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Track Listings
| 1. Public Service Announcement (Interlude) |
| 2. Run This Town - JAY-Z, Rihanna, Kanye West |
| 3. 03' Bonnie & Clyde - JAY-Z, Beyoncé Knowles |
| 4. Encore |
| 5. I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me) |
| 6. Izzo (H.O.V.A.) |
| 7. D.O.A. (Death Of Auto-Tune) |
| 8. 99 Problems |
| 9. Empire State Of Mind - JAY-Z, Alicia Keys |
| 10. Dirt Off Your Shoulder |
| 11. Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem) |
| 12. Show Me What You Got |
| 13. Roc Boys (And The Winner Is)... |
| 14. Big Pimpin' - JAY-Z, UGK |
Product Description
Review
What haven’t been quite as consistent since The Blueprint are Jay-Z’s long-players. 2003’s The Black Album, at the time purported to be his final release, was an award-winning mix of abrasive bangers and smooth hits. But it’s the exception, the rest of his 21st century collections only haphazardly rewarding (strong singles, but no little filler). So it’s odd that only one Blueprint track makes the cut on this fourth hits compilation, Izzo (H.O.V.A.), though "Volume One" suggests a sequel may include more.
While something from rightly revered 1996 debut Reasonable Doubt would have offered an interesting insight into rawer early material, the quality of what’s included here is high. It’s a neat summarisation of Jay-Z’s chart-dominating days, arranged to appeal to relative newcomers. The earliest track, Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem), might have irritated some back in 98, but it took its maker worldwide. It also illustrates, vividly, Jay-Z’s well-tuned ear for a crafty steal – a sample from the musical Annie, sitting high in the rap charts? Nobody saw that coming.
The harder beats of The Black Album’s 99 Problems and Dirt Off Your Shoulder (two of four from said LP) owe much to their respective producers, Rick Rubin and Timbaland. This is another area where Jay-Z has been savvy: high-profile collaborators have included The Neptunes, Kanye West, Dr Dre and Eminem. He might be one of the best lyricists around, but it’s the fine blend of MC and producer – and on-record guests – that’s seen Jay-Z ascend through the ranks, from Brooklyn’s Finest alongside The Notorious B.I.G. to globe-conquering hook-ups with Rihanna and Alicia Keys.
Braggadocio is prevalent in rap, but when Jay-Z adopts his big-man-on-campus swagger he’s got the sales to back it up. These 14 tracks are just a snapshot of what’s taken him this far, but every single one is essential to a story that shows no sign of stopping.
--Mike Diver
Find more music at the BBC This link will take you off Amazon in a new window
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Customer Reviews
But this record just does not contain the best of Jay either musically or lyrically; there's nothing from Reasonable Doubt, arguably his best album - I'd argue that 'Can I Live', 'Can't Knock The Hustle' and 'D'Evils' are better than anything on here, for a start, especially lyrically where Jay is incredibly poetic rapping tales of coming up hustling on the streets. The Blueprint is barely represented either, when tracks like the emotional 'Song Cry' and the Nas-killing 'Takeover' represent jigga at his absolute best.
Obviously, it's a natural drawback for this sort of compilation that it's going to omit stuff, but when the drab R'n'B-lite songs such as 'Run This Town' and '03 Bonnie And Clyde' are making the cut, and completely classic tracks from his back catalogue are missing out it renders this compilation both incomplete and unrepresentative.
Sometimes you can recommend Greatest Hits albums as an introduction to the artist, but this doesn't even serve that purpose, as it just doesn't paint a proper picture of who Jay-Z is. For every radio hit on Jay's albums there's always three or four brilliant album tracks, with great sampling, great flow and great lyrics. At best, this is a good album for people who only like commercial music that's easy to consume and full of hooks. Otherwise, The Blueprint is a far better album both in content and cohesion, as is Reasonable Doubt and The Black Album, so buy one of those instead and make your way into Jay's catalogue that way.
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