7L and Esoteric
Underground heads have been checking 7L and Esoteric for the past few years now. The Boston DJ and MC first made noise as two thirds of God Complex before dropping their classic Be Alert on Brick Records. Next, along with hometown crewmember Virtuoso, they connected with Jedi Mind Tricks, Chief Kamachi and Bahamadia to form the Army of the Pharaohs. Since the AOTP project, 7L and Esoteric have put out three consistently dope singles with Vinyl Reanaimators on Direct Records.
Esoteric has grabbed as much attention with collaborations with other artists as he has for his releases with his partner 7L. In the past few years he has appeared on wax with hometown crewmembers Skitzofreniks, Virtuoso, Akrobatik, and REKS’s all star posse cut “Final Four”. He has also hooked up with Nashville’s Count Bass D, Russia’s DJ Vadim and Wu Tang’s Inspektah Deck.
Damage: How did you hook up with 7L?
Esoteric: I did a college radio show at Salem State College in 92 and 93. 7L was a caller. He’d call up and make requests. We got a conversation going he said he was producing beats and it went from there. We’re best friends now.
Q: What do you think of the Boston hip-hop scene?
Esoteric: We get write ups in magazines and they always mention Boston contributing to the scene as a whole. We get a good turn out at all the shows. I don’t know if everyone who turns out’s heart is all there but that’s okay. I’ll say as far as being from Boston, people have noticed my accent which I was never really aware of until I started putting out records. People from New York and Philly started hearing me and commenting on it. No one up here noticed. They wouldn’t hear an accent.
Q: Any other area’s sound you check for?
Esoteric: The stuff we’re doing is the stuff we like. But I check for West Coast groups like Dilated Peoples. Jurassic 5. Rasco. Planet Asia. Stones Throw cats. They’re all doing the right thing. Its cool because we went to San Francisco for the Gavin Convention and met Rasco and he was as happy to meet us as we were to meet him. Stuff like that still surprises me.
Q: On Bound To Slay, you reference Kevin Madison. How do you feel about some kids might not know who you are talking about?
Esoteric: ( laughs ) I’m glad you do. I say, “My raps will leave you spell bound / Like Kevin Madison / kid I cant be held down”
Q: I missed the Spellbound part the first couple of times I heard it.
Esoteric: Yeah, a lot of people have said that. I don’t know , man. I grew up in the 85 to early nineties era. That’s when I really loved hip-hop and appreciated hip-hop. I make music for my friends first and all my friends know damn well who KSOLO is. I assume our fan base is younger meaning like 16 to 22 and they might not know who Kevin Madison is. Its esoteric to them. So I guess that goes along with the name.
Q: Who would you say are your top 5 MCs of all time?
Esoteric: Of all time? Man, that’s tough. I could give you five groups. PE, BDP, EPMD, Gangstarr and Ultramagnetics. And the Juice Crew, even though they’re not an official group. The only one out of them that’s still putting it down is Gangstarr. Kool Keith too. He’s constantly reinventing himself.
Q: But that’s what people know him for now. Not really Ultramagnetics.
Esoteric: Exactly.
Q: Who do you think was the dopest out of the Juice Crew?
Esoteric: Kane or G. Rap. Some of my favorite songs came from Tragedy and Craig G. MC Shan was dope too. But as far as stuff I was checking for back then. Kane and G. Rap.
Q: Do you think MC Shan deserved what he got after he battled KRS? I mean you really didn’t hear too much from him after that?
Esoteric: ( laughs ) Do I think he deserved to get dissed that hard? KRS just has this charisma about him that you automatically take what he is saying as true. His whole delivery or his aura. I don’t know what but I’m sure it swayed a lot of peoples opinion of MC Shan. I always looked at MC Shan as elder statesmen of the Juice Crew. Besides Marley Marl, of course. It was different, man. Back in eighty eight, ten songs was straight. Ten or twelve. Nas put out nine in 94. Now you got people putting out double albums. You can kinda get lost.
Q: Most of your rhymes have been battle raps. Is that how you came up?
Esoteric: You could say that. Growing up, there wasn’t that many kids taking MCing too serious. As I got older and met people like Akrobatik, then competition got tough. I began developing at a later stage.
Q: Do you think writing battle oriented rhymes effects your freestyling?
Esoteric: I like to freestyle but as far as what you hear on wax, everything is premeditated. I never write rhymes down on paper though. I think them up in my head while I’m driving in my car or something and recite em”, recite em’, and recite em’ until I memorize them. I remember them until I can put them down on tape.
Q: Do you think there are advantages to being on an independent label?
Esoteric: Well, the benefits are we keep complete creative control. We put out the records we want to put out. We make records for our fan base. People we know are going to appreciate it. That fan base has similar tastes to the people I associate with. Now the downside is we get to put out records less often. There is less income and that doesn’t allow us to do what we want as often as we would like.
Q: And you started out on Brick?
Esoteric: We put out Protocol and Be Alert on Brick which was a pretty big record for them. We helped pioneer Brick. They put out our first record under the name God Complex which was me 7L and another MC named Karma. We switched the name when it just became me and 7L. So we’re still associated with them. Basically, anyone putting out records from Boston, I’m associated with. Although recently I’ve been making guest appearances on three fourths of Brick releases. The rest of our singles as 7L and Esoteric have been on Direct Records. Its run by Sean C and Joe Mansfield. That’s who the album is coming out on.
Q: What do you think of the internets role in hip-hop?
Esoteric: A lot of people frown on the internet because hip-hop is supposed to be heard on the streets not from the computer. But there is a lot of exposure available. It makes records available where distribution companies can’t. Plus people can read about us or hear our stuff so its definitely helped us.
Q: Do you have a tentative release date for the album?
Esoteric: We’ve been giving tentative release dates for awhile and every time we change it we look like bigger and bigger bullshitters, so we’re not really giving a date anymore.
Q: Much success to you.
Esoteric: Peace.
DJ 7L has been sharing production with Vinyl Reanimators on their last two releases. Bound to Slay and Operating Correctly are Bsides that are arguably more banging than its single. Besides spinning in Boston clubs, he has put out a series of mixtapes.
Q: How would you describe your music?
7L: We make the kind of music that we grew up listening to. Like 87, 88, 89. That stuff. Which was just, I don’t know, hip-hop music. I don’t like knocking topics or concept songs but the stuff me and Esoteric like are the more braggadocios type hip-hop songs.
Q: How do you start your beats?
7L: Drums i do first. That was my big thing when I first started collecting was finding drum records. That’s all I would look for. Esoteric is more into bass or he would notice a loop. That’s what he writes to but I spend more time on drums. Then I get like a trumpet, some horns , something prominent. I work it from there. I get a frame of a song and work it from there. I’ll add the little stuff later. Initially , I would look for stuff with more cutable breaks. Old soul stuff. Digging for old records got me listening to all kinds of stuff. That made me appreciate it more than just, “Oh Gangstarr used this…” Knowing someone is a collector will draw me to their stuff too. Ill pay more attention to their music. Like DJ Shadow. That UNKLE album took hip-hop in new directions which is cool. That shit with Kool G Rap, was dope.
Q: And the samples? How do you come up with them?
7L : The better ones come to you. we throw stuff around. Some of them come out as jokes. The better ones come like that. When you sit down and listen to acapellas and records sometimes something mediocre sounds good after awhile.
Q: What groups do you check for?
7L: All the Boston people I guess I’m biased too because I’m around them all the time. People like Akrobatik, Skitzofreniks and Lif. Outside of Boston I like KOTIX, Missin Lynx is dope. Dilated Peoples.
Q: Do you think its tough putting out records coming from Boston?
7L: To an extent its kind of tough. Boston needs to create a better scene. LA has its thing. Chicago kind of has its thing. As far as independent, underground or commercial they have things going. We could step up our game here in Boston a little.
Q: Do you get commercial airplay in Boston?
7L: We do on the weekends on the mix shows. There’s a DJ who looks out for local artists as long as what they are putting out is halfway good. He does it kind of in an unconventional way. Like you’ll hear 702 and then you’ll hear our song but he’s doing it and that’s helping us reach a larger audience.
Q: I noticed DJ Revolution put you on his shit last year.
7L: Yeah, that was cool. It happened fast. Usually people say things and it takes a while for things to happen. Which is fine because everyone is busy. Basically, he asked if he could use it and I couldn’t ever picture us saying no anyway. From the time he asked to the time it came out was only a few months. He’s one of my favorite DJs. he’s not too out of control. Just precise. Which is what I like.
Q: Do you think being from Boston effected the sort of hip-hop you listened to growing up?
7L: What do you mean?
Q: Did you listen to more East Coast artists more than others?
7L: No I listened to everything. 2 Live Crew and stuff from Florida. King Tee I liked a lot. At one point, he was one of my favorite rappers. I obviously liked the New York stuff better. Like the Juice Crew. But me and Esoteric listened to everything. Rhyme Syndicate stuff. Even Sir Mix A Lots early stuff.
Q: What’s your favorite record?
7L: Doug E. Fresh. The Show. That’s my all time favorite. That was my first rap record. My brother played me my first rap record in like 82. He had a KTel record with the Adventures of Grandmaster Flash and the Wheels of Steel. It had The Message on it. I definitely liked it. But Ill never forget hearing The Show in 85. This kid at school had a tape of it and La Di Da Di. Just those two songs. I had the Breakin soundtrack and I traded him the entire record for those two songs. The Show had a party vibe. There was cutting going on. They were trading off with good variance. Like the second time I heard it I knew all the words to it. That’s not even the case these days. I can hear a song twenty times and not remember the words. I got into it. I felt like I was there. I liked Doug E. Fresh, Run DMC and, of course, the Beastie Boys. That’s what got me listening to Whodini. Then I started buying anything on Jive or anything on Def Jam. It was more labels I paid attention to. I got into stuff I never would have heard that way. Like Davey D’s album.
Q: Not to completely change the subject, but what did you think of that group The Goats? I thought they were dope as fuck.
7L: Yeah, yeah. They were on Ruffhouse. They had that song Typical American. I liked it. I’m not going to say it was experimental but it wasn’t your run of the mill rap like Nas or someone would put out. A friend was a big fan and he put me onto it. He had it on tape before I picked it up on vinyl.
Q: I had the same thing happen. A friend heard it and was like you gotta hear this shit.
7L: I saw them live like a year after that album came out. They had a band with them and were doing like Rage Against the Machine type shit. Real hardcore shit. They were doing their regular songs and the band was playing the music and when the chorus came in a big melee would break out.
Q: Yeah, their second album had a live band on it. It kind of sucked.
7L I definitely think records like that are cool though. Like Prince Paul’s shit. Prince Among Thieves and Handsome Boy Modeling School. But they are not the kind of records you can put a twelve inch out, you know. You have to sit down and listen to the whole thing. I like Psychoanalysis best.
Q: What do you think about releases on vinyl only?
7L: Obviously, its a problem. That’s why we put out the EP. To have something available on CD. Not everyone’s a DJ. Not everyone is out buying vinyl. If you hear something on the radio you should be able to go out and buy it. Its hard even with records if you know someone is on an independent label, you still might not be able to find it. For the album, we’re going to do CDs and tapes. We’re planning ads so people will know they can get it on all formats. Its a problem but its also money. Not everyone has a distribution company behind them.
J-Zone
Welcome to the first of many interviews to come from Jbutters. For my first interview I had a chance to chat with Mc/ Producer/ Dj/ label owner/ Lucy Liu stalker J-zone on a variety of topics such as his new release “A Bottle of Whup Ass” and Headwrap chicks. Enjoy!
Jbutters: Which part of Westchester County are you from?
J-Zone: Are you from there?
JB: I used to live in Mt. Vernon
JZ: Ok well I lived about ten minutes from there in a place called Larchmont
JB: I was reading a lot of your interviews so I will try not to ask the same questions you’re always asked like “Is it true your first album was your senior college project?”
JZ: Lately I’ve been giving really stupid answers just to fuck with them ill give an answer that has nothing to do with the question
JB: I’m not one to do the serious interview I prefer to have fun with it occasionally asking a silly question
JZ: I have a serious side but I’m a superficial cat. I take things seriously but I try to have fun. A lot of times I’m sarcastic and you won’t know if I’m joking or serious. I’m into a lot of things that are not quote unquote what good hiphop is supposed to be or what people expect of me. Like when they ask me what’s my favorite record this year and I say sipping on some syrup I’m being dead serious. They think I’m playing because I have a sense of humor
JB: You recently returned from a tour in England tell me about that
JZ: The shows were hot. People were into it and they knew the music. I went for 3 weeks but we only had 7 shows. The tour was arranged kind of fucked up so we had 7-day periods with no shows. One time we had 4 shows 4 days in a row then we had a week off
JB: So did you get to do a lot of sight seeing?
JZ: I tried to but the weather is so bad and the food is so shitty I caught the flu and came down with a bad stomach bug. I ate some bad shit over there. I just got real fucked up in the game
JB: How was the tour you did in Australia?
JZ: I liked Australia better then Europe. It isn’t much different than New York when you go to places like Sidney in terms of hiphop audiences. Its no where near as grimy but you still got the girls with the headwraps in the crowd who get mad when I go and do my thing
JB: You always say you make a lot of women mad at the shows. What do you do to piss them off?
JZ: Nothing! I just be rocking. One time I performed at the Nuyorican and it was headwrap night. I don’t know why the hell they booked us with this poetry reading girl. They were all snapping instead of clapping
JB: Was that words?
JZ: Yea and I had a T-shirt that said Bitch magnet
JB
JZ: So when I got on stage all of them just folded their arms. You could hear them sucking their teeth before I even grabbed the mic. We ran through some joints and our sound system cut off. It happened a few times and I found out the next day some girl got mad and told the soundman to cut it at a certain songs. That’s weak I don’t agree with a lot of shit they say but I don’t boo and do all that other shit when they do their thing. I have a show at the knitting factory tonight I hope it goes all right
JB: What other shows do you have coming up?
JZ: I got S.O.B.’s Dec 26th, and then I go to Amsterdam
JB: Do you prefer shows overseas since most Mcs feel they get more love abroad?
JZ: We get way more love overseas. They know all the words. I dunno in New York the market is saturated. People in New York have no sense of humor. They take everything so literally. We get on stage and do some dead wrong shit but we’re doing it out of fun. The name of my crew is the old maid billionaires…
JB: Where did you come up with that name?
JZ:
JB: I don’t know why anyone would be expecting a serious act when your grandmother is on the cover
JZ: You should know where I’m coming from once you see the cover. Everyone has a cover with a subway train, picture of records in the crates, conventional graf piece, or picture of the crew everyone does that
JB: And you just have your grandmother…
JZ: Yea
JB: Is she on your street team too?
JZ: Yea she be out there handing out posters, beating people down handing out stickers
JB: I heard your thinking of doing a compilation album have contacted other artists about appearing
JZ: I want to keep the same lineup. The artists Id like to work with ODB, Ghostface, Luke, Suga Free an actual pimp down with DJ Quick, Devon the dude, someone real country like juvenile or something I just don’t have the money to get those kinda guys
JB: Who is Captain Backslap?
JZ: That’s my alias. I was thinking about coming out with an album under that name. I have captain backslap; Huggy has Thug Penis, Big Daddy Papshmere. Al Shid is Ike Turner. It’s just our nicknames in the crew
JB: If you could backslap one person who would that be?
JZ: AHH Man the list is way too long! I would probably backslap those headwrap chicks at the shows spoil all our fun. They always come up to me at the show saying they were offended. How many times do I have to say certain things pertain to certain people? If you are not like what I’m am talking about on the record you shouldn’t be offended. I don’t get offended by certain Mcs because they are not talking about me. It’s not like they said J-zone or all producers from Larchmont. That’s different if they are singling me out. If the women are not what I’m talking about don’t get mad. I also want to smack up all the people downloading my shit. My Napster page is dumb long
JB: Originally there weren’t many underground mcs on Napster
JZ: In part it’s good because people who would never hear my shit have access to it. I would rather they had it no matter how they got it. It’s the heads that go to fat beats and sandbox. I would understand if they downloaded a couple songs to peep it. Instead they download everything including interludes and all that. Then they ask why isn’t he making more material, its because I don’t have the money to.
JB: I guess it’s easier to download then to buy an album and find out its wack
JZ: Yea I understand that. If you only like 2 or 3 songs then download that so you can remember me for certain shit. Other cats download the whole 40-min then put Quassimoto on the same CD trying to get the best of both worlds
JB: What’s the worst album you have ever bought?
JZ: I’ve bought a lot of shitty albums
JB: The worst I have ever bought was the Dr. Dre and Ed Lover album “Back up off me”
JZ: Oh man you bought that!?!
JB: Yea I don’t like to admit it I had to end up throw it out because people kept laughing at me when they saw that in my record collection.
JZ: Oh I know what the worst LP I bought was. Play it again Shan. That was a bad album. I liked his first 2 albums, the 3rd one had this song “time to defend ourselves” that I kinda liked so I bought the album and there wasn’t one other dope cut on the whole shit. I like a lot of bad rap so its kinda hard for me to say cuz I like a lot of shit that is bad by all standards but entertaining. A vanilla ice record is entertaining. The Mc Shan album was bad and unentertaining.
JB: People talk about some other heads from queens like Mobb Deep and they don’t like them but I find the humor in Mobb Deep. People don’t seem to see it
JZ: I do. Prodigy once said, ” I put a hole in your face so big it almost took his whole face off” when I first heard that shit I was rolling. Speaking of Queens rappers everyone bitches about how Nore doesn’t say shit but he is hilarious. Ill buy a Nore album knowing it’s artistically bad but funny.
JB: Running Laps around the English Channel..
JZ: Nah he said some other shit like “Put the bogey out in your face and now your face look like ash tray face” and he said, “Nore you getting fat boy I tried to lose weight but I like being fat boy”
JB: I always tell people they take rappers like that too seriously
JZ: I used to be on some shit upset with the state of hiphop, but if you find the humor in a lot of it makes it a lot easier to deal with. That’s why I didn’t re-release my first EP because my views changed. I’m not gonna press it anymore. A lot of the material is 3 years old.
JB: Dissin the crystal Mcs
JZ: Yea why waste time on record with people who aren’t in my realm. I’ve taken a look at my immediate circle and the underground aint all it’s cracked up to be. I wanted to be apart of the independent movement. All this time I was glorifying the underground and dissin commercial and it turned out they were the same thing just less money
JB: You mentioned not releasing your first EP since it sold mainly on Word of Mouth. What are you doing differently to promote your new music?
JZ: Whup ass was more or less Word of Mouth but I was doing more shows, interviews, I put the website up, did a tour in Australia and had stickers made. I don’t have the money to do real promotion but I did release a 12” before it came out to help promote it. I’m building off the buzz from the first EP. I did a lot more groundwork for Whup Ass but with my next release I’m not pressing the records.
JB: So you’re going to get a distribution deal?
JZ: I have distribution through Fat Beats but I’m pressing. It’s a pain in the ass to anticipate how many records your gonna need. My back is bare from carrying records to stores when they run out. I lose money shipping records. Doing all the grunt work for the label doesn’t leave me much time to make music.
JB: This is all part of your normal day?
JZ: My normal days vary. Some days I have to fill up orders, go back to the lab work on my music, make beat tapes. Then some days I hold studio sessions in my house to make some extra cash or I might have a show or go record hunting.
JB: Even with all that I assume you prefer having your own label and not have to worry about sacrificing some integrity
JZ: Yea definitely but I want a P and D deal to give me a lot more free time. I’ll even take a loss in the money for that.
JB: I got a hypothetical question for you. Say you see Chi Ali on the streets”
JZ: Haha
JB: Do you call America’s most wanted right away (extra cash for pressing records) or do you let him slide?
JZ: I approach him and say let’s do a record
JB: Word! Doing A record on the run?
JZ: You know how much loot that would make. Id be like yo Chi check this shit out one record we’ll call it “On the run”, “They coming to get me”, or some shit like “Get the fuck up off me”. Hit the studio white label it make mad dough and if he gets caught use the money from the record to bail him out. Ill work with money Fuck this running shit come to the studio for a couple hours
JB: That’s ill I got one more for you. I know people are always asking you about your love of Lucy Liu. Say you guys get married but she didn’t approve of your career in hiphop. What’s the next step do you stop making records?
JZ: Beats or rhymes?
JB: Everything as far as putting out music
JZ: Id probably put out something under an alias name cuz I love making music but I wouldn’t tell her to leave I gotta have her
JB: So I guess hiphop isn’t your first love
JZ: Music is my first love not hiphop so I couldn’t give up my music but I couldn’t give up Lucy either. I don’t love hiphop that much! If I had to choose id get me an office job fuck making records
JB: Have you seen Charlie’s Angel’s?
JZ: Yea the movie was aight but of course Lucy…Fuck hiphop I’d give that shit up in a minute! You can print that.
JB: You said music is your first love. I read you wanted to originally be in a funk band do you ever sample any of your live music or play in your spare time?
JZ: In my spare time I do. I’m a trained musician, I can play 5 or 6 different instruments but the sound I look for you can’t really get from live music. Its hard to get it on a keyboard I was trying it out at Sam Ashe the other day. I just can’t get the sound I like. Ill play bass lines live but I don’t sample bass lines much.
JB: You talk a lot about your problems with women. We all know there is more love for Mcs overseas did you have any luck tour?
JZ: Yea Australia had a fair share. I went and got my kangaroo piece. Europe though I was sick as a dog. When I was in Europe I was stressed out the last thing I was thinking about was women. It’s not all it’s cracked up to be. At first it is but some of them are corny and stupid you can’t even talk to them for five minutes. I’m not really into that.
JB: Do you have any lines?
JZ: Usually when I put a gun to their head that seems to get the number faster
JB: If you weren’t making beats or rhymes what would you be doing?
JZ: I’d probably be a male escort. All I can say is I wouldn’t be doing a job with a shirt and tie not a regular 9-5. I can’t hold a regular job it’s a disaster
JB: What kind of jobs have you had?
JZ: Every summer growing up I was a custodian, I worked in an icehouse…
JB: An icehouse? What do you do at an icehouse, chop ice all day?
JZ: Nah put in bags I almost choked my boss
JB: Why?
JZ: Cuz he was a dick. I hated that bastard I worked at KB toy stores for a month then I bounced. I worked at recording studios but I hate turning knobs for someone else. I worked for AAA last summer that was the worst.
JB: What was so bad about that?
JZ: Cuz from 8-4 I would do the same thing everyday. For the pay they were giving me they could blow me.
JB: Id rather do this for free then actually go to work
JZ: I’m a cheap bastard. I had to pay to see Charlie’s Angel’s but usually people are like lets go to the movies I’m like fuck you or you should buy this shit. I buy my shirts off Ebay I don’t give a fuck I’ll admit it. I save all my money and it will be a Friday night and I’m at home fondling my balls but I won’t have a day job! Everyone will be going out and ill be at the crib going to bed at like 11pm. I’ll sacrifice my social life to not have a day job
JB: Is there anything in hiphop you would change?
JZ: I would make the conversation time to get groupies shorter. I shouldn’t have to hear about your life and goals.
JB: I noticed a Ice Cube sample are you a big NWA fan
JZ: Yea
JB: Which album do you prefer death certificate or niggaz4life
JZ: At that time probably death certificate but I feel Amerikkka’s most wanted was the best album out of all NWA related material. (This conversation led to him putting on death certificate and more ice cube talk) That’s my number one influence along with the first LONS album and Public Enemy.
JB: Where is the highest level you want to take your career?
JZ: I want to make albums that are cinematic. A lot of people have said they don’t want to clear all those samples so I doubt I would be on a major label. I want to make the ultimate album where you are listening to it and you feel like you’re in a movie and can visualize everything.
JB: What do you say to heads that ask for promos?
JZ: Pay me. Seriously I feel them out. I didn’t make promos I made 4,000 copies of Whup Ass. They are getting a cover a legitimate copy that I spent money to make. If they are a DJ with a show with any weight then yea but if they are just some herb off the street asking for 8 copies for his boys I need proof he’s legit. People don’t understand I’m doing this with my own money. Those same cats saying I should be making a lot of money are downloading my shit. If you like my music then support it.
Moka Only
Andy and myself, noyz319, had the pleasure of sitting down backstage with Moka Only after the Battle-Axe Warriors concert, as it made it’s way through Edmonton. I videotaped the interview and included a few clips to supplement the text.
The first thing i really noticed about your show is that you’re really high energy, kind of more like a b-boy style
With the poppin’ and shit right
Exactly, so how did you start off initially moving into emceeing; as a b-boy or something else?
That was the first thing. But trip on this though, because i was too young to understand everything i kind of just went with it, this was like 1984 you know what i’m sayin’, the first influx of hip-hop on the west coast, I mean in Canada, you know in Vancouver. I was living in Victoria at the time, going to a private school as my grade school, and other people brought it and i tuned into it. Motherfuckers would be on cardboard at recess and shit and i was just enthralled. And that same year Beat Street came out, which coincidently was the first movie that my mom let me go see by myself, you know what i’m sayin’. So that had the impact, breakin’ was the shit. I loved the art of emceeing and stuff, and i did kick a couple raps back then, but i wasn’t serious. From there, it went into graffiti writing. I started at an early age, fucked up my bedroom, i caught heat for that. You know, my first burner was in my bedroom, and that led to heat.
And this doesn’t have a lot to do with hip-hop, until now, but i was a skateboarder for most of my life. I was one of the only skateboarders who was a b-boy, who was a hip-hopper. And the emceeing just came out of nowhere, i mean the people inspired me were BDP, by that time Native Tongues rolled around, De La Soul, Rakim, and all of that, so that’s a few things right there.
Who would you say are your major influences right now, as far as the whole new wave of artists? Moving away from like 94’ to the current era.
influence?
ya, or more like respect.
You know what, i have to give it up to my boys Mystic Journeymen, if i’m gonna name people outside of my crew, because they helped inspire me. And Too Short, the whole ethic of saying fuck waiting for a label. When the whole time you could be waiting for a label you could be putting out music. It don’t matter if you made it at your house, it’s still your heart and your fuckin’ life, you know what i’m sayin’ That did a lot for me. And now that Living Legends, City Planners is like fam you know what i’m sayin’. And some new things are developing, you guys might of heard, i did an album with Sunspot. And Sunspot is actually meeting us tomorrow in Saskatoon, he’s doing the rest of the tour with us. But i mean ya for influences, that’s one major influence. Let me see contemporaries, Hiero and shit, I mean that’s crew. Just basically anybody who said i don’t have the time to wait around and i wan’t to make dope music, so i’m going to put it out. My first tape was Upcoast Relix and it was dusty as fuck. I mean dude, you heard this shit you know it was pause tape style, i was adding little jazz snippets here and there just to put some flavour into it. That shit was dusty as fuck. But that started it off because in Vancouver and the outlying area, including Victoria, i can honestly say that i was one of the first, perhaps the first to do this underground tape movement, and is has spread. I’m not trying to take credit for everything, but you know you go out there now and kids are on the corner literally slangin’ their tapes at the same places we were selling them years ago. And i will never stop making underground tapes, my real heart is doing that stuff. I’m proud to be a Battle-Axe member, and you know we got a tight team and we do what we want to. And you know i got this Universal record that i’m working on in January, for Universal Records. But it really comes down to your heart and soul in your living room, or in your little studio, you know just making music. I got nothing else to do, i’ve been doing this shit for too long to just jump into the “mainstream” and then be somebody’s slave, that ain’t my style.
So are you more with a collective, like with what Cryptik Souls was trying to do, or more for an independent movement like this is Moka Only the man?
Honestly i’m me first, because i’m the dude that has to eat. I can’t be waiting on other people, including my crew, you know what i’m sayin’. If they see me doing something and i’m putting my heart and all my time into it, and there’s some success to it, i hope they might be a little inspired and follow suit. Like such as my boy Ishkan and stuff. A couple people in my crew still have 9-5 jobs, that’s all cool because you gotta live, but i just couldn’t do that anymore man. I just couldn’t! The last job i had was a waiter job and it was 1994, and i remember this one particular night Pharcyde was playing in Vancouver and i couldn’t get the time off work. And i was like why am i’m doing this? That could could be me at that club, i mean i’ve been doing shows since ‘89. I was like that could be me, why am i wasting time i’m just gonna quit. So i just straight up quit, i remember i just didn’t show up, and that was the last time i worked a 9-5 job. That’s not for everybody though, there’s nothing wrong with a 9-5 job if you feel that’s for you. I don’t like to be talked down to by psuedo-authoritive figures, you know. That shit just don’t make sense to me. I mean you sitting there you’re tallying up your income and stuff and you’re trying to tell me how to do my little slave job and stuff, and clean up after your spills, when i could be running my own shit. So, mammal music was born.
So is that the whole meaning behind the whole durable mammal persona you got going on?
You know what, haha, for real Durable Mammal, that was a joke dude. When i first started making the tapes, Upcoast Relix, Dusty Bumps, Apenuts, all i could think of was the funniest titles. I had a tape out and i was thinking like Preferable Camel, Insurable Elixir and all this shit and Durable Mammal just popped into my mind. Because i’m a mammal and i’ve been through hella shit that maybe a lot of people would have been scared from. I’m not going to name any particular things, but well me and Prev for instance lived in a dumpster. We lived in a garbage can.
For how long?
Off and on for a while in ‘91. And just coming out of situations like that, i mean there were times where we almost lost our lives for just being in the wrong place at the wrong time, on some gun shit. Just moving to California with absolutely no money and just the gumption, that those are the things that make you durable and strengthen you. The whole shit about not eating or having to eat just the saporo ichibans and all that.
Hehe, unsigned and hella broke
Unsigned and hella broke [head nodding]
Are you in any super groups right now, like those 3MG looking type things?
Yes, Perfect Strangers is me and Madchild, that’s a little side whatever. I just recorded a whole album with Abstract Rude and Prevail, we are Code Name Scorpions, coming out on Battle-Axe Records in spring or summer, so that’s that. Me and Sunspot, we got our little thing whatever, we just take it as it goes.
What about the Benevolent Brothers?
Hah, me and Sole.
That was just made up right?
Ya, but you know what, i already did two songs with Sole and i’m sure were gonna do some more. Kirby Dominant, that’s another close close friend of mine and we got the Dominant Mammals album that we put together in Oakland last May and were gonna put that out real soon. Kirby’s actually pressing up a single for it, and i’m going down to Oakland after Christmas to shoot a video for it, that’s the first single called “Fresh and Dope”. I guess that it’s sort of a super group, we don’t have any huge thing you know. In City Planners we have me and Ish are Nowfolk, me and Jeff are The Rappers. It dates back to the jazz era, because you used to see that. It was like ok here’s Sonny Rollins, and then Eric Doubtree drops by or some shit like that you know what i’m sayin’, Mcoy turner. These are people who are all doing different things with different people but they had no hesitation and no problems from the labels to like be together. They were like session artists, you know what i’m sayin’. And i look at like hip-hop can be the same way to. There shouldn’t be anybody saying were making too much music, if the music is good and consistently different. Does that make sense consistently different?
Oh for sure.
Yeah, you know what i’m sayin’.
You seem to be really influenced by jazz, what’s you favourite movement? Is it more towards something like Ornette Colemen or do prefer something like classic Miles Davis or what?
No i would definitely say the Bee Bop shit, and Ornette Colemen goes more into the era of the avante garde stuff, which i get a little kick from. I used to feel way more avante garde, i was influenced by groups like Fishbone and shit to, Bad Brains and like all kinds of different groups. But Jazz really did it and does it for me, it was the Bee Bop era. And you know Scat was really big part of that to, Scatting which was essentially an early form of rap you know what i’m sayin’. Don’t get me wrong, i like the funk shit to. I listen to classical music as well a little bit. I’m big on country music!
[laughing]
hehe, nah
So where so you see yourself going in let’s say the next 3 years? You mentioned you got signed, i heard rumors you signed with Sony or was that Universal?
No, no, no i just got with Universal now. But, like i said that might just be a temporary thing. I’m doing one album with them for sure, you know what i’m sayin’. It’s really about the shit we do ourselves. And we own Battle-Axe, nobody owns Battle-Axe, we make it happen. Because we set tours and collaborate with people. So i’m just gonna to be the Mamma man, I mean i don’t know what’s gonna happen. I don’t even know what’s fucking happening tomorrow man, all i know is that we’re going to Saskatoon, anything could happen between now and then. Anything could happen when i leave the club, and i hope it’s positive shit, you know what i mean. We don’t condone the violence thing, we’re quick to break that shit up.
Have you ever been to a show where there’s like some big riot or somebody does some dumb shit?
Ya there’s been a few times, i remember this one show i did in ‘92 where people got exited and there was more than one fool in there packing and they started shooting at the ceiling and letting go dude. I mean that’s not a cool environment man, we’re trying to make people party and shit.
So what’s you take on the Edmonton scene? I mean this is like the first show we had in the last eight months, it’s just weak right now, any advice how to improve it or what’s you thoughts on it right now?
m: Bring artists more frequently, you know what i’m sayin’. If it takes the people, if it takes people like ya’ll, because ya’ll are doing your part. You got the website stuff going on. Just talk to promoters, go to clubs and say listen we need a little bit of a change, things have got to happen you know. And i’ll personally do my part to help out the Edmonton scene. I already just organized, as you seen, to come back in the near future. So i might be back here in like two months or so.
So when is Lime Green going to be dropping?
February 15th, February 15th
Prevail: Heeeeeeey! [Prevail from Swollen Members enters]
Prevaaaail!
prev: Moka Only!
Yes sir, that’s my boy Prevail
prev: That’s my man Moka Only
This was the synthesis really, Sound Advice was me and Prev. We just came into it together.
[Prevail has a seat beside Moka]
What’s up sir?
prev: What’s up brother?
Just letting muthafuckers know that me and this man are still very tight, expect the Spilt Spheres LP in summer time.
prev: oh that’s a definite, if that doesn’t happin’ then I quit rappin’, that’s for real
Delve in my realm
prev: Hah, delve in my realm
[singing] Delve in my realm baby
prev: [laughing]
damn man, i could talk for hours, what else do you got?
Who’s you favourite emcee?
Me
prev: Haha, that’s my answer.
I don’t even have to think twice about that. You gotta look at it like this, your the only man who completes yourself completely, your in control of your own destiny. People might come close, everybody’s gonna have their own opinion their own vibe. You might be digging their shit then all of a sudden they turn around and make they just make the worst pop song, you know what i’m sayin’. It doesn’t even have to be music orientated, you can get influence of people get some good ideas, but at the end of the day it’s you. Your in bed by yourself, you gotta feed yourself, i’d definitely put me as the answer, you know. And now for influences, i influence myself, because i surprise myself. I’m not trying to be on the egotistical like “i’m the shit” but, i’m the shit.
prev: [in the background laughing]
You have to be, you have to be the shit.
prev: Haha “i’m not trying to be egotistical and shit” but i mean, shit.
No, but you got to look at it like that, it’s your finger on the button every time.
prev: That’s for real.
I mean you can sit here and complain about the state of hip-hop, but fuck it. Shut it out, we make our own shit, you know.
Anymore videos in the works?
Just finished a video two weeks ago with Sunspot, for a song called “The Man I Used to Know”. And that’s coming out, that’s on Lime Green. And it’s also on our album we did together, but it’s coming out on Lime Green first. So February 15, but the video is gonna come out sooner, maybe like just after Christmas or something, January.
Why is it that Rap City (Much Music) is not playing “Imagine Me” more?
Request it, that’s all i gotta say. Rap City, they’re a little slow. And you know, they’re paid to play the major label videos. The payolla shit is going on hardcore, you know what i’m sayin’. They’ll play your shit, token every once in a while. They’re like “Oh ok we’ll please the underground people”, you know i’m sayin’. But just request it dude. If we bother these people enough, you know what i’m sayin’. If you want to see Mystik Journeymen’s video’s and shit, just let it be known. Don’t wait and expect it to happen, make it happen. I want to see my video just as much, i don’t really watch the television that much, i only seen it a couple times, it’s only been out a month mind you.
Have you given it to BET or any of those other stations?
m: BET, they’re not gonna get “Imagine Me”. It’s a real low budget video but, i did a Videofact thing for the video with me and Sunspot and we had a much larger sum of money to work with. And i’m telling you, i’m not even bullshitting this is like some Juno shit dude, like some award shit. For real, it’s a story, it’s brilliant, and nice bright colors. I’m rhyming in the lime green kitchen, Sunspot is in the red bedroom. We got a Dalmatian up in there, it is a story, there’s a real concept to it and it’s just funny you know. And that’s what we need dude, i think we need more humor and people will lighten up a little bit dude, in hip-hop you know what i’m sayin’. Don’t get me wrong, i mean i listen to Jay-z. I listen to… well i don’t listen to DMX, but you know what i’m sayin’, i’m not hating on it. I listen to De La then i’ll turn around and listen to [laughing] Beanie Sigel. Know what i’m sayin’, i listen to shit man, give it a chance know what i mean. Definitely i listen to the under shit, i like listening to stuff people don’t know about, MF Doom or whatever.
As kind of like a final question, what’s your favourite album released, and what’s one that you can just listen to again and again and say wow i missed that?
Del La Soul Three Feet High and Rising. I put that shit in now and i’m like, oh damn i didn’t even pick that shit up, they said that? And plus they were so stylistic, you know they had so many styles on that album man. And there’s other albums and shit, Tribe Called Quest Instinctive Travels In The Paths of Nunchucks or whatever. [laughter] know what i’m sayin’. And there’s even newer shit. Yo, one of my favourite shit right now is Quasimoto. It’s got that jazz influence, and Madlib has everybody fooled right now because that’s just Madlib with his voice fucked up. I even did one of those songs for this new shit.
What’s you alter ego?
I want you guys to be the first to have this, [hands us a tape] this is a pre-release because this isn’t coming out for like another probably a month. I just had to make a ghetto cover right now, this is me and i got with Deceo again. Last week we just finished this, it’s Flowtorch, a new alias. That’s me, i’m Flowtorch, featuring Candy Bananas aka Ishkan. So he’s on just to add a little flavour, so you guys can share that, dub that, whatever.
Thanks a lot dude
That’s the only one i have you know.
Any plan’s on re-releasing any of the classic stuff like Apenuts?
Yeah yeah, ahh man. I want people out there to know you can get a hold of me through my new email, you guy’s now what that is, mokaonlydurable@hotmail.com. I’m looking for people who are interested in doing a little investing in getting some of the old shits out, you know. I hooked up with No Distribution, they’re putting out a new album of mine, under Mammal Music, called Road Life. And that’s coming out January 15th worldwide. But i want to put out the old shit again, i’m completely down if anybody wants to work with me. It’s just i got so much other shit i got to do, and you know finances only go so far. And people stand to make some money from it themselves, so i’ll put that word out there right now.
I could go on, but i guess we should cut it.
yeah no doubt, were running out of tape. It’s been a pleasure.
So ya man, let’s do some business. I’m open, i’m not like a big head motherfucker you know what i mean. And that’s my word, Moka Only, Durable Mammal, Underground Enigma.
Ams One
A few years ago, the Rhode Island based group Clokworx dropped an impressive debut single, “Mental Flux”. Comprised of MCs Ams One and Phes One, along with their DJ, The Orator, they are dropping their follow up “Preservatives” b/w “Who’s That” and “Robots” featuring production by Celph Titled and D-Tension. A while back I caught up with Ams One at a show in Providence, where he and The Orator and other members of The Secret Service crew, including Sage Francis, AdeeM and Vocab, performed for a few hundred local fans. During the open mic session and between a few beers, me an Ams had a brief conversation.
Damage: Go ahead and introduce yourself
Ams One: Testing one, two. My name is Ams One and I’m from a group called Clokworx we’re just on some conscious hip hop type ish. Trying to bring it to the people. Trying to represent.
Want to talk about your influences
My influences?
Your top 5 MCs?
Common, Special Ed, Rakim, KRS. Man, there’s so many.
How would you describe your groups style? Clokworx’s style?
I consider myself a well rounded MC. I can get complex. I can get poetical. I can get up in your ass with some lyrics.
Where do you get started? Battle rhymes? Writing?
I started out writing mostly battle rhymes. I was twelve years old when I wrote my first verse. Ever since then, I’ve been on. But yeah, I started out with battle rhymes because that’s what hiphop was then. Just who could get in whose ass the quickest. It was witty.
How do you feel about the reception to your releases with Clokworx?
Um, the single we dropped was “Mental Flux”. We dropped that in May of ‘99. Actually, it might have been ‘98. It got good reviews. It blew up. We hit the Top 40 on CMJ. Every review I read, the fuckin’ song was considered a classic. The reviews were so positive, it just boosted our confidence. Me and my partners, man. We’re scrubs from Rhode Island. We’re doing our thing regardless of if we’re gettin’ paid. We’re doing it just for the sport of it. Heads are sleeping right now. They think that Clokworx is dead. I like people to think that. They think we’re dead and then we come back with some ill shit and they feel the wrath of what we got. Know what I mean?
What about The Secret Service crew?
Secret Service is stronger than ever, man. We got One Verse, Sage Francis - Non Prophets, AOL My man, Products, Oktagon Supreme. These are all MCs who rhyme with soul and rhyme with heart and we’re gonna do it regardless. Whatever. It’s just gonna be a chain reaction.
What do you think about the New England scene? Are you active in Boston?
The New England scene as a whole? You know, Boston was kicking off about a year ago. I’ve taken off. Haven’t been up there. I’ve just been hiding out in my bat cave. I haven’t really been out. A year ago, Boston was representing. We were doing like ninety percent of our shows up there. I think the New England scene overall is decent. Real decent.
Do you find it a problem getting venues?
Nah, not at all. Maybe a little because we haven’t put out nothing new in a while. It’s not hard. My man Sage is always doing shows and hooking us up. My man Namour is always calling me to do shows. I just got a kid, I don’t know what his name is, but he’s from New Jersey. He called me up and was like, “Yo, Clokworx is my favorite shit!” Wants us to do a show. We’ll probably do that.
How does it make you feel to hear that?
Makes me feel good. How would it make you feel?
Validated? Ever have doubts that what you do might not go over?
You know what? I’m a perfectionist with whatever I write or record. I know I’m not gonna put out no wack shit.
Who’re you checking for now?
Planet Asia. Cali Agents shit. I always look for Last Emperor because I like his shit. Royce, the 5’9’s shit.
Where do you see Clokworx five or ten years down the line?
Rippin’. Still rippin’. Even if it’s these local bar shits. Man, I’m a still be rippin’. I’m a tell you. In my life, I’ve quit everything. I quit sports. I quit high school. Everything. But the one thing I stay true to is hiphop and writing music. Everything else I failed. I will not fail at this. I will do it until the day I die. Know what I mean?
What other shit do you write?
Pretty much write lyrics. It’s my outlet. A lot of verses I write I keep to myself, don’t say ‘em. If I feel down, I’ll write a verse about how I’m feeling at the time. Might keep it to myself, I write for personal reasons.
So it doesn’t matter to you if it doesn’t get out? If people don’t hear it.
You know what? I can’t even front, I want it to get out. I feel like I got shit to say. I feel like if people took time to listen to what I’m saying. What my partner Phes One is saying. And what my little brother The Orator, the DJ, is saying and can really grasp it. They will feet it. There’s a lot of criticism in hiphop right now. You got these computer geeks who think they know hiphop. They live in the suburbs and try to get into hiphop over the internet. That’s bullshit! We get criticized a lot! That’s fine. That makes me a badder and meaner MC.
Do you feel like a lot of kids are doing it as like a research project? Like they talk like they remember when Black Moon’s first shit came out, but you know they didn’t.
Oh yeah. Shit like that. You got all these young kids coming up claiming to be old schoolers and they ain’t but eighteen years old. I don’t claim to be this cat …. this ‘84 type cat … I’m twenty two now, y’all can do the math, but when I was seven the first tape i picked up was Nucleus.
Jam On It?
Jam On It, that was my shit. That was the first hiphop song I ever heard, i fell in love from then. I never studied it in my life. I’m more of a late eighties -early nineties generation crew. Special Ed, UMC’s, PRT. Shit like that. I never claimed to be anything I’m not. Just try to keep it true to myself and if I’m not, my music ain’t shit! That’s what i look at it as, music. I think musician would classify me better than an emcee.
Do you do live instrumental shit? Or would you consider…
Yes i definitely would consider that. I think there’s a lot for leniency working with a band and live instruments. I love the sampling art, i love the DJ aspect of it all, but working with a love band is something i could definitely get into.
[brief pause in the interview]
Ok so do you want to talk about that again, your first contact with the spiritual?
Yeah i’ll fill in on that. We’d like to get into some spiritual shit. A group that’s in our crew, One Verse, my man Vocab, we all represent for the most high, the supreme being. We feel that if people could really listen to our music and they could see that the things we’re saying could actually, maybe it’s just a fantasy of ours, but we could actually help people unite. Besides hiphop i’m really big into roots reggae. That’s been my inspiration for the past few years, aside from hiphop. And I actually met god through reggae, you know. And you can see it through our music. We’re well rounded cats. We can get up in your face with raw battle rhymes, on some spiritual stuff, themes, songs, concepts, stories, whatever man. It all comes from the heart. It all comes from an emotion or an experience.