I was rummaging through my I-tunes on an older computer recently and happened upon a playlist of old beats. This is nothing unusual as my I-tunes on that particular computer was basically a graveyard for such things. Beats I made that people used, that people didn’t use or that I used for my solo stuff. Pretty much all these tracks but in their earliest form. Not mixed, recorded directly off my sampler. I figured it might be fun to give a few away , as they aren’t doing much in that playlist just sitting there. So, here we have some tracks. Some will be familiar (Older aesop tracks, a despot track, Illogic tracks, A cage track , random remixes I did) and some are beats that we’re “claimed” by artists but never got used. So, for all you completion obsessed nerds out there, a few of these are gonna be your shit. For you normal people, it’s just some free beats to listen to. You know, music.
Like I said, these are the ebats as rappers who would get them from me heard them. Straight off the sampler, on to a beat cd (it was that long ago). So, enjoy…
https://www.sendspace.com/file/5tncrd
(cause there is often confusion with these download sites, click where it says “Click here to start download from sendspace”. Pretty simple. If the link goes down, lemme know and I’ll re-up it.
What up everyone? This week I actually got some pretty random and interesting questions. Thanks to all those who sent them in. I appreciate you not asking me what my influences are and what kind of sampler I use.
If you wanna ask me anything, send the questions to phatfriendblog@gmail.com or leave them in the comments below.
Okay…on with it.
Have you heard and seen any of these Red Bull Music academy interviews?
they are around 1 and a half hours long and its basically an artist interview in front of 15-20 of the dirtiest coffeeshop hipsters. throughout the interview they will play some songs that they were talking about in its entirety while the hipsters just sit and bop their heads. it can get pretty awkward but its still entertaining.
the best ones:
DOOM (Most awkward.. a lot of long pauses and silence) – http://vimeo.com/31521253
Stretch and Bobbito – http://vimeo.com/35865258
Clams Casino: – http://vimeo.com/32616502
would you have the patience to do this? Would you find it awkward at some points?
I have seen a few of these. I think the idea is good. I mean, for music nerds, a super in depth , detail oriented interview with artists they love is heaven. But the awkwardness is pretty deep. The whole thing where they listen to a song (in it’s entirety) is brutal. It’s like when an artist is as a bar or a club and the dj thinks that playing their music would be a good idea.
Unless you’re a self important piece of shit, the chance that you wanna hear your own song while out is slim. So, in a setting where it’s hyper focused with only a small group of hipsters in lawn chairs, focusing on every note? I’d be blushing the entire time. Not even over the song as much as the situation.
I think I would have patience for it though. Doing press over the years has given me tons of patience so I’m no stranger to long, awkward interviews.
These next four all came from the same guy: -jerking off on your friends girlfriends-go
I don’t do it. Not cause my friends don’t have hot girlfriends but more cause porn exists and I don’t have to use my imagination like that.
-since you are old is there a special routine when it comes to cuting your toenails
What does age have to do with toe nail clipping? I do this crazy thing where, when my toe nails reach a length I’m not happy about, I take nail clippers, and cut them. How fucking weird is that? I know, right? Super bizarre. Did i mention that my nail clippers are an 11 year old Laotion boy named Alun? Yeah. there’s that too.
-when you fart under the blanket do you secure the exits around your head or open blanket to wind the whole body (sorry, i’m awear of my english “skills”)
Do I dutch oven myself? God no. I let it out the side and try to avoid it all together. Granted, we all kinda like the smell of our own farts but I’m not trying to bask in it like some creep. Not to mention, my girl is in bed with me and , while it is funny to do, I take the high road and try to to decimate her nostrils. Something it’s unavoidable though.
-if a law came out, a law that forbides people to wear hats, what would you do? would you shawe your head , stop going out …
I guess I wouldn’t wear a hat. What kinda crazy christian footloose-ass town would do that though? First they take our hats, and then our freedom!
Off-topic but music related question: what do you think of going to university for music, if I’m going to the field of electronic music? Here I’m almost entirely learning classical theory, and have one class on Ableton Live. Should I invest the cash in a studio/production courses instead?
While it depends what you’re plans are with that music degree (do you wanna teach? join an orchestra?), I tend to think people who go to school to learn “art” are kinda wasting their money. It’s art. There is no wrong or right way to do it. The only advantage it gives you is that you can make connections with like minded people. I mean, there’s something to be said for taking technical courses that can teach you equipment and things of that nature, but the actual creative process? That’s something you can hone on your own. Going to a full time college for electronic music makes no sense. Take a course in abelton (or whatever programs you wanna use) and go from there. Though, I would say to stay in school in general cause the chances of anyone making a living off of music for a decent amount of time is next to nothing.
would you rather argue with skip bayless on first take (a topic you’re a pro on) or have a chance on price is right?
Oh, the Price is right. No question. I’m not an argumentative person. And Skip Bayless is a troll who will say anything to rile people up. That kind of person infuriates me so arguing with him, no matter how right I was, would be terrible. Where as, The Price is Right would be awesome. Only problem is that I have no clue how much a 6 pack of deodorant costs and I’d probably lose badly.
A few days ago a question came up between a few of my girlfriends. If you came across an old video of your current boyfriend/girlfriend having sex with their ex, would you watch it? From a male’s perspective, would you be curious enough to watch it?
That would be pretty brutal. I honestly don’t think I would be able to sit through it.
The main curiosity about sex tapes is seeing the girl in a sexual environment. If it’s a girl who you have sex with all the time, there’s not much mystery to behold there. So, in this case, I’d pass. I’ve seen it and lived it. Now, if it were a sex tape of a girl I was dating but hadn’t slept with yet? I would 100% watch it.
Hi, I got a Despot question and that’s a question that shows up every couple of months and has done that for fuckin years now. I know he’s supposedly doing an album with Ratatat (and that’s been the case for 3 or 4 years now, at least) and I thought I saw him tweet something about it coming out this year a couple months ago, but that was that. Since everybody is asking him that question he doesn’t seem to answer it anymore, but maybe you have some scoop on that? Is he the laziest (and one of the best) rapper on Earth?
Despot is working on new music. I know this to be a fact. I’ve heard three songs he did with Ratatat and they were fucking awesome. That said, I really don’t know what the plan is for his album.
Is he lazy? I dunno if that’s the right word. He’s very busy in general (he’s got his hands in all sorts of things in and outside of music). He’s also a perfectionist and he works slowly. So, you add those three things together and it equals to underground hip hops answer to “Chinese Democracy”.
This wonderful video of lesbian country singer Justin Bieber getting rocked in the grill with a water bottle has been making the rounds on the internet lately. My first reaction was a hearty and joyous , bottom of the gut chuckle. After that subsided , it reminded me of one of the more impressive live performance feats I have ever seen.
This happened about 5 or so years ago the famous music festival SXSW in Austin ,Texas. I was there to do a show and had an extra day to roam around and check out some other acts. One of the acts playing was my good buddy Despot. He , for those who don’t know, is a rapper from queens who i’ve made a bunch of beats for. He put out a few songs on Def Jux before it closed down and is now in the process of making a new album with help from the world famous Ratatat. This was his first trip to SXSW as a performer and really around the time he began cutting his teeth with touring. He was opening for the legendary dirty song singer Blowfly on a tour that sounded pretty much like the basement beneath hell. But , hey, sometimes you gotta go through those things to get your stripes and he certainly came out of it a much stronger performer.
Anyway, He told me he was doing a show in some random bar/venue that was definitely away from the typical path of where most of the SXSW shows are held. I took a cab over there and it was a bugged out scene. There was a palpable thuggy vibe there, which was strange to me considering who was performing. Despot wasn’t very well known at that point and Blowfly was some cult shit that only perverts like myself were up on. Whatever the case was , the crowd was not the most inviting I’ve ever seen.
An opening rap group stumbled through a forgettable set and on came Despot. For those who don’t know what Despot looks like, he’s is a short dude with red hair. Not a diss as all, but that’s what he looks like on the most basic level. He’s one of the few rappers who lives up to the “can’t judge a book by it’s cover” saying. His voice sounds like nothing you would ever guess that would come out of his mouth. I only bring this up because , to an audience like this, watching him rap is already gonna be a tough sell.
So, Despot begins his act. The crowd is pretty sparse , as we are in the middle of nowhere and Despot is just starting his career. He gets through one song and begins the second. Within about 8 bars, a full cup of beer whips into his face while he’s rapping. His microphone shorts out and all that’s playing is the beat in the background. For about 12 seconds, I see him rapping, but there’s no sound. Not to mention, He just got hit in the fucking face with a beer. And I don’t mean he got grazed…that shit connected.
Finally the mic turns back on and, to my amazement, Despot didn’t miss a beat. He came in perfectly, like he had never gotten hit with drink and as if his mike hadn’t shorted out. It was pretty fucking amazing and showed a brand of heart you rarely see at raps shows. While some assholes are marching around stage screaming at sound guys to pump up their already blisteringly loud monitors, this dude is catching a drink in the face and continuing with the show like he just caught a rose in his teeth.
Ever since seeing that, Despot’s resilience has been my gold standard for how mc’s should handle themselves on stage.
I got a chance to see him play again recently and he rocked it. It would appear all that early bullshit he went through has paid off. Now, if he’d only just finish his fucking album already! (just kidding bro, but seriously..come on.)
soooo, this song I did with Despot a long ass time ago leaked (neither of us have a clue how) and we both figured “fuck it”. If it’s out there , might as well spread the love.
I hollered at Despot and asked him if he’d be cool with me leaking it here and he was game. He also posted this on the message board where all this was discovered.
Despot Writes:
“my dear old friend tony has alerted me to the fact that “king me” has leaked to the information superhighway. not quite sure how that happened, but I suppose it’s a somewhat appropriate fate for a song of it’s vintage. King Me was recorded in the same session as “Crap Artists” if I recall correctly, which makes it something like 8 years old? For that reason, I thought I’d probably end up leaving it off the album and maybe including it in some kinda “lost tracks” type bonus download thing. which is a bit sad for me, as I like the beat a lot too and I know tony did/does. Maybe I’ll redo the whole song? probably not though. Glad some people might get some enjoyment out of it either way.
as for the album, as hard as it may be to believe, I have no given up on delivering one to you all. a bunch of things have happened in my non rap life over the past few years that have made it slightly more difficult to buckle down and REALLY work on an album. I think most of those things have sort of subsided by now and I plan to get back into the aforementioned buckling down. I won’t deny that general laziness has been a huge factor as well. for those who didn’t catch “look alive” on def jux presents 4, I suppose that is my most recent public output. once I get a good deal of these new things done I’ll be out doing shows again and all that.
for those who still wait with baited breath, I apologize and I thank you. I WILL make a rap album. so who the fuck put that song on last.fm? jerks.”
For the record, I fucking love this song and this beat. At this point, it’s so old i can’t see it being on any album. so, here you go:
http://www.zshare.net/audio/719719202e5418f2/
Enjoy and support Despots music when he finally does drop an album in 2027. (just kidding, bro)
