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.