Music was always for me. Ever since I was a little girl, I knew I wanted to make music. I suppose that's why I didn't realize how quickly everything happened for me once I was finally able to pursue the same. It was something that I envisioned virtually all my life and I had big, big dreams...but maybe it happened all too fast and all at once.
My latest track titled Disarray produced by Chrizo explains exactly why I went on a 5-year hiatus from what was once a life-long dream. I hope this track can inspire those that have stepped away from music to get back on it and be relevant to anyone that's been through it.
Every time I'm asked about our scene and artists to look out for, I find that The Mighty Miscellaneous remains on the top of my head. I've followed this diverse group for awhile now, though at times, they seemed to be more suitably described as mysterious than miscellaneous. Seldom did they have gigs, responses from members as to when their album would be done were often ambiguous, etc. I suppose part of the appeal may have been the unknown; but as a fan, I always yearned to hear more, see more, and experience more. See, I'm sure music heads will feel me when I say that once I experience an artist's music - when I get in that zone - I am a fan for life. Now, over a decade deep and with a great deal of growth and hard work, Misc is prepared to serve their fans and like their performance set-up, they are ready to get live.
In anticipation of their album titled "Almost Done" (pun intended), the crew launched their first single and video "CTRL+ALT+DEL" last February 29, 2012. Backed up by class acts and surrounded by their friends, fam and fans; Cubao X was The Mighty Misc' house and they brought it down.
Chillitees warming up the crowd
Chillitees started off the night with something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blues. From hits off their past albums like "Paikot Ikot" to their latest "Why" to freaked tracks like Bill Wither's "Use Me"; this Pinoy Soul band brought it like always. So there may have been a few changes with respect to members (B Surge of Iconic on bass & Alay of Makopa on drums), but Uela Basco on vocals and Dan Gil on keys kept it essentially...well...Chillitees. Good stuff.
ILL-J reppin' the Golden Era
To keep it moving and to set the mood for the Golden Era of Hip hop, ILL-J too, had a medley of his own. With industry hits like Nas' "The World is Yours" to Mastaplann's "Way of The Plann" to a megamix of ILL-J w/ SVC and solo tip singles; he had the crowd nostalgic and at ease. After giving props to those that paved the way like Francis M. in unreleased track "A King is Born", he had DJ D'Tech loop his music to bring on-board Aero & RJay of LDP for a brief freestyle sesh. In effect, homage to past, present and future MCs.
Before Misc hit the stage, the crowd tuned in to the first viewing of their "CTRL+ALT+DEL" video directed by Syke. I was unsure of whether I was going to mention this, but I figured it was a funny tidbit for the evening. Initially, there were some technical difficulties on the system that was going to play the vid and Misc member C.Lo/Delphi broke the ice by saying "Well, that's a MAC. Can't CTRL+ALT+DEL that shit!" After a minute or so, however, the program was back in business. The video was a simple depiction in B&W of the ultra tight crew in what appeared to be their Misc Mobile, just doing their thing as usual and jammin' to their anthem. It was very anti-glamour, but represented a lot more for true Hip hop heads.
Thereafter, their set opened with the heavy boom and bap of DJ Umph's MPC and you could almost feel everyone's chests thumping along to the beat. From there on out, the crowd was treated to a consistent mix of breakbeat, boom bap, and jazz fusion Misc music in the form of tracks like "One Step", "Lounge Logic", "Speech" and "Keep Rockin'". Naturally, they closed it out with the evening's title track "CTRL+ALT+DEL", but a flipped version that induced collective cries of delight.
Who's house? It's The Mighty Miscellaneous' House!
If Miscellaneous' music was a celebration of Hip hop then Indie.Nial's DJ set at the end of the night was in keeping with the tone with a seamless mix of 90s East Coast gems. There's really not much more that needs to be said about his set beyond the fact that it was on-point.
Mr. Soulsonic, ILL-J & Rye giving Indie.Nial their stamp of approval
The CTRL+ALT+DEL single/video launch was a definitive high in Hip hop. That night stood as a forecast on more highs to come in the musical journey of DJs Umph & D'Tech, Tibbz, C.Lo/Delphi and Switch - The Mighty Miscellaneous - specifically, the release of their full-length album. A portion of their journey is "almost done", but I'm confident that we can expect a lot more from these guys who are innately and passionately Hip hop purveyors. Thus, they are never finished, and that's great news for all of us fans.
"...the sheer energy and delight that erupted between artists and audiences is what completed the magic of the night..."
Photo Credits: Isi Laureano For Play4Serve (production of Sandwich & Imago)
You never know what to expect at a LockedDown gig. Or let me rephrase: you can expect great camaraderie and music from all walks of life, but any other expectations are truly that of positive ambiguity. In other words, full of pleasant surprises.
That being said, the Play4Serve event at Escobar, CubaoX did not disappoint with its diverse lineup of artists and an appreciate, open-minded (and eared) crowd. Don't get me wrong, the initial reaction for those with rock preferences was to clear out whenever a hip hop artist came up. However, when they would hear something unlike the commercially known sound, I would see rockers bobbin' their heads and rejoining the action. That, my friends, feels really good to watch and experience in 2012.
ILL-J and D'Tech
While the whole night was remarkably passionate in everyone's unique crafts, I thought I'd summarize my personal picks for the evening's highlights.
Firstly, it was a real treat to see ILL-J perform after a bit of a hiatus with DJ D'Tech (of The Mighty Miscellaneous) backing him up on past and present tracks. Giving homage to Nas and Mastaplann then warming up the crowd with classic SVC single "My Homies" to his own "First Wifey" and "Feel Good"; his medley sparked up a little something for everyone. The crowd definitely took a liking to unreleased track "A King is Born", which gave tribute to The King of Rap Francis M. and other Filipino heroes.
Secondly, and speaking of Filipino heroes: RAIMUND MARASIGAN. With Imago. With Pedicab. With Gaijin. Then my personal fave, with Sandwich. Not to mention his jam session on Miscellaneous' set where he joined in on the boom and bap of DJ Umph's MPC. He is a rock legend, but here's a little trivia for ya: he's a huge Beastie Boys fan and he produced 1 of the first tracks for SVC when they chose to go independent for their All Natural album. Not only is he well-versed in so many musical elements (drums, guitars, vocals, etc.), but also in so many genres (hip hop included). Basically, I believe Mr. Marasigan's musical talents have the Midas touch, because everything he touches turns to gold. It was amazing seeing him display his multi-talents throughout the night. That's passion right there.
Pedicab
Gaijin
Imago
The Mighty Miscellaneous x Raimund Marasigan
Sandwich bringin' down the house
Thirdly, The Mighty Miscellaneous kills it every time. I've never seen any flubs or lack of power in a Misc performance. What made the Play4Serve set different? As mentioned before, music vet Raimund Marasigan jammed with them (he actually rapped the CTRL+ALT+DEL hook on his sesh with Sandwich too), but the surprises didn't stop there! Member Tibbz, who we usually see playing the live instrumentals on his MPC, got back on the mic that night for a heavy, unforeseen verse. Factor all that into their solid foundation as a unique, live hip hop group, and there was no way this set would not end up on my list of highlights.
The Mighty Miscellaneous
Lastly, I can't really explain the feeling of discovering new talent. Not that this group was new, per say, but new to my ears. Straight out of Baguio, came a bonus set from Sky Dive Academy. With their big band + brass section blaring and intellectual rhymes coloring up the instrumentation, it's no wonder why Raimund Marasigan was so eager to have everyone listen to this crew. Big ups!
It was the sheer energy and delight that erupted between artists and audiences that completed the magic of the night. The Play4Serve: LockedDown x Daily Grind Session was just what I needed after the Christmas-New Year break, which sort of put music in the backseat for me. Regardless of how present music was in each individual's lives, though, it seemed like they all needed it too.
I've been gone a minute, but I told you I'd be back! To make up for loss of time, I'm bringing you a partial compilation of the news on music releases and events that I've been receiving*. Ready?
J-Hoon drops a final online single before releasing the much-awaited Noodles LP - another lovely chill track. Bet you didn't know this mellow fellow could sang.
BFe's good will continues. This November 27th, they will hold the "Hustle for Hannah", another little girl in need of financial aid for a liver transplant. Venue and more details soon.
Locked Down Entertainment in cooperation with Nike, Daily Grind, Jam88.3 and Channel V presents...Basketball, Arts & Music or BAM. This event will feature an art exhibit by Team Manila, performances by ILL-J x Miscellaneous x Cambio x Dash, and an ongoing basketball competition with Locked Down vs. Brgy. Tibay vs. Team Sunday vs. Phunky Juan. This event will take place on Dec. 11, 2011 at the Ronac Art Center, Greenhills. Don't miss it!
Further details are yet to be announced, but this is some crazy news right here. One of my all-time favorite hip hop producers, Jazzy Jeff, will be coming to Manila for the first time! Happening on Dec. 7, 2011 at 7th High. Can't wait!
So there you have it for now. Believe it or not, I still have tons of messages to sort through (thanks to Facebook and the irritatingly scattered inbox) so I'll be back within the week for more "Scene & Heard". Enjoy the holidays everyone!
*A thousand apologies to news of releases and events that were sent to me during my hiatus that I was no longer able to include due to dates passing. May I just request that your news be sent via email at thehiphopinher@gmail.com instead of Facebook so that organizing will be easier on my part. Thanks!
