UnioNoMics 101

1. Fuck John McCain. It's funny how one side gets pissed when the other does the same shit they been doing. Politicians, as a rule, can go fuck themselves. They all suck, and to varying degrees, they're all disgusting human beings who lie for a living.

In case you're too lazy to click the link, Harry Reid (a Dem), back in 2008, said that Obama could win because he's light-skinned and doesn't speak with "Negro dialect." Use of the word Negro aside (seriously who the fuck still says Negro), Reid didn't say anything that isn't true. If Chris Rock had said it nobody would give a fuck. Cuz we all know that a light-skinned (half-Black even) bruh who "speaks so well" is the best chance Black people could have to get in the White House.

So anyway Republicans are pissed cuz Obama pretty much doesn't seem to care that Reid said that, and it seems that Reid will keep his job and position as Senate Majority leader. Really I could care less. Obama knows that cats see him as Black before anything else, so this revelation really didn't open his eyes to anything. I'm sure Reid will be punished in some other, stealthier way. Issue deaded as far as everyone but Republicans and other stick-uptight-in-their-ass people are concerned

2. Black Rob needs to get outta jail and stay outta jail. Today I rediscovered his two albums, and my feeling is hip-hop needs Black Rob. Real good story, realistic thug-rap.

3. Fuck my job. That shit has ruined my creative mood since TPRH was finished. Gotta find something new, VERY fast. For various reasons my writer's block is crazy, and I'm sure the job is a part of that. Fuck real life in general, in college it was much easier to get inspired.

4. Go download Da Vinci's mixtape!! Don't just listen to it, download it. Post comments with your thoughts on it

Not yet, but we're working on it. Me and Da Vinci are still working on Kick In Ya Speakers, and we got a bunch more coming. He's got a mixtape aaaaaand ...an EP and a ...book coming soon? Whatever I get confused trynna explain his plans, he's got way too much going on. Anyway there's new music from him, coming like next week. And there's our mixtape. And I got a couple songs I'm working on. No idea how I'll release em, but they're coming in some sort of way. And of course we're still working on setting up performances. This shit is not nearly as easy as it looks.

But back to recording, I had a terrible time trying to record earlier this week. See back in September I moved to a new spot. I had been done with TPRH, and was taking a break from recording for a while. So even thought I set up my studio during the move-in, I didn't test everything for a while. By the time I came back to it, I forgot what settings were best for my audio interface (presonus firebox). Long story short, this week my recordings were either too loud(static was doing my overdubs and ad-libs), or too damn quiet(damn firebox doesn't route its preamp for it's stereo inputs). So I'm trying to get a new mic sometime in the next week or two. I'll finally get a compressor mic and use the full power of this firebox. In the meantime everything I record is just for me to reference and practice, you guys will hear none of it. The new mic should sound so much better than what I got now, it doesn't even make sense to take my current recordings serious.

Until then, keep listening to our old shit(to the right), keep giving our music away, and keep supporting other good artists. Snoop has a song with Brandy on his new album that sounds so good I'ma have to download the album despite the trash that is I Wanna Rock. Also, the four songs I've heard off the Clipse' album were nice as hell, minus one that features Keri Hilson (further fueling my ire for her.) And go download Freeweezy's The Beat Made Me Do It, this joint knocks!

~Knowledge

The article, c/o hiphopdx

Thru Playin' Round Here is really, honest-to-God, almost done!! I put the last song in the cd-project today. So far only Bobbi D has heard this incarnation of the cd, but pretty soon I'll put it online for everyone to hear. Now the only thing I have left to do is master the cd and finalize the artwork, which is damn near done anyway. Then I can send the thing off for manufacturing.

It's been a very arduous process getting to this point. The damn thing has taken forever in every phase, and I've learned sooooo much about the process of putting together a cd and what methods work best for me. For instance each song needs to be worked on until it's finished, as opposed to a conveyor belt process where I write everything then record everything then mix everything etc. Waiting so long to hear the finished product opens me up to losing steam.

TPRH has drained my energy, hopefully once it's completely done my creative juices can flow again. Right now I got about 5 songs that I need to write to, but I rarely get the urge to write anymore. I know part of that is the sad state that music is in lately. There hasn't been much to inspire me. Hard workdays don't help either. Neither does the fact that my most creative time of day occurs during my workday. Good times.

Anyways enough complaining. TPRH is almost done! Check our music page, download something, join the mailing list. Ron has a new cd up there that he completed in a week! Normally I'm very skeptical about the quality of music made in such a short timetable, but Ron did a commendable job. My main complaint is I wish the songs were longer. Check out Nefarious Snapshots Of An Arteest's Perspective

Here's the rundown of the past few weeks:

1. 3 weekends ago Ron came down. We went to a pretty good local show that Friday put on by Beatgarden Entertainment. Afterwards we had a real good conversation wit one Nico the Beast of Beatgarden. Overall a very good night, although some of the acts were wack as shit. But hey, nothing's ever perfect
2. The next day we went to a studio in the Far Northeast(of Philly) and met up with a talented group of emcees, a producer, and a manager/promoter. Shouts out to all of PaintBooth Productions, Kane, and HMD. We wrote and recorded a song with Untytled for a mixtape project that HMD was working on that day. So much props go to HMD for the look, and also to Sick Six for letting everyone use his studio. It was a real ill experience to write and record all in the same day. I usually take my time writing, then memorize the verse before I lay the vocals. But it was fun to challenge myself to try something different. I still strongly prefer my creative process though. I'm sure my verse coule've been better written and delivered if I got more time.
   
   Regardless of time contstraints, the song is ill, as is my verse. Peep my last entry if you don't believe me.
3. The next weekend I went to an ok show. It was real underwhelming to me, only a few of the acts caught my ear. The highlight of the night was finding out that the host is a teacher. It's cool to see other underground heads talk about their dayjobs. It's encouraging, since I'm holding down my "real jizzob" too.
4. Thru Playin Round Here is damn near done! I just got one song to mix, then gotta master the whole thing. My art man is MIA but my boy Joe is gonna handle the remaining artwork needs.
   
5. This past weekend I hit up Big O about getting on some show bills. And it looks like we'll be performing at the end of August. Can't wait!!
6. Me and Ron recorded 2 songs this past Saturday. Both are for our upcoming mixtape, Kick In Ya Speakers. I'll post one soon

The Union is making serious moves. Peace people

This past weekend was one of the best I've had in a very long time. The highlight was me and Ron getting together with some Philly cats and wrote and recorded a new song, all in one day. The song is called All I Know, it's loosely about our love of hip-hop. I'll recap the whole weekend soon, but for now here's my verse:

and so we grind, destined to shine, in due time we'll find/
another rhyme to kick, but for now it's come-up shit/
never settling for second on the runner-up tip/
I'll command a kingdom, call me chief with the spit/
we been through struggles,but never no time for the humble/
call Satan a hater, we strike back like Vader/
get me down for a sec', I'm gunning for that ass later/
and I'll traverse the sky, droppin' rhymes on high/
mount up a sermon, spit with no reverance for ya preference/
now a PA resident, settin' it off, I'm hell-bent/
Knowledge of The Union got you open and fluid/
you niggas beat around the bush, I get checks and just do it/
audibly ill, fuck ya beef, pardon my grill/
enemies stagger away, flame-broiled for real/
and I'm the king, with the tempered-steel flow I show/
everyday this hip-hop shit is All I Know/

This is our first video:

The EP is almost done! Check the music player, it has 4, count 'em!, 4 new songs. Listen now! Go to the soundclick page to download the songs

This isn't what the title references, but I like this song better:


Everything Remains Raw (Explicit Version) - Busta Rhymes

I know I haven't done a real post in forever. I've been living real life for a minute. between work-travel, working on my EP, and a few dates(!), I've been busy. Not so busy that I haven't had free time, but busy enough that my mind isn't clear enough to blog. And that when I have time to blog, I don't feel like spending the time to make a real entry.

I did get a speeding ticket today. My first one ever. 5 years driving waaaaayyy over the speed limit, and now I finally get caught. These cops was just out chillin, 6pm on Tuesday the 24th. I know there's still a week left in the month, but I'm convinced that they were out there filling their quotas.

There was like 7 different cops out chilling at a stop sign where a small street meets a bigger street. All the squad cars and most of the cops were chillin like 40 ft down the side street, obviously to hide themselves from the main street. Meanwhile one guy is out on the main street flagging lawbreakers into the side streets to get their tickets. Now that I think about it, it was like a fucking ticket-factory. One dude flags speeders and non-stoppers in, where 6 cops take turns handing out tickets.

I rolled up thinking they were shutting the street down and I gotta take this other street as a detour, and then another 5 walks up and tells me I went 45 in a 25, wanting my license. My dumbass still doesn't realize I been trapped: now I gotta find my way thru this detour AND I got a ticket? This blows! I won't begin to describe how long it took me to realize me that there was no roadblock and that (pause) I'd just got fucked by the long dick of the law.

Today was soooo good before the bacon brigade ruined it. But I'm bout to record one of the 2 last songs for Thru Playing Round Here! After these there's a little more mixing, then I gotta put the Boondocks skits in and I'll be done! Almost there! I'll put the latest songs on here soon. Will alert y'all when I do. Peace