Flipcide – Flipcide

Raised in the south during the rise of mainstream hip-hop, Flipcide was heavily influenced by mid 80’s and 90’s rap artists. At 8 years old he stumbled upon the 1986 Def Jam release “License to Ill” by Beastie Boys and was forever engulfed in everything that hip-hop is: Defiant, gritty, truthful, unruly and anti-establishment.

He began his obsession of rhyme and verse and would often play the same song on repeat listening to the artist’s lyrics, delivery as well as the song’s composition. At that point he fell in love with hip hop. Nothing was as expressive and raw and he began to envision himself on the other side of the cassette; The one reaching the world through song.

NWA’s “Straight Out of Compton” release in 1988 exposed Flipcide to a world that he couldn’t identify with through experience, but he was feeling some of the same emotions as the artists and related to the music on that level. He felt like an outsider just like they did. He was unhappy with situations just like they were. He felt some injustice in his life just like they did. He felt like someone understood him for the first time. Listening was a way to release anger and frustration. Listening was a way to escape his own pain and feelings and the music allowed him to better understand the world; not just rural Alabama life, but the lives of others who experienced a completely different reality.