Random Beats' Fast Break

*the title is derived from an old NES game, "Magic Johnson's Fast Break.*


tomorrow comes the time to Break the Fast.

I was really missing my eggs.

but yeah, thanks to all of you who offered your words of encouragement, and all of you who said "couldn't be me, you got that, dog!"

I think I needed it, and its really helped me to get my head, heart and soul in place.

Meanwhile, in other news, I noticed that the news of my new release is traveling quite quickly..ah, the internet...one minute it can totally make you lose faith in all humankind , next minute, its a blessing. but if you're keeping score, they've profiled it on Complex Magazine's site, IGN Music and many more... let's keep it coming!

I've done a couple of interviews about the project that should be surfacing soon, be on the lookout. I'm not gonna blog about an interview, I save these for REAL news, like this...

This weekend, with me all in Mega Man mode, I decided to try to find the Mega Man Anniversary Collection for Xbox, cause I really wanted to play it. eBay had a ton, but I'm on punishment from using eBay (I got a little addicted and cancelled my account)...plus I didnt wanna wait for it. So I decide to search on GameStop's site. They say that there's one store in a 30 mile radius with the game. so I race to the place, cause they close at 9 (it's 8:25 when I found out).

I get to the door at 9:01, and I call, and plead and beg, like a crackhead who just needs that free hit...

to no avail. "I'm sorry, we open at 10AM."

"Man, I need Mega Man NOW! you expect me to drive all the way back here at 10AM with gas being over $3.00 a gallon?

I must be a fool!"

So, at 10AM, I drive all the way back there with gas being over $3.00 a gallon.

I must be a fool.

But, I got my Mega Man.

Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a date with Dr. Wily.

oh, I haven't given out a free track in a while, so here goes....
in the spirit of crackhead-like feenin:'

Ultimate High (2007 exclusive) Produced by Markus
check him out, he got heat. myspace.com/markusmusick

this is monumental, because its the first and last time I'll ever mention MySpace in a song.

Have a great week.
-Ran

and the MEGA RAN tour is booking now!!!! get at myself or info@rahmnation.org to book the man.

Mega Ran, it's official.

Hip-Hop artist, producer and educator Random is preparing his latest release, the theme project “Mega Ran.” This album will contain samples of music from the Capcom Mega Man video games from the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) console, and is the first project of its kind from a Hip-Hop artist.

“I just wanted to do something different, so far away from what I had done in the past. Mega Man was my favorite game series ever, and I’ve always loved the music, I still hum it to this day. I decided to step into the Mega Man character. It’s pretty funny, silly, and entertaining, but it’s good music. Fans of the videogame series will enjoy it.”

2007 marks the 20-year anniversary of the birth of the Mega Man franchise. The first Mega Man game released in December 1987 on the NES, and was praised for its colorful graphics and intuitive gameplay mechanics. Mega Man has quite the following, and Random knows he can’t let the fans down.

“It’s gonna be a wild ride...The music on it is really diverse. Fans of every musical genre will be able to vibe with it...Hip-Hop, Rock, Reggae, you name it.” Collaborators on the project include RAHM Nation producer DN3 (The Call, Rapademics), Domingo (Big Pun, KRS-ONE), videogame rock band The Megas, nerdrap sensation YTCracker, Problem Child, Samik (G-Unit and Ruff Ryders producer), and many more.

“Mega Ran” will release on June 19^th, 2007 and will be a free download at www.randomsblogs.blogspot.com, www.myspace.com/bigran215, and www.rahmnation.org. Thinking outside the box isn’t new to Random, who is also an innovative middle school teacher in Phoenix. He released his last album, “The Call,” on RAHM Nation Recordings in 2006 to critical acclaim, selling over 8000 copies and being named one of the best of the year by several sources. It was followed up by “The Call: The ReMixTape,” featuring remixes and new tracks. More info can be found at www.rahmnation.org.

The MEGA RAN tour is also shaping up, this is what it's looking like so far...

Jun 1 2007 Studeo Tad Phoenix, Arizona

Jun 8 2007 LIVE Interview w/theawfulshow.com

Jun 19 2007 Release date

Jun 23 2007 The Underground Phila, PA

Jun 28 2007 Swifts Mesa, Arizona

Jun 29 2007 Arizona State University Tempe, Arizona

Jul 26 2007 SD Sports Club San Diego, California

Jul 31 2007 Knitting Factory Los Angeles, California

Aug 25 2007 Tim and Terry's Gainesville, Florida

Sep 22 2007 Humboldt State University Arcata, California

Sep 23 2007 Humboldt State University Arcata, California

I'm fasting this week.

Fresh off "the crossroads," I've now decided that it's best for me to fast this week to clear my head. I don't know if its a midlife crisis or what, but I'm at the point where I really need to clear my head, as well as cleanse my soul. I have some very important decisions to make in the coming weeks, and I think I need to be right mentally and spiritually before I make them. so, the fast begins....

I really could use your thoughts and prayers right now to help me through this, cause if there's one thing I love, it's food

I'm approximately 7 hours in, so far so good..just been drinking water and running to the bathroom between classes.

so Imma be strong, but I can't do it alone.

I leave you with some words on why folks fast. Peace!

In a spiritual setting the emphasis is often on the denial of the self and the carnal desires to allow us to become more sensitive to God. Food is man's greatest carnal impulse. Many believe that sex is the strongest fleshly drive, but it is not. We may think ego is the strongest of the fleshly impulses, but it is not. From the day we are born, the desire for food reigns dominant.

As newborn infants we first seek the love, comfort and warmth of our mothers, then we cry for food. The sex drive does not develop until the onset of puberty, our teenage years. Sex is the last drive to arrive and the first one to leave. The food drive is present from the beginning to the end, it never leaves, it never disappears. The latest U.S. government study shows that over 60% of all Americans are overweight.

We eat too much. Gluttony, the lack of discipline of the appetite, causes us to look old prematurely, to feel old before we get old and to suffer many different diseases.

All the major killer diseases of today, heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, kidney failure, prematurely kill the majority of Americans and their sources are traceable to our lifestyles and diets. Science has found that it's just as important that we don't overeat, as it is that we eat properly.

Let me repeat that - studies have found that it's as important that we not eat to excess, as it is that we eat properly.

Fasting allows us to gain control of the appetite. When you can develop the discipline to fast, you automatically develop the discipline not to overeat. When you can control your strongest carnal appetite (the desire for food), you can then gain control of the other carnal appetites.

There are many different spiritual reasons why people or groups fast. Sometimes it is to show unity for a cause such as a fast against war, or injustice, or a host of other social ills. Fasting in a group allows you to achieve something that you would never achieve on your own. You can draw on the strength, the determination, the support, and the prayers of the group. Some fast at preset intervals, once per week, once per month, one month per year, etc. Some fast when the social or spiritual need arises. Some fast because the minister said so.

There are many different reasons to fast.

It is important to remember when you fast for spiritual reasons:

FASTING DOES NOT CHANGE GOD!
FASTING CHANGES YOU!

numb3rs, by Ran

some numbers for you to digest...


10 more weeks until the release of my next album. (there is a clue included in this blog somewhere)

8 more weeks of school.

8 days until the end of the NBA Season.

7 days until the release of Year Zero by Nine Inch Nails.

also, 7 days til April 17, the last day to file your taxes.

6 days until 145 years to the day that Abraham Lincoln signed an act abolishing slavery in the District of Columbia.

5 number of spam comments I get on average per day. I DON'T CARE who's spying on me, I DON'T want your free iPhone, and I DON'T CARE about your show that's 1000000000000000000000000000000 miles away, and you're darn right SIZE MATTERS!

4 albums in my rotation right now: Che Grand's Fixtape, K-Os' Atlantis, Redman's Red Gone Wild, and some cuts from my new jawn.

3 GB. the size of my iPod Nano. What was I thinking?? this can't even hold 1/4 of the songs I have on my computer... selling on Craigslist as we speak.

2 weeks suspension recieved by Don Imus after racist and sexist comments on Rutgers' female basketball team. (about a lifetime short if you ask me)

1 day since a new mode was added to online play in GEARS OF WAR-- Annex!! (Halo Players--it's like Crazy King of the Hill.). sweet!

0- Executions in AZ since 2000, until next week:
Now 50, Robert Comer was convicted in 1988 of killing a fellow Apache Lake camper during a 1987 crime spree during which he also raped another camper after tying up her boyfriend. Besides the first-degree murder and armed robbery conviction for the shooting death of Larry Pritchard, Comer also was convicted in Maricopa County Superior Court of sexual assault, armed robbery, kidnapping and aggravated assault for the attacks on the female camper and her boyfriend.


and in the spirit of numbers, here's an oldie but goodie for you to digest while you wait for the newness...


Numbers Game- Random featuring JonBap (2005)

Thanks for playing!!

What is SNOCAP??

I'm not even 100% sure, but now my tracks from "The Call" are on it. check the link out:



bear in mind though, that there's some other band named Random out there... and right now, their music is in my Snocap player... you'll know which ones arent me, cause they stink! ha.. joke... love you guys.


peace.

The life of a teacher/MC

well, I must say I'm about at the peak of frustration with my job, but the only thing holding me together is music. I'm working on this new project, pretty dope I might add, meeting some great folks out here in Phoenix, but the job, as I feared, is not quite all its cracked up to be. I know I came here for a reason, and now I'm realizing that it might not be to teach. But who knows...still early in the game (I've been here 7 mos now), but I didnt think it'd be this rough still.


I miss Philly...except when I read about the 100+ murders going on out there. I'll be back in June.

Back to writing.

My new album

I got it! my next album! for a long time I had no clue what my next project would be, and I didn't want to rush or force anything. It had to feel right. It had to BE right.

Well, it's right.

I'm pretty tightlipped about my next project for a few reasons, mainly because I just want it to be a surprise. I'll probably drop a few clues here and there in future blogs. but what I CAN share is:

a) it's going to release in June.

b) it's a theme project, dedicated to a HUGELY influential event that occured exactly 20 years ago that changed my life.

and c) it's going to be a FREE Download. free for all!!

so, sit tight and bear with me!

more details to come........

Ran, the Rapping....Coach?

The fun just doesn't stop. I don't know how, but I managed to convince my school's athletic coordinator to let me coach 8th grade basketball. This should be fun! now I KNOW they make a "Coaching for Dummies" book, don't they? All I remember from my last coach was "Shut up! I Run this!" and that was middle school. This will be the experience to top em all. Watch out now!!

but seriously, if anyone's got any tips on coaching to offer me, I'm all ears. I don't want y'all reading about me going Bobby Knight on anybody's kid.

(look him up on wikipedia.org, they got everything)

One of my students...shot.

Today I heard that one of my students was shot over the break.

a 12-year old boy. Shot. While PLAYING SOCCER.

in PHOENIX, not Philly.

As much as we talk about kids not doing right and being worse than ever, this kid was doing the right thing, and his father was there watching him.

Some fool decided to ride by the soccer field and let off a few shots.

They hit a 12-year old boy in the shoulder and jaw.

Thank God he's recovering well.


This is kinda crazy to me, because I'm thinking I escaped all the crime and madness of Philly out here. Just goes to show, stuff happens EVERYWHERE. I know y'all aren't as naive as me, and don't need something like this to wake y'all up...

but just in case.

This stuff has got to stop.

"The Making of THE CALL" parts 1 and 2. (from myspace 10-10)

The Making of "The Call"
Current mood: pleased
Category: Music

one of my favorite sections in The Source (When I used to read it) was the part where they'd get an artist to break down their album, track by track, and explain the concept, a cute story behind it, or whatever. So I always said I would do that. This'll take a while because there's 20 tracks on "The Call," so I'll do 3 or 4 each time I have the time to do it... so here we go!

Introduction prod by Random and DN3
I wanted an intro with a rap in it. I knew that from the beginning. I was thinking about Common's intro for "One Day It'll All Make Sense" (was that the intro or track 2?), so I wanted to sum up the album in one shot. First time I recorded it, I recorded it on a totally different track, much slower. Then one day, DN3 played me a joint called "Satisfaction," and I needed that. My only gripe was that it didn't have a bassline. a reviewer said it was worthy of being a full song, it was so hot (so for the remixtape, it'll have a bassline and an additional verse, pleasing him and myself at the same time...that's "Satisfaction"). The beginning 8 bars are from a beat I made in like 2003, the sample is from "Travelin' Man," and it says "Just Call," so I thought it would fit. I found a poem online called "Heed The Call," written by a guy (so sorry I forgot your name!!) and I contacted him about reciting it on the album and he was excited. I thought Oh!Mega had the perfect voice to get across the message of the poem, heeding the call.

The Opening Movement (Focused) prod. DN3
They always say (and I dont know who "they" are) that somewhere near the beginning of the album, you should have a track that hits the listener, makes them want to bob their head..a track stating who you are... all of the greats, from KRS to Rakim to Redman to Jay-Z do it. This was that track for me. Everytime I go to DN3's house I say "So wassup?" and he knows what that means: break out the beats. So he said, "I just finished this joint." and WOW! I was on it instantly. I had 1 1/2 verses written to a 'skill joint' as we call them (a rap not really about anything, just braggadocio), but didn't have a beat in mind. I spit them over that track and it was a match made in heaven. This was recorded about mid-'05, and I say in the song "'05, RAHM Nation brought the thirst back," and planned on updating it....Unfortunately, not long after recording this track, DN3 suffered what we refer to as "The Great Crash of '05." He lost a most of his files on his hard drive, including beats, and about 55% of "The Call." The Opening Movement's master files were gone. DN3 was considering quitting music altogether.
I wasn't having that!
All we had was an MP3 of it, and that's what went on the album. DN3 put it in some mastering software program, jazzed it up... and voila!

Raze The Bar prod Samik
This is my favorite story to tell. I met Samik when I was engineering at a studio outside of Philly, his studio was right across the way. this was about in 2002 or so. we heard eachother's beats, and a mutual respect was formed. I didn't know it then, but Samik's a pretty well connected cat. I didn't see him again till about 2004 at a club, and he passed me a demo cd of some of his artists. Nice stuff. So when 2005 hit and I began working on "The Call" I knew that I would call Samik for a banger. luckily his phone number was on the CD. I didn't know how to begin the conversation, I mean, "Hey, you probably don't remember me, but I'd like a beat" might not have worked well. I don't remember what was said to be honest, but I remember him asking me to come out to his crib to listen to some tracks. Let me set the scene.
It was a SUPER rainy day. his house is literally an hour from me, and I even had to get on the highway to get there. (come to think of it, it always rains when I go to his house....sign?) It's pouring, my old '89 Blazer (RIP) is struggling. I get lost. I get lost again. Finally we meet at a mutual location and I follow him for what seems like 30 more minutes. we get to the crib, and not long after, it stops raining. figures. I'm totally soaked. We get in and exchange ideas. he makes a drumbeat, I'm feeling it. I get hungry, so I make a run to Wendy's. I get some nuggets. I come back, and the track that we now know as "Raze The Bar" is done! amazed, I sit down and the lyrics just fly out of me. bam, 3 verses and a hook done in what seemed like 20 minutes. Still amazed, we lay the track down.
Then when I left Samik's crib, it started pouring again. I got lost, and my car runs out of gas right next to a gas station. What a day. What a song! The "Sick and Tireds" I do on the 3rd verse was an old idea from a song I had in about '99 called (surprise) "Sick and Tired." unfortunately, some of the things I said back then were still true today so I didnt have to change too much. and no, I wasn't dissing 50 Cent.

Still Ain't Good Enough prod Fingaz

Fingaz has been a good friend to me for quite some time. We kept each other focused with the music thing, through thick and thin. We'd encourage each other. I'd play him my newest beat CD, and he'd say "I gotta step my game up!" I'd do the same. He showed me how to use the MPC, so when I got my own, a few things came back to me from those lessons. Fingaz had been giving me CD's for weeks, and I had almost had the entire album mapped out, and there was no Fingaz beat on the itinerary. Then he gave me a CD with not one, but 2 heat rocks that I HAD to have. They were both supposed to make the album, one being "Still Ain't Good Enough" and the other being an early version of "Luminesence" that was to feature Baron of Red Clay (Baron, we gonna release that one day!) Anyway, the concept came to me immediately. The beat hit so hard, and had a bit of a bounce to it, so cats would be bobbin their head, and not even realize I was telling them something serious. I started the verse off super-fast, to grab the listener as well. I was pretty much speaking my mind on political affairs, and this wasn't long after Katrina, so they weren't gonna be positive. I mentioned Kanye's remark (the line goes "I ain't mad about Kanye's comments, I'm more mad they call Kanye conscious"). The reviewer at hiphoplinguistics.com made that verse a Quote of the Month, so I'm proud of that. I've heard it's ruffled some feathers, but it's cool. It's all true to me. The last verse is especially personal to me, as an educator. I spoke from the mind of the child that I'm trying to reach, who could care less about school, because he knew at a young age that the system is screwed up. ironically, this is my students' favorite song. When we play Uno, they'll say "You Still Ain't Good Enough" as their way of talking trash. and a remix is coming....

Tainted Love Part 1
I decided on the concept for this song while at Jury Duty. I was sitting in the waiting room, just waiting. I remember clearly, because I never write in pencil, and the super-tight security took everything from me before I came in to serve. so I had a pad with no pen, but they gave us these tiny, nubby pencils with no eraser. so it's the only song in my notebook that isn't written in pen. Every relationship has its ups and downs, so I look at them in stages. This is stage one, the honeymoon stage, aka the "First Month Front." I think we all know it well. This song is pretty lovey dovey, and most of my 'hard' homies skip this one on the album, even though it's only 1:30 long. The original was lost in "The Great Crash," but it was a cinch to rerecord, and we switched the beat at the last moment.

Motivate prod by me, add'l vocals Hope McDowell
This was the first and last song we recorded for the album. I took it for granted because I had recorded it earlier that year as soon as I finished "Fundamentals." However, the sound quality wasn't great, but Hope's vocals blew me away. Hope and I had recorded stuff together on the low level, but this was her first time in a major studio and she didn't dissapoint. 3 days before our deadline, I brought Hope into the new studio and we rerecorded the joint. Hope was sick with the flu, and drank tea inbetween recordings (Thanks Shorty!), but got it done like a soldier. I still think the original (bad quality) version is better, but the world will never know. Hope is extremely talented, with an amazing vocal range. I hope (no pun intended) to work with her again, but it may be tough on the long distance tip. To me, this song isn't a love song, but most think it is. It's more of a letter to those who keep me going in life, who stick by me. one of the few RandomBeats you'll hear on The Call.

The Art of War feat Ohene, prod Def Entertainment
I say it so much, that I get tired of hearing it. Ohene is the tightest lyricist and greatest mind in Hip-Hop. Its because of him that I even attempted this song. The beat is done in a different time signature than the normal song, it's a 3:4 time instead of a 4:4 time (think waltz). If you don't know what I'm talking about, don't feel bad...most producers or emcees have no clue what this is, and look puzzled when they hear of this being done in Hip Hop. Ohene was the first emcee I'd ever heard do this, so I had to have him on the track. The track is just so mean, and O commands your attention from the first 2 words. "What's Good?" it's crazy. His flow on the track is IN-SANE. I think I did OK, but honestly I rewind the track after his verse a lot. Part of the reason I made it so short was to hit em and be out. Its become a bit of an unofficial RAHM Nation trademark to rhyme in 3:4 time, started by Rapademics. I had plans to make an Art Of War series, with each part discussing another chapter of the book, but the Tainted Love series was already underway, I thought it might be confusing to have 2-3-part series' on 1 album. maybe the next one will...sidebar: We've tried to remix this one, and no producer knows how to do it!! Def Entertainment, where are thou??

If I Wait featuring Hasan Salaam and Majesty prod DN3
This is another one that I knew what I was gonna do and how, before I laid it down. I met Hasan and Majesty during a New York trip with the Grassroots Artist MovEment (GAME). I also met Immortal Technique, Red Clay, Ravage, and a bunch of other super creative, positive minds. We all met up and rode a bus to Albany for a show, freestyling and listening to eachothers beats the whole way. This trip changed my outlook on music FOREVER. Seeing this many revolutionary minds on one bus let me know that Hip-Hop wasn't dead. I was totally inspired and came back to Philly and got working on "Archetype", and all the while laying the foundation for "The Call." Prior to this I was recording music that wasn't me: it was watered down, it was commercial, it was forced. It was on this trip that I found my identity as an MC. No one around me at that time was doing revolutionary music, so I found myself doing "What They Do" as the Roots put it. But to be surrounded by 30-40 people who were all about the music, that affected me.
Anyway, the song is saying that I can't wait another minute to fight for change, to speak up, because it might be too late. Ohene told me he reverts to the last bar of my verse "You can't say nobody ever told you the truth" all the time when referring to his music. When it's all said and done, everybody will be able to look back to some point in their lives, when they heard the truth...did they choose to accept it or reject it? The beat is another banger by DN3, and many folks say this is the best song on the album.

On The Grind prod Ohene, add'l vocals Nasheda Shockley
This is my soul right here, probably my favorite track. 2 years back, I was working on a song for a mixtape I never released, and one of the bars of that, "Momma told me I was wastin' my time, all that did was make me stay on the grind," became the hook of this song. It's the truest thing I ever said. My mom doesn't support me doing music AT ALL, I don't even think she's listened to my album. She's always encouraged education, because its one thing that can't be taken away from you. It's hard to convince her that I don't make music to be rich and famous, that I'm not chasing some unrealistic dream, I'm just doing it because I love it, and people have told me I'm pretty good at it. I have a message in the music that I think needs to be heard. I go off on a few tangents, but bring it right back home by the end. Its about the constant hustle of an indie artist: the love, the hate, the phonyness, the struggle. I'm still on the grind.

Tainted Love part 2
2Faced Beats is a producer from the UK. He's from the 9th Wonder school of beatmaking, which is cool. He makes real soulful pieces with big drums. This was totally perfect for TL2, in fact, I think I wrote part 2 before any other part..this is my favorite stage of the relationship, where things are in full swing, but something's not right.. she's got some bad habits that are starting to annoy you, this is getting out of control, we better fall back and evaluate this before it gets worse. Another beat that a lot of folks tell me is the highlight of the album.

Don't Let Me Die feat Hezekiah, prod Problem Child
This was PC's first production that I had ever rapped on. The original beat that I (and Hez) wrote to was also Problem Child's, but he lost the files for that beat, plus he thought the sample could get us in some trouble, so he didn't feel comfortable with using it on the project. I met Hez in kind of a weird way, Lefty and I were recording with Mike Lowe (did most of OC's "Smoke and Mirrors" and some work with CL Smooth) and Hez was there before we got there, listening to my beat that was blasting out of the stereo, bobbing his head. "That's you?" he asked. He had introduced himself, but honestly, I hadn't put 2 and 2 together that he was THAT Hezekiah, that had worked with The Roots, Jaguar, Musiq...pretty much any Neo Soul that came out of Philly. Anyway, I gave him a beat cd with all of my final beats on them, and he heard PC's track and called me with a hook the same day. It was hot, so we got to work. Honestly, I like the original track better on it, but PC worked really hard and made a lot of things happen to make that track fit the song well. He put a weird effect on it, which made the song sound like it was live in a smoky jazz club...different, but I liked it. He even got a real bass and harmonica player to lay down riffs on the track. I think Problem Child has the skills to be the future of Hip-Hop. His beats are really on another level.

Prayer prod by me, keys by Ohene
They (and again, I don't know who they are) say that the producer is the person who lays the idea down, so that's why I get production credit for this one. I just asked O to give me something to speak my piece on. This prayer was adapted from one that I read and recited, so I thought that it would fit well. Plus I needed something slow to lead into the next cut....

Blackout prod by Peru
I met Peru through my lil' homie Chizz, and he had some heat. He apparently is in some litigation war trying to prove that some cat who produced a track for Marques Houston stole his beat, so I wish him luck with that. He let me hear some tracks and he had a good 2 or 3 that I really liked. He was cool enough to pass them off, and he was particularly excited about the beat for "Blackout." I think he named it "Luda." Probably like me he names the track based on who he could hear on it. It was straight club, uptempo. I usually think of either the hook or the first few bars to a beat as soon as I hear it if I like it. I thought of both. I had the hook and the first 4 bars in my head from that moment. I laid that track down for "Archetype" in about '03. I was almost done "The Call" and Ohene asked me, "What's up with that 'BlackOut jawn?? You gotta put it on there!" Now looking back, he probably only said that cause I shouted him out on it ("I ain't heard nothin hot since Rapademics dropped"). everyone that hears it says "I could hear that on the radio today," and that was the point. I wanted something that would catch the ear of the ClearChannel generation, and still allow me to keep my identity. I still end off every set with it, and it still gets the club hype.

Push prod by Problem Child
Again, PC came through with a smash. This is probably my second favorite cut, and probably should've been the 2nd single. I heard it and wrote instantly. PC is such a perfectionist, he sent me 10000 remixes for the track when I told him I wanted to use it. But I'm stuck in my ways when it comes to music, and I wanted it as is. He even sent me a version with a verse in it, trying to weasel his way onto the album :) nah, I'm just kidding, but I had to stick with the original. I had a funky idea for the 3rd verse, something that hadn't been done before: to use a saxophone AS the 3rd verse. I met Frank Machos on myspace, and he was down for the cause. Strangely enough, I had met him before at my Fundamentals release party, but didn't know it. There were a lot of strange coincidences that made this album come together, that's what makes it so special. Samik (prod of "Raze The Bar") says this is the best beat on the album, it just might be.


Salvation feat Wordsworth, prod DN3
This was the absolute hardest song I've ever recorded. The song took about 2 months to complete. DN3 flipped the Commodores "Zoom" track, one of my favorite songs of all time. once I heard it, I was sure I wanted to use it. I also was sure that I wanted Wordsworth on the song. I had just gotten finished listening to his Mirror Music album and I was so impressed, it was so honest, so vivid, pretty much something like what I wanted to create. i decided to call up his management and get it in motion, and this was way before the song was created. all I had was a 1:30 snippet of the beat. I sent it to Words and he wrote his verse, recorded and sent it back the very next day. Dude's about his business. I didn't have verse, or hook the 1st at that time. I knew I needed a male singer for the track, so I auditioned about 5 singers for the hook, and none worked out, till I came across 2 guys, Nadir from Detroit, and Ron Damian from Havertown, PA. I liked what they both did so I used parts of both of their vocals to create the hook, then I wrote the verses. I rewrote my verses about 3 times, real rap. I was kinda shook sharing track space with Words, he's a super-tight lyricist. Neither Words, myself, Nadir or Ron were in the same room when anything was recorded, so it was up to DN3 to mix everything and make it sound good, not an easy task.He must've told me 50 times, "This ain't gonna work, man." It was like putting together a jigsaw puzzle. Then we finished it, and it sounds darn good, I think. This is another of my favorites, mainly because of the effort it took to make it happen. My man JonBap told me that the verses on "Salvation" were my best on the album, and I respect his opinion a lot.

I'm here, ninjas!

what up. I've just decided to build my own blog, so I can say whatever the heck I want withough worrying about the feeback from anyone who could shut me down (I'm talkin to YOU! Who?). This will be update every few days and will tell my story from my perspective. My days are usually pretty interesting. so here we go!