Atmosphere

Sean Daley, more commonly referred to as Slug of Atmosphere, is at a place in his career where he can relax, at least a little bit. The Minneapolis-based emcee, songwriter and co-founder of Rhymesayers Entertainment has “made it.” Along with producer Anthony “Ant” Davis and several other key players, he’s made a permanent imprint on the hip-hop community. After two decades in the business, a slew of successful albums, an arsenal of adoring fans and sold-out tours, Atmosphere is at the forefront of underground music. After all, the Rhymesayers label is almost synonymous with hip-hop, especially in the Midwest, and that’s no easy task. It’s always West Coast this or East Coast that, but thanks to the roster of talented artists such as Brother Ali, Eyedea and Abilities, P.O.S. and, of course, Atmosphere, Rhymesayers is an impenetrable Midwest empire. Currently on “The Family Vacation Tour” with Evidence and Blueprint, Daley had a second to discuss everything from online chess to his top five favorite albums.

Your lyrical content seems highly personal. Do you ever feel like you’re revealing too much?

Sean Daley: Nah, because it’s all fictional.

Really? There’s some autobiographical stuff in there, though.

I mean, no more than any book you read. It’s coming from your hand, your mouth, your eyes, but it’s not like any of those stories were truly autobiographical. They’re used to exemplify the struggle or dichotomy between the genders. Honestly, half the time I was using that gender struggle as a metaphor for how I saw other things. Anybody that thinks I had a girlfriend who was as hard to deal with as Lucy is ridiculous. I had 15 girlfriends that were as hard to deal with as this character, Lucy. I stopped doing fictionalizing in the first person awhile ago. There are two songs I did that are incredibly autobiographical while on past albums like God Loves Ugly, all the songs were metaphors. I adhered to go first person with those two particular songs, but everything else I went narrative all the way.

Who or what influenced you to start making music?

I don’t know. I had an aunt that wasn’t that much older than me that spent a lot of time at my house. Just seeing the way she reacted to certain albums or artists and the fact I thought she was super-cool because she was a teenager and I was a younger kid probably had an impression on me, and that made me want to have something to do with making people react to me the same way I saw her react to Prince. Then the fact that I just loved rock and I’ve always been an attention-seeker.

What made you come out from behind the turntables?

I just wasn’t progressing as a DJ. I started DJ-ing in ‘87. I learned how to transform and I didn’t really progress beyond that. When people started doing flairs and shit, I was just like, ‘I don’t care about that fancy shit.’ I just wanted to blend and stuff. So I figured I would just chill and rap.

Where did the Slug moniker come from?

Oh, it got shortened from Slug-O. That got shortened from Little Slug-O, which was my nickname as a kid.

Did you think Rhymesayers Entertainment would be the empire it is today?

Yes. I was confident in the people. I knew Brother Ali would be great. I knew Eyedea would be great. I didn’t’ know how that was going to happen, but I was confident in the artists.

What are some of your observations on hip-hop today?

I don’t have any complaints. I’m too old to complain about hip-hop. There’s so many more important things to complain about. I mean, the shit I see on CNN makes me cringe. The things that go on in the entertainment world are funny to me. Everyone is so fucking insecure about their place, ya know? It’s like the backpackers bitch about the mainstream because the backpackers are broke. The mainstream bitches about the backpackers because the mainstream is afraid they won’t be respected in five years. Fuck both sides. Fuck the underground. Fuck the overground. Fuck the middle ground. It’s just a bunch of fucking people trying to find their fucking identities. Once you get comfortable with who you are as a person, you’ll stop complaining about all of that other dumb-ass shit.

Do you believe that comes with age?

Yes, I think it does.

Name your top five favorite albums. Go!

It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back by Public Enemy, Fear of a Black Planet by Public Enemy, To the East Blackwards by X Clan, One for All by Brand Nubian and Death Certificate by Ice Cube.

How do you feel growing up in the Midwest influenced your musical style?

I think most of us in the Midwest kind of became sponges. The East Coast, West Coast, the Geto Boys- we absorbed everybody and so we’re kind of a mishmash of all of that. You can hear a little bit of Nas and KRS One in us. You can hear a little bit of Ice Cube and Digital Underground in us. It’s like we sound like all of our influences.

What does the music you make mean to you on a personal level?

I guess for the most part it’s like a ritual you do to give back to the people who gave it to you. Aside from the fact that we built a business out of it, we’ve turned it into a vehicle for other people to share their stuff. It all come down to this - it’s guided by the governor in me that wants to make sure I give back like KRS and Rakim did to me.

As a human being, how does it feel to be in the position of selling out shows and having thousands of fans who idolize you? Is that kind of a weird feeling?

I stay pretty detached from how many shows I sell out or how many units I move. I focus on the fans and try to be as personable as possible because I understand that’s what they’re here for. At the end of the day when I go back to my house, I don’t think about this shit.

So how do you unwind?

I play online chess. [Laughs.]

What is the most important lesson you’ve learned over the past two decades?

It definitely isn’t anything I learned in the music business. It’s pay attention to how and why you choose to self-medicate.

I feel you there. So how do you self-medicate these days?

I play online chess.

No yoga?

[Laughs.] No, not yet. It’s not trendy enough yet. I’ll do yoga, get a dog and play Frisbee soon, though.

One more generic question: What are the best and worst aspects about touring?

Trying to maintain a healthy day-to-day lifestyle from sleep to food to exercise. That’s easily the worst. The best is the constant distractions when you’re on tour. You don’t get bored. There’s always something to play with and something to do.

I’ve seen you several times, and onstage, you seem like a natural-born emcee. You make it seem so effortless.

You got this all from seeing me perform?

Yes. [Laughs.] It seems easy for you. Do you feel you were just born with this gift or did it evolve from experience?

I’m sure it came with practice and experience. I don’t know too many natural-born emcees. Most of them are practiced emcees. The only person I would say I’ve seen or heard that I would say are natural born emcees are KRS, Nas and Rakim. Everyone else has practiced a lot and cares about their craft a lot.

Best collaboration you’ve done?

I don’t know who. I love making music with Brother Ali and Murs - that’s it. Everybody else I just like.

If you could work with anybody alive or dead, who would it be?

The Fat Boys

[Laughs.] Would you rock the gold chain?

Fuck, yeah!

Grieves/Budo

Rapper Grieves (real name Benjamin Laub), has been reporting live from the grind for the past several years as an opening act for fellow Rhymesayers notables such as Atmosphere and P.O.S. The Seattle native released 2007’s Irreversible on his own, then teamed up with producer, friend and multi-instrumentalist, Budo, for 2008’s 88 Keys and Counting. They have rarely been apart since. The duo’s latest effort, Together/Apart, is a well-written narrative set to Budo’s signature, multifaceted beats. Grieves recently took a break from his first headlining national tour to talk with me.

The last time I saw you, you were opening for P.O.S. in Albuquerque. What is it like headlining your own tour this time around?

Grieves: It’s cool. For us, it’s been a test to see what we’ve been building up over the years by opening up for Atmosphere, P.O.S. and all that stuff. It’s been a way for us to see firsthand the work we’ve done, so it’s cool and very flattering. We’ve spent several, several years putting in a shitload of work, some it counterproductive, some of it really good. The past two years have been really good work. So, uh, it’s really gratifying to get out here and see these crowds we’ve really been working for.

Is there any new pressure now that you’re the headliner?

Yeah, it’s different. You want to do good because with the responsibility of the headliner comes stuff like paying a sound guy, a manager, a merch guy, and I want to be able to pay everybody so they can afford to do this as a living as much as I can.

How did signing with Rhymesayers come about?

When I decided to move on from what I was doing, I ended up on the phone with Siddiq [Rhymesayers’ CEO] and talking about what my options were as an independent artist and the time that I had wasted, the time I wanted to make up for and what I could do. One thing led to another, and we started talking about what it would be like for me over at Rhymesayers, and in came the negotiations.

What do you mean when you say you “wasted time”?

I spent a year or two of my life doing some counterproductive stuff. It wasn’t a happy time for me. At the time when I went over to Rhymesayers, that was the turnaround. It was where I started to do things for me, stuff that made me a lot happier. And I love this experience.

So you turned a new leaf with the signing?

Definitely.

How do you feel about being compared to Atmosphere?

I don’t really get it, to be honest. I think the closest thing we have in common is I’m on his label, but I think we make much different music. We both make honest music, but I don’t think my records sound anything like Atmosphere records. That’s also from the perspective of I’ve been listening to Slug’s records for years, and I really don’t see the comparison, but there are worse things to be compared to. He’s an amazing artist, so I’ll take it! Thank you.

How tired are you of hearing the word “emo” attached to your music or other artists on Rhymesayers?

I think it’s stupid. I think that word comes from people that are fu*king idiots. Like, are you going to call Al Green ‘emo?’ Is a grown man being honest about his situations and his feelings ‘emo'? No. If you think it is, you’re an idiot.

[Laughs.] I’d have to agree with you there. In the sea of rappers today, how are you unique?

There are a shitload of rappers out there, but I don’t concern myself with the things that rappers do or that whole lifestyle. I don’t even listen to that much hip-hop. I just think if an individual makes good music, they stand behind what they do and believe in what they do, I think that will stand out to people. Especially for the people that purely enjoy listening to music. That’s what both Budo and I do. When we sit down to make a record, we craft these songs and put everything into it. For me, it’s not like, ‘yo, I’m gonna kick some raps, sling some beats and write some raps over this shit.’ We talk about song structure and building these things into the masterpieces we want them to be. It goes so much more than kicking a couple of phat flows. [Laughs.]

That’s true with performing live as well. How do you and Budo make sure there is energy in your sets?

That’s easy. Gasoline and a lighter. [Laughs.]

How do you and Budo play off each other onstage?

Budo plays a lot of instruments during the set just like he does on the record. What we do is almost re-create the songs onstage. Rather than rehearsing or reciting the songs onstage, it’s more like we’re re-creating them onstage. So the energy is there just for that moment.

How were you feeling the day Together/Apart dropped? Were you nervous?

Oh, yeah, we were both nervous as shit. We were overworked and tired as hell. We had been awake for three days. They put us on this crazy press junket where we put the record out in Seattle, played a release show the night before, hopped on a plane at 5 a.m. the next morning, flew out to Minneapolis, did a release show there, then hopped on a plane at 6 a.m. and flew out to New York, did some press, then did another release show in Union Square, then hopped on a plane at 6 a.m. the morning after that and went to Dallas to start the Warped Tour. So by the time we got to Texas, I think we forgot what our own names were. We just put out the greatest achievement of our lives. Then we went on the Warped Tour, which was amazing, but it was a grind and it was a hustle. It was very far removed from our core fanbase. We had people buying the album and kind of building that momentum, but we were a little removed from it. The reality is right now with this headlining tour is really the first time we are really getting in touch with our core fanbase and the folks that went out the day it came out. Some of that delayed gratification is hitting us right now. It didn’t diminish over the past few months. It kind of grew in force, so I’ve been forced into being patient to get our dessert.

It’s got to be a pretty surreal experience. It must be pretty crazy to have all of these fans screaming for you.

It is crazy, but it’s good. It makes them happy and it makes us happy. It’s a symbiotic circle of smiles.

You mentioned you don’t listen to much hip-hop, so what do you listen to these days?

I’m a Motown and neo-soul kind of guy lately. I’m getting in touch with my sexy, girl!

You’re predicted to be a breakout star this year. Is there any pressure there?

Nah, nah. I don’t say that with a sense of ego, I don’t really care whatever label gets attached to us. We’re out here making music and connecting with fans. There’s an organic community of people that’s growing bit by bit, and that’s what we’re dedicated to doing. We’re not really interested in being break-out artists and some level of mediocre rise to fame. We’re interested in engaging in what we've been engaging in for the past few years, which is a slow steady build based on building a community of people that will go to a show, buy a T-shirt or get a record.

So you’re more concerned with longevity?

100 percent. Yo, yo, yo, yo!! Sorry, we just hit a tree with the van. [Laughs.]

Occupational hazard?

[Laughs.] Yes. But, hey, we really do appreciate what we’re able to do.

Explosions In The Sky

Explosions in the Sky's self-described "cathartic mini-symphonies" are built from a brave vision. Rather than appoint a frontman to lead the group, all four members carry equal weight in the creation of their intricate, experimental music. The Austin-based group, composed of guitarists Munaf Rayani and Mark Smith, bassist Michael James and drummer Chris Hrasky, just released its sixth studio album, Take Care, Take Care, Take Care, which debuted at No. 16 on the Billboard 200. Hrasky took a break from a sound check the other day to talk to me about Austin, accusations of being unpatriotic and doing the music for Friday Night Lights.

What led you to become an all-instrumental band?

Hrasky: When we first started playing together, which was in spring of 1999, at the time we were listening to a lot of Mogwai and Dirty Three. They were pretty big influences on us at the time. Here are two bands that are really able to make evocative music, rock music essentially without vocals. We were pretty intrigued by that. Also, we kind of liked the idea that there wasn't sort of the main guy that was dictating the direction of the songs, band or music. It seemed to be a way to make it more of a full collaboration between the four of us. It's worked out really well. It's been frustrating but also ultimately made us want to do it.

What's been frustrating?

Working on music where there isn't sort of the main guy controlling the situation is tough. We are all different people with different opinions and different tastes trying to all make something we feel strongly about. That's always going to be a frustration for us, but it works in the end. We come up with stuff that we all really love. That can make the whole writing process stressful, though, I suppose.

Is it hard to translate the studio material to a live setting?

It's pretty natural for us. With the stuff on the new record, it's been a little more of a weird transition just because there's a lot more going on (more layers, samples and all sorts of crazy stuff), so we had to figure out how to pull that off live. All the other records are sort of just us setting up in a room and playing. They're more traditional studio records.

As the drummer, do you feel that your role is even more important because you're an instrumental band?

It's a lot more of an interesting role, rather than just keeping the rhythm. It's much more a musical instrument, if that makes any sense. The drums are as important as the other pieces. It's something that we all kind of talk to each other about. I will talk about ideas for the guitar and vice versa. They will tell me how the drums should come in. We all recognize the importance of each part.

So it's kind of like you are all equals, essentially?

Yes, very much so.

Considering that the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks just passed, do you think all of those silly rumors about you being linked to the attacks will resurface? [The band had coincidentally released an album called Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Die, Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Live, a few weeks before the 9/11 attacks. The album art included a plane and a liner note that read, "This plane will crash tomorrow." Controversy and conspiracy theories ensued.]

We played in Boise on September 11. There was already something stupid there, a sign up at the theater. There was a new story about it on the Internet. You see stuff like that and you're like, "Why is this person writing this article? This is so dumb." First of all, Explosions in the Sky is fireworks on the Fourth of July. That is directly where the name came from. You can't get more patriotic than that. We're hoping it doesn't become something. Most people's reactions were, This isn't a news story. This is just ridiculous. This is just a band playing a show.

You've done music for television shows and movies. Is it weird having executives with so much control over the process? How was your experience?

We had a great experience. We did all the music for Friday Night Lights, so we were in the studio for six weeks exploring. We thought it was going to be the kind of thing where there were producers breathing down our necks and telling us, This is right, this is wrong, but it really wasn't like that at all. The director would come in every once in a while and sort of talk about what felt right and what didn't. That was fine. He's the director. It's his project. We're essentially working for him. We didn't have people coming in and telling us what to do. We were left alone, which was kind of amazing. I think that had a lot to do with the music supervisor of the movie. He really liked our stuff, and he had a lot of clout at the time because he had just done the music for Lost in Translation. And that blew up, so he could kind of use that to talk to the executives. Like he could be the hip, cool guy. And it worked.

What can one expect from your live show?

We just try to put as much as we can into it. Nothing is worse than paying for a band that looks like they're just cashing a check or are bored. I hate that so much. It's like, You get to go play music for a job. Work a little harder, buddy. [Laughs.] We play as hard as we can. The four of us try to get lost in the music, and hopefully the audience gets engaged. This is what we do for a living, and we realize how lucky we are. This is not a normal situation for most people. It's a pretty great job to have.

THE STROKES

THE MANY LAYERS OF JULIAN CASABLANCAS
It is hard to believe that nearly a decade has passed since The Strokes first burst out of New York City with its lo-fi garage rock that ignited a mini-resurgence of the genre. Its 2001 debut album, Is This It, was met with colossal amounts of critical acclaim and consequently sold over 3.5 million copies worldwide. Lead vocalist Julian Casablancas, drummer Fabrizio Moretti, guitarist Nick Valensi and bassist Nikolai Fraiture truly lived the “rock star” lifestyles which quickly wore off until they eventually entered a much needed hibernation in 2006.
“I don’t remember those days so well. You know, too much drinking. I wish I could go back. Wait, actually I don’t,” Casablancas confesses. “It was silly. I remember the hangovers more. It was fun, but honestly I’m having more fun now.”
Suddenly, Casablancas found himself venturing into the wavering sea of solo artists and, to his astonishment, liked what he discovered- not only about his eclectic musical style, but the entire recording process. His 2009 debut solo album, Phrazes for the Young, is a huge departure from The Strokes’ sound and melodiously all over the place. There are more electronic influences and polyrhythmic sounds (think Hot Chip) that capture his obvious curiosity about the depths of his musical ability. He even did a track with N.E.R.D.’s Pharrell Williams and Santigold called “My Drive Thru.” Clearly, the rock -n- roll aficionado was the odd man out as Williams’ futuristic take on production and Santigold’s genre-jumping savvy made more sense, but the oddness worked. The track was a definitive statement that, yes, Julian Casablancas is capable of a wide range of musical styles.
“I wanted the record to be good. I’m a mix of confidence and self doubt. I have basic human feelings,“ Casablancas says. “A different part of me felt confident and that I could do something cool on my own. I was a little worried, but once I was done I thought this is cool. Even if people hated it, I was still proud of it.”
Casablancas secretly recorded a few of the tracks at the Mike Mogis/Conor Oberst-owned ARC Studios in Omaha while the rest of the album was laid down in Los Angeles. His experience in Nebraska was another pleasant surprise considering he had no idea what to expect.
“Omaha was kind of rad. I didn’t know much about it. I pictured the cover from Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska with a grey prairie and lots of barren land, but Omaha was hip,” Casablancas says. “If you grow up anywhere like in Iowa or Nebraska and you want to go to a hip city, you go to Omaha.”
On tour in support of Phrazes for theYoung, Casablancas is by no means saying goodbye to The Strokes, in fact he wrote most of his solo material thinking it would be for the next Strokes record. The boys had planned to release a fourth album in late 2009, but ‘disagreements’ over which tracks were ready has delayed the process. The postponement will inevitably just generate more anticipation.
“That momentum we had at the beginning is very arguable. We regained a lot by being away. At the time, the vibe was like ‘enough of you guys.’ I was actually sick of us,“ he confesses. “I didn’t feel like we were moving up. It felt like we were just staying there laterally. Our offers are better now than five years ago.”

WIZ KHALIFA

SCUMBAG MILLIONAIRE
Rags to Riches For Rapper Wiz Khalifa


“I would never battle rap anyone for 100K, I’d rather do a show for 100K,” rapper Wiz Khalifa says with a chuckle. While that may sound like a big order, it’s not out of the question. The 23-year-old rap prodigy has graced the March cover of XXL Magazine, was named MTV’s Hottest Breakthrough MC of 2010 and is selling out every show on the current “Waken Baken Tour“ with Southern rapper, Yelawolf. The “young wizzle’s” newfound notoriety, however, is not a fluke.
“This has been more like a grass root movement I’ve been working on for a long time,” Khalifa says. I put out my first mix tape when I was 16. I’ve been on a constant grind and building a real fan base. It’s finally paying off. Since I was a kid, I‘ve been making the best out of nothing.”
With his mother and father both in the military, Khalifa bounced around quite often. Born in North Dakota, but raised in Pittsburgh, he has lived all over the world-from Germany to Japan. While this did not necessarily affect his musical style, it opened his eyes to other cultures.
“Moving around a lot didn’t really affect my music, but it definitely helped me out more as a person,” he reflects. “I learned everywhere I lived.”
His stage name is derived from the Arabic word ‘khalifa’ meaning ‘successor’ and ‘wisdom.’ Wisdom was then shortened to ‘wiz’ when he was 15- and wise he is. The kid released his first album, Show and Prove at 18 then signed with Warner Brothers in 2007. Most kids that age are still sitting on the couch playing Play Station 3, eating Cheetos and contemplating their next bong hit, but Khalifa knew he wanted to perform his entire life. His synth-heavy debut single, “Say Yeah,“ reached number 25 on the Billboard Rhythmic Top 40 music chart and number 20 on Billboard’s Hot Rap Tracks. Interestingly enough, fellow Pittsburgh artist, Girl Talk, sampled Khalifa’s “Say Yeah” on his last album, Feed the Animals. After releasing yet four more mix tapes in 2008 and 2009, Khalifa parted ways with Warner Brothers in July 2009 because of numerous delays releasing his planned debut, First Flight. Although it was a bold move, it was the best possible decision for him at the time because he was then able to dedicate himself fully to Rostrum Recordings, his original label. With influences like Camp Lo, Biggie Smalls, and Bone Thugs and Harmony, Khalifa’s style is heavily street-oriented with hard-hitting bass, solid raps and melodic hooks. His sophomore effort, Deal or No Deal was released last November and showcases his knack for clever word play and descriptive lyrics. Intensity is wrapped around every word he utters and there is no doubt he is speaking from the heart. With his up tempo beats, his potential for club bangers is unlimited although he should be careful not to get trapped into a formula where he eventually drowns with all the Lil’ Jons and Lil’ Waynes of the rap world. After his deal with Warner Brothers went sour, he pushed even harder.
“I learned a lot through that process. All the work you put in matters. Even when things are looking down, you have to work just as hard as when it’s going good,” he says.
And things are definitely looking good. Now officially signed to Atlantic Records, Khalifa is busy working on his next album while juggling a 50-date nationwide tour. He recently finished the “Super High” remix with superstar rapper Rick Ross and his sometime partner-in-crime, Curren$y. The buzz around his first Rostrum Recording/Atlantic Records offering, “Black and Yellow” is already receiving heavy radio play and he is planning on more collaborations with Ross.
“Lyrically, Rick Ross is tight. He’s one of those artists that is honest with his words,” Khalifa says. “That’s why we get along. All the stuff I write about is all stuff that I’ve seen personally or experienced on my own. It all goes together. It’s real life. I think I pick and chose wisely. For example, I wouldn‘t have Yelawolf on this tour if I didn‘t like him. That‘s my dude. He‘s chill as fuck.”
The kids are catching on to his authenticity. There is a whole online community dedicated to Wiz and his love of Chuck Taylor shoes called “The Taylor Gang.” They consistently blast the latest Wiz news, videos and mp3s with a fervor parallel to the 1960’s Beatle Mania.
“I think I truly connect with my fans. I just know how much I do for myself,” he says. “I put a lot into my projects and my determination is shown by how hard I go. “I’ve been wearing Chucks since I was a little, little kid. I couldn’t buy 80 or 90 dollar Air Force Ones,” he says. “The Taylor Gang just kind of made itself up. It represents being completely free and being comfortable being yourself.”
Khalifa seems to have no problems doing that. He is shown on stage more often than not smoking joints and drinking alcohol. While this has become rather stereotypical of mainstream rappers, there seems to be no shame in his game. When questioned about having any social responsibility to the youth of today, he was unfazed.
“I just tell them to do what they do. They know what’s right and what’s wrong. That’s on them. I personally think the state of mainstream rap is fine. I’m in it so it’s cool,” he adds with a laugh. “I don’t think it’s lost any substance. There’s different things in it for anyone to enjoy. I just get really high and perform. There‘s nothing wrong with that.”
Perhaps that “medical assistance” helps Khalifa deal with the pressure of being rap’s “next big thing.” The whirlwind circus of publicity, recording and touring that he is currently experiencing has left him pulled in every direction possible. It’s not uncommon to have 7 phone interviews, 3 radio appearances, 2 television stints and a sold-out show in one day. If he can keep up with the insane demands of being a major rap star, then Khalifa is looking at a bright future.
“I definitely just got to continue building on top of what I already have going on or at least maintain,” he says. “Music is my life so I basically I put everything I live and know into my music. The recognition I’m getting is great. Front cover of XXL? That’s enough for anyone.”
In addition to Yelawolf, Big K.R.I.T. is joining Khalifa on the Waken Baken tour which is his second headlining North American tour. “The Taylor Gang” president hits the Odgen Theater on October 7 where hoards of screaming fans are sure to be waiting.
“I love seeing all of the different cities and what the audiences react to or what they like. I perform with a lot of energy. It’s just a lot of fun for me and I think the audience sees that,“ he concludes. “The shows bring the music out of me. Music is my life. I put everything I live and know into my music.”

TECH N9NE

BEHIND THE CLOWN

Rarely do face paint and hardcore rap seamlessly fit together, but for Kansas City’s Tech N9ne, it’s been his steez for the past two decades. The self-proclaimed ‘weirdo rapper’ executes rhymes about fallen angels and other dark lyrical content that sets him worlds apart from other emcees. It’s not all about bling, bitches or Bentleys- he spits lyrics like he’s narrating a horror film. Combing tricky word play, melodic hooks and incredibly speedy rap, Tech’s unique style murders the competition. However, the most impressive thing about Tech N9ne is not his music, but his work ethic.
“I’ve been dicked around so many times by major labels for years. I’ve been through a lot of record deals and nobody could do what I wanted,“ Tech says. “Who better to do you than you!?“
Withstanding the immense pressure to sign with a major label, he could have taken the easy route. Instead, he decided to keep it local and started Strange Music Inc., a label that defines the word ‘independent.’ Run by manager Travis O’Guin and Tech, Strange Music Inc. has put out seven Tech N9ne albums and in September 2008, sales crossed the 1 million mark without the aid of major label bigwigs, video or radio.
“We can do it better than anybody. Even with my clown face painted and everybody calling me crazy, I would still be number one if I had all those executives backing me,” Tech states. “But until we play their game, we’re going to continue blowing this underground up.”
If Tech N9ne’s Rock the Bells performance in Colorado this August was any indication of his intentions to keep being the king of the underground, then all hail Tech. The energy exuded from fellow emcees Krizz Kaliko and Kutt Calhoun was so infectious that it ricocheted throughout the entire crowd until people were literally jumping out of their seats. From “Einstein” to “Caribou Lou,” Tech kept the momentum going by balancing old classics and new singles.
K.O.D., Tech’s fifth solo album is slated for release on October 27. It contains some of his most sinister material to date which he really struggled with both during and after the recording process.
“This album is different because on past releases, there were only sections of darkness. This one is completely dark,” he says. “I had no idea the negative energy would effect me like it did. I was deep in a hole. It had me sulking and falling out with everybody around me.”
While the music is beautifully composed, the ominous nature of each track is painfully clear. The bulk of the lyrics touch on his mother’s illness, spiritual doubt and the constant internal struggle with his own demons.
“I made a mistake. I’ll never make an album like this again,” he confesses. “On the next one, I’m going to try to keep it light.”
In the meantime, Tech is rolling three tour busses deep on this round in support of K.O.D. Label mates Slaughterhouse, Stevie Stone and newest addition, Big Scoob, join the entourage to continue climbing towards international recognition.
“When I go to these smalls towns and nobody knows who I am, that’s when I feel like I still have a lot of work to do,” he says. “My goal is to get my music to the rest of the world. I will tread every piece of this earth until I do it.”

ATMOSPHERE

Sean Daley a.k.a. “Slug” of Atmosphere is at the point in his career where he can decline interviews, look down on the “little people” and not lift another finger in the world of menial jobs. The Minneapolis-based emo rapper help build an empire of underground hip-hop when he co-founded Rhymesayers Entertainment, home to P.O.S., Brother Ali and, of course, Atmosphere. Admittedly, he’s an unstoppable force with endless vision and nonstop determination to make Rhymesayers the best independent label in the world, but he’s also a bit of an egomaniac. Nonetheless, he’s done well for himself. I had a brief conversation with the man to talk about his moniker, his top 5 albums and online chess.

Who or what influenced you to start making music?

Sean Daley: I don’t know. I had an aunt that wasn’t that much older than me that spent a lot of time at my house. Just seeing the way she reacted to certain albums or artists and the fact I thought she was super cool because she was a teenager and I was a younger kid probably had an impression on me and that made me want to have something to do with making people react to me the same way I saw her react to Prince. Then the fact that I just loved rock and I’ve always been an attention seeker.

What made you come out from behind the turntables on grab the mic?

I just wasn’t progressing as a DJ. I started DJ-ing in ‘87. I learned how to transform and I didn’t really progress beyond that. When people started doing flairs and shit I was just like ‘I don’t care about that fancy shit.’ I just wanted to blend and stuff. So I figured I would just chill and rap.

Your lyrical content seems highly personal. Do you ever feel like you’re revealing too much?

Nah, because it’s all fictional.

Really? There’s some autobiographical stuff in there though.

I mean, no more than any book you read. It’s coming from your hand, your mouth, your eyes, but it’s not like any of those stories were truly autobiographical. They’re used to exemplify the struggle or dichotomy between the genders. Honestly half the time I was using that gender struggle as a metaphor for how I saw other things. Anybody that thinks I had a girlfriend who was as hard to deal with as Lucy is ridiculous. I had 15 girlfriends that were as hard to deal with as this character, Lucy. I stopped doing fictionalizing in the first person on the new album. There are 2 songs I did that are incredibly autobiographical while on past albums like God Loves Ugly, all the songs were metaphors. I adhered to go first person with those 2 particular songs but everything else I went narrative all the way.

Did you think Rhymesayers Entertainment would be the empire it is today?

Yes. I was confident in the people. I knew Brother Ali would be great. I knew Eyedea would be great. I didn’t’ know how that was going to happen, but I was confident in the artists.

Where did the Slug moniker come from?

Oh it got shortened from Slug-O. That got shortened from Little Slug-O which was my nickname as a kid.

What are some of your observations on hip-hop today?

I don’t have any complaints. I’m to old to complain about hip-hop. There’s so many more important things to complain about. I mean, the shit I see on CNN makes me cringe. The things that go on in the entertainment world are funny to me. Everyone is so fucking insecure about their place, ya know? It’s like the backpackers bitch about the mainstream because the backpackers are broke. The mainstream bitches about the backpackers because the mainstream is afraid they won’t be respected in 5 years. Fuck both sides. Fuck the underground. Fuck the overground. Fuck the middle ground. It’s just a bunch of fucking people trying to find their fucking identities. Once you get comfortable with who you are as a person, you’ll stop complaining about all of that other dumb ass shit.

Do you believe that comes with age?

Yes, I think it does.

Name you top 5 favorite albums. Go!

It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back by Public Enemy, Fear Of A Black Planet by Public Enemy, To The East Blackwards by X Clan, One For All by Brand Nubian and Death Certificate by Ice Cube.

How do you feel growing up in the Midwest influenced your musical style?

I think most of us in the Midwest kind of became sponges. The East Coast, West Coast, The Geto Boys- we absorbed everybody and so we’re kind of a mish mash of all of that. You can hear a little bit of Nas and KRS One in us. You can hear a little bit of Ice Cube and Digital Underground in us. It’s like we sound like all of our influences.

What does the music you make mean to you on a personal level?

I guess for the most part it’s like a ritual you do to give back to the people who gave it to you. Aside from the fact that we built a business out of it, we’ve turned it into a vehicle for other people to share their stuff. It all come down to this- it’s guided by the governor in me that wants to make sure I give back like KRS and Rakim did to me.

As a human being, how does it feel to be in the position of selling out shows and having thousands of fans that idolize you? Is that kind of weird feeling?

I stay pretty detached from how many shows I sell out or how many units I move. I focus on the fans and try to be as personable as possible because I understand that’s what they’re here for. At the end of the day when I go back to my house, I don’t think about this shit.

So how do you unwind?

I play online chess [laughs].

What is the most important lesson you’ve learned over the past two decades?

It definitely isn’t anything I learned in the music business. It’s pay attention to how and why you choose to self-medicate.

I feel you there. So how do you self-medicate these days?

I play online chess.

No yoga?

[Laughs] No, not yet. It’s not trendy enough yet. I’ll do yoga, get a dog and play Frisbee soon though.

One more generic question- what are the best and worst aspects about touring?

Trying to maintain a healthy day-to-day lifestyle from sleep to food to exercise. That’s easily the worst. The best is the constant distractions when you’re on tour. You don’t get bored. There’s always something to play with and something to do.

I’ve seen you several times and on stage, you seem like a natural born emcee. You make it seem so effortless.

You got this all from seeing me perform?

Yes [laughs]. It seems easy for you. Do you feel you were just born with this gift or did it evolve from experience?
I’m sure it came with practice and experience. I don’t know too many natural born emcees. Most of them are practiced emcees. The only person I would say I’ve seen or heard that I would say are natural born emcees are KRS, Nas and Rakim. Everyone else has practiced a lot and cares about their craft a lot.

Best collaboration you’ve done?

I don’t know who. I love making music with Brother Ali and Murs- that’s it. Everybody else I just like.

If you could work with anybody alive or dead, who would it be?

The Fat Boys

[Laughs]. Would you rock the gold chain?

Fuck yeah!

CHROMEO INTERVIEW

Canadian electro-funk duo, Chromeo, is business casual indeed. These boys are all about the gold grills, leather jackets and Nike Jordans. P-Thugg (keyboards, talk box and synthesizers) and Dave 1 (guitar, lead vocals) discovered sudden notoriety after releasing their second album, Fancy Footwork in 2007. Soon, they had ad spots on MTV and were playing massive festivals like last year’s Monolith at Red Rocks and Coachella in Indio, California. Chromeo’s third studio album, Business Casual, drops September 14 and more 80’s influenced material ensues. At this point in their career, the childhood friends have found their definitive sound which resonates loudly on the new album.

Why do you think Fancy Footwork was your breakthrough album when She’s In Control spawned the massive club hit, “Needy Girl?”

We were still kind of looking for a sound. It was the beginning of an experiment. I think the most memorable single is Needy Girl but I think with Fancy Footwork, we were really in tune with what our sound was and we just went all out. It finally cemented our sound and gave us direction for the next album.

Your lyrics are littered with humor. How important is comedy to your music?

It’s very important to our music. In real life, we are two funny dudes and we don’t take ourselves too seriously. We make sure everything is perfect on the albums and while we‘re in the studio because we’re both perfectionists. We pay close attention to details. Recording is so intense that when were done, its nice to alleviate the mood with funny lyrics. It makes it fun. That’s the balance we come up with.

You guys definitely succeeded in finding a unique sound. Who were some of your earlier influences?

We both listened to a lot of funk from the early 80’s like Phil Collins, Hall and Oates, Michael Jackson and some classic rock like Fleetwood Mac. We like a lot of stuff from the late 70‘s, too. Currently, I’m listening to the Scissor Sisters, Vampire Weekend, The Roots and Big Boi.

I caught you at Monolith Festival last year and your set was one of the most energetic sets of the festival. How does it feel to on stage night after night?

We’re having a blast. It’s a miracle when there’s more than 5 people at our shows. It naturally puts us in a good mood which is pretty gratifying. Some bands take their fans for granted, but we don’t. Seeing people sing our songs is amazing. The talk box is a bit hard to juggle. The sound goes into the tube and you have to make the sound with your voice. But it’s a lot easier now that I’ve done it so many times.

You guys jokingly refer to yourselves as “the first successful Arab/Jew partnership since the dawn of human culture.” What’s that all about?

That was a bunch of non statements to just to have fun. It’s such a non issue to us that its kind of funny to us. People started to take it seriously. We have never thought like that, never. We really don’t care.

How is Business Casual different from Fancy Footwork?

There’s a lot more work put into the chord selections and vocal harmonies. It‘s a bit more musical without being too serious. We are music nerds but not in the technical sense. We’re not trying to create a jazz album. We’re still just having fun.

Your lyrics are often about girls and relationships. Are you always breaking up and making up?

Yup. Always breaking up and making up. But I’m doing fine with the ladies (laughs).
How do you feel about the music you make on a personal level?

Personally, I mean its just helps me to have fun. It’s all about me and Dave in the studio with making each other laugh at musical references. We’re constantly making fun of 80’s clothes and all the funny glasses.

Do you think the cliché idea of sex drugs and rock and roll is dead?

We’re straight edge. We don’t do drugs at all. We casually drink every once in a while. Promoters love us because we don’t trash the green room. That idea should stay in the late 70’s and 80’s. We know way too much about the dangers. Back then they kind of had an excuse because they were more uneducated.

What kind of message do you want to get out to your fans?

Stay in school, don’t do drugs and if you like music, go full force. Consistency is the secret.

LATEEF THE TRUTHSPEAKER

As co-founder of the hugely successful indie label, Quannum Projects, Lateef the Truthspeaker knows a few things about the music business. Established in 1992 at UC-Davis, the hip-hop collective, which also includes key players Lyrics Born, DJ Shadow, Chief Xcel and Blackalicious’ Gift of Gab, led the way in terms of independent record labels. To date, it is one of the only labels still 100 % independently owned and operated. Lateef’s material both educates and enlightens. From his work with Lyrics Born in Latyrx to his project with Gift of Gab in The Mighty Underdogs, you won’t hear braggadocio lyrics about blunts, bitches or Bentleys. This is real hip-hop. His newest solo album, Firewire, is filled with a fresh, futuristic sound comparable to Afrika Bambaataa or Kraftwerk yet brimming with classic hip-hop. I got a second to chat with Lateef about everything from Toro y Moi to Black Panthers.


I was surprised to read your new album was heavily influenced by bands like Toro y Moi and Radiohead. What do you take away from those bands?

I just like the sound. With Toro y Moi, I enjoy the mood and the feeling he’s able to accomplish and achieve. I feel that both, especially Thom Yorke, are able to achieve moods without being super specific. Like you won’t even quite know what it is they’re talking about and yet you still are like, ‘but I totally feel you.’ Then the song will start to mean something to you that may or may not be what they were intending.

The single “We The People” has a lot of synthesizers. It sounds a lot like Kraftwork. Were you in love with synths this time around?

I’ve always been in love with synthesizers. There’s a bunch of different producers on the record. We The People is produced by Chief Xcel. Then there’s stuff by DJ Shadow, Dan the Automator and Headnodic who did The Mighty Underdogs record.

Oh [laughs], he’s a friend on my Facebook page.

Only you, you’re his only friend. Wait, that’s my Facebook page [laughs]. But, yeah, that was the vibe I was going for, kind of futuristic. I just wanted a cohesive sound, but I still wanted to show all of the different things I could do. Like I wanted it be similar to way “Planet Rock” is. I would even say that song was a touchstone for where I was trying to go with the record a little bit. The bass is there and it’s the perfect beat.

You’re no Luther Vandross, but you use your singing voice a lot on this record.

[Laughs] I have done it a lot actually. I’ve had pretty good success doing it like with The Mighty Underdogs and stuff, but obviously I’m not like D’Angelo out here and crooning it out, but it’s something I just really wanted to do. I like to blur the lines.

You and Lyrics Born have obvious chemistry on the track “Hardship Enterprise.” Is that because of all the Latryx stuff you’ve done together?

We have a natural chemistry and we’re able to communicate about song content on a pretty singular level. I get along with Gift of Gab really well too, but with Lyrics Born and I, it’s a little bit different. We’re a little more one-minded. We can really lock in. We mesh our minds together until we’re one. Lyrics Born and I are doing another Latryx album together. That’s my next project.

How do you think hip-hop and skateboarding coincide?

It’s funny, it’s always been that way. I used to skate back in the day. I was one those guys with the Tommy Guerrero board with the flaming dagger on the bottom [laughs]. I had the Caballero with the dragon, too. That one was really good for ollying. I had the Soul Power Peralta. I thought I was really cool. I was skating during the grip tape era when you had hella neon-colored grip tape. What’s crazy to me now is that you have a tail on both sides. And no one uses rail guards anymore. I stopped skating when I went to college. That’s when I really started focusing on Quannum Projects.

You guys were kind of pioneers in terms of indie labels. How do you feel about your contribution?

It is what it is. I’m glad we were able to serve as a blueprint so many other artists to be able to do their thing and see their vision through they way they wanted to at a time where it would have been very easy for hip- hop to become one dimensional and I think that it didn’t. I think that we had a had in that. Here’s something to trip off of. When we did our record, there was a label on the East Coast that wanted to model our record label. They had these artists that they thought they could do it with. Some of the artists were Company Flow, Mos Def and Talib Kweli. The label was Rawkus which is now no more. But they launched the careers of some of the most popular and most successful hip-hop artists and they called us up when we had our little office by Cal Berkeley. They were picking our brains asking us how we did it.


What’s the most disturbing thing you’ve seen on tour?

Oh man, you don’t even want to know this one. It was sooo bad. It was disturbing. We were on the road with Del the Funky Homosapien. This was years ago. I think we were in Dallas. There was a fight that broke out in the crowd. It was one of those fights that broke out so quickly, so quickly that we couldn’t even tell it was a fight. There was this piercing shriek, you could hear it over the music and it stops. Del was like ‘uh, somebody figure out what’s going on.’ The people that had been fighting had knocked over a woman and when she fell, she had broken her pelvis. Oh man! I had never heard anyone scream that loud. Her scream stopped the fight. I’ll never forget that scream.

Your parents were affiliated with the Black Panthers. How did growing up in that environment affect you?

I think it just informs my person and personality in how I look at the world. I’m not really preachy. I don’t think I am, anyway. At the same time, on almost every record I’ve done or been a part of, there’s always some social commentary or some type of “consciousness” about it. Lyrics Born and I both share that feeling and mentality about stuff. We talk about things that are going on in the world. We figure someone needs to talk about it. One of the things to me as an artist is to connect with all of these people in the world that you don’t know yet you’re able to write these songs, evoke these moods, say these words that communicate these thoughts and ideas to reflect the reality you live, and someone hears this, it resonates with them so strongly that they decide to spend time that they have on this earth that is finite to listen to it and be like ‘I know exactly what you’re talking about. I feel what it is you’re talking about it. I feel you.’ When you choose not to include the truth, you lose that opportunity to connect with someone. Now some kats don’t talk about that and shouldn’t talk about that [laughs]. They should not have an opinion about it.

BAD BRAINS

Bad Brains is a band that's consistently mentioned in the same breath as Black Flag and and Minor Threat as groups that made massive contributions to defining the hardcore/punk movement in the late '70s and early '80s. Bad Brains did it a little differently, though with its reggae-infused hardcore on anthems like "Big Takeover" and "Banned in D.C."

Founding members H.R., Earl Hudson (H.R.'s brother), Dr. Know and Daryl Jenifer have had a tumultuous relationship over the years, breaking up several times, but alas, the original lineup has resurfaced. I caught up with H.R. for a chat about Jah, universal love and his other project, Human Rights.

ME: Your stage presence is intense. Where does all of that energy come from?

H.R.(Human Rights): Thank you. I think I inherited it from my ancestors. The truth is very, very actor-proof. You have to be able to match or have some vocal tracks in the music arrangements that are inspirational. I do also love the soul reggae approach. It is and always will be an exciting contribution of our legacy.

Bad Brains is legendary. How does it feel to be mentioned in the same breath as The Clash, Black Flag and The Sex Pistols?

Mmmhmm. Groups have a lot to do with the new wave sound and also trendsetters. It's good to be traditional, but it's also great to stay in the current sound. A lot of new groups do want and can learn from the mighty Brains sound, and those kids do know good music when they hear it. They give credit where credit is due. I thank them to allow I and I through the spirit of the lord to be the one to magnify the music.

You became Rastafarians quite early in your career?

Yes, we started using different techniques.

If I remember correctly, that caused a little tension in the band. You wanted to go the more reggae route and a couple of the other members wanted to head in the heavy metal route. Was it on albums like Rock For Light that it really started to show that diversity?

Yes. All though experience. Experience is the best teacher.

You left the band several times. What always brought you back?

I think it would be learning how to go forward and learning how to keep the spirit of the lord in our music. I do like Quickness and God of Love. We do have a new song called "Stay in School" and it has an A plus approval from me [laughs]. I suggest when you hear it on the radio, you get it right away.

How did your hardcore punk fans react to that?

Oh, they found it exceptionally relieving and comforting because in between the rhythms that were highly aggressive, there were a few cool, mellow and life giving songs that would give them some respite.

In 2007, you released Build A Nation, which was produced by Beastie Boy MCA. What was your reaction when you found out he had throat cancer?

Yes, it was Adam. It can be rectified by the golden seal and allowing himself to drink spring water. He needs a lot of rest. The thing is I stay away from those cigarettes, and if he does the same, he'll be just great. I didn't get a chance to see him as of yet, but he'll be fine.

What is really the story behind "Banned In D.C."?

Oh, it was a pun in the word spelled "b-a-n-d." I was just being a little creative. That's the proper way to spell it. Nothing bad happened.

What is your legacy to the punk world?

You have a longing to hear those old songs, but we did want to play the new style of songs and not worry about people that might not understand the group. We wanted to give them a chance to learn our music and teach them to love I and I, so that's important. A lot of artists neglect that fact. They may know a little bit about politics, but they sometimes can't teach the people to love Jah. That's where we want to come in. We want to get our fans, the audience and other brothers in the industry to love Jah.

Do you have any good tour stories from back in the day?

One day, I went to Arizona. When I got off the bus, I saw a whole bunch of Spanish girls. They recognized me and said, 'Hey, we want to go out with you!' I found that quite alarming -- there were about thirty or forty Spanish girls chasing me all over the place.

What is the message of Human Rights?

I think Human Rights and Bad Brains' message has always been to learn the universal love of Jah, teaching people to love I and I and using universal love as the main example. It's been like that in the past and will be for years to come.

**Writer's Note: This was one of the more bizarre interviews I've done. I was driving from New Mexico to Nebraska with a U-Haul attached to the back of the Jeep when I got the call from H.R. He was either really, really high or completely out of his mind. Who knows? But he's H.R. so I felt privileged that he called me at all.

BIG BOI OF OUTKAST

As one half of OutKast, Big Boi (aka Antwan André Patton, Sir Lucious Left Foot, Daddy Fat Sax, General Patton, etc.) has reveled in a career spanning two decades in one of the most successful hip-hop groups of all time. Six Grammy awards, five studio albums and one greatest-hits package later, Big Boi and André 3000 are both doing their own thing. After a three-year delay, Big Boi's highly anticipated solo debut, Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty, finally arrived in stores last summer and hit number three on the Billboard charts out of the gate.


His followup, to be titled Daddy Fat Sax, is named after a generous dude at a New Jersey White Castle who used to hook the duo up with extra sliders in every ten-sack they bought. His unexpected passing prompted Big Boi to pay homage. I spoke with the man behind the monikers about his latest album and the status of OutKast.

ME: As a member of OutKast, you've experienced more success than most MCs out there. What do you think accounts for your longevity?

Big Boi: It comes to me every day. The beats, the rhymes and ideas — they're always there. And I'm thankful for that. Also, believing in what you put out there and standing behind it and just making good music, no matter what other people think.

There is so much debate about rap versus hip-hop, old school versus new school and mainstream versus underground. What is your definition of true hip-hop?

I don't think it's that cut and dried of a definition. I mean, I don't think my style is all hip-hop. I mix in funk and rock and all different styles to create a unique sound.

When Speakerboxxx/The Love Below was released, in 2003, was that kind of a definitive statement about the enormous differences between you and André 3000?

It shows our different styles and how diverse OutKast can be. You can't really mold us into just one genre or style, but we know how to complement each other.

Will OutKast ever reconvene on another album? Tour?

Well, Dre will be coming out with his solo album, and then we have some OutKast in the works, but it's a super-top-secret project we're working on, so you will have to wait to find out.

Why were there so many delays with Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty?

My old label wasn't down with me making a solo album, so they wouldn't put it out. This album has been done for the past three years, but they wouldn't release it, so we went over to Def Jam to put it out.

Of the four elements of hip-hop, which one do you feel has been the most exploited over the years: graffiti, breakdancing, emceeing or deejaying?

Deejaying. Everyone seems to be doing it these days. There are so many good cats out there that are talented at it, though, but just too many.

BAD RELIGION'S GREG GRAFFIN

Aside from the Buzzcocks, X and Bad Brains, not too many punk bands have had the sort of longevity that Bad Religion has, with three decades under its belt. Since its 1979 inception, core members Greg Graffin and guitarist Brett Gurewitz have been pushing the boundaries of punk rock, molding it into a modern, more melodic version of the genre. Fifteen studio albums later, just as Bad Religion embarks on its 30th Anniversary Tour in support of its latest release, The Dissent of Man, I spoke with Graffin about ideology and religion.



ME: First of all, your anti-authoritarian lyrics got me through an all-girls' Catholic school, and the nuns really liked your logo. What formed these kinds of ideals for you as a kid?

Greg Graffin: This is a complicated question. I've been perplexed by the origin of my worldview for a long time. That's why I recently wrote Anarchy Evolution, my new book. It's really difficult to figure out how your unique perspective on things developed. Let's just say I wasn't biased by religion, so I had to put together an ideology piecemeal from fragments of science and entertainment.

One of my favorite Bad Religion songs is "Struck a Nerve." Anything striking your nerves today?

I just came off the most successful European tour of our career, relishing being back in the States and gearing up for our visit to Denver. I'll be doing book events as well as concerts, so, no, I guess not really.

I know you did a short tour with Blink-182. When these pop-punk groups started popping up, what was your opinion on them? Did you think they disgraced punk music?

Blink-182 always cited us as big influences on their music, as does Rise Against nowadays. We don't spend a lot of time nitpicking and figuring out what exact elements of Bad Religion can be found in bands we've influenced. We are always grateful that we inspire musicians to make their own way in the new fields of modern music.

After 1988's Suffer and 1989's No Control, your fan base exploded. What do you think it was about those two albums that catapulted your career to another level?

Mostly it was the fact that we refined our melodic sense of punk music, and there were very few bands doing that at the time those albums came out.

The lyrics "My daddy's a lazy middle-class intellectual/My mommy's on Valium/So ineffectual" are kind of prescient, with prescription drugs now being the number-one most-abused substance in the country. What are your feelings on drug and alcohol abuse?

I'm straight-edge, so I've never understood how people can function with drugs and alcohol. But I also know that the drugs today are so potent that they are infinitely more dangerous.

BATTLES INTERVIEW

Formed in New York City circa 2002, Battles originally had four members until vocalist Tyondai Braxton decided to exit the picture. Forging ahead, this year the trio -- drummer John Stanier of Helmet, guitarist Ian Williams of Don Caballero and bassist Dave Konopka of Lynx -- released Gloss Drop, a follow-up to its critically acclaimed 2007 album, Mirrored. While there are elements that clearly tie Mirrored to Gloss Drop, the overall aesthetic is a bit different.

With guest vocalists such as Blonde Redhead's Kazu Makino and Gary Numan, there's a little more pop sprinkled over it than before. The intricacies are still there, and it sounds harder than hell to recreate, but it's more accessible to the average listener. I recently spoke with Williams about starting over, "math rock" and why Twilight sucks.

ME: When Battles' first album, Mirrored, came out, it earned a "math rock" label. I wasn't too familiar with that term at the time. Had you heard it before, and did you agree with that description?

Ian Williams: Yeah, I mean it's a phrase that has been around, as far as I know, since at least 1991. When my old band, Don Caballero started, people used to call us that. I think it started off as a joke phrase. I always understood it in a light-hearted kind of way. If your band has lots of odd time signatures or is very intricate, it gets that label. I don't really take it too seriously, but people say that sometimes.

Your material is very technical and intricate. What's your songwriting process like?

Songs can always come from different places. Usually it's a guitar riff or a bass line or maybe a melody on our keyboard that sparks something. I don't know if there's anything really that special that we do. I don't know. Everybody in the band has the ability to make a lot of sound and noise. It's sort of about just painting that noise so it's not a complete car crash and it can exist on its own.

I think we always kind of struggle with finding that space and sort of aligning things in a way so that you're not too overwhelmed or it becomes obnoxious, but that it's still interesting and there's still a lot going on. I don't know, I've always been into, like, call-and-response stuff like that. It's like back-and-forth ping-pong -- this guy does a phrase, and then that guy does a phrase. I guess that sort of ties the musicians together.

How did Don Caballero prepare you for Battles, so to speak?

That band, I mean, it was sort of a different band, but towards the end of Don Cab, the last record we made was called American, in 1999. At that point, I started using a loop pedal. I was putting phrases into it and then putting the amp behind the drummer and playing a repeated loop over and over again, usually just a guitar riff. That formula carried over into Battles, and so when Battles came together, we started doing that. At least from my own personal past into this band, that was the precursor to what Battles started out as.

Mirrored received a lot of positive feedback when it was released. Did you feel there was a ton of pressure to top that record?

We always sort of wanted to make another record if we thought it would be good. It was, in a way, just trying to block out any idea of expectation from people, like simple instinctual matter of pace, I guess. We were having trouble on this record. We knew we couldn't repeat something like Mirrored. I don't think we could have turned that kind of thing into a formula and repeated it.

When we made this record, it was three years later, and it was sort of a matter of, we were in different places at that point and had a new thing again. Even before Mirrored, we put out three separate EPs, and if you listen to those up to Mirrored, there's a pretty big sonic change.

Was Mirrored all composed before going into the studio?

That was definitely composed. We played those fucking songs a million times on tour for quite a while [laughs].

Is it hard to translate the album material to a live setting?

I think we do an okay job. I think we're usually a pretty good live band. If you have a heavy drummer like John that's the backbone, it can't be a bad show. All of a sudden, everything just kind of gets better.

There was there a fairly large gap between albums. Why the delay?

It was a little bit that we toured for almost too long. We toured for two years and played a lot after Mirrored came out. We just kept accepting more shows because it was quick, easy money, but that kept putting off when we actually sat down and wrote another record. When we finally did sit down, it was such a radical change from constant touring, it felt like a new experience like, "Oh my god, we're just sitting in a room alone with a piece of paper again." We hadn't been in that position for so long that it felt kind of alien.

So it was kind of like you were starting over?

Yeah! It was like we're not just automatically playing these songs. Sitting up in a room with no rules as how it was going to happen was hard. Then a member left. The member leaving kind of sped things up at that point. I think he was having an extra hard time coming up with material, which kind of slowed us down, so then we he actually took off, the three of us kind of refocused and made the record rather quickly.

The single "Ice Cream" sounds a bit different than the stuff off of Mirrored. How did you go about selecting the guest vocalists?

The thing for "Ice Cream," this guy Matios Aguayo, who is more of a techno DJ, is on it. He's Chilean, although he grew up in Germany. He tried an idea on the song, and I think we instantly kind of liked it. He sings in Spanish, and we were like, "Whoa this song is in Spanish all of a sudden!" It was a nice surprise. It reminded us of a Tropicalia vibe, like late '60s. It brought us to this place where I don't think we'd been thinking of, but it was kind of the perfect element to the song. He plays live with us, too, sometimes.

It's pretty interesting that you got Gary Numan on "My Machines." How did that happen?

He was a little more in the category of somebody we never imagined would be on the record. It was more in the vain of "wouldn't it be crazy if we could get Gary Numan on our record?" It wasn't like, "Oh our friend Gary Numan is going to be on our record." So that was a little more of an outside shot, but you know, somebody contacted somebody, and eventually, we heard he was interested and wanted to hear the song. He liked the song, and he went for it. He keeps saying he's going to play some shows with us.

Then Kazu Makino of Blonde Redhead is on "Sweetie and Swag." We were friends previously. We knew her a little bit because she's from New York City. We knew we wanted to work with a woman on a song. It sounded like an interesting proposition. We're kind of a guy band, and it felt like a welcome change. It kind of softens it up.

Are you familiar with Little Dragon?

Is that the one guy that crawls around on the floor?

[laughs] No. You should check them out. They're a band from Sweden with an amazing female vocalist. Kazu's part kind of reminds me of her.

Oh, I definitely will.

Who are some of your influences?

I don't know. I think everybody [laughs]. This new band from Chicago called Dead Rider.

I read that you guys did a song for that movie Twilight. Be honest: Do you hate Twilight as much as I do?

Do we hate it? Yes, yes we do [laughs]. We did it because we were told it was, uh, whatever. People were telling us to "do it, do it, it will be great exposure." I don't know. It happened because the director of the movie was a fan of Battles, but the process was draining. We made it in a regular studio. It was kind of ridiculous. They were like, "Oh that's an amazing song," and then five days later they would say, "unfortunately we can't use that one. We need more lyrics."

At a certain point, it felt like they were writing the song for us. It felt like we didn't have any dignity at that point. But we had already spent several weeks trying to do this stupid thing, we just didn't care anymore. We were just like, "Whatever! If you don't like it, come play it yourself." I definitely got a sniff of the Hollywood committee. It was twenty people in suits. Although I wear a suit jacket on stage now because I play piano.

So you're more sophisticated now [laughs]?

Playing the piano is a more sensitive, sophisticated job.

FOLK THIS!

Aesop Rock and Moldy Peach Kimya Dawson’s Brainchild
By Kyle Eustice

“I’m not famous,” declares Ian Bavitz,“ and I still hide.“ That’s exactly the type of thing you’d expect to hear from Bavitz. The San Francisco-based emcee, more commonly known as Aesop Rock, is an often enigmatic and mostly elusive hip-hop artist. His lyrics are representative of the abstract approach he takes to songwriting. Much like visual art, they are complex, intricate and completely subjective. It’s a process that can be arduous and tedious for the artist, but it has apparently served him well over the years.
“I usually write notes all day, every day or when I think of something I just write it down. Sometimes I make a voice memo. I usually need a beat to actually construct the rhyme then I decide what I will write about and see if I have any thoughts or phrases I wanted to use that would fit what I’m working on,“ he explains. Then I’ll go through my notes. It can be slow and sometimes leads to writing more than one song at a time, but it's the way I do it. After I get the bulk of the writing done, I’ll demo it up and then fill out the beat around the lyrics. In the end I’ll do a more energized 'real' vocal take so I’m not reading it off paper.”
Bavitz was born in Long Island, New York and heavily influenced by old school hip-hop artists such as Public Enemy, Run DMC and Boogie Down Productions. After graduating from Boston University in 1998 with a degree in fine arts, he quickly broke into the underground scene with 1999’s Appleseed EP. He then signed with Mush Records that same year until eventually settling with the Manhattan-based label, Definitive Jux (Def Jux) in 2001. His debut, Labor Days, produced the single “Daylight” which proved to be his breakthrough track, being re-released as 7-track EP soon after. His career exploded from there. While never gaining commercial success, his most recent solo album, 2007’s None Shall Pass, cemented his reputation as a cryptic indie-rapper with lyrics that were harder to decipher than on previous efforts. Even with the 88-page lyric booklet that accompanied the 2005 Fast Cars, Danger, Fire and Knives EP or the transcription of the track “Citronella,” it didn’t make understanding him any easier. After repeated listens, however, the words begin to sink in, at least a little bit. He tends to make things more opaque and leave the heavy-lifting up to listener as they are encouraged to decode, or not decode. It’s up to the them how much effort they want to put into “getting” Aesop Rock.
“I guess on my end, I just like it to be a bit of a whirlwind of music that needs dissecting over time. When people tell me they keep noticing new things after many listens, that really feels good,” he says. “I put a lot into this so I like when it feels like people are taking an equal amount from it.”
It will be interesting to see what people take from his latest project. Bavitz teamed up with a very unlikely artist, anti-folk singer Kimya Dawson of The Moldy Peaches. As odd as that might sound, it actually fits well with his unusual, experimental style. His unpredictability is part of what makes him so enticing and this pairing with Dawson isn’t as strange as one may think.
“We emailed a bit and she asked me to do a little work on her new solo record. I was/am a huge fan of hers for years so I was happy to help in any way I could. We worked well together so I did some rapping, some sample stuff and percussion on about 6 songs. Then we just decided to keep it going and write some songs together as a group,“ Bavitz says. “I think the collaboration has been and continues to be some fresh air for both of us. It’s super fun and maybe a different sound than most of my solo work. I write differently for it. It’s hard to explain until you hear it.”
“I’ve read that a few people think it's weird. I guess that’s cuz she’s a folk singer and I’m a rapper. The bottom line is we both love to write a lot of lyrics,” he continues. “I think if you listen to a Kimya Dawson album and one of my albums, there are a ton of similarities, the most apparent being neither of us shut up.”
That makes perfect sense. Bavitz’s colorful tongue twisters and Dawson’s fondness for endless details go hand in hand. Only a few tracks are available on Daytrotter.com including “Delicate Cycle,” “Earthquake” and “Looking Out The Windshield.” Each well-crafted song is intensely personal, hauntingly intimate and refreshingly mellow, with just an acoustic guitar being strummed in the background. By the time each verse ends, Dawson feels more and more like a friend, revealing so much about herself that it’s almost uncomfortable. Bavitz is most likely doing the same thing, just in a different way.
“It really depends on the song. There are always life experiences implanted in everything. Some songs are true stories, sometimes are more out there, some are easy to follow, others not so much,“ he says. “It really depends on my mood and on what the music is inspiring from me. I just try to keep pushing, you know? I want to keep it going. I’m sure certain elements evolve over the years as I hone my craft a bit. I just keep writing and hoping for some original ideas and styles to pop into my brain. That’s all I can really do.”
This yet-to-be named collaboration is as original as it gets. What began as a mutual respect for each other’s music evolved into a marriage of their two very unique styles. With Bavitz, he appears to be half-asleep, but then again, he seems to have the capability to deliver a thousand brilliant thoughts at any given moment while Dawson is like the Mt. Vesuvius of information. Their shared ability to vacillate from winky irony to blunt anger in two sentences or less, while executed differently, is eerily similar. Perhaps living in the hipster city of San Francisco has finally gotten to him. While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, the people in charge of Def Jux probably didn’t see this one coming.
“Geography probably influenced my headspace and therefore my style, but not consciously. If anything, it just sequestered me from what I knew my whole life in New York which can be a refreshing way to jolt your brain into thinking in new ways,“ he explains. “Many people aren’t ready for a jolt like that, upping and moving to a brand new place, but I think it can be really inspiring to accept the challenge even when you’re not sure if it's gonna work. Just be in a new place and let go of a little of the stubborn pride for your home town for the sake of learning about what goes on around you without assuming you know. It’s powerful stuff.”
Somewhere along his coast-to-coast adventures, Bavitz was introduced to another integral player in the underground hip-hop scene, Michael “Eyedea” Larson. His untimely death in October of last year ignited an uproar of support from the whole music community. Shortly after meeting Bavitz, Dawson was asked to perform at Larsen’s memorial concert in his hometown of Minneapolis. Bavitz and Larsen had worked on plenty of projects together so it was no surprise that he wanted to be there to show his respect for the freestyle legend along with other members of the Rhymesayers Entertainment family.
“He was a creative person, you know? He oozed that vibe. He always wanted to talk music, rap and lyrics. He would study that shit. You got the feeling when he listened to songs, he wasn’t casual about it. He was figuring out what the artist did and was really thinking about it. It was always clear to me that music affected Mikey's life in a way that doesn’t happen to many people,” Bavitz recalls. “I think I feel the same about music so it was always great and intense to hear what he had to say when we'd see each other. I just knew him as a dude who loved the craft of rhyming. He would mention very specific things to me about certain verses like 'oh in this when you did this part I noticed this’ and I’d be like ‘yea, you’re right.’ Nobody ever noticed stuff like that. It seemed music for him was equal parts heart and technique. I always loved that about him.”
If it’s true that birds of a feather flock together then Dawson, Bavitz and Larsen must be from the same nest. Their inventiveness, knack for descriptive details and unrelenting passion for their crafts shine through with everything they do. Dawson and Bavitz’s mutual endeavor, while unexpected, just may be their most brilliant move yet.

I Actually Did It.

Here it is August of 2011 and I finally created a blog to post all of my interviews, features and other things I write. Being the procrastinator that I am, it's amazing that I'm able to work in a business that requires such strict deadlines. When left to my own devices, I've been known to take my time so who knows how often I will post here.

My goal is to post interviews with notable artists on a consistent basis to provide insight into who they are. Hopefully, there is information in there that you wouldn't normally get.

Ideally, this adventure will lead me to a job with Rolling Stone, Spin, Q, Wax Poetics, Urb.com or something of that caliber. Wish me luck! It's been a long road.

I'd really appreciate any feed back you (whoever you are) have to offer.