For Mister Jason, making noise in the underground hip hop community took a dream and a Discover card. Growing up in southern NH in the 80’s, where listening to hip hop made one a near social outcast, Jason was one of maybe two kids that would admit to listening to hip hop. By 1984, after discovering Run DMC and hearing "AJ Scratch" for the first time, Jason traded in his punk and hardcore records for a, for him, more progressive genre.
By 1993, Jason was tired of merely listening and decided to make the jump to making music on his own. Little did he know then that opening a credit card account and charging his first turntables( the Gemini Belt Drive and the then “advanced” Gemini mixer with 8 second 12-bit sampler) would lead to the formation of two Boston hip hop classics: Falsehood and the Porn Theatre Ushers.
Mister Jason started off djing in Boston at 486 Mass Ave. where he met up with three bad brothers you don't know so well: Richie the Midge Kid, P A Double L (the now infamous DJ Paul Foley), and K-no Supreme. They quickly became partners and made stupid noise in the Greater Boston/NH area from 1993 – 1998. While critically acclaimed and gaining respect of larger and more established Boston acts, Falsehood never emerged from the Boston scene.
During the height of the Falsehood era (1996/97), 3 out of 4 members lived in a now legendary apartment in Somerville, MA. Here, historic freestyle battles ensued, featuring the talents of Escoteric, Checkmark from Skitzofreniks, Nabo Rawk, the Kreators, and many other up and comers. (Word has it that many of these battles still exist on Maxell cassette in a vault guarded by Paul Foley.) It was during this time that Nabo Rawk and Mister Jason, on the recommendation of the longtime ally Esoteric, got together. This partnership would eventually become the Porn Theatre Ushers.
In 1998, PTU made international noise with their debut 12” “Me and Him”, which has been described as “a breath of fresh air happening at the right moment.” Thanks to new acts like Akrobatik, Mr. Lif, 7L and Eso, Skitzofreniks, and Virtuoso, Boston was back on the map in a scene that had historically been overshadowed by the NYC indie scene. With Boston legends like EDO G., RSO, among others, people again began to recognize that Boston should not be ignored. With new attention focused on Boston, the Porn Theatre Ushers came at the right time.
In 2000, PTU followed up their debut release with the “Sloppy Seconds” EP featuring Cage and Falsehood fellow, K-no Supreme. “Sloppy Seconds” was highly anticipated and earned praise from noteworthy individuals including Mix Master Mike, Andy Smith of Portishead, the Scratch Perverts from the UK, and Vibe magazine. In 2004, PTU released “Taxachussets”, their own “3 Feet High and Rising”. Full of quirky interludes and snippets, “Taxachussets” showcased Mr. Jason’s style and character as well as roots in punk, with most songs running 2 – 3 minutes in length. Hated for their crass buffoonary as much as loved, PTU was never for the masses. But their intensity and willingness to be different has left a mark that still exists to this day.
After the cliché story of bad record deals, bad promotion, and just plain exhaustion, Porn Theatre Ushers retired. On his own, Mister Jason continued to collaborate with several artists along the way, including MF Doom, Louis Logic, and Skitzofreniks. Today, Mister Jason continues to explore new and old sounds, from CA flea market milk crates to international market places, keeping his sound fresh and always on point. Check him out at his monthly residence: The Good Life, 28 Kingston Street, Boston, MA.
In the words of EPMD, “Rap is outta control.” How did they know this back in 1990?
The Goodness w/ special guest DJ Shortkut (Beat Junkies)
Past guest dj's of The Goodness include:
Babu * The Alchemist * Diamond D * DJ Revolution * Large Professor * Green Lantern * J-Zone * The Twilite Tone * Farley Jackmaster Funk * DJ Excess * PNS * Statik Sleketah & more...
"Lost and Found" Tracklisting
1--Intro
2--The Anthem-The Drunken Flunkies feat. CheckMark
3--Season's Greetings-Falsohood
4--Catnip (demo version)-Porn Theatre Ushers
5--Happy Hour-Brews Brothers feat. Louis Logic and CheckMark
6--Rotisserie Chicken-Falsehood
7--Sardines (live)-Porn Theatre Ushers
8--Chant the Monarch (live)-Porn Theatre Ushers
9--Parasites-K No Supreme feat. CheckMark
10--K No's the Future-K No Supreme
11--Ready for War-Brews Brothers feat. Louis Logic and CheckMark
12--Pac Men-Falsehood
13--Throat Culture-Falsehood
14--Vodka and Milk-Falsehood
15--Take it Slow-The Drunken Flunkies feat. CheckMark
In 1998, PTU made international noise with their debut 12” “Me and Him”, which has been described as “a breath of fresh air happening at the right moment.” Thanks to new acts like Akrobatik, Mr. Lif, 7L and Eso, Skitzofreniks, and Virtuoso, Boston was back on the map in a scene that had historically been overshadowed by the NYC indie scene. With Boston legends like EDO G., RSO, among others, people again began to recognize that Boston should not be ignored. With new attention focused on Boston, the Porn Theatre Ushers came at the right time.
In 2000, PTU followed up their debut release with the “Sloppy Seconds” EP featuring Cage and Falsehood fellow, K-no Supreme. “Sloppy Seconds” was highly anticipated and earned praise from noteworthy individuals including Mix Master Mike, Andy Smith of Portishead, the Scratch Perverts from the UK, and Vibe magazine. In 2004, PTU released “Taxachussets”, their own “3 Feet High and Rising”. Full of quirky interludes and snippets, “Taxachussets” showcased Mr. Jason’s style and character as well as roots in punk, with most songs running 2 – 3 minutes in length. Hated for their crass buffoonary as much as loved, PTU was never for the masses. But their intensity and willingness to be different has left a mark that still exists to this day.
After the cliché story of bad record deals, bad promotion, and just plain exhaustion, Porn Theatre Ushers retired. On his own, Mister Jason continued to collaborate with several artists along the way, including MF Doom, Louis Logic, and Skitzofreniks. Today, Mister Jason continues to explore new and old sounds, from CA flea market milk crates to international market places, keeping his sound fresh and always on point. Check him out at his monthly residence: The Good Life, 28 Kingston Street, Boston, MA.
In the words of EPMD, “Rap is outta control.” How did they know this back in 1990?
