Matador

The city stifles me
like a clingy lover
trying to sap my vital energies.

I need to be among maple trees,
tall oaks and whatever else
grows on its own accord.

There are too many angry voices in these streets,
too many judgments in my mind’s pathways,
too many “too many’s”
and not enough peace.

Grappling with the need to create
as creation grapples with my soul,
two bulls with horns locked –
neither moving, tension high –
and I like a matador
sitting in the stands,
watching the struggle,
knowing its futility,
waiting for them to let go.

Dear Child,

Dear child,

You were not born prepared for this life.
You will need to learn much
to survive.

Some things may come naturally to you,
others will not.

You will know to eat when you’re hungry,
to sleep when you’re tired,
to cry when you’re sad.
But be wary –
even these basic things
can be unlearned,
even forgotten.

Everything you do will have consequences;
some will seem insignificant,
others you will load with meaning.
How things seem to you
will often not reflect their true nature.
Know this:
for every choice
a difference is made.

Yes – you will have choices to make.
At times you may think you have none,
but this much is certain:
you will always have some degree of choice,
no matter your circumstances.

Your victories and failures in life
are not victories and failures;
they are what you and others say they are,
and nothing more.

You were not programmed for anything
other than to be,
to live and grow
until you die.
Everything else that happens is
simply as you experience it,
as you sense it,
as your perceive and interpret.

You will feel many things in this life.
You might feel joy in moment
and pain in another,
taste sweetness now
and then dirt on your tongue.

Sometimes you will be alone
even among other people,
or be connected to someone
from miles apart.

You are fragile;
your body can break and decay –
take care of it.

You are courageous;
you can act despite fear.

You might believe at times
that you are alone,
that you’re difference or don't belong…

But here you are.

Of the infinite possible beings
that could be in the universe,
you are here – you exist.

Your life matters.

What you choose to do or not do matters.

What you say,
what you think,
what you believe and dream matters.

And you are the one who says how you will live.

There are no shoulds or should nots
except within the contexts of reality
that you define or accept
as they are defined by someone else.

So do not make to harsh terms with yourself.

Love, compassion, and kindness
can provide you access
to the freedom inherent in your nature.

Build and create yourself
into the person you want to be in this world,
and go out there and be it.

Be not overly concerned
with the importance of the totality of your life,
but rather with each moment
in which you find yourself.

The fleshiest fruits of your life
can be plucked only in the present,
although the seeds you plant
may not bear fruit
for years to come.

Dearest child of this world,
you may not have been born equipped
to live as large as the dreams you’ve created,
but you are blessed with access
to all the tools you will need
to build the world you want to see.

Mixtape Review: NewBreedMC – Silent Slang Mixtape

After a four year hiatus from recording, the Silent Slang Mixtape is an audacious release for Brampton resident NewBreedMC. Boasting 14 tracks over a diverse and well-selected variety of beats (all dubs – this is a promotional mixtape), NewBreed displays his ability to create a strong presence over a broad sampling of instrumentals. When I asked him what “Silent Slang” meant, NewBreed told me it was another way of saying “Unspoken Swagger;” a shared acknowledgment of something that doesn’t need to be explicitly stated to be noticed. Having recently witnessed a charismatic performance by NewBreed at a Killah Priest show, I can definitely cosign the fact that this is one MC who possesses “Silent Slang.”

NewBreed has a definite talent for making catchy hooks, evidenced throughout the mixtape (“Who needs and MC? You need an MC!” is now stuck in my head), and he even sounds melodic at times (e.g. the hook on “I’m the Man”). Some of the tracks on the mixtape have a “mainstream” sound (e.g. “Go Girl” and “Single Forever”), perhaps a result of some of the beats selected, but there’s an ample supply of more “underground” sounding straight hip hop gems on here. “All Lungs” is the stoner anthem of the mixtape, and perhaps one of the catchiest herb-smoking songs since Cyprus Hill’s “Hits from the Bong.” For those who enjoy a good storytelling song, “Great Canadian Fable” will please listeners with a psychologically in-depth crime tale (albeit with a predictable crime-story ending.

When it comes to braggadocio, NewBreed is a pro – for listeners who love punch-lines (and maybe even a few laughs), this mixtape definitely delivers. With lines like, “I’m a giver not a taker – I don’t even take advice” and “I get fly and ‘Neverland’ like Michael Jackson’s home/ I spit a line and ‘Breathe Again’ like Toni Braxton, holmes,” NewBreed displays skilled wordplay and punch-lines that deserve a few rewinds. NewBreed sounds at home on every track – his vocal presence is confident and his delivery is strong. His flows are on point and he displays versatility with his rapping ability. If there’s one major criticism I have of NewBreed on this release, it’s the banality and lack of substance in a lot of his rhymes. Much of what he raps about on this mixtape consists of stroking his own ego and talking about superficial clichés (although he does do this more entertainingly than the average rapper). That being said, it’s clear that NewBreed can be a lyrical beast and craft intelligent and complex verses when we wants to (listen to verse two on “SS Silent Slang” for evidence of this). When I asked him about this, NewBreed told me that he intended Silent Slang as an introductory project, and that “the message” in his lyrics would be coming more in subsequent releases. After listening to Silent Slang a few times and seeing NewBreedMC perform, I’m definitely looking forward to this artist’s future projects.

Download the Silent Slang Mixtape HERE.

NewBreedMC – Silent Slang Mixtape – Track Listing:

1. Who Needs an MC? - Produced by MoSS
(Original: DJ Deadeye and ST. The Squad – “Blood Brothers”)

2. All Lungz - Produced by Black Milk
(Original: Buckshot, KRS One Mary J Blidge –“The Way I Am”)

3. Many - Produced by Ski and Apple Juice Kid
(Original: MC Lyte – “Rocking with the Best”)

4. I'm the Man - Produced by Pharell
(Original: Clipse – “Popular Demand”)

5. Say What You Want - Produced by Kanye West
(Original: Drake – “Say What’s Real”)

6. Pablo Reverb - Produced by Rick Rubin and Beastie Boys
(Original: Beastie Boys – “Paul Revere”)

7. I'm Everywhere - Produced by Soundtrack
(Original: Lupe Fiasco feat Matthew Santos – “Shining Down”)

8.Single 4 Ever - Produced by Best Kept Secret
(Original: Wale – “Pretty Girls”)

9. Go Girl - Produced by Don Correll and Tony Taylor
(Original: Lupe Fiasco feat. Matthew Santos - “Say Ahh”)

10. Chamber 33 - Produced by J Dilla
(Original: Raekwon – “10 Bricks”)

11. In the Black – Produced by Black Milk
(Original: Elzhi – “That's that One”)

12. Great Canadian Fable – Produced by Focus
(Original: Slaughter House – “Lyrical Murderers”)

13. Silent Slang - Produced by RZA
(Original: Raekwon – “New Wu”)

14. Life – Produced by The New Boyz

(Original: New Boyz feat. Ray-J – “Tie Me Down”)

Words from Noyz - Through the Wall

Here are some humble words from my homie Noyz, who produced the entire ITFONA album:

"My goal with 'Shadow Gallery' was to create an album front to back with no other MC's. My goal with 'In The Face of No Agreement' was to do the opposite and hold down the production for an entire album. Fubb reached out to me late in the process of the album and asked me to have a verse prepared for the album's last song. He sent me a reference recording with his verses on it and I didn't want to do it because he bodied the track and I've had difficulty in the past writing to my own beats (as strange as that sounds). It took me a while to grow to like my verse but I still feel I got outshined on this by Fubb. The beat on this bangs though. I felt this was my strongest beat on the whole project. "

http://mcfubb.bandcamp.com/track/through-the-wall-feat-noyz

"I brought out my inner demons

hidden meanings in my scribbles as I pitted reason in a bitter region,

it's surrounded by insanity

the freedom of letting go

battles the security of holding on,

we never know

until we're free falling

cut cords, we keep calling

to release everything we keep balled in/

blunt force, now I'm bleeding through the wall

using it to write my music as a troubadour,

moving as the future calls

producing for the soundtrack of my destiny

a moving score, beautiful compositions, I view the war

standing in the midst of it

gathering the images

I channel through my fingertips

imagining the vividness

of words brought to life,

Fubb is the playwright

who resurrects them after I illumnate the gravesites

the pace might quicken,

the stage lights dimming,

we erase night giving great sight to your vision"

Album Review: Phat Tony and Theo3 - The 2 Week EP

Phat Tony and Theo3 - 2 Week EP: http://yungsanta.bandcamp.com/

The 2 Week EP is a street symphony, not just for the ghetto, but for the everyday citizen struggling to navigate and survive any urban landscape. On the intro track, Just Tryin' to Provide (Yung Santa), Theo raps with a beautifully paced double time flow, while also dabbling with some singing on the hook, executing both ends of the vocal spectrum very well. Lyrically, Theo touches on issues ranging from daily worries about financial security, to staying “every day ready for political disruption” in the city of Toronto (G20 reference included). The issues being expressed on Yung Santa are anything but simple - centered on the artist’s commitment to grow and develop in the world while at the same time facing resistance both from external circumstances and what seems to be an overactive critical analysis of himself. All the while, the necessities of working every day to literally survive in society remain a prevalent concern in the artist’s mind. While speaking from his own experience, Theo is able to touch on problems faced by anyone committed to greatness in the world, and expresses the inner-workings of his own mind and perspectives eloquently.

The second track, Outerspace, is perhaps the most experientially captivating of all the tracks on the EP. While production on the entire album is solid, Phat Tony definitely outdoes himself on this track. The creative use of guitar rhythms with futuristic sounding synthesizers and melodic samples with impeccably tuned effects come together smoothly over a beat that uses the hand-clap instead of a snare (all without sounding cheesy). Theo’s verses on Outerspace really are out of this world, with lines like: “grabbed on the back of a satellite to catch a flight / rode past Saturn with Gladys Knight / flashing lights / travelled through the Milky Way, landed on Mars / trade bars with the R on the back of Jimi’s guitar.” Ironically, it seems that Theo’s goal on this track is to bring gassed up rappers (claiming that their rhymes are “out of this world”) “right back to earth” – and he does so quite effectively, literally taking his lyrics into the cosmos.

Theo expresses the toll that the “struggling to survive and provide” paradigm has played on his psyche on the third track, Down. Opening with a series of “what ifs,” he expresess fears ranging from insanity to the fear that all the hard work and energy he's expended on his career will ultimately not pay the bills. Of all the questions Theo asks on this track, with intense flows and an almost frantic sounding tone at times, the one that stands out the most is: “when will I learn to give myself credit?” Lines like this really encompass the internal struggle that a lot of people (not just artists) face in modern society, adding to the The 2 Week EP’s cultural relevance.

Theo, always a beast on the track, dishes out a mix of precision double time flows and innovative pacing on Find These Things in You. Phat Tony’s production shines brightly on this track, with hard hitting, layered, trumpet-sounding hits and beautifully placed drums. In contrast to the previous track, Theo’s message is uplifting and inspirational, bringing forth his inner confidence and MC showmanship. Despite the trying circumstances he faces, Theo expresses his desire to continue “chasing after greatness,” because “amazing never happens if you stand around pacing.” True that!

Coming full circle on the EP’s final track, Theo articulates his goal to be the Greatest on Your Playlist, a commitment that carries him through the struggles he experiences. Riding not just for himself, but also for the hip hop culture that he loves and fears is dying, Theo experiments with different flows and cadences on this track – refreshing in an industry where the sound popular music is becoming increasingly homogenized. Again referencing himself as his own worst enemy, Theo writes: “Do you know what it’s like to be your arch-rival/‘cause your mind’s always bringing up the archival,” perhaps alluding to his tendency to over-analyze past experiences. If there’s one great insight in Theo’s writing throughout the Yung Santa EP, it’s that we as human beings internalize the obstacles we face in society, and are forced to wrestle with them internally. It takes a strong will and resolute commitment to something greater than oneself to maintain artistic integrity while at the same time staying relevant to listeners. Theology 3 balances this dichotomy very well, and is definitely one of the true MCs holding it down for hip hop culture in the world.

If there’s one complaint I have about this project, it’s that it’s too damn short! Phat Tony and Theo3 need to make a full length album together in the future, one which will allow Theo to touch on a wider range of topics and share more of his insights and diverse flows with listeners. Cop this album (and the entire Theo3 catalogue for that matter) and support dope hip hop. Theo – keep your head up! This is one member of the “Screwface Capitol” is proud to have you as a resident.

Background info about the EP:

Toronto Hip Hop heavyweight Theo3 (DJ Eclipse’s 2010 Sleeper song of the year “It’s Theo3”) and much sought after producer Phat Tony created the eclectic and richly textured “2 Week EP” during 14 days in December. Phat Tony constructed a living, breathing musical landscape while Emcee Theo3 slid in the upstairs studio everyday after work as Coordinator of the newly opened Parkdale Youth Space in downtown west Toronto. The result is a descriptive and genre blending menu of social awareness, tongue in cheek braggadocio and topical rhymes laid out over an eye popping array of soulful musical productions. The deft mixing touch of legendary Toronto DJ and producer Scam of Time Bandits music gives the whole “2 Week EP” a new dimension of fullness and Universal appeal.

2 weeks to create, 2 weeks to mix and 2 weeks from the Beatz to the Streetz graduate showcase on January 25th 2011, Phat Tony & Theo3 release “the 2 week EP” with the goal of raising $1500 for Toronto youth program Beatz to da Streetz. Purchase it now at yungsanta.bandcamp.com for $3 and up!

Beatz to da Streetz is a youth-led arts program that aims to provide a safe and supportive space for youth ages 16-24. The program leverages the powerful connection between young people and music to promote opportunities for creative expression and self-discovery, building life skills opening access to professional mentorship, education and income generation for marginalized youth ages 16-24. The program reintegrates youth with their communities and gives supports for achieving long-term livelihood development

Phat Tony & Theo3 are Toronto Hip Hop artists with an extensive track record of International success and critical acclaim. With 2 highly rotated singles to their credit, How I Flow part 1 and Turnaroundagain!, fans have eagerly anticipated the new release. Stream & Purchase the 2 Week EP today. Blog it, Share it and Play it Loud!!

credits

released 11 January 2011
Written and performed by THEO3
Produced by PHAT TONY
Mixed by SCAM of TIME BANDITS MUSIC
Guitar additions by SY WYLD

Poetry Chapbook Review: Paki Lover by Andy Carrington

Paki Lover is a short chapbook by Andy Carrington, an aspiring poet from the UK. While labelled as a poetry compilation, the experience of reading Paki Lover was more akin to reading stream of consciousness prose of the main character from Dostoevsky’s Notes from Underground (albeit not with the same psychological depth or to same extents of depravity). Focused on his own experiences in modern British society, Carrington expresses a tone of apathy, cynicism, and utter disgust throughout his poems at the blatant racism, inequalities, and violent social rifts he perceives in the world around him.

Though frequently cutting his anger with doses of sarcasm and an even sometimes humorous tone, Carrington expresses a clear struggle with holding his own liberal beliefs in what he perceives as an overwhelmingly conservative and traditional society. Sickened by the racial intolerance and prejudice around him, the poet is met with ignorant opposition when he shares his views publicly, being called a “LIBERAL CUNT” (pg. 23), “PAKI LOVER” and “pro-immigration supporting / QUEER” (pg. 21). Carrington conveys a sense of internal conflict to stay true to his values while at the same time operate within society. He even struggles not internalize the discriminatory contexts he overhears, reads, and comes across every day, writing: “I betrayed my race” (pg. 25) in a seemingly sarcastic and somewhat defeated tone. A poem called Childhood Gone by contributing poet Chetna Patel illuminates the harsh reality of being a victim of the racism and bigotry that Carrington describes, with the poet wondering “Why did we move here?” The impacts of the ongoing discrimination faced by the poet are painfully evident in the poem’s closing lines: “I’m barely even / eleven years old // By my childhood, / it would seem, / is already over.”

Carrington alludes a few times throughout his poems to relying on drinking to ease the stress of his life, writing that he feels “content that this is my only / form of freedom and given right / as an individual” (pg. 10). Rather than resist his own lifestyle, he seems rather to embrace his “choice to scrape / by with limited means” as his “only / fucking viable alternative” to giving into the status quo of prejudice and societal illness that he perceives around him. Though Paki Lover may be a bit difficult to swallow for some readers, the chapbook does end on brighter, more hopeful note. In the last poem, The Fight for Love, Carrington expresses the truths he holds dear to his heart. Quoting the words of someone close to him, he writes: “‘The division of colour, / the division of class, / they’re both false; // the only real and true / thing here…is love’” concluding that he’s “not ashamed / now to say that I think / you may be right” (pg. 27). Despite all lines of discrimination in society and his own internal conflicts, the poet comes back to his ideals and chooses to stand by his liberal values. For Carrington, it seems, there is a reason for hope in the future.

Direct link to the Paki Lover http://www.andycarrington.co.uk/pakilover

Link to Andy Carrington’s website: http://www.andycarrington.co.uk

Words from my homie Noyz, who produced the entire ITFONA album:

Me and the homey MC FÜBB first started working on our album "In The Face of No Agreement" in the fall of 2009. The first beats I sent him were "History" and "Feet Don't Fail" and we both felt we had established an immediate chemistry as MC and beat maker. He hit me back and put forth the idea of building on a full length album and I was a little unsure at first as I hadn't been making beats for very long but I looked at it as a chance to learn.

To make beats for an entire album with one MC is challenging because you run the risk of sounding repetitive and making the same songs over again. FÜBB is a very versatile MC so the beats I provided had to show a wide range of emotion to give him a broad landscape to paint on. The majority of what is on the album are beats that I made specifically for FÜBB as I didn't just want to have him pick and choose from my catalogue.

The opening track of the album was actually the last one we put together as we felt we didn't have a definitive standout for the intro and we were having issues with securing a singer. FÜBB was able to get Mike Devine on board in the 9th inning and he blessed this song beautifully. The chorus sums up the overarching theme of the album and how we as people can't give up on our goals no matter how much adversity we face.

Check out the song here:

http://mcfubb.bandcamp.com/track/in-the-face-of-no-agreement-itfona-feat-mike-devine

We're selling the album for $10, so if you can show your support, it would be greatly appreciated. You can listen to the album for free, so at the very least, drop your 2 cents and let me know what you think of the album.

Peace!