The Blueprint

Just Blaze’s 7 Best Beats

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Just Blaze is undoubtedly one of hip-hop’s most skilled producers. Throughout his prolific career, the New Jersey-based beatmaker has crafted tracks for some of the biggest names in hip-hop. Just Blaze’s grandiose style of production mixed with intricate musicality has resulted in some of hip-hop’s most iconic songs. He specifically dominated the 2000s with his easily identifiable sound that has never staled. 

Just Blaze has produced many major hit singles, including T.I.’s “Live Your Life,” and Joe Budden’s “Pump It Up.” He also produced numerous tracks on Eminem’s Recovery. Blaze is also the man behind some of hip hop’s most culturally impactful moments like Jay Electronica’s “Exhibit C” and “Exhibit A,” Fabolous’s “Breathe,” and Freeway’s “What We Do.” Beyond hip-hop, Blaze has collaborated with the likes of Beyoncé, Usher, and Mariah Carey. Today, we are ranking Just Blaze’s 7 greatest productions from least to greatest. Take a look at the list below.

Read More: Just Blaze Teases Unreleased Music From Jay-Z, Ghostface Killah & More

7. “Oh Boy” – Cam’ron Ft. Juelz Santana (2002)

“Oh Boy” is a classic among the many songs that Just Blaze produced on Cam’ron’s Come Home With Me. Just’s name may be the song’s first words, but one can instantly recognize the producer’s signature sound on the track. He flips Rose Royce’s “I’m Going Down” into a simple loop, around which Cam’ron and Juelz Santana base their verses. A brilliant chipmunk soul sample, “Oh Boy” made for easily one of Cam’ron’s best songs. Just Blaze and The Diplomats reprised “Oh Boy” on Mariah Carey’s “Boy (I Need You).” They would eventually recreate their magic again on “I Really Mean It.”

6. “Compton” – Kendrick Lamar Ft. Dr. Dre (2012)

Kendrick Lamar’s good kid, m.A.A.d. city plays like a short film, and its closing track is certainly cinematic. “Compton” ends the hip-hop classic on an extremely high note as Just Blaze supplies a triumphant beat for Kendrick Lamar and Dr. Dre to exchange bars. He takes the song to greater heights towards the end, adding extra flourishes to the production. The addition of the talk box also makes the song feel distinctively West Coast. Ultimately, “Compton” is one of the album’s pinnacle moments, thanks to Just Blaze’s production.

Read More: Just Blaze & Katty Customs Talk “Fresh Pair,” The Evolution Of Sneaker Culture, & Creating One-Of-A-Kind Kicks For Hitmakers

5. “Touch The Sky”- Kanye West Ft. Lupe Fiasco (2005)

Many of Kanye West’s greatest hits are self-produced, but the Just Blaze-produced “Touch the Sky” sees him fully focusing on his bars. The song prominently samples Curtis Mayfield’s “Move On Up,” slowing the song down with additional percussion. Just Blaze does not manipulate the sample much at all. He allows it to become the main backdrop for Kanye and Lupe Fiasco’s rhymes. While Just’s best beats are often composed very intricately, the sample on “Touch the Sky” did not need much modification. The use of “Move On Up” drives the track for a phenomenally produced instrumental.

4. “Show Me What You Got” – JAY-Z (2006)

Just Blaze has given many of his best productions to JAY-Z, a few of which are included on this list. “Show Me What You Got” is easily the best of the multiple standout tracks that he produced on Kingdom Come. If “Touch the Sky” is Just Blaze at his most simplistic, then “Show Me What You Got” is one of his most intricate beats. A combination of multiple samples, drum programming, and live instrumentation; the song is powerfully jazzy in its production. 

Just Blaze sampled “Darkest Light” by the Lafayette Afro Rock Band for its main backing track and Johnny Pate’s “Shaft of Africa” for the lead melody. He explained the process for the song’s creation in an episode of NPR Music’s The Formula, where he continued to build on top of the samples. He and 1500 Or Nothin’ “jumped on keys, guitar, bass, and organs” for one masterful composition. Just Blaze served as the main orchestrator in the production while the instrumentation from 1500 Or Nothin’ brought it to greater heights. With an excellent beat from Just Blaze, “Show Me What You Got” served as JAY-Z’s perfect comeback single.

3. “Lord Knows” – Drake Ft. Rick Ross (2011)

The instrumental for “Lord Knows” has Just Blaze written all over it. From its stunning gospel sample to the scattered percussion, it contains the maximalist elements of production that Just Blaze is known for. Arguably one of hip hop’s greatest gospel flips, “Lord Knows” samples “Lord, Lord” by Andrew Brown and the National Baptist Convention Choir. The combined samples were flipped into a hard-hitting beat drop. It serves as the perfect soundtrack for Drake to spit some of his most legendary bars. Just Blaze strips the production back during Rick Ross’s verse, adding another lively element to the beat. Possibly Drake and Ross’s most legendary collaboration, “Lord Knows” captivates listeners, not only with its lyrics but with its remarkable production.

2. “Public Service Announcement (Interlude)” – JAY-Z (2003)

Starting with perhaps the most famous bassline in both of their catalogs, JAY-Z commands the Just Blaze production as he re-introduces himself on “Public Service Announcement.” While Jay drops some of his most impressive bars on the track, the iconic album interlude is unmistakable with its Just Blaze-produced beat. Sampling “Seed Of Love” by The Little Boy Blues, the organ and drums crash over the famous bassline. One of JAY-Z’s most iconic tracks and one of Just Blaze’s best productions, “Public Service Announcement” is a hip-hop staple. What is even more impressive about the song is that Just Blaze made the beat in about ten minutes.

1. “U Don’t Know” – JAY-Z (2001)

Just Blaze has produced instrumentals for many of JAY-Z’s greatest songs, but his best beat is one of their earliest collaborations. Producing on The Blueprint was a breakout moment for Blaze, handling three different tracks. But, “U Don’t Know” stands out, immediately grabbing listeners with its energetic production and Hov’s commanding presence. The fiery beat puts all attention on Jay to spit some of his toughest rhymes. “U Don’t Know” is a quintessential Just Blaze, production marking the Roc-a-Fella sound of the 2000s. A high-energy track, the song also includes flourishes of soul with its chipmunk samples and vocal screams. The aggressive rapping from M.O.P. on the song’s remix also adds to the intensity of the instrumental. “U Don’t Know” displays JAY-Z and Just Blaze’s musical chemistry as one of Hov’s best lyrical moments and Blaze’s greatest production.

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Jay-Z’s “The Blueprint” Turns 22: An Undeniable Classic

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This month marks the 22nd anniversary of JAY-Z’s sixth studio album, The Blueprint. It was released on September 11, 2001 via Def Jam and Roc-A-Fella Records. Widely regarded as JAY-Z’s best album, The Blueprint is known for its use of soul samples and for including some of his most iconic tracks. In the wake of one of the United States’s most devastating tragedies (in his hometown, no less), the album still managed to sell well, moving over 427,000 copies in its first week, not to mention it debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

The now-triple platinum album’s success during such a painful time in American history was a testament to its quality. It truly spoke volumes about JAY-Z’s hold on hip-hop and pop culture at the time. Additionally, the report that he recorded the album in just two weeks makes the album an even more impressive listen. Today, we are revisiting JAY-Z’s The Blueprint for its 22nd anniversary.

Read More: How Jay-Z’s “The Blueprint” Changed Rap

JAY-Z: Basking In The Spotlight

JAY-Z’s efforts prior to the The Blueprint boasted plenty of guest features. For example, 2000’s The Dynasty: Roc La Familia acted as a showcase for his Roc-A-Fella roster. Even so, Jay never took a backseat on any of his studio albums. However, The Blueprint was a moment for Jay to shine with little outside help as he spat some of the hardest bars of his career. The lone guest feature on The Blueprint came from Eminem who delivered a show-stopping verse on “Renegade” that perfectly contrasted Jay-Z’s. 

While it had a consistent sound in its production, The Blueprint was full of variety. It showcased JAY-Z’s effortless hit-making ability with songs like “Izzo (H.O.V.A.),” not to mention his ruthless rhymes “Takeover.” The Blueprint includes some of Jay’s hardest-hitting tracks like the relentless “U Don’t Know” and the slick “Hola Hovito.” Still, it also includes moments of introspection on album highlights like “Song Cry,” “Never Change,” and the closing track, “Blueprint (Momma Loves Me).” JAY-Z even gets playful in his delivery on songs like “Girls, Girls, Girls” and “All I Need.” He was certainly the star of his own album, but his top-notch team of producers brought the best out of him.

Read More: Jay-Z’s “The Blueprint 3” Turns 14

Top Notch Production

The Blueprint includes some of JAY-Z’s best rapping, but part of what made it a career-defining album was its production. Just Blaze, Timbaland, Bink, Trackmasters, Eminem on the aforementioned “Renegade,” and a young Kanye West served as producers on the album. Known for its soulful instrumentals, The Blueprint flipped many classic soul records to make some now-iconic beats. For example, the Kanye West-produced “Izzo” brilliantly repurposed The Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back.” Many respected producers contributed to the album, but The Blueprint notably helped establish the careers of Just Blaze and Kanye West. The two would soon become hip hop’s most in-demand producers for soul beats during the 2000s. Additionally, West’s use of soul samples helped lay the foundation for his signature sound on his early albums. With a team of talented producers, JAY-Z made an undeniable classic.

Read More: Top 25 Best Jay-Z Songs Of All Time

The Blueprint Arguably Stands As Jay-Z’s Best Work

An argument can easily be made for The Blueprint being JAY-Z’s best album. To start, it is his most critically acclaimed album. It is currently his highest-scoring album on the online review aggregator Metacritic. The album also received a perfect rating of five mics in The Source magazine, while his classic debut, Reasonable Doubt did not. JAY-Z might personally rank Reasonable Doubt at the top of his discography but The Blueprint is an undeniable masterpiece. Jay was already a hip-hop star by 2001, but he was in a class of his own by his sixth album. His previous works showed that he could master current sounds and trap his peers, but his sixth studio album saw him leading the charge for hip hop in the 2000s.

Ultimately, The Blueprint reset the standard for the quality of JAY-Z’s albums, which he attempted to maintain in its sequels. While they did not stack up against the original, they marked significant moments in his later career that were ambitious in their respective approaches. The Blueprint remains one of Jay’s most impactful and most celebrated albums. In 2019, the album was officially selected for the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry for its contributions to music. Its impact and influence on hip-hop is still evident today, 22 years after its release.

Read More: Jay-Z, 50 Cent, Dr. Dre & Diddy Among Variety’s Best Hip-Hop Executives List

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Fans Remind Jay-Z That Eminem Out-Rapped Him On “The Blueprint”

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Jay-Z celebrated the 22-year-anniversary of his 2001 LP, The Blueprint yesterday. Unfortunately, social media users hopped online to remind him that Eminem out-rapped him on his own record. They even compared their “Renegade” collab to 9/11, as the album was released on the same day as the attacks. Though it was far from the first time this argument was brought up, Eminem fans were certainly out in full-force yesterday.

“Y’all remember 9/11 because it was an tragedy on American soil,” one Twitter user writes. “I remember 9/11 because it’s the day Eminem murdered Jay-Z.” It didn’t stop there, however. Another user writes, “Today in History: September 11, 2001 a Horribly tragedy took place in America that humanity will never forget or fully recover from. Jay Z Dropped his Most iconic album ‘The Blueprint’ just for EMINEM to completely wash him on it.” Countless others also weighed in, noting how Snoop Dogg even claimed he wouldn’t put Eminem on one of his songs after watching what happened to Jay-Z on “Renegade.”

Read More: Beyonce Shares Pics With Her Parents And Jay-Z From Birthday Celebration

“The Blueprint” Turns 22

Fans Remind Jay-Z That Eminem Out-Rapped Him On "The Blueprint"
Eminem and Jay-Z perform at Comerica Park on September 2, 2010 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/EM/WireImage)

Though Eminem fans continue to argue that he got “murdered” on “Renegade,” many continue to believe that Jay-Z is the greatest of all time. Last week, Juvenile spoke on his longstanding debate with Lil Wayne at BMI’s R&B/Hip-Hop Awards in Miami. “We’ve argued over the years,” Juvenile explained. “He say JAY-Z the G.O.A.T., I say he the G.O.A.T. My lil’ bro the greatest rapper of all time. He know how I feel about that.”

The Blueprint‘s anniversary isn’t the only thing Jay-Z celebrated recently. Last week, he also celebrated his wife Beyonce’s birthday. She shared photos from her Renaissance show in LA, posing alongside Jay-Z as she enjoyed her disco ball-themed birthday cake. She recently brought her world tour to LA for the first time, which of course brought in a slew of celebrity guests. Her husband was even spotted teaching Kris Jenner how to do the electric slide in the audience. Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates on Jay-Z and Eminem.

Read More: Dame Dash Reflects On JAY-Z & Nas Feud

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Jay-Z Once Told RZA He Inspired “The Blueprint,” The Wu-Tang Clan Legend Says

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Rihanna and A$AP Rocky aren’t the only rap-adjacent stars who have honored the great RZA. Moreover, the Wu-Tang Clan legend sat down for an interview with Rolling Stone on Monday (August 7) and revealed quite the interesting story. Apparently, fellow New York hip-hop titan Jay-Z once told him that he was the inspiration for his classic album The Blueprint. Furthermore, the 54-year-old was answering a question about whether he would do anything different when looking back at his career. While this is a commendable and important point of inspiration, it’s also a small part of his massive artistic legacy; what could he have changed?

“I think that what I did was necessary,” RZA expressed, “I think that it was ordained. One day, Jay-Z told me, ‘Yo, I got [the idea for] The Blueprint from you.’ At that time, I was headed to Hollywood already. Now, here’s a path, here’s a way it can work. And it continued to work in different regions of the country and with different crews.” The Brownsville-born MC and producer certainly isn’t wrong in having paved a way for future rappers. After all, 36 Chambers alone was impactful and boundary-pushing enough to cement the Wu as one of the all-time groups in the genre.

Read More: Joey Bada$$ Reveals How Meeting With Jay-Z Changed His Life

Jay-Z With Wu-Tang’s Own Ghostface Killah

RZA Jay-Z Inspired The Blueprint
Jay-Z and Ghostface Killah during Ne-Yo Album Pre-Release Party – February 27, 2006 at Hiro in New York City, New York, United States. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage/Getty Images)

In addition, it shouldn’t be too surprising that Hov feels inspired by RZA, either as a music mogul in his own right or as an avid Wu-Tang Clan listener. For example, earlier this year at the Grammys, Jay-Z passionately rapped along to Method Man’s performance of his self-titled track. That was for the celebration of hip-hop’s 50th anniversary that took place at the awards ceremony, and it made for an incredible moment. Whenever you see MCs become fans again, it’s always a wholesome treat.

Meanwhile, many would argue that the Roc Nation billionaire would be nothing without the Wu’s contributions. Even though they’re decidedly different strains of East Coast rap, there’s a hardcore and street-oriented lineage that can’t fall under the radar. Regardless, they’re both incredibly important, and will probably inspire each other for years to come. For more news and the latest updates on the RZA and Jay-Z, log back into HNHH.

Read More: RZA Net Worth 2023: What Is The Wu-Tang Legend Worth?

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Jay-Z’s “The Blueprint” Is Now Triple Platinum

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One of the best hip-hop albums of the 2000s just got a brand new platinum plaque. Moreover, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) just certified The Blueprint by Jay-Z as triple platinum. Not only that, but interestingly enough, it took over twenty years for this project to get a new plaque from the RIAA. Previously, it reached double platinum status on May 1 of 2002, according to the association. With this development, one of the finest works in Hov’s catalog has now sold over 3 million album equivalent units.

In the years since its release, Jay-Z and various other hip-hop figures have reflected on its legacy and creation. Of course, as the album that firmly established Jay as one of the top rap dogs after a successful career beginning, said impact should come as no surprise. For example, the New York legend pushed back against comments that Kanye West made about producer Just Blaze copying others on the 2001 album. “Nore sent me a piece and I’ve seen a couple pieces,” the 53-year-old began on Twitter Spaces about Ye’s 2021 Drink Champs interview.

The Blueprint By Jay-Z Is Now Triple Platinum

“I think, again, everyone is entitled to their opinion and everyone can, sees things through their own lens,” Jay-Z continued. “Some of it could be true, some of it may not be true, but that’s the lens that you see it through, so you just speaking to your truth. I think the one thing I would say out of the, all the pieces I’ve seen is…the Just Blaze thing was a bit unfair. ‘Cause if you’re making an album, you’re creating an album and the assignment is Soul samples, everyone’s coming with Soul… Everyone created for the project.

“The thing was, the baby was The Blueprint and I think everyone should be prized for what we created,” he concluded. “It’s in, I don’t know what you call that, the Library of Congress or something. It’s something that we all should be proud of and everyone should be prized for their contributions. Everyone ha a contribution, I will say, and I don’t think anyone was copying off of anyone. We all had the assignment and created this one body of work.” Regardless of your take, check back in with HNHH for the latest on Jay-Z.

Just Blaze Explains How Jay-Z Got The ‘U Don’t Know’ Beat Over Busta Rhymes And Prodigy

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On the latest episode of the Idea Generation podcast, superproducer (and Uproxx’s friend of the site) Just Blaze delves into his impressive musical resume, from crafting the so-called Roc-A-Fella sound in the early 2000s to becoming one of the biggest hitmakers of the past 20 years. Among the stories he shares with host Noah Callahan-Bever is the explanation of just how Jay-Z ended up with one of the more recognizable songs from his game-changing 2001 album The Blueprint. It’s a story he’s told before, but it never gets old.

“‘U Don’t Know’” was at one point going to be Busta [Rhymes] and Prodigy,” Just says. “A lot of people don’t know, me and P used to hang out a lot. I still don’t have a lot of rap friends, right? He was one of the few people actually to come to the house. It was wild because then [The Alchemist] ended up moving around the corner from me.”

After that bit of scene setting, Just explained why the song ended up with the home team instead of one of the other two rappers, who were — at the time — considered bigger stars. “Prodigy hears ‘U Don’t Know,’” he recalls, “Then Busta [Rhymes] hears ‘U Don’t Know.’ Yo, the worst thing ever was knowing that I have Jay ready for me but Busta’s doing this Busta Rhymes [style] on the ‘U Don’t Know’ beat. I’m like, ‘Yo, this is real dope.’ I’m torn. I’m a kid at the time, and I’m torn.”

Fortunately for Justin, he didn’t have to choose. “Luckily, Busta didn’t record to it,” he exults. “I go back to Soundtrack [Studios], where Mobb Deep was recording. Prodigy hears the beat; I play it off of a cassette. He starts rhyming to it. Some drama ended up happening; he had to leave. I go around the corner [to Baseline Studios]. I play it for Jay. [This is] all in that same weekend. Then, all of a sudden, Jay was like, ‘Yo, lay that right now.’”

The rest is, as they say, history. “U Don’t Know,” which was never released as a single, has become one of the most enduring songs in Jay’s catalog; it’s a club staple whose lyrics fans have debated for two decades (that is, until Jay cleared it up himself last year). You can check out the full interview above.

Just Blaze Says JAY-Z‘s “U Don’t Know” Was Made For Busta Rhymes & Prodigy

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Just Blaze says that JAY-Z‘s 2001 song “U Don’t Know” was originally made for Busta Rhymes and Prodigy. The iconic producer explained the origins of the song during the latest episode of IDEA GENERATION. The song was featured on the tracklist to JAY-Z’s sixth studio album, The Blueprint.

“‘U Don’t Know’ was at one point going to be Busta and Prodigy,” Just Blaze revealed on the show. From there, he explained how he and Prodigy were close friends. “A lot of people don’t know, me and P used to hang out a lot,” he said. “I still don’t have a lot of rap friends, right? He was one of the few people to actually come to the house. It was wild because then [The Alchemist] ended up moving around the corner from me. So ‘U Don’t Know’ had been done and then I made ‘Song Cry,’ like, the second night after Jay finished recording whatever he was recording that day.”

JAY-Z Promoting “The Blueprint” In 2001

LOS ANGELES, CA – AUGUST, 2001: American rapper, songwriter, record executive, businessman, and media proprietor Jay-Z promotes his sixth studio album “The Blueprint” circa August, 2001 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Lester Cohen/Getty Images)

While Just Blaze couldn’t recall exactly how the beat came together, JAY-Z revealed how it was made during an interview with XXL back in 2009. He explained that Just Blaze and Kanye West were having a beat-making battle when it came about.

“During that time, I had two rooms in Baseline,” Hov said at the time. “It was a big room that I was in, that I’d record in. Then it was a small room that Just would be in doing beats. What happened was, Just would peep his head in and hear what me and Kanye was doing and would just go back mad. Like, go back and just go [pounds fist on table], and just come in and be like, ‘Yo.’ And it was like this every day. It was like a heavyweight slugfest. For three days they was just knocking each other out. And I remember him playing that joint, and I was like, ‘Oh my God.’”

Revisit JAY-Z‘s Classic, “U Don’t Know”

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Jay-Z Clarifies The ‘Water To A Whale’ Line From His 2001 Cut ‘U Don’t Know’

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Jay-Z MTV Unplugged 2001
Getty Image / Theo Wargo

Following Arby’s and Pusha T’s scathing diss track toward McDonald’s Filet O’ Fish sandwich, fans are questioning a line from Jay-Z’s Blueprint cut “U Don’t Know.” On “Spicy Fish Diss Track,” Push proclaims, “I could sell water to a whale,” directly referencing “U Don’t Know.” Although the song’s lyric video confirms Push says “whale,” the clip has left fans asking if Jay originally says “I’m a hustler baby, I sell water to a whale,” or “sell water to a well.”

Hip-hop journalist Sowmya Krishnamurthy reached out to Just Blaze, who produced “U Don’t Know,” for clarification. Blaze asked Jay, who kept it open to interpretation, saying it could be either “well” or “whale.”

“Haaaa!!!! Well/whale,” said Jay, by way of a text message from Blaze. “It’s never a coincidence when these things happen. I try to make things work on multiple levels every time I sit down to create. It keeps me engaged.”

Push and Arby’s diss track follows the “Diet Coke” rapper’s claims that he wrote McDonald’s iconic “I’m Lovin’ It” jingle, alongside his brother and fellow Clipse member No Malice, Justin Timberlake, and Pharrell Williams. Push was apparently paid a one-time fee for his contributions and has not been paid any royalties for the almost two decades McDonald’s has been using the jingle.

“I did it at a very young age at a very young time in my career where I wasn’t asking for as much money and ownership,” Push told Rolling Stone. “It’s something that’s always dug at me later in life like, ‘Dammit, I was a part of this and I should have more stake.’ It was like half a million or a million dollars for me and my brother — but that’s peanuts for as long as that’s been running.”