Train of thought Randy Mason & Akil Dasan on a NYC Subway Train

Akil and I use to be part of a music trio called The Crowd. It was a great group and a great time. We played a lot on the trains and at NYC music venues. We even traveled to Paris France to play shows. The part of this video that features the interview and the improvisational performances is by a brother name Justin Thomas. The other part that features Akil and I performing the song "Everything" was shot by a Venezuelan film maker who happened to be visiting NYC and riding the train that day with his camera. His name is escaping me at the moment.

We had the Shuttle train down to a science! We timed the commute from Times Sq-42 St to Grand Central-42 St perfectly. It was amazing. We rocked a lot of other lines too. The 4,5,6 the a,b,c, and the L train. Now that I think of it, I've experienced three very distinct and meaningful seasons rapping on NYC trains in my life. The 1st was when I was just a teenager. I use rapped lyrics from my notebook for mostly annoyed passengers. Later as a young adult I busked with fellow musicians like Akil Dasan and Mark Bell. It was a legit part time job. We played mostly on moving trains but we were also granted a Music Under New York permit from the city to play legally on platforms.The people loved it. We had a blast and we made a lot of cash. Finally, I hit the train as a minister not only of music but of the gospel. I focused more on giving than receiving. We called it Trainsformers. Our aim was to transform the atmosphere on the train though music and the message of God's love. We gave out water and food, talked with people and prayed with people. I learned a lot about rhyming, about performing, about communication, about people and about myself on the train. I've been thinking about getting back to it sometime.