Life Don't Rhyme

Common Knowledge EP - Available Now

manchildindsider — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 17:07:07 -0500

www.manchild.bandcamp.com

After 14 years, We’ve decided to make this one available. Grab your piece of Deepspace5 history in this classic EP by the Pride. Soul Heir the Manchild (Glad I shortened that name), Sintax and High Tech the Recon put this thing together with help on production by Jendor the Praying Mantis. I personally got pretty nostalgic listening to these songs the past couple of days.

$5 for the Download, $10 for the CD (Includes Shipping).

Thanks to Jason “High Tech” High for digging out the old DAT tape and pulling this together with me. Thanks to Joe “Sintax” Brewer for having raps that hold up over time and probably having the best head of hair in DS5.

Thanks to Mikey Dooks at www.seraphimaesthetics.com for the Artwork and Layout. As always, he’s a lifesaver.

We hope you enjoy.

Life Don’t Rhyme,

Greg Manchild Owens

Black Wednesday? $4 Album Downloads

manchildindsider — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 09:43:06 -0500

Black Wednesday to Black Friday

Yes, we all know about Black Friday, But I wanted to get the jump on things this week.

From NOW until Midnight, Friday, 11/25, ALL Album Downloads at www.manchild.bandcamp.com and www.marsill.bandcamp.com are only $4 !

Blue Collar Session Download is $2

It’s your shot to fill up your Ipod with the illest catalogue and not break the bank.

Plus, you don’t have to wait in line at 3am.

Life Don’t Rhyme,

Greg “Manchild” Owens

Seraphim Aesthetics

manchildindsider — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 09:05:10 -0500

I just wanted to take a second to put a plug in for my man, Mike Tandiama and Seraphim Aesthetics. For the past couple of years, most visuals, album art website help has been handled by mike. Super professional, unbelievably quick turn-around and integrity coming out of his ears. If you need work done, he’s the guy.

http://www.facebook.com/Seraphim.aesthetics

Life Don’t Rhyme,

Greg Manchild Owens

Too Clever Church Signs - Volume 3

manchildindsider — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 12:58:09 -0500

Wow. This one was…It was heavensent. I don’t know how lucky a blogger can get. Get a napkin. You may have to wipe the cheese from your computer screen.

Life Don’t Rhyme,

Greg Manchild Owens

Too Clever Church Signs I almost wrecked the car when I saw this...

manchildindsider — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 08:59:48 -0500

Too Clever Church Signs

I almost wrecked the car when I saw this baby. Had to do a U-turn and snap the photo.

This is Wordplay at its finest.

Life Don’t Rhyme,

Greg “Manchild” Owens

Did you guys ever have the chance to sign with a label like Def Jux or Rhymesayers? If so, why did you decide to pass on the deal?

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 16:19:02 -0500

Anonymous,

We did a one-off deal with ILL Boogie,which, at the time, was distributed through Caroline like Def Jux and Subverse were at the time. We also were talking with Bigg Jus about doing a deal with Subverse (his label) before he walked away from that situation. We ultimately decided to do our deal with Gotee because they caught the vision and had everything we were looking for. We didn’t necessarily want to send out a grip of packets and “get signed” just to be a B-level artist on a label we had no personal connection with.

The truth is, in full…a label is a label. Some better than others, of course. I have no complaints with who we rolled with.

Deepspace5 Recordings is still alive, though.

Life Don’t Rhyme,

Greg Manchild Owens

Wed, White and Wu releases today.

manchildindsider — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 15:12:35 -0500

www.wedwhiteandwu.bandcamp.com

Are you making any more records???

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 16:56:12 -0500

Anonymous,

Yes I am. Currently working on the next Mars ILL album, releasing in 2012. Other projects on my plate as well. Although my last official release was “You Don’t Know Jaq” (available at www.manchild.bandcamp.com) at the end of last year: You can look forward to 2012 being a MF Doom size year with regards to how much material I’ll be putting out there.

Peace and God Bless.

Life Don’t Rhyme,

Greg Manchild Owens

Tomorrow marks the release of “Wed, White and Wu”: A...

manchildindsider — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 16:52:50 -0500

Tomorrow marks the release of “Wed, White and Wu”: A free mixtape and unabashed Wu-Tang tribute by two of my good friends - Playdough and Heath McNease. This promo video should either make you laugh out loud or shake your head, muttering, “Something’s wrong with those guys.”

Regardless, I just thought you should know about it. Releases tomorrow.

New Segment — “Too Clever” Church signs. I...

manchildindsider — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 16:04:56 -0400

New Segment — “Too Clever” Church signs. I haven’t quite decided how I want to do this feature on the blog. May be once a week or may be more often. If you notice a “Too Clever” church sign in your city, please feel free to snap a pic and email me at gregowens@comcast.net - If it’s in my wheelhouse, I’ll use it here for sure.

My question is, is there some sort of brain trust go-to slogan guru coming up with these things, or is it just decided that morning. The now infamous, “God Sends Knee Mails” is still one of my favorites, but this one will have to do for now.

Life Don’t Rhyme,

Greg Manchild Owens

Too Much Stickformation

manchildindsider — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 22:06:38 -0400

Okay,

Is it just me or are we getting a bit out of hand with the stick-figure family decals on the back of every mini-van, SUV, hybrid, Gremlin, moped, you-name-it these days?

Back in the day, someone had a pretty cool idea to create a “Baby on Board” sign.

The initial intent seemed to be informing other motorists to drive with care around this vehicle because a young child could be a passenger and human decency should lead you to be careful around said car. This assumes that all human beings are nice. That would be an incorrect assumption. Not only did we continue to drive like maniacs, we created our own signs.

Some protecting what THEY felt were important…like “Dog on Board” or “Child of God on Board” or “Plumber on Board.” But, most of all, we ended up with mocking signs intended to make fun of the B.O.B.’s.

Fast forward to 2011. The Stick-Figure family sign.

As you can see, this family has a Mom and Dad, a daughter, a son, and a yet-to-be-sexually-identified baby. Also, they have a Dog and a….what may be a Cat or possibly a mouse.

Bottom line. I am behind you in traffic and I already know entirely too much about your family.

There are various versions of these little numbers, including ones that tell me you’ve all just been to Disney World together. I don’t know what info that necessarily gives me, except that you have $10,000 less in your bank account than BEFORE you went to Disney World…but that’s neither here nor there.

I am, by most standards, a stable and normal person. I would never use the knowledge of your family demographic for evil, but party people, come on! Is using the back glass of your vehicle as a moving Facebook profile the best idea we’ve ever had?

I don’t have the answer to that….but it’s awfully fun to poke fun at.

Life Don’t Rhyme,

Greg Manchild Owens

Do you feel you've had a successful career thus far? and Are you still passionate about your hip hop career?

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 17:20:55 -0400

Anonymous,

Hmmmm. Seeing as how I never expected much when I first started, rhyming, I’d have to say that this ride has been wildly successful. I consider myself very lucky to make the music I make, and to have seen the world and met the people I’ve rubbed elbows with. I’ve also had the opportunity to be a conduit to change people’s lives on a cosmic scale. For that, I’m eternally humbled and can only classify my music career as a success.

And yes, I’m still passionate about hip-hop. It’s in my blood at this point and I feel I’ll always be creative and using my writing in one way or another, with hip-hop being a large part of the fabric from which I pull. As far as career aspirations of “making it big”, those don’t necessarily concern me.

I just thank God I get to speak my heart and have people interested in listening.

Life Don’t Rhyme,

Greg Manchild Owens

The Battery

manchildindsider — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 15:58:00 -0400

New Album released this past Tuesday from two legendary figures in the world of Christian Hip-hop. Jurny Big and Peace 586 teamed up with Illect Records to offer you “The Battery.”

www.illect.bandcamp.com

Support two artists that had a pretty huge impact on me and my music.

Life Don’t Rhyme,

Greg Manchild Owens

Stories from the Vault - Emme Edition

manchildindsider — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 00:01:56 -0400

My Mom recently shared this little gem with me when she and my Dad were in town a couple of weeks ago. I’m not sure how it had slipped through the cracks for so long, but it’s worth sharing.

As all of you with kids know, each and every one of them is SO different from one another. This story pertains to my Emme, who is now 8 years old, and has not had a bad day in any of those 8 years. She is a smile in a bottle. Her favorite past times are looking in the mirror at herself and laughing uncontrollably, not necessarily in that order.

An important thing to know about the Emmster is that she, sometimes…..lacks….focus. She’s the kid that I ask to take up her pile of laundry and, on her way, she notices a butterfly out the window and…the moment is gone. So, I must direct her just short of cattle-prodding to get it done. Not because she’s disobedient, just because she….lacks….focus.

SO, when Mary and I were in the hospital and Mary was giving birth to Gregory, Jr. aka “Deuce”, my parents came into town to help us out with the rest of the kids. This is something they’ve done since child #2. 1) Because they love us unconditionally and 2) Because they are gluttons for punishment who make poor life choices.

On the home front, Bella, the baby at the time, is asleep. My mom has the 3 oldest girls and has assembled them on the couch because they have somehow gotten on her “last nerve.” Getting on her “last nerve” was a trick I taught them, either consciously or genetically, I’m not sure which.

So, Bonita S. Owens (‘Bonita’ means “pretty” in Spanish. If you ever meet my mother, she will inform you of this) is laying down the law to my 3 lovely daughters. After a good minute of the “talking-to”, a characteristically un-focused Emme looks around and says, “Are we having our picture taken?”

That’s My Girl!

Life Don’t Rhyme,

Greg “Manchild” Owens

Hoagies at Dawn

manchildindsider — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 14:29:58 -0400

My full-time job is in outside sales. This means that my office is my car and my car is my office. My job is on-the-go and I don’t typically have time to sit somewhere and eat lunch. So, as you can imagine, in my career, I’ve had a love-hate relationship with good old fast food. It’s everywhere, it’s fast (hence the name), and, let’s face it, it’s delicious. You may try to turn up your nose, tell me your favorite statistic or quote from “Supersize Me” or some other piece of Communist propaganda, but when the chips are on the ta…..rather, when the FRIES are on the table, your chubby little fingers are in there right beside mine enjoying the fruits of modern convenience.

(Names Copyright Protected in Next Section)

Granted, McDoogles, Burger Kang and Shmendy’s don’t necessarily contain the necessary Vitamins and nutrients to sustain your body and allow you to live if you partake of their joy and goodness 3 meals a day, 7 days a week. Heck, even Chick-Fil-Hey! can’t be good for you if you eat it that much. Plus, even though they’re a Christian company, there’s something UnGodly about Fries shaped like Waffles…..get thee behind me Satan.

Not to mention, a man could go broke eating out everyday. 5 - 6 buckaroos a day for 5 days a week adds up to….let’s see….carry the 3….a lot. okay, we’ll just say it adds up to a lot.

So, your boy, Manchild the model of health and nutrition has begun bringing his lunch to work.

Not only does it keep me from gaining 400 pounds, it keeps my car from smelling like a grease pit and puts some cha-ching in my pocket. Here is, as they say, the rub.

I like food.

So, if it’s sitting on the seat beside me, it is SO hard to lay off until the “Appropriate” time for lunch. SURE, I packed a Banana and a granola bar for 9 and 10 am respectively, but those were gone before I got out of my neighborhood.

So, at 10am, when my body is telling me it needs a little energy boost?

That’s right, sandwich and chips, down the hatch.

Now, this isn’t really a problem, per se, except for the fact that I’ll be driving between accounts at about 2pm and start having a panic attack that my blood sugar is dropping below appropriate levels.

Phone App: WebMD - Dizzy, stomach grumbling.

Diagnosis: You need a Cheeseburger!

So much for the Strategy. McDoogles here I come!

Life don’t Rhyme,

Greg “Manchild” Owens

Have you done any collabs outside USA recently and is that something you do often.

Sat, 24 Sep 2011 14:07:01 -0400

Anonymous,

I’ve done a good number of collabs with artists outside of the U.S. I’m talking with a crew in Australia as we speak, as a matter of fact. If anyone’s interested in talking collab/feature, feel free to contact me at gregowens@comcast.net

Life Don’t Rhyme,

Greg Manchild Owens

My Goofball

manchildindsider — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 22:27:46 -0400

Thank you to everyone who’s prayed for our family over the past 48 hours. Thanks to those who’ve visited, sent a kind word, or called to ask about how we’re doing. Thanks to Libby’s 5th Grade homies for making cards, visiting her at the hospital and lifting her spirits.

It means more to her and to me than you know.

As most of you know. Much like myself, my ten-year-old daughter Libby is, in short, a goofball. She is a goofball in the best connotations the word could ever carry. She is the comic relief on a day when the mortgage is due and Teddy is on the rampage. She’s the perfectly timed whoopee cushion in a stuff-shirt room. Elizabeth Grace Owens is always quick with a smile and generous with her time, energy and her heart.

What I’ve seen from the outpouring from everyone is that the rest of the world is catching on to what our family already knew. This kid is the bomb. Sometimes that bomb looks like it exploded on her side of her bedroom…BUT…she is the bomb nevertheless.

Please continue to pray for my Libby’s speedy recovery because, frankly, this house is temporarily one goofball short…and that just won’t do.

Life Don’t Rhyme,

Greg “Manchild” Owens

Whose Rhyme Is It Anyway?

manchildindsider — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 16:30:54 -0400

Whose Rhyme Is It Anyway?

I have a family of three kids and a beautiful wife. I work full time but am able to get on weekend tours when doing my music. I just feel like the music industry has changed so much over the last decade, the tape is dead, the Cd is on life support and its all about youtube and itunes. Is touring still a viable way to build your fan base or do you have another suggestion for a father, who cant seem to grow out of his love for music.

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 16:28:03 -0400

Word up to all that, man. The music industry is a vastly different place than it used to be. Touring is a great way to make buzz and income, but it’s tough on family men like you and me. I currently take it as it comes (Philadelphia September 17th!), but don’t pursue tours the way I used to.

I find that independently releasing my music on my own terms allows me extra income and a creative outlet. I won’t necessarily get rich or famous, but I’ll stay productive, give my fanbase good music, and have fun doing it.

I’d say, don’t grow out of it, but put it in its proper place.

Life Don’t Rhyme,

Greg “Manchild” Owens

What do your wife and kids think about your rap career? Or your parents for that matter. I'm trying to to get it on at 27 and a lot of people laugh off what I do (hopefully not because I'm wack!!!) because they think I'm too old to be doing it. How do you deal with that? (Sowanch from Nairobi)

Sun, 04 Sep 2011 14:10:28 -0400

Sowanch,

Thanks for reaching out. My parents were always extremely supportive of my decision to go into full-time music. I suppose that’s because they knew where my heart was and how I’ve always chosen to communicate through my music.

My wife has been an unbelievable source of support and inspiration over the years as well. She also helps me put things in perspective when it comes to saying yes or saying no to certain “opportunities.” Like…”Hey! I’d like for you to come RAP at my festival in New Mexico next month. I have Zero dollars to pay you, but Hey! It’s all the pizza you can eat and we’ll LET you sell CD’s! 5000 people will be there!” Translation: 150 people MAY be there and you’re $500 in the hole for making the trip.

I’m certainly not trying to sound skeptical. It’s just that, when you’ve got a wife and kids, practicality has to have a pretty strong voice in your house, even when doing something you believe in so deeply.

As far as my kids, they love the music and going to shows whenever they can….but mostly they think it’s funny that people call their goofy Dad “Manchild.”

As far as being too old, I don’t worry too much about that…now…if you’re wack, that’s a whole other story…

Life Don’t Rhyme,

Greg “Manchild” Owens