Y'know when I took a 10 year break from hiphop. This was one dude in the rock/metal scene that kept the essence of a stylistic flow in my head.
I don't even think I remembered him as an influence. If anything subconsciously.
If you listen to might type of sound, then no doubt you recognize Zack de la Rocha's vox off the bat.
When I decided to go from being a punk vocalist to rapping, to not have to rely on forming a band. I was struggling to find this ultimate alternative sound that combined my audio interest.
With Zack on the keys and rhyming on Jon Theodore's drums... One day as a lion is finally the influential idea I've been meaning to find. Granted my idea isn't to sound exactly like them... But taking your rock influences and creating this whole negative universe sound with it.
Alternative hiphop/metal/rapcore/ nu metal/ rock/ punk. Who knows what critical label lays ahead.
All I know is that I'm feelin this more than any nigga out there sampling electro or coldplay songs.
You can't fake a background in hard rock. Even Ice T's body count was legit...even though I don't like body count.
Will Firebird 88 finally have a pitch to accomplish his goal of being a band as opposed to another come and go solo emcee? Stay tuned and find out!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mKtt7F0rPU
Doc Brown from "Back to the future" for all you scrubs who don't know.
I think I'm gonna take some time out to work on a few mix tapes and EPs. I'd prefer to have some polished, beautiful tracks on like 3-5 song EPs. All my other scraps can be for promo or whatever.
I haven't stopped making beats. I make at least 2 or 3 beats a week. Recording on the other hand is tough. I literally rap in the closet, it's too hot for that shit 98% of the time. Especially when my gear Isn't working. I have a few thousand dollars worth of music gear. I aim for gadgets that range from 200-500 dollars. I stopped buying gear because I haven't been using the shit I do have. It's a shame. You work a lame ass job for a fucking year only to lose ambition for what you were saving up for. It'd be nice to be a couple of years younger so I can start over. But hell, we all have this fucked up issue where it seems like we're aging in dog years.
In dog years, a 24 year old F88 is pretty old.
Last night I had a dream where me and Pee Wee Herman were talking about the good old days, when I was 4 and he used to entertain me. Seeing as how the dream took place in either Harlem or the Bronx, I'd say it was pretty fucked up. Anyway, nostalgia has been like a double edged sword, maybe for us all. Esp my generation, that hates to grow old.
Anyway, I'm in the lab. All rhymers should know how the process goes.
Yo, now...I could really care less on listening to a bunch of celebs talk about whatever.
Especially Al Sharpton. I'm sick of Al's face, go protest racist cops and leave all else alone. I got a feelin if he wasn't black, he wouldn't care about black causes. Always in the damn camera like puffy in a video.
thats another rant.
But yea. His daughter breaking down in front of everyone kinda fucked me up.
That was depressing as hell.
Overall I only care to hear about MJ through his family.
Not Kobe Bryant
Not Al Sharpton.
Like seriously, this nigga of all people. Yea, Chris Brown should be punished where due. But a lot of dudes is kind of pushing generations and other peoples reputations of abuse on his image. All of the sudden we hit zero tolerance? That's cool. But didn't James Brown smack bitches up?
If it's oldschool, I guess it can't be wrong. If you wanna punch Chris, punch that dude. The niggas embarrassed, but he's being even more embarrassed by dudes who've done far worse shit. I didn't see if he was invited to the funeral, but they pulled homeboy out of BET from covering Michael Jacksons song.
Mad dudes should be accountable for the shit they've done. That's grimey.
I'm ranting.
But yea, the funeral was too fuckin cheesy for my taste. I'd love to honor Michael, and I know he'd probably love what we all saw today, but that ain't my style. I guess with me I just imagine him being buried at neverland ranch, with boys 2 men singing that song they always sing in movie funerals.
http://strangegibberish.net/
Listening to Cinemassacre right now.
Download it, it's the latest compilation
I don't regret not being on this one. I mean I wish I was, but I had nothing ready since my wires was fucking up my recording process. I could have given in one of my default songs. But I didn't wanna do that shit, that'd be whack and fuck the comp up.
It sounds good. Hell, it sounds hot cause there's nothing else out there I'd rather be listening to right now.
Anyway, I'm gonna eat hamburgers and practice karate.
Download that album.
Pre-Firebird 88 mash up.
MD was a faux label I started for myself and crew to kind of collect our network. As a real label, I don't see it taking off anymore, I'm pretty much trying to manage everything single handed. The idea of getting shirts, live shows, albums and cd prints out. I don't have anyone on board 100% active for that.
Barely even myself.
So while MD will still be there. Firebird 88 and other projects will be split onto other labels and collectives that I can trust. Meaning dudes that wont pack up and run on me, wasting my time. Promotion might not be the same but I can handle that myself. With electronica and rock I'd hope to get out there some day, rocking the stage in the indie scenes. As far as 88 goes with the hiphop, I'm really just doing it for the art of it when I think about it. I question the perks of making it by having some label out there take a chance with my overall style. Living a life with a little more freedom a 9-5 can't offer you, a little bit of happiness and a voice finally heard if not atleast debts paid off. Hiphop however in mainstream isn't the world for me. I have enough lyrical fuel because there's a lot of shit I just dont like and plenty of shit I'd love to finally hear. You got all this thug tribe shit, mandingo sex playa shit. Not enough mandellas in hiphop let alone folk lore styled dudes like myself. I guess I'd be the anansi...the spider of trickery.
I like art and media. S/G I believe can help me express that.
I'm gonna start putting out EPs and mixes. I don't know about full length albums. I get sloppy with doing to much shit. If I had more listners it'd be more worth it to give what I think the people would want.
I'm just gonna give what I feel.
Keep that shit honest.
F88 out.
It's official.
All of my heroes are dead.
I didn't have many to begin with.
The worlds greatest and most celebrated music artist was a black american man.
Despite all jokes and critique. You can't wipe this one out of the books.
Firebird isn't going to be talking about it though. I'd rather rest this one in my thoughts for a while.
Last week I managed to finish two tracks with the Microphone chord blown out.
It was frustrating as hell. You don't know how ghetto (improvised) my methods are to doing music.
But it feels good. I guess a reason my messy DIY quality appeals to people is because that's what hiphop is. Having nothing in an environment of nothing and making something. The sound of hiphop changes true, but it's all about the sound of survival.
Hiphop has existed before, under different names and different sounds.
But...you already know that.
Anyway, I'm tryin out monster brand of chords now.
When I get the tracks I want, I'm gonna star rehearsing them for a month or two, grab a couple of hypemen, set up the visuals and throw some shows I guess.
And I doubt I'm gonna be making any catchy songs just to get play or the crowed to dickride me. I could do it, but there's certain things I'm trying to do with my art here and break away from. But for all you know I could get niggas to scream "It's Morphin Time!!!!"
Hm..........I take back what I just said.
Today I bought a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles T-shirt, on some real nigga shit.
They're like the best gang ever known, go back into the 80s. Mad fights and shit. Bandanas, nunchucks, oldschool.
Other than that, a lot's happened within the last two months. I thought I should blog about it.
I don't need to.
I got a new song, that should be a demo called "protocol" It's on the myspace. I'll be working on some demos, samplers, mix tapes and what not.
Fuck whacha heard.
Lol, I hate that term.
