DROPJAW (is a rapper)

I’ve been going crazy over on facebook, and it feels like work over here.  I just want beer.

I just want you to know. We’re in this bitch together. I’m in love with you forever. Start a new religion. Name it 2nd internet. The Future. Are we in it yet?

Just about to play a show at The Ghost Parlor in Manhattan, KS with Distractions, Lord Scrummage, Roark & Katrina Stoneheart.  Outta Control.

Tryin to be active. I had a super sweet show with Cowboy Indian Bear and The Low End at my old house The Ghost Parlor in Manhattan, KS a few weeks ago. Manhattan kids are hearts and marshmallows and double rainbows.  Still working on publishing a creation.  Tired of trying to put a deadline on it, but I’m hoping this year(cross your fingers).  I also think I’m playing at Mae’s on Sunday the 20th of Feb with Andy Frasco. Here’s to the future! Lookout for that new Big Momma’s House movie. How could that be bad?

Oct 8th @ Most Wanted Gallery (Pittsburgh,PA)

Oct 10th @ Strange Matter (Richmond,VA)

Oct 12th @ CFGB (Greensboro,NC)

Oct 13th @ Slug’s Revenge’s Place (Quinby,SC)

Oct 14th @ Wonderoot (Atlanta,GA)

Oct 15th @ Poplar Lounge (Memphis,TN)

Oct 16th @ Heroes (Fort Smith, AR)

Oct 19th @ Dry River Collective (Tuscon, AZ)

Oct 22nd @ Cafe Infoshop (Fresno, CA)

Oct 23rd @ Cafe Flo (Chico, CA)

Oct 26th @ WTFBikes! (Portland, OR)

Oct. 27th @ Autonomy (Portland, OR)

Oct. 29th @ Eagle’s Club (Glenwood Springs, CO)

Oct 31th @ Johnny’s House (Ft. Collins(ish), CO)

Nov 1st @ S.O.S. Records (in-store performance) (Manhattan, KS)

Nov 2nd @ Pancho’s Bar 2202 N. California Ave. (Chicago, IL)

…to be revised steadily

Any booking inquiries send to Dropjawmusic@gmail.com

Check it out!  21+ (No Cover) 

It’s Kory, you know me, still the same OG. I’ve been working so hard lately. I really wanted to write this to share what I’ve been doing with everyone. I want to let you into my world a bit. I also want to say thank you to everyone that has stood by me during my times of unproductiveness—-through all my successes and my losses. I also want to apologize ahead of time because I will unconsciously neglect plenty of people that were integral to my building as a person and an artist. So please forgive me if you aren’t mentioned. Without further ado here’s my autobliography(like a blog and autobiography)!

Personal Life

I put out an EP in 2004 called Baby Steps. It was cool, my friend Greg Lafolette recorded it in my bedroom at Apt. 311 of the Royal Towers in Manhattan KS. I played my first Manhattan show at PJ’s (RIP) in Aggieville. I met Matt Hoppock (http://www.myspace.com/manipulatoralligator) at this show and he changed my life. Many of my connections and my favorite bands have come to me because of this relationship. Manhattan DIY Godfather Matt Hoppock is like one of the most genuine and encouraging dudes I have ever met. I met Joey Murphy (www.royalosprey.com & www.orchidcollective.com) kinda through Matt Hoppock, and we eventually became roommates. From this relationship with Joey, genuine and experimental “DIY”(sorry I said DIY gain I know it’s cliché now) music became my life. Joey and I, (as well as many others) worked as an artist’s collective called Little League to put on many, many shows, and build together as artists in the creative wasteland of Manhattan, KS. Joey later moved to Chicago and started a record label collective called Orchid Collective (very pretty name). It’s amazing, please check everything out on the label. Plus, it’s pay-what-you-want so, what the fur, why not? I hope to put my first full-length record out on Orchid Collective (but more on that later). I’m just sayin, you better recognize. Anyways, much of this spanned over about six years where I really started getting over-critical of my music and didn’t put much music out (not an all bad thing). I did tour a lot though and met so many amazing and encouraging people. I met plenty of shitty people too, but that is life. Through touring and being around creative people I was able to keep the Dropjaw dream alive. I can’t say for sure, but I’m not sure if I would have made it if people like my closest tour mates, Wut Metaphysical (http://www.myspace.com/wutmetaphysical), Spoken Nerd (http://www.myspace.com/spokennerd) and MC Homeless (http://www.myspace.com/mchomeless), didn’t believe in me. These guys looked past my no-record-havin ass and let me play shows with them around the country. Man the list of people who gave my no-record-havin ass a show is so long. I may never get a chance to say thanks to all of those folks personally, but please know it means everything to me—-even if you didn’t promote that shit well. Playing awkward shows built Dropjaw. Please excuse me for boasting, but I think from all of my work on the road, I have become one of the most entertaining and welcoming performers in the game (rap talk). I get on stage and rap my ass off because I want to help people get happy. A lot of time I haven’t made music because I, myself, haven’t been happy. I’ve struggled a lot as a person over these years. I struggled through Christian College (I can honestly say I wanted to quit every day). I struggle with my faith in God. I’ve struggled with alcoholism(it made for some fun shows though). I’ve had my heart broken, and I’ve broken some hearts. I still struggle. What I’ve been learning lately though is that the struggle is what makes you who you need to be. That’s a simple idea, right? It’s inevitable that some ish gets you down, right? Recently the hardest things I’ve faced in life have happened to me: I got married and I lost my Granny. I don’t have much to say about losing my Granny. I just know without her life got a lot darker. She is the most beautiful person I’ve ever known. I took it for granted. My wife Heather is like my Granny. She is the most loving person I know. I met Heather in the mailroom at Manhattan Christian College. I later creepily invited her to watch cartoons at my house. We didn’t watch cartoons. We talked. That’s it, sorry no steam. Heather is, and has been from then and now my best friend. We’ve struggled a lot, we come from strange communities and interesting families. I know I have hurt her more than anyone else ever has. I have been the monster. I also have received my greatest strength to face the world, from her. I know she has my back, and her beef is mine. Well mostly I’ve been the one beefing with her, and she me. Relationships are a two way street. It’s just my side of the street wakes up angry, and is a lazy bitch most of the time. Since we’ve been married, I have been at my highest and my lowest. The struggle makes us though. I wouldn’t take it back. No regrets, right? Not totally true but, I don’t have a time machine. I have now. I’m trying. I’m making it. I’m making love. I’m making music. I recently crawled out of the worst depression in my life. Waiting for me was my pen and my studio. This has been a long time coming but in the last few weeks I’ve written more songs than I maybe ever have. I have three separate projects I’m working under. I want to tell you about them.

Dropjaw

I’m doing the record y’all. It’s called “The Shadetree Guru”. Topically, it is about everything you have been reading. It’s more exciting though. Production credits will most likely include Joey Murphy, Matt Fields, Kyle Klipowicz, and Jake Acosta—-all from various Orchid Collective projects. I may also do some of the production for the record. There will be this track over a Miles Bonny beat that I’ve been sitting on for years and finally wrote. The record will be pretty anthemic and full of Dropjaw treasures. The name of the record has to do a lot with the subject and purposes of the music. Shadetree refers to Shadetree Mechanics who work on cars in more of a DIY sense than “professionally”. Guru is the king of monotone rapping. Just kidding, I didn’t name my album after the rapper. A Guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others (wikipedia). I might be stretching the definition, but I make a lot of “message” music. I never have the intention of being preachy, but I can’t shake the want to help people. I feel like I can help people through my experiences/struggles, and I think I can help people by having a fun time making good music. I think every person is a Shadetree Guru. Enlightenment and learning doesn’t come to us from other people, it comes from the truths within us and around us regardless of who’s saying them. Too many “gurus’ are trying to make others to think like them. F#*k that. We think for ourselves. I believe it is a gift from God. Don’t worry what other people think about you. Give attention to what you think about you. I’m not saying that we define our own truth, but we do find truth on our own. I’m a seeker of truth. I’ve walked many paths, and I’m still walking. I believe in God. I believe in love. I believe in people. I believe in me. I’ve had help from others, we all have. I’ve been writing about it. I’m thankful and respect the help from others, but I’m the one who stood under that tree all of those days and nights tryin to find the ways to keep myself going. The Guru’s running, and I’ll try to make it to you before I breakdown. My music is about encouragement and enlightenment. You will make your conclusions. I smoked a lot, I drank a lot, and I prayed a lot when I made this record. I’ve experimented a lot while I’ve made this record. I’ve done things I’m not proud of in my life, and I’ve done a lot of good things in my life. I’m just being honest. I feel confident about what I’m doing, and I’m looking for a fair listen.

Dropjaw & Obscure are Broke Rappers

Oh man I’m stoked about this. I’m having fun with this. We’re making Broke Rappers history. I met this dude Freddy on Myspace. He sent me a message and told me that I was the best rapper he had heard in Manhattan, and he wanted to meet and record a song. He invited me to his house and I recorded a track called “Wear it on Your Hat” for him in his girlfriend’s mom’s bathroom(that’s hip-hop). I discovered Freddy to be very genuine and nice. Importantly for music, I found him to be very talented as well. We’ve been hanging out a lot, and we have a sampler we recorded that we are going to be pushin’ around pretty soon. The name came to me, because we’re both coming from a place where we don’t have a lot—-way different places, too. Homeboy doesn’t even have a home right now. He’s hungry. I’m hungry. We’re really trying to do something with our lives and encourage each other to succeed with this project. Please join with us in making Broke Rappers history. I will be posting links for this when it’s ready.

Bronson Family Den

This is a new band I’m in with my friends, Taylor and Eli. It’s hard for me to explain it with a genre (not that it doesn’t have one, everything does). I do want you to know that it isn’t “Hip-Hop” though. I’m singing and playing “other” instruments, specifically, keyboards. This has been really fun and enriching for me. I feel like we create ideas very well together and I’m excited to share them with other people.

Misc.

I know this is plenty of information. I just thought it would be fair to let you guys in a little bit. I hope you guys are excited for the work I’m soon to be releasing. We’re all going to have to be patient, but not as patient as we have been for it. I’m coming with a lot of love for myself and for you. I’m trying to make a web show/blog sometime soon, and I’m hoping to do some music videos and a documentary called A Busy Day With Dropjaw for the release of the record. I’m working hard and I hope you are too. Go get it Girlfriend.

Ps. I just wrote a response track to Miley Cyrus Party In The USA. I just need to figure out autotune.

PEACE