The Bad Apples

The Bad Apples
How Ya Like Dem Apples? Part I
Penalty Box Records
Street: 10.08
The Bad Apples= Beastie Boys + Sage Francis
Salt Lake locals, The Bad Apples are back by popular demand from fans. Penalty Box Records founder, MC/ producer Mike Booth, and MC Sir Louis Wildamiss bring some cognizant vocals to this LP with many local artists popping up in guest spots too. Beat styles vary from interesting 70s-era sample-inspired to more "urban" friendly thumps and beats in between. Sample lovers will enjoy, "Xtraish" featuring local cat, Verse1. I catch my buddies dipping their heads methodically when they hear this: always a good sign. Unfortunately, local, homegrown hip hop may very well go unnoticed or, at the worst, go the way of the polar bear’s iced tea, unless more people pick up stuff like this and give it a serious turn in their rotation. –JP - Slug Magazine

The Bad Apples:
Sir Louis Wildamiss – MC
MC Mike Booth – MC/Producer


Photos: Adam Dorobiala

In a small space (close to 9th and 9th) in Salt Lake City sits Bad Apples headquarters and home of Penalty Box Records. The group consists of MC Sir Louis Wildamiss and producer/MC Mike Booth. When I joined up with Booth at his studio, he was deep in deliberation regarding track listing and order for the latest Bad Apples release, How Ya Like Dem Apples, Part 1. It's an album rooted in traditional rap/hip hop staples evoking a good time and showcasing some very decent local talent, like Pace Won, Ben Grim, Verse1 and many others.
The Bad Apples represent more of a collective, something akin to San Francisco's Quannum Records collaborative where MCs and DJs guest and star in similar hip hop projects. Penalty Box Records has that same West Coast collaborative energy rushing through all of its artists and projects. Penalty Box is the brainchild of Mike Booth, Las Vegas native and former graff writer, who punishes in the box with headknockin' beats and handles promotions for the outfit.

"We did the first album and we didn't think it was going to do anything, but it created a buzz here and elsewhere," Booth said. "And the next album is about capturing our live show." Songs that have been Bad Apple's fan favorites, here and elsewhere are being slated for the LP as of this writing and are set for the Oct. 10. Localized, at the latest, for a release date. Don't doubt the reach of the steadily growing Apples fanbase, either. Booth broadcasts a global weekly radio program from SLCC to garner support, is active on social networking sites and has this philosophy on the group's upcoming tour: "All you need to hit is Salt Lake, Idaho, Colorado, Portland then Seattle, then you have your region." From there, he plans to conquer the rest of the US one juicy bite at a time.

Such an effort would have been impossible years ago, in terms of making a huge impact in other markets, but technology friendly Penalty Box loves the new music distribution model. "It gives everyone a chance. We're playing on a level field," Mike says. Unfortunately and fortunately, "It's still all money based. You have to have huge dollars to play with the big boys," Mike says. "But I can hit as many people as Universal, it just may take five years to do it."

If you're not schooled on the local hip hop, you're not alone. Here's your primer. Mike can list, quite easily, a number of local artists he respects: "You've got The Knoitalls, Mindstate, Adverse, Brisk, Hades, all these cats that we're working with. When you stack it up versus other places like Boston, pound for pound we've got better MCs here."

Mike is interested in other artists in Salt Lake, more than just those on his label, and showcases them in the radio program. He sometimes feels like playing some old Ice-T or some Too Short among the local acts he plays. They'd love to get some more listener support as well. "Hopefully we'll get enough listeners to get some calls and generate an audience," says Hades, another Penalty Box artist who happened to be kicking it, Support local artists and get insight into some more obscure hip hop at http://weekendrapup.mypodcast.com. I scoped a recent podcast of the program and found Knoitalls' MC Facts kicking it with Booth in the studio, Small Lake City at it again.

"We need enough people to recognize everywhere else that their is a lot of great talent here that seems untapped," Booth said. That would be where the local fan base would come in [that's you]. See if the Penalty Box hype is real this October at Localized.

On Friday, October 10th the Bad Apples, Knoitalls and Kinnetick will all be at the Urban Lounge and so should you. Don't forget the date on this one (its happened to the best of us, but this is not one to miss). Cover is $5 and please don't bring your kid sister, this is a private club. See you in October. - SLUG Magazine

Bad Apples Far From the Tree
Salt Lake City’s Bad Apples are class clowns and student body president; big players with discerning minds who are just as quick to flirt with senoritas as they are to decry U.S. foreign policy. “So what if people die just as long as you get paid?” they shout over samples of President Bush waxing idiotic. “If you’re not pissed off, then you’re not paying attention.”

Which isn’t to suggest Far From the Tree is the next Fear of Black Planet or even Evil Empire. Bad Apples come across as natural-born activists. They’d likely rather brainstorm practical jokes than exit strategies, but not even wiseguys can comfortably ignore the state of our messed up world. So they throw in a biting rant against ineptitude among the traditional face-offs with sucker emcees and narratives about cuties at the club, as on the Latin-flavored “Menudo.”

For the most part, a cutting sense of humor underlies Tree’s 14 tracks, at times bordering on absurd. “Mini Men,” a send-up of 50 Cent’s “Many Men,” follows the ups and downs of male midgets (“Pygmies always take my bike away”), which is either hilarious or completely offensive, depending on your commitment to the PC movement. In fact, the entire album is brilliant or juvenile, with the quartet’s rhymesayers dropping all-too familiar euphemisms for their junk and how they plan to use it, or how tough they are, etc.

You’d be hard-pressed, however, to deny Bad Apples’ lyrical skill—no matter the content. They rarely, if ever, stumble over samples that more often than not take a back seat to tight vocal interplay. Impressive, and catchy as hell if you go with the flow. MySpace.com/BadApplesKrew


Check out Bad Apples live on Jan. 21 at Kilby Court (741 S. 330 West). - SaltLake City Weekly

Music | Know Your Local ... Hip-Hop Artist: Mike Booth

By Jon Paxton
Posted 12/18/2008



Salt Lake City emcee/hip-hop producer Mike Booth is known for his signature symphonic hooks and lyrics in The Fantasmic Four and The Bad Apples, his project with Louis Wildamiss. Their latest release, How Ya Like Dem Apples Pt. I (Penalty Box Records), has snagged plenty of strong critical acclaim and delivers a sound somewhere between The Beastie Boys and Eminem. Booth also hosts a weekly radio show on GlobeRadio.slcc.edu, every Saturday, noon-2 p.m.

Mike Booth
31 years old
Utah resident for 6 years
Originally from Northtown, Las Vegas, NV

So, I hear you’re into nature. Any favorite spots?
The Salt Flats. You figure it out [Booth wryly implies something about deserts being good places to dispose of ‘things’]. I used to paint graffiti all the time. That was back when I’d really get out in nature.

How long did you actively paint graffiti?
12 years

Who are some of your favorite street artists?
Bike and Snipe. Those kids are ill. And they’re local cats. Snipes shit is awesome: some of the coolest stuff around.

Who are some of your most idolized national street artists?
Kier and Chew.

What crew did you associate with when you were actively bombing back in the day?
I can’t say what crew I was in because we were in the Salt Lake Sheriff’s radar for a while.

You seem to be very real with your take on the classic “Four Elements” of hip-hop.
That’s the epitome of what [I do]. It’s how I live, I rap, I write graffiti. I used to break dance. Now I DJ. Just ‘cause I’m married with kids doesn’t mean shit. This is my life. If you’re doing something past 25, it’s not a phase—it’s who you are.

What have you been reading lately?
Rant by Chuck Palahniuk.

How do you give back to the community? Any charities have your support?
Renew the zoo. I did some props for that. And anytime autism is involved; we’re going out to San Jose to do a show for people who raise money for autism. We’d be willing to hook up with somebody locally to give proceeds of the whole album and just sell it for them.

Perfect afternoon?
Hanging out with my girls and recording music. Although the radio station is pretty fun, but what can you do in an afternoon?

Favorite watering hole?
Monk’s

Favorite venue to play?
Harry O’s was pretty damned good; it was pretty fresh as a venue. Club Sound, too.

Favorite lunch spot?
Moochies

Coffee fix?
Cafe Expresso (drive thru).

What does the future hold? Any plans to move?
I’ll stay for at least the next four or five years. Right now this is nice, besides it being cold, which sucks. I’m kind of a pussy. I grew up in Vegas. I’m like, “It’s 70 degrees in here—it’s cold!”

Any upcoming events scheduled?
The radio show and we’re gonna be hosting a $500 emcee battle Feb. 7. That’s gonna be at 859 E. 800 South. We’ve got tickets for $10. - City Weekly