This week you’re not just getting a song, but also a video directed by my good friend Emcee Graffiti for One Ton Soup Productions!
Or just stream the audio on Spotify
Role in the Album Concept
On every album I like to do one song that’s just bars. No real conceptual depth, just fire punchlines and syllable vomit. Some examples are “So It Begins” from Whiteout! 2, “Midnight Snack” from Fear of Success and “Campus King” from Cracks on Memory Lane. I enjoy making songs like this from time to time, but it feels like it’s becoming less and less acceptable. So I decided to tie the three verses together with a hook about how the industry doesn’t care for this backpacker-esque form of hip-hop any more. As I mentioned in the In/Stability post, every song on this project represents an element of my life falling apart so it should be no surprise that this one goes out to the music industry.
Production
The instrumental was produced by Chris Prythm, whose beats I’ve crushed numerous times. The first Chris Prythm beat I ever used became “Hell of a Time” on Alternate Ending. Knowing this album would be a sequel to Alternate Ending I wanted at least one Chris Prythm instrumental (spoiler: it’s not the only one). I already felt like this would be a song worthy of an extra push, but when I sent the unmixed demo to Rawhide and he said the same thing, I knew the video had to happen.
Video
This is really what you’re here for, right? The video was directed by Emcee Graffiti for One Ton Soup Productions. We actually ended up rescheduling the shoot twice because of rain. I chose the locations myself. I wanted the video to be an ode to Schenectady, especially considering the line “When I say Schenec- you say -tady” as well as “Place Beyond the Pines” being the song immediately before it on the tracklist. Here’s a rundown of the locations and why I chose them:
Sunshine Auto Parts
As you can tell from the video, I’ve put on a few pounds over the past several years. Back when I didn’t need to emotionally prepare myself for a flight of stairs, I used to go on 15 mile bike rides through Schenectady and Rotterdam. I would pass Sunshine Auto Parts and think about how cool it would be to shoot a video there. Well, when In/Stability was finally mixed and mastered and Emcee Graffiti had agreed to film, I called them up and they were excited to have us do some scenes on their property. The specific vehicles appearing in those scenes were chosen by Graffiti, but I didn’t exactly need my arm twisted when I saw the Firebird.
The Schenectady Stockade
Graffiti suggested the Stockade, but as soon as he did I thought of the cannon monument. This is because cannons are dangerous but also phallic and my two favorite things in this whole world are violence and dicks. Speaking of things that go in my mouth – the cigar I’m smoking in this scene is a limited edition Undercrown Shady XX, released to celebrate 20 years of both Undercrown cigars and Shady Records. Lastly – fun fact – I often go to the Stockade when there is a Community Day in Pokémon GO.
General Electric
This is basically the heart of Schenectady. At night, the GE sign lights the skyline. It was built in the same complex as the original Edison building and was the primary source of employment for Schenectady residents throughout the 20th Century. Due to its significance, I needed it in the video. All I cared about was having it in a single shot, but Graffiti killed it grabbing the scene of me from behind (probably so he could look at my ass). The shot of me standing under the bridge looking thuggish was filmed right next to that as well.
Savoy Taproom
Okay, this part wasn’t shot in Schenectady. I performed “These Things Happen” live for the first time in October. Graffiti actually booked me the show the day I asked him to do the video, so I suggested he bring his equipment and get some shots. It got some great feedback from the crowd, and I’d like to believe that’s not just because I asked them to pretend to have fun for the sake of the video. Coincidentally I’m wearing the same shirt right now while I’m typing this. Yes it has been washed.
That covers the four main locations. There are a couple of shots we did in other places but their backstories aren’t that interesting. Just make sure you stay through to the end of the video. We’ve got a surprise for you…
Rawhide Report
“This song goes hard. Every part of it, from the beat to your lyrics to the attitude in your delivery, is top notch. That chorus is so goddamn catchy I’ve been singing it in my head all day. It was a wise choice to choose this song to be the video and the main single from the album; this is a hit. Even though this song might seem like a standard rappity-rap/boasting rap song it still fits in perfectly with the concept of the album, and that’s truly impressive. ‘So ahead of my time Moses had my quote in his obit’ had me transforming into the living version of that battle rap gif. So far this is my favorite song on the album.”
