Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse
By: Jay-Z
Price: $8.32
Do you want in on hip-hop, the dirty little secret? Well, not even the biggest rap icons have been able to draw from a memorable, fast-forward-containing free double disc - 2Pac's All Eyez on Me and Wu-Tang Clan Wu-Tang Forever. In this follow-up to participate, Jay-teams with Destiny's Child's Beyonce on "03 Bonnie & Clyde", a so-so remake of 2Pac's "Me and My Girlfriend". The Dr. Dre-produced remix revealed "The Watcher" with Rakim, in addition to the expansion of its audience, Jay is interested in his appeal to tried and tested demographic - East Coast hard rock. He completes the first disc with "I Did It My Way," sampling Paul Anka version of "My Way" and equating his Rap Pack (Kareem Burke, Dame Dash) to the Rat Pack of Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr. and Dean Martin. Do not laugh. The stronger second disc contains some pleasant surprises. The Lenny Kravitz fueled braggadocio of "Guns and Roses" titillates, while Jay's Jeru the Damaja-like "Bitches and Sisters" sure fueling accusations of misogyny. In the end, not even Jay hot tearing through 11 songs, let alone 25th - Dalton Higgins
Price: $8.32
Do you want in on hip-hop, the dirty little secret? Well, not even the biggest rap icons have been able to draw from a memorable, fast-forward-containing free double disc - 2Pac's All Eyez on Me and Wu-Tang Clan Wu-Tang Forever. In this follow-up to participate, Jay-teams with Destiny's Child's Beyonce on "03 Bonnie & Clyde", a so-so remake of 2Pac's "Me and My Girlfriend". The Dr. Dre-produced remix revealed "The Watcher" with Rakim, in addition to the expansion of its audience, Jay is interested in his appeal to tried and tested demographic - East Coast hard rock. He completes the first disc with "I Did It My Way," sampling Paul Anka version of "My Way" and equating his Rap Pack (Kareem Burke, Dame Dash) to the Rat Pack of Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr. and Dean Martin. Do not laugh. The stronger second disc contains some pleasant surprises. The Lenny Kravitz fueled braggadocio of "Guns and Roses" titillates, while Jay's Jeru the Damaja-like "Bitches and Sisters" sure fueling accusations of misogyny. In the end, not even Jay hot tearing through 11 songs, let alone 25th - Dalton Higgins