The timing couldn't be better as on the heels of the Chicago Bulls' memorable Game 4 comeback, Young General showcases his Chicago pride with the new theme song for the playoffs and beyond — "Welcome To The Madhouse". For our many out of town readers, 'The Madhouse' is the nickname for the United Center a.k.a. The Madhouse On Madison that the Chicago Blackhawks also call home. If you've been to a Bulls playoff game, or any Blackhawks game, then you know... the UC truly is a mad house.
Young General first set out to illustrate this with a motivational song recalling Queen's "We Will Rock You" (#1 on the "Mount Rushmore" of sports pump up songs). Marcus Rezak, lead guitarist of Digital Tape Machine, adds an energetic dynamic with fast-paced riffs throughout, and General does his thing with intricate rhymes and references throughout verses that separate the chanting and catchy chorus.
It was only right to premiere "Welcome To The Madhouse" with a video to drive home the united scene at the Madhouse (no pun intended) and above all: the legions of loyal Chicago sports fans that are characteristic of our city. The video is shot in various Chicago locations outside of the United Center by our own Teddy Waffles, who did all the filming, editing, and directing for this Gowhere Hip Hop presented music video! We're all proud of this project and encourage you to take a look at the video above (especially all the way through to the end for some raw footage of one of the most memorable Bulls games all season... chllls...), download the song below, and come out to the "Welcome To The Madhouse" release party this Thursday at Bottom Lounge with Zion I and ProbCause.
This track has taken on several iterations since 2009, and it ends here, with the original production from JNX enhanced by guitar licks from Marcus Rezak. G teamed JNX & Rezak on Vol. 1’s “Drop It Low,” and once again they create a formidable duo. Rezak’s guitar work is alternatively piercing and rumbling, and Jai Wil’s vocals create an echoing contrast to G’s rhymes.
Kudos as well to engineer Greg “G-Ball” Majors of The Attic, who possesses the wonderful ability to both simplify and enhance a piece of music, a vital skill for streamlining a song that has undergone a long evolution. This is another standard of Young General’s live show, and one of my personal favorites.
