Every anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks, many people remember where they were on that fateful day. Some were home trying to reach loved ones who worked in the area. Some were running for their lives and others unfortunately were saying their last prayers. But there were many who were doing something much different. Many people, hundreds of thousands, were on line across the country at music retails stores waiting to purchase their copy of Jay Z's 'The Blue Print' which was released on that same day 10 years ago this coming Sunday. Its safe to say that most of the purchasing of the album took place outside the city of New York which lead to the album selling a massive 420k copies in it's first week of release. But what made people go out and purchase the album on the most horrific day in American history? Was Jay Z's music their pill in a time of hurt, or was 9/11 simply another event for them? Music experts weigh in on why they think 'The Blue Print' in a time of declining sales and a nation crippled by terror attacks stayed above it all to sell so well.
"Young people not directly affected are always more removed from the onset of national tragedy," said Tricia Rose, a professor at Brown University and author of "The Hip Hop Wars."
To be fair, Jay-Z's "The Blueprint" -- considered to be a masterpiece by many music reviewers -- was not a particularly socially conscious work.
A hodge-podge of musings on street life, the album's most endearing quality may be its soulful production (crafted in part by a then-young Kanye West), featuring music samples from the likes of David Bowie and the Doors.
[CNNent]
