Fresh from a headlining stint at Glastonbury and a run of successful singles, irrepressible rap mogul Shawn ‘Jay-Z’ Carter returned in 2009 with his 11^th number one album, breaking a record previously held by none other than Elvis Presley. 

Featuring a slew of guest appearances and some truly stellar production, The Blueprint 3 was an infinitely more convincing effort than its somewhat mixed reception would indicate.  Contrary to what The Guardian’s plum-sucking ponce of a reviewer claimed, for instance, the album doesn’t lose momentum after the first few songs.  Rather, midway through is where it really gets going.  Standout tracks include ‘On to the Next One’, hit single ‘Empire State of Mind’ which features a brilliant guest turn by Alicia Keys, and the surprisingly gracious ‘A Star is Born’, on which Jay calls for an end to the fussin’ and feudin’ and states his conviction that there’s more than enough success to go around.  He may well prove ‘the United Nations of this rap shit’ yet. 

The album does contain a couple of weaker moments, but these are few and far between.  Opening cut ‘What We Talkin’ About’, featuring Luke Steele of Sleepy Jackson and Empire of the Sun fame, is nicely drenched in synths but almost entirely devoid of hooks.  And Kanye West may be the greatest producer on the planet, but on his vocal appearances proves capable of spouting little more than claptrap, as on the single ‘Run This Town’: ‘She got a ass that’ll swallow up a g-string/and up top, two bee stings... Reebok, baby, you need to drop some new things/have you ever had shoes without shoe strings?’   

In spite of these minor deficiencies The Blueprint 3 more than lives up to the hype.  Thanks to exemplary production courtesy not only of West but other urban luminaries such as Timbaland and Swizz Beatz, the album manages to remain fresh, immediate and vibrant for its hour-long duration.  The well-chosen guest appearances lend a collaborative air to the proceedings, and Carter’s raps are potent and self-assured without descending into the tiresome braggadocio favoured by so many of his contemporaries.   

As he nears 40 Jay-Z has well and truly cemented his position as the most influential and compelling rapper in the game.  Or as he puts it: ‘I’m cut from a different cloth... I’m rare’.  He sure is, and he has the Blueprints to prove it.