Blueprint Celebrates 5 Years with Clamor
On Friday March 18, Weightless Recordings founder and Rhymesayers artist Blueprint joined us in another celebration of Clamor’s 5-year anniversary here in Toledo, Ohio. Performing with Illogic, Greenhouse Effect, and NW Ohio locals Tragic and APB, Blueprint’s inaugural Toledo show definitely left folks looking for the next time he comes back to grace a Glass City stage. And because we’re feelin’ all generous ‘n shit, here’s a sneak preview of the “HERE” feature from the upcoming May/June 2005 issue of Clamor with Blueprint. Don’t say we never gave you nothin’
HERE: with Ohio’s own BLUEPRINT by Blake Gillespie
Big Daddy Kane opened his classic hit, “Ain’t No Half Steppin” by declaring,“it’s ‘88, time to set it straight.” Inspired by the same declaration, Columbus “producer on the mic,” Blueprint is ready to stroll down memory lane and take it back to the glory years with the release of his solo debut, “1988.”
“I want to get back to the albums that were 40 minutes long and only 12 songs deep with two verse songs,” Blueprint said. “Too many people are doing 60 minute albums with 20 songs or more and only 12 of them are worth listening to.”
Blueprint said the album will pay homage to the classic breaks of 1988 with a more stripped down sound compared to his two previous projects; Illogic’s “Celestial Clockwork” and Blueprint’s instrumental album, “Chamber Music.”
“For the past two records I’ve been expressing my artistic side,” Blueprint said. “I had to say ‘it’s out of your system. Now, can you do a conventional album and be good at it?’”
Blueprint considers his breakthrough collaboration with fellow Columbus native, RJD2, on Soul Position’s “8 Million Stories” to have a slower and longer playing feel compared to his new record. Rhyming for five minutes or more does not follow what he considers the conventional song structure of hip hop’s golden age. With “1988” Blueprint promises a faster paced record compared to “8 Million Stories” that will capture the energy of his live shows.
Musically, Blueprint claims the album is about paying homage and respect. The song concepts will not cover uncharted territory, but will be presented in a way only the creative mind of Printmatic can achieve. Few performances can make a hip hop head’s heart ache in remembrance of the “good ole days” like Blueprint sharing the stage with Illogic for cover of A Tribe Called Quest’s “Check the Rhime.” Well, Printmatic is back with another clever cover. The legendary trio, Salt ‘n’ Pepa are interpolated into his version of “Tramp,” as he narrates of a scandalous floosie that plays him and his weightless crew.
On “Trouble On My Mind,” Print mimics the riot-inducing production of Public Enemy’s Bomb Squad. He even borrows a few Chuck D’s lines to open verses as he emphasizes the troubles of being an independent artist. Chuck remains an influence in the album themes as Print and CJ the Cynic cast light on Cincinnati police brutality continuing to plague the city after the 2001 riots with “Kill Me First.”
“Things haven’t changed since the riots; the cops remain untouchable and it makes you feel like ‘shit I’d rather die then get arrested,” Blueprint said regarding a case of a man who died while in custody of the Cincinnati Police Department.
For those who have frequented Weightless shows for the past three years, caught Blueprint on tour with Atmosphere and been to Scribble Jam; the song you patiently waited for will finally be released. If this song were a SAT question it would read like this: “Pirates are to a parrot resting on a shoulder as b-boys are to a (blank) resting on a shoulder?” The answer is “Boombox;” Print’s ode to the speaker box.
“Everywhere I go people ask when I will finally release that song and I tell them to just be patient,” Blueprint said. “Well, here it finally is.”
Tours are in the works to promote “1988,” beginning with the ongoing Weightless Invasion Tour of Ohio with Illogic. He will be touring this spring with an extended, nationwide Weightless tour and possibly a shared tour with what Blueprint humbly considers, “people larger than [him].”