Friday, August 28, 2020

The MC Luchini Freestyle - Just Me


Luchini (This Is It) by Camp Lo from the 97 album Uptown Saturday Night. Produced by Ski and uses a sample of Dynastys 1980 song "Adventures in the Land of Music"

A foolish dream but I still wish much... fame for my music and not me 
Good luck, lets just, work hard play harder live it up and try no thump down no paparazzi 

Every time I examine and shape my vision there's a certain amount of attention and success that becomes more imminent as I put the work in. Also there's a knowing that much of what I envision is on the other side of any comfort, fear or anxiety. For me, that means I get to be a better version of myself every level up of the way. For some that may mean I become unrecognizable. However, I believe no-one should grow and look the same, we all change. Still I'm Just Me

So don't get it twisted, kid changed to stay on point its the best way to avoid getting exploited 
Cos when these vampires come for your blood your sweat tears and export it you the one that come up shorted 

So I wrote this affirmation and grounding years ago. I recall these lyrics now just as poignant. One more revolution. Grateful.  

Thursday, August 27, 2020

Five Steez & Mordecai A.B.S. Music Video

 


Me breddahs dem team up for another banger. This one off the Heatrockz 2.0 album.
Directed, shot and edited by Kinematix Studios, Five Steez & Mordecai represent that first coast, Jamaican Hip Hop with A.B.S.

Friday, August 21, 2020

The MC Incarcerated Scarfaces Freestyle - Ring the Alarm



Incarcerated Scarfaces by Raekwon from the 1995 album Only built for Cuban Linx produced by RZA contains Dialogue sampled from John Woo, Chow Yun Fat movie The Killer, Sound effects from Wang Dang Doodle by Koko Taylor, beat break sampled from "You're getting a little too smart" by Detroit Emeralds. One of the most sampled beat breaks in the game, over 180 times, you can find this sweet thing on songs like: Monicas "Don't take it personal", Keith "Murrays Most Beautifullest thing in the World", Commons "The Light", Kendrick Lamars "You aint Gotta Lie", Jill Scotts "Fools Gold", and many others. There's something infectious about that snare to open hat relationship that just gets me going no matter what. 

"When music hits you feel no pain, so I wont refrain from saying... Ring the Alarm!" 

Undoubtedly a classic album, very pivotal to hip hop and a significant song to me.  By 1995 I was heavily invested in all things Wu. Any project that came out with a Wu-Tang member or affiliate I had to have it. I think I wanted to be an honorary member when I grew up, and while Wu Wear wasn't available to purchase in Jamaica I'd print the different member logos on plain T's and rock em. It was actually this album that formally introduced me to Nas

I'd listen to Incarcerated Scarfaces until my neck hurt. Rza knew how to cook em up and Chef served on this one. This beat is playful, to the point and hard hitting. An emcees dream. So simple it gives me lots of space to be tonally diverse.


"So I check check a microphone for verbal abuse, sharpen my super powers and prepare to use em ...'scuse me!"

War, Genocide & Famine
Systemic Racism & Slavery
Paedophilia & Adrenochrome
Organ Harvesting & Animal Cruelty
Injustice and Inequality
Viruses and Vaccines  
Pollution & misuse of earths resources
Food, Drug, Air and water poisoning?
...Ring The Alarm

Friday, August 14, 2020

The MC Vieux Carre Freestyle - 3 Steps Forward 2 Steps Back

 


I don't usually pick em so green. I like to ripen my lyrics over time, that when offered fall easy into your overstanding and digest sweetly, but this piece of music Vieux Carre by Trombone Shorty (featuring production from Raphael Saadiq) is such a perfect blend of my favourite things I had to share it now in my freestyle challenge. Its had me in a creative sweet spot for a long time. Plus its from two producers on the list of musicians I see myself working with (well this better help more than hurts).

"3 steps forward 2 steps back, that's just the dance there aint no setbacks", 

...an idea I started that has become a mantra of mine whenever I play it, I thought would fit perfectly in this series. So I wrapped up the idea with no further delay. 

I love this piece of music for primarily exactly that reason. It's music and not a beat; an organic arrangement of musicians playing together, my favourite way to perform and vibe. I am  especially keen on how it playfully walks a line between jazz, funk, Hip Hop, rock and Pop, and allows me to be versatile. I'm also a big fan of that big band new Orleans sound. This compels me to use my voice as more of an instrument in the band where I will find melodies that compliment or harmonise with the others. So much to work with.

"I been high and I been low, One thing you need to know is... I'm just getting started"

So to my fellow MC's, how do you choose a beat?


Thursday, August 6, 2020

The MC Ready Or Not Freestyle - No Ready

 



Kicking off a Freestyle Fridays vibe in the heat with something classic for those that know

Ready Or Not, taken from The Fugees second album The Score
Contains a sample of "Boadicea" by Enya and its chorus is based on "Ready Or Not Here I Come (Cant Hide from Love)" by The Delfonics. . 

Somewhere around 96 I had this album stuck in my disc man, only to be interchanged with the likes of maybe Nas - It Was Written or Mary J. Blige - My Life. To this day it remains one of my all time favourites. Classic

Captivated by the culture crossing vernacular, and blended singing and rapping vocals over infectious multi genre neck snapping beats, I was hooked. As a group of socially conscious intellectuals The Fugees had a voice, sound and story that felt closer to mine  than any hip hop I'd listened, to that date.  

I love this beat for its sheer simplicity; literally a moody synth bed of Enya for some phat hip hop drums to sit on top, and that's it. An emcees dream. Id freestyle to this for hours. Eventually I wrote No Ready which celebrated the Reggae/Danehall/Hip Hop lifestyle lived in Jamaica while making commentary on how my immediate environment ironically just wasn't ready for me to bring such music to the wider world.

Still you know... I just wanna sing my song  

Listen to the original recording of Nuh Ready here...