#wendel patrick

Was doing some digging for old articles and interviews I wrote/recorded for a still-functional regional magazine, and I notice that this is the ONLY piece this particular site hasn't deleted, and it shows as "Published by Anonymous":

Sure, it's five years ago but, come on magazine guys. Leave me my credit. Anyway, the track has Saleem​, Topix, ezejackson​ and Wendel​ Patrick (I think this even made the print mag, if I'm to believe the tags) ... I'm going to blame some of the weak language on the editor. I know what a cypher is, you don't need to call it "something resembling a rap battle." Your readers can look up "cypher."

http://www.whatsupmag.com/2010/11/10/9422/wendel-patrick-unleashes-new-release

Kinda stinks when you're trying to put together a portfolio. I assumed things would stay on the internet for posterity (that's what everyone says..."IT'S ON THE INTERNET...FOREVERRRRR") and my magazine work and my podcasts have disappeared into the ether.

If anyone has any of my old Any Given Tuesday podcasts or magazine work, help your boy out. Ashamed to admit I deleted the media thinking it would be 'in the cloud.'

Wendel Patrick - Illmatic (in progress)

Check it out! Our full interview with the amazing, musical genius that is Kevin Wendel Gift Patrick... or is it Kevin Patrick Wendel Gift?

On New Year's Day, Wendel Patrick (www.wendelpatrick.com) released three albums: "Travel", "JDWP Tribute", and "Passage". Note that Wendel Patrick also records as pianist Kevin Gift, and released an album called "20.TEN" as part of this set of releases. This review, however, focuses on the Wendel Patrick threesome. The first of the trilogy, "Travel", contains many of those familiar Wendel Patrick elements of scratches and aggressive analog drum sounds. This album can be called the natural follow-up to Patrick's last release, "Forthcoming." With features from Baltimore Boom Bap Society regulars Kane Mayfield, Saleem and Eze Jackson, tracks like "Rotterdam" contain nods to the great emcees of hip hop history. In that track, Eze Jackson introduces his flow with "When the emcees came . . ." and a knowing glance at GZA and "Liquid Swords" and then he and Patrick make their own way from there. Saleem even delivers a perhaps not-so-subtle nod to Rakim by referring to himself as "the Nineteenth Letter" on "Warsaw" over a punching horn loop.

The path of "Travel" is over a continuous mix full of dreamy, trippy segues from track to track, giving this listener time to contemplate how Wendel Patrick continues to fuse the golden age of hip hop with the sounds of the 21st century. I've reached this conclusion: Baltimore can shake off Yeezus, because we have Wendel Patrick. What RZA did for sampling, making himself instantly recognizable and oft-imitated, Wendel Patrick does for his own without using a single, solitary sample. There are young ears out there to be molded, to be shaped, happy to enjoy Harry Fraud beats but not satisfied with that influence. These ears are tapping out beats on their 808s and MPCs or tooling in GarageBand and *gasp* on real instruments wanting to make something substantial and individual as this.

Let this ambitious analysis segue to part 2 of the trilogy (in this writer's order assigned to them, at least), "JDWP Tribute".

One of Patrick's biggest influences has to be Dilla and he lets "JDWP" be his offering to the late producer's memory. "As above, so below," as Hermetic philosophy teaches. Dilla stands above in the canon of hip hop, Patrick stands below in the here and now. The takeaway for listeners is that, yes, again, and again, and again, Wendel Patrick plays his own instruments. There are no samples here, folks. A recent Baltimore Boom Bap show was a JD tribute, consider this album the studio version. Wendel Patrick (and Co.) make an attempt at some of the best known tracks Dilla did in his short time on this Earth, such as De La Soul's "Stakes Is High" and Q-Tip's "Let's Ride." 

The third album is "Passage," an all instrumental release. If you enjoyed the Beastie Boys' "In Sounds From Way Out" (as I did) as a step away from rhymes and die-cut hip hop, or if you need something with a hop hop bent that you can put on at work without offending corporate ears, this will keep you stepping or nodding until the day or night is done. 

It was during one of several spins of "Passage" that a link completely unintended by Wendel Patrick was drawn by this listener. Hermetic philosophy teaches three things, which happens to be the same number of albums Patrick released on New Year's Day. Attributed to Hermes Trisgemistus, Hermeticism teaches three parts of the wisdom of the universe: alchemy, astrology, and theurgy. 

Alchemy, the operation of the sun, is the first piece of this philosophical trio. "JDWP" is alchemy - birth, death and resurrection in the tribute to Dilla himself. The humble Wendel Patrick would not accept being called a 'resurrection' of Dilla, but one can call him worthy of carrying the flame.

Astrology, the operation of the stars, is the middle piece, fulfilled by "Travel." The guest voices that would or should be stars, shining bright in a diverse hip hop community such as Baltimore's, work together to bring cohesion to the project. Wendel Patrick takes the mic perhaps a bit less on this record than on past release "Forthcoming," but he brings back old guests and introduces new ones here. As in astrology, the stars have influence on us and our universe. Whether it is the metaphorical stars on this album, or the stars like Rakim and GZA that influenced and receive their obvious respects on this album, that influence passes from the artists to the listener, an operation of stars that spans the history of recorded music. 

Theurgy, the operation of the gods, is represented by "Passage." A divine magic gained by alliance with divine spirits (in Wendel Patrick's case, the divine spirits are analogous with the technical and practical knowledge gained by the man behind the moniker). Patrick's multi-instrumental talents and his command of the art and craft put him on the next level of talent in hip hop. When your ears cause you to ask yourself what sorcery it is that you are hearing, now you know.

Listen to the music for yourself at www.wendelpatrick.com, or buy it in the online store on the site.

Here's a stream of "Travel": http://youtu.be/D9PPQxeZ9p8

Kevin Gift, better known as Wendel Patrick in the world of rap, is a gem in Hip Hop's rugged landscape.When he's not beat-boxing, killing a set of turntables or cooking up a track that'll make you unconsciously bop your head, he's practicing his first musical love: the piano. Before entering the rap world, Wendel was a classically trained pianist; the complete opposite side  of the musical spectrum of how Hip Hop is typically perceived. That unique introduction to music, grouped with constant travel throughout the world at a young age is what has made the appropriately surnamed Gift, such a well-versed producer.

" Classical piano and Hip Hop are two completely different worlds. I believe that comes out of with music. My father is from Trinidad and my mother is from Jamaica so when I was 12, I was in a reggae band. All those different kinds of music are really the root of my fascination with sound. If you know the rules of music, you can make a beat out of anything because all sounds have a rhythm and beat." -Wendel Patrick

That acute ability to isolate sound is what helped Wendel to create a such an amazing project like his 2011 album, Forthcoming. Listening to the project, you can instantly feel the attention and nurturing put into creating an experience. Every beat of a drum is felt, every guitar string's vibration is felt, every lyric Wendel spit, as well as every piano key. Songs like "B More to BK" that features Eagle Nebula and "Still Addicted" featuring my man Eze Jackson give that cookout, freestyling with homies feel that will always be refreshing. The most remarkable and noteworthy aspect of the project's production is that Wendel had no live micd instruments. All sounds were played from his keyboard with adjusted kits to create a real-instrument vibe.

" The key to my production is that when using kits on the keyboard, to play as if I'm using the real instruments. The way a guitar is played isn't the same as a drum so I play them accordingly and, in turn, get a more authentic sound." -Wendel