Common is still nassssss-teee...please note the B.I.G references. He's silly. Yeah, he has his bohemian, artsy-fartsy side, but he will STILL SERVE YOU. I've seen it in action. He's one of the coldest.
I have liked pretty much every record that he has done with Pharrell and the Neptunes. I have a great appreciation for the early Neptunes' productions and I always thought that Com clicked well within their sound. Here's another knocker from Big Comstradamus...
Naptown's alpha. drops much knowledge about our next president. I like his approach on this; a lotta cats have taken the 'Change' and 'Hope' concepts and worked offa those, but alpha.'s song is kinda like a history lesson...I digs. None of that would mean anything without his ridiculous flow, of course. It's great to see talented brothers using their gift for good things.
J. Brookinz provides the track, the dude has gotten crazier and crazier with the sounds. I'm loving this!
I had a wicked sleep. It wasn't great. Not as deep as I needed
I got up and checked my emails. I logged onto my Myspace and wrote people back. I watched 'Jerry Springer', which I believe is one of the most life-affirming shows on television. (There's no way my life could be that twisted.) I dried off and reached into the dresser-drawer for one of my favorite t-shirts, a light brown t-shirt with a iron-on of Chewbacca that reads 'WWCD?' underneath his picture. Looked in my closet and instinctively reached for my 'Mudkids' custom Air-Max '95's, the pair that started my collection. I slid my shoes on and packed up my computer. I kissed my buddy, Jett, goodbye and made my way to the door. I am looking at my place, and while it is 'home', I don't like it as much as I should. I am thinking about a lotta things. I am moving and swimming, working through an ocean of insecurities and doubts.
I started my car. I waited to hear what I was listening to the day before yesterday. The radio doesn't work and the tape deck is out, which means 'No iPod in the whip'. I have been forced to go back to my CD collection, but it has been a happy accident. It has made it so I am listening to stuff that I had either listened to once and put away or CD's that I absolutely love and haven't listened to in a while. The truck starts, thank God because I sure haven't brought my battery charger in the house in a while, and my voice comes outta the speakers, imploring me to 'Don't stop, don't quit...' I chuckle, back out of my space and make my way to the gate. The gate opens and I am off into the streets of Indianapolis, destination ; Northside News.
I say 'what's up.' to everyone. I know every single person here. The Dude is behind the counter, holding court with Timbo Too. JJ is cooking. Uncle Miiiiike is getting his coffee...and I always ask if he needs a refill before I get mine. Karen is in the corner, learning lines for a play. Buddy just came in and re-upped on his two 'ultra-weenie' American Spirits. Jared, who had dreadlocks thicker than mine is here with his girl. I haven't seen him since the CAC moved its office downtown. He's cut his hair and they are having a baby. The kid looks like a million bucks. He tells me he has moved to Florida. Makes me think real hard.
Seems like everyone I know is doing good in the Sunshine. Chaz. I am so proud of Chaz. I am proud of Jared.
When I see my friends doing well, it makes me feel better.
I am sitting at a table with Heidi, who has one of the best smiles in the world and an attitude to match. She's just a great spirit. She is working on something for some kinda wellness retreat in the mountains of Montana, seemingly a kajillion miles away from everything and everybody. Karen comes over and sits with us and Heidi begins to speak. Heidi always begins to speak; the lady can talk, okay? She's really easy to get to know, because she gives of herself very freely. She saw the funk all over me when I came in and gave me a big ol' hug and shook me by my shoulders. Then she cheesed at me and I cheesed back. I'm feeling better, but I still have so much to think about...
I was ready to sit in the corner and blahblahblah about the rivers and oceans of uncertainty that I have been trying to swim through lately. I just go through this. It's just me now. Things can be great, but contrary to some opinions, I DO worry about my future and I DO somewhat of a plan.
(these joints ain't finished, but they fonkay enough for now...I live this shit)
It's easy for me to lose sight of how good things are and can be. I just do that sometimes and there are a bazillion people like me. I am never alone, when I feel 'alone' and that can be a good thing. And when I wanna be 'alone', I have to make it happen and that can be a good thing, as well. I am truly loved and I know it. This is where I belong and has been for some time...but I am starting to wonder about the rest of the world. I have seen so many little parts of it, one night, one show, one drive-home at a time. As much as I love my Home, I know I can come back to it, should I go. Some of my better instincts are telling me to go. Go somewhere, even if it's only for a while. Test the waters. Follow the Sun.
Where will I go? What will I do? I don't really know the answers to those questions and that may be what has had me in a half-funk for the past two weeks. I just know that my heart is longing to be gone for a while. I can't say that a tour would get it done. I'm really thinking about changes in a big way. I have so many ideas, but I am not certain as to how to implement them in the most effective way. I can make any type of music that I set my mind to make, I rock crowds, I get my point across and I know it by the smiles and the responses and reactions when I do my thang with my team(s). By the end of the summer, I will have two records wrapped, ready to go and will be headlong into creating the next one, whatever it is. This I DO know. Now, what am I gonna do with all this work that I have put in? The hours and hours of writing and re-writing, the nights in the studio with SPStar, the rides around town listening to this stuff over and over again, the video shooting, the nights spent editing, the communicating with two-three teams of musicians, the emailing...all of this shit, man. Damn.
Sometimes, I wonder why God picked me to be this rapper. I'm so thankful for my gift, but it's a double-edged sword. I've sworn to 'keep it real' and the reality is I think too damn much. I worry and worry. I sweat shit and internalize it. I still think like the kid that was beating on tables at lunch to serve you in front of your boys and your girl, but I also know that that kid is a lot older now and needs to talk about other shit. I'm hoping the message is still getting across; it seems to be. I suppose it's working, I believe in Us.
I've never thought about my future as much as I have the last two weeks. Everyone has to do it at some point. You just have to make sure you are moving forward in the present. I'm trying to push the pace some, I guess.
tick tick tick tick...
ticktick, ticktick...
ticktickticktick...
Time don't stop, so why would you?
Here's the Mayor. I love that dude. He's got some pics of me that I really want...and Heidi is back. Jared and his girl are headed out, as is Karen...I'm here with Heidi, tapping away, working my way towards SOMEthing and 'happy'. Again.
As a kid, I would go to my 'cousin' Kris Cerola's house a lot. We'd spend days doing all sorts of creative stuff; burning army men with rubber cement ("NAAAA-PALM STRIIIIKE!!"), torturing his bulldog, Rocky, with the call of "Where's your freds? Where's your freds, Rocky?" (that dog would lose his MIND when you said that. I still don't know what 'freds' are.), you know...typical preteen mayhem, but nothing too bad. Nobody got hurt.
We also look through Ms. Cerola's (now Mrs. Gilfoy's) records and art magazines and stuff. She was a graphic designer. There are all sorts of images I can never get out of my head that are uniquely 'Cerola'. There are records that I know I saw and heard for the first time at their house. Mrs. Cerola had Jean-Michael Jarre's 'Oxygene' record and the cover would have one think it was some rockin' shit or maybe it would sound like Yes. It was actually some of the first truly 'electronic music' I had ever heard. (I'm actually gonna go back and listen to his stuff some more. I am sure I will find the roots of a lotta stuff I dig now in it.)
Sounded like bleep and bloops then...now, I think I hear what Mama Sue heard. Kinda bad-ass, huh?
Also at the Cerola House, I discovered George Carlin. We KNEW we weren't supposed to listen to that album, same way we weren't supposed to listen to the Richard Pryor records I'd sneak outta my Uncles' collection, and that made it that much funnier. Now, a lotta the concepts may have gone over our head, but man, was this hippie funny. We could just look at the covers and know there was something good in there. We felt like we were in on something great. Two goofy kids listening to the 'Seven Words You Can't Say On Television'; we didn't understand that George Carlin was making a statement about censorship and morals. We just heard this cat doing these voices and cussing up a storm. We knew we could get in big trouble just listening to it., but we had no idea as to how much trouble Carlin had gotten in for performing it. It's landmark, culture-shaping stuff.
Here is the original 'Seven Words You Can't Say On Television'. Just listen to his FLOOOOW....the dude is absolutely incredible...
ummm NSFW, of course
Comedy will never be as dangerous and so well-thought out. It's too easy now. You got the Youtube, you got the cable tv; kids don't hafta search hard and they are easily impressed. Now, you can film yourself getting hit in the balls and become famous.
Kris and I thought started out listening to bad words, we had no idea we were getting a lesson in the ridiculousness of the idea of 'bad words'. As I grew up, I continued to watch and listen to George Carlin. I love words and I am sure I developed some of that love listening to his work, especially his HBO specials in the 80's. He just had a way of playing with words that has definitely informed my rapping.
I would be remiss to forget that I read his book 'Brain Droppings' while I was in Gary helping to plan my Father's funeral. Helped me way more than 'The Celestine Prophecy' or 'Chicken Soup For The Soul' woulda. Me and George, we click.
You know, I don't cuss much on my records and in my writing, but this blog is for George...and the dude went to the wall for the freedom for all of us to say what we want...
I guess Weezy realized that some of the random stupid shit he was saying wasn't doing as much good for him as the Music. The kid can rap, aight? Let's stick to that for now, cuz he is really good at it.
This is the OFFICIAL remix of 'A Milli'; just got this joint a second ago...
...and I am not a hater, but I cannot stand to see anyone front at playing guitar. Lauryn Hill pulled that crap with that 'Unplugged' piece-of-crap she did, knowing damn-well she had a mastery of MAYBE three chords. Nine minute song, maybe two chord changes.
Weezy's guitar-playing has always made me cringe. It's as if he doesn't listen to the key of the song and plays the lead riff to 'Leather So Soft' on EVERYTHING. Somebody has to let him know, man. You mean to tell me there is NO ONE around this dude that can tell him he is off-key?
Here's the new joint from my man, Hum. V from the Cleptoz. Nice li'l video, y'all. You can see that they took some time with this one and the little versions of those dudes are too cool. I ran into Hummer at MoJo's when they were storyboarding this joint. Looks good!
Peep it...
The dude is going for it...but I have told him about these long-ass fade-outs!
Today is Father's Day. My Dad has been gone for a long time now; you'd think I would be over it or would deal with it better. I ain't. I trick myself all the time, saying that I can deal with the fact that he's gone, but there were a lotta questions left unanswered and a lotta issues unresolved.
I get so fucking mad when I think about how my Dad died.
Alone. Stupidly. Needlessly.
I've been spending a lotta time alone lately, but not for the same kindsa reasons my Dad did. I am very seriously looking at my Life and trying to see some kinda future. I don't believe my Daddy was able to do that. I think he felt like everything good was behind him, but I was right here praying and waiting for some kinda miracle, some kinda hope to jump into his chest to make him see that I was rightfuckinghere. We were all right fucking here and we all loved him. Shit.
He didn't have to go.
Decisions my Father made and things my Father taught me in the '70's have been affecting me my whole life and will continue to affect me my whole life. I don't know if he realized how much power he had or how impressionable I was; I really thought he was Superman. I believed in Superman until I was in my teens. My Dad would risk his life to save strangers, so the fact that he didn't have the same kinda love for himself will always bother me. He still has some of that superhero aura to me, however I am old enough now to know that there ain't no Superman and if there was, he STILL has to stay away from Kryptonite. Superman woulda been smart enough to know that.
From a distance, it was so easy for me to fill in the holes with tales of how good he was doing. The last visual memory I have of my Daddy ain't great. Firstly, it was on a day that shoulda been absolutely beautiful and the sight of my Dad shocked me. While I was glad to see him, he looked like shit. His hair was unkempt, his clothes were ruffled, he looked swollen. He didn't look like my Daddy at all, but I knew it was him. I hadn't seen him in a bout two years at that point. I didn't even know if he was coming, so I was genuinely surprised to see him. I was just as surprised by his appearance. My Dad was always sharp; a good dresser, awesome frames for his glasses, great haircut. This dude who looked like he hadn't seen a barber in months (and didn't seem to be worried about it) couldn't have been my Daddy. I saw that cool-ass walk though and I knew damn well who that was.
"THAT'S MY DADDY!" I didn't give a damn how he looked. He made it. I was overjoyed.
I was in a room upstairs, staring outta the window at my Old Man when he was strolling in to take his seat. I tapped on the pane with my keys. He looked up and I saw my Daddy's beautiful hazel/grey/green eyes, the eyes I was always mad that I didn't inherit from him and my Grandpa Doats. I waved like the little boy that used to wait by the door and listen for his car to pull up to take me away to 'wonderful, magical, Gary, Indiana' when I was a kid. He didn't have on his glasses. My Dad always had some playa-playa glasses, dark-tinted lenses, great taste in frames. I believe he did that on purpose cuz when he took his glasses off, he could look you in the eye and take your breath away.
I think it was the element of surprise when he removed his glasses that he dug, at least I woulda dug that.
That day was supposed to be the start of the rest of my Life, my next phase of this beautiful Life. Everything was in place. Everybody was there to see it happen. My Mama and Daddy were together in the same place for the first time in years. I have two pictures of them together from that day, the last day I saw my Father alive. The last time I saw my Father's eyes.
She loved him like she loved no one else in her life, I know that. She told me. She also told me that the best thing to happen to her was me and he was obviously a part of that. We were always so thankful to have each other. She always knew how much I loved her back. I went outta my way to make sure she knew that. We were each other's 'rock'. I would do anything for my Mama. ANYthing.
Three weeks after that day, my Father was dead. Dead in the crib, alone. Stupidly. Carelessly.
I love the shit outta my Daddy, but distance, time, and some really bad decisions he made, made it so I couldn't show that same love for him that I could show my Mama. I couldn't offer everything that I wanted to willingly. And I sooooooo wanted to, dammit. DAMMIT.
I don't like Father's Day, because I never had a chance to show that love, especially on this day. And I never will get a chance. My Dad is gone, man. We never had a real 'Father's Day breakfast' or nothing like that. I think of my Uncle Bebe and remember all the driving back-and-forth he did from Atlanta to Gary, checking in on his Daddy and eventually moving him to Georgia when it was necessary. I think of how highly he spoke of his Daddy and how highly I speak of my Daddy, still, even when I feel like I feel today. Even when I feel like he really fucked-up big-time and Father's Day is gonna bug me forever.
I am so my Mother's Child, because while I am mad as hell at that man, I love him so much that I can't let go of some things. It's the accepting that is killing me right now. I accepted the fact that he and I were always gonna have differences. I have accepted the fact that he came with a lotta baggage and problems. I am having a hard time accepting the fact that we'll never ever ever ever get to work on them. This is the one day a year where I am gonna sit here and be hurt because I earned it. I worked for every tear. It's my own fault; I sold myself the dream that I was gonna, at some point in my adult life, get to spend incredible quality-time with my Daddy, like Bebe did.
It was gonna be good, I knew that in my heart. It never happened and now it can't.
7 years of this shit, man, every Father's Day. I wake up with nobody to call, no card to buy, no tie to match with a shirt. Uncles count, though. I got mad friends with kids. I stumble my way through the holiday, but the sting of his absence is omnipresent. My memories of the last time I saw him bounce around my head. I am grateful for all the Great Men that have been in my life; I've had a excellent support-system, from Great-Grandfathers to Uncles, that have filled in so many gaps over the years. I'm so thankful, truly.
But, I ain't named after them, I don't look exactly like them, I don't have their mannerisms and quirks. My Dad's blood courses through my veins, fiercely. I am constantly reminded how much I remind people of him. I sound like him, I laugh like him. That's my Daddy and I will never get a chance to let him know exactly how much I loved him.
I am so my Father's Child and there is nothing that can ever take that from me. I'm hurt as hell, because I love my Daddy and he ain't here. I am reminded of that every time I look in the mirror and see my Mother's eyes missing him, but today is the day that it hurts the most.
Slug and Ant, thank you so much for this album and this song...there's millions of Us out here.
I really miss you, Daddy. I love you, Daddy. Happy Father's Day.
Beta Male is one of the most exciting new bands I've seen in a while. P. David Hazel is a phenomenal songwriter with a stone-cold sense of melody and structure. He's also a nice as hell dude. I was trippin' when I saw their stage set-up; Dave sets up in the front with his drums, the guitar and bass play the back and these two badass rockin' chicks man the keys on his side. I knew when I saw them that they were on their own thang.
Beta Male also employs the talents of his lovely wife, Allison, as well as the legendary Vess Ruhtenberg, Tyler Bowman, and Jess Hack. I hate to write that they sound like 'this-meets-this-band'; that style of rock journalism is so tired to me. They don't look like NOBODY, they sound like 'BETA MALE'.
Beta Male has an good-size 80's influence, but what they do is wholly modern and wholly their own. Allison brings showmanship to the stage as well as anyone I have seen before. She rocks the whole time, talks some good shit between songs, and is behind a lotta the way that the ladies in the group are represented visually, as well as sonically and socially. She's a strong lady, yo. I've told her that she has a 'Bowie-esque' quality; very chameleonic and charismatic, but she is also quite the provocateur. Jess is like her quiet, stoic counterpart, bookending cool Dave. It's an awesome look and sound, to be sure.
Really feeling this jammie-jam here. I had to wait to get the okay on it before I posted it. I had a previous mix of this record, but I had to wait to get the final version. I told P. David that I wanted to feature them here and I would be using IMEEM to post their joint. The next day, my man had an IMEEM account too...and here's that good shit I was talking about.
I have always said that any group with two or more family members in it is worth listening to. Here's further proof. Their full EP is available online at iTunes, get that shit NOW.
BETA MALE - 'Husband's Girlfriend'
...and I owe these guys a video appearance...fucking pneumonia, man. I WILL make the next one, yo!
Usually, you can depend on a pretty good mood from me. I try to keep the cup 'half-full'. Lately, the cup has been empty. And it seems to wanna stay that way.
I am so sick of working my ass off just to pay bills. I am really tired of it. I thank God every day that I have no children, because there is no way I could be 'Me' and take care of a child right now. I would love to have a baby one day, but I don't know when that day is. I don't realistically see my life slowing down anytime soon and I don't know if my 'Big Break' is ever coming, so I am not in any position to bring a child into this world. I've committed myself to this Life, this career; I am doing everything I can to live it out. I'm getting to a point where the belief I have in myself is starting to wane. I know it'll come back, but it is what it is right now.
I'm keeping it so real with you right now, it hurts.
I have never been the one to want anything I haven't earned. I don't want anyone's hand-outs, I don't want anyone's pity, and I damn sure don't want anybody to give me anything that I haven't earned. I want to be accepted, respected, appreciated, and loved for who I am. I think those are the most basic of human needs, right there with 'food, water, shelter'.
"There's gotta be a better way, Russ."
What more can I do? Am I to just say, 'Fuck this', cut my hair and get a 'real job'? I KEEP real jobs all the time...and it STILL ain't enough. I can't even rationalize putting the group(s) on the road right now, because the cost of traveling (gas, food, lodging) is so outrageous. We do alright wherever we go, but this recession (yeah, just go ahead and call it what it is) is kicking my/our ass. We've had to scale back so many plans. It's really fucking frustrating. We're trying to get back into markets that we know where we KNOW we kick ass and even THAT has to be considered seriously.
...and this is what I am thinking about before THREE shows, in town. I am always a month ahead. I am already figuring out Forecastle (which will be TOTALLY worth it...them Spank Rock cats, Tortoise, Z-Trip, Margot, "M-E-T-H-O-D Maaaaan!" AND Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is speaking? Hecky yeah...click that link and get yo' shit together for July 25-27 cuz Louisville is gonna be RED-HOT!)
I've done my thing independently for all this time. Am I spinning my wheels? Jeez, I mean, the MUDKIDS are recognized as truly upper-eschelon shit; why are we talking about this? Shouldn't I be talking to you about release-dates, shows, and plans that we have to take Indy with Us whenever this thing finally jumps off? Shouldn't I be telling you how excited I am that we are almost finished with this album? Shouldn't I let you know that, including 'Lazarus' (the album) and LAZARUS (the Band), I could possibly have THREE full albums ready to go by year's end, not counting the collaborations I have been doing with s.a.i.n.t. RECON and anyone that wanted to send me a track.
When have you paid enough dues?
I have no idea. I wish I could say that I knew, but I don't. I try to lead by example; I go to as many shows as I can, even when I am flat-broke. I clap my hands and dap the bands when they come offstage. I started this blog with the specific intention of NOT just talking about myself, but spreading light and shine to some of the incredibly talented people I know. I have been this close for a long time. "'This close' to what?" is what I am trying to figure out.
I remember a friend of mine asking me why I stayed in Indy and didn't try to 'make it'. It truly pissed me off, because I have been trying to 'make it' for as long as I can remember. I'm still trying to 'make it', which is what kinda pissed me off. Here we are at a show, you just paid money to get in and hear me and all these wonderful Artists and you are asking why I haven't left, as if I haven't been trying this whole time from here? Look, I love this City. I love the people. My family is here. I love my Hometown. The reality is; My Mama was a big part of why I wasn't leaving and now that she is gone, I almost feel as if I owe it to her to get out there, wherever 'there' is. I can have hard-times anywhere, yuh know? There might as well be constant sunshine, wherever 'there' is. And maybe when I get 'there', I'll 'make it'. Maybe I'll never get 'there' and maybe I'll never 'make it'. Maybe I have 'made it' and this is as good as it's gonna get and I should accept it. There were so many things that she wanted to do, yet never had the chance to. I let her Spirit live in Me, happily. I try to take her joy into the World. My Mama was so talented and charismatic; she'd simply light up a room with her laughter and her smile. I swear, I try to carry that with me every day, even on super shitty days, like the ones that have been so frequent lately. My Mama told me never to stop. I'm making good on that. (I tell people that we're 'jazz cats', I don't see myself stopping...ever.)
...but, I want more. Lots more...and eventually, I will NEED more...
I guess I have been trained to be thankful for everything I do have. I am. I am happy for my truck with the battery that needs to be replaced, I am happy for my little home and my little dog. I am so thankful for my friends and family. Sometimes, I am just thankful that I can sit here and bleed this shit outta me. At least I have a creative outlet; I don't know how many people read this and download the music I put up, but it does feel good to tap away at this keyboard and try to figure things out.
Here's the facts; I am as driven as anyone I know, and when I feel like something/anything is slowing me down, I push that much harder. I simply will not give. I ain't no quitter. I am dying to show the world all I know and have learned, all the stuff I have worked on for years, from MCing to DJing (look at all these dang mixes in this blog!), from working in television and radio to shooting and editing videos, from writing (duh.) to ringing up your merchandise. We have made all this noise for all these years by our-damn-selves. We could probably stand a little help. There are people that I miss, but we're moving forward. It's wearing on me today. I know that help is on the way. "I Believe, I Believe, I Believe, I Belieeeee-eve (Ikeepremindinmyself"...WADAPLU IS COMING!)
What's that cliche'? "Pressure busts pipes or makes diamonds"? I'm trying to make these diamonds, man; but the pressure is in the pipes right now.
(PS - 'HIGHER', our third album, is recognized by a lotta people as our finest work ('Upward' is still my favorite). The three songs inside of this blog are from that album. It was released by a (now we know) crappy, shitty, 'didn't-even-try' independent outta the Bay Area called 'Stray Records' that promptly folded within months of its release. Check the stats on what sealed copies are going for online...and guess how much of that money we see...or have ever seen. I have been watching this shit like the price of gas; 'The Wolf' is at the ready.
Could be the rarity of the record, could be that it's considered an 'underground classic' in some circles. I just know this; I can't sit by and continue to watch these people profit from our work and NOT give you the option of paying absolutely NOTHING if you want that album, because that has been our compensation for it. I've had it up on another site for a while, but I am gonna hook you up right here, right now. Send your friends...)
Album:
MUDKIDS - 'HIGHER'(FREE DOWNLOAD) [zshare] - Click it and GET IT FOR FREE!
Here I am bitching about bread and the cost of living while I am giving away our best album...Irony, anyone? At least I feel better than I did when I started writing. I guess that was the whole point.
Take the power back. Diamonds, bitches. We rock on...until.
I've got a few shows this weekend. What is interesting about this is that this is the first time I have had a chance to do ALL my thangs in the same week.
Tomorrow, Friday the 13th, I will be rocking the set with LAZARUS at the Melody Inn. I'm geeked about this; we haven't played since April and this set should be fun. I really enjoy the Mel; it's got that 'old rock bar' thing down pat. It just LOOKS like the place to take great band-shots. The crowds are always lively, the beer is cheap, and the sound is surprisingly awesome for such a small room. I've never actually played a show there (that I can recall off the top of my head), although my man, Ahmski, and I did host the first MC Battles there (The 'Melody Massacres', where many a great MC was knocked down a peg or two and many MC's came to realize their true potential) I have always wanted to play a ROCK show at the Mel; tomorrow, it happens.
(side note: Ahmski (Ahmed) is an absolutely SICK rapper. He was in a group called 'Play Cuzinz' with another unbelievable cat named 'Zone'. I have some of their demos, but they ain't in this computer; once I get them uploaded to IMEEM, I'll post them. To this day, I'll tell you that I believe that the 'Play Cuzinz' is one of the illest groups I have seen around here. I only saw them perform twice, but they were stellar both times. Check for them.)
After the LAZARUS set at the Melody, I'll shoot over to the Tip-Top Tavern for a set of my solo-material. I've performed in this room once before and that time sucked. I am sure that tomorrow will go much better, as they are under new managment, have updated the sound-system, and gotten rid of some of the miscreants that were on staff. There have been some bad-ass shows there in the last month or so. I'm really excited to get an opportunity to play this stuff, but the idea of being onstage by myself is rather daunting. I've always had somebody up there with me. Tomorrow night, it's all on me; I DJed the set, I've gotta put in this work to memorize it and get it right in my head. It's kinda stressful, to be frank, but I am ready to rise to the challenge. Dammit, if you want people to know what you are doing , you hafta go and DO it, in their faces, and you better damn-well hold your own. I will.
Saturday morning, I cannot afford to hit the 'snooze' button. MUDKIDS will be opening the Independent Music and Arts Festival at the Harrison Center for the Arts. We play at 11 a.m., which is far from a standard hip-hop 'wake-up time', but we will be raring to go. DJ Helicon and I will be playing a set heavy on new material from 'We Are Dynamic And People Like Us' and with the early start, bringing the kids is definitely an option. Yuh know we'll keep it clean for ya.
I hope to see y'all at one of these events...Don't forget the BLACK SHEEP show at SPIN, Thursday, June 19.
Man, I tell ya what; I needed this gorgeous day we had here in Nap today. Not too hot, not too cool. There are still chainsaws buzzing and my power was actually out last night for about a half-hour, but today was really nice.
I kinda miss that tree they had to get outta here. Now, when I come around the bend to get into my section of the joint, there's no shade. I got hit in the face with a big blast of sunlight today. While it felt good, it temporarily blinded me right before the turn; kinda dangerous. Note to self; 'Gotts ta keep the shades on coming into the spot during sunset hours.'
As far as this mix goes? I started out just wanting to use songs that remind me of nice weather and good vibes. I picked a few joints for the crate. Then I typed the keyword 'SUMMER' into the search engine...
"Hmmm? YEAH! I like all those, I'll make it work!"
This is what I came up with...you can just listen...
'Summer' - Mudkids 'Summer Madness' - Kool & The Gang 'Summertime (UFO Remix) - Sarah Vaughn 'Sun Goddess' - Ramsey Lewis/Earth Wind & Fire 'Love To Love You' - Donna Summer 'Summer Soft' - Stevie Wonder 'Never Dreamed You'd Leave In Summer' - Stevie Wonder 'Cruel Summer' - Bananarama 'Summertime Blues' - Blue Cheer 'Feel Good Hit Of The Summer' - Queens Of The Stone Age 'Summer Breeze' - The Isley Brothers 'Tuttifrutti Summerlove' - Gunther
"Bananas, Melonas. Yeah, it's a red-hot Summerlove..."
Make it a beautiful day. Blessings and Peace to you and yours.
I've been hyped about this cat since Kayo put me up on his EPK three weeks or so ago. We've struck up some cool conversations on Myspace and I am telling you guys this now....
Jonathan Frost got next...the dude's music is remarkably catchy; nostalgic, yet futuristic. It really defies catergorizing and his EPK is getting mad blaze on YOUTUBE...I got this MP3 from him today and you WILL be hearing me bump this in the club.
Here is the EPK that helped me get started writing this blog...
Man, it has been raining like crazy here. It's a weird weather pattern, an inconvenient truth perhaps? The storms that have been coming through here have been outlandish...check this out...
Wicked winds, stinging rain,.downed trees, power-outages, horrible vision, lightning THIS close; you'd hafta be half-nuts to be out in this stuff when it gets going. I came home from this trip to the stand and there was no power in the crib.
This morning, I woke to find a HUGE tree knocked down by my home, roots and all. I didn't even hear it come down and this tree was massive. There was nothing but buzzing chainsaws and wood-chippers in the lot and they were loud. REALLY loud.
I countered with some tunage...and I will happily share it with you. You might as well celebrate having electricity. Use your 'power' wisely.
MP3: RUSTY REDENBACHER - 'ELECTRICITY AND GASOLINE' [zshare] (Yo, at least HERE, the 'ELECTRICITY AND GASOLINE' are free and working.)
'God Almighty' - Old Gold 'Break For Love' - Raze 'Get Innocuous' - LCD Soundsystem 'Deep Throat' (Sebastien Leger Mix) - Claude Von Stroke 'Control I'm Here' - Nitzer Ebb 'Supernature' - Cerrone 'Crocodile' - Underworld 'Twenty-One One Zero' - Phoenix 'Cymbal Rush' - Thom Yorke
I gotta lotta love for the cool weirdos...because I am one.
Crispin Glover is a complete oddball. You could NEVER say you knew what was coming when dealing with him. He has been responsible for 'Jokes That Stick', some classic 'HUH?' quotes and moments, and visual memories that will never leave my head. When I heard he was gonna play the title-role in the remake of 'Willard', I thought, "But, of COURSE!"
Which got me to thinking about watching that cat on Letterman. I remember this like it was yesterday, watching it with my Grandma. She didn't get it and neither did I, but boy, I never forgot this shit. CLASSIC TELEVISION. Dave Letterman is the GREATEST. (BRHS in the joint!)
"You wanna have dinner with the guy?"
My friend, Tony, posted this clip on Youtube. I ACTUALLY BOUGHT A PROMO OF GLOVER'S TAPE AT HIS STORE, 'SECOND TIME AROUND'!
...and then there was Lane from 'River's Edge'; how was THIS guy the 'leader'?
I had never seen this, but when you do, it makes the Letterman clip make that much more sense....or maybe it doesn't. God Bless Youtube
Y'know, I kinda like Paul Pierce, but I think he was faking like a mug. Man, they picked this dude up and took him off the court in a wheelchair...and he is back on the court within minutes. C'MON...
You say you hurt your knee....I don't believe you. You gettin' carried off...I don't believe you. You hit two straight 'threes'...I don't believe you. You rollin' on the floor...I don't believe you.
His so-called 'biggest competition', Casino Drive was scratched from the race.
He was one of the biggest favorites in the Belmont Stakes ever.
His hoof had a crack in it, yet his trainer was still telling people that his winning was a "foregone conclusion". He had also said that said 'biggest competition', Casino Drive had "no chance". More than $5.5M was bet on 'Big Brown'...WOW. 1-4 odds, yo.
I don't claim to know a lot about horse-racing, but I do know when someone's mouth has written checks their ass can't cash. Dude is on TV, sweating like HE ran the race. Look like he STANK!
MUDKIDS - STOP! (DON'T QUIT) (RUSTY'S WEST COAST REMIX)
The track for this is something that I did with my friend, Benelmo. In the Summer of '04, I was interested in learning a bit about making beats and Ben was cool enough to sit and work with me. I have no musical training, other than whatever it was I received in school. Ben can play anything; so if I had an idea, Ben could play it if I could hum it. It ended up that I would actually play the parts and Ben and I would edit them. Ben would be cool and patient enough to let me tap out what I thought I heard in my head. We'd move things into different spots, trying all types of things stylistically and sonically. It was a lotta fun. i hope to make some more tracks with Ben asafp.
I figured there was no point in having these just sitting around, so SPStar and I got together today and knocked this out. I had been thinking of reinterpreting a Mudkids Song; here's what we did today.
Anyone who ever had to watch those stuffy shows on PBS when they were a kid will appreciate this. There was always something breaking up the flow after 'Sesame Street'; some old dingy-looking cat talking about books or history or somethin'. Those shows woulda been a lot more tolerable if they went like this clip.
I stumbled across this clip a while ago. This is the second of the three 'History Today' sketches these cats did.
I woke up excited. The Belmont Stakes and all the hoopla about Big Brown have me ready to watch some thoroughbreds.
I've watched this clip a few times and I find it astounding every time I see it. Rumor has people actually teared up watching this. I've heard it referred to as the 'most incredible individual feat by an athlete ever'.
He just keeps pulling away..."moving like a tremendous machine!" (whatta great call!)
You may never see anything like this again...or you may see something like it today.
Also, RIP to Jim McKay, a legend in sportscasting. Before there was ESPN, we had this...
I don't know NOTHING about this artist, but I sure enough knew how to grab that 'embed code' and get it over here to beat on 'repeat'.
I am finna go look this one up, man. Did I just miss this one? Is that Johnny Depp? Why do I feel like I wanna do the freaky-deaky AND the bow-chicka-wow when he is talking about 'God Almighty'? Can we talk about...'the afterlife'...when we're done?
I just heard this song for the first time and I couldn't stop grooving to it. This is the power of IMEEM! I have been introduced to 'sexygospeltechnobangin' music.
*Note to self; look up this artist IMMEDIATELY and find the MP3*
I have one friend on IMEEM. I just set up my page today so I could add songs to this Blog which is also very young (and you can see I think and write A LOT. My lone IMEEM friend, so far, is one Emily T. (Waddup!) and she had left a comment on the Grady Tate Beatles' cover. I decided that I would check out what she was listening to. This was the song she uploaded today.
Don't get me wrong, friends; I dig The Cool Kids. They do bring something to the table, I'm just not sure of how 'different' it is. It's banging, but a lotta folks don't do the history. There are a lotta kids who would like to stay blissfully unaware. They say, "Oh, the Cool Kids, they're a breath of fresh-air. They don't sound like nobody out right now." Fact is, they don't, but they sound like LOTS of people that have been out for a while.
I was there when all these kids that LOOOOOVE Li'l Wayne and all the stuff coming from the South now would turn their noses up so quickly at anything that wasn't from somewhere north of Cincinnati and east of Pittsburgh. They were NOT buying 'Weezy' records, they were not endorsing that sound and they were not trying to hear it in the club. The only place you were hearing anything that was remotely like that was in the 'urban' clubs. I know because I was there and I was DJing. All the backpackers stayed at home and 'cyphered'. Now, the backpackers have jobs, kids, responsibilities, disposable income, and need something, ANYthing to make them feel alive again. And they missed a lotta this stuff on the first two or three go-arounds. It ain't the Cool Kids' fault.
Now, when I heard 'Stove Top Oven Fresh Based Goods', I liked it and I like it now. All the Cool Kids songs are likeable at the onset; their beats KNOCK, okay? They straight BANG. But, there is nothing ground-breaking in what they are doing and they are not the saviors of 'culture'...if anything they took a lotta old-school formulas and made them LOUDER and sometimes, played with the tempo...
Listen to this...
THE COOL KIDS - 'STOVE-TOP OVEN FRESH BAKED GOODS'
...now check this out...
SILKK THE SHOCKER - 'LET ME HIT IT'
But, I'll bet dollar-to-donuts that if you were to walk up on one of these kids that SWEARS by the Cool Kids, they would NEVER acknowledge the Cool Kids/No Limit/Durty South connection because they know nothing of it. And if you did ask them what Southern Rap they like, my money is on the response being 'Li'l Wayne'. I mean, their dudes are cribbing sounds from Master P's little brother? There is one example, right? Try this on for size...
THE COOL KIDS - 'BLACK MAGS'
Is that a 'screw'ed chorus? Now, this...how soon they forget!
MIKE JONES, SLIM THUG, and PAUL WALL - 'STILL TIPPIN'
I could do this all day. While I do enjoy the Cool Kids and I will continue to, I'll always feel like I have already heard their records, even when I know I haven't. I remeber when the shit that they are influenced by was hitting the first (and second and ...) time AND I remember that there were still cats that the hipsters either don't know about, won't acknowledge, or are too embarrassed that their 'boys' cribbed from their styles to give props to.
Boy, did I relate to this; this was my LIFE for ten years. I am pretty sure that everyone, from the hippest of hipsters to the corniest of corny has had an encounter like this in a record-store. Also, usually Stevie does no wrong, but man did I hate this schmaltzy song. I wanted to react this so many times, but just never could (I actually wanted to keep my job and I'm not a rude dude, man!). Thank you, Jack Black, for saying what I wanted to say to so many people for so many years
It's a real shame that the kids coming up today won't ever REALLY know the pleasure of record-shopping, 'digging', and such; the internet has made things so easy to get to. The kids just make 'playlists' for each other. Release dates don't have the relevance that they used to. On one hand it's a good thing because the power is being snatched from the 'major' record companies and after all those years of ripping off all those artists, I am enjoying watching them scramble to figure out new ways to bring in revenue. On the other hand, there's just too many ways to get to what you think (or what the record-companies think) you wanna hear and kids will never have the joy of 'finding' out-of-print CD's/records. I'd be willing to bet that the average 15-year-old has never played a record in their life.
Wow. The times-they-are-a-changin'. Go to the mall and buy a CD. Noooo, better yet, go to an independent record-store and buy ANYTHING..
You're gonna miss those spots one day, unless you do something about it now.
I discovered this song on iTunes, quite by accident (they can be good for something!) I was searching for a couple of Stevie Wonder songs I didn't have. And I stumbled upon this Grady Tate track.
Everybody and their Mama covered the Beatles in the 60's. There are no shortage of 'Fill-in-the-blank' does the Beatles' compilations. They're GREAT SONGS, you guys. Some of the covers may have been a bit of overkill, and you can get too much of a good thing. There are some covers that are better than the originals.
This is probably my favorite Beatles' song. I had never heard this version. A pleasant surprise for the 'Kid. Check it out...
...and Mr. Tate is still fighting the Good Fight and teaching the kids.
Yeah, I grew up with Bootsy Collins and didn't even know it. He was behind so much stuff I loved as a kid. I had actually 'outgrown' the funk for a minute, or so I thought. Once you really know the funk, there is no way you can outgrow it. In actuality, the funk, like hip-hop, is in everything I do.
In the summer of '88 or so, I was hanging out with Modern Vending a lot. They kinda took me in. I sure loved those dudes. Duncan and I hit it off immediately when we met at Second Time Around, a great used-record store that helped form a lotta what has made me the Artist I am now. The drummer, Will Sibley and I actually toyed with the idea of forming a rap-group called the 'BZeroP'. That stands for 'Bar None Posse'...HAHAHA!!! Toooo good, man. Too good, yo...
We had the hats right, at least. We actually made a tape of us drunkenly freestyling and Will cracked off this line that Coalition ended up sampling for the hook to a song, 'Why Did I Say It?'. (What the...? Who's hand is that...?). During this Summer, I was always wanting to go to Duncan's and listen to records and make tapes, talk about Music and what his band was doing, and drink the cheapest malt-liquor we could find. It was a great time.
I made one tape in particular that I'll never forget. Duncan pulled out a Bootsy album one day and asked if I was hip to it. I was like 'Yeah, that's the one that had the glasses in it." Duncan asked me when was the last time I had listened to it. "Man, I couldn't tell you I haven't listened to that stuff since I was a kid. I'm kinda not into that anymore." Sure, I had been a funkateer my whole life, but I was now listening to...well, "Modern Vending, PE, Sonic Youth, Run-DMC, Jot, R.E.M. and stuff like that, I guess." I suppose I thought there wasn't room in there for the stuff that I listened to as a kid. "Man, I have been there." I was 'growing'...I had no idea as to how silly I musta sounded.
Then we gotta talking about how all the hip-hoppers I loved were just sampling P-Funk. He mentioned the 'NWA Dude' in particular, pointing out that 'Dopeman' was really just a big ol' 'Funky Worm' celebration/rip-off. He said that I should start looking into P-Funk for the samples and stuff. We pulled out all the P-Funk and P-Funk related records..."YEAAAH, man, My Uncle Marc had this one! AWWWWW damn!, You still got the pull-out on the little stand-up figures, man! Play 'Mr. Wiggles'. Later in the day, Duncan told me to listen to the Meters. I specifically remeber him saying 'Man, there's tons of stuff in their records. They're really funky." I had never heard these dudes in my life. I made a tape that day, filled it with the Bootsy songs I wasn't already hip to from childhood and filled it out with about eight Meters songs. I sat there with my friend reintroducing myself to the funk, the Music I waited for every summer. Duncan accidentally made me a 'crate-digger'.
Why would you wanna outgrow this dude, anyway?
My Uncle Marc and I went to see Bootsy about three years after my booster-shot from Duncan. It was one of the best shows I have seen. Two memories; 1) Bootsy played the first ten minutes with his back to the audience...just BUMPIN. He had a sheet over his outfit and he turned around sooooooo sloooooow. When he finally did turn around, he flung the sheet off, and you could see him in his full 'Bootzilla' glory. He was cheesing, the 'Space Bass', awwwww, DAMN! It was awesome....2) After an awe-inspiring, tear-and-gyration-inducing, incredible set, Bootsy starts asking if the crowd can feel him. Everybody in the place is delirious with joy and fonk. Bootsy says he "wants to touch everybody" and puts down his bass. He comes off the stage into the front row and walks through THE ENTIRE CLUB (BALCONY INCLUDED) and touches every single person, while the band just keeps fonkin'. I had never seen anything like it and I haven't seen anything like it since.
As for the Slave/Steve Arrington songs that are in there? They were always one of my personal faves as a kid. Their music always reminds me of the Summer. They always had a Summer jam, with a sick bassline...and my Aunties liked them, too. I originally had made this mix for them and I wanted to share it with you guys. It's just a lotta fun.
MP3; RUSTY REDENBACHER - SUMMER FONKIN' & WATCHIN' GIRLS [zshare]<-Click that and you'll be weak in the knees and yaaaaaba-fonkin' on, bobba.
Playlist
1) Snap Shot - Slave 2) Nobody Can Be You - Steve Arrington's Hall Of Fame 3) Just A Touch Of Love - Slave 4) Weak At The Knees - Steve Arrington's Hall Of Fame 5) Bootzilla - Bootsy Collins 6) Bootsy! Get Live! - Bootsy Collins 7) The Pinocchio Theory - Bootsy Collins 8) Stretchin' Out - Bootsy Collins 9) Body Slam - Bootsy Collins 10) Psychoticbumpschool - Bootsy Collins 11) Ahhh...The Name Is Bootsy - Bootsy Collins 12) Outro - Bootsy Collins
I can recall Monica a.k.a. MVL talking to me about this show when it was just an idea. She had just finished performing at yet, another hip-hop 'showcase' where she was the only 'pop' act and likely the only female performing. I could tell she was tired of it. She did so many of those shows. I cannot tell you how happy and proud I am of her for getting this show together. She is becoming more than just a singer; she's recognizing that there was a void in our scene and she figured out how to fill it. I saw her tough it out with all types of crowds and win them over. I'm excited to see all these ladies, because we simply don't get enough chances to see them.
I am glad to say that MVL has put together a helluva show for you guys. This Saturday night, all INDY eyes and ears should focus squarely on SPIN NIGHTCLUB. If you hear something go 'POP', that's just three baaaad-asssssss sisters rocking the club...and I can't forget that MIC SOL and ACE-ONE will be in the house...yuh just never know...I'll be there, hmmmmm...
I get to be around so many talented people. I really am a lucky dude.
This is Eli Chastain.
Eli's relationship started out with me as the 'new dude at Northside News'. I knew he played in Mardelay, a great indie rock band here in 'Nap.
When I met him at the newsstand, he put me up on his hardcore band, Trenches. (They're fucking FIERCE...).
Then today, he played me this song today at work.
His Myspace profile says he is 'working on the album that will make his Mom and Dad proud.'. He's right. He told me today he was writing his 'Heartbreaker'. 'Dumb Dumb Dumb Dumb Luck' is a good place to start. The kid digs Ryan Adams and John Mayer. I ain't mad, at all.
I really like this song a lot and if I didn't I wouldn't have bothered setting up an IMEEM profile. It's that good...made me get on my game. There is just too much good stuff around me. I am so happy to share it with you.
Here's the new future-hit single from the new dude at Northside News.
ELI LARCH CHASTAIN - 'Dumb Dumb Dumb Dumb Luck' from the album that is gonna make his folks proud.
That DYNAMIC Summer I have been telling people about is well on its way, if today's temperature was any indication.
I think some of what was going on today is what I was thinking about when I wrote this. It's been up on the Mudkids Myspace page for a while. I thought I would give you guys first dibs on the download.
MUDKIDS - 'Summer' from 'We Are Dynamic And People Like Us'(coming soon!)
Click the Song's title and feel the HEAT! Don't forget we will be playing a few shows for our Hometown People...
FRIDAY, JULY 13: LAZARUS is at the MELODY INN! After that I'll be shooting over to the TIP-TOP TAVERN to play a set of solo-material.
...and, of course, you can get with this or you can get with that...THURSDAY, JUNE 19 at SPIN NIGHTCLUB!
That's my man, Dizzy, from The Cleptoz, one of Nap's most popular hip-hop groups. Say what you will, those cats hustle. I actually DJed for them for awhile; loved performing with these cats. They play a tight, high-powered, high-energy, non-stop banging show, they promote the hell outta themselves and they genuinely seem to love what they do. Their show has never lost steam as the years have gone on, in fact it's gotten stronger. They've always shown me a great deal of respect and I can dig it. I got it right back for 'em. I love them dudes. As soon as I get an MP3 of some of their new stuff, as well as the cut I did with Hum. V, I'll post them for you to check out. Some of you may already be familiar with my man, Hum. V, also from the Cleptoz; he's working on some stuff on his own and making some noise on the radio.
Dizzy had this acapella joint he would do during the show (if he felt like it!). I don't even know what it was called, but I noted it the first time I heard him do it cuz it set the crowd OFF. He'd spit bars, all in alphabetical order. First bar = 'A', second bar = 'B', and so on and so forth all the way to 'Z'. People would usually go ballistic when the kid got around the 'JKLMNOP' set, once they realized what he was doing. It was some fly shit. I remember telling Dizzy one night, "Yo, you're dope. You gotta dope voice, now just figure out what you wanna say, cuz people will listen."
It is one thing to hold a crowd with your bangers, but when you truly turn it out with an acapella, you're winning. The cat had people listening. That's the best reward an MC can ask for; when the people freak, you really get it back. The time you spent crafting that verse, promoting your band, and getting your show tight so you don't look like an ass when your fans get there is paying off. You lock eyes with someone and you know they are 'getting it', there ain't nothing like it. Making that connection with a room full of people is an amazing feeling. I still get goosebumps when I can hear the crowd rapping along with me. Still.
Diz stopped doing the 'ABC' joint after a while. I asked him why and he let me know that he was just kinda 'over it'. I am also sure that he probably heard a few people compare his 'ABC' song to Blackalicious' Alphabet Aerobics'. They do share pretty much the same concept. I told him that you can't start worrying about that.
I can't tell you how many times I "just thought of that" when I heard somebody spit it the next day or week. It just happens, man. Ain't nobody about to stop rhyming about 'girls', 'cars', 'money', and what-have-you; people knock heads on concepts all the dang time. Man, do YOU. If the people are feeling it and you are feeling the people, you are doing the right thing.
Dizzy has a new track posted at my man, Romer's blog I'll let you know when my guys are playing next. I wish I had Dizzy's 'ABC' joint so I could post it for you. I don't even know if there is a recorded version I guess you'll hafta go see them live (and if y'all see me in the place, y'all better do that joint for me!). That dude, Dizzy is particularly ill; watch him and tell him to do that 'ABC' shit...
And what? Did y'all forget about Third Bass? I wonder if Gift Of Gab caught the blues from his buddies about Allan. There is nothing new under the sun. This might actually be the reason I still have this CD. It sure ain't 'Pop Goes The Weasel'.
I told you; I stick with my people...but why do I still have this?
We'll talk more about that later. Check out my man, Allan. "NO! Don't try and steal my spot! This is my spot!". I LOVE this track.
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