Super Duty Tough Work Podcast

361: The Return of CDs

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Once considered dead and gone, CDs have been in the news again lately as they appear to be having a resurgence. In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic break down the recent reports that have surfaced showing that CDs are having a tremendous come back among music fans.

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360: Selling Merch and Going Broke

Mon, 25 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT

In this week's episode, Blueprint and Illogic break down an article about how many artists are struggling to make money from their merch and give some tips on how to maximize the money you make selling merch.

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359: The Out Cold Tour Recap

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 18:08:00 GMT

After being on tour for five weeks on the Out Cold Tour, Blueprint returns to the podcast to sit down with Illogic and talk about how the tour went and what the biggest lessons were.

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358: Are Long Albums Dead?

Mon, 15 Dec 2025 01:00:00 GMT

This week, NPR published a new story that describes a new trend of hip-hop artists like Earl Sweatshirt releasing shorter albums. In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic discuss the article and why we think that this new trend of shorter albums is happening and is here to stay.

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357: What Spotify Buying Whosampled Means for Hip-Hop Artists

Mon, 01 Dec 2025 13:00:00 GMT

Last week, news surfaced that the largest streaming platform Spotify had just purchased whosampled.com, a website famous for exposing uncleared samples. In this week's episode, Blueprint does a deep dive into what this move could mean for hip-hop artists moving forward.

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356: The Vessel Tour Recap

Mon, 03 Nov 2025 01:00:00 GMT

In this episode, Blueprint does a complete breakdown of his 50-city Vessel tour that he just wrapped up and answers the questions of Illogic as well as those submitted by listeners of the show.

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355: Unspoken Rules of the Music Industry

Mon, 07 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Many artists find the music industry to be one of the most annoying places to work due to the way people inside of it conduct business. While many of their complaints are valid, some of these problems are created because they don't know how the music industry works. In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic break down the unspoken rules that have to be understood if you want to have any success in the music industry.

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354: How Learning to DJ Can Make You a Better Artist

Mon, 23 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMT

In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic break down their history and experience with DJing and how much their time behind the turntables has helped them become better artists.

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353: Why Spotify is the Best and Worst Thing to Happen to Music

Mon, 09 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMT

The music streaming platform Spotify has become a very polarizing entity in the music industry, with music fans loving it and many artists complaining about the unfair financial deal. In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic break down why Spotify is the best and worst thing to ever happen to music.

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352: 90 Days of Discipline Challenge

Mon, 02 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMT

After realizing that they have both fallen off their fitness routines, Blueprint and Illogic decide it's time to get back in shape. In this episode, they issue their annual 90-Days of Discipline challenge and invite their listeners to participate.

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351: The Decreasing Affordability of Live Music

Mon, 12 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Most people who have attended concerts in the last couple of years have noticed that the prices have increased. In this episode, we break down a study by Berklee Music Business Journal that breaks down exactly why ticket prices have increased so much and the answers may surprise you.

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350: Is Little Brother Right About Touring?

Mon, 21 Apr 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Last week an djbooth.com posted an interview with hip-hop group Little Brother where rapper Big Pooh had a lot of negative things to say about the current state of touring. In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic break down their issues and debate whether they're legitimate or not.

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349: The Importance of Grit

Mon, 14 Apr 2025 00:00:00 GMT

One of the toughest traits to cultivate in life is grit, which according to author Angela Duckworth is the combination of passion and perseverance. As artists who have been releasing music for over twenty years, Blueprint and Illogic break down how having enough grit to stay in the game helped them with their recent endeavors.

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348: Mental Health in the Music Industry

Mon, 24 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMT

A recent study that was released that examined the suicide rates among all professions, and found that people working in the music industry had some of the highest rates. In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic break down the report and take a deep dive into the issue of mental health in the music industry.

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347: New Beginnings featuring Brother Ali

Mon, 17 Mar 2025 04:27:00 GMT

This week we sit down with long-time friend of the show and dope MC, Brother Ali. In this week's episode, Blueprint and Brother Ali have an open honest conversation about Brother Ali's decision to depart from Rhymesayers and how he went about building his team to help him release his own music and the hard lessons he's learned along the way.

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346: Trusting Your Producer

Mon, 17 Feb 2025 01:00:00 GMT

One of the most important relationships an artist has is with their producer, yet the current trend in the music industry is to always work with multiple producers on a project. In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic break down why it's so important for an artist to have a produce they can trust in their corner and how to build and maintain that trust.

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345: Art School At Age 40 with Southside Frank

Mon, 03 Feb 2025 01:00:00 GMT

Is it ever too late to pursue a career in the arts? In this week's episode, Blueprint interviews his friend, former rhyme partner, and illustrator Southside Frank what it was like being in art school at 40 years old. The two friends and collaborators break down what went into his decision, how his life has changed since graduating, and his advice for anyone else thinking about doing it.

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344: How Consistency Pays Off

Mon, 20 Jan 2025 01:00:00 GMT

When people hear hit songs like "Not Like Us" by Kendrick Lamar, they don't really think about what went on behind-the-scenes to make it happen. In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic break down an interview with the songs producer, DJ Mustard, where he reveals how being consistent with his output and humble in his approach were the keys to getting the opportunity that changed his career trajectory.

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343: How Rapper LaRussel Changed His Public Perception

Mon, 13 Jan 2025 01:00:00 GMT

Many artists complain about not getting the opportunities they think they deserve, but don't understand the role that public perception plays in this or how to change it. Simply put, the people around them don't see them as they see themselves. In this episode, we do a case study on bay area rapper LaRussel and break how he was able to change how people view him and create opportunities for himself.

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342: Our Biggest Wins of 2024

Mon, 30 Dec 2024 01:00:00 GMT

Instead of doing our normal New Years episode where we look forward, we decided to pause for a second and talk about the goals we accomplished in 2024. We also play calls from listeners about their biggest wins of 2024.

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341: Asia Tour Recap

Mon, 16 Dec 2024 01:00:00 GMT

Blueprint returns to the United States after his month long excursion to Southeast Asia to talk about his adventures and answer fan questions about it.

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340: How the Asia Tour Came Together

Mon, 18 Nov 2024 01:00:00 GMT

With Blueprint's Southeast Asia tour in full-swing, we figured it would be a good time to discuss how the tour came together and how he was able to tour in a place most artists rarely go.

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339: How Artists Miss Out On Money

Mon, 04 Nov 2024 01:00:00 GMT

Although make money from your art is one of the best feelings in the world, along the way you will realize that you have probably missed out on just as much as you have made for various reasons. In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic break down the top reasons artists miss out money and give the solutions for each.

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338: Why Good Ideas Go Wrong

Mon, 21 Oct 2024 00:00:00 GMT

As artists, coming up with great ideas is fairly common. But why is it that so few of the ideas we come up with get executed? In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic break down why so many great creative ideas never come to fruition.

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337: Too Much Data

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 00:30:00 GMT

While have a twenty year career in the music industry is a blessing, it's not without its drawbacks. One of those is the constant changing of technology and how that impacts your ability to store and archive your oldest material. In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic break down the challenges of keeping their catalog intact and give advice for artists who may want to avoid some of the problems they're dealing with.

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336: Album Reviews

Mon, 12 Aug 2024 00:00:00 GMT

In this week's episode, Blueprint and Illogic review brand new albums from Shrapknel, Common & Pete Rock, Slum Village, and Ghostface Killah.

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335: Starting Art After 40

Mon, 29 Jul 2024 00:00:00 GMT

While many artists tell themselves that being involved in art after the age of 40 doesn't make sense because believe they can never make a living from it, there are many studies suggesting that it is actually worth it whether you make money or not. In this episode, we discuss the physical, mental, and social benefits of being involved in art as you get older.

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334: Hip-Hop's Generational Divide

Mon, 01 Jul 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Earlier this month, Redman and Method Man made news by saying this would be their last time playing the Hot 97 Summer fest because they felt the generation gap was too wide. While some younger fans were offended by their comments, other older hip-hop fans understood what they meant. In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic break down what went wrong and why it's little more complicated than it seems.

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333: The Biggest Lessons from the Falling Down Tour

Mon, 17 Jun 2024 00:00:00 GMT

After finishing his first tour in six years, The Falling Down tour, Blueprint returns to the podcast to reflect on how touring has changed and to share some of his biggest lessons from getting back on the road. Hit the link to watch/listen to episode 333, The Biggest Lessons from the Falling Down Tour:

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332: The Real Cost of Creating Content

Mon, 10 Jun 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Last week, Spotify's CEO landed himself in hot water for saying that the cost of creating content is "close to zero." In response, many artists and creatives, called him out on it. In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic break down some of the real costs of creating content that nobody speaks about and why it's nowhere near close to zero.

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331: Projects We Were Too Scared to Release

Mon, 08 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT

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 to fear but wish they would have.

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330: Making Your Own Samples with Rob Viktum

Mon, 18 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMT

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 producers. In this episode, we speak to him about his start in music and his journey into being sampled by other artists.

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329: The Return of Flyers

Mon, 26 Feb 2024 01:00:00 GMT

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.

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328: Knowing When to Call it Quits

Mon, 12 Feb 2024 01:00:00 GMT

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.

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327: Album Reviews

Mon, 29 Jan 2024 02:29:57 GMT

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.

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326: Little Brother Documentary Review

Mon, 15 Jan 2024 01:00:00 GMT

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 break down six big lessons that every artist should take away from it.

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325: Are You Creating Enough?

Mon, 08 Jan 2024 01:00:00 GMT

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.

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324: New Year New Beginnings

Mon, 01 Jan 2024 01:00:00 GMT

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.

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323: Was KRS-One Right to Boycott the Grammys?

Mon, 18 Dec 2023 14:57:15 GMT

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 debate whether or not KRS-ONE made the right decision to boycott the event.

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322: Why Artists Struggle to Increase Their Prices

Mon, 04 Dec 2023 01:00:00 GMT

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 into why so many artists struggle with raising their prices.

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321: How to Fix a Broken Song

Mon, 13 Nov 2023 01:00:00 GMT

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.

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320: Why Rap Sales Are Down 40%

Mon, 16 Oct 2023 00:00:00 GMT

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.

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319: A Message to Artists

Mon, 02 Oct 2023 00:00:00 GMT

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.

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318: Why People Still Buy Music When They Don't Have To

Mon, 04 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMT

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 down why fans still buy music even though they don't have to anymore.

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317: Too Much Social Media

Mon, 14 Aug 2023 00:00:00 GMT

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 nowadays? We dive deep into that exact question in this week's episode.

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316: Ten Things Artists Get Wrong About Money

Mon, 17 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMT

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 episode, Blueprint and Illogic break down ten things artists consistently get wrong about money and the impact it has on their career.

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315: Blueprint Buys a Semi-Truck

Mon, 03 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMT

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 and become an owner-operator. And how that decision will ultimately give him more freedom to put more into his art again.

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314: Why Most Albums Lose Money

Mon, 19 Jun 2023 00:00:00 GMT

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.

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313: What Artists Can Learn From The NBA Playoffs

Mon, 05 Jun 2023 00:00:00 GMT

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.

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312: Fitness Challenge Results Show

Mon, 22 May 2023 00:00:00 GMT

The long-awaited results show for Blueprint and Illogic's latest fitness challenge. Did they reach their goals? Tune in and find out.

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311: The Industry Strikes Back Against AI

Mon, 08 May 2023 00:00:00 GMT

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 Illogic break down three stories about different segments of the entertainment industry whose fight against AI appears to be a clear sign of trouble ahead.

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310: The Money Health Paradox

Mon, 17 Apr 2023 00:00:00 GMT

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.

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309: Unpopular Producer Opinions

Mon, 03 Apr 2023 00:00:00 GMT

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.

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308: Remaining A Fan As You Get Older

Mon, 20 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMT

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.

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307: The End of Sampling

Mon, 13 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMT

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 becomes much more difficult. In this episode, we break down the article and give suggestions on how to approach sampling moving forward.

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306: The Genius of De La Soul

Mon, 06 Mar 2023 01:00:00 GMT

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 Illogic breakdown the traits that made De La Soul a generational talent.

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305: The Best Jobs For Artists

Mon, 27 Feb 2023 01:00:00 GMT

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 ten jobs they think are ideal for people who are trying to pursue their artistic dreams.

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304: Health is Wealth 90-Day Challenge

Mon, 13 Feb 2023 01:00:00 GMT

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 listeners to participate as well.

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303: Why Albums Don't Get Finished

Mon, 06 Feb 2023 01:00:00 GMT

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.

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302: The Real Truth About Ambition

Sun, 22 Jan 2023 20:00:00 GMT

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.

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301: Writing and Publishing Your First Book with Ron "Buster" Cunningham

Mon, 09 Jan 2023 01:00:00 GMT

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.

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300: Live Call-In Show

Mon, 19 Dec 2022 11:00:00 GMT

Our first live call in show in celebration of our 300th episode. Live Q&A, Hood Tales, and more...

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299: Inspiration Versus Discipline

Mon, 05 Dec 2022 01:00:00 GMT

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 disciplined is the better approach.

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298: Reinventing Yourself with Cryptic One

Mon, 28 Nov 2022 01:00:00 GMT

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 his label and caused him to disappear for six years. Cryptic One has returned, but with a different focus on production, reinventing himself in a completely different lane. In this episode, Blueprint sits down with old friend Cryptic One to talk about his reinvention and newfound happiness in music.

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297: Why You Need a Website

Mon, 21 Nov 2022 01:00:00 GMT

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 about the chaos at twitter and why having your own website is more important than ever.

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296: The High Price of Getting Off Topic

Mon, 31 Oct 2022 00:00:00 GMT

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 followed a principle we speak about frequently, which is to stay on topic.

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295: The Truth About Networking

Mon, 17 Oct 2022 00:00:00 GMT

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.

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294: Why Rappers Don't Talk About Their Day Jobs

Mon, 10 Oct 2022 00:00:00 GMT

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 rappers almost refuse to speak about their day jobs.

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293: The 90 Days Of Discipline Results Show

Mon, 03 Oct 2022 00:00:00 GMT

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.

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292: Why You Need a Crew

Mon, 19 Sep 2022 01:00:00 GMT

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.

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291: The Difference Between Fans and Followers

Mon, 05 Sep 2022 00:00:00 GMT

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 between fans and followers so you can move properly out here!

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290: The Problem with Computers and Music

Mon, 29 Aug 2022 00:00:00 GMT

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.

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289: Bonus Tips for Music Producers

Mon, 08 Aug 2022 00:00:00 GMT

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.

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288: Composition Tips For Producers

Mon, 01 Aug 2022 00:00:00 GMT

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 have to the same time they did.

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287: How Flexible Are Your Dreams?

Mon, 11 Jul 2022 00:00:00 GMT

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 may have already achieved many of them without know it.

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286: The 90-Days of Discipline Challenge

Mon, 20 Jun 2022 00:00:00 GMT

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.

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285: The Force Is With You

Tue, 14 Jun 2022 02:30:00 GMT

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 things around.

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284: Hitting The Rookie Wall

Mon, 02 May 2022 00:00:00 GMT

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 through it.

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283: Winter Storm Hood Tales

Mon, 18 Apr 2022 00:00:00 GMT

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...

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282: Losing Your Creative Rhythm

Mon, 04 Apr 2022 00:00:00 GMT

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!

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281: Why Making it in Music Is So Difficult

Mon, 21 Mar 2022 00:00:00 GMT

Anyone who has spent any time in or around the music industry knows how difficult it is for artists to break through. For every one artists that finds success, thousands fail. In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic break down eight dynamics that are specific to the music industry that make it difficult for artists to break through.

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280: Bandcamp Friday Burnout

Mon, 07 Mar 2022 01:00:00 GMT

During the pandemic, Bandcamp Fridays became a great way for artists to promote their work and for fans to support artists. But while it helped provide a much needed boost to artists, it wasn't without it's challenges and pitfalls. In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic talk about the unspoken downside of Bandcamp Fridays that has many artists concerned and burned out.

Link to article: https://ra.co/news/76829

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279: Greener Grass Syndrome

Mon, 21 Feb 2022 01:00:00 GMT

No matter what your profession or passion is, there comes a point where you look at your peers and think that the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. These comparison's lead to undervaluing what we're doing and blindly following their lead. In this week's episode, Blueprint and Illogic discuss greener grass syndrome and the questions you should be asking yourself whenever you start to feel that way.

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278: The Truth About Natural Talent

Mon, 07 Feb 2022 01:00:00 GMT

While the majority of the world views natural talent as a guarantee for success, being in the music industry has shown us otherwise. After seeing dozens of naturally talented artists fail to reach their goals, we know that it takes much more to be successful. In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic break down the gift and curse of being naturally talented.

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277: Why Nas and Hit-Boy Succeeded

Mon, 24 Jan 2022 01:00:00 GMT

As lifetime fans (and sometimes critics) of Nas, we were both excited when he dropped his brand new album "Magic" on Christmas Eve. The project was his third consecutive with producer Hit-Boy and forced us to admit that the Nas and Hit-Boy pairing has been a huge success. In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic use interview clips from Nas and Hit-Boy to break down exactly why their collaboration has been so successful thus far.

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276: Why Rappers Hate Jobs

Mon, 17 Jan 2022 01:00:00 GMT

While most rappers would love to be able to live exclusively off their art, the vast majority will not have the financial success to make it work. Yet many have no desire to get a "regular" job. In this episode, we break down why so many rappers are reluctant to take on a job that would help stabilize their lives.

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275: The Artist Advice Hour Live Stream

Mon, 03 Jan 2022 01:00:00 GMT

New years eve edition of The Artist Advice Hour live stream where Blueprint answers questions, takes phone calls, and interviews Curly Castro and Tino.

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274: Bad Teachers

Mon, 20 Dec 2021 01:57:03 GMT

Often times, we place blame on the student when they fail to learn the material presented to them. But what if the problem is the teacher? In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic break down the different types of bad teachers and what made their style of teaching fail to connect.

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273: The Spotify Wrap Up Dilemma

Mon, 06 Dec 2021 01:00:00 GMT

For the last few years, Spotify has published their year-end wrap up, where fans see which artists they've listened to the most and artists see how many fans are listening to them. And while this is cause for celebration for one set of artists, it has created anxiety and anger in others. In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic break down why artists are so mad about Spotify's year end wrap up lists and how to stop it from happening.

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272: Making a Career Pivot

Mon, 29 Nov 2021 01:00:00 GMT

One of the biggest casualties of the pandemic has been the music industry. Between venues closing, tours being cancelled, and vinyl manufacturing times being delayed, every artist has felt the effects. In this episode, Blueprint breaks down what he saw that made him decide to get his CDL and shares some funny stories and lessons about the process.

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271: Why Do Rappers Keep Getting Shot?

Mon, 22 Nov 2021 01:00:00 GMT

When Memphis rapper Young Dolf was killed this week, it reminded us of the huge violence problem that exists in certain segments of hip-hop. In short, too many rappers are losing their lives too soon. This week, we break down ten reasons why this is happening and our ideas on how to fix it.

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270: Should Hip-Hop Artists Unionize?

Mon, 15 Nov 2021 01:00:00 GMT

Every month or two a story circulates that reveals a bad deal that a hip-hop artist signed in hopes of getting an opportunity in the industry. As bad as these deals are, most people have no idea how to prevent these types of things from happening. In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic discuss the idea of what a hip-hop union would look like and what the benefits would be if it came to fruition.

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269: Before You Go All-In

Mon, 25 Oct 2021 00:00:00 GMT

This week, the Wall Street Journal shared an article about the struggle that the vast majority of content creators have in making money. While sobering, the article offers many great lessons to any creative. In this episode, we break down six things you must understand before you go all in to pursue your craft.

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268: Album Reviews Four

Mon, 18 Oct 2021 00:00:00 GMT

It's been almost a year since we've done an album reviews episode, so we decided to bring it back. This week we're reviewing albums from Kanye, Curly Castro, Common, Nas, and Cesar Comanche & Poe Mack.

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267: Should You Mix and Master Your Own Music?

Mon, 11 Oct 2021 00:00:00 GMT

One of the biggest things technology has done to the music industry is making software for recording, mixing, and mastering more affordable and accessible. Once upon a time, the only people mixing and mastering were trained engineers, but now everyone can dabble in it. In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic speak about the pros and cons of mixing and mastering your own music and whether it's a good idea to take on.

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266: The Artist Advice Hour Episode Two

Tue, 05 Oct 2021 08:00:00 GMT

Last week, we did our second installment of our youtube live stream show, The Artist Advice Hour, where we invite our listeners to ask Blueprint questions via email, youtube, or call in. Since we didn't record a new episode of the show this week, we decided to upload the audio from this so our listeners would have something to listen to this week. Enjoy!

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265: Pursuing Art With a Full-Time Job

Mon, 27 Sep 2021 00:00:00 GMT

One of the most sensitive topics for artists is working a full-time job. On one hand we all agree they are necessary to make money, but on the other hand they sap the time and energy you could be putting into your art. In this episode, we break down ten realities that an artist must understand to maximize their time working a full time job if they ever want to make the transition to becoming a full-time artist.

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264: Ten People You Should Never Follow On Social Media

Mon, 20 Sep 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Although we've spoken about social media many times on this podcast, we've never spoken about how who to follow and who to not follow on social media. In this episode, we break down the ten types of people you should never follow on social media and why. Let's go!

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263: The Mr Dibiase Cheat Code

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 00:00:00 GMT

The Low End Theory weekly event in Los Angeles shed light into one of the most important and influential movements that hip-hop production has ever seen. Their podcast rose to the top of iTunes and their sold out weekly event sparked a worldwide movement. Los Angeles producer Dibiase's forward-thinking sampling and unmistakable drum swing made him an integral part of the movement along with names like Flying Lotus, Gaslamp Killer, Ras G, and Samiyam. In this episode, Blueprint sits down with Dibiase to break down the traits that led to his success.

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262: How To Be a Better Music Producer

Mon, 06 Sep 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Making beats is one of the most rewarding musical endeavors, but also one of the most challenging, especially at the beginning stages. In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic break down ten tips for music producers they wished somebody told them when they first started out.

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261: The Direct-To-Fan Revolution

Mon, 30 Aug 2021 00:00:00 GMT

As more and more artists realize that putting all of their eggs in the music streaming basket isn't as lucrative as they would like it to be due to the low pay out rates, many are searching for alternative ways to survive in the music industry. One of the ways that is growing more popular every year is one that never actually went anywhere--selling direct to fans. In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic discuss the recent shifts in the industry have made it easier than ever for artists to have a direct connection with their fans and lay out the benefits of taking the direct approach.

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260: How Jadakiss Defeated Dipset

Mon, 16 Aug 2021 00:00:00 GMT

The internet was buzzing last week from the versuz battle between The Lox and Dipset crews. By the time it was all said and done, one thing was clear--the majority of fans felt that Jadakiss of the Lox had stolen the show and along with it Dipset's thunder. In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic break down the strategies Jadakiss used on stage to impress so many people and help his crew come out victorious.

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259: The Creative Genius of Biz Markie

Mon, 09 Aug 2021 00:00:00 GMT

With the passing of hip-hop Biz Markie, hip-hop fans mourned the loss of a legendary artist and contributor to the artform. And while many of the tributes about him have focused on his iconic song catalog, we decided to pay tribute to Biz by breaking down his creative genius and explain what made his work so special.

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258: How Work Can Ruin Relationships

Mon, 26 Jul 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Although we all must work to build a better live for ourselves, there comes a point where our work lives can become harmful to our relationships. In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic break down all the ways we subconsciously ruin healthy relationships with our work-related decisions.

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257: Being Too Consumed With Your Art

Mon, 19 Jul 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Although we speak a lot about the importance of working hard and being disciplined, we rarely speak about one of the consequences, which is becoming consumed with your art. In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic speak about the fine line between working hard and being too consumed with your art, and how to avoid it.

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256: Health is Wealth Challenge Results Show

Mon, 05 Jul 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Two months ago, in an effort to shed some pandemic pounds, Blueprint and Illogic embarked on a health challenge. They hoped to take on some new healthy behaviors and get back in shape. This challenge was also extended to the listeners of the show. In this show, Blueprint and Illogic break down how they did in their health challenge and play calls from listeners who share their results as well.

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255: Ten Crazy Writing Hacks

Mon, 28 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Every writer has things that they do to that help them write better and faster. Some of those habits are normal, but others would be classified as weird or crazy. In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic break down their ten craziest writing hacks and explain how each one has helped them become a better writer.

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254: Inspirational Quotes About Writing

Mon, 21 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Having the desire to write is one thing, but having the inspiration to write is completely different. So in this episode, Blueprint and Illogic break down 25 amazing quotes about writing from some of the most famous writers of all time. If you're looking for inspiration to create, look no further than this episode.

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253: How to Increase Your Writing Output

Mon, 14 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMT

There are many amazing writers who go unknown because their output doesn't match their skill level. The words come easy to them but the productivity doesn't. So in this week's episode, Blueprint and Illogic speak about how to become a more productive writer and give 11 tips on increasing your writing output. Because being a skilled writer means nothing if you aren't sitting down to write often enough to get things done.

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252: How to Become a Better Writer

Mon, 07 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMT

As artists, we are firm believers in the power of writing. Across all mediums, the ability to express ourselves is key to executing our ideas effectively. Yet, very few academic curriculums express what it really takes to get better at writing. In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic break down nine things that your english teacher never told you that you needed to do to become a better writer.

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251: Fear of the Unknown

Mon, 24 May 2021 00:00:00 GMT

One of the most important attributes of successful people is their ability to adapt and consistently learn new things. Unfortunately, most adults fall into the trap of believing that learning ends when their time in school ends. In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic break down seven reasons why people are so scared of learning new things and why you can't let these things hold you back.

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250: When Artists Fail to Plan

Mon, 17 May 2021 00:00:00 GMT

There's an old saying that goes "he who fails to plan, plans to fail" that refers to how important planning is in achieving our goals. And even though we all know this saying is a fact, we often fail to plan, which opens the door for our failure. In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic break down how their lack of planning in certain areas has caused delays in their art and discuss the subtle signs that indicate you haven't been organized or planned out enough. It's time to get those plans together, folks!

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249: Mental Health and Creativity with Dr Alex MacNeil

Mon, 03 May 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Although we've had several requests over the years to do an episode about mental health topics, we've always been hesitant to cover it since it's such an expansive topic. That changes this week as we invite Dr Alex MacNeil onto the show. Aside from being a hip-hop head and a fan of the podcast, Alex is a practicing clinical psychologist from Boston, MA. In this episode, Alex and Blueprint break down several topics related to mental health and creativity. From performance anxiety, to success anxiety, and everything in between, this is not the episode to miss as the doctor gives out specific steps for addressing the pains that artists and creatives find themselves in. Let's go!

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248: The Health Is Wealth Challenge

Mon, 26 Apr 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Although we spend a lot of time speaking about how to be the best artist you can be, we have never touched on one of the consequences of putting your passion first, which is your health. In many instances, the most driven artists are the most susceptible to health problems due to the sedentary lifestyle and high demands of the field. We think it's time to start promoting good health as much as artistic excellence. So in this episode, Blueprint and Illogic dive deep into their struggles to keep the weight off during the pandemic and invite their listeners to join them in a new healthy challenge.

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247: Why Artists Procrastinate

Mon, 19 Apr 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Although we spoke about procrastination in our Self-Sabotaging Behaviors episode a few weeks ago, we didn't have the time to dive as deeply into this topic that plagues almost everybody. So in this episode of the most infamous podcast on planet earth, Blueprint and Illogic have a conversation about the truth behind why artists procrastinate so much. Because there are a lot of valid reasons that it happens that most of us are unwilling to admit. But until we can admit some of the reasons behind our procrastination, fixing it will be very difficult.

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246: Avoiding Perfectionism

Mon, 12 Apr 2021 00:00:00 GMT

In last week's episode, while speaking about self-sabotaging behaviors, we touched on something that is ever present in the mind's of artists--perfectionism. The belief that our art can and must be "perfect" before we share it with anybody is one of the most prevalent beliefs in the creative field. It starts with good intentions--wanting to be the best version of yourself--but it often ends with a bunch of great art being shelved and never shared (or picked apart until we no longer like it). In this episode of the most infamous podcast on planet earth, Blueprint and Illogic break down ten ways to avoid perfectionism so you can take full advantage of the opportunities that are given to you.

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245: Self-Sabotaging Artist Behaviors

Mon, 05 Apr 2021 00:00:00 GMT

While there are many artists who never reach their fullest potential due to outside forces, there are also a lot of artists who fail due to their own mismanagement of their career. Just when things start to look good for them, they make bad decision after bad decision to set themselves back. The culprit behind their failures is something that is rarely spoken about--self-sabotage. In this episode, we break down ten self-sabotaging behaviors that artists routinely fall victim to. It gets deep!

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244: The High Price of Fame

Mon, 29 Mar 2021 00:00:00 GMT

While every artist wants to be successful and famous, most have never given any thought to how it would change their lives. They think being a public figure is all sunshine until they are faced with the additional responsibility and expectations that they never imagined when they went down that path. That pressure can be a lot for some to take. In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic break down things that people are never told about fame because if they knew ahead of time, they might go about things a little differently.

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243: How I Became The Mayor

Mon, 22 Mar 2021 00:00:00 GMT

One of the biggest benefits of being a touring artist is the number of interesting people artists meet from all over the world. That's certainly the case for this week's guest, Emily Keller, the mayor of Hagerstown, MD. Long before becoming the mayor, Emily was a singer and big supporter of Rhymesayers, forming friendships with them at the shows she attended. Little did we know that she would eventually try her hand in politics! In this episode, Blueprint and the newly-elected Mayor sit down for a chat about what got her into politics and how she ended up becoming the mayor of her hometown! There's plenty of inspiration to go around in this episode, folks! Let's go!!

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242: The Ten Biggest Music Industry Myths

Mon, 15 Mar 2021 00:00:00 GMT

As two artists who have been a part of the music industry for the better part of twenty years, we've seen a lot. Along the way, we've seen a lot of artists get disappointed because they made assumptions about the industry that simply weren't true. We've even believed many of these myths at different points in time. In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic break down ten big myths in the music industry in an attempt to help artists avoid some of the same pitfalls they have in their careers. Buckle up!

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241: Artist Apps and The Future of Social Media with IMMAKEMADBEATS

Mon, 08 Mar 2021 01:00:00 GMT

This week we are joined by hip-hop producer and label owner IMAKEMADBEATS of the Unapologetic crew. While his production credits are vast--he actually produced the song "Perspective" for Blueprint--it is his business acumen that has propelled his label and artists to the forefront of the Memphis music scene. One of their many forward thinking ideas is their own app that has thousands of fans tuned into what they're doing in a way that social media platforms can't duplicate. In this episode, we discuss the formulation of his crew, the creation of his app, and where he thinks things are going.

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240: Ten Things Artists Can Learn from Drug Dealers

Mon, 01 Mar 2021 01:00:00 GMT

Whether we like it or not, classic movies like Good Fellas and Scarface have had a heavy impact on hip-hop culture. So much so that dozens of artists have borrowed their names, look, and slang from the drug dealing street characters in these movies. Unfortunately, most artists have ignored some of the most important aspects of these characters. In this episode, we break down ten things that artists can learn from drug dealers that will make them more successful.

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239: From Toy Collector to Toy Designer with Rocom

Mon, 22 Feb 2021 01:00:00 GMT

This week on the podcast we are joined by hip-hop artist and toy designer, Rocom. He and Blueprint sit down to talk about his journey from doing graphic design to designing his own toy line Rocom Toys that has seen massive support. He also breaks down the keys to launching several successful kickstarter campaigns where he far exceeded his goals. His story truly illustrates that anything is possible when you set your mind to it. Lots of jewels in this one folks!

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238: Ten Cheap Things That Every Artist Needs

Mon, 15 Feb 2021 01:00:00 GMT

As artists we often tell ourselves that the solution to our problems is money. And while money would definitely help us reach many of our goals faster, viewing things that way causes us to overlook the simple and cheap things that are right under our noses and can help us perform our jobs better. In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic break down 10 cheap things that every artist needs to have.

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237: Making the Press Work for You with Big Sto

Mon, 08 Feb 2021 01:00:00 GMT

One of the more common questions we get from our listeners is about dealing with the press. Whether it's how to get the press to cover their release, or how to prepare their releases for coverage, there isn't a lot of clear cut information. In this episode, we invite hip-hop journalist, publicist, and label manager Big Sto onto the podcast to help clarify what artists should be doing to get the press to cover them.

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236: Never Get Too Comfortable

Mon, 01 Feb 2021 02:00:00 GMT

While we may speak often on this show about achieving goals and pushing forward, we rarely speak about what happens after you achieve those goals. Most people relax and get comfortable. In fact, the more success you have, the more opportunities you will have to get comfortable, which works against your future success. In this episode, we break down the unspoken downside of success and how you can make sure you don't get too comfortable after you've reached your goals.

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235: The Genius Marketing of MF DOOM

Mon, 11 Jan 2021 01:00:00 GMT

The hip-hop community was dealt a big blow with the passing of iconic rapper MF DOOM last week. And while MF DOOM was one of the dopest rappers and lyricists of his era, there was a lot more that went into his success than his talent. In fact, his marketing was one of the biggest factors in his success. In this episode of the most infamous podcast on planet earth, Blueprint and Illogic break down the genius marketing behind the amazing career of MF DOOM.

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234: The 90 Days of Discipline Results Show

Mon, 04 Jan 2021 01:00:00 GMT

If you've been paying attention to the show, then you know we started another 90 Days of Discipline Challenge to ourselves in October. We also invited our listeners to join in on this challenge, where we choose a goal and focus on it for 90 days to see how far along we can get. In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic play the calls from our listeners who participated as well as go over our results. Happy New Year to all of our listeners!

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233: Dealing With Artistic Burn Out

Mon, 14 Dec 2020 01:00:00 GMT

While we often speak about the need to be as ambitious as possible when it comes to achieving your goals, we've rarely spoken about what happens after you do. One unfortunate thing that can happen is feeling burnt out and that is where we find ourselves this week as we push into the final few weeks of our 90-Days of Discipline Challenge. In this episode, we break down how easy it is to feel artistically burned out after you achieve a goal and what to do when you feel that way.

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232: Bad Situations That Are Good For Your Art

Mon, 07 Dec 2020 01:00:00 GMT

If there's one thing that this year has shown us, it's that the future is uncertain and unpredictable. Along with that unpredictable nature comes a lot of ups and downs. Good situations and bad situations. But how we view to those bad situations plays a big part in how we handle them. In this episode of the most infamous podcast on planet earth, Blueprint and Illogic breakdown how certain bad situations can actually be good for your art. Let's go!

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231: Dating Ambitious People

Mon, 23 Nov 2020 01:00:00 GMT

One of our most popular episodes in the last two years was one titled "Dating Uncreative People." In that episode, we laid out all the challenges that creative people face when dating people who aren't involved in the creative arts. This time around we're speaking about what it's like to date ambitious people, why it's so different from dating regular people, and how to make it work! If you're a super-ambitious person you might want to play this one for your significant other! Let's go!

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230: Vangarde Album Liner Notes with Mr Lif

Mon, 16 Nov 2020 01:00:00 GMT

Although we've had legendary underground MC Mr. Lif appear on the show before during our real estate episode, we haven't had a chance to chop it up with him about music. That changes this week, when Blueprint and Mr Lif sit down to speak about his brand new collaborative album Vangarde with producer Stu Bangas. It's been a long time since we've done an interview so get ready because when two artists chop it up about the creative process it's guaranteed to get deep! Let's go!!

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229: How to Keep the Buzz Going

Mon, 09 Nov 2020 01:00:00 GMT

For most artists, one of the things we look the most forward to is releasing our creations to the public. As a result, release day is right up there with birthdays and holidays for us. Unfortunately, the excitement of that day doesn't last forever. Eventually, the buzz that we had around our project starts to fade. And when it does the inevitable question becomes how do we keep the buzz going? In this episode of the most infamous podcast on planet earth, Blueprint and Illogic dive deep into why the buzz dies down and how to keep it. Let's go!

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228: The Truth About Price

Mon, 02 Nov 2020 01:00:00 GMT

One of the most difficult things artists struggle with is setting their price. Half the time we feel like we are charging too much and half the time we feel like we're not charging enough. In this episode of the most infamous podcast on planet earth, we break down six guidelines that should help you the next time you're trying to figure out what to charge for your product or service.

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227: Full Production or Quick and Dirty?

Mon, 26 Oct 2020 00:00:00 GMT

While attention to detail is a positive trait for an artist to have, it isn't without it's drawbacks. One of the biggest being the constant need to chase perfection in everything we create. Many of us put incredible amounts of time and resources into creating full productions that we hope have a big impact. But other artists aren't so hung up on perfection, instead choosing to make content quickly that is timely but might not be the highest quality. In this episode we dive deep into both approaches to figure out what's the best way to stay productive and move forward with some balance in everything we do.

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226: The 90 Days of Discipline Challenge

Mon, 19 Oct 2020 00:00:00 GMT

One year ago, we challenged ourselves to lock in on our art and commit more heavily for 30 days. At the end of that challenge, which we invited our listeners to participate in, we reported back with our results and played voice messages from other people who participated in the challenge. It's been a year since then and we are now releasing the projects that we finished during that first challenge. So we decided to do it again. In this episode, we breakdown what our new 90-days of discipline goals are, what the obstacles are, and invite you to join us!

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225: Album Reviews Three

Mon, 05 Oct 2020 00:00:00 GMT

It's been a while since we've done album reviews, so we figured it was time to bring them back. In this episode we get back to it and talk about the new albums from Oddissee, Elzhi, Buckwild, and Conway the Machine. Let's go!!!

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224: How Much Does it Cost To Release An Album?

Mon, 28 Sep 2020 00:00:00 GMT

As two independent hip-hop artists, the topic of investing in yourself frequently comes up on this podcast. And while we have spoken about how important it is, we have never gotten into the specific numbers. In this week's episode, we dive deep into the actual costs associated with producing and releasing an album independently, using Illogic's upcoming album Auto-Pilot as a case-study. If you've ever wondered what was behind the curtain, then this episode's for you.

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223: Fame Versus Ownership and Kanye Versus Nipsey

Mon, 21 Sep 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Because we do speak about ownership quite often on this podcast, it is always refreshing to see the conversation happen on bigger platforms. This week that happened courtesy of some viral tweets by Kanye West, who took to twitter to voice his dissatisfaction with his recording contract. He posted his contract for all to see, pointing out that even though he is now a billionaire, there is no way for him to ever get ownership of his music due to the nature of his contract. As with most things, Kanye was a little over the top in his presentation, but the truth couldn't be ignored: record labels have deals in place that are highly in their favor and should be talked about. In this episode, we have a discussion about fame versus ownership, why Kanye is in the position he is in, and why an artists like the late Nipsey Hussle went the opposite route.

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222: Did Nas Finally Get It Right?

Mon, 14 Sep 2020 00:00:00 GMT

While we've done our fair share of criticizing Nas for his hit-or-miss albums, it always comes from a place of love because we know what he's capable of making some great music. With the release of his latest album King's Disease, Nas has once again got our attention, but this time for the right reasons. In one album, it appears that Nas has addressed all of our past criticisms and finally gotten it right. In this episode, we talk about the album and whether Nas finally got it right. Let's go!

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221: Pharoahe Monch Versus O.C. Catalog Battle

Mon, 07 Sep 2020 00:00:00 GMT

While it's very common for hip-hop fans to debate about who the best rapper or producer are, it's very rare for them to restrict those debates to only the artists catalogs. In this episode, we decided to debate which artist has the better catalog--Pharaohe Monch or O.C.? But instead of making it a barbershop debate where there is no score and no winner, we break down the competition into four categories, assign points to each, and determine a winner at the end. As fans of both artists, this was one of the more fun episodes we've done in a while. Let's go!!

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200: The Book Announcement Episode

Mon, 31 Aug 2020 00:00:00 GMT

If you've been listening to this podcast for the past year or so, then you know Blueprint has been finishing up his next book. Well, the new book is finally done and preordering on weightless.net. In this episode, Illogic interviews Blueprint about the book and gives our listeners a sneak peak into what to expect from Blueprint's latest offering.

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219: The Traps of Young Adulthood

Mon, 17 Aug 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Although we are both grown men who seem to have our stuff together, it wasn't always that way. We had a lot of rough patches along the way, most of which occurred during young adulthood, due to some unsound decisions we made. Looking back now, we have realized that there are tons of traps for young adults that are disguised as rewards. In this episode, we break down seven traps that young adults face that have the power of setting their lives and art back if they aren't navigated properly. Let's go!

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218: How To Make Friends

Mon, 10 Aug 2020 00:00:00 GMT

While last week's episode about friendship killers got a great response from our listeners, it also made us realize that we may have overlooked a very important topic, which is how to make friends. It may seem simple to those who have always had plenty of friends, but one of the consequences of living in this new social media age is that it has made making friends difficult for many. So in this episode, we wanted to break down the basics of making friends for all of those who have struggled with it.

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217: Friendship Killers

Mon, 03 Aug 2020 00:00:00 GMT

As they say, good friends are hard to come by. Unfortunately, many of us have had no problems making friends, but keeping them is a completely different story. Sometimes we lose friends due to their actions and other times we lose friends due to our own mistakes. In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic break down the biggest things that kill friendships so you can know where you're going wrong and protect yourself from so-called friends who don't have your best interest in mind. Let's go!

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216: How to Fix Artistic Anxiety

Mon, 27 Jul 2020 00:00:09 GMT

Whether it's starting a new project or releasing something you just finished, there is a lot of uncertainty when it comes to art. This uncertainty about whether its good, whether people will like it, and whether it will be successful can cause a lot of anxiety for artists. In this episode, we break down how to deal with artistic anxiety, so your work will be more fun and productive.

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215: Annoying Things Music Producers Do

Mon, 20 Jul 2020 00:00:00 GMT

As rappers and producers, we have had the fortunate opportunity to collaborate with other artists, sometimes producing for other rappers and sometimes rapping on other producers tracks. During our experiences in working with other producers, we've noticed many things that they do that are counter-productive to their end goal, which is to get people to listen to their music. In many ways, they are shooting themselves in the foot before people even get a chance to listen to their beats. In this episode, we break down some of the annoying things that producers do that bug the hell out of us and we wish they would stop.

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214: Dame Dash Was Right

Mon, 13 Jul 2020 00:00:14 GMT

We recently realized that it's been five years since Dame Dash's iconic interview on The Breakfast Club. In this interview he introduced the hip-hop world to several concepts and philosophies that are routinely ignored by large media platforms like entrepreneurship, ownership mentality, sticking together, and hustling for your last name so your children can have it better than you did. Although he was met with a lot of initial resistance for his approach and blunt honesty, time has revealed the truth in his words. In this episode we discuss how Dame Dash was right all along.

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213: Lessons From Wack Records

Mon, 06 Jul 2020 00:00:01 GMT

Listeners of this podcast know that we are both into making beats and digging for records. But what most don't know is how many wack records you have to buy before you really learn how to find good records consistently. As a result, we've got more wack records in our collection than we would ever care to admit. However, there is a silver lining in this, as buying wack records has taught us several crucial lessons along the way. In this episode, we break down the lessons we've learned from buying wack records over the years.

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212: Things Rappers Can Learn From Producers

Mon, 29 Jun 2020 00:00:12 GMT

In our last episode, we spoke about things that producers could learn from rappers that would help them in their careers. This week we're doing the follow-up to that topic and speaking about the things that rappers could learn from producers. Although they're completely different, there's a lot that could be learned. Let's go!

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211: Things Producers Can Learn From Rappers

Mon, 15 Jun 2020 00:00:10 GMT

As two guys who have been able to participate in hip-hop culture as both rappers and producers, we've been able to see the creative process from two opposite angles. As vocalists, we've been in the spotlight dealing with people. As producers, we've had to play the background and spend countless hours alone. In this episode, we decided to have a conversation about the things that producers can learn from rappers. We'll probably do a follow-up to this about what rappers can learn from producers next week.

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210: Skills That Hip-Hop Taught Us

Mon, 08 Jun 2020 00:00:28 GMT

When people think about hip-hop music's contribution to society, one of the first things they speak about is how it brings people together, enabling them to learn more about each other. And while we have definitely gotten that from hip-hop, we've also gotten a lot more from it. In fact, we've been able to pick up many skills that we otherwise would have never learned that have helped us in every other area of our lives. In this episode, we break down ten skills that our time in hip-hop has taught us!

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209: Our Definitive Book List For Artists

Mon, 01 Jun 2020 00:00:27 GMT

Although we've spoken about various books over the years that have helped us as artists, we've never done an episode compiling all of our favorites over the years. In this episode, we do exactly that. We break down ten books that have helped us over the years artistically and why we recommend you read them. Interestingly enough, none of these books are actually about making art, but that's what make them so valuable.

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208: Soft Skills Artists Should Learn

Mon, 25 May 2020 00:00:23 GMT

When it comes to our chosen craft, we all know the importance of improving our skill level. However, when it comes to the soft skills that enable us to navigate the world outside of our creative spaces, many of us fall short. Artists in general have to be particularly careful about not developing their soft skills because they have to spend so much time alone practicing their craft. In this episode, we break down ten soft skills (plus two bonuses) that every artist should focus on learning. They are simple, but will take you far in this thing. Let's go!

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207: Adopting a Winner's Mentality

Mon, 18 May 2020 00:00:23 GMT

Over the last month, the internet has been abuzz with conversation about the "Last Dance" documentary, which chronicles Michael Jordan's final championship run with the Chicago Bulls. One of the biggest conversations has been about Jordans relentless will to win and his drive to push everybody around him to their fullest potential. Some have praised it, others have criticized it, but over here we consider it the result of having a winners mentality. In this episode we discuss the traits of someone with a winners mentality and how you can apply it to best the best at your art. Let's go!!

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206: Things Rappers Brag About That They Shouldn't

Mon, 11 May 2020 00:00:14 GMT

Any fan of hip-hop understands that bragging and boasting has been a part of the art form since the beginning. From Special Ed bragging about owning Islands on "I Got It Made" to Puff Daddy bragging about having cars he hasn't even driven yet, bragging and boasting is accepted as normal. However, over the years we've noticed that there are also rappers who have started bragging about things that they probably shouldn't be bragging about. In this episode of the most infamous podcast on planet earth, Blueprint and Illogic break down a list of things rappers need to stop bragging about!

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205: The Post-Pandemic Skill Set for Artists

Mon, 04 May 2020 00:00:19 GMT

Since the onset of this pandemic, one of the reoccurring conversations that we've been having with other members of the creative community is about how different the landscape will be once this ends. It will be very different, if and when, things return to normal, and this will require us to focus our attention on developing a different skillset that will allow us to be successful. In this episode we breakdown what those skills are and why they will be important to be successful moving forward.

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204: Is Live-Streaming the Future?

Mon, 27 Apr 2020 00:00:18 GMT

Due to the fallout of the corona virus, we are living in a very special time. A time where people are spending more time at home than ever and where online content is being consumed more than ever. On the heels of the DJ Premier vs the Rza battle, live-streaming has captured artist and fans attention and now more artists are going live to broadcast for their fans. It begs the question: is live streaming the future? In this episode, we break down our observations on the emergence of live-streaming and what the future might bring for it. Let's go!

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203: Ten Things We Wish We Knew As New Artists

Mon, 20 Apr 2020 00:00:03 GMT

While we have both had successful careers as independent artists, there have certainly been a lot of ups and downs along the way. There were also many situations and realities that we probably could have avoided or handled much better if we had an OG to pull our coattails and put us up on game earlier. In this episode, we pull all you newer artists to the side and break down ten lessons, as your Big Homie or Uncle truly should. Let's go!

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202: The Count Bass D Cheat Code Part Two

Mon, 06 Apr 2020 00:00:13 GMT

This week on Super Duty Tough Work, we bring the second part of Blueprint's conversation with the "rapper with the most chords", none other than Count Bass D! Since the first part of our interview got so much love and we reviewed his new album "CBD" on last week's episode, it felt like the perfect time to drop the second half of this conversation. In this part of the conversation we break down mobility and how living different places has impacted his music, the business versus the art, spirituality, and balance! Let's go!

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201: Album Reviews Part Two

Mon, 30 Mar 2020 00:00:02 GMT

After doing our first album reviews episode a few months back, we were told by our listeners that they would like to see us doing them more frequently. Well, the most infamous podcast on planet earth is back again with more album reviews. In this episode we review the new albums from Royce the 5'9, Jay Electronica, Count Bass D, Boldy James, and Midaz the Beast. Enjoy!

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200: Finding The Silver Lining

Sun, 22 Mar 2020 23:00:20 GMT

Considering the events taking place around the world in relation to the corona virus and all the fear and uncertainty that already exists, we decided to go the opposite direction. This week, we will be talking about the silver lining in all of this. We believe that there are actually a good number of positives to come out of this that many people aren't talking about. Information is good, but the people also need inspiration, so that's what this episode is about. Let's go!

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199: The Count Bass D Cheat Code - Part One

Mon, 16 Mar 2020 02:00:05 GMT

This week on Super Duty Tough Work, we're joined by none other than "the rapper with the most chords" himself, Count Bass D. On the heels of his brand new album "CBD" that was released this week, Blueprint and Count Bass D sit down for a dope conversation about being signed during the golden era of hip-hop, how he learned production, and the musicality that's played such a huge role in his career. This is just the first part of this interview that we will be breaking up over the next several weeks. Let's go!

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198: Monetizing Your Craft

Mon, 09 Mar 2020 02:00:00 GMT

Since our recent episode about branding received so much positive feedback that we figured it's time to talk about the next logical step, which is making money. What many people fail to understand is that it's much easier to make money when your brand is built. So this episode is for those who understand the concepts we presented in Episode #196 The Truth About Branding, have consistently applied them to establish yourself and what you do, and are ready to monetize your craft/brand. Let's go!

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197: Quieting Your Mind

Mon, 02 Mar 2020 03:00:00 GMT

In this era of social media and its constant distractions, most people have a very difficult time focusing on what needs to be done. This is because all the competition for our attention has left our minds all over the place, divided amongst too many different things to ever work effectively. In this episode we talk about how to quiet your mind so that you can work better, socialize better, and even sleep better. Let's go!

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196: The Truth About Branding

Mon, 24 Feb 2020 03:00:10 GMT

If there were one concept that has become cliche in the music industry and hip-hop artists, its the word brand. Once only a concept spoken about only be marketers and salesmen, the concept of branding has now been adopted into the lexicon, leaving artists and publications always talking about their "brands." Naturally, most artists are annoyed by this, and mostly with good reason. In this episode, we break down why artists don't like branding, and give out some simple tips for understanding it more so you can maximize everything you do, because it's likely you're already doing a lot of it properly. Let's go!

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195: Using Your Art to Survive Your Job

Mon, 17 Feb 2020 03:00:10 GMT

Everyone knows what it's like to have creative passion that you care deeply about and a job that you don't particularly care about. In most instances, these jobs drain our creative energy until our desire to pursue our craft outside of work is completely gone. To avoid this we must allow our art to help push us through these down periods so we can stay motivated. This episode is about small things you can do with your art that will help you survive your job. Let's go!!

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194: Why Rappers Lie So Much

Mon, 10 Feb 2020 03:00:10 GMT

Last week there was a lot of commotion on social media when pop singer Billie Eilish featured a quote of her pointing out that she personally knows a lot of rappers constantly who lie about their lives and having things they don't really own. Many people were upset about her statement, firing back at her. In this episode we give our reaction to her statement and breakdown ten reasons why rappers lie so much in hip-hop. Let's go!

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193: Behind the Beats with Blockhead

Mon, 03 Feb 2020 03:00:00 GMT

Although New York producer Blockhead originally emerged on the hip-hop scene as one of Aesop Rock's main collaborators, he has since established his own career as an instrumentalist, releasing albums on legendary label Ninja Tune and many others. While on tour in Columbus, promoting his new album Bubble Bath, Blockhead stopped by the Super Duty studio for a dope conversation about his production process, releasing albums on different labels, and being embraced by a fanbase he wasn't even aware of. Let's go!

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192: How Managers Help and Hurt Artists

Mon, 27 Jan 2020 03:00:10 GMT

Although we've had artist managers on the show before, we've never really went into depth about the pluses and minuses of having a manager. In this episode of the most infamous podcast on planet earth, we break down how managers help and hurt artists, so that anybody thinking about procuring one can know the best case and worst case scenarios ahead of time.

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191: Dealing with Jealousy

Mon, 20 Jan 2020 03:00:00 GMT

No matter how perfect we strive to be as humans, there will be times in our lives when we feel insecure about where we are in life. It is at these moments that we are visited by the green-eyed monster, jealousy. And even if we don't feel it towards others, we are on the receiving end of it. In this episode, we break down ways to deal with jealousy, both internally and externally. This is a deep episode that you don't wanna miss.

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190: Why Nas Could Never Surpass Illmatic

Mon, 13 Jan 2020 03:00:16 GMT

One of the most fascinating and frustrating careers in hip-hop is the career of Queens rapper Nas. While his debut album Illmatic was considered one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time, his fans have been routinely disappointed by his subsequent albums, and wondered why he wouldn't just go back to the style he employed on Illmatic. In this episode, we break down why Nas has never revisited the Illmatic style that made him so successful.

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189: The Discipline Challenge Results Show

Mon, 06 Jan 2020 03:00:03 GMT

In November, with several creative projects unfinished, we decided to create the 30 Days of Discipline Challenge, in hopes of locking in and getting more done. We also invited our listeners to participate in this challenge and call in with their results a the end of the year. In this week's episode, we share our results, and play the calls of our listeners who also participated in the challenge. Happy new year!

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188: The Life of An Illustrator with Adam "Illus" Wallenta

Mon, 30 Dec 2019 07:01:23 GMT

In this episode of the most infamous podcast on planet earth, Blueprint sits down for an interview with hip-hop artist and professional illustrator Adam "Illus" Wallenta. Adam has done artwork for a who's who of hip-hop artists like Public Enemy and Craig G, published award winning Children's books, as well as illustrating all three of Blueprint's books. We break down his journey to become a professional illustrator, his time working at Marvel, and his independent publishing experiences. Lots of jewels in this one. Let's go!

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187: The Best Rappers With The Worst Beats

Mon, 16 Dec 2019 03:30:13 GMT

Being producers and MCs ourselves, we are always excited about hearing well-produced hip-hop albums. But as fans, we've had to admit that some of our favorite MCs have often released albums where the production didn't match their level of rhyming. In fact, some of the best rappers have frequently had some of the worst production. In this episode we break down our list of the Best rappers who've had some of the worst production in their careers.

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186: Keeping The Excitement

Mon, 09 Dec 2019 03:00:03 GMT

On our journey to create great art there will inevitably come points where we lose our momentum. It is at these moments when our level of anticipation takes a huge hit and we are no longer excited about our next step in the process. In this episode, we break down the three phases of the artistic journey and explain the points where you should be able to get your excitement back again. Let's go!

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185: What Nobody Tells You About Being a Leader

Mon, 18 Nov 2019 03:00:03 GMT

We live in a society where those who are leaders--whether that be in business, entertainment, or in politics---are put on a pedestal. In many instances, we think that their position as a leader is without consequences, which causes us to romanticize it. In other instances, we see those in leadership positions fail publicly and believe it isn't worth the risk. In this episode, we break down the risks and rewards of being a leader that nobody talks about, so you can decide if it's worth it.

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184: The 30 Days of Discipline Challenge

Mon, 11 Nov 2019 03:00:14 GMT

We have officially entered crunch time as artists, a time when everything has to be finished in order to get our albums out on time next year. With so much to be finished before the end of the year, we both decided to change our routines for the next 30 days and add more structure, in hopes of getting things done on time. But, to make things even more interesting, we are creating a challenge to all of our listeners over the next 30 days as well. In this episode, we break down our challenge, why it's important, and how you can participate and share your experiences on the show next month! Let's go!

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183: Lifestyle Marketing with Bukue One

Mon, 04 Nov 2019 04:43:13 GMT

Although he was first heard touring with west coast legends like Aceyalone, Abstract Rude, and the Hieroglyphics crew, Bukue One's name reached another level when he became the manager of Del the Funky Homosapien. Through his unique experience as a graffiti writer, skateboarder, and marketer, he was able to help further solidify Del's impact on the culture by forming partnerships with brands in a way that hadn't been seen before in independent hip-hop. In this episode, Blueprint is joined by Bukue One for an in depth conversation about his history in hip-hop, selling water filters, merch for Hiero, managing Del, and ultimately forming his unique business that connects brands and artists with similar interests. Let's go!

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182: The Best Headphone Albums

Sun, 27 Oct 2019 20:58:12 GMT

As hip-hop fans, we were all raised to want to listen to our music in the environment that has the most bang--clubs, cars, and loud system. But once upon a time, hip-hop went through a brief phase where artists started making albums that would sounded completely different in the headphones than they did on loud systems. Back then, these albums were referred to as "headphone albums." Although they disappeared for a while, headphone albums have been making a come back as of late. So in this episode, we break down our top ten headphone albums. If you haven't heard any of these albums we advise you to get a good pair of headphones and listen to them as we break down what makes them so special. Let's go!

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181: Building A Career Overseas with DJ Criminal

Mon, 21 Oct 2019 02:30:02 GMT

One of the biggest benefits of building an artistic career is the ability to travel the world and experience different cities and cultures. It's a dream that works out for some, but not for others. In this episode, Blueprint interviews Pittsburg native DJ Criminal about how his relocation to Southeast Asia led him to building a DJ career, touring remote countries, and ultimately becoming a published author.

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180: Finding New Mountains To Climb

Mon, 14 Oct 2019 02:00:14 GMT

There comes a point in everybody's career where you feel like you've hit a wall. Not because of the lack of achievement, but because you've actually achieved what you set out to do. We all know what it's like to celebrate after achieving our goal, but what comes after the celebration? For many, what follows are feelings of anxiety, depression, and confusion about what to do next, but we're firm believers that these feelings occur when we don't have a new mountain to climb. In this episode of the most infamous podcast on planet earth, Blueprint & Illogic talk about how to recognize when you need a new challenge, why it's so important, and how to narrow in on what you need to be doing. Let's go!

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179: The Best Promotional Strategies

Mon, 07 Oct 2019 02:04:03 GMT

In last week's episode, we covered the worst promotional strategies that artists are employing nowadays, often times hurting themselves in the process. During that episode we said that we would do a follow-up to it where we covered the best promotional strategies. Well, here it is. In this episode, we breakdown the best ways to promote yourself, so that you aren't wasting your time or annoying the people you're trying to get to pay attention. Even better is that the majority of these strategies cost you nothing. Let's go!

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178: The Worst Promotional Strategies

Mon, 30 Sep 2019 02:30:04 GMT

In the rapidly changing digital landscape, where every artist is capable of building their own platform and people are more accessible than ever, there tends to be a belief that overnight success happens all the time. We are frequently given abbreviated stories about how artist blew up simply by promoting themselves to everybody they could. This has created a situation where artists are promoting themselves more than ever, but often having less results due to how they are promoting themselves. In this episode, we break down the ten worst promotional strategies that we see nowadays, so hopefully you can avoid them and ultimately get more people to actually pay attention to what you're doing.

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177: Digging in The Crates 101

Mon, 23 Sep 2019 02:30:06 GMT

Although we are both MCs, we are also avid beat-makers. And as beat-makers we have both been in our fair share of record stores hunting for the dopest records to use in our beat-making process. In this episode, we're talking about record shopping or "diggin in the crates" as they say, giving 8 tips on how to get better at it. Even though this conversation is for beginners, it should still be relevant for the experienced crate-digger. Let's go!

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176: How Performers Get Screwed Out of Money

Mon, 16 Sep 2019 02:33:56 GMT

As guys who have toured the world over, we have made our fair share of money on stage. We have also missed out on a lot of money performing. Whether due to our own negligence or shiesty promoters, we've been screwed over many times and left plenty of money on the table. In this episode, we bread down TEN WAYS that performers miss out on money when they perform so that you don't have to make the same mistakes and can get your money right! Let's go!

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175: Old Dogs and NewTricks

Mon, 09 Sep 2019 02:30:05 GMT

While it's very easy to look around and see older people who have given up on learning new things and become satisfied, there are also many examples of older people still learning new skills and interests as they get older. It makes you wonder is the saying "you can't teach an old dog new tricks" really true? Based on our careers, we don't think so. In this episode of the most infamous podcast on planet earth. We break down why learning gets more difficult as you get older, how to pick up new skills, and why Blueprint decided to try to learn how to play the drums.

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174: Album Reviews

Mon, 02 Sep 2019 02:30:06 GMT

Although this is a hip-hop podcast, very rarely do we discuss hip-hop albums. It's not that we don't enjoy them, we just haven't had a way to discuss them properly in the past. That all changed this month when a bunch of highly anticipated albums all dropped in a two week period. In this episode, the most infamous does album reviews of new albums from Little Brother, Murs, Rapsody, Rick Ross, and Supastition. Let us know your thoughts on these albums in the comments. Let's go!

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173: Lessons From Our Fathers

Mon, 26 Aug 2019 02:30:05 GMT

While we both have amazing mothers who have played incredible roles in our development as men, we very rarely speak about our fathers on this show. In fact, we've found it very rare for fathers to get their just due at all. So in this episode, we breakdown ten critical lessons we learned from our fathers that have shaped who we are and made us the men that we are today. Let's go!

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172: The Life of A Freelancer

Mon, 19 Aug 2019 02:30:06 GMT

While we've had requests to speak on the topic of freelancing for quite a while, we didn't want to tackle it until we could sit down with someone who really does it. This week, we sit down with MC/Producer and graphic designer Ill Poetic about his life as a freelancer. As the man who has done the layout for several of our albums, merchandise, the logo for this podcast we cosign and know his work well. In this episode, we dive deep into the life of a Freelancer; how to get started, building your skills, gaining clients, and most importantly, making a living. Let's go!

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171: Why Artists Need Money

Mon, 12 Aug 2019 02:38:47 GMT

No matter how dope you are as an artist, there will always be one factor that plays more of a role in your success more than you would like--money. Many of the most talented artists have their success limited by their financial means, while many of the lesser-talented artists with big budgets seem to succeed. While this makes perfect sense to us, we are always surprised by the number of artists who believe that they don't need money and their talent alone will make them successful. In this episode, we take it back to square one and talk about why artists specifically need to have money and why artists having money is not a bad thing for them, or art in general. Let's go!

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170: The Social Media Cheat Code

Mon, 05 Aug 2019 02:30:05 GMT

For most regular people, social media is an escape and source of fun. But for most artists, social media is a source of pressure and anxiety. This is because we have to use it to promote our careers and engage with fans without being too pushy, which can be a tough balancing act. In this episode, we break down ten simple ways to get more engagement on social media; what we call the Social Media Cheat Code. This episode will sound and look a little different because it was recorded in front of a live studio audience as part of the 2019 2x2 Hip-Hop Festival's artist workshops and lecture series, held in our hometown of Columbus, OH. Let's go!

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169: An Artists Perfect Team

Mon, 29 Jul 2019 04:48:49 GMT

No matter how talented and productive an artist is, they eventually reach the point where they realize that they cannot do everything on their own. A team is needed to make it to the next level. While building a team is necessary, most artists have no idea exactly what pieces they need to build their perfect team. In this episode of the most infamous podcast on planet earth, we break down the seven members that make up an artists dream team. Let's go!

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168: This Week in Hip-Hop

Mon, 22 Jul 2019 02:30:04 GMT

It's been a long time since we've commented on any current events in hip-hop, but with so much going on this week, we figured it's about time to give our unique take on a few notable topics. This week we give our unique take on five current stories in hip-hop that include Tupac at the workplace, MF Doom vs Freddie Gibbs, producers not chopping samples anymore, a rap festival that charged white people double, and more. Let's go!

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167: What Booking Agents Are Looking For

Mon, 15 Jul 2019 03:13:52 GMT

One of the pieces that can have a profound impact on an independent artist's trajectory is having a booking agent that helps them book shows and tours. Unfortunately, booking agents are rarely seen or given a chance to speak. In this episode, Blueprint interviews his booking agent Tony Caferro about how he became a booking agent, what he looks for in the artists he books, and how artists should pitch themselves to booking agents. Let's go!

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166: How to Return From a Long Layoff

Mon, 08 Jul 2019 02:30:00 GMT

No matter how active you are in your craft, there will come a time when you need to take a break. And whether that break lasts a month, a year, or ten years--the way you return from that layoff could decide how successful you are moving forward. In this episode, we break down ten strategies that will help you return from a long layoff with a bang! Word!

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165: Why We Don't Tell People We Rap

Mon, 01 Jul 2019 02:30:00 GMT

Once upon a time, very few would call themselves MCs. Back then, anyone who took on the title was serious about their craft and was held in high respect. Boy have things changed. So much that, even as accomplished rappers, we rarely tell people we meet that we rap any more. In this episode we break down ten reasons why we don't tell people we rap anymore. Let's go!

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164: Building Bridges with Cesar Comanche

Mon, 24 Jun 2019 02:29:59 GMT

As a founding member of North Carolina's Justus League crew--which includes Phonte, Little Brother, 9th Wonder, Big Dho, and many others--Cesar Comanche is veteran MC who has toured the world. Along the way, he founded the Building Bridges tour, where he brought up-and-coming artists together to setup shows amongst each other in different cities, helping many get on the road for the first time. In this episode, we interview Cesar about his building bridges concept, what he's learned doing it, and ten things he'd like to see stop happening at local hip-hop shows.

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163: The Difference Between a Producer and a Beat-Maker

Mon, 17 Jun 2019 02:30:16 GMT

Once upon a time, hip-hop production was a mysterious art, known only to those deep inside the music industry. However, as technology as advanced, making beats has become easier than ever, with even casual hip-hop fans dabbling in it. This explosion in popularity has caused many to be confused about what the roles of a producer should actually be. In this episode, we break down the difference between someone who is a producer and someone who is a beat-maker.

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162: Scarcity Mentality Versus Abundance Mentality

Mon, 10 Jun 2019 03:00:05 GMT

While talent and opportunity will always be important factors in achieving success, a person's mindset should never be underestimated. Some people, through their positive mindset, are able to achieve great success. Others, held back by their limiting beliefs, seem to never reach their fullest potential. In this episode, we break down the Scarcity Mindset versus the Abundance Mindset and explain the impact they can have on everything you do.

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161: The Best and Worst of Hip-Hop Fashion

Mon, 03 Jun 2019 02:30:07 GMT

Since it's inception, Hip-hop has always been a powerful tool in starting many fashion trends. Some of these were good, some of these were bad, and some still confuse us. As two guys who have been around for many different eras of hip-hop, we've seen it all. In this episode of the most infamous podcast on planet earth, we dive deep into fifteen fashion trends that hip-hop started and decide which were the best and which were the worst.

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160: The Genius Marketing of Run The Jewels

Mon, 27 May 2019 02:30:07 GMT

When El-P and Killer Mike debuted their Run The Jewels collaboration back in 2013, their runaway success seemed like a perfect storm. While both artists were successful in their own right, Run the Jewels took them to new heights. To the casual eye, their success might simply seem like the result of great timing and great music, but there is much more to it than that. In this episode, we break down the marketing genius of Run the Jewels and explain how their success snowballed so quickly and how you can enlist these same tactics in your next project. Let's go!

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159: Behind The Studio Remodel

Mon, 20 May 2019 02:30:09 GMT

Those who have watched the video-version of our podcast have noticed that we have upgraded the set and production quality of the show a couple weeks ago. This upgrade has sparked many questions from our listeners about the studio remodel. In this episode, we dive deep into the remodel to explain every detail--from hiring contractors, to sound design, to the cost--in hopes that this episode will prepare anybody interested in doing the same.

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158: How to Survive a Recession

Mon, 13 May 2019 02:30:09 GMT

Anyone who has worked in this country understands how trying it can be to find a job, let alone keep a job you already have. Even for those who are model employees, circumstances beyond your control can leave you jobless and unsure where your next paycheck is going to come from. In this episode, we take on a listener suggested topic and talk about how to survive a recession, so you can stay on top even when times get tough.

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157: The Carnage Cheat Code

Mon, 06 May 2019 02:30:09 GMT

If you've paid attention to the Minneapolis hip-hop scene as long as we have, then have probably heard of MC and Beatboxer Carnage the Executioner. A close friend and collaborator with Eyedea, and a part of the extended Rhymesayers crew, Carnage has been tearing up stages for a long time. This week on the most infamous podcast on planet earth, we dive deep into his history, and breakdown the traits that have made Carnage successful. Lets go!

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156: Why Jay Electronica Will Never Release an Album

Mon, 29 Apr 2019 02:30:09 GMT

When Jay Electronica first burst onto the hip-hop scene, his talent on the mic caused many people to predict that he would be the next great MC, following the path of Biggie, Nas, & Jay Z. Since then, he has signed to Roc Nation management, done some high-profile collaborations, and dropped a few singles here and there--but no album has been released. It has now been ten years since his classic single "Exhibit C" has been released and many of his fans are frustrated. In this episode, we break down ten reasons why Jay Electronica will never release an album.

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155: Dealing With Hecklers

Mon, 22 Apr 2019 02:30:04 GMT

If you've ever done anything in public--from live performances, to public speaking--you have probably had nightmares about a heckler showing up and ruining it. As touring artists, we have had our fair share of random strangers and so-called fans try to derail our performances with heckling. In this episode, we share stories of our worst experiences and explain what we've learned from it. These stories and lessons may be music-related, but they apply to life in general. Let's go!

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154: How to Be Patient With Yourself

Mon, 15 Apr 2019 02:30:04 GMT

If you've worked on any project long enough, you know how frustrating it can be when your progress slows down tremendously. During these moments, it's very easy to lose patience with yourself. Whether it's negative inner-dialog, or considering quitting altogether, a lack of patience can be destructive to our work. In this episode, we talk about six things that will help you develop the patience necessary to make it thru these times of slow progress.

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153: How Artists Get Jerked

Mon, 08 Apr 2019 02:30:02 GMT

No matter who you are or what you do for a living, you've probably been in a situation where you felt you were taken advantage of. In the music industry, there are so many stories about artists getting jerked by record labels and managers that people don't even bat an eye at it anymore. In this episode of the most infamous podcast on planet earth, we dive deep into ten things artists mistakenly do that increase the likelihood they will get jerked in their business dealings. Let's go!

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152: The J-Zone Cheat Code

Mon, 01 Apr 2019 02:30:02 GMT

If you've been a fan of underground hip-hop as long as we have, then you probably know who MC/Producer J-Zone is. After releasing his 2011 book, Root for the Villain, which detailed the collapse of his rap career, he began his transition from a hip-hop artist into a full-time drummer. This week on the most infamous podcast on planet earth, we dive deep into his journey and breakdown the traits that have made J-Zone successful. This is one for the books. Lets go!

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151: Signs of Bad Leadership

Mon, 25 Mar 2019 02:30:09 GMT

If you've participated in the workforce or sports, then you know what it's like to be a part of a team that moves together towards a common goal. You also know what it's like to be a part of a team that suffers due to bad leadership. Leadership isn't easy, but all of us are eventually given opportunities to lead. In this episode, we break down the ten mistakes that people make when leading others, so you can avoid them.

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150: How to Help People Without Hurting Them

Mon, 18 Mar 2019 03:00:08 GMT

If you've been around long enough, then you've probably helped someone else in their time of need. In most instances, the help you give allows them to bounce back from adversity as a much stronger version of themselves. However, there are times when helping someone seems to do more harm than good. In this episode of the most infamous podcast on planet earth, we take a deep dive into the ways we can make sure that our help is actually helping and not hurting or enabling someone.

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149: Why Female Rappers Fail

Mon, 11 Mar 2019 03:35:18 GMT

Once upon a time, there were a great number of dope female MCs in the rap game. From Latifah, to MC Lyte, to Lauryn Hill, to Bahamadia, and many others--they were at the top of the rap game and in great number. However, over the last twenty years, their numbers have dwindled, and those that are seen in the mainstream seem to be all alike. In this episode, we break down what happened to female rappers and why it's so difficult for them to succeed in the rap game.

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148: The Problem with New Gear

Mon, 04 Mar 2019 03:30:03 GMT

Any artist who's been practicing their craft for a while understands the constant temptation to buy new gear. Every year, new things come out that can help us do our jobs better. But is it worth it? Many artists have fallen victim to gear lust, buying the latest and greatest, but have never released their creations. In this episode, we dive into the temptation to buy new gear and give you ten things that are more important, so that you can make a better decision before you make the move.

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147: The Best Voices in Hip-Hop

Mon, 25 Feb 2019 03:30:06 GMT

While the debate about who the best rapper is often turns into unproductive arguments, we decided to speak on a quality that's easier to agree on--the voice. There are some rappers who have great voices and some rappers with wack voices. In this episode we break down our top ten favorite voices in hip-hop. As the rapper Guru once said, "it's mostly the voice." Let's go!

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146: Ten Lessons from Self-Employment

Mon, 18 Feb 2019 03:53:06 GMT

For people who have held down a full-time job for several years, being self-employed is a common dream. The thought of being your own boss, setting your own schedule, and working on your own terms is something that seems very appealing. But, with most things, the there is always more to it. In this episode, we break down the Ten Lessons of self-employment that we've learned in almost twenty years in the game. Let's go!

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145: Rappers We're Supposed to Like But Don't

Mon, 11 Feb 2019 03:31:32 GMT

As rappers ourselves, one of the most common questions we get asked is what we think of other rappers. As harmless as this question is, we find that there are always certain rappers that fans assume we should like because of who we are, but we actually don't like. In this episode, we discuss the top ten rappers that people assume we like but we actually don't.

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144: Dealing With Stress

Mon, 04 Feb 2019 02:53:10 GMT

While we all strive to live lives full of happiness and fulfillment, there will be times when we're faced with challenges that upset the normal balance of our lives. The result is stress. In this episode, we dive deep into the best ways to deal with stress and introduce a six-step system for dealing with it. Let's go!

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143: The Battle Rap Episode

Mon, 28 Jan 2019 03:47:19 GMT

Given our unique history, and coming up at a time where having to battle was almost mandatory, we are often asked to speak on the our history in battle rap and our thoughts on it currently. Well, here it is! In This episode of the most infamous podcast on planet earth, we dive deep into what battling was like when we first started, tell our stories and highlights, and end it with our thoughts on the current state of battle rap. Let's go!

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142: The Problem with Just Enough

Mon, 21 Jan 2019 04:02:35 GMT

We have recently discovered a disease that is responsible for quietly killing the dreams of millions of people--it is the disease of "just enough." This disease is characterized by a person who is talented enough to go above and beyond, settling for just enough in all aspects of their life. After doing just enough for a long time, it becomes normal causing a slew of side effects. In this episode, we dive deep into the problem with just enough and why it may be hurting you more than you think.

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141: Investing in Yourself

Mon, 14 Jan 2019 05:01:05 GMT

No matter how long you've been doing something, there comes a time when you have to get more serious about it. And part of getting more serious means investing in yourself. From money, to time, to skill building--investing in yourself is a must. In this episode we break down why investing in yourself is so important and what happens when you don't.

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140: The Four Pillars of Discipline

Wed, 09 Jan 2019 03:59:07 GMT

In a world where creating goals is much easier than achieving them, people who are disciplined tend to be the most successful. Thankfully, discipline isn't something people are born with, which means that even if you don't have it now you can start developing it at any time. This episode is about developing discipline and to make sure that the goals you have set lend themselves to a higher degree of discipline.

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139: Fan Questions Part Two

Wed, 02 Jan 2019 00:33:30 GMT

The most infamous podcast on planet earth would like to wish all of our listeners a Happy New Year. As a special thank you, we decided to do another installment of our "Fan Questions" series (where we answers the questions of all those who left messages on the Super Duty Tough Work hotline) and we also speak about setting three goals for the year. If you're on Soundcloud, feel free to post your goals! 2000-and-grind-teen is here, folks. Let's get it!

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138: The Best Free Gifts

Tue, 25 Dec 2018 05:52:31 GMT

Under normal circumstances, the most infamous podcast would take this week off, but this year we decided to drop a Christmas-themed episode. Since it's the season for giving, we are talking about the best free gifts this week. How to give to the people you care about without spending a dime. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of our listeners across the globe.

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137: Why You Can't Sleep

Thu, 20 Dec 2018 04:22:15 GMT

As the seasons change and the days get shorter and shorter, we've now entered the time of year when people's sleeping patterns take a turn for the worse. This will wreck your productivity if you don't get it in control. In this episode, the most infamous podcast on planet earth breaks down why you can't sleep because we are tired of people complaining about it! Get it together, folks!

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136: Is Spotify for Suckers?

Wed, 12 Dec 2018 04:16:30 GMT

Among artists, Spotify is always a touchy subject. Some artists hate it and others love it. Last week, Spotify was buzzing among artists again when artists started sharing their Spotify plays, which caused another group of artists to circulate a meme referring to them as suckers. Is spotify for suckers? We wouldn't be the most infamous podcast on planet earth if we didn't talk about it.

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135: Why Moving to a Bigger City Rarely Works

Wed, 05 Dec 2018 03:55:55 GMT

If you grew up in anywhere that's not a major city and have been active in your art scene for while, you will inevitably reach a point where you are thinking about relocating to a bigger city to "make it." We have seen dozens of artists fail at this and a handful succeed. In this episode, we break down why moving to a new city is rarely successful for artists. Lets go!

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134: What Drives You?

Thu, 29 Nov 2018 04:32:10 GMT

No matter what your passion is, there will be times when you question whether the time you put into it is worth it. During those moments of doubt, it's best to revisit exactly what it is that drives your passion. In this episode, we break down the importance of having a "why" and how to figure out what yours is if you haven't already. Let's go!

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133: Less Networking, More Relationship Building

Wed, 21 Nov 2018 03:40:29 GMT

Once upon a time, the term networking had a positive connotation. Now, when most people think about networking or attending "networking" events in the music industry, a feeling of cynicism and fills the air as they imagine a room full of thirsty people begging a couple of industry insiders to get "put on." It doesn't have to be that way. We recommend less networking and more relationship building. In this episode, we break down the difference.

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132: What We've Learned From The Podcast

Wed, 14 Nov 2018 04:28:45 GMT

We've come a long way on this podcast in the last two years. So far that sometimes we don't take a second back and reflect on what we've learned. Well, thankfully friend of the podcast and former guest, Hubert Sawyers, asked us to speak about what doing this podcast has changed our perspective on the music industry and what the long-term plan is for the podcast. We let a lot of cats out the bag in this episode. Dive in!

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131: Weeding Out People Who Aren't Serious

Wed, 07 Nov 2018 05:27:22 GMT

No matter what business you're in, you will inevitably run into people who aren't serious about supporting your product or service. These people waste your time, money, and energy. The solution is to develop a methodology for weeding them out, so that you can spend your valuable time with those who are serious. In this episode we breakdown four techniques for weeding out people who aren't serious. Let's go!

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129: Following Your Gut

Wed, 24 Oct 2018 19:45:40 GMT

There are not a lot of guaranteed things in life. In fact, much of what winds up working out can be attributed to trusting your instinct and just rolling with it. While following your gut sounds great, it's not always as easy as it seems. In this episode, Blueprint breaks down exactly why following your gut is one of the important things you can do creatively.

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128: Advice to Writers

Wed, 17 Oct 2018 04:51:15 GMT

No matter what medium you may express yourself on, writing is a skill at the core of it all. The better you can write, the more effective you will be in expressing yourself and your vision. In this episode, we share ten big lessons we've learned about writing that we wish someone would have told us when we started out. Dive in!

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127: Celebrating Success

Wed, 03 Oct 2018 03:54:08 GMT

We speak about working more effectively and professionally quite a bit on this podcast, but one aspect of that we haven't covered is what to do after you achieve your goals. While most driven people are no strangers to hard work, they are often strangers to taking the proper time to celebrate their successes. In this episode, we break down what prevents us from celebrating our successes and how to do it properly. Let's go!

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126: No More Bands in Hip-Hop

Wed, 26 Sep 2018 03:30:19 GMT

Even though Hip-hop is one of the most popular genres of music across the globe, it may be one of the least respected in terms of it's live performances. There are rappers who put on great shows and others who barely even try. This has led many to wonder why there isn't more live instrumentation at hip-hop shows. In this episode, we break down six reasons you don't see more live bands at hip-hop shows.

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125: Thirty Ain't the New Twenty

Wed, 19 Sep 2018 03:36:58 GMT

When you're young, there tends to be a belief that you have all the time in the world to do what needs to be done to build a great life for yourself, but as you get older you start to realize that maybe that isn't the case. Even worse you have people popularizing phrases like "30 is the new twenty." In this episode, we break down some words from entrepreneur Jack Ma and speak about why certain things need to be done at certain times if you really want to win in life. Let's go!

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124: Dealing With Rude People

Wed, 12 Sep 2018 04:00:36 GMT

Like it or not, at some point in your life you will have to deal with rude people. Whether they are a stranger or somebody that you know, there are times when they can seem like they're everywhere, constantly trying your patience. In this episode, we break down ten tips for dealing with rude and inconsiderate people so you don't end up smacking the crap out of somebody. Shout out to DJ Criminal for the topic! Lets go!

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123: Why People Don't Respect You

Wed, 05 Sep 2018 04:00:46 GMT

In light of the passing of the queen of soul Aretha Franklin and some previous conversations, we thought this would be a perfect time to talk about respect. Some people have a lot of it, some people have none at all, and other people wish they were more respected. Why does this happen? Well, in this episode, we break down the real reasons you're having problems getting your proper respect and explain how to fix it!

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122: How Making Beats Has Changed

Wed, 29 Aug 2018 04:21:09 GMT

In the winter of 1996, Blueprint bought his first sampler and began his journey as a hip-op beat-maker. During the last twenty years, things have changed tremendously; some for the better and some for the worse. In this episode, we dive deep into what the landscape looked like 20 years ago and how much it's changed for the people who are making beats now.

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121: The Real Estate Episode

Thu, 23 Aug 2018 04:00:28 GMT

Due to previous conversations on this podcast, the topic of real estate has been one of the most requested topics in the history of the show. Well, the wait is over! The long-awaited Real Estate episode is here. In this episode, Blueprint breaks down his entire journey in real estate and the story behind him being able to pay off his home early. In addition, the most infamous podcast features not one but TWO interviews with from underground hip-hop artists on their experience in real estate. The first is legendary Boston MC Mr. Lif and the second is super-producer RJD2. This may be the most in-depth episode we've ever done, clocking in at over two-hours, so do not sleep on this one! Let's go!

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120: The Two-Headed Monster Tour Awards Show

Wed, 15 Aug 2018 03:52:27 GMT

Now that the ten-week Two-Headed Monster tour has come to an end, we have decided to give all of our listeners a recap of what went on in the most interesting way possible--an awards show. In this episode, Blueprint and DJ Detox break down experiences on the tour and give out awards for the best and worst things they saw on the road.

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119: Being Signed vs Being Independent

Thu, 26 Jul 2018 15:32:06 GMT

One of the huge benefits of the internet is that it has leveled the playing field for independent artists, as they attempt to compete with major label artists for attention in the crowded music marketplace. Along with this change has come more and more success stories from unsigned artists, as well as more artists using their independent platform to get signed to major labels. But, what are the benefits of each situation? In this episode, we break down the benefits of being signed and being unsigned. Let's go!

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118: How Touring Has Changed

Thu, 12 Jul 2018 03:59:23 GMT

One benefit of having a touring career that has lasted almost two decades is that we've gotten to see many changes in the touring landscape first hand. From positive changes to negative changes, we've seen a lot. And while some may think these changes are all bad they've actually helped us become more adaptable in how we approach things. In this episode we break down how being on the road has changed over the years and how those changes have impacted us as artists trying to carve out long-term careers. Enjoy!

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117: How to Know When Something is Finished

Tue, 26 Jun 2018 04:53:46 GMT

Often times, one of the most difficult things for most creative people to master isn't creation itself, it's how to know when something they created is finished. If you've ever spent weeks, months, or years debating with yourself about whether or not something we made is ready for the public. In this episode of the most infamous podcast on planet earth, we break down nine ways to know when something you're working on is done, so you don't have to have these projects hanging over your head forever! Let's go!

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116: The Lost Art of Artist Development

Wed, 20 Jun 2018 07:22:34 GMT

In the early days of the music industry, artist development was one of the most important activities of a record label, often times allowing an artist to develop their artistry and image behind the scenes for years before finally emerging in the public's eye. However, the emergence of the internet has almost ended this practice. Instead, artists are now pushed to develop publicly and share everything they do in order to feed the social media beasts. In this episode, Blueprint sits down with friend of the podcast Swamburger of Solillaquists of Sound to speak about his history and present involvement in artist development and why it's still one of the most important aspects in any industry.

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115: Unpopular Basketball Opinions

Thu, 14 Jun 2018 06:00:04 GMT

Although this podcast focuses primarily on topics centered around hip-hop and being better artists, we are also basketball fans. In this short episode, that was recorded before the NBA playoffs ended, we discuss our most unpopular and controversial opinions about basketball. The result is one of the funniest episodes we've recorded in a while, even if you aren't a basketball fan.

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114: Throwing Quality Live Events

Tue, 05 Jun 2018 04:00:02 GMT

As artists who have both thrown events and been booked to play on events, we've been a part of a wide range of shows. From the most organized shows with amazing performances, to the most unorganized shows with terrible performers--we've seen it all. And from those experiences, we've identified some bulletproof ways to make sure the event you throw is successful on every level. If you've been thinking about throwing a live event, this episode will show you how to make sure it's quality!

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113: The Benefits of Minimalism

Wed, 23 May 2018 04:41:16 GMT

During last weeks intro, we briefly spoke about the huge benefits that simplifying your wardrobe can bring to a person's life. Although that conversation may have appeared to be just about clothing, it was really about the larger topic of minimalism and how it can be applied to our lives. In this episode, we break down the three areas of our lives that we can apply a minimalistic approach and talk about the benefits of each. Let's go!

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112: Stop Wasting Time

Wed, 16 May 2018 04:16:31 GMT

We all know what it's like to completely procrastinate on important work until the last minute. And while normal people tend to have specific reasons why they put things off, creative people tend to occupy their time with activities that we tell ourselves are helping us get ready to create, but only waste time. In this episode, we dive into the top time-wasters creative people use as excuses for not getting to work and how to get them out of your way! Let's go!

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111: Banning Hip-Hop

Thu, 10 May 2018 04:00:26 GMT

One of the most controversial stories involving hip-hop on a global level was the country of China banning hip-hop culture from television and all mainstream outlets. What may seem unthinkable in a country like America has actually happened. Was it the right thing to do? In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic choose opposites sides and debate China's hip-hop ban. Let's go!

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110: Avoiding People Who Aren't Serious

Wed, 02 May 2018 04:29:16 GMT

If there's one thing you'll definitely come across on your path to elevate yourself in your career or passion, it's people who talk a good game, but aren't really serious about putting in work. At the beginning stages of your career, these people will easily fool you and cause you to waste valuable time that you can't get back. In this episode, we talk about the ten ways to tell if somebody you're dealing with isn't serious and should be avoided. Let's go!

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109: How to be a Better Artist

Wed, 25 Apr 2018 04:00:23 GMT

In the previous episode of the most infamous podcast on planet earth, we spoke on things that fans can do to make things easier for artists by becoming better fans. In this episode, we break down ten things that artists can do to become better artists and make things easier for their fans. Let's go!

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108: How to be a Better Fan

Wed, 18 Apr 2018 04:00:23 GMT

As artists, we're often asked by our fans what are the most effective ways to support our art. Over the years, we've noticed that it isn't about the big things-- like expecting people to buy all of our albums--it's actually about really small things that most fans might not think are very important. In this episode, we dive into seven small actions fans can make that have a huge impact.

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107: Wearing Multiple Hats

Wed, 28 Mar 2018 04:05:09 GMT

Whether you're trying to or not, there will always be times when you have to take on multiple responsibilities in order to get things done. In this episode, we dive deep into what Blueprint has had to do over the last fifteen years to stay on top of his art and business in a way that is very rare nowadays. We also give you all seven tips that will help you become better at wearing multiple hats. Let's go!

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106: The Money Episode

Wed, 21 Mar 2018 03:52:52 GMT

If there's one topic that's present in the majority of popular hip-hop it's money. Unfortunately, most of the conversations rappers have about money only involves how they spend it, reinforcing the wrong kind of behavior. In this episode, we discuss how one of the least likely rappers is changing the conversations about money in hip-hop and give some book recommendations for those who are trying to get their money right! Let's go!

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105: Finding 1000 True Fans

Wed, 14 Mar 2018 03:50:13 GMT

No matter what type of creative work you do, there will come a point where you think you need to blow up to be successful. But what is lost along the way is the little known fact that there are many artists who have never blown up, but make a good living from their art. And in many instances they are right under our noses making their art for a small but loyal number of fans who are willing to support them. In this episode, we discuss the theory of "1,000 True Fans" and the breakdown how it's done.Original "1000 true fans" bloghttp://kk.org/thetechnium/1000-true-fans/

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104: Why Wackness is Tolerated

Wed, 07 Mar 2018 04:53:14 GMT

As long as there's been hip-hop music, there's been wack artists making wack songs. And even though they've always existed, their presence seems to be more pronounced than ever. Are there more wack artists now or do we just have more tolerance for them? In this episode of the most infamous podcast on planet earth, we dive deep into the surprising reasons why wackness is tolerated in hip-hop.

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103: Knowing When to Let a Project Go

Wed, 28 Feb 2018 04:53:19 GMT

If you're ambitious and active in your creative endeavors, then you will reach the point where you are involved in several different projects, all vying for your time and energy. And while this feels great at first, there will always be a point when you have to let go of certain projects in order to focus on those that will have a bigger impact. In this episode, we discuss two project that Blueprint had to give up and what was behind these decisions. This is a real one, folks. Let's go!

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102: What Makes A Show Special

Wed, 21 Feb 2018 04:56:04 GMT

If you've been alive long enough, you've either witnessed or been a part of an amazing show in your life. While these special nights aren't very common, they do share some common qualities. In this episode, we break down the common traits that all special shows share, what our favorite show moments were, and break down how to use these traits to make your own performances better. Let's go!

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101: How Having Kids Impacts Creativity

Wed, 14 Feb 2018 05:27:12 GMT

Although it's a well-known fact that Illogic is a parent, very rarely do we really dive deep into what that means and how it impacts his creative life. But being a parent is a profound experience that changes everything about the decisions creative people make. In this episode we dive deep into how having children impacts a person's creativity. Special guest and Columbus MC Speak Williams joins us this week. Special shout out to our loyal listener Hubert Sawyers for the topic suggestion.

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100: Fan Questions

Wed, 31 Jan 2018 04:59:31 GMT

After putting in consistent work for the last couple of years, the most infamous podcast on planet earth has finally made it to a large milestone in podcasting, the one hundredth episode! To celebrate, we decided to get our listeners involved and asked them to leave a message or question on our voice mail. In this episode, we play back your messages and answer all of your questions. One hundred down, one hundred more to go!

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99: Why You Should Never Sit on Good Material

Wed, 24 Jan 2018 05:14:41 GMT

Any creative person will inevitably have a great deal of unused and unreleased material lying around at various points in their career. One one hand it's good to know that you've created so much material that you can access at any time but, on the other hand, sitting on good material is one of the most risky things you can do. In this episode, we discuss why you should never sit on good material and what happens when you do.

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98: Keep it Lean in 2018

Wed, 17 Jan 2018 04:45:39 GMT

The start of a new year can often be a time of stress as we are often tempted to try new challenges and take on more responsibility in our already busy lives. And without a proper plan of attack, things can get out of hand fast. In this episode, we lay out an easy to remember mantra and plan for 2018, so you can come out on top.

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97: Why Talent Isn't Enough

Wed, 10 Jan 2018 04:48:45 GMT

In our fifteen year careers in the music industry, we have been blessed to cross paths with some amazingly talented people. Some of these talented people went on to achieve great things, while others never got out of the starting block. In this episode, we dive deep into the notion that talent is enough to make someone successful and explain seven things that are as important (if not more important) than talent.

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96: The Best of 2017

Wed, 03 Jan 2018 04:44:32 GMT

Happy New Year! Once again, the most infamous podcast on planet earth has made it thru another year of bringing the people the dopest entertainment and inspiration. As we did last year, we bring to you the Best of 2017 episode, where we compile some of the funniest moments from this years episodes. If you're down and in need of a laugh, this one's for you.

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95: The Biggest Losers of 2017

Wed, 20 Dec 2017 04:53:26 GMT

Looking back, 2017 was a pretty good year for the most infamous podcast on planet earth, as we consistently provided some of the best edutainment around. But for other people in hip-hop, 2017 was not so good. In fact, there are a few people in hip-hop who probably can't wait for this year to end. It is for those people we hold this special awards show, where we count down the biggest losers of 2017. Let's go!

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94: A Tribute to Dame Dash

Thu, 14 Dec 2017 05:09:27 GMT

You would be hard-pressed to find a more polarizing figure in hip-hop than Dame Dash, the co-founder of Roc-a-fella Records, the home of Jay-Z, Kanye West, and many other rap stars. Over the last twenty years, he's been a part of his fair share of accomplishments as well as controversies. But over the last five or so years, as the music industry has started to change, people are starting to notice that maybe Dame was right all along. As big fans of Dame Dash, we decided to dedicate to his top ten moments and contributions to the game. Enjoy!

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93: Sell Snow To An Eskimo

Wed, 06 Dec 2017 04:47:40 GMT

If there was one area most creative people all agree they struggle in, it would be in selling themselves and their ideas. Even for the best of us, it’s not easy to ask people to buy our work. Well, in this episode Blueprint interviews friend of the show and marketing professional Hubert Sawyers III. In this discussion we dive deep into what it is that makes it harder for creative people to promote themselves and their creations and how to fix it. Lots of jewels dropped in this one.

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92: Self-Publishing 101

Wed, 29 Nov 2017 04:52:43 GMT

If there's one item on almost everybody's bucket-list, it's writing a book. While writing a book isn't the most difficult thing to do, it certainly isn't easy either. In this episode, the most infamous podcast breakdowns Blueprint's writing process and history of self-publishing his own books to shed some light for anybody thinking about doing it.

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91: Why We Hate New Rappers

Wed, 22 Nov 2017 04:50:27 GMT

Every couple of months, the hip-hop press writes another story about a conflict between a veteran rapper and a new rapper, furthering their narrative that there is some sort of generational war going on inside hip-hop. Truth, however, is much different. There isn't generational war going on in hip-hop--there's a war going between dope artists and wack artists, which has been around since the beginning of hip-hop. In this episode, we dive into this and explain the real reasons why people really hate on these new rappers. Lets go!

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90: Signs You Might Have Found Your Passion

Wed, 15 Nov 2017 04:27:49 GMT

We're firm believers that life is much easier once you figure out what you would want to do with it, yet figuring out what you want to do with your life is one of the most difficult decisions to make. This week, the most infamous podcast takes on the topic of finding your passion and explains how to tell if you've found your passion or just a fleeting interest.

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89: Our Biggest Marketing Misses

Wed, 08 Nov 2017 04:52:50 GMT

During the course of our long careers, we've had many successful releases where everything went down as planned, but also some not so great releases where mistakes hurt our chances of success. In this episode we break down the biggest mistakes we've made in releasing our art and the lessons we've learned along the way. Shout out to our guy Ill Poetic for the topic suggestion this week.

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88: Choosing Yourself

Wed, 01 Nov 2017 03:56:32 GMT

If there's one thing that the music industry is full of, it's artists looking for somebody to put them on. Everybody seems to be looking for somebody who can either sign them or blow them up. But what if trying to be chosen by these people wasn't the best solution? In this episode, we discuss why it might be a better idea to choose yourself rather than get chosen by somebody else.

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87: Lessons From The Road

Tue, 24 Oct 2017 04:09:32 GMT

After two-weeks off, Blueprint returns to Columbus and the most infamous podcast on planet earth to discuss the latest run of his King No Crown film screening tour. In this episode he talks about the ups and downs of the film tour and breaks down six major lessons he's learned while driving around the country screening his first film in different cities.

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86: Who Killed the DJ?

Tue, 03 Oct 2017 03:47:33 GMT

As guys that grew up during what's often referred to as the golden era of hip-hop, we remember a time when almost every group had a DJ as one of it's members. Fast-forward twenty years and you would be hard-pressed to find any major label hip-hop group with a DJ in it, nor would you find any scratches on many major records. In this week's episode, we dive deep into what's behind the disappearance of the DJ in hip-hop.

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85: The Most Overused Words in Hip-Hop

Thu, 28 Sep 2017 03:41:33 GMT

While it's fair to assume that mainstream rap artists don't have the widest vocabulary in hip-hop, nothing could prepare us for the results of a new study that was just published on the topic. A new study compares the vocabulary of hundreds of rappers and breaks down which words are used the most in hip-hop. The results will probably surprise you about as much as they surprised us. In this episode of the most infamous podcast, we discuss the results of this list and what we would like to see changed about it

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84: The Pitfalls of Promotion

Wed, 20 Sep 2017 04:04:24 GMT

What does it take to throw a successful live event? As artists who came up in an era where we had to book our own venues and promote the majority of our own events, we've had our fair share of successes and failures in this department. In this episode of the most infamous podcast on planet earth we share the ten lessons we learned and explain what the common mistakes are so you can avoid them. That way you can get more people in the door and not lose your pants. Word!

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83: The Downside of Success

Tue, 12 Sep 2017 03:45:00 GMT

Although we often have conversations about what it takes to be successful, very rarely do we speak about what happens once you get there. The common belief is that success is a completely positive experience, but those who have had any level of success have seen that isn't the case. In this episode, we speak about ten bad things that come along with success that nobody will tell you when you're trying to make a name for yourself and fighting your way to the top of your field.

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82: Five More Rap Performance Cliches

Wed, 30 Aug 2017 03:54:15 GMT

Two weeks ago the most infamous podcast dropped an episode called "The Worst Rap Performance Cliches" where we broke down all the things rappers do on stage that used to be dope but need to be put to rest. Since that episode we realized that we forgot a few more really important ones. So we're doubling back and laying the smack down on five more cliches that rappers need to put out to pasture because we wouldn't be the most infamous podcast on planet earth if we didn't. Bang!

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81: The Biggest Mistakes in Building a Team

Wed, 23 Aug 2017 03:50:35 GMT

One of the most important factors in being successful is surrounding yourself with people who can help you accomplish your dream. Building a strong team isn't easy, but there is no limit to what you can accomplish with the right people in place. While we are no experts on this topic, we do have some valuable information about the mistakes we made along the way. These tips will save you a lot of time, energy, and most importantly a lot of money. Shout out to Flawed Logic on Twitter for the inspiration. Let's go!

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80: The Worst Rap Performance Cliches

Tue, 15 Aug 2017 03:57:16 GMT

As artists who have played more shows then we can remember, it's safe to say we've seen a lot of performance trends come and go. Some of these trends stick around in high esteem, while others get used so much that they eventually become cliches. In this episode of the most infamous podcast on planet earth, we point out five performance trends that started out good but quickly got played out by rappers at their shows.

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79: Five Things that Happen when you Share Your Work

Tue, 08 Aug 2017 03:59:56 GMT

Like most people who create, there comes a time when you have to take your craft out of the laboratory and into the public. For many people, this sharing process causes anxiety, so they avoid it. For others, the process of sharing is the catalyst to take their art to a higher level. In this episode, we speak about why sharing your work with other people is important and the five amazing things that happen when you share your work.

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78: Signs of the Untrustworthy

Thu, 03 Aug 2017 04:01:58 GMT

It's impossible to go through life without getting taken advantage of, done wrong, or bamboozled somehow. While none of these situations are easy to deal with, it's even harder when the person who took advantage of you was a close friend or family member. This week we dive deep into our experience with getting done wrong by somebody we trusted and explain all the signs we ignored that came back to bite us later.

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77: Phrases That Steal Your Power

Tue, 25 Jul 2017 04:06:16 GMT

As children we would often say, "sticks and stone may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." This saying has always served as a reminder that words can't hurt us nearly as much as actions can. But what if we told you that your actions are being undermined by your words everyday and that using certain words and phrases is stopping you from achieving your goals? In this episode of the most infamous podcast on planet earth, we break down a long list of common phrases that take our power away before we can even get started.

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76: Why Rappers Don't Wanna Grow Up

Tue, 18 Jul 2017 03:58:28 GMT

If there's one thing we've noticed about Jay Z's "4:44" album it's that, love it or hate it, it's making people talk. One of the things it's making people talk about is getting older and more mature. While we like to see those kinds of things, a whole lot of rappers were personally offended by the album and felt the need to speak out. Why? Probably because they don't want to think about growing up. In this episode of the most infamous podcast on planet earth, we break down exactly why it is that rappers don't want to grow up to explain why they're so in their feelings about Jay Z's lyrics.

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75: The Importance of Telling Your Story

Wed, 12 Jul 2017 03:59:00 GMT

What separates people who are able to gain and maintain the attention of the public from those who cannot? Is it technical skill? Is it great publicity? Is it connections? Those are all important, but if there's one quality that successful creative people have, it's their ability to tell their story. In this episode, we do a case study on a masterful use of story-telling from the music industry that many people may not have noticed, to show why it's so important that artists be able to tell their story. Let's go!

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74: The Six Benefits of Being Early

Tue, 04 Jul 2017 03:58:22 GMT

If there's one thing we've realized during our travels across the country to perform in various cities and venues, it's that very rarely do events run on schedule. Part of this is because most of the people involved are late themselves, which causes a domino effect. Why are people late all the time? There are many reasons, but our belief is that people are late because they haven't really experienced the benefits that come along with being early. This week the most infamous podcast dives deep into the six benefits of being early that might make people change their ways if they understood. Let's go!

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73: How Managers Choose Talent

Wed, 28 Jun 2017 03:53:41 GMT

Although most creative people are always in the hunt for management and personnel to help them accomplish their dreams, very few stop to ask themselves what management is looking for in the talent they choose to work with. In this episode, the most infamous podcast on planet earth speaks to a friend of the podcast April Kulscar who is an artist manager to identify exactly what managers are looking for in talent. Lots of jewels in this one.

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72: Dealing With Rejection

Tue, 20 Jun 2017 03:46:52 GMT

Although we are often told stories of success and conquest from people we see around us, we are rarely told about the other side of the coin, which is rejection. The problem with this lack of discussion about rejection is that it leaves many of us unfamiliar with how to deal with it. In this episode we talk about having your creative work get rejected and what to do when it happens.

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71: The High Price of Free Work

Tue, 13 Jun 2017 04:39:57 GMT

In an industry where the internet has caused prices of every product and service to drop tremendously due to more competition, getting things for free seems to be the next logical step. In fact, the internet has dropped prices of things so much that many people now get upset when something isn't free. But what is the cost of receiving and expecting free things all the time? In this episode of the most infamous podcast on planet earth we discuss the hidden costs of expecting and accepting free work from people.

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70: Rules That Help Producers

Tue, 06 Jun 2017 03:58:13 GMT

A couple of weeks ago we did an episode called "Rules That Hurt Producers" where we talked about ten unspoken rules that hurt hip-hop producers. This week the most infamous does a follow up to that episode and show the other side of the coin by talk about ten rules that actually help producers. If you dug the first part of this two-part series, you will dig this one. Big shout-out to our fan who suggested this topic.

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69: The How and Why of Making Music Videos

Tue, 30 May 2017 04:18:21 GMT

This week a music video directed by Blueprint, produced by DJ Criminal, and featuring Illogic will be released. As a collaboration between people who live on other sides of the globe, this project shows the potential of collaboration and the importance of music videos in artistry and promotion. This week the most infamous podcast dives deep into the how and why of making music videos, breaking down this process for those interested. This topic comes at the suggestion of one of our listeners but is right on time.

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68: Rules That Hurt Producers

Wed, 24 May 2017 04:02:22 GMT

Last week Illogic posed a question on Twitter about whether or not producers should use kits from other people to make beats that started some interesting discussions about the unspoken rules of production and whether or not they should be followed. This week, the most infamous podcast discusses how many of these unspoken rules actually hurt producers more than they help them. We challenge ten of these rules and explain why producers should stop following them. If you're a beginner or a veteran, get ready to dive deep and challenge many of your long-standing beliefs about beat-making and production.

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67: The Benefits of Sobriety

Tue, 16 May 2017 04:02:07 GMT

On the day that Blueprint celebrates seven years sober and illogic tries to quit smoking again, the most infamous podcast decided to talk about what life looks like once you cut alcohol out of your life. Instead of discussing all the bad things that can happen when you drink too much, we decided to speak about the ten benefits of sobriety. Some are more obvious than others, but as usual the conversation is pretty entertaining.

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66: Everybody Hates Print

Tue, 09 May 2017 04:01:11 GMT

As with most things in life, the internet has it's ups and downs--not only in terms of content, but also in terms of the way people are treated. Blueprint himself learned this first hand after one of his tweets about mainstream hip-hop artist Wale started a back and forth between the two artists, causing Wale to send his twitter followers after Blueprint. People learn a lot when millions of twitter followers are unleashed on them in attempts to make their lives miserable. In this episode we find out why Everybody Hates Print and how he bounced back.

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65: The Power of An Apology

Tue, 02 May 2017 04:07:12 GMT

Being the imperfect human beings we are, it's inevitable that we get into conflict with each other from time to time. But after the smoke clears and the beef has ended, the first order of business is figuring out who will apologize and start the reconciliation process. This week we dive deep into when and why apologies are so powerful and necessary. The spirit of reconciliation is in the air. Bask in it, folks!

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64: Life After Losing Your Creative Catalog

Tue, 25 Apr 2017 04:07:53 GMT

One of the worst feelings any artist can experience is losing their entire creative catalog due to circumstances beyond their control. Whether it's a hard-drive crash, a fire or flood, or burglary--losing what we've created is heart-breaking. But after the smoke clears and we accept that we will never see our creations again, how do we bounce back? That's what this episode is about.

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63: Dating Uncreative People

Tue, 18 Apr 2017 04:01:14 GMT

While dating in this day and age is not easy for anybody, it's even more complicated for creative people. The trouble lies in the fact that creative people tend to be quirky and see the world differently than most of the non-creative people they date. Take it from us, small differences can lead to a lot of misunderstandings and heartache. This week we speak about ten problems creative people have when dating non-creative people and how to resolve them so you don't end up ruining a good thing!

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62: Finding Inspiration Outside of Music

Wed, 12 Apr 2017 04:01:13 GMT

While music can be an amazing source of inspiration for all of us, there are many times when it fails to deliver on the type of consistent inspiration we need in our lives. In fact, some of the subject matter in music can sometimes be down right depressing. So in this episode, the most infamous podcast on planet earth decided to speak on ten sources of constant inspiration that are not related to music at all. This week's episode topic was suggested to us on Twitter by one of our listeners, @JayIsALetter. Thanks for your suggestion, brother.

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61: The Best Hip-Hop in Hollywood

Tue, 04 Apr 2017 04:20:07 GMT

Sparked by Blueprint announcing that he is putting the finishing touches on his first movie, a conversation about the relationship between hip-hop and Hollywood was a must. Especially since so many veteran hip-hop artists have been able to transition into successful careers as actors, writers, and producers. In this episode of the most infamous podcast on planet earth, we dive deep into the relationship between hip-hop and Hollywood to speak about which artists have done it the best. We even give out some awards.

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60: Why Hip-Hop Needs Adult Rappers

Tue, 28 Mar 2017 03:58:28 GMT

How old is too old to be involved in hip-hop? If you let the hip-hop press tell it, anything over 25 years old is probably considered over the hill. But considering the big year that old school artists like A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul have had in the last year, it's clear that older artists have a spot in hip-hop. In this episode of the most infamous podcast, we dig deep into ageism and why hip-hop needs the older generation.

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59: Ten Reasons Rappers Have Bad Performances

Tue, 21 Mar 2017 04:02:53 GMT

If you've been to a rap show, then chances are you've probably been to a bad rap show. It seems as though no matter how far we advance in terms of knowledge, the level of showmanship in rap shows is always inconsistent. This week was no different when news broke of of Lil Yachty almost getting into a fight with a fan who told him his stage show sucked. This week we list the ten most common ways rappers ruin their own shows. This week's topic was submitted to us by our guy Cesar Comanche from North Carolina a couple weeks ago and I'm glad we finally get to talk about it. Let's go!

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58: Was Chance The Rappers Million Dollar Donation a Mistake?

Wed, 15 Mar 2017 04:00:41 GMT

Last week, news emerged of Chicago rapper making a 1 million dollar donation to Chicago Public Schools. People everywhere were unanimously excited about it, but we wouldn't be the most infamous podcast if we didn't discuss whether or not he made the right decision. In this episode, Illogic and Blueprint debate five reasons why it his donation was a great move and five reasons why it may have been a mistake. This one gets pretty deep.

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57: The Violent Side of Online Beef

Tue, 07 Mar 2017 05:00:11 GMT

In most instances, most people don't take the words, threats, or insults from people on-line seriously in this day and age. But there are occasions where what's said online will escalate and spill out into the streets. After hearing a news story about two young men from St. Augustine, Florida who killed each other after they met up to resolve their internet beef, we had to have a frank conversation about it internet beef and how to avoid it's sometimes fatal consequences.

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56: How to Lose a Rap Battle

Tue, 28 Feb 2017 05:06:07 GMT

This past weekend, Remy Ma released an intense diss record aimed at Nicki Minaj. The seven-minute track took over the internet and has gotten almost 3 million plays in just two days on Soundcloud alone. Although it's still early, nobody has heard a peep from Nicki Minaj and it appears she wont respond. With Remy Ma's track getting that much attention, it's hard to not call this a L for Nicki Minaj. This week we break down why Nicki Minaj is wearing this loss and how it could have been avoided.Link to Remy Ma's Track: https://soundcloud.com/remymamusic/remy-ma-shether

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55: Why College is a Scam and Why You Should Still Go

Tue, 21 Feb 2017 05:00:52 GMT

Is college worth it? For centuries that question has remained one of the most complicated in human existence. What started as just a casual conversation about how Illogic's college classes were going turned into one of our funniest impromptu conversations to date. Regardless of how you feel about college, there's something in this one for you. We give you ten reasons why it's a scam and five reasons why you should still go!

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54: The Four Secrets of Seizing Opportunities

Tue, 14 Feb 2017 05:01:04 GMT

It's no surprise that, while calling ourselves the "most infamous" podcast, we are actually very optimistic guys. It's not that we don't see the negativity going on around us, but more that we choose to not give it any of our energy and focus on the positive. But we have noticed that many people are having a hard time with this because they cannot see or take advantage of the opportunities around them. In this episode, we talk about opportunities and explain what must be done to not only see them but to seize them when they present themselves. Strap in!

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53: Is Speaking on Social Issues Worth It?

Tue, 07 Feb 2017 05:01:30 GMT

On the heels of one of the biggest upsets in political history, there is understandably more public conversation about politics and social issues than usual right now. Every week, another corporation is either boycotted or praised for their political allegiance. Many artists are finding that speaking out on issues is more complicated and not sure what to do, if anything. This week, the most infamous podcast dives into the question, "is it worth it?" As an added treat, our long-time friend and fellow artist Slug of Atmosphere joins us this week. Let's go!

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52: The Birth of a Salesman

Thu, 26 Jan 2017 04:55:07 GMT

If there's one thing creative people love to do, it's creating things. And if there's one thing creative people hate to do, it's selling what they created. For many, the fear of selling themselves and their ideas to other people seems to rank right up there with the fear of public speaking. And while it's the part of the process that causes the most anxiety, we can all become better at selling with a few solid tips. In this episode, Blueprint breaks down what he's learned from some sales books he's been reading into Ten Lessons that anybody should be able to run with. If you fear or suck at sales, like most of us do, don't sleep on this episode.

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51: The Past, Present, and Future of Hip-Hop Fisticuffs

Thu, 19 Jan 2017 05:16:05 GMT

To tell the truth, we've been trying to avoid talking about the news of Chris Brown and Soulja Boy agreeing to have a pay-per-view fight for a couple of weeks now, but another week has gone by with this story dominating the hip-hop news cycle. Even worse, more rappers are piling on and trying to follow their lead. What most people don't remember is that this is not the first time this has happened in hip-hop. In this episode, we talk about the past, the present, and what we think is the future of rappers actually wanting to put on gloves and fight each other for money.

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50: The Art of Negotiation

Thu, 12 Jan 2017 05:00:12 GMT

It would be an understatement to say that the weakness of most artists and creative people is the realm of business. In fact, it's downright surprising to meet a creative person who is also on top of their business. This week, the most infamous podcast on planet earth dives deep into one aspect of business that is seldom talked about---the art of negotiation. If you are a bad negotiator or feel uneasy whenever it's time to negotiate, look no further. We got you.

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49: The Best of 2016

Thu, 05 Jan 2017 05:32:17 GMT

Even though recording an hour-long podcast every week for a year takes a lot of discipline, the classic moments its created has made it all worth it. This week, the most infamous podcast, goes back through the vaults of the last year and pulls out our favorite moments of the past year. If this episode doesn't bring a smile to your face, we don't know what will. Let's go!

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48: Ten Bulletproof Predictions for 2017

Thu, 29 Dec 2016 05:00:48 GMT

It's the end of the year, which means the topic of conversation usually moves towards resolutions or "best of" lists. But we wouldn't be the most infamous podcast on planet earth if we followed the pack. So, instead of doing resolutions or the best of 2016 in this episode, we decided to break out the crystal ball and do something different--2017 predictions. What do we think the music industry will look like in 2017? What changes will have the biggest impact on music next year? We've got ten predictions for 2017--some hiding in plain sight and others controversial--but all could happen.

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47: Knowing When To Let Go

Thu, 22 Dec 2016 05:05:45 GMT

Whether it's family, friendships, or romantic partners--relationships can be difficult. One of the main reasons for that difficulty is the balancing act of investing in others while trying to protect ourselves from decisions they make that we might not agree with. How do we know when to let go? When is the right time to back off and let people make their own decisions, even if we may not agree with those those decisions? We dive deep into that topic on this very personal episode of the most infamous podcast on planet earth. We name five behaviors that prevent us from letting go and letting people live their own lives. It gets real in this one.

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46: The Difference Between Retiring and Quitting

Thu, 15 Dec 2016 04:48:41 GMT

It almost goes without saying that the internet has created an environment where artists are blowing up faster than ever. This is seen as a positive thing, but the downside is that we now have more frustrated artists publicly retiring than ever before. And while they may use the word retire to describe their departure from the game, we wonder if many of them are actually quitting. In this episode, the most infamous podcast on planet earth discusses the difference between retiring and quitting, and tries to put an end to all the confusion.

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45: The Importance of Ownership

Thu, 08 Dec 2016 06:40:19 GMT

Although the discussion of art in the media tends to center around the quality of the art itself, very rarely is the topic of ownership brought up. Well, this week the most infamous podcast on planet earth dives deep into the importance of ownership, especially as it relates to creative people. We give you five bulletproof reasons that ownership is important for everyone to understand and consider. This episode was recorded on location in Atlanta while Blueprint was traveling for business. Friend of the show and veteran MC Supastition co-hosts this episode.

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44: How to Approach People You Want To Work With

Thu, 01 Dec 2016 04:53:46 GMT

Whether it's somebody with a household name or a local celebrity, we all come across people we want to meet and work with. The problem, is how do we approach them without making a fool out of ourselves? In this episode of the most infamous podcast on planet earth we dive deep and give you some rock solid rules for approaching the people you want to work with. These rules should help you become more successful before, during, and after you step to them. Let's go!

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43: The Return of the Native Tongues

Thu, 17 Nov 2016 04:58:11 GMT

Although groups like De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest were mainstays of hip-hop's golden era from the late 80's & early 90's, both groups fell out of the public eye in the last decade. Thankfully for their fans around the world, the stars aligned and both groups dropped impressive comeback albums in 2016. While most hip-hop media will talk about the comeback albums themselves, we decided to take it a step further and breakdown why both comebacks were successful. It gets risky returning from any leave of absence, but we got the keys. There are six keys that De La Soul & A Tribe Called Quest employed that made their comebacks successful, and we give you all of them.

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42: Ten Ways to Guarantee Nobody Books You

Thu, 10 Nov 2016 16:26:51 GMT

While in Florida playing some shows for the the past week, I decided to record a special episode with my friend and fellow artist Swamburger of the group Solillaquists of Sound. In addition to being a full-time artist, Swamburger also does booking at a venue called The Social in Orlando. Between the two of us, we have seen artists make a ton of mistakes that stop them from being booked, so we decided to dive deep into booking. In this episode we give you ten things to avoid, so you can get booked and get that bag!

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41: How to Maintain Friendships During Conflict

Thu, 27 Oct 2016 03:58:49 GMT

While conflict between competing rappers is a relatively common occurrence in hip-hop these days, it's much more rare to see two friends air their dirty laundry in public. Well, not this week as Kanye West returned to the news for his on-stage tirade against his close friend Jay Z. We've all been there before; arguing and beefing with friends and family over small things. But we wouldn't be grown ass men if we didn't frown upon this type of behavior, and we wouldn't be the MVP (Most Valuable Podcast) if we didn't give you nine rules to help you handle conflict with your friends without escalating things.

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40: Does Work-Life Balance Really Exist?

Thu, 20 Oct 2016 06:11:24 GMT

One of the most difficult balancing acts in life is between our personal lives and our careers. A decision to focus primarily on work usually forces us to sacrifice our personal lives, and a decision to focus on our personal lives often leaves us without challenges in our careers. Everybody is trying to achieve the proper work-life balance, but very few actually do. In this episode, we give nine tips for achieving the proper work-life balance and also briefly speak to two of our professional friends that are working on it as well. Lots of bars in this one.

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39: What the Average American Thinks about Hip-Hop

Thu, 13 Oct 2016 05:45:25 GMT

It goes without saying that we love hip-hop music from the bottom of our hearts. We grew up on it and watched it grow from an underground culture to worldwide phenomenon that can be heard on any radio or television station at any time. But every now and then, an event happens that shows you what hip-hop looks like to people outside the culture; and it's not very pleasant. Put on your scuba gear because we're about to dive deep.

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38: How to Find Your Lost Creativity

Thu, 29 Sep 2016 03:41:09 GMT

We've received a lot of great feedback for our recent episode where we listed five short books creative people need to read. This week the most infamous podcast on planet earth speaks about creativity again, but this time about what to do when you aren't feeling creative at all. What do you do when you're having problems creating anything and need a spark? And even though it feels like the end of the world when it's happening to you, trust us, it isn't. We dive deep into what creativity really is and how to get it back once you lost it.

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37: Do Black Lives Really Matter in Hip-Hop?

Thu, 22 Sep 2016 03:56:34 GMT

As the debate about the importance of lives (black, white, blue, all, etc.) continues to cause tension across the nation, Blueprint and Illogic decide to have a conversation about the moral conflict and seemingly hypocritical stance that mainstream hip-hop is having on the topic. Rappers and hip-hop media have proudly proclaimed that Black Lives Matter, yet much of what they produce appears to be promoting the exact opposite. It begs the question: do black lives really matter in hip-hop? We wouldn't be the most infamous podcast on planet earth if we didn't ask the questions nobody else wanted to ask and this week is no different.

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36: Five Short Books Creative People Need to Read

Thu, 15 Sep 2016 04:35:16 GMT

Anybody that has listened to the Super Duty Tough Work podcast for a while knows that Blueprint likes to read. But even though we've occasionally spoken on books in the past, we've never dove all the way in until now. In this episode of the most infamous (and most informative) hip-hop podcast, Blueprint gives the listener five short books that he thinks creative people need to read asap. If you're an artist, business person, or creative type and have been looking for some inspiration, look no further than this episode.

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35: Respect Your Elders

Thu, 08 Sep 2016 04:24:15 GMT

Legendary hip-hop producer Pete Rock found himself involved in some drama this week for saying rappers Lil Yachty and Young Dolf were wack rappers. As usual, the PC police in hip-hop began to pile onto Pete Rock with the usual "bitter old artist" narrative. But we wouldn't be the most infamous podcast in hip-hop if we didn't offer some perspective on it. Did Pete Rock take it too far? Where has the respect for elders gone in hip-hop? We answer these questions and many others in this week's episode of Super Duty Tough Work.

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34: What Can Hip-Hop Do About the Violence in Chicago?

Thu, 01 Sep 2016 04:00:14 GMT

While the violence in Chicago has been a constant in the news for the past couple of years, this week it took an unexpected step up in visibility by effecting the lives of hip-hop artist Rhymefest and NBA all-star Dwayne Wade. In times like these, many will look towards the government for help, but we wouldn't be the most infamous podcast on planet earth if we left it there. Instead, we decided to ask the simple question, "What can hip-hop do about the violence in Chicago?" What follows is one of the deepest and most important conversations we've had on Super Duty Tough Work yet.

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33: Six Ways to Sidestep the Sample Police

Thu, 18 Aug 2016 04:10:07 GMT

Since it's inception, sampling has always been a part of hip-hop music. And, from it's inception, there has always been a troubled and complicated relationship between those who sample and those who own rights to what's being sampled. In this episode of the most infamous podcast on planet earth, we speak about this complicated relationship AND Blueprint gives six guidelines that will help any artist sidestep the Sample Police. Nothing complicated, just some bulletproof tips. Because when the Sample Police come for you, it's expensive and they take no prisoners.

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32: How to Avoid Social Media Burnout

Thu, 11 Aug 2016 04:40:38 GMT

For better or worse, social media has forever changed the world that we live in. In fact, having a social media presence on at least one of the popular platforms has become almost a requirement for any business, artists, or regular Joe. The positive side is that it gives us more access to people and information than ever, but the negative side is that too much(or the wrong kinds) of it can make you want to delete your profile! In this episode, the most infamous hip-hop podcast dives deep into the topic of Social Media Burnout, and tells you how to avoid it.

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31: Ten Ways to Promote Your Music Without Shooting Yourself in the Face

Thu, 04 Aug 2016 04:09:48 GMT

A couple weeks back, a story surfaced about an aspiring rapper from Indiana shooting himself in the face live on Facebook as an attempt to bring attention to his music. We wouldn't be the most infamous podcast on planet earth if we didn't discuss this unprecedented level of fuckery. But instead of just making fun of this guy for his awful decision-making and attention-whoring, we decided to provide ten ways that an artist can promote their music without having to shoot themselves in the face. These techniques are all time-tested, proven, and more importantly, not dangerous! Ignore those guys, and listen to us.

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30: The Reality Show Death Trap

Thu, 28 Jul 2016 04:42:18 GMT

Over the last ten to fifteen years, reality shows have taken over almost every network on television. This recent explosion in popularity has led many hip-hop artists, past and present, to try to cash in on this current trend. Unfortunately, what appears to be a solid idea at the beginning looks much less appealing when you investigate what happens once the reality show has ended. Who better to discuss it than the most infamous podcast on planet earth! Let's go!

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29: Loose Lips Sink Ships

Thu, 21 Jul 2016 04:10:03 GMT

In a genre like hip-hop, which prides itself on traits like braggadocio and being the loudest, moving in silence is very rare. Unfortunately, the same loud traits that make somebody a successful rapper often come back to bite them. Whether it's their loud mouth getting them into trouble or people around them exposing their secrets to the public, the most iconoclastic podcast on earth dives deep in the old adage that loose lips sink ships!

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28: The Dark Side of the Club

Tue, 12 Jul 2016 06:05:32 GMT

For better or worse, the night club has become the epicenter of modern hip-hop; a place that you hear referenced in the majority of hip-hop songs. And although most mainstream rappers would have you believe the club is the most amazing place on earth, the stories we've seen in the news this week let's us know that somebody isn't telling the whole story. This week, the most infamous podcast on planet earth talks about the club. We've all been there. Let's dive deep.

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27: The Grown Man’s Guide to Getting Things Done

Thu, 23 Jun 2016 04:01:50 GMT

As artists who release great music at a high pace, one of the most common questions we receive is, "How do you get so much done?" Well, in this episode of the most infamous (and informative) hip-hop podcast on planet earth we take some time out to explain our philosophies and specific techniques for getting things done. Whether you're artist or not, there will be some great information for you in this episode. Let's go!

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26: How to Get Signed and How it Can Go Wrong

Thu, 16 Jun 2016 04:19:31 GMT

There are two topics that you rarely hear artists speak candidly about: how they got signed and how getting singed went wrong. Well, in this episode of the dopest podcast on planet earth, Blueprint & co-host Illogic dive deep into both of those topics, sharing two different tales about wanting (and getting) the elusive deal only to find out that things weren't exactly what they seemed on the other side. Lots of jewels dropped in this one.

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25: Thinking With Your Own Mind

Tue, 07 Jun 2016 05:37:39 GMT

After missing last week due to Blueprint being at the Soundset festival, the most infamous podcast on planet earth returns. This week we chop it up with co-host Illogic about his upcoming album "A Man Who Thinks With His Own Mind" and chop it up about originality in hip-hop and how its importance has changed over the years. Back on the block!

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24: With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility

Wed, 25 May 2016 05:06:40 GMT

In this week's episode of Super Duty Tough Work, the most infamous podcast on planet earth tackles a topic that's rarely discussed by the hip-hop media--responsibility. Is it just entertainment, or are entertainers responsible for their words and actions? And is it ok for us to hold entertainers to a higher level of accountability? There are no easy answers here but, as always, we dive deep and make sense of it all.

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23: How to Release Music Independently in 2016

Tue, 17 May 2016 13:04:44 GMT

As Blueprint prepares to release his upcoming Vigilante Genesis on May 27th, we thought it might be a good idea to change things up and have him break down exactly what goes into promoting and releasing music independently in 2016. Things have changed dramatically over the last 10 years and this interview and conversation should hopefully act as a big help to fans seeking to understand the industry and artists seeking to release their own music independently. Illogic interviews Blueprint in this one and lots of jewels are dropped.

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22: The Long Arm of The Lawsuit

Thu, 05 May 2016 05:00:11 GMT

It's hard to deny that as hip-hop grows larger and larger, more money is being made from everybody involved. Unfortunately, it's also true that where ever you find money, you will inevitably find lawyers and lawsuits--and hip-hop is no different. This week, we discussed the recent rash of lawsuits running rampant in hip-hop. From rappers suing corporations, to politicians suing rappers, Blueprint and co-host Illogic got you covered.

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21: Top Ten Reasons Why Nobody Respecks Birdman's Name

Thu, 28 Apr 2016 06:54:48 GMT

Since Birdman's now notorious interview on The Breakfast Club last week, the internet has been full of memes centering around the most memorable line of the brief interview, "Put some respeck on my name!" The entire thing is pretty funny, but the most infamous podcast on planet earth had to take a step back and ask why is it that nobody respecks Birdman's anymore? Why isn't there enough respeck on his name? The answer has very little to do with the interview gone bad and very much to do with a laundry list of things that happened long before that. Blueprint and Illogic dive deep into those ten reasons in this episode.

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20: A Tribute to the Art of Hip-Hop Story Telling

Thu, 21 Apr 2016 07:03:05 GMT

This morning Blueprint announced that his latest release, the Vigilante Genesis EP, will be released on May 27th and is produced entirely by Aesop Rock. One of the details Blueprint has dropped about the record is that it is a heavily conceptual, story album. So we decided to spend this episode speaking about storytelling. First, Illogic interviews Blueprint about Vigilante Genesis and then we lay down our thoughts on the Top Five Storytellers in hip-hop. If you want to support the Vigilante Genesis project, preorder http://bit.ly/VGpreorder

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19: How to Travel Without Killing Yourself and Everybody Else

Thu, 14 Apr 2016 04:11:04 GMT

With spring in the air and people doing more traveling than ever, the most infamous podcast on planet earth decided to put together a list of 10 Tips that we've learned the hard way in our 15 years of touring and traveling the globe. These Ten Tips will hopefully prevent you from losing your mind, money, and relationships while traveling--which is often the case when you leave your home for long periods of time like we do. This episode is for anybody who travels or is thinking about traveling--not just touring artists. Buckle up.

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18: Hip-Hop Mom of the Year

Thu, 07 Apr 2016 04:20:07 GMT

The topic of fatherhood is one that rarely comes up in hip-hop, unless it is via the many stories about rappers either owing back child support or being absentee fathers altogether. These stories tend to take the focus off the other half of the equation, the mother. In this episode, a fun discussion about dumb rapper stuff transforms into a deep conversation about fatherhood, being denied access to your child, what it feels like when your father isn't around, and why hip-hop journalists cover these stories the way they do. We were initially on the fence about releasing this episode at first since it gets kind of real, but sometimes these rare conversations need to be heard. Blueprint and co-host Illogic get real adult in this one.

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17: When Keeping it Fake Goes Wrong

Thu, 31 Mar 2016 05:22:50 GMT

We've all seen what can happen when a rapper's attempt at keeping it REAL goes wrong, but this week we've seen a new phenomenon in hip-hop--when keeping it FAKE goes wrong! This week the most infamous hip-hop podcast goes into depth about how It seems to be getting more and more difficult to fake the funk these days. Blueprint and co-host Illogic dive in deep on this one.

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16: The Brilliance of A Tribe Called Quest and Phife Dawg

Thu, 24 Mar 2016 04:10:56 GMT

Hip-hoppers worldwide were saddened to hear the news that rapper Phife Dawg of the group A Tribe Called Quest passed away today at just 45 years old. Instead of being sad, we decided to go dedicate this episode to speaking in depth about what exactly made Phife Dawg and A Tribe Called Quest so special and revered in hip-hop. From our favorite Phife verses, to ranking their albums, to their technical innovations--Blueprint and co-host Illogic dive deep on this one.

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15: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly Side of Rappers Endorsing Politicians

Thu, 17 Mar 2016 04:44:04 GMT

As this election year gets into full swing, more and more rappers seem to be endorsing politicians than ever before. In this episode, the most infamous podcast goes into detail about the various types of endorsements and what it means for hip-hop. Blueprint and co-host Illogic dive deep on this one.

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14: Watch Out For the TIDAL Wave

Thu, 03 Mar 2016 06:00:40 GMT

In this episode, we dive deep into the multiple stories that have been in the news this week regarding TIDAL, the streaming music service owned by Jay-Z. Don't let the mess of unrelated news stories fool you--there's something deliberate going on and we offer our unique and entertaining theory as to what exactly that is.

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13: Five Examples That Rappers Don't Understand Money

Thu, 25 Feb 2016 08:08:22 GMT

In this episode, we discuss the latest epidemic in hip-hop--rappers going broke! From lawsuits, to spending a million dollars on Uber, to selling wack products to the hip-hop fanbase, we go deep into the behavior that led them there. The result is an in-depth (but funny) conversation that nobody in hip-hop is having right now. As usual, no punches are pulled and nobody is safe!

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12: The Ten Best and Worst Contributions of Kanye West

Thu, 18 Feb 2016 06:14:55 GMT

Just as we did last week, we decided to change the format this week. Instead of talking about what almost every hip-hop news outlet is talking about--Kanye West's new album The Life of Pablo--we decided to take a step back and speak about Kanye West's impact in a different way. Specifically, his ten best and worst contributions to hip-hop. The results are a bit unexpected, but entertaining and informative as usual. Whether you love or hate the man, you'll enjoy this episode. Enjoy!

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11: Top Ten Music Industry Changes of Last Ten Years

Thu, 11 Feb 2016 06:40:55 GMT

After realizing how drastically the music industry has transformed over the last ten years, Blueprint and co-host Illogic decide to change up the format and create a top ten list of these fascinating changes (many of which have gone almost unnoticed). The result is an informative and entertaining look at not only the past but the future of this thing called hip-hop. Enjoy!

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10: What Lies Behind the Curtain

Wed, 03 Feb 2016 07:25:25 GMT

Once again, Blueprint is joined by special guest co-host Illogic on the most infamous podcast in podcasting history, Super Duty Tough Work. This week we discuss how to get your hip-hop feng shui right, what rappers should NOT wear to court, the fastest way to let your daughters down, streaming's impact on soundscan, weave attacks, and much more. Support the movement!

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09: The Beef Business

Thu, 28 Jan 2016 07:07:26 GMT

This week the most infamous podcast in hip-hop, Super Duty Tough Work, addresses the recent rash of odd hip-hop beefs, how beef has changed historically, and the new role of corporations in all of it. Illogic is the special guest co-host. As usual, subscribe on iTunes, Soundcloud, Stitcher, and Twitter!

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08: I've Got Some Good News and Some Bad News

Thu, 21 Jan 2016 08:09:45 GMT

The most infamous podcast on planet earth, Super Duty Tough Work, is back again featuring special guest co-host Illogic. In this episode we discuss fake drug addicts, retiring vs quitting, blowfly stories, and even answer questions for independent artists at the end in a new segment. This is a classic episode. Hit the play button!

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07: The Kickstarter Blues

Wed, 13 Jan 2016 16:39:51 GMT

After a brief haitus, the most infamous podcast on planet earth, Super Duty Tough Work is back on the scene! This week Blueprint is joined by special guest co-host and indie rap phenom, Illogic. As always, the co-host brings the topics and this week Illogic brought topics that ranged from Computers taking over rap, Rappers Getting Sued over Kickstarter, hip-hop being blamed when rappers get shot, and much more. The results, as usual, are insightful and hilarious. Help spread the word and follow us on iTunes, Soundclound, and Twitter. Boom!

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06: Papa's Got A Brand New Van!

Wed, 09 Sep 2015 15:33:43 GMT

After a quick little post-tour hiatus, the most infamous podcast this side of the Mississippi is back with a vengeance! Corrections: Print was referring to Rocky Marciano not rapper Roc Marciano as having an undefeated record of 49-0.

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05: The King No Crown Tour Awards Show

Mon, 10 Aug 2015 12:19:11 GMT

In this episode, we recap the King No Crown tour and give out awards to our favorite cities, biggest surprises, best promoters, and worst/best soundmen! Yall know!

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04: I'm Just Not Built For Jail

Tue, 28 Jul 2015 04:45:44 GMT

Episode 04 of the most infamous podcast in the history of podcasting, Super Duty Tough Work, featuring Blueprint (aka Printnificence) and DJ Rare Groove. Y'all know!! Download it..

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03: Tough Love

Wed, 08 Jul 2015 08:52:34 GMT

Episode 03 of the most infamous podcast in podcasting history, Super Duty Tough Work, featuring Blueprint & DJ Rare Groove.

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02: Write The Check

Mon, 22 Jun 2015 22:48:12 GMT

Episode 02, "Write the Check"

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01: Ganstas in Blouses

Mon, 22 Jun 2015 22:47:29 GMT

Episode one of Super Duty Tough Work, which was really the first demo we recorded for the podcast to see if the idea had any legs on it.

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