THREAD
An In-depth Introduction to Mr. MFKN eXquire
History, discography, etc.

@MRMFNeXquire has been one of my fav. artists for a decade now. Praised by Ali Shaheed Muhammad & The Alchemist, this genius has some of the most appealing writing & interesting thoughts in hip hop.

THE EARLY YEARS
Hugh Anthony Allison, better known as Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire. He started rapping around ’99. The records recorded at 18 still exist, but the earliest work I’ve found from him is the music he dropped under the name Tru-Gizzy Da Great: https://www.soundclick.com/artist/default.cfm?bandID=530202

1/2

eX spent his early 20s handing out his CDs on 42nd street every weekend (hmu with some!), played shows, and was even close to getting signed to Universal (but wasn’t, as they couldn’t find a spot for hip hop that wasn’t “gangster” enough - only years before Lupe blew up).

2/2

DISCOGRAPHY

eX’ first self-released mixtape (under this name), with a simple description on Bandcamp; “it's the shit”. And it is. Despite him taking a shit on the cover art, the mixtape sounds massive, and he already kills it, with a distinct personality only further fueled by DOOM beats.

The cover art's “just eX' name on an old Zappa album”, and it was recorded in 2 days; but there’s nothing lazy about this mixtape. Made with his homie Raul, you get good insight into who eX is, which hits on an emotional level. Homemade charm, but tons of talent & creative ideas.

I could not find these records, nor do I know if they were ever made:

“These tapes I drew, I used to tape all these little doodles to that walls in my bedroom. I quit my job, caught my girl cheating, jumped out a window, ran from the cops, tried to commit suicide regular shit.."

eX’ huge breaktrough, released on Mishka NYC. Despite being most known for “Huzzah”, and the posse remix featuring El-P, Danny, Despot & Das Racist, but there’s much more to it; it paints a picture of his life at the time. Part of the story already told on the album cover;

1/2

A candid photo of porn actress Lethal Lipps in front of eX who’s passed out puking on the day his grandma almost died from a stroke. "That picture is really about how fucked up my life was at that time”. eXquire explains the mixtape better than me in the picture below.

2/2

The first instalment in this beautiful eX-mas tradition. While some publications have described it as “essentially an outtakes collection and “a low-budget tape put out to capitalize on the success of LiT”, it’s an A-tier project.

But; no. It doesn’t have any christmas sounds.

One of my personal favorites.

Labels sucked in 2012; just like Death Grips with NLDW, eX who had just signed to Universal, had to leak his own project; “So I had this tape I wanted to drop but my label fighting me cuz they hate me to rap...”

1/2

But don’t let the drama take away your focus from the quality. The mixtape can feel like a mess, but had some of eX’ best work on it, emotional highlights, atmospheric beats you’d never imagine anyone rapping over, and proves how much he has to say.

2/2

eX’ first/only project on a major label!

Most publications felt underwhelmed, as did eX himself; “Power and Passion was a reach for me… I’d look at it like I was on a major now. I’d look to other rappers to see what they’d be doing and they’d never talk about shit.”

1/2

But, I can’t help but care about this EP. Gucci Mane’s on here, but Dot da Genius and El-P help carry it with incredible beats. But eX also sounds really powerful, and even if it lacks in the usual interesting thoughts, it’s an enjoyable musical experience.

2/2

Another mixtape, and one of his best. The success of “Huzzah!” and listeners not actually listening had set expectations of a rugged drunk you laugh with or at, and he would prove people wrong with Kismet. Or, not wrong; that was his life. But not anymore.

1/3

Stating that he’d felt as if his career had him living as an imitation of himself, he changed his life and gave us a mixtape much more personal; about himself, those close to him, and his thoughts, rather than just a description of life - especially one he was moving on from

2/3

It’s also his first work recorded in a studio with an engineer, but he’s changed some of his takes on the project, stating that it was mostly left-overs from Power & Passion, and that he regrets “spoon-feeding people depth”. But it remains a great, very atmospheric record.

3/3

Even if a deluxe mixtape with 16 (!) added tracks (some being explanations of songs and concepts) is noteworthy by itself, this great mixtape also holds serious historical significace in the history of eX.

1/2

While there things might've played a bigger role, word is eX leaking the untitled track featuring Chance the Rapper on here is what finally had the label drop eX, because they knew he was woking on The Big Day, and were embar- No, because eX went against their wishes

2/2

Man, I’d never been this excited for a record ever befor. This was starting to sound like ithe perfect record, but never dropped. I’m biased, as the timing, and track “A Sun’s Calypso” (one of my fav. songs, ever) meant so much to me during the most lifechanging time of my life.

A limited edition tour CD. Physical copies were only available on the "There Will Be Blood" Tour. Some tracks were released during his short-lived Sunday freestyle series Bootleg Liquor on a Sunday Night.

If anyone has a copy, I’m looking to buy one!

Finally another addition to the most beautiful eX-mas tradition there is!

The second mixtape released in January of 2015. It’s a collection of old tracks recorded in the Danger Room. Most of his work was, but this time we hear more from the Passion crew. Very interesting listen for fans at least.

1/2

“The Danger Room was my old crib where I used to record all my stuff, the ‘Huzzah’ crib. It was basically the spot. We had guns under the couch, strippers, porn stars walking around.”

2/2

A VERY dope EP, even though it seems to have been more of an attempt to “get moving again”: “I didn’t put it out for that, I put it out more for myself. Because I’ve been in such a lull, personally, with the music game. Let me continue on my path.””

1/2

Some interesting facts about the track Nostalgia too;

“ I wrote that song three times. I wrote that song one time when I was 19. I wrote it another time when I was like 22. And then I wrote it again for this record. I wrote it three times, cause I could never get it right.“

2/2

AMAZING EP. Now on his own label, Chocolate Rabbit, eX came back with one of his hardest and darkest projects. Incredible lyrics, amazing production and some really passionate performances. Arguably his most consistent project.

Another eX-mas miracle!

ffs, another one I couldn’t find on Bandcamp anymore.

This was, kinda as the title suggests, a collection of unreleased and unmixed joints eX found on a hard drive.

eX actively dropped quality music throughout the 2010s, this felt like a serious comeback. It kinda was; “My new record is just me sober, healthy, happy and free”. But it also oozes in creative ideas, with his mind thoroughly translate - not unlike his performance on RTJ4

1/2

I love this record. The sound is incredibly unique, but most of all, what’s labeled his debute studio album sounds and feels like what you would presume he always wanted to get across to willfully deaf listeners. Genuine, eye-opener, and hard AF.

2/2

Aaand possibly AOTY, and eX’ best work yet. I’m just gonna suggest you check it out yourself.

“I wrote this record as a time capsule for my newborn daughter Ava Marie Allison. I won't let her hear this for 18 years. You can hear it now tho! Major Love, The Black Genius”

He’s also mentioned having a Madlib-record that’ll remain unreleased

NOTEWORTHY SONGS

BOOTLICKER (BURN BABY BURN)
A powerful track released in the early days of the George Floyd protests.

OH HAIL NO/NEVER LOOK BACK/POISONOUS THOUGHTS
eX appeared on ‘Cancer 4 Cure’ by El-P, ‘RTJ4’ by Run the Jewels, and Czarface’s self-titled album.

1/7

SWEET CHICK/FAT FOOL
Just two more personal favorites with production from The Alchemist. They sound perfect together.

2/7

I AIN'T EVEN FUCK RIHANNA AKA MR. LIME-A-RITA PAP
An essential listen, that covers what went down after his failed major label deal. “My stupid ass sold his soul/and didn't even get the fame/I ain't even fuck Rihanna."

3/7

UNTITLED
Another track that’s especially important in a history context. It features Chance the Rapper, which is dope by itself. But this is also said to be the leak that made Universal drop eX.

4/7

THE BIRTH OF THE MUTHAFUCKIN’
Another important track found on his Soundcloud, and the description explains why; “The Moment when I changed my style, literally... I recorded this in like 05-06.”

5/7

THE LAST HUZZAH (REMIX)
While this track is the most important track in his whole discography, it’s not a track that’s only been a positive. But then again, Despot, Danny, Heems and El-P all appear on it, and arguably contains El-P’s best verse (according to @mykectown)

6/7

A SUN’S CALYPSO
One of my all-time favorite songs from any genre. This one means incredibly much to me, and I’m not gonna try to explain why; it’s personal and abstract. 10/10.

7/7

LINKS
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/user/eXqomaniaRulez

Soundcloud
https://soundcloud.com/exqobumaye 

Tumblr
https://donteatmymind.tumblr.com 

Life Is Passion website (Inactive)
https://web.archive.org/web/20130817075741/http://lifeispassion.com/

Live Live Die Never website (Inactive)
(Not archived)

OTHER
FUCK TALKS TV
A podcast/show hosted by Mr. MFKN eXquire. I can’t find most episodes anymore, but you can still find some of them on YouTube.

(PEEL OFF) PASSION CREW
His crew. In 2012 there were talks of them dropping “The Passion Tape Vol. 1”, but I haven’t found it.

SO, if you read through all of this; thank you.
Hope you check out some of his music, even though I could’ve said so much more. Fuck the character limit.

(Also, I’ve got a song with him, which is my proudest moment of all time. But I wanna save up some more $ to send him before that might drop in the future)