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Mike McCray
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Mike McCray / Local Leak / News Local Leak: Pradigy GT's "Believe"
Posted By Mike McCray on Wed, Apr 7, 2010 at 5:34 PM
I can remember being a last second replacement judge for my college radio station's beat battle a few years ago and having some dude named Pradigy continually blow the other judges and I away round after round with his production that was just a notch above everybody else in the competition. Well that guy is a Charlotte native and he's back home performing with his band, Pradigy GT.
The band, who describes their sounds as Jimi Hendrix's and Kanye West's lovechild, didn't even have a name yet when they did their first show and features Pradigy on guitar and vocals, Huff on guitar, Phinesse on bass, Cannon on drums and Nikki C. on keys. They've recently been doing gigs and pushing their single, "Believe," all over town (it's currently in rotation over at Power 98).
Pradigy GT - Believe [<-- Click to listen]
The inspiration behind "Believe" is as much a personal challenge as it was President Barack Obama.
"The idea of playing guitar while rapping... I didn't know if it could be done because of the timing of rapping and timing of guitar playing," said Pradigy. He tried things out with his drummer and bass player, with whom he'd jam with every weekend before, and after things got dope, they learned his solo album, converting the studio tracks to something for live instrumentation.
Inspired by election of Barack Obama is when they went from being, "Pradigy & Friends" to Pradigy GT (Grand Touring) and have been grinding since. "In my mind, it means the big show," said Pradigy. "I felt like it was a bigger level of hip-hop than the normal stuff I was doing before the band, so I wanted to make sure people recognized that."
You can catch Pradigy GT in concert tonight at Bad Dog at 7 p.m., April 16 at UNC Charlotte and April 25 at The Money in Rock Hill, S.C. "Believe" is also available now on iTunes.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Mike McCray / Local Leak / News Local Leak: Eyes of the Elders' "American Man"
Posted By Mike McCray on Tue, Apr 6, 2010 at 10:55 AM
Fresh from being mastered, Eyes of the Elders, sent us their new track, "American Man."
Creative Loafing was given exclusive access to this track from the band that somehow seems to get bigger and bigger, yet better and better. They are one of the few acts out there that can, literally, cover all bases and this new song has something very badass about it. But don't let the patriotic title fool you, the lyrics question the warped American Dream more than pushing a Marlboro Man image.
Eyes of the Elders - American Man <-- Click to listen.
Sure, it sounded like a hip-hop version of Bon Jovi's "Wanted Dead or Alive" at first but it doesn't take long to realize this one wasn't no cowboy shit. Longtime EOE listeners will notice the rhymes have slowed down and, on this track especially, feel more deliberate.
Monday, April 5, 2010
News / Mike McCray / Local Leak Local Leak: The Flash Alchemy's Pour Me Poison
Posted By Mike McCray on Mon, Apr 5, 2010 at 12:00 PM
Anyone remotely affiliated with CL meets their fair share of up-and-coming artists, but I think most readers would be surprised at how few of them actually follow through on the opportunity to have their music reviewed and the possibility of having something written about them, whether it be good or bad. I'm not saying flood our inboxes but a simple, 'Hey, check this out' from artists around town every now and then is appreciated.
This Local Leak comes from a Charlotte band, The Flash Alchemy. Formerly A Flash of Alchemy, the band recently swapped names and a few members and now consists of Reid Clayton on vocals and rhythm guitar, Phillip Gripper on drums and backing vocals, Tom Maxim on lead guitar and Henry Killian on bass and keys. I met their drummer randomly bar-hopping and he shot me a link to their latest song and you know what, I appreciate the hustle to hit me up sooner, not 10 months later.
Pour Me Poison <-- Click to listen.
The first time I played "Pour Me Poison" I had to double check and make sure the breakup montage of a Rom Com wasn't on, because I totally felt like I was going to look up and see Ryan Reynolds walking by himself through Central Park, in the rain. Some rough vocals and sound but it's not bad, it actually made me think of The Fray.
You can check these guys them out live on April 16 at the Salvador Deli Gallery Crawl in NoDa and April 21 at Dharma Lounge with Cement Stars and April 25 at The Milestone with La Strada.
Leave some feedback and if you're a local band, don't be shy, send some NEW links this way (especially if you're rap, soul or R&B, since that's kinda my lane). Don't get discouraged or send pissy e-mails if we don't get around to your music as speedy as you'd like either. Things get kinda hectic.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Opinion / Mike McCray / News A lifetime of loathing shitty R&B singers
Posted By Mike McCray on Tue, Mar 30, 2010 at 2:13 PM
Few things conjure up my inner hater like the would-be, local R&B singer.
Not their music per se. No qualms with that, but I loathe their tactics and the absolute power they are able to derive from their voices alone. Trust, the jealousy emitting from my booming baritone is palpable.
As far back as elementary school, I can remember the kid who could sing being such a big deal.
Whether he was belting out the National Anthem before a Hornets game at Charlotte Coliseum or a rendition of Whitney Houston's “Greatest Love of All" at D.A.R.E. graduation. He had all the girlies. It continued into middle school where talent shows and field trips were a chance for them to channel their inner Bobby Brown. A pelvic thrust might as well have been sex to a 6th grader back then.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Opinion / Mike McCray / News I get it, I'm late
Posted By Mike McCray on Wed, Mar 24, 2010 at 2:41 PM
Whether it was never listening to an entire album from The Beatles until college or picking up a hip-hop album just one week after it was released and trying to talk about how good I thought it was, in my position, no one lets me slide on being late.
Few things are as cutting and condescending as getting a "you're late" reply to something you praise that didn't just hit the streets ... but realistically, aren't we all late to some degree?
Unless you're the DJ who played someone's track for the first time, someone who ran with an up-and-coming artist, chances are you were the person throwing their mixtape or flyer on the ground after they tried to sell it to you in the parking lot of a show or a Walmart somewhere.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Opinion / Mike McCray / News Message, schmessage
Posted By Mike McCray on Thu, Mar 18, 2010 at 4:33 PM
Where is it written in the by-laws of hip-hop, that the artist must be saying something?
While I'd agree that deeper and thought provoking subject matter do, in fact, make music better (generally), every song doesn't have to have some bigger message. And therein lies my hip-hop dilemma.
It took me years to actually develop an appreciation for lyricism and that was only after I was all "crunked" out.
I don't know if it was my upbringing in the South or my group of friends but less than a decade ago, you were way more likely to catch me rapping all with Project Pat than Pharoahe Monch. Sure, there Outkast and Goodie Mob were in my musical picture and I loved them but if I was about to ride out or party with a car full of friends or just chill on the porch, "Git Up, Git Out" would only make you feel like bum.
It was only after I got to college and made a conscious effort to study the discographies of hip-hop legends that I realized there were pieces missing from my hip-hop puzzle. You can also mark that time as the birth of my music snob era, but there was always that soft spot.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Live Reviews / Mike McCray / News Live Review: Red Bull Thre3 Style Battle
Posted By Mike McCray on Tue, Mar 16, 2010 at 4:30 PM
Red Bull Thre3 Style Battle
The Forum
March 15, 2010
The Deal: Eight local DJ's each spin a 15 minute set that must include three different genres of music and win over the crowd and judges, which included local promoter Mike Kitchen, NASCAR driver Scott Speed, rap duo Camp Lo & the legendary DJ Jazzy Jeff, among others.
The Good: It took DJ Jazzy Jeff no time to prove that he'd been doing this for longer than most of the contestants had been alive. I mean he was like a professor on the tables and class was in session. Absolutely amazing less than 3 weeks after his last visit to Charlotte. He did things that, literally, made some of the other DJ's reconsider how they did things.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Mike McCray / News Celebrating Notorious B.I.G. Day
Posted By Mike McCray on Tue, Mar 9, 2010 at 5:34 PM
With today being the 13th anniversary of Biggie Small's death, it's crazy to think that as a 23-year old that literally grew up with hip-hop, that B.I.G. has been dead more than half my life.
March 9 is always a day where radio blows the dust off Biggie records that aren't just singles but the meat of the legacy he left behind. Ironically, one of the most compelling points I heard on radio this morning actually came from Sports Talk radio.
On Sirius this morning, Bomani Jones likened the short length of his career and the lasting musical footprint to being like hip-hop's Jimi Hendrix. Both died in their 20s and produced timeless music in a span of about three or four years, so that's just a little nugget to chew on. I think about my relationship with Biggie's music and I always laugh because unlike 2Pac, who I definitely didn't understand as an artist until years later, Big was easy to digest lyrically. Plus, because Moms knew the samples, she'd definitely let that ride in the car before something like "Hit 'Em Up."
Anyway, for today's National Hip Hop holiday, I'll share one of my favorite Biggie tracks of all-time, a freestyle from '94 he did with Funkmaster Flex, I present to you, "The Wickedest" (they talk for about a minute first so let it ride, trust me it's worth the wait).
R.I.P. Big.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Videos / Mike McCray / News Video: Pac Div - "We The Champs (Duke vs. Carolina)"
Posted By Mike McCray on Mon, Mar 8, 2010 at 11:37 AM
You might have seen Duke slaughter my beloved North Carolina Tar Heels in the greatest rivalry in college sports over the weekend. While I'm still licking my wounds and receiving tons of salt via social media, I can be glad that we're still the reigning National Champions for about a month AND this dope Pac Div song from their 2009 mixtape, Church League Champions, exists in honor of the rivalry... well, maybe not honor, but it's named after the rivalry which it samples rather dopely. Further proof you don't even have to be from the South to respect the greatness.
Enjoy the track (and Duke fans, enjoy this year because that'll never happen again).
Thursday, March 4, 2010
News / Mike McCray Catching a case for Plies' credibility?
Posted By Mike McCray on Thu, Mar 4, 2010 at 4:00 PM
Anybody perusing the Miami Herald yesterday might have seen the headline, "Gainesville nightclub shooting victims sue rapper" and for those that weren't checking up on South Florida, that rapper was Plies.
A lawsuit was filed against the rapper who's blown up behind the strength of his "goon" image, overtly sexual material and thousands of chest-naked pictures that teenager girls die for, but it doesn't take a lot of research to know that he is, at the very least, college educated (if not an alum).
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Live review: Fiona Apple, The Fillmore (9/26/2012) 16
Fans ate it up, but it was a trainwreck of tragic and frustrating proportions.
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Frank Ocean tops Village Voice Pazz & Jop poll
Annual critics list creates requisite buzz
