Photo Credit: Josie Steinfort
Moses and Mic Crawf
Even if T.H.I.S., or Truth Highlighted In Song came out to local panning, it is very much a success story for emcee Mic Crawf and DJ/producer Moses. Originally running mates in an earlier iteration of Moses’ Higher Education Records label, the two worked together following an initial meetup while trying to make The Uptowner’s open mic night function, and things clicked from there. Their first run as DJ and emcee would be cut short, however, as Moses was diagnosed with Leukemia in 2016. Later, Crawf would face his own health scare, requiring a kidney transplant. Now with both artists in good health and better spirits, they’re rekindling the flames for hip hop that they once had with this project.
The music of T.H.I.S. is part time capsule, part building block for the pair, as much of the EP’s material had been recorded and placed on the back burner while life got in the way. There’s no audible signs of slipping, though, as Moses’ production and turntable cuts are on point, and Mic Crawf brings a rugged, straightforward flow over the top, almost as an ode to the golden era of the genre. Both artists shared the relief of letting this project see the light of day.
“Things got complicated when I got sick, and then Mic had his kidney issue. Everything was getting postponed, and then the pandemic hit. We were making a lot of progress, and then we were not” said Moses.
“From our first time back on stage together at the H.E.R. return show, it was on and poppin’ again” said Mic Crawf. “We were like ‘Let’s just get this rolling.’”
In the time since returning to proper health, Mic Crawf and Moses have gotten back together, while also getting Higher Education Records back up and running as a local hip hop fixture. In addition to that, Moses and a team of like-minded creatives have been behind the Non-Pop! club series and online broadcasts that have recently relocated to RWB Milwaukee. The time spent in Moses’ studio is well spent, though, as the two already are eager to get back in to record.
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“We already have a second EP that’s somewhat ready to roll. We have to finalize a few things” said Moses. “We weren’t just sitting on four songs this whole time. Before the pandemic, we were working on a lot of different things. We’re narrowing things down to figure out what’s right for now. We could actually drop another EP right now.”
T.H.I.S. is currently available for streaming on all platforms. A release show is being considered as part of the Non-Pop! series, though details have not been formalized.
