Check out this new Edgar the Producer video for Seize the Emcee's first track, called "MPS (J Dilla Tribute)," which starts with a nod to the rapper's public schooling in Milwaukee.
"MPS, public schools the genesis of where I learned to craft every letter in the sentences, put the pen to to the paper...," the lyricist begins.
Filmed by Koncept Studio during the protests on May 31, the makers say, "this video was created in love and solidarity with all the Black and Brown people fighting oppression wherever you may be."
The song – which uses breezy guitar-fueled J Dilla "The Look of Love" track – captures the spirit of the peaceful protests in Milwaukee and beyond and it could just become the soundtrack of those marches.
"With a dreamy guitar guiding the boom-bap beat, Seize doesn’t hesitate to prove that he’s got a mixture of skill and substance on the microphone," says Breaking & Entering in a post about the song.
"From lyrics about developing his pen game that evolve to bars about witnessing homicide, there’s the feeling that his flow is perpetually growing line to line. It’s a great first effort, and we’ll look for more from Seize The Emcee soon."
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
