Keeping on the Chess Move Cartel vibes tonight, we’re gonna give you a nice freebie courtesy of the CEO and producer Chess Moves, US emcee Shadowstar Boxer and DJ Grazzhoppa. The album promo mix is well over ten minutes and gives you a dope insight of what to expect when the album ‘A King’s Foresight’ drops on December 3rd. Also included is an interview with the trio by Weezy, in which Chess Moves, Shadowstar and DJ Grazzhoppa talk about the ‘A King’s Foresight’ project
Chess, can you fill us in on the background to this release, including your original inspirations, aims and strategy?
CM: My aim was to give the people more of what they had previously expressed an interest in liking – not from CMC specifically, but from hip hop in general. The sound delivered was literally grabbed and pushed, incorporating lots of familiar sounds and samples in a format that many of us in this genre have taken to: boom bap. The familiarity is there and that’s what I wanted the audience to zoom in on. I think it works; it’s easy to connect with something you already have a relationship with, is it not?
Shadow, how did Chess’s fresh beats inspire you in terms of your lyrical content and delivery?
SB: Chess’s beats for this project turned out to be a lot more musical than ones I had used before. The biggest challenge was making sure that my rhyme structure stood up to the creative angles. This project inspired some serious changes in my approach, and I’m happy about meeting the challenge.
Grazzhoppa – you make a welcome comeback to the line-up following your Intricate Moves joint. What appealed to you about the King’s Foresight project? And can you tell us about your role in the production of the album?
G: The fact that all of the beats are by the same person and there’s one MC for the whole album gives it a ‘sound’ – it reminds me of early Schoolly D releases. I came from that era so it feels natural to me. I added scratches to the whole album and I created the promo mix and some edits.
It sounds to me like you guys are trying to give people something not only to nod their heads to, but to dance to! Was that your intention?
CM: Something that plods along has its place and works real well for many, but something that I miss about the earlier days of hip hop is that there was a pulse of energy in the whole thing. Higher BPMs do give people something to move to, and more than just their heads.
SB: I think that was our aim from the first beat production to the rhymes being recorded. Given the quality of our previous releases, I also think it was perfect timing in terms of the kind of diversity we are bringing in A King’s Foresight.
CM: This release contains energy from its tempos, which bring out layers that we don’t get to see as often as we would like from the artists that we work with. Shadowstar Boxer and DJ Grazzhoppa complemented the joints I created with ease and I would gladly ask them back to create and deliver more of the same. Skills in abundance.
Choose one favourite track from the album. What will it be?
G: I will go with the track called My Freedom. I really like the way the sample was flipped on this; I think it sounds refreshing. I like the message in the song too.
CM: The joint that keeps my attention the most is Pillow Magik, and that’s down to several reasons. From my producer’s perspective I’m looking at the sample I took and how I flipped it and watched how it evolved with the other elements that are now fused together – for example, when the verses and cuts were added. It bounces along; it’s easy going; the beats and bass carry weight; the lyrical content is of a nature that pretty much appeals to everyone; and of course the cuts are rocked by a master on the wheels. This is my number one joint but in all fairness I’m really feeling the whole of the album.
SB: My favourite track is Ice Cold Tipsy; I had the most fun recording it. It starts with rhymes that I birthed last year but had not yet found a place for. After listening to the beat I was instantly inspired by more feel-good lyrics, and wrote the rest of the song with the hope that people would have a crazy amount of fun listening, drinking, and dancing to it.
Do you all feel like this album is a milestone for CMC in terms of creative development?
SB: Is this a milestone? I believe so, simply because I think it will show that CMC can break through into multiple styles of hip hop without sacrificing quality or integrity. Some might see a lot of my previous lyrics as preachy, even though they can appreciate the groove and delivery, but this album branches across the different styles in a smooth fashion. Grazzhoppa made some crazy nice scratches and interludes to complement this feeling.
G: I think this sets a style for more albums to come in the future. I really had fun doing this record.
CM: For me this was probably the easiest project I have ever been on in terms of creative development, simply because I purposely set out to work with established winning ingredients – all I did was glue them together. There’s no super rare break going on; I want you to know the sample and for you (the audience) to see how and where it got flipped. I would say that this is more of a milestone in terms of how we are connecting with the hip hop crowd and with what they have expressed over time about what they would prefer to hear. This is music that we love too – I want to hear a DJ Premier or Pete Rock joint like they used to create in the early 90s; that’s my music. If I am not hearing what I need to hear then I will step to the MPC, make the calls to the Chess Move Cartel crew and get a fresh project up and out, and A King’s Foresight is yet another example of that.
The 14-track digital download of A King’s Foresight will be available on iTunes and Amazon on Monday 3 December 2012, with a 19-track vinyl double album version to follow in the first quarter of 2013 – further news to follow.
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