Album: Jay Z - 'The Blueprint 3'

Jay Z AKA Shawn Carter's had quite a career; sales of almost 30 million records in the US alone, more self-made cashmoney than any of us could dream of, and the 'hottest girl in the game' to call his wife. With the now statutory rap-retirement period safely behind him, the pressure's on for him to solidify his position and set the standard for the next phase of US hip hop.

The Blueprint 3 is his eleventh full length release (not including his soundtrack to 2007 movie American Gangster) - no mean feat in an industry where emcees are considered at their peak for perhaps three or four years. And it's a confident, layered effort, if not completely consistent.

Opener What We Talkin' About is cynical and upfront, and synth rather than beat-heavy, providing a perfect platform for Jigga's (mic'd up) vocals to come to the fore. There may no obvious Black Album-style singles jostling to the the top of the pile, but that doesn't mean this a boring record, a case in point being D.O.A., all heavy funk hop, with a winding guitar line and a clarinet. Suck it up, 50 Cent.

Jay Z's instantly recognisable flow - relaxed, yet totally relentless - has certainly not been blunted, and thankfully he makes true his promise to leave the autotune well alone. It may be crass to compare rap lyrics to poetry, but in this instance it's justified - they're sharp as ever and consistently self-aware ("Please don't bow in my presence/How am I a legend?" on Thank You may be qualified by an arrogant next line, but how many rappers would ever be that self-effacing, even in irony?). And of course, there's even the odd reference to his friendship with Barack Obama.

As one of the weaker tracks, Rihanna's lemon-sour vocals on Run This Town are overpowering, but other genre-spanning guest appearances from the likes of Empire of the Sun's Luke Steele and a heartfelt homage to New York from Alicia Keys on Empire State of Mind are more appealing.

And then there are the celeb producers - Timbaland's 8-bit inspired effort on the insistent Off That, The Neptunes getting sultry on So Ambitious and Kanye West on the Kid Cudi-featuring Already Home.

This is a typically team effort, but with Jay Z steering the ship, despite its inconsistencies The Blueprint 3 can't really fail, if not quite become a classic. It's the sound of a rapper who has world at his feet but isn't too big to admit he's not perfect. If only he could have wangled a cameo from Barack.

Check out Jay Z at www.myspace.com/jayz

Buy The Blueprint 3 on CD from Amazon for around £8 or download it from 7digital for £5.