Theory Hazit Interview

I was given the chance to interview Theory Hazit, his new album Modern Marvels is out now on Illect Recordings and you can pick it up at sphereofhiphopstore.com!!!

BigSto: Theory Hazit you’re the 4th Scribbling Idiot to come through and it’s truly an honor to be interviewing you.

Theory Hazit: Thank You.  ’Honored to be interviewed.

BS: So from what I’ve heard Theory Hazit isn’t a rap group so for those who’ve been sleeping let’em know who Theory is?

TH: Theory Hazit is another one of God’s hype men.  I’m a family man first.  I’m a lot of things, good and bad (I guess) but I’m one simple person.  I need a t-shirt that says “I rap, I dj, and I make beats.”

BS: Now I remember hearing you first on Surreal and DJ Balance’s Future Classic record. But you’ve been working hardcore since about 2003 and possibly before that? How’d you get started?

TH: Yea… I started out with 3 other emcees in 2002.  We were called the KingzMen.  We went our separate ways in the summer of 2003.  With help from Wonder Brown, I released an EP, The World According to Theory,  later that year.  Then went on to drop mixtapes as a dj, LPs, and working with Holy Culture Radio (2004-06).

BS: You’re a do it all musician, you rap and you produce how do you do it without throwing computers out the windows and whatnot?

TH: I try to stay focused.  Recently, I learned to take breaks in between work.  Sessions get backed up, then I delete them from the hard drive.  Lets GO!!

BS: You eventually got signed to the “Hip Hop Is Music” Label run by Braille how did all that go down?

TH: I contacted Braille to do a feature on my production album.  Then later opened up for him at a show.  He had no idea that I did some rapping of my own.  Brizzy kept hittin’ me up to do an LP.  Eventually the LP turned into an EP.  The EP was sounding too good the be just an EP.  So the EP became the full length Extra Credit LP that you know.

BS: Listening to Extra Credit “I Just Wanna Go Home” hit me hard personally, because before Christ saved me, I was walking very far from his path. What compelled you to right this song and put everything out there?

TH: It’s a true story.  My Testimony.  The beat was too dope for plain raps or a song about how hip hop is not the way that it used to be.  I was just real.

BS: Moving to your next release, Vintage had done some work with SI and did a couple tracks on Extra Credit. How did the two of you end up doing an entire project together?

TH: Vintage sent beats through a.i.m. just for me to listen to.  One thing led to another….  BAM!  LORD FIRE.  His beats made the writing real easy.

BS: So this year you produced for Cas and Poems on their respective projects the question is: Is your heartbeat really lined up with kick, snare and high and is it also true that you don’t sample or hijack? And where does your motivation for the beats you make come from?

TH: I am a drum machine… a record player… naw.. j/k.  My inspiration comes from… *bangs gavel* it’s a SECRET… NEVER TEACH THE WU TANG!!!

BS: You’ve had the opportunity to work with so many people in your career from Masta Ace, to Pigeon John, from Surreal to Raphi and everyone in between. But who haven’t you worked with that you’d like to?

TH: No one!  No one except Scribbling Idiots.

BS: Modern Marvels is your newest release and all the production is handled by Toni Shift and it’s a completely new sound. What attracted you to his sound and how’d the two of you get together for this?

TH: Toni texted me through myspace explaining how much he liked a song that did entitled, “My Favorite Hip Hop Joint” (Necrology 102) and said that he’d like to put a song or two together.  Hip Hop Is Music needed a bonus track for the Extra Credit LP and I selected one of Toni’s track.  Wowed the labels.   After that, we knew that something had to be done.  Finally met Toni Shift in person when me and Lightheaded went to Amsterdam.  Been tight ever since.

BS: Lord Fire 2 was a project kind of kept under wraps (until about a couple days ago when Plastic released the tracklist) who is Beus Bengal?

TH: Beus Bengal is a super dope producer from Paris, France.  DO NOT SLEEP!!!  That fool is crazy.  I was in a remix contest with him.  He won, of course.  So I had to get at ‘em.  He’s ill.

BS: What I love about your lyrics is the fact that you never hold back in your lyrics and you’ll rap about just about anything? Why?

TH: I didn’t hold back before because I wanted be the ice breaker at cocktail parties.  Now I hold back due to the sensitive ears that can’t stomach the reality of life.  j/k  I only say what the Lord approves.  I’m in the word, surrounded by his community, so I gotta bring it in a way where the world doesn’t look so attractive yet attracts the world.  Ya dig!?!

BS: The state of hip hop is in an interesting place, where I feel that secular hip hop is so popular but the underground scene has more lyrically and comes with hot beats. How come the underground isn’t more popular and is there anything we can do to change it?

TH: *Shrugs shoulders*  I dunno.  People like being lied to, I guess.  Or maybe they are scared of the truth.  Our time will surely come.  Some of us need to stop copying the world (ie, sounding like Lil’ Wayne).  SMH Hip hop keeps changing.  It’s still here, so many will have a say.  One of us will break through the mainstream.  Surely, I say unto you…. j/k

BS: What did you listen to growing up and what do you listen to now?

TH: Afrika Bambata, Clear, Egyptian Lover and Michael Jackson all day, back in the day.  Now I just listen to beats, jazz, or rock.   But mainly local stuff.

BS: I know there’s an artist on your Ipod that your kind of embarrassed that you have.

TH: I don’t own an iPod but I have all kinds of stuff.  From Muslim instrumentalists to pagan orchestras.  Nothing to be embarrassed about. God keeps me praying for them.

BS: Now I don’t know if you realize this but all three Lps you’ve released over the past three years (“Extra Credit” “Lord Fire” and “Modern Marvels”) have been classics. How do you do it?

TH: I just rap.  I never intended to make a classic.  The goal is to make something solid.  ”Unapologetically” (c) Wonder Brown

BS: You’ve been on the grind for a while and I wouldn’t be surprised if you took a year off but what’s coming up next for Theory and the SI crew?

TH: A slew of new and old joints from the vault.  You can subscribe to exclusive SI projects at scribblingidiots.com.  Something new from the crew comes out every month.  DONT SLEEP!!!  We stay grinding.  It’s all heat too….. no throw aways, none of that bunk.  Othello (Lightheaded) and I have a EP together that is soon to release as a free download.  It features production from me, Othello, 14KT (Invincible), Mayer Hawthorne (StonesThrow) and Cream Of Beats (Extra Credit LP)

BS: Well thank you Theory Hazit for stopping it’s good to have emcees like you making talented music and I look forward to whatever you release in the future.

TH: Thank you, sir.  ’Was an honor, man.

http://www.myspace.com/theoryhazit

#39 Podcast Man of the Hour “Hazit Beats”

Theory Hazit is a do it all musican, he raps, deejays and produces music. This man of the hour episode features nothing but Hazit beats, but stay tuned for episode #40 which is all Hazit Rhymes!

Click to Download

Song (Artist)- Album

The Inevitable (K-Drama)- Boombaptism

2nd Second feat. EDM and Deuce Complex (Cas Metah)- Guest Room

Herman Munster (Phonetic Composition)- ???

Lower the Boom feat. Pigeon John and Akil of J5 (Sharlok Poems)- Black and Read All Over

American Dream (HazitMix) feat. Corey Red and Precise (Urban D)- Hip Hop For Dummies 2007

Wonder Brown (Scribbling Idiots)- Idiomatic II

That’s Life (instrumental) (Scribbling Idiots)- The Have Nots Instrumentals

Cobs Webs (Falling Tsar)- Falling Tsar

Evil Control Freaks (Ajax Starglider)- Middle Class Artisian

More (HazitMix) feat. Ahmad of 4th Avenue Jones (Mars ILL)- Hip Hop For Dummies 2007

Spiral (MotionPlus)- Heart On My Sleeve EP

Civil War (Sojourn)- Sojournalism: The Summer Articles

Moonlighting (instrumental) (Scribbling Idiots)- The Have Nots Instrumental

Hard Labor feat. LMNO and Scarub (Sharlok Poems)- Black and Read All Over

Mikel Anthony’s The Schematic Review (side note: It’s Bangin’)

Mikel Anthony who I believe is a Breax affiliate has released his debut album The Schematic. While listening to the album I decided to look up the definition of “schematic” (which is kind of sad being that I’m a college freshman that tested out of his English 151 class) it means “showing the basic form or layout of something”. In other words the title of this album fits perfectly, Mikel Anthony gives us the basics of his life and his work for Christ.

Before I listened through the album I checked to see the production credits and before I even started listening I knew I was in for a banger of an album. While I wasn’t entirely sure of who DJ Rek and DJ Harmz were, I did know who Jruckers, Name Brand and Nathan Soultrain were. The latter handled production on albums with TheBreax, Nathan Soultrain did “For What” on TheBreax Restocked album and Jruckers at least in my mind is remembered for the work he did with the “DOA (remix) he did with Ruslan. So naturally I was already excited to hear the beats on this album.

The first track “What If” showcases production from Nathan Soultrain and Jruckers. “What If” does an excellent job of setting the tone for the rest of the album, that can be a good thing and a bad thing. This leads me to the only gripe I had with this album, the good news is we get banging beats on every track, however I didn’t really feel the artist-listener connect until the last couple of tracks on the record. His lyricism is good but I didn’t feel he let us into his life with this record and that holds this album back from being a classic.

Like I said this album is full of West Coast bangers and the track “100%” is one of them. I have no idea who handles the first verse on the track, but I do know that Nomis handles the last verse on the track. Pretty much it’s cypher time and it’s time to talk about what these guys and many other heads care about most: Christ and hip hop. These guys handle mikes with the best of them, test them and I guarantee you that they’ll send you  back to where you came from crying (not kidding). Production is done by DJ Harmz and he gives you a beat that will get your head bopping up and down and playing this track on 21 on your stereo.

DJ Harmz comes back later on the album with a track called “It’s A Beautiful Day” and it’s my favorite track on the album. In my mind this is a West Coast version of “Cincinnati Summer” by the Kings of Tragedy. The beat has that vacation feel to it, better yet a chillin’ on the beach flavor to it.

Now towards the end of the problem I feel the lyrical content of the music goes to a new level. I feel the we get to see how Mikel Anthony feels about the world around him and this is the level I would’ve liked to see his lyricism through the entire album. “Heart Break” is another favorite song of mine and is a message of perseverance a song that we all need to hear. Anthony comments on how he never really matched up in terms of other people’s expectations. There’s a guest on the album, I can’t pinpoint his voice so I don’t know who it is, but I like his verse because it reminds me of Black Star’s “Thieves In The Night” talking about the problems our generation has.

“Tell Me” is the perfect track to bring this album to a close, because it seems that with Anthony’s last and only verse on this song, he puts everything out there. Anthony talks about the pain he’s suffered from three of his friends passing away. He talks about how he needed a change of scene, in essence the guy’s been through a lot and it’s only through God that he hasn’t gone insane. This track is the most relatable on the album in so many ways and we all need to listen to it.

Mikel Anthony’s debut album from a production standpoint is FIRE! Lyrically we were only given a sample of Anthony’s lyrical excellence and that sample is in the last four or five songs on the album. I’m not saying the first half of the album is bad, I definitely pulls the listener in and then at the end he hits with his personal stuff. Get this album because it has sound we haven’t heard in Christian Hip Hop and this is a guy you want to keep your eye on for the future.

Good

PRODUCTION IS FIRE!!!

The album escalates in terms of subject matter and lyricism

It’s A Beautiful Day

Bad

Lyricism is a little lacking in the beginning

Rating: 4/5 (Go Get It, You’ll Enjoy It)

If You Can’t Buy The Album Download These Songs

What If

It’s A Beautiful Day

Heart Break

Answer The Call

Tell Me

Christian Hip Hop Podcast #38 “The Most Important Episode Part II”

I bet you weren’t expecting a Part II of the Most Important Podcast. This episode is longer and has even more new music than part II. New Music from Elias, Shai Linne, Mr. J, Illete the 7th Grader, Lifesavas and MORE! So ENJOY!!!

Click to Download

Christian Hip Hop Podcast #37 “Idiomatic II”

Idiomatic II was released I believe earlier this year in the summer. The album/mixtape is hot and has members of the group that we didn’t see too much of in the previous releases (Elias, MotionPlus and Re:Flex). Here’s a podcast for those who haven’t listened to it yet, to give you a taste of what you’re missing!

Click to Download

Tracklisting

Song (Artist)- Album

Intro feat. Masta Ace (Scribbling Idiots)- Idiomatic II

Make the Call feat. Griffin (Scribbling Idiots)- Idiomatic II

Christ Cypher feat. C-Los, BillyBo and Change (Praverb)- The Gospel Is Free

2nd Time Around feat. Trey-qel  and Scientific (Nomis)- Destined Misconception

Adrenaline feat. Big Rec and ManChild (Cash Hollistah)- The Best of Cash Hollistah…so far

Every Day Ends In Why feat. Deacon the Villain (Scribbling Idiots)- Idiomatic II

Re:Flex the Architect (Scribbling Idiots)- Idiomatic II

Pushing Along (Scribbling Idiots)- Idiomatic II

Just Another Day (LPG)- The Gadfly

Eye to Eye (Lightheaded)- Wrong Way

Tear the Walls Down (K-Drama)- Boombaptism

It’s All About (Scribbling Idiots)- Idiomatic II

Griffin (Scribbling Idiots)- Idiomatic II

2009 Christmas List

It’s that time again people, Christmas and hopefully you have hip hop heads in your family that love to listen to good rap music so here are some albums from this year that you can throw in your loved ones stocking!

Cloud 19 (Braille and S1)- Late last year Braille announced Cloud 19 I was a little skeptical because I wasn’t a big fan of The IV Edition. Cloud 19 came out and I was blown away by everything this album offered. S1 brought banging beats and Braille brought rhymes that made the listener think and made the listener appreciate the art of talented lyricism.

Restocked (TheBreax)- I was introduced to TheBreax early this year on the SphereofHipHop podcast where they played “For What” and “Success”. And yet I still wasn’t entirely sold on them, I ended up picking this and their previous record up because of the guests that appeared on them. And let me tell you TheBreax are legit. They have most mainstream sounding production but it’s still their own and unique. Ruslan is talented and his lyrics are thought-provoking and definitely ask for some introspection.

Black and Read All Over (Sharlok Poems)- Sharlok releases his best project to date in my opinion. This time Sharlok brings Theory Hazit and Oddisee to handle the beats and they we will beat you over the head with the crazy beats they came up with. It has guests Othello, Stro the 89th Key, Propaganda, LMNO, Pigeon John and others. I feel like this release flew under the radar and that people are sleeping on it so wake up and smell the fresh hip hop.

Friends Enemies Apples Apples (Mr. J Medieros)- While I haven’t listened to this album yet, Mr. J has always had a reputation of writing rhymes that dive straight into your heart and soul and make you think about yourself, world issues, the people around you and more. The production is entirely covered by J’s Procussions partner Stro the 89th Key and features guest vocals from Tara Ellis.

Modern Marvels (Theory Hazit)- It’s shipping out in about a week and half and people who’ve listened to it already say it’s sure fire! All the beats are by Toni Shift and features JustMe, Wonder Brown, Tanya Morgan, Aletta and more. Buy it from Sphere and you get the beats from the album a special Illect Recordings shirt and you get a bonus digital album from Theory Lord Fire 2 (which is unreleased Hazit material) for $30.

Honorable Mentions

Guest Room (Cas Metah)
Before the Twilight (JustMe)
Sojournalism (Sojourn)
Kings of Tragedy (Kings of Tragedy…..stop sleeping on this one kids)

#36 The Most Important Podcast Pt. 1

That’s right this podcast is uber important (see you can tell it’s important because I used uber). New music from Braille, Theory Hazit and DeepSpace5. New music to the podcast from Future Shock, MuzeOne, Propaganda and others. This podcast is so important I’m leaving the track listing off just to surprise you guys!

Download Now!!!

State of the Blog #5

What’s up guys I apologize for updating the blog over the past couple of months. I’m a freshman in college now and I moved in my dorm at Ohio University in September and I just got home last Sunday. I’m off from school till January 3rd so this gives me time to commit more time to the blog. If all goes well I have a lot planned for the blog some I can’t tell you about yet, but stay tuned.

The second order of business is that after my first quarter of college I’m gonna need help next quarter with maintaining the blog. So if anyone would like to help with reviews just write them up and email them to me at ms209531@gmail.com I’ll go over it and post it on the blog. Make sure if you submit a review leave your name (so I can give you credit for the review).

And here is what I have slated for the blog (some of it anyway):

The Most Important Podcast (#36 and #38)- This will be a two part episode and features new music that got while I was at college. It features Future Shock, Scribbling Idiots, Illete the 7th Grader, Mars Ill, DeepSpace5 and others…..in other words DON’T MISS IT!!!

Man of the Hour Episodes- Sojourn and a TWO-PART Theory Hazit Man of the Hour featuring one episode of Theory’s production and another of his emceeing skills.

Theory and Toni Shift’s Modern Marvels Review- I should be ordering the album as I post this since it’s my birthday next Thursday and that’s gonna be my present. Make sure you go pre-order the album from sphereofhiphopstore.com and buy the Limited Edition. It comes with Modern Marvels, Lord Fire 2, the instrumental versions of both albums and a shirt courtesy of Illect Recordings all for $30. The deal is sick so go order now!

Look out also for my Christian Hip Hop Christmas List so ya’ll can get something special for your family hip hop heads and a look into 2010 and what albums are coming out and some rumors I’ve heard through the grapevine (aka Forums, emails etc.)

FREE STUFF- That’s right believe it or not this year has been a year of a lot of free stuff instrumentals, Lps, Eps from all kinds of artists and have a post that has all those links for you. Music from Cookbook, Harry Krum, Freddie Bruno, EDM, Strange Fruit Project, DeepSpace5, Alex Goose, Defender of the Art and others!

Reviews Coming Soon

DeepSpace5- 5Print Mixtape
D-Maub- The Follow Up EP
Mr. J Medieros- Friends Enemies Apples Apples
MuzeOne- The BackBurner EP
Strange Fruit Project- M.A.S.K
TheBreax- Restocked

The Scribblings Idiots Are Idiomatic Again!!!

Two years ago I remember subscribing to the Illect Recordings email list and receiving the Scribbling Idiots Idiomatic I Mixtape. The mixtape was a classic and introduced a crew that would go on to release their first debut album and most of the members went and released successful solo projects. So naturally when Idiomatic II was released I got that as soon as possible and noticed a couple changes that weren’t seen in their debut album The HaveNots.

Going through the album mixtape you realize there are more posse cuts than there were on the Crew’s previous efforts. Also those same posse cuts and other tracks on the album feature the extended family that we didn’t see too much of in the previous efforts. In an interview with Cas Metah he told there is no more extended family, there’s just the Scribbling Idiots. For those who forgot the Scribbling Idiots are JustMe, Cas Metah, Mouth Warren, Theory Hazit, Wonder Brown, MotionPlus, Elias, Kaboose, MattmaN, Re:Flex the Architect and newcomer MuzeOne. MotionPlus is on a lot more songs, Elias makes a couple of appearances, Kaboose is nowhere to be found and MuzeOne was admitted into SI just before the album finished so he’s only on one track. I talk more about the crew in a moment let’s talk about the tracks.

After Masta Ace gives an intro to the mixtape, you’re instantly beat over the head with a seven minute posse cut featuring a bar verse by every SI member except Kaboose and MuzeOne. After the posse cut we’re treated to Elias rapping and singing over “Welcome to Jamrock”, I absolutely his freestyle here and Elias said that seeing him do that live is even better than it is on the mixtape, which makes want to see him in concert.

To clear up some confusion Griffin doesn’t hold the title of Tunnel Rat and Scribbling Idiot, but he is considered actual family because he’s brothers with SI member Mouth Warren. Put Mouth and Griffin together and you get EDM, the two did a track for Idiomatic II called “All the Data”. The track is fire and will have your head nodding once the song starts, that’s how addicting it is. The two them cover their history and then talk about the hip hop game and how it’s kind of falling apart. The beat is completely left field from the other beats on the mixtape and it’s great.

MotionPlus gives us a freestyle verse and then my second favorite song on the mixtape “Every Day That Ends In Why” which features Cunninlynguists member Deacon the Villain. The song showcases storytelling from JustMe and Mouth Warren. Mouth’s verse is my favorite and tells a story of a guy who’s best friend dated the girl he liked. After the two broke up the guy who liked the girl for so long told his best friend that he liked her, after that the friendship was destroyed. The song has an addicting peaceful but sad beat, but that takes the song to another level. All three emcees verses make the listener think and make the track complete.

“Pushing Along” is my favorite song on the album and has JustMe, Wonder Brown, MotionPlus and Re:Flex on it. They cover the idea of pushing on even when times get tough and things get difficult. MotionPlus kills the chorus on this one and the layout of the song is interesting also. JustMe does a 16 bar verse, Wonder Brown and Motion both get 8 bars and Re:Flex caps the song off with another 16 bar verse.

The Scribbling Idiots bring a great effort on Idiomatic II, however most of the album sounds more like a positive underground hip hop album, rather than a Christian Hip Hop album. The lyricism isn’t always there, “Heads Up” being the prime example. With Idiomatic I you could hear the Christianity, they didn’t stuff it down your throat but it was there. I’m not saying it’s not there with Idiomatic II, it’s just not there as often. Granted the album/mixtape is for every Scribbling Idiots fan on the planet and is a good album/mixtape to put in the stocking this year!

Good

POSSE CUTS!!!

Freestyles from almost every member

Beats are hot!!!

Bad

The Christianity isn’t as evident as it was in previous releases

No Killin’ It Part II

Rating: 4/5 (Get It, It’s by SI Need I Say More)

If You Can’t Buy The Album Download These Songs

Spitting Images

Pushing Along

Every Day That Ends In Why feat. Deacon the Villain

Make the Call feat. Griffin

All The Data (EDM)

Three Podcasts For Ya’ll

Before I left for college in September I recorded three podcasts and didn’t have time to post them so here they are they feature, a podcast with New Releases from this year, a regular podcast and one featuring the L.A Symph Crew!!!

( #33 New Releases)

(#34)

(#35 L.A Symphony Group of the Hour)