We started this florid set-up last summer with the “Full Spectrum” video, filmed on Super 8 film on location in Asbury Park, NJ, funded exclusively by Kickstarter with a gaudy appearance from Has-Lo.This summer, we grabbed Open Mike Eagle while he was on tour in Philly with Random aka MegaRan, threw him in a South Philly backyard where he discovered Yuengling for the first time, and let the chromatic camera roll.
We’ve wrapped up this kaleidoscopic saga with the “Full Spectrum EP”, an easy how-to guide for this tinted rendezvous. Compiling five versions of “Full Spectrum” and the sequel with production from Man Mantis (who just got off tour with Sole), L’Orange of Old Soul fame, and Dr. Quandary (who kept his hand busy with the beats and the artwork above).
Throw in Has-Lo & Open Mike Eagle for the Wrecking Crew vs. Hellfyre Club rap aspect and you’ve got yourself a pretty snappy 5 song situation. You can download it for free at Bandcamp this week only, and then it moves up to the big leagues at iTunes.
“Bug eyed monsters clutching swooning heroines. Grassy knolls and brazen adventurers. Blue Beatle butterflys. Murder scenes swept with neon green urgency before tops are turned Ron Burgundy. What’s a Golden Gopher to a taxiderm? Zen koans by Zilla Rocca.
Skies stained the color of ash and Tiramisu. Tarnished crowns and lacquered hair. Gold not bronze. Gazebos the color of ginger. Blu Cantrell doppelgangers and blind eyes. Has-Lo, the hard-boiled hallucinator.
Corner cramped, tattoo covered girls, mother of pearl eyed girls, long legged flamingos, mouth leaking magenta, lights no white polar bears, nights over. Open Mike Eagle, sardonic and scoping the albatross. Everything finishes with bass. What? The fuller spectrum.”
When you fly to Phoenix in February, you expect to be greeted with lizards, burritos, and margaritas. Really, anything but the blankets of arctic wind, snow, and soul sucking gloom that typifies the first 60 days of a new year on the East Coast.
When we got to Phoenix last month, we got rain. According to the locals, two days of rain is rarer than a GZA guest appearance. It causes people to panic. The city is not equipped to deal with precipitation on this level. Puddles everywhere. Parking lots become reservoirs. It’s not like walking by Broad and Market where the rastas sell $5 umbrellas on stands next to incense, bootleg tees, and mix CD’s (still). No one has an umbrella in that entire town.
Fortunately, Curly Castro and I once again found comfort in turkey sandwiches at The Main Ingredient, a hip lounge that plays Grand Puba, Pete Rock, Grand Agent, and old Heiro for its dining customers. Back in September, we feasted with Random aka MegaRan and our host Kevin Murphy from So Much Silence. This time we debated the joys and pain of Common (mostly pain) with Nocando and Open Mike Eagle with a side serving of Jeff Weiss, all three Los Angelenos who escaped All-Star Weekend to kick it in land of Jared Dudley for our show at the Hidden House. Below are some pics I took, followed by video from the show. I do wish I shot video of the bar we hit in Scottsdale — first time I ever heard Insane Clown Posse in public.
Open Mike Eagle
Nocando
Deck the walls with 90's vinyl at The Main Ingredient
Curly Castro, Mike Eagle, and Kevin Murphy at Main Ingredient
Nocando and his retro cola, Jeff Weiss, and Kevin Murphy at Main Ingredient
Most rappers who get their name from battling usually make albums rivaled only by Kobe Bryant’s “K.O.B.E.” single and/or B-Ball’s Best Kept Secret. It’s not that they are terrible albums (they are), it’s just that we as consumers and audience members have already assigned these folks to one task and skill set. We are not eager to divert from that agenda, whether it be assigning MC’s to an eternity of verbally undressing fools off the top of the head rather than hook masters and conceptual storytellers, or casting Gary Payton as The Glove and not “Living Legal and Large”.
Los Angeles and now Oakland-based emcee Nocando made his bones as a breathless lyrical peacemaker–NATO style. Coming up from the legendary Project Blowed camp in LA and handing out L’s in Cincinnati at Scribble Jam like he was promoting lesbianism on Showtime, it’s safe to say Nocando wasn’t expected to do much but wow hip hop crowds with indestructible battle credentials and flawless freestyles. Supernatural has been paying the bills like that forever. No risk, high reward.
Jimmy the Lock, his debut album via Alpha Pup Records, goes against the safe bet every which way possible. Songs about (gasp!) women take up more time than songs about rappity rap rappin’. Beats that would make your kid sister cough up ringtone money make you forget about true school boom bap ethics. There are actual hooks and tight concepts instead of self-indulgent 105 bar odysseys.
In short, Nocando made an album that acts as if his famous pedigree never existed. And he won.
When I met Nocando in LA for Passion of the Weiss’ Spaceland show, he turned out to be humble, funny, and a lover of the word “hella”, something you’d expect from a west coast artist more versed in Suga Free than 36 Chambers (something blasphemous to even consider being a lifelong east coaster). He is concerned with being great in all facets of The Emcee. From rhyming while running wind sprints to build up breath control as a young bol, to peppering his live sets with beats like “On to the Next One”, Nocando talks it, backs it up, and then gets even better.
It’s time for Nocando to learn you something. (Apologies ahead of time for the italics on questions 1 & 2–Wordpress is acting real bitch right now)
1. At what point did you realize music was what you wanted to do? I realized it slowly over time. After every open mic night, studio session, battle, cypher, concert, mixtape and ep. The deeper I get into it the more it becomes a reality that wraps me up socially and adds purpose to what would be a very run of the mill so cal experience.2. How has LA (and now Oakland) shaped your sound or molded you as a MC?
L.A. Made me aggressive and quick to the point where my style bordered impulsive and scatterbrained. The Oakland made me more introspective and calm. They both make me progressive and rebellious as fuck!!
3. Who are the people you look up to and learn the most from? Rhyming Ridd from CVE was my first rap mentor and he helped make me such a rap nut. We would freestyle and record when we kicked it. Never any other bull shit.
4. With everything you’ve learned thus far, what do you wish you could have told yourself at the beginning? Would you have done anything differently?
I would have told myself to balance the scene and the studio a little better @ a young age and get business savvy now boy!!
5. What’s hard for you? What do you struggle at?
I really don’t find anything bout the art hard. I’m a Husband and a father of 2 so being a teen dad was hard and trying to keep an immature relationship together for the sake of strong family values is hard. Making music is fun.
6. Here’s a scenario: tomorrow you become the CEO of a major label. What are the first 3 things you would do as the boss? First thing would have to be is to find out why the last guy was let go and never make his mistakes. Second thing would be to look over the artist roster, staff, stats and figures then see what improvements can be made and the third thing would be throw a cracking ass office party after I fire all of the dead weight. That was my favorite thing about the old 9-5 ahh office parties.
7. What are some of your favorite albums? Nocando Jimmy the Lock
Rakim and Eric B Paid in Full
Dj Quick Safe+Sound
8. What is inspiring your work right now? Fans are inspiring my work. I had fans before but it was all people that I have personally met. Now I am loving the fact that strangers appreciate my work. I know there is very little bias there.
9. What advice would you offer to someone getting in the business at this time? No rules!!!!!!!! Do whatever you want fuck popular opinion and unpopular opinion. I repeat no rules!!!
10. Any words to live by?
No I’d like to live by actions.
*****
Nocando Primer
Nocando vs. Franco. 2007 Scribble Jam Championship Round. Please do not battle this man.
Nocando “Exploits and Glitches” from Jimmy the Lock
Nocando f/ Busdriver “Two Track Mind” from Jimmy the Lock
