Showing posts with label west coast. Show all posts
Showing posts with label west coast. Show all posts

11.12.2013

MY MINDFRAME IS...



Written and performed by Anacron for Manoemusicc
Produced by Diles for Visceral View
Turntablism by DJ Daze Uno
From Green Chile In The Air: Volume III 
Download at pntg.net/gcinta3
You know how I do. It's been about a month, so it's about that time to hit you with something new. Although, with all the saxophoning, singing, and instrumentation I've been doing lately; I thought it'd be best to let the next public heater be a good old-fashioned boom-bap beats and raps cut for my core fan-base -- the true blue underground hip hop heads.
Enter: "Unfamous Mindframe." You've seen it on events, you've heard it on records, you've even seen the logo on merchandise. On this, my second collaboration with ABQ-based producer Diles, I decided to take some time to explain what exactly "UNFAMOUS" means. For those that haven't gotten it up until now, this is the song that will open your eyes, ears, and mind to the UNFAMOUS movement, and why you should be involved.
In addition to all the goodness in it, what pure rap song is complete without a visit from my favorite DJ, The OG Daze Uno? Press play and turn the speakers up, this one's going to knoc your socs off.
LYRICS
My mindframe is UNFAMOUS
It's not a label, it's a lifestyle, language,
and love for music not that lack-luster lameness
It's not exclusive, any open mind can claim this
It's a movement, new improved knit
fabric woven holding golden intent
Indent the game and bent the frame
Started with The Gallery, and then became
the underground definitive, the indie blueprint
We found the limit, then we simply moved it
It's in me, dude it's the source of greatness
Undeniable, and of course UNFAMOUS
You like, "Don't forget us when you blow up!"
Then you forget my shows and never show up
So you know what?
I'll never forget the effort made to support my endeavors
It's just like karma: You get what you give
You're writing the future within the script that you live
Inviting my troopers and friends to kick it and hang, 'cause
they still showed love when I was just UNFAMOUS
We don't do hype, we don't do trends
We don't feel like the means should bend for ends
And we kept the friends that actually know us
instead of dissing them for Yes-Men that practically blow us
Some of yawl are trying to re-write history
how you went from what you were to how you are is a mystery
Abandoned values you was taught when you came up
You lame, cuz - you'd never make it UNFAMOUS
'Nuff respect to all the artists in here
None object that this the hardest career
But unlike most, it wasn't a choice
It's the only thing you know, and so you trust in your voice
But you speak from the soul, you speak from the heart
Hard to reach are your goals when you're speaking through art
Most don't understand it all the same
just maintain and be you, stay UNFAMOUS
My mindframe is UNFAMOUS
It's not a label, it's a lifestyle, language,
and love for music not that lack-luster lameness
It's not exclusive, any open mind can claim this
UNFAMOUS

4.01.2013

BADBOY2014


Fresh from an overnight trip to NYC with big news, AnaManiacs... I always said "underground never commercial", but sometimes you've got to BE The Man to BEAT The Man.

#BadBoy2014

3.11.2013

CAPITOL AND CAPITAL.



Nuff thanks to Red Bull & Capitol Records for featuring myself & L.A. Breakers in Capital Cities “Safe And Sound” video… Awesome day well-spent with good people, great dancers, & fresh music!
Yesterday was stellar, but I realized… Although the last time I worked with Capitol Records was quite a bit different, I wore the same jacket.
MON



10.02.2012

OUT THERE.



Anacron's debut underground single, "Out There"; written, produced, and recorded in 1993 then released and circulated on dub-quality underground tapes throughout the mid 1990's. Later pressed on short-run vinyl, this rare release has been re-mastered and paired with "Interstellar Phenomenon", Anacron's standout track from the original 1994 Peanut Gallery compilation cassette.

credits

released 12 October 1994
Written and performed by Anacron.
Produced by Anacron and INRPOL for PNTGLLRYNTWRK.
Recorded in Blair Hills, Los Angeles.

NOW AVAILABLE VIA BANDCAMP AND GOOGLE PLAY

8.19.2012

SO LOS ANGELES.


I'm so L.A. that they had to put me in the city's promotional reel... Catch me and OG Fresh briefly after 2:35.

5.28.2012

ATYPICAL.



ANAMANIACS: My full-length 2007 release, "atypicalcd" has migrated from iTunes to GooglePlay... Listen via the cloud with Android phones, tablets, & standard desktop computers! http://goo.gl/tcrMb

Album Title: Atypicalcd
Artist: Anacron
Album Production: Anacron, Old Man Malcolm, Earmint, Subterrain Area
Featured Artists: Irie, PervOne, Astrobwoy, Christian Riley
Length: 14 Tracks / Approximately 55 Minutes
Label: PntGllryNtwrk
Release: Street Winter 2007 / Distribution Spring 2008
Finally, the most-known-unknown renaissance artist in hip hop returns with his first solo release in over 5 years. Atypicalcd is a full-length album that serves as an official re-introduction to second-generation Los Angeles underground veteran Anacron, who re-located to and assisted in cultivating Chicago’s budding hip hop scene at the dawn of the new millennium. Anacron shines brightly on this album, boasting his easily relatable, catchy, and conversational songwriting, rapping, and singing skills throughout the listen. In addition to his own traditionally inventive beat production style, the sonically crisp LP also features production by Chicago’s underground mainstay Earmint, and SubterrainArea from southern France. Old Man Malcolm, the DJ/producer of Citizen King, Garbage, Codebreaker, Newsense, Minus After, and several other noteworthy groups, also makes an appearance in preparation for Cornrowz, a forthcoming collaborative major release with Anacron. Vocal guests include Pairograffs comrade Irie, Peanut Gallery Network member and Seattle transplant PervOne, Newsense bassist and vocalist Christian Riley, and long-time Los Angeles collaborator Astrobwoy.
Anacron has released over 15 solo and group projects since 1994, but is most recognized for his efforts as project coordinator, producer, and lyricist on the heralded classic underground album Pals (Galapagos 4 / Basement Records) by Netherworlds (Murs, Himself, and Anacron). Already privy to a dedicated following and steadily growing fan-base, Anacron is a well-known figure in other sects of the hip hop and entertainment world, and has remained an active yet low-key element in the global hip hop scene throughout the past decade. Atypicalcd serves as the gateway to a string of upcoming releases that will re-introduce the various talents of, and make the world fall in love with the UNFAMOUS super-star quality of Anacron.

1. War (Acapella) // 1:21 / Produced by Anacron for Manoemusicc
2. Pneumonia // 2:11 / Produced by Earmint for Lab-O-ratory Productions
3. Club Etiquette (Hoodmix) // 4:55 / Produced Anacron for Manoemusicc
4. Carry Me featuring Irie // 4:13 / Produced by Anacron for Manoemusicc
5. Mainstream // 4:04 / Produced by Old Man Malcolm for T. Malcolm Michiles Music
6. The Ooowee Song // 4:45 / Produced by Old Man Malcolm for T. Malcolm Michiles Music
7. Proteins featuring Perv One and Astrobwoy // 4:47 / Produced by Anacron for Manoemusicc
8. The Gunslinger // 2:25 / Produced by Anacron for Manoemusicc
9. Riflez and Gunzzz // 4:18 / Produced by Old Man Malcolm for T. Malcolm Michiles Music
10. Grown Folks // 4:33 / Produced by SubterrainArea for Subterranean Productions
11. Stop Rapping! // 4:25 / Produced by Old Man Malcolm for T. Malcolm Michiles Music
12. When the Music Stops featuring Christian Riley // 3:57 / Produced by Old Man Malcolm for T. Malcolm Michiles Music
13. Club Etiquette (Clubmix) – Bonus Track // 4:09 / Produced by Anacron for Manoemusicc
14. GodsGirlsDotCom (Internet Exclusive) - Bonus Track // 3:54 / Produced by Anacron for Manoemusicc

4.30.2012

NTWG.




Click photo to download this classic West Coast underground hip hop album totally free… 
Limited time only.

4.04.2012

CRIMEROCK.

What rapper could play blues saxophone on a rock song? Watch me do it on the new CRIMEROCK album!

My AnaManiacs, fans, and friends are typically broad-minded enough to appreciate music styles beyond just hip hop; so I wanted to share some new music with you. Check out the new CRIMEROCK album -- it's all the way bangin'! That's me playing saxophone on trac 6, so get your juke-joint shoes on for that bluesy-rock hybrid.


One of my favorite L.A.-based UNFAMOUS bands just released their flagship album, CRIMEROCK: Episode One. My good buddy Brandon Jordan (who you may remember as the front man of Columbia Records post-punk band KillRadio) helms the journey into a grungy, bluesy, gritty Los Angeles themed project. Soon after Brandon appeared on a side project I coordinated; he hit me up hella randomly like, "hey -- I want you to play some sax on this trac my new band is doing." I busted out the horn, threw a few takes down, and everything came together lovely-like as a fresh new interpretation of  Willie Dixon & Howlin' Wolf's well-known blues standard, "Spoonful". I loved roccin' the sax on that trac, and I'm glad that I made it onto the album. Give it a listen, follow the links to take it with you, and broaden your musical horizons a bit... I'm already knowing that CRIMEROCK's first offering is the start of an awesome legacy in West Coast blues-rock.

2.29.2012

UPPER-CLASS.

What it is, AnaManiacs!

Being that I'm sick of all the interweb whining, but completely agree with most grievances voiced, I've decided that it's time to start my own annual list of 10 awesome rap music guys that people should be checking for. You will easily recognize several differences between their list and mine, however; most notably, my intended focus on the actual QUALITY OF MUSIC as opposed to volume of buzz, hype, and trendification. No, "trendification" is not a word, but if you're reading this blog, you probably don't give a wiggle about spelling and grammar correctivity anyway. Anyway, let me kick this thinger off...

In no particular order, this is ANACRON's first official annual 
10 UNFAMOUS UPPER-CLASSMEN.
These are the hip hop guys you should be watching for that aren't as famous as the hip hop guys that those other guys said you should be watching for just because those hip hop guys are pretty much already known hip hop guys.


MEGABUSIVE 
This rowdy NorCal cut-up is so far beyond "Freshman" status. Serving raps and slaps since the 90's insurgence of the West Coast underground, this cool cat has remained one of the most innovative and envelope-pushin'-est rap guys to ever keep it beneath the surface. Aside from banging out beats that create paths to outer space, and rhymes that narrate the journey along the way, this MC also helms his own label dedicated to pushing progressive hip-hop. By now you should already be bumping one of my favorites from his latest wave of works; but if not, just hit the "play" button above.



ANTOINE EDMONSON
Fresh to the national hip hop scene from the often overlooked mid-western locale of Ohio, this young lyrical upstart has done more than impress with his first official indie releases. Following in the footsteps of several mid-west giants before him, this bro reaches for rap perfection with a cool blend of metaphors, punchlines, and conversational sensibility, selflessly exposing internal struggles that many of us face daily. Dig one of his most introspective cuts, "Just Like You" at the "play" button.


  
KILLER REESE
As one half of the functionally flossy and famed crew Bleu Collar, Reese One brought independent knock to LA's changing underground scene sometime around the turn of the century with serious but fun music and fresh nightlife events. Today, having fully evolved into something darker and slightly more brooding, Killer Reese has emerged as the dark side (figuratively and literally) of the hipster-clowning yet hipster-adored no-nonsense squad of King Fantastic. Bringing back the long lost art of gangsta rap, Reese weaves exciting but poignant tales of reality over tracks crafted for the futuristic thug in you. Get a sample at the "play" button, smarty.


ZACK SEKOFF
Talk about young genius. I first saw this little 'nilla getting loose at an open mic set that the homies Jedi and Pocho Joe run on the west side of L.A., and I was instantly blown away. With freshly self-produced beats, hilariously fun raps, and an awesome stage presence, this kid has the ability to make pretty much anyone love the fact that he's impossible to hate -- if that even makes sense. From award winning remixes to fabulous original tracks, Zack bridges the gap between all things mainstreamingly hipster-esque and the classic sound and ideals of true indie hip hop, without trying too hard or busting out some extra-weird contrived dumbness. Preview one of his older cuts at the little triangle above.


TWO B. ERA aka BLVME
With one of the most unknown but best independent rap albums to ever be released in the history of rap music (no really), bLvMe has been teetering on the edge of success and anonymity for quite some time. A direct affiliate of well known Cal-based turntable funk troupe People Under The Stairs, and a full fledged member of global hip hop arts network, The Peanut Gallery; The Two B delivers intricate flows in a timbre so smooth that it could flatten Billy Dee Williams' hair. From storied beginnings in Los Angeles' rap landmark, The Good Life Cafe, to his full length releases on the Cold Medina record label, Two B. Era has continued to display the "other" west coast sound in it's best form. Get a sample at the "play" cue.



RYO VIBEZ

"A female Japanese reggae rap artist" probably sounds like the beginnings of a hearty NO to most people, but that's because they haven't heard the brash tommy-gun teeter-totter of vocals that Ryo Vibez slings effortlessly in her songs. Hailing from Ichihara City, Japan, this producer/MC has already begun to garner some attention for intense reggae, ragga, and rap projects that have broken both cultural and musical barriers in the hip hop and reggae underground. Listen to one of her Kingston-seasoned jams at the "play" button above, but also be sure to check out one of her effortless hip hop bangers HERE.


DIRTY DIGITAL
The mainstream steals all it's ideas from us, the creators of underground hip hop and rap that exists without rules and boundaries as defined by what the rest of the world thinks. Dirty Digital, a Chicago-based pair consisting of Qwazaar (Typical Cats) and Silence (Frontline), are the perfect display of jut how far into the future hip hop can go. Intertwining forceful and punchy lyrical delivery with uptempo synthesizers and drum machines has been the signature sound of this duo since long before LMFAO put on leopard-skin leggings and started acting like "The Running Man" was something else. These dudes did the music minus the gimmicks, and much better. Press "play" to find out whether or not they're sexy; and furthermore, if they know it.


THUSFAR
Slowly but surely building a following, a buzz, and most importantly, a strong catalog of music, LA native Thusfar has broken through the mold of typical west coast MC's with introspective lyricism and emtionally rich flow. Not much can be said about this new dude -- at least, there's not much I know about him aside from the fact that I bought his mixtape directly from him on Santa Monica Pier one unseasonably gloomy Summer day. While the mood of the music matched the weather, I was duly impressed with the over-all maturity of his songs, which struck me as odd being that he's such a young guy. It's tough to find any playable content online for this one, so follow the link above to listen to a super fresh mixtape from Thusfar.




WIZDOME

With a sing-songy alto tone and a slight vato accent, Wizdome can turn the simplest lyric into a catchy and memorable moment. Having grown past a deep history with former groups in the Los Angeles scene, Wizdome has turned the tides in favor of his artistry, pursuing a solo career as well as a side group project entitled "Tailored For Success Club" with cousin and vocalist Drew Anthuny. Supported by production reminiscent of golden-era hip hop, Wiz can bust basic verses and blaze melodic hooks like a pro, all the while displaying an immensely positive energy about himself. I love it when he rocs this heater live, so press the "play" button above to put a smile on your face.





PIMPIN' QUINN
The red-rag-flying little homie from Indio, Pimpin' Quinn is intent on following in the footsteps of the greats when it comes to taking the portrayal of the pimp game to new limits. Just a young buck still growing his sea legs, this desert eagle's been busy over the past few years, bringing cool to the Palm Springs area by way of several mixtapes and a slew of videos. The best thing about Quinn is that while he's going off on topics that delve into some may refer to as "typical rap", his delivery and overall creative (sometimes abstract) approach to the subject matter is what drives his unique display of skill. Despite whether or not you like or agree with what he's spitting, it's nearly impossible to deny that this kid gets busy on a mic. Observe exhibit A at the "Play" button above.

So, that just about wraps it up, AnaManiacs... Ten of the freshest MC's that you probably had no idea even exist, wrapped up into the first of many annual group introductions to come. I'm putting you kids on to that heat that's so hot that event the so called heaters don't even know what it's about, so be sure to seek out each and every one of these artists and SUPPORT their music hustle. Now you can be the first at your school / job / halfway house to claim that you were knocking bangers by these ingenious artists way back when they were on Anacron's UNFAMOUS UPPER-CLASSMEN list, and you owe me one.

Disclaimer: Yeah, I've collaborated with many of the artists on this list. The fact is though, that if I didn't like what they do and truly believe that they are the best at it, then I would never have agreed to work with any of them. However, none of the artists were contacted, publicists weren't involved, managers didn't schmooze, marketing departments didn't spam, and industry politicking didn't take place prior to the structuring of this list. Each and every face up there is the real deal, and the standard "freshmen" list had better hope that these guys don't ever decide that it's "scrub day".

2.02.2012