Download: Xero Tracks "Fiends" and "Drop"

[Skipees]

Also, been doing some digging on the Rapology series and trying to find out whether any other LP-related tracks were featured on them. So far, I've managed to track down tracklistings for volumes 2, 4, 8, 9, 15, and 16 - nothing featured on any of those, but of note, High and Mighty's "B-Boy Document '99" is featured on volume 16, which was sampled in She Couldn't. I'd be willing to bet that's where Mike and/or Joe first heard the song.

In case that's any helpful some of the releases using a word instead of a number and I think the 12th release called "Rapology Twelve" .

[Almamu]

In case that's any helpful some of the releases using a word instead of a number and I think the 12th release called "Rapology Twelve" .

I've been trying to find info for Rapology twelve, xii and different things that came to my mind with no luck.

[mattyice318]

The "exhale the smoke from molotov cocktails" line in Fiends is sampled from Emcee 007's verse in Spies Like Us by Styles of Beyond, hence him also being credited on this song.

 

Any further questions as to whether or not it's supposed to be "featuring 007?" lol.

 

Also, been doing some digging on the Rapology series and trying to find out whether any other LP-related tracks were featured on them. So far, I've managed to track down tracklistings for volumes 2, 4, 8, 9, 15, and 16 - nothing featured on any of those, but of note, High and Mighty's "B-Boy Document '99" is featured on volume 16, which was sampled in She Couldn't. I'd be willing to bet that's where Mike and/or Joe first heard the song.

 

*Edit* Found a tracklisting for volume 10 as well (nothing - it's titled as "Rapology X" instead of using the number 10, which made it harder to find), and I just bought a copy of volume 11 on Amazon that didn't include the tracklisting - fingers crossed!. Haven't found any info on volume 12, but I feel like if there are any further tracks to be found, they'll either be on 11 or 12. As previously said, anything earlier than 9 would be too early, and 16 is well into 1999 when Chester was in the band, so I doubt they would have been contributing any further songs at that point.

I bought 11 as well, good luck!

[RhinestonePT]

This is amazing ... Thank you so much!!

[Jesper]

Thanks so much

[mrfox]

Indeed:

https://twitter.com/mikeshinoda/status/840354764462350336

https://twitter.com/mikeshinoda/status/840355547081662465

https://twitter.com/mikeshinoda/status/840355987898826753

 

Interesting side-note too

 

Was it mentioned before, there are more unreleased Xero studio songs? Still don't understand that something like this pops up after 20 years straight from nowhere, many guys here watch the BMI music database. Wonder how many cookies are still out there.

[MetalNacional]

A nice approach on the matter about there being previous tracks or not would be contacting mtumesalaam, who added the two cds on the Discogs' database and sold them to Almamu. Maybe the person can give us more context about the tracks or where he got these and if there are more to find or if Mike/Joe were really featured before.

 

This person deserve some of the credit too you know, I mean if it wasn't for him/her maybe neither Derek nor Almamu would get a hand on these tracks. Just imagine if one of those collectors that "doesn't share anything and fuck the world" bought these instead haha

[hahninator]

I don't think these are necessarily tracks that have to be on the BMI database. Xero wasn't really signed at that point, right? And these are on "promotional only" compilation CDs. So there was no need for BMI to have Fiends and Drop. There are most certainly more songs that exist. Mike says "we're back", so I would be willing to bet there is another song on Rapology 11 or 12.

 

We know versions of Pictureboard and Esaul exist in the Xero form. Who knows what they really recorded in that era. The Xero 4 track was recorded right to tape, but when a computer was introduced in 1998 (or even later in 1997) who knows what else Mike had recorded. He was super into rap/hip hop at the time and made his own beats...I'm sure he has a LOT of demos from that era. Most of them are probably cringe-worthy for him to listen to now but indeed he was in a big creative phase in 97/98 due to him having the team of Mark, Brad, and Joe that he could call in whenever he wanted to collaborate and write music with. Look at Dedicated, that's Mike only and that's even in 1999. Probably lots of samples-based hip hop beats with some badass Shinoda rapping. Let's be honest, his flow at that time and lyrics are just leagues above what he puts out these days under Linkin Park...which is why so many fans want more Fort Minor music.

 

Pictureboard I hope will leak one day...I doubt we ever get Esaul with Xero, but I'm sure Mark is also on more songs than just what we have. It took everyone here a full day+ to even realize Mark is on the backing vocals in the chorus on Fiends, ha.

 

BMI for Junkyard Scientific, the namedrop at the start of Fiends says "Animal House" and "Flight Path" exist. Is that the same Junkyard Scientific that is dropped on Fuse verse 2 line 1? "It was the junkyard crooked letter C-I-entific" Maybe so...I sure don't know any other Junkyard Scientific artists. That's the Styles Of Beyond guys in the credits. Mike isn't included but perhaps that was intentional? Who knows.

http://repertoire.bmi.com/artist.asp?page=1&blnWriter=True&blnPublisher=True&blnArtist=True&fromrow=1&torow=25&keyID=663793&keyname=JUNKYARD%20SCIENTIFIC&querytype=ArtistID

 

There is hours worth of material we will never hear.

 

Yes in reply to the last comment...the reason we need everyone to find volume12 is because 13/14 disappeared online almost immediately after these threads were posted. 11 is on its way but if someone gets 12 and doesn't share it...we're out of luck. Keep looking. I also messaged Ryu, but didn't get a reply, for information on Rapology, the SOB songs, etc.

[Kilmer]

These are fucking awesome finds, I didn't think we'd still get unknown Xero songs. Does anybody else feel like Fiends sounds similar to It's going down?

[Astat]

I don't think these are necessarily tracks that have to be on the BMI database. Xero wasn't really signed at that point, right? And these are on "promotional only" compilation CDs. So there was no need for BMI to have Fiends and Drop. There are most certainly more songs that exist. Mike says "we're back", so I would be willing to bet there is another song on Rapology 11 or 12.

 

We know versions of Pictureboard and Esaul exist in the Xero form. Who knows what they really recorded in that era. The Xero 4 track was recorded right to tape, but when a computer was introduced in 1998 (or even later in 1997) who knows what else Mike had recorded. He was super into rap/hip hop at the time and made his own beats...I'm sure he has a LOT of demos from that era. Most of them are probably cringe-worthy for him to listen to now but indeed he was in a big creative phase in 97/98 due to him having the team of Mark, Brad, and Joe that he could call in whenever he wanted to collaborate and write music with. Look at Dedicated, that's Mike only and that's even in 1999. Probably lots of samples-based hip hop beats with some badass Shinoda rapping. Let's be honest, his flow at that time and lyrics are just leagues above what he puts out these days under Linkin Park...which is why so many fans want more Fort Minor music.

 

Pictureboard I hope will leak one day...I doubt we ever get Esaul with Xero, but I'm sure Mark is also on more songs than just what we have. It took everyone here a full day+ to even realize Mark is on the backing vocals in the chorus on Fiends, ha.

 

BMI for Junkyard Scientific, the namedrop at the start of Fiends says "Animal House" and "Flight Path" exist. Is that the same Junkyard Scientific that is dropped on Fuse verse 2 line 1? "It was the junkyard crooked letter C-I-entific" Maybe so...I sure don't know any other Junkyard Scientific artists. That's the Styles Of Beyond guys in the credits. Mike isn't included but perhaps that was intentional? Who knows.

http://repertoire.bmi.com/artist.asp?page=1&blnWriter=True&blnPublisher=True&blnArtist=True&fromrow=1&torow=25&keyID=663793&keyname=JUNKYARD%20SCIENTIFIC&querytype=ArtistID

 

There is hours worth of material we will never hear.

 

Yes in reply to the last comment...the reason we need everyone to find volume12 is because 13/14 disappeared online almost immediately after these threads were posted. 11 is on its way but if someone gets 12 and doesn't share it...we're out of luck. Keep looking. I also messaged Ryu, but didn't get a reply, for information on Rapology, the SOB songs, etc.

Yep, Junkyard Scientific was an early name SOB used, apparently sometimes in collaboration with Mike. Came up when Derek from LPA interviewed Mike.

 

I feel like SOB/Xero/Relative Degree/Junkyard Scientific were all more or less one big group of frequent collaborators that did a lot of stuff under different names over the span of a couple years.

Edited March 11, 2017 by Astat

[SerioDrew]

Also, been doing some digging on the Rapology series and trying to find out whether any other LP-related tracks were featured on them. So far, I've managed to track down tracklistings for volumes 2, 4, 8, 9, 15, and 16 - nothing featured on any of those, but of note, High and Mighty's "B-Boy Document '99" is featured on volume 16, which was sampled in She Couldn't. I'd be willing to bet that's where Mike and/or Joe first heard the song.

 

*Edit* Found a tracklisting for volume 10 as well (nothing - it's titled as "Rapology X" instead of using the number 10, which made it harder to find), and I just bought a copy of volume 11 on Amazon that didn't include the tracklisting - fingers crossed!. Haven't found any info on volume 12, but I feel like if there are any further tracks to be found, they'll either be on 11 or 12. As previously said, anything earlier than 9 would be too early, and 16 is well into 1999 when Chester was in the band, so I doubt they would have been contributing any further songs at that point.

-First of all good luck with no.11

-We found out that Lee Cadena continued having relations with Xero as Hybrid Theory as well, so i wouldn't knock out the idea of further collaborations as HT 1999+

-You should try "#12" cause thats how no.31 is credited

-Something he haven't thought about is that their previous collaboration could not be in the "Rapology" series but a differnt collection of Urban Network. (examples : "Unsinged, Unsealed ,Undelivered" no.4 or more/ "The Urban Network Tune Towne" / "Future Jams")

 

 

___________________________________________________________________________________

 

"i'm fed up and i'm doing all i can do to move to a deserted island and make my own shit out of coconuts and bamboo"

lyrics from Drop, now check this link out : http://www.allmusic.com/artist/mtume-salaam-mn0001870947

Mtume Salaam is the one who sold the cds at discogs where Almamu bought them from, do you think its a coincidence ?

 

I'm trying to get in touch with both Lee "The Crusher" Cadena and Mtume Salaam for any further info, wish me luck!!

Edited March 11, 2017 by LinkinParkDrew

[lpliveusername]

To make sure we don't overlook anything, I'd like to point out that Mike Shinoda went by the name Akira in 1999 and even though Chester was already in the band and they were working on new music together, Mike still did collaborations with other rappers (only one confirmed so far, but anyway).

If you check the Hybrid Theory booklet, there are a lot of random rappers and DJs in the "Thanks" page (among them, LMNO and 007). Some of them could be people they collaborated with at some point.

[SerioDrew]

To make sure we don't overlook anything, I'd like to point out that Mike Shinoda went by the name Akira in 1999 and even though Chester was already in the band and they were working on new music together, Mike still did collaborations with other rappers (only one confirmed so far, but anyway).

what is your source that Mike went by the name Akira ?

the collaboration you are talking about is the one with The Visionaries?

[hahninator]

 

The end of High Voltage on the Hybrid Theory EP, which I'm 99% sure is Mike's (intentionally) distorted voice.

"This production has been brought to you courtesy of Mixed Media, Akira, Mr. Hahn, and Hybrid Theory."

 

Mike and Joe song w/ Mixed Media = Akira & Mr. Hahn.

 

Akira is also mentioned to start verse two on High Voltage, High Voltage (Mike remix) and H! Vltg3 on Reanimation.

[lpliveusername]

what is your source that Mike went by the name Akira ?

LPU chat:

http://linkinpedia.com/index.php?title=High_Voltage#Background

 

the collaboration you are talking about is the one with The Visionaries?

LMNO:

http://linkinpedia.com/index.php?title=List_Of_Unreleased_Songs#LMNO

[spraypaintninkpens]

Ah, back when Mike rapped. Such a distant memory now.

[hahninator]

Ah, back when Mike rapped. Such a distant memory now.

 

but dis is da best lyrix evar #nextlevelpopradio:

 

You told me yes

You held me high

And I believed when you told that lie

I played soldier, you played king

And struck me down, when I kissed that ring

You lost that right, to hold that crown

I built you up, but you let me down

So when you fall, I'll take my turn

And fan the flames

As your blazes burn

yeehaw

[SerioDrew]

ITS GOTTA BE RAPOLOGY 12 CHECK THIS OUT :
https://www.last.fm/music/Urban+Network%27s+Rapology+12/+tracks
TRACK 2 : Xero - Closing :
https://www.last.fm/music/Urban+Network%27s+Rapology+12/_/Closing+-+Xero

Edited March 11, 2017 by LinkinParkDrew

[spraypaintninkpens]

 

 

but dis is da best lyrix evar #nextlevelpopradio:

 

You told me yes

You held me high

And I believed when you told that lie

I played soldier, you played king

And struck me down, when I kissed that ring

You lost that right, to hold that crown

I built you up, but you let me down

So when you fall, I'll take my turn

And fan the flames

As your blazes burn

yeehaw

 

 

Not the greatest lyrics, but still way better than the sh*t I've heard from OML so far.

Edited March 11, 2017 by spraypaintninkpens

[Seelentau]

Would anyone be interested in buying Vol 13?

 

Edit: Well shit, looks like someone was interested and faster than me, lol.

Edited March 11, 2017 by Seelentau

[davidceddleman]

I think I found out the blank on that one line was when I was listening to Drop:

 

"But you're the one who watches Jerry Springer's guests witness this shit"

 

At least that's what I heard carefully on that line when Mike raps on Drop. Anyone agree to this?

[Astat]

Corrected lyrics for Drop (still working on Fiends):

Hi
We're back
Kenji, Artofficial
Rapology 13

Why do these people have to get in my way?
I'm losing more and more pity for idiots every day
Say what you want about my outlook, I'm pessimistic
But you're the one who watches Jerry Springer's guests with their shit schtick
Just the other day, I saw my neighbor on the show
Cause her crack-smoking kids were fucking a dog when she came home from work
And it was her bestiality videotapes and crack rock that gave them all the ideas in the first place
Not even worst case scenario, it's everywhere I turn
Rap records still coming out talking about how they got money to burn
And Joe can't get his turntables fixed
And this hunchback repair man with a hairlip is a fucking lunatic
When all we gotta do is fix the AC cord that blew out
And this dude's charging us seventy-two bucks to take the screws out (that's ridiculous)
I'm fed up and I'm doing all I can do to move to a deserted island

And make my own shit out of coconuts and bamboo

The world's nothing but a can full of idiots
The world's nothing but a basket full of stupids
The world's nothing but a bucket full of morons
I don't wanna talk to you so don't look at me
The world's nothing but a can full of idiots
The world's nothing but a basket full of stupids
The world's nothing but a bucket full of morons
I don't wanna talk to you so don't look at me

Now I'm starting to think that Kaczynski fella had a good point
My grandpa's popping Valium and Viagra, smoking joints
Cause the doctor said it would cure his anxiety attacks
But the reason he's so anxious is he's doing all that smack
And my cousin Pete the phone sex freak went to Vegas with one of the operators

And she drove off in his Mercedes
And he went around town alone and he gambled all his cheddar
Now he and Grandpa sit at home and shoot heroin together
But that's what happens in a world of hedonists and heretics
Teachers get paid less than cops and psychotherapists
Cause it's pretty damn important to give you a ticket for a headlight

So you can get home safe and visit Charles Manson's website
Or see the shrink to get your head right
Or get on the road and get hit by a slobbering drunk driver running a red light
Or get murdered by Mr. Green in the alley with a lead pipe
Or sing the chorus because it's alright

The world's nothing but a can full of idiots
The world's nothing but a basket full of stupids
The world's nothing but a bucket full of morons
I don't wanna talk to you so don't look at me
The world's nothing but a can full of idiots
The world's nothing but a basket full of stupids
The world's nothing but a bucket full of morons
I don't wanna talk to you so don't look at me

(Hey boy, what you sayin'?)

------------

Corrections/references/notes:

-Pretty sure the line in question with the Jerry Springer reference is "with their shit schtick." The censorship on this song is just reversed, but it almost sounds like "shit" is repeated immediately after the censored part. I reversed the audio to confirm that the censored portion is indeed "shit," so two words that sound almost identical, one being worthy of censorship and the other not...I feel like that's the only way the line makes sense.
-"Kaczynski" refers to Ted Kaczynski, better known as the Unabomber, an anarchist recluse of a man who killed three people and injured 23 others in a series of bombings where he hid bombs in packages sent via mail. Him "having a good point" probably refers to Kaczynski's views on society expressed in his lengthy essay, "Industrial Society and Its Future," also known as the Unabomber Manifesto.
-It's "hedonists" in verse two, not "heathenists."
-"Or get murdered by Mr. Green in the alley with a lead pipe" is a reference to the 1985 film Clue.

Edited March 12, 2017 by Astat

[davidceddleman]

Astat, you are a genius.

[Astat]

Corrected lyrics for Fiends:

(Always prevail, the human third rail)
Yo, yo
(Exhale the smoke from Molotov cocktails)
Junkyard Scientific, Styles, haha
(Always prevail, the human third rail)
Yo, I thought you knew, I thought, ha, uh
(Exhale the smoke from Molotov cocktails)
I tell ya, ha, uh

It's like a royal flush, a rush when I bust verbally
Plus crush Earth's crust and enemy emcees to dust, with one touch
Stonehenge rhyme riddle a mystery
With Earth-rattle reckoning, rewriting your history
With blistery flesh, meshed with a mess of a civil unrest on wax
Test pressed, scratched with finesse and next
Blessed with extra-terrestrial techs and programmed for the organs above your necks
Undressing hip hop and making it over again
This is the end, ill men you'll never defend
From the deep end we watch trends and then we see rock
And devise plans, strand them in the penalty box
To mentally stop brains of virtual train wrecks
Dissect the picture to the words turned up by the text
What's next? Heat seeking treats meet your sect
When you spit a thousand words and haven't painted a stroke yet

Believe this, I'm only in it for the fiends
And mean every single sentence that I scream
It's just the sound as the breakbeat kicks
That's got us all dancing in the mist
Believe this, I'm only in it for the fiends
And mean every single sentence that I scream
It's just the sound as the breakbeat kicks
That's got us all dancing in the mist

With your incomphrehensible bullet-hole ventilators
Stainless steel metal invincible diamond and platinum-plated
Psychologically fabricated facade godsent and hellbent
Are mentally not making any sense to me
Eventually you tempted me to put you on the chopping block
As a sacrifice to hip-hop when I knock you off
A razor blade and pop and lock the axe in
Put your head in a basket as an example for those who pass it
Medievally approaching these festivities
Jump around frequently when you see me, like BDP on PCP
Frequently me and Mark transform like DMC
To soundwaves of song set in every frequency

(Always prevail, the human third rail)
Endlessly worthless, crying out your curses
(Exhale the smoke from Molotov cocktails)
Playing all these games and turning this into a circus
(Always prevail, the human third rail)
Witless, worthless, crying out your curses
(Exhale the smoke from Molotov cocktails)
Playing all these games...

Believe this, I'm only in it for the fiends
And mean every single sentence that I scream
It's just the sound as the breakbeat kicks
That's got us all dancing in the mist
Believe this, I'm only in it for the fiends
And mean every single sentence that I scream
It's just the sound as the breakbeat kicks
That's got us all dancing in the mist

(Always prevail, the human third rail, I exhale the smoke from Molotov cocktails)
One two, one, one, yeah, one two
(Always prevail, the human third rail, I exhale the smoke from Molotov cocktails)
Ha, ha, ha, Cash Double-Oh, Xero, 818, you know? That's how we do
(Always prevail, the human third rail, I exhale the smoke from Molotov cocktails)
Xero, 818, you know? That's how we do
(Always prevail, the human third rail, I exhale the smoke from Molotov cocktails)
Yeah, check it out, y'all, check it out, Cash Double-Oh
Tell your grandparents, tell your brother and sister, tell everybody, ha
One two, ha, ha, one two, ha, one two
Just like that
Yo, can you hear me?

------------

Corrections/references/notes:
-Lots of stuff was missing on this originally - the bridge was completely absent, as were a lot of the ad-lib/sampled parts. Lots of little corrections here and there too, mainly a couple things on the chorus and a lot of the first verse being in past tense.
-The "Always prevail, the human third rail, I exhale the smoke from Molotov cocktails" sampled line comes from 007's verse on Spies Like Us by Styles of Beyond.
-Not 100% sure on the "pop and lock the axe in" line but it definitely ends with "the axe in."
-The much-debated PCP line is "like BDP on PCP." BDP refers to legendary hip-hop group Boogie Down Productions.
-"DMC" refers to Run DMC, obviously.
-"Cash Double-Oh" is another name for 007 (this name is also mentioned before his verse in Spies Like Us).
-Mike and 007 are both ad-libbing at the same time over the outro, so a lot of stuff is hard to hear but I included as much as I could make out.
-007 appears during the intro and outro, in addition to his sampled lines. Mark does backups on the chorus and I think I hear him in a few other spots too.

Edited March 12, 2017 by Astat

[davidceddleman]

Perfect. Now somebody should put all that on Drop and Fiends via LinkinPedia. I can't do that.