The Blueprint 3 is infamous rapper Jay-Z’s 11 th studio album, which he released on his own record company: Roc Nation. What I found cool was that Jay-Z leaked his entire album online, free to the public. He was asked about the leak in an interview; he called it a “preview” and said he was proud of his work and wanted to share it. Jay-Z went to great lengths searching for well known talent to feature in this final installment of the “Blueprint” albums. Artists he collaborated with on the album include Kanye West, Rihanna, Kid Cudi, Young Jeezy, and the gorgeous Alicia Keys. The album flows greatly and it seems that he chose these artists not just for their names and fame, but for their talent. The album already has two hits. “Run This Town,” featuring Kanye West and Rihanna, has skyrocketed on the charts and is continuously played on the radio. “Empire State of Mind” is a newer single and features Alicia Keys. Her harmonic voice and skill on the piano backs up Jay-Z’s powerful lyrics and strong beat. They performed this hit at the 2009 MTV Music Awards and its popularity has only grown since then. These singles are just the first of many off of the album. Every song has its place on the CD and a message to deliver. It is amazing to see how Jay-Z has evolved as an artist. He has matured in his music and his lyrics and this evolution led to a great artistic creation. I admire that Jay-Z still strives in and arguably still runs the business. In a genre of music where the artists lose popularity as they reach their late 20’s, Jay-Z is still running strong as he nears the 40 mark. I guess that there are still some people out there who appreciate good music with a strong lyrical base. The Blueprint 3 has received mixed reviews from critics. Some claim that, although it’s not his best work, they thought anything he would be creating at this point in his career would be a train wreck anyway. Others accuse Jay-Z of tailoring his songs so that they will all be singles. I would have also believed this if I hadn’t seen Jay-Z speak with Bill Maher on Real Time with Bill Maher prior to the album’s release. He spoke passionately about his work, and I was surprised to see that he spoke with much intelligence and seemed to have matured with age. Anyone who knows me would tell you that I am not a fan of this genre of music. I downloaded the CD after hearing “Empire State of Mind” and I haven’t been able to stop listening to it since. I would recommend checking this one out. If you’re not interested in the entire CD, at least download the 2 singles. You won’t be disappointed. Plus, the man is married to Beyoncé – enough said.