Mc Sean One

Sean One
Full of It
By Thomas Quinlan

For his latest album, rapper/producer Sean One has put together a few beats for himself and his friends to rap over. Sean’s smooth boom-bap beats have an almost familiar old school vibe that is altered by a quirky production sensibility. While it results in a collection of good songs, they do start to blend together over the album’s 19 tracks. Still, Full of It serves as a great introduction to the Dead Beats family, with Jorun and Bonshah dropping by for one song each, and Mickey D., Monark and Above each contributing a few. Sean One also invites along fellow Maritimers and occasional contributors the Fax 4, Ghettosocks and Jorun’s frequent partner, Flexxman, plus East Coast migrants Josh Martinez and Cee!!!!!!!!, as well as the rest of the Dirty Crew. Anyone that has heard Cee!!!!!!!! will already know that his no-holds-barred nasal rap/croon stands out from the pack, which is once again true for the space jazz of “Tittie Balls,” appropriately ending with turntable freakiness courtesy of his Drunken Arseholes partner, DJ Moves. Ghettosocks also stands out on the dark “Clarice Was a Freak,” as does Jorun’s usual abstract bragging on posse cut “You Ain’t Ready.” Oh yeah, and it’s also worth noting that the much-maligned Pimp Tea shows great improvement as Brockway Biggs on bonus track “Invisible.” Hopefully that doesn’t end up also being an apt description for the Fredericton hip-hop scene spearheaded by Sean One and his Dead Beats label. (Dead Beats) (Dead Beats)

http://www.exclaim.ca/musicreviews/generalreview.aspx?csid2=865&fid1=26171&csid1=112
- Exclaim!

Jorun/Sean One
Jorun’s Way/Sean One’s Way
By Thomas Quinlan

Halifax hip-hop pioneer Jorun, who has produced for Maritime heroes like Buck 65, Sixtoo, Classified and countless others, opens this fine, four-song slice of seven-inch vinyl with the instrumental to his already classic “Summajam.” It’s a smooth song for roller-skating on the boardwalk or rapping in the park. Jorun completes the first side with a minimal-but-hype beat for “No Artificials,” a rough posse cut featuring raps from the First Words trio of Jorun, Sean One and Above, along with Jay Bizzy and frequent Jorun collaborator, Flexman. On flipside opener “If I Wasn’t So Lazy,” Jorun and Sean One make their stance on hip-hop clear over a chill, mid-tempo instrumental that ends in a dope beat box. But it’s the Parliament-style guitar on “Brand New Sound,” a Sean One solo, that’s the clincher. It’s a fine finish for yet another funky fresh project from the legendary Jorun. (Dead Beats)

http://www.exclaim.ca/musicreviews/generalreview.aspx?csid2=865&fid1=18387&csid1=71 - Exclaim!

First Words
First Words
By Thomas Quinlan

Back in 2000, Halifax hip-hop hero Jorun introduced St. John’s, NB, rap group Vet Cru on Break Fluid, his compilation that also featured appearances by two other artists he worked with early in their respective music endeavours: Sixtoo and Buck 65. Vet Cru’s Above and Sean One have combined with Jorun and Frederiction, NB’s DJ STV to form the formidable First Words. With Jorun on the beats, you know the production is funky-fresh and rooted in the old school. Along with STV, Jo also adds cuts and raps; and of the latter he has some of the best verses. It’s also nice to hear a rap album with a heavy focus on cuts and scratches again. Although a couple of tracks attempt to derail the vibe, First Words have debuted a great party album. A couple of interludes are also unnecessary, but the beats, raps and cuts come together superbly on album opener “Gotta Stand For Something,” the posse cut “No Mas,” featuring Johnny Hardcore and Anonamyss, the funky “Funkahmachine,” and STV’s solo joint “Operate,” which features the DJ on both turntables and mic. And Jorun’s solo “Right Here,” reinforces the absence of a Jorun solo album. Until that day, it’s worth hearing him with his latest protégés. (Deadbeats)

http://www.exclaim.ca/musicreviews/generalreview.aspx?csid2=865&fid1=16595&csid1=62
- Exclaim!

First Words Anti Mixtape Movement EP 7” (Dead-Beats)
“The Anti Mixtape Movement is not a real movement... just like how a mixtape without a DJ mixing and cutting records is not a real mixtape.” Ouch! Jorun Bombay is a man of principles, and coincidentally, a great MC/producer as well. His classic boom-bap can be felt on both sides of this 45, making for some basement hip hop at its best. With tunes like “Just Clap” and “Talk to My Manager” combining the humour, style and quality that we all love to nod along with, Jorun and company prove once again that Nova Scotia never sleeps! 8/10 (Scott C)
- Montreal Mirror

Mixing things up

JESSE DANGEROUSLY
The Daily News

New Brunswick's Dead Beats Entertainment is almost single-handedly keeping vinyl alive in hip-hop east of Montreal. Heck, they're almost single-handedly keeping the concept of independent record labels alive east of Montreal. And they are certainly the first crew out in this direction to take a firm stand against the present trend of "mixtapes" almost eclipsing proper rap releases with all pains taken.

The label's flagship group, First Words, has released a new 7-inch EP called The Anti-Mixtape Movement. All the beats are provided by Halifax's venerable crateminer, Jorun Bombay, who likes what's going on with First Words so much that he's a full-time member of the group despite living in a different province. The MCs in the crew are Sean One and Above, and occasionally their resident DJ, STV. I haven't asked the artists about the title concept, but I have a take on it, so allow me the conceit of describing why I think this EP does damage to a mix-tape.

A "mix-tape" isn't what it used to be. The word has passed into retro status with the non-rap world, denizens of which may recall with some nostalgia the days of crafting a personal mix of songs carefully arranged to bear repeated listening. Making a mix-tape for someone else was an intimate gesture, and also a way to spread art one loved to others who might feel similarly.

The DJ mix is a different prospect; evolving out of radio mix shows and recordings of live parties, technology was more likely to be employed to seamlessly blend one track into the next and the intended audience wasn't so much oneself or another individual, but a mass audience. By the mid-1990s, they were a staple of hip-hop culture - notable DJs would enshrine notable singles in expert and sophisticated arrangements, and much the way blogs create buzz for new artists now, as the tapes spread, the illest new material would cause excitement amongst enthusiasts.

It became a cornerstone of ground-level marketing - despite existing in a legal area of dark grey at best, the very labels who owned the copyrights supposedly being infringed would service influential DJs with the material they thought would best ensnare an audience for their artists. Fast forward a few years and several enormous paradigm shifts, and you find individual artists taking the "mix-tape" marketing tactic into their own hands. Where the DJ had been the unifying force, now a single rapper or group would dominate an entire mix, performing their own original lyrics over recognizable instrumentals. It was kind of like an album, with only a thin sliver of new content (I know lots of people think rap was always like that anyway, but please assume for the purposes of this history that that's a misconception). It soon seemed like demand for these cheaper products, made of a high percentage of recycled materials, rivalled that of traditional albums with all-new content. So at a certain point, it stopped being the case that every independent rapper was trying to sell a homemade "album," instead it was always a "mix-tape."

Basically the term has come to signify the opposite of a seal of quality - when you flog a mix-tape, you are making no guarantees as to the provenance of your backing tracks. They may be original and legit, they may be recognizable hits, they may indeed be stolen from music websites such as Soundclick. The sound quality might be passable, it might be pro-studio quality or it might be home computer mic. With the tag of mix-tape in 2007, the only thing promised is that you aren't getting something you'd be satisfied paying the full price of an album for. Even with the ubiquity of digital turntable technology these days, a mix-tape actually featuring blends or mixes from one track to the next is all but unheard of now.

With that for context, the stand being taken by First Words is as blatant as it is noble - rather than fill a CDR with 17 shoddily-recorded tracks made with lo-fi MP3s of someone else's hard work, then cramming it into unsightly slim jewel cases with photocopied covers and trying to convince people to purchase it, they've taken pride in their craftsmanship and released a vinyl EP of four short but excellent songs. It's less crass, more dignified, than the purveyance of an admittedly half-assed artistic effort. There's more mutual respect involved - the artist treats consumers like someone who cares about what they listen to, the consumers vote with their dollars and demonstrate to the artists that their craft is valuable.

I won't describe the songs to you in great detail, this isn't a review as such. I will say that the beats are reminiscent of the most respectable early '90s classics and that the rhymes from members and guests (Monark and Ghettosocks) alike are perfectly suitable. I will tell you that the EP is available from www.dead-beats.ca and will likely turn up in a few Halifax music stores downtown. Mainly, I jus - HalifaxNews.ca

My teacher raps
A Fredericton hip-hop artist takes rapping to a new level - the third grade
By Andrew Kelly


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In the East Coast hip hop community, he’s known as Sean One, but to a group of third graders at Nashwaak Valley School, he’s simply Mr. McInerney.

McInerney, a Fredericton hip hop artist, is in his fourth week teaching at a local elementary school, and he’s working on mixing crayons with vinyls.

Since growing up in Saint John, McInerney has been following hip hop music. He started by just listening to music with friends, until he attended his first year of post secondary at UNBSJ.

During that year, McInerney met some friends who were writing and recording their own music. From that point, he started to learn how to make beats, and he’s grown to be one of the most recognized producers on the east coast.

McInerney has been part of many projects over the years, collaborating with artists from every corner of the east coast. He has released solo projects, resulting in an East Coast Music Award nomination and currently he is completing a project with his veteran group First Words.

“The rap categories have become a lot more competitive at the East Coast Music Awards. Its stiff competition,” said McInerney. “Hopefully we’ll get another nomination this year, as they are here in Fredericton.”

McInerney’s focus isn’t only on writing and producing music, however – he has a classroom full of elementary students to teach five days a week.

“That’s how gangsta it gets,” he joked. “I teach elementary, and I teach French second language and actually, I love it.”

The idea of teaching wasn’t something McInerney had planned out entirely, but after years of making music and attending school, he thought it would be time to settle down with a job. With one year of upgrading, Sean One entered the Education program at St. Thomas University in Fredericton and the rest is history.

“I was spending money about one hundred times more then I was making money,” he said. “I thought ‘Hey, I really have to do something with my life.”

Mr. McInerney may have found his calling. While at night he’s still committed to music, his day job is a lot different. But he’s begun looking for ways to bring music – and hip hop – into his classroom.

“I get them to rap most of their poetry,” explained McInerney. “I’m incorporating music into my classroom and other teachers, parents and the principal really enjoy it.”

Sean has a routine practice where the students all enter the classroom in the morning, rapping together. As well, he uses beats and rhyme to making learning as fun as possible for his students.

“(Teaching) is a challenge at times, I won’t lie,” he said. “Especially being a new teacher, but it’s very rewarding at the end of the day when you realize what you’ve done. It’s been quick, it’s been fun and I’m glad I’m doing it.”

With the first month of his new job finally over, McInerney is well on his way to a successful career, but he has no intentions of letting his music slip.

In the upcoming months there are shows he has been asked to be involved with, there are albums to finish and of course he has hopes of winning his first East Coast Music Award - STU Dispatches