Studio Album · No. 7
The Blueprint 2: The Gift & the Curse Songwriting Credits by Jay-Z
Produced by Kanye West, Just Blaze, The Neptunes, Timbaland, Dr. Dre, No I.D., Heavy D, Charlemagne, Ron Feemster, Big Chuck, Jay-Z, Digga
Holds writing credit on 25 of 25 tracks
Authorship Breakdown 25 / 25 documented
Scored across the 25 tracks with documented writers, by whether Jay-Z carries a lyricist or composer credit.
Share of the 25 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.
By the Numbers
The Blueprint 2 scales Jay-Z's authorship pattern to a double album: he wrote every verse, but the composer column is enormous because nearly two dozen tracks are built on samples and interpolations, including a Tupac interpolation on '03 Bonnie & Clyde.' The guest list is one of his largest, yet the lyric credit stays anchored to him while the music spreads across a who's who of early-2000s producers.
The Blueprint 2: The Gift & the Curse is the seventh studio album by Jay-Z, released in November 2002 as a sprawling two-disc follow-up to The Blueprint. Where the first Blueprint was lean and focused, this one is maximalist, packing 25 tracks and a huge cast of guests and producers across its two discs. Jay-Z wrote all of his own verses, while the music came from Kanye West, Just Blaze, the Neptunes, Timbaland, and Dr. Dre, with the composer credits ballooning thanks to dense sampling. The album produced the Beyoncé duet '03 Bonnie & Clyde, which interpolates Tupac, and 'Excuse Me Miss,' and it was certified three-times platinum. It is often viewed as overstuffed compared to its predecessor, a curse-and-gift duality the title acknowledges.
Track Listing & Credits 25 tracks
| # | Title | Lyricist(s) | Composer(s) | Producer(s) | Performers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
A Dream
|
Jay-ZThe Notorious B.I.G. | Kanye WestSean CombsJean-Claude OlivierJames Forman | Kanye West | Jay-Z (Lead Vocals)Faith Evans (Featured Vocals)The Notorious B.I.G. (Featured Vocals) |
| 2 |
Hovi Baby
|
Jay-Z | Justin SmithKenneth Edmonds | Just Blaze | Jay-Z (Lead Vocals) |
| 3 |
The Watcher 2
|
Jay-ZDr. DreRakim | Scott Storch | Dr. Dre | Jay-Z (Lead Vocals)Dr. Dre (Featured Vocals)Rakim (Featured Vocals)Truth Hurts (Featured Vocals) |
| 4 |
'03 Bonnie & Clyde
|
Jay-Z | Kanye WestPrince NelsonDarryl HarperRicky RouseTupac ShakurTyrone Wrice | Kanye West | Jay-Z (Lead Vocals)Beyoncé (Featured Vocals) |
| 5 |
Excuse Me Miss
|
Jay-Z | Pharrell WilliamsCharles Hugo | The Neptunes | Jay-Z (Lead Vocals) |
| 6 |
What They Gonna Do
|
Jay-Z | Timothy Mosley | Timbaland | Jay-Z (Lead Vocals)Sean Paul (Featured Vocals) |
| 7 |
All Around the World
|
Jay-Z | Ernest WilsonBruce HawesJoseph JeffersonCharles SimmonsGeorge ClintonWilliam CollinsWalter MorrisonJim VittiEdwin Hawkins | No I.D. | Jay-Z (Lead Vocals)LaToiya Williams (Featured Vocals) |
| 8 |
Poppin' Tags
|
Jay-ZBig BoiKiller MikeTwista | Kanye WestWilliam Robinson Jr. | Kanye West | Jay-Z (Lead Vocals)Big Boi (Featured Vocals)Killer Mike (Featured Vocals)Twista (Featured Vocals) |
| 9 |
Fuck All Nite
|
Jay-Z | Pharrell WilliamsCharles Hugo | The Neptunes | Jay-Z (Lead Vocals) |
| 10 |
The Bounce
|
Jay-ZKanye West | Timothy Mosley | TimbalandKanye West | Jay-Z (Lead Vocals)Kanye West (Featured Vocals) |
| 11 |
I Did It My Way
|
Jay-Z | Jimi KendrixChuck StantonPaul AnkaClaude FrançoisJacques RevaudGilles Thibaut | Jay-ZBig Chuck | Jay-Z (Lead Vocals) |
| 12 |
Diamond Is Forever
|
Jay-Z | Theron FeemsterChuck Stanton | Ron FeemsterBig Chuck | Jay-Z (Lead Vocals) |
| 13 |
Guns & Roses
|
Jay-Z | Dwight MyersJohn McCrea | Heavy D | Jay-Z (Lead Vocals)Lenny Kravitz (Featured Vocals) |
| 14 |
U Don't Know (Remix)
|
Jay-ZM.O.P. | Justin SmithBobby Byrd | Just Blaze | Jay-Z (Lead Vocals)M.O.P. (Featured Vocals) |
| 15 |
Meet the Parents
|
Jay-Z | Justin Smith | Just Blaze | Jay-Z (Lead Vocals) |
| 16 |
Some How Some Way
|
Jay-ZBeanie SigelScarface | Justin SmithMichael McGloiry | Just Blaze | Jay-Z (Lead Vocals)Beanie Sigel (Featured Vocals)Scarface (Featured Vocals) |
| 17 |
Some People Hate
|
Jay-Z | Kanye WestBrenda RussellBrian Russell | Kanye West | Jay-Z (Lead Vocals) |
| 18 |
Blueprint²
|
Jay-Z | Henri CharlemagneEnnio Morricone | Charlemagne | Jay-Z (Lead Vocals) |
| 19 |
Nigga Please
|
Jay-ZYoung Chris | Pharrell WilliamsCharles Hugo | The Neptunes | Jay-Z (Lead Vocals)Young Chris (Featured Vocals) |
| 20 |
2 Many Hoes
|
Jay-Z | Timothy Mosley | Timbaland | Jay-Z (Lead Vocals) |
| 21 |
As One
|
Jay-ZMemphis BleekBeanie SigelFreewayPeedi CrakkYoung ChrisNeef BuckSparks | Justin SmithMaurice WhiteVerdine WhiteEduardo Del Barrio | Just Blaze | Jay-Z (Lead Vocals)Memphis Bleek (Featured Vocals)Beanie Sigel (Featured Vocals)Freeway (Featured Vocals)Young Gunz (Featured Vocals)Peedi Crakk (Featured Vocals)Sparks (Featured Vocals)Rell (Featured Vocals) |
| 22 |
A Ballad for the Fallen Soldier
|
Jay-Z | Pharrell WilliamsCharles Hugo | The Neptunes | Jay-Z (Lead Vocals)Marc Dorsey (Featured Vocals)Pharrell Williams (Featured Vocals) |
| 23 |
Show You How
|
Jay-Z | Justin Smith | Just Blaze | Jay-Z (Lead Vocals) |
| 24 |
Bitches & Sisters
|
Jay-Z | Justin SmithIsaac Hayes Jr.David Porter | Just Blaze | Jay-Z (Lead Vocals) |
| 25 |
What They Gonna Do, Part II
|
Jay-Z | Darrell Branch | Digga | Jay-Z (Lead Vocals) |