This has been a horrible year for hip hop. 2001 has seen disappointment after disappointment – album release dates pushed back, lackluster albums from rap veterans and a slew of barely skilled young bloods reaching MTV stardom. Enter Jay Z. One of the few hip hop artists recognized both by casual mainstream listeners and underground purists, Jay-Z (a.k.a. Jigga, a.k.a Hova, a.k.a H To the Izzo, a.k.a. Hola Ovito) has been in the game for 5 years, and thus far he’s produced five notable albums, including his classic 1996 debut Reasonable Doubt and 1999’s lucrative The Life and Times of S. Carter. Known for both infectious club singles and more introspective personal tracks, Jigga has struggled to please both the streets and the clubs. Songs on each of his albums reflect this duality.

The Blueprint, which Jay feels to be his best album since Reasonable Doubt, tones down the blatant materialism that characterizes his singles, opting instead for deeper, more pensive themes throughout the songs. Unlike 2000’s Dynasty album, which featured Jigga protégés Beanie Sigel and Memphis Bleek on most of the tracks, The Blueprint features only one other rapper, Eminem, on the album. This factor, coupled with a lack of faster, danceable songs, lends the album more overall cohesion–on his past releases it was very easy to differentiate between the "bouncy, club songs" and the "deep, heartfelt" tracks.

Twelve of The Blueprint’s fifteen songs are produced by Jay’s in-house production team of relative newcomers Just Blaze, Kayne West and Bink. The opening track, "The Ruler’s Back," features a heavy bass line and blaring trumpets, creating a celebratory backdrop on which Jay announces his return and proclaims himself the king of rap. It’s no secret that Jigga is a cocky guy, and he lets it be known that with this album, he’s ready to reclaim his throne at the top of hip hop.

The amazing "Song Cry" features Jay lamenting about a lost opportunity for love, with the chorus proclaiming "I can’t see tears coming down my eyes, so I gotta make the song cry." Similarly, "Never Change," "All I Need," "Heart of the City" and the title track–all truly incredible songs–feature vocal samples from soul icons imbedded into the beats. These beats create a backdrop on which Jay is as personal as ever, rapping about his family, youth, estranged father and life now as a star. The catchy and lighthearted "Girls, Girls, Girls" and its accompanying remix feature Jay rhyming about different women he’s been with. Although on paper this seems like pretty weak subject matter, Jay pulls it off; his charisma and wit shining through on the two excellent Just Blaze beats. Not to be forgotten is the infectious first single "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)," featuring a Jackson 5 sample and a catchy, albeit confusing, chorus. Throughout, the use of 1950s soul samples and well-defined drum patterns in each of the producers’ beats secure a certain depth and richness throughout the album, which, again, brings the entire work together.

The best song on The Blueprint, though, is "Renegades," which was produced by Eminem and features his vocals in two amazing verses. The two rappers, who share an ability to maintain respect in both the underground as well as the mainstream, comment on the media and the scrutiny placed upon them as artists as a result of fame. Although the beat provided by Slim Shady is very different from the rest on the album, it works well, as both rappers put their all into the lyrics, bringing up many valid points and raising questions concerning their responsibility as artists. Eminem steals the show here. Delivering one of the best verses of his career, he basically outshines Jay-Z on his own album.

Over his career, Jigga’s penchant for braggadocio rhymes has been fueled in part by his competitive attitude. Since the 1996 passing of his mentor, the Notorious BIG, Jay has referred to himself as holding rap’s crown. He continues this trend on the Timbaland produced "Hola Ovito," stating that he’s "Michael, Magic and Bird all rolled in one/ And if I’m not better than BIG, I’m the closest one." Such boasting fueled the fire for recent verbal attacks on Jay from other rappers, including Nas and Mobb Deep’s Prodigy. On "Takeover," Jigga addresses these beefs, annihilating Prodigy and Nas over a guitar riff sampled from a Doors song. Nas gets the most punishment here, as Jay dedicates a whole verse to him, highlighting his woeful attempts at commercial success and the gradual drop-off in Nas’ album quality. These three songs, along with the lackluster and out of place Trackmasters-produced "Jigga That Nigga," stand out on The Blueprint due to their beats, which, unlike the rest of the tracks, don’t use distinct drum patterns and samples.

All in all, this is one of the best albums in a long while, and it’s arguably the best of Jay’s career. The sparcity of guest appearances, ingenious samples from Bink, Just Blaze and Kayne West, and the introspection Jay shows on most of the album’s tracks make for a near classic in my eyes. It’s pretty safe to say that for the time being, Jay Z has reclaimed his spot at the top of rap with The Blueprint.