“I use to listen to these podcasts from DJ Grouchy Greg where he would play all these classic soul tunes and give a back story to how the tracks came to be. One episode was about Marvin, Berry Gordy and Motown. The story of Marvin’s life was both beautiful and tragic and brought life to the music that I already heard but never analyzed. I learned this man was world famous but dead broke, depressed, addicted to coke and still created this masterpiece. It was conceptual, political, religious, conscious and soulful all at the same time. It became my favorite album. I put it in the ranks of the Ready To Die’s, Illmatic, Reasonable Doubt’s and Hell Hath No Fury’s of my collection but overall, it’s the greatest album ever created to me.

I crafted this tape in the summer of 2007, when I was living with my cousin in Jane and Finch. Feeling broke, somewhat depressed and being a pothead, I felt like I was in the same creative nirvana as Marvin at the time. I chopped every song on that album and wanted to do a album project with me or someone else rapping on it. Time passed by and now its 2013. Honestly, I subconsciously didn’t want to hear no rappers on it. I left it alone. Glad I did. Enjoy.”

– Rich Kidd

Previously: NEW VIDEO: Rich Kidd – I’d Be Lying (Directed by Andrew Stephenson)