My name is Ethan, or Headnodic. I play bass and produce for the Crown City Rockers (Mission:). The group started in Boston with the breakup of Kat’s funk band named EKG. They called it quits with one gig left on their plate, and they needed me to fill in for the bass, and Mr. Moe Pope for the front-man MCing. We were called Kraftmatic (like the adjustable bed). I had made some songs with Moe and on one occasion recorded with him and this dude I had heard about named M.C. Definate. They had flavor. Moe had a fresh-ass beat box, and Def (aka Raashan Ahmad) had a fresh Cali flow, the kind that makes you smile instead of scrunch up your face like the East coast aggressive Boston style (I love that too though). I was sold on the idea of these being the guys to start something with. Rewind…I lived in a small town in Wisconsin for ten years. Prior to that I lived fifteen minutes out of NYC. My first hip-hop memory… Dougie Fresh and the Get Fresh Crew’s “the Show”. I loved the use of the Inspector Gadget theme, but I was hit hard by the drums. After moving to Wisconsin, I did nothing. Three years rolled by…nothing….and then….YO! MTV Raps. I never missed an episode. I had a six-hour videotape of every “Yo! Live Friday’s” performance, but it snapped…fuck! I started rhyming but that didn’t go very far, due to a lack of stimuli to write about. I shifted to beats and let my friend Benzito Perkovich do the rhyming. I started with pause tapes: Step 1.) Record a snippet of music onto a cassette tape and press pause on beat. Step 2.) Rewind the snippet and record it again and press pause on beat. Step 3.) Repeat for three hours. We finished our album in 1995, and it had a few fresh moments on it. I went to the Berklee College of Music as a bassist (I’ve been playing for 12 years or so), and I met Kat on the first day. We Jammed that next day, and I’ve been lucky enough to play with her ever since. She kicks ass, she’s a really fun, goofy lady. I had always wanted to be a Fender Rhodes keyboardist, until I met her, because she plays the way that I think of keys in my head, but always many many steps ahead and beyond. Kat and I had a weekly gig playing rare groove funk covers at a seedy-ass bar in Mission Hill, and Katty found us a drummer named Max-a-trillion (Mizaphizikin) MacVeety. He’s a solid drummer, a rock. He’s a rare breed of drummer that genuinely respects loops and works really hard searching for the perfect beat. He’s a cool guy, everyone likes max, genuine, humble, honest. Moe Boogie has a dope pocket, a flavor to his rhythm. He always writes honestly about what is happening in his life, without holding back. He’s also a fresh artist. He’s attending art school in Boston now, and I’m amped to see what he’s creating. I miss that dude though. I sent him some beats recently, and can’t wait to hear that flow. He’s doing stuff with a group called the Project Move. Look for it. I met Woodstock when he came to visit Boston, and we made beats on my MPC. I learned a lot from him. I used to just chop drum breaks, and he influenced me with the drum machine; kick, snare, hi-hat style. He takes his time and doesn’t quit until it bounces, and he lets me know when my shit doesn’t bounce without saying a word. He’s a hilarious dude too (cartoon-like). Raashan is the freshest MC anywhere. I love my job. I spend all day making beats and playing bass for the freshest MC. He’s a positive soul with a world of fresh things to say. If we do our jobs right, everyone will know that. Peace. Thank you to whoever is a fan enough to read this stuff, for supporting us in making this music for all of us in hip-hop who need this stuff. Write me at Headnodic@HOTMAIL.COM P.S. (plug) Look out for Headnodic “Tuesday” and “Headnodic Beats vol.1” on Insiduous Urban Records in your local record store. And of course the Mission: joints and upcoming Crown City Rockers records. CREDITS * Headnodic named one of 2002’s URB’s NEXT 100! * 4 outta 5 stars in Hip-Hop Connection for “Headnodic Beats, Vol. 1” * “First and foremost the production by Headnodic on this record [Mission: Contagious] is exceptional.” - Elemental * “Overflowing with snappy beats and good vibes, there’s nothing here you won’t want to spin. Dig it!” - URB’s review of “Tuesday” March 2003. WEBSITES: http://www.insiduous.com http://www.missionhip-hop.com Buy Now Tuesday Headnodic $10.00