Driven inside by a cold Minneapolis winter, Tyler Franz, aka Breakneck the Mage, did what he could to keep warm. Namely, he watched a lot of dramedies featuring the radiating warmth of SoCal culture. And, as the casts of Entourage, Californication, and Curb Your Enthusiasm whitened his TV tan, Breakneck traveled to Hollywood – if only in his lyrics.

More about the idea of LA than the physical place, Breakneck the Mage Goes to Hollywood is Franz’s first full-length solo effort. The Mage says while mostly comprised of songs centering a around the theme implied by the title, one of the main ideas explored on the album are views on stardom and success, best summed up in the chorus of “Reality Rap.”

“The greatest place in the world, it isn’t California or the Florida coast/ no matter where you at, you can feel like that/ you can make it your life, this is reality rap.”

Besides all the LA glitz and glam, the 13-track album features numerous shout-outs to the Midwest, including the Eau Claire anthem, “I Got the Blues.” Appearances by Blinded and Eff’d Up’s Fro Fo Sho help to fill out the album spit over beats courtesy of Riggs and Ill Pill of Soul Fresh Beats located in Orlando. Mage’s style is more lighthearted and poppy than the norm for Midwest hip-hop, and he says his major influences are N.A.S., the Wu-Tang Clan, Lupe Fiasco, and Atmosphere. The album is available to download for free on MySpace and physical copies can be acquired at BTM’s shows.

    Mage, an Eau Claire native, wrote most of the album during his nine-month stay in Minneapolis. Though loves that city, he said he prefers to try to make his mark here.

“Everyone is an MC in Minneapolis. There are thousands of MCs and they are all really good. In Eau Claire it’s easier to make a name for yourself.”

Mage started making his name by DJing Ladies Night at the Stones Throw with DJ Beze. The pair would mix in some live performances with the songs they were playing. From there he started playing gigs with other hip-hop acts before departing for the Twin Cities. He has shared bills with such acts as Heiruspecs, Golden, and Carnage as well as most EC hip-hoppers worth mentioning.

    Catch Breakneck the Mage with other Eau Claire hip-hop acts at the Eau Claire Hip-Hop Invasion at 10pm Saturday, Sept. 20 at the Stones Throw ($5). Listen at www.myspace.com/breakneckthemage.