can go the scenic route/You couldn't make a bulimic puke on a piece of corn and peanut poop" from "On Fire") plus one of thickest lyric booklets out of any of his albums and the fans who really listen are instantly on board. It may be flawed and the rapper's attitude is sometimes one step ahead of his output, but he hasn't sounded this unfiltered and proud since The Marshall Mathers LP, so to hell with refinement -- bring on the hunger and spirit of 8 Mile. ~ David Jeffries Recording information: Ajax, Ontario; Area 51 Studio; Avex Honolulu Studios, Honolulu, HI; Black Chiney Studios, Ft. Lauderdale, FL; Effigy Studios; Encore Studios, Burbank, ...

Blueprint Collector's Edition CD music In what he claims to be his final release as a musical performer, Jay-Z drops THE BLACK ALBUM, a sprawling, ambitious effort that rivals the best work of the rapper's already legendary career. Working with a who's who of hip-hop's most high-profile producers, the outrageously talented MC adjusts his flow and subject matter to the wildly varied tracks, proving once again just how gifted he is as a wordsmith. From the epic "What More Can I Say" (a collaboration with the Buchannans) to the brutally honest, Eminem-produced "Moment of Clarity," THE BLACK ALBUM bleeds with inspiration. Other highlights include the fuel-injected "Dirt Off Your Shoulder" (featuring Timbaland behind the board), the club-ready "Change Clothes" (which sports the Neptunes' trademark beats), and the old-school stomp of "99 Problems" (with pioneering hip-hop producer Rick Rubin). It makes one wonder how an artist at the peak of his craft could willingly put the microphone down. Hopefully, time out of the spotlight will remind Shawn Carter why he became successful in the first place, and find him back in the studio. Cedric The Entertainer. Producers include: The Neptunes, DJ Quik, Eminem, Rick Rubin, Just Blaze. Personnel: Sharlotte Gibson, Don Crawley, Leon Harris, John Legend, Kanye West, Danee Doty, Vincent "Hum V" Bostic, Cedric The Entertainer (vocals); Steven King (guitar); Luis Resto (keyboards); Jason Lader (programming). Audio Mixers: DJ Quik; Eminem; Gimel Keaton; Jimmy Douglas; Ken "Duro" Ifill; Andrew Scheps; Rick Rubin; Richard Travali; Steven King; Darrell Thorp. Liner Note Authors: Jay-Z; Shawn Carter. Recording information: 54 Sound, Detroit, MI; Akademie Mathematique of Philosophical Sound Research,; Baseline Studios, New York, NY; Record Plant Studios, LA; The Hit Factory Criteria, Miami, FL. Photographers: Walik Goshorn; Lenny Santiago; Jonathan Mannion. Personnel includes: Jay-Z (rap vocals); Sharlotte Gibson, Vincent "Hum V" Bostic, John Legend, Don Crawley, Leonard Harris, Kanye West, Danee Doty,

Blueprint Collector's Edition songs Given the remarkable critical and commercial success of 2005's LATE REGISTRATION, Kanye West's rich, rewarding sophomore release, expectations were high for 2007's GRADUATION. Ever savvy, West flouts those expectations by delivering a record that delivers curveballs while staying true to his sharply sculpted, commercially minded m.o. West's rapping, never his greatest strength, is still entertaining. He delivers witty, smart, sometimes absurd rhymes (he seems to take more lyrical chances on GRADUATION) that fit nicely with the overall feel of his tracks. As usual, it's West's productions that stand out. While there are examples of his style-defining use of classic R&B samples and background choirs (as on the feel-good highlight "I Wonder"), West streamlines his sound to center on synth-driven lines, giving many of the tracks a retro-electro new wave feel. "Stronger," for example, another standout, is powered by a vocoder-drenched vocal sample courtesy of French dance superstars Daft Punk, which finds West again more comfortable in hip-hop's uncharted waters. The overall results make for a fun, inventive album that offers proof that West still has tricks up his sleeve. Personnel: Connie Mitchell, Tanya Herron (vocals); Young Jeezy (rap vocals); Mike Dean (guitars); Luigi Mazzocchi, Gloria Justen, Eric Gorfain, Charles Parker , Igor Szwec, Daphne Chen, Emma Kummrow, Olga Konopelsky (violin); Alexandra Leem, Peter Nocella, Leah Katz, Alma Fernandez (viola); Richard Dodd, John Krovoza (cello); The Wired Strings (strings); Omar Edwards (Fender Rhodes piano); La Mar 'Mars' Edwards, Andy Chatterly, Darryl Beaton, Jon Brion, Chris Rob (keyboards); Tim Resler, Vincent 'Biggs' James (bass guitar); Timbaland (programming); Jehireh Williams, Jalil Williams, John Legend, Ne-Yo (background vocals); Eric Hudson, Tony 'Penafire' Williams, Jay-Z, Jennie Lorenzo, Section Quartet. Additional personnel: Chris Martin (vocals); DJ Premier (scratches); Dwele, Lil Wayne, Mos Def, T-Pain.

Blueprint Collector's Edition album for sale Following up his crossover-ridden return from retirement KINGDOM COME, Jay-Z presents a concept album, AMERICAN GANGSTER, inspired by the Ridley Scott movie of the same name. Contentwise, Jay is in his element, spinning street corner imagery and tales of the drug trade in the same spirit as the film, while, on the production end, 1970s R&B and soul samples dominate. The production team of Diddy, LV, and Sean C accounts for much of the record's cohesion, providing six beats built on loops from the likes of Marvin Gaye, Barry White, and Rudy Love & the Love Family. Jigga finds plenty room to get jiggy on tracks like "Roc Boys (And the Winner Is)," "Party Life," and "I Know," a Neptunes-produced gem that sounds like a tricked-out "It Ain't Hard to Tell." Undoubtedly Jay's tightest effort since 2001's THE BLUEPRINT, AMERICAN GANGSTER features a few choice guest verses from Lil Wayne, Beanie Siegel, and Nas. Recording information: Audiovision Studio, Miami, FL; Baseline Studios, New York, NY; Daddy's House, New York, NY; Hot Beats Recording Studios, Atlanta, GA; KMA Studios, New York, NY; Roc The Mic, New York, NY; SoundTrap Studios, Atlanta, GA; South Beach Studios, Miami, FL. Editor: Hector Helgado. Photographers: Arthur Elgort; Hype Williams; J. Peter Robinson . Arrangers: Hector Delgado; Kenneth Whalum. Personnel: Adonis Stropshire, A.J. Walker, Leisa Johnson, Jayms Madison, Angela Wood, Kanye West, Shannon Jones, Cheri Dennis (vocals); Ed Goldson, Marty Reid, James Lewis (guitar); Matthew Lehmann, Liza Lim, Jeanine Wynton, Sarah OBoyle, Minyoung Chang, Sandra Park, Lisa Kim, Sharon Yamada (violin); Sue Pray, Dawn Hannay (viola); Eileen Moon, Jeanne LeBlanc (cello); Arden Altino (strings, piano, Fender Rhodes piano, keyboards); Mario Winans (strings, drums); Timon Abuptah (strings); Andy Snitzer (alto saxophone); Kenneth Whalum, Charles Pillow (tenor saxophone); Keyon Harrold, Jeff Kievit (trumpet); Saunders Sermons, Mike David (trombone); Still Phil (drums); Bashiri Johnson (percussion); Drew Hollywood (programming); Juan Carlos Perez, Keon Bryce (background vocals). Audio Mixers: Supa Engineer "Dura"; Victor Abijaudi; Gimel "Young Guru" Katon; Hector Helgado; Jermaine Dupri; Ken "Duro" Ifill; Phil Tan; Chad Hugo.

Blueprint Collector's Edition CD music When Jay-Z first made a series out of his best album, 2001's The Blueprint, it became a game of high expectations. The first volume saw Jay-Z as vital as he'd ever been, storming back to the hardcore after a few years of commercial success. THE BLUEPRINT 2 took a different tack, with guest shots to compliment his sinuous flows. BLUEPRINT 3 is somewhere between the two, closer to the vitality and energy of the original but not without the crossover bids and guest features of the latter. Kanye West is in the producer's chair for seven tracks, and it's clear he was reaching for the same energy level as the original. "What We Talkin' About" begins the album with a wave of surging, oppressive synth, while Jay-Z enumerates (with an intriguing lack of detail) what he's said and what's been said about him, ending with a nod not to the past but the future (and Barack Obama). There's plenty more lyrical violence to come, but most of the targets are much safer than they were eight years earlier (i.e. opening single and smash hit "D.O.A. [Death of Auto Tune]" (railing against the oft-reviled '00s vocal-tweaking phenomenon is not quite as "politically incorrect" as Jay claims through song). Simply put, the production's big-name solid, the rhyming on poing, as Jay-Z becomes more content with his dominance as a rap godfather in 2009. Recording information: Avex Honolulu Studio, HI; Kingdom Studios; Lava Studios, Cleveland, OH; Midnight Blue Studios, Miami, FL; Oven Studios, New York, NY; Roc The Mic, New York, NY; South Beach Studios, Miami, FL; The Holy Chateau, Perth, Australia; Westlake Studio, Los Angeles, CA. Photographer: Dan Tobin Smith. Personnel: K. Briscoe, Luke Steele (vocals); Kevin Randolph, Jeff Bhasker (keyboards). Audio Mixer: Chris Godbey.

Blueprint Collector's Edition buy CD music Recorded live at MTV Studios, New York, New York on November 18, 2001. Following the success of Blueprint, Jay-Z took a break from the studio productions of Timbaland and Just Blaze and stepped into acoustic surroundings for a taped edition of MTV's long-running Unplugged series. With the talents of the Roots as his backing band, Jay-Z fails to miss a step and feels just as comfortable in the unplugged arena as he does with drum machines and a mixing desk in front of him. The skills of Roots drummer Ahmir Thompson emulate even the slightest nuance from the originally programmed electronic beats, and Jay-Z fails to take this for granted, gently shifting from one song to the next in medley form with ease. With a strong track listing spanning his entire career of chart-topping hits, this album is the perfect introduction to Jay-Z's prolific catalog and a fun listen for the most dedicated of fans. ~ Rob Theakston Audio Mixers: ?uestlove; Richard Nichols; Russell Elevado. Recording information: MTV Studios, Times Square, New York, NY (12/18/2001). Director: Milt Lage. Photographer: Walik Goshorn. Personnel includes: Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige, Pharrell. Producers: Ahmir Thompson, The Roots, Alex Coletti.