The Blueprint 20 Year Aniversary Thread

[DaSk8D00D]

Here’s a great article on how it was made

Time To Build: The Making Of Jay Z's 'Blueprint' - XXL

 

[GeeEffKay]

Not my personal fav jay album but a true classic

 

[TheDarceKnight]

Take this thread down and sticky Graduations anniversary

Graduation deserves a sticky but a classic album from jay that dropped on 9/11/01 shouldn't come down on the 20th anniversary.

 

[Izanami]

I remember I hadn't heard Kanye rap before, so for a few months I had no idea who was rapping on the Never Change hook. It wasn't until Kanye did the hook for Guess Who's Back and Guerilla Monsoon Rap that I started realizing it was the producer doing the hooks.

I know I can't be the only one to not know who was doing that hook at first, right?

Kanye was my favorite before I even seen his face. I was geeked when I saw him in the linear notes for Quality and The Fix. Him and Alc were my favorite producers back then. And I had no clue what they looked like.

 

[TheDarceKnight]

Are you sure?

cuz jay was going around in 09 telling people it was MJ. Maybe it was just for clout
Jay-Z Says Michael Jackson Sang Backup on "Girls, Girls, Girls" - XXL

There may have been a separate 3rd version that wasn't released, but the Girls Remix that was a hidden track on Blueprint 1 is the one that everyone thought might be that track with MJ on it, and Young Guru told me directly in person that MJ isn't on that song, and people can listen to it in any pair of really high quality headphones and you won't hear MJ anywhere. I think this is one of those situations where people confused a song that was never released with this existing song.

Also, like, you can find the samples for Girls and the Girls Remix very easily. The samples were cleared, and they're out there. You can re-create the beats using those samples. It's been 2 decades, and I think someone would've been able to isolate MJ's vocals or find them somewhere using software or technology if he was actually on the remix like the urban legend says.

Also, in 2 decades no one has come out and verified this. If MJ was on this, I think somebody would've come out and tried to explain it to people.

 

[TheDarceKnight]

Kanye was my favorite before I even seen his face. I was geeked when I saw him in the linear notes for Quality and The Fix. Him and Alc were my favorite producers back then. And I had no clue what they looked like.

I may have told you this. I've told this story on here before. But Kanye signed my copy of Blueprint in 2002. He pulled out the booklet, opened the liner notes, and then circled every song that he produced and signed KW beside each one. Not only that, but since the Girls Remix wasn't listed in the booklet, he wrote out Girls Girls Girls Remix by hand and also initialed KW beside it.



And since you mentioned Alc, he said Jay-Z came up to him at a party around the time Blueprint dropped, and Al had been doing a lot of beats for Nas and Mobb Deep. Jay came up to Al and told him "you're playing for the wrong team man"


I always thought these Al beats would've been dope on Blueprint. All from the same time.

 

[semicko82]

Take this thread down and sticky Graduations anniversary

It would not be a Graduation without Blueprint

 

[Mike the Executioner]

There may have been a separate 3rd version that wasn't released, but the Girls Remix that was a hidden track on Blueprint 1 is the one that everyone thought might be that track with MJ on it, and Young Guru told me directly in person that MJ isn't on that song, and people can listen to it in any pair of really high quality headphones and you won't hear MJ anywhere. I think this is one of those situations where people confused a song that was never released with this existing song.

Also, like, you can find the samples for Girls and the Girls Remix very easily. The samples were cleared, and they're out there. You can re-create the beats using those samples. It's been 2 decades, and I think someone would've been able to isolate MJ's vocals or find them somewhere using software or technology if he was actually on the remix like the urban legend says.

Also, in 2 decades no one has come out and verified this. If MJ was on this, I think somebody would've come out and tried to explain it to people.

I always thought Michael was doing background vocals on the original one. I guess it was just the sample.

And it makes sense that the rumors would exist since Jay brought out Michael at Summer Jam and he definitely would have taken part in the album if Jay asked him to.

It would not be a Graduation without Blueprint

I think @JustCKing talked about it weeks ago, but there was an interview from 2006 where Kanye talked about Graduation. He said it would come out in a year and it would have as many songs as The Blueprint. And it came out on the six-year anniversary of The Blueprint, so that had to have been intentional.

 

[BK The Great]

Classic album. I remember watching Jay perform H to the Izzo on the music awards

 

[dubsmith_nz]

Classic album. Glad its getting love on here. In recent years I've seen opinions that this album was overrated, but I definitely disagree.

Will forever be in my top 5

 

[TheDarceKnight]

I always thought Michael was doing background vocals on the original one. I guess it was just the sample.

And it makes sense that the rumors would exist since Jay brought out Michael at Summer Jam and he definitely would have taken part in the album if Jay asked him to.



I think @JustCKing talked about it weeks ago, but there was an interview from 2006 where Kanye talked about Graduation. He said it would come out in a year and it would have as many songs as The Blueprint. And it came out on the six-year anniversary of The Blueprint, so that had to have been intentional.

Yeah breh,

the OG sample (the one with the music video that Just Blaze did the beat for) is a Tom Brock sample. Dope trivia bit. Just Blaze wanted to sell the beat to Ghostface at first.

 

[FlyRy]

Seeing a lot of move for never change on Twitter. I never cared for that one idk why

 

[semicko82]

I remember Jigga first dropping H to the Izzo at the first BET awards

 

[semicko82]

I remember me and my brother discussing the album both of us knew it was going to get 5 mics in the Source

that’s back when 5 mics meant something

 

[Cladyclad]

More that I think about that

Your Reign on the top was shorter than leprechauns. Y’all can’t fukk with Hov what type of X y’all on?

i thought Jay & X was gonna go