"My goal was to create good music that was also funny. Well, except for 'Rippin' Off Your Testicles.' I didn't maintain any integrity on that song," says senior Sol Masch, the Tufts performer who has crowned himself King Solomon, ruler of the kingdom of rap music poking fun at rap music - an unlikely but untapped niche in the vast array of musical genres.
Lately, Masch has been preparing for his only show on the Tufts campus this semester. "We're putting on an actual performance," he says, "I feel that it's really important because it's hard to pull off a good show."
In addition to his comedic rapping, Mash's performance will feature Chapman Field Drive, a Tufts band. "There are going to be some surprises. Even if people don't enjoy rap, they'll still enjoy the music."
Though serious about his work, Masch admits to the lighthearted intentions behind his music. "The music is comedic music," he said. "When I created it, I wanted it to be funny, something people would find amusing." But Masch is quick to qualify his statements and vouch for the musical integrity of his songs, which stem from 14 years of drumming experience. "There's a lot of comedic music that's not good, but I wanted it to be music. Music for everybody, except for little children."
Indeed it is. A cursory listen gives the impression that any song would be at home on the radio, with catchy beats and delightfully repetitive choruses. But upon taking a closer listen, the lyrics reveal wicked satire about the rap industry, ranging from booty-rap to the industry's relationship with drugs to rappers' gaudy gold jewelry.
How Masch arrived at this point in his career can be attributed to a lazy decision he made five years ago before a performance at his high school talent show. With his reputation as a serious drummer, Masch had high expectations to live up to. So when he and a friend got on stage with a pair of microphones instead of a full drum set, the students were in for a surprise. Choosing not to lug his equipment to school, the young king rapped three original songs to an accommodating and, by the end of the show, approving audience.
Masch has continued to do the unexpected. Despite poor financial prospects, the economics major heeded the words of friends and fans who encouraged him to pursue his solo work and record a CD. This past winter, King Solomon released Sezame Street Beatdown, containing eleven songs that simultaneously emulate and satirize the rap industry.
"It's all about image, and I'm making fun of how ridiculous that is by making this ridiculous music," Masch said.
Recording the CD was an ordeal and an adventure. Masch's brother is involved in the music scene in his hometown of Philadelphia, and was able to procure studio time with Manny Wald, a producer who has worked with members of the Roots as well as on other projects for record labels including MCA, Columbia, and Universal. "I was so lucky, because the album came out ten times better because I had all this professional help," Masch said.
His majesty's studio work brought him into contact with some stereotypically artsy characters. "The engineer would come in, barefoot. He would give people these hugs, he would hold you, without knowing you at all... he would hold you in his arms. He wanted to feel your energy, your vibe."
Initially, Masch thought his 'vibe' would be stagnant, as he spent full days in the studio, draining away his creative flow. Instead, Masch says that once they got into the studio, everybody was excited and would maintain their energy throughout the recording sessions.
Rather than allow the engineers and producers to do most of the work making the music, Masch developed his own vision and sound. He took advantage of the benefits of recording on an independent label by maintaining artistic control. Taking advantage of his brother's prior experiences with the studio, Masch was able to bypass the manager/agent aspect of the recording process. After five consecutive days at work, and an additional period of mixing and mastering, the studio recording experience was complete.
For the next step, Masch is negotiating a national distribution deal. "It's starting to take off," he said. "I'm hoping to have albums in stores across the country sometime this summer." As for the future, Masch has aspirations of starting his own record label.
"I can get my album in stores, I can do so much myself... but in terms of promotions, the major labels have a lot more clout running magazine articles, ads, and press coverage," he said.
