I am going to get straight to it. Blueprint is THE most unsung producer/eMCee of our modern day.
We are all here on the internet witnessing the proliferation of wannabe-large producers. Cats that adopt the latest and greatest production innovation to try to generate interest in their unoriginal product. I mean, first it was the Premo-geeks and the PR-freaks (that’s Pete Rock, y’all). Then J Dilla had the unfortunate circumstance of passing away and, gawd-have-mercy, we got the onslaught of bass-stabby, kick-clappy happiness. We still have that (R.I.P. James Yancey).
My man Blueprint hasn’t done such things. If anything, I would say he’s the most original sampling producer I have heard since Dilla. I must clarify by saying that like Dilla, Blueprint does more than just sample other people’s music, so don’t get it twisted. I mean…
*sigh*
It befuddles me to no end that with the catalogue that Blueprint has he is not more of a household name. Danger Mouse is doing albums with Beck and Black Keys. 9th Wonder is doing projects with his heroes. Why isn’t Printmatic seeing that kind of work?! Sure, Blueprint is cool with the Def Jux team. He’s in the Orphanage with Slug from Atmosphere, but why isn’t Pharoahe Monch knocking on his door for tracks?
Folks, you are participating in the greatest travesty of oversight. It is now that you must turn the tide and see the shore before it’s too late. Even Blueprint has prophesied on one of his songs that by the time he catches on, he’ll “be making shitty music.” You cannot let this happen.
Here I will showcase some of my favorite contributions by Blueprint. My man Printmatic, along with the likes of People Under The Stairs, Radiohead, D’Angelo, Brazilian Girls and now Robin Thicke, is of a select group of artists that I will always blindly cop whatever they release. I don’t download first. In fact, I try to stay away from singles even. I just buy, because Blueprint is one of those that believes in building a cohesive, comprehensive project. Even his CDs of scrap tracks are held together with skits that help everything make sense, so to say the least, I have quite a bit to pick from. I will mainly showcase his finest in production work, because I think that’s where he shines the most consistently
No scratch that, my dude has too many burners to just show off a couple loosies. I’ve put together a Blueprint Greatest Hits Mix. Catch is, I’m not providing any songs that have been made available for free by Blueprint himself. He’s got songs for download off his MySpace page. Cop those there. If you know anything about Greatest Hits albums, you know that many of your favorites may be left out. Then again, this is for those who ain’t knowing, so be cool Molando! The tracklisting is below:
Greenhouse Effect – The Proper Education
Blueprint f/ Maniphest – YoYo
Blueprint – Starch
Blueprint f/ Flip & Maniphest – Serengeti Sex
Blueprint – Goin’ Off
Blueprint – Lo-Fi Funk
Blueprint – Trouble On My Mind
Blueprint – Keep Movin (Rebuilt)
Blueprint f/ Illogic – Sacrifice
Blueprint – Kill Me First
Blueprint – Printmatic (Remix)
Blueprint – Where’s Your Girlfriend At-
Blueprint f/ The Orphanage (Slug, Illogic, Aesop Rock, Eyedea) – Hold Mine
Blueprint – The Last Song
Bonus Cuts:
Aesop Rock f/ Blueprint – Alchemy
RJD2 f/ Blueprint – Final Frontier
AND HERE IT IS
* All songs produced by Blueprint, except for “Final Frontier,” which was produced by RJD2.
I would give a full breakdown of each track, but I’ve typed enough. Download the mix and put it on your Ipods/Zunes/cheaper MPfree players. Or if you’re Benny Ben, burn it to CD for your whip. Feel free to leave comments on what you think of Blueprint’s work and/or my thoughts on his catalogue. Better yet, buy up all his CDs where you can find even more goodness. Blueprint on MySpace or Weightless Recordings. At least here, we can make sure he’s able to continue to make music. Be on the lookout for his new solo release – Adventures in Counter-Culture.