M-TRI & DJ Leecy T

Artist Information

Biography

The Gravesend, Brooklyn-based rap duo M-TRI & DJ Leecy T stand in the middle of a year of great press reviews and the release of videos for the singles,"Suicidal Hype Sh*T" and "The Grease." It is no surprise considering that M-TRI is the triple-threat of emcee, deejay and producer. M-TRI was introduced to hip hop during its golden era through graffiti and break dancing and has not looked back since. Being a student of the music of RUN DMC, LL Cool J, Rakim and Big Daddy Kane inspired him to pick up the pen and begin writing rhymes. The acronym M-TRI is taken from his birth name, Max Triolo. This hip hop architect is constantly building through his subject matter, wordplay, punch lines, metaphors, and of course his flow, but to him there was an element missing-a deejay for live performances. Around the same time Felice was taking a break from modeling to follow her roots in music, specifically her love for hip hop, and that was when the M-TRI/DJ Leecy T duo was formed. M-TRI became her mentor and showed her how to blend and scratch and before she knew it, DJ Leecy T was guest deejaying at venues with M-TRI and holding down the turntables for M-TRI during his live stage shows. During this time she also won the award for Best New DJ at the Rapathon 2009 and became a guest deejay on Equilibrium Radio 90.3 FM in NYC. A male emcee and a female deejay with an interactive live show-they were immediately embraced. DJ Leecy T finishes M-TRI's sentences with scratch phrases and also scratches the choruses. M-TRI & DJ Leecy T both together and separately have performed with Talib Kweli, Neek the Exotic, Large Professor, Rah Digga, Eternia, Homeboy Sandman, M.O.P., Sadat X, Dana Dane, Grandmaster Caz and Grand Wizard Theodore to name a few. They were a feature on the Ralph McDaniel's show Emcee to Emcee with Kangol Kid and members of the group Funky 4+1. It is a show where a legend passes the hip hop torch to an up and coming act. DJ Leecy T recently hosted a mixtape for MC Lyte's Hip Hop Sisters-an organization about women promoting positivity and growth through hip hop. An all femcee project, "DJ Leecy T Presents: We Got Now Vol I." answers the question, "Where are the female emcees?" Nowadays you can listen to DJ Leecy T on WBAI 99.5 FM in NYC every other Wednesday from 3-5 am spinning underground hip hop. You can see this dynamic duo at venues such as Southpaw in Brooklyn, Sullivan Hall, Bowery Poetry Club and Brown Bag Thursdays in NYC where you can catch their one-of-a-kind performance. For diehard hip hop fans, it is a must see!!

Instrumentation

Emcee: M-TRI
DJ: Leecy T

Discography

Album: Max Talkin' Real Ism
Radio airplay singles: Elephants, 1988 (Take U Back), Suicidal Hype Sh*T, Achievements, Luvlettatodapigs, The Grease, Realism

Links

• Suicidal Hype Sh*t official video
• The Grease Official Video
• DJ Leecy T Presents: We Got Now Vol I

Audio

• Suicidal Hype Sh*T
  Listen   Download
• Achievements (radio edit)
  Listen   Download
• Elephants (radio edit)
  Listen   Download
• 1988 (radio edit)
  Listen   Download

Video

Suicidal Hype Sh*t (Official Video)

M-TRI and DJ Leecy T live at Southpaw Brooklyn, NYC

Photo Gallery

Press

• Hip Hop Hybrids of Brooklyn
  

  http:?/?/?www.?brooklynartscou?ncil.?org/?documents/?1300

• M-TRI & DJ Leecy T-Mr. Beatz Album Release Performance Review [+ Show ]
  

  Positive vibes at Southpaw for the Mr. Beatz Spit Therapy Record Release Party on Tuesday night. Be...Positive vibes at Southpaw for the Mr. Beatz Spit Therapy Record Release Party on Tuesday night. Being it was a school night, I caught the main triumvirate of performers: M-TRI, Brown Bag All Stars, and Homeboy Sandman. The intimate gathering of fellow MC’s, Host Jeff Strange, friends and aficionados made for warm atmosphere. All in all, the performances oozed deep respect for Mr. Beatz. Mad love from his underground peers.
  The evening began with a short set by M-TRI (Max Talkin’ Real Ism) and his partner-in-crime (and love) DJ Leecy-T. Now, watching a female DJ work the turntables old school got me excited immediately. (Later she gave me a card and turned out to be a lovely spirit in person as onstage).
  She brought energy and flavor to M-TRI’s set, which had a tendency of hitting one tenor. MC schoolin’ the masses on how to be right, live right, love life. His style is super reverential, recalling the likes of Run DMC, Public Enemy, Slick Rick, Grandmaster Flash when we hear him and his DJ work. His love for the art of Hip Hop is genuine. And his undeniable chemistry with Leecy-T set the tone for the night.
  

• January 11, 2010 Artist of the Week:M-TRI [+ Show ]
  

  Before I even spun M-Tri’s album, Max Talkin’ Real Ism, I had a distinct feeling it was going to be ...Before I even spun M-Tri’s album, Max Talkin’ Real Ism, I had a distinct feeling it was going to be a little different from most of the other fare that had been coming across my desk as of late. His wife, DJ Leecy T, had passed me the album, and being that there aren’t a lot of wives in the scene, that instantly made M-Tri stand out to me. It didn’t take long before his album stood out to me, too. Max Talkin’ Real Ism is dope hip-hop. M-Tri’s lyrical content, and the way he delivers that lyrical content, are both top notch. That’s why this week I caught up with him to find out more about his music, one of his most memorable emcee battles, and what it’s like being married in the rap game.
  
  Adam Bernard: Start me off with the M-Tri story. Where are you from and how did you come to the decision to pick up a mic and start spittin rhymes?
  M-Tri: I'm from the Gravesend section of Brooklyn, New York. I was introduced to hip-hop through the elements of graffiti and breakdancing. I started writing rhymes after being inspired by artists like Run-DMC, UTFO, Whodini, and LL Cool J. After hearing Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, Kool G Rap, and KRS-One, that really put the fire in me to start recording and performing. Shortly after that I started DJing and a few years later got into production.
  
  Adam Bernard: I’ve been listening to your album, Max Talkin’ Real Ism, and there’s an impressive array of subject matter on it. What were some of the “Real-isms” you were hoping to cover going in and what do you feel are some of the more powerful statements on the album?
  M-Tri: Going in, besides the braggadocios emcee topics, I really wanted to cover the everyday life issues of people, such as work, relationships, addiction, self-improvement, money, and injustices. The more powerful statements would be about police brutality, how the government neglects disabled and poor people, and striving to achieve your goals by staying focused and positive in a negative world.
  
  Adam Bernard: Who do you think the target audience is for this album and how do you hope it will affect them when they listen to it?
  M-Tri: I think my target audience would be people both young and old that love and respect the culture of hip-hop. I hope it makes them feel inspired as well as entertained through the lyrics, boom bap beats, and scratches.
  
  Adam Bernard: You have one line on, I think it’s “Silly Rappers,” where you say emcees are nervous “like Mike Tyson at a spelling bee.” This leads me to believe that you, at one point in time, may have been a battle emcee. 1) Am I right? 2) If I’m right give me your best war story from you time battling.
  M-Tri: Yeah I definitely started out as a battle emcee, like most of us do. I have a few war stories, here's one... It was my senior year in high school and I was leaving school with a friend. I was showing him a press photo of my DJ at the time, our dancers, and myself. This kid overheard our conversation and jumped in with "you got dancers? You think you can rap?" By the time I was a senior most people knew I rhymed and I had quite a few battles at school, but I didn't know this kid and obviously he didn't know me, so he challenged me to a battle. There were a bunch of us on the corner and I set it off. He was definitely caught off guard. He kicked something and we went back and forth a few times. The crowd judged me as the winner. We shook hands and I went on my way. The next day while I was leaving school he ran up to me like "let's battle again!" He had some of his friends with him and by the time we started a huge crowd surrounded us outside of school. People thought it was a fight and the crowd got bigger. We rhymed back and forth a few times and then he started getting racial with it. I just kept hitting him with straight comedy. I had people cracking up and screaming. The crowd lost it on one of my lines and that ended the battle.
  
  Adam Bernard: That’s a dope story. You know, your wife was the person who actually passed me your album. I know a lot of rappers who only rhyme to get girls, so how is it being married in hip-hop? Does it help you keep your focus knowing that who you’re going home with isn’t a question?
  M-Tri: My wife is actually my DJ now so being married in hip-hop is awesome! And she's DOPE, so what more could I ask for? We have a beautiful relationship on and off the stage. Being married and settled down works really well for me because I am definitely more focused now than I was in the past. Shout out to DJ LEECY T!
  
  Adam Bernard: How do you feel the landscape of hip-hop would be different if you were a top selling artist?
  M-Tri: The landscape of hip-hop wouldn't be focused so much on materialistic things, violence, and sex. It would be more realistic and intelligent for the everyday person. Hip-hop would focus more on skills and creativity if I was a top selling artist.
  
  Adam Bernard: When all is said and done, how do you hope the M-Tri chapter in hip-hop’s history book will be wrapped up?
  M-Tri: I hope it would be wrapped up by saying I was a sincere and dedicated artist to the culture of hip-hop as a triple threat on the set, that I gave back to the community, never turned away an autograph, and went triple platinum!!!

• Featured Artist: M-TRI [+ Show ]
  

  April's featured artist is M-TRI: From the Gravesend section of Brooklyn comes M-TRI, the triple-...April's featured artist is M-TRI:
  
  From the Gravesend section of Brooklyn comes M-TRI, the triple-threat of emcee, deejay and producer. M-TRI was introduced to hip hop during its golden era through graffiti and break dancing and hasn’t looked back since. Being a student of the music of RUN DMC, LL Cool J, Rakim and Big Daddy Kane inspired him to pick up the pen and begin writing rhymes. The acronym M-TRI is taken from his birth name, Max Triolo. This hip-hop architect is constantly building through his subject matter, wordplay, punch lines, metaphors,and of course his flow, but to him there was an element missing- a deejay for live performances. Around the same time, Felice was taking a break from modeling to follow her roots in music, specifically her love for hip hop and that was when the M-TRI/DJ Leecy T duo was formed. M-TRI became her mentor and showed her how to blend, scratch and before she knew it DJ Leecy T was guest deejaying at venues with M-TRI and holding down the turntables for M-TRI during his live stage shows. During this time she also won the award for Best New DJ at the Rapathon 2009 and became a guest deejay on Equilibrium Radio 90.3FM in NYC. A male emcee and a female deejay with an interactive live show-they got a great response. DJ Leecy T finishes his sentences with scratch phrases and also scratches the choruses. They recently performed at the Apollo 75th Anniversary Celebration paying homage to those who paved the way in hip hop. Nowadays you can see the duo at venues such as Southpaw in Brooklyn, Bowery Poetry Club and Brown Bag Thursdays in NYC where you can catch their one-of-a-kind performance. For diehard hip hop fans, it is a must see!!
  

• iHeart Track of the Week-"Achievements"
  

  http:?/?/?iheartdilla.?com/?2010/?04/?iheart-?track-?of-?the-?week-?38.?html

• She's So Fresh Feature-DJ Leecy T
  

  http:?/?/?www.?wesofresh.?com/?2010/?04/?relate-?relax-?re-?leece.?html

• Free Download:M-TRI "Suicidal Hype Sh*t" [+ Show ]
  

  M-Tri is a Brooklyn-based emcee, producer and turntablist who I saw rock a show at Southpaw a mont...
  M-Tri is a Brooklyn-based emcee, producer and turntablist who I saw rock a show at Southpaw a month or so ago. I was impressed because dude spun all the opening sets, then headlined. I’m looking forward to checking out his album, which I’m sure displays the same type of versatility. Suicidal Hype Sh*T is a track from M-Tri’s new album “Max Talkin’ Real Ism.”

• M-TRI and DJ Leecy T -Live at Southpaw in Brooklyn [+ Show ]
  

  http://straightspitters.blogspot.com/2009/09/m-tri-and-dj-leecy-t-live-at-southpaw.html This perf...http://straightspitters.blogspot.com/2009/09/m-tri-and-dj-leecy-t-live-at-southpaw.html
  
  This performance is dope as hell, period! You NEVER see shit like this anywhere nowadays.
  
  

• M-TRI, DJ Leecy T-Suicidal Hype Shit [Video] [+ Show ]
  

  New York hip hop and the NY Knicks have an interesting parallel. While we feel NY hip hop is in a “r...New York hip hop and the NY Knicks have an interesting parallel. While we feel NY hip hop is in a “rebuilding phase,” a la the current crop of Knickerbockers, there are many who pine for the days of exciting competitiveness that kept us glued to MSG back in the 1990s. Despite the fact that Ewing remained ringless, for many of our generation, it was the only time being a Knick fan wasn’t laughable.
  
  As for hip hop, those who hold New York City dear to their musical heart, can often be heard lamenting the turn that the industry has taken in recent years, and in similar fashion, long for the days of hard, boom-bap hip hop tracks, sprinkled with precise DJ-infused cuts in the chorus, in-your-face lyrics and clever punchlines that make you want to curl up the edge of your mouth in a subtle but glaring half-screwface.
  
  “Suicidal Hype Shit” reincarnates that vibe.
  
  Without sounding overtly dated, M-Tri, backed by partner-in-more-ways-than-one DJ Leecy T, rocks over a crisp, throwback-sounding musical production, composed by M-Tri himself.
  
  The Noisemaker Media crafted video nicely compliments the sonic aura, with director Mark Carranceja including New York City street views and recreating a bit of a classic park jam atmosphere.
  
  We don’t know if Amar’e Stoudemire can lead the Blue and Orange back to the pearly NBA championship gates, but at least we have some new hype shit to keep us nodding in the meantime.
  
  Download “Suicidal Hype Shit” at: http://bit.ly/dVuMgx. M-Tri’s Max Talkin Real Ism LP is available on iTunes: http://bit.ly/hiIJ3o.
  

• Suicidal Hype Shit-Video Feature
  

  M-TRI & DJ Leecy T- Suicidal Hype Sh*t

Setlist

DJ Leecy T, Maintainin', Achievements, Suicidal Hype Sh*T, To The Max, The Grease, 1988 (Take U Back). 7 songs/30 minutes

Basic Requirements

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