Sunday, April 19, 2009

"My Slow Flow's Remarkable, Peace to Mateo"























"My slow flow's remarkable, peace to (Mateo) Now we smoke weed like Tony Montana sniffed the ya-yo" Notorious B.I.G. "Live Freestyle - '95"

One has to be special when a famous rapper drops your name in his raps. Extra special even when that rapper is considered by many to be the G.O.A.T. of Hip Hop, the late great Christopher Wallace p/k/a The Notorious B.I.G. Such was the homie Mateo Zcheval Mulcare who suddenly and tragically passed in his sleep earlier this month, on April 9th.

I met Mateo around 1995, the same year that Biggie dropped his name in his classic freestyle. He was trying to get on as a rapper and called me up in order to arrange a meeting in my office, hoping that I might be able to help him in landing a record deal. Mateo was a giant of a man, standing at around 6'4"/ 6'5". Like all prospective clients, I required that he spit, just to ensure that I wasn't going to waste my time effin with the fugazi. Spit he did, and on the spot, Mateo ripped through some ill lyrics, so much so that I decided to co-sign him, to knock on the doors of my connects, see if they saw what I did, a young man passionate about his craft as a wordsmith and committed to going the distance in making a name for himself. He killed it when I took him to Diddy too, right in the middle of Puff's studio, Daddy's House. Unfortunately, being a big man, the comparisons between Mateo and Christopher Wallace (who was then very much alive and the brightest of rising stars hailing from the East Coast) were way too obvious and Puff, along with several other execs passed on my client.

Having just had a daughter, Mateo remained unfazed. At 26 years old, he knew he had to break through in order to put food on the table. So determined that when he did get the chance to meet Biggie, they went at it, toe to toe on the mike, big man versus big man in an emcee battle. Word on the street was that Mateo held his own against the Notorious one. Afterwards, Big was so impressed with his competitor that he gave props to Mateo in his famed 1995 freestyle. How ill and rare is that? That's how nice my dude was. That and how big his heart was. Big almost had to give Mateo his just propers.

Mateo kept it moving though, eventually publishing PLUSH, a magazine devoted to the art of customized luxury trucks and the lifestyle of those that own and drive them. His work on luxury trucks have since been featured in various media outlets like USA TODAY, ESPN and SPIKE TV.


















Mateo's passing was unexpected and took everyone that knew him by surprise. They say the good ones die young and this young man was one of the best. It was an honor in me crossing his path in this lifetime and my sincere condolences go out to his family and friends. I know for a fact that he and Mr. Wallace are up there doing it BIG!




















R.I.P. my dude.

TRIVIA UPDATE: The homie Sean, a good friend of mine and Mateo's, just filled me in on the fact that when B.I.G. was kicking the freestyle, Mateo was standing out in the crowd, close to the stage, and when B.I.G. spotted him he threw his name in his rhyme.

Tupac, by the way, was not freestyling.

I'm just saying.

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22 comments:

  1. BootheApril 19, 2009 at 8:54 PM

    To be honest, I've never heard of him before reading this entry.

    Good to hear that he was able to excel in another field after the rap game didn't work out.

    R.I.P.

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  2. ianApril 19, 2009 at 9:21 PM

    Me neither, I had always assumed Mateo referred to Matty C from The Source who first 'discovered' BIG and put him in their Unsigned Hype column. Once again I get schooled with the daily mathematics!

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  3. jglcApril 19, 2009 at 9:50 PM

    ill post, as always. You're setting the bar too high!

    And a more "meta" sidenote: this is the perfect short drop (noticed you've been talking recently bout how you tend to write longer posts)... meaningful, but relating info quickly. see your steeze is growin.

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  4. g.April 20, 2009 at 4:08 AM

    Good post, CJ - I'd always wondered who the Mateo in Biggie's verse was. I guess I just assumed it was a name he made up to fit the rhyme. Sounds like a good dude though. RIP.

    Side note: are there any of Mateo's recordings floating around? Any guest verses or something?

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  5. Combat JackApril 20, 2009 at 4:19 AM

    ^ Good question g. I'll check with his peoples.

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  6. AnonymousApril 20, 2009 at 5:10 AM

    Excellent. RIP.

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  7. Stratford LexApril 20, 2009 at 6:53 AM

    Always wondered what that meant, Props CJ

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  8. Paper ChasrApril 20, 2009 at 7:28 AM

    Combat Jack aka "That Dude" This is a great post! I'll make sure Mateo's Family Sees this.

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  9. bknestoApril 20, 2009 at 1:49 PM

    Mateo used to have this rhyme called Brooklyn BloodBath that was sick!! When he kicked it in the barbershop on Clinton ave and Fulton street, he had heads with their jaw dropped, I remember like it was yesterday. B.I.G most DEFINITELY respected sun as an MC. This is a time when Brooklyn wasn't really known for having spitters like that...We was known for other shit...

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  10. bknestoApril 20, 2009 at 1:55 PM

    Also, I always use this live freestyle to show people how many miles ahead B.I.G was when it came to Tupac and emceeing. Biggies flow is damn near flawless while Pac struggles to stay on beat. I'm a Pac fan, I grew up with and know BIG and all of JM but the proof is in the pudding. Just listen...

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  11. Che GuerrillaApril 20, 2009 at 2:35 PM

    Crazy! I met this midget promoter dude on my 21 st birthday who was so gassed named Mateo. He told me that Biggie shouted him out in that verse. I told that stories for years. I now feel lame. I will call out this Mateo cat next time I see him.

    RIP the real Mateo.

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  12. ....April 20, 2009 at 3:26 PM

    so Biggie took the freestyle and made "Come On" after with Sadat X using almost everything word for word?

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  13. AnonymousApril 20, 2009 at 4:12 PM

    I met Mateo (KAS) when my emcee partner Zee introduced us. He was in his dorm (which was laced with MAD 40s). We both spit rhyme after rhyme and had mutual respect for each other. KAS had mad skill as both a rapper and graphic designer. RIP KAS. -Kip (Kool Shy)

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  14. AnonymousApril 20, 2009 at 4:59 PM

    Wow...That's the first I've heard of Mateo. I've studied that freestyle like the back of my hand too! R.I.P. to Mateo. Wish I could have heard some of his music from back in the day. ESPECIALLY the aforementioned battle between him and BIG.

    Oh, and Biggie > 2Pac (all day every day)

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  15. blackmanstainApril 20, 2009 at 5:42 PM

    Combat Jack that was a great post. RIP Mateo! Ironic he was in the audience that night, seen during his freestlye and given the greatest "Shout-out" of all time.

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  16. Carlito Roc TCK KrewApril 20, 2009 at 9:03 PM

    Very Ill post man. I dont know much about that dudes rapping skills, but massive respect for his contribution to publishing with PLUSH magazine. Magazines like Dub and Rides stole a lot of shit from him.

    His magazine had the real dudes in the streets with the fly whips that inspired the "celebrities" to put multiple tv's in their car etc.

    He had good photo shoots and interviews with the owners. I forget exactly what island he was from, but he did a shoot in his native country to showcase the rides over there as well.

    Rest In Peace to Mateo the Brooklyn legend. Thanks for the info Combat Jack.

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  17. EnglandRepresentApril 20, 2009 at 9:32 PM

    Biggie > ____ and by proxy Mateo gets propers for being mentioned in one of the GOAT's illest freestyles. Always wondered what a Mateo was. Now I knows. Peace

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  18. OMAR AKA CALI "O"April 21, 2009 at 9:34 PM

    I'm glad we get a glimpse of who Mateo was. I appreciate the fact that although Mateo was not big celebrity, his story is a part of Hip-Hop history.
    For Biggie to throw his name in a freestyle on the spot shows how great he really was.
    R.I.P

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  19. CommishCHApril 22, 2009 at 11:22 AM

    great info. RIP.

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  20. CongoApril 24, 2009 at 5:00 AM

    This dude lived on my block. I knew him as the publisher of plush but I didnt know this backstory. I didnt even know he died until yesterday when I saw flyer for memorial in the corner store. He was a humble, chill dude who I knew on a "whatup? you good" basis but he always gretted the kid. RIP my dude.

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  21. AnonymousApril 27, 2009 at 2:15 PM

    big ups to mateo! this is a brother that i played b ball with and against as kids back home in the virgin islands .

    RIP to you and your dad irvin may you both rest in peace.

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  22. AnonymousJune 24, 2009 at 7:17 PM

    Jack. this post connected a lot for me. Im from st thomas VI as was Mateo i think. He def went to high school there and he was friends and fam with mad people i know. I was raised alot in BK so the rhyme is gospel to me but i didnt connect it all. He was OSD affiliated (Obsessive Sneaker Disorder) which was cofounded by my man D who is also VI raised. I ran into Mateos FB page today on one of my fams page and this all took me back to this post.that i had only seen and read three weeks ago WOW Jack.I knew dude in passing but all of this shit didnt come together for me until toda. As always masterful pen spittin my dude. Just had to share. Condolences to Monife, his cousin and the entire fam.


    Nattiez02@yahoo.com

    Sneaker Fiend for life

    shout to DP and Twerk

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