In his basement workshop, Beak works mostly with a MPC2000XL. He layers propulsive, hard-hitting drums with driving guitar and keyboard melodies. He paces after the addition of each element, ducking to avoid the overhead pipes, playing air drums, and calculating his next layer.
Beak’s sequencing is a large part of his sound. “After you’ve got the main structure, to make it a real song, you have to take it all part again. It’s like a battle with the beat, every time.” And Beak always wins. When it’s over, the effect is some helicopter-at-the-omnitheater shit. He’ll take a beat down to its most essential elements before letting it off the leash to explode into anthemic proportions.
Lazerbeak got involved with the Doomtree crew through his high school friendship with Stef (P.O.S.). But by then he’d already been playing music for years. Since 8th grade he played with The Plastic Constellations, the indie rock group that would go on to tour the country, signed to French Kiss Records. Stef, having heard Lazerbeak’s music with TPC, encouraged him to start making beats. Beak got a loan from his folks to buy his first MPC from Guitar Center. Stef came over in the afternoon to show him the ropes. No looking back.
To date, Lazerbeak has produced over 400 beats. His production appears on almost every Doomtree release, including all three of P.O.S’ solo albums. He's now completing the production for the upcoming Sims solo release and working on a solo endeavor of his own.
Most recently, Doomtree released Lazerbeak’s collaboration with Mike Mictlan. The two schemed for years to write and record the disc. For much of that time Mike was living in L.A. Lazerbeak sent Mike beat CDs in the mail. Mike rapped his verses to Lazerbeak over the phone. Big dreams, big phone bills. Now the fruit of their labor is available in all its glory as Hand Over Fist. Legend Recognize Legend.
Solo Projects:
Hand Over Fist (with Mike Mictlan)
Legend Recognize Legend
http://www.doomtree.net/lazerbeak
L R L
Lazerbeak Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Before there was "Mictlan" before I had haters
(Fuck em')
You can find Mike in a hat that said "Raiders"
(Right)
Pops used to say "Stop dressing like them gangsters"
That never left it always stayed with me
So I stayed alone I strayed from home
Out run the outcome Son strong wind tunnel
Down pour when the droughts done
Build me up to break me down
Divvy up Hate Me Now
82 to 8-outs to 80thou'
Baby steps pay me pounds
I'll wash my hands and walk away
Clean Money, Team Hungry, Dirty Style
The Ghetto is cold all that glitter ain't gold
They say you're better at home
You (I) need to get on the road
That's where my heart's at
It's either dead or it's gone
Never let it get old
Walking Young Corpse
With a Veteran's Souls
Cuz My Strife
Is all I have
And yeah This Life
Is all I got
And if I do right
Then it ain't my bad
But if I do wrong
I hope I get what I got coming
And I put that all behind me
As in behind the scenes
Where nobody else can find me
Fuck That! A Mexi-can can't sell?
Don't sign me!!
This Independent Hustle pays off
So we keep grinding
But they say us Chicanos are too political
They'd rather see us in Lowriders
Acting stereotypical
Don't get me wrong
I've been on the block in Low-Lows
Watching Po-Po's taking photos
Of tattoos off Cholos
Ain't nothing glamorous
Seeing your people treated like animals
The Ghetto is not Fabulous
In Los Angeles the cops are in on it
Cocaine and Trafficking Immigrants
Through the Mexican Border
But they can't deport all of us
Swimming through dirty water
Those "wet-backs" ain't citizens
Till they come with 16 years of labor dividends
I was always a "spic" wiping my face clean from spit
Smile when I'm pissed
Then cleaning the blood off my fist
In Lazerbeak's song "L R L," the artist reflects on his teenage years and the struggles he faced as a Chicano in Los Angeles. He begins the song by reminiscing about his youth when he used to wear Raider hats and his father used to criticize him for dressing like a gangster. However, he admits that this critique never left him and influenced him well into his adulthood. The lyrics reveal that he always felt like an outsider, straying from home and making amends where the pages bend. He recognizes that he experienced ups and downs in his life, from being built up to being broken down, divvying up hate, and taking baby steps. Lazerbeak also acknowledges that getting involved in the wrong thing can have consequences, and if he does something wrong, he hopes he gets what he deserves.
The second verse starts off with Lazerbeak discussing his experiences being part of the Chicano music scene. He believes that Chicanos are too political for the mainstream audience and that the music industry is more interested in perpetuating stereotypes of Chicanos. Lazerbeak asserts that he refuses to conform to this image and stands proudly as an independent artist, who has worked tirelessly to get where he is today. He notes that although he has been out in low riders and watched the police take pictures of cholos removing their tattoos, there is nothing glamorous about the ghetto. In fact, the ghetto is not fabulous, and he and his people are treated like animals. The lyrics show Lazerbeak's frustration with the institutional racism and corruption surrounding the Chicano community. Despite his frustrations, he remains a proud Chicano, never letting anyone wipe the blood off his fist, and always wiping away the spit from his face.
Overall, the song is a powerful message about the struggles of being a Chicano and the challenges of making it in the music industry. Lazerbeak's lyrics are both honest and poignant, offering a window into the artist's life and the experiences that have shaped his worldview.
Line by Line Meaning
Back in the days when I was a teenager
I'm reminiscing about my teenage years
Before there was "Mictlan" before I had haters
Before I became famous and had people hating on me
(Fuck em')
I don't care about the haters
You can find Mike in a hat that said "Raiders"
I used to wear a Raiders hat
(Right)
It's true
Pops used to say "Stop dressing like them gangsters"
My dad used to tell me not to dress like a gangster
That never left it always stayed with me
My dad's advice stuck with me
So I stayed alone I strayed from home
I isolated myself from my family and home
I bond to make amends where the pages bend
I try to fix things that have gone wrong
Out run the outcome Son strong wind tunnel
I'm powering through tough times
Down pour when the droughts done
Good things come after hard times
Build me up to break me down
People build me up just to tear me down
Divvy up Hate Me Now
I don't let people's hate get to me
82 to 8-outs to 80thou'
I've been through a lot
Baby steps pay me pounds
I'm making progress slowly but surely
I'll wash my hands and walk away
I leave negativity behind
Clean Money, Team Hungry, Dirty Style
I have a unique, gritty approach to success
The Ghetto is cold all that glitter ain't gold
Life in the ghetto is tough, not glamorous
They say you're better at home
People expect you to stay where you're from
You (I) need to get on the road
I need to leave and experience more
That's where my heart's at
Traveling is what I love
It's either dead or it's gone
You have to keep moving or you'll stagnate
Never let it get old
Keep things fresh and exciting
Walking Young Corpse
I'm full of energy even if I'm getting older
With a Veteran's Souls
I have a lot of experience and wisdom
Cuz My Strife
I've been through a lot of struggle
Is all I have
My struggles are what define me
And yeah This Life
This life is all I know
Is all I got
This is all I have
And if I do right
If I do things the right way
Then it ain't my bad
I don't have to apologize for anything
But if I do wrong
If I mess up
I hope I get what I got coming
I hope I'm held accountable for my mistakes
And I put that all behind me
I leave my past struggles in the past
As in behind the scenes
I deal with my struggles privately
Where nobody else can find me
I keep my personal life private
Fuck That! A Mexi-can can't sell?
I won't let anyone hold me back for being Mexican
Don't sign me!!
I won't work with anyone who doesn't respect me
This Independent Hustle pays off
Working for myself is worth it
So we keep grinding
I keep working hard
But they say us Chicanos are too political
People criticize Mexican-Americans for being political
They'd rather see us in Lowriders
Stereotypes of Mexican-Americans are common
Acting stereotypical
People expect us to fit into a certain stereotype
Don't get me wrong
Don't misunderstand me
I've been on the block in Low-Lows
I've experienced the lowrider culture
Watching Po-Po's taking photos
I've seen police take pictures of lowriders
Of tattoos off Cholos
Police target Mexican-Americans with tattoos
Ain't nothing glamorous
Lowrider culture isn't glamorous
Seeing your people treated like animals
Mexican-Americans are mistreated
The Ghetto is not Fabulous
Life in the ghetto is difficult
In Los Angeles the cops are in on it
Police corruption is a problem in LA
Cocaine and Trafficking Immigrants
Drug and human trafficking are issues
Through the Mexican Border
The border between the US and Mexico is a point of entry
But they can't deport all of us
There are too many Mexican-Americans to deport
Swimming through dirty water
It's a struggle to overcome obstacles
Those "wet-backs" ain't citizens
Mexican-Americans are often discriminated against
Till they come with 16 years of labor dividends
Until they prove themselves through hard work
I was always a "spic" wiping my face clean from spit
I've experienced racism and discrimination
Smile when I'm pissed
I try to stay positive even in tough situations
Then cleaning the blood off my fist
I've been in fights but try to move past them
Lyrics © DistroKid
Written by: Michael Marquez
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind