Where there is money to be made, there is a catchy new dance to sell a song. Blueprint on the other hand can't really dance. The MC from Columbus, OH, part of the Rhymesayers Entertainment label, gave Smashed Chair a few words concerning self-promotion and all that good stuff that goes with the DIY spirit.
Smashed Chair: What was the last album you purchased? (And feel free to give a shout out to the shop you bought the album at).
Blueprint: Last album i purchased was Radiohead "The King of Limbs". Actually bought it directly off their website from them, digital version.
SC: What are some of the more memorable reactions you’ve received from artists you’ve sampled – like did you ever hear back from The Who?
BP: I've never been contacted by any artist I've sampled, fortunately. My assumption is that if they contact me at this point it would be in the form of a lawsuit.
SC: Is there a perfect place to write?
BP: I actually write all my rhymes and lyrics on my phone, so I can write just about anywhere.
SC: You like to rap on your phone in single takes I heard, but there’s also the business side of your work. So, you have to be organized, but if you’re too organized you might lose some of the character that makes you unique. Does the business side ever bump into the artistic side?
BP: It definitely can. There's been many points in my career where I've wore a lot of hats; show promoter, label manager and owner, mentor, and at those points the business stuff can definitely be a distraction to the artistic side. But with this new album Adventures in Counter-Culture my focus is 100% on just being an artist, and a solo artist. This is the first time in my career I've been able to completely focus on that.
SC: The younger generation is rapping against the regimes in power, like for example, Ibn Thabit from Libya who is rapping about his life and the oppressive powers in his government – which he has to do anonymously because the government might break down his door. Does this put the rest of our concerns and complaints into a different perspective? How do you see the next generation of artists digesting this?
BP: I'm not sure if the average American can even relate to that kind of risk, because in general most Americans have never had to fight for the shit they have, so the entire concept of fighting for your art, or dying for your art would probably scare the fuck out of them. That's a reality that very few artists here will ever experience, so I'm not sure how the kids process it. I would imagine kids in countries outside of the United States deal with those realities more often than we do, but I'm not sure how they digest it.
SC: It seems like every big name in rap sells sodas or shoes – have you been offered any type of commercial gigs?
BP: No commercial gigs offered yet. As long as it's not something like clubbing seals then I can get with it
SC: Have a lot of people been buying you drinks since the Keep Bouncing video came out?
BP: Actually not yet. I stopped drinking about 9 months ago, so I haven't really been putting myself in that position lately. I kind of knew what to expect from back when the Soul Position song "blame it on the jager" came out and every time I turned around shots of jager were coming at me. I don't really spend much time at the bar like I used to nowadays, unless I'm watching bands or kicking it with friends.
SC: Correct me if I’m wrong - your music is on iTunes, but you’re on the road more now, because consumers don’t buy enough albums these days. Is there something wrong with the current business model?
BP: The way Rhymesayers artists have built their thing is very grassroots, so we've always toured a lot. My first years of touring were actually my most intense years of touring, doing 150-200 days a year on the road. I haven't done that in a while but I'll be touring like that this year. So while there's definitely some artists who have started to tour now because of decreased album sales and income, all the Rhymesayers cats have been doing it like that from the beginning so there's no real change.
SC: Some artists become their personas, their MC handles – do you see yourself as Blueprint or does it come down to the moment? Do you think you could pull off a character like DOOM?
BP: I've never really had an actual persona like that, my shit just changes as I get more intense. Blueprint becomes Printmatic, and my super-duper, flamboyant and regal persona is Printnificence. But I don't really think I would ever take it as far as Doom.
SC: You have a great personality when it comes to your fans – what are some of the more memorable experiences you’ve had?
BP: When it comes to fans I don't think there's any one moment that sticks out. There's always a moment every few months where you've had a bad day and you're wondering why you go thru what you do, and then one fan will say something that completely makes it worth it. Those are the moments that mean the most to me, and I never forget.
