Jay-Z’s The Blueprint has stood the test of time as one of the greatest rap albums of all time. Now, the album is being honored and will be archived in the Library of Congress, joining classics such as Run-DMC’s Raising Hell and N.W.A.’s Straight Outta Compton. The new albums and recordings being inducted “reflect our past, present, and future,” that’s why they’re also including Nina Simone’s “Mississippi Goddam,” Curtis Mayfield’s Superfly, Cyndi Lauper’s She’s So Unusual, Earth, Wind & Fire’s “September,” and more.
The National Recording Registry was created in 2000 by the National Recording Preservation Act to save the recordings that took place throughout the years. Jay-Z’s The Blueprint was a game-changer. The album helped establish Jay as hip hop’s main man, also helping showcase the talents of up-and-comers, Kanye West and Just Blaze.