1988
Blueprint Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Uh-huh, yeah

Printmatic, you know the name
Behind the curtain like the Hunchback of Notre Dame
I'll steal the show then your dame
Dick her down and drop her off in the pouring rain

My mind stays stuck on filth
Black cheerleaders and trying to fuck milfs
It's only cause I got your moms on tilt
You found out it wasn't toothpaste on her quilt

Sue me, I told I was sorry
But Billy Blanks got you thinkin' that you know Karate
You need to know I play matchmaker as a hobby
I can introduce speed knots to your body

You wanna playa hate, we can take it back to '88
My catalog is analog dog, all cassette tapes
And I hope to god that you're a scholar
'ause before I test your rhymes I'm a test your knowledge

Crush any attempts to act brolic
You the kinda dude I used to lift up in college
Hands around your throat like a dog collar
Over some small shit like fifty dollars

You don't want that dude to come outside again
For real, you better stay in the pocket

Uh huh, yeah, hah

I used to be a purist
About the records I've been coppin'
Don't nobody care about that shit unless the beat knocks
Sometimes I'm on some bassline, 808 shit
Now I'm on some old dirty drum-break shit

No denyin'
Most people listen to their music while they're drivin
So the next time you think you've got a classic
Throw it in the ride and listen to it in some traffic

Make sure you roll the windows down
Be honest with yourself about how your shit sounds
Life would be better if more people did that
I wouldn't have to wade through demos full of crap

Too many wack rappers fuckin' up the game
Too many independant acts sounding the same
Poppin' shit on the net to get a name
Give props to each other, sit around and complain

Your whole philosophy is flawed when your top 10
Is full of cats you know and nobody that I heard before
You need to understand I'm not new to this
You rhyme for two bars I know all your influences

And ain't none of them tight
You all need to put down the fuckin' mic




Sounding corny as shit
Stay in the pocket

Overall Meaning

In the song "1988" by Blueprint, he starts off with making a reference to the Hunchback of Notre Dame by saying he is behind the curtain. He then goes on to brag about stealing the show and being able to sleep with someone's girl and leaving her in the rain. Blueprint then talks about his mind being stuck on filth, and how he is always trying to hook up with milfs and black cheerleaders. He even uses the example that someone's mom became interested in him. He then switches the conversation, as he talks about being a matchmaker as a hobby and being able to introduce "speed knots" to someone's body. He ends the verse by telling someone that he can test their rhymes but before that he will test their knowledge.


In the second verse, Blueprint talks about how people no longer care about the records he collects unless the beat knocks, but admits that sometimes he is on some bassline, but now prefers old dirty drum-break beats. He then goes on to criticize rappers for poppin' shit on the internet to get famous and then complaining. He also mentions that people's top 10 list are flawed when they only list rappers they know, but nobody new that he hasn't heard of before.


Line by Line Meaning

Printmatic, you know the name
I am Blueprint, and you should recognize me and my work.


Behind the curtain like the Hunchback of Notre Dame
I work behind the scenes but still steal the show, like the hunchback who lurks in the shadows of the cathedral.


I'll steal the show then your dame Dick her down and drop her off in the pouring rain
I'll impress your girlfriend then have sex with her before leaving her stranded in bad weather.


My mind stays stuck on filth Black cheerleaders and trying to fuck milfs It's only cause I got your moms on tilt You found out it wasn't toothpaste on her quilt
I think about sex with black cheerleaders and older women because I had sex with your mother and left a stain on her quilt that wasn't from toothpaste.


Sue me, I told I was sorry But Billy Blanks got you thinkin' that you know Karate You need to know I play matchmaker as a hobby I can introduce speed knots to your body
I apologize for my actions, but you're acting like you can fight because of Billy Blanks' workout videos. I enjoy setting people up for sexual encounters and could even introduce you to someone who would give you orgasmic pleasure.


You wanna playa hate, we can take it back to '88 My catalog is analog dog, all cassette tapes And I hope to god that you're a scholar 'cause before I test your rhymes I'm a test your knowledge
If you want to criticize me, we can go back to 1988 and battle. My music is old-school and only available on cassette tapes. I hope you're well-educated because I will test your knowledge before judging your rap skills.


Crush any attempts to act brolic You the kinda dude I used to lift up in college Hands around your throat like a dog collar Over some small shit like fifty dollars
I will easily defeat any attempts to act tough. You're the type of guy I used to bully in college. I'd choke you like a dog and make you submit over something as small as fifty dollars.


You don't want that dude to come outside again For real, you better stay in the pocket
You don't want to face me in a physical altercation. Seriously, just stay out of trouble.


I used to be a purist About the records I've been coppin' Don't nobody care about that shit unless the beat knocks Sometimes I'm on some bassline, 808 shit Now I'm on some old dirty drum-break shit
I used to only care about collecting rare records, but now I focus more on making beats that have a great rhythm. Sometimes I use modern basslines and drum machines, but lately I've been inspired by classic drum breaks.


No denyin' Most people listen to their music while they're drivin So the next time you think you've got a classic Throw it in the ride and listen to it in some traffic
It's a fact that most people listen to music while driving. Before you declare your music a classic, listen to it while driving in traffic to see if it still holds up.


Make sure you roll the windows down Be honest with yourself about how your shit sounds Life would be better if more people did that I wouldn't have to wade through demos full of crap
Open your car windows and be truthful about how your music really sounds. If more people did this, it would save me from having to listen to terrible demo recordings.


Too many wack rappers fuckin' up the game Too many independant acts sounding the same Poppin' shit on the net to get a name Give props to each other, sit around and complain
There are too many bad rappers ruining the industry, and too many independent artists who sound alike. Instead of making quality music, they just talk trash online to gain notoriety. They should support each other instead of complaining.


Your whole philosophy is flawed when your top 10 Is full of cats you know and nobody that I heard before You need to understand I'm not new to this You rhyme for two bars I know all your influences
Your belief system is misguided if your top ten list only features your personal friends and nobody I recognize. I've been in the game for a while, and I can tell what artists have influenced you by listening to only two bars of your lyrics.


And ain't none of them tight You all need to put down the fuckin' mic Sounding corny as shit Stay in the pocket
None of those artists are good, and they need to stop making music. They sound terrible and should just stay out of the way.




Contributed by Mason S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

More Versions