House of Horrors

Video Game Week continues!


You may have caught it earlier today if you follow me on Twitter, but today's post is all about the fond memories I have of stumbling on to the NES port of Maniac Mansion. 


Being born in the early 80s and raised in a small town with very patient and kind parents, I was afforded an NES at an early age, though with little to no context to the world of video games. Sure, years down the line I would delve head on into the world of Nintendo Power and kindle the flame for my present-day pseudo-journalism, but at the time all I had for guidance in the world of video games was A - my older brother B - the playground and the miscreants therein and C - whatever was on the shelf at the local game rental place. I was raised on Mario, Excitebike and Ninja Turtles. The Nintendo catalog was fairly sparse. Even at my young age, though, I displayed a predilection for B-movies and the bizarre, macabre world of 1950s throwbacks. So imagine wonderment extremely piqued curiosity when I saw this cover art on the shelf at the local game-rental shack:

Though it took me a few trips to work up the nerve to give it a spin, once I finally checked it out my sense of gaming was irrevocably altered. Adventure games became a kind of mature, more intelligent and expressive medium for enjoyment. While I love side-scrolling, beat 'em up affairs like Double Dragon and the pop-art stylings of the original Duck Tales game, Maniac Mansion shaped my fundamental understanding and mental conception of what video games could aspire to be. The game is fairly simple in terms of how's and whys: you play as three teenagers exploring a spooky house while trying to free your friend from a scientist, pointing a cursor at objects to interact with them (sound familiar? These things repeat because they work, people.) It started a trend, along with a certain RPG series I intend to write on, of favoring the text-heavy (but not solely based) headier games, particularly those with a flair for the morbid or twisted. From here I branched out in genres to find my niche - whereas a great of modern gaming is online FPS with headsets, I still prefer to sit with headphones in the dark while I explore Rapture, reveling in the solitude and personal journey that games can provide. Community has never been a quest for me, rather the individual's experience and how we internalize it and make sense of the world. That might just be a self-centered way to say I don't play a lot of multiplayer.

As much as I love this quirky point-and-click tale from Lucasfilm Games, it really bums me out to know there are so many people out there, especially younger than me (grump, harumph, grumble) that have no experience with the genius and trailblazing adventure. Created by the inspired Ron Gilbert and Gary Winnick, the game not only helped coin the phrase 'Cut Scene' but brought to the forefront the burgeoning genre of point and click adventure games. King's Quest, Sam & Max, Monkey Island, these games all rode in on a wave started by these two designers experiementing in a new and distinct genre of gaming. It allowed for a more immersible and cerebral playing experiences. Players used their brains to rationalize a world beyond the context of reflexes and number-crunching. In my own mind I viewed the experience as somewhere in a delta between watching a movie, reading a book and playing a game - it wasn't a traditional video game. At the time, I knew it was different from the rocknroll of Mega Man, but only now can I look back and see exactly what it was that set it apart. What with all the potential screw ups and no-win dead-ends, there was a real sense of "what can I do here?" as compared to the popular format at the time of "Run to the right, kill things, keep moving". It was a weird little world to explore.

Not only was it a strange experience in terms of game play, but additionally the attitude was remarkable for the time. Nintendo of America had a strict policy about the content of the games they published - censorship was the norm at the time. This game, with it's abundant corpses, blood, aliens, teenage protagonists and Pepsi products, seemed strangely adult and more mature. Only in the last few years have I had a chance to read up on the localization process that Gilbert and Winnick experienced in translating their groundbreaking work from home PC to NES. It's an amusing tale of arbitrary corporate policy to say the least.


Thankfully, Maniac Mansion has seen enduring popular acclaim through the last 20 (20!!!) years. There have been numerous ports and remakes over the years, ensuring that as long as there is an audience, it remains possible and enjoyable to play Maniac Mansion just one more time. Maniac Mansion Deluxe is the reigning champ, being both excellent and free, so please - if you ever played it and just want to try it again, never heard of it and missed out on the history of it or just want to see where modern gaming came from, check it out. It really does hold up as a great game in the most essential way.  I'll see you tomorrow.

Metal Gears

Kids!

I can't tell you enough how happy I am to have you here!

To summarize our situation - it's Friday night and it's Video Game Week. What does that mean, you ask? It means that it's either late Friday night or fairly early Saturday morning while you read this, a fact that causes no consternation on my part. I've certainly spent my share of time dinking around online while waiting for good things to happen. Even less derisively, there's no harm in spending a weekend night in - eff you for thinking otherwise. Life is what you make of it, and no one says you have to be out at a trashy bar in order to really experience the weekend. You wanna sit quietly, all hours of the night and read? I'm cool with that. Hell, I'll recommend books and dissect the author's perspective until the sun comes up. You just need to tell me when to shut up so you can sleep. Point is, I want you to enjoy your day. But at the same time, here we're looking at old games! The forgotten and downtrodden, the neglected and loved, the old games no one plays anymore! So what do we look at in the brief time I spend writing on a Friday evening, between cocktails?

Excitebike, kids. Excitebike.

I don't know what it is about this game. There's something so simple and gratifying about it that scratches the subconscious itch in a way that just zipping through it mindlessly can't do...a pleasure that's derived from hitting the jumps and popping wheelies just so, like a mofo. I loved this game. 

Released in 1985 (1985!!!) in America, the game is of the simplest concept - just hold A to accelerate, B for turbo and use the d-pad to lean forward or back and don't get greedy, lest you overheat or tumble. Your little racer hurtles towards the finish line, engine chugging away as you hammer down on an intricately timed pattern of A&B button turbo bursts. There is such a simple nature to this game that it almost could have preceded the NES. I look back on it fondly as one of the first games I was ever given as a kid, I think from my Aunt Sue for my...man, my fifth birthday? That can't be right, can it?

Regardless, I love Excitebike. There is a certain zen nature to the game - just hold A and you could win. Sure, it might depend on your ability to level off your jumps and landings, but it was feasible to win simply by driving straight on and not using any turbo boosts. In the design of the game is a certain element that is intrinsic to the idea of control and enjoyment, that the player uses their hands to experience the ride and get a bit of a vicarious buzz. Twenty-some years on, I still love to fire up a running version of this game and bleed a bit of adrenaline in the slightest way.

 In a move of staggering genius Nintendo released this as one of their 3DS games for FREE, so go and download it now and see what you missed so long ago. I'll check in with you tomorrow to see what you've missed in the intervening years.

Lost In Translation

Evening!


...and now to scare off the audience...


It's officially Video Game Week! 


I mentioned in one of my first posts back from vacation that I would be doing more theme weeks and fleshing out my concepts to a fuller degree. This will serve as the first of such endeavors. So strap in and get ready to be subjected to my thoughts on old, forgotten and underrated Games I Have Loved. First up - Rare's momentum-killing Grabbed By The Ghoulies!

I say this, of course, with an affectionate disdain that any chagrined gamer can attest to wearing. The game is known, in some circles, as being one of the first major missteps by a company whose track record was otherwise legendary. Rare, the British game studio behind the deservedly loved Donkey Kong Country, Goldeneye, Killer Instinct and Banjo Kazooie, had been acquired by Microsoft in a rather controversial move. The first IP they released in the wake of the Microsoft acquisition was the curious, distinctly styled Grabbed By The Ghoulies. Until this point that company had maintained a solid string of critical and commercial successes. Here, though, was their first stumble. As a matter of course, the game became an exclusive Xbox title, released in 2003 to little fanfare. It lives on in infamy with few devoted fans. I humbly count myself among their numbers. But I'll get to that in a minute. First, a little background.

The premise for the game is simple and straight-forward: protagonist Cooper's girlfriend Amber is kidnapped by Baron Von Ghoul after the pair stumble into his haunted mansion and it is up to Cooper to free his love from Von Ghoul's captivity and requisite minions.  It's all by the numbers, with little meat to it, but to be honest, the plot is almost ancillary to gameplay. While many games as of late grow over the top with their convoluted plots, Rare has often set up intricately-made games with the most basic plot, under the guise that plot really is window dressing to get you to the fun. (Par example - someone stole the bananas! Get 'em, DK!) The action is simple - almost everything is done by the two thumb-sticks on the massive Xbox controller we all hated, save a few key moments where a string of buttons get you out a quick-time-event (ugh) scare sequence. Basically you work Cooper through room after room in the mansion, just beating up zombies, imps, skeletons, mummies and other horror mainstays. As you progress, challenges are thrown in the mix to keep things interesting - don't get hit, time limits, kill only these things, etc. The house is filled with things to use as weapons - furniture, plates, whatever can be picked up. The gameplay is so straightforward it's almost hard to believe Rare was behind it. My first time playing it I wondered if I was missing something.

But really it's not even about the gameplay, for me. I think I picked it up for a whole two dollars back in 2006, looking for something to amuse me during a cold winter that saw me A - being quite broke and B - living near a Gamestop. The simplicity of the game made it fun to dink around in while I listened to podcasts. I loved the atmosphere Rare created. It brought back memories of the Halloween sections of the first Banjo Kazooie, which I loved. I got the feeling it was Rare's love letter to old horror films, flaws and all. In some ways it calls to mind the gameplay of Zombies Ate My Neighbors, only updated and dumbed down. As a fresh-out-of-college slacker it was great for having a beer and goofing off with friends, even if we just riffed on how bad some elements of play could be. Hell, look at the title - Grabbed By The Ghoulies. It's a game based around a bit of British slang, of all buzz-killing marketing techniques. I've heard (completely unverified) rumors that Rare named the game before there was a concept, potentially as a sequel to the (column pending) Conker's Bad Fur Day. 

Despite all my kvetching and dog-piling on a game that's almost 10 years old and forgotten by almost all, I still dust off the ol' black box to give it a spin when I miss that time in my life. For a mere two dollars, I got a surprising amount of play out of it. Somehow it made the cut for the Xbox Originals downloads section of the Live Marketplace, again for cheap. For a more positive, affectionate spin on why I might keep coming back to it, check out this write up for kinder words. If you're looking for a bit of a curiosity in the annals of gaming, give it a whirl - maybe you'll find it as charming as I did.


Just don't tell anyone.

Double Down

Sound the alarms! Double post!


I had to throw up a quick note to alert as many people as possible. Plus I figure after two weeks off I can throw the occasional double post to make up some ground, right? Anyway - you want to hear this. It's been all over the music world in the last week, but in case you haven't heard - do yourself a favor and head over to Wugazi to hear some amazing stuff.

The title says it all. Wugazi is simply the best of both worlds - the inspired, cacophonous delta that forms when Doomtree member Cecil Otter and producer Swiss Andy set about laying the vocals of the legendary Wu Tang Clan over the similarly (but more overlooked) Fugazi. It's one of those things that shouldn't be able to exist, yet it works so well. If you've read some of the other articles on this site about mashups and the manner in which our culture re-purposes pre-existing material, you might have an inkling of how mind-blowing I find this to be. Hell, Cecil Otter's solo albums are heady affairs, worthy of their own dissection. But to take some of the most unusual, groundbreaking hip hop of the last 20 years and throw it over some of the most curiously intelligent hardcore - that's some sublime, inspired genius. There was simply no chance for a middle ground here - either be un-listenable or undeniable. To the universe's credit, we go the latter. 

I was lucky enough to snag it before the site crashed, but it may be back up as of now. The free (FREE!) album of remixes/mashups is available now, so if you have absolutely any interest in A - essential hip hop B - high quality post punk C - post-modern music or D - insane jams for the summer...go to Wugazi.com NOW and download it. Before someone's lawyers smell blood in the water. 

Hello Indeed

Sometimes the twee is just to overwhelming to resist.


The twee I speak of in today's post is that of the sickly sweet, pure bubblegum joy that is 'Hello' by Martin Solveig with the help of Dragonette. A thumping, inescapably dance-able number, the song is an almost too perfect example of modern music. It's infected my ears in the last six months. The handy-work of French DJ extraordinaire Martin Solveig, the song is all electro sounds and synths. Released in fall of 2010, it's done an impressive job of staying in the public eye (ear?). 

Despite the myriad reasons I can cite, no specific one stands out. Maybe it's just a catchy hook and a beat you can dance to. There is an undeniable French air to the track, with its sunshiny buzzing and chirping vocals. Like I said, plenty of twee to go around, but that giddy lightness made it a bit of a life raft as we worked through the end of winter and (eventually) into summer. Now that the sun shines (finally) I find it even more inescapable. It's still in rotation on the radio and featured in ads. Honestly it feels more like a summer pop tune than something that would chart in the winter. The breezy vocals courtesy of Dragonette's Martina Sobrara are ridiculously infectious, alluring in their cutesy appeal but impossible for any other human to match. I do believe the woman is a Fairy or perhaps a woodland pixie of some kind. I do know that she's Canadian, but that may not be a factor in the sugary sweetness, unless Maple syrup is really that important farther north than MPLS. For such a lilting, modern voice one would expect her to be a waif of a teenager. Somehow she's north of 30. I have no idea how that works.

Despite my transparent and self-conscious passive-aggressive enjoyment of the song, it's become a bit of an obsession. I have no idea why, to be honest. As my better half can attest, along with more than a hand full of the posts on this site, I have a not-so-secret love of pure pop music. This just may be an exemplary case of said obsession. I love the kick of the drums, the buzz of the synths, the lightness of the vocals. It's super catchy. Saccharine, but awesome. If, by some strange twist of fate, you have yet to hear 'Hello' by Martin Solveig and Dragonette, give it a spin. It's infectious. You'll go nuts, but you'll be grinning the whole time.

I Land

In the spirit of sharing, I'm taking today's space to impart upon the reader some things I learned whilst I visited the tropical island of Maui. 


Yes, it was my Honeymoon. No, I will not foist my pictures on the world for affirmation, nor will I offer condescending, pseudo-sage advice. Instead I'll just let my brain out for a little while to roam and see what I've retained from my experience in anti-thinking. That was, you see, the essence of the trip - after the stress and meticulous coordination of an insane and astounding wedding, both the better half and I were afforded the opportunity to shut our brains off and relax. So what did they process in the down time? Let's probe the lobe:


1 - No amount of preparation will prepare a WASP. No amount of sunscreen, however strong (SPF Flannel) or copious (freshly laundered shirts still emit odors) the lotion or spray - you will burn something. Thankfully ours were minimized to my gargantuan nose and the top of my better half's right ear. She got lucky.


2 - No matter how stupid it may be to your instincts, cars are both plentiful and almost essential. "But you're on an island" my subconscious would protest. "Yeah, but I'm not walking to the far side of the island across the Highway" my ego would counter. Yeah, we took the bus sometimes and did a ton of walking whenever possible. Still, it would have been much less relaxing without a car. "But it's an island!" Yes, subconscious, it's a modern American island.

3 - I will most likely never get over LOST. It wasn't even filmed on Maui, yet the whole time it was this little ghost in the back of my mind. Everywhere I went I gave the scenery another curious glance, gaining a whole new appreciation for the show. Not just the plot and setting of a tropical island, but that 99% of it was filmed in Oahu. I saw a commercial for a local school and I realized halfway through that it was the setting for any British University scenes on the show. Yep, huge nerd. Probably incurable.

4 - Further illustrating my incurable nerd-itis: when given a towel, be it on a boat, beach or bar, I wrap it around my neck like a cape. Yeah. Given my build it can either make me look like the Doctor or Tetsuo. Neither of the two really work with shorts, I have to say.

5 - Sushi is much better when it's caught, say, 5 miles away as opposed to having fish in the middle of a landlocked state in a very wide continent. Additionally, something about the ponzu sauce in a particular roll was so satisfying that it caused my better half to remark "What is it in this that tastes like my childhood?" It had a profound affect on both of us. Fish was so fresh that the best poke we found, following tips from locals, was at the local Foodmart. Dig:

6 - A little chili powder on freshly sliced fruit is unusually delightful. You don't have to try it. Just sayin'.


7 - Not heeding the warning my cousin imparted at the wedding, I found the hard way that excessive consumption of citrus makes the mouth raw. To quote Drew "If it feels like your mouth is being tenderized, lay off the pineapple." Turns out it goes double if it's accompanying your Mai Tai, which are too awesome for me to have on a regular basis. But man, for a fortnight I was totally sold on rum.

8 - Rice as a side for breakfast really deserves to catch on here on the mainland. We do potatoes with everything here, why not switch it up for funsies? Plus, goes great with over-easy eggs!


9 - I am a nervous pervis, to the bitter end. In Minnesota I fret about bugs. The problem in Maui? SNAKES. I think that trumps ants and mosquitoes. I did enjoy the helicopter tour of the island, I assure you. But I would remiss not to admit my first thought as we lifted off was my paranoid brain realizing "OH GOD THESE THINGS CAN CRASH" like it had never occurred to me. Still, a beautiful tour and I took lots of pictures. Like this one. Of me. In long pants and shoes. On the beach.

10 - Even in a resort created specifically to cater to tourists I still feel sheepish about being a tourist. It never ends. Thanks to my experiences under the Bush regime I will never stop pretending to be Canadian. I'm still surprised at the altar I didn't say "I do, eh?" I refused to wear a Hawaiian shirt. Why? Too touristy. I'm uptight, I know. 


11 - When the time is right just have dessert and don't feel guilty. Will you die from it? Maybe, if you do it every day and for breakfast. But for a week straight on Honeymoon? Damn straight. 


12 - Never eat chocolate in bed. You drop one little piece and the cleaning staff wants a big tip. Try to plead your case, I dare you. Spoiler: you will be embarrassed. 


Look at that list. You may interpret that as an unhappy take on the whole affair, but really it's quite the opposite. I think if you look past the surface of self deprecation you can dig that I loved it and really relished turning my mind off for a while. No worry about plans or traffic or politics or taking out the trash or even feeding the cat. It was an amazing trip, and a wonderful first step into married life. The two of us travel well together. So here we are now, home and free to live our lives together, one day at a time. I'm glad we had the adventure we did. Now we start an even bigger one together. I'll see you tomorrow for a more traditional post, eh?


13 - Oh, poi? Pretty unpleasant. Not inedible. Just not necessary.

Unbreak

Well, lookie what we have here!


It's been far too long, dear friends. Far, far too long.


What's new? You look good. You have a good Fourth? Been hot, right? Tell me about it.


So.


I'm married now. I'm a husband. I have a wife. Not, like, to own - someone who gets me. Couldn't be happier, honestly. The wedding was, in a word, fantastic. That's the word I kept using all night - fantastic, evoking the essence of fantasy. Everything I ever wanted. All my closest family and friends in one place, all of them feeling the love. My better half looked amazing. Simply stunning, if you saw for yourself. In fact, see the amazing Homeless Pennies for a little insight. Her take on the whole day made me smile. Everyone was in a joyous mood. 


Not to self-aggrandize too much but it clicked with me at some point during the reception just how positive my life has become since I've been writing this blog. By focusing on sharing awesome things with the world I've rekindled my sense of optimism and positive perspective. Instead of looking for the worst and snarking about the world (of which I am still frequently guilty) I find great pleasure in shared marveling and simply communal appreciation. This sounds really corny, doesn't it?  


You know what? I don't care. I shouldn't feel sheepish about being happy. There have been times in which I feel foolish for writing here on a daily basis. However, coming off the roller coaster that is getting married and going on a honeymoon, it's easy to see how much life is improved with a positive attitude. Whereas I felt myself burning out as I approached the finish line, I write this with a renewed vigor and joix de vivre. I love my family. I love my friends. I love my wife. I love my life. Even on Mondays.


Here's a fun little tidbit: I've been understanding more and more in recent years that life is whatever you want it to be. Misery, joy, mischievous, lazy or contemplative. It's your call. So in planning the wedding, my better half suggested we incorporate some of our talented friends. Here's proof in concept - in the middle of our reception we had a private concert by our favorite local rappers, the much-ballyhooed Mnemosyne:

I love this shot. In the middle of an elegant, 1940s-esque old-school Hollywood feeling Beach Club, we have Bride, Groom and Indie-Rappers. The juxtaposition kills me.


To further cast my affection around, I want to thank you for still reading this. To know that there are people in the world that would spend their time reading this is more than any writer could ask for. I know you're still there, and it means everything to me.


So here's the deal - I'm gonna keep doing this. I love it. It reminds me of how amazing the world is, and if it does the same for anyone else, all the better. Tomorrow I'm going to touch briefly on what I learned by going to a tropical island for a fortnight. It'll be good, I promise. After that, I get back to sharing amazing things that you simply must know about! So stick around, cats. Big things lie in store. More themed weeks. Grander concepts. More interviews. Let's explore this world a bit together, shall we?

Gone Fusion

Well hello, there!

I've got good news and bad news. No mincing around, I'm gonna just lay it out there.

The bad news - starting today, there's going to be about a two week hiatus on this site. I've considered bringing in a guest writer to fill in while I'm away, but so far nothing has fit quite right. I truly appreciate everyone who comes here and reads what goes on, but just know it's a temporary absence.

The reason?

That's the good news.

I'm getting married today!

I know what you're thinking - how can you be writing when thats happening? Thing is, I have a few minutes before I suit up and am typing this on my phone.  She's the love of my life and truly my better half. I couldn't be happier to marry her. But we are going on a honeymoon and I won't be able to post until I come home.

So please check in while I'm out and read old stuff you might have missed. Who knows, maybe I'll be able to sneak something on here. But when i come back I'll get back to business as usual.

See you soon, as a married man!

Home Alone 2

Alright, gang.


Like I said, today is Part 2 of my feature on Homeless. Below is the whole of an email interview I did with the rapper. Take a look at the first part of the feature here, then read on to get know the man in depth.


First off, how tall are you, exactly?
Exactly? 6'4" and 3/4. But I tell people 6'5". Just easier to round, and that way I don't feel like a five year old by getting overly specific with my statistics...

Do you have much of a set "process"? What comes first most often, the beat or the hook? An idea or a rhythm?
To be honest, my process would probably be considered by most artists as totally disorganized. Well, maybe we're all that way. But yeah. Piecemeal. Chaotic maybe? Form comes along eventually, but most of the time, my starting point is just a thought. I do a lot of writing in my head. I'll get an idea for two bars, maybe even just one, and it usually won't be in a convenient place. I carry around a Moleskine notebook, and I'll record lines into my phone if I'm driving, or about to fall asleep. Then later, I compile those, pick and choose, mash some together, and that usually gives me enough clay to start sculpting. Either as a hook, or a start to a verse, and I start to write off of that. I don't think I've ever sat down with a beat, and just wrote a track. God, I wish I could though. I'd be doing one a day. I'm working on the discipline to get better at that though. I'm a huge procrastinator too, which isn't always helpful. I'm about two thirds of the way through a song, just tonight. And I bounced over to this interview as a good distraction. I swear I'm undiagnosed ADD or something.

What was the first piece of music you bought? Cd or tape? Do you think it established a course?

It definitely would've been a tape. I think I got given Jock Jams Vol. 1 on tape as a present, but then I got the Space Jam soundtrack for myself. I'm not sure exactly, that was awhile ago, but that's gotta be close to it. Did it establish a course? I'm not sure, I don't think I'd blame the Space Jam soundtrack for my love of hip hop. But it definitely played a role in my early fascination I'd say. That movie came out in '96? I woulda been 9 years old at that time. And even though it was definitely for kids, that tape had Busta Rhymes, Method Man, D'Angelo, Jay-Z, R. Kelly, and more on it. I remember the hip hop tracks on Jock Jams being my favorites too. I guess what I'm trying to say, is any course I've landed on has certainly been influenced by small steps along the way, and I'm certain that those tapes being some of the first music that really energized me, and made me wanna pay attention, definitely contributed to my love of hip hop onward into the years when I discovered real music (i.e. not cartoon soundtracks).

What's your earliest musical memory?

I will be the first to admit that my memory is garbage. I'm terrible with dates and times and associating the when and where of situations. Outside of playing plastic instruments in school, or a rainbow colored xylophone as a baby? One of my clearest musical memories is listening to CD's in my cousins' room when I was in elementary and middle school. My cousins were older than I was and I didn't have that "cool older brother" type of musical influece, but my eldest cousin was the one who was actually old enough to own and buy CD's. He's 6 years older than me? Something like that. Anyways, he was the one who introduced me to The Fugees, The Beastie Boys, Jay-Z and eventually Atmosphere. I'd say he was the one who really gave me my musical education for the most part. I remember being young, and wowed by that music. It was aggressive and calculated and eloquent and it made you listen intently to it to pick up everything that was being said. I likely wouldn't have used those words back then, but I think the sentiment remains, that I was in awe of hip hop at a relatively young age.

Who's been the biggest influence on you, musically? Personally?

Man, tough questions, but important. Musically? I'm gonna say some thorough combination between Slug and Jay-Z. I'd say Slug, just because musically, he's influenced this entire city, whether people like it or not. He was also a pretty big shift in my interpretation of music as well. I was reading and writing a lot of poetry, and listening to a lot of hip hop, but had never really understood the fusion, until someone like Slug delivered and I understood hip hop was bigger than what I knew it to be. Not to mention, coming from Minneapolis from the bottom, as an independent artist, from a looked over city, gave a lotta kids around here hope that they could come from a place where music "doesn't come from" and make something of themselves. As for Jay-Z, it was the first full rap CD I ever owned. Hard Knock Life Vol. 2. I got that CD when I was probably in 4th grade? 5th grade maybe? I just played it until it was scratched and unplayable, and I had to rip it onto my parents computer (external CD burner of course) and make another one. I just banged my head, played basketball to it, and loved that record. Still do to this day. As far as my biggest influence personally? I still attribute a lot of my aspirations to my grandfather. My middle name is his first name. I was inspired by his wit and his charm and his wisdom and his skills. He was an alcoholic before I was born, and quit cold turkey one day and never went back. He really turned his life around. I think what inspired me about him, beyond all of his fantastic characteristics, was that he was an early example for me that people can change, no matter how old they are. And I've held onto that.

Do you have another artists career in mind for your own path, as a rough outline of what you want to accomplish?

I would love to have Blu's career ("It's B-L-U and if you see the E drop 'em). That dude has been eating off of music for a long time now. He's well loved by pretty much everyone in the game. And a ton of people don't know who he is. He's never, to my knowledge, fully signed on with a label, so every project he's dropped has been completely his own. Below The Heavens is probably the most classic hip hop album to come out in the past five years, and I know so many people who've never even heard of it. But yeah, that would be dope. I'd love a Rhymesayers career. I don't care if that sounds cliche. Again, hardworking people who love their art and eat off it. At the end of the day, that's all I really wanna do. Outside of that, I'd love to have a Lupe Fiasco type career, or somebody like Black Milk or Mac Miller. Independent. Solid. Eating offa art. Yeah.

Name a guilty pleasure, musically or otherwise.

Musically? Commercial hip hop and old poppy R&B music. I'll get down with some super ignorant or poppy hip hop with a good beat if I'm in the right mood. Sometimes it annoys the piss outta me, but some days it's just what you wanna hear. I also love me some Carl Thomas, R. Kelly, Trey Songz, etc. That type of slow, crooning, "Let's make love girl" music. I always have. Outside of music? I probably shouldn't make a public list of them, but I bet most people could guess them. We all sort of share the same seven or so guilty pleasures, don't we?

Is there a trend in modern music you love? One you hate?

It's hard not to bring up Odd Future when you talk about trends in music these days. They're the definition of trendy, and the bandwagon filled up super quick for those guys. Regardless of what you think of their music, their style, or their subject matter, you have to respect the grind. The fact that they're as young as they are and have come up so quickly as a 100 percent DIY hard working interesting unit, giving away free music all the time is impressive as hell. I think that trend, the idea that labels are dying, and artists are having to work harder to forge independent routes to success is something that I really dig. I think it's going to open the playing field and your radio is going to slowly but surely start to sound different. I think it's putting power back in the hands of the masses to chose what they like and want and the labels will have to follow suit. The internet has done that for everyone. As far as a trend I hate? Dubstep? I'm sorry, I know it's the new craze, but after 15 minutes, that stuff all sounds the same to me, and it makes my jaw vibrate. I've never been a huge fan of electronic music. I'm seeing it in hip hop too, where artists are trying to fuze electronic elements for faster paced hard hitting songs. I personally don't think it's working. Hip hop doesn't need to be more like other genres, it just needs to diversify within itself, and people need to understand that hip hop is many, many things, not just the dumbed down commercial version they're often fed.

Any local artists you want people to know about, or compatriots?

If you search for each of these things on the internet individually, it'll be worth it: The Tribe and Big Cats, Illuminous 3, Dumnfoundead, Big Quarters, Chantz Erolin, Grind Time Now, Miles Mendenhall, The Van GoBots, Evan Drolet Cook, Just Riley, Blu, Guante, Man Mantis, Mally, Analyrical, Daniel Switch, Max Selim. Yeah. That should give you some things to look up if you're bored and unfamiliar with those names. Emcees, producers, painters, writers, directors, rock bands, guitar players, all in that list. If you don't find something in that list that's aesthetically pleasing, or at least interesting in some facet, you might not have a soul.

What do you want an audience to know about you that might not be expressed in your music?

I'm really curious. I work really hard. I have a huge heart and I hate seeing people or things in pain. I want to travel the world. I have big dreams but I don't have delusions of grandeur, I just wanna be an artist and live off my work. I'm a huge people person and I would go insane without being social and friendly with friends and strangers. I talk to random people on the street. Oh yeah. And I'm still trying to save the world. I'll let you know how it works out.

Home Alone

Kids!


Good evening.


I've spent my share of time writing about the heavy weights of Minneapolis music. To refocus the aim I want to spread the good word about my favorite underground cat, Homeless. Born and bred in Minnesota, Homeless has been grinding away in the underground, making a name for himself battle by battle, track after track, show after show and killing it every time.

I knew Homeless back when he was getting started with the Slam Poetry scene and quickly standing out in a crowd of verbose and dynamic kids. When he combined his powers, Voltron-style, with Just Riley they started playing shows under the name Mnemosyne. Having seen them grow from the smallest venues as openers to seeing them become headliners it's been a blast to have seen the growth first hand. Naturally I was thrilled to learn the duo would be releasing their own mixtapes, Just Riley's Kids Eat Free and Patience Makes Lighter from Homeless. The way these two play off each other's style is nothing short of perfect, their voices and inflections filling the gaps and hitting the pockets they leave with a deft delivery. 

Countless videos have been documenting the process Homeless is taking with his craft, whether its shutting down his peers in Grindtimenow battles, dropping new verse after new verse over whatever he can or even taking one-trick-pony Asher Roth down a peg. To watch Homeless in action is a strange thing - he's a man with ideas and lines that are so grand in design they almost seem to escape him, only for the mc to wrap it up in a finish so harsh and well constructed you think back to how he got there and you marvel to yourself. His passion and venom for the perils of society keep him on the brink of teetering out of control, yet he never loses his cool and always speaks from the heart. Take the response to Asher Roth - Homeless was frustrated with the vapidity and mental indifference of the one-hit wonder. The track he released about it speaks volumes for his devotion to hip hop and how seriously he takes every opportunity. The battles he takes part in almost feel like they're too one-sided as he picks apart his competitors piece by piece. 

This is not to say he's your typical angry-at-the-world, thinking man's rapper. There's a positive air and optimism you rarely find in his line of work. Take for example his video, directed by Drew Carlson, for the Man Manits-produced 'Rest In Peace'. It has the old-time sunshine of Motown hits combined with Homeless' insightful, introspective rapping. How many rappers do you know that can start off a hook with the words "Pardon me..." and still feel like they're speaking a raw, honest truth? There's a line in the track that speaks volumes about his style and mindset - "The line between a sigh and a deep breath is patience". It not only reminds me of times I've lost my cool, but adds another layer to the title of his mixtape. The patience can make us lighter if we want our to ease our burdens.


I can't say enough good things about Homeless and his endearingly weary optimism. Check out his twitter feed for the occasional burst of encouragement or a reminder not to be hollow. Stay tuned for my first ever Q&A with Homeless, which will be posted tomorrow. You check out his vids and listen to Patience Makes Lighter and come back tomorrow - get to know the rapper in depth.