Fact: Jay-Z is one of the all-time music greats. Fact: Jay-Z is a victim of his own inconsistency. Make no mistakes, Hov has no less than 2 undeniable classics under his well-decorated belt. But for every Reasonable Doubt, there’s a Roc La Familia; For every Blueprint, there’s a Kingdom Come. Get the point?
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out Jay’s pattern. A cursory glance at his catalog says it all. He’s done the same thing for the last 10 years or so: drop a dud, come back strong, drop a dud, come back strong. You have to wonder, how can a man who’s arguably Top 5 on everyone’s list (mine included) be so inconsistent?
It’s worth noting that Jay’s worst albums are better than some people’s best. The other consolation prize here is that his post-dud albums are always guaranteed to be great. So even if BP3 disappoints, we may be in for a treat in 2 years. I can dream, right?
Pop the lid for an annotated breakdown of Jay’s partial discography.
2000 – The Dynasty: Roc-La-Familia
Jay rounds up his protégés Memphis Bleek, Beanie Sigel, and others for this lackluster compilation. Still, it opens at No. 1 and goes on to snag a platinum plaque.
2001 – The Blueprint:
An album so feisty not even the 9/11 attacks could stop its flight to the top when it arrived on the same day as the tragic terrorist events. A certified hip-hop masterpiece.
2002 – The Blueprint 2: The Gift and The Curse
This should have been named The Curse After the Gift. Jigga’s attempt to follow up his 2001 masterpiece falls flat on its face.
2004 – The Black Album:
Ah, the much trumpeted farewell album. Had this been Jay-Z’s last lap, he would have left on such a high note that this post wouldn’t even be necessary. Reaffirmed his legendary status here.
2006 – Kingdom Come:
Jigga’s comeback album was rife with bragfests about anchoring corporate boardroom meetings and paying more taxes than most will make in a lifetime. Eh, bad for business.
2007 – American Gangster:
Like a well-scripted epic, American Gangster follows a logical trajectory, from the triumphant horns on “Roc Boys” to the dramatic climax on “Fallin’.” Thanks to the potent tracks and instrumentally dense production, American Gangster ranks among Jay’s best work.
2009 – Blueprint 3: ??
Bonus Cut:
Jay-Z – “Reminder”
Speaking of Blueprint 3, “Reminder” is the latest track to leak from that album. Once you get past that ho-hum Timbaland beat, what awaits you is 4 minutes of manic Jay spit. Oh, and Joey finally got his wish: “Tell them ordinary Joes, Budden up.” Ha!
[Props to Ivan for the graph; "Reminder" via DDotOmen]
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