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.  Hit the link to watch/listen to episode 284 “Hitting The Rookie…

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.  Hit the link to watch/listen to Super Duty Tough Work episode 283:

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!  Hit the link to watch/listen to Super Duty Tough Work episode 282 “Losing Your Creative Rhythm”:

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.  Hit the link to listen/watch episode 281 of Super Duty Tough Work, Why Making it in Music is…

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.  Hit the link to watch or listen to episode 280 of Super Duty Tough…

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.  Hit the link to…

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.  Hit the link to watch/listen to episode 278 The Truth About Natural Talent:

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.  Hit…

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: