Method Atelier

Hip-Hop was founded upon a need to fill a void that no one was voicing from the hood’s point of view.  There were expressions and ideas going on in America’s hoods that weren’t being professed by even the most social conscious Rhythm and Blues artists of the late 70’s and early 80’s, that we were not only in bad but, also good times.  Not everything in the hood are causes for “disturbia” but, we also laugh, smile, tell jokes, aspire and dance.  Mr. Instrumental is apart of a movement that wants to spread the love through his melodic beat making, designing video games and his love for the breakneck Get Lite Movement.  Instrumental is doing his thing to help change the face a money, hoes, and clothes mentality.  Have fun!  Read the full interview after the jump.

ON HIS START

“I was making this on-line game named Yoshi’s Adventure, where he was going through different projects in the hood and I was using other people’s beats; Rick Ross, Kanye, Jay-Z and a hole bunch of Pharell’s beats.  I took it to this studio on 162 in Bronx , where I was working with these two rappers i was working with, Glory and Kut Calderone were rapping over other people’s beats at the time and they inspired me to make some beats for them to use of their own.  So, using FL-Studio and a Ryu sample sound effect from the Street Fighter game I made a beat and they were like, “yo when you start making beats”?  So, when they started rapping on it, I just found this new thing, beat making.  It’s been a year and a change now”.  

INFLUENCE YOUR BEAT MAKING

“I grew up being teased for being a “white boy”.  I grew up in a area that was heavy.  I was always in the house.  I wasn’t outside playing basketball and football like the other kids.  I was in the house playing Nintendo and watching Nickelodeon, all day and I never really got out of that.  So, when you hear my beats it’s a lot of joy and a lot of moments that capture peoples feelings of “Oh, remember that show or that cartoon”.  A lot of people in their 30’s, 20’s, or even teenagers don’t want to associate themselves with things that are “kiddie” and I try to make those things cool.  So, a lot of my influences come from my child hood”.

FAVORITE PRODUCERS

“There are five.  First there’s Ron Browz (Arab Money), then you have Kanye West, Rav P, this producer I met that reps Jersey hard.  Cool and Dre. They did this sample off of a George Michael song on Slim Thugz album named Ms. Mary (he tries to sing the original song, lol) but, the sample didn’t sound like the original and that’s what made it so hot.  The number one is of course Pharrell.  Pharrell came at a time in hip hop, when everything was guns and hard drums and it was no sound effects or no sounds or instruments that brought joy.  So, he brought that with aggressive energy but his sound was very futuristic and video gamey.  That was so brave of him because he wasn’t rocking OD (over dosing) big hoodies.  He came with a different, skateboarder look thats still being played to this day.  It was very ballsy of him and it helped open the door for other artists to be individuals.  It’s the time of the swagg and I think that Pharrell was responsible for that.”

ON PAST OR PRESENT COLLABORATIONS

I want Kanye to go hard.  I think my beats would really appeal to him.  Lil’ Wayne.  Not because he’s hot right now or he’s the Hov of this generation but, he’s not afraid to rap however.  If someone else tried to repeat his lines they might say it’s trash but, he makes it cool, cause it’s his own swagg.  I want to see what direction he takes with my beats.  He’s not afraid to jump on anything.  Wayne said naw, Ima jump on a pop song and it works.  Also, I want to do Jim Jones on one of my tracks….Jadakiss.  I want everyone to jump on my beats.  R&B/Pop? Cassie, Lindsey Lohan, Britney Spears, this new girl named Adele.  She’s so hot that I actually made a beat off of her.  She’s from over-seas, just crossed over and has an amazing voice. Carlita Duran and Chrisette Michele, hot.  Mr. Radio?  I love her album. 

WISH LIST OF THINGS FROM THE PAST TO BRING BACK

The original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.  Mixtapes.  Big League Chewing Gum. Sega Saturn because Knights was the greatest game of all time.  I want back the days of Hip-Hop, when people weren’t afraid to be themselves.  A lot of it is about image.  I mean, hey it is about image but, its to the point when people are losing themselves.  Even Im losing myself so, I want people to as real as possible.  It’s like wrong to be happy.  I heard a DJ say that there’s no happy music anymore.  Like when SWV was out everything was poppin, it was really no beef.

MOTIVATION

Rapper/Producer Charles Hamilton.  He’s everywhere and was recently was signed Universal.  His story is crazy.  He’s from Harlem and went through so much in his life but, he was still able to kick out music and he was just hungry for it.  When I saw him at the Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival, he was in the midst of KRS-1 and DJ Premier and I told him that I was happy that he made.  My homegirl, Lovely Brown’s brother and he are best friends and I respect their grind because they’re so motivated and focused it just always let’s me know that it’s still possible.  My parents, just retired. My moms, a physician assistant was the first African-American woman in her class.  My dad worked for the government.  Just to raise me was a headache but, they always kept money in my pocket, and always made sure I stayed in school.  They just motivate by everyday life.  I strive to be them.  The number one has to be this game, The Kingdom Hearts.  My best friend Edwin put me on to it when we were in college.  It was about a boy who was lost in a bunch of Disney World’s trying to find his way. I was very suicidal around that time.  College was just too much for me and I was used to being locked down for so long and with this new independence and dealing with my some personal demons, I didn’t feel like life was really that important.  And I had a long history of depression.  That game taught me that no matter how much darkness is inside of you or the world that there is always a light because one can’t exist without the other.  WIth no light, there can be no dark and vice versa.  That game helped put a lot of things into perspective so, I decided that I just can’t say “game over”, just when things get tough.  Looking back at Charles and my parents who went through things way worse than what I was dealing with and after being able to talk to my friends helped me resolve those issues.  Video games are my purpose in life.  After that game helped save my life, I have to do something HUGE with them.

I thought our interview was going to just be about making beats and video games with a few personal tips on swag but, Instrumental inspired me.  I hope he inspires you.  On a personal note, pray for his mother Mrs. Annie Mae Brown, who recently had surgery and his grandmother who both need to be lifted up.  The Method, and even Method Atelier, as a whole, intent is to inspire big goals and big dreams and to go after them.  If you believe you can, you will.  If you go, don’t stop. GO HARD!

MR. INSTRUMENTAL’S SHOUT OUTS

Lovely Brown, Charles Hamilton, NC, SC, Charleston, Columbia, Pac-Man, Myspace, Tom from Myspace, all the video game heads, Get Lite Movement, Ron Browz.  There were some more but, he went on and on and I had to edit. LMAO.  Naw, I just couldn’t understand them all off of the recording.

www.myspace.com/mrinstrumental

-Ken Marcelle