Stir Crazy

RAPPED AND TAGGED | PRODUCERS CORNER: STIR CRAZY

http://fangoria.com/musick/musick-news/4437-rapped-and-tagged-producers-corner-stir-crazy.html


RAPPED AND TAGGED | PRODUCERS CORNER: STIR CRAZY
Monday, October 26, 2009 03:59 AM Matt Molgaard MUSICK NEWS


For every vocalist to bask in the glow of fame, there's a producer or two lurking in the shadows. Often unrecognized, often under-appreciated, these unsung heroes are worthy of more than mere recognition, but genuine praise. Now, realize that not every producer is confined to a supportive role, Dr. Dre, Timbaland, Pharrell Williams, and Kanye West are just a few producers who enjoy the spotlight on a day to day basis. Realize also however, that every aforementioned name also handles a microphone pretty damn well, and has built a reputation doing so.

What of those who don't necessarily spend a wealth of time recording vocals? Do they not merit extreme exposure, and endless praise? I think they do; that's the reasoning behind this Rapped And Tagged spin off Producers Corner.

To launch this little series of articles, we're going to first focus on Detroit, Michigan native Stir Crazy. Stir, born Jesse Elliot on December 23, 1986 has been feeding an already engorging résumé with countless industry leaders. While the 22 year old hasn't restricted his services to the horrorcore sub genre exclusively, he's definitely lent his talents to the darker side of music enough to be recognized amongst most horrorcore/wicked shit artists as well as followers. Hell, I myself was familiar with the man's production before I wrote a single piece for Fango.

STIR_CRAZY_2Amongst the industry big leaguers to collaborate with Stir Crazy are Bizzy Bone, Bizzare of D-12, King Gordy, Q-Strange, T.O.N.E-Z (the two recently teamed up to create the impressive album HEROES), Tech N9ne and The Insane Clown Posse. And believe me when I say that's only skimming the surface. An impeccable work ethic and true passion have lead Jesse Elliot down a path of early success, and if PENNY DREADFULS (Stir's latest project) is any indicator of what the future holds in store' well - it's cliché as all hell, but: the sky is the limit.

Since I tossed the PENNY DREADFULS remark out there, I may as well share a sliver of insight. The album, a collaborative effort with emcee Dood Computer is hardly horrorcore. Listeners will however, capture some dark humor, and straight-forward aggression in spots. But horrorcore or not, it's an excellent album. Dood's vocals are captivating, his lyrics clever while catchy - and Stir Crazy only seems to accentuate Dood's unwavering presence by laying a smooth and funky foundation. 'Something Better', 'Push It Through' and 'Rachel Profiling' are all exceptionally strong songs that I've found to pack quite the replay value.

One of the more interesting facts about PENNY DREADFULS however has nothing to do with the music itself, but rather the packaging. Stir and Dood came up with quite the clever marketing scheme for this release. Rather than your run-of-the-mill CD packaging, we're treated to a vintage cassette tape. Yeah, you read that right cassette tape. Now, you're of course not forced to utilize the tape itself (though you can if you'd like), a download card is included in the package which will lead you to www.pennydreadfulsrap.com where you can input an access code (provided on the backside of the card) that will enable you to download the album in it's entirety as well as a few extras. So, in effect you've got both a vintage and futuristic feel to the package simultaneously; it's really quite brilliant.

Keep an ear open for Stir Crazy's new collaborative project with Ikkurruz by following Stir Crazy on Twitter at www.twitter.com/stircrazymusic, checking out his myspace at www.myspace.com/stircrazymusic or hitting his personal website at www.stircrazymusic.com.