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.