Episode 328: Knowing When to Call it Quits
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. Hit the link to watch/listen to Super Duty Tough Work episode 328, Knowing When to Call it Quits, out now:
Blueprint announces Dayton, OH album release party
To celebrate the release of his upcoming EP, Falling Down, Blueprint has announced that he will be playing an album release party on Friday April 26th at Blind Bob’s in Dayton, OH. Details below:
Episode 327: Album Reviews
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. Hit the link to watch/listen to 327 of the Super Duty Tough Work podcast, Album Reviews:
Blueprint Announces Release of New “Falling Down” EP
As a fixture in underground hip-hop for the last twenty years, MC/Producer Blueprint was known for his high output that featured a wide catalog of vocal and production albums. That high output came to and end in 2019 when the covid pandemic shut down the music industry, leaving Blueprint and many other artists unsure of how to proceed in a world where everything was shut down. All of the sudden, the albums, tours, and subsequent…
Episode 326: Little Brother Documentary Review
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. Hit the link…
325: Are You Creating Enough?
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 album-a-day approach worked and break down four lessons that any artist can apply. Hit the link on our profile to watch/listen to episode 325 of Super Duty Tough Work, “Are You Creating Enough?”:
324: New Year New Beginning
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. Hit the link to watch/listen to episode 324 of the Super Duty Tough Work podcast, “New Year New Beginnings” out now:
Episode 323: Was KRS-One Right to Boycott the Grammys?
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. Hit the link…
Our End Of Year Sale Starts Today
As we prepare to announce the first release of next year, we are having a big End of Year Sale to thank all of our fans for sticking with us thus far. From now until Monday, January 1st, 2024 everything in our online store is 35% off if you use the coupon code “35%OFF” at checkout. From CDs, to T-Shirts, to vinyl, to Books, to digital downloads–everything we sell is on sale with the above…
Online Store Fixes and Updates
Hello everybody. This post is to make everyone aware that we are currently fixing some minor issues on the webstore. Depending on when you log onto the store and what you purchase, you may or may not notice the following things:
Episode 322: Why Artists Struggle to Increase Their Prices
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. Hit the link to watch/listen to episode 322 of Super…
Episode 321: How to Fix a Broken Song
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. Hit the link to watch/listen to episode 321 of Super Duty Tough Work, How to Fix a Broken Song, out…
Episode 320: Why Rap Sales Are Down 40%
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 they think rap music sales are in a slump and their solutions for how to fix it. Hit the link to watch Super Duty Tough Work episode 320, Why Rap Sales Are Down…
Episode 319: A Message to Artists
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. Hit the link to watch episode 319 of the Super Duty Tough Work podcast, A Message to Artists:
Episode 318: Why People Still Buy Music When They Don’t Have To
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. Hit the link…
Episode 317: Too Much Social Media
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. Hit…
