Mr. Miranda

weatherman20
Jul 12
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INTERVIEW- Mr. Miranda: Let's Get On With The Music
Mon 12 Jul 2010 11:16:27 | 14 comments
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"Hip Hop is definitely makin it's way back to that formula cuz people are fed up with the bull they hear on the radio. You're still going to have the Wacka Flocka Flame's and the Soulja Boy's but none of that music is timeless and doesn't have stay value so in the next few year's you won't really hear about those guys anymore". -Mr. Miranda.







Chaundon.com- You been involved in music for over 10 years now. Who has been your biggest inspiration to make music?

Mr. Miranda- Taylor Swift! (Laughs) Nah man, my biggest inspiration as a kid was my uncle Mario because he was/is a phenomenal bass player and he is the one that motivated me to do music, even though I don't play the guitar, it gave me the drive to go for what I wanted and loved. As for now, I'd have to say family man, my Grandparents especially since they're no longer here. They always believed in me and told me I could be whatever I wanted so now I got them watchin over me from above so I can't lose.

Chaundon.com- When it comes to hip hop, when did you know you wanted to pursue a career as a emcee?

Mr. Miranda- In the mid 90's when I saw all the great's doing their thing, it made me realize that if you have talent then you can make a living off it.

Chaundon.com- You hail from Arizona, an area relatively unknown to the mainstream for hip hop music. Describe the music scene out in Arizona, is it as competitive as other areas (Detroit, Philadelphia, NY, Chicago)?

Mr. Miranda- I was born and raised in AZ so I've witnessed the entire development of hip hop out here. The scene has definitely come a long way and has grown into something quite nice. It's a smaller scene than Detroit, Philly, NY, etc so everyone pretty much knows one another. There are a variety of different styles out here, from mainstream, underground, latin, pop, to r&b and a lot of great talent.

Chaundon.com- I've had the pleasure of checking out your music and one thing I know to expect is solid production. Describe your beat selection process and how important good production is to making a song classic?

Mr. Miranda- My good friend Jimmy Nelson did all the production for this project and he's a beast! Me being such a music lover and student of the art, I always felt that the beat is what will set the listener's mood and embrace them into an artists world, once they've entered then they can vibe to the lyrics and if you're good then it will totally capture them and that's when you develop the fan. A song is like a person, the beat is the body and the lyrics are the clothing, but you always wanna have a good body (laughs).

Check the video "Lyrical Beams" off Mr. Miranda's album "Let's Get On To The Music".



Chaundon.com- In you opinion, what makes a song considered "classic" more, the lyrics or the production?

Mr. Miranda- If done right, then they both compliment each other, but I'd have to say the beat cuz that's what sets the mood like I stated before. If a beat is classic, chances are the song will be too.

Chaundon.com- You currently at work on a new EP titled "The J&D Experience". What type of sound can people expect from the EP?



Mr. Miranda- Pete Rock & CL Smooth's "Mecca and the Soul Brother" meets "Moment of Truth".

Chaundon.com- Any special guest appearances for the EP?

Mr. Miranda- The features I have on this project are Ariano of Technicali, Sean Boog of The Away Team, my aunt Jodi Light, and my peeps Random, Pennywise, and Judgement so it's very special. I got my dude DJ Les on some cuts as well!

Chaundon.com- Is there a release date for "The J&D Experience"?

Mr. Miranda- End of August

Chaundon.com- The lead single for the EP is "Livin' My Life" feat. Jodi Light. The song has a cool summertime vibe to it. How has the response been for the record?

Mr. Miranda- It's been lovely. Couple stations are spinnin it in AZ and quite a few online shows as well. I really love the record especially cuz my aunt is on it!

Chaundon.com- Okay, I have to ask you this... being hispanic i'm pretty sure you have to hurdle a few obstacles in the industry because of your ethnicity. Do you feel that it's more a burden or a chip on your shoulder because of the scrutiny, especially in the hip hop community?



Mr. Miranda- Big Pun pretty much set the bar for latinos cuz he showed the masses that it doesn't matter what race you are as long as you can spit you can be accepted.

Chaundon.com- Also, in the industry today, it seems like everything matters but skill anymore. If you don't have "swag" or follow trends most artists that's super talented seem to get blackballed in hip hop today. Recently It's been a string of solid album releases (major and independent) that makes me feel that the industry may be slowly reverting back to the simple formula of skills and talent getting you exposure. Do you feel this era coming back anytime soon?

Mr. Miranda- Yes indeed. Hip Hop is definitely makin it's way back to that formula cuz people are fed up with the bull they hear on the radio. You're still going to have the Wacka Flocka Flame's and the Soulja Boy's but none of that music is timeless and doesn't have stay value so in the next few year's you won't really hear about those guys anymore.

Chaundon.com- Most people blame the fans, some blame the artists, others blame the DJ's, and majority blame the record executives. Why do you think hip hop has been "dumbed down" in the mainstream with little to no variety being displayed?

Mr. Miranda- Because that's what the higher up's want to be showcased. They don't want artists to be informative to the world and educated because they don't feel people need to hear all that. They just want whatever is basic, sexy, and can get a party jumpin. Simple as that. I always thought Digital Underground was the most creative hip hop group ever and still do. Their whole concept was amazing and genius and they made a lot of "fun" music but they did it to a part where it was somewhat basic as far as lyrics go but wasn't dumbed down and that can't happen in today's scene. Everything is "dumbed" down now.

Chaundon.com- That's what's up. How can the people stay up to date with you?

Mr. Miranda- follow me on twitter @mistermiranda83 and Reverbnation.com/smoothfeelin.

Chaundon.com- Thanks for taking time out Miranda, it's much appreciated. Do you have any shout outs for the people?

Mr. Miranda- I wanna shout out my man Weatherman20 and Chaundon for hookin up this interview and constantly showin' love for my music. Much respect! Also, I wanna shout out everyone on this project: Ariano, Sean Boog, Jodi Light, Random, Pennywise, Judgement, DJ Les, and of course my main man Jimmy Nelson!!! "The J & D Experience" is comin so be ready world! Peace! - Chaundon.com

Mr. Miranda and Jazo talks about their collaboration on the song “The Game Plan”

- Phoenixhiphop.net

Mr. Miranda brings you the visuals to his record “Lost Direction” off his latest 2010 release The J & D Experience produced entirely by Jimmy Nelson. Video directed by Spicy Fud.

- Hip Hop Pulse

Here’s the new leak off the upcoming EP ”The J & D Experience“.

This tracks production is by Jimmy Nelson and is entitled, “Sunny” by Arizona emcee Mr. Miranda.

This album is set to be released early this summer. Click here for free download.

Contact info:

http://www.myspace.com/smoothfeelin

www.twitter.com/mistermiranda83

- iHeartdilla

Description

* Japanese-only edition CD.
* Digitally remastered with superior sound quality.
* Complete obi-strip & Japanese introductory/lyrics sheets included.

Release Date 2010/4/21
Reference List Price (JPY$) 2,100

- CDBANQ

If you enjoy albums that you can listen to all the way through than this one is for you. Mr. Miranda's beat selection (all Produced by Jimmy Nelson) has a lot of soul to them and one track in particular (my favorite one on the album) track number 7, "Something Happens" even has a sample from 80's new wave but sounds soulful after Jimmy Nelson (the Producer of the whole album) chops it up, breaks it down and puts it back together. As far as Mr. Miranda's emcee skills, if you enjoy multi-syllable rhyme schemes and patterns, story tracks and lots of sick wordplay than this guy will fit right into your collection of dope hip hop.
This album lacks one thing, a bunch of unnecessary collaboration songs. The album only features 3 different artists aside from Jimmy Nelson and Mr. Miranda. Some how Mr. Miranda got Jaz-O to lend a verse on track 6, "The Game Plan", you know, that one guy that helped get Jay-Z's foot in the door. The song with Jaz-O has a DJ Premier feel to it with scratching on the hook reminiscent of good hip hop music. The title speaks for itself ("The Game Plan") its basically Mr. Miranda breaking down his worth ethic on you. He also has a track with my other homie James Ciphurphace reprsentin' the Land of Two Suns (Tucson, AZ) on track 12, "Don't Wanna Lose Your Love" about how you don't want to forget about why we make music and not sellin' out. Last but not least he has Dina Lopez drop some hypnotic singing vocals over track 14, "Teena" a track about a young single gully mother who does what she has to do to survive.
Even though Mr. Miranda was raised in the streets of Phoenix, AZ in the Southwest region of the country he has a sound reminiscent of 90's Eastcoast hip hop with the thought progression of the 2000's. If you still aren't sold on this album track number 13, "The Kick Off" should close the deal. It all includes wordplay of different sneaker brands involved in a bank robbery. Crazy right? It's like if you took GZA's "Labels" off of Liquid Swords and mixed it with Dead Prez's "Animal Farm" off of "Let's Get Free" and Big L's "The Heist" you'd get "The Kick Off". You can cop "Let's Get On With The Music" here
Let's Get On With The Music LaLa.com

and you can cop "Let's Get On With The Music " Here at CDBaby.com

You can also find it on UGHH.com

- Hip Hop Anonymous

Mr. Miranda "Miranda's Rights (A Tribute To Ernesto Miranda)": This is ill! I’m not up on Mr. Miranda, but if you’ve ever been locked up, watch COPS or anything police-related, you’ve heard about being read your Miranda Rights. Mr. Miranda’s uncle, Ernesto, is the reason the legal system had to enact them! Ernesto’s birthday is today, the same day Biggie passed away, and over DJ Quik’s “Safe & Sound”, Mr. Miranda sends some tributes to his uncle. Love life. Appreciate the trailblazers.

- Rock the Dub

Key To Success is the first official single for Mr Miranda and Hexasagon‘s collaboration project A Piece Of Mind. That joint sounds really good !
- Good Music Only

Mr. Miranda is doing a dedication project for Rick James titled The Super Freak Tape: A Tribute to Rick James, and this is the first single. I played this on The Come Up Show last night and I encourage you to listen and download. FEEL GOOD MUSIC.

- The Come Up Show

Mr. Miranda - Power 98.3fm

Mr. Miranda - Go James - Rap Reviews

Mr. Miranda brings you the visuals to his record "Lost Direction" off his latest 2010 release "The J & D Experience" produced entirely by Jimmy Nelson. Video directed by Spicy Fud - Kevin Nottingham

Dave Miranda might've been born 15 years too late. Ask the Phoenix rapper, who performs as Mr. Miranda, about his influences, and he speaks reverently about old-school hip-hop artists like Run-DMC, Gang Starr, Masta Ace, and Ice Cube. Even though Miranda was in grade school when those acts were at the height of their fame, their influence is all over Miranda's work.










Miranda's latest release, an EP with producer Jimmy Nelson titled The J&D Experience, features Miranda's smooth, laid-back flow over a collection of Nelson's retro beats. Miranda is unapologetic about his love of classic hip-hop.

"The term 'hater' is used so loosely," he says. "If you don't like anything that's out now, you're just automatically a hater. They'll tell you 'Get out of that Golden Era bullshit, man. It had its time. Live on. It's the new millennium. We're taking it to another level.' Well, I don't necessarily know if I wanna go to that level yet. Speaking on just hip-hop in general, I fell in love with the culture. I fell in love with the sounds. It wasn't about the Mercedes-Benz. It wasn't about the jewelry and the women and stuff."

Miranda has clearly found a kindred spirit in Nelson, who lists DJ Premier, Madlib, Pete Rock, and RZA as hip-hop heroes but also finds inspiration outside the boundaries of rap.

"Really, more than hip-hop influenced me, jazz, soul, and classic rock records pushed me even more," Nelson says via e-mail. "From Marvin Gaye to Bob Dylan, Miles Davis to The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix to Django Reinhardt. They all sounded like they were married to music, rather than just tinkering around the edges."

The duo met in 2004, when Nelson was a member of Valley hip-hop crew the Society of Invisibles and Miranda was performing as Smooth.

"When I first met Arlo from TSOI, I was really young and new to production in general," Nelson says. "He saw the potential;, the crew kicked my ass around a little bit and taught me a lot. I started progressing, and producing a lot of music with Nonsense and Sneaky Pete. Some of it was good, some of it was pretty bad. I met Mr. Miranda around this time, who was the 104,642nd musical artist to use "Smooth" as his stage name. I generally just recorded music for him — he'd bring other peoples' beats to the studio and record his tracks. When I convinced him that sometimes the music sucked and that it needed more elbow grease, he started recording over some of my beats here and there."

Nelson contributed a beat to Miranda's 2008 mixtape, The Wonderful World of Mr. Miranda, and Miranda liked it so much that he hasn't recorded with another producer since. Nelson provided all the beats for Miranda's 2009 album, Let's Get On with the Music, as well as the latest EP.

The two don't necessarily agree on everything, however. Nelson prefers staying behind the scenes, working on beats in the studio. He rarely performs live and takes a pragmatic view of the local hip-hop scene.

"It's like going to the flea market," Nelson says. "You exchange your currency for the goods and services you want. You end up with some neat little knickknacks and leave the rest for somebody else. That's really all I have to say about that."

Miranda, meanwhile, is one of the most active members of the local hip-hop scene, regularly performing at local shows and opening for Ne-Yo, Common, Evidence, Cappadonna and Aceyalone, among others. He toured the Midwest with MG! The Visionary in 2006 and joined fellow Valley rapper Random on a tour of the Southwest last year. Touring and performing live is hardly an unusual business plan for independent artists, but when it comes to the Phoenix hip-hop scene, it's a relative rarity, something Miranda thinks has held back the scene.

"You've gotta get yourself out there," Miranda says. "That's the only thing that I think has a lot to do with it, is that a lot of these artists, they don't do indie shows. You've gotta invest in yourself, man. If you can't invest in yourself, why should anybody else? A lot of artists want to just sit there and wait for that handout. You can't have the hitchhiker's mentality. You can't wait for that handout. You've got to really go for yours. A lot of artists, they may have the talent, but they don't necessarily have the drive."

That's not to say that Miranda doesn't do his part to unify the local hip-hop scene. He's an active member on ArizonaBeats.com, a message board that serves as an online hub for all things related to the Valley scene. He also contributed a verse to "Back to AZ," an epic, eight-minute protest song that closed out New Times' anti-SB 1070 comp, A Line in the Sand. The song featured a dozen local MCs and DJs — some of whom had never even met each other before — and was written, recorded, and released (video and all) in little more than a week.

"The way it went down was real, real crazy," Miranda says. "It was like this whole trial process, like this five-day trial. He [who] contacted me on Thursday. I knocked my verse out that Saturday, gave it to him that Sunday. Monday, we shot the video. Wednesday, it was released. It was just that fast."

Miranda, a Hispanic and native Arizonan, says his family heritage played a part in his decision to take a stand against the controversial immigration law. Miranda's great-uncle, Ernesto Miranda, was a plaintiff in Miranda v. Arizona, the landmark Supreme Court decision that requires police officers to read suspects their rights upon arrest.

"I just look at everything that he fought for," says Miranda, whose great-uncle died seven years before he was born. "He was a revolutionary, in his own sense. I mean, at the end of the day, he was a criminal. That's just how Ernie was . . . When [SB 1070] came into play, I couldn't help but think of him — him being from here. If he was from L.A. or Chicago or something, it'd be like, 'all right.' But he was from here. He lived here, and he fought. He didn't necessarily fight for Arizona's rights. What he did was for everybody worldwide. So I just thought, 'What would Ernie do?'"

- New Times