Wallets Kill People

Geek Cred

I’ve been an avid reader of science-fiction and fantasy for almost as long as I’ve been able to read. I’ve been playing computer games for ages. Not the popular shoot-anything-that-moves variety, but the immerse-yourself-in-a-fantasy-world-and-customize your-character-as-you-gain-experience type. I’ve never played a pen-and-paper Dungeons and Dragons game, but I know a lot of the rules. I buy computers in pieces and I have enough spare parts to get about 2 more up and running if I felt like it. I worked in Windows, UNIX, Linux and MacOS. I’ve written programs in Java, C, C++, Scheme and Pascal. I make my web pages in Windows Notepad. Can you see where I am going with this? I’m a geek. I’ve been a geek for as long as I can remember and I’ve been happy to be one. But now, I’m starting to worry about my geek credibility.

There was a time when doing one or two of the above would have easily earned you a geek card, but the world is changing quickly. The World Wide Web is popular now. Once upon a time, you would have been hard pressed to find someone who had experience “browsing the web.” Today you’d be hard pressed to find someone who hasn’t. I remember when I was one of the proud few who could make CDs on my computer or who used their computer as a Stereo system. These things that once set me apart no longer do. Now, instead of a badge of geeky honor, my homebuilt computers are just painful reminders that I’m stuck behind the technology curve with no laptop. Ever since Napster, mp3s have lost their wow factor. “Computer gaming” doesn’t mean much as Xbox360, PlayStation 3 and even the Nintendo Wii are basically living-room computers. Non-geeks have their Myspace pages packed with embedded applets, cascading style sheets and dynamic content. There go my Notepad web page points.

I could try to turn to some of the things on my list that are pretty geeky, but I haven’t written a program in years. The last time I messed with Linux, I started installing it in Windows Virtual Machine just to see if I could, but then I gave up on it because I really had no plans of using it again once it was installed. Sure, I know a bunch of rules to D&D, but I’ve never played, so I don’t think that counts for much.

I used to pride myself on being a geek. Not just any geek either. I was the geek that didn’t fit the geek mold. I loved many things geeky, but I still had friends, had dreadlocks, could rap, and could dance on beat. I was the neo-nerd, the new face of geekdom. Now, I am just a normal guy – no more or less teched out than the next guy. I only started blogging last year, I wasn’t the first person I know to get a portable media player, and I don’t spend more time on the internet than other people my age. What happened to my geek credibility?

But wait! I have a secret weapon! Something that does set me apart! I’m paying too much attention to technology – my geek cred is firmly entrenched in the old school. I still read books. In our current society, where for many people Fahrenheit 451 might as well have been true, I still read, and even treasure, books.

It's not free

I just read about a high school student who was suspended for making a fake Myspace profile for his principal. The profile said the principal smoked weed and had sex with students among other things. That’s not really what someone in the education field wants showing up when a potential employer googles him. The student sued, claiming the Myspace page was protected by the first amendment.

I think “free speech” has to be one of the most popular laws that people in this country appeal to. People constantly insist that they shouldn’t be censored or punished for their words because this is America and we have free speech. If you tell someone “that was a messed up thing to say” they remind you what country you’re in. Everyone is crying “free speech!” but no one seems to understand what it actually is.

The first amendment does not say anyone can say anything they want. It does not say that it is illegal to challenge a person’s opinion. It does not magically eliminate the repercussions of speaking.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or
prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of
the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the
government for a redress of grievances.

As you can see, if you read it literally, the first amendment simply says that congress cannot outlaw freedom of speech in any way. It has been interpreted by the Supreme Court as applying to all government – federal and state – despite the fact that it only mentions congress. That is the limit of the first amendment. Government. It doesn’t give us license to make fake Myspace pages that give false information on people and hurt their reputations and job prospects. It doesn’t mean we can say whatever we want while at work and not get fired. It doesn’t mean we can voice ignorant opinions and not be told that we just said something stupid. Words have repercussions no matter what country you are in.

How to Rap

On a message board I visit from time to time, somebody asked how to develop and improve vocal rap skills. I found this to be (to me at least) a pretty original question and I think it’s an important one. Many people seem to be born with a natural ability for a particular form of art. We call it talent. The thing is, while talent may be necessary at times, it can never take the place of practice just as practice can never take the place of talent. One may help to hide the absence of the other, but one can’t hold a candle to both. In the modern day Web 2.0/D.I.Y. world we live in, many people forget the importance of practice and learning. Amateur photographers can grab a digital camera and start snapping shots without ever learning the fundamentals of photography, so they don’t. Aspiring musicians can load Garage Band and record their band’s demo without learning the basics of recording and mixing, so they don’t. Etcetera etcetera. In the end, the difference between the people who take the time to learn and practice and those who don’t is usually apparent. The amateur photographer who has taken the time and effort to learn the technical aspects will have good shots on a more consistent basis. The mixes of the guy who spent a little time learning technique will sound better.

Rap is not very different – anyone can play a beat and start rhyming. That’s why it’s so refreshing to see someone actually think and ask about ways to improve. I added my two cents to the list of answers in the thread, and since I liked the question, I figured I could expand here.

• A few of the people who responded to the question said it was necessary to listen to and study the greats. It was even suggested that one practice reciting other people’s rhymes. I disagree with this. I believe hip-hop already has enough copycats and sound-alikes. There is no need to go out of your way to join them. It is important that an MC work at developing his own voice. The best cyphers I have been involved in were ones where everyone sounded different.
• Speaking of cyphers, do not underestimate the use of the freestyle. I made that mistake once, but once I started regularly getting involved in cyphers I learned how wrong I was. Freestyle has several benefits. It gives you practice using your voice and it helps you develop and recognize your own cadence and style. Also, freestyle is closely related to some of the exercises other artists use to open themselves up to inspiration. A painter might let the brush go where it wants with no particular picture in mind. A writer might sit down and write whatever comes to mind however strange or incomprehensible it might be. Freestyling is the MCs version of this. Something you say during a freestyle may give you great idea for a song and after freestyling on a regular basis for a while, you will find it helps your writing to. These last benefits will be more extreme if when freestyling, you attempt to challenge yourself and step away from the “typical subjects.” See what you come up with when you avoid the hip-hop cliché of how great you are and the mainstream money, violence and sex themes.
• Pay attention to energy and emotion. Energy will help you get a hold of your audience. Emotion will give your words authenticity. Imagine hearing a song about pain and sorrow performed in a toneless, bored-sounding voice. You don’t want to be that ridiculous image when you perform. Don’t just practice your words, breathing and timing – practice your emotions. Get used to putting yourself in the moment of a song, whether that moment is happy, angry, sad, etc.
• Listen to music. Your songs should not consist of your voice and some music in the background. Your vocals and the music should work together to make the song. To do this consistently, it is important that you have an understanding of music. Help improve your understanding by listening to music. Try to make a habit of listening to all kinds of music, not just other hip-hop. Pay attention to individual instruments and how they work with the other sounds.
• Get out of your musical comfort zone. Trying reciting your verses to music they were not written to. Practice with beats at different tempos and even non-hip-hop instrumentals. This will help accustom you to the nuances of different beats. Also, try freestyling to music you have a hard time freestyling to – music that’s faster or slower than you are comfortable with or with difficult rhythms.
• Don’t forget good old fashioned practice. Practice your songs. Memorize them and get comfortable with them. This will help improve your breathing and give you room to play around with cadence.
• Writing is important. If you find that a particular line is constantly giving you trouble or sounding awkward, rewrite it. Rewording a line can change how it sits on the beat. For example, don’t try to force “I got inside of the car” to fit when you could simply rewrite it as “I got in the car”.
• Last but far from least – all of the previous tips have to do with technique. Composition is extremely important to. Try to choose varied subject matter and to approach it in interesting ways. Too many MCs seem to feel that a rap can only be about a few limited subjects. It doesn’t have to be. Rap is just one form of expression among many and it is compatible with anything out there that can be expressed whether it’s a story, an emotion, or an idea.

Reverse Psychology Art

As promised, here is the artwork for Reverse Psychology.

Music Update - Reverse Psychology

Wow, when’s the last time I talked about my music on here? Well, actually I haven’t been talking much about anything lately. I’m trying to be a more frequent blogger – we’ll see how it works out. Hmmm…I believe the last time I blogged about my music, I had just finished my album Meeting of Minds. Since then, I have been trying to put some more work into the hip-hop side of things. I’ve been working on memorizing lyrics which is a pain in the ass. It is for me anyway. I know people who memorize their words as they write them. It’s never come to me so easily. I’ve done a few performances at ThorTakeover – a Tuesday night cypher hosted by the collective I belong to.

The big project I’ve been working on is what will be my second album and first hip hop album. Originally, the plan was for Reverse Psychology to be an EP, but I ended up adding a few more songs, so it will be a full album.

I am very excited about the content of the album. It is a concept album. With Reverse Psychology, I am trying to give an example of what I believe hip hop could be. It’s not about me being the illest lyricist out there. It’s not about me being a gangster. It’s not about money or girls. It’s not even about social and racial issues. I try to step beyond the subject matter typically associated with hip hop. There is a world full of stuff out there that can be explored through music. Hip hop is just a medium, so there is no need to be chained to the typical subjects. When I’m finished, you’ll get to see exactly what it is about and to judge if I succeeded in what I’m trying to do.

When will I finish? That is always the question. I’ve given up on trying to estimate release dates. This is a one person project, so it can very easily be delayed by whatever is going on in my life. I originally thought I’d release this as an EP around the end of 2006. That being said, it’s a major milestone when I reach the point where all the writing is done and at least a rough version of every song is recorded. I am one song away from reaching that milestone – hopefully I’ll finish that song this week. Once that’s done, finishing will just be a matter of technical work – recording and mixing, so it shouldn’t be too long before the album is done. I even did the album art the other night, so once I finish this last song, all of the creative work will be complete. I’ll post the pics of the album art soon.