"By the middle of last year I knew I had to make my LP a priority, finally," says Mcenroe of Disenfranchised, his first full-length album with vocals. He's released material previous to this, including two EPs and an instrumental album, but most of his work has been as producer for the rest of the Winnipeg-based hip-hop label Peanuts & Corn. Of his new priorities, he says: "The [Hip-Hop] Wieners project came along and they wanted some of my beats, and I said hell no."
His consistently improving beats have made Mcenroe one of Canada's best producers, as well as giving his label a cohesive sound. "Because I have a style of production, my mark will be on everything I produce," he reveals. "I like dark sounds, heavy drums, strings, harps, flutes, guitar, bass. It is becoming more lush and full as I get better."
The unfortunate side effect of his beat-making is that some would prefer if Mcenroe did nothing else, a theme he touches on in "Can't Get There From Here." "I don't want Can't Get There From Here' to make it seem like I get an overwhelming amount of negative feedback about me as an MC," he says. "I don't. I generally get positive feedback. But as someone who does both, I get the occasional mention by someone saying I should only produce, to which my response is too bad, I enjoy rapping."
And with Disenfranchised, "the realest" demonstrates these abilities with greater confidence than ever before, through lyrics that are "very honest [and] personal," another prerequisite of the P&C family. "When I sit down with these dark beats that I make and pick up a pen, it all starts with the word I' and it all comes out negative," he admits. "I'm not sure why." Although he may be onto something when he adds: "I guess it has to do with the fact that I am almost 30 years old and different things matter to me than they did as a teen." If only more rappers would grow up.
His consistently improving beats have made Mcenroe one of Canada's best producers, as well as giving his label a cohesive sound. "Because I have a style of production, my mark will be on everything I produce," he reveals. "I like dark sounds, heavy drums, strings, harps, flutes, guitar, bass. It is becoming more lush and full as I get better."
The unfortunate side effect of his beat-making is that some would prefer if Mcenroe did nothing else, a theme he touches on in "Can't Get There From Here." "I don't want Can't Get There From Here' to make it seem like I get an overwhelming amount of negative feedback about me as an MC," he says. "I don't. I generally get positive feedback. But as someone who does both, I get the occasional mention by someone saying I should only produce, to which my response is too bad, I enjoy rapping."
And with Disenfranchised, "the realest" demonstrates these abilities with greater confidence than ever before, through lyrics that are "very honest [and] personal," another prerequisite of the P&C family. "When I sit down with these dark beats that I make and pick up a pen, it all starts with the word I' and it all comes out negative," he admits. "I'm not sure why." Although he may be onto something when he adds: "I guess it has to do with the fact that I am almost 30 years old and different things matter to me than they did as a teen." If only more rappers would grow up.
