The Great American Paper Chase

Here's the link to download The Great American Paper Chase, as well as a review from Mark II
Click here to download

Hip Hop is the last thing on a person's mind when one thinks of the city of Nashville, Tennessee aka The Mecca of All That is Country Music. Don't believe me? The Ville's Ryman Auditorium is called "The Mother Church of Country Music", the Country Music Hall of Fame has been running strong at 222 Fifth Avenue since 1961, and each year the CMA Music Festival brings thousands of country fans to the city. In a musical environment such as this, it is highly unlikely from an outsiders point of view that ANY Hip Hop exists in Nashville. Hell, even Young Buck, the city's only mainstream rap representative had to go to New York to get things poppin'.

Out of the miraged one-sided music scene of Nashville arises an emcee named Mac the Knife. In such dire circumstances, MTK is ready and determined to put his beloved city on the map of the Hip Hop scene. First operation: the mixtape circuit. I, Mark II, will traverse through uncharted territory and give you a song-by-song analysis of Mac's premiere mixtape: The Great American Paper Chase 1.5. Lock and load.

1) Intro (Dilla Said Go)

The Nashville lyricist enlists help from the Heavens as he rips through the late great James "J. Dilla" Yancey's "Dilla Says Go" Donut. A great introduction to Mac's overall attitude: brash yet smooth, fundamental yet genuine. There is clearly a full command of multisyllable patterns and breath control displayed on this track, along with a down to earth approach with lyrics such as "...all I want is silence and pizza, chicken wings, ribs, and hawaiian punch." This hunger (pun intended) is prevalent throughout the tape.

2) Blaze

The refreshingly smooth intro transitions into dark menacing horns, crashing symbols, and fast paced hi hats courtesy of Crack City. Mac goes on a tirade against whack rappers, emphasising on Hip Hop's current epidemics: Soulja Boy & The Shop Boyz. A very free associative track, the structure seems to lack any coherency whatsoever, and the rhymes are just too predictable at times. However, peep the massive roll call verse of Mac's comrades at the end. Names can only be stringed together so long, but Mac pulls it off. This one's probably my least favorite track on the tape.

3) Music City

Things go back to smooth yet grand as Mac reps his town to the fullest, even going as far as to call Nashville the City of Music itself. A very vivid description of the real Nashville: the proverbial wrong sides of the city, the flourishing music scene, Jefferson St.: the place where you can get anything (Mac, I gotta take you to Melrose Ave. if you in LA one of these days). He even shows love to the Country music scene, shouts out to all districts and landmarks of the city, and shows love to Nashville's sports teams. Damn, it got to the point where I was thinking I was going to hear something about Nashville's gross domestic product calculations or sewer pipe routes or something. Mac definitely covers the Ville from head to toe. I'd be proud of him if I was a Nashvillain listening to this track.

4) Trifecta featuring Pandana, Mark II (as Illuminate) & DJ Mor

My favorite track on the whole tape. Just kidding. A standout track nonetheless. Mac takes the listener back to the Golden Age along with comrades Pandana of Atlanta's Penguin Society & Illuminate of Los Angeles-based collective Freelanced Obsessions. Laying down lyrical acrobatics over Run DMC's "Down With the King" instrumental, Pandana (sounding a hell of alot like Chamillionaire) delivers one of the illest analogies ever, calling himself "the Gravity" of Penguin Society, "holding it down" while other emcees can't breathe because they're "in outer space", while he's "down to earth" Gravity. Earth. Brilliant. After some very 90's influenced scratches courtesy of DJ Mor, the late great Lumi comes through and single handedly steals your girlfriend, makes her a candlelight dinner, and marries her in 16 bars. Mac then takes the grand finale and goes beast mode on a quadruple time flow that would make the late Big L proud.

5) Dead Presidents 2006

One of Mac's first recorded tracks, the legendary Ski beat from Reasonable Doubt serves as the perfect backdrop to MTK's soul bearing yet fluid monologues on the fear of poverty.

6) Paper Chase (Skit)

7) Divide The Team featuring KDV

"You're nothing but a hanger, you just stay in the closet." Mac goes on a swaggerdocious massacre over 2toxics strings, clappers, and bongos. KDV of Mac's crew, Fresh City comes through on second verse displaying a uniquely agile flow accompanied with a southern drawl.

8) Illmatic (My Poetry's Deep)

How ironic that after a song using a Reasonable Doubt beat, Mac comes through and does a song called Illmatic. Here Mac describes his lyrical DNA, being descended from primarily east coast Hip Hop. Tennessee's next big producer, True Skills provides the crisp drums and ambient melodies. Look out for more collaborations between Mac & True. I most definitely will.

9) Fancy Clown

WEST COAST ALL DAY. Madlib the Beat Konducta's bouncy keys allow Mac to tell an autobiographical tale of academic and financial mishaps. Contrary to the title, the Knife doesn't clown around on this track. The song was a little too short, clocking in with only one verse. I would've enjoyed it more if there were more verses. However, time is money and "college is expensive"

10) Failed Lies Part 2 featuring G-Dup

Lighthearted keys transform into sparse minor keys and violins as Mac & Grindstar Entertainment's G-Dup aim scathing remarks at the current policies of the government, the murder of Sean Bell, Jena 6, and other injustices going down in the greatest country in the world. psh. Great track, however, the thing that makes it great is that it serves as the ideal sequel to the original track, Failed Lies Part 1. Ask Mac for it, you'll see what I mean.

11) Failure (Shit Is Real)

Minimalistic boom bap combined with Jazz seems to be this southern emcee's forte. Mac seriously sounds the most comfortable in this type of environment, as it allows him to talk about things on a personal level. One of my favorites on the tape.

12) Stained

Now I know the 90's style is all that and a bag of chips, but damn....STAIND? Now, I wont knock on the beat selection that much (damn, Staind?!), but what I will point out is that I think the whole topic of Mac being in academic, financial, and industrial turmoil gets a bit repetitive up to this point in the tape. I also believe an extremely rockbottom situation on some Cage Kennylz tip would've fit better.

13) Destiny (skit)

14) The Crown of Destiny

Finland makes some bangin beats. Such is the thought that comes to mind after hearing those triumphant horns courtesy of Finnish producer Hi Fly. This track gets the award for perfect placement. After a barrage of tracks of Mac talking about his troubles and misfortunes, he comes through displaying his determination and drive to not make hits, but instead, make history. Word life.

15) Slave

Oh what the hell, the vibe got bipolar on me. Another song about troubles. However, this is more on a cautionary perspective of the music industry, so the structure is much more fluid and unrepetitive.

16) Fall In Love Snippet

Upon hearing this track, I felt bad it was just a snippet. The beat is extremely addicting (word to Opie) and Mac shows another side as he talks about the at many times confusing aspect of our lives: The L Word (No Lesbo). Guess we'll have to wait til Mac's LP comes out to hear this 11th hour banger.

17) Lyrical Samurai featuring DJ Mor

Given the fact that Mac goes Bushido on the pen over the Asiatic style beat, the delivery seems uninspired and doesn't really put much heart behind the words. All I can say about this one is that theres not much replay factor, but a reworking of the vocal delivery would've made this track one of the best on the mixtape.

18) Late At Night featuring Hectic, Dramatik, Basic, & Vithym

This is my favorite track on the mixtape. For real this time. One of the most interesting posse cuts I've ever heard, each emcee comes through and speaks on what they do late at night. Simple but effective. The diversity of perspectives is great all the way through, and damn why wasn't I called up to be on this!!!

19) Dedication

I'll let Mac's girlfriend review this one.

20) Life (skit)

21) The People

This is Mac's most passionate song, you can tell the verses are coming straight from the heart, literally, as this track is rumored to be freestyled. I'll leave that to the eye of the beholder.

22) The End of the Day

Like I said, the hunger is prevalent. Mmm...Food. MTK basically sums up everything he's been talking about in a nutshell, FREESTYLED. Nuff said.

23) Outro (A Sign of Things to Come)

You think its all over, and its just another skit conclusion shoutout monologue type thing but then.......gasp......A HIDDEN TRACK. DJ Premier's "Get It Done" instrumental joins forces with Mac's verbal dartistry, guaranteed to hit the bullseye.

24) Dead Presidents 2006 (Respiration Remix) featuring KDV

Oh yes, it is definitely not over yet folks. To ice the cake, the Fresh City boys rework Mac's first song. A little sketchy with the sound quality, but it really complements the original well.

At the end of the day, this mixtape shatters all you thought about Nashville's Hip Hop scene. First of all, there IS a scene to begin with. Not only that, but there is also consious rap, and a thorough understanding of the culture itself shines through the tape. Almost all aspects of Mac's life are explored throughout this tape, struggle, poverty, pride, determination, love, soul. It is revealed that he is quite well rounded, being able to adapt to many different styles of beats as well as being able to freestyle, which I don't know about yall in other states, is highly respected in the west coast. All though at times this tape seems to have way too many tracks on it, they are really just little pieces of what Mac is really capable of. Making the mixtape seem like an album, it only gathers more momentum and interest to see what Mac can really do on a grand scale level of an LP. Much love and daps from the west, Mac. This is Mark II of Freelanced Obsessions representing the City of Angels. Don't sleep on the City of Music! CHURCH.

The Return

What's good folks? Sorry for the 11 month disappearance. It's been tough. Just wanna let you know that I'm back to talk reckless about life as always

props to 89er for making me bring this blog back

2008 in Review

2008 is almost over (finally), and I'm in my room reflecting on how productive and counterproductive it's been. The year started with the release of my surprisingly highly anticipated, yet slept-on mixtape "The Great American Paper Chase". I had just turned 20 and wasted about $25 on pizza and drinks for a party that only 7 people attended (props to Rare Breed & Soundmind). I traveled and met my brotha of anotha motha Terrence and shortly after, I went beast mode with my studies, signed to SESAC with mad networking and redeemed my grades. I also wrapped up my 2nd year in college in a position of power as the program director of WMTS 88.3. Sounds good right? Well, Me and my girl of 2 years split due to undisclosed reasons (my maturity wasn't there yet and the night ended with me chasing a cat with a pellet gun). We tried to work it out and failed. I was finally able to land a decent paying job for the summer, and the cops had a field day on me (over the summer, I racked up 2 speeding tickets, costing me a total of $320). aside from not having my girl, I was also depressed by the lackluster attention/feedback I was getting on my music, which led me to temporarily quit to do some soul searching. The soul searching was basically me meditating and getting hit on by random females throughout Tennessee that I could care less about. I did a few shows over the summer and developed a buzz thanks to Panda. I wrapped the summer up with a fateful trip that led to me meeting a very special woman whom people are saying I've fallen for. When school started, the power, pressure and stress finally set in. I finally got a car (which I spent most of the time transporting my cousin to/from her job than myself), and I helped start another organization at school: WORD UP!
My rep as an artist/poet/public speaker got bigger, and the girls swarmed in, though I was still depressed. The sadness faded away as the lady in my life got closer, and I met a few more people who became my sidekicks/partners in rhyme (Ray, Pana and some others). I saw my first real concert (The Cool Kids), and I performed alot, well enough to build a local buzz, but all in all, the year has finally ended the same way it began: I'm back at square one. The only difference is that it seems like I lost almost everything I worked to achieve this year. I lost my car, I got my first F, and I lost one of my best friends. This kinda strife has also made me consider stepping down from my positions as director and treasurer. 2008 was an ok year where I made some big moves, but it ended in crash & burn. 2009 will hopefully be the year I make power moves. I can happily say that this year, I've finally considered myself a real man (ask me about my philosophy on that if you're confused) and I've come a long way. Next year, I'll only resolve to become better than I was this year, to have a more productive year (but not flawless, because a life without flaws isn't life. It's a movie) and to maybe become well known throughout North America. Merry Christmas to all and happy 2009.