DJ MF Shalem – “How Refreshing, Feat. Adverse, Haji P., Grip Grand, Mr. Odyssey, Richie Cunning, Adeem”
If the link doesn’t work search “DJ MF Shalem How Refreshing” in your favorite digital store. Fuck cds. I would sooner press this on vinyl (which I am seriously considering).
This is for all 8 people that read routinefly, if you are reading this you are probably rapping on the song anyway. There are 6 rappers on this song, who all live in different cities, there is no budget for anything I do so… no video shoot. I had my ace Adrian hook up a video for the song. I told Adrian, “Whatever you do will be better than having a picture of the album art while the song plays.”, so we have… a cardboard robot walking around Los Angeles. I hope to shoot a proper video someday and blow up like Ashkon, but until then please click on that itunes link and buy the single. I wouldn’t ask you to unless I felt the song was worth 99cents. It’s worth it.
This is the lead single to my upcoming album
“DJ MF Shalem presents – My Friends Rap Better Than Yours”.
You can expect everyone who is on How Refreshing to be on it and more. I just finished a song with Buck 65 for it that came out great.
I also have several full length albums coming out this year with: Brown Co., Proe, Haji P., Adeem, Mr. Odyssey.
Also various projects that I can’t mention because they haven’t been confirmed.
I’ve been putting in work on music since 93. I’m good at it now. I hope you enjoy.
March 11th, 2009 at 5:57 am
Cool track, dope video.
From 93 til’ infinity – keep up the good work.
March 11th, 2009 at 6:01 am
I bought it. It’s fresh. Can I be on the remix? I do a smooth Barry White.
March 11th, 2009 at 11:16 am
Shalem on the grind in 09… i can dig it. This video is really funny. I like the sneak attack method. RF is slow as snail shit today but i think i might have fixed it. Hang in there.
March 11th, 2009 at 11:16 am
Thanks, glad you dig it. Al- That’s what the instrumental is there for, I’d love to hear you on the remix! Lace it with all your barry whiteness.
March 11th, 2009 at 11:17 am
note to shalem… all the people reading this are not on the song… meaning that at least 2,000 people read this site a day. fun facts
March 11th, 2009 at 11:18 am
I love rap videos. I can’t wait to be a millionaire.
March 11th, 2009 at 11:33 am
You know we have to do a video for Red Alert right?
March 11th, 2009 at 1:15 pm
The robot clearly didn’t know the words to my verse.
March 11th, 2009 at 4:44 pm
I killed it on this song
March 11th, 2009 at 5:07 pm
proe killed it
March 11th, 2009 at 8:27 pm
my verse is super sick too, some of my favorite work.
March 11th, 2009 at 9:30 pm
ummmm….really? not a single black guy in the video, huh? must be a huge shortage in LA.
or…
how come the the only brown thing in the video gotta be the robot…and why he gotta be the rapper? ufckin white people. get a grip.
March 12th, 2009 at 5:04 am
i had a dream haji cut off his dreads last night. no bromo.
March 13th, 2009 at 5:25 am
Do you think having a youtube video of your song hurts or helps sales? I’ve gotten tons of responses from people saying they love the video, I think some people aren’t buying the song because they can hear it on youtube for free whenever they want.
Ultimately our goal is to have as many people as possible hear our music, AND make money off it so we can make more music. I think the video helps more people hear the song, but I don’t know if it’s in the right context.
Do you think this video missrepresents the song? the song is pretty tough, the video is kind of fruity. They don’t really match up.
I need your feedback. This is the first time I’ve had a “video”, and it was a last minute thing. Wondering if I went about it the right way.
March 13th, 2009 at 1:05 pm
Videos always help…this song is cool but it’s not a hit…and people don’t buy anything anymore…your best bet is to get it in a commercial for a diet soda or something…on some how refreshing is it really angle
March 13th, 2009 at 2:01 pm
I almost take offense to the “cool but not a hit” comment, but it’s all relative. Beauty is in the eye of the beer-holder as you know. People do buy music… from itunes. Everyone has an ipod or an iphone, I get royalties every month for albums i did years ago that no one has heard. The world is big place and people consume music more and more, just not cds.
I was wondering about the video hurting/helping, after thinking about it and speaking with a few people I’m sure it helps to have a video. All the people that watch it won’t buy the song, but through sites like facebook, youtube and myspace the video will be seen by people who otherwise wouldn’t be exposed to it. Maybe some of those people will like it and buy it.
as far as using it for a commercial, that wouldn’t work. it has a krs-one sample, maybe HE could use it for a commercial. hah
and Grip brought to my attention that there is mention of “buttmeat” and an adam sandler reference in the song, so the whole “tough” angle is out the window. It’s a fun posse cut, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
Adrian did the whole video in a weekend for no money. It serves it’s purpose. My next video will be with one rapper and have a concept and we will spend time on it. I can’t wait.
I’m going to release 7 full length albums produced entirely by me in 2009, how crazy is that? Gotdamn I’ve made a lot of beats.
April 7th – Brown Co. Unreleased & Remixed (full-length)
April 7th – Death to Tyrants Cast and Camber remixed by DJ MF Shalem. (full-length)
May 5th – Adeem & DJ MF Shalem – Don’t Make Me Laugh (single)
March 13th, 2009 at 2:33 pm
Don’t take offense to my comment shay…I’m just saying…I like the song but I don’t see it as a single is what I ment. the video is tight! I like the video…and yes, I drink beer everyone knows that. I say make more videos of this song….have 2 or 3…it wouldn’t hurt
March 13th, 2009 at 2:56 pm
I agree that the video helps… the song is cool. The chorus has an almost sarcastic tone to it… “how refreshing is it…. how refreshing is it really?” which i think leads to the Fun Posse Cut vibe. God knows I have no problem with fun posse cuts. The Video for sure helps the sales on iTunes, here’s a novel idea… sell the video on iTunes! i think you can get like $1.99 a pop for ‘em. A lot of people download the video so they have the video and the song to listen to on the ipod if need be. Bottom line, Fun Posse Cut + Video = good for itunes. Now just tell the world about it… Dig it?
March 13th, 2009 at 8:11 pm
in the documentary 16 bars krs one is quoted saying that his whole catalog is open for use. he said he wont sue anyone.
March 13th, 2009 at 8:14 pm
Sidenote. KRS has said many times that his entire vocal catalog is public domain. On some extra hip hop shit. You made the beat. Sell that shit!
March 13th, 2009 at 9:47 pm
pudge and i posted that at the sae time… pretty tight
March 14th, 2009 at 2:43 am
stupid idiot dumb decent rapper minds think alike.
March 14th, 2009 at 6:11 am
holy shit! I didn’t know that. That’s good news. Ha, I’m going to sample krs on everything i do now.
March 14th, 2009 at 10:26 am
Yeah, no doubt. I have been starved for some safe sample sources, and this is just the ticket. Makes you wanna do a whole album of just drums and KRS…even though there’s already an album like that. It’s called Criminal Minded. Anyway, this is the best news I’ve heard all year, and I hope you guys aren’t lying about it.
However, even if KRS says his voice is public domain, I bet if it popped up in a Hennessy ad somebody would be getting a terse letter in the mail. Using it in a rap song is one thing, selling it to a corporate vampire is another.
March 14th, 2009 at 10:57 am
KRS is so fucking Hip Hop for that!
March 14th, 2009 at 11:28 am
On second thought, unless he had some very savvy legal representation way back when, it doesn’t matter what KRS says…if he doesn’t control the rights to exploit the masters, the actual sound recordings, his permission is worthless. Usually, the masters are owned in perpetuity by the label. As the songwriter, he could give you permission to COVER his lyrics (as long as he controls his own publishing)…but sampling the actual recording of his voice on a record requires the permission of whichever entity controls that master recording…in most cases (especially back in the day), the label. So you might have to holler at Jive (or B-Boy Records, or whatever) to clear a sample off one of his classic albums.
March 14th, 2009 at 3:31 pm
Thats what I was gonna say. I’m willing to bet he can say it’s all good but Jive Records will sue you into the toilet for sampling him.
March 15th, 2009 at 2:23 am
Criminal minded is a really good album.
KRS for sure said that. I’m sure he has some control over his masters. Even though he might be crazy these days I don’t think he’s stupid. Selling it might be a push but for sure sampling it is okay. Not like we worry about anything else we sample.
March 15th, 2009 at 10:44 am
MF1 (like VH1, get it?) Behind the music.
Adverse freestyled his whole verse. He sent me 16 bars 8 written then 8 freestyle, I used the freestyle. “Like Jay-Z said no *bicy righht!”
*I don’t know how to spell bicy. bic pen. no bic pen, because he didn’t write it. It may not mean anything to you the listener, but to me it makes it more impressive.
It took Grip Grand like 30 minutes to write record, mix and submit his verse. Gold Star Hustle Award.
Haji and Richie recorded their parts together, everyone else recorded alone, there were 5 different studio/microphones used on the song. Haji had a whole different verse he wanted to use but was pleasantly disappointed to find out he wouldn’t be the only melanin enhanced rapper on the song. (look for the verse on an upcoming DJ MF Shalem produced Rec-League posse cut).
Mr. Odyssey didn’t use any back-up tracks. That’s how strong his voice is.
Adeem did a verse and didn’t say his name so I made him do it over and put his name in it.
There were 6 other rappers invited on the song that didn’t come through for varying reasons ranging from time commitments on tour to sheer laziness.
March 15th, 2009 at 4:23 pm
I also wrote my verse while taming a lion with a whip and a chair.
March 15th, 2009 at 4:43 pm
good work all around. i have watched this vid. several times. mainly because the song is off the hook. everything is on point. all the mcs came tight. beat is catchy. tight. tight. tight.
March 15th, 2009 at 9:12 pm
who were the other six? I know proe was one… i’ve gotta know.
March 15th, 2009 at 10:04 pm
…al roker, lady sovereign, the guy who invented hot pockets, Shyheim the rugged child and ted danson.
March 16th, 2009 at 1:38 am
fuck…. da rugged child, his shit was hot…. Knapsack was my jammy.
March 16th, 2009 at 2:46 am
“On an On” is the real Shyheim joint…that was a Rap City classic in the Central Valley circa 95′
March 16th, 2009 at 12:21 pm
This post is entering the comment hall of fame where its only company is all the old Greatest Rapper/Producer posts. Congrats Sha.
March 16th, 2009 at 7:06 pm
al roker can spit. His 16 on “your neck of the woods” is fire.
March 16th, 2009 at 9:37 pm
Just got the first remix to “How Refreshing”, shit is fire. my homie Chadeo in Texas laced it. I will post in a shortly. I am expecting a few more from different people.
It’s 98 bpm if anyone is feeling froggy. Thats what the acapella is for.
March 29th, 2009 at 8:03 pm
Just would like to say I’m loving this. Props to Shalem and all others involved. Looking forward to the full length album.
October 8th, 2009 at 12:43 pm
You blow my mind how far you came and where your headed. Peace brah you know i love you !