One Time @ Bandcamp With... Crispus McFly

Alright, by now y'all should know the deal. On Monday I wrote about Crispus McFly's EP The Wake Up! and now it's time for the conversation with the man. If you still haven't given him a listen, check out this new track he gave us for the interview, it's called "Flavius Valerius."



First up who are you? Where do you live? How old are you? How long have you been making tunes? What are you working with?
I go by Crispus McFly. I'm a 26 y.o. beatmaker in Boston, and I've been makin beats for about 3 years.

Samples sound present in your music, are you a digger/vinyl collector?
Yeah, I dig records.

What music did you grow up on? Who are you listening to today?
I grew up listening to a lot of Moments, Little Sister, Breakwater, mainly Funk, R&B and Jazz with some Gang Starr. I still listen to it and Dilla, Jeru the Damaja, etc.

Do you have a musical background? Play instruments?
I used to play the drums, but stopped after my first year.

What's your day job?
I work in a record shop, buying and selling records.

What kind of downloads are you seeing off the bandcamp? Are you doing this for fun or is it something you are trying to make a career out of?
I make beats for fun, but if it leads to profit, I'm down for that too.

Are you interested in getting vocalists on your tracks? If so, singers rappers? both?
I'd be nice to work with some artists, but I'm good right now on my own.

Do you DJ or perform you tunes out in some capacity?
Naw, I haven't really done any of that yet.

How did you find Choclate Chuck's Goodnight EP? What made you want to reinterpret it? Has he heard your take?
I found Chuck on myspace. We talked through some emails and he liked my beats. So, we did remixes of eachother's EPs. It was good times.

What are you working on today?
Just beats and my job.

Favorite pizza?
Pepperoni

Favorite drink?
Beer.

Favorite book?
Reason: The Manual

Around the World in 80 Minutes

I don't even know where to begin... The collective known as Dublab blows my mind once again. An online radio station that's been operating since 1999, Dublab is based in LA and has a vast network of volunteers from the cities music scene. They are always streaming something, never not worth checking out.

Recently lab rats (the affectionate term for volunteers) Carlos Nino & Frosty called up some of their friends and fellow rats to contribute to a mix that is a journey around the world. Nino opens the show with some music that sounds straight from the islands and inspires the feeling of smoking a big fat spliff. He drops a few more tunes and hands the reigns over to Boss Harmony. Fom their it's Gaslamp Killer, Mahssa, Rob Sevier (from the unfuxwitable Numero Group camp), Dina J, Frosty and Daedelus closes it out.

Of course GLK hits us with some real heavy tunes, some of which I'm almost certain are from Turkey. Daedelus brings in some electronic music that sounds perhaps from Paris (?) circa the late 70s. You are guaranteed to be sucked in, and shown a lot of brilliant music most of which no one has probably ever heard. This is what I think DJs and radio stations should do, expose the people to new music constantly. You can read the tracklist and download it here.

MO Podcast Vol. 1

Woke up this morning with a desire to compile a few tunes together into a little podcast. To be honest I'd only listened to a few of these prior to mixing 'em up a little bit. The guy Grillo remixed Gonjasufi nicely and has a new tape out inspired by the Streetfighter Ken. Wiz hit us with a collaboration he has been trying to make happen for a minute last night via twitter, gotta love how that works. Prodigy gets illy with their classic remix of Mr. Mef's "Release Yo Delf." Got some smoking jams in there, some randome electronic sounds and a little funkyness too. Thanks for rocking with us y'all!

Download the MO Podcast Vol. 1

Tracklist:
Rustie "Beast Nite"
Wiz Khalifa ft. Juicy J "In My Car (Puff Bus)"
Freddie Gibbs "On My Way"
Gonjasufi "Candylane (Grillo Remix)"
Illum Sphere "One For Dimlite"
Jim Jones "Blow Your Smoke"
Method Man "Release Yo Delf (Prodigy Remix)"
Kendrick Lamar "Growing Apart"
John Legend & The Roots "Our Generation (J. Period Remix)"
Flinch "Midnight Hustle"
Melo-X "Mirrors In My Mind"

Conmen: The Complete Series

Us here at MO are huge vinyl nerds. We also happen to love pretty much anything funky. Give us that swing and we won't deny it. Good music is what we love and Seattle always accommodates, be it via our huge array of talent across genres or the ever so deep crates our area record stores house just waiting for us to get our hands dusty looking for the right sound.

Two locals who have never ceased in their digging game and will always be held in high regard by vinyl connoisseurs worldwide are Jake One and Mr. Supreme. Supreme's history is long in this town, partnering with Sub Pop almost 20 years ago for Conception records. The run was short lived but through that he met a young kid named Jake One. They united as one for the Conmen starting in 1997 with their first tape Smooth Criminal Beat Breaks full of old records, some you've heard sampled years ago, some people still ain't hip to.

The songs don't stop though and the Conmen kept coming with it dropping a tape a year through 2001. Five volumes in all full of the funkiest breaks, smoothest grooves, and rarest of tunes. Don't even sample this!








So the covers aren't all the same size, the funk is all heavy and that's what matters! Download all the Conmen tapes now.

Vol. 1 - Smooth Criminal Beat Breaks
Vol. 2 - The Masters
Vol. 3 - Jelaous Toys Die
Vol. 4 - Veteranos
Vol. 5 - Don't Even Sample This

Luck One & Dekk "Beautiful Music"

Early last year a little known emcee from Portland Oregon emerged onto the blog circuit with an EP titled Beautiful Music. Produced entirely by Dekk the seven tracks found within show you who this young man is over stellar instrumentals that evolve as they play out - a trademark of any beat Luck selects.

While he is a self admitted beat freak he is also a very serious lyricist who refuses to waste even one breath. Having seen more than many of us will in a lifetime Luck One left prison after 5 years with a passion to move forward in a positive direction with his life and music. Don’t come into this project expecting tales from hood corners and Oz like memoirs, Beautiful Music is more reminiscent of that philosophy course students across the nation are sitting down in this month.

Opening with the awesomely bombastic “80s Back” celebrating the maturation of those of us who were born in the decade. Luck makes sure to shout out all the trends people have to look back on in confusion, and at the same time gets you hyped up and ready for more. The first time I saw dude live his set was opened with this cut and it provided him the opportunity to capture the crowds energy - we were locked on him for the duration of his set.

Illmaculate has made a name for himself nationally as an incredibly talented battle rapper. In Portland everyone knows his success, but it’s tempered by the fact that he is out their trying to prove himself as a well rounded emcee. Even though Luck was defeated by a 15 year old Illmaculate years ago, today they are peers and two of the more lyrically talented individuals from the 503. “Back At Long Last” and “Road To Destiny” are both more serious tracks towards the end of the EP, the former giving both emcees room to blow of frustrations and the later being the flip side of that coin as they show optimism and hope for their dreams to be reached.

Undoubtedly some have and always will hate. If you are gonna make a complaint about Luck One I would guess it relates to his vocabulary and the use of words some may not know. If that is the case for you good for Luck teaching you something and good for you for allowing what is viewed as entertainment to be more. Big words may be present in his bars but you can’t elevate anything listening to Wiz Khalifa all the time.

Content can be lost in exchange for any number of things in this biz, Luck One doesn’t compromise anything for his art. He makes music with a message that shouldn’t be forgotten. Thanks to the production by Dekk cats won’t be able to stop nodding their head to it and in the process Lucks words will flow into your mind. Whatever that opens you up to, it’s bound to be positive. How many rap albums today convey pure hope?

Download Beautiful Music here! And be watching here or any of your other favorite Hip Hop blogs for Luck's new EP True Theory Outtakes coming next week!

Curren$y & Trademark Da Skydiver "J.E.T.S." (Video)

Trademark The Skydiver ft. Curren$y - J.E.T.S. from Creative Control on Vimeo.

Sunday funday! I'm not mad at no more brunch shifts, won't lie. Me and Swerve ended our nights on this note. Figured it was a good way to kick off the morning too. I wonder where these cats ran off to film this? Love the Simply Lemonade Spitta.

If you don't have the jam, download the mp3 here!

Shabazz Palaces "Barksdale Corners"

I wasn't thinking this song was moving me but when I saw myself starting it over and over, time after time I decided there must be something going on that my mind likes. It's got this grimey synth in the background that hypnotizes you and a pulsating yet faint bass thump keeps you in a trance while Ish spits some dope lines that sometimes I get and sometimes I don't. But you gotta just keep on listening.



Thanks to I Want You Magazine for liberating this track out of the Palaceer's lab and to Andrew Matson over at the Times for keeping people hip to all things related to Seattle Hip Hop.

The Skybourne Rangers

Curren$y has a good thing going right now. Weed rap has taken over the internet and legions of stoners are sitting behind their desk's geeking out over name brand strains and paper planes. Pilot Talk is still getting regular spins and Smoke DZA's filthy free tape George Kush the Button is in constant rotation.

Dame Dash brought together some talented individuals for his latest endeavor and it seems to be paying off. The internet has been hyped on the potential for Jay Electronica and Mos Def to be doing songs together and the inclusion of Curren$y in their team has some heads talking shit and some that much more amped. "The Day" is proof that they are in fact in the lab, but I'm skeptical of a full project ever seeing realization.

Mos Def's legendary status and artistic desires will him to create what he feels, they also allow him to indulge in whatever it is he sees fit. While he may be stoked on Jay and Spitta, at the end of the day he has nothing left to prove so why bother pairing with some younger cats that are only gonna put you to the test everyday. As fans we would love that shit. But is this old man really interested in working like that anymore? I think not.

Big K.R.I.T. is another new voice emerging from the South, the M - I crooked letter state to be exact. While he isn't in the same vein as DZA or Spitta, he does elevate your mind with his rhymes and dedicates little time to the weed talk, his deep voice and buttery flow are irresistible.

These three have appeared on 3 songs together that have been released. The first was from K.R.I.T. Wuz Here entitled "No Wheaties." The second was found on Pilot Talk called "Skybourne" and the most recent, and perhaps the smoothest, is "Etc, Etc" from DZA's latest offering.

Together these three are unfukwitable. Three up and comers all looking for their spot atop the thrown. Their drive to win has propelled them to the cusp of success. The question is what will push the over the top. Curren$y and DZA's love for the giggly bush will never suffice should they like to see real paper from the business. K.R.I.T. could probably do alright on the underground circuit, touring his ass off for the next decade and making a living.

Enter the Skybourne Rangers. Spitta, DZA & Krit unified for one mission: total domination of the rap game. Stop hoping and praying that Mos Def and Jay Elec are gonna get in the lab for a project with dude. How many records have they released in the last 5 years? How many has Curren$y got under his belt? Dude is driven and teaming with cats that have proven to be of the same mindset will only allow them to be inspired off each other - never stifled.

If you aren't hip to the biz on the Rangers I've compiled their three tracks into a nice little folder for your downloading pleasure. I've used a live recording of "Skybourne" so as to avoid any legal repercussions - it features a live band and certainly does nothing to take away from what these three can do together. Enjoy and download here!

What's Wrong With A Little Gang Starr?

In the wake of Guru's recent health problems Gang Starr mixes flooded the internet. This was the only one I even looked at, probably more so because of the weight I place in certain people's recommendation than because of the songs selected or the rep of Matthew Africa - I'd never heard of dude before.

This mix is a great demonstration of why Gang Starr are one of the best duos ever. Going seamlessly through 38 tracks you hear songs from every release they have, showing off Primo's trademark cuts and his always excellent use of jazz samples. Guru is the Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal, the voice doesn't even matter these days it's just good to hear him rock to beats of the appropriate caliber.

You can download the mix here courtesy of Matthew Africa. Check out the tracklist below and learn more here.

1. Intro
2. You Know My Steez
3. Just to Get a Rep
4. Mass Appeal
5. Step in the Arena
6. Now You're Mine
7. The Militia feat. Freddie Foxxx
8. B.Y.S.
9. Take It Personal
10. The ? Remainz
11. Full Clip
12. DWYCK feat. Nice & Smooth
13. Who's Gonna Take the Weight?
14. Jazz Thing
15. Soliloquy of Chaos
16. Check the Technique
17. Credit Is Due
18. Speak Ya Clout feat. Jeru the Damaja & Lil Dap
19. It'z a Setup feat. Hannibal
20. Words I Manifest (Remix)
21. 2 Deep
22. The Place Where We Dwell
23. Suckas Need Bodyguards
24. Flip the Script
25. What You Want This Time?
26. Love Sick
27. Ex Girl to Next Girl
28. The Planet
29. Make 'em Pay
30. Execution of a Chump
31. DJ Premier Is In Deep Concentration
32. Take Two & Pass
33. Gotta Get Over (Taking Loot)
34. Rite Where You Stand feat. Jadakiss
35. I'm the Man feat. Lil Dap & Jeru the Damaja
36. Code of the Streets
37. Tonz 'o' Gunz
38. Next Time