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.