For those wondering if/when would Greenhouse (Blueprint & Illogic w/ Dj Rare Groove) would be touring this spring, here’s the update. Yes, we will be touring, opening up for Killah Priest of the Wu-Tang Clan. Below are the first half of the tour dates.  More dates will be announced shortly.

Saturday March 20th @ Ruta Maya
3601 S. Congress – Austin, TX 78701
12am-4am / All Ages

Sunday March 21  @ Highland Lake’s Marina (End of SXSW Boat Party)
16120 Wharf Cove – Volente, TX 78641
2pm-8pm / Ages 21+

Monday March 22 @ Limelight
2718 North Saint Marys St. San Antonio, TX 78212
9pm-1am / Ages 21+ Read the rest of this entry »

Rest of video coming soon.  If you haven’t checked out the Electric Purgatory Part One EP yet, download the promo version below:

Thank you!

First, Weightless Recordings would like to thank everybody who has picked up the Electric Purgatory EP so far, especially those who also picked up the Greenhouse Hoody + CD combo deal.  Since spring is arriving soon, we would like to announce the next deal which is a Black & Silver Greenhouse T-shirt (printed on American Apparel t-shirt), plus The Electric Purgatory CD/EP w/ instrumentals, and an 11×18 electric purgatory poster for only $15.00.



Thanks for your Support! And yes, I do mail out all orders myself!

Weightless Web Store

After I posted about the upcoming Blueprint Who EP, I was informed that the link i had to Blueprint vs Funkadelic wasn’t working for everybody so I decided to fix it (so that i wouldnt have to worry about it going down again), and also so that the people who may have missed it the first time around can actually get up on it before i put out the next release in the series.  If you already downloaded it when it came out in 2008 this version I’ve uploaded is at CD quality, as opposed to the lower quality mp3s that were previously available.

http://greenhousecrew.bandcamp.com/album/blueprint-vs-funkadelic

Please take a listen and if you like it please spread the word.  The delux version of the release is available HERE and ships with an 11×17 poster (see above image) and all instrumentals for $7.99. Listening is great but supporting is even better.

Thanks!

Saturday January 30th – Columbus, OH @ Carabar – FREE SHOW
Thursday February 25 – Champaign, IL – venue tba
Friday February 26th – Minneapolis, MN @ The Triple Rock
Saturday February 27th – Madison, WI @ The Annex

Bitch, its Greenhouse! Hope to see you all out!

p.s. as always if you havent peeped the free greenhouse ep yet, download it here

I’ve mentioned this on Facebook and on Twitter a few times before but this is the official announcement and flyer for it. Saturday January 30th, 2010 @ Carabar (115 parsons) in Columbus, OH.  The line-up is Greenhouse (Blueprint & Illogic), Apocalypse Inc, All Eyes Path, and DJ Johnny Cashola on the turntables.  We will also have a bboy battle earlier in the night and debut the “Cold Out Here” music video on the screen there.  If you live in Columbus or the surrounding area we hope to see you all out!

Any requests?  Hit up the comments section and let us know!

Printmatic

Back in 2005 Greenhouse Effect released a record called Columbus or Bust right around the same time that 1988 came out.  Because we wanted to try to get better distribution situation for the record we licensed it to a label called Raptivism records.  Boy was that a bad idea.  Basically, they didn’t do anything they were supposed to do and looking back we would’ve been better off releasing this album ourselves.

Columbus or Bust has been out of print for a very long time (mostly because we didnt want to risk them pursuing us legally) but as far as I know Raptivism isn’t even in business anymore, so we think its high time this record was released properly.  So, in January we will be rereleasing a delux version of the Columbus or Bust.  It will be available for the first time Tuesday January 26th on iTunes, and the delux 2CD version will ship from our site on the 26th.  We will also release the promo version on the 26th.

The delux version will include revised artwork, all instrumentals, as well as a 11×17 poster, sticker, and maybe even some other promo that’s not listed yet.  For now check out the below song to get a taste of what the album sounds like:

Download and help spread the word.

Word is blog

In 2005, shortly after my album 1988 came out, i was on the Scribble Jam tour with my dude DJ Raregroove, Mr. Dibbs, and Glue.  The tour ended in Portland, OR but instead of driving back with everybody else, me and raregroove decided to spend a few days in Portland kicking it and then fly back to Ohio later that week.  Considering everybody else on the tour was gonna be trapped in a bus for 2 or 3 days in route to Ohio, getting drunk everyday and kicking it in portland seemed like a much better option. So we played darts, went out, dug for records, and while i was there i recorded a song with my fellow rhymesayers brethren Grayskul.   The song is called “Blueskul” and its produced by Coley Cole.

It was intentionally slated for their second album Deadlivers, but the song didn’t make the cut.  Considering I hadnt heard the song since i wrote and recorded it (and had never heard a version with Greyskuls verses on it), i was was pretty happy they sent it to me last week.  Either way the song is now 5 years old and since nobody has really heard it i figure i would give it to you all.

Here is a link to the song:

http://www.divshare.com/download/10028499-93a

word is blog

I hate when I’m in an almost empty restaurant and somebody sits at a table that’s not at least two tables away from me.

Even worse is when they sit at a table that’s one table away from me and sit in a direction facing me. It makes me feel like they’re watching me eat, or that every-time I look up I look like I’m watching them eat.

If I go to see a movie at a time when its not busy it bugs me when people sit anywhere near me. I’m a firm believer that if there are less people in the movie than rows in the theater, everybody should have their own row, and one row apart preferably so nobody has to hear anybody Else’s dumb ass comments or have somebody kicking the back of
their chair in an empty ass movie.

The above theory also applies to any form of public transit. Read the rest of this entry »

Fresh pictures of the Greenhouse crew in action.  All photos taken by Danielle Kline.

Click on the thumbnail to enlarge.  From there you can scroll left or right through the album. Read the rest of this entry »

SHAPOW!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wblToK27Nrg

Say word.

Just in case you’re still sleeping, download this shit.  It’s purgatorious.

Word is blog

Here’s the link to the Columbus Alive feature on Greenhouse for those that missed it:



http://www.columbusalive.com/live/content/features/stories/2009/11/26/ca_m_greenhouse.html?sid=108

In the decade-plus since Weightless Recordings began as a street-level hip-hop enterprise, Greenhouse (formerly Greenhouse Effect) has been the label’s flagship group, comprising label head/rapper/producer Blueprint and various other rappers. For Blueprint, aka Al Shepard, it was often an exhausting ordeal.

“Creatively, I had to drive so much of the Greenhouse thing, whereas I think a lot of people just sat back,” Blueprint said. “I couldn’t get dudes to do anything.”

Last winter, after a falling out with last remaining group member Manifest, Blueprint took a step he’d been eyeing for some time, bringing longtime collaborator Illogic into the Greenhouse fold.

Though they had never recorded together as Greenhouse, the pair has a long history. Blueprint produced Illogic’s first two albums, and the rappers have guested on some of each other’s best tracks. It only seemed natural to establish a more permanent partnership.

“He and I have a real similar work ethic in terms of our output,” Blueprint said. “I could sit around and do the production for a whole EP in a week or two. He could sit there and write all his rhymes in a week at work. When we come together, it’s really fast.”

The fruitful collaboration spun out into unforeseen directions last winter while the duo was working on forthcoming full-length Bend But Don’t Break.

“We were getting into the album heavily, and I think I just had a period where everything I was doing sounded really dark and wintry,” Blueprint said. “Usually when I get to that point, I won’t let anybody hear the beats because I’ll feel like, ‘Oh man, this weather’s affecting my sound too much.’ But this time around we just kind of embraced it.”

The artistic detour resulted in the first in a series of new EPs, Electric Purgatory, Vol. 1, to be released Saturday with a show at Skully’s.

They plan to crank out a second volume of seasonal-affective jams this winter and may drop more similar releases in the future rather than expand the concept into one self-contained album. They said they prefer to work in short, focused blasts.

“Most classic albums are short,” Illogic said. “You look at most of the classic albums and they have 12 songs max, usually. EPs are perfect for that. You don’t have time for filler.”

This six-song set is built on ominous strings, gnarly synth blurts and cold, heartless drum machine patterns, a foreboding musical climate that sent the MCs to some of the more shadowy corners of their brains. There’s a distinct feeling of unrest throughout these 28 minutes.

In particular, Electric Purgatory addresses a trusty meta-theme so prevalent in hip-hop: the artist’s struggle to endure and create in the face of hardship.

The Greenhouse guys wisely don’t beat the dead horse of me-versus-the-world martyrdom, but the EP is littered with references to the obstacles facing aspiring artists and the glories of going it alone – consider lyrics like “Waiting on a record deal is like waiting for FEMA,” track titles such as “Never Gonna Make It” and an interlude that declares “99.9 percent of bands never get paid.”

In light of their lyrical subject matter, the rappers had a laugh about how much the hip-hop landscape has changed since they started hawking self-released albums at a grassroots level in the late 1990s.

“When we first started selling tapes, people kind of looked down at us because you could still get signed in that era,” Blueprint said.

Illogic chimed in: “Now people looking at you crazy if you trying to get a deal.”

word is blog

Yup.  You heard it right.  Friday December 11th @ Al Rosa Villa.

Also, tomorrow (Tuesday November 24th), we will be releasing the free version of the new Greenhouse EP, Electric Purgatory Part One. You will be able to download it from here, printmatic.net, weightless.net. I will post the link in the morning and from then it’s pretty much on.

The delux version of the project comes with the instrumentals and an 11×17 poster. Pre-ordering from the weightless webstore right now for $4.99. We also have a deal where you can get a greenhouse hoodie, the cd, and poster for $25.

Word is Blog

Sorry about the delay. Episode #2…

Word is video-blog.

And there you have it.

If you’ve been following any of my updates lately then you already know that I’ve been working on some new Greenhouse material with my Weightless compadre Illogic.  We released the song “Gettin There” last week as a free download, and will be releasing the EP (Electric Purgatory Party One) that this song is featured on in November; the  free version will be available on Nov 24th, the CD version will be in stores on Dec 1st.  But if you live in Columbus you dont have to wait that long.  We are throwing a CD release party on Saturday November 28th at Skullys in Columbus to celebrate this release.

The line-up is Greenhouse (Blueprint & Illogic), Kam Moye aka Supastition, Envelope, and special guest DJ J. Rawls. There are also going to be a couple more special guest appearances that will be on the official line-up, but this is an event that you don’t wanna miss if you live in the central ohio area, so mark your calendars!

Word is blog

For those that have questions about the Greenhouse project that Illogic and I will be releasing on November 24th, peep the above video.  Enjoy and please help us spread the word!

Word is blog.

I figure I would repost this for the people who haven’t seen it yet.  Illogic and I working on “Electric Purgatory – Part One”, in stores November 24th on Weightless Recordings.  Will post a couple more of these in the coming weeks.

Word is blog

As many of you know the first records i ever worked on were as a part of my crew Greenhouse Effect, from Columbus Ohio.  Many things have happened and thru the years the cast has changed, and some people have come and gone.  But since we started out with this Greenhouse shit as the foundation of this the weightless recordings movement, Illogic and I have decided to continue carrying the torch.  We have been working on material together off and on for the past year or so, and will be releasing an EP called “Electric Purgatory – Part One” on Tuesday November 24th on Weightless Recordings.  The EP will be the first in a two part series that will be completely free to download.  The CD version will come with all the instrumentals and a free poster, and available at http://www.weightless.net.

So with that said, here’s a little something we decided to give to everybody as a way to get things rolling:

Download link is HERE

Please help spread the word using the icons below to post to whatever social network you feel necessary.

Word!

My apologies for the lack of blogging over the past 4-6 weeks.  Its not that I dont have things to blog about that i don’t think are interesting, its more that lately all the stuff i want to write about is about music. It’s very rare that i really wanna write about music and share perspectives or philosophy.  I tend to think that me blogging about music can come off pretentious or arrogant.

And the entire reason i have been wanting to talk about music so much is because over the past 6-7 weeks i feel more dedicated to music than i have the entire 7 years that this has been my job.  I literally have been doing almost nothing but music, and have been more happy about doing it than ever.  I honestly feel like such a lucky person just to have the chance to do this job, that when i put things into perspective it made me feel like i hadn’t been working hard enough. 

And as wild as this may seem I can honestly say that for the first time in my career, I want to be great.  I want to do great music.  Not just be dope, have fun, get pussy, make money and all that shit that comes along with doing it for a living.  I really want to commit myself to it, and take it as far as my talent can take me.  But with that ambition comes a LOT of commitment, which is where i am now.  Read the rest of this entry »

On Saturday August 22nd, I will be participating in a producer showcase at Check The Rhyme, a monthly hip-hop showcase in Columbus ohio. If you’re from columbus and want to hear a glimpse into what I’ve been working on lately then come check me out. Its going to be at Cafe Bourbon Street (2216 Summit street).

Peep the above flyer for more info on the event for more info: Read the rest of this entry »

Direct link is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEsSeMCLmXo

My youtube channel is http://www.youtube.com/printmaticmusic. Check it out and subscribe if you can. I’ll try to keep the beats and videos coming.

Word is blog

Had server problems last week that kind of took me out of the rhythm of blogging, but I’m back now. This week i will pick up where i left off. I figure i would start this week off with some music. Everybody has a youtube channel except me, so now I have one. I haven’t quite figured out what I’m gonna put on mine yet, but i figure posting one beat every week couldn’t hurt. So here is the beat of the week for this week:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZ4jkPPRXEM

My youtube channel is http://www.youtube.com/printmaticmusic. Check it out and subscribe if you can. I’ll try to keep the videos coming.

Word is blog

Last year i did a little video for the song “1988″.  It was basically a picture collage of all the significant things that happened in the year 1988 or were poppin in the year 1988.  However the video version of the song is a slightly different than the album version of the song.  I did this to make the song a little easier to perform and to have something special for cats to hear when they come to the show as opposed to how they hear it on the record. Since then I’ve gotten several requests to post this version of the song, so here it is:

LISTEN: Blueprint “1988″ (video version)

Here’s the direct download link:

http://www.divshare.com/download/7840866-633

The video can now be viewed in the sidebar.

word is blog

I would probably have roaches if there was actually food to eat in my house. I think my house is where roaches go only if they wanna lose weight. Read the rest of this entry »

This is a post I made on weightless.net last week with an updated status of my album. I figured I would repost it here for those interested:

Read the rest of this entry »

when i was younger i used to get into fights. not all the time, but from the the time i got into 4th grade up until 9th grade i definitely remember getting into at least one fight per school year, and getting suspended because of it.  the wildest part was that i rarely ever fought anybody my size; it was always a kid who was bigger, and way more brolic than me.  Not that i’m big now, but i was definitely a skinny kid.  being the youngest of four didn’t help matters any either, because i cant remember EVER winning a fight against my older siblings.

i remember my mother used to tell all the time me that my mouth was gonna get me in trouble, and she was right, because almost every single fight i got in was because of some smart shit i said.  whether that was unapolgetically laughing at a joke somebody else told about a kid twice my size, or just mouthing off to a kid that i knew i shouldn’t be mouthing off to, my mouth constantly wrote checks that my fists weren’t prepared to cash. there were plenty of times when the kid who was bigger than me just looked at me as a easy victory because i was smaller too but even then i’m sure i could’ve probably avoided the entire thing by keeping my mouth shut.

at any rate, now that i’ve grown up what i noticed about fighting is that it always involves a great deal of anger and rage; moments where somebody basically loses control and does something to somebody that they probably end up regretting the next day.  so i’ve always felt really uncomfortable with my anger.  and truthfully i’ve overcompensated by appearing more relaxed and composed than i really am sometimes. but all that leads to is not having an outlet to vent that anger in, and anger without an outlet is a very bad idea.

so this december i had the wildest idea to just buy a heavy bag and some boxing gloves.  i set it up in my basement and now whenever i get frustrated with how a day is going or somebody is an asshole to me I just throw on the gloves and hit the bag.  I know you’re probably thinking “al, what’s the difference, your still upset and punching something? and that’s not good”

well here’s the difference. Read the rest of this entry »

On June 25th, 2009 I have been asked to participate in the Content Under Pressure event going down in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Red Bull Music Academy has been putting together some cool events where they bring together producers from all over the globe to exchange ideas and celebrate hip-hop production. Read the rest of this entry »