Over the past decade, MC Homeless has been carving out his path through indie hip-hop with a relentless touring schedule and countless collaborations. He is on the verge of releasing his sophomore LP ‘27’ on Milled Pavement records and he is kicking as hard as ever. Perhaps it is the confidence of a blooming career in rap music, but this man will certainly be arriving in Richmond with true cojones and gusto, prepared to battle local mainstay Swerve 36 on stage. Here is what MC Homeless had to say about life as a rap artist and the impending cage match.
Over the past decade, MC Homeless has been carving out his path through indie hip-hop with a relentless touring schedule and countless collaborations. He is on the verge of releasing his sophomore LP ‘27’ on Milled Pavement records and he is kicking as hard as ever. Perhaps it is the confidence of a blooming career in rap music, but this man will certainly be arriving in Richmond with true cojones and gusto, prepared to battle local mainstay Swerve 36 on stage. Here is what MC Homeless had to say about life as a rap artist and the impending cage match.
Isaac: You’re from Ohio and have lived in North Carolina and L.A., but what do you know about Richmond, VA?
MC Homeless: Richmond, Virginia is one of my favorite cities. I like the culture. I’ve done a handful of shows and most of them have been pretty good. Nara Sushi was one of my favorite places to play for a while.
Isaac: Tell me about your most recent tour with P.T. Burnem. How is the hip-hop scene doing in Europe?
MC Homeless: P.T. Burnem and I recently completed a 27 day tour of Europe. We played in Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Poland, Germany, France and Romania. There is a ton of crappy rappers in Europe and a small pocket of really great talent. It’s the same as the States. You have to sift through the bullshit. People seem eager to hear new and independent-minded rap music though. Many people who come to our shows in Europe and the U.S. come from the punk rock and DIY scene but they are open minded and looking for something new. We don’t just stand there, grab our dicks and rhyme about how cool we are on a stage. We interact with the audience and bleed for them. I prefer no stage, actually.
Isaac: Belarus?
MC Homeless: Yeah, Burnem and I were the first indie rappers from the U.S. to play Belarus, which is actually the last remaining dictatorship in Europe. It’s a former Soviet nation in shambles, but the kids are really great.
Isaac: Your new record ‘27’ is about to drop in November. How does it compare to your earlier works?
MC Homeless: 27 is way better! Trapped under an Ohio Sky was more like a collection of music than an actual album. 27 is more concise and has a feel to it that sticks for all ten songs. I think my raps are better too. My 12 inch was pretty much the bridge between my first full length and this one.
Isaac: What is your experience like battling emcees?
MC Homeless: I used to love battling just to shatter rappers egos. I once beat thirteen rappers in a row. These days I’d rather live in reality and make music that means something to me. Battling is corny. Most of it is bullshit. The audience cheers for their friends. People come with standup comedy punch lines and think that’s rapping. If people really want to see a battle, take two emcees out of a venue and put them in a private setting then let them rap it out for at least thirty minutes straight. The corny, premeditated punch lines will fade and it will be obvious who the better rapper is.
Isaac: How do you plan to defeat Swerve 36 on the 10th?
MC Homeless: With a Johnny Cage fatality.
Swerve 36 is a Richmond hip-hop artist who does it all. Whether it’s DJing, freestyling, promoting a show or putting out records, he’s probably up to something. No other artist here has been doing it consistently and for so long in Richmond. On October 10th, he will put reputation and resumé on the line when he faces off against MC Homeless.
Isaac: How did you get introduced to hip-hop?
Swerve 36: A long time ago in a land far away.
Isaac: What’s good in Richmond, VA? What have you been up to in 2010?
Swerve 36: Family life and Nascar. I’ve been working on a project called ‘Legend’ with a lot of local entertainers produced entirely by Chadrach from the Divine Profitz.
Isaac: You’ve played a lot of shows. What’s the most memorable?
Swerve 36: Opening for the Roots, warm crowd, 1000 people enjoying my pain.
Isaac: When’s the last time you battled another rapper? What happened?
Swerve 36: Been awhile. I don’t remember. Other people seem to remember better than I do.
Isaac: How do you plan to defeat MC Homeless on the 10th?
Swerve 36: With an abundance of abusive, hurtful comments sprinkled with dick jokes.
On the 10th day of the 10th month of 2010, two generations of rap music will battle on the stage of Strange Matter for the title of better emcee. It’s MC Homeless vs. Swerve 36, and quite frankly, they sort of don’t like each other.
Both rappers come armed with veteran-level experience and some serious freestyling skills. However, they do flex different styles of rap. It’s anyone’s match and it will ultimately be left up to the crowd to decide who walks away with the free bar tab and bragging rights.
So come on out to Strange Matter on Sunday, October 10th and decide for yourself. Also not to be missed will be performances by local heavyweights Luggage and Swordplay plus touring artist Dropjaw and DJ MIR spinning all night.
Doors open at 10pm. Only $5 to see the slaughter.
WHAT: Classic Acts and Battle Raps
WHEN: Sunday October 10th 2010. Doors open at 10.
WHERE: Strange Matter 929 W. Grace St.
WHO: A featured battle between MC Homeless and Swerve 36 plus performances by Luggage, Dropjaw and Swordplay with DJ Mir spinning all night.
COST: $5
