So, here's a little about me and shit I been feeling recently.

So, first off, I'm an MPC nut, like, something crazy. Currently own a MPC 2KXL, but, had a chance to really put in some work on a 1000 from Summer 0f '07 to March of '08. That JJ OS makes that thing a beast. It's a cot damn shame that Akai is pussyfooting it on the development of their own OS. At this point, it kind of seems to me that they're happy that someone else is doing their work. But, let those cats from JJ OS truly get enterprising and decided to release a software version of the OS. Suddenly, cease and desist orders will flood their inboxes.. Way of the world, eh?

Anyway, as you can tell from the music that suddenly comes blaring through your headphones or speakers whenever you enter my page, I'm an aspiring producer. A little history behind some of the beats, you say? Why not...

Dillishis was kind of my tribute to Dilla without really aping his style. I kind of just poured my emotions into that one and that's what came out. That man truly changed my life since the first time I heard one of his productions, which was on the Pharcyde's "Runnin", followed shortly thereafter by Tribe's 1nce Again. Been hooked ever since.

Be Tough was me just trying to utilize this sample that I had sitting around for the longest (probably since like 2005). My original intent was to make this really 808 heavy, down south type of beat but with the ill vocal sample throughout. Needless to say, it didn't come out that way. But, maybe one day I will decide to "remix" it and get more closer to my original vision. I guess you could say that beat is the closest thing I have up that's "hip-hop".

I started as strictly hip hop but then this "electrocrunk" (the name I created for my type of music) just started coming out whenever I touched the keys. I'm trying really hard to get back into hip hop but it's kind of hard to get "reacquainted" with the sparseness that hip hop music entails. Not that I'm knocking it or anything, cause it still is the largest portion of my listening diet, but, it's just difficult. I want to add a synth here and some strings there EVERYTIME. ARRRGGHHHHH.

Funny story: I posted a link to some of my tracks over at the Crate Kings forum, and , what was the first thing most of the cats replied: "Why don't you make some hip hop; What's up with this electro stuff?; Where's the filtered samples?" You know, the prototypical closed-minded hip hop listener response. Dudes really need to raise up off that shit. I don't know when was the last time they saw Jel or El-P top the charts or go gold, but, they seem to think that stuff is God's gift to hip hop. And, don't get me wrong, I love that stuff. I listen to it way more than I do stuff like Akon or Souljaboy, but, that type of hip hop is very limited in the ears it will touch.

Electrocrunk is just some other shit. I knew this chick who was on this French comp and she let me hold the cd for a bit. I came across the ill sample and decide to freak it a bit. Since the beat had some much going on in it already (melodically), I decide to just append drums. Came out pretty ill, I think.

"Can't I Dream??" is that other OTHER shit. I kinda wanted to make something really impromptu, in the vein of Madlib's Beat Konducta stuff (which, for the most part, I don't really like, but, I digress...). Also, it was kind of powered with my frustration of not being where I want to be right now, as far as my musical aspirations. I just sort of feel that I'm making some pretty good shit and all these other hipster cats be getting all the praise on the internet for their off-kilter, Flylo and J. Dilla derivative beats. But, my lack of exposure is to a large degree my fault, so, I'll be working on correcting that soon.

Trancey was kind of my response record to Usher's Love In This Club. I REALLY liked that record and kind of wanted to challenge myself to create something similar but BETTER. And I think the BETTER part was affirmed for me when I found out that Polow (a cat that I still respect heavily) used two Garage Band loops to create that one. In the end, I can't knock that man because he got paid off of his lackadaisical effort and I'm still grinding. By the way, mine is totally original, inside and out.

I Need It was something I just wanted to knock out to create an R&B track for a boy of mine that sings. It is wholly original also. I kinda wanted to get that "Strawberry Fields" kind of thing going on with the flute in that song. Hopefully I came somewhat close. As you can tell, I still need to get a little work done with my bridges. I kind of "don't" know where to go, but I think I'll start maybe jumping to the relative minor of the scale used for the main portions or the 3 or 5th of said scale. If ya'll have any suggestions, holler.

New Wheels was just another ill ass sample that I came upon and just kept adding stuff until that which you hear came out. My boy claims it's my illest beat thus far. Don't know about that, cause, if you heard the shit I got coming??!! WHOOOOOO!!!

Lastly, is Neptuney. I guess, kind of my homage to the Neptunes and their exemplary discography. I think a lot of dudes tend to knock them, but, they are some of the most idiosyncratic yet successful producers known to the urban music genre. I'm like, who else can take cheap synth and string sounds, stock keyboard drums and percussion and come up with some shit that has serious replay value? While most electro bands continue with their self-masturbatory idealization of vintage gear and the records they love to emulate that were concocted from those pieces, these dudes were using whatever was at their disposal, including such frowned upon gear as the Korg Triton and Korg 01w. And, I say, WHY NOT. Fuck everyone that tells you need a specific piece of musical equipment in order to legitimize your art. FUCK THAT. Make good music and leave those bedroom producers in the same room of their house that they woke up in.

Now, in conclusion, I'd like to hip ya'll to this joint that got me going crazy for the past few days. It's a song by Brandy called "A Capella (Something's Missing)". I did an entire post over at OKP discussing this same track, so I won't take up any more space or time on my blog retreading the already trodden. I'll just let you peep and be the judge.

Just to let ya'll know, I think I might do an "official" release of my first beat tape, which will include the songs you hear on the left with maybe 1 or 2 additions. Let me know if ya'll interested in that.

Until then.... If you'd like to talk production techniques, exchange drums, talk about production styles, let me know.

P.S. If any of you guys can "correctly" identify any of the samples in any of my tracks, I'll hit you with a free drum break for you and you only.

Peace.