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Freestyle master who first started rhyming
in 1988, TOPR burst onto the San Francisco
scene in 1993 as Top Ramen. Quickly gaining notoriety
in battle circles, he consistently embarrassed the competition
with his quick-witted lyrics and scathing delivery.
"Marathon" shows TOPR's maturity as an artist,
tackling difficult subject matter with a clear and forceful
presence over the complex, multi-layered soundscapes
of producer Dick Nasty. TOPR shows his diversity as
an artist with vivid storytelling, comedic punch-lines,
introspective tales of alienation and boastful party
anthems. With cuts provided by world renowned scratch
innovator DJ Quest, this is a must-have for any fan
of forward thinking, party-rocking Hip Hop music.
"TOPR is the definition of a true
MC. He never kissed ass or played into the politics
of the rap business; instead, he lived hip-hop the way
it started — getting respect in the streets. It's
not some triumphant freestyle battle, 8 Mile type MC
story. And there is still more to be told…"
- Synthesis
http://www.synthesis.net/music/interview/item-4370/2005-02-11-the_best_mc_youve_never_heard_of
"TopR's tale is a cross between
the 1984 runaway-punk movie Suburbia and the classic
Horatio Alger story. In a time when your average radio
rap track has more advertisements for sneakers and pricey
booze than a copy of GQ, TOPR represents a more compelling
side of the hip-hop spectrum... It's nothing less than
an existentialist crisis with a beat, one rapper's The
Sickness unto Death, asking the eternal questions of
the artist and, ultimately, everyone who's been 'up
against it.'"
- SF Bay Guardian
http://www.sfbg.com/entry.php?entry_id=5567&catid=107
"Each (TOPR) track is an anthem
of hedonistic individualism, a contradictory self-affirmation
of pride and despair, intense motivation and ultimate
fatalism, all driven by a serious bent to rap, write
(graffiti) and get on gurp. TOPR is a reminder of what
Bay Area indie rap can and should be."
- Mesh Magazine
http://www.meshsf.com/blog3/2006/12/12/an-interview-with-topr/
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