BLOGGERHOUSE SPOTLIGHT: Duval resident, the infamous Tough Junkie
Hip hop is the direct descendant of the Bronx, a sound that was developed in the '70's. Since then, it has went not only nationwide, but worldwide. Each region has added it's own flavor and style to the basic building blocks of the hip hop sound. It's evolved, for the lack of a simpler word. It's difficult enough to master one region's sound, but to be able to conquer multiple regions, that takes something, even though I know cat's won't admit to it. One of the best to cover the soulful sounds of the north and the ass shakin' sounds of the dirty south is South Carolina's MIDIMarc. I actually become aware of MIDI's talents before we started the blog, as he was a regular on the Justus League's message board, The Lawn. MIDI's soulful chops and sounds drew me in as he provided beats to some of the local emcee's on the board. It wasn't until much later when we had some conversations via email that he showed me his secret identity. MIDIMarc was just as comfortable makin' the southern fried funk as he was throwing down an Al Green sample. I'm by far an expert on the southern sounds, but MIDI provided the energy and "nastiness" that I would expect from the dirty dirty.
This spotlight has long been in the making, as MIDI has been a strong supporter to WYDU, something that I've always appreciated. This should have happened two years ago, but good things come to those that wait, so here it is.....
interest in the the release of the project. We both stand behind our creation 200 percent and hope that the music not only earns a spot in your iPod, Hard Drive, Thumb Drive, CD Player, Tape Player(If you're still dubbing tapes). If you find the music to you liking the best thing you can do is recommend the music to a friend. There is no greater compliment than word of mouth. No matter where we go in our careers nothing is ever going to sound like "InDAIpendent"...it is now officially the sound of L'Daialogue and MIDIMarc. -MIDIMarc
01. Cane's InDAIpendent Intro
02. Don't Get It Misconstrued (I'm From The Hood Like You)
03. Da Shape Of Ya
04. Departure Zonin'
05. Dreamschemes
06. InDAIpendent
MIDIMarc Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/beatsbymidimarc
MIDIMarc Blog: http://midimarc.blogspot.com/
WYDU: What's good man? For those that aren't familiar with you, while don't give them a little introduction and where you come from?
MIDIMarc: I'm MIDIMarc and I'm a champion producer from Hopkins, SC.
WYDU: I've known about you and your music even before starting the blog, first hearing you on The Lawn back in the day. Exactly how long have you been honing your craft? How did you get your start?
MIDI: I've been making beats since 1997. I had people in my hometown that brought about a great deal of inspiration (DJ Prince Ice, and StreetSide Records) but the straw that broke the camels back was when I herd Wu-Tang Forever. That album made me want to see what I could do as far as making music.
W: Let's talk about your sound. It's really hard to pin down, because I've heard beats of yours that sounds as soulful as the best but I've heard you put down some southern "crunk" type beats that could get nasty with the best of them. What's your secret for being able to cross into what is essentially to different strains of hip hop?
MIDI: Versatility is the key. When I say I love Hip Hop music I mean ALL of it. The beats that you hear from me are a reflection of what I grew up listening to. Being raised in South Carolina I was exposed to the greatest music from every part of the country and it all played a large part in my sound today (which is still growing by the way)
W: You and I have talked about this before in limited conversations, but what is your take on the whole North/South thing? A lot of cats that are into the more "traditional" sound reject any forms of southern music that isn't Outkast...
MIDI: It can be very discouraging when you do something with all your heart and soul and there are people that say that it "isn't real". I made the decision to not let it bother me and make what my spirit tells me to make.
W: Is there any one thing that you would say is "ruining" hip hop, at least the way we know and love it? How do you change that?
MIDI: I don't think anything is ruining hip hop right now...I think its still growing, and its still a new genre of music when you compare it to other forms of music. Folks who are whatever age have the way they remember it and the new generation has the way that they view it now. As long as kids are getting the same feeling I got when I saw the emcee battle
between Kid n Play on "House Party", or the feeling I got when I saw Omar Epps on the
turntables in "Juice", or the feeling I got when I saw the "We're All In The Same Gang"
video..I say let them eat cake
W: Where do you think hip hop goes from here? Is going to fizzle out from over saturation, or do you think this online thing takes it even further into the future?
MIDI: Like I said..its still growing, so I'm gonna sit back and enjoy the ride. You have to do way more than over-saturate to make this culture fizzle out. The only prediction that I feel
comfortable about making is that there will be a huge increase in successful independent
artist.
W: On to my questions I ask every producer, simply because I'm always curious. What are your weapons of choice when it comes to production?
MIDI: Right now i'm on FL Studio and the Novation Xio25. Who knows what I'll add to the setup though.
W: Let's talk about the whole "Hardware Vs. Software" debate, what is your take on the whole thing?
MIDI: Why choose when you can have both..haha..seriously.
W: Who are some of the MCs you'd most like to work with?
MIDI: Nas, Rakim, Project Pat, Bun B are some names that came to mind right now. Honestly there's no person I wouldn't work with though.
W: At the end of your life, you are given a chance to remix one hip hop song before your last breath, which one do you take and why?
MIDI: Pete Rock and CL Smooth - T.R.O.Y. it would be great to get that remix out before my last breath cause I wouldn't be able to hear any of the negative feedback from touching a
classic..haha
W: Speaking of remixes, which is harder, crafting a remix or starting from scratch for a new beat?
MIDI: I'm the type of producer that can't force out a beat. As long as I'm inspired or at least have a tune in my head I can knock either one out.
W: Your latest project was with L’Daialogue, what can listeners expect from that EP?
MIDI: You can expect dope beats and dope lyrics. You can also expect me to post a download link right now also (Download Here)
W: What else do you have in the chambers that you are working and what else can we expect this year from MIDIMarc?
MIDI: More beats, more singles, and more EP's produced entirely by me.
W: Any last words to the groupies and the followers?
MIDI: To the groupies, please have a copy of your shot records and recent HIV/STD test results. To my followers...keep on following..cause I'm a keep on creating.
