Jay-Z tells Ian Brown that ''The Blueprint 3' was born in Manchester'

Jay-Z has revealed to Ian Brown that his latest album, 'The Blueprint 3', was "started" in the ex-Stone Roses' hometown of Manchester.

The rapper, speaking in the new issue of NME, out now told the singer, who he shares the magazine's front cover with, that producer Kanye West flew to the city in December 2007 to give him backing tracks that got the album process started.

Jay-Z and Kanye West performed at the Manchester MEN Arena on December 3 that year. "That was the night 'The Blueprint 3' started," Jay-Z explained. "Kanye flew to Manchester to give me the beats.

"He gave me 10 tracks, already sequenced, like, 'Here's the album, just rap on it'. Literally, 'This is the album start, it should come on like this, and end like this'. I'm like, 'Heeey, let me have a say-so in this!'

"A couple of them stayed on the album, laid the foundation. That was the night when 'The Blueprint 3' was born. That was the seed."

To read the full interview with Jay-Z and Ian Brown get the new issue of NME, out now.

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