C.r.e.a.m. Team Records' 3rd Single "M.O.V.E." Liner Notes

C.r.e.a.m. Team Records' 3rd Single "M.O.V.E." Liner Notes

The third single from C.r.e.a.m. Team Records, "M.O.V.E." (DJ MITSU THE BEATS feat. Frank Nitt, Guilty Simpson), will be released on January 18, 2023. As with the previous release,Started working as a writer in 1996, writing primarily for hip-hop magazines such as "blast."The liner notes for this song were requested from Kiwamu Omae.

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<本文はじまり>

C.r.e.a.m. Team Records is a label with a 90s hip-hop theme, executive produced by DJ MITSU THE BEATS. Previously, they released singles produced by DJ MITSU THE BEATS himself, featuring Shing02 and KOHEI JAPAN respectively. For their third release, this time they have brought in their first overseas guests, Frank Nitt (hereinafter referred to as Frank) and Guilty Simpson (hereinafter referred to as Guilty), both hailing from Detroit. The song "M.O.V.E." has been completed through the collaboration of these three powerful artists.

Frank, also known for his work as part of the hip-hop duo Frank N Dank, and Guilty, who is active as a solo artist, not only hail from the same city of Detroit but also share a deep connection with the legendary producer J Dilla, as core hip-hop fans will know. J Dilla, also from Detroit, produced numerous hip-hop classics from the mid-90s to the 2000s before tragically passing away at the young age of 32 in 2006. Frank first met J Dilla when Frank himself was only 12 years old (Note: J Dilla was one year older than Frank Nitt), and J Dilla was also the one who named the group Frank N Dank.

・"Frank n Dank" Source: Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_n_Dank

Already known among hip-hop fans as a producer under the name Jay Dee, he featured Frank N Dank on "Pause," a track from his first album released under his own name (Jay Dee aka J Dilla) in 2001, titled *Welcome 2 Detroit*. Furthermore, Frank N Dank was also featured on "McNasty Filth," one of the main tracks on *Champion Sound*, the 2003 album by Jaylib, a unit formed by J Dilla and LA producer Madlib.

I first learned about Frank, I think it was through J Dilla's "Welcome 2 Detroit." After that, I really liked his rap on Jaylib's "McNasty Filth," it was very impressive. Incidentally, the song by Frank N Dank that I've played the most is a track called "Push." It was released as a 12-inch single in Europe (Germany), and it was difficult to get in Japan, so I imported it myself. J Dilla produced it, and I was greatly influenced by this beat as well. It's an important song for me that I still play today.
”Created by Everyone” 90s Hip Hop Specialty Label | C.r.e.a.m. Team Records
DJ Mitsu the Beats

Like Frank N Dank, Guilty was also featured on Jaylib's "Champion Sound," with the track "Strapped" being one of his earliest works as a rapper. Guilty later expanded his name as a prominent Detroit rapper by participating in albums released after J Dilla's passing, such as "The Shining" and "Ruff Draft." In 2008, he finally released his first album, "Ode To The Ghetto," on Stones Throw. Naturally, this album also includes a track produced by J Dilla ("I Must Love You").

I first knew Guilty as an artist associated with J Dilla. Guilty's albums were cool, but my favorite Guilty song is "Fitta Happier" by Quakers, featuring M.E.D. (from the 2012 album *Quakers*). The music video is also super cool, and I was blown away by his hard-spitting rap.
”Created by Everyone” 90s Hip Hop Specialty Label | C.r.e.a.m. Team Records
DJ Mitsu the Beats

Incidentally, Guilty and Madlib released the album "OJ Simpson" on Stones Throw in 2010. Frank guested on the track "Scratch Warning" on this album, and this is likely the first time the two collaborated.
Dear Producer, DJ MITSU THE BEATS discovered rappers Frank and Guilty through J Dilla and was a pure fan. In fact, he had had some involvement with them even before this collaboration.

I think it was in the late 2000s when I went to LA and heard about the possibility of making music with Guilty. It was around the time Guilty's album came out and everything was buzzing, so I really wanted to do it myself. However, I wasn't the one driving the entire initiative, so it didn't happen at that time.
”Created by Everyone” 90s Hip Hop Specialty Label | C.r.e.a.m. Team Records
DJ Mitsu the Beats

On the other hand, Frank has already collaborated on music with him as a producer.

I think they approached me because they wanted to work with Bitmaker from Japan. That's how we ended up providing a track for the song "St. Louis (The Block)" on Frank N Dank's 2019 album *St. Louis*. That was my first collaboration with Frank.
”Created by Everyone” 90s Hip Hop Specialty Label | C.r.e.a.m. Team Records
DJ Mitsu the Beats

The fact that DJ MITSU THE BEATS' track became the album's title track is also proof that they were very impressed with his beats. The connection that was formed between them at this time led to the current collaboration.

I saw Frank and Guilty making music together on Instagram or somewhere, and I thought, "If these two are still connected, maybe they can make music together?" So I decided to ask Frank, and then through Frank, Guilty as well.
”Created by Everyone” 90s Hip Hop Specialty Label | C.r.e.a.m. Team Records
DJ Mitsu the Beats

The first impression of "M.O.V.E." is that although these three people were connected by J Dilla in a way, the texture of the music is of a different type than that.

Since the theme is 90s hip-hop, if I were to lean too much into a J Dilla style, it would come across as 2000s. There's no point in sounding like J Dilla, so having the constraint of 90s hip-hop actually helped my own style to emerge, which I think was a good thing.
”Created by Everyone” 90s Hip Hop Specialty Label | C.r.e.a.m. Team Records
DJ Mitsu the Beats

The song's greatest charm is its vibrant, live feel, even though it's created through sampling.

We wanted to capture a 90s vibe, so we decided on a jazzy feel using the piano. But, when I say jazzy, I don't mean soft; I mean jazz with a sharper edge. I thought that kind of beat would suit both of your rapping styles. However, instead of being purely from the 90s in terms of how the piano bounces or the drums feel, we made it a fusion with contemporary hip-hop. It's been a while since I've made tracks like this, and conversely, it connects back to the beats I was making in the 90s.
”Created by Everyone” 90s Hip Hop Specialty Label | C.r.e.a.m. Team Records
DJ Mitsu the Beats

The first verse is rapped by Frank, and the second verse by Guilty. With the title "M.O.V.E." as the key, the two will push forward speedily and thrillingly while freestyling and layering rhymes.

Initially, it started with Frank's rap, and I thought it was perfect right from the get-go. Guilty's rap also turned out really cool. Regarding both of their lyrics, you can really feel that they're rapping with the energy of the moment, in a good way, and that's something I feel is unique to hip-hop.
”Created by Everyone” 90s Hip Hop Specialty Label | C.r.e.a.m. Team Records
DJ Mitsu the Beats

DJ Mitsu the Beats further states that he strongly feels a “Detroit” vibe in the rapping of these two.

I can't quite explain why, but I get a strong sense of Detroit from these two. It might be because I've listened to their music so many times over the years and imprinted my own image of it. I once DJed at a party in Detroit a long time ago. At that time, the auto industry had completely collapsed, and the city itself was like a ruin. I was DJing on some floor of a building, and it was dimly lit with only about 20 people there. When I looked out the building's window, there was no one walking around. Despite all that, the music playing was incredibly cool. The influence I received then was enormous, and the memory of that time still stays with me. That's my image of Detroit.
”Created by Everyone” 90s Hip Hop Specialty Label | C.r.e.a.m. Team Records
DJ Mitsu the Beats

This "M.O.V.E." was born from the connection between two cities, Sendai and Detroit. It feels like the groove within this song resides precisely because they aren't from cities like Tokyo, NY, or LA. We also hope that this song will be a catalyst for DJ MITSU THE BEATS to develop cross-border collaborations, involving these two artists, or even more artists.

”Created by Everyone” 90s Hip Hop Specialty Label | C.r.e.a.m. Team Records

Download liner notes as a PDF

＜本文終わり＞

By Kiwamu Omae (大前 至)

Music writer. Began writing in 1996, contributing to publications such as the hip-hop magazine "blast." Moved to Los Angeles in 2003, where they covered the underground hip-hop scene, including artists like Stones Throw, while also writing about fashion, art, and other fields. Returned to Japan in 2015 and continues to work as a writer for various magazines and web media, focusing primarily on hip-hop.

 
C.R.E.A.M. Team Records

Alright, onto the stage. Cream Team Records is a 90s hip-hop specialty label where anyone can participate in creative activities as an artist or owner.