Editing Jay-Z (section)

===2001–2002: Feud with Nas, ''The Blueprint'' and ''The Blueprint<sup>2</sup>''===
In 2001, Jay-Z spoke out against [[Prodigy (rapper)|Prodigy]] after he took an issue with a Jay-Z line from "[[Money, Cash, Hoes]]" that he felt alluded disparagingly to Mobb Deep and Prodigy's dispute with [[Tupac Shakur]], [[Snoop Dogg]], and [[Death Row Records]]. He later performed the song "[[Takeover (Jay-Z song)|Takeover]]", at [[Summer Jam (festival)|Summer Jam]] 2001, which initially attacked Prodigy and revealed photos of Prodigy dressed like [[Michael Jackson]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Reid|first=Shaheem|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1451428/20011211/mobb_deep.jhtml|title=Mobb Deep Strike Back at Jay-Z on Infamy|access-date=May 17, 2024|date=December 12, 2001|publisher=MTV|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011214114324/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1451428/20011211/mobb_deep.jhtml|archive-date=December 14, 2001|url-status=dead}}</ref> A line at the end of "Takeover" referred to [[Nas]], who criticized him on "We Will Survive".<ref>{{cite web|first=Selwyn Seyfu|last=Hinds|url=http://www.villagevoice.com/music/0203,hinds,31529,22.html|title=Kings of New York|work=[[The Village Voice]]|date=January 15, 2002|access-date=May 17, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070303172100/http://www.villagevoice.com/music/0203,hinds,31529,22.html|archive-date=March 3, 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref> Nas responded with a diss of his own, and Jay-Z straightaway added a verse to "Takeover" which dissed Nas and would start a feud between the two rappers. The feud had ended by 2005; Jay-Z stated that record producer [[Mark Pitts]] had helped them settle their differences.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.xxlmag.com/xxl-magazine/2008/02/the-7-biggest-moment-jay-z-nas-squash-beef/ |title=The #7 Biggest Moment: Jay-Z & Nas Squash Beef |date=February 6, 2008 |website=[[XXL (magazine)|XXL Magazine]] |access-date=June 5, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180619085929/http://www.xxlmag.com/xxl-magazine/2008/02/the-7-biggest-moment-jay-z-nas-squash-beef/ |archive-date=June 19, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref>

On September 11, 2001, Jay-Z released his sixth studio album, ''[[The Blueprint]]'', which received a [[The Source (magazine)|five-mic review]] from hip-hop magazine ''[[The Source (magazine)|The Source]].'' Written in just two days,<ref>Recounted by Jay-Z on the documentary ''[[Collision Course (EP)|Collision Course]]'' . ''Collision Course''. Jay-Z and Linkin Park. Roc-A-Fella/Warner Bros./Machine Shop Recordings. 2004.</ref> the album sold more than 427,000 copies, debuted at number one on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]]<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/78363/jay-z-draws-blueprint-for-chart-dominance|title=Jay-Z Draws 'Blueprint' For Chart Dominance|last=Martens|first=Todd|date=September 20, 2001|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|access-date=May 21, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011108164856/http://www.billboard.com:80/billboard/daily/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1058742|archive-date=November 8, 2001|url-status=dead}}</ref> and reached double platinum certification by the [[Recording Industry Association of America]].<ref name="riaacertification"/> [[Eminem]] guest performed and produced its song, "[[Renegade (Jay-Z song)|Renegade]]". Four tracks were produced by [[Kanye West]]. ''The Blueprint'' includes the songs "[[Izzo (H.O.V.A.)]]", "[[Girls, Girls, Girls (Jay-Z song)|Girls, Girls, Girls]]", "[[Jigga That Nigga]]", and "[[Song Cry]]". {{as of|2012|February}}, the album had sold 2.7&nbsp;million copies worldwide.<ref>{{cite web |last=Grein |first=Paul |url=http://music.yahoo.com/blogs/chart-watch/week-ending-feb-26-2012-albums-half-top-160050213.html |title=Week Ending Feb. 26, 2012. Albums: Half of the Top 10 &#124; Chart Watch (NEW) – Yahoo Music |publisher=Music.yahoo.com |date=February 29, 2012 |access-date=April 20, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141018031610/https://music.yahoo.com/blogs/chart-watch/week-ending-feb-26-2012-albums-half-top-160050213.html |archive-date=October 18, 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2019, ''The Blueprint'' was selected by the [[Library of Congress]] for preservation in the [[National Recording Registry]] for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".<ref>{{cite news |last=Andrews |first=Travis M. |date=March 20, 2019 |title=Jay-Z, a speech by Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and 'Schoolhouse Rock!' among recordings deemed classics by Library of Congress |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/jay-z-a-speech-by-sen-robert-f-kennedy-and-schoolhouse-rock-among-recordings-deemed-classics-by-library-of-congress/2019/03/19/f7eb08ea-4a58-11e9-9663-00ac73f49662_story.html? |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=March 25, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190406000403/https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/jay-z-a-speech-by-sen-robert-f-kennedy-and-schoolhouse-rock-among-recordings-deemed-classics-by-library-of-congress/2019/03/19/f7eb08ea-4a58-11e9-9663-00ac73f49662_story.html |archive-date=April 6, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In October 2001, Jay-Z pleaded guilty to aggravated assault for stabbing record producer [[Lance Rivera]] at the Kit Kat Klub in New York City in 1999.<ref>{{cite web|last=D'Angelo|first=Joe|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1450090/jay-z-pleads-guilty-to-stabbing-faces-three-years-probation/|title=Jay-Z Pleads Guilty To Stabbing, Faces Three Years' Probation|date=October 17, 2001|publisher=MTV News|access-date=May 17, 2024|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20011025185842/http://www.mtv.com:80/news/articles/1450090/20011017/story.jhtml|archivedate=October 25, 2001|url-status=dead}}</ref> Despite Jay-Z's sentence of three years probation for the crime, Rivera later recanted the allegations in 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1451340/jay-z-gets-three-years-probation-for-un-rivera-stabbing/ |title=Jay-Z Gets Three Years' Probation For 'Un' Rivera Stabbing |last= D'Angelo |first=Joe |date= December 6, 2001 |publisher= MTV News |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011208115515/http://www.mtv.com:80/news/articles/1451340/20011206/jay_z.jhtml|archive-date=December 8, 2001|url-status=dead |access-date=May 17, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=Preezy |date=May 22, 2023 |title=Lance "Un" Rivera Confirms Jay-Z Didn't Stab Him During 1999 Club Incident |url=https://www.vibe.com/news/entertainment/lance-un-rivera-jay-z-stab-club-incident-1234758615/ |access-date=February 18, 2024 |website=VIBE.com |language=en-US |archive-date=February 18, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240218145411/https://www.vibe.com/news/entertainment/lance-un-rivera-jay-z-stab-club-incident-1234758615/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Jay-Z then collaborated with Chicago singer [[R. Kelly]] to release collaborative studio album, ''[[The Best of Both Worlds (Jay-Z and R. Kelly album)|The Best of Both Worlds]]'' in March 2002. In November of that year, Jay-Z released his seventh studio album ''[[The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse|The Blueprint<sup>2</sup>: The Gift & The Curse]]''—a double album. The album debuted on the ''Billboard'' 200 at number one, selling over 3&nbsp;million units solely in the U.S.<ref name="riaacertification"/> and surpassing ''The Blueprint''.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/73389/jay-z-scores-5th-chart-topper-with-blueprint|title=Jay-Z Scores 5th Chart-Topper With 'Blueprint'|last=Martens|first=Todd|date=November 20, 2002|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|access-date=May 21, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021122183245/http://billboard.com/billboard/daily/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1765966|archive-date=November 22, 2002|url-status=dead}}</ref> It yielded a single-disc re-issue, ''[[The Blueprint 2.1]]'', which retained half of the songs from the original. Its original release spawned two hit singles, "[[Excuse Me Miss]]" and "[['03 Bonnie & Clyde]]", which features Jay-Z's then-girlfriend, [[Beyoncé]], and contained the track "A Dream", featuring [[Faith Evans]] and the late [[the Notorious B.I.G.|Notorious B.I.G.]]; the re-issue spawned the single "[[La-La-La (Jay-Z song)|La-La-La]]", which was a sequel to "Excuse Me Miss" and failed to match its commercial success.