On October 7, 2003, the Columbus duo of RJD2 (producer) and Blueprint (emcee) dropped their full-length debut album under the name Soul Position, on Rhymesayers Entertainment. The album is called "8,000,000 Stories" and more or less, it's Blueprint and RJD2 just being themselves and going for what they know: real life tales over tight beats. Of course, that previous sentence is drastically understating how strongly I feel about this album but bare with me. I just haven't been able to find a way to convey why it is that I feel "8,000,000 Stories" is so wonderful. So, I'm saying screw it. To hell with a well-formatted, "standardized" review. Here are 33 reasons why "8,000,000 Stories" is great. I'll tie the (inevitably) numerous loose-ends at the conclusion.

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Reason 1:
RJD2's scratches that begin the album give it such a "true Hip-Hop" feel.

Reason 2:
The Intro beat starts everything on a very upbeat and energizing mood.

Reason 3:
"Soul Position, on a mission to rip it from the start
DJs, emcees listen while we make our mark on the art"
**Last words from the Intro**

Reason 4:
There really is no profound purpose for making this album besides to make tight-knit Hip-Hop. In this, Soul Position creates something without pressure or tension but simply for the love, which oozes out of every crevice of the music.

Reason 5:
The "Office Space" sample that leads into F!ckajob. Ya know, the one where the protagonist is with Jennifer Aniston's character, telling her about how he is going to stop going to work? Yeeeeaaaaah - good stuff.

Reason 6:
The extended metaphor on Inhale where Blueprint begs you to inhale his rhymes like drugs. "You won't even need a needle just to put me in your arm".

Reason 7:
Lifting a Roots' hook from "Do You Want More?!?!!!?" ("Just think/What if you could just blink yourself away") and then crafting a really lazy but emotionally accurate song around it which focuses on the attitude of despair that we all can get into (Just Think).

Reason 8:
The absolutely beautiful horns sample in the breaks on Share This. It's just that moment of musical zen where you get chills down your spine from the shear aesthetic beauty.

Reason 9:
Reminiscing to the hundred or so childhood references on the three Canyland Interludes ("Jawbreakers/Laffy Taffy/Lemondrops"), then realizing that they're all said in alphabetical order.

Reason 10:
Not being afraid to embrace the true despair of growing up in less-than desirable situations without glorifying them. See: Look of Pain or Run.

Reason 11:
Blueprint's theatrics. He must go into 700 different vocal expressions on "8,000,000 Stories".

Reason 12:
The breakbeats on Inhale. They are so funky/gritty and pound so well with the eerie synth samples.

Reason 13:
A midwest attitude. RJD2 and Blueprint are what they are; smart but simple men with some sh!t to get off of their chest.

Reason 14:
Blueprint's storytelling on The Jerry Springer Episode. As he goes through the various mishaps involving a girlfriend, you feel as though you are sitting right next to him, as he bugs out. From a bouncer kicking his girlfriend's behind at the bar to his mom hitting her upside the head with a skillet, his stories are both vivid and wickedly humorous.

Reason 15:
"I realize I can't change the world no matter how much I try
But hopefully I can start with you, one line at a time, one rhyme at a time"
**From 1 Love**

Reason 16:
RJD2's gritty side. So often we see RJD2 either being funky or straight soulful but his grit comes through with the guitar samples on Look of Pain and the dramatic strings on Survival - perfect soundscapes for more "gutter" type songs.

Reason 17:
The ability to make a straight-forward banger. So often, emcees and producers these days try to be too conceptual and come off contrived. With songs like the battle cut, Printmatic, or the Greenhouse Effect collaborative jam, Survival, Soul Position proves that they can just make songs that rely on hard-hitting beats and swift-witted rhymes.

Reason 18:
"When I'm alone in my home sometimes I cover my face
Then walk around in circles at a slow pace
It's my attempt to erase the feelin' that I'm standing in place
At my 9 to 5 I teach computers to be clever
So they can replace you and do the job better"
**From F!ckajob**

Reason 19:
RJD2's total instrumental on Right Place, Wrong Time. The beautiful emotion of despair and frustration, in the context of love comes through in the form of a slow, heart-wrenching guitar sample and the point is (literally) driven home with icepick-like sounds which blend with the percussion. It's sort of industrial and so very gripping. When the weepy distorted vocals come in, the total beauty is sealed.

Reason 20:
While most emcees are talking dirty about women, Blueprint is showing out for them. No Excuse For Lovin' is Print narrating tales about a woman he knew who was in an abusive relationship. Most females would think that this is a big step for a mere man to take on but it's a truly genuine and touching account of the omnipresent ills within domestic violence situations.

Reason 21:
The overall product hits close to home. If you can't relate to everything on "8,000,000 Stories", you can probably relate to most of it if you are the average citizen. Draining cubicle jobs are real. Domestic violence is real. Soul searching is real. Funny yet dysfunctional past relationships are real. I could go further but there are very good odds that you have been affected in one way or another by the same things that Blueprint speaks about.

Reason 22:
F!ckajob is kind of rebellious, in a fun, putting a frog in the teachers desk kind of way.

Reason 23:
The hidden track featuring Copywrite and Jakki Da Motamouth where Blueprint spits for a 1:45 on an incredibly hungry battle tip. Lyrics out the wazoo.

Reason 24:
The vulnerability of Blueprint, especially on Share This. His pain and hurt is on exhibition as he shows his willingness to "share this with you" despite how he may be feeling. It's incredibly uplifting when you're feeling a bit down-n-out.

Reason 25:
"I'm not alone, runnin' from fear of cops killin' me
Runnin' from utilities, runnin' from responsibilities
Runnin' from flashbacks and memories
It's funny how we run into the arms of strong women
Then run away when it's time to talk about commitment
...It's sad but it happens all the time where I'm from
Sometimes I wish that we never learned how to run"
**From Run**

Reason 26:
The absolute tear-inducing horn and symphony samples used at the end of 1 Love to close out "8,000,000 Stories".

Reason 27:
The scrapbook theme for the cover art to give "8,000,000 Stories" a real personal feel from the moment you see it.

Reason 28:
The hope in every song that centers around pain. There is a true balance of the root emotions of human existance that are reflected on "8,000,000 Stories". That gives it a more authentic feel; if there was any question whether or not this is truly a personal work of music.

Reason 29:
The way that RJD2 sets the dark tone for No Excuse For Lovin'. The way the bass rumbles from lower to higher pitches drenches the canvas in anxiety for Print to tell his domestic violence narratives.

Reason 30:
The way the album starts you off lightly and as you get used to Soul Position's sound, it brings you deeper into their poignant and introspective perspectives and experiences.

Reason 31:
"The story of my life epitomizes imperfection
As a musical where every scene seems to lack direction
And I stand center stage, stunned by what's happened
Blinded by the lights, camera, action
Although I never asked for this lead role
It seems that God decided a long time ago
I was chosen for this
Given the gift to gain and maintain the crowd's cheers
I break bread over beats with like-minded peers
And share the story of my last trip into the atmosphere!"
**From Share This**

Reason 32:
The lack of guest artists. This record belongs to Blueprint and RJD2 and you never tire of that.

Reason 33:
Every single time I listen to Soul Position's "8,000,000 Stories" I feel good.

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Soul Position's "8,000,000" stories is 100% beats, rhymes, and life. With all of the bases that this album touches, it still comes back to that common thread of existence that we all share. Yet, it's life with an extra layer of vibrance. Your white walls get painted with wine red or lavender. Your plain black suit you wear to work is now pimpin' blue with white pinstripes. Your Mercury Sable is now a Corvette. Yet the walls, the suit, and the car are all still _your's_. Will you agree with the reasons I have given for why Soul Position's "8,000,000 Stories" is great? Some you will, some you won't. The best advice that I can give is to pick up a copy of the album and come up with your own list.

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"8,000,000 Stories"
Soul Position
Rhymesayers Entertainment: 2003

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16 Tracks
68 min. & 2 sec.

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For more information about Cryptic Cradle and his reviews, please click here.

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Written by Cryptic Cradle for Spike-A-Delic Productions.

Recommended: Yes