Rating: NNN
Where most MCs struggle to put out a record every couple of years, Jay-Z seems to be drowning in words. The Blueprint2 is his fourth album in two years. Simply making another record would be too easy for a lyricist like Jay-Z, so each has to be an epic, in this case a two-disc set split along lines of light and dark. Musically, Jay continues to push ahead, tackling dancehall, OutKast-style funk, Neptunes-engineered folk and soul and guitar-heavy rock. There is some blinding stuff here, particularly lyrically, when Jay leaves the empty boasting aside to fully flex his verbal skills and even battle Notorious BIG. Ultimately, Jay-Z might be the best MC of his generation, but he needs an editor. Cut to a single album, The Blueprint2 could be classic, but at 25 tracks it’s more mess than magic.