Random is Wired with Capcom (interviews)

Mega Ran 9 seems to be picking up a new steam; it's sold out at a few online retailers and people seem to be content with spending money for it...go figure.

a few new interviews have surfaced this week, including a Q&A with S-Kill of Capcom Unity... a great read.

excerpt:

Unity: Who are you collaborating with these days? What do you feel they bring to the table creatively?

I draw so much inspiration from so many things and people, so I've been working with a few awesome producers and musicians. K-Murdock, of the group Panacea, and I are working on a project called Forever Famicom, where he'll make the beats off of plenty of the classic NES games, and I'll lay the vocals.

I've recently signed a deal with a Japanese label, River City Records, to release an album called Randomonium' this year; it'll contain some of my biggest "hits" if you can call them that, along with some new stuff. Collaborators on there include DN3; my DJ, Samik, Young B, DJ Prolifik, Wordsworth, 88-Keys, Naledge of Kidz in the Hall and more.


There's more, as the good folks at Wired Magazine's blog put me up on the front page for a spell

and then asked me some great questions. Click to read.

Random Blogs: The Game in Concert, Phoenix

I tell ppl all the time that Game is one of my favorite rappers today... its sort of a guilty pleasure. I mean, he can spit but we all know what's gonna come out of his mouth... and yet its STILL entertaining.

anyway I saw him live a few weeks ago and he pulled THIS stunt:



i say they just carry an empty bottle around to each show and fill it with spring water... thoughts?

Get Mega Ran 9. Now.

okay this isn't really a demand, but a call for you to stop by my new site: www.megaran.com and grab the Mega Ran 9 album... I mean, it's free!

DOWNLOAD RANDOM's MEGA RAN 9 album.

My Interview with J-Live

the 'Random Interviews' continue with a short chat with one of my favorites, fellow Teacher/MC J-Live. I thought I stayed busy...he wears a few more hats than I do, as a DJ and producer, and family man as well.




I remember seeing him live in like 2004 opening for GZA, and he blew me away by rapping and spinning at the same time.

We went on to do a show together in Philly when he lived out there, and now he's in Atlanta.

so here are the questions...
(part 1)

[b]Which artist has you whipped? (meaning you'll buy whatever they put out)[/b]

The Roots. Whether I like it or not. I always look forward to their
albums. Closest thing left for me to anticipating walking home from
The Wiz with a cassette in the walkman.


[b] how do you measure success in music?[/b]

For me. When enough people know love and support my music that I can support my children's children, build great things in my community,
and impact the planet not just with inspiring and enlightening
thoughts and sounds, but with endeavors that empower the so called third world.

[b] is Obama the answer?[/b]

No. There's too many questions. He is our President. OUR President.
The first time in MY lifetime I actually feel well represented in the
Executive Branch. And not just because he's black. He was the best man
for the job. He's the anti Bush. And its great having black love in
the White House and such a beautiful historic First Family. Makes me
proud.

[b] when did you realize that music was your calling...if it is :)[/b]

Tokyo Japan in the late 90s doing Club Yellow and being told it was
the illest show since Tribe Called Quest.

here's an mp3 for ya...one of my favorite J-Live jams..

Splash Mountain

Here it is, finally...

finally!

Random - Splash Woman
Produced by Samik
mixed and mastered by Storyville @ Deepscene Studios


hear here:
Myspace

own here:

My message Board (exclusive section)



enjoy everywhere ;D


pass on!



but bring them here first...lol


splash.

Happy Blue Year.

I just landed in Phoenix and was very happy to see and feel 70 degree weather. I got a lot of work done on Mega Ran 9, in fact about 65% of it is done. I have a few last minute entries on the beat side of things that are making me rethink a few songs.

one that is definitely done is Megalude 9. if you remember on the first Mega Ran, there was an instrumental interlude... so this one will also have that.

here it is; sampled from Wily Stage 3 and played by Vince "The Rocket Scientist."

Get a writer's credit for Mega Ran 9.

I used to love those 'choose your own adventure' storybooks when i was young...

so I'm offering you guys a chance to help out and make this Mega Ran 9 album extra special.

join the discussion here: The Random Hip Hop Board


and read the current story so far. then, add your 2 cents.

no matter how silly or crazy, i'll consider it... just dont say he meets Mario or something ridiculous.

My Capcom-Unity blog isnt letting me log in, so the good news is that this place will be updated more often.
I'm out in Philly with the peeps, freezing...

got a show tomorrow with Chief Kamachi, havent seen him rock in at least 2 years.

so, join me at the forum so we can make Mega Ran 9 THE BEST RANDOM ALBUM YET.

Peace.


join the discussion here: The Random Hip Hop Board

Aki Con FTW.

first year con.

an hour away from the city.

crappy weather...


a recipe for disaster, right?

BZZZT! WRONG!

I had a BLAST at Aki-Con. great staff, friendly con-goers.. and I felt like a celebrity there.


but it started off a little worrisome...

I arrived in Seattle at the airport with no clue on my travel arrangements to the hotel...we just hadn't discussed it. I thought about renting a car until I saw a shuttle service that would get me to the Hotel for $30.

so I did it.
little did I know, the con chair's family was waiting for me at the exit, but with nothing to go on, we missed each other...

problem was fixed when I got back, because they were nice enough to reimburse me for the shuttle.
I get there and there's a full itinerary for me.. so for the weekend I:

judged a dance contest
judged a karaoke contest
judged a swimsuit contest (I volunteered for that one)

in addition to performing and stuff.

So on Saturday, I was determined to do some sightseeing... and did.

traveled to the Seattle Center, where the Space Needle and other things are. took a ride up the Needle and took some pics.

got back to Everett and rested up before the performance.

RIGHT before the performance, I got a hold of Mr. Marriott, aka DJ PM3, a dope DJ who stays in Seattle. He volunteered to come out and DJ my set, which went well. his friend got some great pics.

Overall, a great time... rainy, but it was a calming rain..plus coming from Phoenix, it's good to see some wet stuff sometime.

highlights
-a plush room to myself
-a full itinerary = no boredom
- Derek: my biggest fan that I never met.

great story: I was talking to Karl Olson, another tatented artist, and a guy came up and asked me 'excuse me, are you Random?' when I said yes, he went ballistic and said I was his hero, and that he plays my music all time for his friends. all I could do is blush. Not sure how superstars can get tired of that...

anyway, during the show, when I got to the grand finale, a little tune called "Grow Up" and I invited Derek onstage to sing along..and it was epic.

Great times. Looking forward to getting back to the North West soon... Sakuracon and PAX, are you listening!?!? :)

Mega Man 9 + Random = Mega Ran 9? Maybe.

Okay, I have an announcement to make.

At first it was funny, even cute to know I was nominated for an award.

But now,



I can't lie, I want to win this Online Hip Hop Award-- and I need the
peoples' help.



I'm about 60 votes out with 5 days to go.

I get asked a lot everyday if I'm gonna make a new Mega Ran album.

So, I'll make a deal with you guys.

IF I WIN...

I promise to record a NEW Mega Ran EP (tentatively it'll be titled
"Mega Ran 9") using only the music from Mega Man 9.



I've been playing Mega Man 9 a lot.. and dying a lot.

but the ideas are already swimming in my head....



Best of all-- it'll be FREE to anyone in the Capcom Music group, the Yahoo! Mega Ran group or members
of my forum:

http://randomhiphop.proboards.com/index. cgi

FREE!!

So, all you have to do is vote for the next 4 days, right here:



http://onlinehiphopawards.com/index.php?page=nominee&nomination_id=1761



And help Mega Ran get into office, and I'll show the love right back.


I haven't even announced this to the world yet, and not sure if I will.

BUT-- You're the first to know.

what are you gonna do with the knowledge? and the power?

let MC guns-hoes-and- drugs win the award?



NO!



you need substance...style..Mega Ran.



you're gonna make the right choice....right?



http://onlinehiphop awards.com/ index.php? page=nominee& nomination_ id=1761

There were some weird issues preventing me from getting the votes I
needed yesterday (dimpled chads or something), but they seem to be resolved.



60 votes, 4 days... lets do this.




remember-- I win, you win.. WE Win.

now tell someone!!










I'm Random and I approve this message.



thanks!!!



again:

get on Board.

Why join the Random hip hop board??

you'll get:

exclusive links to unreleased Random and Mega Ran tracks:

news and updates on Ran and RAHM Nation first

to rant and rave about your favorite and least favorite stuff

to chat with me! whenever!!

get on board.

http://randomhiphop.proboards.com/index.cgi

This week's bonuses

- a never before heard Random track
- new exclusive beats from DN3
- Scribble Jam battle footage
- video footage from Zia Las Vegas


yeah!

so get in there.

http://randomhiphop.proboards.com/index.cgi

Big Ran at Scribble Jam

What up... wild weekend in RanLand:

I entered the Scribble Jam preliminaries in Phoenix this weekend, just for the heck of it... and WOW! I won!

best part about that is that my homie Storyville won the NY Prelims so we'll be meeting up in OH at the end of the month.

but I knew there was a reason why I had never entered an MC Battle before...

rappers have egos..but at the same time they get super sensitive when they lose.

So I had a problem arise out of one of the non-winners of the contest asking me for a rematch in the parking lot, and me not being interested.

This leads to some internet thuggery, of course.



So do I have my first rap beef? let's hope not.

Common Sense meets Random Thought. In a Blender.

This Saturday.








On newsstands now!

:-)

This time, I'M asking the questions....

In my quest to make "the 8th day" album an experience, I needed good music, so I got with good producers and emcees. Then, I needed great artwork, so I got with Kasey.
so for everyone who has complimented the artwork, thank you...but you have this
man to thank. So I decided to interview the man himself responsible for it,
Kasey Moore. In addition to being an incredibly talented graphic designer, he
also is a huge hip-hop head, with quite an impressive list of clientele.

so if you're looking for some great work, check him out...

and now... the interview...


1. how long have you been doing graphic design?

I've been designing for about 8 years... or
at least what I like to think of as design. I've been
professionally designing for a little over two (I
don't know if college counts)


2. any big projects?

I don't know if you have heard of Random's
new album, The 8th Day, but I did that... ha. I have
also done some big projects for Miller Lite (they are
the main client I work on), but have dabbled into
Samsung, Sara Lee and Pur Water Filters.



3. What inspired you to come up with "The 8th Day"
artwork?

When Random told me his idea it kind made a
spark. I didn't follow what exactly he was asking for,
but I understood the theme and feel that he was
looking for. I started thinking about the idea of new
beginnings and the whole idea of starting over. To me
a good way of representing that was with a kind of
dystopian feel where this new life was emerging from
the destruction (aka the flower).


4. have you heard the album? what's your favorite
track?

Why yes I have heard the album and I am
absolutely proud to be even a little part of it.
Obviously there is more than one song that I'm really
feeling, I can't decide which I like the best... I can
narrow it down to two. Placebo is amazing. The theme
of the song in general is what really does it for me.
I think it really talks to an issue that's going on in
this country that needs to be confronted, not to
mention the hook that caught my attention immediately.
I am also really into Fastlane. I just love the flow
of the song and the way Random can sound so one with
the beat. The man knows what he is doing.



5. have you done album covers before? if so,who?

I have never done an album cover for an actual artist,
but in college I did my senior thesis on hip-hip cover
design where I created 10 different album covers for
some of my favorite artists. The whole thing was
directed towards independent artists and reasoning for
having well designed albums, but that's for another
interview.

6. What made you take on this job?

Well, I first heard of Random from the Megaran album
(which blew my mind) and then from there on I listened
to whatever I could from him. Album design has always
been my passion, so when Random presented me with the
opportunity I took it. I'm always willing to do what I
can for somebody that is actually making intelligent
music that doesn't have to do with nursery worthy
rhymes and bling.

7. How was it working with Random? (feel free to be
honest!)

It was great. Random was very receptive to
my ideas and understood what I was trying to do. I
appreciate that he allowed me to have creative freedom
on his album.

8. what do you do when you're not doing graphic
design? any family?

I have the normal family stuff. Parents and siblings,
no wife or kids... I need to stay young for a little
while longer. When I'm not doing graphic design, and
well even when I'm doing design I'm buying and
listening to music as much as possible... it's kind of
a problem. My girlfriend would probably tell you that
I'm playing 360 too much, but can you really play too
many video games?



9. Who are you listening to these days?
Hmmmmm.
Great question. Well, not to kiss too much ass
but Random's up there on my list. I'm really feeling
Murs and all the Living Legends for that matter. Let's
see I love M.F. Doom even though he has been a hiatus
as of late. One.Be.Lo is amazing (I'm originally from
Michigan so I'm a little partial). Ok I'm taking too
long so Chromeo, Ed O.G. (old and new), J Dilla (RIP),
Eyedea and Abilities, and Hanger 18... I want to name
more but that would be annoying.



10. How can people who are interested get in touch
with you?


Drop me an email at lyricalholix@yahoo.com. Working on
a website, but it's not fully functional yet (I hope
someone gets that reference).

Thanks!

08.08.08.08.08.08.08.08....

well, happy new year to you. August 8, 2008 is an important date for
many reasons, one being the Olympics starting today, and another that 9000 couples are getting married...

but also because
my new album "The 8th Day" is now available. Some of you might have
gotten it early, and I appreciate your feedback on it. The Special
Editions are not quite sold out yet, (70 sold, so 18 more of those are
available!) after that you'll have to get the standard edition, which
is actually FAR from standard...because it includes:

-different liner notes

-an added bonus track "New and Improved" produced by DN3

-a lower price....just $8.88!

now can ya beat that?? nah, you can't.


and of course with both, you get a free download link to DN3's jazz
album.

Enjoy the music and take care.

take a look at 'em:


Deluxe Version:
http://kunaki.com/sales.asp?PID=PX00ZRH9QY


Standard Version:
http://kunaki.com/sales.asp?PID=PX00ZOK554


info here:

Press:

http://i-newswire.com/pr191479.html



(I-Newswire) - Mega Ran blasts toward "The 8th Day" on 08.08.08



Philly-born, Phoenix resident emcee and teacher Random ( aka Random
Beats, Mega Ran ) is prepared to release his newest album, the
conceptual project "The 8th Day" on August 8, 2008.



"The number 8 is the number of new beginnings; therefore I wanted to
release a special project on that day, talking about new beginnings.
Also, turning an 8 sideways will make the symbol for infinity, so I
feel this album will also make a statement that hip-hop will live
forever, in some form or fashion."


The album includes guest appearances by LMNO of the Visionaries,
Naledge of Kidz in the Hall, nerdcore hero MC Frontalot and more.
Production will be handled by Samik ( "Raze The Bar," G-Unit, Ruff
Ryders projects ), DN3 ( executive producer of "The Call" and "Mega
Ran" ), Storyville and more.

Singles "Exhale" feat. Naledge and "On the Wall" are currently in
rotation.

In a move that can only be described as Random, "The 8th Day" will
contain 8 tracks, which are actually 16 songs. Each track will include
2 songs in one, containing two different takes on one concept.


Random's past albums "The Call" and "Mega Ran" continue to rack up
huge accolades, garnering rave reviews from press outlets and leading
to feature articles in Wired Magazine, Complex Magazine, Exclaim! and
Blender Magazine. He has recently wrapped up a national tour, hitting
cities up and down both coasts.


The 8th Day will hit stores and digital retailers on August 8th, 2008.

Pre-Orders are now being taken at Random's myspace site,
www.myspace.com/random215, and at the email address given. Those who
pre-order will get a free copy of co-executive producer DN3's
experimental jazz album.
###

RAHM Nation, LLC
Philadelphia, PA 19104
thecall@rahmnation.org



let the games begin!!

exhale...

shoop, shoop....


nah, but really,





Random feat. Naledge - Exhale - Produced by Young B and Doug Funny
Scratches by DJ Akshun

http://www.zshare.net/audio/1597202316b1b70a


the story:

This song transformed right before my eyes. It started out as a favor to a very good friend of mine. Doug Funny is a dope producer out of Ann Arbor, MI, who hit me up one day and asked me about us collaborating in the future. I agreed, so we started working. Doug asked me which artists I liked, and made an effort to track them down. He asked me about working with Naledge, and I was all for it, as a big fan of the Kidz in the Hall album. Now, fast forward, and they're bigger than ever, touring the world, performing at Rock the Bells, getting on Madden 09, and more…well deserved, IMO.

A few tracks in, the idea for the Mega Ran album hit me, so I had to abandon ship on Mr. Funny's collaboration plans. Anyway, the song was just 2 verses, me and Na just spittin', no real concept. I wanted to get Reef on it as well, but I think he was out of town...But when I called DF to get a mix of the beat for me to use it on The 8th Day, he didn't have it.
So, the beat had to change...as it did, the song got smoother, and smoother....Enter DN3, who found a track that he had been sitting on forever (he always keeps stuff from me for situations like this), and he formatted it to fit the song. I liked it..but truthfully I didn't love it. I kept looking, deadlines looming...

Enter Young B, a talented cat from Australia that I met through DJ Speek Greene, DJ for Jaz-O, and NYOil's executive producer. It fit like a glove. I got DJ Akshun, my Philly homie, to lay down some scratching, and the rest is history. Funny story is that Naledge went to Penn, and I went to Penn State…it's like it was kinda destined to be...well not really. And trust, the project with Doug Funny (no title yet, I'm thinking about "Funny, in a Random Kinda Way") will happen one day.
The song is toward the end of the album, expressing the joy at hip-hop's new beginning, while stressing creativity and lyricism...ironically, it's the same sample as "Hip Hop Hooray," and that wasn't all that coincidental when you think about it.


enjoy, and gimme your thoughts.

The 8th Day. The Song.

The song that explains the entire premise of the record...


The 8th Day (produced by Samik)

http://www.zshare.net/audio/157869195a46e734/


The Story:

Samik is a guy that always brings good music and ideas out of me. I have plans to one day do an entire project with him, I think that'll be really awesome. Many of you might remember the story of how we created "Raze the Bar" back in 2006 (it involved me, him, some Wendy's nuggets and pouring rain), but this one was a lot different. This time, he sent me a beat that was already completed, in hopes that I'd have something for it. I sat and pondered on the beat for a long time... and eventually it became the song that would set off this entire project. No intros, no speeches, let's just get right to the music. This song is pretty self-explanatory, but in case no one listens to lyrics anymore, it's about me having a dream that fake hip-hop artists are exposed and run out of the business. It works well at the beginning, but it gets way out of hand, when the powers that be start coming after any rapper who exaggerates in any way… and eventually they come after me. Another strange concept record that I may be beginning to be known for… and that's a good thing, I suppose. I can't explain how this stuff comes to me, but it's all about a strong desire to do something different. Definitely one of my favorites.

__
Quick Review.

The album:

-releases on 8/8/08.
-will be released in a special edition DVD packaging for physical copies, only 88 of those will be sold.
-features LMNO, Naledge, Rashid Hadee, DN3 (The3rdOne), CJ, Storyville on the beats and rhymes
-is bangin'


thanks for listening...feedback appreciated.

8th Day, Rhyme Torrents, etc

sorry I haven't been updating this place much... with so much going on these days, it's difficult. to recap, I'm:

-blogging for a videogame site www.thatvideogameblog.com
-working on a new album "The 8th Day"
-producing (my latest credit is Zealous1 (www.zealous1.com)'s joint "Til We Die" which is featured on THIS free compilation from rhymetorrents.com:

http://www.rhymetorrents.org/board/viewtopic.php?t=260&f=2



RHYME TORRENTS VOLUME 7


CD 1
Kabuto the Python - RHYME TORRENTS 7 INTRO
MC RSI - Remember the Geek
MagiTek - Gold Teef (For Err Body)
Don Vito - Welcome Back to the Web (ft The Ranger, T.Y.T. & MC Gigahertz)
funky49 - Starblazer
Shinigami - It's Gone
Antisoc - Guitar Hero
Random - Inbox (Remix V3.0 ft The Ranger & Jermicide)
Desmond Fox - Lady Indie
Ham-STAR - Dump Stat
IllGill - Poser (D20 Mix)
ZeaLouS1 - Til We Die (ft RandomBeats)
Kabuto the Python - Da Ill Shit (ft Poopyhands)
2Thirteen - The Anthem (What Should Have Been ft High C, Ham-STAR & T.Y.T.)

CD 2
Id Obelus - Gangster?
Able-X - What If
Interstellar Dwellars - No Others
MAD DPS - Juggernaut
Whoremoans - Operation British
MC_Loki - Hymn of the Ahroun
D-Form - Nerdastedicz (ft Polkcounty Killa & Projekt Zero)
Reverend Badger - The Rage
nYgel - Rap Fanatic (ft The Ranger, Jesse Dangerously & Logic One)
MC COOL WHIP - Party at the Cawdor Castle
Geek Funk Records - Bumpin These Geeksta Rhymes (ft T.Y.T., MC_Loki & Mfk)
Teh_Rhymerer - Girl Named Nerdcore (D-Form Remix)
The Ranger - The Rhyme Spit (ft Whoremoans, T.Y.T. & Kabuto)
PoP Stick - The Hamster Song

BONUS TRACKS
The Ranger & Grandmaster Pink - We Alright
Tres Walsh - Thank You

if you'll notice, I have 2 credits there. check out the inbox remix too!

Um... I guess that's it. take care.

smh.

this is sad.

इन्तेर्विएव इन विरेड मग.

http://blog.wired.com/music/2008/06/straight-outta.html

:)


along with the extra questions:

> 3) Why the move to Arizona? Teaching gig?

Well, that was just part of it. I was also teaching in Philly, and I
loved it, and could have stayed there and probably earned more money,
but I felt like I was drawn here for some reason. I applied to schools
in 7 different states but got the most calls from Arizona. I found out
that AZ is ranked 50th among the states in quality of
education....50th. That's like, dead last. I heard that 3 out of 10
students in middle school right now out here will drop out of high
school. I think I need to help change that.

I also felt like as a person, and as a musician, I had to make a move
to grow. I told another interviewer a while back, I think I'm kinda
like Ryu at the end of the Street Fighter II video game... he won the
tournament, but didn't even stay for the ceremony; he was leaving to
find the next challenge. I didn't necessarily 'win' anything in
Philly, but I was ready to move on to a new challenge. I can't say
that this is the last stop, or that one place is better than another,
because I'll always be a Philly native, but being out here has offered
some different opportunities, and different inspirations...not better,
not worse, just different... but the 110 degree days have me really
missing the East Coast...

> 4) What are your thoughts on hip-hop's new century? Is
> the underground
> more vital than ever, now that the overground has almost
> been tapped
> out?

I'd say so. I'm working on a new project, 'The 8th Day,' and it's all
about new beginnings, because I feel that all of our lives are heading
towards a new start... the music business, and hip-hop especially, is
no different. Nowadays, independent is the way to go. This is the
generation of DIY. No more do you need a record label, a major
artist's cosign, or a bunch of start-up money to make a name for
yourself, all you need is your imagination and a video camera.
Creativity in mainstream music has hit a wall, and now those bigwigs
have to look at US, the people, to determine what's 'hot,' instead of
the days where they could just tell us what to like and we'd accept
it. I love the change. I welcome it with open arms...but make no
mistake; if everyone started doing what I do right now, I'd move on to
something else...something Random...yeah.

bad news, good news, bad news, good news.

BAD NEWS: My XBOX broke last week..got the RED RING OF DEATH.

GOOD NEWS: Microsoft extended the warranty.....so they'll fix it for free

BAD NEWS: for the time being, I'm stuck w/o an XBOX and nothing else to do since I'm out of work.

GOOD NEWS: I fixed the XBOX, thanks to the Towel Trick


BAD NEWS: as I kept reading more sites about the Towel Trick, that apparently voids your warranty.

GOOD NEWS: I can play GTA 4 again!

BAD NEWS: If the RED RING doesn't come back, I can't send it back to Microsoft for the free fix.



GOOD NEWS: School is over! yay!

BAD NEWS: I didnt turn in all of my paperwork, so now I have to find it....


I guess I should get on that now.

In the meantime, go read this older Random interview, one of my faves.


shout out to Z. of Hipster, Please.

http://www.hipsterplease.com/2007/11/free-to-be-random.html