Mr. Unek (CBS) – Born and Raised
Some of the most inspirational experiences over the years have been the moments in time that I find myself in places I’ve never been, and had a little time to take a moment and soak it in. Meeting new people and realizing how many of us there really are. Since I’ve been spending some time in the Southwest, I’ve really enjoyed the unique & diverse styles and the energy of the people.
A little ways back I posted some pics from the “BREAK YO’SELF” Paint Session in El Paso, TX., roughly 60 artists from all through-out the Southwest including L.A. based artist Cre8 – (RTN, WCA, LTS) and artists from CBS & C4P crews. I had a chance to meet Alberquerque-based graffiti artist and photographer Unek (CBS) for the first time face-to-face. Over the past few months, we’ve kept in touch and took some time to talk about his work and experiences.
La Famiglia – Could you give us a little background and introduction?
Unek – My name is Mr. Unek, I was born and raised on the Navajo Reservation in the Four Corners of New Mexico. I remained there until I graduated in 1998 and have spent the remainder of my time in Central New Mexico.
I got into graffiti when I was a freshman in High School. I didn’t start counting till the day I actually picked up a spray can to paint, but I was in the 5th grade when I got interested in graffiti. When my parents were still together my dad would take us on vacations to make up for the times he wasn’t there. So we would go to LA, San Diego, Tucson, Vancouver BC, Albuquerque, and so on. Graffiti had caught my eye and inspired me to learn this amazing form of art that was just based on letters.
So when I got back home, I would pull out the paper and start drawing what I saw. From then on I started to develop my own style. When I became a freshman in High School my mom bought me some cans of Krylon and that night I went out painted my first piece on the side of the highway on this old beat up trailer. The next morning on the bus I heard the kids talking about my piece. From there on I fell in love with the hype a name can give and letters would create.
Since then, I kept painting and 18 and 1/2 years later I’m painting with some of the best graffiti artists that I looked up as my mentors to getting into the game. I never thought I’d make it this far ever in my life. Every time I meet people like my good friend Pose2 FX, Vyal, Dytch66, SnowFX, Bates, and the MAC I’m still in shock that I got to meet them. Now I’m rolling with one of Cali’s oldest crews, CBS. That to me is a major accomplishment especially a poor Navajo boy, coming from a small town who didn’t give up and kept pushing to something better. I don’t see too many natives ever trying to better themselves, I want to be that example and inspiration to the Navajo people.
La Famiglia – For those that might not be up on things, could you give us a little more background on CBS?
Unek - Cali Bomb Squad – Can’t Be Stopped Family is one of LA’s oldest graffiti crews. I joined up with CBS about a year and a half ago thru my good friend Dytch66. Since him and I became friend’s we started painting a few productions and he would come out here to Albuquerque because of a graffiti event I would help organize and promote called “Bomb the Canvas”. After a few painting sessions in Albuquerque and in LA, Dytch and Anger asked me to become a part of CBS because of the expansion of the crew was being directed worldwide. It was an honor being placed into the crew. I do wear the 3 letter badge proud when I paint and represent myself, and as well as the crew because we Can’t Be Stopped.
La Famiglia – Where did the name “Unek” originate?
Unek – One day I was trying to figure out a name for myself. Something that would best describes me and who I am. I was always the quiet and artsy person that sat alone and drew. So I thought about the name Unique, but that was too long to write. So I played with the name a bit and came up with Uneek, but that didn’t look appealing, so it just became Unek. I thought that name best suited me as an individual. It became my life. So i sat and sat thought about what this name means to me. That’s how I came up with U.N.E.K. now when i do all my work “Unek” is what I use.
U. N. E. K. (Universal . Native . Endigious . Kaptivator)
Universal- Computer Graphics, Fine Arts, Body Art, Photography and Graffiti.
Native- Just being a Native American (Navajo) my culture. Not forgetting where I come from and how hard it was to get where I am today.
Endigious- Using my surroundings, originality, emotions and pain to show my creativity.
Kaptivator- Using the tools, mediums, style, color schemes, uniqueness, imagination to capture my audience and society to see inside my world.
La Famiglia – How would you describe the influences and styles in your work?
Unek – My influences come from studying tattoos and pin stripers. I got into Pin Striping in High School and loved the a freedom of the flow it has. I mimicked that technique in my graffiti. The sharp look has the tribal effect – which turns into what I call the “Razor Phase.” The style of lettering I’m more known for is the “Razor”. It’s formed of sharp points like a razor and has crazy wild style lettering. This style was formed from pass experiences in life and all that I’ve been through. Sometimes life can hurt like needles and razors. If you let it get to you, it can take you down. This expression is a way to protect myself to show that I can’t be stopped in life.
The other style developed is the 3D form what I called the “Technical” phase. This style of letters I use to challenge myself. It’s much more advance with color schemes, shading, realism, and more technical physics. Today I’ve merged the two styles together, which is known as the “Rebirth.” It’s a way to redevelop myself as a artist and as a individual in a new way.
La Famiglia – Who are some of your favorite graffiti artists and why?
Unek – My favorite current artists today are still my friends like Vyal, Dytch66, Woier, OG Gill, Pose2, SnowFX, Hex, Codak and I can keep going down the list but I will always look up to them. Everyday their work amazes me. I may be up there with them but them’ cats will always be a step ahead of me. I’m just glad that I worked hard enough and stayed in the game long enough to have the privilege to meet them and get to know them.
They influenced me thru styles and skill that I can’t find here in New Mexico. So traveling a lot, I am able to bring back new techniques like blends, colors, style and knowledge. They just make me a better writer. Dytch took my 3d to a whole new level when I paint with him. I like to thank him for it and my boy Woier who has a cutting edge style like mine. So I thank everyone who I’ve met.
La Famiglia – What inspires you as a photographer?
Unek – This is my view from graffiti to model photography. I light the model the way I sculpt my 3d letters, Perfecting the highlights and shadows as I adjust my light. When she poses, I bend, position and mold her like my letters. You can twist, shape, flow and exaggerate just like graffiti a letter . Taking a simple letter/model and making it into a beautiful form of an amazing masterpiece. That’s my inspiration for photography. I always refer back to graffiti with everything I do.
I have other photographers that I like to study such as Joel Grimes and Richard Reinsdorf. They both have amazing styles and lighting that I admire. The other good resource for photographers is Flickr. People don’t know how powerful that site is till they actually sit down and see what it has to offer photography and model wise.
La Famiglia – How you feel you’ve evolved as an artist and what were some of the major transitions in the evolution of things?
Unek – Over the years of being an artist, I’ve developed many styles. Based on what my life was like around that time. Every year it changes as I meet many other artists out there across the country. It’s amazing seeing what other people can create and see thru their eyes of what art is. I feed off their vibes and creativity to better myself. Just like a MC or music artists they will read books, newspapers and magazines to see what’s evolving around the world in news to get that inspiration.
After getting caught with graffiti I took a change in wanting to help others get started. Being a leader in giving back to those in the art and photography field who don’t know where to start. Which is something I didn’t have, I learned the hard way by just jumping in and see where it takes me. I guess the best way of learning, is learning the hard way. Right now my friend Lauren and I started up a project/business called Elaborate Collaborate. It’s the same concept of helping others from fashion designers, make-up artists, photographers, and hair-stylist get started in the field that don’t know where to go.
They build up their portfolios and network by attending our workshop meet and greets. Sometimes I do speeches to the youth in directing them in the right direction. Telling them about my background where I come from. Showing them that you can turn a negative into a positive to better themselves. So guiding others has been the evolution to my life and I’m loving it. Knowing that I inspire others to begin somewhere.
La Famiglia – What have been your greatest struggles as an artist?
Unek – My greatest struggle of being a artist is to keep getting myself out there. It’s a lot of hard work. I learned that it all takes time and years. In time and patience things will evolve. There’s been times I almost gave up on my art life because of the struggles of having no money and no one is buying my work. The hardest part is everyone wants something for free. They don’t understand the craftsmanship and time it took an artist to create that. I get upset a lot of the time and try to explain to a non-artist about that.
La Famiglia – Outside of art, what inspires you?
Unek – Outside of my art life, Mountain climbing and my family is my inspiration. Mountain climbing is what keeps me going… Life is like mountain climbing. You start out at the bottom. Working your way up it gets harder, but you can start to see everything. You want to give up at times, but you can see the top and see how beautiful things are. Once you reached the top it’s rewarding. It’s the best feeling you can ever have, because you made it through life’s challenges and it makes you stronger. Life just doesn’t end there. There will always be higher peaks and bigger challenges to go through.
The best way to put this is I push myself as far as I can get, I don’t’ give up when things get hard or gets in my way. I taught myself there are always other ways around it. In the end it’s very rewarding. I always keep those thoughts in my head when I need inspirations to life. Also my mom is my greatest inspiration, seeing what she has gone thru to make a life for my sister, brothers and I with no father around. She’s the mom and father all in one. I give her my biggest love that she showed me that it’s a lot of hard work and that anything can be done.
La Famiglia – What would you like to do in the future that you haven’t had a chance to?
Unek – There’s a lot of stuff I want to do. I want to travel overseas to paint with some of the Euro writers and to also show them my cultural background of being Native American.
La Famiglia – Any last words?
Unek – My last words to people is, don’t give up on a dream. If you have dreams peruse it. Only you can stop yourself from going forward to a brighter future. It’s a lot of hard work but in the end it’s all worth the effort. I started from a poor family with nothing on the Navajo Reservation to someone.
Mr. Unek CBS World Wide Family
Check out Unek on Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/unek_505
Interview: Rammellzee ~ The Biginnings and Evolution
As most heads have already heard, Rammellzee has passed away. According to his wife, Carmela Zagari Rammellzee, he passed away from a long illness. Today we received a email from Uncommon Records, a small non-related independent label including a podcast of an old interview with Rammellzee from a few years ago. Even though many blogs and sites around the world have already posted information about this tragic loss we thought that this interview was worth sharing. This interview touched base on the beginnings of hip-hop, the evolution of his career and played a bunch of his music including some stuff that was not released at the time. He also dropped a super abstract freestyle at the end of the show.
The tracks featured are:
1. Beat Bop (Original Version) feat. K-Rob {End portion}
2. New Meaning (Japanese Import)
3. Jamming Zabar (Bi-Connicals of The Rammellzee)
4. Quack (Bi Connicals of The Rammellzee)
5. Caution (Unreleased, from Bill Laswell project features Buckethead on Gtr)
6. This Was My School Bag (Unreleased from forthcoming “Gothic Futurism” LP)
Rammellzee, pronounced “Ram: Ell: Zee” was a visual artist, graffiti writer, performance artist, rap/hip-hop musician, art theoretician and sculptor from New York. Rammellzee’s graffiti and art work are based on his theory of Gothic Futurism, which describes the battle between letters and their symbolic warfare against any standardizations enforced by the rules of the alphabet. Rammellzee first became known in graffiti circles in the late 1970s for hitting the A train and other lines around Queens with his signature spiky lettering.
Rammellzee was also instrumental as one of the original hip hop artists from the New York area who introduced specific vocal styles which date back to the early 1980s. His influence can still be heard in contemporary artists such as The Beastie Boys and Cypress Hill. Over the years he worked with a wide range of artists outside of the hip-hop industry such as Buckethead, NIN, Iggy Pop, and Bootsy Collins.
Please take a listen to the interview. Do some research if you’re not familiar with what he is talking about. R.I.P.
Haiti ~ A letter from Immortal Technique
Immortal Technique has arrived back into the US after being in Haiti for a few days to assist hands on in the relief efforts and for a show to support Haitian Hip Hop. Below is a letter from Immortal Technique describing his experience and views on the current situation.
Letter Below:
I recently arrived home from Haiti.
While I was there I worked in a few aspects of the relief effort including a solidarity mission to aid the Earthquake survivors. In addition to all of this Myself, Cormega and Styles P participated in a show to support Haitian Hip Hop and rebuild the community. I would like to thank Arms Around Haiti and Hip Hop for Haiti for inviting me to be a part of this movement. While I was there I saw both devastation and rebuilding efforts. I also broke bread with people who had lost their entire family. Literally, everyone but them was deceased. Then there were those whose grief centered around losing a mother, father, brother, sister, son, or daughter as a direct result of what happened. It should make everyone reading this feel blessed to have anyone in his or her life. Think about that… Now think about it some more.
I saw so many different things as I walked through the slums and rode around Port-Au-Prince (as well as the area surrounding it.) I met mayors, townspeople, and the Arms around Haiti (Sobs staff) introduced me to several visionary Haitians with good ideas to rebuild the country that I am seriously considering investing my time into.
But one of the most powerful experiences came to me when I was holding this little baby girl who couldn’t have been more than a year old. She was crying because she was hungry, thirsty and tired. I picked her up and she hugged onto me with the newfound control her young muscles had recently provided her. She was one of the many orphans that I met while I was there, and as I held her I wondered what the future would hold for this little precious life. Her father would never hold her again and rock her back and forth to sleep while whispering stories to her. She might find good hearted and righteous people to one day adopt her, but her father, the man who created her would never tell her that he loved her or that she was special, save for the length of a dream or a subconscious memory. So I told her in French that I loved her, that she was beautiful and that she was special to me. I gave her all my water and her young face was immediately full of focus and comfort. After a few minutes of holding her, she fell into slumber. I gave her back to her to a 11-year old girl who had also lost her parents and was acting like a surrogate mother to most of the younger children.
Then I looked at my hands, they seemed like such strong hands before I went to Haiti. Strong like my will that is made of iron, and my resolve, which I consider unbreakable. But the strength of this young adolescent Matriarch and her newfound responsibility served as God’s gentle reminder and it humbled greatly as I realized what she carried on her shoulders. I am a Revolutionary but rather than just going to places around the world to bring people freedom, I seem to find it among them.
I felt great sadness leaving this place but I also felt anger at the things I saw. So I began to detail a few observations about Haiti and Revolutionary action associated with it in general. I wrote these things as I saw them or felt them but I waited until I was home for a few days so as to not elicit an emotional response but rather one of logic and understanding concerning the various things I saw.
The Spirit of Toussaint is Alive:
- Although the people have suffered here immensely, I still see their spirit still very strong, unbroken and defiant. Even though the sun floods the day with sweltering heat, the vast majority of people are working in some capacity. Many have their own small business or hustle and they take great pride in what they do. They find no shame in their work, however menial because, as it was told to me they felt blessed to have anyone to provide for. In the camps when dusk settles in, children play soccer with pieces of garbage tied up or maybe an old volleyball. They are survivalists as their history has taught them to be. The tent cities are home to usually 2 or 3 families per tent. Perhaps it is their past dealings with dictators sponsored by this nation, or by years of civil strife and a long Revolutionary history but they have become so resilient, so much so that they now serve as a personal inspiration to me of what mankind/original man can overcome.
All about the Benjamin’s, Mon Cheri:
Foreign Aid. That is a deceptive phrase. Many times the countries who, pledge money to a disaster-ridden nation are not giving that country money at all. They are really pledging the money to their corporation to rebuild the country at an inflated price set by the global conglomerate. It changes the very nature of what that means. Imagine if your house burnt down and I told the news and every local media outlet I was going to “donate” $100,000 to rebuild it. This is the catch the job really costs $20,000 to do. Yes, from the Capitalist pro business point of view I am providing a service that I deserve to be compensated for. But the characterization of what I am doing is purposefully altered so as to disguise the real motivation for “aiding” you. I’m not condemning the idea of foreign aid on a whole although there are aspects of it that create dependency and de facto vassals. But the system by which some of this “aid” is raised and distributed sometimes has little to do with anything resembling a humanitarian effort.
Let’s recap. I give you money, which you’re essentially giving back to me plus interest for doing something at twice the cost. I don’t give you fish anymore. That was Imperialism. This is Neo Liberalism, we teach you to fish, and collect 75% of the profit…forever. This system is actually the one that seems rational to first world powers now and is still implemented today all over the planet. Corporate Non Government Organizations (NGO’s) raise billions of dollars just to spend a fraction of that on the people who are actually affected and suffering. Then as if overpaying themselves wasn’t enough they act like they really did something. This system gives a bad name to real non-profit NGO’s and people that are selflessly doing something out of the kindness of their hearts. The Foreign Aid field is infested with corporate socialites and poverty pimps who troll around the mud with us dark people so you have something to talk about at your bourgeois industry parties. And where is the money going?
Waiting in Vain:
There is about 12 Billion dollars of Aid, waiting to be distributed, (conveniently earning interest for someone by the way) and since world agencies (take your pick) do not trust the shell of government left in Haiti, the situation has spiraled into a game of tit for tat in some instances. Corruption is not relegated to the surviving members of a fractured government. The customs area has thousands of pieces of clothing and non-perishable food that is simply sitting in store-rooms because customs is sometimes demanding $8,000 (US) to allow it into the country. You read it right, $8,000 American dollars to let a few boxes of supplies collected by people like you into the country. There are organizations such as the one I was there with, and Wyclef’s ‘Yele’ that use their longstanding connections with local power players and government officials to navigate around these bureaucracies, but it made me wonder how many good hearted people’s donations were just sitting there in some hangar collecting mold and dust. The supplies I handed out, the stuff I brought myself to give to people, the houses we put people in seemed like a good first step but now I wish more than anything to return and really make an impact having studied the situation. (* I remember after the Earthquake happened the mainstream media did a few stories criticizing smaller Aid Organizations on the ground and encourage people to direct their donation to the Major ones. Now I wonder if it was to promote efficiency or was it to safeguard their corporate partners monopoly?)
Children’s Story:
In Haiti, child trafficking is still going on, because it’s a lucrative business. It hasn’t stopped just because the news has stopped covering it, this right here is still happening. (http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/01/27/haiti.earthquake.orphans/index.html” target=”blank”> http://gvnet.com/humantrafficking/Haiti.htm ) I have even heard rumors about aid workers trading food for sex with little girls and boys. I’m not repeating these charges to try and substantiate them in any way. Because I hope they’re a lie, or at worst an exaggeration of an isolated incident. Far be it for me to try and pass innuendo off as fact but when you hear something like that from dozens of people from different walks of life, it makes you think. The reality after the Earthquake was that many of these children were (and still are) stolen and shipped out immediately or taken over to the Dominican Republic whose government is also very corrupt and sold to every corner of the world. Sad to think that the nation that showed the world that a successful slave revolution was possible has it’s sons and daughters sold into slavery in 2010.
The Almighty UN:
When I was young I thought the UN was a powerful entity, like the Super friends from Saturday morning cartoons. I was fed the idea that they provided a solution to arguing nations and would be helpful in taking the side of the underdog, the oppressed and colonized. But as I grew I realized it was just a way of making it look like America and Britain were not acting alone and it rewarded participants who conscripted their troops there. They are a Right Wing punching bag but really that’s duplicitous because they have been used to justify our actions in Afghanistan and Iraq. As if it is full of equal partners who are committed to the mission. Truth is the UN peacekeepers are full of many soldiers who would otherwise be getting paid $100 a week to be a soldier in their own country. The UN security-council resolutions have no teeth without the US’s approval, and sometimes they go to a country (like Haiti) and get a paycheck for doing very little. As I keep having interactions with them, my opinion just keeps on worsening. I by no means had any of those young teenage illusions about them going into this trip, but this is my observation. There is no salvation for the 3rd world in this entity. Truthfully, the UN are a war (with a real country) away from being as much of a part of history as the Hanseatic League. As we speak. They act as the de-facto military rulers of Haiti, with the US leaning over them looking at possible candidates. I think in all honesty they want a Haitian Karzai of their very own so perhaps their weakness is deceptive on purpose and they are just the arm of a face that has not revealed itself yet. “Le temps est un grand maître, dit-on, le malheur est qu’il tue ses élèves.”
Jesus’s Power Broker:
- Haiti is flooded with Christian missionaries. There were 40 of them on the plane with me headed to Port-Au-Prince. In case you don’t know what a missionary is kids, it’s not just a sexual position. (Although plenty of people have been fucked over the years.) It means someone who goes to other countries and tells people that their religion or native custom is savage and full of useless ceremonies to God’s & spirits that don’t exist. And while I know some of these people mean well, their very existence and purpose is in complete contradiction to what their religion actually teaches. Some are working to build schools and help out with social programs, but always with the agenda to prosthletize and solidify their religious control over the area. So no matter what their intentions are, they look like their peddling Jesus on a fishing pole with foreign aid wrapped in Bible paper on a hook. In the past they were dispatched to countries to make them as Christian as possible in a direct effort to bring them into the colonial power’s sphere of influence. You see Imperial powers could not win by military force, and so conversion directly aided in our subjugation and apparently still aids in our placation. As long as we let other people define God for us we will not only be the physical but also the spiritual prisoner of our oppressors vision.
Mission Impossible:
- Spain, Portugal, England, France and Italy, etc… did this “missionary work” all over Africa, Asia and Latin America. Many of you people reading this who are of the aforementioned faith have them to thank, not divine intervention for what you believe. I am not in any way shape or form trying to detract from the individuals who really have the message of Jesus Christ in their hearts. I honestly believe if we lived our lives by the teachings of Christ this world would be a better place. But there are too many frauds making money off of Yeshua these days. The crazy thing is, that as many Muslim and Jewish charities that are working in Haiti, I haven’t witnessed any effort by them to convert people to Judaism or Islam. What is it about this faith that we hold so dear in America that makes us so insecure about what other people believe in? You’re going to have to stop using the excuse you want to “save people” and just admit that you don’t feel comfortable around someone until they believe in what you believe, spiritually. What gives us the moral authority to go around the world and tell the indigenous people of every continent that their religion is a farce and the only real truth was compiled in Constantinople in 325 AD? Isn’t the most “Christian” thing in the world to give charity to the poor and suffering without asking for anything in return? (Least of all, the culmination of all their beliefs.)
Blood Roots:
As I walked through the tent cities full of families waiting for water and cooking whatever they could find for their collective I happened upon a long road. It led me through the scorching slums of the outer area of Port-Au-Prince. While I was walking these two young brothers who ere dressed in red asked me if I was a Blood. I looked at them both and I responded that I wasn’t and one of them then raised his eyebrow, “you Crip then?” He asked with a heavy Creole accent. I said that I was neither and I was more like a Black Panther. After all OG Black Panthers and people from the Indigenous movements have taught me a libraries worth of knowledge. The younger one asked me what a Black panther was. I searched my surrounding for an analogy and there just happened to be a small tree near by. So I walked them over to it. The tree had two branches littered with a few leaves. Holding one branch I said, “this one is the blood” and pointing to the other one I said, “this one is the Crip” and then putting his hand on the trunk close to the roots, I said “this one is the Black Panther”. “Ne de la Revolution” which means Born out of Revolution in my humble French. The young kid smiled at me and asked me more about the Black Panthers. I stood there speaking to him for a little while and then we saluted one another and went our separate ways. Although Haiti is twice as hood as any place in the US, they are such a young country full of children who must become adults before their time. If they are to succeed, someone must educate them to the fact that what people call Black history is in fact world history. I would be honored to be a part of that someday. Don’t worry I won’t NGO them for hundreds of G’s either. I’d settle for a room and some coffee in the morning.
La Revolucion de Latino America:
For those of us who are studying Latin American Revolution, Haiti is the prequel, the seemingly invincible power of France being challenged and overcome. The Napoleonic wars gave America a chance to breathe away from the eyes of Europe long enough to affirm itself. France’s assault on Spain weakened the European states enough for us to take the moment that we cherish as our time for ‘Revolucion’. The story of our Revolution doesn’t begin in the 1950’s but in the Indigenous revolts of the conquest era and the early 1800’s when a small island of enslaved Africans showed the world that it was possible. Estudiantes Latinos, estudia esta Revolucion, sus lecciones son unas de las mas importantes para apprender. Tienen te todo, de raza, de classe, de corrupcion, y por supuesto del sacrificio necessario para obtener la libertad.
In parting:
I learned something very reassuring about myself in Haiti, something I am proud to acknowledge and leave my people on a good note with. When I meet someone who is a better activist, or Revolutionary, (I’ll be happy to make that distinction later) when I see someone whose actions achieve more than mine, or who has a more complete perspective I become inspired. I don’t get bitter or jealous and think about trying to “out-revolutionary” them. That’s so pointless and yet it is something that I see sometimes in the movement, people who think that because another doesn’t adhere to the same ideology or the same faith that we must bring them down. I am a Revolutionary and I need no one’s permission to be. We were successful at breaking ground in Haiti, but my mission there is by no means complete, I wish to plan further actions with my friends at Arms Around Haiti and the staff at SOBS. I would like to thank Jube, Mario, Cormega, StylesP, Herbie, Clef, Yele, Arms Around Haiti, Parrish, BC, and my Haitian Soldiers there for making this trip possible I look forward to returning soon.
“Le travail éloigne de nous trois grands maux: l’ennui, le vice et le besoin.”
Peace & Respect,
Immortal Technique
Links:
www.myspace.com/immortaltechnique
twitter.com/Immortaltech
INTERVIEW: THE GLITCH MOB ~ AFTER THE FACT
The Los Angeles-based electronic music production collective The Glitch Mob just recently finished up their first national tour in support of their debut album, Drink The Sea, which is really amazing. Shortly before their North American tour came to an end we caught up wit Boreta to talk about the group, the new album, the tour, and their fans. Starting in July The Glitch Mob head over-seas for a European tour.
La Famiglia – How did the three of you coming together as a group come about?
Boreta – Well essentially we all live in Los Angeles now, I used to live in San Francisco, and there sort of a West Coast underground music scene that we were all performing in as individual DJs. We were actually friends before we decided to do anything together. At one point we just decided to as opposed to just performing as the traditional one guy in front of the crowd DJ thing we decided to try it together. It started as a really fun experience so we just took it from there.
La Famiglia – Collectively as a group, what would you say some of your musical backgrounds are?
Boreta – I don’t think that necessarily there is one major influence that we all have in common because we have very diverse backgrounds. I guess what I could say is that at the time that we formed the group, what we shared in common from our past was a very strong love for hip hop, underground hip hop. Sort of classic era hip-hop. When we were all growing up in high school I think we were all big fans of stuff like that, rap and punk. But we all come from a very musical background as far as growing up around different kinds of music.
La Famiglia – When you sat to write this album what was the groups focus and ideas behind it all?
Boreta – We had been messing around with a lot of ideas for quite a while. I would say for about a year. We had been doing remixes and getting ideas for how we wanted the album to sound like. Prior to writing the album we would do this stake where we would all write a song everyday for a month at a time and put them in a shared folder then go back and listen to them and just toss out sketches here and there. But when we finally sat down to write the album we threw all that out the window and started from scratch.
We really thought about it a lot in the conception stage. Previously we had been doing a lot of remixes, a lot of singles, and more dance oriented stuff. And we decided we wanted to make an album that was in more of a listening stage, a collection that all bled together as like a full album. So the concept behind it was that we had a single emotion or feeling behind each song that we wanted to express. So we started with a really basic feeling and then wrote sketches of the song.
La Famiglia – Have you guys talked about the next project?
Boreta – Yeah, we’re starting to conceive of how that is going to come together and we are going to do things a different way this time. We like to experiment and try new things. When we do that we are going to travel and rent a house somewhere to write the album, get out of L.A., and try something different.
La Famiglia – How do you feel the fans have perceived the album?
Boreta – They’ve been really perceptive and supportive. I think that there’s been a lot of people that have been surprised where we took the album. I wouldn’t say that it is a major departure from what we’ve done in the past. But it’s enough of a departure that there were some fans that were surprised and confused because we’ve done a lot of more dance oriented tracks in the past. Not to say that it’s not a dancey album, but it’s definitely more on the listening side of things. But overall the response has been great.
La Famiglia – is there anything that you would like to know from a fan or listener’s perspective, what are some things that you would really appreciate hearing from a fan?
Boreta – I can speak for all of us, we all really like getting notes and messages from fans about how they hear the music and what it means to them. It’s always really interesting because we try to not spell out what the songs mean. It’s really fascinating to hear from people. Like yesterday on Twitter some girl wrote us and said that the song “Bad Wing” was helping to heal her broken heart. That’s the best part of this whole thing. Hearing how it inspires and helps people. We love hearing that stuff.
La Famiglia – Is there anything that the media has not really gave you a chance to touch bas on that you would like to relate to people?
Boreta – I think something that we like to touch on in our personal discussions is that even if people hear this album and don’t like it, but they’ve been a fan in the past, we’ve still have a lot of love for them. We’re just doing our thing and telling our story. We’re not trying to be a certain leader of any genre or movement with this project. We’re just telling our story and that’s the heart of it.
Links:
INTERVIEW: ELSE ICR PAINTS GAREY STREET
Interview courtesy of: Luna George (Crewest)
Photos courtesy of: Jacobo@seekingthethrone
Else ICR was recently spotted painting a wall on Garey Street, one of the most demanded painting spots in the Arts District of Downtown Los Angeles. Some know Garey Street and its surrounding streets as the “LA Walls of Fame”. Else has been painting Garey Street for over 6 years solid. Only the best of the best, such as legendary graffiti artists Revok, Saber, Risk and Mr. Cartoon, have shown their skills and contributed to the LA Walls of Fame. “In the last four years those walls have become even better and a lot of competition is heating up in the area” says Else.
It is now, officially the time, to introduce the artistic mastery of ELSE ICR. Check out the following “Official Interview” with ELSE ICR as Else talks about his past, explains his views and sheds light to aspects about him we never knew:
Luna: Let’s take some time to talk about your old days. What was Else about way back when?
Else: When I started doing graffiti, I lived in New York where I was born. I just copied hip hop, albums and tried to copy what ever I could get my hands on. I really didn’t know what I was doing and I never really painted walls, it was all just kid stuff, but I loved it.
I moved to LA right before JR. High (middle school) into an all Mexican neighborhood and I didn’t understand LA gang culture, so I quickly found myself in over my head. This led me to an active gang life, but somehow I kept the graffiti going. I met more graffiti writers and hit busses, went out mobbing, got into bombing, learned how to piece and paint large murals for that time. The 80′s were a mix of reckless fun and danger; sometimes I can’t tell the difference between the two when thinking back.
In those days my mind set was painting and getting up, along with pushing my crew at the time UFK (UFK disbanded and reformed as ICR when coming together with another crew) I was hungry for street fame, for hood bragging rites, and the same was with my gangbanging, I wanted all neighborhoods and gangsters to know I could keep up with the baddest of the bad, the hardest of the hard.
People would pull guns, and I would call there bluff, I wanted my name known; I approached gangbanging like chess, and practiced sociological gangbanging on our enemies. I don’t think I was in a good place, I didn’t have much of a family, and my crew and gang became all I knew and my identity. I could be funny and adventurous in those days, but when it came time for business, I would change up.
Luna: I’ve heard that gangs have had an influence on graffiti back in the day. Is this true and why?
Else: When I was young, 14 maybe younger, the gangs and graffiti weren’t really mixed, that came around in the 90′s. Gang life was an imbedded part of LA culture, and graffiti was like this secret world that the average kid and person knew nothing about. I remember there were hip hop heads that did graff, there were heavy metal stoners, gangsters, even west side rich kids that were drawn in to graffiti. It was a melting pot, but all of us in the early days kept it secret from everyone else. It was a special feeling meeting a writer, because all the LA crews didn’t know each other yet, and it was rare stumbling on another graff writer. I think graffiti drew in kids that had a part of themselves that felt as if they didn’t fit in to the norm. Graffiti used to draw in the fringe people of society. A normal person doesn’t hang off the side of a freeway just to write his name.
I also remember when we started to mix our gang life and our graffiti life. There was K2S/STN that was made up mostly of gangsters, but I remember their gang and graffiti lives didn’t mix. Then there was DCK out of the west side that was the first crew to act like a mob or gang, but they were more on some rolling around tuff, getting into fights with other crews stuff. UFK, the first crew we formed was the first crew that rolled and acted like a gang. All of us were active members of gangs and all of us were down to get it with guns, knives, whatever. I had started the Woodman yard in the SFV, on the railroad tracks by where I lived. In 1990, and 1991 a lot of the bussed in kids that did graff from the surrounding high schools would ditch class and roll by the Woodman Yard to check out the graff. Crews like MWA and others picked up our gangster way of running our crew and later became the first tag/banging crews.
I feel responsible in a lot of ways for what became tag/banging, our influence was a reason it started and kicked off. The only thing I never understood or respected was the way tag/bangers only rolled on graff heads or average civilians, they always steered clear of real gangsters. I felt like they always picked and chose with whom they could be tuff with
We didn’t have that common sense; we rolled and beefed on anyone.
I think when you put that many crews together in LA, with a lot of members in them, some of these crews are bound to get influenced by the LA gang culture, it surrounds us. But there were plenty of crews that kept it just graff, and I respect that a lot also.
Luna: Define your style of artwork and how has it evolved over the years.
Else: My evolution is pretty simple I guess. I went from a bus chaser bomber in the beginning, around the 80s.Then piecing late 80s, then prison and more gang banging. Then I changed my life up, but I didn’t paint until 2002 when PURE ICR passed away and I started back up.
I guess I would describe my graffiti as west coast wild styles. When I’m painting graff I try and change it up, I’ll go through my fazes of painting a certain style, like lower case e’s, then Ill change to upper case for a while, then Ill do techy, then organic, then Ill mix them. I feel like I want to be a graffiti artist that can paint all styles, but still have them all look like my version of that style. Large productions and murals are my favorite now, if it was up to me, I would paint them everyday, always pushing myself. I’m really trying to make my style and ideas and what I paint stand out, I’m trying to pull away from the pack as much as I can these days. I want to tackle original ideas or perspectives, or flip what’s been done enough that it stands out as different.
When I paint canvas and draw, I mix graffiti with LA gang styles, with some pop art thrown in. I feel like I should be painting more of them, and showing more of them to try and make that style of mine more recognizable by people, 2010 I’m going to push them harder. I also want to paint that style on walls more, adding another wall style to what I can do. I’m starting to get a lil well known for my gang letters and gang styles; I want to mix that with the graff and pop elements on walls, large walls I mean. I think angles and perspective have become important to me now also, I want angles where you get in close so you feel the piece or letters or character or what ever I’m painting. I want people to feel my artwork, the basic black and white to the vibrant color pieces; I want motion and emotion to be felt.
Luna: Whose work have you seen that you give props to and why?
Else: The artists I really like these days are Greg “CRAYOLA” Simkins, SWOON out of New York, and Silvia Ji. I get inspired or excited by artists, but again I like my art to look like my stuff.
Crayola is amazing, I feel like every year he pulls further and further away from everyone. I was talking about him the other day with DYTCH CBS who came up painting graffiti with him and we were both saying that he took Tim Burton’s style and flipped it and now does it better than the original. I think it’s only a matter of time till Tim Burton asks Crayola to do a movie with him. Plus the guy is so humble and nice, it blows me away. You meet so many eccentric artists that are clicky or stuck up or full of them selves and they’re not even doing anything interesting, then there’s Crayola who has every right to act that way and is just a genuinely nice person. He’s got nothing but my respect.
Swoon is some one I haven’t met but I’m blown away by her art. I often try and make sure I’m not biting or imitating her style, because I like it so much. I think it’s inspired me, but I try and add my touches to my black and white styles.
Silvia Ji is amazing also, I like the color she applies in her backgrounds, and it reminds me of graffiti for some reason. I also like the Calaveras she paints on her figures faces, and of coarse the women she paints are beautiful. The Calaveras also remind me of the LA gang style which is close to my heart. I talked to Silvia on the phone a couple times, although I have never met her. She agreed to paint collaboration with me on a wall, large scale the way I like. I was really excited about the project, but she got busy and I lost contact with her as she blew up bigger and bigger. Silvia, if you read this, get at me, we have walls to paint!
Luna: How do you see graffiti art in the future?
Else: I’m trying to be one of the artists pushing graffiti in the future. I often think that there are many talented artists out there, and the numbers of talented graff heads grows all the time as graffiti spreads and grows, but most are lacking that pushing the limit factor, that new idea, or new concept, they are just really talented artists doing what’s been done. My strength lies in what I can concept, design, my vision, and ability to work with others and get them to do better art than they have ever done.
I really love trying to do as well as the best out there, then pushing it past that. In the future I know I’ll be one of the graffiti artists doing bigger, with newer concepts, pushing new lay outs, and mixing and flipping more styles and ideas. I hope, or I just talked my ass into a corner.
Luna: Now that your talent has been established and your career in art is taking off, how would you best describe the transition from creating art on the streets to making your art into your career?
Else: It feels good to know my career is moving forward, I get recognized by people and kids a lot now, sometimes when I’m out with friends that don’t know graffiti, or understand how much it can take up these kids’ lives. On New Years I was out and this 20 year old kid recognized me and kind of went into shock. I kept telling him thank you for liking what I do and supporting my art, but he was having a surreal moment. He even quoted me to me about my blogs and interviews, that’s happened to me a few times now, and it’s both flattering and shocking to me that people care about what I say or write. The new years kid told me, “Don’t punch me in the face, I’m not jocking (kissing my ass) you, I’m just tripping out that I’m talking to you. I really like your art.”
So to answer your question, in the beginning I painted graffiti I liked, painted what I wanted to see, and I guess I was lucky kids and people liked it. Now that it’s my career I paint from a combo of things. Now my street art is my career and my career is a combo of me, what I paint, the person I am, the person I have shared with the world and my fans, and those all affect one another. I know one of the reasons I have gotten more and more play in the art world and with the kids is because I open up and either talk about my life and my past, or because I post or write about what I am, or what I have been through. I think once I took art serious as a career, I thought that I had to be honest; I had to put it out there. It’s scary for me, I always think it could turn on me, or I could become a show pony for the upper class, and money, “talk graffiti boy, tell us stories gang person, you articulate yourself so well,” etc… But I keep doing it because of the feedback I get like from the New Years kid who quoted me. He cared enough to remember word for word what I said, and even though he thought I might punch him, he told me any way. I was honored not bothered. So now I paint what I like, as well as what I think the people who follow me want to see, and then I try and guide or bend it into something new that keeps evolving. I try and have street appeal as well as gallery appeal, and I try and keep telling a story and pushing forward.
Luna: Do you think Society is ready for graffiti art to take over?
Else: I don’t think it matters if society is ready; they usually aren’t when some new thing becomes huge and sweeps everything. And when they are ready it’s usually because all these huge corporations are poised to sell the crap out of everything and bank and cash off everyone’s lives. Graffiti is the next, if not all ready is, that big thing. I work and see kids all the time; they care about video games, skateboarding, and graffiti. But you can see and feel the turn, they care more and more about graffiti, it used to be third in that line up, but I don’t think so any more. I can see the change all the time. Soon it will be the thing, or close to the main thing. Skateboarding had its waves of popularity. The 80′s, in the 90′s they tried to ban it and shut down street skating, but it was too much of a force, there were too many kids doing it, that cared and lived skateboarding too much. Society was FORCED to build skate parks to give kids a place to do it safely. And not just for the kid’s safety, but for society’s safety, and the buildings and curbs, and handrails, and parking lot’s safety. They gave them places to skate so they didn’t do it everywhere.
It’s going to be the exact same with graffiti. Its all ready to big, society doesn’t want to condone or except it, like skateboarding, but they’re going to have to because the alternative is worse. Legal graffiti yards world wide, trust me. It’s going to be on and in everything more and more, products, design, everything.
Luna: You worked on a project for Disney, tell me about that.
Else: Disney is one of those things that happened and I sill can’t believe is real. I designed flooring for the corporate walkthrough of the top executives, for a department that is one of the two departments that are very cutting edge when the new Corporate Disney building opened in Glendale, CA. The flooring said “house of mouse,” in graffiti tech letters. After I painted them they were dropped in, clear coated, touched up by me, then they arranged their department’s top work in the hall with my flooring. They arranged two chairs over my floors that were designed for Disney by top industrial furniture designers. The chairs were priced at $250’000.00 each. So half a million in chairs, plus other items arranged over my floors. Plus as they were lying in the floors they introduced me to a few top Disney execs, along with 2 of the 5 Disney master artists, one of which was the number 1 Disney master artist. When they introduced me, they told them I was ELSE, and he said hello ELSE, it’s an honor to meet you. I was thinking, you are responsible for the movie FANTASIA, you just called me ELSE, I can’t ever get introduced by my real name ever again now. It was weird to hear all these old suits saying, thank you ELSE. It was a humbling experience.
Luna: What drives you to create art?
Else: There are a couple things that drive me as an artist. Graffiti has always been very competitive and I think that’s carried over into fine art and pop art for me. I’m also always keeping my eyes on what the public thinks of my work, they don’t control what I do but it does hold some sway. I’m realistic about things. The other top artists out there inspire me, and I think last is my insecurities, drive me. I know not all artists talk about it, but those insecurities are fuel for me. I try and am better than my fears and worries. I try and work through them. I always feel like the clock is ticking, that everyone is only given so much time, and what am I going to produce and make with mine. What am I going to leave the world to see, what will I have said once I’m gone. I want it to be the best it can be.
Else will be back painting Garey Street and other walls nearest to you, even Crewest walls where he will be the Featured Artist in June and will have a super killer installation!
Brother Ali & Fashawn Interview ~ Part 1
We recently caught up with Fashawn and Brother Ali as they were kicking off their current tour with BK-ONE. Fashawn was getting ready to meet up with everybody for rehearsals and by the time we caught Brother Ali they had just hit the road. All three of which are touring in support of new albums. Minneapolis-based mc Brother Ali’s latest album is called, US. Fashawn’s is Boy Meets world. And BK-ONE’s is Radio do Canibal. We didn’t get a chance to talk to BK-ONE even though we would of loved to. Make sure to check out both interviews related to this piece. If you see them coming through your city, come out and enjoy the show.
La Famiglia – What’s different from this current tour from past tours that you’ve done in support of this album or other projects?
Brother Ali – We’ve already done something in the area of 70 shows supporting this new album. So, we’re rolling out again. These are all markets that we just haven’t played. Most of them are smaller towns. Most of them we haven’t played in a long time. Some of them we’ve never played before. This tour is about checking in with places we don’t come to enough and trying to find some new regular tour stops that we can add to our normal fall and spring tour.
La Famiglia – What from these dates in support of this album that has maybe surprised you or touched you in new ways?
Brother Ali – There’s not much that really don’t expect. But I really enjoy the connection I have with the people that listen to our music. The music I write is really personal. It’s my life. To perform the songs and have the people that have been living with this music too, it’s really good. It’s a powerful thing.
La Famiglia – What do you want people to walk away from your live show?
Brother Ali – I think most people say that I really embrace and celebrate who I am. I think that people come awayfrom the show feeling the same thing. Feeling good about who they are.
La Famiglia – What were some of your early influences in live performances that have helped mold your stage presence?
Brother Ali – In terms of live performance, it was KRS-1. I really patterned myself off of him. Over the years I have developed my own style of performing. But initially I would just bite what he was doing up in till I started touring. Up to then I was just trying to be KRS-1 on stage. I think he’s the greatest live MC that there’s ever been.
La Famiglia – Are there any issues lately socially or with society you feel are really important for people to take to heart?
Brother Ali – The new album, is really about being a human being and just registering the human element of the different experiences we all have coming from different parts of society. To talk about different experiences and different people, and walks of life. People that because society is so fragmented don’t know each other, and don’t have a whole lot of personal interaction with each other. To talk about these different scenarios and really focus on what it feels like for a human being to feel like to be in that situation. Because those feelings of pain and fear, joy and sorry, hate and love and everything else. Those are really universal.
BROTHER ALI INTERVIEW ~ CLICK HERE
Links:
Fashawn’s official Wesbsite
Brother Ali’s Official Website
BK-ONE’s Official Myspace
Fashawn & Brother Ali Interview – Part 2
We recently caught up with Fashawn and Brother Ali as they were kicking off their current tour with BK-ONE. Fashawn was getting ready to meet up with everybody for rehearsals and by the time we caught Brother Ali they had just hit the road. All three of which are touring in support of new albums. Minneapolis-based mc Brother Ali’s latest album is called, US. Fashawn’s is Boy Meets world. And BK-ONE’s is Radio do Canibal. We didn’t get a chance to talk to BK-ONE even though we would of loved to. Make sure to check out both interviews related to this piece. If you see them coming through your city, come out and enjoy the show.
La Famiglia – What has been one of the most influential memories or inspiring moments over the past six months in your life?
Fashawn – My daughter just turned six months, so that’s crazy. First of all my daughter. Second of all the release of my album. It actually being on shelves, being number five on itunes, and selling out stores and shit. Especially coming from the mixtape game where I gave out things for free. Things never hit shelves. Getting an XXL rating. Making the cover of XXL. I’ve never been on the cover of anything.
La Famiglia – You’re currently on tour?
Fashawn – I’m about to be. I’m about to leave for Minneapolis. I’ve never actually met Ali personally so this should be interesting since I’m going to his hometown. I actually get a day or two of rehearsal in.
La Famiglia – This could be a stupid question, but are you a fan?
Fashawn – Yeah, my man Grouch from Living Legends put me on to him. I was on tour with him and he played Brother Ali’s music on the tour bus. I was like, ‘What the fuck, this is incredible.’ He was like, “Yeah, you should go on tour with him one day.” What do ya know?
La Famiglia – How has he touched you through his music?
Fashawn – The selection of beats are incredible. The concepts that he’s had is the kind of shit I would write. I love it. The “Us” album, that was dope.
La Famiglia – What do you want people to walk away with from your live show?
Fashawn – That they got their money’s worth first of all. If they don’t know me when they walk in the door, I want them to feel like they know me by the time my 30 minutes or 60 minutes are up. I want you to laugh. I want you to cry. I want you to dance.
La Famiglia – From an artist’s and a fan’s perspective, is there anything that you’ve noticed over the years that you feel is changed or missing in the music industry?
Fashawn – The death of vinyl. I always loved vinyl records. Seeing the art going from cassettes, to cd, to mp3’s. It just disappeared, ya know? Other than that, as far as creative, its dope. I think everybody’s perspective is being heard.
La Famiglia – Any advice for up and coming artists?
Fashawn – Don’t let anybody rush you. Success is going to come naturally. It’s going to come when it comes. Always keep smart people around you, well-educated people. You’re the artist. You shouldn’t try to play every ball. Link with people that wanna make money with you, instead of money off you. The sky’s the limit. Work hard.
BROTHER ALI INTERVIEW ~ CLICK HERE
Links:
Fashawn’s official Wesbsite
Brother Ali’s Official Website
BK-ONE’s Official Myspace
Interview: Mayer Hawthorne
We caught up with Stones Throw soul artist Mayer Hawthorne, also known as DJ Haircut from the hip-hop collective The Athletic Mic League, as he was getting ready to perform in Detroit. He’s currently touring with DJ Houseshoes and Nikki Jean and will be joining up with Passion Pit here soon for the a second section of his tour. We took a moment to speak with him about his recent debut album as Mayer Hawthorne and about his outlook on everything now that its out on the shelves and on tour.
Could you tell us a little bit about what your outlook was going in to making this project?
When I made the first couple demo songs, I never had any plans of actually recording an album of soul music. It was something I was doing for fun on the side. It was an experiment. I usually make rap music. So I didn’t really think about it at all. And then when Peanut Butter Wolf asked me to record a whole album of soul music I tried to really maintain that same philosophy of not over thinking anything and letting it come out as it is.
What has been your reaction not that you put the record together, released it, and took it on tour?
Man it’s a trip. This whole thing is completely surreal. Somebody could of never predicted that this thing would connect with so many people and receive the kind of attention that it did. We never had no idea that it would be this big. So to be rolling around in a tour bus and playing in a different city every night with people coming out and singing along, people that are really invested in the music. Seeing how many people its touched is unbelievable. I’ve got to wake up and pinch myself everyday.
Tell us a about the band?
I call them The County, there my band when I perform life. On the record I played pretty much everything. When it came time to put a live show together I called up my favorite musicians. Most of which who I grew up with in Michigan. I said that I got a chance to go on the road and do these tours and fortunately for me they were all down to roll
What are you doing and what are the plans for the future?
I’m going to keep recording and releasing music. I’m going to really see what I can get a way with here. I’m making all kinds of music to. Hip-hop, I’m cutting pop vocal records. I just did a remix for Snoop Dogg. I’m doing new waves stuff, boogie funk stuff. I’m going to really try to release as much music as I can while I got the opportunity and hopefully people with stick with me.
It’s always interesting to here a record from this day and age with so many inspirations from different styles and periods of music. Especially given the drastic difference in the technology used in the studio recording process these days and the current industry sounds.
Well, you know is that it also feels new. I never wanted to create a retro or throwback album. I’m not into being a retro artist at all. I’m more into making sure that I move the music forward and create something new for my generation.
What have been some of your favorite experiences from this tour?
Man, I’m a food guy, so it’s all about the food for me. Getting my Hoover’s BBQ in Austin, TX. Nikki Jean is who I’m touring with, she’s excellent cook and baker, so that’s been a highlight of the tour as well. I’m in Detroit right now. I’m about to hit Lafayette Coney Island.
Interview: Afrika Bambaataa
Throughout the 1970’s, hip-hop culture was just beginning to change the world. Afrika Bambaataa, who out of respect has been acknowledged as the “grandfather”, “godfather” and “father” of the electro-funk sound, has played his part in what became a world-wide movement. Coming out of the streets, searching for something positive in his life to share with the world, Bambaataa reached out to the people through music and by founding a community organization known as the Universal Zulu Nation. His music has influenced everyone from Kraftwerk to Rage Against the Machine.
La Famiglia-You have influenced countless numbers of musicians from all walks of life from around the world. What were some things or people that influenced your work and life?
Bambaataa-There’s many people that have played a great influence. I gotta give it up to James Brown, Sly and the Family Stone, Curtis Mayfield, George Clinton and the Parliament-Funkadelic, John Lennon, Kraftwerk, Yellow Magic Orchestra, Malcolm X, the Black Panther Party, all the great stories of the profit of the bible. And many other people in the streets from around the world that I have met and the knowledge and wisdom they have given me…from town to town, city to city, state to state, country to country.
La Famiglia-What made you decide to go into music?
Bambaataa-Basically, I was always in to music. I was raised up into music. Seeing all the Motown and Stacks sound. The scene of James, Sly, Bootsy, and everybody..seeing all that at a young age and then when the Jackson 5 and all those types of groups came out I said, one day I want to be somewhere like that. When the time came around to do, I went straight for it. I always wanted to give up the funk.
La Famiglia-Was there anyone that had been a mentor to you over the years?
Bambaataa-A mentor of music or in general?
La Famiglia-In life.
Bambaataa-I think that I would have to give it up to the honorable Minister Farrakhan, because of his strong stands of speaking to all the people of the world. For getting into so called black people’s cases as much as white people’s cases and making them see each other and not backing down because someone didn’t like what he said or how he said it. So, that took a strong influence on me, seeing someone just stand up and speak the truth of what they know and don’t fall back on what they say.
La Famiglia-What trials and tribulations have you had to endure over the years?
Bambaataa-It’s hard to say, basically your trying to break down a lot of people’s thoughts and patterns on racism. Showing respect to just being humans, of the human race. And respecting our universe and our planet. That’s a big job in it’s self.
La Famiglia- What has been the greatest pay off emotionally from your work?
Bambaataa-Being able to help so many different people whether it be for United Artists Against Apartheid or Hip Hop Artists Against Apartheid, helping what happened in South Africa. Or helping people that had aids and doing benefits for when 9-11 happened, trying to bring New Yorkers back together by getting them to come back out to the shows with myself, the Beastie Boys, Bono from U2, N.E.R.D. Doing a lot of these benefits around the world for different causes, just helping people get over certain things to better their life on this planet.
La Famiglia-What are your fondest and most vivid memories of the early days of hip-hop in South Bronx?
Bambaataa-The excitement…the beginnings…the happenings…the vibrations of the people
La Famiglia-Things have changed since then, hip-hop has expanded and changed. What are you thoughts of the evolution of hip-hop culture?
Bambaataa-Well, many people still do not have a true understanding of what hip-hop the word is. When they say hip-hop, they automatically go to rap or rap songs. Instead of when you talk about hip-hop, talking about the b-boys and b-girls, graffiti writers, the DJ’s, the emcees, and that fifth element that holds it all together, the knowledge and all the lessons that comes after it. Basically most people that claim or talk hip-hop still don’t understand the meaning of the word. The meaning of movement and culture.
And there are many that are playing around with the word hip-hop. Like these so-called radio stations that claim hip-hop, R&B, and then some. When they know that they are not playing all the muses of hip-hop.
La Famiglia-What was the focus of the Zulu Nation back in the day and what is the focus of it today?
Bambaataa-Well the same thing they were doing back then and even more. Bringing people together, organizing the community, and having events. Back then it was more about having peace, unity, and having fun. And now it’s about having peace, unity, having fun, plus doing things social, awareness, and political sometimes through out the world
La Famiglia-How did the Universal Zulu Nation come about?
Bambaataa-Well, it formed from myself. From getting the idea from a movie back in the day, called Zulu which featured Michael Caine, going against these great people telling them what to do on their land when they have been there since the beginning of time. Seeing that, and seeing them fight for what was theirs, I started this organization in the Bronx. It started first in so called black community and are Latino brothers and sisters. Then seeing it stretch to become an international community including all our human being brothers and sisters from country to country, town to town, city to city, state to state,’
La Famiglia-Obviously times have changed since the 70’s. Not just the music but society as well, it seems that the people have become scared to stand up for what they believe in…
Bambaataa-Yeah.
La Famiglia-How important is it for change, for people to stand up for what they believe in, and what are your thoughts?
Bambaataa-Well you have people that are scared at first, because you have evil people that look to control the masses and try to take to many freedoms away from the people. Take for instance the war. People were scared to death to say anything about the war. Then after a while, when people getting tired of seeing things, then you start to see people taking it back to the streets. It depends on the time and situation before people decide to say that they have had enough of this crap. So, when they said the wall has to come down in Germany, I’ve had enough of this crap. That’s when they started making the movement to take that wall down and make Germany one. When they’ve seen to much brutality in the streets, when people decide to get tired, the law of nature pulls in. When they won’t be scare and it’s either freedom or death.
La Famiglia-What are your current feelings about the music industry and the effect that music has on society?
Bambaataa-The current state of the industry is that the industry has really fucked up hip-hop music. A program director, saying that “they don’t want to hear knowledge in hip-hop, this is not what they want.” No, this is what you want and this is no what you are playing for the people. So if you are playing the same old ten records over and over again you’re brainwashing the people. So, if you are not playing some songs that are talking about peace-love-and having fun along with the so called, you want to be gangster-pimp-player-hoe, or using the “N” word, or teaching people to just hate or bend down and get freaky..then that is what you are programming and bringing to the mentality to the people in the streets. So, who are these program directors programming the minds of the masses of the people? So we say, universal nation of the many that stand with the cause, we want to bring the balance back to our airwaves. Not just hip-hop. We’re talking about soul, funk, jazz, rock, metal, house, techno, electro, country, and all music. Play the old with the new and the new with the old. This way many generations can know where their music came from. Just keeping the old with the new playing 24 hours a day, three hundred and sixty-five days a year. All these people would be able to recognize music for what it is.
La Famiglia-What advice would you give to an aspiring artist?
Bambaataa-Study the industry. Study what you are getting into. Ask questions and seek your answers. And try not to get robbed.
La Famiglia-Any last words?
Bambaataa-My last words are what I tell everybody. They better respect mother earth and respect our universe. If you don’t respect planet earth, she will show you what it is to be the supreme force, and will send more earthquakes, tornadoes, typhoons, and anything else headed your way. We have disrespected the planet and now the planet is washing her self clean.
Links:
Interview: Greg “Craola” Simkins
We’ve always wondered why graffiti artists have never been recognized for their art as much as painters in the fine art world. It seems like the times our changing to an extent but still there’s not enough ground to say that the worlds will ever be the same. The cultures behind them will always evolve but always be two different worlds.
Greg Simpkins, aka Craola, has been one of the few that has truly broken free of the void and been recognized for his paintings on walls and canvas. Just for kicks, we were curious to see what he had to say about the contrast and experiences of his work over the years on walls and canvas,and so on.
La Famiglia-When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Craola-I always thought I would be a veterinarian, all the way up til I started college.
La Famiglia-What inspired you to start painting?
Craola-I always drew, ever since I was really young. Actually transferring over to using paint happened when I picked up a can of spray paint when I was 18.
La Famiglia-Where do you usually draw inspirations from for your projects?
Craola-Nature, I love animal books and going to the zoo, books (Watership Down, The Phantom Tollbooth, The Bible, The Chronicles of Narnia, Dean Koontz…), movies, the old masters such as Caravaggio and Bosch, still lifes, cloudscapes, song lyrics…
La Famiglia-Do any of your characters ever visit you in your dreams?
Craola-Yup, usually before I paint or draw them though. I have come up with a lot of my imagery from jotting ideas down in my sketchbook after being awakened from a dream.
La Famiglia-Did you paint on walls before you started painting on canvas? If so, how did the transition come about?
Craola-Yes, I painted only walls for many years and then picked up a brush in my early twenties and it changed my life and the entire way I view art. Acrylics are by far my favorite medium, I love pen and ink, pencil, spray paint and computers as well, but the brush is tops for me.
La Famiglia-What have you learned from your experience with graffiti and how has it changed the way you paint?
Craola-It taught me how to paint large and gave me confidence to attack different projects. I learned a lot about composition and color theory as well along the way both in school and on the walls.
La Famiglia-Could you tell us a few of your favorite artists?
Craola-There is a huge list, but here are some: Caravaggio, Bosch, Davinci, Jan Van Huysom, Jacques Louies David, Jan Van Eyck, Salvador Dali, Magritte, Dr. Seuss, Chuck Jones, Preston Blair. Some more contemporary artists that I admire are Todd Schorr, Tim Burton, Alex Pardee, Kris Kuksi, Matthew Bone, Bob Dob, Gunnar, Adam Hathorn, Jason Maloney, Travis Louie, Steven Daily, Axis, Seen, Sub, Scribe, Aaron Dellavedova, and so many more…
La Famiglia-Do you ever personally feel like your paintings are actually complete?
Craola-Most of the time, they are done when they are done and it is time to move on to the next. I usually don’t feel like it isn’t finished when it is done, it does happen on occasion.
La Famiglia-Tell us about the environment which in you work?
Craola-I listen to music, radio, audio books, and movies, TV. Shows and anything I can find to keep my mind busy while I paint.
La Famiglia-What has been your greatest hardship through out your career and what have you learned?
Craola-The hardest thing was when we made the decision to pursue a career as a fine artist and quit my secure well paying job as a texture artist for video games. It was a big step and very scaring not knowing if we were going to be able to pay rent and keep it up. Thank God it has been going steady and we definitely count our blessings.
La Famiglia-Please tell us about a piece or two that you are sending us?
Craola-The piece “It Wanders” was first a sketch sitting in my book for well over a year now. It started off with the couch, then the idea of a boy looking out of a blown up room. It just flowed from there and once I started the finish sketch, the idea of dragons floating in puddles of melting snow men and cloudscapes with pirates in the distance started to materialize and add mini stories to the main scene going on.
La Famiglia-Do you have any inspirational advice for any young artists?
Craola-I would just say polish your craft. Learn everything you can and don’t get comfortable with what you are doing. Also respect others and try your best to keep a good work ethic.
La Famiglia-Any last words?
Craola-The hidden people behind what I do deserve more credit than they get. This is a good chance to say thanks to my amazing wife, Jenn who does all the business stuff and thanks to my Dad who builds all my panels, works on my frames, and helps me in more ways getting my projects going than anyone, and thanks to my Mom for handing out fliers to all my shows to every waitress that serves her.
Links:
www.imscared.com
INTERVIEW: WON (ABC)
German based artist WON, works in many mediums. From spraypaint to sculpture, illustration and design. We searched the web really struggled to find some valuable information about him other than the fact that he seems to be pretty well respected, as he should be. So we contacted to discuss life and learn.
La Famiglia – Please introduce yourself.
WON – My name is WON my crew ABC, Art Bombing Clan. I grew up in Munich, Germany. The earliest influences of art came from the art books of my father, and of course comic books. At the age of 4 years my parents took me to an art show of Picasso. There was a wooden group of very simple sculptures. I still remember a deep feeling of understanding with out exactly knowing what Picasso had in mind by producing this sculptures. most of the audience in the show said that Picasso just wanted to fake people by nailing some wooden garbage together. But I think I felt the mystic aspect in art which the intellect is not able realize.”
La Famiglia – How did you get into graffiti?
WON – Like most of the European pioneers in the beginning of the 80’s when the film Wildstyle came to the cinemas. This impact was so fresh and powerful that this culture is still alive worldwide. To check out borders criticize our western world concept of consuming in which belongings have such a high standard were also reasons to bomb this world with color, this world does not deserve to stay clean, that is why I smear it to the max
La Famiglia – When you were a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
WON – First I wanted to become a musician. Later a grammar school I found out that specifically girls loved my drawings and wanted to collect my stuff.
La Famiglia – What influences your work?
WON - Life itself, every evening I try to rip down my universe so that the next morning I can rebuilt it again more aesthetically honest and directly so that it shines unfinished through my physical death. Supposedly the essence of painting and creating is not to become stiff in your expression. Shape and form are tools with which to work, it should never be self-explanatory. The form, shape and direction are just a medium for lives elixir, to make the essence of life artistically visual in total harmony with body and soul. Everyday I have to break the mould. Everyday I have to renew myself similar to life itself in the continual river of change. Human chameleon style. Every set form as mighty as it may be conceals the path towards “truth , life knows no boundaries. Chaos rules this place where we dwell.
It is important I you want to change something with your rotten art pieces not to point your accusing finger. saying this world is shit living with atomic, biological and chemical weapons, pollution, the vast disregard of the human being against mother nature especially wildlife, racism violence and so on…. I could write an encyclopaedia about this catastrophe. That all of these disasters that exist is not part of my mission. To begin with it is too easy just to oppose something. More difficult especially honest and useful is to be ready for something. To be opposing means destruction. to stand up for something to work with it sowing it, nurturing it but never harvesting it, that is what life is worth living for. Tearing down pre conceived ideas, walls, barriers so that you can rebuild things more healthily and beautifully that is a reason to live for. Secondly it is probably the beautiful lest way to change this wonderfully shitty world with your art pieces by creating a contra world. Something that reduces the hyper mighty negative energies of this world. I build a new world, a world full of color.
La Famiglia – Who are some of your favorite artists?
WON – Goya, Caravaggio, Robert Williams, Bode`,liberatore, Hironimus Bosch, Giger,mucha, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and of course the NY pioneers of graf!!!!!!!!!
La Famiglia – What is the scene like where you live? How is it different from other places through out the world that you have done work?
WON – The Munich scene is still very active. What I really find inspiring all over the world that the graffiti virus can not be stopped and still gets stronger an will reach all clean areas on the world map.
La Famiglia – What has been your most memorable project you’ve worked on? Can you tell us a little bit about it?
WON – Some years ago I did a canvas painting project called “love project” together with about 20 teenagers who stayed for one or two years in a open house project in Hamburg, Germany. All these kids have been hardly drug addicted and were sent to prostitution. Most of them never painted a canvas with cans. I choose the theme love for all canvases because this was the thing this young people never became too much in life. First they had problems to start and paint the white canvas. I told them that you can not make a mistake in painting. There are no wrong lines or whatever. I told them to close their eyes and think about love and bring some lines to the canvas as a starter. It worked. The pictures were exhibited in an art show. The kids were so proud of the their work shown in a public place. This project was so memorable for me because I think I gave this kids a little help and confidence to find back in our society.
La Famiglia – What would you like to do with you work that you have not had a chance to do yet?
WON – I would like to send a painted satellite to the orbit
La Famiglia – What’s the craziest story you have from your travels?
WON – Oh there were so many. Lets bring it together like this: Most of the countries I painted in were nearly graffiti free, for example Thailand, Sri Lanka, Jamaica, Belize and Cuba. A lot of the pictures where not located in cities or on public places. I only painted for people to whom I grew up a special relationship. When you have a funny time at the place together with the locals and see their happy eyes when you leave them this means much more than getting respect by your own scene. I also paid for all the paint. What you give is yours forever what you keep is lost forever. That is my way to show the syndicates and governments of our days that humans exists who do their own thing not only focused on money and authorities and give pictures for free as a present to foreign cultures. What is for free in this cooperated world? ZERO.
La Famiglia – What advice would you give to an aspiring artist?
WON – Stay strong, if you really believe in your dreams they will come true, but you have to work hard on it.
La Famiglia – Any last words?
WON – In every one of my color tantrums you can feel the anger and the rage inside me that I feel for this world in an intense open and truthful way (1994). My pictures and thoughts are answers to my surroundings, hard, nasty, filthy and massive. The world does not deserve to be clean, that is why I am smearing it to the max. The world has been gorged with shit for too long instead of progressing healthily. The world needs to be smeared with colour to be reborn again, destroy and create all at the same time, that is the way of the graf bomb!
Links:
www.wonabc.com
Little Richard on Jimi Hendrix
Short video interview with Little Richard speaking about Jimi Hendrix.
Old LEE Quinones Interview
Check out this old interview with the legendary New York Graffiti artist LEE Quinones.
Andres aka DJ Dez: Interview
Humberto Andres Hernandez, aka Andres aka DJ Dez, was born in to a Cuban family in Detroit, MI. in January of 1975. Music has been a part of his life since day one. Dez got his first set of percussion drums at the age of three. His family moved to Los Angeles in the early 80’s. This is where he first got his hands on a pair of turntables. When Dez was in his mid-teens, family moved back to Detroit, where he currently still resides.
Over the years he has had a vast amount of musical influence and has become an international name and staple with in the Detroit hip-hop community. Besides being Slum Village’s DJ and releasing several solo projects on vinly under the name Andres his production credits include artists as Monica Blaire & Elzhi among others. We sat down with Dez to hear his thoughts about his early influences, music, his family, and city.
What has inspired you to want to make music?
I would have to say watching DJ’s scratch a record. For instance a song called called, “A Touch of Jazz” that was on Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince’s first album. It was my introduction to a lot of blue note records. He scratched in records like Donald Byrd’s “Change,” “Mr. Magic” by Grover Washington, “Places and Spaces” and “Dominoes” by Donald Byrd. A lot of Detroit music and I didn’t even know. Just good…good.. funk jazz records…. fusion records. All I know is I would here scratches and the scratches would bring in more music. And I was just like, Wow!
It was around ’88 that I actually learned how to DJ. I learned how to scratch first by this gentleman by the name of Michael Fox. His DJ name was DJ Transformer. I’m trying hard to find that guy too. It’s a very common name, so it’s been kind of hard for me to search. He had equipment. He had turntables and a drum machine. So, we actually started a rap group. We made our own music. We were trying to find records that the DJ’s we like used to cut up. The of course, I was just engulfed with Marley Marl. You couldn’t tell me nothing about Marley Marl. That was it! Marley Marl!
What is it you love about music?
You can really get wrapped up in a really good song. I don’t know what feels better than a good song. There’s nothing like that. A good song is not sex or nothing, but damn it’s close. I’m a sucker for melody and harmony, beats, and rhythm.
What do you love about being a DJ?
The fact that I’m in control, I can take you where I want to take you. I’m kind of a selfish DJ. I only play certain quality music. Sometimes I’ll bend. I don’t bend too much though, because I’m in the driver’s seat.
Is there anyone particular that has influenced you as a DJ or a producer?
Well, as a DJ, this is a name I always throw out there, a gentleman by the name of Joe Cooley. I used to listen to him on the radio. I couldn’t go outside. This was when I lived in California. This is when I was introduced to hip-hop. Joe Cooley is a very funky guy. He’s very funky with his scratching and very rhythmic with his scratching. Me being a percussionist I took to his patterns. Now mind you Jazzy Jeff is Amazing, but I was introduced to Joe Cooley first. Jo Cooley had already blew my head away. I feel like DJ Aladdin is like the second coming of Joe Cooley. He spawned from Joe Cooley. Bobcat was doing his thing at the same time so I’ll give Bobcat more credit than that. I learned up under the stylings of Joe Cooley, as far as DJ’ing.
What do you love about the City of Detroit?
The one thing I love about Detroit, is that you can kind of be low key. You can be really known around the world and you come to Detroit and be nobody. In some circles you can be somebody, but in other circles you’re nobody. Which is cool. It kind of works out though. Sometimes you don’t want people all in your business. You don’t want everybody knowing what you’re doing and who you are sometimes.
Its not out of line to say that Detroit has moved the way we look at life more than on one occasion. Lots of music, art, and culture has come to life here in Detroit that has influenced the world. Why do you think this is?
I think that Detroit has always been the big city with the small city mentality. We’re kind of in the middle, so we’re always looking at New York and Los Angeles and what they’re doing. We kind of do our own thing. I don’t know what it is about Detroit, but there is clearly something here. I couldn’t put my finger on it. I guess we soak up a lot. Some people say it is a follower city. I think we do have a lot of followers, but everybody aint meant to be that leader, that one leader. So, it might be a city with a lot of followers, but you always have those few that will jump up and say, “I’m going against the grain.” We need to keep it real with each other, because here in Detroit we’re in denial, even about our country roots . Most people’s parents are from down south so you know the traditions sprinkle down. Everybody here has pretty much migrated from down south with the exception of people like my family, people from the Caribbean, or any other place abroad.
A lot of people don’t touch on the L.A. Detroit, Chicago, and New York thing. We kind of share a certain period of time in music. Where we are really all on the same page. And that era I’m talking about is the early eighties. When you got Cybertron, you got Egyptian Lover, you got Nucleus, Mann Parish, Ice T, with the style of music he was doing at the time with Chris “The Glove” Taylor with “Reckless”. The Stuff we did with Techno, What Nucleus did with Electro and Afrika Bambaataa with “Planet Rock.” Nobody was copying anybody else. We were just all influenced by James Brown and Kraftwerk. New York just rapped over it. L.A. like to scratch over it. New York called it electro. L.A. called it techno-hop. Which I find to be right on the nose as far as a marriage of styles. They rapped over that shit. It wasn’t hip-hop at the time,. Those were the party records.
And then in hip-hop, I feel like Detroit runs it. On a major label, there’s no artist that’s bigger than Eminem. On a an underground scale, we run it. Who’s fucking with Black Milk, Royce, Guilty Simpson, and the wave of all of them together. You know, Slum and Fat Kat. Who’s fucking with that? They are listening to Detroit, and they don’t even know it. Dr. Dre was a fan of J-Dilla, period. We touched everybody. People know what’s up. The industry clearly knows what’s happening. It’s just these other fools that don’t know what’s happening
How did your association with Slum Village come about?
J-Dilla was a good friend of mine. Slum Village was his group. I was in California and I could remember he was telling me they were looking for a DJ at the time, but I didn’t know that he was leaving the group. I thought I was going to be on the road with my boy and he wasn’t in the group any more. I ended up going on the road to DJ with them 2001.
What was the one thing you learned from J Dilla that you take to heart now more than anything?
Listen…Listen to your records. Listen to your records. There is a lot there. Listen…listen. He had an excellent ear. I think that the best speakers are the best listeners. You’ve got to listen, to pay attention, to know what the hell you’re talking about. When your listening to somebody’s record and it’s a ridiculous sample and you find out a month later or a week later, that you have that album and you didn’t do anything with it and you like the sample. You didn’t listen, and it flew by you. Everybody just wanna drop the needle and take the first thing they find. It’s time consuming to go through records, and records, and records. That’s why when you’re cleaning the house or doing something requiring some time, you know cut it on and listen from start to finish.
Could you name your top five favorite DJ’s?
I would have to go with Kenny Dixon Jr., Theo Parish…..I’m very spoiled when it comes to DJ’s…Jazzy Jeff, Joe Cooley, and Don Q.
Elzhi – “Audio Cinematic” (Prod. DJ Dez)
Tim Parker a.k.a. Gift of Gab
We recently caught up with Tim Parker a.k.a. Gift of Gab to talk about his music, his work with Blackalicous, and his latest project, Escape 2 Mars, which is due to be released in November of this year. Tim has been involved with a handful of projects over the years outside of his solo projects and work with DJ/Producer Chief Xcel. We wish that we had been able to continue the conversation but time was limited.
L.F. – What would you say is different about this album than any of the other projects you’ve been involved in?
G.G. – I would say it’s a whole different sound tan any thing else I’ve worked on. It’s definitely where I’m at as far as an artist and being a lyricist, and someone who considers myself a songwriter as well. I think it’s more electronic sounding things on this I definitely wanted to venture off into some more unexplored territories. That’s what you saw throughout there its more of an electronic vibe. Its all hip hop but there’s more electronic type vibe as well. I would describe it as funky I would describe it as cosmic thus the title “Escape to Mars.” Those would be the two words I would use to describe this project.
L.F. – How has your approach to making music different in relations to solo project compared your work with Blackalicious?
G.G. – I think that its all about chemistry. Blackalicious is a chemistry me and X have. It’s like an over twenty year chemistry that we’ve grown into and developed over the years. I would equate it to traveling. You might live in a great state but it’s always good to get out there and see that we live in a world. So my solo records I like to be able to work with other people as well as X does and to see what the chemistry is like with other producers and be able to vibe off they’re creative process as well because Dnae is going to do it in his way obviously X is gone do it in his way. We’re obviously all big motivational rocket ships Jake One and Vitamin D had they’re style and how they approached doing music so its always cool to interact with other producers and you learn something different from each one of them and each one of them has their take on how they do music. Their talent, their charms.
L.F. – What other Producer s and artists are involved in this project?
G.G. – Dnae produced the bulk of the record. Headnodic from my other group the Mighty Underdogs did three songs on there. As far as guests I have Lateef and Joyo on a hook, I have Bart Davenport from Honeycut singing on the record as well. Also I have a song on the record called “Dreamin” with Del and Brother Ali which is probably one of my favorite songs. One of my favorite personal stand-outs Just because I admired him so much it was a cool experience to be able to work with him on one song.
L.F. – What were you listening to for your own enjoyment during the process of making this record besides production and beats?
G.G. – Going into a record I always like to listen to classic hip hop records. I’m always listening to a lot of the Roots’ records, I was listening to the Low End Theory, I was listening to you know Braggin’, All-4-One albums. I go back and I always like to study the records that I consider classic hip hop records because to me those records are the bar those records to me even more so than this stuff those records that even though they may have came out a while ago they still stand the test of time I can still put those records in and they’re still dope albums. Those are for me the bar that I measure the records that I’m doing by. The classics a lot of classic hip hop albums.
L.F. – Is there anything that you would like the people to think about as they listen to this record?
G.G. – I want people to feel like they’ve been on a voyage. I want people to feel like they have been taken out of their self somewhat, as well as brought into themselves. I would like for people to feel like they’ve gone on somewhat of a sonic journey. There are many things and many topics that are brought up I don’t want to go in on those topics and seem like I’m preaching or any thing. The main song is about global warming the actual song Escape 2 Mars. Its all just based on things that I’ve encountered in the past, that song as well as Electric Waterfalls touches on a few things from how there’s a lot of natural cures to a lot of different things. It doesn’t necessarily get promoted the same way that western medicine gets promoted. There are a lot of different things I don’t want that to be the whole focus of what the people take away when they listen to the record. It’s completely different topics being touched upon. At the end of the day I want the people to take the music in and take the words in and feel like they got something that moves them musically and something that they can think about.
L.F. – How did Blackalicious come together?
G.G. – Blackalicious came together in about eighty seven or eighty eight. We met in high school. We just had a mutual love for hip hop and a mutual passion for the type of music that we like and the type of music that we envisioned ourselves creating and we kind of just clicked on that level and started doing music.
L.F. – What makes music amazing to you?
G.G – Music to me is the reflection of life everything is music. This conversation is music. A song. This conversation right now may be different for you because my visual where I’m at is different but wherever you’re at wherever you’re sitting or standing we’re having this conversation and that can be transformed into music. Music is like the backdrop for life. Music is like a natural drug because if you’re feeling a certain way it can alter that. Its one of the natural things other than doing drugs that can alter your state of being you could be in a bad mood and put on a song and be in a good mood or you can be mellow and put on some aggressive music and be in an aggressive mood. Music is emotions expressed and I think the emotions expressed by the artist kind of sink into the person that is listening. Music is a very powerful thing a very powerful tool.
L.F. – when you were a kid what did you want to be when you grew up?
G.G. – before I wanted to do music I wanted to be an artist I was into graffiti I was into drawing and if I hadn’t started rapping I would have been doing something artistic. I would have been a painter or I would have been an animator or doing cartoons or something of that nature.
L.F. – Any last words?
G.G. – Escape 2 Mars November 2nd thank everyone for supporting me. Go out and check out Escape 2 Mars and check me out I will definitely be touring following the release of the record relentlessly. So holler at me.
Interview: Nick Speed – City Sounds
Detroit based producer, Nick Speed, was born in Los Angeles. At the age of three his family moved to Washington DC and at the age of six again to Detroit. Music has been a part of his whole life. Over the years Nick’s production credits have appeared on projects ranging from some of Detroit’s rawest underground talent to 50 Cent. We’ve recently caught up with Nick to speak with him about his thoughts about music and the industry and check out some of latest projects..
“I basically came out the womb with a record. My favorite toy was my fisher price record player.”
L.F. - With the current condition of the music industry, and the media, what do you think is the most important thing that needs to be changed in the relationship of music and people?
Nick – Quality of music needs to be improved. I would say that that has a lot to do with the decline of record sales. Most people like four or five songs off an album now a days. When, there was a point where they would probably like your whole album. People want that one song that they can connect to or relate to and really their satisfied with that now days. I always liked listening to a whole album for it to tell me a story. Or for it to have an overall theme or something like that. I look at albums and shows, everything almost like a play. Like you have a beginning, middle, and an end. So you want to be able to have something that everything is almost stitched together like it’s seamless at the same time. Its all documenting a period in time, it’s all a time capsule.
We are also in the era of free music now too. So you have to give away a couple albums of free material to get your buzz up before you probably can really sell anything. You have to let them try it out and see that they really like it. Then your product becomes more valuable to the people. Like I said overall quality is what I believe can improve the industry.
L.F. – As a producer, artist, and a fan, what has been your greatest lesson learned in life relating to your lifestyle and career?
Nick – One, is that however much work you were doing before you got to that point where people knew you, that was just practice. You’re going to have to work harder than that if you want to stay relevant and hot in the game. It’s September now, and whoever came out in January, their material is old now. Just based off of the day to day thing. A lot of people have disposable songs almost. People are satisfied with just hearing it one time and that’s good with them. They’re not willing to buy it necessarily.
Also you got to watch the paper gangsters. By paper gangsters, I mean the people who make the contracts up. You can sign your whole life away and never receive a penny. You want to make sure your paperwork is right. And get yourself a great lawyer. I was fortunate enough to have Louise West who is my lawyer. I’ve seen her name on all types of albums. When I first met her I knew she did like Missy Elliot’s deal, and Kanye’s deal, and Timberland. Those were the kind of artists I saw myself fitting into the vein of. Before anybody heard me, them being producers and artists, I figured she might know how to market me and get me to the right people that could know what to do with my talent. And hopefully believe in me. So getting somebody who believes in your talent genuinely it doesn’t matter if you’re even a big fan of theirs. If they believe in you, they’ll be able to use their connections and walk your material right into the office of whoever and you can get heard.
Don’t be afraid to give your music out. Always have an example of your music or your talent. Always have an example of your work with you. I always try to network a lot. I’m making sure I got a connect with them so when the time comes I can always call them and they’ll remember me and they’ll be willing to hear what I have to offer to them. But have it together don’t just call and say yeah I got something coming. No you just hit them up and say bam! This is exactly what I want you to do its already on paper. I already thought this out. They see how organized it is then they’ll probably be more willing to check you out.
Sometimes you got to go through people who already know this person. Like you need that stamp of approval or you need just that stamp. I’ve been basically stamped by 50 Cent, so that has taken me a long way. 50 Cent invested in me and took a chance on me before anybody knew who I was based off of what he heard on the CD, no personal relationship or anything. So you sometimes need that stamp of approval of someone people trust. Like people trust Russell Simmons, they know he has a good eye for talent. You may not have heard of his new artist, but they must be good if they’re with Russell.
L.F. – What is it that you love about music?
Nick – Aw man… It just takes me to another place. Like, whatever is going on, mentally I can transport to a better place at that time. If I’m feeling some type of emotional way, good or bad or whatever music can probably help with that and enhance it. Or lets say I’m feeling bad and I want to feel good I could put on a Stevie Wonder song and forget everything that I was thinking about and I wont even think about it anymore. Not like it’s a distraction but it’ll just lift the spirits.You can tell so many stories through music, so much history.
I love how the music itself, tells a story. When I listen to Motown songs you know you don’t know who all was playing on those records but you just know you heard some kind of little sound in the background like a tambourine sound. It might just come in one time, but your like wow, what was that about? You have to just listen and hear what was going on. You can use your imagination with music. That’s what I like about music.
You get to use your imagination. I’m very imaginative. I have a big imagination. I can go any where with music I can be who ever I want to be at any time. Any way that I feel at any time I could express with the music. It doesn’t even matter what you’re saying. If it’s true to you its gonna sound good. So my motto in my studio is just hit record I just want to capture the moment. It’s a time capsule. That’s how it tells a story. Were just using the technology that we have available to us right now, to capture that. same as a videographer or a photographer anybody like that, we’re just documenting the moment. Were in a room together right now we’re documenting it right here with this. That’s what I like about it.
L.F. – What has been you’re most memorable moment through out your career?
Nick – Definitely one of the most memorable moments was when I first heard the song with 50 on it. I was literally at work talking on the phone to the people at G-Unit. I’m ringing up customers, ringing up candy and pop and chips and I’m listening on the phone to them playing 50 Cent rappin over my track. And then on top of that he was actually giving props to the track at the beginning. He actually said “I’m fuckin wit this-this that classic shit-that gangsta shit.” I hadn’t even heard 50 give props to a beat on a track before. For that, to be my first song in the industry he called it classic. That was like a crowning moment. He took me to another level right there. I felt myself jump to another level within my body. Man that’s a blessing. Just the whole way that I got my deal and everything was just an incredible thing because before I had even talked to the people over at G-Unit they were already familiar with my work. I was like, “Wow!” How am I on their radar?
And my man Proof, he gave me my first check in the game, maybe ‘04. Or paid me the most that I had ever received for a beat at that time. I might have got a little street money from some beats. A couple hundred or so, but he really used my song on the album put it out world wide. And really paid me for that. That was definitely another great moment in my musical career.
Then there’s like me getting that phone call for the first time. Somebody called me like, “man you on the radio right now” It was one of my solo songs too before I did anything. I turn on WJLB and I hear my own song that I produced, that was incredible man. I wasn’t expecting that. I might have dropped off the CD down there months before that. I don’t know how it happened, but it worked. They started playin it and the next thing you know they had me down at the radio station giving me an interview. My first song on the radio was my own song it was called, “Perfection.” I included that song on Detours, it was the last song.
There’s been a lot of other moments. The door has been opened because of what I’ve done. You know it only takes one song to get to the point where people are willing to listen to whatever else. For me to come out in 2005 and still be relevant in 2009 is a blessing.
L.F. – What advice would you give for any aspiring performers or artists?
Nick – Originality is key. Originality always wins number 1. Everybody who has had their hits has had something original about them. Even if you didn’t like the artists. They still are original in some way. Theres a million ways to make somebody dance. There’s no reason for me to make a song that sounds just like T.I. song on the radio. Just cause it’s working right now. That’s cool in all but in a couple of months they are gonna want something new. So rather T.I. give it to em or I give it to em they still gone be looking for something new. So I’d rather give them something new and show em how we get down. How we party.
L.F. – Any last words?
Nick – Keep working hard. Go off your own inspiration you don’t need no council to tell you what to do or what’s hot. Just try to highlight the thing you do. Know the history of things too. I like to go back and see who my influences were influenced by. Say I like Marvin Gaye or George Clinton I want to hear what they was listening to when they were younger. And some of that music was made before I was born but I wan t to hear what they was listening to in the 50’s and 60’s. I might even go farther than that and see what they influences were listening to. I’m just doing my research. Who knows I might learn to play the harp or something.Definitely learn as much as possible knowledge is something they never can take from you. They could take away all this physical stuff they can take everything in my studio but I can still come up with something new with whatever is here. I still know how to make that happen. Just stay original work hard and network all day. You should make it. If I was to quote Tupac I’d say, “If you can believe then you can achieve just look at me.”
For more info go to:
www.myspace.com/nickspeed313
Blaq Poet ~ talking about Premier
Shortly after Blaq Poet released his latest project, The Blaqprint, we caught up with him to talk to him for a brief moment about working with DJ Premier. We love Premo.
L.F. – What is your earliest memory of Hip-Hop in New York?
Blaq – Off the top right now, earliest memory was like, seeing Grandmaster Flash, and Melly Mel. Him and the furious five standing up there in the Bronx with the… “Don’t push me cause I’m close to the edge.” Just seeing the way they dressed, the way they was just coming across, rapping’, expressing themselves. It was crazy.
L.F. – What is hip-hop culture to you?
Blaq – You know it’s a way of life. The hard-core hip-hop I love the most, but I love all hip-hop. You know what I mean? The culture is me. The culture is me and everybody else that rap and is into music, and is helping to spread the culture all across the world.
L.F. – How has your relationship with DJ Premier affected your work?
Blaq – Well when it comes to Premiere, he just makes me more of a perfectionist. You know he’s a perfectionist, he wants to get everything right. He was more on point, making sure everything I do is bangin’ bangin.’
L.F. – How did you first meet Premiere?
Blaq – I met premiere in the early nineties. You know back in the days. Him and GURU had just come out to New York you know, and me and hot beam was down together at the time. And PhD was on fire at the time, they had come flippin out there. Him and Guru had been talking. They were coming to give us kind of a welcome to New York. I was like you know, I like what you doing, one day we gone work together. Years passed by, he blew up… It looked like we lost touch, but we got back in touch with each other in two thousand, for the school board Y2k album. Premiere laced the school board with two ill beats, and from there it was over. We were back in touch with each other.
L.F. – Have there been one or two specific things that you have learned from Premiere over the years, that have affected your life or your music?
Blaq - You just got to take care of your business. Make sure everything is right as far as the music goes. Everything… down to the little high hats, kicks and snares. Everything got to be sounding right. You just got to stand for hip-hop man. A lot of stuff rubbed off on me. As far as how to organize beats, and how to organize music and be a better artist.
L.F. Last words?
Blaq – yeah man you know. Stay on top of your business, man. Don’t let nobody tell you that you cant get it done. Stay on top of your business, stay on top of your dreams man. And don’t listen to nobody man. Follow your heart man. Your heart will tell you when your listening to the right people. Do what you do. And stay out my way!
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