New Single by Mashpee Recording Artist Features Tribal Talent
The "Real Emcees" recording session at Polyphonic Studios (Masks Down) (L-R) Morgan James Peters, I Matthew Lopez, Morgan James Peters, II, Chris Hendricks, Preston McNeil. Courtesy of Polyphonic Studios, LLC
It all started with a senior seminar project for Mashpee High School. Senior, Morgan J Peters, II decided that he wanted to explore the music industry as his research project and produce a mixtape for his project; a rather natural choice for a teen who is a 2-time Grammy nominated hip-hop artist, performing under the name The ZYG 808. His family had just opened a recording studio, Polyphonic Studios, in Buzzard's Bay last August and he had the opportunity to intern at the facility, apprenticing under master recording engineer, Charles Vermette, Jr. (Chuck V.).
For April, which is National Poetry Month, The ZYG 808 released three versions of the single "Real Emcees", including a mix called "The Shpee Squad Mix" that features some of the local legends of rap and hip-hop, including Matthew Lopez (J.R. Native), Chris Hendricks (Chris Koch), Jahiem Frye (JJNice), Madarrius Burgo (Madarrius Maximus). Themed around North Route 130, Mashpee's Main St and the home street to many families in the Mashpee Wampanoag community, Zyg was very much into the idea of getting the local rappers that he'd admired and respected since childhood to appear on a squad track. The album version features the lyrical styles of Cambridge-based rapper, Ju$t Jill. "I even got my Pops to drop bars on the track. He's a spoken-word legend, so why not?" He crafted a chorus that pretty much says it all:
"This is a joint just for real MCs/ Hands in the air, but you don't have to freeze/ The boom-bap attack will bring you right to your knees/ Mumble-mouth clowns need speech therapy/ This is a joint just for real MCs/ Banging from the cape to the West Indies/ Coming at you straight from 1-30/ I step to the mic and say what I please.."
ZYG began working on his mixtape last fall, fitting recording sessions in between school work, and client's projects at the studio (Zyg works as an assistant engineer and studio session drummer, and so far has added drums to about 38 different projects). In January, he began releasing songs a single at a time as a part of the studios Southcoast Thump & Soul initiative. During the COVID-19 restrictions, the several producers, engineers, and musicians affiliated with the studio turned the space into a hotbed of production activity. "Some of us live together, so working in the same space was not an issue. Everybody else kinda came in in shifts," explains ZYG. Drawing from the eclectic musical backgrounds of the collaborators, they ended up with a stockpile of music in the genres of soul, hip-hop, jazz, rock, reggae, Afrobeat, EDM, and neo-symphonic.
The ZYG 808 will be presenting his final project at Mashpee High School during the first few weeks of May.
BEAT LOUNGE NOTES is available on Bandcamp as of April 30th. The Shpee Squad mix is currently available as a free download also on bandcamp http://thezyg808.bandcamp.com
