Released to instant acclaim, it paired Jay-Z's confident writing with soul-sampling production from a young Kanye West and Just Blaze. Cohesive, quotable and influential. A peak of early-2000s rap. Mid-catalogue, but far from a placeholder.
On vinyl: 2000s vinyl is increasingly rare second-hand — a repress is usually the easiest route.
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Tracks from this album on our lists
- Izzo (H.O.V.A.) on Best 2000s Hip-Hop Songs
We don't reproduce full tracklists — only the songs from this record we've featured in our best-of lists.
More from Jay-Z — where to go next
If you have The Blueprint, these are the Jay-Z records worth reaching for next.
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1
Reasonable Doubt1996 · Hip-HopStart here
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2
Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life1998 · Hip-HopClassic
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3
The Blueprint2001 · you're viewing this oneClassic
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4
The Black Album2003 · Hip-HopClassic
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5
4:442017 · Hip-HopClassic
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