Shaunna Cullen, Staff Writer:
Wanting to give the world “brain food,” freshman English major Andrew Carrion is releasing his mixtape, “Steak and Eggs.”
“It’s that avant garde hip-hop vibe, the kind of stuff that they don’t play on mainstream radio,” said Carrion.
After rapping for about eight years, said Carrion, he wanted to record his first album.
He has previously been in battle videos, and was on Just Melina’s mix tape, “Act Naturally.”
Carrion said he wanted to record an album of his own for about a year.
He previously started working on a mix tape called “Snow Day” during the winter, but due to time constraints and lack of good studio time, he said he was not able to finish it.
This time around, Carrion said he was able to find more places to record.
Carrion said he recorded anywhere he could find a microphone.
He said he went to friends’ houses and free studios.
His most recent find for a studio was in SCSU’s extra radio station in the Student Center.
Carrion’s stage name is Mandrew Carryon. Carrion says his creative process is “spur of the moment.”
He has producers send him beats and after going through them, he finds the ones he likes best.
Carrion said on the mix tape there are a lot of Connecticut producers’ beats.
He mentioned his “boy” Keese and CVS the Abstract made a lot of the beats for his tracks.
Carrion said his influences are artists such as Miles Davis, Percee P., Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco, Vampire Weekend and Motion City Soundtrack.
“You know, when I sit back and think about it, there’s gonna be a wide mix of style on this mix tape,” said Carrion.
Carrion said his brother Chris helped him a lot with the tape and let him know when things sounded good and when they didn’t.
Chris also helped by working the studio equipment for Carrion when he needed it.
Carrion said he has a little cult following all over the country.
He also said he has fans in Connecticut, New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Texas and a few in California.
“I wanna drop this tape so all those people will have something to show their friends rather than just singles,” said Carrion.
He does not yet have a manager, however Carrion said he intends to represent himself.
Carrion plans to go to law school so that he has the background in law to be able to manage himself as a musician and a poet.
There are 10 songs on the mixtape, Carrion said, which range from freestyle to Carrion talking about his mother cooking rice and beans.
The entire tape will be five dollars.
“Ten songs for five dollars, that’s better than iTunes,” said Carrion.
He has had a lot of help in the making of his mixtape.
On May 10, Carrion said he will have numerous copies of the tape to sell.
“Come find me near the game room if you want to cop some heat,” he said.
