Artist Of The Week - Euphon

Euphon is the East Harlem, New York, duo of emcee Mr. Fantastik (left in picture) and emcee/producer Slim (right in picture). Their name comes from the word euphonic, which means agreeable sound, especially in the phonetic quality of words. The two felt this was a perfect fit for what they were looking to do - be different musically while still being pleasing to the ear. Many feel that with their most recent release, A Brief History of the Future, they have accomplished this goal and this week I sat down with both Mr. Fantastik and Slim to find out more about the album, what they hope listeners get from it, and why they feel people connect with them.

Adam Bernard: You released A Brief History of the Future last year. That has to be one of the more interesting titles for an album that I've heard. How did you come up with it and what do you mean by it? Are you one some Nostradamus ish?
Slim: There’s a little story for the title of the project. We were in a bookstore about two years ago and we saw the book by John Naughton with the same title. Actually the entire title is A Brief History of the Future: From Radio Days to Internet Years in a Lifetime. I know that’s an unofficial plug for the book but it is what it is. The title jumped out at us and we kept it in the back pocket knowing that that’s what we would title the next project.
Mr. Fantastik: Now I can't lie and say either of us read the book but I figured it was a clever way to simply say the present, because the album means that this is what is going on with Euphon right now.
Slim: And I guess there’s some Nostradamus like vibe to it when you think about how the internet has become fairly important medium in how independent artists are able to get their material out to their audience.

Adam Bernard: My favorite song on the album is "Fresh Fish." Was there a specific incident that inspired this ode to staying away from underage girls, or was it a series of incidents? Get specific, man! I want to know if you were accosted in the mall by a teenybopper!
Slim: The album has a lot of life experiences and there were a couple of instances that happened that inspired that particular track. Let’s just say that it has happened more then enough times.
Mr. Fantastik: For my day job I work a lot in schools and it got to be hard when you couldn't tell the difference between the students and the teachers. On numerous occasions I would have these young chicks trying to holla like I was some dude their age. The crazy thing is that plenty of dudes will deal with some underage chick and that is just not the move for me. Uh uh.

Adam Bernard: Other than keeping the youngins at bay, what are some of the messages you're hoping to get across with the A Brief History of the Future?
Mr. Fantastik: We just try to put the message that creativity is important and not just in music but in life. We also like people to know that it’s not all money, videos and fame; that there is heartbreak, struggle and loss all around us, Hip-Hop included. Last but not least we like people to know that it’s our responsibility to better ourselves, not anyone else's. If we want better things for the future, it’s in the present that you have to make it happen.
Slim: Another one of the main messages that we’re aiming to get across is that there are options in Hip-Hop. You don’t have to listen to mind numbing music that’s on the radio if you don’t want to. Besides that, appreciate the good people that are around you because you don’t know when you turn to them and they won’t be there. And above all, it’s good music so take a listen and enjoy.

Adam Bernard: Why do you feel people connect with you?
Slim: People tend to connect with us because they can relate to what we speak about in our music. There’s been times where we perform and we can see the expressions on some people where they’re like I remember that, or I know exactly what they’re talking about, or yeah that’s happened to me.
Mr. Fantastik: Besides that we aren't afraid to talk about topics that people may be thinking about, but won't say. There is true authenticity in not just what we say but who we are. No fabrications, for better or worse it’s us.

Adam Bernard: What doors have been opened for you that you never expected to be opened through Hip-Hop?
Mr. Fantastik: I was really surprised how we reached people around the world because of our music. I mean we had people from all over the world writing us about how much they enjoy the music. So much that, on the album we even have a producer name HIPE from South Africa that contributed to the album.
Slim: What got me were the types of media that you can have your music exposed through now. From TV commercials, movies, video games, ringtones, etc. It’s gone so far beyond just CD’s.

Adam Bernard: Finally, if you weren't rapping, what would you be doing on your average weekend?
Mr. Fantastik: First of all I don't rap, I emcee. Rappers do jingles for fruity pebbles. If I wasn’t emceeing, I'd probably be creating programs for young people to better their future through sports, the arts, or even basic life skills.
Slim: If I wasn’t rapping, I’d be more concentrated in music production, or furthering my graphic design career. I have a creative spirit so it would definitely be along those lines.

Related Links

Website: euphon.net
Website: ironhorsemg.com
MySpace: myspace.com/euphon