MICHAEL NHAT

I was couch surfing at my friend Foci’s place in Pasadena when I made this beat in 2007. I originally made it for my friend Sandra Olagues for her project she was starting in San Francisco. It never materialized and a year later 2008 I felt like doing something with it, so I recorded lyrics to it I wrote that same year.

The 2nd verse was inspired by a walk downtown by myself one night. I was passing Lost Souls Cafe and a 20 something black male was standing nearby asked me where Lost Souls Cafe was because he wanted to attend their open mic. I told him it’s right there behind you down that alley. Then he asked me if I ever attended their open mic sessions and where more open mics were at as he started walking. He talked an awful lot about himself having these connects and how he’s going to be a big rap star. I didn’t bother telling him I was a musician or that I didn’t care about all these major label rappers he was trying to compare himself too nor show I was impressed the slightest. Heading down main street it was memory lane for him as he told me this disturbing story how he met this drunk Asian girl ,he referred to her as Chinese Girl though, and how he saved her from all these homeless people whistling and gawking at her by walking her home. He said he managed to talk his way into her loft and when she was passed out he “beat it up” or date-raped her to be clear.

The hook “And then she cuts off/cuts off/cuts off their tongue but leaves them alive” was inspired by Takashi Miike’s “Audition”. Somewhere in the movie is a story to how the lead character Asami held an ex-bf hostage and tongue-less.

The video was shot by Dalton Blanco (LA Lottery League/Skull Tape). We were originally going to get together and shoot me performing the song in a white room and that’s it. A few days before our meeting a bunch of kids outside of his apartment were fighting and he recorded it.

Once in awhile someone will ask “If this is part two, where is part one?” The answer is on my side project 1000 Apes in a Room with k-the-i??? (Mush/Paramanu). Tongue Part one is produced by a Japanese producer Timmo (Paramanu). I liked it so much I put it on my first album as a hidden song. And here is the song as a single as a free mp3