scanreason@live.com So what the hell is Mom’s Spaghetti? Although I’m usually annoyed when artists don’t let their work speak for itself, I’ve been away from the game for a long time. Since I hope most of the people reading this are a beginning core audience as Ali and I begin making moves in ATX with The Potential Threats and our side projects, I figured I’d explain the evolution of this album. Mom’s Spaghetti started as a verbal air flare joint- meaning it was only meant to be braggadocio, “look what I can do” side project while we were taking time off of PT (see Shawn Kemp, I Got It, Peoples’ Avengers, and the title track). The ridiculous premise was built off of Eminem’s line in “Lose Yourself”, which seems so ridiculous to us now but what was deemed as so HARD when it came out on the 8 Mile soundtrack.
Anyways, once I was able to start recording again, I soon realized I had a lot of shit to get off my chest since there had been drastic changes in my life since my last release. There were many start up projects that went nowhere while I was finishing up my degree in Bloomington. After I had arrived at UT pursuing an academic career, music seemed something of a very distant past until I started rockin’ shit out with the Arab Samurai (Loyce Gayo was the catalyst). During the course of my MA, I found myself in one of the fastest growing cities in America, an apex of commercial corporate take-over and gentrification (see The End of Austin). From this, I was able to articulate in my head contradictions of white liberal doctrine with issues concerning nationalism, racism, xenophobia, sexism, classism, and homophobia. This led me to reflect on my own white male privilege, particularly looking back at my past when I was performing and appropriating in black performance space in Fort Wayne, Indiana (see Elvis Minstrel). I also began noticing how the popularity of irony and satire in this generation fed through a short attention span media had allowed avenues for privileged persons such as myself to create a distraction from actually having an opinion on important issues. This became the cornerstone of the mixtape.
Since my philosophical scope had radically shifted to socialist, leftist resistance; many people back home have felt either afraid and/or disgusted with me. I had developed an anti-nationalist, anti-capitalist sentiment, specifically with consumerism and military occupation. During the course of this mixtape, I have burnt quite a few bridges… but I’ve built stronger ones. When you speak firmly against what is considered common sense logic, people automatically assume you are egotistical or “looking for attention.” Specifically, when you come from a hegemonic position of power like me (white, male, heterosexual), people in that same position tend to automatically view you as a traitor or even elitist. As one of my best and respected friends Scorpio put it, I had finally become scandalous reasoning. I had tried very hard to explain my perspectives and, in what I found in much of academia, to keep an open minded, “objective” stance to people’s bigotry. But you know what? To hell with those people. While speaking out against institutional racism, I’ve been told to “get over myself.” What the fuck does that even mean? I had grown to learn that the best way I express myself and live healthy in a community was to not sugar coat any of my opinions which worked perfectly for an album release.
Back on point- the mixtape begins with my personal path. I assume satirical characters that are reflective of a misogynist, racist, violent, and self-destructive past (see Fort ‘Caine of Yore, Elvis Minstrel, and Alcoholic). I attempt to address these characters (me) in my present state of mind nearing the end of the tracks. This was probably the hardest part of the project. Along the way, there are tongue-in-cheek pockets of sometimes confusing post-modernist humor and me just enjoying the production. As the mixtape falls deeper down the rabbit hole, I attempt to tackle larger socio-political issues that will piss people off. It is not without its flaws (as any hip hop album made by a white person is inevitably bound to). I welcome criticism for my growth as an artist. I linguistically code switch often, which is the product of a plethora of experiences and cultural spaces I have occupied in my life. The production is sample heavy, which I prefer in Hip Hop.
PT will continue to rock shows for the people! We will be pumping up tracks from this mixtape with live guitar from Bruce Ali and Harmonica from Dapper Dany D. We are currently in the first stages of production with Ali’s “Arab Samurai” mixtape, which should be dropping in a couple months. We plan on dropping a Potential Threats studio album entitled “Dissenter” in the future. We have found great solidarity with Red Guards Austin, who have facilitated events that share our passion for community outreach and organization; as well as crushing the terrorist state. I appreciate everyone who took the time to read this and I hope you enjoy the album.

Sincerely,
Don’t Play the Game,
Change the Game,
Fuck Hands Up,
Throw a Fist Up,

Scan Reason