Is Hip-Hop Dead? If yes, explain. If no, explain:
Hip-Hop is dead because the mainstream killed the reason why Hip-Hop was created. However, the underground has kept it alive and strong for the real heads. It’s a double sided dilemma with a lot of answers to go with many questions. I will zombify Hip-Hop and watch it eat the brains of the mainstream “Die Motherf*ckers”!!!
What is your vision of Hip Hop’s future?
All good music will only be released in other countries, oh wait! That’s now…. I envision that Hip-Hop’s future will only be truly reveled in the underground, because past, present and future, mainstream people will never understand why we love this culture so much and what it brings to the table physically, mentally as an art form.
Do you listen to other forms of music outside of Hip Hop, if yes WHAT?
Metal, Rock, Classic Rock, Alternative, Jazz, Classical…
Who were your artistic/musical influences growing up?
Kurtis Blow, Big Daddy Kane, Tribe Called Quest, Soul Sonic Force, Ultra Magnetic Emcee’s, Fab Five, De La Soul, Rakim, Audio Two, Slick Rick, Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth, Wu-Tang Clan, Grave Diggaz, Boot Camp Click, Kool Keith, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Ozzy Ozbourne, KISS, Beatles… The list goes on…
What is your music background?
Born in Brooklyn and Raised in Staten Island, NY, I came up around a lot of Zulu’s who were emcees or promoted for Wu-Tang. I went to school with many extended family members of the Wu-Tang. When I would be in the projects, I would see them around and some times watch them kick ciphers, but I was mad young and didn’t know then I wanted to be an emcee, but I did know I loved Hip-Hop and everything it represented. When I moved to Jersey I was 10 and around kats who freestyled, battled and would make demo tapes. So I started writing until I filled up like 30 books. Was it good? Probably not, but it was where I started. It’s when I moved to Florida I met this cat Voider through some friends and we formed Abstrakt Distortion. Then through an acquaintance I met Jes right before he got started on Paramanu Recordings and a bunch of other kats in the same circles.
How do you describe your music to people?
The last score before the Musick for the last days comes upon us and the Zombies rise from hell and kill everyone….
What image do you think your music conveys?
Distressed by the hardening I’ve had to endure through out life and the sick bastard thoughts that brew in my head everyday.
What’s your outlook on the record industry today?
All suits controlling the way they want Hip-Hop to be marketed just to make that green back. The industry is as shady as the f*ckin government. Everything comes with a cost that only ends up with reluctant consequences. Underground heads that I know will never sell out to perceive the culture for wrong doings.
What inspires you to do what you do?
The life I’ve had to live from the day I started walking ‘til now. All the life’s experiences thrown at me and been lucky to conquer. My wife and all my brothers doing their thing musically that inspires me to continue when I want to quit; and leave it all behind me, but music always finds a way to fall back into my life “It’s meant to be I guess”.
What project or projects are you currently working on? When will they be released?
After a long hiatus I’m returning to release a few projects with long time familia and partners Voider “Filthy Slob Unshaven” from Abstrakt Distortion & Jes “The Universual” from Paramanu Recordings. Voider and I will be working on a whole new set of tracks, but I won’t release the name of EP title until we’re about 85% done. Void has already started 16 new beats and we’ll choose from those. Jes and I have a project called Napier Logarithm and that will be something to look forward to, not including a bunch of other projects Jes is cooking up for the label in general. Along the way I have some great emcees/producers I’m also currently working with such as Take 7 from Boston, MA; we’re working on a project called “Claustrophobic Logic” & Timmo from Sendai Japan working on a project called 100 days.
If you had an opportunity to collaborate with ANY artist or artists (dead or alive) in ANY genre of music/art, who would you choose? And why?
I would have loved to make music with my great uncle Mongo Santamaria. An Afro Cuban Jazz Legend, a man who escaped the grips of Fidel Castro’s communism. I never got to meet him, but I heard most of all his records because of my family. I tried to link up with his son out of his 11 kids who was the only one to play the bongos and timbales like him. However, I think the death of his father just destroyed him and he wanted nothing to do with music, at least that’s what I heard from my family. Before he passed Mongo Santamaria’s bongos were placed into the Smithsonian. It would have been something else to work with both of them and get down on their level of music.
fresh,good to know