Fifth track off of Roll Call ‘10!  Less’s contribution, “Back Off,” featuring FoRcE oNe, GNP’s Takewun, and MooN ShynE. This one just goes in on all the haters out there to let them know who really owns this.

Here’s the YouTube vid for easy sharing. ;o)

More coming soon!

-mnshyn

Let’s see what the future holds. =]

-mnshyn

If you have been following this blog, you’ll notice that the first ten blogs were about this particular song which took almost 2 years to create when you include all the delays (no pun intended) and the different versions and iterations.

Well here is the final song, in all its splendor and glory, [at 96k though, CD quality available from iTunes on March 1, 2010 ;o) ] and I hope you guys like it.  Considering it’s the first song where every active MsP member’s voice is on it, this is a very important song to me and one of the ones I’m most proud of. =]

Order of performers:

0. GnP’s Takewun on the prologue.

1. Cocoa
2. DiMpLeZ (MooN ShynE and ADM in the background)
3. K-Maculate
4. Less with a cameo by GNP’s Boy Gnyus yelling “Aiyyo back the f*ck up!”
5. Harmony Speaks (on the walkie-talkie, talking to MooN ShynE)
6. FoRcE oNe
7. Brian Bullion
8. ADM (with MooN ShynE)
9. Destiny Soprano
10. MooN ShynE

Some blog posts of importance to this song, for anyone wanting to ask about production techniques:
History of the song
Robot voice used for DiMpLeZ
Vocal notes for Harmony Speaks
Comp’ing Destiny Soprano’s vocals

Hope you guys like it. =] Remember, to get the CD Quality version, get it on iTunes when it comes out on March 1, 2010 when “Phase 3 – L.Y.R.I.C.A.L. Without Fear” makes its debut.

-mnshyn

I released “Phase 2 – Lyrics to an Identity” almost 5 years ago.  It took 5 years to make this album, and it’s gone through so many iterations and name changes that at one point, during a low point in my life, I didn’t think the album was going to come out.  I have to thank God for that one (and everything else), because ever since I started playing in the church band every Sunday and cleaning up some of the stuff in my life that needed cleaning, I became revitalized and re-inspired.  I’m not exactly making Christian music right now totally, though I have made Christian songs in the past, but He’s blessed me anyway with inspiration, wisdom, and freedom of creativity.

The acronym in the title of the album, “Phase 3 – L.Y.R.I.C.A.L. Without Fear,” stands for Leave Your Regrets In Christ And Live.  This is the basically the approach I took with the album as time went on.  The songs that were going to originally be part of the album were all pretty standard, and although I love every song I make, it was the songs that were different from what I’m used to doing that were the most enjoyable to make.  There were three guitar solos (“Mostly Boast,” “Found Me,” “The Bomb Squad”), a video game sample (“Call to Arms” from Final Fantasy VI), a symphony orchestra (courtesy of Project SAM Symphobia, on “Round and Round”), capoeira rhythm (“Roll Your Windows”), blaring choirs with my “Bleeding Heaven” technique (on “Devastator,” more on the “Bleeding Heaven” technique later),  multi-layer samples (“Roll Your Windows”), Beatles style build up and scream (“Mostly Boast”), live drums, bass and piano recordings (“Live Hip-Hop,” available on the iTunes version of the album) and other things.  Although some signatures of mine are there, this album sounds distinctly different from my past two, and I think it’s for the better.

As far as concepts go, I think “The Bomb Squad” was the most fun.  You also have “Found Me” and “Round and Round” which are both incredibly personal to me.   “Mostly Boast” was the record that I let loose on and I stopped caring about what people would say if I did certain things in my music.  “Call to Arms” was actually inspired by a crew of people I was running with that was finally getting over past beefs to go have fun again.  “4 My Ghostwriter” actually makes the idea of a ghostwriter a more positive thing (listen to the song and you’ll see why).  “Do Something” was my declaration that I wouldn’t just sit around and do nothing, especially after my best friend Rain past away in 2007.  “Every Move” was me slowly getting to the point where I wouldn’t let people dictate what I rhyme about.  “Handle Our Biz,” “Spear,” and “You Need To..” were getting my people involved with some 5fam love.   “Devastator” was simply me kicking ass and getting you to want to kick ass too; in some ways an “I OWN YOU” part two.

I had a lot of fun with this album, and about just as much frustration.  All the frustration was worth it though, and what resulted was an album that I’m most proud of and can’t wait to show the world.  I’ve even got a plan for the songs I will perform, and hopefully I can gain some traction with some new listeners.

I have to thank everyone who helped me on this album with their contributions: Harmony Speaks, Destiny Soprano, CoCoa, DiMpLeZ, Brian Bullion, FoRcE oNe, Less, K-Maculate, ADM, Boy Gnyus, Vincent, Takewun, JC and SL.  Each recording was a fun (and funny) experience.  Especially “The Bomb Squad,” which took two years to complete and everyone in MsP had a role and their voice recorded on it.

Hopefully, when you listen to it, you’ll learn some things from it, whether it’s personal to you or on a musical/lyrical level if you are a musician.  Either way, most importantly, I hope you enjoy the music when it comes out on March 1, 2010.

Thanks for reading also!  More to come!

-mnshyn

Now comes the planning for the future.  I’m looking to promote this one more than I have promoted the past two albums, and I have a lot of confidence in this album.  I feel that there are many strong tracks that will be alluring to different audiences, and with the melding of unorthodox elements within these songs I feel that I am bringing something quite unique to the table.  Promoting will include performing in some open mics and a video.  I may do some YouTube tactics as well, but I don’t want to use the same tactics everyone else is using.

Hopefully, I can bring in some iTunes sales.  Although the numbers haven’t been anywhere near stellar, the fact that I have been regularly selling a song here and there means that there are people who are interested.  This album, I believe, has the power to bring some more people in at a much better rate.

Here are the projects that are currently in progress:

1. Project Inhalor [adm/mnshyn]
2. Wind Beneath My Wings [dstnysprn]

I will most definitely be working on a Phase 4 once Phase 3 has gone to iTunes.  What will Phase 4 be?  It will definitely build on the ideas of Phase 3, but I want to bring in some other elements as well that I have not used.  Different time signatures (5/4 and 6/8 being possibilities at the moment), different keys and chord structures (particularly more use of diminished chords and other 4 note chords aside from dominant 7th), and new sampling techniques.  I want my music to still have the feel of a hip-hop rooted foundation, so it still won’t strive too far from that.  Some people strive to get the old sound back (those still wanting that 94 boom bap), while others are trying a new sound that do not sit well with the traditional heads (snap/crunk/hyphy/signature dance).  I’m trying to forge a new direction that would seem logical and fitting to everyone yet still sound fresh and innovative.

I still would like to do an MsP compilation album to really show what we’re about.  MsP’s got such a lovely array of talent, and people need to see (or in this case hear) what we can do.

With that being said, I would like to help all the members create at least 1 or 2 songs this year at the minimum.  It would be interesting to note whether or not that goal will be achieved by December 31, 2010.

There’s also Flight, who we will finally get to see again after 3 years!  I don’t know if he will be interested in making music again, but you know I will have to ask.

MsP will have an informal meeting on February 6, 2010 over Chicken and Rice, so maybe we can trade notes there.

Interesting times!  Let’s see what this year has in store for us.

-mnshyn

1. Old school radio quick filter in Audition 3.0
2. Distorted vocals
3. Stripped the lows
4. Used the walkietalkie_eot (after the message transmission) and tilt (before the message transmission) wave files from freesound.org (awesome resource for royalty-free sound effect samples for download)

Sounds pretty good, if you ask me.  One benefit of this was also to cover up some of the new speech nuances that Speaks now has because she had just gotten braces.

We still haven’t done the oohs and aahs.  I’m going to leave this up to her though if she still wants to do that since she will probably be experiencing more pain from her braces since she’s still new to the experience.  She did a good job with the dialogue, so I’m happy with that at the minimum.

Now, I will set the table for you guys so you can see what this song is about.  Peep the next post for the recording by Takewun of Gnyus Productions that will serve as a prologue to this song, “The Bomb Squad.”

On each of my two previously recorded albums, there were similarities between parallel tracks. For example, track 15 on each are the strongest (in terms of power lyricism).  “I OWN YOU” on “Phase 1 – Neolyrical,” and “Same” on “Phase 2 – Lyrics to an Identity” had the hardest delivery and the most physically strong lines.  This follows suit on the upcoming “Phase 3 – L.Y.R.I.C.A.L. Without Fear,” with the song “Devastator” (now listenable on My Facebook Page.. be a fan!)

On track 9, is the crew track.  On Phase 1 it was “We Roll” featuring Flight (who we may finally get back in touch with! more on that later) and Harmony Speaks (formerly tRe’ sTeeLo), and on Phase 2 it was “Go Crazy” featuring Boy Gnyus, Less and Harmony Speaks.

This brings us to “The Bomb Squad.”  “We Roll” had three minds together, and “Go Crazy” had four.  “The Bomb Squad” was at one point supposed to be “Style Klepto,” which had Destiny Soprano, Brian Bullion and our cousins from GNP.  It was difficult to get everyone together and record something cohesively because we were scattered all over the place.  Klepto was going to be one of the premier songs to be used for Bergenfield ’07, but that fell through.

Eventually, that collab fell through the cracks (though now I’m thinking of reviving it because TaKeWuN did record his verse and I’m not one to waste verses, maybe as a B-Side for a single?).  I made the beat for the “Bomb Squad,” and the collaboration changed to GNP, Brian Bullion, K-Maculate.  This hit a snag with Boy Gnyus withdrew from rapping and concentrated on R&B production, and Vincent (f.k.a. Jvee) and I couldn’t get away from scheduling conflicts.  (Vincent would later collab with Black and Blue Ink. [MooN ShynE and K-Maculate] on Spear for The Black and Blue Ink. EP, and Boy Gnyus would supply the beat and vocals for the MsP GNP OMG remix of Spear [also listenable on My Facebook Page) which will be track 4 for Phase 3]).

At this point, the collab changes to an all MsP affair.  MsP at the time this song will be completed will have 10 active members.  Six members so far have supplied their verses, five of which are final recordings (Cocoa, K-Maculate, Less, FoRcE oNe and Brian Bullion; Destiny Soprano needs to re-record).  Each have similarities in terms of concepts with their own individualities.  Originally, when we first started the project, we had a unified idea.  Now, we have a singular concept with different ideas.  All of the members who recorded (aside from Brian Bullion and FoRcE oNe since they are siblings who live in the same house) did so separately, which if anything, has proven to me that when you do a collaboration with a specific unified idea, it is best off to do it all together with everyone in the same room rather than at separate times with different people at a time unless you are specifically spearheading the whole thing with everyone just following your orders.

So here’s the challenge.  I’m going to be unifying 9 different spins on a particular idea and make them all completely unified, and I’m slowly getting to that eventual “Eureka!” as more pieces come in.

This may sound like a bunch of negatives, but it really isn’t.  Actually, I embrace the challenge.

I firmly believe that the role of a producer is how well he or she can take different ideas and bring them together in the best way possible without sacrificing the vision of the overall project.

For this particular project, it has taken a unique character.

Imagine having an idea for a plot for a movie with no script as of yet.   Every plot or movie has characters in it.  Quentin Tarantino (my favorite director) has a back story on every character, sometimes enough for the writer to make a prequel for each character based on their back stories alone….

Eureka. =]

-mnshyn