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
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 what Bruno Mars does when he’s bored (hint, it’s not legal), to what one bored NYC Firefighter was looking to do with Madonna, to the latest artist autobiography that will probably leave me bored, and since it’s Pop Shots you know everything is seasoned with a little bit of attitude.
If anyone ever decided to build a museum of 90s pop culture, Saved by the Bell would deserve its own wing. The exploits of Zack, Slater, Kelly, Jessie, Lisa, and Screech are etched in the memories of most everyone who grew up during that time, and reruns of the show are still on television five days a week. What people may not realize is that some of the actors and actresses that appeared on the show for only one episode, or a short storyline, have gone on to see an impressive amount of success. The following are eleven people you’re probably pretty familiar with, that you might not know were on Saved by the Bell.
Fall is here, and with the new season upon us you need new tunes. I understand that, which is why I packed this month’s 35+ minute edition of The Adam B Experience with nine songs, including three ABX artist debuts. There’s also the usual amount of me being an idiot thrown in for good measure. It’s good music and a good time all wrapped up in one podcast.
Jesse Abraham - Yoga godAWFUL - Hold On F. Stokes - Jo Jo Dancer Otis Clapp - Welcome II Nowhere Top $ Raz - Golden Deathrow Tull - Muerte la Petit Soce The Elemental Wizard - Bacon The Rising Sun Quest - Promo Track P.SO - Some Fun (Redux)
When I first saw F. Stokes he was opening for P.O.S., Dessa and Astronautalis in NYC during their March tour. His passion, and the way he literally jumped into the crowd to be with the fans, was inspiring. I didn’t get a chance to catch up with him then, but after he performed in CT earlier this month, on a bill with Sketch Tha Cataclysm, Expertiz, Ceschi and Louis Logic, we were finally able to exchange information. This week we sat down for what for me was a long awaited interview, and during it F. Stokes opened up about his previous homelessness, his strained relationship with his father, and the intimate connection he has with everyone at his shows.
Adam Bernard: Your first initial isn’t F and your last name isn’t Stokes, so how’d you end up with the moniker F. Stokes? F. Stokes: In the late 70s/early 80s there was a gentlemen who served as somewhat of a Robin Hood-like figure to my neighborhood. His name was Flukie Stokes. As a child I would hear my uncles and aunts speak of Flukie with great admiration. He was a man of many layers - flamboyancy, confidence, resilience, loyalty. During my “find a cool rapper name” phase Flukie was my choice because of his ambassador-like presence to the south side of Chicago. Even though I’m far removed from the south side of Chicago, the name F. Stokes reminds me of where I am from. Rodney is also fine.
Adam Bernard: From the south side of Chicago, to a homeless shelter in Madison, WI, to living in Brooklyn, NY, your life has been quite the journey. Have you found there to be one continuous theme prevalent throughout all of it? F. Stokes: {laughs} Excellent question. Throughout my life the word “home” has always been multi-dimensional to me. I've stayed in many youth hostels, shelters, basements, bus terminals. I've slept on so many couches my back hurts. I've structured my life in such a way that where I sleep is like my 70th priority. I am on a mission to continue to enlarge the platform on which I am heard, and in doing so I've sacrificed any idea of normalcy in regards to my living conditions. When I’m on stage and I feel my words pluck spiritual and emotional chords in people. The fact I slept on a floor nine hours prior to show time is meaningless. Where I lay my head at night to me is ground static; a penny in between railroad lines. The stage is my home. Completely.
Adam Bernard: How would you compare touring as an independent artist to homelessness? F. Stokes: They’re similar in many aspects. When I’m on tour, I become interwoven into the fabric of whatever town or city I am in. One of the joys of being able to travel is to see/feel first hand the affects of my music and personality beyond the emotion one would convey at my show. I truly believe it’s my journey to plaint seeds around the world. Ever since I was a child I've always been infatuated with the idea of traveling, and seeing the world, touching souls beyond my neighborhood. When I build with people, that connection is generally for a lifetime. I've never been recklessly homeless. Like us all, at times, I may fall into rare pockets of redundancy, but whenever I've been homeless it’s been because I believe in my dream so much that I’m willing to sacrifice what most would consider basic needs. After a show when someone buys a CD, it’s because they connect and admire my courage to disregard the idea of being a robot; work, sleep, work, dream, get married, etc. They go “this guy is brave, and I wanna support his mission.” It’s the same as when I was homeless; people felt compelled to let me crash on their couch because they admired my determination.
Adam Bernard: How do you think your father’s incarceration for murder has affected your outlook on life? F. Stokes: My father and I are two completely different individuals. Granted, we're attached to some of the same social circumstances, but we are not connected in many ways. Frankly, my father has hurt and disappointed me in ways that are beyond words. My father is a very sensitive subject for me. I’m literally fighting tears right now. His incarceration for murder has been somewhat of a black stain and embarrassment to me. My father is a sad story because at one point in my life he was Superman to me. Now I look at him with pity, and guilt. Perhaps I’m a bit ashamed. All of these emotions are mixed with a very acute need I have to feel loved. There’s a corner of me that feels like my father wouldn't accept me for who I am; the way I dress at times, my choice of woman, my intimate approach with most things in life. My father being disappointed in me scares me. I really just want my old man to love me. I feel so bad for him. He is so charismatic, so charming. I mean, he is a stone cold gangster, as well, but when I see him I see a helpless, constrained, weak... baby. Yeah, a baby. A poor baby. I’m not sure if theirs a definitive answer to this question buddy.
Adam Bernard: Let’s move on to a happier topic. I’ve seen you live twice, and each time you’ve had this really incredible connection with the crowd. Why do you think the crowd connects with you so? F. Stokes: Firstly, thanks for the kind words and showing your support at my shows. I appreciate you. I use the stage as my pallet to not only entertain, but to generate hope and provoke conversation and thought. When I look in the crowd I see the girl who was raped. I see the Mexican brother who bears this look of complete defeat because he can't find a job. I see the busboy, the factory worker, the starving artist. These are my people, so when I’m on stage I take it as my responsibility to give life to their story. That’s why there’s a connection. I take high pride in my stage show and I’m constantly looking for ways to improve my live performance. There’s always room for growth, brother.
Adam Bernard: You have a few releases people can pick up, the Baked Goods mixtape and the full length album Death of a Handsome Bride. What make each of these albums unique? In other words, why should people pick up both? F. Stokes: Because it’s good music and it comes from a fella who actually cares and take pride in his craft. I promise to always give the listener 100%, all I ask for in return is your ears.
Adam Bernard: Your live sets can vary greatly when it comes to the topic matter and moods of individual songs. Do you feel your albums are similar in that way? F. Stokes: Of course. Each song has a different meaning so the mood change is imperative. My album varies in subject matter, so the mood change may seem a bit reactionary at times, but it’s needed for me to fully express how I feel.
Adam Bernard: Do you think it’s fair to label you a success story at this point? F. Stokes: My story is still in motion, brother. I’m really learning as I go. Up until this point, yes, I've defied the odds and circumstances of being a poor Black man, so you could label me a success based off my upbringing and family history, but when the books close I truly want to be an example for all people. The “success story” talk will probably be a bit more fitting when you can purchase my autobiography. For now, I’m just taking it one stage at a time, brother.
Adam Bernard: Finally, what’s beautiful to F. Stokes? F. Stokes: The fact that I look at everyone as teachers. I am probably one of the most inquisitive people you will ever meet. I truly believe that we should all aspire to inspire. That’s in addition to my beard, of course. It’s a beauty!
Far too many hip-hop videos are filmed in cliche locations. The corner, and the club, have become hip-hop staples, mostly because of their ease of use. What those kinds of clips will never have are the breathtaking visuals of Illus' "Beautiful Day," which was filmed in Hawaii, and more than lives up to the song's title. I've always wanted to visit Hawaii, and after seeing this clip I think I may want to move there. Perhaps Hawaii's tourism board should holler at Illus and Jules Fox, who shot the video, to do a collaboration.
New York City is oftentimes referred to as a melting pot, and Miz Metro is the musical embodiment of what happens when the contents of that melting pot is ready to be served. “I’m basically New York personified,” she says of her musical style, “I grew up with so many different cultures in New York City that my music is influenced by the diversity of the fine city that I proudly rep.”
Miz Metro was originally inspired to make music after hearing Etta James’ Etta James Rocks the House, and with her band, 86Supreme, she’s creating a unique brand of soul that she recently debuted at Joe’s Pub in, where else, New York City. CMJ audiences will get a taste of Miz Metro later this year, and she plans on having an EP ready in the coming months, as well.
When we caught up with Miz Metro she was just getting off the subway, which is incredibly appropriate considering she has Metro in her name and rocks handmade MetroCard earrings. While walking together she told us about her music, working with Keith Shocklee of the Bomb Squad, and her “refuge for the rebels” of creativity.
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 Lindsay Lohan’s latest indiscretion, to the charges against Russell Brand and Adam Lambert, to our favorite “Criminal” female releasing a new album, and since it’s Pop Shots you know everything is seasoned with a little bit of attitude.
When you go to a hip-hop show you don’t necessarily expect to see a guy hit the stage with a guitar in his hand. “I kind of like that,” Ceschi says with a smile, “I like not fitting in at a show and kind of tricking the audience into paying attention to me.”
One of the New Haven resident’s favorite such moments happened in Berlin, Germany. “I was playing with my friend 2Mex out there and it was like this straight up dance club,” he remembers, “girls were dressed up all fancy and they were just there to dance and party. I picked up my guitar and did one of my saddest songs, I opened with that, and I saw these girls straight up start dancing to it. There were maybe five girls trying to move to my slowest, saddest, song.”
An accomplished emcee, but also an accomplished musician in a host of other genres of music, Ceschi was recently named Best Indie Rock act in the Advocate’s 2010 Grand Band Slam. It’s an honor he says he was thrilled to receive, because although his recent solo work was been more on the indie hip-hop side of things, he’s always embraced and performed a variety of styles of music.
Born in New Jersey, and having spent his early years growing up in Berkeley, CA, before moving to New Haven as a young teenager, Ceschi found hip-hop early in life. While in California he became interested in rap music, although mostly pop-rap, as a youth, and even had one of the DJs from Digital Underground living down the street from him. Despite being surrounded by hip-hop, Ceschi notes he still explored other genres of music. “I was really into rock, punk, metal, and it was kind of on and off. When I came to CT I actually really got back into (hip-hop).”
His musical journey took another interesting turn when a band he was a part of, Toca, found themselves with a record deal thanks to Snoop Dogg’s management team. The world of the mainstream music industry, however, didn’t turn out to be what he was looking for. “It was really bizarre working with all these people who had this real mainstream attitude about how to release our music. The experience just made me really wanna put out my own music in my own way.” Toca broke up in 2007 and Ceschi got to work on creating Fake Four.
Fake Four is the label Ceschi launched in 2008 thanks to the help of Grimm Image Records in California and Squids Eye Records in Ohio. According to Ceschi “without their support we wouldn’t have been able to get off the ground.”
The name Fake Four comes from Ceschi’s four fingered right hand (he’s missing a pinky), and is also a reference to his first album, Fake Flowers, that came out in 2004. The label has also more than just gotten off the ground, it’s become a major force in the indie hip-hop world. When Fake Four put out Freestyle Fellowship co-founder Myka 9’s 2009 album, titled 1969, Ceschi says “that when I realized we were really getting serious. That’s when we first got our publicists. Myka 9 is one of my favorite rappers ever, so when I could put out his record I realized that we were pretty much a legitimate label and doing everything.”
In the past year indie hip-hop labels have been dropping like flies, the biggest being Def Jux, which went “on hiatus” this past February. The ever growing roster at Fake Four, combined with the ever shrinking number of labels putting out indie hip-hop, has quickly put Fake Four in a position of prestige. “It’s intimidating in a way,” Ceschi says frankly, “but at the same time, people are showing us that love.”
While the label is, much like Ceschi, not limited in any way musically, Ceschi’s latest release, The One Man Band Broke Up, is a decidedly hip-hop effort. A thematic album that revolves around a main character named Julius, Ceschi says “it’s kind of like a Ziggy Stardust kind of story in the sense that it’s the old rise to fame, bitter defeat, kind of tale. It’s very personal. A lot of it’s about indie hip-hop, and the state of indie hip-hop right now, and the music industry right now. Some of the stories within the concept are directly taken out of my life on the road and the people I’ve met.”
Ceschi’s been telling those stories worldwide, and he’ll be hitting the road again next month to tour the UK with Akil from Jurassic 5 and Louis Logic. Before he heads overseas, however, he has two shows in CT (see inset), just don’t be surprised when you see him hit the stage with a guitar in his hand.
One has to assume it isn’t going to be easy to catch up with someone who’s latest album is titled The Foreign Globester. The Motion Man collaboration with the Rondo Brothers (pictured L to R) just recently hit the streets, and I managed to catch up with the everywhere man for a few minutes when his travels happened to cross paths with mine. During our conversation Motion Man told me a little bit about working with the Rondo Brothers, the positive qualities of being a foreign globester, and why he has no qualms about linking up with people for projects.
I first met Otis Clapp at the start of the summer at a BBQ in The Bronx. Although he told me a little bit about his music, a few artists we were mutual friends with told me a lot more. For me, this is a telltale sign that I need to keep an ear out for someone. When Otis Clapp’s album, Welcome II Nowhere, dropped I put it in my CD player and was extremely impressed by what I heard. When I sat down with him the other day for an interview, my jaw dropped at some of his very real life stories. A true survivor, Otis Clapp opened up about his extremely rough past, and how it affects him in the present. He also laid out the road map for how we can all get a first class trip to our own personal Nowhere. Before making that journey, however, I received a tour of his Nowhere.
Adam Bernard: Start everyone off with a little bit of your personal history. Where are you from and why were you drawn to hip-hop? Otis Clapp: I’m from Queens, NY. I came up in a time when being a rapper, or emcee, wasn’t the “cool” thing to do. I actually wasn’t always a fan of hip-hop, I grew up on rock n roll. When I was 15 I started writing a little bit and got into hip-hop very slowly. Eventually I became a student of the game and a slave to the art.
Adam Bernard: You’re fairly new in NYC’s hip-hop scene. How receptive have you found the other artists in the scene to be, and did any artist in particular reach out to you when you first started looking to make a name for yourself? Otis Clapp: Honestly, people have been real receptive to me and what I’m doing. More recently than in the beginning, though. I mean, it’s not that other artists were being NOT receptive, it’s just that when people started meeting me I wasn’t really trying to jam my music down their throat. I knew I’d have my chance to get heard, so I just came out to shows supported artists that I felt were dope and tried to link and collab with the ones I felt. No one really reached out to me per say, I definitely came in alone, knowing no one, but I met Felecia Cruz at an event and chopped it up with her. I started booking my own shows at this spot she was running and she introduced me to my brother Warren Britt, and her and Warren introduced me to a bunch of people. So to answer your question, no one really reached out to me, but people like Warren Britt, Felecia Cruz and definitely Top $ Raz and Kalil Kash, have been spreading the word about what I’m doing.
Adam Bernard: You recently released Welcome II Nowhere. In it you state Nowhere isn’t a place, but a state of mind. How did you get into the Nowhere state of mind, and is it a state of mind you find inspiring, or infuriating? Otis Clapp: Nowhere is a state of mind, but it’s YOUR state of mind. It’s really whatever you make it. For me, Nowhere is real dark at times, other times it’s glorious. Sometimes it’s a struggle being nowhere, sometimes it’s being on top of the world. So most def sometimes it’s inspiring, but sometimes infuriating. I think your Nowhere derives from how you were raised, obstacles you've overcome, obstacles you're still facing... feel me?
Adam Bernard: Most of the album has a decidedly dark feel to it. Do you consider your outlook on life a dark one, or was this a thematic choice for Welcome II Nowhere? Otis Clapp: My outlook on life is definitely a dark one. My dad got heavy into drugs and bounced out of my life when I was six years old. It got real bad towards the end, to the point where he was selling all our toys for drugs and shit. I remember my dad throwing me and my brother in a cab in the middle of the night and taking us to the projects and leaving us outside in the cab so he could run inside and do drugs. I remember him tellin the cab driver “don’t go anywhere. If you leave with my kids I’ll find you,” and then he’d spend like an hour inside getting high or whatever. I remember after he bounced on us my mom was on food stamps, we were late with rent every month, eating macaroni and butter for dinner because we had no money. Then my mom married another clown who was physically and mentally abusive. Imagine waking up to someone tellin you how ugly you are, or how you're never gonna be shit, for 13, 14 straight years of your life. He used to beat the shit out of us daily. Shit was crazy. So growing up, even to this day, I’m definitely in a dark ass mind state. Nothing’s nice over here. My brother’s serving a two year bid upstate. I just got arrested last year on some possession bullshit. There’s a lot of madness in my life.
Adam Bernard: That’s extremely intense, and in your music you aren’t shy about your checkered past. At times you seem almost boastful about some of your actions, but in the next breath you’ll say you aren’t proud of many of the things you’ve done. Is this a case of emcee bi-polarism, or are we listening to you coming to grips with your past? Otis Clapp: It’s not that I’m boastful, it’s just that I have a story to tell. My music reflects my life, past and present. I think more so than anyone else in the scene right now... I mean, I’ve done a lot of foul shit in my life. I remember one year around Christmas me and my boys drove around robbing Christmas shoppers for their gifts that they bought. The way I grew up, and the shit I’ve been through, I felt like “fuck it, I got nothing to lose,” but now that I’m older I think about that shit every year around Christmas. I try to donate money every year to charities because of all the dumb shit I’ve done, but I can’t just act like none of this shit never happened. Maybe someone else could learn from some of the foul shit I’ve done.
Adam Bernard: Finally, to end things on a much lighter note, tell me about your Kermit the Frog tattoo. To get an image tatted on your body you have to have some pretty strong feelings about it, so why Kermit? Otis Clapp: I’ve always been a huge fan of The Muppets, like that was my shit! Some people are into Star Wars, or Star Trek, or some shit like that; me, I love The Muppets. Honestly, I’m a big kid. I still watch cartoons any chance I can get. All I really enjoy are sports and cartoons. {laughs}
There's something very cool about this video and it isn't just the very creative clip starring Deep of 2 Hungry Bros. "The Essence," and what fans have been doing for it, and Homeboy Sandman, over the past week make it doubly special. Up as one of MTVu's "Freshman," which requires internet votes to decide which new video gets put into rotation, a group of Sandman's friends, family, and fans, came together to make sure people were clicking votes for him at all hours of the day and night. Although he finished mere percentage points behind another clip (a clip that happened to be by a famous artist's sons), Sandman still leaves the competition a true winner for developing such a dedicated fan base that's willing to go to bat for him like this. Enjoy the video.
When Grant Harris first started making music in his home in Lake County, Illinois, he never imagined he’d end up having a dedicated fan base and becoming Breathe Electric. That’s a reality for him now, though, and when I caught up with the electro-pop artist I found out how it all happened, as well as what very strange item he keeps in his van, and why you might want to think twice before cutting him off in traffic.
Adam Bernard: How’d you come up with the name Breathe Electric?
Breathe Electric: I wrote the music originally just kind of for fun, and started putting it online. It started getting really good feedback, so we were like maybe I should put an actual name to it. My best friend growing up, who’s actually my tech now, we were going back and forth and he came up with Breathe Electric and we thought it kinda described the music a little bit and it’s ear catching, so we went with it.
AB: You recently released your third EP, Lovestruck. The EP format is something a lot of indie artists are utilizing. Why do you use it?
Breathe Electric: I think for an indie artist especially, it’s tough to put out a full length, tour on it for a year and a half, and then record. I feel like when you’re not being pushed into a lot of outlets it’s tough to keep kids’ attention, so releasing six songs every eight months, or six months, something like that, I think when you’re constantly doing new music you’re more in tune with the band and you’re more likely to stick around.
AB: Do you think that could become a new business model with the way the music industry is going right now?
Breathe Electric: I think it absolutely can. I think we’ve already seen a lot of bands starting to release music faster and in less quantity. I’ve also seen a lot of bands that come out with full lengths that are like eight songs and two bonus tracks, so it’s still almost basically an EP.
AB: Personally, I like the format because it leaves you wanting more.
Breathe Electric: It really does, and after listening to six songs you’re more likely to keep an eye out for when that band is putting out albums.
AB: Now, you’re saying “band,” but Breathe Electric is just you, correct?
Breathe Electric: It’s just me. I have four guys who play with me live, and a crew, out there, but as far as the writing and recording and all that, everything is me.
AB: It’s a good thing you have a crew because if you didn’t it would get pretty lonely on the road all by yourself, hitting up all these Warped Tour dates.
Breathe Electric: I think I would probably die after about a week just from the driving. Plus I would probably get here at like three in the afternoon everyday and only be able to stay until five, so I would never get to catch my set and I wouldn’t sell anything and it would be terrible.
AB: What’s your travel situation? What are you riding in?
Breathe Electric: We’re in a van, a van and trailer and we’re driving it ourselves, obviously.
AB: Is there anything interesting in your van that people should know about, or shouldn't know about?
Breathe Electric: We have a big lion head in the back. It’s like a mascot head that we’ll take out once in a while and walk around with when it’s not too hot.
AB: Mascot heads are never good on hot days.
Breathe Electric: When it’s 100 degrees outside it’s like 200 degrees in there.
AB: What else do you have in your ride?
Breathe Electric: We have so many Vans shoes. They give them to us, and most of us wear Vans anyway, so it’s just like piles and piles of them, used and not used, and it smells terrible. They’re all under the seats.
AB: With that in mind, I have one final question; have you ever felt like if someone cut you off during an especially long ride you now have enough of pairs of kicks to just throw one out the window at the perpetrator?
Breathe Electric: I haven’t yet, but I might.
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 Lady Gaga’s firm grasp on the VMA’s moonmen, to Justin Bieber’s less than firm grasp on an assortment of water balloons, to the newest addition to Mario Lopez’s crew that you can be sure he won’t be dropping, and since it’s Pop Shots you know everything is seasoned with a little bit of attitude.
Depending on who you ask, Flint, Michigan punk rockers The Swellers are either a gateway band, or a nostalgia band. Lead singer Nick Diener, who started The Swellers with his brother Jonathan, explains “people in their 20s and 30s will come up to us and say ‘you remind us of that fast skate punk that I listened to in 1994’,” while on the other hand, “on that Paramore tour we were on kids came up to us and said ‘you’re the first alternative band I’ve ever seen.”
While Diener doesn’t think of the band as anything alternative, he notes The Swellers’ ability to be both a gateway band for younger audiences, and a nostalgia band for older music fans, has paid great dividends when it comes to touring as it’s given them the ability to tour with the likes of Paramore, as well as the punks bands they grew up with.
It’s while on tour that Diener connects most with the fans. He remembers after one show in Austria a young man approached him, and after the usual “great show” compliment Diener says “he stops me, he grabs me by the arms and says ‘you’re different. You’re different than the other punk bands.’ That got me really intrigued. I’m like, how so? And he said ‘my favorite punk bands in the world, I see them on stage and I hear what they say between the songs, I don’t believe them, but you, when you played that show, I believed everything you said.’”
The Swellers’ honesty is something that Diener’s focused on since he and his brother formed the band in 2002, when they were still in high school. “To me, a lot of punk bands, they call themselves punk bands, you can call them whatever you want, they pretty much talk about having these petty little girl problems, or the bully beats them up at their locker in school. I never wanted to be a band like that, even when I was 15 years old. I was like, let’s write about real life, let’s write about what’s going on.”
Real life has reared its head in ugly ways at times, as Diener notes “we’ve had some friends pass away, we’ve seen some terrible things on the road, and that’s the kind of stuff that actually makes you really value life and see how fragile it is.”
The band’s favorite venue back home, Flint Local 432, also proved to be fragile. “We learned everything we know about being a band from that venue,” Diener explains, “it’s since closed down, but that’s where I spent the best times of my life growing up.”
Currently on their ninth tour in the past year-plus, The Swellers are also hard at work on new music. The inspirations for the music, however, are ever changing, which is why Diener says the band tries hard not to limit themselves. “Since the last record I have fallen in love with a girl. Who knows how that’s gonna affect the next record. Since the last record there’s been a serial killer in my neighborhood. Who knows how that’s gonna affect the next record.”
Regardless of how those, and other, things affect their next record, with The Swellers history it’s a safe bet the finished product will affect listeners.
Bisco Smith, who lived in Fairfield during his high school days, released his third album, titled The Broadcast, earlier this year. Always a serious emcee with a penchant for strong rhymes about life and community oriented topics, The Broadcast sees Bisco taking his game to the next level. Lyrically and musically it’s obvious he’s a dyed in the wool underground hip-hop artist, there’s nothing pop about anything on the album, but unlike a lot of underground hip-hop albums the content of The Broadcast ranges far past the typical underground hip-hop fare of loving hip-hop and complaining about the mainstream. Bisco clearly cares about his community and wants to affect lives with his work. He’s well educated and has an authoritative delivery, which gives his social commentary even more of an impact. On The Broadcast he even expands past some of his darker tendencies when it comes to the beats he works with and the results are songs like the standout “Vibrations,” which is so live one can’t help but get up and get motivated by it.
Whether it’s as a member of The Coup, or Street Sweeper Social Club, Boots Riley (pictured w/ SSSC cohort Tom Morello) is never at a loss for something to say. Fresh off of the release of Street Sweeper Social Club’s The Ghetto Blaster EP, and the band’s headlining gig on the Rock The Bells tour, Boots Riley sat down with me to talk about what’s been going on with him musically, as well as which major social issue he’d address first if he was in office, and why we all may have received a call from him in the past, we just didn’t realize it and may have hung up on him.
Albert Rhymestein remembers his first attempt at freestyling. “I first freestyled in a McDonald's while on an 7th grade field trip. It was over a Snoop Dogg and Warren G instrumental, and I was absolutely terrible.” Since then his skills have been honed to the point where people in New York City have started to ask, who’s the new guy kicking ass in all the freestyle competitions?
Relatively new to the city having moved to Brooklyn just a year ago, Albert Rhymestein is quickly making a name for himself. He has a solo project on the way that’s being produced by Spills, a team project with BS, and, of course, you can always find him freestyling somewhere. This week I caught up with the scene’s newest rising star to find out more about his history, his music, and what makes his Fam!LL crew so ill.
Adam Bernard: Start me off with a little bit of your history. Where are you from and what was your journey in hip-hop like growing up? Albert Rhymestein: I was born in Lewes, Delaware, a stones throw from the Atlantic Ocean. I spent all 18 years of my pre-collegiate existence living in the same house in Milford, Delaware. Milford is a small town, not single-traffic-light small, but with an almost complete lack of culture symptomatic to small towns. I first got into hip-hop in middle school through my then best friend, a lifetime hip-hop head who took me under his wing as the “not cool” kid. He listened to a lot of more mainstream artists, but he also exposed me to Wu-Tang, Tupac, Biggie, Big L, and many other incredible emcees. I drifted from hip-hop once that friendship faded, but underwent my own personal hip-hop renaissance once I started skateboarding. All of my favorite skate videos had dope hip-hop soundtracks (from artists like) The Roots, Slum Village, Atmosphere, Gang Starr, Dilated Peoples, and The Pharcyde that had me mesmerized. I was left fiending for more, so I started listening to as much hip-hop as I could find. My friend Jorge, who I used to skate with, basically became my hip-hop partner-in-crime. We spent a while trying to write graffiti. We tried to learn how to breakdance. We got into DJing together. Rapping, however, turned out to be where I really had natural talent. Being an emcee ties together the different, though obviously related, parts of myself: my fascination with, and love for, language and storytelling, my natural inclinations toward performance, and my musical training and sensibilities - I double majored in English and Music, with a vocal performance concentration.
Adam Bernard: What do you think you have in common with Albert Einstein... or am I making a horrible assumption that that’s where you got your name from and in actuality it’s an old family name? Albert Rhymestein: {laughs} I wish that I was born an Einstein. There would be big shoes to fill, but I'd be packing some serious genetics. Honestly, though, I admire Einstein as a brilliant scientist and thinker. “Albert Rhymestein” just came to me one night a few years ago and stuck. I loved the absurdity of the pseudonym, because while referencing an incredibly influential modern intellectual, it does not take itself too seriously, and I basically consider myself to be an intelligent human being/emcee who does not take himself too seriously.
Adam Bernard: You’re part of the next generation of emcees in NYC. What was the initial reaction you received when you came into the scene? Albert Rhymestein: I was given a warm but skeptical welcome. My first interaction with the NYC scene was Hip-Hop Subway Series last December. It was a well attended, star-studded representation of NYC talent. That was also the first time I really met Grey Matter, though we went to the same small liberal arts school in Pennsylvania. I got to rhyme some during the cyphers, and spit a verse at the open mic, and everyone there was supportive and receptive. I could definitely tell that, as an unknown newcomer, I was being watched and evaluated, though. I was not at my freestyle prime, either, having so often freestyled for non-rappers, as opposed to side-by-side with experienced emcees, so it was a humbling and inspiring experience. Ever since then I've been met with continued support, having had the opportunity to work with a number of the artists who have been making waves before I even starting writing songs. The hip-hop scene in NYC is a community, through and through, and the love remains the same whether bumping into someone at a show, rocking next to them on stage, or eating barbecued chicken skewers.
Adam Bernard: I know you’re working on a group project with BS titled Dollar Coffee. How are things going with it? Albert Rhymestein: The Dollar Coffee project has already been a fun and challenging experience for both BS and I. With this album we want to display our versatility and unique styles as artists, while utilizing the strong, natural, chemistry between us to create songs that bang but also merit repeated listens. The project has also given us a space to try a lot of new things together while not settling for mediocrity. We've been highly critical of one another to ensure that we're creating quality music. I am resisting the instinct to name some of the super fresh producers/emcees that we're working with on this album, because I want it to be a little bit of a mystery for as long as possible. I like the fact that though most cats in this scene know we're brewing up an album together, they have no idea what kind of spices we're using.
Adam Bernard: Speaking of the spices you work with, tell me about Fam!LL. Albert Rhymestein: Fam!LL consists of emcees BS, Warren Britt, MC Faceman, Truth Now, and myself, emcee/poet Steve Fox, beatboxer Grey Matter, and vocalist QV. We're a loose, in no way exclusive, collective of friends and like-minded artists who consistently support one another regardless of the endeavor. Fam!LL is all BS, and as such I consider him the founder and grand-pappy of the crew. More than likely, a Fam!LL mixtape will enter the world of the living some time in the near future and when it does it will be hilarious and iller than an ER waiting room during flu season.
Adam Bernard: What’s been the wildest Fam!LL moment you’ve experienced and how well do you think that moment defines the crew? Albert Rhymestein: Though I wouldn't even label it as wild, we had a Fam!LL, sans QV & Truth Now, BBQ in Prospect Park about this summer. We grilled up a feast, had some beers and mojitos, and just enjoyed each other's company. That's one of the things I love most about hip-hop; it's not just about the music, or your career, or business relationships, but at the core of it all are real and lasting friendships between creative, talented, people.
After a poetically surreal debut of "Sir Reel" during his and Tah Phrum Duh Bush's album release party last month, when this video was played in double time before being rewound (do we really rewind things anymore?) and played at it's normal tempo, everyone was really impressed with this Coole High clip. This week I pass it along to you, so you can catch the vibe and check out Coole's amazing white suit!
An O.G. is an original gangster. Even once an O.G.'s left the life, the life is still a part of him. Big Caz knows, and has experienced, this. At one point during a music conference in Palm Springs he was forced to leave early because "I got a call from the police department saying you need to come back because we hear you stabbed eight people. That's the reputation I have."
Although it's nothing he's involved in now, Big Caz takes full responsibility for the actions that built that reputation. This week I caught up with him to find out more about his history, why he has so much vitriol for some of the biggest names in the history of "gangsta" rap, and the lessons he hopes to pass on. During the interview Big Caz took aim at a number of big name artists, from 2Pac, to Ice Cube, to Drake.
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 Kanye West mouthing off on Twitter, to Ne-Yo’s reaction to T.I. getting caught with drugs, to why one band isn’t on speaking terms with a major cola company, and since it’s Pop Shots you know everything is seasoned with a little bit of attitude.
The other day I was perusing my Twitter feed when I saw something interesting from my buddy Core Rhythm, an emcee and producer from New York who now resides in Barcelona. He was lamenting the underwhelming nature of the vast majority of hip-hop bands.
The Roots helped lay the groundwork for such acts, and with them being so great one might wonder why so many of those who’ve attempted to follow in their footsteps pale in comparison. Is it just because The Roots are THAT good, or is there something else involved?
According to a number of artists, the first, and possibly most important, aspect of being a good hip-hop band is having a special combination of musical ability and hip-hop knowledge. Lee, who is a New York based artist who writes and arranges for his own band, and is the lead emcee/singer of The Square Egg, explains “they have to have a feel and a history for the music you’re a part of. You can’t have a dude who has never heard of 9th Wonder, or Black Moon, when you are discussing a break with a band.” Core Rhythm seconds this, saying “SP-1200s, MPCs, are a hip-hop lifeblood. You can’t deny that. If the drummer doesn’t understand MPC swing he is not playing hip-hop.”
Johnny Durkin and Darian Cunning, who play in Sketch Tha Cataclysm’s band, both note that there are certain things they do differently when working with an emcee. “When rehearsing and coming up with arrangement ideas the unit functions like a DJ picking out breaks from a crate of records,” Cunning explains. “This is in contrast to the way arrangements are addressed in a rock, singer/songwriter, or jazz group, where the band acts as a collective of composers adding embellishments to a composition.” Durkin explains the differences in his playing, saying “the process for me, as the percussionist, is to LISTEN to the beat first and see if there are already percussion parts to cover. If not, before I think of making one up I listen to see if there is anything I can either bastardize or change the voicing of.”
For Cunning, the process he utilizes involves “internalizing the beat, prioritizing what parts can, and need, to be played, and rearranging the parts that can’t.” Durkin notes that the best bands truly understand this, pointing to The Roots’ version of Jay-Z’s “Big Pimpin” as an example. “On ‘Big Pimpin,’ when The Roots backed Jay-Z on Unplugged, the percussionists covered some quieter parts from the original on the bongos and tambourine, When they did that it brought some new life to the track cuz those instruments live, played with sticks, are LOUD.”
The entire onus of being a good hip-hop band, however, is not entirely on the band. According to Sketch Tha Cataclysm it’s also about having an emcee who understands live instrumentation. “Some hip-hop tracks don’t have much going on for any musicians to play and thus it becomes unnecessary to play the instrumental live. Sometimes it even takes away from what is great about the song. There are a bunch of songs I have done that I would never want to do with a live band.”
His live band, however, provides him with a number of options he really enjoys taking advantage of. “I don’t ever have to perform a song the same way twice,” he explains, “and I could add things the night of a show to allow each performance to be special.” Lee also enjoys the spontaneity of performing with a live band and notes another added bonus is that “you also never have to worry about a record skipping or your laptop getting unplugged. You can play through technical glitches.”
Core Rhythm has heard some of his production work played by live bands and he has very mixed feelings about it. Creature’s band Rebelmatic is one of the few that Core feels does it right, saying “they made a punk version of my beat. I feel that.” Workforce producer Dirt E. Dutch has also experienced his beats being played by live bands, and he says “it takes on it’s own life. Sometimes it’s a low life, and sometimes it’s a luminary genius.” What he enjoys most about it are the results of the process Durkin and Cunning discussed. “It was interesting to see how they (the bands) interpreted what I made, and also how they substituted for certain sounds that could never be made by a live instrument.”
Dutch also points out the new concept hip-hop bands have created simply by their own existence. When a band recreates a beat that was originally made with samples from other songs Dutch notes “you can almost consider it twice recycled.”
Whether it’s something “twice recycled,” or an original composition, according to Lee the keys for all hip-hop bands to reach musical greatness are balance and identity. “There has to be a balance in the sound, and the band has to forge its own identity,” he explains. “It’s tricky. You’re either a band with an emcee, an emcee with a band, or you’re a group. There is a difference. I think the perfect balance is the latter. There’s a cohesion that makes for an identity.”
When the Kottonmouth Kings formed in 1994 they could have never predicted that in 2010 they’d be 17 albums deep and still packing houses, as well as bowls, nationwide. Being that during most of their time, including the present, the group has been an independent act, theirs is truly one of the great hip-hop success stories of all-time. This week, with the group hitting the road for their Party Monsters Tour, which runs until the end of November, RapReviews caught up with the Kottonmouth Kings’ Daddy X (pictured center) to find out how they made it all happen.
It’s rare, but every once in a while the entire hip-hop community embraces a female singer and makes her an integral part the scene. In New York City that singer is Mariella. Along with iLLspoKinN, Mariella co-hosts Freestyle Mondays at Sin Sin, one of the city’s longstanding hip-hop events, and that, along with the respect everyone has for her singing abilities, has made her one of the first ladies of NYC’s underground hip-hop scene. This week I caught up with Mariella to find out about her journey in music, how she became a part of the city’s hip-hop community, and the interesting way Bob Ross has had an impact on her life. Yes, that Bob Ross, the king of the white man afro.
Adam Bernard: Where are you originally from and what were your first experiences with music? Something tells me you were the kid kicking ass at talent shows when you were like three. Mariella: {laughs} I was indeed the queen of talent shows! I was born in Washington Heights, but moved to Miami when I was about three. We settled in Hollywood by the time I was school age and I became that little girl that stood on tables and either sang, danced, or did impressions of teachers and celebrities. I was obsessed with Diana Ross, and briefly changed my name to Diana Ross. That turned out to be a phase and I went back to being Mariella. I come from a musical family, so I think my relationship with music started before the womb. My grandfather and uncle were both pretty famous musicians in Ecuador and my summers were spent practicing with my abuelito. We'd play scales, with him on alto sax, and me on the flute.
Adam Bernard: I know before your music career took off dance took you to a lot of amazing places. Was there ever any trepidation moving from dance to singing and potentially having the path you’d blazed for yourself suddenly roped off? Mariella: I've always gone with the flow and when singing took a front seat it wasn't forced or planned, so it felt like the natural evolution of things. I also always knew that the two would wind up becoming connected and they have. I'm in the process of planning a music video and it is very heavily choreographed, so it looks like I'm coming back home.
Adam Bernard: You have the unique quality of being one of the only female singers that’s totally accepted as a part of NYC’s underground hip-hop scene. Why do you think that is? What do you think it is about your style, or what you do, that attracts emcees to your work? Mariella: I think a lot of cats really respect the fact that I can freestyle sing, I'm not just ooing and aahing to fill up space, or riffing annoyingly. I take less than five seconds to hear where all the instruments lie, and come in and drop a solid melody, concept, and support the music and the emcee. I think if the music, lyrics, and melody are solid you don't need too many bells and whistles to “blow people away.” I also think I've been around forever and dudes just got used to having me around!
Adam Bernard: You co-host Freestyle Mondays at Sin Sin. How did you get that gig and how long did it take for the freestyle emcee crowd to warm up to a female singer co-host? Mariella: I walked into Sin Sin on a Monday night with my friend Julius, who also introduced me to iLLspoKinN, and there was a hip hop/dub band playing. Even though it wasn't an open mic they let me jump on the mic and sit in with them. The following week I brought iLLspoKinN and we became regulars. Fast forward a month or two and we wound up taking over the night, brought in our musicians, and turned the night into a cypher style jam. There is a lot of love and support in the underground hip-hop scene and emcees welcomed the idea (of having a woman as co-host). It was something totally different than anyone else was doing and it added a much needed female energy to an otherwise male dominated world. I soften the edges and I think they really appreciate that.
Adam Bernard: What are you working on right now? Mariella: I'm working on an EP, which is long overdue, and a serious labor of love. Two of the tracks are produced by my studio/production house Rogue Pop with my partners Nic Coolidge, Lex Sadler, and Dan Mensch. There are also dope collaborations with Jean Shepherd from Navegante, DJ Vadim, Casbah 73, and Nickodemus. I also had the pleasure of working with Zeb and Sabo on the single “Rise Again,” which has been released on several compilation CDs, and has some dope remixes out. I LOVE the J-Boogie remix.
Adam Bernard: Something else that’s been keeping you busy is your work with the after school program Urban Art Beat. What do you do with UAB and what have you found most rewarding about it? Mariella: Aside from being a songwriting mentor I am the resident vocal mentor and I also teach basic music theory. It’s truly inspiring to see the kids grow in confidence and flexing their creative muscle. The most rewarding part is empowering them with their own words, voices, and watching them shed their shyness. Shine babies, shine!
Adam Bernard: I apologize in advance if there’s an awful traumatic story behind this next question, but you have a ring finger that’s a little shorter than usual. What happened? Is there an exciting story to tell? If not, would you care to make one up? If you do, please note, I’m a big fan of lions. Mariella: You know, when children ask I tell them an alligator took off with it. The look on their horrified little faces is priceless. But the real story is that I actually lost the tip of my finger to a renegade door when I was four. Once my finger healed my parents got me a piano to keep the nerve endings from dying. You could say the accident was the catalyst to my career as a performer and songwriter. My parents offered reconstructive surgery when I turned 18, but I like my nub, it reminds me of a little alien.
Adam Bernard: Finally, I checked out some of your interests on Facebook and noticed Bob Ross is there. What makes Bob Ross so damned gangster? Mariella: I live my life according to my favorite Bob Ross quote, “we don't make mistakes, just happy little accidents.” Also, It doesn't get any realer than “happy little trees.” Believe.
This week I have something really fresh for ya from P.SO and 8thW1. The song is called "The Colo(u)r Of Dreams," it's produced by Blu, and the the video consists of random clips from a two month period in P.SO's life. From the daily grind, to performances, to sidewalk freestyles, it's all captured here.
Having steadily gained fans and notoriety since they first hit the scene in 2008, Kelsey and the Chaos are currently poised to make the next big leap in their career. The New York City based foursome of singer Kelsey Merritt, guitarist Tyler Lyons, bassist Corey DeVincenzo and drummer Nick Rotunno, are now veterans of three Warped Tours and when I caught up with them they told us about their history, how William Shatner’s been hooking them up, and what their lives are like when they’re not on tour.
Adam Bernard: When did you officially form as a band?
Kelsey: May of 2008. Nick and I met at Berklee College of Music in Boston and it’s funny, because we both went to school with the idea that we wanted to start a band. When we met we hit it off and started playing shows.
AB: Did you graduate, or were you like forget this, we have a band, that’s all we went to school for anyway?
Kelsey: We’re still students. We’re taking online classes, but right now I figure while we’re young enough to do the music thing we should give it our 100%.
AB: So does that mean you’re a phoenix?
Tyler: I do online with SUNY.
AB: You’re currently wrapping up your third Warped Tour. What was different this time around?
Kelsey: I would say the band’s grown a lot in the last couple of years. We’re definitely doing a lot more press, we’re definitely seeing a lot more kids coming out, watching the band, and knowing the words to the songs. We’re selling more merch. I think things have just gotten a little better each year.
AB: That’s a very cool way to see your growth process.
Both: Yeah.
Tyler: Our first tour ever was Warped Tour in 2008. We had never toured before, no nothing, so to see from that year, to 2009, to this year, it’s been our summerly gauge and it’s easy to see that things are definitely going upwards.
AB: Since you’re now officially road warriors, do you have any secrets to touring that you can reveal?
Tyler: When we drive ourselves, and when we’re on a good tour, we can afford to get hotel rooms. We use Priceline.
Kelsey: You can get ridiculous rooms for like thirty bucks.
Tyler: So we control how much we shower and we’re not moving while we sleep.
AB: When you’re not getting hooked up with a room by William Shatner, what’s sleeping while on the road like?
Kelsey: Being on a tour bus is kind of interesting. It’s very crowded and when you go to sleep you hear the buzz of the engine and you’re moving. It’s interesting.
AB: And you can fall asleep on Long Island and wake up in Rhode Island.
Kelsey: Yeah, I think that that’s the most bizarre thing.
Tyler: If you’ve ever heard someone say “I don’t know where I am,” they probably were on a tour bus. When you’re driving yourselves you see the road signs, you stop places, you can see you're getting somewhere. For us we haven’t been anywhere but a venue in like two weeks. All we see is tents and stages and then leave.
Kelsey: It’s very bizarre how quickly the days blend in. I don’t know if I can hit one day and tell you what was going on.
AB: Aside from the big tours, do you get to play any of the clubs in your hometown of New York City, or is your crowd almost too young to have that make sense?
Kelsey: That’s kinda what it is. There are a lot of places to play in New York, but the system’s kind of messed up. It’s mostly 21 and up and I think most of our fan base is under 21.
AB: Would you consider booking a smaller show in Manhattan just to do it?
Kelsey: Love to.
Tyler: We do, a friend of ours named Keith Morales, he owns a production company, he throws shows at Angels & Kings, a bar owned by Pete Wentz. They’re all acoustic. A lot of them are 21 and up, but we did get to do an all-ages show there and we actually had a great draw. Having them be so few and far between means that when we do have them they’re pretty big.
AB: I don’t see why your music wouldn’t connect with an of-age crowd. You’re not Raffi.
Tyler: A lot of our younger fans’ parents seem to like us.
Kelsey: Which is cool.
AB: Other than touring, and your music, what should people know about you as individuals?
Tyler: We’re just normal people. We’re young, we can relate to everyday problems. When we’re home and not touring we work 40 hour weeks. We’re giving our all to make this our full time job, but we can appreciate the dream.
Kelsey: Another thing is we’re very outgoing. Not to be pumping ourselves up, but we’re genuinely very nice people. I think that there are some people that may have ideas about us, or think that we’re stuck up or something, but I think that if people just took a minute to get to know us they’d see that we’re very grounded and normal and fun.
AB: Why do you think people might have those kind of preconceived notions about you?
Kelsey: I think that a new band that does a lot pretty quickly in their careers kind of takes some hell for maybe not paying their dues, but we’ve all been musicians and trying to make it in the industry for longer than this band’s been around.
AB: Is there anything else people should know about you or your music?
Kelsey: We’re releasing a single, it’s called “Life Goes On.” We’ve released it ourselves, but we’re gonna re-release it with a bigger press push on August 31st with two other songs. It’s gonna be a little sampler, a little preview of our record that’s gonna be on iTunes. The album will be through ADA (Alternative Distribution Alliance), which is Warner. We’ve got distribution, which is half the battle.
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 what Wyclef did to protest the rejection of his presidential bid in Haiti, to how a German court saw fit to punish a pop singer who was sleeping with people while knowingly infected with HIV, to how Fantasia Barrino dealt with being mentioned on a few gossip blogs, and since it’s Pop Shots you know everything is seasoned with a little bit of attitude.
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.
