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Sunday, January 20, 2013

Po'Safe Beats - Carefully Avoiding These

Po' Safe Beats just dropped a beat tape/inst. LP titled "Carefully Avoiding These".  As usual, Po' Safe lays down some slick production and paints a canvas in the vein of MF Doom's "Special Herbs" series. 

Emcees, DJs and beatheads should not avoid these. 

"Carefully Avoiding These" is a collection of work from Po' Safe Beats. If interested in full versions of any of these tracks or exclusive beats, contact via email at posafebeats@gmail.com or twitter @PoSafeTweets. (any and all support is most definitely appreciated, but alternative download available @ www.mediafire.com?v8xu1xnefcybm5x)

Monday, January 7, 2013

RA Scion - Guttersnipe Bridge

RA Scion is another emcee that I respect and was honored to collab with.  (see Steal)  He posted a track from his upcoming project with Todd Sykes called "Guttersnipe Bridge".  Simply dope hip hop.  RA doing what he does and Todd Sykes doing some serious dope ish on the beats. 

Check it.

Friday, January 4, 2013

Rusty Redenbacher - Ultra Somethin'

Starting off a new year with another joint from the "Revisionist History" project.  This track was one of the 1st songs that was laid down and some of you may have heard it, but here it is FINALLY and officially released.  There's a LOT of back story behind this song and it's honestly one of the dopest recording experiences I've had.  

When I first was thinking about this project and planting seeds, I was in the process of leaving Seatown, finishing "Basement Sessions" and trying to network with artists in Indy.  (preemptive strike before I got there)  I heard of The Mudkids, but didn't know they were from Naptown.  When I discovered they were from Indy, I started a dialog with Rusty about the scene, what I did, what I was working on etc.  I mentioned the "Revisionist History" project and he said he did a couple tracks along those lines in the past, one being a flip of Ultramagnetic MC's "Ego Trippin".  He sent me the track and it was ON. 

After hearing the track that Rusty did, I asked him if he would be down to do a pseudo sequel or a continuation of that song.  He was down and I got to work on the SP.  Meanwhile... a friend of mine from Seattle also did a flip of "Ego Trippin" and the Melvin Bliss/Substitution break.  I asked Ced, who was the DJ for Likeminded, if he wanted to collab on this track.  (Two beatmakers/DJs flipping the same break making two beats and one emcee ripping the track.)  Ced was down and sent me the session files.

The version I did was some classic break beat boom bap and Ced's joint was more updated with a nod to the past.  I thought the two together would seriously be a dope mixing of the two styles.  The files, however, didn't translate well in my DAW.  (and now looking back, I now know how I could have fixed the problem)  Alas, I did the best I could and honestly I thought the two together were pretty dope.  BUT, in order to get them to work I had to do a lot of cutting, pasting, splicing, chopping etc.  Ced's original beat was becoming more and more a remix of his beat than his original.  We went along with recording it as it was, but after I had a rough mix of the track with Rusty's vocals, Ced decided he wasn't liking it and wanted his portion to be taken out.  In the long run he was right because it ended up becoming a better song.

I went back to the SP1200 and made another beat.  I could have kept the same beat and kept it rocking through the whole track, but the idea of what Ced and I were doing was to keep it moving and changing up to keep the listener engaged.  The foundation was the same with the Melvin Bliss break, but I wanted something else.  On a couple of the other beats I made for the project I was not only flipping classic hip hop records, but kind of doing a mash up of different OG source samples.  (Example: the main beat you'd hear would be the Tom Scott/T.R.O.Y. sample, but I'd chop "Impeach the President" to sound like the drum pattern to "Top Billin.")  Having that concept in mind, I wanted to do the same with this song, but have it continuously progress and change on some DJ and emcee ish.  The final product is a mix of Ultramagnetic, BDP, The Beatnuts, Public Enemy, Gangstarr and more. 



As for recording the vocals...  I already knew Rusty could rock a show.  He truly is an emcee and a master of ceremony.  I originally thought he was just going to do a redux version of the track he originally did, but I was in for a surprise.  Rusty came through, walked into my studio, chopped it up for a few minutes about records and then got to work.  I threw on the beat and he just sat down, pulled out his comp book and started writing.  In what seemed like only 20 minutes or so, he had his rhymes done and was like, "Let's do this!"  Not only had he come up with new lyrics on the spot, but it was some party rocking rhymes that were about him rollin' up to the spot, the dog barking at him, sitting down working on the song and what the "Revisionist History" project was.  We hit record and within just a couple takes we were done.  I honestly have only worked with a handful of people that have been able to do something like this and it was so dope to witness it in action.

Straight hip hop.

So without further delay, check this month's "Revisionist History" track "Ultra Somethin" and cop my man Rusy Redenbacher's new project "Lower." 

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Evolve One - Less Is More

Evolve One dropped another inst hip hop project to start off the new year.  14 chilled out cuts to vibe out to.  Less... is... more. 

"Peace

Hope this New Year finds everyone in good spirits.  Just wanted to let you know that I just put out a new project called "Less Is More"

http://evolveone.bandcamp.com/album/less-is-more

Tried to keep everything simple and to the basics.  I would love it if you took a listen and help spread the word.  It's free and only about 35 mins long. Throw it on while you clean the house."

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Mr. Carlos In The House

Rusty Redenbacher - Lower B-side (Rightaboutthere)

My man Rusty didn't waste any time.  On the heels of his "Tinkerer" LP, he's already back with another project, "Lower." 

Slim... is... getting... funky.

Check out his latest project available now on iTunes and cop this b-side from the project.








"#LOWER sessions. ‘Roundabouthere (Rightaboutnow)’ LISTEN HERE. #ATFU

Peace peace…

Recorded for ‘LOWER’, definitely fun, kinda the companion piece to ‘Shake’ from ‘The Tinkerer’. Just a dirty, techno fonkin, poppin, lockin ass shaker…Twerk fummy. 
Anyway, up until about 10 days ago, it was the second track on the album…now, it’s a bonus track or sumn. I dig it, personally, but had to accept that within the concept of the ALBUM I was trying to make, it didn’t work as well as I wanted it to. 
I moved it around in the sequence, I remixed it, I rethought it…just couldn’t find a way to make it work for ‘LOWER’ when it was all said and done…
…still want y’all to hear it tho…
There it is.
Twerk fummy.
#ATFU

RR"