Some people change and some people remain the same. If a future “you” could go back in time and have a candid conversation with yourself in the current hour, would either of you have anything in common?
I’m guessing this Shawn Carter circa 1995, probably couldn’t relate with the one we know as Jay-Z today. Being married to a high-profile diva, the avant-garde content of BP3, coy dispositions in interviews. Jay was always a shrewd brother, especially in comparison to his comrades in the streets of Brooklyn. But this still reflects a time when he languished on being associated with the inner dealings of the underworld.
Take the lyrics from the opening scenes from The Blueprint 3. On “What We Talkin’ Bout” Jigga matter-of-factly denounces a code of conduct he surrounded himself with for the first half of career, and moreso his life.
“And now that that’s that Lets talk about the future/We have just seen the dream as predicted by Martin Luther/Now you could choose ta/Sit in front of your computer/Posin’ with guns/Shootin’ YouTube up/Or you could come with me to the White House get your suit up/You stuck on being hardcore/I chuck the duece up…”
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Jay-Z – “What We Talkin’ Bout”
It’s that little sliver proclaimation of change is where Beanie Sigel’s nonstop antics are falling on deaf ears. Still, after seeing this interview, it is difficult the totally embrace the white-collar rapper. Maybe the dark does shine in the light because Jay’s gullier material will always remain top shelf. Dominating blocks with glocks and money bulging out of socks. This life forever? Not quite, but we’d like to still pretend so.
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Download — Jay-Z – “This Life Forever”
Although, warned don’t be mad when it’s on to the next one…
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It’s amazing what this KID…. told the future… Roc Nation .. pledge your allegiance…
“the avant-garde content of BP3,”
ROFL.
remember when tss was like omg jayz is so great, he’s totally right about the death of autotune, he’s the trend setter, the pope of the game bla bla
I turned on the radio today and auto-tune is certainly thriving
“la la la la, hey hey hey, goodbye”
If you’re telling me BP3 isn’t good then methinks you’re happily hoodwinked, deceiving yourself or just one of those kinds who just goes left just so you won’t have to go right lol?
Mind you, I’m not saying it’s “groundbreaking” (even though it has a few spots that are, believe that), it’s not the rubbish the online hobbits are trying to make it to be.
But I forget. They’re waiting on DOOM to come and save us all.
Fuckin’ peons.
“la la la la, hey hey hey, goodbye“
BP3 should ve been called KINGDOM COME 2
or Kingdom Ends
Funny hearing Jay talking bout cats like Jaz, Sauce Money, etc…
He was just one of many rappers at that point. Definitely not an icon, Business, Man, or any of that.
Definitely just another cat with another song on another Clue, Tony Touch, or Mister Cee mixtape.
Think he’s returning ANY of Mic Geronimo’s phone calls nowadays?
^
Rhetorical.
Ronstar
Man auto tune wasn’t gonna just stop on a dime cause Jay said so, I mean dudes had music about to launch when DOA came out. I definitely thinks Jay knew that. Besides it great to have a dude on the main stream that takes that stance and not just avid connoisseurs.
Petey
Maybe, but I think it’s way more thought out and cohesive than KC. I can’t stand KC (except the Prelude and Beach Chair)
what the fuck is avante-garde about BP3? it bothers me to hear a ‘music journalist’ refer to something different from an artist’s previous output as avant-garde.
as for what past-jay might say to jigga today, “you had a spark when you started but now you’re just garbage.”
I will always love the block Jigga. But I don’t mind the current, grown-up, quail eating, lavish lifestyle Jigga. I feel grown and sexy when I listen to BP3. It’s good to play in the car when you’re about to go to the club. I might have to bump American Gangster next time. When “Party Life” comes on… WOOOOOOOOO HOO HOO HOOOOOO!!!!!
Lol its funny to hear people reminisce on the 90′s Jay like he was really gully. I mean look at the pre-resonable doubt single Jay is pushing in the video. In my lifetime…..not exactly the things tear drop tats are made of. RD to BP3 Jay has been lavish (I mean listen to the tracks). Now the level that he’s on right now (40 , married, more businesses) He done what he needed to do – Grow up. And if he had to speak to 95′ Jay he whould probably lean in real close and say “that Nas thing…don’t bait that dude….Nah, Nah trust me!”
And no I’m not pro-Jay-all-the-way but it’s the online equivalent to people not admitting Kobe’s the best in the league right now.
For the record, I listened to all 30 mins of Beans’ radio invu & it’s what I suspected. He’s got valid points but we already knew that. At the same time, I still stand by my sentiments that Beans is no wiser than the same southern boneheads (or any region, I’m looking @ you Rassy) who do dumb shit to stall their own careers.
Doom?
yea right!
Gotty
I can find fault on both parties also. Paul Newman said it best…
“There are only murderers in this room”
hey I aint saying bp3 aint good…its just not as good as yall hyped it up to be.
…and I liked kingdom come.
both parts of it.
Who is y’all? That shit got 3.5 Cigs.
id give it a .5 less than that.
there was a lot of talk after the album was released about its replay value and cats were talking like it was the flyest disc released this year and that its not.
ive enjoyed alot of albums more then bp3 but that snot to say that there aint a few joints on bp3 I like alot.
i just think the album is more of a continuance of the work he did on kingdom come then anothe installment to the bp series.
Man I’ve read all the Jay related posts on TSS that have come out post-BP3 and have seen the same cats kicking rocks again and again talking about how Jay-Z is trash/an old man/too corporate/not concerned about the people under him/spit in their grandma’s tea, etc etc. I know its cool to hate on the guy now but seriously why continue to read articles you know you’re gonna disagree with and then comment just to hate? You said your piece about four posts ago. Keep it moving.
And I’m not trying to point anyone out but say what you mean Petey. If you’re gonna call BP3 Kingdom Come 2 stick by it. Don’t backtrack and say how its still good and you liked Kingdom Come (not saying you don’t necessarily think those things are true but you know damn well that’s not what you meant in your first post).
Damn. Sorry I’m not trying to fire shots or anything but its late as hell and I’m annoyed at seeing an influx of haters popping up in these parts (Yeah i know you’ve been posting a lot longer than I have Petey and not personally calling you a hater but on Jay-Z related posts if the shoe fits you gotta put it on.)
I’m in the minority, but BP3 is a good album to me.
What We Talkin’ Bout
Thank You
DOA
Run This Town
Empire State of Mind
Real As It Gets
A Star Is Born
Already Home
So Ambitious
Forever Young
They all get constant spins to this day from me.
i like the song reminder…most dont.
that jeezy song is my shit.
I read that Pitchfork review on BP3 and agreed with what they had to say about it. Their main beef was that the album’s most powerful song “D.O.A.” was completely undermined by the direction of the rest of the album. In other words, they panned it. Also, I wouldn’t say that anything on this album was “groundbreaking” except for the fact that a guy that old can still be relevant. As far as “adult” rap albums go I think he did a pretty good job…
I’d hate too if my favorite artist wasnt getting any shine beyond a few messageboards mentions. I’d hate hard.
JB Its one of those albums that I like at sometimes more than others…At first I dug it and it kind of got old quick…
just like kingdom come.
I like Jay Z but I cant front the new direction hes taking kind of dissapoints me.
BP3 is the prettiest girl at camp.
It’s not the flyest thing out there in the world, by any means, but it’s pretty decent, by all means.
It’s definitely not groundbreaking though. Jay spends a lot of his time dabbling in trends that already began after studying the field, then puts them all on one album, all while putting his “big name” twist on them, so that he can then say he started the trend.
He does corporate rap takeovers, the same as Edison did to Tesla, or a CVS or McDonald’s taking out the local mom & pop store.
He’s done this before – “Jay-Z Blue” was “Smurf Blue” to me lol.
It’s decent/nice/good, but certainly not groundbreaking as a whole.
For all that do not like Jay’s new direction, what direction would you like to see a 40 yr old man take? I hope that by 40 most MEN stop doing things that boys do. Look at your favorite rapper going to jail. Just choose one hell there has been a lot of them recently.
But to say BP3 is good and BISD isn’t?
I dunno about that.
Oh yeah, before I forget…fuck Jay-Z.
A Jay-Z post has gotta have at least one of these in the comments.
BP3 is a bunch of self aggrandizing boasts and braggadocious fluff.
I don’t see how cats can continue to give that album spins. Aside from Empire State Of Mind, the Jeezy joint and the singles, there’s really no need to revisit the songs on that album. Jay-Z at his most vapid. The albums is just hollow to me. Alright on the surface bit under close examination, you realize it’s empty…and somewhat offensive.
I’m not trying to hear that bourgeois bullshit.
exactly^^^^^
y’all should grow the fuck up, come ‘ere let me coach u…………….
Before I Self Destruct > BP3
“BP3 is a bunch of self aggrandizing boasts and braggadocious fluff.”
“you realize it’s empty…and somewhat offensive.”
______________________________________________________________
and you banging before I self destruct? 50 is Jay-Z (take away the lyrics and add more guns)
50 is the sole reason for why we even look at 1st week numbers as a whole. THE SOLE REASON.
J tin
I thinks that the whole album lol
“BP3 is a bunch of self aggrandizing boasts and braggadocious fluff.”
“you realize it’s empty…and somewhat offensive.”
______________________________________________________________
and you banging before I self destruct? 50 is Jay-Z (take away the lyrics and add more guns)
==============================================
But what 50 is doing is entertainment. We all know he’s as far removed from bricks and gunplay as one can be.
But Jay’s being completely honest on BP3, and that includes all the egomania and “holier then thou” BS. His disconnect from an average fan of his music is what bothers me.
I have not even listened to the whole project…I’m truly stuck on the “nothing equals the Golden Age and Hov is a herb” but I’m not waiting on Metal Face (not unless there are lost KMD tapes, of course).
I’m waiting on Killa Kill…er, Mike Bigga.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
I have faith he’s gonna change the game, bring it back.
The god MC drops on Tuesday and Ra is gonna show the lyrics are still on par, but that we’ll have to adjust to R&Bish hooks throughout…man is gonna speak to us about l-o-v-e. Is that avant-garde? Grown?
Kobe is the best? I thought Mike Conley was “the Answer.”
We’re a few months removed from the release of BP3 and I haven’t listened to it the whole way through. He can’t craft a hook anymore, the lyric are on some vapid/narcissistic shit and the electronic sheen is a little much throughout. It’s still a solid album in some respects though.
BISD is better. When in doubt, go with gangsta rap…
Bean said this was one of Jay’s best pieces of work if I’m not mistaken. I’ve listened to all of the interviews by 50, Beans, Jay(well all 45 seconds of it) and I still don’t like what’s going down. Fan of both. Beans has some valid points, but what is the point?
When an artist “A” release an album and pours his heart into and speaks on his current reality its “great music.” When Jay talks about his current reality its considered over the top? Don’t understand.
I think BP3 is a dope release and Beans put filled in the blanks on some of the people Jay was talking about.
Jay-Z post= most viewed on any site.
But what 50 is doing is entertainment. We all know he’s as far removed from bricks and gunplay as one can be.
But Jay’s being completely honest on BP3, and that includes all the egomania and “holier then thou” BS.
_______________
^^^^
I’m sorry, but that’s just flawed reasoning if every I heard it. No offense though, maybe that makes sense to some of you.
See,I listened to ARTISTS because they were accurate about who they were and ART because it was well crafted. You know, when being real was cool and being creative was encouraged and all that. Then at some point people got into the habit of pipe-dreaming and talking like they were gods when they really weren’t worth a squat over generic template cookie cutter hitmaking formulas. Suwooing in auto-tune when they never red-flagged, and balling on a crunk beat when they were in debt. I disconnected with those artists and in many cases their art. If they make a hit track, of course i’ll jam to that one track, but beyond that, nothing. Why? because these are the same cats that call you out for being one way, and then turn around and do the same thing.
“This nigga on the song singing and shit with RnB cats claiming he a thug” = The same cat that goes “Have a baby by me, baby, be a millionaire.” Yeah, entertaining sure. But is he the realer more respectable artist? Nah. He hasn’t been from Day 1 when he was a couple million in hiding in a studio in LA talking about finding him in a club with bub seeking hugs and drugs. And even then, a 2002 50cent <<<<< 2002 Jay-z lyrically. But that’s not the point
Jay on the other hand has not been relatable for a long long time. From Imaginary Player, I Love The Dough to…name it. Ignoring the fact that he was, even then, a very dope lyricist, were you ballin like that in 95? I know I wasnt. But I also know that that was real to me because he was. Now, being a black millionaire at 25 and hailing from a shithole in Brooklyn like myself was a reality and not just some far fetched fantasy. So I respected it and it motivated me.
Yeah, yeah, it’s offensive to hear Jay spit about how rich he is now and all this shit. It hurts their souls that he’s got a Beyonce under his arms and a Bank in his wallet. It’s even worse that he’s talking Billions not millions now…. But to use an above analogy, the 1995 you would tell its 2009 counterpart that he/she was just hating. Because the fact of the matter is, y’all don’t have to buy jay’s shit. Or listen to it. Or read it. Or do any of that…
But you do. Consistently. Persistently. Insistently. Why? (No, really, why?) I know why I do it. Shit’s dope to me so I hit repeat. But Anti-Jiggas hit repeat to feel saltier than before? I don’t get it.
Oh well.
Observing from the sidelines
I agree
Which was my original point. Jay didn’t just up and change, he financed his very 1st video (with Dame I add) in St. Thomas. On boats that were theirs (claimed by Dame). 95% of its listeners were not able to relate to that. And that was pre-reasonable doubt.
But the truth is this. We as listeners for the most part can never truly relate to rappers because well….they lie for a living. Now some embellish more than others but they for the most part, insult our intelligence on a consistent basis. They dont kill as much (if ever) as they say, buy out as many bars as they say, keep absolutely real like they say. And somewhere deep down we know this as listeners. So when I hear people constantly say, “I can’t relate to Jay’s current position” I always wanna know, ‘well could you ever?’ ‘well who position can you relate to?’
But to use an above analogy, the 1995 you would tell its 2009 counterpart that he/she was just hating. Because the fact of the matter is, y’all don’t have to buy jay’s shit. Or listen to it. Or read it. Or do any of that…
===================================================
So if I listen to an album by an artist I like and I don’t like what I hear, I’m hating?
I just don’t like the shit and I’m voicing my opinion. Why does that mean I’m hating?
I didn’t buy his shit (don’t intend to) and I haven’t played it in months. Will I listen to his other albums? Sure, cause I still think Jay is one of the great’s. But BP3 is weak. That’s just how I feel.
Jay isn’t motivating on BP3. He’s bragging. There’s a distinct difference. This is Jay at his most arrogant and that’s saying something cause that’s been his persona from the jump.
^^^
To add, there’s a bitterness that pervades all Jay’s rhymes on BP3. It’s not endearing.
Before, even though Jay was talking dollar amounts I hadn’t yet seen (still haven’t), he was grounded in the hood, a product of the same streets I was in.
You have to listen really hard to catch glimpses of that guy on BP3.
I dont have a problem with the content on BP3. Grown man rap is fine with me. In fact most of it seems like a natural evolution from where he started out.
Its just that the rhymes, hooks and production sucked on about half the songs.
Its just that the rhymes, hooks and production sucked on about half the songs
^^^
Isn’t that the content?
And I’m not mad at the direction he went in, but moreso the way he chose to articulate it.
@Amp
Thats a more articulate phrasing of the same sentiment
The problem with ‘The Blueprint 3′ isn’t that it’s “not gangster” or that I want “the old Jay-Z,” but dude spend the whole album talking about the haters and forgot about the fans and supporters…
This album was exactly what I didn’t want him to drop. An “I Love Jay-Z” album. Yes, I know Jay’s always had an ego, but there has always been a balanced. Even on ‘Kingdom Come’ he didn’t sound like that’s all he could talk about…
No story tracks…
Too many techno beats…
No Just Blaze. ..
Obscure features only in the name to be “different…”
‘Forever Young…’
“I never change, this is Jay everyday”
Lies.
@ Gotty, I’m not sure I’d count on any rapper to save us anytime soon. (prove me wrong P. Miller)
But put Doom’s rhymes up against Jay’s and tell me whose more clever.
It’s hover cars vs. dirt roads.
The shit’s primative.