Ohio producer RJD2 and MC/producer Blueprint join up as Soul Position, and the combo’s 8,000,000 Stories takes the underground’s pole position. RJD2 proves his crusty old soul drums, descending basslines and keyboard samples can sustain an MC over a full-length. Blueprint strays further out lyrically, rattling off the names of cartoons and toys familiar from ’70s childhoods on the “Candyland” interludes, and plumbing the depths of struggle with “Look of Pain” and “Run.” Blueprint’s flexible, appealing voice handles comedy as easily as drama, as proven by the hilarious girlfriend-trouble story “Jerry Springer Episode.”