FEATURE: Renaissance Man: More Than A Mixtape – a track by track walk through by Cuban Pete

Cuban Pete is a hip-hop MC based in Redcar. He recently released his Renaissance Man mixtape on his birthday on 7th July. Here he gives us a track by track breakdown of his project and you can listen to it all here.

Track 1 – From Child To Man – Heaven Razah Intro
As I’ve said before, I got the title and theme for the mixtape from Robert Anderson (DJ Iceman) after the title of my first proper interview he did with me for Rhyme Junkie site.
I asked Heavenrazah (from the first Wu affiliated group Sunz Of Man) to do the intro as he did a classic project called Renaissance Child and it gave the whole mixtape a great ‘pass the torch’ feel from the Hip Hop legend to me.
Razah also heads the Ghetto Govt Officialz of which I’m part of (and so is DJ Iceman) so it was a perfect fit.
Look out for the award winning Risen documentary coming soon about his fight back from illness (www.risendocumentary.com).

Track 2 – Cocaine Raw ft Solomon Childs – prod DJ WIZ
Cocaine Raw came about as I’d already been doing artwork for the group East Coast Killa Beez (through Zu Ninjaz Irie) and then Solomon Childs as a solo artist so it made sense to do a track together.
I first met DJ WIZ through my time with Team OBEZ and had the beat already for a project we had planned. I had also recently done a track for CD3 of his Sic Of Being Ovalooked triple album (on itunes) so the time was right.
There is a vocal piece from the movie Blow at the start where they all take a hit, then you get the track as the ultimate high, and there’s another clip at the end where they say how great it was (obviously referring to the coke they’ve just sniffed in the film).
The hook takes a lend from U-Gods famous line off 36 Chambers. Take a listen via the link in my bio and you’ll see what I mean.

Track 3 – Scott LaRock Jr drop
Scott Larock Jr. is the son of the Hip Hop legend Scott LaRock who started Boogie Down Productions. Scott Snr was tragically killed in the Bronx in 1987.
I was introduced to Scott Jr, by my manager Surraya A Hafeez, around the time they raised the street sign in his fathers name. He runs his own label, Scott LaRock Music Group, and in a short time has become more than just another music head to an activist for positive change in his community helping set up youth programs and meeting with community leaders.
I am proud to call this young brother a friend, more than that he’s family. Expect to hear a lot more from him.

Track 4 – Camo Print Kicks ft Bobby Fuego & Kartune – prod Rediculus
The track started of very different and had a beat by SmuveMassBeats and featured Karnage aka Ca$hman and Kartune, all who I met through Team OBEZ, but Smuve accidentally used the beat for another project so I had to find someone to remix it.
Up stepped Platformz founder Todd ‘Rediculus’ Dahn. I knew him through Facebook and had done some caps for him with his Platformz logo on. 
Karnage didnt feel the new beat fit his verse tho so I put the call out on Facebook and Bobby Fuego stepped in to fill the gap. Bobby got me to return the favour doing the opening verse on his I Am Hip Hop project too. Check it out here bobbyfuego.bandcamp.
As we’re all GGO me, Smuve, and Karnage are all working on another track that’ll come out later. Karnage is also on a track on the album I’m doing with B. Dvine

Track 5 – All That ft Voyce360 – prod BDvine
I first knew of Voyce360 through Team OBEZ. Back in 2016 he first contacted me directly about doing a track together. There was a track we were doing with C-Nile Davincii that was never finished due to technical reasons.
Then back in January he messaged me again about doing a new collab. I always dug his style so I agreed and he sent me a couple of beats before we settled on the current one. I didn’t even know my frequent collaborator B. Dvine had done it until I heard Voyce shout him out in his verse but the beat reminded me, along with the hook, of that old Camp Lo style swagger. Check out more beats at www.bdvinemusic.com.
The track will also be featured on Voyce’s upcoming project ‘Voyce of the Revolution’.

Track 6 – Krumbsnatcha drop
I met Krumbsnatcha through Justis Hype. Together they run MindPower Entertainment and I had designed the clothing range for them; www.mindpowerwear.bigcartel.com
Not much more to the story. I asked him to do the drop he said yes.

Track 7 – Dueling Mics – prod Skinny Bonez Tha Godfatha
Skinny Bonez Tha Godfatha was yet another guy I met originally through Team OBEZ. I keep mentioning them so let me explain who they are. 
Team OBEZ is a loose knit group of artists run by Menace OBEZ (Ol Dirty Bastards godbrother). I was part of the team for a while after he approached me on Facebook about artwork I think. Menace means well but we didn’t see eye to eye business wide so I eventually left the team but I’m still friends with a lot of the members and wish him and the team well.
Anyway, Skinny is a beatmaker for Lost Children Of Babylon and Voodoo Doctorz. He had sent me a beat years before that I hadn’t got round to using yet. Edd Bundy, UK producer and one half of Ill Of Writes, had been begging me to do a track with Skinny so I finally did the track and hereby dedicate it to him haha.
The track is personal to me, but still lighthearted in a way, about the difficulties of performing live. Losing confidence after choking a few times, and how to deal with it.

Track 8 – In The Jungle ft Sos Bishop & OneMike (Hook by Rediculus) – prod BDvine
In The Jungle came around by me wanting to do a track with Sos Bishop. Sos is one of Scott LaRock Jr’s artists , which makes him family anyway, and I liked what I heard. Hes got that real New York flow and sounded perfect over one of B.Dvines beats. Sos is one to watch. Check out more of his music here; Soundcloud
OneMike is my brother from another. He’s part of C75 Live and Im part of his T.E.S.T. Squad crew. It was only natural I get him on this track as I’m hoping it’ll do big things and I’m happy to spread any shine to him as well as myself.

Track 9 – Surraya A Hafeez (CEO of FNBG Records) drop
Surraya A. Hafeez is my manager and head of F.N.B.G. Records, out of NY. No, scrap that, she’s the best manager in the world. 
She IS Hip Hop. She has ghostwritten for well known artists, she knows everyone, but most importantly she has always been there for me when I’ve needed someone both personally and professionally.

Track 10 – BoomBoxers ft D.Original Mr.Blue – prod Eazy
I can’t remember how I met D.Original Mr.Blue now but we quickly became friends and family with him being part of C75 Live and me part of his Official Gorilla Army crew.
I’ve done artwork for him and designed the Gorilla Gear clothing line, available HERE.
He sent me this beat, by producer Eazy, and I came up with the concept of an ode to the days of cassette tapes. The hook is probably the only time you’ll hear anything from me sounding anything like singing.
He’s been in the game for years, you can find his music on iTunes. We’ve been working on several projects together that are all coming soon along with a joint album called Ashes To Ashes.
Mr.Blue also mixed and mastered a lot of the mixtape at short notice. I couldn’t have done it without him.

Track 11 – Kingz UTD ft Samuel Tafari, Big Toast, Wee D, AKD, & Hauntin – prod Edd Bundy
Kingz UTD came about through my love of posse cuts. I wanted to create a classic posse cut of  UK MCs, and I think I may have done just that.
Edd Bundy supplied the beat (hear more HERE) and his partner in rhyme Samuel Tafari was next up after me. Founder of Revorg Records, and 1/3 of TPS Fam 1/5 of Gatecrasherz, Big Toast was next up followed by Wee-D from Scotland. Arise King David was next up followed by Hauntin, who also mixed the track.

Track 12 – One Way Street ft BDvine & Solomon Childs – prod MEZ
The track itself, as far as my verse goes, is about some friendships being a one way street.
I got B.Dvine and Solomon Childs to jump on the beat which was made by ‘The Sample King’ M-EZ; a mutual friend of me and Surraya.

Track 13 – M-Eighty drop
I did a couple pairs of custom Wu-Tang sneakers for M-Eighty. M is an MC, businessman, VP of Anno Domini, music producer, and all round funny ass motherfucker so i thought I’d get him to do what I knew would be a funny drop. Pimpnuts did not disappoint.

Track 14 – Sick Friends ft Ramson Badbonez & Trademark Blud – prod SuperEgo
I already had the beat from SuperEgo (Boombox Saintz) for an earlier project that never came off. I can’t remember exactly how we met but he’s been part of C75 Live for years. 
I knew Trademark Blud through Facebook and had done some custom sneakers for Ramsom so I got them on board as a pair of UK heavyweights. Rediculus did the hook for me at short notice.

Track 15 – Spoils of War – prod BDvine
Spoils Of War was a track I put together to vent my frustrations with the state of Hip Hop. The whole Joe Budden / Migos thing had just popped off and i couldn’t believe people weren’t totally backing Budden, which I mention in the track, and I just needed to vent. B.Dvine’s beat was perfect for what I needed to go to war on these suckers.
I did my first video (apart from a feature on the Ju Muny track Heart Pain also featuring Mavs) using my phone, and edited it myself. Watch it HERE

Track 16 – The Devil Is Dope – prod Streetdemon Beats
DJ Morte of Streetdemon Beats is a casual member of C75 Live and had disappeared for a while but popped back up to bless me with this banger that I used to just spazz out on and show some flair. I was feeling the sample due to the white man being the devil (me) and the devil being dope (which I am).
I also did a video for this track, again on my phone. Watch it HERE. 
The track was featured on the ‘United States and Canada; The Strength Of Partnership, GGO Edition’ mixtape that was released a week before my mixtape by Majic Mike and hosted by Hell Razah. Download it HERE

Track 17 – The Livest Ones ft SuperEgo, Graveyard Shifter, & OneMike – prod SGRP
The Livest Ones is a C75 Live (hence the title) posse cut. I met Graveyard Shifter through Team OBEZ, though I hadn’t realised he was a member until he commented on a post on Facebook. I messaged him and it wasn’t long before he was down with C75 Live.
I got to know the producer SGRP of Studio Gigant when I responded to a post of his on social media requesting MCs for his Organic Ep. Get Vol 1 HERE and Vol 2 HERE

Track 18 – Dom Pachino drop
Dom Pachino is an MC I’ve been a fan of since his days in Killarmy. We run in the same circles now so I asked him if he would do a drop and he said yes.
Check out his current music HERE 

Track 19 – War Dogs ft Blaq Poet & Don Streat (Hook by Rediculus) – prod BDvine
Rediculus came through with another last minute hook on this B.Dvine banger but I’d actually had the track since 2015. I got to know Blaq Poet (Get his latest album HERE) through Comet of MadMen Entertainmentwho is now a member of the reformed Screwball. I’d done some custom gear for them and they blessed me with verses. The track with Comet on is still in the vault ready for vol 2.
Don Streat, of Animal Pak, I hit up after hearing his work and thought he’d be a great fit for the track. And whaddya know? He was.

Track 20 – Enough Is Enough – prod Malick Da 1Da
Enough Is Enough is an older track than the rest but after hearing played during a radio interview I did I thought I’d put it on as another solo track to balance out the posse cuts.
It was a track I wrote around the time I separated from my ex wife and I was at a very low point. I was on some fuck the world shit and while it’s a reminder of how far Ive come personally I still feel that way sometimes so I put it on for those that feel the same occasionally.

Track 21 – The Grand Finale ft T.E.S.T. Squad (OneMike, Yung Staxxx, Jabbo Tha Macnificent, Joe Stallion, & Sixxpho) – prod Cleno Jovanni
I love a posse cut and used to love the ones at the end of albums by artists in the NWA family so I got C75 Live Bay Area producer Cleno Jovanni to lace me with a west coast style banger to end out the mixtape. 

OneMike had introduced m to the other T.E.S.T. Squad members when I joined so I rounded them up. I have a track with Jabbo on his upcoming double album ‘Jabbo And His MACnificent Friends’ thats coming out soon. 

And thats it from start to finish. As you can tell its a real family affair done in the traditional organic way of working for the most part with friends and associates.
All I ask is that you listen to it and spread the word to your friends if you like it. That is honestly the best birthday present I could ask.
And don’t forget to visit www.c75live.com to keep up with the latest news.