MC 900 ft. Jesus - While the City Sleeps
“When they meet me, some people are disappointed I’m not a lunatic,” is what Mark Griffin had to say in an interview from American Recordings. Mark and his music are a good case study for multiple personality disorders. Taking elements from jazz and fusing it with hip-hop, he creates twisted, unique characters and pulls you into thier darkly odd and sometimes comical little worlds. I wouldn’t call his vocal stylings rap, but more spoken word that reminds me of the beat poets of the 50’s. A surrealist you can relate to and music experimental enough to keep it interesting. A true story teller and a mind that sees this world in a light not many of us ever get to see.
These tracks are from his second album “Welcome To My Dream”, his best project in my opinion. All though his following release, “One Step Ahead of the Spiders” does show us a more emotional side of Mark. Either way, all three of his albums make rotation into my stereo quite often.
Bonus cut - The Killer Inside Me
Dig it? Buy it!
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November 26th, 2004 at 7:29 pm
Heard much about 900 Ft. Jesus, but nothing by him (them?) - thanks for the samples - good stuff.
November 26th, 2004 at 9:40 pm
I think about that MC 900 Foot Jesus 12-inch that sat in the 12-inch bin at Sound Warehouse for two years while I was growing up.
I would go there three or four times a week to either just look at music or shop for 12-inch singles, and that one 12-inch never seemed to go anywhere. It just sat there like this black and white billboard that grew more painful to see each time I would visit. I often just ignored it because I thought to myself, “What is this, a comedy record?”
I was 15, what did I know?
So when I listen to this track, I’m reminded of that experience and what it indicated: we weren’t any more ready for him then than we are now.
Even his biggest success, “If I Only Had A Brain”, had the feel of something cooked up by an incredibly gifted mind, perhaps so gifted that he couldn’t achieve the proper balance of ingredients in a way that made the chef happy. His work has always seemed like unfinished short masterpieces to me, something that began as a great idea but never had a crescendo.
With bands like !!! all but copying his style outright, some justice should be forthcoming. For all of the times that I personally think his songs miss the mark, this song is a great example of the opposite, of what is so enduring about the genius of his recipes to the musical undercurrent of the last 15 years.
November 26th, 2004 at 9:56 pm
Love the story on that 12″ - I used to work at Sound Warehouse myself, that was where I ran across his 12″ to “Going Straight to Heaven” - I was sold on the little devil graphic on the cover. Glad I did - he is truley one of those that ya love or hate or just don’t get altogehter.
Been hoping on another album from him - but it appears that Mark is working on getting his flight license instead - grrr. But maybe after having flown for a few years will give him yet another perspective on the world and some new angles to write on.
One can hope…
November 26th, 2004 at 10:34 pm
Yes, yes. “City Sleeps” is one of the classic songs of the 90s. Always loved this track. Great choice.
November 26th, 2004 at 10:37 pm
Patrik, glad you liked my Sound Warehouse story. I am a goofus, I forgot to log in before I posted it apparently.
BTW, great hanging out with all y’all last night. Check your email.
November 26th, 2004 at 10:37 pm
Any of you cats ever catch that post I put up of his track’ “Born with Monkeys Asses”? It’s a take spin off of his song “Shut up” but he overlayed and spliced up some irrate woman going off at a meeting of some sort - fun stuff.
November 26th, 2004 at 10:49 pm
Heres the link to the above mentioned track
December 2nd, 2004 at 10:23 pm
i fondly remembered “if i only had a brain” from its appearance on beavis and butthead so many years ago and downloaded it. interesting to hear about mc 900 ft jesus again. me and a friend used to joke about him. nice.