For starters I want to say a few words about one of my heroes who passed away suddenly yesterday. Michael Eyedea Larsen was a true artist who took everything he did to new levels. As a young battle rapper he wowed the Hip-Hop world with a near immaculate freestyle ability that earned him first place titles at both HBO's Blaze Battle and Scribble Jam. My favourite battles are Eyedea battles, it was uncanny how quick he could spit that shit off the top of his head and just murder his opponents. His Battle with RK is legendary in my eyes. That backup dancer line blows my mind everytime I hear it.
After winning those battles he got alot of attention, major labels approached him with deals but he turned them down and signed to Rhymesayers with DJ Abilities. As a duo they released three albums each with their own distinct sound and content. First Born, their first album is heavily philosophical dealing with lots of metaphysical themes. E&A, their second is a return to Eyedea's battle roots and is on some straight B-Boy look how fresh we are, we're the dopest shit, it's fun as hell and a great example of his technical ability on the mic. By The Throat, which dropped last year, their final and maybe finest album, is an intense emotional work dealing primarily with loss either through death or emotional conflict. It was my favourite album of last year and spoke to me on alot of levels. My childhood friend had passed away and my then serious girlfriend broke up with me within in the span of about a month. I spun the record almost constantly during that time in my life. Eyedea was my comrade and compatriot. The lyrics on certain songs seemed to almost be written specifically for the situations and emotions I was living through. That if I was as talented they would be the same lyrics I would write. It made me feel less alone.
That was right around this time last year, and now Fall has taken away another friend. I literally started panicking last night in disbelief when I seen the news online. I didn't know Eyedea but at times it felt like he knew me. I was just going to write up a retrospective on his career and his music but this turned personal and I feel like I'm leaving important parts of his work out. Enough about me then.
Eyedea also had several side projects outside of Eyedea and Abilities. His solo work as Oliver Hart is fantastic and shows his talent not only as a poet, emcee and philosopher but also as a producer. Face Candy. his live project that coupled himself and other freestyle emcees with a jazz band is brilliant. The live albums capture a real raw energy amongst himself, his peers and the band. His talent off the dome is in full effect there and you can feel the words bubbling up like he isn't even in control of them. Carbon Carousel the grunge-esque band he fronted is equally as incredible. He sang and spat with a real passion, his lyrics full of real art. Listening to Carbon Carousel you could feel his passion for what he was doing, the catharsis of it. He sounded at home, like he wasn't even a rapper in the first place and maybe he wasn't. By the Throat was a hybrid of everything he did and as a final album it is a testament to an excellent and varied career. He was an artist with a unique understanding of the human condition. Thanks Eyedea, for putting ideas in my head, for showing me just how fresh someone could get on the mic and for letting me know I wasn't alone.
Eyedea's Mom has set up a memorial Facebook page and paypal account to pay for his services Here.
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