JAŸ-Z - The Blueprint

Jay-Z’s sixth album, The Blueprint, landed in 2001 and became one of the defining hip-hop records of its era. Built largely around vintage soul samples, it features production from Kanye West, Just Blaze and Bink, alongside Timbaland and others. ‘Izzo (H.O.V.A.)’, ‘Song Cry’ and the Nas and Prodigy-targeting ‘Takeover’ sit among its best-known cuts, while Eminem provides the sole guest appearance on ‘Renegade’. Hugely acclaimed on release, The Blueprint also helped establish Kanye West and Just Blaze as major producers and was later added to the US National Recording Registry.