Where did the myth that The Blueprint was weak/bad lyrically start?

[Street Knowledge]

The Blueprint - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

From what I remember(and the facts show) The Blueprint when it came out was universally acclaimed across the board because it was the perfect marriage of production and lyrics. Underground heads couldn’t hate on it, neither could the mainstream rap fans, it was pretty much a perfect album.

Then about 5 years ago I started to notice this narrative starting to form on this sub on how the lyrics were bad and Jay was allegedly “coasting” on these beats when I never saw this or heard about this in real time

I was listening to lyrical exercises the other day and I’m just laughing on this opinion



It’s one thing to be like Reasonable Doubt was better lyrically/flow wise or even V1, it’s another thing to say it was “bad” though

 

[Knucklehead]

As someone with no side in this “battle” it’s solely Nas Stans who somehow still are grinding an axe after all this time.
Hilarious really.

 

[JustCKing]

It's not that it's lyrically bad or weak on it's own merits, but it definitely is one of Jay's weaker offerings lyrically. Still a classic.

 

[up in here]

It is what it is breh

 

[EPS Plus]

I think it suffers cause of RD kinda similarly to how IWW suffers cause of Illmatic (leaving aside the bigger gap from RD to Blueprint). I think IWW > Blueprint tho

 

[Whips-n-Chains]

Blueprint is pretty meh when revisiting it

 

[Westbama Heartthrob]

I never saw what was supposed to be so lyrical about jay z to begin with

Lot of his lines are basic and cringeworthy

 

[African Peasant]

It's lyrically weak compared to Jay's peak, even weak compared to the Black album, and it's conceptually lazy.

I was a big fan when it came out. Listened to it everyday.

But after years of not listening to it, one day I Just put it, I was still amazed at the production, but the lyrics and concepts left me cold.

The instrumental version>>>>


The two hidden songs were better than the entire album, lyrically and concept wise.

 

[blackestofpanthers]

I never saw what was supposed to be so lyrical about jay z to begin with

Lot of his lines are basic and cringeworthy

Simple simon hoevenger brunch nikkas go crazy over lines like "I'm not a businessman, I'm a business......maaaaaan"
You can't take these nikkas seriously

 

[A Tribe Called Quest ™]

Honestly Blueprint isn’t all that, Girls Girls might be a top tier song on that album and that song is meh. Lyrical Exercise though >

 

[Pressure]

Nas and Mobb Deep stans are a vocal minority in all things Jay z.

 

[Westbama Heartthrob]

Simple simon hoevenger brunch nikkas go crazy over lines like "I'm not a businessman, I'm a business......maaaaaan"
You can't take these nikkas seriously

I swear I be feeling gaslighted by the rhymes I see people highlighting

"I jack. I rob. I sin. I'm jackie robinson"

But nikkas actually lose their minds over that shyt

 

[Bryan Danielson]

The Blueprint - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

From what I remember(and the facts show) The Blueprint when it came out was universally acclaimed across the board because it was the perfect marriage of production and lyrics. Underground heads couldn’t hate on it, neither could the mainstream rap fans, it was pretty much a perfect album.

Then about 5 years ago I started to notice this narrative starting to form on this sub on how the lyrics were bad and Jay was allegedly “coasting” on these beats when I never saw this or heard about this in real time

I was listening to lyrical exercises the other day and I’m just laughing on this opinion



It’s one thing to be like Reasonable Doubt was better lyrically/flow wise or even V1, it’s another thing to say it was “bad” though

@Black Trash! Saw there was a void in fukkery in her back in 2020 during the pandemic so he slowly started a schism

@Ethnic Vagina Finder picked it up from there and ran with it.

Now millions of people think so under these 2 great brothers evil plot and massive influence

 

[papa pimp]

I cant decide who the top hoevenger (after cladyyy)

street knowledge
branman
ISO
justcking

its about 20 of them working overtime day in day out like rocnation street team getting paid a low wage

 

[JustCKing]

I swear I be feeling gaslighted by the rhymes I see people highlighting

"I jack. I rob. I sin. I'm jackie robinson"

But nikkas act lose their minds over that shyt

That line is the wrong one to highlight as overrated because you clearly messed it up. That run base and dodge the pin made that whole verse crazier.