The MC: September 2011

So! For all the artists out there... I want to know everyone's recording stylo.

For me ... I prefer the room to be dark, absolutely NO ONE in the booth with me, shoes off, one headphone on the other off, a little reverb, but absolutely no echo and an engineer as anal as I am :-D And, I always do my little dancing/jumping routine b4 to get in the zone.

Hehehe. Hit me up and share your secrets! :) As always ...

Micha Ciselle

No lights or low lights is my preference too cos I like to clown around to loosen up. Also because I like to get lost in the song without feeling too self conscious. I want to feel like I'm giving an amped performance to a crowd of at least 70,000 so I have a tendency to jump around on the spot for a few minutes too to get my heart pumping. I visualize a huge stage and roaring people out there, big walls of speakers, bright lights, smoke machines the works. Then I quiet it all right down to near silence. Just the sound in my head as I hum keeping my voice warm (as I should have been throughout, since at least like 20 min before). Now I imagine I'm completely alone. One headphone on to hear the music and it has to be loud with my vocals underneath, one off to hear myself. Please no effects I want my voice sounding as dry as possible. I'm ready...

Who is Kabaka Pyramid? I feel like you need to catch up and go cop The Transition Vol 2 if you don't know. This is one of my favourite partners in rhyme. Introduced to me by, now the 'Angel MC', Rap Brown years ago, when the landscape was lonely for an MC. I still got a CD from him with 'Ronny P. Clarkes, Sea full of madness promo' on my desk right now. I remember listening to it and feeling that 'in too deep bewilderment' like when I first listened to Wu Tang and had to put it down for a while. "I never ready for that!"... neither the rest of the world.

Officially reintroduced years later by TSD & Inztinkz The Beatscientist as Ronny P, he explained to me with Rza and Gza clarity what Bebble Team was all about. I remember that, 'I wan hear everything!' feeling I got like when I was ready for '36 Chambers' and was studying how a crew could be rolling 8 members deep over beats so sick. Blew my mind. He gave me a bunch of Myspace profiles to check including one for Ronny P and one for Kabaka, and thats the joke we always muse over.

Studying the lyricism, the beat construction and choices and then image, I never realised this 'bald head' New York/Kingston streets walking sounding Ronny P was the same consciously chanting/Sing-jay'ing Kabaka Pyramid with him short dreads. It sounded like two different people.

Thats the Unique Selling Point of the emerging Jamaican MC; being Multi Cultural. I realised we are on a similar journey. Having the ability to lean on extremely rich and at times contrasting cultures presents the question and the answer...

'Which sound I goin give yuh?'

Well 'The sound' is exactly what kabaka finds. He explains to The Jamaica Star how the Rebel Music EP has a new feel based on fusing his different musical influences. The sound is effectively fresh and yet very familiar all at once. That ol' time rubadub grandad shakes his foot to, and that bounce that every hip hop head needs, while being presented in a way that catches the ears of everyone between. Something for all.

Pyramid continues his transition, and emerges Kabaka with that Rebel Music bridging the gaps between the cultures that dominate the Jamaican experience. He keeps your third eye open and your head bouncing to include production from King Biggz, Zinc Fence, and vocals from Protoje, Koro-Fyah and yours truly.

Now press play let it beat out you speakers!

Also checkout these other tracks I've featured on with Kabaka Pyramid

The Truth Ft. Roxy TTTohe Truth Ft Roxy & Shaq Da MC by Pyramid’s Exclusive Hip Hop Page
To The Fullest To The Fullest ft Shaq da MC by Pyramid’s Exclusive Hip Hop Page