Name: Adam Bernard Home: Fairfield, Connecticut, United States About Me: Entertainment journalist w/ over a decade of experience. Lover of good music, fringe movies, day baseball & chicken shawarma. Nerdy, but awesome. See my complete profile
I feel like I need a good Cali vibe this weekend, and I can't think of a better way to get that vibe than by playing TRUTHLiVE's fantastic "Ready Set Go" off of his Patience album. The song, just like the rest of Patience, was produced by Jake One, and Moe Green makes his presence felt on it with a fantastic guest appearance. If you're anything like me, by the time the three minutes are up you'll have felt like you just cruised around town with the top down.
For more on TRUTHLiVE check out our interview on RapReviews (3/10).
Almost every musician is having a tough time making ends meet, unless they’re U2, and if you are U2, thanks for checking out the site! With artists’ struggles in mind, my good friend Conscious put together a radio broadcast titled Indie Income where he spoke with Tah Phrum Duh Bush, SumKid, and me, about different ways artists can achieve their goals. My segment of the show focused on how artists should approach members of the press and some of the ways I’ve seen artists develop devoted fan bases that actually support them monetarily. That ten minute segment is now online in podcast form!
The old axiom that those who don’t know the past are doomed to repeat it doesn’t really apply to Omar Wilson. The raspy voiced soul singer knows the past, but there’s one aspect of it he’s hoping to repeat.
“I look at everybody from Bob Dylan to Old Blue Eyes, to Bob Marley,” he explains, “they were just like us. They were young, they were inspired, they were passionate and they were setting their mark, what the world’s gonna look at them as forever, in stone. That’s all I think about every day. Eighty years from now when I’m dead and gone are people still gonna be inspired, are people still gonna be able to gravitate and be a part of my music?”
With artists like Aaron Neville and LL Cool J approaching him after shows to give him words of encouragement, and Angie Stone and DMX lining up to work with him, Wilson is already on his way to achieving those goals.
A tirelessly hard worker, Wilson’s second single, “The Good Life,” is about to hit airwaves, he’s readying his first official album, The Voice, for a late summer/early fall release, and he’s heading to LA later this month to shoot the pilot for an upcoming NBC show titled Hot Chocolate Soul. Soul Train still managed to catch up with him, though, to find out more about his old school musical ideologies, the inspirations for his style, and why he’s campaigning to be the people’s R&B singer.
Welcome to your weekly dose of pop world musings. Covering all things pop culture, this week Pop Shots is hitting you with thoughts on everything from why October is going to be a month to be excited about, to concerts coming to our living rooms sooner than we might have expected, to Oxygen developing a show that makes us not want to breathe. Also, singer/songwriter Connor Desai stopped by Pop Shots this week and revealed why a character from Sesame Street is one of her biggest musical influences. Of course, since this is Pop Shots you know everything is seasoned with a little bit of attitude.
When it comes to the four elements of hip-hop, DJing and emceeing have always been the most connected. Even in this age of computer proliferation it’s pretty impossible to imagine an emcee without a DJ. But what if graffiti and emceeing were just as connected?
That’s a question posed, and answered, by New Britain hip-hop duo Rustoes.
Rustoes, who are the team of Left-hands and Cre808, have created their own sub-genre of hip-hop they define as “graffiti rap.” According to Left-Hands “it’s a very live, very colorful, very diverse style of rapping where we can embrace all elements of hip-hop, and all elements of life in general, and just make it into this huge hodgepodge of graffiti rap.”
The graffiti influence for Left-hands and Cre808 came before they ever picked up a mic. The two met their freshman year of high school at the no longer in existence St. Thomas Aquinas of New Britain. Left-hands remembers “we were both very interested in graffiti. That’s what brought us together initially. From there rappin was more of a side thing. The main thing was graff. Many years went by and we developed our skills as emcees and it came to a point where we just started making music together and recording together.”
As the two developed their graffiti rap concept, they chose a name for their group that is both a reference to their initial influence, and their musical style. Rustoes comes from the graffiti staple of the rusto cap. “A rusto cap is the one cap in graffiti that’s white and the dot in the middle is orange, and it has grooves in it” Left-hands explains, “this cap makes for big huge letters, mostly for bombing.” Cre808 adds the cap “was created for a steady, heavy, flow.”
Much like the rusto was created for a steady, heavy, flow, Rustoes create music that has a steady, heavy, flow. In 2007 they released their debut album, Lo & Behold, and last year they put out a collaborative effort with a number of other local emcees, titled Rap’s out of Control! Even before those albums Cre808 had his hand, and voice, in a number of other projects as a member of the hip-hop collective FilthyKleen.
Although very much alike in many respects, Left-hands and Cre808 note listeners can easily tell them apart when they’re on the mic. Cre808’s rhymes, according to Left-hands, wrap all his ideas up “in a way that you can really swallow it,” while Cre808 says Left-hands is more of an abstract emcee who is unafraid to work controversial topics into his rhymes that are “definitely a part of life you have to deal with.”
Those who saw Rustoes at the Acoustic Cafe in June, at a show that also featured Sketch Tha Cataclysm, Seme Rock and Bisco Smith, may have noticed something else unique about Left-hands; the way in which he reps his hometown. It doesn’t take a keen eye to see it, but it takes a knowledge of local minor league baseball to know what it means. Left-hands frequently wears a New Britain Rock Cats cap at shows, and June’s show was no exception to this. “Just having something that represents New Britain is a huge step for New Britain,” he explains, “so I will always forever rock a Rock Cats hat.”
While his Rock Cats hat may be a near constant, the one thing the duo will be forever changing is their sound. “You can’t get comfortable with a certain sound that you hear from us,” explains Cre808, “because it will most likely progress and change and get better because we are creative outlets, so it’s not just about rapping bars over beats. The whole thing is a wide open mural, so it’s always gonna be developing.”
A wide open mural, which is perfect for graffiti writing with a rusto, or the graffiti raps of Rustoes. Either way, it’s bound to be colorful.
Fat Joe has seen the highest heights of success with worldwide hit songs, and the lowest lows of tragedy, losing one of his best friends. This week, with his latest album, The Darkside, hitting stores, I caught up with Fat Joe to find out what he’s been up to lately, as well as who he is, and isn’t, talking to, why we don’t see huge tributes to Big Pun, and his involvement with the New York Knicks front office.
Outkast’s ATLiens album was a major part of the soundtrack to my freshman year of college. Since then I’ve seen Outkast grow as a group, and then, in my opinion, fall off. Yes, I’m one of the select few that really didn’t like the Speakerboxxx / The Love Below double album. In fact, I’ve been waiting for the return of the REAL Outkast for a decade.
Now comes Big Boi’s “solo” debut (yes, solo has to be in quotes) as Sir Lucious Left Foot… The Son Of Chico Dusty, with 15 tracks featuring 15 guests and 13 different producers. Having such a history with Outkast I wanted to like this album, but tempered my expectations because when duos go solo they’re rarely as good as they are as a team. It turns out that was exactly the way to listen to this album. Although Sir Lucious Left Foot… The Son Of Chico Dusty is definitely a welcome respite from the norm in terms of mainstream Hip Hop it still has its flaws.
A quick disclaimer: I recorded this episode of The Adam B Experience at two in the morning after a day where I wrote and/or edited seven feature stories, so if I sound a little crazier than normal... wait, what am I talking about, how could I possibly be any crazier than normal? You expect me to be this way, and you also expect great underground hip-hop from this podcast. This month’s episode of The Adam B Experience won’t disappoint on either front, and even includes a few artist debuts! Enjoy!
Kats - The Warmup Coolzey - Keef Billy Drease Williams - Just Doin’ It Ciphy Diggy w/ Coole High - Cool Diggy Deathrow Tull - Little Taste Ben Hooks w/ Paper Chasr Kalil Kash - Buggin’ Out’s Jordans Crew54 - Moving Around Eclipse - Come From (Dark Side) Duece Bug w/ Ethan Isaac of Edison - Ill Eulogy
I’ll admit it, I probably should have been aware of Soce (pronounced So-Say) The Elemental Wizard a while ago. He’s a part of the NYC hip-hop scene and we have a lot of friends in common. Ironically, it was Iowa’s own Coolzey who, in a way, introduced us. During the 12 week run of Coolzey songs on this site one of them, week ten’s “Graduation Day,” was produced by Soce. Soce tagged me in a Facebook post about it, and alakazam, suddenly I was introduced to the wild world of Soce The Elemental Wizard. This week I caught up with him to find out more about that wild world, including his love of wizardry, how being openly gay has affected the way he’s been received within hip-hop, and how he scored the best website name on the planet.
Adam Bernard: Why don’t you start everyone off with a brief history of the universe... or at least a brief history of Soce The Elemental Wizard? Where are you from and what led you to music? Soce: I grew up in New Hampshire and I've lived and performed here in New York City for over seven years now. I've had hip-hop in my blood ever since my sister gave me a fresh mixtape that included a track called “Freedom of Speech” by Above the Law. That particular song was a catalyst that pushed me into the world of philosophies and frustrations expressed with lyrical versatility that we call rap music. I've been a musician all my life. I grew up singing, began violin lessons when I was four, and have since played trombone, piano, guitar, bass and numerous other instruments, as well.
Adam Bernard: You are very open about your sexuality. What are some of the positive things that have come from this? Soce: A few years ago Sirius Shade 45 was looking to do a track called “Gay Gay Gay,” a parody of the second verse of the Hurricane Chris single “Ay Bay Bay,” and they turned to me to create it. They also created an entire gay rap competition that I competed in and subsequently won. More recently, Prince Paul invited me to perform a gay rap pop song on Negroes on Ice, an upcoming album he's creating with his son DJ Paul Fresh. I've recorded it for him and I'm excited for the album to drop. Prince Paul also starred in a recent episode of my web series Math Problems.
Adam Bernard: Obviously there’s more than a little homophobia in hip-hop. Being that you’re so open about being gay, do you feel that’s shut any doors that would have been open to you otherwise? Soce: Not one bit. Even if I wasn't gay I'd still be a nerdy, middle class, white, Jewish, well educated guy, which still doesn't fit into the normal hip-hop archetype. Then again, there are a fair amount of white, Jewish, presumably middle class rappers who have achieved decent success, such as the Beastie Boys, Scram Jones, J.R. Rotem, Scott Storch, The Alchemist, Ill Bill, and Rabbi Darkside, so there's hope for me yet. Basically, you work with the cards that you are dealt. When people see a rapper take to the stage, they want to see someone who has incredible skills, and they want to see someone who keeps it true to who they really are on the inside. I think that's much more important than who they are sleeping with.
Adam Bernard: Are you looking to break down some walls within hip-hop, and perhaps America, or do you really just want to rhyme and if that other stuff happens it’ll be a nice bonus? Soce: My main goal is to teach people to be confident with who they are. When I finish a show, and someone comes up to me and tells me that they had a blast doing the Internet Treasure Quest dance with their friends, that makes me happy to know that we all shared a moment making complete fools of ourselves, and we enjoyed it. I want people to realize that you never have to succumb to bullies and let them force you to act in any way that you're not comfortable being, just so that you can be more "popular." Also, there are over 100 gay rappers out there, so I'm not the only one fighting the good fight. For more info on all of us, please go to OutHipHop.com.
Adam Bernard: I know you actually cover a wide variety of subjects with your work. Hit me with some of them. Soce: Some of the other subject matters I discuss include awkward social situations, being lazy, pirates, video games, and how much I love my microwave oven.
Adam Bernard: You perform in a wizard’s hat. When did the world of wizardy become a part of your life? Soce: I've always been a fan of RPGs (role playing games) starting with Final Fantasy and Dragon Warrior for the NES. During my senior year in college I somehow managed to play and beat just about every single SNES RPG out there, and let me tell you, it was so worth it. I'm not strong enough to take my foes on directly as a warrior, so instead I use my intelligence to take them on with powerful hip-hop spells. To be honest, I rarely perform in my wizard regalia these days. I mostly save it for very special shows, such as well-paying college gigs.
Adam Bernard: What makes your wizardry “elemental” wizardry? (shout out to my former employer, Elemental Magazine) Soce: I am a master of the four elements: Earth, Water, Wind and Fire. My strongest element is fire, because I am a gay man and therefore obviously very flaming... he said jokingly.
Adam Bernard: Are you a fan of Harry Potter, or do you have beef with him? Soce: Harry's cool, but if I were his classmate, Vincent Crabbe's the one I'd be going after, because I've always been into guys who are big and strong.
Adam Bernard: Finally, how the heck did you land the website name GreatHipHop.com? Were you like the first person ever on the internet? Soce: I originally used socetew.com as my website, which is short for Soce The Elemental Wizard, but that was a bit hard to say and spell when I did radio interviews, so I decided to use GreatHipHop.com instead. I guess I was just lucky that no one else had thought of it yet in 2004.
Remember when emcees couldn't just talk about swagger, they actually had to have it, and show it in their rhymes? Well, Billy Drease Williams may not be a swagger rapper, but "Just Doin It," which is his latest single off of the tremendous Good Morning Amy, shows plenty of the quality. "Just Doin It" is an anthem for anyone out there doin their thing and doin it well, which is something Billy Drease Williams knows all about.
Warped Tour is always one of my favorite events of the year. Yes, it’s almost always hot - this year it reached 93 degrees, and that’s before taking into account the fact that the date I cover is held in the parking lot of Nassau Coliseum, so we get even more heat coming up off the concrete - but it’s a day of musical enjoyment and discovery. I always see a few bands I know, and find a few more that I become a fan of. This year I managed to see parts of nine sets and interview four artists. Here are some of the highlights.
New Favorite Band - Eyes Set To Kill: Every year I go to Warped Tour I come across at least one artist that really wows me, and although I never thought I’d be into a band that’s been given the screamo designation, the originality of Eyes Set To Kill, and the distinct sound they have with both a male screamer (pictured above) and a female vocalist, has drawn me in and made me a fan. I first became familiar with Eyes Set To Kill last year when their second album, The World Outside, was released. Seeing the group, and their new male screamer, Cisko Miranda, live, however, and getting to know them during our interview at the show, really put them over the top for me. They have the perfect combination of male and female qualities that, when bounced off of each other, show why, in the end, men and women really are symbiotic. Their new album, Broken Frames, is fantastic, and I would love to see them perform in NY and CT more often.
A funny aside, during Eyes Set To Kill’s set I was kicked in the head by a wayward crowd surfer. Most crowd surfers who made their way to the front row, where there was a five foot gap for the photo pit, were carefully pulled down by security, and then directed back to the crowd. This guy was tossed a little too strongly by the crowd, though, and since I happened to be in the photo pit, I caught a foot right to the back of the head. Now, I don’t know if you’ve seen Eyes Set To Kill, but the two ladies in the group are gorgeous, and my lone (very male) thought when I felt that whack was “don’t turn around. Just keep shooting pictures. Whatever you do, don’t even give the slightest hint that it fazed you. Don’t look like a pussy!” Score one for my male ego!
Best Repeat Viewing - Kelsey and the Chaos: I saw Kelsey and the Chaos last year at Warped Tour and dug their set. They had a lot of fun on stage and really seemed to enjoy themselves. It was an enjoyment that was infectious. This year they had an early set time and were the first band I went to see. Still equipped with that infectious enjoyment factor, Kelsey and the Chaos had a killer set which included a rocked out cover of a song that they admitted was stupid, but too catchy to ignore, Ke$ha’s “Your Love Is My Drug.” Kelsey and the Chaos is a band that’s overflowing with personality. Musically they’re kind of like Paramore, but with more of an edge. I’m looking forward to seeing them again soon.
Biggest Disappointment - Mike Posner: One of my buddies referred to Posner as “Justin Timber-fake” and it’s quite the fitting description. Posner has all of Timberlake’s non-dance moves, right down to his facial expressions, down pat. His confidence level also seems to be in line with a young Timberlake. His vocals, however, just aren’t there. In fact, I’m not even entirely sure they’re his. Posner performed a solo set, only accompanied by his computer, and while I understand that he had to keep going back to it to put the next beat on, it also seemed as though the computer might have been having an affect on the sound of his voice. His ego, however, was the real killer for me. I know he was putting on a show, but at times he seemed to leap from confidence to arrogance and it was very unbecoming.
Person I’ll Buy Pants For - Taylor Momsen: After the first week of Warped Tour a bunch of upskirt pictures of 17 year old (well, she'll be 17 on the 26th) Gossip Girl actress and The Pretty Reckless lead singer Taylor Momsen started showing up on the web. Rather than, oh, I don’t know, putting on some pants, Momsen decided to go another route - she banned the press and photogs from the photo pit area. It’s sad to see Momsen, at 17, already becoming a caricature of a teen star, especially since after listening to The Pretty Reckless’ set I have to say she’s not that bad. Her image, however, is so awful right now that I commented “I might like The Pretty Reckless more if Taylor Momsen wasn’t Taylor Momsen.” I took a fake paparazzi pic of her before her set as my way of protesting out being booted from our area.
Favorite Inappropriate Pic - The All-American Rejects: Tyson Ritter is quite the performer, and when he was doing an intro for “Dirty Little Secret” he said how he wanted to “get dirty” (not an ODB reference). At one point during this intro he put the microphone in a very suggestive place and did something strange with his tongue. It looked a little something like this.
Weirdest Cover - Reel Big Fish’s version of “Enter Sandman”: With all due resect to Reel Big Fish, who are a great band, their cover of the Metallica classic “Enter Sandman” only worked to remind me of the Pat Boone version.
The Hot New Fad - Girls with overhangs wearing shirts that show their bellies dating emaciated boys: One thing I came away with from seeing the crowd at Warped Tour is that our nation’s gym classes are failing miserably. I saw more teenage girls with small, but bulging, guts, and more boys who looked like twigs, than should be allowed by law. Even weirder - they all seemed to be coupled off.
Totally Awesome Partner In Crime - Natty S.: Seriously big shout out to my homegirl, photog extraordinaire, Natty S., for not just coming with and taking a bazillion pics, but also for effectively dodging a tuna fish sandwich, and networking her way into the next Warped Tour date! Also, big shout outs to B-Listers Warren Britt and The MC Faceman, who we managed to run into thanks to the wonders of text messaging.
Welcome to your weekly dose of pop world musings. Covering all things pop culture, this week Pop Shots is hitting you with thoughts on everything from Justin Bieber’s YouTube KO of Lady Gaga, to two artist injuries, to Bayside High’s most decorated athlete’s new VH1 venture. As an added bonus, this week we also have a Q&A with country pop star Jessie James, and since this is Pop Shots you know everything is seasoned with a little bit of attitude.
If you’re of a certain age it’s a safe bet that Naughty By Nature holds a special place in your record/tape/CD collection. One of the only groups in the history of hip-hop that gave rap fans gritty, reality based, rhymes, while at the same time pleasing the masses with pop anthems, Naughty By Nature managed to create a fan base that extended from the streets to the suburbs. Recently, however, the group has been on an extended vacation. Although they’ve been touring, fans haven’t heard anything new from them since 2002. When I caught up with Treach this week, we found out that’s about to change. Treach also revealed why it’s taken the group so long to come out with a new album, the biggest way in which he feels Naughty By Nature changed rap music, and the group’s initial thoughts about releasing “O.P.P.” as their lead single way back in 1991.
This week's installment from Coolzey's Coolzey and the Search for the Hip Hop Hearts - Volume I: He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper is "Keef." It's the 12th and final song in the three month long project. Dr. Don provided the beat, and the video shot by Jay Johnson and Jason Hennesy features a special guest freestyle by Jarrett Mitchell. Both the song and video were recorded and shot live last Saturday, July 17th, in the middle of shooting a Chet Garst video. This one's for everyone who loves that good old fashioned boom-bap (which should be everyone!).
A lot of artists like to say they can see the future of music, but how many have actually been to the future? According to Sintex, he has, and it was the inspiration for his 2009 album, 2020. Originally from Ohio, but now a Queens, NY, resident, Sintex’s story is an interesting one, and not just because of the time travel. Sintex had an extremely religious upbringing, and when I caught up with him this week he discussed it with me, as well as the way in which he rebelled against it. Also, since Sintex claims to have been to the future, I grilled him on when we’re going to get hoverboards, flying cars and robot maids.
Adam Bernard: Start me off with the Sintex story. What led to your interest in music? Sintex: The Sintex story is actually a very religious story. I was raised as a Seventh-Day Adventist, and my family is pretty hardcore with the beliefs, as is required. We kept a strict Sabbath, went to church every Saturday, and didn't eat most meats. Movie theaters and dancing were prohibited. Whenever my parents listened to non-gospel music, which was mocked as "secular" music, they always reminded me and my brother that we shouldn't be messing with this shit, we should only be engaging in music that exalts God. I was always rebellious, so, needless to say, that didn't work for me. I don't remember how old I was when I started making music. I would make imitations of songs by Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Cameo, Sly and the Family Stone, stuff like that. I made gospel joints, too, of course. Gospel music is dope. I even composed some songs on the piano that impressed my piano teacher. My songs always had words and stories that went along with them. When I was about seven hip-hop got ahold of me and I was hooked. My older cousin down in Louisville introduced me to it. He was always rapping and listening to stuff like The D.O.C., Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, LL Cool J, EPMD. I wrote my first rap when I was seven just to impress my cousin and my brother. It was some shit comparing my rhymes to a cartoon-fest. They liked that verse a lot and that encouraged me to keep writing joints. I actually performed for the first time when I was eight, during a talent show at school.
Adam Bernard: Other than the influence of your cousin, what about hip-hop appealed to you? Sintex: Hip-hop appealed to me because of its rawness, its aggressiveness, its crudeness, its shamelessness. It was counter to everything that was being taught to me, and many in my family discouraged it. It wasn't a thing that Seventh-Day Adventists were supposed to be doing, but I was always doing something that I wasn't supposed to be doing. MCing was the musical release for my rebelliousness. Plus my Dad was a school principle, so I read all the time, and that meant that I had more words than the average kid to play around with. Looking back, emceeing made sense for me.
Adam Bernard: How’d you end up with the name Sintex? I’m guessing it’s a reworking of syntax, right? Sintex: The name Sintex found me when I was 18 and not living at home anymore. The shit that I was writing was beginning to take a turn that was very anti-religious, some of my songs were just downright sinful. The name was definitely a play on "syntax." I was going to call myself "Sin Texts," but some chick thought that Sintex would be cool, and she looked hot, and was a big fan of my shit, so I took her advice.
Adam Bernard: Last year you released an album titled 2020. What were your goals for that album musically? What were you hoping to get across? Sintex:2020 is actually an experiment. I really did make that album in the year 2020, but instead of talking about what’s going on during that time, I decided to discuss the things that brought me up to that point. This album, more than any other that I've made, was really made for me. It's a portal to myself, connecting two different time periods. The younger me is telling the older me what's going on, and simultaneously the older me is reliving his younger years as a much wiser man. Yeah, it gets weird. The whole thing became a mystical experience. Each song has layers of meaning and gives a variety of lessons. The best part is that they're lessons from me to me. Each time I listen to it I get something new. Other people have gotten a lot from it, too.
Adam Bernard: Although there’s a silhouette of you on the cover, there isn’t a picture of you in the album’s artwork. Was this a conscious decision? If so, what led to that decision? Sintex: That was actually a stupid accident on my part. I took pictures in 2020 with a camera that has technology that didn't exist in 2008. In fact, it doesn't exist in 2010. So all of the pictures look fucked up. The best one that I could get was the silhouette one. I was going to use pictures from 2008, but that would have closed the portal.
Adam Bernard: K.O. Beatz produced the entire 2020 album. When and how did you two link up and why do you feel you work so well together? Sintex: I've been working with K.O. since high school. I used to always borrow his walkman and tapes during study hall freshmen year. He would always have mixes with the hottest music out at the time. One time he slipped up and gave me a tape that had somebody rapping over some beats that he'd looped. It was over from there. I asked him to loop some beats for me that I couldn't find the instrumentals for. Man, we made some shit! It just kept building from there. He started buying equipment and making original beats. We put albums out, calling ourselves X-Factor. 2020 is actually the eighth album that we've made together. We're like brothers with hip-hop. We don't make albums unless we're both inspired to put something out.
Adam Bernard: I know you’re working on another project right now. What can you tell me about it? Sintex: The next album is going to be a Sintex & K.O. Beatz album. While it will be our ninth collaboration, it'll be the first one on which we've both stamped our respective aliases. We're both on top of our game, man; the music is just so fuckin beautiful on this joint. It's another portal, but a completely different kind. This album is becoming its own organism and it's changing our lives.
Adam Bernard: Finally, since you’ve been to the year 2020, tell me, are we ever going to get those hoverboards from Back To The Future, or flying cars and robotic maids like in The Jetsons? Don’t disappoint me now! Sintex: OK, Adam, I promised the man from 2020 that I wouldn't give too much information about the future, but I will respond to your specific questions. Yes, there are hoverboards, but they're a side-development of a bigger type of technology. What's amazing about the hoverboards is that the equipment itself actually responds to your body movements. It reacts to your muscle movements and balances itself out. Hoverboards are actually safer than skateboards for that very reason. They're not universally available, though. You can't just go to the store and get them. You have to be in the right circles. We'll talk in 2020; I got you. Flying cars, which are actually available by the end of 2010, are more ubiquitous in 2020 due to their prices going down. Not everybody has one, of course, but anybody can drive one if they really want to. Robotic maids... well, let me say that artificial intelligence is something to be marveled at in 2020. There are robots that can do almost anything, but like all of the other cool technology, these kinds of robots aren't universally available, they still cost too much money.
It's the middle of summer. It's a bazillion degrees outside. We could all use something cool. Thankfully Coole High is to the rescue with the chilled out "Stash." Get caught up in the vibe and I guarantee you'll forget all about the heat, and just about anything else that may be bothering you. The lyrics also make sure something else will be on your mind by the end of the video.
Welcome to your weekly dose of pop world musings. Covering all things pop culture, this week Pop Shots is hitting you with thoughts on everything from the new direction Lindsay Lohan’s life is going in, to the new language Usher is singing in, to the new career aspirations of Snoop Dogg, and since it’s Pop Shots you know everything is seasoned with a little bit of attitude.
Not a lot of rappers listen to Tom Waits on their way to the recording studio, or count the Connecticut hardcore band Hatebreed as one of their biggest musical influences. Duece Bug, however isn’t your typical rapper.
Priding himself on being unique, Duece Bug describes his upcoming album, Fuck Duece Bug, saying it’s “a little different, a little edgy,” adding “it definitely stretches the parameters of conventional hip-hop music. It even stretches the parameters of unconventional underground hip-hop music.” According to Duece Bug the album features “crazy live instrumentation,” including appearances by all of the members of the rock group Edison.
Fuck Duece Bug was produced by both Duece Bug and Kenny Cash from Factory Underground studios in Norwalk. With samples from everyone from Weezer, to Earth Crisis, to the aforementioned Tom Waits, Duece Bug sizes up the effort saying “it’s weird, it’s out there, but it bangs.”
Duece Bug’s musical history actually starts with classic rock, as he’d listen to the likes of The Doors, Lynard Skynard, the Grateful Dead, and the Steve Miller Band, as a youth. Hip-Hop, he says, was also always there at every turn, with artists such as Ghostface Killah having always had a place in his collection.
When he was in middle school Duece Bug formed a band with some friends. Calling themselves Blacklisted, the group was originally inspired by Nirvana, and other similar bands. Duece Bug and his friends, however, quickly found the punk rock and hardcore scenes more to their liking.The band continued to make music throughout their high school years, but like most high school relationships, they broke up after graduation, with each member going their separate way. Duece Bug found himself in New York City, at the Institute of Audio Research, meeting a bevy of emcees and producers.
Having written what were essentially raps during his time with his hardcore band, and having a longstanding appreciation of hip-hop, Duece Bug started to feel inspired to create some hip-hop of his own. “After going to school and learning production and engineering a little bit, that’s when I started to get into it, both the production and writing rhymes.”
Duece Bug quickly found that hip-hop and hardcore has some distinct similarities. “I can’t really say that writing rhymes is much different than writing lyrics for hardcore,” he explains, adding that hardcore and hip-hop are also similar in that “the scenes kind of come from the streets.” Duece Bug notes “you can’t really compare rap to many other genres of music, you can try reggae, and R&B, but hardcore has that same kind of street mentality.”
The similarities between the two genres’ writing styles and mentalities made the transition from hardcore to hip-hop a relatively easy one for Duece Bug. “The only thing that was difficult about the transition was that not a lot of people that I’ve dealt with (in hip-hop) come from a hardcore, punk rock, or even heavy metal kind of background, so when I have my vision, I’m working with producers, and they don’t have the same influences. Sometimes that makes it a little difficult, but (other than that) it’s been a pretty much seamless transition.”
Fuck Duece Bug is Duece Bug’s second hip-hop project, his first being his self-distributed demo, Consider The Source. While some artists like to flood the market with albums, Duece Bug decided to the stage instead, performing locally and opening for such big name act as House of Pain, La Coka Nostra, Method Man and Redman, Mr. Lif, Reef the Lost Cauze, and Ghostface Killah. The shows have been part of the paying dues process for Duece Bug, who feels so passionate about that aspect of the game it’s the reason his name is spelled with a Due in it. (For those of you looking for a reason as to why Fabolous spells his name the way he does... that may even be a mystery to him.)
Duece Bug’s next show will be his album release party for Fuck Duece Bug, which will be on July 30th at the Factory Underground studio in Norwalk, which features an event space and an art gallery. In addition to Duece Bug, legendary underground emcee Cage will be performing with DJ Chauncey, and Sean Martin of Hatebreed. Political Animals will be the opening act, and Ant Farm Affiliates emcee Pruven will be holding things down as the host.
Already excited for the show, Duece Bug says that much like how his music is different and edgy, his time on stage reflects that, as well. Energy will be in abundance on the 30th, as he notes “I bring that hardcore with me every time I perform.”
There was a time in hip-hop when everyone was singing about Tennessee, conversing with Mr. Wendell, and enjoying being Everyday People. That time was 1992, when Arrested Development’s 3 Years, 5 Months & 2 Days in the Life Of... was on its way to reaching quadruple platinum and a wide variety of hip-hop was heard regularly on the radio. Album sales numbers, and radio playlists, have changed for the worse over the years, but Arrested Development has stayed the positive musical force they’ve always been. The group is currently on a North American tour, and RapReviews managed to catch up with both Speech and Eshe to find out what else they’ve been up to, why they’re bigger overseas than in the US, and what people can do to change the current landscape of the American music scene.
This week's free song from Coolzey's Coolzey and the Search for the Hip Hop Hearts - Volume I: He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper is "No Solicitations." Tack Fu provided the beat, and the video that was shot by Jay Johnson, and directed and edited by Jason Hennesy, features a Willy Loman-esque story that involves internet porn and assumed further perversions.
Many great producers don’t get the face time they deserve, which is why this week I made a trip behind the boards to catch up with beatsmith extraordinaire, Willie Green. Originally from Hartford, CT, but now residing in Brooklyn, there’s a good chance you’ve heard Green’s work, but just don’t realize it. He has production credits on the Super Chron Flight Bros’ latest album, Cape Verde, and on Premonition’s just released The Build. Green’s latest solo release is Dirty Jordans and when he sat down with me we discussed the album, why he likes the idea of dirty, rather than clean, Jordans, and what he has in common with some other famous Willie Greens, including an NBA player and an organic farm.
Adam Bernard: I usually start these interviews by asking about an artist’s background info, but yours is tattooed right on you in the form of a Hartford Whalers logo. How long did you live in Hartford, when did you leave, and why does the city hold a place so dear in your heart that you decided to get the tattoo? Willie Green: I was born in Hartford and lived there and in its surrounding towns for 18 years, mostly in Windsor. I still have a ton of family in the Hartford area, including both my parents. I left to go to college in Boston and after I graduated I stayed there till moving to Brooklyn three years ago. I feel most people have a pretty strong attachment to where they were born, and although it's not the global powerhouse city that a New York or LA is, it'll always be home. I remember going to Whalers games with my father as a kid, not because we were big hockey fans, but because it was just fun shit to do. They're still the Whale as far as I'm concerned, the Carolina Hurricanes don't exist to me. Plus, it's the best logo in the history of sports. Seriously, design genius.
Adam Bernard: Speaking of famous logos, your new album is titled Dirty Jordans. What’s the significance of your Jordans being dirty? Don’t most folks try to keep em crispy? Willie Green: For the record, I actually don't own a single pair of Jordans. I can't really be spending that kind of money on sneakers. I am however a fitted cap junkie, when I spend money on kinda unnecessary clothing, it's hats. I'm somewhere in the neighborhood of 40-50 at the moment. But the significance of the album title is the contradiction. I like odd combinations of things; contrast, like beautiful orchestras with record noise all over them. Shit, when I'm making beats, I might add more noise if there's not enough. That's not to say I don't enjoy incredible recordings, but sometimes you have to grime things up a little.
Adam Bernard: There’s no rapping on Dirty Jordans, but some of the tracks were also used on the latest Super Chron Flight Bros album. From a production standpoint, how difficult is it to make it work both ways? Willie Green: Yeah, some were on Cape Verde, and some were also on my homey Afro DZ Ak's album Elevation. It's really just a matter of being able to switch your mind into a different mode, which is something I've become pretty successful at. In the past few years I played the roles of Producer/Engineer/Studio Manger/A&R/all the other stuff I don't have a manager to do for me. The only way to do all this stuff successfully is to look at each role objectively and separate from the other work. This is the same mindset. All the vocal samples on Dirty Jordans, and last years ...Of Heroes and Villains for that matter, are very strategically placed. That's part of that contrast - the rhythm of the spoken voice against the more traditional rhythm of drums and keys, etc. I know that sounds really music snobby, but it makes total sense over here. Working with emcees is very different, because while I treat vocal samples as part of the song, with a live vocalist, they're the focus, and the arrangement supports them. The tracks on Jordans have a lot more effects and dramatic drops, some stuff I would never do with a vocalist on the track.
Adam Bernard: Each track on Dirty Jordans is short, with all 30 songs adding up to just over 30 minutes of music. Why did you keep the songs short and what do you think is gained by this? Willie Green: Well, this album was somewhat of an experiment to begin with. It was the first instrumental project I'd ever done, it was finished a year before ...Of Heroes and Villains, but I kinda like the shorter tracks as opposed to the longer style, which can sometimes lose focus a bit. This may move by a bit fast, but I think I bridged the songs well, so all in all it works.
Adam Bernard: I know some producers who always go out and buy the latest gear, and others who stick with their favorite standbys. What’s in your studio, and what did you use to create Dirty Jordans? Willie Green: I've gone through phases of having lots of gear and keyboards, and having very little. At the moment, I'm minimal, apart from a turntable and stacks of records, and my DVD player and piles of DVDs. All my synths and drums are in the computer. I use mostly Native Instruments synths, like Battery and Kore, and mostly Universal Audio effects for mixing. I use Steinberg's Nuendo for recording and mixing, which is similar to ProTools, but has some differences I prefer. For this project, though, I also used Ableton Live, which let me do the gradual tempo changes. It’s deep software that I just scratched the surface of.
Adam Bernard: As we mentioned earlier, in addition to your own work, you also produced a large chunk of the latest Super Chron Flight Bros. album. How did you link up with them? Willie Green: I heard their first album Emergency Powers about six months before I moved to New York. It was a steep learning curve at first, but after a few listens I was like, "damn, this shit is crazy!" It's challenging music, but I love that. Music is too easy for listeners. There's a rapper who's style is to say a metaphor, and then in the next line explain it. That’s not even trying to give listeners a chance to be intelligent. Music should be accessible, but also stretch a little, too. It's a thin line, but the Flight Brothers do it very well. When I moved to BK the first people I reached out to were Backwoodz Studioz. The homey Zu over there set up a meeting with me and Billy Woods (of Super Chron), and since I had just finished Dirty Jordans that's what I played him. He brought a copy back to Priviledge (the other half of Super Chron), and they picked out a bunch of tracks, enough tracks that when I talked to the label about putting out Dirty Jordans they asked me to wait until Cape Verde was released and to drop them together, hence why ...Of Heroes and Villains leapfrogged. I got along great with the Flight Brothers, plus had studio access and engineering skills, so it went from just placing a couple beats to Executive Producing and being the "third Flight Brother."
Adam Bernard: That’s awesome! Who else have you been working with recently? Willie Green: The big news, especially in New York, is this newly released project from Premonition, The Build. I'm Executive Producer on that, along with having four beats on there. Prem is a beast, and quality people, which always makes for good records. I'm also doing a one producer/one emcee project with HiCoup from New Jersey. I'm really excited about that one. Hi is crazy talented, and great to work with. His rhyme patterns are incredible and bring out a different character in these tracks. And work is starting on my next album, titled We Live In The Future. That won't be an instrumental, I'm hand picking emcees for it. That's not coming out until late next year, though, I'm taking my sweet time with it.
Adam Bernard: Finally, what do you think you have in common with other famous Willie Greens, such as the NBA player, the Delta Blues artist, and the organic farm? Willie Green: {laughs} Well, I retired from playing ball long ago, so not much in common with the one from the Sixers. Not a whole lot in common with the farmer, but I do a lot of cooking, and use a lot of organic vegetables and whatnot, so we may need to hook up a sponsorship deal. The blues musician is an interesting story because I've been going through it a little bit with one of his fans on the internet. I'm very aware and respectful of Mr. Green's blues career, but this fan apparently doesn't feel the same way about my work. This person went on Last.fm and deleted my bio and replaced it with that of the blues artist. Never mind the fact that the albums linked with that page are mine, as are the pictures, the Top Tracks, and most other things on there. I contacted them, although they haven't responded, and put my bio back up, but I was pretty surprised by that level of disrespect. It's clearly my page, just create another one, it's free! There's enough space on the internet for all of us.
With LeBron James chickening out on being a leader and running to Miami to be spooned in the arms of Dwayne Wade, now Cleveland can focus on the real hero of their city, Vinnie Scullo. Vinnie's repped Cleveland hard his entire life, even during his brief stay in Hollywood, and he's also repped hip-hop just as ferociously for just as long. Check out this classic clip from 2008 titled "Rap Sux" for all the evidence one could possibly need of why Vinnie should be replacing LeBron on all those billboards around his city.
For more on Vinnie Scullo check out the following features:
Welcome to your weekly dose of pop world musings. Covering all things pop culture, this week Pop Shots is hitting you with thoughts on everything from Lilith Fair canceling a chunk of their tour, to Melissa Etheridge canceling her latest relationship, to Lady Gaga canceling President Obama’s popularity, and since it’s Pop Shots you know everything is seasoned with a little bit of attitude.
Many fans know Reef the Lost Cauze as the venomous emcee whose mean mug could scare the concrete off the sidewalk. When I caught up with Reef, however, I found a much different man than the one the current image of him would lead one to assume him to be. Yes, he can still spit fire with the best of them, and his ice grill is unreal, but Reef is actually quite the happy, relaxed, man. During my conversation with Reef he told me the reasons why he’s mellowed out, his thoughts on being one of the first artists to release an album on Jedi Mind Tricks’ new label Enemy Soil, and why he’s considering changing his name.
On Friday, July 8th, 2006, the landmark independent hip-hop program BET Uncut aired for the very last time. It was a sad moment for those of us who enjoyed the oftentimes NC-17 rated videos by artists such as Black Jesus, Joker The Bailbondsman, and Mighty Casey. Almost two years to the day, on Friday, July 4th, 2008, emcee Chaz Kangas was a guest on my radio show and we put together a half hour tribute to the legendary late night program. Now, on the fourth anniversary of the cancelation of Uncut, and the second anniversary of my and Chaz’s tribute to the show, we bring you our half hour tribute in podcast form for your listening pleasure.
You can stream or download this podcast at RapReviews.com
A quick reminder: Please do not mourn on this day, you know Uncut wouldn’t want your tears... just a couple of ones thrown in the general direction of a girl on a pole.
For more on Uncut, check out my very in depth 2002 story on the show, complete with interviews with artists, dancers, and BET staffers, at The Reality Box.
Also, Chaz Kangas has an excellent retrospective of his Top Ten BET Uncut videos of all-time on his site, Popular Opinions.
This week's free song from Coolzey's Coolzey and the Search for the Hip Hop Hearts - Volume I: He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper is "Graduation Day." Soce the Elemental Wizard provided the beat, and the video by Jason Hennesy, Grace Locke Ward and Chloe Hennesy features a kitten graduation, which makes the clip internet gold!
You may remember a few weeks ago I told a story about meeting two artists while waiting for the 6 train. The first artist was the recently featured Truth Now. The artist that was doing the beatboxing during their freestyle session was Grey Matter. After honing his craft and linking up with Kid Lucky and Beatboxer Entertainment, Grey Matter, although he still loves a good session on the train, has become one of the leading beatboxers in NYC. This week I caught up with him to find out more about how he became interested in beatboxing, why we see so few great beatboxers today, and the secret power of beatboxing that was revealed to him in Paris.
Adam Bernard: Why don’t you start everyone off with the Grey Matter story? Where are you from? Grey Matter: I was born in Texas to my biological mother, who was only 16 years old when she had me. I was then adopted by my mother and father, Arlene and Ron Gutterson. I lived the first part of my life in NYC, never really living in one house for more than a couple of years. Then we moved to Chappaqua NY, in Westchester, when I was in kindergarten. Fun fact - I lived a couple of streets away from former President Bill Clinton. In school I never really had a niche, or a thing that I excelled at, aside from video games and math. I'm still pretty good at both. My parents tried everything with me - instruments, sports, and even theatre. None of them stuck. During my sophomore year my brother Brett was going to graduate high school. My parents approached me about moving back to NYC because they worked in the city. It was while working at a camp that summer where I met some of the first people that introduced me to hip-hop, real life, and my future. They were singer/emcee David Gonzales, comedian Duncan Jay, and two breakdancers, Ize and Honey Rockwell, who both worked for an entertainment company called Travesties Entertainment. They were there to throw an end of the summer camp wide party. It just so happened that was the blackout of 2003. I made it my job to entertain them and make them feel at home, helping any way I could. It came to the point where the dance had to be cancelled, so they had to pack up and go. Before they left, though, they told me to call them when I got home so I could work with them in the future. I called the company when I got home and ended up working there for the two years I lived on the upper east side. When I worked there I was exposed to all types of cultures and different life lessons.
Adam Bernard: How did you get your start beatboxing? Grey Matter: It was a mix of a ton of different influences. The major reason was due to a combination of cause and effect. When I was younger I got bored very easily and had a pretty decent case of ADD. When I moved to NYC one of my friends was doing “step” one day in the hall to “Grindin’” by The Clipse ft. Pharrell. I thought it was the coolest thing in the world and of course I wanted to learn. Due to the fact that at that time I had no physical coordination, I failed miserably, so instead I started doing it with my mouth. I continued beatboxing through high school for no real reason until I went to Muhlenberg College. I saw the Muhlenberg Dynamics (their a capella group) performing for an open house for accepted students. That was when I really wanted to get into it. I actually beatboxed at my college interview. When I told my mom after the interview, which we had driven for two hours to get to, she wanted to smack me upside the head. I really started to take beatboxing seriously, and as somewhat of a side career, when I got out of college and started to perform more.
Adam Bernard: When people ask what you do and you tell them you’re a beatboxer what’s the type of reaction you get? Grey Matter: Most people laugh and say “no, really, what do you do?” Then I say I work for a footage licensing company during the day and I beatbox, as well. Most people don't actually believe me, especially when I'm dressed in a corporate manner, but then I drop a bit of beatbox for them. It’s usually pretty funny. Then, of course, I try to teach them how to beatbox, as well.
Adam Bernard: Is it just me or are good beatboxers getting harder and harder to find? Why do you think that is? Grey Matter: Yes, good beatboxers are harder and harder to find these days, but it all depends on your definition of "good." Every single beatboxer has their strengths and weaknesses. I’m a really loud beatboxer due to the fact that when I beatboxed for the Muhlenberg Dynamics I never had my own mic so I had to be loud, and I have a pretty decent grasp of timing. When it comes to really intricate drumming and performing, though, or even having my own set, I fall short. Beatboxing is also somewhat hard to do without constant support from people. When I started beatboxing I almost quit because people said I sounded horrible. I was actually at the Rapathon and some dude freestyled about how I sucked as a beatboxer. I stuck it out to the end of my time then peaced out right afterwards. Luckily Kid Lucky was there. He told me “Andrew (Grey Matter is recent name), you have skills. I know this. Don’t let one insignificant person keep you from beatboxing.” Due to that, and many many different people who have supported me in my life, I have continued beatboxing. When a person starts beatboxing, or doing any craft, you have to be prepared to be bad first. You only get better with practice. I would walk two miles back home from work, and during that walk I would beatbox the entire way. People would give me all types of strange looks but I didn’t care. I was doing what I loved.
Adam Bernard: Other than working with emcees, what kind of possibilities are out there for a beatboxer? Grey Matter: Tons of sound effect work, acting, you name it. I’m also a baby de-cryifyer! I was in Paris and there was a baby crying. I told my friends I was traveling with that I could stop the baby's crying with beatboxing. They said no way. Low and behold I beatboxed and the baby did a 180 and was laughing.
Adam Bernard: That’s freakin amazing! So, other than nurseries worldwide, which I assume have, or should come calling, where’s the most interesting place this skill has taken you? Grey Matter: It’s taken me to television, including being in a scene in an episode of Nurse Jackie, being a part of MTV’s Beatbox special, and doing work on a Justin Bieber promo. I’ve beatboxed for the Knicks during a time out. I’ve done tutorials that have over a million views worldwide. And as I mentioned earlier, it got me into college.
Adam Bernard: Finally, when you first started, how many faces did you accidentally spit in? You can tell me, I’m only going to broadcast it to the entire internet. Grey Matter: Let’s just say my saliva definitely made a lot of journeys onto some unfortunate faces - defective clones buggout sessions, the Subway Series, Muhlenberg Dynamics, random New Yorkers - though I have to say I feel the most sorry for my girlfriend, Lindsay Polt, and I have to thank her for all of her patience dealing with me for the past year.
This is REALLY cool. Rabbi Darkside and Hired Gun took to Brazil in 2009 and came home with a multilingual, musically diverse, project called Skillz to Take Brazil. They also came home with a lot of footage. This week's Vid Pick is Colin Guthrie's excellent six minute mini documentary on Rabbi D and Hired Gun's voyage, complete with live freestyles and concert footage from their homecoming show in NYC.
For more on these dynamic artists check out their Artist Of The Week features.
His name is Robert Adam Mayer, but everybody in NYC’s underground hip-hop scene knows him as Photo Rob. He’s the guy who, if you’re an artist, you’ve seen backstage at shows, taking pictures of everyone. Photo Rob’s done a lot more than hang out at shows, though. He’s photographed Robert De Niro, Martin Scorsese, Will Smith, Christina Aguilera, and Renee Zellweger, just to name a few. For Photo Rob, however, his true love is hip-hop. “I’m basically a hip-hop head who takes really good photos,” he explains, “and I wanted to shoot hip-hop.” And shoot hip-hop he has.
This week, with Photo Rob primed to work the next Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival, which happens next week and features a plethora of events, I caught up with him to find out more about his love of the scene, some of his favorite shoots, and the many artists he’s worked with.
Adam Bernard: When did you become a fan of hip-hop? Photo Rob: I think my first exposure to hip-hop came from my brother, who had a cassette of Kurtis Blow’s The Breaks. That must have been in 1980. That was my first exposure to hip-hop, but I think I started to really like it in the summer of ’83 with songs like Run-DMC’s “It’s Like That.”
Adam Bernard: When did you get into the underground and the scene you’re currently in? Photo Rob: I think it mostly started in late 2006. Actually, the first hip-hop record cover I shot was a Lil’ Dap twelve inch called “Brooklyn Zone” and that was released in 2001, but it was shot in ’00. It was a picture of Lil Dap on the Brooklyn Bridge and the World Trade Center’s behind him.
Adam Bernard: Wow, that’s really historic. Photo Rob: It’s incredibly historic, and it was really close to the time that the towers came down.
Adam Bernard: Are album covers something you do on a regular basis? Photo Rob: Well, after I shot that Lil’ Dap album cover I spent some time working commercially, so it wasn’t immediate. I wanted to shoot hip-hop because I love hip-hop. I went directly to all the great magazines and I was like “oh my God, I’m your guy, I’m a hip-hop head, I have a lot of photo experience, I’ve worked some rap guys, here’s my work,” but a lot of these magazines, they’re based on relationships, which I didn’t have. That’s when I started going directly to the artists. Even though I had shot the Lil Dap cover I don’t think I really broke into the independent hip-hop scene until 2007, and it was by shooting at the Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival. One of the first artists that I photographed was Fresh Daily.
Adam Bernard: Other than being at shows, how did you find artists to work with? Photo Rob: At that time I think MySpace was a really great way to connect with musicians. In 2007 you could literally send a message to any of your favorite artists and say “hey, this is what I do. Do you need some images? I would love to do a shoot with you.” I linked up with some independent artists that way. Then I did the Backstage Project, which started when I went to a Fresh Daily show that Pharaohe Monch was a part of. That was what really launched the Backstage Project because I realized that I could get access.
Adam Bernard: Could you break down what your Backstage Project entailed? Photo Rob: It was an interesting project where I would try to do studio-like photography backstage. Most photography backstage is on the fly. It’s not really technically interesting. So I would lug a backdrop, and some lighting gear, and try to make some technically good photographs backstage.
Adam Bernard: It is something you put together afterwards? Photo Rob: Right now it’s just sort of like an online archive, but I think that it’s a tremendous body of work. People have asked me if I’m going to do a book with it. Maybe one day that could be in the works, but as of right now it’s just a huge body of work from these backstage shows documenting a lot of the New York hip-hop scene.
Adam Bernard: What would you consider some of the most memorable moments you’ve photographed? Photo Rob: One that was fairly recently was photographing Rakim. Photographing Q-Tip for the cover of Wax Poetics #28 was huge. I was so excited, almost embarrassingly excited, but on the shoot, of course, I just pretty much gave him a pound, did my job, and kept my mouth shut. Doing a record cover for Large Professor, that was a big deal for me. I did it for Large Professor’s Beatz Vol. 2. It was a real interesting story. We had collaborated and one of the ideas we had talked about was having a black hoodie in the shot. If you look at the cover it’s Large Pro, he’s in a black hoodie and he’s opening his chest and his chest is the beat machine. It’s sorta like man becoming machine. I had a vision of having Large in a black hoodie. When we were on the way I was like “did you bring the black hoodie,” and he was like “oh man, I don’t have it, but it’s OK, we’ll do the best we can.” A lot of times shoots come together on the fly. We went to the studio and I started to set up and I looked on top of the piano and there was a black hoodie laying there. Large Pro and I looked at it, picked it up, looked at each other, and I got the chills. I really felt there was something greater going on there at that moment.
Adam Bernard: That’s pretty awesome. Moving to events, what are you looking forward to covering next? Photo Rob: I just photographed The Roots’ show, and the next Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival, which is coming up on July 10th, is gonna be a really good one. The whole week of Bodega stuff is really cool. There’s also a Duck Down 15th anniversary event at B.B. King’s on the July 13th.
Adam Bernard: Who are some of the people who have been the most instrumental when it comes to the hip-hop portion of your career? Photo Rob: Wes Jackson of the Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival, and Greg Trani (who co-founded the festival). Torae (of Double Barrel). Fresh Daily and the AOK crew. I was pretty much there when that was forming and really documented those guys. I would also like to give a shout to Tanya Morgan, DJ Eclipse from Halftime Radio, Sucio Smash, Duck Down Records, and Peter Agoston, who pulled me into the Knitting Factory. I don’t think I would have the same career without him.
Adam Bernard: Is there anyone out there you haven’t had a chance to photograph that you’d like to? Photo Rob: I’ve done a lot of magazine work, but I would like to grow that on a more international level. After photographing Rakim I really feel like that was like, OK, I’ve photographed my favorite emcee. That was a really big moment for me. There are a lot of really great A-list emcees out there, and it would be great to do a cover of a magazine with some of these humungously famous guys, and I imagine that’s coming, but I’m really comfortable with what I’m doing today. I really love the hip-hop scene in New York, being a part of it, and helping guys without covers. I think there are plenty of magazine covers with the huge acts. They’ve gotten their credit. For me, it would be more exciting to shoot some of these guys I’m documenting right now and shoot their national magazine covers. There are a lot of super amazing poets, emcees, in New York City right now that are really talented. They’re not on the radio, they’re not on the cover of XXL, they’re not on the cover of People Magazine, and they should be.
B-Listers are a select group of artists that were featured in my Artist Of The Week series that ran every Monday from April of '06 to April of '11. All of these artists have two things in common; extreme talent, and a flight path far too under the radar for my liking. They took on the title of B-Listers as they embraced being featured by me, Adam B. Check out the AOTW Archives for all the interviews.
