Friday 4 January 2013

Statement of intent.

Heyo! I've been meaning for ages to start story-boarding out and illustrating a set of drawings to accompany the best hiphop track of all time (probably), which is Twice The First Time, by Saul Williams.

I'm making the process into a blog for a couple of reasons: 1, I get motivated by feedback and hopefully will get some nods of encouragement along the way 2, i need to draw more 3, i'm detoxing and this will be my go-to activity instead of the pub and 4, I hope it'll be nice to look back on.

check out the track here:



and for good measure, here are the lyrics:

(sung) 
I will not rhyme on tracks 
niggas on a chain gang used to do that (Huh!) way back 
I will not rhyme over tracks 
niggas on a chain gang used to do that (Huh!) way back 
don't drop the beat on me 
don't drop the beat no 
ah 
I am not the son of sha klak klak 
I am before that 
I am before 
I am before before before death is eternity after death is eternity 
there is no death there's only eternity 
and i be riding on the wings of eternity like 
CLA CLA CLA SHA KLACK KLACK 
GET ME THE FUCK OFF THIS TRACK 

as if the heart beat wasn't enough 
they got us using drum machines now 
the hums of the machines 
tryin to make our drums humdrums 
tryin to ???? our magic 
insturments be political prisioners up inside computers 
as if the heart were not enough 
as if the heart were not enough 

and as heart beats bring percussions 
fallen trees bring reprocussions 
citys play upon our souls like broken drums 
redrum the essence of creation from city slums 
but city slums mute our drums and our drums become humdrums 
cuz city slums have never been where our drums are from 
just the place where our daughters and sons become 
offbeat heartbeats 
slaves to city streets 
and hearts get broken and heartbeats stop 
broken heartbeats become breakbeats for niggas to rhyme on top, but.. 

i won't rhyme on top no tracks 
niggas on a chain gang used to do that (Huh) way back 

i won't rhyme over tracks 
niggas on a chain gang used to do that (Huh) way back 

don't drop the beat no 
don't drop the beat noooo 

not untill you've listen to Rakim on a rocky mountain top 
have you heard hip hop 
extract the urban element which created it 
and let a open wide country side illustrate it 
riding in a freight train 
in the freezing rain 
listening to Coltrane 
my reality went insane 
and i think i saw Jesus 
he was playing hopscotch with Betty Carter 
who was cursing him out 
in a scat-like gibberish for not saying 'butterfingers' 
and my fingers run through grains of sand 
like seeds of time 
the pains of man 
the frames of mind 
which built these frames 
which is the structure of my urban superstructure 
the trains and planes can corrupt and obstruct your planes of thought 
so you that forget how to walk through the woods 
which ain't good cuz you ain't never walked through the trees 
listenin' to nobody beats the biz and you ain't never heard hip hop 

and you must stop that damn track from going... 
please don't drop the beat 
don't drop the beat nooo 
and... 
I will not rhyme on tracks 
niggas on a chain gang used to that (huh) way back 
(repeat) 
don't drop the beat noooo 
don't drop the beat no 
don't drop the beat no 
don't drop the beat 
heartbeat 
my heartbeat 
goes on 
and on 
and on... 
yeah

Sweet lyrics, huh?