CD Blog: Lyrical Stylings

Howdy peeps,

Hope you're all enjoying the summer and whatnot, seeing that as of now, it's summer! (Yeah, for real this time.)

So in this week's edition of the weekly blog, I'm gonna take a look into the second half of how a record gets made. Last week, I went in-depth with how the beats have evolved and the creation of said beats.

Now, as you may or may not know, a hot beat is only as hot as the lyrics that go along with it. (OK, I understand that in 2008, lyrics don't mean jack in songs now, it's the beat and the dance moves...but I think the lyrics always have to be the forefront of a hip-hop song.)

So when I do a song, oftentimes I have a concept of what the song will be about thought up in my head, then I either get on the computer and type it out, or grab a notebook and write it out.

The thing that's really hard when it comes to writing is that it's gotta be natural, as in, I write whenever I feel like it. So that could be while playing a videogame, watching TV, being at church, riding in the car, in a class, wherever.

Here's an example of a handwritten, yet unrecorded song from 2005:

Go ahead, bite this, it won't get you anywhere, sucka MC's!

So as you see there, the lyrics there were an example on spontaneous writing.

OK, I think that I've given out enough information. Next thing you know, I'll be giving out my formula for song writing....

But that's enough knowledge for now, so I'll veer into the obligatory promo:

Modern Day Madness: 8.8.08
1st Single: "Young & Stupid" Out Tuesday for Free Download!

So yeah, be sure to check out the new single on Tuesday, and share it, rip it, just get it out there to people...

See ya in a week,
MC Larny

CD Blog: The Art of Beatmaking & The Art Of Evolving

What's up people? Yeah, it's my blog. A weekly update, on the album Modern Day Madness (dropping 8.8.08, 1st single out on 6/24).

So this week, I decide to take you inside the every so interesting world of beatmaking, and show you how the music has evolved since 2005.

Let me give you a short description of my past setups from the 1st album to right now.

Straight Outta Nowhere:

• FL Studio 5

In The Paint EP:

• FL Studio 6


• Sony ACID XPress 5.0

Enter The Unknown:

• FL Studio 7


• Apple GarageBand


• Sony ACID PRO 6

Modern Day Madness:

• FL Studio 8


• Apple GarageBand

So as the discography grows disc by disc, the production of the albums have advanced. Of course, all the beats have been done by me since when I started out, so the evolution is even more apparent.

For example, the 1st CD was me trying to make beats out of random noise and drum tracks.

Now, the beats have become actually structured, with breakdowns, chorus sections, intros, outros and whatnot.

If I had to trace my influences to how i make beats, it would come from the following :

• Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind (Jedi Mind Tricks)


• RZA (Wu-Tang Clan)


• DJ Premier (Gang Starr)


• Madlib


• The Bomb Squad (Public Enemy)


• Dr. Dre


• Rick Rubin

Production is the 1st step in making an album, it serves as the blueprint, it gives a sense of direction to write by and keep the albums cohesive.

So yeah, that's my blog on beat production. Next week, I'll discuss another art, "The Art of Writing".

Peace.

P.S. Go Celtics, LA is going down!

NEW CD HAPPENING!

Just by looking at that poster should explain quite a lot.

Yeah, that's right, a new album. On August 8th, 2008.

10 tracks. No collaborations. Expect the unexpected.

Release info will be announced shortly, the 1st single will be "Young and Stupid", coming out in 2 weeks.
-MC Larny

Frustrations of A Madman

Wow...I don't know, but I am just frustrated right about now. It's a Saturday night, and school is just about over, and yet, I just can't be happy.

It's all of this stuff happening all at once. I have no income, I'm nearly broke, finals to study for, final projects....

And the fact that I've run into the same roadblock that almost made me give up rap music has reappeared: Getting a live show that's on my terms.

It's hard, considering that the town you call home, and the surrounding towns around you, are not hip-hop friendly. Sure you could play with a hardcore/metalcore/screamo band, but you notice how hip-hop and screamo/hardcore/metalcore just don't mix, right?

Just another layer of frustration and a bonafide lack of sanity to help me out during finals. It'll be miraculous if I come out of FSC fine this week.

Songs of the Blog Post: Diary of A Madman- Ozzy Osbourne/Rock Bottom- Eminem


-Fin-

Summer?! Now?!

Ok, so it's been approx. 3 months since I updated the blog, guess I've been too busy doing other things (i.e. nothing).

But I guess I might as well fill you in on what I'm up to, and what I may be up to.

1. Finishing freshman year: Yeah, that's the top priority right now, with 2 exams, and 3 projects due. Overwhelmed? Nope. But burned out? Yes.
2. Employment: TBA. I really hope I have a job so that I can afford a couple things.
1. Rock The Bells 2008: Pharcyde, Nas, Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Immortal Technique, Raekwon + Ghostface, Method Man + Redman.....
2. Hollywood's onslaught on my wallet: Iron Man, Dark Knight, Incredible Hulk....
3. Videogaming's onslaught on my wallet: GTA 4, Burnout Paradise, Rock Band, Ninja Gaiden 2....
3. Something involving MC Larny: Well, that's the plan. It's actually still pending right now, so I can't elaborate on the details. But this summer will be an interesting one.

Ok, that's all I got. Peace.

-L

What I've been up to...

check it out...

Not Over Yet

Over the past few months, people have been asking "Hey Larny, are you still rapping?" or something like that.

My reply has been at best : "Not really, I'm kinda taking a break."

The reason why I took a break from this is a shocker: I totally lost my heart and passion for making music sometime after I dropped my last CD. I was really disappointed that I couldn't get my best work out to more people, and that I kinda felt as if I failed myself.

Also, I went through some serious self doubt issues, where I truly second-guessed my skills and if I was as good as people said.

So I took a hiatus from it, and thought everything over.

Now, I'm ready to say this: It's Not Over Yet.

So consider this an advance notice: MC Larny is back, but this time, evolved. One way or another, either by myself, or with a band, there will be new songs from MC Larny in 2008....

Promise.

-Larnel Jones a.k.a MC Larny