JAY-Z’s The Blueprint is among the 25 recordings that will be added to the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry this year.
Released in 2001, the rapper’s sixth album is the most contemporary work on the 2019 list. “The Blueprint demonstrates JAY-Z’s range, from battle raps throwing shade on his lyrical adversaries such as Nas and Prodigy of Mob Deep, to triumphant anthems about life at the top, to heartfelt examinations of his personal history,” said the Library in a press release.
The groundbreaking album, which was released the same day as the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, topped the charts and “solidified [JAY-Z’s] reputation as one of the greatest rappers in music,” added the Library.
The list of inductees, which were chosen for their “cultural, historic, and aesthetic importance,” also includes Earth, Wind and Fire’s “September,” Cyndi Lauper’s 1983 album She’s So Unusual, Ritchie Valens’ 1958 single “La Bamba,” Curtis Mayfield’s 1972 album Superfly, and Nina Simone’s 1964 single “Mississippi Goddam.”
“The National Recording Registry honors the music that enriches our souls, the voices that tell our stories and the sounds that mirror our lives,” said Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden. “The Library of Congress and its many collaborators are working to preserve these sounds and moments in time, which reflect our past, present and future.”
JAY-Z is set to make more history. He has been announced as a headliner for Woodstock 50, a concert commemorating the 50th anniversary of the historic festival, which will take place Aug. 16-18 in Watkins Glen, New York.