In the Phone Booth with Random aka @megaran

February 22, 2014 by Leave a Comment

By: @medafORACLE

Life is much like a classroom. We have a setting. We have tests. We fail some. We pass some. Some individuals excel while others fall behind. Some students work harder than others. Some strive to be advanced in particular or all subjects. Life and school have many similarities, but; the one thing life doesn’t have that the classroom does are substitutes. In life there are no substitutes.
“The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it.” ~Henry David Thoreau
Today I speak with a man who knows this first hand. Having being in the classroom himself  beyond the learning experience but as a teacher also, Mega Ran understands the importance of learning, teaching and sacrifice. Let’s step “In The Phone Booth“…..

@medafORACLE : First and foremost thanks for taking the time to step in the phone booth. Its greatly appreciated. For those who aren’t too familiar with you, tell them a little about yourself.

@megaran : Thank you. My name is Raheem. I perform as Random, or Mega Ran. I’m a former teacher who is an emcee, a producer, a motivational speaker, and a pretty cool guy for the most part.

@medafORACLE : One of your monikers is “Teacher Rapper Hero”, being an actual teacher before; if you could choose one element of Hip Hop to teach in schools or in your classroom which would it be and why?

@megaran : I would love to be able to bring the element of dance into the classroom. With physical health being such a hot-button topic these days, I feel like a phys ed for kids who aren’t into sports. No twerking though, hahaha.

@medafORACLE : Over here we like to keep the boxing and Hip Hop Bridge intact. As you and I know being an emcee is a very cerebral, time tasking and thought provoking job. In boxing, being a pure boxer is very similar. Putting together punch patters, timing and defensive counters (in battling the defense portion would be a rebuttal). Out of today’s fighters or past, who do you think would stand well against the likes of a Pharoahe Monch as far as smarts, patterns and timing?

@megaran : Wow, I’d say someone like Sugar Ray Leonard might be a good match, he was just as smart and quick. That’d be a dream match.

@medafORACLE : In boxing, as an up and coming fighter with sites on the big stage, you have to take tough fights for little to no pay in small venues locally. Campaigning is very important in this aspect. How did you manage to not only be able to quit teaching and do music full time but; also continue to grow your fan base and brand without a huge PR or promotional team to campaign for you?

@megaran : It’s been an uphill battle. I was fortunate enough to be working at a career that I not only loved, but that offered me the free time to travel over the summer. So I’d use that time in the beginning to tour and make connections.

I made an album about a video game (Mega Ran, 2007), and Capcom heard it and got involved. From that, I was really lucky to take the connections I had made and parlay them into even bigger opportunities, while maintaining my career as an educator for as long as I could, until one fateful day in 2011, when I decided to hop off the ledge and make the leap of faith. It’s been a crazy ride ever since. 

@medafORACLE : You have a lot of fans in the gaming circuit. Being a gamer yourself, what is your favorite game of all time?

@megaran : Man there’s so many, can I pick one from each generation? Haha. Nah I’d say my faves are Super Mario 3, Final Fantasy 7, Uncharted, and Mario Kart.

@medafORACLE : Alright, so; imagine in a perfect world, gaming companies create a Mike Tyson’s Punch Out (in 8 Bit) but with emcees. Who do you think should be the top 5 emcees to face and who would be the last guy you’d have to face to be the game?

@megaran : Aw that’s a great question.

Okay the top 5 to face would be:

Scarface
Ice Cube
LL Cool J
KRS ONE
Nas

And the last boss would be Rakim, no question.

@medafORACLE : Ok, worst gaming system ever created? AND that gaming system creates a version of Def Jam’s “ICON”, what rapper wins “Worst Icon Ever” in being the guy who cant rap AND OR fight??

@megaran : Worst system ever? Neo Geo. That joint was like $750 and the games were like $200!

Worst icon ever? Um…. Soulja Boy.

@medafORACLE : Next portion of the previous question is……..would you play that ish??? LOL

@megaran : Hahahaha no thank you. I’m good on that.

@medafORACLE : Again, brother; thanks for stepping in the phone booth. Any last words you’d like to leave with the readers? Also what can the fans expect from you this year? If you have any tours dates coming up, what cities can they go see you live?

@megaran : Thanks so much man, much love for having me. I appreciate the read. I always say that you are the music, so support what you love to keep it going. I’m working on a few new EPs, a sequel to my TRAP (Television and Radio Are Poison) album, and of course more gaming stuff.

I’m on tour right now, come on out to catch a great experience.

2.21.14 @ Flashback Lounge, Watertown, NY
2.22.14 @ Singers, Syracuse, NY
2.23.14 @ Broadway Joe’s, Buffalo, NY
2.25.14 @ Super Fly Comics, Yellow Springs, OH
2.26.14 @ The Comet, Cincinnati, OH
2.27.14 @ Sabbatical, Indianapolis, IN
2.28.14 @ Subterranean, Chicago, IL
3.1.14 @ 42 Lounge, Milwaukee, WI
3.3.14 @ 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis, MN (w/e-dubble)
3.4.14 @ Pixels, Ames, IA
3.5.14 @ Star Clipper Comics, St. Louis, MO
3.7.14 @ The Boiler Room, Dallas, TX
3.8.14 @ Hole In The Wall, Austin, TX
3.11.14 @ SXSW (Official Showcase) Flamingo Cantina, Austin, TX
3.12.14 @ SXSW, Room 18D, (The Nerdy Music Panel) Austin Convention Center. Start Time: 3:30 PM

more dates to be announced. Hit me on Twitter at @megaran : . Peace!

www.megaran.com
www.facebook.com/megaranmusic
www.twitter.com/megaran

Random

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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