[FEATURE] MY FAVOURITE MIXTAPE – FUDZ

We asked MC Fudz about the impact his favourite mixtape has had on him…

My favourite mixtape ever has to be The Slim Shady LP because I hated it sooooooo much at first, but I ended up falling in love with it. I remember my sister used to play it all the time and I wasn’t really into hip hop so much around that time especially not those types of beats. I was more used to New York type rappers/beats. But then I actually started to listen to the music properly and listen to his lyrics. I had never heard somebody paint a picture with words like he did. His choice of beats really set the mood for every story he told. It was different. Very raw and unapologetic. Something I could really relate too deep down.

I found a new respect for Dr Dre after listening to the mixtape for discovering Eminem. I had always known about him as my sister was pretty big on West Coast hip hop. That mixtape also introduced me to Royce da 5’9, he was colddddddddd and underrated.

I was in my family home when I first heard the mixtape, I’m the third of four children so having two older siblings I didn’t really get a choice of what I wanted to listen to as they always hogged the stereo lol. And my sister is one of those people that when she gets a CD she absolutely batters it over and over again till your sick of it. I probably ended up learning the lyrics to every song on there because she has battered it so much.

I would definitely say it came into my life at a significant time. I come from a very well respected African family. So respect and manners and following rules are a big thing in most African homes (well it was in mine). But I found myself questioning a lot of things inside, it was hard for me to hold my tongue. There were a lot of things I wanted to say but couldn’t, constantly suppressing emotions out of respect. And then I’m introduced to this unruly lyrical genius who is so left field because of his approach. Someone who is looked at differently because nobody can remember a white rapper coming into the game with such talent and killing it. Eminem just didn’t give a fuck . He’ll say what he wants, when he wants and doesn’t care about your opinion. He was a hero for me. He showed me I don’t have to be silenced and I don’t have to be what society tells me to be. I can say what I want and it doesn’t make me a bad person: I can express myself all I want. A lot of people will see Eminem in a negative light for his earlier work I see him as one of best teachers.

The front cover is messed up but describes Eminem in a nutshell. It shows Eminem standing on a pier with a full moon in the background surrounded by a dark fog. Also on the pier is his car with its trunk open with what looks like a female’s legs hanging out of it- as if to say she is dead and he’s about to drop her in the water. I shouldn’t laugh but you can see why he rubbed people up the wrong way in his early days, but it made me feel like he was brave and bold and wanted to make a statement. My first mixtape cover I was topless in a dark street with blood all over me looking like a mad man. It was called ‘Headgone’. He inspired me to do that – be brave, be bold don’t conform to what they say is acceptable. In other words ‘don’t be scared of what they will think if you put this out’. It made me feel like I understood him to an extent and he was constantly teaching me.

Personally, I didn’t have a physical copy it was my sisters but it didn’t take long for it to become mine. I think I burnt it onto a blank cd to have my own copy eventually.

If I was to describe the mixtape in 3 words I would say: masterpiece anger sickkkkkkkk.

It’s hard for me to choose a favourite track on there because I have three favourites: ‘Guilty Conscience’, ‘My Fault’ and ’97 Bonnie & Clyde’ but if I was to choose out of the three it would probably be 97 Bonnie & Clyde. This track for me was everything for so many reasons. From the start of the track when you hear what sounds like a body being dragged across gravel while on going cars pass by and him putting the keys into the car inhaling and exhaling as he gets into the car and slams the door shut and the track begins ‘JUST THE TWO OF US JUST THE TWO OF US’. Me remembering the song title and thinking of the bond between Bonnie and Clyde and remember Eminem’s love for his daughter and how he sees them as partners/besties it’s those two to the end. He is the smartest lyricist (other than Andre 3000) to ever live. The way the whole track is structured to the way he is conversing with his daughter about where her mum is going. Explaining she is gone and not coming back but it’s ok because she still has him. But the irony being he killed her and they are about to throw her in the water off the pier. Crazy twisted but absolutely brilliant in regards to how creative he was to make you picture it all with just his words. This is why this track stands out by far.

If I had to out a price on this mixtape – I’m not rich yet so I would like to pay the standard price you pay for a CD- but I would definitely say this is a classic. Worth as much as classic Michael Jackson record.

Words by: Fudz