Blueprint

Respect The Architect

BY Matt BauerPublished Apr 18, 2014

8
Blueprint sounds like a man re-born. The Columbus, Ohio-based MC/producer has made his recovery from alcoholism one of the main lyrical themes on Respect The Architect, and as the backdrop to this personal and musical renewal, he's looking back to the sample-heavy era of early-mid '90s — think the sonic canvas of the RZA or DJ Premier.

Where synthesizers and drum machines dominated 2011's experimental Adventures in Counterculture, Respect The Architect sounds like the proverbial moment of clarity with its minimalist production. Print declares his transformation on the aptly titled "True Vision" with typical no-nonsense confidence. Count Bass D and Midaz the Beast drop by on "Once Again" and Illogic pops up on the swaggering "Bulletproof Resume," but this is Print's show, and the melancholic state of affairs of "Perspective" (which samples Aretha Franklin's cover of "To Be Young, Gifted and Black") and the ode to self determination and resilience of "Silver Lining" are first-rate showcases of Blueprint's story-telling gifts.

At 28 minutes, Respect The Architect is a bit short, but Blueprint's back and at the top of his game.
(Weightless)

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