Jay-Z’s ‘The Blueprint’: All 15 Tracks Ranked
As The Blueprint turns 25 today, we take a look back at one of the most important albums in rap history.
On Monday, September 10, 2001, Jay-Z lined up at Eclipse Records in downtown Paterson, NJ, to get his hands on a copy of "The Blueprint." He was so eager to listen to the album that he rushed to the store the day after the Twin Towers fell. Upon hearing "U Don't Know," he started cruising in his car without stopping the music. The next day, he and his friends were captivated by the album, especially after hearing the teased "Takeover" for the first time.
As Jay-Z declared war on Nas, the world was dealing with a far more pressing issue—the terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers. Jay-Z's sophomore album, "The Blueprint," became an integral part of that fateful day as people discussed it while trying to make sense of the chaos.
Written by urgent.news from Billboard's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
