Blueprint

Blueprint (not to be confused with the Jay-Z albums) is a triple threat: a producer and MC who knows how to entertain an audience. With his mischievous rhyme style and staunchly fundamentalist approach, Blueprint marinates every phrase in old-school flavor. Having already made a star turn on Aesop Rock's Daylight, Blueprint became an underground legend after issuing Unlimited, a stunning collaboration with DJ RJD2 under the Soul Position moniker. He summarized the EP in the first few lines of the title track: Every revolution starts with somebody loud. Having served time for robbery, Raland Scruggs -- better known as One Man Army (not to be confused with the punk unit of the same name) -- is now redeeming himself on the mic. Masters of the Universe, his 2000 collaboration with Senim Silla under the Binary Star moniker, hinted that enlightenment might be the solution to the hard-knock life. His live performances affirm that higher consciousness has little to do with being soft.