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Run Away Sucker!
Here’s a hip hop song we recorded live in a shared rehearsal space across from the Port Authority in NYC. Three story walk-up, and I’m sure they hired the same cleaning crew used at the bus station. You get the picture. The band is Bronx Slang. They have a number of releases in the last few years. This was to have been a video but that project fell apart and now I can share this here for your observations. None of the released versions of this song called “Run Away Sucker!” sound like this. They have been leaning on producers with a sample based approach. It might be an interesting compare and contrast rabbit hole for you, the listeners. Live recording, all parts from the performance with a couple drum replacements, and I flew in chorus vocals from other choruses to thicken it and make a gang vocal chorus. ie chorus 2 added to chorus 1, chorus 3 flown into chorus 2, and chorus 1 added to chorus 3. It’s pretty real, and certainly the loudest thing I’ve squeezed into LUFS world, but is it hip hoppy enough? PT
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2 Replies
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Port Authority, rehearsal space, bus station cleaning crew … lol — what a great image (and scent 😂) you’ve created for us to imagine as we listen to your bumpin’ mix! Love the live-band hip-hop .. brings me right back to high school in the early 90s when my lawn mowing biz was in full swing and my Sony Sports walkman was wearing out rap-metal cassettes like the Judgement Night soundtrack. Also reminds me of working with the supergroup, Prophets of Rage, several years ago, which was freaking amazing.
I love the flow and vibe of the Bronx Slang MCs, and how you’ve mixed this – bravo! My main thoughts, mixwise/production-wise, of things I might experiment with are:
- The snare: it’s wide and super fun, but I’m missing that punch in the center. Like, if you keep all that stereo snare ambience but layer in some “dry” snare right in the center to smack you over the head (hi fi) or punch you in the chest (lo fi) with each backbeat.
- The kick: it has nice attack and nice bottom but it feels very much like a “rock” kick. Might be cool to try either replacing-with or layering-in a slightly more “hip hop” kick.
Love this tho, Paul – thanks for sharing and for the trip down memory lane!!
*PS – wow, many of these Judgement Night mixes are not very good 😬 … hadn’t listened to this album in decades! But regardless, I love the experimental mish-mash of bands and MCs joining forces to pioneer new sounds 💯!!!
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Your ears so are damn good that you can just sense the “bringing back memories” experience I have from having worked for Franki Valli. That was 25 years ago and the live set was all about the hits, and they were at least 20 years old then. What a pleasure to help present his music to adoring, but aging fans reminiscing their youth. And the rock sound thing I’ve got going on in the drums… I was going for realism and grit as I recall the evening, but a more traditional hip hop sound on the kick will get me to a deeper and tactile bass which this version lacks. I’m excited to get to that revision. I have another song from that session that will benefit from the suggestions offered. Thanks. PT
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