Be About Our Business and Kill a No-Show: THE ALBUM RELEASE POST!

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Artwork by Danielle Zarrella

Artwork by Danielle Zarrella

Artwork by Danielle Zarrella

Artwork by Danielle Zarrella

 

 

5 O’Clock Shadowboxers

The Slow Twilight (Sharebee link)

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Digital liner notes (because my inner record geek won’t let me go to bed just yet).

For everyone who’s been asking, well here we are!  For those who just caught wind of this album the past few weeks from the good folks running the blogs who posted some songs and videos, please…take off your shoes and cool out for a minute.  A geisha girl will be by shortly with a cigar and Sunny Delight.  

Today marks the 8th official release for Beat Garden Entertainment since our inception in 2006, and I must say this one was the Big Kahuna Burger.  That isn’t a slight to the previous LPs, EPs, and mixtapes we’ve released the past 3 years–it’s just that album was finished waaaay back in January of this year, and it’s available to you today, June 23, 2009.  That’s a bit dubious for a free internet download, no?

Then again, nothing about this album has been orthodox.  My collaborator Doulgas Martin reached out to me in December 2007 with the track “High Noon” after enjoying some of the songs I had posted on Passion of the Weiss as a contributor to my column The Beat Generation.  Since then, we’ve been lucky enough to craft an album that is frankly the antithesis of summer.  And by “lucky”, I mean we have awful timing.

Douglas and I have never met.  We have never even talked on the phone.  But this being the Digital Age and all, why the hell should simple human contact stop two people on two separate coasts from making a noir-hop album based on samples of skinny white guys mashing up lo-fi guitars?  

Hence, The Slow Twilight.

If you’ve enjoyed my previous solo outings or my work with my brother Nico the Beast in our group Clean Guns, this album might throw you for a curve.  And that was the point–to do something challenging and terrifying with little to no regard for what people might say or think or blog or “like” on Facebook.  

I do “like” People Falling Down Stairs on Facebook, for the record.  

It was really difficult writing this album.  Some songs were done in a day.  Some took more than 3 months to write.  And some were being re-recorded and transformed just days before the final deadline.  But it was all done for the sake of a quality hip hop album that sounded like nothing before it.  I don’t have enough ideas in my head to flood the internet with four songs a week, so if you’ve been a fan for a while, I truly appreciate your patience. I’ve put a lot of things on hold to see this album all the way through because I believe in the quality of the material.  The feedback has been tremendous from the gate and the comments from people really made me feel like this album was tapping into something cool while we were waiting to get it in to your hands.

Wait…where was I?  

Oh yeah–European socialism.  It’s really taking shape since the late 1990′s and it’s not just for hip—oh wait.  

Yeah.  

Writing The Slow Twilight.  

Who really cares?  

Honestly.  

You don’t.  

You’ve already downloaded the damn thing and it’s sitting on your desktop just WAITING to be dragged onto your iTunes, and you have 3 other windows open, and you’re tweeting from your cell.  

WELL SO AM I, DAMMIT!!!!!  

Jokes aside, this is the THANK YOU segment (feel free to skip ahead if you’re a heartless wench who just wants free crap).  This album would not look and sound and be as available as it is without the extensive labors of our publicist Jonathan Kim (it’s truly been an honor to work with you), our good friend Jeff Weiss who A&R’d the damn thing (you should’ve signed us to that “1995 Bad Boy contract” and caked forever off this thing), our wonderful graphic artiste Danielle Zarrella who banged out the striking artwork in record time (I still owe you one for “Tropic Thunder” tickets), our tireless video director Henry Choi who concocted “Weak Stomach” seemingly high off peyote and killed it regardless, our young bol photographer Jimmy Giambrone (I might have to buy you another cheese steak at London after this is all done–great work as usual, Jimbo!), my business partners and best friends Big O and Nico the Beast, who supported this project from day one even when it made no frickin sense and now look like eccentric geniuses because, well, they are, ALL of the bloggers, writers, critics, etc. who helped spread the word about this album, past, present, and future, and the good folks at Wawa and Netflix, the true pillars of this project during the recording of this album.   

Most importantly, I want to thank God, my entire family, my friends, and all of the artists I admire because they’ve both made me realize I’m just a goofy vessel for their energy, their inspiration, their will, their patience, their work ethic, their creativity, and their penchant for fart jokes. 

Finally, this album was inspired by all the good and the bad events that marked my life from 2007-2008.  If you were around during any part of that time, then there’s a small piece of our interactions somewhere in this album.  Believe me.  

I’m not just saying that.  

Seriously.

 It’s not a hoax to make you listen to the whole thing, though that would be nice.  

Honestly.

 I went to Catholic school for 12 years–I’m trustworthy and pious.  

Take my word for it.  

I’m typing this on a blog.  What more do you need?

-Stephen “Zilla Rocca” Zales
June 23, 2009
12:01 am

Make a Million Dollars and Never Fold Clothes

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Okay, y’all.  TOMORROW June 23rd, 2009 is the big day.  You’ll be able to grab a free copy of The Slow Twilight by the 5 O’Clock Shadowboxers right here (and if you’re really down for the cause, you can BUY a copy on iTunes or CD Baby–Douglas and I do have gold diggers to support, after all). 

In the meantime, here’s a quick primer for the album.  I can truly say that in our 3 year history of Beat Garden Entertainment (new site coming soon), this is not only our 8th official release but the first to burn past our slogan “Many styles.  Many styles.”  in a blaze of a noir-glory.  Here we go!

“Weak Stomach” video getting love at 2 Dope Boyz.

Joint interview from Douglas and I at Potholes In My Blog.

“I loved this whole jawn from beginning to end”–Dart Adams give The Slow Twilight a much coveted Mos Def rating at Poisonous Paragraphs

“This is likely better than anything rock related Weezy will stumble into”–UK mag Hip Hop Connection give the album 3 out of 5 stars on Pg. 48

Check the freaky deaky artwork and MP3 for “Stay Clean” at Imageyenation.com

And grab the promo-only cut “Dirt Naps” at Metal Lungies for free

Prepare for the New Pen & Pixel

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war-angel-lp

First things I thought about when looking at the cover for 50 Cent’s new “street LP” War Angel:

-Since I didn’t see Max Payne, did 50 play the devil who pulled Marky Mark out of a window in the trailer?  If so, that makes up for both “Good Vibrations” and the career of Tony Yayo.

-For some reason, most hip hop mixtapes have gone to the “Matrix filter” the past few years in terms of lighting and tones for mixtape covers.  See Here .  And Here.  And Here.  Click here for an MS Paint version.  For a guy making millions via clothes, music, quarter waters, and movies, I think Fif should’ve reached higher and got the Wachowski brothers if he wanted a touch of Morpheus for his artwork.  Then again…that one brother is pulling tricks are “Lana Wachowski” (born Larry Wachowski).  That’s not hip hop.  Moving along!   

-I don’t play video games much, but the War Angel cover art would fit perfectly as a sequel to the charming “Kid Icarus” NES game of the 80′s, more as a blaxploitation homage.  “Fif Icarus”, if I may.  And instead of shooting arrows at villains such as “Eggplant Wizard”, Fif Icarus would unload 40 cal shells at bootleggers, guys who dress like Kanye, and Spawn (that would be kind of cool actually).

-PRESS RELEASE: “The latest arrival to The CW’s fall roster, “War Angel” marks the first collaboration between David Greenwalt of “Angel” fame and Sam Hamm, co-creator of the cult FOX series “M.A.N.T.I.S.”.  “War Angel” stars Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson in his cable TV acting debut as Dr. Herbert Forester IV, an esteemed proctologist whose family is mistakenly killed by the mob and ravaged by vampires in a horrible mix-up at Benihana’s.  Ironically, Dr. Forester is paralyzed from the buttocks down from a bullet wound, and then bitten by a half-breed vamp in the fatal shooting/vampirical orgy.  He dedicates his life to vengence and builds wings made from a complicated exoskeleton and feathers from his gay son’s boa to compliment his sorta-blood thirst.  Michael Chiklis co-stars as Merv, an out of work shoe salesmen who just might be able to help War Angel bring down the mob and the vampires if only he can stop doing heroine behind Sunoco.  “War Angel” is a powerful sci-fi drama bro-medy that will begin its flight on Saturday nights at 3am starting September 28th!.”  

We’re the Go Gettas, You Should Know Better

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Artwork by Danielle Zarrella

Artwork by Danielle Zarrella

Busy Friday, y’all.  Getting AMPED for the Shadowboxers worldwide release (still set for June 23rd, 2009 right here!).

To whet your appetite for The Slow Twilight, we’ve leaked anothet track, the break-up song “Stay Clean” built on an Elliot Smith sample.  This is the first time I’ve been lucky enough to be featured on 2 Dope Boyz, which is aces!

Over at Douglas’ blog, we have a freebie in honor of the new J Dilla album, the oustanding Jay Stay Paid.  The first song on the album, “King,” gets some freestyle burn as I spit this verse Douglas wrote upon the album’s release last week.  Dude is real wordy!  Didn’t want to go all Kweli on it, so I had to cut out a couple things here and there.  My verse is second.  Listen to it here.

Finally, you can catch some live footage from last Friday’s Hip Hop lives of Clean Guns performing “My Piano Freestyle” over on Nicole’s facebook page.  For some reason, Facebook wants you to DL Flash now, which is just rude.  Anyone, if you’re technologically skilled and have Adobe Flash already then you’ll be able to get a taste of what exactly Nico and I do on stage every time out!

I’m the Newest Member of the iStandard Gang

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Rejected storyboard from the film "King Ralph"

I told you earlier this year that ClapCowards would be doing less original content and editorials ’cause big things would be poppin’.  Today I can finally say what that big thing is (no fishsticks): I’m now an online contributor to iStandardProducers.com. 

I feel like Peter Gammons when he left the Boston Globe to join ESPN.com.   Or Jay Mohr when he left BlizzCon 2007 to write for Fox Sports Net.

What does that mean to you, faithful reader of ClapCowards?  Well, I’ve been given free reign to do more production-based blogs over at iStandardProducers.com as well as editing interviews with upcoming producers and generally talk about whatever the heck I want as long as it’s beat related (the beauty of Q-Tip’s snares, the danger in El-P’s embrace of the Triton, why I need to kidnap the cat who made “Quiet Dog” on Mos Def’s new outstanding album The Ecstatic and water board him for those hand claps).

If you’re following me on Twitter or Facebook, I’ll be sending out a few blasts each week on iStandard articles and news.  I will do my best to keep things personalized and interesting though; I have no interest in being a full-time promoter or spammer.  If you feel like I’m beginning to overdo it with the promo, feel free to let me know.  The last thing I want to do is become an MC/producer/label head/engineer/blogger/online contributor/hip hopper you unfollow on Twitter  .

In this day and age of Charles Hamilton and the Web 2.0 MC, I find it difficult to balance the approach of being accessible and visible while shutting the eff up and focusing on the craft.  Since we’re making it up as we go along, and because technology changes seeminly every 3 months (note to the Beeper King: technology is NOT cyclical), it’s unnerving to have a comfortable routine on MySpace…then uprooting it for the blog…then modifying it for Facebook….then obsessivly Tweeting the mundane details of a slice of pizza and cup of rootbeer. 

The bottom line is that I don’t want to oversaturate you–this is about music and dialgoue, after all, two things I love more than anything.  I’m extremely excited to be working with iStandard, as I’ve watched first hand the past two years just how much good they do for hip hop and the people who love it, follow it, and want to make a living from it (myself included).  We’re also kicking things up a notch at Beat Garden with new artists to introduce and a new website that will be more media heavy and possibly be a one-stop shop.  My random incoherent thoughts on why Quaker Oates doesn’t induce outrage from the religious right (look at the logo and name–like people would be fine with “Islam Oates”) might not ever get the full blog post treatment.

I’ve received WAY more hits on this blog then I ever could have imagined in the past year and 1 month since the inception, and I never take for granted the comments, links, and responses I get.  I’m still trying to figure out how to juggle all of these keypads, logins, status updates, etc. with beats, rhymes, and life.  

At least I’m not getting punched in the mouth on YouTube by shitty “slam” poets.

Verse of the Year Contender: Mos Def “Auditorium”

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When I first heard the new leak “Auditorium” from The Ecstatic featuring the The Ruler Slick Rick and produced by Madlib the Bad Kid, it felt like Mos Def walked out of the session from Black Star’s ”Thieves in the Night,” hopped into the Delorean, cranked that bitch to 88mph, blazed into 2009, hit the studio with Madlib and Rick, spit some eloquent b-boy shit, then went back to his Rawkus pad in Brooklyn in 1998.  Great Scott!

Mos has always been one of my favorite MC’s.  Black on Both Sides still gets burn one a quarterly basis in the Rocca Mobile.  Hell, there’s even 3-4 great songs on Tru3 Magic.  But that passion, eloquence, and maturity found on Mos’ work from the Rawkus has been MIA this decade in favor of meddling street-based rap built on tales of struggle and strife sprinkled with mush-mouthed politics.  While it was never truly wack, it never gave you the permanent screwface either.

Mos’ opening verse on The Roots’ “The Rising Down” sounded like a return to form, or least a page from his marble notebook recovered from a Ge-ology/88 Keys session circa 1997.  “Casa Bey” and “Quiet Dog” had me very intrigued for The Ecstatic as they combined the African riddims and feel-good sentiments that were misused on The New Danger.  But nothing could prepare my ears for “Auditorium”

I don’t want to call Mos’ verse “grown man rap”–it’s “third eye lyricism” akin to Wu-Tang before U-God went Southern and Cappadonna dropped two album on Koch nobody noticed.  Even that sounds nerdy, but it’s mesmerizing and focused, touching on the uncertain times we face today.

“The world is so dangerous, there’s no need for fighting
Suckers try to hide like the struggle won’t find them”

Mos Def f/ Slick Rick “Auditorium” (prod. by Madlib) off The Ecstatic, STILL dropping next Tues. June 9th.

Irv Gotti Eats From the Tree of Knowledge

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Even though he ran out of Bad Boy records to sample from the 90s, dude successfully nails why Jay-Z > Eminem 

Black Album > anything Eminem has done post-Marhsall Mathers LP

Hell, Blueprint 2 > anything Eminem has done post-Marshall Mathers LP

American Gangster soundtrack > Relapse

I think the problem with Jay was that he became the Shaq of hip hop: so utterly unstoppable for so long, people took him for granted. From ’99-’04 Shaq was the most physically dominant basketball player I’ve ever seen. 

His reward?

1 stinkin’ MVP award for his career.

I remember during Shaq’s heyday, the Sixers trotted out Theo Ratliff at center.  If he scored 18 points and grabbed 9 rebounds, people were jumping out of their chairs!  That’s a line Shaq would put up in 7 minutes against the Clippers.

Eminem was literally Steve Nash–white boy done good who gets overacclaimed for a short burst of greatness.  Yes, the Suns were fun and fast-paced.  Yes, Nash was the leader of a team winning 60 games and nearly making the Finals.  But the fact that Steve Nash won an MVP award scoring 16ppg is absurd.  And the fact that he has more MVP’s for a career than Big Cactus is asinine.

Bottom line is that Eminem’s catalogue, influence, and dominance in hip hop is akin to those 2 years when the Suns were the hottest ticket in the NBA: definitely memorable, but should never be placed over the clear cut dominant players who did it year in and year out.

My overall issue is this:  Why is it uncool now to just pronounce Jay the King?  What HASN’T he done?  Bar for bar, song for song, who touches him over the span of a career as long as his?  It’s not the guy who at 35 years old just dropped an album about getting raped by his stepfather and namedropping Jessica Alba, Sarah Palin, and Tony Romo, I don’t care how dope his verse in “Renegades” was.