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.  Hit the link to watch or listen to episode 276 WHY RAPPERS HATE JOBS:

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

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…

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.  Hit the link to watch/listen to episode 272 of the Super Duty Tough Work podcast, Making a…

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, Blueprint and Illogic break down ten reasons why this is happening and their ideas on how to fix it.  Hit the link to listen/watch episode 271 of Super Duty Tough Work, “Why Do Rappers Keep Getting Shot?”:

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.  Hit…

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, Blueprint and Illogic break down six things you must understand before you go all in to pursue your craft. Hit the link to watch/listen to episode 268 BEFORE YOU GO ALL-IN:

It’s been almost a year since we’ve done an album reviews episode, so we decided to bring it back. This week Blueprint and Illogic review new albums from Kanye West, Curly Castro, Common, Nas, and Cesar Comanche & Poe Mack.  Hit the link to listen/watch Episode 268: Album Reviews Four:

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.

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!

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…

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.  Hit the link to watch/listen to episode 262 of Super Duty Tough Work, “How to Become a Better Music Producer”:

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…

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.

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, Blueprint and Illogic decided to pay tribute to Biz by breaking down his creative genius and explain what made his work so special.  Hit the link to watch or listen to Super Duty Tough Work episode 259 “The Creative…

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.  Hit the link to watch or listen to episode 258, How Work Can Ruin Relationships: