Explaining Freestyle Rap, and exercise in stream of consciousness.

Last night, I had a long conversation about what it is like to free style on stage.  "How do you follow a rhythm, tell a story, and make it rhyme?"

At first, I thought it would be quite simple to explain the parallel thought processes that I have when I free style.  But before long, I was made aware that I was using the skill set as part of the definition.  It is really hard to talk about the art of the free style without giving examples.  Yet, these examples are what make it inaccessible from the uninitiated.  

So, I tried a different approach; making a simple rhyme, and then outlining all of the thoughts that go into that rhyme.

One plus three

fortify the city

them against me

all odds seem shitty

Will I cease to be?

Now's not the time for pity

One

My opponents make a run

Two

I try to beat them black and blue

Three

You talking to me?

Four

INCOMING- hit the floor

and this is how the above verse comes to exist.  One plus 3 is a math equation that equals 4.  When I think of 4, I often associate 4 with "4 corners."  4 corners can be a defense, the pillars of the walls about a castle, my bed, a metaphor for the underlying principles of some argument, i.e., the four corners of modern music theory are rhythm, frequency, . . . .

I chose the image of a castle surrounded by a series of walls.  Each wall joined in a 90 degree angle at the corner.  When a castle is attacked, you have to fortify the perimeter.  That is how I got from 1 plus 3 to fortify the city.  FOURtify the city.

When does a city need to be fortified?  When it is under attack.  Usually it is a war (them against me).  There are a lot of ways to describe a war, but Them Against Me is what I chose because it rhymes. The plurality of Them versus the singular nature of ME is an unfair fight.  Thus, "all odds seem shitty."  

I could go on explaining each thought and connection, but I think you get the idea.  The part I cannot explain is how to have all of these thoughts in parallel, while rapping, and keep sync with the music.  It probably has something to do with experience, brain compression algorithms, thinking in pictures instead of words, etc.  By the way, I often mention that I think in pictures.  I am not sure if this is accurate, but my understanding of a picture is that it contains a lot of data. So, thinking in pictures gives the brain to compress the free style synthesis process.

When we experience the world with our eyes, the brain processes information at alarming speed.  In fact, I am not sure what the limits of the brain are, but as an example, imagine driving down the highway at 70 miles per hour.  Is it possible?

Of course it is.  We instinctively block out and compress all irrelevant data.  Then we focus on the data that affects our decision making.  Yet, we can also listen to some Massive Attack, carry on a conversation with other passengers in the car, realize that we are thirsty, smoke a cigarette, and wonder if the girl in the next lane has a nice ass.  

This blog post started as a facebook note.  So I am including the original comment thread because I think it adds to the conversation.

• Jen Davis I can hear these words come out of your mouth as I read this. You're awesome.

  March 31 at 8:27pm · 
• 

  Elizabeth Hiatt This is a perfect example of how much wittier/smarter/clever you are than me!

  March 31 at 9:44pm · 
• 

  Jim Batcho purity

  April 1 at 1:24pm · 
• 

  Gino Brann Interesting. I wonder though how those thoughts can fit so seamlessly within the rhythm. I mean, trying to stay within the flow while thinking of the next thing you want to express. I think that'd be the hardest thing.

  April 1 at 2:57pm · 
• 

  Marcus L. Williams ‎Gino Brann, I think it relates back to thinking with pictures and not words. Because our brain can compress images so easily (we have been doing it since birth), the two time consuming steps are translation to language, and syncing with the music.

  April 1 at 3:19pm · 
• 

  Marcus L. Williams This might sound odd, but music is one of the few things in life that defy the limits of Time (with a capital T). You can anticipate the melody, hear the sound, and remember what you just heard. We do this constantly in parallel. I can imagine it is much like playing the guitar or dancing to Miami Bass music.

  April 1 at 3:21pm · 
• 

  Gino Brann 

  Yeah I suppose it is like dancing or playing an instrument, in terms of getting in the flow and all that. With language is there's so much imagery involved and I've personally never been good at conceptualizing visually or spatially. Maybe...See More

  April 1 at 3:34pm · 
• 

  Marcus L. Williams a comma or pause can go a long way. Watch out! Baby! or watch out , baby . . . Those sound totally different and mean very different things. When you alter the space between words, you can prevent people from compressing what you say or allowing it to be white noise. Pacing and stutter etc., can make normal words interesting and unavoidable.

  April 1 at 3:39pm · 
• 

  Jim Batcho That's the rhythm aspect. I always appreciate space in music because then what you play or what you say has more impact. But notes are notes, language is a whole other thing. I've never understood how people can do that.

  April 1 at 3:42pm · 
• 

  Gino Brann Yeah, the space....that's the funk.

  April 1 at 3:42pm ·  ·  1 person
• 

  Jim Batcho That's what George Clinton taught me. Not to name drop, but he had me really hold back on the note. Pull that time back as far as possible and then zing it. Goes not just for drums but every instrument, including the voice.

  April 1 at 3:45pm · 
• 

  Marcus L. Williams George Clinton taught me how to smoke a joint in a college auditorium. Ok, he did not teach me per se, it was more like he taught all of us.

  April 1 at 3:57pm ·  ·  2 people
• 

  Violet Lea This is interesting, I could probably never put 'freestying' into words, I don't do it near as much, and sometimes it's good for me and sometimes I fail. My simplest explanation would be that the more relaxed I am, the better I flow. I can't flow if I'm nervous... and this is in both vocal and verbal rhyming context. Or any form of expression for that matter. Thanks for sharing and see you tomorrow.

  April 1 at 4:11pm · 
• 

  Violet Lea ps

  April 1 at 4:11pm · 
• 

  Violet Lea my favorite rhyme you did was, "I had my first threesome when I was twenty three... and it lasted till I was twenty four... cause it was my birthday and we did it all night..."

  April 1 at 4:12pm · 
• 

  Violet Lea or something like that. damned enter key. I meant for all of this to be one message, split into paragraphs.

  April 1 at 4:12pm · 
• 

  Marcus L. Williams I don't remember the exact words, so let's make up a new one. blah, blah, blah Had my first threesome when I was 23. 2 girls in the room, and then it was me, it lasted until I was 24, hey, it was my birthday, who could ask for more? I remember feeling so high that I didn't touch the floor, pick up in my step, what? Who you callin' whore?

  April 1 at 4:15pm · 
• 

  Violet Lea i ejected my junk, i cummed on her trunk,

  April 1 at 4:20pm ·  ·  1 person
• 

  Violet Lea dammit

  April 1 at 4:20pm · 
• 

  Violet Lea enter ke

  April 1 at 4:20pm · 
• 

  Violet Lea ruined my flow

  April 1 at 4:20pm · 
• 

  Kurtis Blo I really love how you broke it down in your note, very clear and descriptive... and of course the rhythm thats music, thats the flow...

  April 1 at 4:36pm · 
• 

  Marcus L. Williams I ejected my junk, cummed on her trunk, went for the dunk, but the backdoor stunk. tried to krunk, with a wiggle and a bump. "no way, no how, are you entering my rump"

  April 1 at 4:45pm · 
• 

  Violet Lea 

  she slapped it away, said i was mean,
  checked my shit to make sure it was clean
  went down on her friend and my teeth turned green
  thought to myself, "this chick is a slut"
  now she's baby momma cuz i didn't cover it up
  always wear protection when ur bangin' a slut
  ....especially if it's on your birthday

  April 1 at 4:53pm · 
• 

  Marcus L. Williams god I love women, so don't take me serious, the business I write is just expression of the curious. calling women slut, whore and tarts, is on the same level as midgets and cake farts. now, that is a birthday

  April 1 at 5:10pm · 
• 

  Conor Barney Paddy Murphy 

  violet, to start a new line without sending your message. hit 'shift and enter'
  
  see...
  
  hopes this helps.
  
  marcus... you're beautiful. i enjoyed reading that. see you all scratching around this weekend i hope. you're all nice. x

Korean Breakdancing World Championships

Culture 101: Part 1

I started writing about the differences in Korean and American culture and realized that the subject can fill volumes.  This is Part 1 of the series.

When I decided to move from the United States to South Korea I thought I knew what I was doing.  I had read about Korean culture in a variety of books and websites.  I have been to a local Korean restaurant and tried several dishes to see if the food was pleasant to my palate.  I researched many blogs of Americans and Canadians who live or have lived in South Korea and worked as English teachers.  In fact, I was pretty proud of the knowledge I had acquired.  Turns out that I had no clue as to what life really would be like.

First of all, let me say that I generally enjoy living in Busan.  Working as an English teacher is not a bad job, and I earn a satisfactory amount of money for the work that I do.  Please remember this as read my comments.  My goal is not to complain about Korea or Korean culture.  Instead, I hope to delve into some of the many differences I have noticed.  My genuine belief is that being different does not make something wrong.  At the same time, it is really hard to always understand an issue from the perspective of the Koreans I know.  After all, I have not lived in Korea my entire life.  So my views are constantly influenced by my personal history.  Ok, this is probably enough introduction.  So let’s just jump right in.

1.       We are different

It sounds simple enough, but sometimes it is nice to remember this little tidbit of information.  Personally, I think the primary difference between Americans and Koreans is the concept of self.  For the most part, Americans have a strong attachment to our individuality.  We are a “me” culture.  Koreans tend to identify themselves by group rather than self.  Want examples?  Myspace.  iPhone. Youtube. Easy enough, but it goes much deeper. 

We move out of the family home usually around the time of high school graduation and go off to college.  After college, I got my first apartment and eventually bought my own house.  In Korea, people tend to live in the family home until they are married.  It is not uncommon to see a 30 year old man living with his family.  In fact, it is normal and is a large factor in group identity versus individual identity.  I cannot begin to imagine how my life might be different if I lived at home until I was 30.  As we explore the different ways that we view the world, give some consideration to this concept. 

Going forward, I will simple point out the differences.

2.       Personal Space

I define personal space in many ways.  First, it is the invisible area around my actual body that is under my totalitarian control.  If you breach the boarders of my space without an invitation, I am going to notice and usually not be happy about it.  More specifically, my concept of personal space extends from my skin to a distance where I cannot smell you.  Also, if we are having a conversation and a little bit of spit flies from your mouth as you say a word with a P or TH, the spit should not be able to land on me. 

In Korea, I have found that the concept of personal space either does not exist.  I get it.  Korea has a tiny livable land mass and a lot of people.  But I still don’t like being bumped into, shoved, or touched at random.

3.       Food

I have found that most Korean people enjoy and eat most Korean foods.  In fact, I rarely hear a Korean friend mention that they don’t like the taste of a specific local food.  I think this is because food is considered to be part of the group identity.  And no one wants to disrespect the group.  It may be me or my American-ness, but the deciding vote in what I eat usually goes to my nose and tongue.  Sometimes my stomach gets input on future meals.  Accordingly, my concept of eating does not revolve around location and culture.  If it tastes good, I will probably eat it.  (insert whatever jokes you see fit).  Now grow up.

Things I don’t eat:  Mustard (allergic –makes me vomit on site and have trouble breathing), Mayo, black olives, eggs, sweet pickles, raw onions, most sweet sauces when applied to a savory dish. 

Having a personal preference for certain tastes can be offensive to some Koreans because it could appear that you are rejecting their Group.  There are many ways to deal with this difference.  Some expats I know only eat western foods.  Others, like myself, eat the things I like and don’t eat the things I don’t like.  Sometimes I try to explain why and often I just ignore strange looks.

A side note to this:  Personally, I love the taste of kimchi.  I eat it often and sometimes crave it.  Over the last 9 months, I cannot count the number of times that I have been asked by a Korean if I like kimchi.  Yes.  I like it.  Stop asking.  At the same time, I never eat the egg laden dishes in my school cafeteria.  Remember, I don’t like eggs.  But in this case, I get the same surprised look.  “What, how can you not like eggs?” 

4.       Social Order

This topic is intense and deserves a separate essay, so I am only going to say a few words.

Korea:  Small country, many people, no personal space, live with family.  In that setting, having a rules system about who out ranks who goes a long way in keeping the peace. 

America:  Lots of land mass, many people, but spread out a bit.  We get in the habit of doing what we want to do.  Sure, we know how to follow rules, but when the rules seem to interrupt our personal goals, we examine the rules.  Sometimes we break them.  Sometimes we change them.

What happens when an American lives in Korea?  First of all, you are not really part of the Group.  So you don’t fit into the social order.  In some ways it is a free pass.  At the same time, a lot of conflict can be generated.

Notes:  I prefer to use a person’s name instead of their job title, age derived position.

I don’t pretend that you are right because you are older than me. 

My first standup part 1

I have been writing again

Tonight I will be performing poetry at the Wordz Only event in Busan.  It will be my second time doing spoken word in Busan and I am a little nervous because all of the pieces are new.  I am pretty sure that the event will be recorded so I will upload video soon.

Monthly "HaHa Hole" Drawing Big Crowds at The Crossroads in PNU Story and Photos by Mindy Sisco 2.03.2010 The "HaHa Hole" comedy event will once again hold its monthly show at The Crossroads in PNU this Friday the 5th of February BUSAN - It's 9:50 PM and the location of the open-mic comedy event “HaHa Hole” has already been moved once to accommodate the eager masses. Every seat in the house of  PNU’s Crossroads Bar is occupied and standing room is growing scarce. The host, American, Chris Tharp, takes the stage and the monthly open mic comedy show is underway.  "Haha Hole" is the fruit of Tharp's labors, and the most recent incarnation in a line of do-it-yourself comedy events in Korea. Five years ago Tharp participated in Busan's "Poetry Plus," which featured spoken word, but "Poetry Plus" lost steam and faded. Participants came and went, as is the nature of Korea's transient ESL masses, the organizers eventually lost their enthusiasm and the event became a thing of the past. "Haha Hole", is in its fourth month. Featuring all amateurs, some, like Williams, are cutting their comedy teeth on Crossroads' makeshift stage. However, the laughs elicited by their material would never tell to this being their first time. American, Marcus Williams, is not only a newbie to Korea, having been here only four months, but also new to doing stand-up. When asked about the status of his nerves when I talked to him before the show Williams turned to me and with a deadpan tone said, "I have a Cass and a cigarette." American, Chris Tharp, host of the HaHa Hole comedy event Ross Gardner of Scotland is on his second tour of duty on the ESL circuit and is riffing it up on stage from time to time as well. Other comedians include Brian Aylward who has done stand up in Hong Kong, India, and other Asian cities. Aylward filled the comedy void in his "home" city of Seoul by creating "Stand-Up Seoul" which gives amateur comedians in our sister city up north the chance to give their chops a try. Unfortunately, this Friday's show will be done sans-Tharp, who is in the Philippines on a long holiday. He is probably laughing it up right now saying, "Those fools back in Busan are freezing their a**** off." Taking Tharp's reign as MC this month is Roy Early. His dry wit is sure to cure the cold, along with the other comedians coming out.  “Haha Hole,” is a free event held the first Friday of every month at 10pm at The Crossroads in PNU. All are welcome, and all are encouraged to grab the mic and take the stage.

Dr. Fish

Here is where you learn a little more about me.  I hate my feet.  I hate when the skin gets dry and cracked.  I hate toenails.  So, as any self respecting man who hates his feet does, I occasionally get a pedicure.  No polish.

Well, this past Sunday a couple of my new Busan EPIK friends and I decided that we wanted to get our feet taken care of.  What better way than to visit Dr. Fish.

Some of you will like this and others will be completely over come with the urge to vomit into your mouth.  Dr. Fish is a coffee shop where you can order a cappiccino, eats some waffles, read a magazine, and stick your dogs into a tank with these little fish that eat necrotic flesh.  That's right, I said it.  They eat your feet.  Actually, the fish don't have teeth.  So they nibble away at the dry dead skin with their sucker shaped mouths.  When they are done, you are left with a fresh new layer of healthy skin.  Theoretically.

As you can see on your right, my feet are surrounded by this little fish.  Was I scared?  Not really.  Freaked out maybe.  The sensation feels a little like a low level electrical current moving over your skin.  The freaking out happens when you actually think about what they are doing.  Oh, and if you just look down.

Initially, my first response was to pull my feet out because it kind of tickles, um, tickles a lot.  But I am in Korea now and plan to have as many new experiences as I can handle.  Note to readers:  next week I am going to get a Fire Massage.

So anyway, Hannah, Sarah, Jen, Michael and I all stuck out the hour and got our feel cleaned.  Jen took a video but I don't know how to post a video to my blog yet.  You can find it on my facebook page under links.  Actually, let me see if this works.  Dr. Fish video

Culture Shock, White Privilege, Coping

If you have done any reading about life in South Korea for expats, then you have seen numerous bits and pieces about Culture Shock. For some people, the Korean culture is so foreign that they decide to pack it up and skip town. For others, the culture is just mildly irritating. Personally I don't really mind it too much and I have started to get an idea of the reasons.
Most expats who are teaching English in South Korea are of some sort of Caucasian decent. Whether they are from the US, Canada, South Africa, or the UK, they come from a life of being part of the majority culture. I don't give a lot of thought to race relations and interactions normally, but at a recent Pecha Kucha event in Charlotte, NC, a friend of mine gave a talk about the costs and obligations of what she calls White Privilege.
Most White people never have to give a moment's thought to white privilege because being in the majority means that you have the luxury of being accustomed to certain things. For example: not being stared at, not being ignored, not being given less rights, not being treated with disrespect, not being marginalized, etc. And since this lack of specific awkward behaviors cannot be accurately measured while you are in the majority, it is only when one moves to a very homogeneous country of Others when the transcendent layer of white privilege evaporates.
The resulting state of being in the minority can present itself as a form of culture shock. Don't get me wrong - the Korean culture is very different from what I knew back in the states. But it does not make it better or worse. It is just different. I mentioned before that I am having a great time here. Part of that is because I never had any illusions of privilege back home. Sure, I went to a good university and have worked for prestigious companies, but I have always been Black. And the coping skills I have learned as a Black man in the States is exactly the skill set one needs to survive in South Korea as an American.
Speaking of surviving, I want to give this piece of advice to my wonder expat friends who happen to be White. Get over it. You are not being lynched, burned, beaten, raped, or called derogatory names (well the last one might not be true, but since we don't generally speak Korean, how would we know what you are being called?) Things have a way of working out. Just realize that you are different and often times people equate different with bad. Once you understand that perspective, allow life to develop around you. Be true to who you are and let that speak for you. Given enough time you will find a comfort zone. Or at least a way to survive.
So, I have rambled on a bit. Note to readers: I am not a big fan of editing blog posts, so if you subscribe to my blog, you are mostly going to get stream of consciousness pieces. Occasionally I might have something really important to say and I will outline my thoughts, write cohesively, and pay attention to grammar and spelling. That is not today.

Real progressive trash policy

South Korea has a pretty progressive trash collection policy.  I can get my trash picked up on most days of the week.  But it is not quite that simple.  You have to methodically separate your trash.  See the schedule below:

Sunday:         Food waste and regular trash
Monday:       Recycling - paper, plastic, and vinyl
Tuesday:       Food waste and regular trash

Wednesday:  Recycling - can, glass
Thursday:      Food waste and regular trash

Friday:          No trash pick up
Saturday:      No trash pick up

If that was not interesting enough, check this.  Food waste is put into a special container that allows the liquid to drain out and leave only the solids. Some people even separate stuff that is edible and leave it out for the stray dogs and cats.   When you take down your food waste, you put a special sticker on your container that you can buy from the local market.  My market is about 40 meters from my apartment.  So I go there daily to get the supplies I need. 

Recycling can be put into any bag and left on the curb on the appropriate day.  In order to dispose of your regular trash, you have to buy special bags at the local market.  They are not expensive, but they are 3 or 4 times the cost of trash bags in the States.  Instead of paying property or sales taxes to cover garbage collection, you pay for it when you buy these special bags.  The bags are marked for you specific neighborhood.  And since you are paying for the waste you produce, it is a very fair system.  Also, there is no cost for the recycling. 

The end result is you recycle everything that you can in order to minimize the volume used in your pay bags and food waste bin.  How cool is that?

King Kong

Today was a good day in class.  I taught about 50% of the class and my Korean co teacher handled the rest.  I only had third graders today and the topic was How Many Cows.  We taught them how to count and distinguish animals.  I know you are already bored and want to know why this post is called King Kong.

I only teach classes in the morning.  Twice a week I have an afterschool session for students who need more intensive learning.  There were only 5 students in the session today.  At one point our computer broke down.  I was chatting with the students and getting to know them.  One of them said I look strong and grabbed my bicep.  Before I knew it, I had decided to play King Kong and had one kid dangling from each arm.  How I must appear like a giant to them. 

I am already twice as big as the adult men in terms of mass.  But surprisingly, there are a ton of tall Korean men in Busan.  Some are taller than me.  I expected them all to be short and 130 pounds.  Don't get me wrong; there is a lot of that too.

Ok, no pictures of the kids dangling.  I was using both hands.