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Although we push our listeners to be as ambitious as possible, we understand that there are downsides to always going above and beyond. In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic break down eight real reasons why some people choose to not be ambitious. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Blueprint sits down with his former Greenhouse Effect partner in rhyme, Ron "Buster" Cunningham, aka Mr. Inkwel about his new book "Unwrapped Gifts" and what it took to write and publish it.   If you've ever considered writing a book, this episode is for you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our first live call in show in celebration of our 300th episode. Live Q&A, Hood Tales, and more... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In last week's episode with special guest Cryptic One, he stated that he didn't believe in inspiration anymore and instead practiced discipline. And although agree with him, we know there are many artists who still cling to inspiration to power their creative output. In this episode, we break down the issues with inspiration and why being disciplined is the better approach. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As one of the founding members of the legendary NYC underground hip-hop crew The Atoms Family, MC/Producer Cryptic One has been a part of a lot of classic material. From his guest appearance on Cannibal Ox’s “Cold Vein” to engineering Aesop Rock’s “Labor Days” he was primed to take a big leap as a solo artist. But a series of bad breaks shut down his label and caused him to disappear for six years. Cryptic One has returned, but with a different focus on production, reinventing himself in a completely different lane. In this episode, Blueprint sits down with old friend Cryptic One to talk about his reinvention and newfound happiness in music.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After Twitter laid off thousands of employees this week, rumors started to circulate about whether the website would survive or go out of business. As a result, many artists, who spent years creating content and cultivating their followings on the platform started to panic, wondering what to do if twitter was no more. In this episode, we speak about the chaos at twitter and why having your own website is more important than ever. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You would have to be living under a rock to have not heard about Kanye West's controversial comments that led to the termination of several brand deals and have likely cost him tens of millions of dollars. As they say, loose lips sink ships. In this episode, we break down how this entire situation could have been avoided if Kanye would have followed a principle we speak about frequently, which is to stay on topic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the internet making the world more connected than ever, it's never been easier to access prominent people. However, this access has also given rise to many people abusing that access in the name of networking. In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic break down ten truths about networking that can save you a ton of wasted time and energy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Despite the rare number of rappers who have been able to turn their passion into a profession, the vast majority of rappers have day jobs. However, it is very rare to hear them actually speak about it. In fact, it seems like they do their best to keep it a secret. Why is that? In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic break down why the majority of rappers almost refuse to speak about their day jobs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Three months ago, we started our annual 90 days of discipline challenge, where we choose three goals and try work at them for 90 days straight. This week, Blueprint and Illogic break down their results and play the voice mail messages from listeners who participated in the challenge. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this era where being successful locally isn't a requirement for success and many artists can get a lot done by themselves, the temptation is to go it alone. In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic break down the benefits of a crew and why being in one might be key to your success. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

No matter what kind of art you create, you will likely have to use social media to bring awareness about it. It is there that you will run into some of the most confusing behavior you've ever witnessed from people. Some are crazy and vocal about your art, while others follow you silently. In this episode we break down the biggest differences between fans and followers so you can move properly out here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a recent interview with The Guardian, Kraftwerk drummer surprised many stating that the same technology that made the group so popular ruined their creativity. With technology playing a larger role in music than ever, we decided to break down what artists can do to stop computers from ruining the beauty of music. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Due to the strong feedback on last week's episode on song composition, we decided to do a follow-up episode with more content for music producers. In this week's episode, we break down 8 more tips for music producers to speed up their workflow and quality of their production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Whether you play an instrument or chop up samples, there will be a time when you feel like your song ideas aren't being produced to their fullest potential. The answer is to tighten up your composition skills. In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic break down ten song composition tips they've learned over their years producing hip-hop, so you don't have to the same time they did. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

No matter what your dreams are, there will be moments when things appear to go off track, and where it appears that you failed. But what if you hadn't actually failed and your dreams just look a little different than you planned? In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic break down the importance of being flexible in chasing your dreams and why you may have already achieved many of them without know it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's that time of the year again, where we challenge ourselves and our listeners to set goals and focusing on achieving them for 90 days. In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic share their goals for the challenge and give instructions for how listeners can participate in the challenge and results show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Having a special talent can be a great blessing, but it can also cause stress if a person doesn't have any outlet for their talents. This often results in them thinking they need to blend into society. In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic break down what many artists have in common with the new Obi-Wan Kenobi miniseries and how they can turn things around. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In sports, the "rookie wall" refers to the plateau that a first year player hits after showing a lot of promise. Whenever we take on a new endeavor, hitting the rookie wall is almost inevitable. In this episode, Blueprint and Illogic break down how to recognize the point where our performances slip and we start to regress so that we can push through it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For people who have been a fan of the show for many years, you remember the original hood tales. This episode is simply that--Blueprint telling a story about a wild winter storm. Enjoy... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices