Questions that people frequently ask me (Mission Man) - page created January 31st, 2007, updated sporadically

You're the guy who made "Chillin' at the Papa" right?
Yes. Yes I am. It's one of 130+ songs that I've made.

Who is Michelle?
She was my manager for 6 years or so at Papa John's. There was no and is no love interest.

How long have you been doing this?
I've been rapping since October of 1992. I picked up the drums, bass, guitar, keyboard, and production in 1998/1999, and my first performance was in 1998.

Where do you get your beats?
For my older music (the albums "Intro To My Mind" and "Delve Deeper", and the song "Chillin' at the Papa"), I used preprogrammed beats that I found in the depths of my Yamaha PSR-510. For anything starting in 1998, I play all of my own instruments. The only exceptions are: Eli Roth played the drums on "Prime Time Players," the drums for "When I Find You," "World Without Mirrors" and "Never Had a Chance" came from my keyboard, and the music for "Ready For Tomorrow" was created by Birgitta Lindsey. I produce everything on my computer at home. For "Transitions" I solely used SoundForge. For "Out of the Shadows" I mainly used Data Becker Music Center. For everything newer than that, I use a multi-tracking program called Vegas, which was created by SonicFoundry, and later bought by Sony. I have version 1.0, and if I ever have a lot of money, will upgrade to the latest version, or just buy Pro Tools.

What instruments do you play?
My drum kit is a Yamaha DTXPress. I love this set. I worked 7 straight weeks of overtime to save up money to pay for it, and it was worth every bit of the $1,000 I paid for it. My bass is a short neck fender musicmaster. My guitar is an Elvis replica, and my keyboard is a Yamaha PSR-510. I occassionally make random sound effects, and have used everything from change to car keys to do this. I played the xylophone on one track, just because.

Can you play Mr. Big?
Nope.

How about Eddie Money?
Nope.

Will you play "Brown Eyed Girl"?
Sorry, I don't do covers. It might be an ego thing, but I believe that music is about creation, not duplication. Covers mostly piss me off. There are rare exceptions, such as Guns N Roses versions of "Paradise City" and "Live and Let Die," but 99.87 percent of the time, I want to hear original music. For this reason, I have never learned how to play anyone else's music. The only music theory I know is "FACE is in the space" and "Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge." I just play what I feel, and try to make the instruments blend well, and set a mood.

Have you ever tried out for American Idol?
Nope, don't do covers. I did tryout for VH1's next great white rapper show, but I guess my personality wasn't strong enough. I didn't want to win anyway; I just wanted to be on national TV for the exposure.

Will you sign with a major label?
Nope. I've seen too many bankruptcy stories, and I enjoy my creative freedom. Music for me is about self-expression, and a label would limit that ability by making me change my music to sell better.

Have you ever thought about putting together a band?
I've seen too many break up. There are too many obstacles just to keep a band together, much less trying to find a way to make a band successful.

What inspires you?
Life.

What is your favorite Mission Man song?
It varies. Sometimes it's "Love With Passion and Live With Love." I also love "Balance" because it's so personal. I wrote the lyrics for that while looking in a mirror, and really taking a long look at myself. "You've Earned It" is great when I just want to dance and remember why I work so hard; it's so I can have fun. The biggest thing to note there, is all 3 of those songs are from "Indiependent." I generally like my newer music better than my older stuff, because it's closer to who I am now, and because I continue to grow with each album, and with each day that passes in my life.

Can I get a t-shirt from you?
They're $15 because they cost me $7 to get made.

Oh nevermind on the shirt then. Do you have anything you can give me for free? I love your music.
Sure, here's a demo.

Does it have "Chillin' at the Papa" on it?
Of course it does.

How about "Weightliftin' Jam" and "Playin' a Little Basketball"?
Yep.

Do you just goof around?
Most of my music is actually serious. I have 130 or so songs, and maybe 25 of those are in the fun or funny category. I have 10-15 popular songs, and I think all of them fall into the fun or funny category. I think people just like funny songs more. They want to use music to escape life and have a good time. If I can make a difference in a person's day by making them smile or laugh, that's wonderful. I do hope some fans connect with my serious music as well, because it gets deeper into the core of who I am.

What do you like most about music?
The ability to express myself. It will be wonderful to listen to "Indiependent" 10 years from now and see who I was when I wrote it. It really helps me understand life, and enriches my life because of that.

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