The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse was the seventh studio album released by rapper Shawn Carter, aka Jay-Z. It was released on Nov. 12, 2002, on the Roc-A-Fella Records and Def Jam Recordings imprints. The Brooklyn rapper released the album as a sequel to his sixth album, The Blueprint (2001). The album debuted at number one, shipping with first-week sales of 545,000 units. Jay-Z was already debatably classified as one of the greatest rappers of all time.
During this time, rumors of Jay hooking up with singer Beyonce began to circulate in the industry; the rumor was almost confirmed with the song “03 Bonnie and Clyde” off the album. The world watched as a budding relationship began between the two megastars. “Excuse Me Miss” featuring Pharrell showed a sensitive and grown upside to the BK rapper who previously rapped about drugs and throwback jerseys. Inevitably becoming one of the biggest forces in hip hop and one of our first billionaire couples, The game changed when Jay-Z released this album and How continues to break boundaries. Today, the album is certified as a 3x Multi-Platinum by the RIAA.
We salute Jay-Z for another classic album.