http://www.divshare.com/direct/16817130-01d.mp3

Shout outs to Chi Town Luke and the crew for having me on again.

I often get asked by friends and fans if I get nervous before I get on stage, and my answer for the past 10 years has always been “no.”   When I say I don’t get nervous most people think it’s because I’ve got nerves of steel or that my confidence is just so high that I can’t be shaken by being in front of unfamiliar crowds, but the truth is a little more complicated than that.

Early in my career, I wasn’t nervous because I was too nieve to be nervous.  I was playing shows in my city but hadn’t really left yet and could still count on knowing the majority of the faces in the crowd.  Shows were social events more than shows back then and it was easy to be comfortable.  At that point being nervous about performing would’ve meant that I actually understood the long term scope of what I had gotten myself into, and that I wasn’t just out there having fun.  It was easy to be comfortable when you don’t know how bad things could go, and what you could lose in terms of fan support by doing really bad shows.  Truth be told, if i would’ve actually understood things a bit more at this stage I probably would’ve been nervous enough to piss my pants.  Everybody goes thru this stage.

The second stage was when I started doing shows outside my city and touring, playing in front of unfamiliar crowds all the time.  This has been the longest phase of my career, and  the one with the highest level of anxiety attached to it because it’s when I actually started to understand the importance of putting on a good show and what I had gotten myself into.  I was actually very nervous when I started this part of my career but I used alcohol to mask that nervousness for many years.  The anxiety was gone, but the thrill of being alive that nervousness brings was gone as well because the alcohol made me just emotionally detached enough to not be nervous.  Once you’re drunk you don’t really give a fuck what people think and who’s looking at you.

In February of 2011, two months before the release of Adventures in Counter-Culture, I went to Florida for a week of shows so we could try out the new stage show and material before the album came out.  For the first time in six years everything about my stage show was new; from the addition of my guy Bobby Silver on bass, to DJ Rare Groove now doing way more turntablism, to me playing keys and using an effects pedal on stage.  We were playing all new songs that we hadn’t even figured out yet, and everything was new.  We had practiced a lot, but there were more variables in our set than ever, and we all knew that anything could go wrong at any time.

All the sudden, for the first time in almost ten years I was nervous again.  And you know what?  It wasn’t so bad.  I could see just how drinking heavily made me risk adverse.  My stage show went from being a function of what I could actually do, to a function of things that I had to be able to do black-out drunk.  This made me simplify things over the years.  My rationale was that the only thing worse than being drunk is being drunk and trying to do something really difficult in front of a bunch of strangers, but that was just me being safe.

It’s funny how things change, because this time I didn’t have alcohol to numb the nervousness, so I had to roll with it and use that energy in a constructive way.  The result was that I felt more alive than ever.  I’ve had to revisit my own personal beliefs about what being nervous really means.  Before I used to think it it meant you were weak or afraid, but now I don’t believe that anymore.  I think that feeling nervous is a sign that we’re actually living life to the fullest and are completely alive.  You know who doesn’t feel nervous?  People who do the same thing every day.  People who don’t take chances.  People who are too afraid to try new things.  Now I believe that the people who never feel nervous never feel anything at all, and that they’re just as numb and risk adverse as I was when I was drinking heavily.   They never feel nervous because they never actually put themselves in unfamiliar situations or challenge themselves, and that is more a sign of fear and weakness than being nervous could ever be.

Being nervous is good for you.  If you’re able to do something in life that makes you feel nervous, then that means you’re not being safe anymore and you’re putting yourself on the path to new experiences.  Don’t be afraid of that feeling, embrace it and use its energy to propel you into new directions and experiences.

Word is blog.

2012 marks the tenth year that I’ve been a full-time artist. Without a doubt it’s the most rewarding career I’ve ever had.  It’s also the most challenging, although in completely different ways than my previous jobs.

I remember when I was considering resigning from my job back in 2001, I went around getting advice from other self-employed people, in hopes of getting encouragement or advice before I made the leap.  One of the people I spoke to was named Todd Buck and he ran an in-home studio on the west side of Cincinnati that I would routinely use for mastering the first few albums I ever released.  He had just made the decision to move his studio and business out of his basement and to a larger one on the opposite side of town.  He had only been self-employed for a year at the time so I asked him for some advice.

The first thing he told me was that the biggest difference is the freedom you will get and learning how to manage it.  Then he told me something that I will never forget.  He said “the biggest difference between being self-employed and unemployed is what you decided to do with each day.”  He went on to say “if you sit on your ass and don’t do anything then you’re not self-employed, you’re unemployed.”

Out of all the advice that people have given me over the years, this is the one piece that has always stuck with me.  So much so that when other artists ask me about making the leap, I tell them this quote.  I took it to mean a couple different things.  The first is that a lot of people claim to be self-employed or full-time artists, but if they’re not making any money then they’re not, they’re just unemployed.  The second thing I took it to mean was that once you’re self-employed each day that you do nothing is a day that you move towards being unemployed, regardless of what you tell yourself you are.

About a year later I resigned and became a full-time artist and was able to experience exactly what he was talking about.  A lot of people think that being a full time artist means that you just sit at home high all day and write rhymes, and while it is that to some artists, it’s also a lot more than that.  Being an artist has taught me more about people and the human experience than any other thing in my life, enriching me in a way that is sometimes hard to describe.  Throughout the years I’ve managed to stay as productive as possible, but it is truly a daily struggle to stay motivated when you work alone and the job isn’t exactly a team sport.  I did have a stretch from 2006 to 2011 where it seemed like I wasn’t releasing any music because I hadn’t put out any solo albums or Soul Position albums, but even then I managed to release smaller projects like Blueprint vs Funkadelic, Sign Language, two Greenhouse EPs, and even produce an entire album for Columbus artist Envelope.  I’ve had my good days and bad days as far as being inspired goes, but i think that’s just part of the job, and the process of making music is always challenging and exciting.

But now I feel like I have reached a different point in my career, where instead of having years with very little output, I think I’m on the verge of having almost too much music on my hands. In the past this was never really a problem, but I’ve found that since I stopped drinking I get music finished a lot faster, and without so much second guessing.  Time that I used to spend wondering whether a beat was good enough to rap on is now spent actually rapping on beats that I know are good enough.  Time that was spent out at the bar is now spent trying to make a body of work that can stand next to any great artist, and as a result I’m on the verge of having a lot more music than I’ve ever had before.  I’m not there yet, but in a couple months I will be, and I’ve been finding myself a little unsure about having a plan for releasing it.

I’m sure that many would consider this a problem of convenience; the musical equivalent of a man with five attractive women who want to date him and claims to be stressed about the decision he must make, and I get that.

So I guess this ultimately leads to the question of what to do with all that music?

Well, I’m going to start releasing it, little by little.

And I’m going to release most of it myself, here on printmatic.net, and directly to you.

Some of it may make it’s way to digital retailers like itunes, but don’t count on it.  I would rather start right here with the people who have been reading this blog for the past two years faithfully, all the people who allowed me to take five years off between albums and still have a music career, and all the new fans that I have picked up along the way. I would like to interact with you all directly.  There’s so many projects that I put on the backburner while I was working on Adventures in Counter-Culture and I think it would be an injustice for these projects to never see the light of day.

So consider this a heads up about what’s about to happen here at printmatic.net.  I hope you will support me in this effort by picking up one of the projects or subscribing to my e-mail list.

Thank you.

Printmatic

Great interview with germanrhymes.de that I did while I was in Europe on the Rhymesayers tour.  This one came out really well.  Check your boy out.

http://youtu.be/i_H10wXZtjU

Word is (video)Blog

To all my friends in the Ohio area, I will be playing an instrumental set in Columbus on Friday Feb 10th @ Carabar (115 Parsons Ave), as a part of the J-Dilla Tribute Night being put together by my homie Zero Star.  The event is Free admission and all ages are welcome.  I am working on a couple instrumental projects under the name The 808 Mechanic, and this project will be my opportunity to do play some of this material out for the first time.  Just to clarify, I will not be rhyming, I will be playing an instrumental/beat set.

Hope yall can make it out.

Word.

As many of my friends know, I’m a pretty big fan of Mixed-Martial Arts (MMA).  I think I started watching it about four or five years ago, and have been into it pretty heavily ever since, as proven by my MMA-related tweets whenever there’s a big event on.  Hell, a lot of my time in the studio is spent watching classic fights that I missed before I was a fan of the sport.

Well today I get to take my obsession with MMA to a new level because I was invited to call in and talk MMA on the internet show MMA Uncensored, which will be on from 7-9pm Mountain Time.  I will be on there at 8pm Mountain time (10pm Eastern time), talking about the upcoming UFC on FX show that’s going down tomorrow night, previewing the matchups and just talking about the fighters.

As a person who’s definitely a nerd about the sport, but doesn’t really get to chop it up with people about it to often, I’m pretty excited.

So, if you’re a fan of MMA (or just curious about my thoughts and knowledge of the topic) and free at 10pm Eastern Time / 8pm Mountain Time, please tune in.

Here’s are the details:

Date: Thurs Jan 19th
Time: 8pm Mountain Time / 10pm Eastern Time (the show actually starts at 7pm Mountain time. I’ll be on the 2nd half)
Website: http://www.gomilehigh.com/home.cfm (click on the “Listen Live” button)
Twitter: @printmatic and @mm_uncensored

UPDATE: Here is the audio of the interview:

Word!

Today is the day that many internet sites are blacking out in protest of the proposed bills that exist in the house and senate, SOPA and PIPA.  If I actually knew how to change my home page to black it out I would, but since I don’t I’ll take this opportunity to post a few links for you all to check out.  For many reasons these bills are bad, but don’t believe that just because I say it is. I would like you to please read some of these summaries on exactly what SOPA & PIPA  are and why they are incredibly fucked up pieces of legislation that should never pass and will completely ruin the innovative spirit that has gotten us to this point:

About SOPA & PIPA (by google)

Will Take Us Back to the Dark Ages, (via Mashable.com)

Why SOPA is Dangerous (via mashable.com)

Inform yourself. Empower yourself.

Word is blog

Eyedea: One Year Later, Before and After

the downside of giving up on yourself

One year sober today

Blueprint, MTV, and “Selling Out”

Power

Words I Like: Agonizing

The Adventures of Blueprint: Episode 2 – What happened to the radio?

The Adventures of Blueprint: Episode 1 – “The story of Radio-Inactive”

A Perfect New Year

I’ve got a lot of plans for 2012, and I’m in the lab really heavy hoping to bring a bunch of new music to you.  As usual, this is where you will hear about everything first.

Thanks for the support.

So with no further ado, here are my fucking new years resolutions: (dont front you know you’ve got some too)

RESOLUTION #1 – To use my Phone as more than a texting and rhyme writing device

Apparently these things can do a lot more than text, tell time, and store my lethal raps.  I had actually forgotten because that’s all I use my phone for.  The instances where I actually call people are very rare, and if I had to guess I would say that I only talk to people on the phone no more than once per day. Two phone conversations in one day would probably freak me out, and holidays where you have to talk more than that can potentially make my head explode.  But fuck that, in 2012 I’m gonna take it back to the essence, and actually use my phone for verbal communication.  I’m not gonna stop texting people, but I am gonna actually call people and try to talk to them more, with my mouth, and my voice.  It sounds weird even writing it, but I’m gonna do it!

RESOLUTION #2 – Get Swole

Yes, I’m gonna hit the weights this winter and come back looking like Dr. Dre, or Timbaland, or Carrot Top.  Whoever is swole, I’m gonna look like them, but like me, but swole up.  I know what you’re thinking.  Print, you’re already a fucking adonis, why do you need to get more swole for?  Well, because you can never be too swole, dummy!  Plus, chicks like it when a dude is all swole up, in some tight jeans and an affliction t-shirt, so Imma bring that to the table this year.

RESOLUTION #3 – Learn how to fight

When it comes to fighting I’m what they call “a natural”, feel me?  Nobody ever taught me to throw a punch or the proper technique for kicking a man in his nuts.  Nobody ever taught me how to run when I was out numbered, or when to hit a man in the head with a barstool and when to use a beer pitcher, but I realized the other day that while I have been in mad scuffles in my life, that my lack of formal training could lead me to getting my ass whooped one day.  And while I realize that taking the path of peace and understanding makes way more sense for a man my age, I’ve decided that it would be way more interesting to actually learn how to fight.  So in 2012 I will begin my journey to master all areas of combat (striking, wrestling, knife fighting, submission grappling), and hopefully become a complete mixed martial artist of high respect by the end of calendar year 2012.  Wish me luck.

RESOLUTION #4 – Have a child.

I know what you’re thinking.  “It’s easy to knock somebody up Print, anybody can do that!” But what you don’t understand is that I’m going to actually have the child, myself.  Me. In 2012 I’m gonna find out how to get pregnant and carry that little fucker for nine months, or as long as I can physically take it.   To tell the truth I dont even want to have a child, and it sounds really painful, and not fun.  In fact, the entire thought of something that weighs 8 pounds coming out of my body makes me wanna throw up. However, I need to do this so that when I talk to women I can really feel what they’re saying to me.  Very often I get told that I hear them, but I don’t feeeeeel them, nahmeen?  I hate how they always throw that whole “child birth” thing in my face whenever I complain about a sprained ankle or a splinter in my finger.  I’ve had enough, and realize that the only way I can feel their pain is to actually give birth, so I can talk shit too.  Then maybe I won’t feel so shallow and look so stupid when a woman complains about cramps or childbirth and I say “word. i feel you”, when I actually don’t feel them at all, and the thought of feeling them makes me nauseous.  No more excuses.  I’m gonna make it happen in 2012.

Wish me luck.

Happy New Year!!!

note: my only real New Years Resolution is to release as much music as possible and spend more time with my family and friends, but this was way more fun to write.

Please check it out here: http://orlandoweekly.com/music/under-the-radar-1.1245038

Here’s an exerpt:

In 2005, Al Shepard stopped by the headquarters of Power 107.5 FM, a radio station in his hometown, Columbus, Ohio. Shepard had ties to hip-hop, and so did the station, but each had a vastly different idea of what makes the genre great. Traditionally, Shepard raps over self-made beats as Blueprint, keeping his work low on coolness and flash, and heavy on honesty. Slang doesn’t play into his verses much and he’s consistently willing to experiment with different moods and sounds in his beats. (He’s had albums issued by stately indie hip-hop label Rhymesayers.)

On the flip side, Power 107.5 FM’s tastes lean toward bombastic hooks and larger-than-life characters; a cursory look at the station’s recently played tracks turns up Beyoncé, Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj, Wale and Drake. Around the time Blueprint’s 1988 was released, according to Shepard, the two entities butted heads (CON’T).

Word is Blog