A blueprint of beats for Blueprint

In 2011, Blueprint released his second solo album, Adventures in Counter-Culture. Those fortuitous enough to pre-order that album were graced with a free copy of the Ohio MC’s current release, Weightless Radio: A Collection of Blueprint Instrumentals. The 27-track album has just been released to the rest of the world, and features beats that reflect his numerous musical influences. The easy, airy-sounding “Big Dreams” employs the use of a string sample tucked into a looped “ding-dong” set to a steady snare beat. “Red Headed Step Child” elicits an image of the forgotten one of its title gaining attention through irritation. The exasperating mission is accomplished musically via a cacophonous amalgamation of horns, shrieks and electric shocks. It intentionally and effectively sounds how brushing your hair against the grain feels—just not right. “Weather 100,” the closing track, features a snippet of an interview in which Blueprint explains that he wants to take his music “to where none of my peers sound like me anymore.” Based in the tradition of being “original,” hip-hop needs an “O.G.” champion. Blueprint sits poised to bring that title back to the state that LeBron left.