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."