So...today is a sad one. I just learned that a great friend and mentor to me has passed on. I wouldn't normally share this on YouTube but it pertains to music; my music. When I began making beats, I had two teachers: moodswing 9 and aftamaf. Cuz (moodswing) taught me about records. Lenny (maf) taught me everything else. I want to share all of the things I learned from this man but I don't have nearly enough character allotment. To anyone out there that has enjoyed any aspect of my "voice", please know there is no "Joey Beats" without Lenny Williams Grace. I was a kid back then and didn't realize how much he imparted me with. I came to appreciate that with age. I'd listen to my old material and catch myself saying the following phrases aloud: "That's Lenny. Lol, I got that from Maf. Lenny showed me that. There's Maf again." And so on.
Lenny hit me up on YouTube about a month ago on this thread...
We made that in 1999. I provided the sounds but Lenny made the beat on his SP-12 (not the 1200). We were in the production room at URI late night. He put it together in like 5 minutes; freaking absurd. I said, "hey man...the loop is a little off." Lenny: "You know that because you know the original but the listener doesn't. Leave it. Next."
And so it lives on.
Lenny had an SP-12 and a four track. That's it. He recorded samples from digital cable into the four track and sped them up into the Emu and then mixed it all down to 2 inch tape with Randy at New Castle. Whenever we got up, I brought vinyl. Lenny sped the records by hand to get to them to play faster than 78 rpm. This created two challenges. 1) the needle couldn't handle the rotation and fly off the record. 2) the spin wasn't consistent. He'd take his hand off the record to get it into the SP. That's why things naturally fell off time and pitch. See: loop above.
"Leave it."
One time he told me to swing by this random address in Providence; the heart of the hood. Deep dish. I walked into a basement apartment to a room filled with emcees. Dudes were looking at me like...👀 From the middle of the cipher, I hear Lenny's voice: “that's Joey Beats". Everyone's face immediately changed from stoic to smiles. Not because of my name or anything to do with me, (I'm nobody) but because of Lenny's voucher. All of the emcees stood, reciting rhymes to themselves while Lenny sat on a crate, in front of a small desk housing his sp and four track. He was making tracks for these guys one at a time. Cats were in line. I'll never forget that.
Lenny would pop up from time to time. In fact, about 8 years ago, I became friends with his older brother David. It wasn't until I heard his last name that I was like, "whoa whoa whoa...you're a Grace? Who is Lenny to you?" In pure synchronicity, we ran into Lenny downtown that same night. He'd always chide me about making more music with him. I was always down and expected to hear back but he never followed up. I think it was just a compliment more than anything, a nod to our past collaborations.
When I heard from Lenny last month, it made my week. He asked for my number and I gave it to him in the thread, open for all to see lol. I was excited to hear from Maf because I had a gift for him. I bought an op-1 a few years back and love it. But every time I fired it up, I knew deep down it wasn't mine. It was Lenny's. I was merely holding it for him. I couldn't wait to "return" what I felt was rightfully his.
He never called. I almost texted his brother David to say, "hey have Lenny hit me please" but I left it.
And to receive this news today really has me down. I cried. I called Dave. We cried.
I hate what I'm about to do but I'm going to do it. To any and all out there who are even the slightest supporters of my music, here is the gofundme page of the man who sculpted my sound. If you want to donate, thank you. If not, just know of his existence and this family.
Joey Beats
So...today is a sad one. I just learned that a great friend and mentor to me has passed on. I wouldn't normally share this on YouTube but it pertains to music; my music. When I began making beats, I had two teachers: moodswing 9 and aftamaf. Cuz (moodswing) taught me about records. Lenny (maf) taught me everything else. I want to share all of the things I learned from this man but I don't have nearly enough character allotment. To anyone out there that has enjoyed any aspect of my "voice", please know there is no "Joey Beats" without Lenny Williams Grace. I was a kid back then and didn't realize how much he imparted me with. I came to appreciate that with age. I'd listen to my old material and catch myself saying the following phrases aloud: "That's Lenny. Lol, I got that from Maf. Lenny showed me that. There's Maf again." And so on.
Lenny hit me up on YouTube about a month ago on this thread...
https://youtu.be/Urghr5-sW9Y
We made that in 1999. I provided the sounds but Lenny made the beat on his SP-12 (not the 1200). We were in the production room at URI late night. He put it together in like 5 minutes; freaking absurd. I said, "hey man...the loop is a little off." Lenny: "You know that because you know the original but the listener doesn't. Leave it. Next."
And so it lives on.
Lenny had an SP-12 and a four track. That's it. He recorded samples from digital cable into the four track and sped them up into the Emu and then mixed it all down to 2 inch tape with Randy at New Castle. Whenever we got up, I brought vinyl. Lenny sped the records by hand to get to them to play faster than 78 rpm. This created two challenges. 1) the needle couldn't handle the rotation and fly off the record. 2) the spin wasn't consistent. He'd take his hand off the record to get it into the SP. That's why things naturally fell off time and pitch. See: loop above.
"Leave it."
One time he told me to swing by this random address in Providence; the heart of the hood. Deep dish. I walked into a basement apartment to a room filled with emcees. Dudes were looking at me like...👀 From the middle of the cipher, I hear Lenny's voice: “that's Joey Beats". Everyone's face immediately changed from stoic to smiles. Not because of my name or anything to do with me, (I'm nobody) but because of Lenny's voucher. All of the emcees stood, reciting rhymes to themselves while Lenny sat on a crate, in front of a small desk housing his sp and four track. He was making tracks for these guys one at a time. Cats were in line. I'll never forget that.
https://youtu.be/4ENDUHCe-TA
Lenny would pop up from time to time. In fact, about 8 years ago, I became friends with his older brother David. It wasn't until I heard his last name that I was like, "whoa whoa whoa...you're a Grace? Who is Lenny to you?" In pure synchronicity, we ran into Lenny downtown that same night. He'd always chide me about making more music with him. I was always down and expected to hear back but he never followed up. I think it was just a compliment more than anything, a nod to our past collaborations.
When I heard from Lenny last month, it made my week. He asked for my number and I gave it to him in the thread, open for all to see lol. I was excited to hear from Maf because I had a gift for him. I bought an op-1 a few years back and love it. But every time I fired it up, I knew deep down it wasn't mine. It was Lenny's. I was merely holding it for him. I couldn't wait to "return" what I felt was rightfully his.
He never called. I almost texted his brother David to say, "hey have Lenny hit me please" but I left it.
And to receive this news today really has me down. I cried. I called Dave. We cried.
I hate what I'm about to do but I'm going to do it. To any and all out there who are even the slightest supporters of my music, here is the gofundme page of the man who sculpted my sound. If you want to donate, thank you. If not, just know of his existence and this family.
www.gofundme.com/f/memorial-e...
As for my op-1, it's got a new name.
Lenny.
5 years ago (edited) | [YT] | 5
View 1 reply