Tag Archives: fake four inc

Heat Waves :: Chris Conde And El Dusty Drop Party Packed Video For ‘Summertime Heat’

Engulfed in the Marvelous Decay, the Fake Four Inc. debut of Texas-based hip-hop trailblazer Chris Conde, has been a gamechanger in the way that it has not only manifested staying power, but opened up many doors of opportunity.  One of the cooler collaborations on the project was Summertime Heat, a song about Texas summers backed by the production prowess of the Grammy-nominated electro-cumbia mastermind El Dusty.  Earlier this month (and in spite of summer technically and theoretically winding down), Conde tapped creatives Mandy Heitzelman SmithAdrienne LakeGreer SkiesSunday BallewMarty RobbinsRichard Whymark and a handful of good friends to bring Summertime Heat to life via an old fashioned pool party.  If you want to take part in the summertime magic vicariously, definitely take a few minutes to check out the video, and if you dig it, be sure to leave a like and a comment before sharing it around!

-chief

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Right Now :: Heir MAX And Fake Four Inc. Share ‘The Moment-20’

I think it’s important to let Fake Four Inc. and heir MAX speak on this project : 

“This album is dedicated to Scotty Sixo whose birthday is September 10th.

In heir MAX‘s words:  ‘This project is very dear to me.  I talk about a lot of personal things I had a lot of time to reflect on during the Pandemic…. I hit on my childhood, how I grew up in Dallas Texas dealing with addiction, corrupt cops, the Pandemic, depression, and the pursuit for happiness.

I want to dedicate this album to our Dear friend Scotty Sixo Trimble.  A lot of us owe you so much and I am truly thankful to have had you as a friend. We miss you so much.’

Fake Four Inc. is proud to share this EP by Texas‘s heir MAX as a free digital download on Bandcamp day today.  With production by Moodie Black, Factor Chandelier, Progeny and more, heir MAX offers a unique blend of sonic influences backing up poignant, biting rhymes.

Joseph Johnson, aka heir MAX, is a hip hop artist based in Fort Worth, TX, and half of the duo Alligator Food with ScottySixoTrimble.

Alligator Food was hard at work on the follow up to their debut album, Even Petals, when Sixo suffered a fatal heat stroke during a motocross race.  The devastating loss of not only his friend but also all of their recorded material was a career setback not many could recover from.  Wanting to continue the pursuit of his childhood dream, heir MAX began to pick up the pieces and embark on his new journey as a solo artist.

heir MAX’s music has been described as “light-hearted with a dark twist.”  Drawing from unexpected influences like Dave Gahan, Muddy Waters, Trent Reznor, and the Dead Kennedys, heir MAX delivers catchy choruses over moody yet upbeat soundscapes, creating a sound uniquely his own.  MAX is as comfortable on a skateboard as he is on the mic, weaving his life experiences together without a lot of tricky metaphors.  The lack of overcomplicated and obscure references make heir MAX instantly relatable.  His tales, inspired by the likes of Slick Rick and Ghostface Killah, range from childhood skatepark antics and cartoons to serious topics, like corrupt cops- the subject of his song Ralph.

Though it was through Sixo that heir MAX met Ceschi and became part of his Fake Four, Inc. label, heir MAX quickly made a name for himself.  MAX has played alongside greats like 2mex, producer Factor Chandelier, Ceschi, MC Homeless, Onry Ozzborn, Height Keech, and the legendary Myka 9.  He has performed on several dates on the Vans Warped tour and is the go-to opening act at any major hip hop show in Texas due to his dedicated hometown fanbase.”

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Lucid Streams :: Fake Four Releases Entire Fake Fourantine 2021 Twitch Stream To YouTube

Sit back and enjoy this 6-plus hour stream of a multitude of Fake Four artists, yours truly included!  If you dig it, leave a like and a comment, share it around and go follow Fake Four Inc. on Twitch!

-chief

Dramatic Chops :: Anthony Maintain Turns In A Visually And Sonically Captivating Set For Fake Fourantine 2021

A couple of weekends ago, Fake Four Inc. hit up myself and a number of my labelmates to participate in Fake Fourantine 2021, the second Twitch-based online festival they’ve held in light of COVID-19 and the impact the pandemic has had on the world at large.  While everyone did their thing, the homie (and split-LP cohort) Anthony Maintain turned in a rather exceptional performance, complete with wonderful black and white captures of several visually striking areas to perform his trademark beatsmithing and rhymesaying.  If you missed the stream, don’t sleep on this performance… it’s inspiring in all the right ways.  Leave the homie a like and a comment, spread it around, and support your local creatives!

-chief

Touching Down :: Chris Conde Releases ‘Engulfed In The Marvelous Decay’ Via Fake Four Inc.

From the digital desk of Chris Conde and Fake Four Inc. :

“As an openly queer rapper, TexasChris Conde combines the classically detached spheres of hip hop, indie rock and avant-garde experimental art punk of the drag variety.  In their sometimes hysterical but always poignant bars, Conde strives to relate to their audience through an honest communication of their personal narrative of overcoming drug addiction, internalized homophobia and self-acceptance.

Chris Conde is a Fake Four Freecember 2019 Alum who has received press shoutouts from NPR’s Tiny Desk series, the San Antonio Current, Texas Music Magazine, and Hip Hop DXEngulfed in the Marvelous Decay features Ceschi Ramos and offers up production by K Death of Moodie Black, Lazerbeak of Doomtree, and Whatever Cecil with artwork by SqualloscopeChris’s honest storytelling ability, beat selection, and sharp technical skills displayed across Engulfed in the Marvelous Decay are sure to move you and resonate on multiple levels.”

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Summertime Sadness :: Chris Conde Taps Ceschi For ‘The Summer Of Our Discontent’ Video And Single

Engulfed in the Marvelous Decay, the upcoming Chris Conde release from Fake Four Inc., drops this upcoming Sunday, and with Conde doing the work in terms of promotional rollout, it makes sense that his third (and seemingly final prerelease) single would feature a guest appearance from the always stellar and compelling Fake Four label-head and foundational artist Ceschi.  Over a very somber and spacious beat, Conde and Ceschi open up their minds and hearts about attempting to stay motivated and creative in a world that gives us reasons to believe otherwise.  The Summer of Our Discontent could soundtrack these bleak and uncertain times we’ve been navigating through lately, so if you feel like you could use a sonic remedy, check out the video, leave a like and a comment, and spread it around for all to take in.

-chief 

New Life :: Chris Conde Releases ‘Mariposa’ Video

Despite the lasting effects of COVID-19 and its crippling impact on the live music industry, there are a handful of artists who have continued to persevere in spite of, and Chris Conde is a shining example of this steadfast dedication.  Over the majority of 2020, Conde found ways to stay in the public eye, be it video releases, live stream performances or acoustic performances.  As 2020 transitioned into 2021, Conde made the announcement that an album was coming on Fake Four, Inc. in the spring, and if the Lazerbeak-produced Mariposa is any indication of what’s to come, then hip-hop heads should prepare themselves for more of Conde‘s signature honesty and insight over some high energy production.  Definitely check out the video, run up the numbers and engagement stats, and support your local creatives.

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Divine Design :: Virgil Wolfe’s ‘Epoch’ Drops For Week 3 Of Fake Four Inc.’s #FREEcember

From the digital desk of Virgil Wolfe

Epoch is an emotional record about being mentally compromised during COVID.  I started writing Epoch in July of 2020 with production by Big Lo (Pensacola, FL).  The goal was to document the feelings that kept revolving in my mind, all the terrible/beautiful thoughts wound together creating a timestamp for my depression.  These feelings are valid and need to be nursed and if not faced they can become monsters you find under the bed.
I’m grateful to have the opportunity to release this project for Freecember this year.  It was a light at the end of the tunnel with so many detours in between, 2020 has been a challenge for all of us and I sincerely hope you find something in this project that will keep you going like it did for me.  Thank you for listening, thank you for the support, peace love and light.”

Don’t sleep on this one… you know the drill…

-chief

Group Therapy :: 2020 #FREEcember Class Visits Moodhouse Podcast

Anthony MaintainVirgil WolfeTwo Weeks Notice (Mikal Khill and TribeOne) and myself recently joined K Death on the Moodhouse Podcast to discuss any and everything #FREEcember and Fake Four Inc.  I could go into details here, but conversations like this are best experienced via direct listen.  Check out the link above, or catch the Moodhouse Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts online.

-chief

Residual Energy :: Anthony Maintain Drops ‘Ghost Pipes’ For Fake Four Inc.’s #FREEcember Week Two

I’ll let the homie Anthony Maintain break it all down…

Ghost Pipes (Monotropa Uniflora): Herbaceous perennial plants native to temperate regions of Asia, North America and northern South America.  Their lack of chlorophyll gives them their characteristic translucence which lead to the common names of ghost pipe, corpse plant, ice plant, and ghost flower.  These rare heterotrophic plants can grow in near total darkness since, unlike photosynthetic plants, they do not draw nutrients from the sun.  They instead pull sustenance from surrounding tree roots and forest brush via mushroom mycelium.  This relationship is not symbiotic, it is more parasitic in nature.  Though the ghost pipe does not contribute anything of known value back to it’s host, humans have discovered valuable uses for the plant.  While the entire plant is technically edible, this is not the best use.  Through extraction, M. Uniflora has been found to create an effective pain relieving tincture helping those with both physical and emotional suffering.  It is said not to erase the pain entirely, but to put the person beside the pain in a more cognitive sense of acceptance.

These songs are ghost pipes for myself and others.” – Anthony Maintain

This year’s #FREEcember is off to a bang, and I am not only happy to know that Ghost Pipes can finally be heard by the masses, but honored to be sharing a split LP consisting of Anthony Maintain‘s EP on one side and mine on the other.  You can download the digital album for free (or donate) at the links above, and if you choose so, you can pre-order our vinyl.  Major shout out to Fake Four Inc. for helping make all of this happen!

-chief