This Is My Rifle: Attention Producers, I Need Your F**king Beats Posted by Jason James on 09/18/13 | Filed under Opinion, This Is My Rifle

I was supposed to write an article about Syria today, but at the present moment there's a much more pressing issue at hand..... 

I just wanna rap. When I say it to myself it sounds ridiculous since whenever I have spare time it's all that I do. I'm currently working on an EP with my band, Bang Bang Boogie Men, and I’m about six songs into my next album with Rodney Hazard so by all accounts I should feel fulfilled, right? I mean, two projects at the same time is a lot for anybody to handle let alone somebody like myself whose schedule is so packed that sleep is more of a liability than an asset. But nope, not for me. There's a hole in my musical ambitions and my creative energy is just sitting here building into a big ball of, "GIVE ME THE FUCKING KEYS COCKSUCKER!! BLLLAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!" (that's a "Usual Suspects" reference for those of you who don't know).

Don't get me wrong- I'm not unhappy with the music that I'm currently making. The Bang Bang Boogie Men EP is my dream project- a blend of orchestral arrangements, classic rock, spaghetti western, blues and of course myself behind the mic on MC duty. I am honestly ecstatic about the music we're about to release, as it's something that nobody's ever done before and even more importantly it sounds AWESOME. In fact, I'm so excited about this project that I wrote all of my lyrics in less than a month. Furthermore, on this particular project I play more of a background role to the music so the entire process has been really laid back and stress free. The only thing I have to do is show up, record my voice and give my two cents on the production, which isn't necessary at all since our bass player/producer and guitarist are fucking geniuses in their own right.

Additionally, the process of making my next album with my partner/producer, Rodney Hazard, has been equally exciting. Rodney has completely grown into his sound and continues to surprise me at every turn. His production is sparse with multi-layered percussive elements, which really allows me to dig my heels in and explore the space vocally. Every song that I’m writing with him has depth and the sounds flow effortlessly in an album format. The songs all have a message and the music he’s providing me with is the perfect platform for me to discuss personal, political and social issues.

But lately I've been feeling like I just wanna rap. Fuck politics, fuck a message and fuck my whiney, pussified little personal problems. Once a week I've been getting sucked into the battle rap hole- spending hours watching KOTD and SMACK battles while missing the days where I could go crazy on a beat and just say some wild shit. I come from a battling background, and although there were no cash prizes or millions of fans watching on YouTube in my time, that feeling of going toe to toe with another MC still resonates. I was a teenager during my period in the battle circuit and I would stand in the rain for hours just waiting for an opportunity to spit. DJ's would sneak me into the club and throw me into the arena- a very obviously 15-year-old kid viciously attacking grown men on a kamikaze mission. It was a great experience; nervous energy, dripping sweat under the hot lights of the makeshift stage, and pulling every rhyme out of my head like hellfire missiles aimed at a man twice my age. We didn't pre-write any of our rhymes back then (fuck I sound old), we just showed up and they would pull names out of a hat. And even if you emerged victorious that night, you still had to make it through a parking lot full of rappers just waiting to tear you apart on your way to the bus stop. 

Ok, enough reminiscing. The reason why I'm writing this today is because I wanna reach out to the up and coming producers reading this. I wanna make some hardcore shit and I need your beats. I'll tell you the same thing every other rapper you've ever spoken to has told you- I NEED SOME BANGERS. And I don't mean, "radio smash hit with a car I don't own and a billion idiots jumping around behind me in the video" type of bangers, I mean, "punch your mom in the fucking face, rob a liquor store and shoot the mailman" type of bangers. I want that hardcore, Muay Thai kick your fucking head in until the president declares a state of emergency and NATO creates a no fly zone over the neighborhood type of music. That's what I wanna do.

I don't really know where I'm headed with this but I know it needs to be done. I'm setting my goal at 3-5 tracks but that could easily turn into 10-15 depending on how many producers wanna get involved. And please don't send me any beats that another rapper has already selected. I know you want me to know how ill you are but there's nothing worse than getting excited about a beat and then finding out that you've given it to some twat in Nebraska. Also, don't send me beats and then quote me a price. We're doing this for the love of the music and it will be a free release that will be featured right here on the greatest Hip Hop site in the free world (RefinedHype.com for you dummies out there). I know that you're talented and you definitely deserve to be paid for your work, but this time around we're just here to smash some skulls- nothing more, nothing less. 

Sound good? Great. If you're interested in working with me on some music, hit me via email at [email protected], Twitter (@jasonjames82) or Facebook (jasonjamesmjrlbl).

I'm ready when you are. Lets go!!!

(Jason James is an artist, freelance columnist and writer for RefinedHype.com. You can read/download his free eBook, "This Is My Rifle" and listen/download his most recent album, "Pyramids in Stereo". You can also contact him here and here.)