Who knew 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' theme song hit so hard? This rap album says it all

As Phoenix rapper Teek Hall sees it, he’s the perfect age to make a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles concept album.

He was born in 1985, two years before the animated TV series launched.

“I watched that cartoon all the time,” he says. “It was a little bit goofy for the kids, but we know back then cartoons were just made to sell us toys. And I had all the Turtles action figures.”

Hall turned 5 the year the Turtles hit the big screen in what soon became the highest-grossing independent film of all time (a distinction it no longer holds).

As Hall says, that first movie, 1990’s “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” was a good deal darker than the animated series, more in keeping with the gritty spirit of the independent comic book that spawned the whole phenomenon.

He actually preferred the more cartoonish sequel, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze,” as a young Turtles fan growing up in Detroit.

“As I got older, though,” he says, “I liked the first one better.”

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Teek Hall's 'Sewer Stories' is rich in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles lore

Hall’s “Sewer Stories” kicks off with a song called “Heroes in a Half Shell,” sampling the theme song from the animated series and setting the tone with “Heroes in the half shell, these brothers never fail.”

The lyrics are rich in Turtles lore, from “Beat the Clan” (a reference to the villainous Foot Clan) to “Hit with the Ooze” (a Mega Ran collaboration) and “Project Super Shredder” (with Chuck Taylor), tying the project together with dialog samples from the films and animated series.

“There are obviously certain things that I knew I wanted to talk about on the project,” Hall explains.

“Like, I knew that I wanted to touch on the classic characters. And I wanted to touch on the villains. So I did the song about Bebop and Rocksteady, a song about Shredder. Casey Jones, obviously, is classic, so I knew I was gonna do a song about him.”

Hall timed the release of 'Sewer Stories' to 'Mutant Mayhem' opening

He's been wanting to do a Turtles album for a while now but timed the release of “Sewer Stories” to drop on Friday, Aug. 4, to coincide with the premiere of yet another Turtles movie, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.”

“Once I got wind of this new movie that was getting ready to come out, it just felt like a perfect time to go ahead and finish wrapping this project up to get it out,” he says.

“I felt like it would be not just a good companion piece but if Turtles is what's gonna be in the zeitgeist right now, why not go ahead and finish so that it can ride that wave a little bit?”

There’s a video in the works with a special prop provided by Jason Ybarra, who wears a Turtle suit to join Vanilla Ice on stage in concert when he busts out “Ninja Rap,” the “Ice Ice Baby” rapper’s contribution to the second Turtles movie soundtrack.

“He has a van he customized to look like the Ninja Turtles toy van that he drives around to conventions and mall appearances,” Hall says. “He’s gonna let me use it in my video.”

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'I leaned toward the darker side, because of the first movie'

As much as “Sewer Stories” finds the rapper reconnecting with that kid collecting Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles action figures, this was never meant to be a children’s album.

“That doesn't mean a younger person who likes Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles can’t enjoy it,” he says. “But I'm an older person and my fandom runs deeper than a younger person's would.”

Hall figures it would more than likely earn a PG-13 rating.

“I wouldn't say it's rated R,” he says. “I feel like anyone could listen to it if they want to. But even though it originated from a comic book or kids cartoon, I leaned toward the darker side, because of the first movie.”

Hall is a respected local hip-hop artist. He's been named Best Rapper twice by Phoenix New Times. And those talents are on full display throughout the tracks on "Sewer Stories," a quality he hopes will speak to those who couldn't necessarily tell you which Turtle is which.

“Everybody might not be as big a Turtle fan as me,” he says.

“But I just feel like, hopefully, I've been doing music long enough and been able to solidify myself as a musician across the board that even though it is a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle-themed project, somebody who's listened to me before would be like, 'Oh, well, he's dope. I'm gonna check this out.’”

Teek Hall's "Sewer Stories" is available on Bandcamp.

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Reach the reporter at ed.masley@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-4495. Follow him on Twitter @EdMasley.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' rap album? It's real. It's obsessive