 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
The Blueprint 3
Common Sense Media says
Rapper battles -- but mostly steers clear of -- sex, drugs.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that though Jay-Z runs in the most hardcore of rap circles, he's also interested in achieving mainstream success with his records; as a result, even the explicit version of this album is a type of "rap-lite" that includes some foul language here and there but lacks a lot of the extremely graphic adult content found in other rap records.
What's the story?
THE BLUEPRINT 3 is the third and final installment in the Blueprint album series by hip-hop mogul Jay-Z. Much like the first record that hit the scene eight years ago, this latest release finds Jay-Z once again battling with all "haters" who claim that he's anything less than the best. To get his message across, he enlists the help of the hottest stars across the rap and R&B spectrums, including Kanye West (who both performs and produces), Drake, Kid Cudi, Young Jeezy, Rihanna, Alicia Keyes, and Pharrell. At least one of these artists collaborates with him on just about every song. Ubiquitous producer Timbaland also lends a hand, producing several of the album's tracks. The record comes in both explicit and edited versions, with most of the foul language bleeped out of the latter.
Is it any good?
Jay-Z has made no bones about wanting to achieve commercial success with this record. As a result, it sounds somewhat more polished the first Blueprint, which achieved its own impressive success through its powerful rawness. That said, The Blueprint 3 is still solidly good, with every song written in way that highlights the specific talents of both Jay-Z himself and whichever artist(s) he's collaborating with on the track. For instance, one of the best songs on the album, "Empire State of Mind," allows the rapper to do his thing against an addictive vocal backdrop from Alicia Keys. The same can be said for other stand-out singles like "Run This Town" with Rihanna and Kanye West, as well as "Off That" with Drake.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about their kids' musical tastes, who's popular, and what your kids like about them.
Does having hot young artists like Drake, Rihanna, and Kid Cudi help to make a more established rapper like Jay-Z appear fresh -- or like a wannabe?
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AGE
good for teens
i love his music, but the language can be a little overwhelming at times.
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AGE
explict jay-z doesn't live up
the blueprint series has had a masterpiece a sub par release and now this one the first half is barely listneable aside from songs like on to the next one even the 2 great singles don't sound to good but at a star is born he turns it around i love the end instead of being tedious it's actually returning jay-z to the place jay-z has always been after the black album and the blueprint 1 on top first half c second half A- overall B download these empire state of mind,venus vs mars,on to the next one,reminder,hate,young forever,run this town.
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Kid, 12 years old
October 25, 2009
AGE
Jay-z.
Jay-z is a good rapper so yaaa.
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AGE
If you like rap, then this is your album
i like it, my son loves it. i listened to it. not so bad. i recommend explaining to the kids about what he talks about before letting them listen to it, or maybe after listening to it once or twice.
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AGE
A good listen
Surely the Blueprint 3 is far from being as great as the original Blueprint. However, this album is still a good listen. Jay-Z has a whole lot of commercial music in this album which to me is not a good thing. The highlight of the album is deff. Empire State of Mind which is a great ballad of Jay-Z's love for his hometown. Worth listening to but probably a bit of a dissapointment to fans of the original Blueprint
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AGE
Love this Album!
My brother showed me these songs, and i fell in love with them! Some things Jay-Z says are not really appropriate, but kids thirteen and up know not to say bad language. The music has a great feel to it, and Jay-Z is a great songwriter.
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AGE
Get it clean and it's really good
Very good songs. Although if you do happen to get the explicit version, then you should beware of that they say the 'n' word about 15 times per song. I only buy clean songs so I don't have a trouble with that. Each song is different from the next and are all good. They are catchy songs so it is fun and easy to sing (rap) along with
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AGE
toddler music
it is the most kid friendly album ive ever heard.
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