DC began DJing in 1996, when a sports related injury forced him off his high school basketball team. The injury turned out to be a blessing in disguise as DC would one day be considered a top Hip Hop producer in New England. As soon as he could legally start driving himself around, he began to venture in to Boston MA, where he would see rap acts as 7L and Esoteric, Mr. Lif and Akrobatik, Porn Theatre Ushers and even one of Eminem's very early performances in 1999. DC continued to work at his scratching, DJing and his knack for rare groove hunting at local thrift shops and flea markets. As soon as DC put a home studio together and began making rudimentary beats on his Roland MS-1 sampler/ sequencer, he realized how much rap was tied to virtually every single genre of music in the world. It was all there; rock, jazz, classical, funk, soul, latin, everything. The foundation of rap, the boom-bap drum in a 4/4 measure, allowed those who enjoyed it to essentially enjoy other genres at the same time. DC became hooked on beat making and the fine points of Hip Hop production by studying legends such as DJ Premier, Pete Rock. Marley Marl and Dr. Dre. He was a frequent guest DJ on the 91.3 fm WUNH radio Hip Hop show "The Mothership Connection," and also DJ'd with fellow beatsmith Statik Selektah.
DC met MC Nabo Rawk of Porn Theatre Ushers in 2001, and the two began to working in the studio together. Shortly thereafter, DC was introduced to Termanology, who at the time was 17 years old and had rapped on about 7 tracks total and had been in a professional recording studio a handful of times. Term and DC began to do some work, and out of these early efforts came the track entitled "Bangin'" on now debunked Centerfield Records. The track featured Term's counterpart Ed Rock, and the two young rappers flowed effortlessly over DC's production. The single got record breaking exposure for the next 6 months as DJ GeeSpin played "Bangin'" for 37 straight weeks on his JAMN 94.5 "Launch Pad" radio show that served as a showcase for up and coming talented Boston rap acts. The next few years DC spent doing mix tape tracks and refining his sound as a producer.
Termanology and DC continued working and dropped the aptly titled "Out the Gate" in 2006. The album received good reviews and gained the attention and praise of NYC rap legend and Gangstarr Founder DJ Premier. From that point, DC began to work with other acts such as 7L and Esoteric ("Murder, Death, Kill"), Army of the Pharoahs ("Gorillas") and Granite State ("The Breaking point"). DC has since worked with artists such as AZ, Immortal Technique, Bumpy Knuckles, Wordsworth, Krumbsnatcha, Vinnie Paz, Slaine, B-Real, Sabac Red, C-Rayz Walz, Evidence of Dilated Peoples and Alchemist.
The group 'East Coast Avengers' was created in 2008 by MC Esoteric, the trademarc and DC. ECA signed with Brick Records out of Boston MA. Having dealt with almost 8 politically corrupt years of the Bush regime, the three banded together and the result was a controversial yet socially aware album full of gritty production and razor sharp lyricism. The lead single, "Kill Bill O'Reilly" sparked a national outrage and even gained notoriety on Keith Olberman's "Countdown" on MSNBC. The subsequent album was met with good reviews and landed on many "Top Rap Albums of the Year 2009" lists. DC and trademarc are currently working on an album together that will feature rapper/ actor/ WWE Heavyweight J ohn Cena, and the ECA trio is currently in the beginning stages of a sophomore release that will further question authority and challenge America's idea of Patriotism.
Man Made Ways
DC the MIDI Alien Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We must strike at the lies that have spread like disease through our minds
Some of you are going to die
Martyrs of course to the freedom that I shall provide
It's mind control, they've stolen my mind
I used to have the mind of a revolutionary now it's dead
Cause the Devil got these images that's dancing in my head
And I gotta pay the bills so I gotta take my meds
That's what the voice says, it was never there before
It was another voice that's telling me you're a father, you're a husband
The argument is hard to win, it leads to more discussion
Every other thought is rushing like it's fucking water busting
I've been sleeping with the TV cause I left it on
Pass out from the Xani bars licking chicken szechuan
Broken fingers figure shit I think it must've kept em gone
Otherwise I'm like a ticking effin bomb weapon drawn
Pace around the floor freaking every creak I'm stepping on
Thought I heard the cops coming no I must've guessed it wrong
Flip the stations all around, nothing but deception on
I don't know what's real or not, hear I'm planning methadone
Look I've never been mistaken for the social type
Overnight mix and match meds and get the potion right
Name it I take it I took it I baked it cooked it and ate it
Like God made it till I'm crooked
Psycho pharmaceuticals rebooted my brain
My death is stained by whatever's fun, the proof in my veins
So when I took it I stare at my reflection like it's throwing threats in my direction
Now I look at life and cope like any addict
Might be an addict by candlelight
Every shade drawn, every day's dawn good and gone as I write
You can bet it's like street corner hustling
FDA muscle in funnelling cash into new epidemics
They usher in mass produced pain
Paranoia that they mask with their lawyers and brass
Next stop poisonous gas, chill the citizen's strain
Chain smoke stacks burn us to ash
We living in them days of the manmade ways
They brainwashing us, it's America's plan
I'm about to rebel, we all slaves in the system
We're dying over money and relying on religion
We living in them days of the manmade ways
They brainwashing us, it's America's plan
I'm about to rebel, we all slaves in the system
We're dying over money and relying on religion
I used to have the mind of a revolutionary but it's gone
I'm dishevelled, I'm a rebel, I'm a devil with a bomb
As I settle every motherfucking ghetto has a song
Put the metal to my temple when I wrestle with Saddam
Yeah you see the mind control divide your soul
I rhymed it though in ‘94 but no
Y'all ain't listened to anything I was telling y'all
About the biochip inside you and impending war
I run over you fucking devils like I'm Mendenhall
Overseas they dying young, they sending y'all
The cash system is dead, y'all just pretend to ball
Glocks and clips, apocalypse repent or fall
Do y'all believe in the birth of a nation?
I call it control, they call it coercive persuasion
Yeah all of them serpents of Satan
I'mma build a bomb shelter, only let the persons of faith in
We live a harsh reality, get our brains washed out with filthy water
Caught up in the thrill of boarders walk among the killing quarters
I form a line of obsessive aggressive ill New Yorkers
Who build a fortress on top of bodies with rigor mortis
We saw this coming, history repeats and beats its sword
The difference is now businesses are center of disease control
Diabetes, VDs, cancer, and AIDS
Increasing the obesity as if we cannot be saved
Faced with their paranoia avoid the call to actions in arms
Engaged the act of warriors we all paying taxes for bombs
They taxing the farms, the labourers make minimum wage
Here in the States them owners sick, they're paying women as slaves
It's the beginning of phase 8, new decade and new plot
They sit and create plagues, inject us with flu shots
Behaviour reform informs away from the norm
It's mind control, define your soul decide your faith or get gone
We living in them days of the manmade ways
They brainwashing us, it's America's plan
I'm about to rebel, we all slaves in the system
We're dying over money and relying on religion
We living in them days of the manmade ways
They brainwashing us, it's America's plan
I'm about to rebel, we all slaves in the system
We're dying over money and relying on religion
We living in them days of the manmade ways
The lyrics of DC the MIDI Alien's song "Man Made Ways" express a call for rebellion and resistance against the corruption, mind control, and oppression that exist in America's political and social systems. The song's chorus reflects the idea that people in the modern era are living in times of "manmade ways," which implies that the systems and structures that surround us are artificial, human-made constructions that have been designed to benefit the elite class while oppressing and enslaving the masses. The song's verses deal with different issues related to this theme, such as the use of prescription drugs, the destruction of the natural environment, and the manipulation of the media.
In the first verse, DC says he used to have a "revolutionary" mind, but that has been taken away by the "Devil" and replaced with images that he cannot control. He is forced to take pills to function, which his mind tells him he needs to do to pay bills and be a good father and husband. The second verse deals with the corrupt pharmaceutical industry and the mental toll it takes on individuals. DC talks about how medication has "rebooted" his brain and made him addicted to any drug that provides a thrill. He also references the dangers of the FDA and how they are complicit in spreading epidemics, both physical and mental.
Line by Line Meaning
Stand up and fight, for you know we are right
Start taking action to fight against the wrongdoings happening in the society.
We must strike at the lies that have spread like disease through our minds
Expose the lies that have been spread to control and manipulate our actions and thoughts.
Some of you are going to die
The fight against the wrongdoings might result in some people losing their lives.
Martyrs of course to the freedom that I shall provide
Those who lose their lives fighting for freedom will be hailed as martyrs.
It's mind control, they've stolen my mind
The society is controlling and manipulating people's thoughts and actions by imposing certain beliefs and practices.
I used to have the mind of a revolutionary now it's dead
The society has suppressed the revolutionary thoughts and ideas that once existed within the singer.
Cause the Devil got these images that's dancing in my head
The singer is worried that the negative and manipulative thoughts imposed by the society might take over his mind.
If I don't take these pills then I can't get out of bed
The artist is dependent on medication to function properly due to the impact of the social conditioning on his mind.
And I gotta pay the bills so I gotta take my meds
The artist has to continue taking medication to function in society and fulfil his responsibilities.
I've been sleeping with the TV cause I left it on
The artist is so affected by the society's conditioning that he finds it hard to sleep without some external influence like TV.
Broken fingers figure shit I think it must've kept em gone
The singer has physically harmed himself to counter the negative thoughts that are imposed on him by society.
Otherwise I'm like a ticking effin bomb weapon drawn
The artist feels like he is very close to losing control over himself and might even cause harm to others.
Flip the stations all around, nothing but deception on
The singer is unable to find anything truthful on media and sees everything as deceptive.
Look I've never been mistaken for the social type
The singer has never been able to conform to the societal norms and expectations.
Overnight mix and match meds and get the potion right
The singer is constantly trying to find the right combination of medication to feel normal and functional.
Psycho pharmaceuticals rebooted my brain
Medications have affected the artist's brain in a way that he feels like it has been reset.
We living in them days of the manmade ways
We are living in a society that is built on man-made principles and practices that are often flawed.
We're dying over money and relying on religion
People are dying due to the greed and exploitation of money, and relying on religion as a coping mechanism.
I'm dishevelled, I'm a rebel, I'm a devil with a bomb
The singer feels like he has been pushed to his limit and might react violently against the flawed societal system.
Caught up in the thrill of boarders walk among the killing quarters
People are caught up in the excitement of nationalism and fail to realize the negative impact of it.
They sit and create plagues, inject us with flu shots
The authorities often create fabricated issues to control the masses, and even promote harmful practices like injecting people with potentially dangerous flu shots.
It's mind control, define your soul decide your faith or get gone
The society tries to control and manipulate people's thoughts and actions to the extent that they have to choose between changing their beliefs or being ousted.
Contributed by Samuel L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.