Super Duty Tough Work Podcast

While the violence in Chicago has been a constant in the news for the past couple of years, this week it took an unexpected step up in visibility by effecting the lives of hip-hop artist Rhymefest and NBA all-star Dwayne Wade. In times like these, many will look towards the government for help, but we wouldn't be the most infamous podcast on planet earth if we left it there. Instead, we decided to ask the simple question, "What can hip-hop do about the violence in Chicago?" What follows is one of the deepest and most important conversations we've had on Super Duty Tough Work yet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since it's inception, sampling has always been a part of hip-hop music. And, from it's inception, there has always been a troubled and complicated relationship between those who sample and those who own rights to what's being sampled. In this episode of the most infamous podcast on planet earth, we speak about this complicated relationship AND Blueprint gives six guidelines that will help any artist sidestep the Sample Police. Nothing complicated, just some bulletproof tips. Because when the Sample Police come for you, it's expensive and they take no prisoners. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For better or worse, social media has forever changed the world that we live in. In fact, having a social media presence on at least one of the popular platforms has become almost a requirement for any business, artists, or regular Joe. The positive side is that it gives us more access to people and information than ever, but the negative side is that too much(or the wrong kinds) of it can make you want to delete your profile! In this episode, the most infamous hip-hop podcast dives deep into the topic of Social Media Burnout, and tells you how to avoid it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A couple weeks back, a story surfaced about an aspiring rapper from Indiana shooting himself in the face live on Facebook as an attempt to bring attention to his music. We wouldn't be the most infamous podcast on planet earth if we didn't discuss this unprecedented level of fuckery. But instead of just making fun of this guy for his awful decision-making and attention-whoring, we decided to provide ten ways that an artist can promote their music without having to shoot themselves in the face. These techniques are all time-tested, proven, and more importantly, not dangerous! Ignore those guys, and listen to us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the last ten to fifteen years, reality shows have taken over almost every network on television. This recent explosion in popularity has led many hip-hop artists, past and present, to try to cash in on this current trend. Unfortunately, what appears to be a solid idea at the beginning looks much less appealing when you investigate what happens once the reality show has ended. Who better to discuss it than the most infamous podcast on planet earth! Let's go! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a genre like hip-hop, which prides itself on traits like braggadocio and being the loudest, moving in silence is very rare. Unfortunately, the same loud traits that make somebody a successful rapper often come back to bite them. Whether it's their loud mouth getting them into trouble or people around them exposing their secrets to the public, the most iconoclastic podcast on earth dives deep in the old adage that loose lips sink ships! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For better or worse, the night club has become the epicenter of modern hip-hop; a place that you hear referenced in the majority of hip-hop songs. And although most mainstream rappers would have you believe the club is the most amazing place on earth, the stories we've seen in the news this week let's us know that somebody isn't telling the whole story. This week, the most infamous podcast on planet earth talks about the club. We've all been there. Let's dive deep. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As artists who release great music at a high pace, one of the most common questions we receive is, "How do you get so much done?" Well, in this episode of the most infamous (and informative) hip-hop podcast on planet earth we take some time out to explain our philosophies and specific techniques for getting things done. Whether you're artist or not, there will be some great information for you in this episode. Let's go! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are two topics that you rarely hear artists speak candidly about: how they got signed and how getting singed went wrong. Well, in this episode of the dopest podcast on planet earth, Blueprint & co-host Illogic dive deep into both of those topics, sharing two different tales about wanting (and getting) the elusive deal only to find out that things weren't exactly what they seemed on the other side. Lots of jewels dropped in this one. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After missing last week due to Blueprint being at the Soundset festival, the most infamous podcast on planet earth returns. This week we chop it up with co-host Illogic about his upcoming album "A Man Who Thinks With His Own Mind" and chop it up about originality in hip-hop and how its importance has changed over the years. Back on the block! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week's episode of Super Duty Tough Work, the most infamous podcast on planet earth tackles a topic that's rarely discussed by the hip-hop media--responsibility. Is it just entertainment, or are entertainers responsible for their words and actions? And is it ok for us to hold entertainers to a higher level of accountability? There are no easy answers here but, as always, we dive deep and make sense of it all. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Blueprint prepares to release his upcoming Vigilante Genesis on May 27th, we thought it might be a good idea to change things up and have him break down exactly what goes into promoting and releasing music independently in 2016. Things have changed dramatically over the last 10 years and this interview and conversation should hopefully act as a big help to fans seeking to understand the industry and artists seeking to release their own music independently. Illogic interviews Blueprint in this one and lots of jewels are dropped. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's hard to deny that as hip-hop grows larger and larger, more money is being made from everybody involved. Unfortunately, it's also true that where ever you find money, you will inevitably find lawyers and lawsuits--and hip-hop is no different. This week, we discussed the recent rash of lawsuits running rampant in hip-hop. From rappers suing corporations, to politicians suing rappers, Blueprint and co-host Illogic got you covered. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since Birdman's now notorious interview on The Breakfast Club last week, the internet has been full of memes centering around the most memorable line of the brief interview, "Put some respeck on my name!" The entire thing is pretty funny, but the most infamous podcast on planet earth had to take a step back and ask why is it that nobody respecks Birdman's anymore? Why isn't there enough respeck on his name? The answer has very little to do with the interview gone bad and very much to do with a laundry list of things that happened long before that. Blueprint and Illogic dive deep into those ten reasons in this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This morning Blueprint announced that his latest release, the Vigilante Genesis EP, will be released on May 27th and is produced entirely by Aesop Rock. One of the details Blueprint has dropped about the record is that it is a heavily conceptual, story album. So we decided to spend this episode speaking about storytelling. First, Illogic interviews Blueprint about Vigilante Genesis and then we lay down our thoughts on the Top Five Storytellers in hip-hop. If you want to support the Vigilante Genesis project, preorder http://bit.ly/VGpreorder Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With spring in the air and people doing more traveling than ever, the most infamous podcast on planet earth decided to put together a list of 10 Tips that we've learned the hard way in our 15 years of touring and traveling the globe. These Ten Tips will hopefully prevent you from losing your mind, money, and relationships while traveling--which is often the case when you leave your home for long periods of time like we do. This episode is for anybody who travels or is thinking about traveling--not just touring artists. Buckle up. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The topic of fatherhood is one that rarely comes up in hip-hop, unless it is via the many stories about rappers either owing back child support or being absentee fathers altogether. These stories tend to take the focus off the other half of the equation, the mother. In this episode, a fun discussion about dumb rapper stuff transforms into a deep conversation about fatherhood, being denied access to your child, what it feels like when your father isn't around, and why hip-hop journalists cover these stories the way they do. We were initially on the fence about releasing this episode at first since it gets kind of real, but sometimes these rare conversations need to be heard. Blueprint and co-host Illogic get real adult in this one. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We've all seen what can happen when a rapper's attempt at keeping it REAL goes wrong, but this week we've seen a new phenomenon in hip-hop--when keeping it FAKE goes wrong! This week the most infamous hip-hop podcast goes into depth about how It seems to be getting more and more difficult to fake the funk these days. Blueprint and co-host Illogic dive in deep on this one. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hip-hoppers worldwide were saddened to hear the news that rapper Phife Dawg of the group A Tribe Called Quest passed away today at just 45 years old. Instead of being sad, we decided to go dedicate this episode to speaking in depth about what exactly made Phife Dawg and A Tribe Called Quest so special and revered in hip-hop. From our favorite Phife verses, to ranking their albums, to their technical innovations--Blueprint and co-host Illogic dive deep on this one. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As this election year gets into full swing, more and more rappers seem to be endorsing politicians than ever before. In this episode, the most infamous podcast goes into detail about the various types of endorsements and what it means for hip-hop. Blueprint and co-host Illogic dive deep on this one. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices