On the real, I don't need another reason to argue that Hip-Hop is the greatest of all art forms.

... But rapper Blueprint has given me another by incorporating my second favorite form, the book, into the full expression of his latest work. From paying dues with his crew, Greenhouse Effect (now simply Greenhouse), to running his own label (Weightless Records), releasing his solo homage to a golden year in Hip-Hop: 1988, and being one-half of the MC/producer duo Soul Position (alongside RJD2), (all the while offering a slew of instrumental albums and free EPs), 'Print's work ethic is unquestionable. It's no wonder that it took until just last spring for the second proper Blueprint record, Adventures in Counter-Culture, to drop.

To follow that up, on April 16 'Print will release The Making of Adventures in Counter-Culture, "a necessary companion-piece" that seems anomalous in an age that values quantity over quality. Instead of rushing to the next half-baked idea, he delves deeper into his work, "taking the reader through the creative process behind every song on the album – and describing in rich detail the circumstances that lead to his social commentary, his personal transformation, and [the] album." Complete with lyrics and chapter illustrations by artist Adam “ILLUS” Wallenta, this complement looks to be both very promising and, in itself, another achievement for a tireless MC.

Finally, before you think this is some all-too-intellectual nerd rap, I feel this will be one chapter to which most of us can relate: