Eight years ago, Jay-Z released The Blueprint. It debuted at No. 1 and has been certified two-time Platinum in the United States but was eclipsed by the horrible events of September 11, 2001. The album was significant in a lot of ways, particularly in the rapping style (it was a great mix of mainstream and hardcore) but it also helped catapult Kanye West, who produced four of the track, into the music industry. The following year, Jay-Z released… More »