9/11 made for one of the darkest moments in American history. It completely hijacked the cultural consciousness, marking the first time U.S. soil had truly been invaded on such a personal level. For any other artist, releasing music on such a day would’ve proven catastrophic to their numbers. But for Jay-Z, he thrived despite the tragedy. Releasing The Blueprint 25 years ago today proved to be a shining light for New York during an extreme low point for the city.
At the time, Hov was beefing with seemingly everyone in hip-hop. He was in the middle of his war with Nas and Mobb Deep, prompting the creation of “Takeover”. While it wasn’t nearly as mean and vitriolic as “Ether“, it featured a diss that stuck with the narrative around Nas for years.
“Four albums in ten years, n***a? I could divide/That’s one every, let’s say two, two of them shits was doo/One was nah, the other was Illmatic/That’s a one hot album every ten year average,” Jay-Z rapped.
Releasing on the same day as 9/11 is interesting years later because The Blueprint essentially acted as New York’s persevering spirit. “Takeover” saw him take on all challengers. Records like “Izzo (H.O.V.A.)” were triumphant. “Song Cry” and “Never Change” were pensive and soulful. New York needed a record that reflected their mindset after such tragedy. The Blueprint served that purpose.
Jay-Z Releases ‘The Blueprint’ on 9/11 25 Years Ago
No American tragedy stopped listeners from buying the album either. Hov sold over 427,000 copies in its opening week and would eventually be certified 3x platinum. Eventually, it would be preserved by the Library of Congress in the United States National Recording Registry. It marked the first album from the 21st century to receive such an honor.
The album was also lauded with immediate critical acclaim upon its release as well. The Source anointed it with a rare 5 mics, arguing that Jay-Z radically altered the complexion of hip-hop for the foreseeable future.
“Critics have been complaining of a fundamental particle missing from the contemporary rap atom. That electron, if you will, is the willingness to strip away some of the WWF-like gimmickry that has turned hip-hop music into a caricature of its former self. Lack of originality—in lyrics, style, image—has reached an all-time high,” Journalist Carlito Rodriguez wrote.
“With The Blueprint, Jay-Z has upped the ante for aspiring MCs. After all, Shawn Carter spent five years searching for his holy grail. And he’ll be damned if he makes it any easier for somebody else to do the same.”
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