The Wildstyle Story #14-Song Breakdown: The Exploits of the Lyric Legend
I suppose you could say this song official marked the end of Wildstyle. First off, the real title for this song is “Techno Dance”, but this song is so great to me that I felt it deserved a better fitting title. LA often referred to himself as the “lyrical legend”, and he was using that title before I even met him, and to
me, no song better seeks to prove that claim than this one.
The track was produced by Madd Maxx, and co-produced by Alan “BaddMixx” Boyd, a local DJ with a rising following at the time, and it is the first of their short production collaboration. BaddMixx had a following and was able open the doors to some opportunities for Maxx as a DJ and Producer, and Maxx also told me that BaddMixx provided some mentoring to him as well to some degree. In fact, Madd Maxx was a part of BaddMixx’s DJ crew, DDI (Dynamic DJs Incorporated…if memory serves), and did a few parties spinning through that connection.
I came by Maxx’s grandmother’s house one day and the basic parts of this song were done, but Maxx wanted my opinion because he felt something was missing. As noted elsewhere in these Song Breakdowns, I was usually the one who programmed the drum machines up to this point. So, I listened to it, and I don’t remember if I didn’t like the Hi-Hats or if they hadn’t added Hi-Hats, but that’s where I focused. I could hear there was plenty going on with the beat, and it all meshed together excellently, so it didn’t need anything overbearing. So, I came up with the idea to use the Alesis HR-16’s tambourines as Hi-Hats, but also alternating two different tones of them to give a cool effect. Maxx loved it immediately and that became a part of the song. In fact, it’s the only part of the song I had a part of.
Funny thing, I have gone at least the last couple decades thinking I never got asked to be on this song. Even when I interviewed Maxx for this, I asked if he remembered why I wasn’t on this song, and he didn’t fully recall, but seemed to remember their was some tension in the group at the time. It wasn’t until I recently re-listened to the 4-track master tape that I “remembered” that I actually was on this song originally. I had at least two verses. On the 4-track tape, most of those verses are there, but when they went in to do the final version, due to the limited number of tracks, parts of my verses (the beginnings and endings) were cut off by a couple seconds, as they added scratches to the song. Let me be clear, my verses are NOT good and I’m GLAD this is a solo LA song. I certainly didn’t feel that way then, but I also certainly didn’t bring my A game…barely my B game to be honest. So, know my scattered memories make better sense. It seems LA and I recorded vocals to this, two verses each, and Maxx took it back for BaddMixx to hear. It seems that one of BaddMixx’s comments, perhaps his only one, was something to the degree that LA sounds way better on the song, and that he should be the only one. Over the years, perhaps somewhat traumatized by the whole ordeal, I had convinced myself that the BaddMixx comment was about me overall, and I somehow interpreted that from the feedback that I was being pushed out of the group, a group that I felt I had a critical part in forming, as well as its progress. Looking back, I likely overreacted. And, I think it’s also true that Maxx may have been pushing to make a point. He sometimes would be over-dramatic to make point, so him saying something like, “Yeah, if you don’t step it up, we might have to focus on LA as the main lyricist”, or something like that, wouldn’t be a stretch of imagination, but I’m not saying that is exactly what I said, because I don’t remember, and he doesn’t either. But, that sort of approach was the way he liked to “encourage” you. So, even if that isn’t exactly the way it was phrased to me, that is how I took it. And, BaddMixx, also was a bit eccentric in his ways too…much like Maxx and I, so the combination could sometimes make for fertile ground for creativity, but not always the best for communication. My point in stressing this is to recognize and admit the mistakes I made back then. I was a hothead, and not that it excuses it, but largely that is because I was so passionate about making music, and being part of Wildstyle in particular, and Maxx had his own similar path in that way.
However, the most important part of this song to me is absolutely LA, as he is absolutely brilliant on here!! And, I mean that in every way; lyrics, flow, personality…he nails it all. I think part of that was him simply evolving as an artist, but I also believe he felt some pressure being that this was his first solo song. That in mind, Maxx had a memory that I don’t recall. He says that they spent a lot of time doing the vocal takes for this song, as they were trying to get LA to really nail it, and they achieved that. But, Maxx also had a memory of LA calling me over to assist in that process in some way. I didn’t remember that until he mentioned it and only have a vague memory of coming to be supportive, but I think that was it. Certainly I know as a writer LA didn’t need my help, as he was always as great, and often times better than me. But, he also didn’t write nearly as much as me, so it’s possible under the pressure to get the song done, he may have asked for my help in some way, but I doubt I wrote anything he used, it was likely more being encouraging and saying,”YES, that’s dope!” and maybe suggesting he eliminate or change some things.
I wanted to quote some lyrics, but it’s too difficult to choose, there’s greatness in nearly everything thing he says or how he says it, often both. But, one thing does stand out for a personal reason, as I think it was somewhat in reference to me, or better said, a reference to him being able to hold his own weight as a solo artist without me. He says, “Speaking of a sucker who thinks he has a breakthrough/It doesn’t really take two to make this statement true!” First off, it’s a testament to his great phrasing. He’s directly speaking about Rob Base and his hit song of the time, “It Takes Two”. This was a time when Pop Rap was starting to become prominent. Both LA and I had a wide range of diverse taste. I would say he was even more open to commercially successful songs. He was watching the Rap music video shows back then and I really wasn’t, I always doing something. I was writing, producing, working, or I was also running around town a lot getting into whatever. I have these distinct memories of him reciting lyrics to the singles from artists like Heavy D, Kwame, Queen Latifah, Three Times Dope, Kid N Play, etc… I also loved all those artists, but I didn’t really care for; “The Overweight Lover’s In The House”, “The Rhythm”, “Funky Dividends, “Rollin’ With Kid N Play”, etc… (I did love the Latifah singles, she kills it lyrically on them), I was all about the album cuts for those artists. That’s not to say, LA didn’t like those album cuts also, he seemed to simply appreciate the singles more than me. At the same time, as artists, particularly wanting to push the limits of lyricism, we both would get frustrated when some songs became huge, and others things did not. And, I know Rob Base is one of those songs we probably both enjoyed and were also annoyed by. But, the other part of that quote of “doesn’t really take two to make this statement true” is that this is his first solo song, without me, and he’s making the point, directly or indirectly, that he is more than capable of winning on his own. In any event, as not to hurt Rob Base’s feelings too much, or perhaps mine also, he immediately follows with, “Positive energy, no negativity, full of ambition, no obstacle can get rid of me”.
I think he only did two shows to push this song, as it was building some local traction, and I think with the right push they could have found someone willing to release this as a single. They performed at Neon City, which was a great show! And, Maxx says the biggest show they did was at Fiesta Palace, and it was that show that had him feeling like a star for a quick moment. I can’t remember if I was at the Fiesta Palace show, but I feel like I wouldn’t have missed it.
I don’t know how to properly explain how big of a fan I am of LA’s performance and writing on this song. I still listen to it on the regular, and I have every since I had a dub of it. It is a FAVORITE of mine, and LA is one of my favorite MCs of this time period…PERIOD. The lyric legend lives on forever if I have anything to say about it…
