This isn’t only better than the original Blueprint, it’s also Jay-Z’s best album. That’s not really saying much. The rapper is vastly overrated. There are nonetheless a surprising amount of good songs here; enough to fill a single album, which is what this should’ve been. Instead it’s 2 in one; The Gift And The Curse.
I prefer The Gift. That’s where most of the best songs are, including a sequel to Dr Dre’s Watcher that’s even better than the original. It starts with perhaps Jay-Z’s best verse as he outshines even “the great Rakim himself”. Poppin Tags and Excuse Me Miss; a club serenade “for the grown and sexy”; also shine.
The other set is a bit more Cursed with mediocrity; Some People Hate, he says of critics like me; but there is a U Don’t Know Remix that, like the aforementioned Watcher, improves on the original. The Blueprint 2 title song, on which Jay-Z takes more shots at rival Nas, and Meet The Parents are also worth a listen.
my rating : 4 of 5
2002