Snap
Snappage Volume I
Mixtape

This is how you rap good.

The first time I ever heard Snap rhyme, was around 1999 or 2000. DJ Cipher, one of the main conduits of the Houston Hip Hop scene, would hold weekly ‘sessions’ at the Beat Farm in 3rd Ward on Sundays. The crew would show up at Cipher’s home/studio and talk music, argue music, record music, play Tekken on Playstation and just hang out ’til late in the afternoon listening to breaks and samples. At the Beat Farm is where I met most of the artists featured on this site since its inception.

Verses

One Sunday, Snap & Wraithe came through with a CD of music he’d recently completed with a Rap-A-Lot (?) producer Blue (sp). Best rapping and music I’d ever heard (exaggeration, but I really mean it). I had no idea what he was talking about, probably like the first time you heard Supreme Clientele (watermelon chunks?). The flow—fluid, complex, sharp, and at the same time nebulous and elusive. I had no idea what he was talking about, but the flow never stopped and the beats complemented his style and you were nodding as soon as the first snare hit.

He’d brought over the CD-R to Cipher’s for his opinion, as most folks working on music in the crew did. Cipher, besides having one of the most expansive physical music collections of anyone I know, and probably one of the few people whose outlook on music helped fine tune and focus mine (on the surface a hater, but way more open minded and tolerant than suspected). I don’t really remember anyone’s feedback that day, I just remembered being amazed that Snap was this dope and no one had mentioned him to me before and that he was unsigned (back when being signed was actually a bragging point). I don’t think I ever actually held a conversation with him until maybe a year ago and had no problem being a fan boy on the phone, considering for all that time he’d been my favourite lyricist and I’d only heard his output that one Sunday. I’m not too cool to tell somebody they got a gift when they got a gift. I ain’t no hater. Something happened with the tracks he rhymed on on this CD-R and the music was never released/heard (by my ears) again.

I put the track in a choke hold / your flow is so-so / now let a pro go

Snap, like many of my other favourite emcees, just makes English sound fun. It amazes me that we’re all armed with the same weapons (words) and some people just use them better. While some people where throwing rocks at each other, someone was sparking two together to make fire. Some people just see things differently.

Here is a collection of tracks and sketches over beats that Snap recorded and somehow found their way into my possession. He’s like a secret I shouldn’t keep to myself.

Snap the rap catalyst, amateurs have a fit, after I grab the mic device, the votes are unanimous!

Focus your cameras… *CLICK*

You don’t wanna miss when I spit on some Godzilla and Gamera shit.

This is for those that remember a time when it wasn’t a detriment if you rapped good.