Jay-Z’s ‘Blueprint’ Album Added To Library Of Congress’ National Recording Registry

Jay-Z’s 2001 album “The Blueprint” is one of 25 works that will be added this year to the United States’ National Recording Registry, the Library of Congress announced Wednesday.

The highly regarded album, which was released the same day as the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, went on to earn chart-topping success and solidified Shawn Carter’s “reputation as one of the greatest rappers in music,” the Library said in a press release.

Each year, the registry adds 25 recordings chosen for their cultural or historic significance. This year’s additions include Cyndi Lauper’s 1983 album “She’s So Unusual,” Ritchie Valens’ 1958 single “La Bamba” and Nina Simone’s 1964 single “Mississippi Goddam,” all of which the Library described as “aural treasures.” (Read the full list here.)

“The National Recording Registry honors the music that enriches our souls, the voices that tell our stories and the sounds that mirror our lives,” Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden said in the release. “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.”

The librarian of Congress selects each year’s batch of recordings with input from the library’s National Recording Preservation Board.

Hayden, a former president of the American Library Association, was sworn in as the 14th librarian of Congress for a renewable 10-year term in 2016. She is the first woman and first African-American to hold the position.

“I’m honored to announce this morning twenty-five amazing and timeless treasures that are being added to the #NationalRecordingRegistry,” Hayden wrote on Twitter on Wednesday.

This year’s additions bring the total number of titles in the National Recording Registry to 525, according to the library. Works must be at least 10 years old to be considered for induction.

“‘The Blueprint’ demonstrates Jay-Z’s range, from battle raps throwing shade on his lyrical adversaries such as Nas and Prodigy of Mob [sic] Deep, to triumphant anthems about life at the top, to heartfelt examinations of his personal history,” the library’s release said.