Ah, Jay-Z. Jazzy. The Jigga man. The Hov. J Hova.

With the release of The Blueprint 3, we find ourselves witness to Shawn Carter's 11th album of raps about how great he is -- and once again, it's clever, engaging and as dope as ever.

It's been eight years since the original The Blueprint, and a lot has changed. While that album was the product of a rapper still pushing his career forward at an incredible pace, The Blueprint 3 shows the Brooklyn artist trying to kickstart his career after several years of decelerated output. While Jay reflects on his career and the rap industry on this album, he doesn't let it weigh him down and still looks forward, showing us what potential he still has left.

Not a whole lot is new here musically, but that isn't a bad thing. As usual, the album is full of detailed and glossy production from some of the biggest names in the industry: Kanye West, The Neptunes, Timbaland, Swizz Beatz, et al. The beats range from soul-inspired to electronic and even hardcore, often a combination of styles. The overlapping assortments make for a cohesive but dynamic backdrop.

But unlike The Blueprint, which was largely guestless with the exception of a verse from Eminem, this album is overflowing with contributions from big names as well as newer artists.

The album starts with the synth-heavy "What We Talkin' About," which shows Jay-Z displaying his maturity while simultaneously calling out anyone claiming he's lost his edge. Boldly, the track features a hook sung by Luke Steele of the Australian electronic duo Empire of the Sun. This confidence pays off, for the track shows Jay-Z as a rapper who answers only to his own creativity. Seriously, how often does a rapper put a white singer on a track about how hardcore they are?

It's in the second track where we really see the album start to unfold. The slow but swingin' big band beat of "Thank You" is possibly one of the most calmly confident hype tracks ever recorded. The modesty he manages to work into his lyrics shows more strength than any of his old "best rapper in the world" statements ever could: "Please don't bow in my presence/ I am not a legend/ I just have 10 No. 1 albums/ maybe now 11." It's like he doesn't even have to try anymore.

While this isn't an album that's going to spawn 10 radio singles, almost every track has something going for it. "D.O.A. (Death of Autotune)" and "Run This Town" have stellar and immediately appealing beats, making them obvious choices for radio.

"Empire State of Mind," a collaboration with Alicia Keys, follows the trend, keeping in line with the album's pace. Lyrically, the song shows Jay-Z start to relive his youth, but it doesn't fall victim to minutia. He keeps his hometown the focus and describes his changing relationship with New York City instead of simply talking about himself.

After these first five hard-hitting tracks, the album becomes more uneven. "Real as it Gets," featuring Young Jeezy, is much more generic, especially following the album's incredibly strong start.

"On To the Next One" brings the album back to its plateau but with a decidedly different feel. The track cleverly samples a line from Justice's "D.A.N.C.E.," cutting it up to sound like the title and reappropriating it to a hardcore beat.

But The Blueprint 3 isn't perfect. Of its 15 tracks, there are a few it could get by without.

"Hate," a dis track to unnamed "haters," features an oddly chosen sample and seems like a beat Kanye had left over from 808s and Heartbreak. He almost manages to save the song with his onomatopoeia-laden second verse, but for the most part, the lyrics fall just as flat as the beat. "Eatin' your food, leavin' dishes" isn't the most threatening lyric, to say the least.

The Blueprint 3 has been in the pipes for a while now, and while it isn't perfect, it was definitely worth the wait.

This is the work of a veteran completely comfortable with his skills and status, not getting ahead of himself with ambition or behind himself with past glories.

Not many rappers release 10 albums, let alone rap for 10 years. That Jay-Z is still relevant and making strong records is testament to his skill and evolving maturity.

That I'm even describing a rapper who constantly reminds us that he used to sell crack as 'mature' is amazing in itself.

Grade: B+

Download: "Already Home," "On to the Next One," "Empire State of Mind"