I'll never forget it; it was late August 2001. That's when I became a committed fan of Roc-A-Fella Records, right after hearing the bootleg of The Blueprint. The beats sounded like the evolution of the sound that was introduced on Jay-Z's previous album The Dynasty: Roc La Familia—it was a soulful throwback, sample-heavy yet modern. And it sounded like nothing else.
Flash-forward eight years... Kanye West, one of the architects of that sound, is a huge star. Just Blaze is the Art Garfunkel to West's Paul Simon and it's a shame because the guy is just as talented behind the boards.
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