Casual fans most likely think of Blueprint as an emcee. More devoted fans, though, know that he’s an accomplished producer as well. He’s released a couple of instrumental albums, as well as producing his vocal albums and for other artists. When he went to release his sophomore solo effort as an emcee, Adventures in Counter-Culture (one of the best albums of 2011), Blueprint included this collection of instrumentals as a promotional item to those who pre-ordered the album through Fifth Element. A year later, he’s released the album to the public for all to enjoy.

While Adventures in Counter-Culture saw Blueprint stepping outside of his comfort zone and taking his music in unexpected directions, Weightless Radio is more typical of his previous work. Coming in at twenty seven tracks and about an hour in length, the album works best as a long-playing listen, letting each track flow into the next. He obviously put a lot of thought into sequencing the record, and you get some interview clips thrown in across the album that give some great insight to the artist without disrupting the flow. Blueprint is at his best as a producer working with midtempo beats, and tends toward slightly darker tones. The music of the record is mostly built on grooves (as opposed to the melodies that built AICC), creating atmosphere, and subtly developing themes. There are occasional samples that you’ll recognize, such as the use of Otis Redding on “1, 2, 3,” or Radiohead on “Red Headed Step Child,” but in those cases he still manages to take it and fit it to his style.

I think Weightless Radio occupies a fairly unique position. It’s not a record that’s going to blow you away, but it was never meant to. If you’re already a fan, I think this album will help give you an insight into Blueprint as an artist, and deepen your connection to him. If you’re new to Blueprint, hopefully some of the ideas presented here will inspire you to dig deeper into his catalogue. Either way, this album is worth a listen.