New Levels new Layers with FM Advanced

 

Courtesy of  the FMAdvanced King Collection. Of course there's gear for the Queens too. UK massive link up.

Akala The Evolution of the MC

 

Akala dropping some gems as always with a brief but in depth history on the evolution of the MC ... not me specifically.

Nate Joel - Five Mics (Cook boy Cook Vol 34)

 

Nate Joel - It was written (Cook boy Cook Vol 33)

 

Robert Glasper with Chris Dave Derrick Hodge and Yasiin Bey North Sea Jazz Festival 2019

 

Yebba - My Mind

 

Just discovered this by accident watching tiktok videos. Tears. speechless.

The MC Lookin Freestyle - Watch The Hype

 

Often, the status quo and accepted paradigm of truth is rooted in falsehood. Otherwise, too far from the entire truth or only truth to be considered absolute. 

Don't watch the hype ...Watch the hype 

Pandemic virus lock-down and vaccine a wha this man the end is near 

But its like the more them a promote the more we a come out di shackles bondage and fear 

Babylon a go collapse...kiss teeth ... trust me just watch

heads a go roll the truth a unfold aint nothing they can do about that 

Living in a world where words like news, fake news, propaganda, programming, advertising and promotion are interchangeable depending on ones discernment is very troubling. We are constantly being promoted to. The beauty of knowing this however is knowing this. Now to exercise such a gift.    

One must know when and how to watch the hype to identify the truth. One must know when not to watch the hype so as not to be swept away in distractions and lies. One should also know when to watch ones own hype lest one mislead, or be mislead from truth and purpose, to their own detriment.

Watch the hype my friend, you and I know theres so much going on.

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.  

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.

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.

Checkout Raekwon looks back on 'Only Built for Cuban Linx' 25 years later, in Variety magazine 

"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

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?

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...