The Wildstyle Story #22-Song Breakdown: Listen To The Man

Kevin Beacham
Nov 3 · 5 min read

This is the one song in the Wildstyle collection that I had zero input in, and technically it’s not a Wildstyle song. One day I came home to our Foxcrest apartment, and Maxx and L.A. were recording this, and I immediately knew it was going to be great. It was created after the recording of L.A.’s magnum opus, “Exploits of the Lyric Legend”, and I’m not completely certain, but I think they recorded this song because they were getting some local traction from that song and this was their fairly immediate follow up.

“Listen To The Man” is a great example of Maxx’s ability to produce something with commercial appeal, but still maintain a hardcore edge. As for the lyrics, L.A. only delivers three short verses, which I find to be perfect because it always leaves me hungry for more. He had a gift for putting words together with a poetic touch, and his flow is excellent, another one of his trademarks. Nearly every line is quotable, including the opening line, “Listen to the man, think about the ambiance/Traveling your speakers with the whistle of a missile launch”. It’s one of those opening lines that I think would make the ears perk up of most fans of great lyricism. And then, the way he follows that up is a great showcasing of technique. Then, the opening to the last verse is one of those things that randomly pops in my head from time to time, “I come across on track that’s dope, in fact/ it’s more than that, it’s all a fact, read it in your almanac/and when I’m done they’ll still be trying to play me though/the only way they’re going to play me out is through the radio!” I actually still have the notebook that he wrote these lyrics in, and there are several more lyrics that he didn’t include. I can only assume that he mindfully went through the lyrics to purposefully only include the highlight parts, focusing on quality over quantity.

This is what I believe to be the original lyrics to “Listen to the Man”. The last bar wound up being used for “The Exploits of the Lyrical Legend”, which leads me to guess that when I was removed from that song, he used some lyrics from “Listen to the Man” to fill in my spots. It would also explain why there are such a small amount of “Listen To The Man”. I suppose it also reveals that those two songs were likely written pretty closely together. They are also one after another in his lyric book.

Whatever the case, it’s the middle verse that always impressed me the most, as he keeps the momentum in full swing with another explosive opening, “Bass drum energy, snare peaks infinity/Fidelity incredibly smoother with the melody”! And, then the way he finishes the verse off is brilliant, “Setting a trend with the style where I send/many thoughts to the heads of those who pretend to be/wise. On the rise, to the top for the prize/but the weak way it sounds, and it’s clear to the eyes and the ears’ll when we’re listening/Tears’ll be glistening. Ideas are like spears, but the thoughts keep missin’ em”. Honestly, I don’t know if I’m quoting that 100% correctly, but I believe it’s really close. This is the one verse of the song that I don’t have the written lyrics too, which leads me to believe, or guess, it was the last one he wrote. I actually used to have a completely different understanding of what he was saying, based on me mishearing the lyrics, but after repeated listens in recent years, in the better sounding headphones of the day, I have the words interpreted better. But, even though I now have a completely different meaning, it is still equally great. It seems he is essentially saying that he is “setting a trend” with his style, and the trend has been created by lesser talented lyricists seeking to emulate his greatness, but they are those who “pretend to be wise”. Unfortunately, they can’t proper duplicate his excellence, so the result is the listeners noticing the “weak way it sounds”, because his “ideas are” sharp “like spears”, but somehow “the thoughts keep missin’ ‘em”. That’s the kind of writing I really love. Finding a way to say something simple, but in a sophisticated way.

Looks like this is LA reworking the “Listen to the Man” lyrics to make the final version, but still experimenting with some ideas. This includes some lyrics at the bottom of the page that didn’t make it on the song.

Now, with two powerful songs as a duo on their resume, Madd Maxx and L.A. showed they were growing and hitting a stride that had the potential to be monumental! But, unfortunately, that never happened. As far as I know, this is the last song that L.A. every recorded. In fact, not long after this song was recorded, L.A. and I were hanging out and I asked him if he wanted to go to a movie that was coming out in a few weeks, and he said he couldn’t because he was going into the Navy, and that is how I found out that he had signed up. I was completely caught off guard. I remember soon after that, someone from the Navy called for a character reference, and for a hot second, I thought about giving a really bad one, so they would deny him. But, of course, I knew that wasn’t for me to decide. He had to do what he felt was best. I was simply devastated to lose a best friend AND one of my favorite artists.

And, while L.A. didn’t continue his music career, I still have these demos, which are a personal treasure to me, and I promise you, I have continued to listen to them since they day they were recorded, and still continually be amazed at them over the years, exactly like any other of my favorite artists of that time period. I indeed do still, “Listen to the Man”.

L.A. chillin’ at Black Man Zeke’s crib circa ‘90/’91.

-Credits:

Written & Recorded: Early 1990

Recorded At: Rage Cage (Foxcrest Apt. Location)

Mixed By Madd Maxx

Produced by Madd Maxx for Rage Productions

Lyrics Written and Performed by L.A. of Wild Style

Equipment Used:

Alesis HR‑16 Drum Machine

Casio SK‑5 Sampling Keyboard

Tascam Portastudio 4-Track Recorder

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