Tomorrow night the Orpheum will play host to a sampling of underground rap courtesy of the “To All My Friends Tour.” But do not let the word “sampling” bring to mind small taste with minimal satisfaction to the musical pallet. The tour, headlined by the Midwestern indie-rap heroes of Atmosphere, features several artists who are, and have been, turning heads in the underground hip-hop scene for quite some time. Among these artists is Blueprint, an emcee and producer whose dedication and spirit cannot be missed.
Based out of Columbus, Oh., Blueprint has made a unique career out of creating successful collaborations and flying solo, while being a skilled emcee, producer and starter of his own independent hip-hop label. He marked his emergence into the local scene in the late ’90s with fellow Columbus native Illogic, under the name Greenhouse Effect. Later on, and keeping in step with his Columbus roots, he also collaborated with popular producer RJD2 on two albums under the name Soul Position.
“I was always in a big group doing things with four or five guys. Outside of doing beats, everything else about hip-hop to me is just social. I just kind of fell into groups and collaborations with people. Illogic and I have been friends for a while so we just kind of do music together. Same thing with RJD2, we just get along great.”
While letting RJD2 take the reigns on producing for those two albums with Soul Position, Blueprint never has put his own development as a producer on the backburner. In fact, he considers it an even larger passion of his than rapping, releasing several of his own instrumental albums under his label–Weightless Recordings–and helming the production of his solo albums.
“I think I enjoy production a little bit more. I always have. The reason that I do is because you can get lost in it a little bit more. You’re doing a beat all day and once it sounds good, you get an immediate feeling of gratification. As an emcee, your feelings are tied into how people respond to it. You don’t know a good line until you see the feedback. You don’t know what the feedback will be until you’re in front of people.”
Despite his love for production, Blueprint is a first-rate emcee. Whether he is collaborating with others or working alone, Blueprint always has the ability to show off his lyrical finesse. He makes his voice soar with the vibrant intelligence of a rapper on the quest for knowledge, as opposed to one just trying to get paid.
“It is something that a lot of times you do music and you can get so wrapped up in it and forget what you’re doing it for. And some people, whether they get caught up in accolades or press or money, girls, whatever it is they get from music, it’s different. The potential to forget is very strong.”
Through every line or sound that he creates, the raw energy is so evident that Blueprint never seems as though he will forget why music is his life. Now working on his upcoming album, Adventures in Counter-Culture, Blueprint plans on playing some new songs on the upcoming tour to gauge whether they get a positive reaction from the audience.
“I am trying to do two to three new tracks off of the record on tour. A lot of it is trying to figure out what people like so I try two to three of them and see what gets the biggest response.”
This upcoming tour will be an exciting showcase of not only Blueprint’s talent, but also the talent of fellow Rhymesayers label mates Atmosphere, Grieves with Budo, and DJ Rare Groove who is on Blueprint’s own Weightless Recordings label. Each group or artist will be performing their own set, and it will surely be a night to remember.
If that is not enough to arouse excitement for tonight’s performance, Blueprint warns concertgoers: “be ready to do their best ’80s dance moves. The running man or the cabbage patch.”
