Blueprint, also known as Albert Shepard, and his other Rhymesayer label-mates, have been rapping for the better part of the last decade.

Blueprint cites this camaraderie as something that has helped shape his music.

Blueprint is one of five acts performing on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. in the University Union Ballroom. Other acts include Atmosphere, Grieves, Bodo and DJ Rare Groove.

While these musicians have not performed at Sacramento State before, they are no strangers to the Sacramento area. During Atmosphere’s, “Paint the Nation Tour” in 2008, one of their tour stops was right here in the River City.

Atmosphere and Blueprint’s relationship on the road started more than two years ago.

“They (Atmosphere) put me on my first tour which was like fall of 2002, I’ve been to Europe with them, the United States at least two or three times, and to Canada too,” Blueprint said. “I’ve been everywhere with them.”

The current “To All My Friends Tour,” which is making stops along the Midwest and down through California, including its stop at Sac State, is an opportunity for the musicians to present some new music to their fans and to embrace life on the road.

“It’s going different places and getting caught up in seeing what every city has, especially like regional, you get to see so many different things. It’s really inspirational,” Blueprint said.

Sometimes, though, inspiration is replaced by the realities of performing live.

“You’re sharing an idea and your soul with people in a live setting and they give you feedback immediately,” Blueprint said. “Everybody gets booed and stuff like that, like at some point in your career, if you haven’t been booed than you haven’t really rapped for real.”

This was the case at one show Blueprint described. He was scheduled to perform in between rappers who were battling each other and those yet to battle, when the crowd became uneasy. He came to the stage and some of the people who had already lost in the battle decided to show their disapproval of his act.

“I got up there and as soon as my DJ started playing records there was just a chorus of boos. Before I even rapped they started booing him first,” Blueprint said. “I got mad and I started challenging people to battle and I got bum rushed on the stage. The crowd went crazy. I did one more song and got out of there.”

“We’ve all come up together so it’s always fun, we’re friends so it’s kind of cool to throw around ideas with one another,” Blueprint said.

With Blueprint releasing his latest, “The Blueprint Who,” and a new album on the way titled “Adventures in Counter-Culture,” Blueprint has plenty of new material to perform on tour.

Blueprint said that much of the new music will be performed on the upcoming tour.

Blueprint not only hones his craft on the stage, he is also an accomplished producer. According to his website, printmatic.net, Blueprint has produced many of his own records. He has also produced for Soul Position and Greenhouse Effect.

Production is something he has always had a passion for.

“You can just be there by yourself and get into a zone. You don’t have to think about what anyone thinks about it,” Blueprint said. “You typically do a better job of it anyway if you’re not looking for evaluation and for people to say, “Oh this is good, this is great.'”

No matter what medium Blueprint may be dabbling in, he said he remembers the thing that sets him and other underground artists apart from their mainstream counterparts, which is the message of the music.

“In our era, that’s kind of what it was all about, was telling a story,” Blueprint said.

Matt Rascher can be reached at [email protected]