Blueprint

Product Information

Worked from the age of thirteen as a drug dealer selling crack cocaine in the back alleys around where he grew up. The sleeves are missing the soft plastic interior coating and the vinyls are thin and already very scratched. I got a copy of this today where the runouts match this pressing (Re-1, TD, stamped MASTERDISK), but the label matches the other pressing.

Jay-Z - The Black Album | Releases | Discogs Jay-Z - The Black Album | Releases | Discogs

and to make matters worse (for the competition, that is), he does so over a selection of the tightest beats (jus blaze, timbaland) to come by hip-hop since fellow brooklyn-ite notorious b. A rap GOAT rapping with ease over incredibly well produced and outstanding beats and giving his current day point of view. I am not sure if this album got repressed at all because my pressing sounds well pressed and mastered compared to 320kbps streaming for me. For reference, my equipment is as follows: Fluance RT81 with an Ortofon Red needle, through a Schiit Magni headphone amp with Hifiman Sundara headphones.

Overall this album has you blown away but at the same time it feels like he doesn't even give 100% (but in a good way). Over the last few months he has disarmed packed rooms of rowdy concert goers, leaving them silent as they hold fast to every syllable sung. I could use a bit more low-range in the mix, but this album is not overly dependent on the low end like many other of its contemporaries.

Jay-Z - The Blueprint | Releases | Discogs Jay-Z - The Blueprint | Releases | Discogs

I don't wish misfortune on anyone, but it sounds like a little hardship needs to come your way so you can remember what made you famous in the first place. My pressing has the united pressing stamp (ⓤ) and the labels with all white text, but it has the same stampers as the original pressing (TD, MASTERDISC, RE-1). I think it might have been repressed since I bought mine recently off UDiscover Music and recieved an LP that seemed to be pretty young, both Media and Sleeve.He previously co-founded Roc-A-Fella Records and Rocawear (along with Damon Dash and Kareem Burke), created the 40/40 Club in 2001 and had prior endorsement deals with Armadale and Reebok (JAY-Z was the first non-athletic hip-hop artist to endorse Reebok footwear before 50 Cent). Anyone who has had the pleasure of seeing Jalen perform live knows that he is one of the most captivating performers on today's soul scene. Nothing of this would be relevant if the sound experience was good but unfortunately it feels very compressed and flat, i feel like there is no difference between this and an hi-quality mp3 version of the same album.

Jay-Z – Reasonable Doubt (2010, 180 Gram, Vinyl) - Discogs Jay-Z – Reasonable Doubt (2010, 180 Gram, Vinyl) - Discogs

His full length debut on Daptone Records is equal parts raw feeling and elegance and exudes confidence and charm. I am not an experienced vinyl collector but I can surely say that this is one of the worst sounding records I own. The production is top notch, the pacing of the album is really strong too, kicks off with the strongest bangers of the album and get's a bit more mellow towards the end. Don’t have an original to refer to, but this is a good option for those who don’t want to pay for an official press. For instance, my mam's toyboy Gavin's 5-year old son (from another relationship) came around to our house a few months ago, and he somehow managed to get hold of a tippex white-out pen (maybe from my mam's drawer) and when I was not looking he drew tiny eyes on Jay-Z's face, between his finger and thumbs.I guess it has been mastered and pressed in an historic period where CD were the new thing and nobody really cared about pressing good vinyls, also in the thanks section Jay is writing something like "thanks to all the people who made this CD possible. very thin and not durable, the color chipped away already on some corners even if I always try to handle this thing good, ok is not a baby, but i am not using it to block the doors either, if you know what I mean. Now with a massively successful US tour opening for sweet soul darlings Thee Sacred Souls behind him, 2023 is sure to be a propitious year for Daptone's newest signee. I am going to keep it just as a reminder that not all the records sound good and that I alway should check Discogs first!