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| Bay
Area rapper Motion Man has been dispensing devastating rhymes for over fifteen
years, yet the public at large continues to snooze on him. That may change
very soon, with the September release of Pablito's Way, his second
solo album and best work to date. Born Paul Laster, Motion Man grew up in the seventies and eighties, just as hip-hop was first developing and beginning its ascension from a New York hood phenomenon to a mainstream cultural force. Already a skilled breakdancer and DJ with a group called Zero Tolerance, young Motion started rhyming almost by accident, making goofy answering-machine messages for friends. "When I first started rapping, I was living in Hayward," he recollects. "I did it at a very young age, and I used to do answering machines for myself, and everybody was like, 'Yo, your answering machines is bugged.' But when I first started rapping I never liked my voice.” While recording demos with ZT and shopping around for a deal, Motion and crew linked up with noted DJ/producer King Shameek and relocated to New Jersey. It was there that people first took notice of Motion as an MC, although his unorthodox verbal style and frantic flow was a far cry from the G-Funk that was running the charts at the time. The record deal never panned out, but audiences were impressed by his hyper-original lyricism. "While I was rapping in New York there were several times when I had to straight-up break out the ID, flash the ID on ‘em, to let ‘em know I'm from Cali," he says with a chuckle. On returning to the Bay, Motion soon became a fixture at The Wake Up Show, a popular syndicated radio program hosted by Sway (now at MTV) and King Tech that has showcased countless legendary rappers and talented rookies over the years. He started recording independent singles and rocking shows, paying dues and getting his name out into the burgeoning scene. His first solo single, "Mo Like Flows On," was like no other record out, with Motion flexing his playful, wildly inventive flow over some supremely funky beats. It was a hit on college radio and is now extremely hard to find, sought after by hip-hop collectors and connoisseurs around the globe. |
Around this time, he connected with KutMasta Kurt, a DJ and budding producer living in Santa Cruz. Kurt was working with Kool Keith, who was already established thanks to his early days with Ultramagnetic MCs, but was trying to get some new projects together. Motion joined the fray and let loose on the underground classic "Sly We Fly," released first as a single on Funky Ass Records, and later on Keith's epic Sex Style LP. The two MCs hit it off right away, with similar senses of humor and unusual approaches to rap. His friendship with
Kurt and Keith would prove fruitful, as the three continued to work on
a multitude of albums in the years to come. Motion, also known by the
monikers Noggin Nodders and Clifton Santiago, would go on to co-star on
Keith's Black Elvis/Lost in Space and Dr. Dooom full-lengths,
on the tracks "Clifton" and "Housing Authority," respectively.
Then in 2000, the power trio dropped Masters of Illusion, a concept
album that seemed to slip between the cracks in the increasingly crowded
indie hip-hop landscape. Though largely overlooked by the masses, it still
bangs today, and serious heads know what's up. "I think that shit
can withstand some time," Motion says with pride, "just like
that Raekwon record, Only Built for Cuban Linx. I still run that
today." |
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Story
by Brolin Winning Photos by Raggedy Andy / courtesy of Threshold Recordings |
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