North Coast: a free-style rapping improv team http://www.northcoastnyc.com/wp NYC's Premier freestyle rapping, beatboxing, long-form improv team Tue, 17 Apr 2012 14:09:39 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 Another Original Jam – This Is The Place http://www.northcoastnyc.com/wp/2012/04/another-original-jam-this-is-the-place/ http://www.northcoastnyc.com/wp/2012/04/another-original-jam-this-is-the-place/#comments Tue, 03 Apr 2012 18:45:10 +0000 Rachel http://www.northcoastnyc.com/wp/?p=481 Check out this rap some of the boys from North Coast whipped up about none other than my very own hometown, Stamford CT!  Or as I like to call it… “the ‘Ferd.”

Word to the Ford.

This is the Place (Stamford) by North Coast!

( Written by Robo, Demuth, and Dougie)

 

Lyrics:

Verse 1:
This is the place!  Where people couldn’t be sweeter
And The shows are the bomb at Avon Theater
They got the big sounds like John Phillip Sousa
This summer I’ma rock out a Bandapalooza
Oh no why is the city looking stark?!
Probably cause everyones all up in Columbus Park
Don’t ask why you feeling the vibe while-you shuck and jive
No need to bribe your wives come to Alive at 5

Chorus:
This is the Place (Stamford)
This is the Plaaaaaaace
This is the Place (Stamford)
This is the Plaaaaaaace

Verse 2:
This is the place…
We rocking on the river, we got them speakers booming’
We jazzing up July got the music fans a swooning.
But music ain’t the only thing that I am screaming for.
You can drop me off at La dolce vida chocolates and more.
Time to reverse commute and grab myself some dinner
Gonna hit up Morton’s steaks get me grilled up a tasty winner.
But If you feeling the surf, Mitchell fish market be boastin:
Fish so fresh, any fresher would still be In the ocean.

Chorus:
(Repeat)

Verse 3:
This is the place
Bring your car downtown you know can park it
Get some veggies and baked bread at the french market
The city that works no jerks on summer street
Get some sweets and pommes frites during winter restaurant week
At layla’s falafel you know they got the best PITAS
Gelato at Volta? you know there’s nothin’ sweeta
Forget the subway, I prefer metro North
When i’m reverse commutin’, I’m headin’ to stamford

Chorus:
(Repeat)

]]> http://www.northcoastnyc.com/wp/2012/04/another-original-jam-this-is-the-place/feed/ 0 North Coast WINS UCB’s CageMatch…Again! http://www.northcoastnyc.com/wp/2012/03/north-coast-wins-ucbs-cagematch-again/ http://www.northcoastnyc.com/wp/2012/03/north-coast-wins-ucbs-cagematch-again/#comments Fri, 02 Mar 2012 20:55:14 +0000 james http://www.northcoastnyc.com/wp/?p=463 WE WON OUR FIRST CAGEMATCH vs. the 7 (or more) time winner, Fuck That Shit, and then last night defeated the UCB Harold Team – Mr. Crime.  So… needless to say, we are thrilled. And also… Time for ROUND 3!!!

We are up against  what many people consider to be the best improv team in New York and even in the country – Death By Roo Roo.  To give you an idea of how good these guys are they haven’t lost their opening night of CageMatch in 5 years, and a couple of the years in there they won for over 20 weeks in a row.  Also, all the members of the team have been our teachers for the past 3-4 years.  Needless to say, we need all the love and support you got!  We are capable of beating them if we do what we do best, and having our friends there truly energizes us!

We will be performing at the CageMatch show at the main UCB theater – in Chelsea. This is a competition and we need our fans there to support and vote for us! And of course… laugh!

Make your Reservations!
http://newyork.ucbtheatre.com/performances/view/22564

Thu March 8, 2012
11:00pm

Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, NY
307 West 26th Street, New York, NY 10001

See you there! Bawse.

As a reminder…

 

 

 

]]> http://www.northcoastnyc.com/wp/2012/03/north-coast-wins-ucbs-cagematch-again/feed/ 0 Won’t You Please Be My Valentine? (New Original Rap Single!) http://www.northcoastnyc.com/wp/2012/02/wont-you-please-be-my-valentine-new-original-rap-single/ http://www.northcoastnyc.com/wp/2012/02/wont-you-please-be-my-valentine-new-original-rap-single/#comments Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:50:36 +0000 Rachel http://www.northcoastnyc.com/wp/?p=453 North Coast knows how to ask nicely… Won’t You Please Be My Valentine?

A new single from us to you!

DOWNLOAD THE MP3 HERE

 

Please share it on twitter, facebook, and the like.

]]> http://www.northcoastnyc.com/wp/2012/02/wont-you-please-be-my-valentine-new-original-rap-single/feed/ 0 Hip-Hop Improv with North Coast: Class #3 Homework http://www.northcoastnyc.com/wp/2012/01/hip-hop-improv-with-north-coast-class-3-homework/ http://www.northcoastnyc.com/wp/2012/01/hip-hop-improv-with-north-coast-class-3-homework/#comments Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:34:58 +0000 james http://www.northcoastnyc.com/wp/?p=444 Friends… the time has come for your last homework assignment.  We’ve laughed, cried, hugged, stabbed, and done a little improv, too.  This week, as I said in class, we wanted to highlight freestyling.  I think it’s important to always watch people that are better than you because it keeps you hungry.  And I feel that the moment you think you don’t need to change anything, is the exact moment that you do.   Shaun said, “I think the important thing to pull away from these videos are that freestyling is difficult even for rappers who we perceive as amazing”.  Also this week, Shaun and I wanted to highlight some more beatboxing videos AND recap the work we went over last class!   Please listen to at least 4 of the freestyling vide0s, 2 beatboxing videos.  While you are listening to them please think about:

  1. Skills: How did their minds work?  How did they get from couplet to couplet and topic to topic?
  2. Personality: How does their freestyle persona match/ change from their written persona?
  3. Beatboxing: Could you hear the sounds we worked on in class?  What other sounds did you hear that you may want to learn?
  4. Diversity: What differences did you notice between the female rappers?  Any similarities?
Freestyles:
Mos Def, Black Thought, Eminem- http://youtu.be/IfbrZ_1nY3A
KRS-ONE, Buckshot, Tony Touch- http://youtu.be/NfOJ74V1OAQ
Dumbfoundead, Traphik, D-Pryde- http://youtu.be/-v8RRyj8JBg
.
Beatboxing:
.
WAYS TO SPEED UP/COMPLICATE THE BEAT include taking the sounds we have learned and combining them in a faster or syncopated pattern. When writing these sections we use lower case letters put together with no breaks.
 .
“tpk”- TOPEKA. Concentrate on accentuating the consonants
“pkt”- BIGGITY.
 .
Listening to scatter and Jazz will help a lot when trying to add flair and rhythmic timing to your beats.
 .
INTONING is achieved by humming with the back of your throat while making percussions sounds using the air inside your mouth. To practice, close your mouth and start humming. Send them hum sound out through your nose. If you pinch your nostrils while doing this it should mute the sound. While humming use “P” sound to practice using only the air in your mouth (as humming is taking up the rest of your instrument.
 .
“P”- stays the same as when we learned it
“F”- similar to “T”. It keeps your mouth in an easier position to intone while still giving you opportunity to breathe.
“K”- instead of pushing air out to achieve this sound you need to click your tongue against your back teeth.
 .
When intoning all sounds are naturally going to have less force because your air supply is busy with the humming sounds. Keep this in mind when practicing enunciation and force so there is not a clear drop off in sound during the transition from beatboxing to intoning.
.
Videos:
As always, if you would like to leave comments below about your thoughts on the above questions and/or which tracks you liked/didn’t like and why, please do so below (not required).
]]> http://www.northcoastnyc.com/wp/2012/01/hip-hop-improv-with-north-coast-class-3-homework/feed/ 5 Hip-Hop Improv with North Coast: Class #2 Homework http://www.northcoastnyc.com/wp/2012/01/hip-hop-improv-with-north-coast-class-2-homework/ http://www.northcoastnyc.com/wp/2012/01/hip-hop-improv-with-north-coast-class-2-homework/#comments Thu, 19 Jan 2012 19:11:44 +0000 james http://www.northcoastnyc.com/wp/?p=417 Hello!   As was said in both classes, but is worth repeating, one of the best ways to get better at rapping is to listen and analyze a diverse amount of songs.  Below you will see a number of links to a wide-variety of tracks.  This week, Shaun also posted some beatboxing videos as well!  Just like last week, what we would like you to do is listen to at least 3 of the tracks under USA, 1 track under International, and then watch 2 of the beatboxing videos.  While listening please listen for, and be prepared to discuss in class, the following things:

  1. Energy/Personality: What kind of energy/emotion does each rapper have?  What did they do that made you feel that?
  2. Emotion: What emotion did you feel the song was trying to get you to feel?  Did it work?  What caused to feel the emotion more – the beat, the rapper, or both?
  3. Popularity:  A lot of  the artists below are very underground.  Why do you think that is?  Is it their “fault” or the industry’s?
  4. Self analysis:  When you rap, do you have a similar flow to any of the rappers below?  Do you wish you had a similar flow to any of them?
USA Hip-Hop:
Common: “I Used to Love H.E.R.” http://youtu.be/YJm-qsWKdFA
A Tribe Called Quest: “Scenario” http://youtu.be/JFZLq6R-ZtM
Jurassic 5: “Concrete Schoolyard” http://youtu.be/KeN9c2GYJkk
Tyler The Creator: “Yonkers” http://youtu.be/XSbZidsgMfw
TI ft. Jay-Z, Kanye, Lil Wayne: “Swagga Like Us” http://youtu.be/unUqSxSFbH4
Eve: “Tambourine” http://youtu.be/sWUV71G5W8g
Devin the Dude: “Briar Patch” http://youtu.be/vJJnXUMg4AI
K-OS: “Man I Used To Be” http://youtu.be/vAJLkb5bpLs
Ludacris: “Last of a Dying Breed” http://youtu.be/mj2UmT2pVHA
Audra the Rapper: http://youtu.be/pjWf3l0Wu_o
K’Naan ft. Mos Def, Chali 2na : “America” http://youtu.be/xM_srL1X8ck
Dumbfoundead ft Breezy Lovejoy and Wax: “Cell Phone” http://youtu.be/8IuvGHSgApM
Recess: “DNA” http://youtu.be/xx4GKIMxkXc
Matisyahu: “Time of Your Song” http://youtu.be/6blhdYBswfY
International Hip-Hop:
Japanese Hip-Hop: http://youtu.be/u0pyDhMt0Es
.
Beatboxing:
WHAT DID WE GO OVER?

808 drum kit/electronic drum sounds:
 ”OO/EE”- In class we ended these sounds with a “T” so it sounded like “OOT/EET”. Sound comes from the back of the throat in the voice box area. Picture getting hit in the stomach, the air gets caught in your throat and then expelled. Unlike what we did in class one, it is important to emphasize the vowels when producing this sound.
 .
“psh”- Air for this sound can be pulled just from the space inside your mouth. Push the sound through your lips in the same way you make the “Poo” sound. End the sound by making a “shhhh” noise.
 .
 Record Scratching:
“R”- Era. Vary this sound by using higher and lower vocal pitches in addition to speed.
 .
Soundless Scratching/Air Scratch can be achieved by forming an “O” shape with your mouth and mouthing the word “CHEEVA” or “TIVO”. You should hear air being manipulated into two pitches.
 .
Breakdowns:
Used sparingly. for the purpose of varying up the beat, allowing the rapper to get back on rhythm, emphasize important information. Ideally, a breakdown should be done so that it sounds like it is still part of the song and not an entirely new idea. Pulling sound entirely is also an easy way to highlight what the rapper is saying. any breakdown/silencing MUST still be in the same time signature established by the “spine beat”
 .
TRY THESE AT HOME!
(OO-T-PSH-T-EE-T-PSH-T)
(P-T-PSH-T-P-T-P-P-PSH)
(OO-T-T-OO-K-T-T-EE-T-EE-T-OO-K-T-EE-T)
.
Videos:
Beardyman: “Conan Performance” http://youtu.be/00aC3cYHCi8
Reeps One and Skiller: http://youtu.be/vn9EGVdEs5o

LASTLY: If you would like to leave comments below about your thoughts on the above questions and/or which tracks you liked/didn’t like and why, please do so below (not required).

]]> http://www.northcoastnyc.com/wp/2012/01/hip-hop-improv-with-north-coast-class-2-homework/feed/ 2 Hip-Hop Improv with North Coast: Class #1 Homework http://www.northcoastnyc.com/wp/2012/01/hip-hop-improv-with-north-coast-class-1-homework/ http://www.northcoastnyc.com/wp/2012/01/hip-hop-improv-with-north-coast-class-1-homework/#comments Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:52:41 +0000 james http://www.northcoastnyc.com/wp/?p=412 Friends!  You made it through class 1!!  Thank you again for signing up for our class, we hope you continue to have as much fun taking it as we have teaching it!    Alright, enough of the mushy stuff, let’s jump into your 1st assignment.   As we said in class, one of the best ways to get better at rapping is to listen and analyze a diverse amount of songs, and one of the best ways to get better at beatboxing is to practice.  Below you will see a number of links to a wide-variety of tracks and a beatboxing re-cap.  What we would like you to do is listen to at least 5 of the songs under “Hip-Hop Tracks” and then read through Shaun’s re-cap and listen to a couple the beatboxer videos he posted.

Hip-Hop Tracks:

While listening please listen for, and be prepared to discuss in class, the following things:

  1. Energy/Personality: What kind of energy/emotion does each rapper have?  What did they do that made you feel that?
  2. Rhyme Structure: Where does each rapper rhyme in each line?  Do they they rhyme more than once per line? Would you consider their rhyme structure simple or complex?
  3. Genre:  How would you classify each song?  Old school, new school, storytelling, conscious, anthem, etc.
  4. Self analysis:  When you rap, do you have a similar flow to any of the rappers below?  Do you wish you had a similar flow to any of them?

Notorious B.I.G. (ft. Twista and Bone Thugs N Harmony) – http://youtu.be/eu5L8zYldX4
Drake, Kanye West, Lil Wayne, & Eminem – http://youtu.be/eDuRoPIOBjE
Run DMC: http://youtu.be/dA8DsUN6g_k
Wiz Khalifa – http://youtu.be/hmP7TYtDVUU
Missy Elliot: http://youtu.be/cjIvu7e6Wq8
Nas: http://youtu.be/P7ABLxtWAs4

Azealia Banks- http://youtu.be/i3Jv9fNPjgk
Blackalicious: http://youtu.be/MvPnM2Q1nwU
Shad: http://youtu.be/q-mAMH5S6VA
Kanye West, Jay-Z, and Nikki Minaj: http://youtu.be/qY0J1wdY2vU
Ice Cube: http://youtu.be/QWfbGGZE07M
Eminem: http://youtu.be/0RMI_Pc4exc
Notorious BIG: http://youtu.be/ZzvL4O3uomg

Beatboxing Re-cap:
What have we learned so far?
Parts of the body/placement that we use in beatboxing:
-Diaphragm
-Lungs
-Trachea
-Back of the throat
-Inside of the mouth
-Tongue
-Teeth
-Lips
 .
Sounds: Focus on the consonants, enunciation, and force of breath. All these factors will effect the sound and power of the beat
“P” Poo. Air inside the mouth gets pushed through the lips.
“T” Tee. Tip of your tongue presses against the roof of your mouth. Air gets pushed over the tip of the tongue. Reverse to breathe while making sound.
“K” Kah. Air gets pushed through the spaces between your teeth and cheeks. Use “HA” or “HE” placed after a “K” sound to relieve stress on back of throat.
 .
Beats we’ve worked on:
“( )” IDENTIFY WHERE THE BEAT STARTS AND ENDS. WHEN YOU HIT “)” RETURN TO “(“
UNDERSCORE IMPLIES A REST OR PAUSE. GOOD LOCATION TO BREATHE “_”
(PTKT)
(P_KPK)
 .
TRY THIS ONE AT HOME!

(PTKTTPKT)

LASTLY: If you would like to leave comments below about your thoughts on the above questions and/or which tracks you liked/didn’t like and why, please do so below (not required).

Videos:

 

Note: We recognize that our list of songs is not all encompassing.  We will be sharing more and more tracks with you as the class progresses.

]]> http://www.northcoastnyc.com/wp/2012/01/hip-hop-improv-with-north-coast-class-1-homework/feed/ 4 We’re heading back to North Carolina! http://www.northcoastnyc.com/wp/2012/01/were-heading-back-to-north-carolina/ http://www.northcoastnyc.com/wp/2012/01/were-heading-back-to-north-carolina/#comments Tue, 03 Jan 2012 16:53:09 +0000 Rachel http://www.northcoastnyc.com/wp/?p=408 You know what’s awesome? NORTH COAST not only got into the North Carolina Comedy Arts Festival for a second year in a row – but we scored an AMAZING slot!  We are absolutely honored to be doing the Friday night, 9:30 show – on the ArtsCenter Main Stage. ALSO – we’re sharing the stage with the super fabulous ImprovBoston Mainstage and Magnet Touring Co!  Awesome.

 

More festival info here.

See more photos of our 2011 performance here!

]]> http://www.northcoastnyc.com/wp/2012/01/were-heading-back-to-north-carolina/feed/ 0 UCB Indie Cagematch: WE WON! http://www.northcoastnyc.com/wp/2011/12/ucb-indie-cagematch-we-won/ http://www.northcoastnyc.com/wp/2011/12/ucb-indie-cagematch-we-won/#comments Wed, 21 Dec 2011 19:36:09 +0000 Rachel http://www.northcoastnyc.com/wp/?p=395

Amey presents the magical trophy

Thank you so much to everyone who supported us at the UCB Indie Cagematch. All of the teams were  super funny – and the judges gave really great feedback. Thank you so much for having us!

We are proud to say that we are the first team to win three straight weeks in a row! Aaaand, this gives us the opportunity to hit up the “real” UCB Cagematch show in Chelsea sometime soon!

BRING IT ON.

Here is our Hype Video for our final show – that got over 65 likes on Facebook.

North Coast’s Cleanin’ Up for Cagematch:

 

Can’t wait for the next round at UCB!

We did it!

]]> http://www.northcoastnyc.com/wp/2011/12/ucb-indie-cagematch-we-won/feed/ 0 North Coast’s UCB Indie Cagematch Hype Video! http://www.northcoastnyc.com/wp/2011/11/north-coasts-ucb-indie-cagematch-hype-video/ http://www.northcoastnyc.com/wp/2011/11/north-coasts-ucb-indie-cagematch-hype-video/#comments Wed, 30 Nov 2011 23:07:20 +0000 Rachel http://www.northcoastnyc.com/wp/?p=351 Well, as you heard, we are performing at the UCB Indie Cagematch this coming Sunday, Dec. 4th at 7:30 pm! And we need you there! Seroiusly – we need people to cheer and vote for us – it is a legit competition.

Dougie created this freaking great Hype Video announcing the show – so check it out and see you at UCB East on Sunday!

 

]]> http://www.northcoastnyc.com/wp/2011/11/north-coasts-ucb-indie-cagematch-hype-video/feed/ 0 We are competing at the UCB Indie Cagematch! http://www.northcoastnyc.com/wp/2011/11/we-are-competing-at-the-ucb-indie-cagematch/ http://www.northcoastnyc.com/wp/2011/11/we-are-competing-at-the-ucb-indie-cagematch/#comments Mon, 28 Nov 2011 17:06:30 +0000 Rachel http://www.northcoastnyc.com/wp/?p=346 North Coast is honored and excited to be performing/competing at the new Indie Cagematch show at UCB East! This show is INDEED a competition – and if we win three in a row, we earn a spot at the UCB Cagematch show at the theater in Chelsea.

We will do our part: A kick-ass improv/free-style rapping show.
And we need you to do yours: Show up and support us!
Get there early to make sure you get a ballot so you can vote!

Details:

Sunday, Dec 4th at 7:30pm

UCB East
153 East 3rd Street.
New York, NY

Make your ticket reservations online NOW! (pay at the door.)

Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/events/247759645287534/

 

We are competing against these awesome teams!:

Steak
Evan Boshi, Joe Monje, Dave Ebert, Lisa Barracuda

New England
Ken Beck, Andrew Law, Patrick Long, Molly Gaebe, Henry Kaiser, Amos Vernon

The show is hosted By Amey Goerlich & Ryan Karels

 

]]> http://www.northcoastnyc.com/wp/2011/11/we-are-competing-at-the-ucb-indie-cagematch/feed/ 1