Contest: Win Tickets to See Jay-Z at Madison Square Garden
- story THE FADER
Because we love you and know that you’re jockin Jay-Z and particularly his forthcoming The Blueprint 3, we’re offering one lucky winner a pair of tickets to spend an intimate evening with him on its release day. Just you, Shawn Carter, and the entirety of Madison Square Garden. And because it’s on September 11th, all the proceeds are going towards the New York Police and Fire Widows’ and Children’s Benefit Fund, and airing live and commercial-free on FUSE at 9pm/8c (check it here). So if you don’t win, you can still watch it and have a myriad of reasons to purchase tickets. To enter, tell us which track off a Blueprint album is your favorite and why in the comments and make sure to register with your legit email so we know where to find you.
Related:
- Contest: Bjork And Klaxons At Madison Square Garden
- Freeload: My Morning Jacket Live At Madison Square Garden
- Justice At Madison Square Garden On March 11th
- Live: Machel Montano at Madison Square Garden
- Video: Kanye And Jay-Z Preview Blueprint 3
- posted on Sep 2, 2009 in CONTESTS, MUSIC NEWS
- tags CONTESTS, hip hop, Jay-Z
September 2nd, 2009 at 12:30 pm
Run This Town
September 2nd, 2009 at 12:34 pm
“Song Cry”-
When I first heard it-like most love songs-I didn’t get it. I had been in relationships, but never really been in love. You know the story: good-girl falls for troubled-but-decent Nas-type. It was great, we did everything together. Then it fell apart. I knew he was no good for me, and he openly cheated. So I sat and cried, and cried, and cried. And I cried some more. So when I couldn’t cry anymore I let the song do it for me. The song still gives me the blues, because it really communicates the pain of a failed relationship.
September 2nd, 2009 at 12:58 pm
The Takeover: A then relatively unknown producer named Kanye West flips an uncharacteristically sinister Doors sample which becomes a wild west backdrop for Jay-z to sling a stomping tirade against all of his then-frenemies. The Break’s Over. A massive beef track and deservedly one of the most famous.
September 2nd, 2009 at 1:13 pm
Empire State of Mind
Every once in a blue moon it seems like you get a vintage Jay-Z track that throws you back. When I heard Empire State of Mind it reminded me of the vintage Jay that I grew up listening to. The song reminds me of a perfect day, weather rocking somewhere in the 70s with the top down driving around the city. A true piece of art from Hov, not to mention it’s a feel good record for everyone in and around the city.
September 2nd, 2009 at 1:29 pm
Heart of the city
Its just an amazing track. I love how Jay-Zs voice blends with the sample from the Bobby Bland song.
He brings a lot of power to a already powerful song.
September 2nd, 2009 at 1:36 pm
Never Change
I love the David Ruffin sample…I mean there is no with Blueprint without David Ruffin!!!!!!!!!
September 2nd, 2009 at 1:40 pm
“Thank You”…because I’m hopin that’s what I’ll be saying to you guys when I get to see him liiiive!
September 2nd, 2009 at 1:51 pm
You don’t Know.
The way the song is structured tells you the necessary steps of rising to becoming somebody in the United States of America.
Verse 1 Begins
“I’m from the streets where…”
Jay-Z goes on to detail his upbringing in the Marcy projects and its intricacies. “All cars we learn em, all scars we earn em”
Verse 2
He details HOW he expanded his hustle
“Could make forty off a brick but one rhyme could beat that.. and if somebody woulda told em that Hov would sell clothing…I smartened up opened the market up”
His willingness to expand inspired me to try different avenues in terms of my college education and the risks I would take as an undergraduate and beyond.
Verse 3
His will to SUCCEED
“I sell ice in the winter, I sell fire in hell, I am a hustler baby I’ll sell water to a well”
No matter what, it’s obvious he must progress with whatever conditions he is in.
U dont know is definitely my favorite track. It shows the indomitable will one must have to make it through adversity. Its almost like a scholarly essay. Add a Just Blaze beat to as footnotes, and you have a classic track inside and outside of the hood.
September 2nd, 2009 at 1:51 pm
Its got to be, ‘Heart of the City (Ain’t no love). I used to listen to this after having a bad presentation in Architecture school. And whenever one of my professors completely dismantled a project I spent sleepless nights working on… I would play this song in preparation for the next presentation, that’s when I officially ‘bounce up like round ball…’
September 2nd, 2009 at 1:53 pm
Takeover
Yeah, he got Ether-ized, but this track is brilliant. Great sample, great lines. “You know who, did you know what…” Far more efficient than Superugly.
September 2nd, 2009 at 2:00 pm
“Girls, girls, girls.” I always like the sunnier, more playful side of Jay-Z. Great politically insensitive lyrics (”Jigga Man, Why you treat me like animal??”), homage and appearance by the legend Slick Rick, and shit, it’s a million times better than the Motley Crue song of the same name.
September 2nd, 2009 at 2:03 pm
Off That feat. Drake
This song is not necessarily the passing of the torch between hip hop moguls. Yet it is amazing how many historic figures Drake has been able to pair up with so far in his career (Weezy, Yeezy, Jay, Mary J., etc.). Hova kills it on this track and is basically saying, “we’re moving on. you can hang out here but we’ll see you in the future…maybe.” It just goes to show how talented he is and how he is able to take such a good lyricist like Drake and not even have a verse for him, but that’s what makes it so good. I see Drake throwing in a verse soon but I love it as is. If you need any other reason besides the fact that I am on the blog every couple hours, I share the name Chris Wallace with another rapper you might now (I have the ID to prove it) and seeing Jay at MSG would be a dream come true. Cris we off that, Timbs we off that, Rims we off that! The End.
September 2nd, 2009 at 2:38 pm
The Ruler’s Back
Those horns, man…
“Gather round hustlers (that’s if you’re still livin)”
BP is built for fall in the city.
September 2nd, 2009 at 2:39 pm
“Never Change”
…soul music.
September 2nd, 2009 at 2:43 pm
My favorite track off The BluePrint is Takeover, the reason I chose this song because it was epic, it sparked the infamous “beef” between Jay and Nas. It also showed a different mean side of jay, and it was produced by Kanye West, at that moment kanye west was starting to get in the game, and by him producing such a big impact song, and him being cool with Nas, was a big impact on his career. And with the song being a big impact. It encouraged Nas to make the infamous track Either, which will go down as the biggest diss track ever, and one of the biggest hip hop songs.
September 2nd, 2009 at 2:43 pm
“Girls, Girls Girls,”
What allot of people don’t realize and the reason Jay Z is where he is today is not only his lyrical ability. i would argue that the main reason for his success is his “artistic intelligence” and the song ” Girls, girls, Girls” is a perfect example. Simple subject matter , classic beat by Just blaze, but what makes the song is the subtle vocals on the chorus by Q-tip, BIZ MARKIE, & Slick Rick. who does that?
He made these hip hop icons just a part of the beat. and didn’t yell about it. if you noticed it you noticed it.
September 2nd, 2009 at 2:51 pm
continued.. “Girls Girls Girls”
This song shows his understanding of texture. thats like hand stitching in inside of a garment even though the costumer will probably never notice it. thats what you call ART.
September 2nd, 2009 at 3:01 pm
**D’evils**
September 2nd, 2009 at 3:07 pm
ahem everyone can stop lying: CLEARLY takeover! why you ask?!? Because beside his ball-crushing photo expose at summer jam of the homie prodigy in his tutu…take over is the reason we got ether and ether my friends is the powdered hand bitch slap of all rap beef tracks. thank you jay-z for calling that upon yourself…thank you.
September 2nd, 2009 at 3:44 pm
“Sisters get respect, bitches get what they deserve.Sisters work hard, bitches work your nerves. Sisters hold you down, bitches hold you up.Sisters help you progress, bitches will slow you up… I love my sisters, I don’t love no b*tch”
In my 21 years of living, I’ve never heard my mother referred to as a bitch. Not even in a “oh girl I’m just playing” way. She demanded respect by first respecting herself and she raised me to do the same.
While on the one hand, I was never a fan of the term “b*tch,” I love this song specifically because its raw and straight to the point — a good, solid, and valid point.
The track serves as a reminder of why I (or any woman) should never let anyone refer to me (or them) as a “b*tch.”
And truth be told,if you couldn’t differentiate between the category “YOU” fell into, you’re probably a B*TCH! Lol. (J/K)
September 2nd, 2009 at 4:04 pm
gotta be “u don’t know” — that song reminds me of the first week of freshman year,
playing the track off the roc-a-fella: empire strikes back mixtape. perfect combination of pre-september 11 swagger (”I sell fire in hell / I’m a hustler baby, I sell water to a well.”), a ridiculous just blaze track,
and a long ass intro with lots of dj envy yelling “whaaaaa”
September 2nd, 2009 at 4:07 pm
SONG CRY. The song & video was a sincere effort that stops you in your tracks. Great production. The truth of a Love found, enjoyed, mistreated and lost. Only thing left was “the crying” and it truly was all over….. Amazing. Thank you.
September 2nd, 2009 at 4:15 pm
Easily “The Takeover”…why?
besides the fact that the BEAT was a monster?
well it can be said NOW..years later….Nas was the underdog at the time..and folks don’t want to support the clear winner they root for the underdog..
but Takeover was the clear winner between Takeover and Ether (superugly wasn’t even a song!!)
grown man B.I. get you rolled into Triage..b***h..WHAT?!?!
yeah i know …the sun don’t shine..the sun don’t shine.. laaaaaaameeee
September 2nd, 2009 at 4:32 pm
I don’t think its one song I can choose from but for the sake of being different I’ll pick “momma loves me” of the first blueprint. The composition of the song is amazing, everything from his slow melodic flow to the rhythmic beating of drums really sets a nice tone, its like he had all his friends in a room and started giving a mini biography of his life when he talks about how The Marcy projects raised him and whether right or wrong the streets gave him all he wrote in his songs, the nice little break in the track of somebody actually beating on a table when he talks about the kitchen table is where he honed his skills and then detailing his struggles coming up saying “unless you was me how could you judge me, I was brought up in pain you can’t touch me” then ending the song by giving advice to 2 of his proteges telling Memphis Bleek that his time is coming he’s only one hit away and Beanie Sigel that he isn’t trying to change him but give him some game so he could make the transition from the streets to the fame. Its hard choosing one track from so many great ones but this one track shows his versatility and maturity as an artist
September 2nd, 2009 at 6:04 pm
Hard to knock anything off Blueprint 1, it basically put Kanye West (as a producer) on the map. My favorite track on that album is most definitely “Heart of the City”.
Jay just absolutely kills it “Oh you not feeling me? Fine. It costs you nothing, pay me no mind”.
A gigantic classic for all the fans who skip the pop singles.
As Jay says, “Where’s the love!?”
September 2nd, 2009 at 6:44 pm
Without a doubt it’s Takeover. Everything from the Doors sample to Jay’s lyrical content song concept and the fact that it’s an old fashioned diss record in the same vein as The Bridge is over make it a total hip-hop masterpiece. This song and Girls, Girls, Girls could carry the whole album if they had too.
September 2nd, 2009 at 6:50 pm
Track | Excuse Me Miss
Album | The Blueprint²: The Gift & The Curse
Excuse Me Miss is my favorite track because Jay kills it over a great Neptunes beat. In my opinion, this is second best Neptunes-produced Jay-Z track after Give It To Me. The airiness of the synths mixed with the nice bassline groove makes for a track to listen to over and over again. But it wasnt all about the beat. Jay’s rhymes in this song mark a change in his approach to rapping about women. Its more mature. And, his writing for this track got him a Grammy nomination.
“Either she the one or I’m caught in the matrix.
F!@# it, let the Fish-burn
Red or green pill, you live and you learn. C’mon!”
September 2nd, 2009 at 7:13 pm
Heart of The City (Ain’t No Love)
“I’m not lookin’ at you dudes, I’m lookin’ past ya.” – Simple as that.
September 2nd, 2009 at 7:15 pm
Renegade
This was the hardest song for a long time and the best back and forth ever. I saw Hov in LA one night and he performed the song…and then Em came on stage! This song definitely picks me back up whenever I need a swagga reboost.
September 2nd, 2009 at 8:21 pm
Forever Young. Its a classic track that shows Jay is an artist who can bring out the best in any track. And the song is on the level that it could be played at someones funeral. Deep n meaningful. Icing on the cake = Mr. Hudson on the hook. GENIUS.
September 2nd, 2009 at 8:26 pm
Song Cry
I have to say that this is my favorite because it encompasses the ‘foolish pride’ of a man, while still allowing you to feel his sorrow. Lyrically, Jay was on point, but it wasn’t just words; there was so much feeling that resonated through that I could imagine the tears on the track. As a female, that song was very helpful in me recognizing that while a man may not readily express his sorrow or regret, he may pour it out in another forum and it could be just as effective.
September 2nd, 2009 at 8:43 pm
Empire State of Mind
I’m in NJ right now on vacation and earlier in the day I drove around Trenton for roughly 45 mins trying to find the social security office to get a new ssn card. Now I love Trenton, always have, but I was born in NY and live back in the city now and just think no other place can possibly compare to it. When I’d visit, before moving back, I used to say I could feel the city in my blood. I haven’t heard much of the new album (I’ll wait until the 11th), but I did d/l Empire State of Mind b/c of the good things I was hearing.
So, I’m on vacation, preparing to leave for a extended weekend at the beach, and I’m cruising through Trenton listening to Jay speak on NYC and all I can think is “Man, I can’t wait to get back home!” I won’t be back from the beach until Tuesday, but I know the second I step out on the street I’ll feel the city alive in me again.
I’m glad someone captured the almost indescribable feeling of being in/and a part of NYC.
Good show Jay!
September 2nd, 2009 at 9:38 pm
My Favorite song is Blueprint 2 on The Gift & The Curse. I love this song because the type of emotion he had on that song was raw , it was his purest form of venting and even the he had made “emotional” songs this one he was a different tye of emotional and anytime Im working hard on something or I feel like one of those down days the spirit of the song , it brings me back up. Also this was his most precise comeback at Nas even though the battle was already called .
PS:
When the Twin Towers dropped, I was the first in line
Donating proceeds off every ticket sold
When I was out on the road, that’s how you judge Hov, no?
Ain’t I supposed to be absorbed myself?
Every time there’s a tragedy, I’m the first one to help
September 2nd, 2009 at 11:16 pm
“Heart Of The City” is my favorite song from a Blueprint album. It’s so easy to find fun hip-hop songs that make you wanna bob your head, it’s a little less easy to find hip-hop songs that can move you, but finding a song like “Heart Of The City” that paints a picture, gives you breath, and has a fucking pulse (like the title suggests) is rare. “Heart Of The City” does that for me.
I hope this contest isn’t over yet. I just moved back to NY from FL a few days ago. My girlfriend is coming to visit me for the first time tomorrow and she loves Jay-Z as much as I do. Her favorite song is “Heart Of The City” too, but she loves that Unplugged version. Tickets to this show would be amazing!
September 2nd, 2009 at 11:57 pm
song cry. seems to be the realest on there. on an album full of hits, you have to listen to the man himself: “i dumb down for my audience to double by dollars. they criticize me for it, yet they all yell ‘holla.’”
September 3rd, 2009 at 2:52 am
Empire State of Mind
Strong homage piece
Somewhat climactic progression
Decent power hook from Ms. Cook.
September 3rd, 2009 at 8:41 am
“Never Change”…love the soul sample & the introspective lyrics. I love storytellying Hov & the flow makes you feel like you’re sitting down having a conversation with him.
September 3rd, 2009 at 8:43 am
Never Change is my favorite from Blueprint!
From the production to the truth Jay-z was spitting is just classic.
“This is Jay everyday… who you you know like Hov”
By the way this was very hard because almost all his songs are special for different reasons!
Jay-z is GENUIS!
September 3rd, 2009 at 10:14 am
Never Change is one of my faves off of Blueprint.
“we colliding with life as we speak” is a beautiful line that speaks to so many different life experiences. And there are so many of those wonderful lines in this song and so many others. It’s rare for me to find lyrics that poignant in the songs of other rappers that dominate the industry nowadays. So I look to Jay when I want to renew my faith in hip-hop.
Preach on , hov.
September 3rd, 2009 at 10:42 am
Off the blueprints, my favorite track would be “Diamond is Forever,” off the second one. I think this song is a perfect example of why Jay is not only my favorite rapper, but up in there in my top 5 artists of all time as well. Never will you hear Jeezy, Gucci, or even Tip acknowledge the large-scale repercussions that the crack game has had on not only the black community, but the human race at large as well. When I first heard the line – “And I can’t justify genocide, but I was born in the city where the skinny niggaz die…Born in the city where the skinny niggaz ride…And as a skinny nigga I had beef with high size,” along with the goosebumps that entailed, I think that’s when I first started accepting Hov’s G.O.A.T. status. With this song (and specific line), I like that he stands almost perfectly center in between rap’s two schools of thought, – he’s far from the elitist, self-indulgent cheeseballs that constitute backpacking “concious” rap, as well as simultaneously far from the delusional Worldstar hip-hop tragedies whose capability for ignorance can only be noted as “staggering.”
What I’m trying to say is that Jay possess the best of both worlds (no Kellz) in my opinion. On the one hand, he can wax poetic about all the harsh realities that came w/ his former street life, and boast about all the experiences therein, but then with the same breath – he demonstrates complete consciousness and awareness of what the consequences, both micro and macro, that those actions can elicit. And “Diamond is Forever” is definitely the song that hammered that realization home for me.
September 3rd, 2009 at 10:50 am
“Blueprint (Momma Loves Me)”
The reason why I love this song so much is not necessarily because it showcases Jay’s undeniable abilities but that Jay throws all the gun/coke talk and braggadocio out the window (not that I don’t love me some and got reflective. “Momma Loves Me”, from the slow build of the beat (a gem by Bink!), to the way Jay-Z keeps coming back to the “my momma loves me” line, this song is straight hypnotic. For someone so guarded about his personal life, this was one of the only songs where Jay opened up about his family and how, for better or for worse, they were the backbone to his success. From Mickey dressing him, to Marcy (projects) raising him, he pays homage to brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, the streets, and of course his mother. It is a truly honest record, and that’s where Jay-Z is at his best. He even has a line for his estranged father, who he ripped on The Dynasty for being an absent father, the fact that he even declares he misses him on the song provides some insight into Jay’s mindset during this record: that the hardships he dealt with laid the blueprint for his future success. This is a humbling record, Jay lifts the iron curtain on his family and what we get in return is a perfect closer to a classic album.
September 3rd, 2009 at 11:40 am
Heart Of The City
My brother and I would bump this song every day driving to school. The words out of Jay’s mouth flow just like the perfect beat made by Kanye. You can tell that they sat in a room for hours trying to find a good hook from an old school soul record and they found it right here. Nothing better than listening to this song while cruising through your neck of the woods. The song seemed to reemerge when it was put in the advertisement for the movie “American Gangster”, which is fitting because that what Jay is….an American Gangster
September 3rd, 2009 at 12:07 pm
Takeover!
September 3rd, 2009 at 12:22 pm
U Don’t Know
Inspiration ~
Put me anywhere on God’s green earth, I’ll triple my worth
Motherf****r – I, will, not, lose
September 3rd, 2009 at 2:44 pm
“The Watcher 2″
Simply put this song is classic. The watcher 2 features the legendary Dr. Dre, and Rakim. Doesn’t get anymore legit than that. This track was crazy ahead of it’s time too when it dropped in ‘04. This song sounds like something that could have dropped this year.
“Know the shit I DON’T write be the illest shit that’s ever been recited
in the game word to the hyphen in my NAME!”
Jiggaman is def gonna top the charts with Blueprint 3.
September 3rd, 2009 at 3:19 pm
“Never Change”
I remember thinking how genuine the beat is; and this was just as i was getting into hip-hop so the bar was set and this album was a great introduction to my new adventure in this genre. I was curious who made the beat and who was on the chorus as well, cause not only did Jay’s verses move me the instrumental did the same. Love the feeling this track gives me, everytime, never expires.
“That’s how it is now, that’s how it always be,
I’ll never change this is always me”
<3
September 3rd, 2009 at 4:47 pm
“Takeover”
The beat is murderous, and Jay-z on top of the “Five to One” Doors sample is genius. The lyrics and the beat mesh so well and the imagery comes across so strongly. You listen to that track and you KNOW that the ROC is nothing to eff with. Its a sick diss track and, even outside of that, and it illustrates everything to love about jay: his ego, his cleverness & wit, wordplay, and intellect. And the last line is priceless.
September 3rd, 2009 at 4:53 pm
“U Don’t Know”
CLASSIC CLASSIC CLASSIC. He doesnt even need a hook. When you think about Jay-Z you think about “U Don’t Know” among others. a timeless banger.
I sell ice in the winter, I sell fire in hell
I am a hustler baby, I’ll sell water to a well
I. will. not. lose. ever.
September 4th, 2009 at 12:19 pm
Dear Summer
makes me feel like i’m right in the city listenin’ to jay do what he does best
September 4th, 2009 at 1:56 pm
***Izzo***
Yes, “Takeover” is one of the greatest diss tracks of all time and solidified Jay’s position as a raw MC. Yes, “U Don’t Know” is epic. Yes, “Song Cry” shows a rare emotional and humble side of Jay. Yes, “Bonnie and Clyde” was the beginning of the unstoppable Jay and Beyonce partnership.
You can say all you want about the tracks on Blueprint 1 and 2, but nothing – I repeat nothing – compares to the impact of “Izzo”.
This is the track that officially announced Jay-Z to the world. It marked Jay’s transition into the public conscience and set the platform for Jay to become a mainstream icon. You will not meet a single person who does not know the words to the hook. You will not meet a single person who did not bump this song in their cars with the windows down when it came out.
“Izzo” forced everyone – including myself – to pay attention to someone who was on the verge of grabbing music by the neck and refusing to let it go for a decade. The sample was audacious, the rhymes were simple, and the impact is immeasurable. To look beyond this track is to not respect Jay-Z’s impact on music and culture. You remember the song word-for-word, you remember the video, you remember the way you felt when you first heard it, and chances are, you now remember that “Izzo” is your favorite song as well.
September 4th, 2009 at 2:28 pm
I would have to say “Jigga That Ni**a” because thats what got me into Jay-Z. I was 7 years old at the time when my cousin was blasting it in his car and it was the first time I heard a Jay-Z song. The next day I asked my cousin “What’s that song called that goes ‘Jigga jigga that ni**a jigga* and he started laughing cause I was only 7. Ever since that song, my cousin grew me up listening to Jay.
September 4th, 2009 at 10:34 pm
Some how some way – because any song with jay, beans and face is fucking pure genius. remember this cant be life off the dynasty album? case in point. they keep talking about doing an album together but they need to ACTUALLY do one. Put three great mc’s together, leave all the t-painin and “my chain cost this, my car cost that” outta the equation, and you have a solid record that deals with real shit.
September 5th, 2009 at 12:00 am
‘Never Change’ is my favorite song on Blueprint. I would listen to this song 5 years after it was released and still get something new from it. It’s a smart, song, how can you not love a simile like “We run streets like drunks run street lights”?
I went from growing up in a small town, the university had more people than where I grew up. But the idea of staying real, remembering where you came from and still growing up to be something ‘more’, resonated deeply. “Knocked a nigga off his feet, but I crawled back”.
September 6th, 2009 at 11:39 am
Takeover is my favorite track
….I just honestly am dying for a pair of tickets to this show and have entered into every contest around to win tickets, if there is a god up there I will win…. and by the way my favorite jay-z track is off vol. 1 and its streets is watching…no need for explanation, listen to the track and you will see why jay-z is jay-z. Thanks for the opportunity. Now on to my next contest to try and get these tickets.
September 6th, 2009 at 11:02 pm
“Never Change”
The Track as a whole is just the BluePrint as a whole to me. Its just the basics about keeping yourself and your integrity. Don’t let this world change you. Stay truthful and real. Its what the Blueprint Trilogy is about.
September 7th, 2009 at 12:54 am
Blueprint (Momma Loves Me)
This is my favorite track because it’s the most honest and personal song that Jay-Z has written in
my opinion. He talks about his life in Marcy and basically puts all of his thoughts on paper. There are lines about the people who helped him out when he was young. He also drops a line about his father (who left him at age twelve) where he says “Pop I miss you, God help me forgive him I got some issues” This line is so raw because he admits he still has some animosity towards his father. What makes this song so special is that he puts away his usual talk about cars, money, and girls (all of which we love) and tells us about his humble beginnings. This is one of the few tracks where fans have the opportunity to see Sean Carter instead of Jay-Z.
September 7th, 2009 at 3:37 am
SONG CRY
BLUEPRINT HAS TO BE MY FAVORITE ALBUM OF ALL TIME, EVERY TRACK IS MY FAVORITE BUT I GO ALL DAY LISTENING TO “SONG CRY” BACK TO BACK TO BACK. IT HAS THE MOST PLAYS ON MY ITUNES THEN ANY OF THE OTHER 3,000+ SONGS I OWN. ANYTIME I HEAR IT I HEAR IT I GET EMOTIONAL, I’M THE BIGGEST JAY-Z FAN AND KNOW ALL THE LYRICS TO THE SONG!
September 7th, 2009 at 2:26 pm
the watcher 2
this track just shows how far Jay-z has come. The beat is ridiculous as well and the Dr. Dre and Rakim verses are sick. It shows how much you have to love music to be in the business. They’ve been through so much and made it so far and Jay-z is still on top! All the blueprints albums are fantastic, but my favorite album is still the black album. I would LOVEEE so much to see Jay-z!!! oh and I make frequent trips to pop burger because of Jay-z! HOVAAAA
September 7th, 2009 at 2:36 pm
Renegade
This song is one of my favorites because there is so much talk about who the better rapper is. Is Jay-Z or Eminem the better rapper. I love how they both wrote a song with each other about who the better rapper is. Personally, I don’t even think it’s close. I think Jay-Z is the better rapper…”UH-HUH” It shows that you can say whatever is on your mind. You have the right to have your own opinion on who the better rapper is. Jay-Z is and will always be my boy. HOVA! I love Pop Burger too especially the fact that it’s a Jay-Z favorite.
September 7th, 2009 at 3:36 pm
song cry definitely i just like the word play in the song to me it showed a different side of Jay
September 7th, 2009 at 6:12 pm
“Excuse me miss”
I would have to say that my favorite track from one of the Blueprint albums, and actually one of my favorite tracks of all time is “Excuse me miss”. Excuse me miss was released as a single off of his seventh album, the Blueprint 2: The Gift and the Curse. The song is an absolute classic that will be played on radio stations for years to come. With the laid-back neptunes beat and Pharell on the hook, the track puts you into a mood unlike no other. Lyrically, Jay murders the track and makes you envy him and love him at the same time. I remember the first time i heard the track i was in my brothers car. He was dropping me off at this girls house who i had liked at the time. The track came on the radio and it gave me the confidence i needed to bring out my A game that night. From then on whenever i took a girl out i would always listen to that song before. Jay-z, best rapper alive.
September 7th, 2009 at 11:31 pm
{My favorite track is from “The Blueprint,” it is called “Momma Loves me(Blueprint).” Its my favorite because i learned so much about him in just 4 minutes. He poured his soul into that song and really the respect him for that.}
September 8th, 2009 at 12:20 am
“Song Cry”-
When I first heard it-like most love songs-I didn’t get it. I had been in relationships, but never really been in love. You know the story: good-girl falls for troubled-but-decent Nas-type. It was great, we did everything together. Then it fell apart. I knew he was no good for me, and he openly cheated. So I sat and cried, and cried, and cried. And I cried some more. So when I couldn’t cry anymore I let the song do it for me. The song still gives me the blues, because it really communicates the pain of a failed relationship.
September 8th, 2009 at 10:26 am
“SONG CRY” from Blueprint
This song did it for me, I was in a relationship with a girl that did everything for me when the song first came out. Since then, we both went our different ways and the song is played more because it relates to everything we went through. We grew up with each other and after we grew up, we came across different options and decisions we made in our life led us to separate. Even though we both cried when it was over, we got over it but the song will always paint that vivid picture of how our relationship was, and how it ended up being and how I might have did her wrong or vice-versa but its those decisions we have to live with and the song will always be there just to remind us and cry for us.
September 8th, 2009 at 11:42 am
My favorite song is Renegade w/ Eminem. It was two of the best rappers bringing their “A” game together on a great instrumental. I couldn’t imagine them on a track together because they are so distinct, but they managed to surpass my expectations.
September 8th, 2009 at 11:45 am
Girls, Girls, Girls
One thing about Jay is that he always knows how to tell stories through his music, and this song shows that. If you listen to the chorus for the 1st time, the first impression you’ll get is that it’s a corny ass song about how much a rapper like girls (typical, rite?). But if you really break it down and listen to the verses and what he’s sayin in the song, you can’t help but admit that this dude is a GENIUS on the mic (and quite the comedian). Best line of course is: “I got this African chick with Eddie Murphy on her skull/She like, “Jigga Man, why you treat me like animal?”/I’m like excuse me Ms. Fufu, but when I met your ass you was dead broke and naked/ now you want half” LMAO! classic…
September 8th, 2009 at 11:54 am
My Momma Loves Me….. I was raised by my grandma,Mommie and my older sister. I’m a female and I can relate to every word he said in this song…My Favorite off Blueprint My Momma loves me..Pop left me…Ah man
September 8th, 2009 at 11:56 am
song cry.
it’s such a genuine emotion that a lot of men go through and feel but can never put it as eloquently as jay does.
September 8th, 2009 at 1:09 pm
Run This Town- This song is different than anything on the radio. It has meaning and purpose. Very fitting for what Jay Z is doing on 9/11. He has purpose behind all he does and collaborates with the best artists in the world. I’d be honored. We’re going to NY to get engaged and this would blow my finace to be’s mind!
September 8th, 2009 at 1:16 pm
“Song Cry”
There are so many emotions running throughout that song. At the time, I was going thru the same emotions that the implied girlfriend in the song was experiencing. Therefore, I related to the that point of view. It was funny because my ex-boyfriend actually told me that was his favorite song as well. To this day, I still rap every word from that song with so much passion and emotion as if I wrote it myself. This, by far, is my favorite Jay-Z song. The Unplugged version makes me cry because I think back on what was with my ex and I. My favorite verses are:
“We was together on the block since free lunch, We shoulda been together havin 4 Seasons brunch…”
Love him!
September 8th, 2009 at 1:20 pm
“SONG CRY”
SO DIFFERENT FOR JAY BUT STILL SO IMMACULATELY DONE. ITS THE PERFECT SONG, I KNOW EVERY LYRIC.
September 8th, 2009 at 3:07 pm
Empire State of Mind
The combination of Jay’s flow and Alicia’s vocals on this track is amazing. The beat with it’s hard hitting sound in the beginning gives way to this freshness that compels you to imagine yourself on New York city streets – sun peeking through the buildings, living your best life. It may sound corny, but as a nostalgic New Yorker recently transplanted to Boston, the track is a breath of fresh air filled with much of what I miss about my city…and my favorite emcee.
September 8th, 2009 at 3:15 pm
i must say off the blueprint2 bitch and sisters this song is classic
September 8th, 2009 at 3:21 pm
blueprint never change and all i need classics
September 8th, 2009 at 3:21 pm
BLUEPRiNT 3: STAR iS bORN
JAY BiGS UP EVERYONE WHO iS EVERYONE iN THE iNDUSTRY.
September 8th, 2009 at 3:30 pm
Heart of the City (Ain’t no love)
This track (along with the rest of the album) helped establish Kanye West as a producer, an amazing soulful beat with top notch thoughtful lyrics to match it. And it’s versatile as hell, can be on in the club, when youre just chillin or my personal favorite … driving around the city. Sick track.
September 8th, 2009 at 4:35 pm
U Don’t Know
This song just pumps me up. I love blasting this track in the car, Jay Z at his best.
September 8th, 2009 at 5:50 pm
Heart of the city:
I picked this track cause he addressed the hate in a different way. His word play was clever and it’s so real. People will love you now, the minute your grinding/Making moves your like”where’s the love”
I’ll kill ya’ll if you ice me”) or anything like that. He came at this issue like;( Ahh just do ya’ll, I aint worried about you, why you worried about me?) He came at this issue like ;( Finding ways to make more money is my problem not you.)
I also like this track cause I feel we live in a society where artist feel they can’t truly express themselves. Jay did’nt come on this track like
That line in which he says: What you eat don’t make me sh*t, is clever and real..
All the songs are obviously good but as a artist from bedstuy myself, I like that he did a chill track like that. It’s not expected when you grow up in a rough hood like Bklyn…. Some will say it’s soft like “Lucky me” from In my lifetime Vol1… I say its original and I feel being real enough to do hot tracks like that gets you to the top!!!
Fernando Santana/JimmyBiz
September 8th, 2009 at 6:02 pm
If I had to choose one it would be “Never Change” off of The Blueprint just because of its in depth realism and his story ,which paints the picture of how his experiences helped make Jay-z the man he is today. On this track he speaks as if he is talking directly to a hustler because that is exactly what he is . The language he uses as well as the flows he chooses to use shows that his words are coming from an honest place . For example “Keep coke in coffee, Keep money smellin mothy, chains is cool to cop but more important is lawyer fees”. Only a person whose lived this life and knows the trials and tribulations of hustling can create such a vivid picture.
September 8th, 2009 at 6:25 pm
Blueprint- Never Change
“Lost 92 bricks had to fall back
knocked a ni**a off his feel but I crawled back
Had A1 credit got more cr*ck
from the 1st to 5th I gave it all back
If.. I’m not a hustler what you call that?
This is before rap, this is all fact
I NEVER CHANGE”
Blueprint is simply a classic.
September 9th, 2009 at 12:39 am
Empire State of Mind is my favorite track off the album. While the beat hits hard, its still so chill that you could rock to it anytime. Plus you can’t go wrong with Alicia, her voice just gives the song such an epic feel.
September 9th, 2009 at 12:46 am
Young Forever
I’m at the young age of 23 but starting to feel like I’m getting old. The song really hits me and makes me want to be young forever. But the song helps me see that it’s really in my mind and as long as I think forever young I’ll never be old.
“So lets just stay in the moment, smoke some weed,
drink some wine,
reminisce talk some sh-t forever young is in your mind”
September 9th, 2009 at 12:36 pm
“heart of the city”
I PACK HEAT LIKE I’M THE OVEN DOOR.
where’s the love? It’s gonna be at MSG on friday night. get me there, please.
September 9th, 2009 at 7:16 pm
“Song Cry”
I know this song from beginning to end and always dreamed of singing this song along with Jay. What touched me about this song is it displayed that tears is not the only way to display one’s feelings it can be shown in various forms such as music, art, poems, etc. Two me this showed how volatile Jay could be because it is different from other songs. The way he expressed himself was very articulate and would capture anyones attention. Till this day I can listen to this song over and over.
September 10th, 2009 at 2:16 pm
“Empire State of Mind” – is one of my favorite songs, because when I think of New York, a few things come to mind immediately, the Yankess of course would be one and also Jay-Z’s music and his rags to riches story and when he drops lines like, “Shit, I made a Yankee hat more famous than a Yankee can,” you believe him.
September 10th, 2009 at 4:53 pm
“Takeover”-
I heard the Summerjam version on the radio, then I heard it blasting in a car on the way to class.
I bought the CD a few days early from a mom and pop shop that got CD’s in early. Beat by Kanye and the darts at Mobb Deep and Nas…classic.
September 10th, 2009 at 7:07 pm
“Heart of the City” was my favorite track off of Blueprint. The reason being, on 9/11/09 when this album was released, we played this song on repeat as we drove around to our loved ones and attempted to process the attacks that happened in NYC just hours prior. The area in which I live was heavily impacted by the attacks that took place on that horrific day. Anytime I listen to heart of the city, it takes me back to that day and the feelings I felt. However, it doesnt take me back to those feelings of fear and despair, but more so the feelings of strength to overcome and pride in our nation. I’ve listened to Jay-Z since Reasonable Doubt, but Blueprint will always be my favorit album of Jay-Z’s because his lyrics help carried me through one of the most unforgettable days of my life.
September 10th, 2009 at 10:57 pm
My favorite track off the Blueprint album is “Song Cry.” When this song came out I played it over and over constantly!!! Jay-z speaks to his fans in an incredible way. Song cry is one of many songs that solitified Jay-z ’s longevity in the game. It showed a side of him that the people don;t always get to see and showed a versatility that many fans may not have known he had. Jay-z has a presence unlike any other. i once watched him perform Song Cry live on television and it completely captivated me along thousands of other fans in the audience that day. It would change my world to see him perform that track live and in person. It’s a song that speaks for you when you can’t; helps you express emotions when you don’t know how–which is befitting for an amazing event like the one he’s about to put on in honor of all those lost on 9/11 and those who are still grieving the loss of loved ones…