by wildangels

Hello, out there! Like I promised, here is one of the tracks from Makell Bird's How to Walk on Water. He said I could post any tracks I wanted and I decided to use this one since he said it was his favorite. For a few other tracks, make sure to visit the MySpace page I linked below. Enjoy and don't forget to post your own thoughts on it! I'll post a few lyrics as well as soon as he sends them my way! I'm working on showcasing some other artists as well, so keep checking back!

by wildangels

Hello, out there! As promised, here is a new feature I hope to post from time to time where I discuss the music with the one who's making it! First up is Hip Hop/R&B/Rap artist Makell Bird. We talked about his CD How to Walk on Water.

1) "Intro"
He says- Well for the intro, I wanted a totally cinematic feel. Believe it or not I got my boy Paul Johnson, who I convinced to be a voice actor to a degree. His voice was really horse that day because he was sick. I told him I was thinking about hiring a voice actor to do a movie trailer like intro for the CD. He said he could do that. I said PROVE IT... he sounded just like the dude. So, I instantly recorded him saying the intro plus about a dozen other sweepers for my upcoming projects. And as far as the music itself. I found it fitted perfectly.

I say-This was a nice intro with some cool sounds in it. I also liked how the end of it bleeds into the next song. It reminds me of how the second disc of Christina's Back to Basics begins.

2) "Get It Poppin'"
He says- Well Get it Poppin was always intended to be the Intro track. But since I wanted to put the "cinematic intro" on there. "Get It Poppin" got moved to track 2. It's basically a re-introduction to me as an artist from a more "Vegas" perspective, but it still had that gritty "Dirty South" vibe. So it was perfect!

I say- This track really lives up to its name, making you want to get up and move when you hear it. I really love the violin in the background, too.

3) "Tha Matrix (Freestyle)"
He says- Well I got that beat from a producer named Bigg T. He sample some music from the movie "The Matrix"... As soon as I heard the beat I recognized it. The Matrix is one of my favorite movies. As soon as I heard it I had that feeling that "I could take over the world with this beat"! So, I wanted to talk rap slower on that beat so people could here EVERY word I was saying. So, I dropped it and there you have it!

I say- I love the beat in this song- it's fun, light and is something I can hear being played in any club. I also love the sample included. The modern, uptempo beat mixed with the operatic, dramatic vocals makes for a nice contrast.

4) "Everywhere We Go"
He says- It had a banging beat. So, I dropped it. I was choppin' it up on myspace with an artist I felt had some real talent (Young R). So, I did my part then tossed it him and he dropped some heat on it. Young R won the ATL Record Pool shortly after doing that track with me. Then I put the Rocky Quote on there to give it that extra punch!
I say- This wasn't one of my favorites, but it's still pretty cool and the message is nice. There's a quote added in there saying how it's not about how hard you get hit, it's about if you can get up and keep moving. You can't blame anyone else for the way your life is.

5) "Chapelle Excerpt"
He says-I always liked Dave Chappelle and when I heard him saying that I instantly said "I gotta put that on one of my albums!". It is an ode to myself and all the other ghetto ass white dudes out there. Me originally being from Atlanta I instantly agreed with his opinion haha.

I say- This is a cute little interlude that keeps things very light hearted and offers a bit of a break.

6)  "Find Me Somebody"-
He says- That was just a crazy beat to me. So, I figured I would just Wild out to it. I wanted to this whole "up and down" bouncy voice motif to it. My girlfriend heard it and said I was crazy haha!

I say- This is my absolute favorite track. I love the rythm of the vocals and the beat. Add a little Queen into the mix and I'm a very happy person.

7) "U Can't Be Me"
He says- Well, that was baically like from me to people in 'the industry'. I figured alotta people who are famous or own Huge major labels. Their fame and money comes with alotta strings attached. So, in a sense I bet there's a part of them that wants to be like me (i.e. more independent). But "U Can't B Me!". Originally I was planning on doing the whole song myself. But my voice alone sounded too plain on the track. So, I brought in Natika to spice things up. She's a pretty good rapper too.
I say- I like how this one starts with just a little piano and then in comes the beat. Natika and Makell blend nicely vocally in the song.

8) "Bedtime Stories" (this actually has two other parts later on).
He says- Well, my boy Paul Johnson has some CRAZY stories! And they're all true!. I mean I first heard those stories like 2 years ago and he had me rollin'. I always like to have some comedy on my album so people get a full range of emotions when they hear my music. I thought it would be funny to get him to tell those stories on the album. We were there the whole time recording him. If you listen closely you can hear us laughing in the background.

I say-Paul Johnson has a very commanding voice, demanding your attention and he definitely can tell a story. Btw, yes I did hear the laughter in the background!

9) "I'm an ATLien"
He says- That was just for all those people from Atlanta who love Atlanta and loved Outkast's whole ATLien vibe. In our eyes, that was their best album. So, I just wanted to recapture that vibe and give a view of Atlanta to anyone with an outside perspective.
I say-This one has a cool futuristic sound that definitely fits the title.

10) "Can't C Me (Freestyle)"
He says-I've loved 2Pac since 1995. That was one of his hardest beats. So I dropped it in my version.
I say- The sound has a strong, energetic beat that fits the message of the song well.

11) "Put Ya Money Up (Freestyle)"
He says-Well, me living in Vegas, I wanted to have a casino sounding song. Like a gambling song. So, that beat was perfect and I could just have fun with it. I didn't know any info about the beat so I actually had to contact 4-Ize himself to get the credits haha!
I say- This sort of reminds me of some of the stuff the new hot producers do beat-wise. I like the vocal effects and rhythm of the vocals in this one.

12) "Have Some Fun"
He says- Well, I've been working with DJ Taz since 2000. I worked on his mixtape "Classic: The Black Mongoose" and wrapped that up in October 2007. So, he threw me the track and I dropped it. DJ Taz is one of the best producers out there.
I say- This song has a little bit of a harder beat to it then the others, while still having a bit of a laid-back feel to it that's fun to listen to.

13) "Bedtime Stories 2"
More adventures of Paul Johnson

14) "Simple Shit (Freestyle)"
He says- I made a really simple sounding "snap music" beat. So, I figured I figured I'd drop a "simple" freestyle over it. And I didn't have a title for it, so, I just called it "Simple Shit" haha.
I say- This is one of the more unique freestyles on the CD. The vocals almost remind me of Twista, cause of their speed and phrasing.

15) "4eva and Always"
He says-That was originally intended to be on Natika's forthcoming album. Natika is a singer here in Vegas that I signed to ADE. But at the time, I had more tracks done towards my project. So, I did a quick verse over it and decided to put it on my album.
I say- This song reminds me of one of those old-school R&B tracks from the early to mid 90s.

16) "Training Day Excerpt"
He says-That's just a quote from Denzel Washington I felt fit for this album, on the serious side.
I say- Another quote interlude about looking at things realistically and taking your time. The quote says you have to make changes to yourself sometimes before you can change anything else.

17) "Void in My Life (Freestyle)"
He says- That's probably my favorite track. It's just a short glimpse of my life in this music business and the struggle between someon's faith and their job.
I say- This is probably one of the most emotional songs on the CD and I love the melody and phrasing.

18)  "Living in the Projects (Freestyle)"
He says-That's basically an uplifting track for all those people who get tired of watching "MTV Cribs" and seeing all these other people who are basically holding up a mirror and saying "See, were doing much better than you".
I say- This is another slow number that reminds me of 90's style R&B mixed with a more modern beat and phrasing.

19) "Ghetto Queen (Freestyle)"
He says- That's basically me in pure story telling mode. It's about young women who chose to be sexually active and the pitfalls of that. It's kind of like the song "Verge Uv Ambition" from my previous album "Birth Uv Destruction".
I say-This is another more laid-back song that I enjoyed a lot. Once again, he manages to mix a little of the old with a little new.

20) "Rev. Hagler Speech Excerpt"
He says- I actually got that off youtube. I was looking for an inspirational speech to coincide with the serious side of my album. I was originally looking for some Martin Luther King or Malcolm X type of speech, but I came across that and thought it was perfect.
I say- This is a stirring speech that adds a bit of a break in the action

21)  "Will You Remember Me?"
He says- I'm not really a big fan of country music. But, I DO know that alot of them have pretty good lyrics. I heard that beat with that Sarah McLachlan hook and thought it would be a nice touch to the album. It's probably the most uplifting message on my whole album.
I say-I love the original song and it's cool that he chose this. The song has a nice, relaxed feel to it while still being good for a little dancing.

22) "Bedtime Stories 3" Another really funny yet true moment from Paul Johnson's life.
 
23) "My Problem (Jealousy- Freestyle)"
He says- Alot of the lyrics in the song I hold true because I actually DID know some people who said they weren't interested in working with me. Then later I found out it was mainly just because I was white! So, I thought I would do a track to project my views on such simple minded shit like racism and jealousy.
I say-This is one of the deeper songs on the album and has a nice, soft feel to it.

24) "Go Back (Freestyle)"
He says- That's like a reminiscent track. A song that gives a little bit more into my background.
I say- I like the background singer and the effects on her vocals in this one. This is a nice track to sit back and relax with.

25)  "Outro"
He says- Usually I just talk on my outros and give people information on how to obtain more music from me or contact me.
I say- Makell hooks fans up in this one by telling them how they can get his music and contact him.

So there, you have it. Makell Bird's How to Walk on Water. Check out his MySpace to hear some songs and get his music. He just released a mixtape yesterday called Makell Bird Presents Maktown Radio Vol. 1: The Spityogame Takover (Co-hosted by DJ Taz). Check back here another time when I post some lyrics and a song or two. Til then, take care and "let the music play."

by wildangels

Hey, everyone!! Just wanted to give you all a head's up about a cool new feature I'll be adding occasionally to the blog. It's called "He Said, She Said" and I got the idea after meeting up with an artist named Makell Bird on MySpace. He's a rapper nicknamed the Mixtape King of Las Vegas. You can see his page here.

Sometime next week, I'll be review his new CD called How to Walk On Water. In addition to my thoughts on each track, you'll get to hear from Makell himself on the songs. Also keep an eye out for Jnel and J Magazine on MySpace as well, where I'll be submitting an interview with him. I've also interviewed several other artists for it.

In other music news, looks like P!nk and Kelly Clarkson aren't the only ones getting ready to put out new material. Mandy Moore is also working on a new CD. I'm interested in seeing what she comes up with since I really enjoyed Coverage and Wild Hope. She seems to be one of the few teen pop artists of her time that are still putting out music and working to grow as an artist, so that's pretty cool to me. Let's just hope she doesn't start slamming her later albums too once the new one comes out.