Here's something you might be interested in.
http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/apr/07/22407/
Comedic rapper Grammatical B is now backed by a DJ crew: Grand Marceny, Hype Woman Extraordinaire, and newest addition DJ Dub Baloney.
Grammatical B is the alter ego of Ben Johnson, longtime Casbah bartender and member of Hostile Combover, Tourettes Lautrec, and the Long and Short of It. “It’s comedy-based storytelling rap stuff,” he says.
"We have a new DJ and he has skills! And by skills, I mean almost no skills at all. But he will act like a complete numbskull on stage! The lag in [new] recording was due to searching high and low for someone of no shame."
http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/apr/07/22408/
“This is my first foray into rap, after doing heavy rock and punk for the last 20 years,” says the Golden Hill resident. When I ask him about early influences, he mentions Weird Al (whose parents were longtime San Diegans). "Although I won't be doing any parody stuff, ever."
"When the wee Grammatical one moved from Seattle to Carlsbad and had culture shock before going to the beach and forever bidding farewell to my Emerald past, I would often fall asleep on the top bunk, my brother on the lower, and we would laugh at the Dr. Demento radio show until my strict mother would come in and make us read Dostoevsky to remind us there are no free lunches."
Johnson doesn't consider Grammatical B to be a so-called "novelty" group. "I avoid being labeled a novelty act by making every song so amazingly catchy and danceable that no one realizes they should be laughing until they're halfway through freaking someone's mother or the furniture."
As for locals he finds a kinship with, "The one contemporary in San Diego that I'm aware of is D-Pain. Extremely good and funny."
Grammatical B's debut CD The Birthinating was released in October, 2010. Regarding one of the songs, “Don’t Ask Don’t Intel,” Johnson says “It was written for my friend from Mexico City, who is being sued by the Intel Corporation for using the word ‘intel’ in his news service, which of course has nothing to do with Intel Corporation.” A video was shot for the song as well.
Another song takes a shot at a certain type of bar patron.
“You’re a douchebag, that’s the only explanation/ for the same mistakes that you keep on making.”
“Think of it as a public service announcement,” says Johnson of “Rules and Laws,” the comedic song and video he created with Michael Pereira (Microphone Mike). “Shot at the Casbah, it’s me speaking — or yelling — at all those obnoxious people who just don’t get the art of ordering a drink.”
“Wait your turn, we know where you are/ that’s why the hell we’re on this side of the bar.”
“It ain’t like you see on TV/ we ain’t friends and I ain’t doing therapy. Once you get stupid, you’re out the door/ we got a goon squad, that’s what we’re paying ’em for.”
Johnson and his new crew are currently shooting a video for the Grammatical B song "Your Song." Sample lyrics:
"I'm really sorry I do not like your band/And that is something you cannot understand Your momma told you that you're the best in the land/But I'm really sorry I do not like your band"
Despite the common perception that hip-hop events can be dangerous, Johnson says, “So far, it’s been a lot safer [than rock and roll]...I’ve been injured countless times on stage. My old band Tourettes Lautrec used to end each show with the guitarist flying into me behind the drums.” The same group played what he recalls as his “worst gig ever, New York City in 1999. I was too drunk to play and embarrassed the shit out of myself in front of 500 people. That was not incredible.”
He says neither rock nor rap has ever paid well enough to quit bartending. “I’ve had zero cents and owed people money probably a hundred times in my life. In fact, if someone is reading this and I owe you money, I’m sorry, but I’m still pretty thin over here. Someday, though, I promise.”
Here's the video for "Rules and Laws" shot at the Casbah :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxKjtB_aYSA
http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/apr/07/22407/
Comedic rapper Grammatical B is now backed by a DJ crew: Grand Marceny, Hype Woman Extraordinaire, and newest addition DJ Dub Baloney.
Grammatical B is the alter ego of Ben Johnson, longtime Casbah bartender and member of Hostile Combover, Tourettes Lautrec, and the Long and Short of It. “It’s comedy-based storytelling rap stuff,” he says.
"We have a new DJ and he has skills! And by skills, I mean almost no skills at all. But he will act like a complete numbskull on stage! The lag in [new] recording was due to searching high and low for someone of no shame."
http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/apr/07/22408/
“This is my first foray into rap, after doing heavy rock and punk for the last 20 years,” says the Golden Hill resident. When I ask him about early influences, he mentions Weird Al (whose parents were longtime San Diegans). "Although I won't be doing any parody stuff, ever."
"When the wee Grammatical one moved from Seattle to Carlsbad and had culture shock before going to the beach and forever bidding farewell to my Emerald past, I would often fall asleep on the top bunk, my brother on the lower, and we would laugh at the Dr. Demento radio show until my strict mother would come in and make us read Dostoevsky to remind us there are no free lunches."
Johnson doesn't consider Grammatical B to be a so-called "novelty" group. "I avoid being labeled a novelty act by making every song so amazingly catchy and danceable that no one realizes they should be laughing until they're halfway through freaking someone's mother or the furniture."
As for locals he finds a kinship with, "The one contemporary in San Diego that I'm aware of is D-Pain. Extremely good and funny."
Grammatical B's debut CD The Birthinating was released in October, 2010. Regarding one of the songs, “Don’t Ask Don’t Intel,” Johnson says “It was written for my friend from Mexico City, who is being sued by the Intel Corporation for using the word ‘intel’ in his news service, which of course has nothing to do with Intel Corporation.” A video was shot for the song as well.
Another song takes a shot at a certain type of bar patron.
“You’re a douchebag, that’s the only explanation/ for the same mistakes that you keep on making.”
“Think of it as a public service announcement,” says Johnson of “Rules and Laws,” the comedic song and video he created with Michael Pereira (Microphone Mike). “Shot at the Casbah, it’s me speaking — or yelling — at all those obnoxious people who just don’t get the art of ordering a drink.”
“Wait your turn, we know where you are/ that’s why the hell we’re on this side of the bar.”
“It ain’t like you see on TV/ we ain’t friends and I ain’t doing therapy. Once you get stupid, you’re out the door/ we got a goon squad, that’s what we’re paying ’em for.”
Johnson and his new crew are currently shooting a video for the Grammatical B song "Your Song." Sample lyrics:
"I'm really sorry I do not like your band/And that is something you cannot understand Your momma told you that you're the best in the land/But I'm really sorry I do not like your band"
Despite the common perception that hip-hop events can be dangerous, Johnson says, “So far, it’s been a lot safer [than rock and roll]...I’ve been injured countless times on stage. My old band Tourettes Lautrec used to end each show with the guitarist flying into me behind the drums.” The same group played what he recalls as his “worst gig ever, New York City in 1999. I was too drunk to play and embarrassed the shit out of myself in front of 500 people. That was not incredible.”
He says neither rock nor rap has ever paid well enough to quit bartending. “I’ve had zero cents and owed people money probably a hundred times in my life. In fact, if someone is reading this and I owe you money, I’m sorry, but I’m still pretty thin over here. Someday, though, I promise.”
Here's the video for "Rules and Laws" shot at the Casbah :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxKjtB_aYSA