MC Honky
I Am The Messiah (2003)

Review by: Craig Curtice
Date: 11/1/03

According to the rather unbelievable story of MC Honky, he’s a reclusive 50-something boomer from Silverlake, California, that now enjoys mixing music after spending years as a janitor, a studio engineer, and even a potter. Sounds totally bogus, but the point is, who cares? When it comes to cut & paste recording, the focus should be on the music (not the artist), but whoever is behind I Am The Messiah deserves ample credit for delivering the counterculture hip-hop album of 2003.

Now, of course all DJ’s and rap artists sample various music styles all the time, but few have done it with such distinctive panache. Exhuming forgotten junkyard vinyl, Honky meshes grandiose film music, funky exotica, and killer breakbeats with an odd educational filmstrip aesthetic that’s highly creative, and at times, marvelously intoxicating.

In a backhanded homage to Beck, “3 Turntables & 2 Microphones” is pure badass electro madness. Speaking through a cheesy voice changer, Honky vents about being ousted from a freestyle rap competition and vows revenge next year with four turntables and three microphones! “Sonnet No. 3 (Like A Duck)” features a bouncy, fun-time bass line, appealing sound layers, and kitschy retro vocals.

With a sinful theme of smoking, drinking and overeating, “The Object” flaunts prim, 50’s narration and sticky go–go hooks guaranteed to wiggle fannies at your next cocktail gathering. The song first appeared on The Anniversary Party soundtrack, in which E from the Eels (Mark Oliver Everett) served as an archivist, and well, you didn’t hear it from me, but he’s at the root of the MC Honky mystery.

Few records are perfect and neither is I Am The Messiah. Experimental tangents slow momentum, there’s an unsettling baby theme throughout, and some songs are just plain creepy. “Soft Velvety ‘Fer” follows a bizarre series of voice messages left by a woman describing her wacked-out dreams about having a dog baby. But despite the weird, “Baby Elephant Rock-A-Bye,” “The Devil Went Down to Silverlake,” and “The Baby That Was You,” all display excellent beats and butt-loads of interesting sound loops. Even the classic Meet The Beatles cover artwork is refreshing.

Music purists may hate this pasticcio approach recording music, but I say nonsense. It’s simply a mad scientific experiment in sound – gone horribly, incredibly, right. And if MC Honky prefers to be a cartoon version of Tony Clifton, so be it.