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One for Dad

by MC Till

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1.
Pacifica 02:05
2.
Teja 04:05
3.
Sara 02:57
4.
Carl 03:58
5.
6.
Samuel 01:54
7.
Chio 02:27

about

My dad lived in Bogota, Columbia for a little bit. He was in the Peace Corps which was fitting. I always saw my dad as a peaceful person. He valued simplicity. He wore simple clothes. He rode his bike (not like motorcycle bike but like bicycle bike) to work every day. He worked decades at a Catholic high school where he taught English, American Literature, and oversaw the year book. He also coached basketball and baseball. He enjoyed simple things like reading, taking walks, and being with family.

He passed on many of his traits to me. I also value simplicity. This value shows up almost every time I make a beat. I never want to overproduce. I want to find just the right break or breaks to match the sample. The bass needs to support the kick and/or snare as well as the sample. When I make beats it is a race to fit everything together just right like a sonic puzzle. Sometimes it just doesn’t work. During these moments of frustration I will often follow my dad’s simplicity and remove everything except for the element of the beat I like the most. I’ll let that part play over and over. I will sit with it. Enjoy it. Then, inevitably a new path emerges. Sometimes moving forward requires moving back. Sometimes the best life is the life without. My dad taught me that.

If I find one thing worthy, it will be enough. If it desires something else then it will pave the way. The samples on this beat tape did just that. Each beat on “One for Dad” embodies the spirit of simplicity. Each beat features only one sample source. The entire project features samples from one sound out of Peru called Peruvian cumbia. This music was an offshoot of Columbian cumbia which my dad certainly heard while serving in Bogota.

I made this beat tape with my hands and my tears. Often I would sit back and listen to a sample that spoke to me. I would imagine my dad working with kids in Columbia. One night I clearly saw a young girl dancing around with friends while my dad taught track and field. I saw my dad smile at the innocence. It was like I was there watching in the wind.

I miss my dad. He died January 25, 2020 just before the world shut down. This beat tape is for him. I hope he can hear it. I hope it makes him smile.

Thanks for listening,

MC Till

credits

released April 2, 2021

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Everybody's Hip-hop Cincinnati, Ohio

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