This track is the intro to MaDiaC’s freshmen album. Recorded & produced by himself early on he eventually decided to have some of the first artists of The Dojo featured on the track to pay homage to the studio and promote spirit of wide collaboration across diverse musical styles. All is Fair.

TELL ME HAVE YOU EVER SEEN…

|🐼|🌆|🏴‍☠️|

This track came from the EP “Rap Machiavellian” and was produced by Ben Brock. The simplicity of the track allowed me to create freely. Using my voice to mold the track into something unique to my style, I experimented with hums/chanting and taking advantage of the breakdowns to change flows. Additionally, the use of unorthodox song form pushes forward the “All Is Fair” concept of the album. 

Dystopian is defined as follows: relating to or denoting an imagined state or society where there is great suffering or injustice. Relative to human history we are doing better in many arenas, however we should not use that as an excuse to ignore the vast majority of issues we face. Regardless of where you may fall on the socio-economic spectrum.. Your petty cash won’t save your class… 

🎧🎼 - Ben Brock

🎧🔊 - Terence Elam 

|🌴|🎋|🌳|

When I arrived in boston in 2015 met my friend and collaborator Ben Brock. A big brother figure of sorts he helped me navigate the start of my journey at Berklee. A classically trained jazz drummer, he watched and listened to my early attempt at being an emcee/rapper with patience and encouragement. He was honest when my flows fell apart and gave me praise when he saw me succeed. Although we only spend the better part of a year around one another he was and continues to be a good friend and an essential part of my evolution. 

The female vocals towards the end were a last minute decision that added an interesting touch provided by an artist named Yael. 

This track first came out on an EP called “Rap Machiavellian. I’ve since taken it down. I wanted to debut the tracks on a larger project to give them a better platform to launch from. 

The theme of this track is catching a vibe with a friend or lover. Despite whatever differences you have the most important thing is what you do have in that moment; each other. It’s short but sweet, as relationships seem to be these days. 

“I ain’t ever lasting, or do I seem to be..?”

🎧🎼 - Ben Brock
🎧🎤 - Yael Santé
🎧🔊 - Terence Elam 

IM JUST DONE…

|🐼|🙅🏾‍♂️|🏁|

The combined musical efforts of myself and NealL brought this track together. Another member of “The Orchard”, NealL and I met in Boston more than half a decade ago. He is an accomplished Bass player, band leader, producer, songwriter, and recording artist. We spent many hours honing our craft together. Sharing knowledge, performing alongside each other, making connections, and collecting stories from Boston to LA. This track was a product of our remote collaboration during the pandemic. A lot if tracks came out of that time but this one truly epitomized my feelings at the time. 

The frustration is real on this track. This grew out of my experiences with some peers in the music industry while working to establish myself back in my hometown. On more than a few occasions I’ve found older generations too jaded to listen and many of my contemporaries  to segregated or isolationist to collaborate and grow with. This was disconcerting to say the least and I felt it was reflected not only in my specific industry but life itself. Society is moving away from each other. There are many ways to listen to the lyrics, but that’s a large reason why I love art; for the interpretation. I ain’t band new… I’m just DONE 

🐼⚔️🤪

🎧🎼 - MaDiaC 
🎧🎼 - NealL
🎧🔊 - Terence Elam

The Whole Kingdom Shrouded In Darkness…

|🕵🏾‍♂️|🫣|👑|

The journey of this song was complex to say the least…I produced the track for the sake practice initially… 6 years ago. Initially the main verse was written to “Big Shot” by Kendrick Lamar when I heard a freestyle over the track by an artist I worked with in the past named Jordan Carter. Watching him bend through flows, wielding his classical percussionist background and deep appreciation for hiphop in our various sessions, rehearsals, and shows was awe-inspiring. 

Inspiration aside, with a year out of berklee I wasn’t able to record over my own track to my standards. I had attempted recording the song with various collaborators with little success. After many attempts and a few studios later on my journey, I finally recorded the final version at my current studio (iykyk). This marked a change in my vocal recording. Having learned to stack my vocals from Benjamin DeSoto while working on “Subliminal”, I slowly created a choir of voices. I went high to low with my voice like never before and surprised my self with the end result. 

The overall concept deals with finding value in the common. In addition, the confrontation of characters with influence that assume positions of power by virtue of their adherence to the current system. They won’t bite the hand that feeds them even if that same hand continues to push us to economic collapse, cultural decline, and likely extinction. This is deeper than rap…. Much deeper than rapping… 

🐼⚔️🏴‍☠️

🎧🎼- MaDiaC 
🎧🔊 - Terance Elam

WE BEEN EATIN’!!!

| 🥘| 🍱 | 🍠 |

Eatin’ is a track that came from the collective called “The Orchard” and specifically from the producer and engineer Chalee. From freestyles over tracks we made in his apartment while studying in boston to performing on stage together and forming a producer collective with our friend NealL. Even after we relocated around the world we have continued to stay connected and plan future collaborations. Thank you for teachings and the experience of learning along side you. 

The central idea of this song is being stable but aware on instability elsewhere. A balance and acknowledgement of power and influence. Lyrically this lands somewhere between brag rap and conscious. If you’re Eatin’, more power to you. Just remember those who cannot and I urge you to consciously fight for a future; with less divisions and more unity… creativity your nourishment, so please just never stop 

🎨♾️🐼

🎧🎼 - Chalee
🎧🔊 - Terance Elam 

I said “I CANT FEEL MY FACE!” 

| 🫂 | 🖤 | 💀 |

One evening I was having a collaborative session with Terance Elam when the seed of this song was laid in fertile soil and watered over many months. After prompting me to record a Chorus idea I started humming and putting words to, I seized at the opportunity to lean into the outlet this track provided. In addition to incredible production, Cool-T also laid down the low haunting background vocals in the first bridge section of the track. In my opinion this and the last section that ends eith the gunshot (which he helped me write also) make this song what it is. 

Sweet Embrace is about engaging with our mortality. Personally I had a lot of stocked up emotions when writing this track surrounding events in my life leading up to the session that day. Trauma aside, or inside, I felt it was a good time to confront not only mortality but also my agnosticism at the same time. This exploration is just that, a journey; through the Christian beliefs I was raised inside, the deviation from those teachings and the persistence of spirituality in my life. Trust in the process till losses turn into bands… whatever that means 

🐼🖤💀

Note on the collaborator(s)

Cool-T is easily a large part for why this entire project came together. Aside from mixing almost all of the tracks I cannot say enough about how much he played a key role in my understanding of the music industry, producer-artist dynamics, and work life balance. His creative ear is certainly something of the extraordinary. It was a pleasure meeting and working with you on this project. 

🐼🖤🙏🏾

🎧🎼 - MaDiaC
🎧🎼 - Cool-T
🎧🔊 - Cool-T

Slipping in and out of deeper slumber… 

| 🤿 | 🌊 | 💤 |

Now THIS is an old track. I remember cooking it up with NealL and returning to edit it and tweak it when it was just a beat amongst many others. Maybe because of the sultry piano or the random middle eastern sounding vocal chop we chose, but it stuck out to me over the years. After recording on the track I recruited the trumpet and trombone talents of Josh Britt and Tyler Bonilla respectively. 

Deep Sea Slumber is unapologetic in its portrayal of our current situation. Coming from personal perspective of a black man to the general perspective of a person born in the West inside the slowly crumbling empire of these segregated states. We don’t need hope. We need sober and concise action. Needless to mention why the wool getting lifted.

🐑🖤🐼

🎧🎼 - NealL 
🎧🎼 - MaDiaC 
🎧🎼 - Josh Britt
🎧🎼 - Tyler Bonilla
🎧🔊 - Terence Elam  

Beautiful Patterns…in your head…🔵🤔💭🔴

This track was a dope collaboration from The Orchard; a collective of musicians, artists, and producers. NealL , Chalee , and myself first started producing this track for a an artist in Europe. Having not received payment and lost communication with the artist I elected to take the track and record over it. The final touch was adding Kevin King’s flute solo. A beautiful addition; although that feels to be an understatement. 

After recording the chorus and sharing it we were all on board for me to take it across the finish line. Although we don’t see each other often these individuals influence me to be the artist I am growing into. Thank you. 

The song’s message and title is largely a metaphor for the first verse. Eluding to the snake pit that can categorize any concentration of power in life. In the second verse I discuss the analogy and how it relates to the music industry and the need for more self awareness of our roles inside of it. Here a to the future generation never seeing the colors of the Kaleidoscope. 🙏🏾🐼🖤

🎧🎸 - NealL
🎧🎼 - Chalee
🎧🎷 - Kevin King
🎧🔊 - Terence Elam

YALL JUST HATE IN THE WORLD!!!

 | 🌍 | 🤬 | 🐼 |

Undeniably, 2020 was a crazy year. Between coming around to a year out of college, working as a musician & producer while starting and quickly ending the most lucrative job I ever held… it all came to an abrupt stop when Covid-19 took the world by storm. While working on what I could remotely as a producer back in ATL Benjamin DeSoto reached out to me to colaborarei n a track. The black lives matter movement was underway and I wanted to make an anthem for the tumultuous times we were facing in multiple fronts. He delivered bombastic track and I think we did what we set out to do.

Subliminal generally means something that isn’t strong enough to produce sensation or mental awareness. I think this plagues in society continually. Subliminally we have been indoctrinated into thinking less, talking to one another less, expecting less from ourselves and becoming more expectant that our fellow humans will short change us. I just want to change us. 

Tracks like this aren’t meant for “present day” or the time in the past when they were created. They’re meant to inspire the future. In life we pick our story… that being said ALL you can control is your reaction to this world. 

🎧🔊 - Ben DeSoto

WHOAA NOOOO!!!!!     |💥| 🏇| 🤠|

The track is as crazy as the title. A modern “Warrior Cowboy” of sorts I took on the spirit of the Wild West with a South American background. 

I first created/produced this track by myself along side an artist who asked me to create a track for them shortly after returning from Boston, MA in 2019. I the track started with the desire to make something that had Argentinian flavor but quickly evolved into something different with co production and writing from horn players Reed, Wesley, and Trent; in addition to the smooth guitar and bass interpolations and augmentations by Sebastian “El Comihlo” himself. 

From losing contact with the initial artist and not wanting to abandon the track, to compiling verses I wrote while sharpening my pen to other tracks and finally putting them all together after writing the chorus. This is how music is made sometimes. A patchwork of different styles and techniques filtered through different creatives with a shared vision. Thank you gentlemen.  

🎷🎺 🎷- Reed , Wesley , Trent Patten 
🎸 - Sebastian Arroyave
🎧🔊 - Terence Elam 
💡🙇🏾‍♂️ - James 

If you can’t tell what I’m on…well that’s just fine with me. 
| 🤔💭🤷🏾‍♂️ | 🫀⚖️🪶 |

The track was expertly produced by NealL and Stav. This my first attempt at singing on a track and rapping. Can’t tell is a track about conviction and confusion. Changing the dial of this culture slightly is necessary but how and when is up to fate or just the future. Often we are convinced we are headed in the right direction but cannot articulate or demonstrate how or why we are so confident. I know I won’t crash. I can’t tell why though…but I have faith.

Thank you to everyone involved and especially to my producer friends for starting me on the path towards this album. I shall not crash. 

Hope I don’t crash…

This song came together when the songwriter, pianist, and arranger Sherbanski asked me to rap over a chord progression he was working on in a practice room. 

We planned to record the song quickly but it ended up taking more than a few months. We got to engineer and record ourselves as well as many talented individuals. The chorus vocals (Maia Nicole), Horn players  (Tyler Bonilla & Josh Britt) , Drums (Marshall Kummer) , and bass (Neal Lapolla) 

Were all recoded in Boston, MA. Benjamin DeSoto mixed & mastered the track. The rest shall be history. 

Thank you to everyone involved and especially to Sherbanski for starting me on the path towards this album. I hope I don’t crash. 

🚧🛣️🚧🔙🔚🚙💨