In case my recent video “freestyle” over the Popular Demand beat just wasn’t enough for you, here’s some downloadable audio, newly recorded at the Bum Shelter.
Grip Grand — Popular Demand Freestyle (Studio Mix)
Enjoy,
Grip Grand
PS: Haven’t seen the video yet? Look HERE
This video is for everyone who thinks Grip Grand is a disembodied voice in a box and not an actual person. To prove my existence, I filmed myself rapping. And to show you that this isn’t all computer-generated trickery, I did it from the least flattering angle possible. If I were some kind of cyberbot, I would have way fewer chins. So enjoy your behind-the-scenes glimpse into my rap life–this shit is more rare than a Bigfoot sighting.
Live and direct,
Grip Grand
Sometimes, you can’t be sure an idea will work until you do a demo. Thus, the video you see before you. The jury’s still out on whether it’ll work or not. But clearly it would have to be redone, as the current version just won’t do. I couldn’t even remember the words to my own song! I guess we all make mistakes. So why am I passing this possibly-failed experiment on to you? Because that’s the price you pay for following my so-called career, sucker. Thought you’d be used to it by now…
[Download after the jump!]
Goin’ through some old CDs last night, I stumbled upon this little gem. The Desert Dwellas, straight outta Vegas, released The Killa Fish Prauject roughly a decade ago. I bought it on the strength of a review I read somewhere, back when people used to do things like buy CDs by artists they’d never heard of. I’m glad I did. (Songs after the jump)
(right-click and “save as” to download)
Beautiful Girl fell off the map sometime in the first half of the double-oh decade. It was the second Brokelore reject (after Broakland Now, see earlier post), so maybe I already played this for you in 2003. Like I care…
(To download, right-click and “save as”…)
This is…not much of a song. (Zing!) I recorded it a few years back, fast and dirty. Two unrelated verses, two beats, no hook, and a strange, wholly irrelevant intro…sounds like a hit! Named after the first two words of each verse, “This Is” was never intended to be more than a way to store these verses and beats in the vault for posterity. And yet here I am, showing it to people indiscriminately (wink wink). Whatever. I’m bored.
Enjoy,
Grip Grand
Grip Grand – My Government’s a Terrorist
Here’s a deep cut from the vaults (as they say). This unusual piece, produced by DJ Flip & Freezemaster Slick, was done about two years ago, before my man Obama took office. But a lot of it is still true, don’t fool yourself. This type of political diatribe isn’t my regular lane, but at the time it was hard not to get heated about world affairs. Frankly, it still is. So add me to your list of rappers to invite to the rally, right after Immortal Technique, Dead Prez, and Paris. I’ll bring the chronic, you bring the kegs. Of gunpowder.
Fight the power,
Grip Grand
Grip Grand — A New Drug (Work in Progress) Download
A little something different that I’m still working on…hence the title. Score and rhythmic American poetry by me.
Good morning,
Grip Grand
PS–Now downloadable for FREE! Get yours.
Mellow Drum Addict–On Down feat. Grip Grand and SameOldJake
My man Mellow Drum Addict (straight outta Lancaster, PA, aka the Lanc) has a new album out–The Corner of Broadened Mind–and I happen to be on it. The track is called “On Down” and it features the rap-hop stylings of yours truly (Grip Grand), SameOldJake, and of course MDA himself. You can peep out a snippet above (taken from my demo…the reason why is kind of a long story). Go buy the record if you want the whole thing, hater. You can find a link to it (and check out more from MDA) on his MySpace page:
http://www.myspace.com/mdahiphop
Support local hip-hop (especially mine),
Grip Grand
PS: Observant readers will notice a close-up crop-job from everyone’s favorite photo, the so called Log Pic, on the back cover. If you don’t know what I’m talking about…you might not be a regular Routine Flyer. But do a Google Images search for “grip grand” if you’re curious. It will be a total waste of your time.
Look, I really didn’t want to do this. But our website is in danger of dying if nobody ever posts anything, so I’m here to resuscitate the patient, at least for one more week. I know this is a pretty stupid reason for a blog, and, accordingly, this is a pretty stupid blog.
With that said, I’d like to proudly announce the birth of your new favorite thing, Which Is More Hip Hop? That’s not a question…that’s the name of it…which is, itself, a question. Sorry if that’s confusing…I’m rapidly downing whatever you’d call a vodka-cranberry-ginger-ale. I call it what I had in the house.
Anyway, the concept here is pretty self-explanatory. Which is more hip-hop? Some things are so obvious as to render comparison superfluous. You won’t be seeing “Which Is More Hip-Hop? Basketball vs Hockey” anytime soon. But occasionally the distinction between hip-hop and not-hop is more subtle, and therein lies our subject matter.
This week: (Drumroll, please…)
Which Is More Hip-Hop?
HAMBURGER vs HOT DOG
Let me be clear: The comparison is not between the above pictures themselves, but rather between hamburgers and hot dogs in general, and for the entirety of their existence. Which is to say that, although the concepts “hamburger” and “hot dog” predate hip-hop itself, one of them may still have been more hip-hop than the other from the very beginning. Or maybe it became that way over time. The answer is up to you. You may use any and all criteria whatsoever to justify your selection. References are always appreciated.
OK, that’s it. You know what to do.
Tell me something good,
Grip Grand
