Once you reach a certain number of releases in your catalog, people tend to judge you by those projects and how successful they were. But most artists know that they had several projects that they never released because they were too scared to share them. In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic break down three projects that they never released due …

Since we speak about the pros and cons of making sample-based music on this show quite often, it's only right that we invite a producer on the show who has been on both sides. Aside for producing tracks for Conway, Murs, Ras Kass, and Brother Ali, Texas producer Rob Viktum is a composer and sound designer who makes samples that are used by other pr…

Once upon a time, you couldn't go to any live event without seeing flyers all over the place. But nowadays the majority of people rely exclusively on online promotion like facebook events. In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic break down how this change has created a huge opportunity for artists who want to employ this strategy. Learn more about y…

Everybody can talk about success, but not many can talk about dealing with failure. This week Blueprint discusses the events that led him to shut down his trucking company to focus on music again and how he's been dealing with the feeling of failure associated with not achieving his end goal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adc…

The long-awaited return of album reviews by the Super Duty Tough Work crew. In this episode, they review recent albums from Dibiase & Raz Fresco, Planet Asia & Midaz the Beast, Blockhead, and Larry June & The Alchemist. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBlueprint による

Over the last couple of months, Hip-hop fans have been talking about how the brand new documentary about hip-hop group Little Brother, "May the Lord Watch." The documentary tells the story of Little Brother and goes deep into what broke the group up and what brought them back together. In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic review the film and brea…

A recent story surfaced about a Japanese ambient musician who spent two years creating and uploading one album a day for two years straight. In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic dive into why his approach worked and break down four lessons that any artist can apply. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

With the new year comes time to reflect on the previous year and make plans for the next. In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic break down what they did wrong in 2023 and how they plan on fixing it in 2024. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBlueprint による

Although many people were happy to see the Grammys pay tribute to hip-hop turn 50 years old, not all artists were on the same page. Most notably, hip-hop pioneer and icon KRS-ONE was very public about why I turned down his invitation to participate in the tribute, sparking debates in hip-hop circles worldwide. In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic…

If there is one factor that influences every facet of American life, it's inflation. Things that were once cheap become expensive and things that were already expensive become even more expensive. These increasing costs impact artists and force them to evaluate what they're charging for their art. In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic dive deep in…

With Blueprint and Illogic both putting the finishing touches on their next set of albums to be released next year, they've been knee deep in the post-production process. This week, they talk about how they evaluate songs their on the fence about and the process the follow to fix a song that isn't quite working. Learn more about your ad choices. Vi…

Rapper Juicy J made news this week when he pointed out that sales of rap music have dropped 40% in the last year, calling for a meeting of the minds to fix it. In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic break down why we think rap music sales are in a slump and our solutions for how to fix it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoi…

As lifetime artists, we know that there are a lot of unfair and unrealistic expectations that unnecessarily add pressure to the creative process. In this week's episode, Blueprint and Illogic break down what these unrealistic expectations are and why it's ok if you don't participate in them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adch…

The popularity of music streaming services has created a situation where the average music listener can consume as much music as they want without paying anything for it. As a result, sales of physical music aren't what they used to be. However, despite the abundance of free music, fans still buy music. In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic break …

A few weeks ago, the internet was buzzing about two new challengers to twitter, Threads and Spill. And while there were millions of people who signed up for the new apps, there were others who stayed where they were at because it just felt like too much. It begs the question: are there too many social media platforms for artists to maintain nowaday…

Although conversations about what artists need to do to be successful happen all the time, very rarely do they speak about the role that money (or the lack thereof) plays in an artists career. This creates a situation where talking about money has largely become taboo, but we think it's more important than ever to be honest about it. In this episod…

Over the last year, we've discussed Blueprint's decision to get a regular job due to the fallout from covid shutting down the music industry, but things took a big turn this week when he announced that he had purchased his own semi-truck. In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic discuss everything that went into his decision to purchase his own truck…

A recent survey found that 75% of artists lose money on their music releases. And while those numbers are pretty discouraging, you don't have to be among the majority that lose money this way. In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic break down eight strategies that will help you stop losing money on your releases. Learn more about your ad choices. V…

With this season's NBA playoffs being more wild and unpredictable than ever, there has been a lot of action but more importantly, a lot of lessons. In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic, break down five big lessons that artists could learn from the NBA playoffs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

The long-awaited results show for Blueprint and Illogic's latest fitness challenge. Did they reach their goals? Tune in and find out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBlueprint による

For the last six months we've been bombarded with stories about the positive impact AI can have on our lives, with very little conversations about the downsides of it. Things have changed a bit over the last few weeks as stories started to surface about the music and film industry's fight against the rapid adoption of AI. This week, Blueprint and I…

On your journey to be the best version of yourself, there comes a time when it seems like the more money you make, the less healthy you are. This is what we like to call The Money Health Paradox. In this week's episode, Blueprint and Illogic break down the four different levels of the Money Health Paradox and give advice on how to avoid it. Learn m…

As artists who have been releasing music for over 20 years, Blueprint and Illogic are used to going against the grain. In this episode, they take going against the grain further than ever by listing their most unpopular opinions about production. If you've ever made beats, there is a lot to laugh at and get pissed off about in this episode. Learn m…

A recently published study has determined that it's incredibly difficult for people to learn about new music as they get older, a grim diagnosis for music lovers. In this episode, we break down the results of the study and what you can do to ensure you remain as passionate about music in your later years as you were when you were younger. Learn mor…

An article recently surfaced that spoke about the impact that the emerging Artificial Intelligence tools are having on sampling, revealing how Google's AI engine has been used to correctly identify sample sources. And while this may not have an immediate impact on sampling producers, there may be a time when getting away with uncleared sampling bec…

With the recent passing of Dave (aka Trugoy) and the streaming release of De La Soul's catalog to streaming services, the group's name has been abuzz for the several weeks. Since music fans are finally able to listen to their catalog again, we thought it would be a great time to discuss what makes De La Soul so great. In this episode, Blueprint and…

As more and more artists contemplate becoming full-time artists, they realize that it may difficult to pursue their craft fully and have a real professional career. However, there are many jobs that lend themselves to artists who are trying to make decent money but not have their jobs run their lives. In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic discuss …

After the first health is wealth challenge in 2021, Blueprint and Illogic both got into great shape. Unfortunately, both of them fell off in 2022 and gained most of that weight back. In this episode, they explain why they are fed up with being out of shape and start a brand new 90-Day Health is Wealth Challenge for themselves and invite their liste…

One of the most rewarding feelings an artist can having is the moment when you finish making an album. Unfortunately, there are a lot more unfinished albums than finished. In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic break down ten reasons artists have a hard time finishing their albums. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

Although we push our listeners to be as ambitious as possible, we understand that there are downsides to always going above and beyond. In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic break down eight real reasons why some people choose to not be ambitious. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

This week Blueprint sits down with his former Greenhouse Effect partner in rhyme, Ron "Buster" Cunningham, aka Mr. Inkwel about his new book "Unwrapped Gifts" and what it took to write and publish it. If you've ever considered writing a book, this episode is for you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

Our first live call in show in celebration of our 300th episode. Live Q&A, Hood Tales, and more... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBlueprint による

In last week's episode with special guest Cryptic One, he stated that he didn't believe in inspiration anymore and instead practiced discipline. And although agree with him, we know there are many artists who still cling to inspiration to power their creative output. In this episode, we break down the issues with inspiration and why being disciplin…

As one of the founding members of the legendary NYC underground hip-hop crew The Atoms Family, MC/Producer Cryptic One has been a part of a lot of classic material. From his guest appearance on Cannibal Ox’s “Cold Vein” to engineering Aesop Rock’s “Labor Days” he was primed to take a big leap as a solo artist. But a series of bad breaks shut down h…

After Twitter laid off thousands of employees this week, rumors started to circulate about whether the website would survive or go out of business. As a result, many artists, who spent years creating content and cultivating their followings on the platform started to panic, wondering what to do if twitter was no more. In this episode, we speak abou…

You would have to be living under a rock to have not heard about Kanye West's controversial comments that led to the termination of several brand deals and have likely cost him tens of millions of dollars. As they say, loose lips sink ships. In this episode, we break down how this entire situation could have been avoided if Kanye would have followe…

With the internet making the world more connected than ever, it's never been easier to access prominent people. However, this access has also given rise to many people abusing that access in the name of networking. In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic break down ten truths about networking that can save you a ton of wasted time and energy. Learn …

Despite the rare number of rappers who have been able to turn their passion into a profession, the vast majority of rappers have day jobs. However, it is very rare to hear them actually speak about it. In fact, it seems like they do their best to keep it a secret. Why is that? In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic break down why the majority of ra…

Three months ago, we started our annual 90 days of discipline challenge, where we choose three goals and try work at them for 90 days straight. This week, Blueprint and Illogic break down their results and play the voice mail messages from listeners who participated in the challenge. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

In this era where being successful locally isn't a requirement for success and many artists can get a lot done by themselves, the temptation is to go it alone. In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic break down the benefits of a crew and why being in one might be key to your success. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

No matter what kind of art you create, you will likely have to use social media to bring awareness about it. It is there that you will run into some of the most confusing behavior you've ever witnessed from people. Some are crazy and vocal about your art, while others follow you silently. In this episode we break down the biggest differences betwee…

In a recent interview with The Guardian, Kraftwerk drummer surprised many stating that the same technology that made the group so popular ruined their creativity. With technology playing a larger role in music than ever, we decided to break down what artists can do to stop computers from ruining the beauty of music. Learn more about your ad choices…

Due to the strong feedback on last week's episode on song composition, we decided to do a follow-up episode with more content for music producers. In this week's episode, we break down 8 more tips for music producers to speed up their workflow and quality of their production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

Whether you play an instrument or chop up samples, there will be a time when you feel like your song ideas aren't being produced to their fullest potential. The answer is to tighten up your composition skills. In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic break down ten song composition tips they've learned over their years producing hip-hop, so you don't…

No matter what your dreams are, there will be moments when things appear to go off track, and where it appears that you failed. But what if you hadn't actually failed and your dreams just look a little different than you planned? In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic break down the importance of being flexible in chasing your dreams and why you ma…

It's that time of the year again, where we challenge ourselves and our listeners to set goals and focusing on achieving them for 90 days. In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic share their goals for the challenge and give instructions for how listeners can participate in the challenge and results show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaph…

Having a special talent can be a great blessing, but it can also cause stress if a person doesn't have any outlet for their talents. This often results in them thinking they need to blend into society. In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic break down what many artists have in common with the new Obi-Wan Kenobi miniseries and how they can turn thin…

In sports, the "rookie wall" refers to the plateau that a first year player hits after showing a lot of promise. Whenever we take on a new endeavor, hitting the rookie wall is almost inevitable. In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic break down how to recognize the point where our performances slip and we start to regress so that we can push throug…

For people who have been a fan of the show for many years, you remember the original hood tales. This episode is simply that--Blueprint telling a story about a wild winter storm. Enjoy... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBlueprint による

No matter how long you've been doing something or how skilled you are, there comes a time when you lose your rhythm and fall out of it. In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic speak about why people lose their creative rhythm and how to get it back! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…