Studio Album · No. 11
The Blueprint 3 Songwriting Credits by Jay-Z
Produced by Kanye West, No I.D., Jeff Bhasker, Al Shux, The Inkredibles, Swizz Beatz, Timbaland, J-Roc, Kenoe, The Neptunes · Engineered by Gimel "Young Guru" Keaton, Ken "Duro" Ifill, Chris Godbey, Andrew Dawson
Holds writing credit on 15 of 15 tracks
Authorship Breakdown 15 / 15 documented
Scored across the 15 tracks with documented writers, by whether Jay-Z carries a lyricist or composer credit.
Share of the 15 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.
By the Numbers
Awards & Recognition 1
The Blueprint 3 is Jay-Z at his most pop, and the credits show the model adapting: he still wrote every verse, but the sung hooks bring co-writers like Alicia Keys and Rihanna into the lyricist column alongside him, and the composer column is dominated by Kanye West and No I.D. It is the clearest example of his rap-plus-sung-hook formula, where his words anchor songs built for stadiums by a deep production team.
The Blueprint 3 is the eleventh studio album by Jay-Z, released in September 2009 as the first album on his Roc Nation label. The most pop-facing record of his career, it pairs his rapping with big sung hooks from Rihanna, Alicia Keys, and others, and it leans on lush, anthemic production from Kanye West and No I.D. Jay-Z wrote every verse, while the music and hook credits spread across his collaborators, producing the era-defining 'Empire State of Mind' with Alicia Keys and 'Run This Town' with Rihanna and Kanye West. The album also introduced a young J. Cole on 'A Star Is Born.' It debuted at number one, was certified two-times platinum, and its singles won a combined six Grammy Awards.
Track Listing & Credits 15 tracks
| # | Title | Lyricist(s) | Composer(s) | Producer(s) | Performers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
What We Talkin' About
|
Jay-Z | Kanye WestErnest WilsonKevin RandolphFrédéric Mercier | Kanye WestNo I.D. | Jay-Z (Lead Vocals)Luke Steele (Featured Vocals) |
| 2 |
Thank You
|
Jay-Z | Kanye WestErnest WilsonMarcos Valle | Kanye WestNo I.D. | Jay-Z (Lead Vocals) |
| 3 |
D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)
|
Jay-Z | Ernest WilsonGarrett DeCarloDale FrashuerPaul LekaJanko NilovićDave Sucky | No I.D. | Jay-Z (Lead Vocals) |
| 4 |
Run This Town
|
Jay-ZKanye WestRihanna | Ernest WilsonJeff BhaskerAthanasios Alatas | Kanye WestNo I.D.Jeff Bhasker | Jay-Z (Lead Vocals)Rihanna (Featured Vocals)Kanye West (Featured Vocals) |
| 5 |
Empire State of Mind
|
Jay-ZAlicia Keys | Alexander ShuckburghJanet Sewell-UlepicAngela HunteBurt KeyesSylvia Robinson | Al ShuxJanet Sewell-UlepicAngela Hunte | Jay-Z (Lead Vocals)Alicia Keys (Featured Vocals) |
| 6 |
Real as It Gets
|
Jay-ZYoung Jeezy | Maurice CarpenterLeigh ElliottJohnny MollingsLenny Mollings | The Inkredibles | Jay-Z (Lead Vocals)Young Jeezy (Featured Vocals) |
| 7 |
On to the Next One
|
Jay-Z | Kasseem DeanGaspard AugéXavier de RosnayJesse Chaton | Swizz Beatz | Jay-Z (Lead Vocals)Swizz Beatz (Featured Vocals) |
| 8 |
Off That
|
Jay-ZDrake | Timothy MosleyJerome Harmon | TimbalandJ-Roc | Jay-Z (Lead Vocals)Drake (Featured Vocals) |
| 9 |
A Star Is Born
|
Jay-ZJ. Cole | Kanye WestErnest WilsonMaurice JordanAl GoodmanGeorge Medoro | Kanye WestNo I.D.Kenoe | Jay-Z (Lead Vocals)J. Cole (Featured Vocals) |
| 10 |
Venus vs. Mars
|
Jay-Z | Timothy MosleyJerome Harmon | TimbalandJ-Roc | Jay-Z (Lead Vocals)Beyoncé (Featured Vocals) |
| 11 |
Already Home
|
Jay-ZKid Cudi | Kanye WestErnest WilsonHarry Mudie | Kanye WestNo I.D.Jeff Bhasker | Jay-Z (Lead Vocals)Kid Cudi (Featured Vocals) |
| 12 |
Hate
|
Jay-ZKanye West | Jeff Bhasker | Kanye WestJeff Bhasker | Jay-Z (Lead Vocals)Kanye West (Featured Vocals) |
| 13 |
Reminder
|
Jay-Z | Timothy MosleyJerome HarmonKarin Briscoe | TimbalandJ-Roc | Jay-Z (Lead Vocals) |
| 14 |
So Ambitious
|
Jay-Z | Pharrell Williams | The Neptunes | Jay-Z (Lead Vocals)Pharrell Williams (Featured Vocals) |
| 15 |
Young Forever
|
Jay-Z | Kanye WestMarian GoldBernhard LloydFrank Mertens | Kanye West | Jay-Z (Lead Vocals)Mr Hudson (Featured Vocals) |