#StoriesAboutSongs

A quick blend I did about 10 years ago. I always mean to go back and get it synced up a little better, but never remember to go back, just stumbled on this today after nearly forgetting I did it.

12B-Formless Philosophy (Interlude) featuring Syren by RedefineHipHop

16 - Blindate - God Giveth, Destiny Taketh Away [Overflo] by RedefineHipHop

In March of 1984 my family moved to KS, briefly staying in Manhattan. I was only there a week or so when a guy in the lunch room caught my attention because he looked similar to me; one glove, spiked belt, Jheri curl…ah, the 80s. I went up to him and found that Warren Curry also had just moved there from Germany like me, and was a Hip Hop fan.

In my week there, I had already become “popular” because, although “Breakdancing” was starting to spread thanks to Flashdance (Beat Street and Breakin’ were a few months away still), only a few people were breaking in the school, and even with my minimal skills, I was slightly ahead of the pack. I was even featured in the school paper right away for my dancing and signature one leather glove, that I think I got from the automotive department at Venture.

Warren had been doing gymnastics for years, but wanted to get into Breakin’ so I offered to “teach” him some things. Truthfully, I wasn’t good enough to teach anyone, I basically just encouraged him, and a week or two later he was the best breaker in the school.

I was the only MC in the school at the time, and Warren was also interested in doing that. I decided to revive my first group name from Germany, Devastating Two, and become a duo with Warren, soon dubbed MC Capri. To teach him how to do routines I had him learn the KK Rockwell parts to “Stoop Rap” from Wild Style, and this is a recording of us recording this with a cheap Radio Shack microphone (that actually shorted out while recording this), while sitting one my front steps (stoop?) in Manhattan, KS.

Capri moved to Fort Riley before me, and found out about the Fort Riley Breakin’ Patrol at the youth center, and we both joined, forming a group called Action Crew, and we competed in some state championships, and we featured in the Newspaper (PIC 2). The pic of us (F-B) is Jamie Jackson (the best dancer in town!), me, Garret, Darrell Green, and Warren (PIC 3.

As we entered the new millennium in 2000, I started to seriously think about finally starting my own record label. From doing my Time Travel Radio Show, being Co-Owner of Caught In The Middle Magazine, and running my Rage Promotions company, I was regularly meeting indie or unsigned artists with no outlet for their music, and I hoped I could help make a difference. Aesop Rock and Vordul of Cannibal Ox were planned to help me launch the label with exclusive releases, so I could then shift the focus to promoting some new and upcoming talent; Monkey Wrench Factory, Alltruisms, and more! But, this is the label that never was, so what happened?

From about 1982 to 1995, I was heavily writing songs and/or (once ’85 hit) making beats nearly everyday. But I simply hit a wall in 1995, not knowing where I wanted to go next creatively, so I pretty much just stopped making music. But, I did continue practicing the art of improvising.

Then in ’97, I took an inspirational road trip that inspired me to write my first rhyme in a couple years. From there, I very slowly started writing more often over the next three years. In that time, I developed a different way of how I wrote rhymes; from the topics, cadence, delivery, etc… I was working with JEL to come up with a production style to fit this new approach, as I was slowly shaping it into a full album concept called “The Genesis of Genius”. Side note: part of what JEL and I worked on was songs with creative sampling but no drums, something that first manifested with us in ’95.

And, the only things that I found along the way that seemed to capture what I was trying to do in one way or another were Saul Williams, Sonic Sum, Anti-Pop Consortium, Azeem, Buck 65, and maybe a couple others.

Circa 1998-2001, I used to freestyle to the beats on the first few Sonic Sum singles ALOT! I was trying to develop this program designed to help MCs get better at improvising, so as I was creating it. I was testing it out as well. This particular exercise was to write a verse and then deliver it over a beat (Sonic Sum’s “Paste” instrumental in this case), reading right off the paper, and then fully improvise the next verse(s) and try to maintain the same style, topic, etc… It was one the advanced parts of the freestyle program. This is likely the first time I attempted to do this. I definitely lose the topic several times, but I do keep it largely about self-reflecting on life and a spiritual path. And, if you listen, you can hear many spots where there is a slight pause, and then I suddenly say the next word with extra emphasis because I’m scouring my thoughts for any word that might help take me back to the topic.

The first (written) verse is a spoken word piece that I wrote on 11-13-00 twenty years ago today, called “Loss Of The Unfound”. It’s about the struggle of trying to find a loving relationship that can last. The 2nd two verses are purely improvised, and definitely rough in spots, but has some nice pockets…especially the 3rd verse.

#StoriesAboutSongs explores Hip Hop history from the vantage point of my decades as an artist, radio host, promoter, event organizer, journalist, documentarian, artist advocate, label rep, & of course, a fan, from the '70s up until the present. Season one of #StoriesAboutSongs includes stories about Kool G Rap, Vordul of Cannibal Ox, Ice-T, Rudy Ray Moore, Medusa, Aesop Rock, Common, Ice Cube, DJ Pooh, the iconic Hip Hop film, Wild Style, and more! -Narrated,

-Co-Produced by Kevin Beacham

-Co-Produced, Audio Engineered By Rob Vanvranken

-Artwork by Fred Colbert

-Photo By Bump Opera