.Lyrics Born and DJ Cutso Team Up for 'Rapp Nite'

Tom Shimura apologizes for losing the thread as he weaves through heavy traffic. The 46-year-old rapper and producer is speaking over his car’s Bluetooth speaker system. It’s Pride weekend, and he’s just trying to knock out this interview on the way to his next engagement.
“It’s been a busy couple of years,” the man better known as Lyrics Born says.
Indeed. Last year, the East Bay emcee reissued two albums from his back catalog—2003’s Later That Day and a 20-year anniversary deluxe edition of The Muzapper Mixes, which he recorded as one half of Latyrx, a collaboration with Lateef the Truthspeaker.
In 2018, LB also released his fifth LP as a solo artist, Quite A Life. That same year saw the theatrical release of Boots Riley’s fantastical and comedic social commentary film, Sorry To Bother You. The movie, which garnered critical acclaim, was based and filmed in Oakland. Shimura had a small part.
Then there’s all the voice acting—one of many entertainment industry side hustles he has picked up over the years. “I work incredibly hard,” Lyrics Born says. In a region that’s as hard on creatives as the Bay Area, he has to. And he’s not the only one.
Lyrics Born dropped his latest effort, Rapp Nite, just last week. It is a collaboration with San Jose’s very own Paolo Bello, a.k.a. Cutso, who also knows a thing or two about putting in work.

Known for his prowess on the decks and behind the boards, Cutso is an integral member of local DJ and production crew The Bangerz. He’s been spinning at house parties and clubs for 20 years; he serves as one of three co-hosts on Wild 94.9’s weekly Rebel Pop Radio program; and over the past decade he has accumulated an arsenal of beats that he has only recently begun to unleash in the form of solo projects, such as 2017’s three-track Girls EP When They See Me.
Rapp Nite stands as a testament to the depth of both artists. For Lyrics Born, the set demonstrates his ability and his desire to step out of his comfort zone. I’m always looking for ways to get outside of myself.”
For Cutso, the collection is a calling card. Even though he is pushing 40, Bello says he still feels like a tenderfoot. “This is sort of my debut as a producer, as an artist.”
Funky, eclectic and fun, Rapp Nite plays like the best kind of bender—a blur of neon synths, ecstatic drums and squiggly bass that resolves in a pile of empty premium vodka bottles, an overflowing ashtray and zero regrets… well, at least none serious enough to send one looking for the nearest group meeting.
Some of the best lines on this album are all about delivery rather than lyrical dexterity.
“I killed that scotch then refilled that scotch,” LB rhymes on “Hit Number One”—“like I’m wearing a kilt in this ’iotch.”
And the simplicity of the chorus only underscores its self-assured swagger:
“I don’t do shit that I’ve already done,” Shimura explains in his blunted croak. “Except hit number one.”
The beat struts about with the confidence of rockstar as bits of overdriven electric guitar are clipped into jagged tatters and reassembled in a fuzzy mosaic. As the track fades out, it becomes easier to hear that the steady four-count hand claps are actually percussive, muted guitar strokes. The harmonic overtones of the metal strings ring out faintly and the whooshing, heavily affected intro of “Are You Experienced” comes to mind as Cutso seamlessly merges the East Side Boyz and Jimi Hendrix.
Shimura makes a point of praising Bello’s touch, noting that Cutso carefully selected the beats on Rapp Nite to jibe with the LB vibe.
“That’s the sign of a real producer,” Shimura says. “That’s the sign of a guy who really understands music.”
Rapp Nite
Lyrics Born + Cutso
Available Now
All Streaming Services

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