Give a brief introduction of who you are, who you paint with affiliations etc.

I write Rove, my main man is Theory, we are the gruesome twosome, the modern day bonnie and clyde, the dynamic duo. Lately i’ve been painting with some local [Saskatoon] thug who i can’t name due to some shit going on. The crew i’m reppin with full force is the Freightophiles which consists of Theory, Note, Israel, Reset, Kome, Zer, Sae, Here, Resone, Cemz, Soeone, Sorc, Xide, Pen, Asher.

How would you describe your style?

Right now i would say i have two styles on the go. One style is pointy and real sharp which is a throw back to the style i had going a few years ago, and the other style is simple and blocky. I guess i also have a logo type style going. I need variation because of the conditions here. It’s hard to pump out hot complicated pieces some nights when all you have in moon light and the moon decides to play hide and seek with the clouds. Those kind of nights it’s best to do a simple with a light fill and dark outline.

How did you develop your style?

Well at first i used to bite a lot of people, then i realized that it wouldn’t get me very far so i just started developing a style that came from various influences without being a blatant bite. Actually my first real style i remember came from looking at a Yes piece and i used the kick off his Y and put it on my R. It’s funny to think back to those days. After that initial year of piecing i just started drawing lots and funking things out. Sebo was a big influence, probably the biggest at the time. This area never really had a style to be influenced by so my style developed slowly into something i can proudly say is my own.

How did you get the name Rove?

It’s real simple, i looked in a dictionary and came across the word. I liked the letters and the word itself means to wander aimlessly so i thought that it fit for where i was at in my life.

What sparked you interest in writing?

Seeing the local bombers going all city, Crum, Nave, Roam, Shrmp, Cee..the TAU boys had the city on lock.

How and when did you get started?

I started tagging my real name around the city with tic tac when i was 12 or 13. I don’t know why we did it but it just seemed fun. A year later i met Theory, we were wearing the same fifa soccer shirts and both had our hair dyed. We started hanging out and both noticed the graffiti around the city and starting noticing pieces on trains. Theory took me to see this piece on a train downtown and it was a Take5 piece we thought said Takes. I remember being amazed that somebody could do that on a train and i wondered where it came from. I know Theory was always drawing and i had too since i was little so it seemed like a natural progression. We didn’t start with pieces though, we started with getting drunk and bombing around the city.

What is your approach to starting a piece?

I always scope the area out first. I’ll check the line of trains and choose the one with the nicest panel or check if there is a rare train car that i haven’t hit before. I’ll space my piece out according to the size of the panel and work with or tape over the numbers on the train. The it’s on, i’m pretty fast and focused when i paint, but not too focussed that i don’t have my ears perked up and my eyes rolling around every few seconds.

What are the biggest obstacles you have faced as a writer?

The biggest obstacle has been finding a spot to paint that is consistently stocked with trains. I’ve had one too many nights driving around and finding out that there is no where to paint. That’s real disappointing. Another obstacle is the balance between being known by people but not being known by the cops. When you’ve been painting for a while it’s natural that other kids that like graffiti start asking questions about who’s who and who’s doing what. It’s not like any other hip hop element where you can get instant gratification for something you’ve done. You have to be real careful. I guess i’ve been lucky enough to have friends that enjoy what i do so showing them my work and having them appreciate it is enough for me.

What do you know now that you wished you would have known when you got started?

I wish I knew that painting trains means leaving your mark for years and years. I might have spent more time perfecting my art instead of hurrying up to get up with half assed pieces. Kids today take this for granted. If they have a chill layup they go there and tag the trains with markers and/or write stupid shit. I’ve crossed out so much crap this year it’s ridiculous.

Is graffiti a part of hip hop?

Graffiti is a huge part of hip-hop.

Do you have to be a hip hopper in order to paint?

Not at all. It seems to me that the only people wearing baggy pants, sideways hats, graffiti label clothing, rocking a FEF (fifth element face), are graffiti groupies and TOYS. I have yet to meet a writer that is all about hip hop. That doesn’t mean that their aren’t writers like that, but it’s just been my experience that most writers don’t fit this stereotype. In Cincinnati this year i remember Daze signing this kids blackbook and this kid was talking to him about hip hop and Daze was like “fuck hip hop, I listen to megadeath, slayer… anything to do with the devil.” Sigh was pumping some country music while he was painting. Graffiti is a part of hip-hop because it was adopted by hip hoppers, but the two don’t have to correlate.

Is the hip hop graffiti connection still relevant or are the two separate entities?

It seems to only be relevant in the context that it has a history with hip hop. I think that graffiti has transcended the confines that hip hop puts on it. Graffiti doesn’t have to be a backdrop anymore. It’s everywhere because all sorts of people are doing it for different reasons.

What do you personally get out of painting?

For me it’s about being out at night and creating. My favorite times painting are walking to and back from the freights with Theory and talking about life, laying in ditches, jumping fences, being scared, watching the northern lights, smelling railroad ties on a hot summer day. The trains yard is a second home because it offers and escape from the real world. Graffiti has become a sort of modern day fairy tale. Stories get told about writers, myths are told and retold. It’s a fantasy world of sorts where people with funny names like Kaput and Worm become heroes because of the way they apply paint to a giant metal surface. It’s quite comical but at the same time it feels good to be a part of this subculture.

Do you like painting trains or walls better? Why?

Trains Trains Trains. Trains are a way to get your art seen all over the continent. They have an aura about them that’s hard to describe. I am starting to enjoy walls more and more but i’m not one for legal work and i have no desire to do illegal walls in the city i’m from, it’s too small and the walls have ears.

Have you ever had any close calls with the Law or been caught?

I’ve had a few close calls but have never been caught. Me and Theory are real real careful but the close calls remind us that we aren’t invisible. I don’t want to get too specific but one time we had justed finished painting a nice gondola and a cop car pulled in on us. They were maybe 20 feet behind me, Theory and boner and they flicked their lights on. Theory said he wasn’t going to talk to them and turned around. We all started running and lucky for us the couldn’t drive over the tracks. The cops surrounded the area we were in but we managed to sneak our way out with some macgyver like tactics.

Are legal walls good for graffiti or do they take away from the overall experience?

I don’t think they are good for graffiti at all. They are fun to do once you’ve become established and you want to showcase your talent and I find it fun to paint a legal wall now and then just because i don’t have to look over my back every few seconds and i can push myself more so than if i was doing a freight at 2 in the morning with no light. I guess there are your writers that only do legals and love the fact that they can have their phone numbers on business cards and exploit the art because there are people putting up the real in your face graffiti. I have no interest in making money off graffiti.

Who would you like to paint with?

I would love to paint a wall production with Case, Virus, Dyske, Giant, Alone, Revok. I would love to bomb with Sake, Revok, and Sever. I would love to rock fr8’s with Lewis, Fokis, Vent 26, and any of the midwest writers that influenced me a great deal when i was getting started, Kahn, Spel. Monk, Mber, Nimz, Heat, Sempz, Abuse.

Do you listen to music while you paint?

When i do walls i bring the little blaster but not when i paint trains. You gotta stay on your toes.

Who are you favourite hip hop and other musical artists?

Well this is a loaded question. Let’s start with hip hop, Subtitle, Awol One, Circus, Existereo, Xololanxinco, The League, the whole Shapeshifter collective, Radioinactive, Emanon, CVE, Grouch, Epic, Restiform Bodies, Buck 65, Neila, Erosadis, Jonathon Toth From Hoth, Mr Lif, Anti-Pop Consortium..the list could go on.. i also listen to the classics on a regular basis, Black Sheep, Boogie Down, Wu-Tang, KMD, Tha Dogg Pound, Mobb Deep, Goodie Mobb, Eazy-E. Other music that gets regular rotation is Coldplay, The Shins, Minor Threat, Modest Mouse, Eek-a-mouse, Danzig, Slayer, SNFU, Nirvana, Dayglo Abortions, Leadbelly, Pearl Jam, Misfits, Pantera. Bad Religion.. these are some of my favourites.

Who were some of the writers that you looked up to in your earlier days?

Besides the local guys it was Nace(RIP), Rime, Ces, Per, Virus, then a few years later guys like Cameo, Kaput, Sebo, Fokis.

Do you still look up to other artists or has that worn off as they are you peers?

I have respect for a lot of other artists.. it’s a different kind of respect than i used to have. I appreciate the friendships i have with people i have met through graffiti and once you put a face to these writers your perceptions change, i’ve been lucky enough to meet writers that are grounded and sincere. You realize that you can’t hold some of these so called “kings” to high on a pedestal because you don’t know them. You can appreciate a writers art but at the same time you have to realize that you don’t know him/her and for all you know they could be the hugest asshole and beat their cat while feeding chocolate to their neighbors dog. So i guess it’s appreciation on a different level, i wouldn’t be caught dragging my blackbook around to the local graffiti convention to get Dope1 to tag it up.

What do you hate about graffiti and/or hip hop?

I hate the attitude that comes along with graffiti, but it never seems to be the ones that are good at it with the attitudes. I love hip hop so much i hate to say it. I hate the arrogance that comes along with kids listening to underground hip hop. Kids rocking the FEF face because they discovered living legends on the internet a few years ago is ridiculous. I hate when kids get overprotective of hip hop and complain about commercialism. I hate talking about hip hop to anyone else but my friends. I hate the word hip hop.

Do you have a good story that you have experienced because you paint that you would like to share?

I think the best times are when you realize that graffiti is a whole lot of nothing that means so much to so few. I’ve felt this feeling when i met and painted with Sebo, Kaput, Crum, Acrow, and Kwiz. I’ve felt this watching Reset paint a train while the sun was coming up, and again while spending an afternoon painting a wall with Fatso. It’s an overwhelming feeling that i take for granted sometimes but when i reflect on it i feel extremely lucky to be a part of something big.

In closing, any shout outs you’d like to give?

The infamous missa, the fr8ophiles swim team (we’re taking gold next year!), tic tac, shame, sebo, bethone, afex, crum, beast, phsyk, vohs, pesto, each2 (oh madison), jordan at urban blend magazine, factor, forgetful jones, nolto, chaps, chuck luggage, epic, soso, muneshine(uuuhh), mike c, brando calrizion, leg, jarrett b, adam ruckus, cincy, and last but not least…

Here we go! Introduce yourself your crew affiliations etc.

Satchel Paige of the YBIMBP crew. Also known as Ness.

Since you hate baseball and Joe Carter how are you trying to rock harder?

I honestly used to love baseball and I still dislike Joe Carter. I think he is a bit of a strange man. He reminds me of moldy tuff-skinned porge. Any2ways, every show I do I’m trying to rock harder than Joe Carter’s home run in the ‘93 World Series. That home run made the city of Toronto go crazy. I’m just tryin’ to play with that that kind of intensity - that kind of impact. Oh yeah, shout outs to Cito Gaston.

How would you describe your style?

Honest, sincere. I beleive the only place I’m completely honest is when I’m recording. It don’t help to lie and later try to analyze that lie.

How would you describe your album?

A man thats celebrating the meanining of the word Roots!

Denham Brown is a track that speaks of tails of hard work, would you describe yourself as a hard worker?

Yeah, When it comes to rap. When it comes to anything I’m passionate about. Man, I can spend hours organizing a radio show, or a performance or pondering what the next moves in the promtion of Guy, I’m from here. I’ll literally walk through fire. literally. No lie. I’d like to work harder.

What is the significance of the name Satchel Paige and how did you get it?

Negro Leagues baseball player. A Hall Of Famer, A legend. He dreamed of facing Babe Ruth and getting the accolades he desreved. His work ethic was second to none. Two games a day were regular. He played ball to the point that his arms would go numb. When he started playing ball it seemed like black players would never be able to play in the white major leagues. When the merge finally occured he was considered too old. People doubted that he could make any impact. But, He would not be denied of his chance in the MLB. He played six years in the majors as a player over 40 and he won the rookie of the year honour while pitching for Cleveland in 48’. His determination was beautiful. Plus his wit was like a rappers wit. I wanted to bring some more attention to Satchel’s legacy, even if it is to only 500 people. That man was dope.

Thanks to your album I now know who Denham Brown is. Why did you name the tracks of your album after people?

Role models that looked like me were few on TV. Some of these people have done great things and I’d like some of their names to be looked up. The names remind us that we are a very diverse people. Many times in my life I needed those reminders.T he names are just a form of sayin’ thank you. I wanted people to feel the whole experience of what I was saying on the album and those names are very important to me and so many in the communities I’ve lived.

How did you get started in hip hop? What are some of you earlest inspirations and experiences that set forth the creation of the album?

In Winnipeg one of my cousins had by All Means Necessary. I was amazed. I moved to Mississauga, Ontario and got to hear a lot more hip hop from college radio shows like the Powermove and the Masterplan show. Shit was sick. I was in love, strait up! Got to hear Toronto evolve its whole hip-hop scene to the point of international respectability. I was just another youth banging beats on the lunchroom table and freestyling at basketball courts and house parties.

What would you say if I described you as the Canadian Capital D?

That’s cool. But I’m just curious in which ways I remind you of Capital D?

Can someone be the best after only rapping for two years? Is there a story behind Theo’s Gatrelle?

No - There is always someone better than you, especially after only two years. If you are a natural that theory gets thrown out the window. and Yes, there is a story behind the song: I rapped for about two years and everyone would say i’m the best. My head got big, real big. Went to a house party and got my head handed to me in a battle.

How did you come to be a memeber of Your Brother In My Back Pack?

Use to do late night radio shows on 101.5 UMFM called Hip Hop 101 pt.B and The Next Agenda. They were hip-hop talk shows. John Smith used to call up and rap and whoop ass on the MC Collision freestyle competition. Yy, him and Mark use to come by the show. We’d sit in the studio with a few homies they’d smoke that Magellan and we’d play and debate hip-hop. They later introduced me to Gumshoe and General Gyst. One night Danny (Yy) comes to me and ask, if i’d like to be a member of a group with the aforementioned cats. After thinking about it for awhile, the rest became history in the making.

Who would you like to work with in the future?

Grassroots, Memo (molemen), Qwazaar, and all my homies in Winnipeg. Plus Dre Dub aka Talksick (this kid is dope). I just want to work with cats that I know are amazing and the world has not realized it yet. We all are building here.

Why did Radio Raheem have to die?

One of those mysteries from Do The Right Thing. Maybe the right thing is to question it always.

What makes Satchel Paige tick?

Family. A desire to help people see goals that they once thought were unachievable. A simple glance from a beautiful woman. I also would like to be exposed to more cultures. oh yeah, Curry chicken, curry chicken, doubles and more curry chicken.

What do you enjoy other than rap?

Friends, any bizarre anecdote, photography, soccer, basketball (more arguing about it than playing). A smile from my 3 year-old niece. Chillin’ wit my girl.

Is Vince Carter going to turn it around this season?

That cat better turn it around this season! Glass Carter better get some shatter proof knees installed. That cat’s gonna be my first pick in the fantasy draft.

Dwight York is an interesting song! What is the Burn Light? Does it hold any significance for yourself, Gruf or Shazzam?

The Burn Light for me is a moment of realization. It is a moment in a persons’ life when they realize they have to work to some sort of goal or their life may just fall apart or they may never be happy with it. As a minority and a person with a disability I’ve had stories related to me to act as my Burn Light. People just affraid that i’ll be a bum because they think I don’t realize how serious life is. For example - When Biggies mom got breast cancer and when his homie took that gun charge for him- those are Burn Lights because Biggie realized his life must change at these points and he gotta push harder. With out those moments we may have not had that great emcee we all glorify to this day.

What are the cities you love and the island you dream? Why do you love them?

Winnipeg and greater Toronto (eventhough Misssissauga is where I was raised). Trinidad is the island. Just sentimentality.

What is your favourite Track? Why? On the album?

Anne Marie Green (life Before) - love that beat. but the song completely describes how a feel about my life and the cities I love. Also, I briefly explore that feeling of gripping onto my cultural identity. I feel like certain elements of society are always trying to grab it from me or beat the pride outta me. At the time I wrote the song I was goin’ to a school which fronted on it. The way i spoke did not seem to be expected. Culture is something built up over time and I will not throw it away for anyone. Shout outs To Pinball Clemons, I hope he’s still gettin’ those cuts at Nappy’s in Sauga.

What contributions did curry chicken make to the development of Satchel Paige and the album?

It just seems like the food that has always been there. It’s my comfort food. That and Doubles always make me very aware that I have a culture to celebrate and that my culture taste very good.

Why do you think soso and I love this album so much?

ehn (shrugs). Says: “thanks”

What do yo think about Epic

Honest, candid, clever as fuck (CAF), and very very very unique.

What does the future hold for Satchel Paige?

Hopefully a university degree. Right now I’ve begun organizing the second album, Gumshoe and Gruf are going to be major parts of that project. We are aiming for a late 2004 release. Also an album with Jonh Smith may be worked on. Maybe a YBIMBP album.

What is your favourite hip hop recording and artist?

Nas - Illmatic and Ahmad Jamal - The Awakening (hip-hop don’t run me) Them two are the most influential on me, forever.

What are you listening to these days?

Kanye West - I’m Good, Andre 3000 - Love Below, Big Noyd - Only The Strong, Sa Smash, Binkis Recs, State Property 2, Godfather Don- Diabolique, All Monsta Island Mixes, Vaudville Villain, and Eightball & MJG - In Our Lifetime vol.1, MF Grimm - Downfall. Any Stevie Wonder & Bill Withers.

Do you have a crazy story that you would like to share with the readers that would demistify Satchel Paige?

No - Go bootleg my ish and spread the seeds. Thanks for the interview. Thanks to anyone who read it and thanks to the people who bought my record.

Instrumental albums have become the trend lately in hip hop and it only helps the music become a more respected art form by musical purists. Beat smiths world wide are mastering their MPC and creating a whole new branch of music set to move you without the aid of words. I met up with one of these talented instrumentalists, Maker from Chicago, at Scribble Jam. While we did not get the chance to do the interview at the festival, we did reserve a later time to discuss his future plans, Carson Daly, prank calls and Wayne’s World.

Blake: First off, how has the response been from the album?

Maker: Well, it’s been really good so far. I’m happy with it. Some of it has been surprising like emails or people I’ve met on my travels, the stories and their versions of what the meaning was to a certain song. I think that’s awesome.

What prior work did you do leading up to this?

Well the first thing I was apart of was Them Badd Apples around ‘98, I think. We released a small press. Spread around here and there. And soon after that I did an album with Concept and Vertabreaker under the name Costume in ‘99. Also, small local stuff. Around that time I met Adeem and we did a song on his album called “Maker Mine” which came out very well and then worked with a few other people here and there leading up to my album coming out.

So the song featuring Costume on your album is actually a group you’re a part of?

Yeah

Are you doing any further work with Costume? An album maybe?

Yeah of course. Those are my brothers also. We have a bunch of songs put together that we have been doing. Everyone is busy so it’s been going slower than normal and Vertabreaker is also working on a solo project which is going to be crazy. I’m doing like 4 joints on there. He also has production from a lot of other people. It’s going to be a hot one. Look for it sometime next spring/summer.

How did you hook up with Canadian emcees Governor Bolts, Josh Martinez, and Sarcasm?

I invaded Canada one day with an axe and a carton of parliaments and they were like “hey man …its cool aye” and I was like sorry. Haha nah really we met at a show, Them Badd Apples opened for them and we just clicked, worked on some stuff and we just worked well together. That song on my album was written and recorded in like four hours, they stopped by my house on tour and we banged it out and Sarcasm is an Auroran. He’s in Them Badd Apples and my child hood homie.

He delivered one of my favorite verses so far this year.

Yeah. Just wait for the remix! I got the peanuts teacher on there doing the hook like “waaawahhawawaaa, wawa, waawaaw”

Haha seriously?

Nah but seriously, Sarcasm is very very dope. Haha nah but it’s a good idea. Maybe ill roll with it!

Might as well I think the teacher could bring the ruckus; she’s got a crazy dose one style. In fact he might have bit her style.

puuahahahha…dose one vs. the teach on Carson Daily! Yesss

How do you feel about your fellow Glue teammate Adeem being on Carson?

I think it was great. I mean he got to be on TV, rapping with the “Carson girls” dancing in the background and he got to spit with some dope mcs. You can’t get mad at that. Carson is on the herbish side. But whatever. It was all in fun.

Yeah. Do you ever notice how Carson turns on his hip hop button every time he’s in the presence of mc’s?? All the sudden he’s fluent in Ebonics?

Yeah. It’s like I hate kids who change their personality when they get around different people, but people are people. I was watching dance fever the other day and the host is that dude from real world. And like tap dancers were on and he was all regular and bboy crumbs, I think is his name, was on and he was like “that’s fresh yo, word.” Etc I just laugh.

Word. So what’s the process you go thru when you’re composing a beat? Do you sit down like the mom from American Beauty and tell yourself “I will make a beat today!!”?

Ha, I wish. When I do that I make nothing. It’s really like if I’m feeling it. Its weird, sometimes I hear something and sometimes I don’t. I don’t have like a method or anything. When I’m feeling it, it just happens. I don’t think about it. I just make something out of nothing, things fall together I guess. When I don’t, I just quit and put on a dope record and wait for inspiration or something.

When I talked to Qwel he described you as a Mastodon that plays the harp. How would you describe him?

We talked about that before. Hmm I would describe him as a swan with metal wings. He can gracefully punch you in the face with his lyrics sometimes and you don’t even notice until your nose is bleeding.

so you’re producing all of the Harvest. Can you give everyone something to make their ear wax tingle?

Man of course! For those who don’t know, the harvest is the album Qwel and I are making together on Galapagos4 and its naaasty. He let me pick the beats. Most of them and the first song he finished blew my mind. It’s gonna be a fun collab. I’m excited.

How many songs deep so far?

He’s writing to them as we speak and recording will start soon. He has like 12 of my beats right now and I’m fixing on giving him some more.

After talking to both of you, I’m very excited for this album.

I’m excited too. He’s my brother and also one of my favorite artists. So what else can you ask for when working with someone?

What else do you have coming in the future?

Well, I’m in a group called GLUE (Adeem, DJ DQ, and Maker). Which is getting mastered as we speak and should be out very soon. I’m very excited about that album also. I loved working with them, it was very natural and all came together.

What can people expect from that album?

This album Seconds Away is very much like what we were going through and feeling in that time we spent together recording it and putting it together. A lot of our souls went into the making of it. It’s just honest music. We have released a few songs here and there so people can get a taste of it. One on my album “Jump in Lily” which is about our travels across country in a car, just a fun song and the one on the Scribble Compilation called “lullaby for the sun” which is about a street musician. It’s a weird mix of song concepts and styles and we hope everyone can enjoy it.

Sounds like the type of music I can enjoy.

Oh and DJ DQ… KILLS it.

I love the Outkast scratch on “Jumpin Lily” of “rolling down the strip.”

He’s a sicko on the turntables. He’s from the Animal Crackers of Cincinnati and they are all dope, but people will all know his name soon. The dope thing about this album is like we all had control over what we did. I was working on the beat while Adeem was writing while Dan was in the other room looking for scratches to put on it and then formed like Voltron and or Go-bots at the end.

So who are your influences? Was there an album that you heard that made you want to do instrumental music?

One of my big influences when I was coming up was Prince Paul. I loved his production and was one of the first like producers I really started paying attention to sequence and drops and etc. Dr. Dre was a big influence, the N.W.A. and D.O.C. albums he did were amazing. Pete Rock, Primo, Shadow, Rza, Muggs were also influences and all great. All of them helped me in one form or another.

So you a De La Soul fan?

Oh of course! I think Bulhoone Mind State made me wanna make beats and their albums were so great. All the Native Tongue albums; Tribe, Jb’s. I was a big fan. Before that it was all about N.W.A., AMG and Public Enemy. Haha very extreme angry young man I was haha. Then that music (Native Tongues) was like “hey man …its cool…you know…its aight.” “Lets just hang out” and I was like yeah, hey lets hang out. I mean it all made sense.

It’s like polar opposites; you went from shouting fuck the police to passing the peas because it’s a daisy age.

But, I needed it. I was too angry and I’m glad I decided to pass the peas before I decided to pass a beat down on the “man” the “devil” or the “Po-Po”.

So you’re from Aurora? Right?

Yup, land of the A-town Brown and Wayne’s World. It’s right outside of Chicago but big enough to be the second largest city in illy.

Do people still say “schwing” Wayne’s world style there?

Aurora is like 60% Mexican and like 30% Black. There is no schwinging going on here. It’s more like “schwing, oh crap he has a knife”. Man that movie wasn’t even filmed here. They made us look like we celebrated diversity for nothing.

So at the end of your album there is a prank call, is that a regular thing at Maker’s crib?

Man. Like we might pretend like we are serious like artist cliché deep thinking traditionalist record dudes, but really we are just a bunch of homies kicking it and talking crap, and busting jokes. I have a bunch of those we recorded, that’s just the one I liked the best. hahahha

Prank Yankers can’t hold a candle to you!

YAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYY!!

Will we be hearing any more of these in later albums?

Actually, if you can track down the earlier version of Honestly, there is one right after the Glue song (Jump in Lily) and yeah, there will be more.

Well, anything you would like to say in closing?

Be nice to people, but don’t let them walk over you. I don’t know. I’m never good at those things. Thanks for supporting ya’ll and say hi if you ever see me.

The first time I met Kutdown he showed up at my door at about 10:30 pm in the summer of 2000 with Epic and a buddy of his. He needed a place to stay and I let him and his friend crash there. I left for work the next morning at 5:30 am without even considering that I really didn’t know the guy. I returned and everything was good, actually it was probably cleaner then when I left. Kutdown has returned the favour since and is probably one of the nicest, funny guys that you will ever meet. I hope this sheds some light into the man they call Kutdown.

Chaps: Introduce yourself, crew affiliations etc:

I go by Kutdown from Frek Sho/Dead Can’t Bounce.

What were your earliest memories of hip hop and how did a kid from Thunder Bay get to were you are today?

My last memory is I think I was in grade 9 maybe 10, It was early in The morn 7ish, it was crazy cold in the middle of winter. I was at a bus stop on my way to school listening to The Genius - Liquid Swords. I just remember I was totally taken by it. Nothing mattered, the cold, the fact I was tired, nothing, that music had the ability to take me completely away from whatever was around me.

What do your production, recording and skratching credits include?

Production:
“The Library” - Milch and Allagra Ep
“Enida Watts” - Satchel Paige Lp
Shazzam LP - 8 songs (out soon.)
dead can’t bounce - 2 songs
Frek Sho - Papercuts CD/12”
Ismaila Lp - 12 songs so far (out soon)
Frek Sho Presents Stepwriter - The Dollar Bin Vol. 1

Scratching:
“Enida Watts” - Satchel Paige Lp
Shazzam LP - 6 songs (out soon.)
Epic - Heater in My truck - 2 songs
Yy Ep - 1 song
dead can’t bounce - 2 songs
Ismaila LP - 12 songs (out soon)
The Gumshoe Strut new LP - 5 songs (out in the future)
Frek Sho Presents Stepwriter - The Dollar Bin Vol. 1

I think that’s it for now.

What sparked you interest in producing?

I love skratching, that’s my first love. Then it came to the point where I wanted to kut over my own beats.

What do you use to make your Beats?

MPC 2000xl drum machine with 8 outs
EPS-16+ sampling keyboard
Mackie CR1604 16 channel mixing board.
2 vestax PDX2000 turntables
1 Rane TTM-56 mixer
JBL monitor speaker
Computer for final mix, adding kuts and vocals and records

Explain what Stepwriter is? Is it an alter ego or a production name or something entirely different?

Umm stepwriter is just a production name, I use here and there.

How did you come up with the names Kutdown and Stepwriter?

I came up with that name when I was a battle Dj, I just thought it sounded good, and would stick. As for Stepwriter, I think I matured a lot since being a battle dj, and I needed something that more or less described me a bit better. “Stepwriter” is a word play from the word “Stepwriting”. Stepwriting is just a term used in music production. One-day soso and I were relaxing in my apt. Soso yelled out “that’d be a dope name for a producer”. Weeks later I decided to use it for my LP.

How would you explain Frek Sho Presents: StepWriter - The Dollar Bin Vol.1 to someone that was unsure if they should purchase it?

This LP is a project put together of beats for people to use as a tool. Whether it be a dj a Mc, B boy or radio personal. When I was putting the final track list together I was thinking about skratch djs mostly, thinkin what would I like to skratch to. I made sure the project had a variety of different tempos for different people. 6 or so these beats were made more then 3 years ago, the rest pretty are recent. As for guest I did all the production myself. I have Dj Influence on one of the tracks Killing it on the kut. This is definitely just a the 1st of a series, this project was completed over a year ago. I am 70% done Vol.2.

Your Bio says that you are the main man behind the boards of the legendary Frek Sho crew. How did this relationship materialize?

Spoof expressed interested in my sound, given the freksho history and status it made sense for us both to combine our visions, and make some explosive music.

What are you currently working on?

Just finished a Shazzam LP, Dead Cant Bounce LP, Now I’m just finishing up Ismaila’s LP. Then whenever I get a chance I work on my new upcoming LP.

What is your favourite hip hop recording of all time and why?

Anything from 93-96, cause its renaissance Chaps.

How would you describe the Winnipeg Hip hop scene and why did you choose to locate there?

Winnipeg has everything man , Culture, Diversity, CRAZY talent, and originality. I really think it’s ahead of its time musically. I mean all my favorite music is my friends.

What advice do you wish you had when you were getting started that you would give to someone starting out today?

Starting is life long process. Being persistent is all I have going for me.

How would you describe your production style? What is the approach you take to making a beat?

I always start with Drums, I love drums, it’s all about the drums. Loops are a dime a dozen. Everyone is a producer, everyone has dope samples (loops). Drums. Drums. Drums.

What is the hardest obstacle blocking you from getting to were you want to be?

Were do you want to be? MONEY MONEY MONEY MONEY, I have none. I want to be able to make music and have money.

What would you change about hip hop if you could?

I just wish I had more time to express myself to her.

Do you work outside of music or do you live off of your craft?

hahahahahahah fuck you Chaps! I work like a slave, and hate every second I put effort into something other than what I love.

Is it viable for Canadian independent artists to live off music?

Very possible for a MC. As for a producer, I got mad debts due to equipment, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

How do you think things have changed from when you got started to people getting started now?

Way easier, the Internet can help you out so much as a marketing tool. www.stepwriter.com

Do you think that the hip hop market is over saturated or is there room for everyone to make music?

Nah.

Who would you like to work with in the future?

soso, dead can’t bounce, Grubbs, and all my friends.

What does the future hold for Kutdown/Stepwriter?

I think in the near future I’m really gonna find out what all this hip hop shit is really about.

Do you have any stories that you would like to share with the people that would provide some insight into what makes Kutdown tick? Or just a crazy story?

Hermits don’t have stories. But I’ll put money on it you could tell us a really good story.

Emcee, TV show host, Loving father, Underground legend; Wordsworth (Words for short) has been putting it down for the underground for quite some time now. Being a regular on the Lyricist Lounge tour, having a lead role on the short-lived Lyricist Lounge show, to guest appearing on numerous songs for artists ranging from High and Mighty, to Blackstar, all the way to Prince Paul has led him to critical acclaim. However, acclaim is not the sole objective of his career. Wordsworth wants financial security, movie projects, and pure happiness. After finally catching up with him on the phone, he apologizes for being late, stating that he was at the studio all night. I understood that the man has responsibilities, so it was all good. And the story continues as so…

Darcwonn: First question: where ya been, man? What have you been up to?

Wordsworth: Ha, Ha! I’ve been actually trying to find other things to do besides this rapping. I’ve been trying to hone my skills as a writer more than anything, y’know. I was writing for HBO for a minute. I did like a pilot situation with them, sort of similar to the Chris Rock show. I’ve also did this Dexter’s Laboratory thing for the Cartoon Network with Prince Paul.

Yeah, I saw the video for that joint.

Yeah, and I also host this show called “The Roof”, that comes on Telemundo, a latin-spanish channel. There this second channel to it called Mundos that has a hip hop show that shows English and Spanish videos. I portray the man on the street asking people questions, getting on there rhyming, promoting things. I’ve been honing my skills as a writer, concentrating on what I wanna come with as far as music wise. Production and other things to make the music mature. That’s what I’ve been doing.

Let me ask you: what’s the deal with Punchline?

Me and Punch are still cool. He actually got a single out right now called “Family First” with Masta Ace and Apocalypse and the B side called “Throw it Away”. Me and him are still working on stuff. We talk and everything. The CD version of “On Your Feet” will have bonus tracks with Punch on it, like a cross promotion thing. To make people understand that we still cool. He just doing his thing, doing shows overseas with Masta Ace. That’s really what’s going on.

So, how did you hook up with Masta Ace, anyway?

Me and Punch was working on a EP that was on Mona/Landspeed. The dude that owns Mona was doing some stuff with Masta Ace. Ace had heard me and Punch’s work. He was feelin’ the music and we met up with him. We hit it off from the beginning and he asked us to be on the album. It was an honor to work with Ace. We met up at D&D studios and we just clicked. From there, we just took up on tour with him overseas and it has been love ever sense.

So what other musical projects do you have lined up?

I got another single coming out produced by J-Zone and the B Side produced by my boy Sev. I also have some projects coming out with Seven Heads. The J-Zone song is called “Not Me” and the Sev record is called “Wildlife”. On Seven Heads I got this record called “Thank Y’all For Comin’ Out”, produced by J-Rawls and a song called “Backstage”. I just did a song with J-Live and this popular band called Soulive.

Yeah…I heard of Soulive. They are hot!

I’m hoping that the songs come out along the same time frame. I also got a song coming out with Slick Rick. It might come out from Soundbombing 3, if Rich okays it. I did a song with Las Emperor for the Beatminerz album. I’ve been working with the Beatminerz a lot and with Curt Gowdy and my boy Dave Dark. Just trying to get mad different tracks and make sure everything is consistent.

Okay, so I see you still venture with Lyricist Lounge and Mic Media?

Naw, actually, I haven’t done anything with them in a minute.

Oh, you haven’t? You just been on your own thing?

Yeah, man. It’s hard for me to wait for people; you know what I’m saying?

Oh, so it’s like that?

They had got me a deal from one point, but it wasn’t the best situation after we looked at it. Still, they showed me love by letting me go on tour with them and everything. Then, I got invited to go on tour with J-Live for the Gza tour. I decided to do that tour, and I was to do some touring with the Lyricist Lounge tour. I’m still cool with the Lounge. I was at Danny’s crib the other day, and he was working on some music, chillin watchin’ DVDs on some hangout tip. It’s still all love there. It’s just that they have a lot on their plate. So, it was either wait on them to be ready or do it myself.

Aiight, let’s backtrack a bit here. You say you worked with Prince Paul. I interviewed the Juggaknots before and my man Breeze said that Prince Paul was a silly, zany guy. What do you have to say about that?

Yeah, man! Paul, with his sense of humor, is that if you don’t get it then you missed out. I was listening to the album (Politics of the Business) and the skits. If you looked at the song with me and MF Doom and Chubb Rock, it’s titled “Chubb Rock, Can You Please Pay Paul The $2200 You Owe Him”, y’know what I’m saying?

(Laughter)

And in the brackets it says (People, Places and Things), but the record is still on some “Yo, gimme my money” type vibe, y’know what I’m saying. Paul is crazy man. His skits are funny. He got this skit where Mr. Len calls about having a DJ for this guy running for president that can’t rent turntables. He’s like “How did dude gonna run for president if he can’t rent no turntables”

(Laughter) He can’t rent turntables?

Mr. Len had to bring his own turntables and he’s complaining about it on the answering machine. And on the skit before the Chubb Rock song, Chubb calls in apologizing for the money. Chubb like “Yo, I’ll pay you half on Saturday” and the laugh track on the background laughing. And its crazy because I thought it was a TV on in the background, but he put a laugh track on the background. Paul has his own way of thinking and, if you miss out, then you miss out on his genius.

I feel you, because I bought his, uhm…the one movie type deal…the “Prince Among Theives” album. And it was one of the best albums to come out that year.

Right. It’s like…Paul has a lot of ideas and everything and he stays consistent with them. If people don’t appreciate it now, then down the line when people start diggin’ in our archives, there will be people loving Prince Paul.

So, lyrically, what do you bring to the table?

I call my style mirror music. I am a reflection of everybody. Anybody can relate to what I’m talking about. I want people to actually feel me. I tell people that when I hear a lot of hip hop records, sometimes I don’t feel it like, say, a Curtis Mayfield or a James Brown song. That’s what I’ve been working on. The single “That Way”, a lot of people felt that emotionally. With “On Your Feet”, I just wanted people to get amped and feel the record. My style is just really showing I can do whatever. I believe that a lot of artist, instead of figuring out how to use their styles to talk about certain things, they conform, rather than just figuring out a perspective in which to tell a story or just giving their opinion without trying to impress somebody. As far as trying to be down…I’m not writing to be down. I’m just writing how I feel. I wanna write for the world. I’m not talking about one place or one person. I’m trying to reflect the world. Lyrically, when I write or put it down, I just hope people appreciate it. I try to be a fan of my own work so that way, I can be critical. I can say “Yeah, that’s cool.” That’s the one thing about being consistent. You gotta be able to say “Yeah, that’s wack.” Or flow like this hear and change this here. I’m trying to be a mirror for everyone and give something everyone can feel.

Right. So, there was a lot of negative reviews about the EP you and Punchline dropped a few years back. Do you think fans were right or do you think they missed the point.

To me, its like…we did the EP and we did those exact songs. We didn’t do any more that what’s there. I think at that point, that kind of what me and Punch wanted to do at that moment. Some of those songs I liked. Some of those songs, I can see why people wouldn’t like them. But it was a learning experience for me. It was also riding the momentum of doing things. At the point of being on TV, being on tour with Mos Def, at that time….it was like put something out or wait on another situation. Sometimes you gotta ride the wave. At that moment, we only worked on those records. If we would have possibly did more songs, then it would have possibly been a better EP. My favorite song was “The Mistress”, which was a lot of people’s favorite record. I would never deny what I was rhyming about on “Mistress”. I’m not the type to put on a front. Some people ain’t gonna get it because I’m not living anybody else’s life and they are not living mine. I can’t make an excuse because people are not gonna understand if I have an excuse. At the same time, if somebody said an excuse to me, and I wasn’t around for it, then I can’t understand it. So, I’ll just look at the finished product. To me, its like that is what cats did and its cool to have an opinion. Some people liked it and some people hated it. You can’t satisfy everybody. But I can notice some mistakes from it and learn the basic game of it. It would be stupid to ask everybody because that would be stupid of myself by not acknowledging it and elevate the game rhyming wise, song wise or whatever. That was a point in my life where I did the music, put it out and I was happy with it. But I also have to look at the then and now. I think it was a good thing to show my growth also.

What do you think about beefs and street wars in hip hop?

I think its dope to hear cats battling as long as the violence doesn’t become physical. But some cats are getting real disrespectful. Some of the lines cats are saying are getting real personal. Talking about people’s moms, wilding out. You gotta be clever when it comes to battling. You wanna get on somebody’s nerves, but you also wanna be able to see the dude and say “Yo, that line was kinda crazy” and then after that, go do your thing. When you on stage battling, for the most part, whatever you say right then and there, it doesn’t lead to fighting right after the club. Now, you got cats in the biz that put out one record or two, and they get interviewed and they like “Naw, I’m not messing with that dude.” It gives the vibe that “When I see that dude, there is gonna be problems.” I believe that there is an image to maintain. I like that sometimes that when I do hear cats talk about things, its just like WWF. Like when Nas was saying “It was a battle of the minds.” As long as cats leave it at that, then its cool. 50 Cent and Jay-Z battled at one time, and now they are on tour.

True, but I knew that wasn’t gonna be that serious.

They had their lines back and forth, but they on tour now. Now you got it to the point that you can’t put a ill tour together because everybody beefin’. You either gonna have beefin’ and everybody running with their entourage and you got the “yes men” that wanna be hype and start some trouble. It’s kinda foul because you may not hear a Jay-Z and Nas record ever again. A lot of people don’t know that Jay-Z and Nas had a record out together.

They did?

Yeah, it was with…I think either Lord Tariq or Al Tariq. One of them…they did a joint together. I think it’s Lord Tariq. Ain’t Lord Tariq with Peter Gunz.

Yeah, because Al Tariq is down with Missin Linx and Problems.

On the Shaquille O’Neal album. Cats can’t even get in the same building anymore. They can’t even play certain records back to back in the club. Like everybody says, as long as it stays on record.

Getting into the last couple of questions…who do you thank for making Wordsworth what he is today?

I thank every entity in hip hop. If I didn’t like you, you showed me what not to do. If I liked you, you showed me what to do and how to be better at it. I see cats doing particular flows or learning how to do different flows and ride a track, I just hone my skills. I thank that all the cats coming up and all the cats that has been here. I really was a big fan of Kool G. Rap. I just thought the rhyme patterns were crazy. Before the rhyme ended, he would have words in the middle rhyming all the time. Almost every song. I thought that was ill. The stories and everything. It wanted me to elevate my game. Its more of the old school dudes than the new school. A lot of new school dudes keep you sharp on everything. There are concerns about what those kids rhyme about. They rhyme about “I’m only in it for the money”. I wasn’t only in it for the money. I know I’m gonna get a check if I do this right. I think everybody can be better off financially. As long as you are passionate about it, then the money will come. I be thinking about the future a lot when I’m writing.

Wanna send any shout outs?

Big up to Dove for hooking this up. Big up to you for doing this. Big up to Punch, Masta Ace, My man Sev, Curt Gowdy, J-Live, Seven Heads, and the world for listening and trying to understand what I’m about.

Sunday is the worst day of the week during the NFL off season, however August the tenth was no regular Sunday. It was the Low Pressure 1996 reunion tour stop in Saskatoon. I had just returned from Edmonton where I enjoyed a beer fuelled weekend with the Low Pressure show on Friday and the guest appearance of Chino XL in the movie Alex and Emma on Saturday being the highlights. It is always a great feeling to get home after a road trip, however I had no time to relax, in the immortal words of Awol One I still had to be to show on time.

I met up with Moves, Tachichi, Kunga 219, Cee!!!!!!!! , Rhek and Dj Neoteric at the ho jo (Howard Johnson Hotel) after another crazy show. If you ever get a chance to catch these guys live do it or I will personally hurt your feelings with mean words. Or Moves will punch you in the nuts! This is not your typical rapper interview and I am not you typical rap interviewer. It was all freestyle questions straight off of my dome. Now I know most of you will be like nah that was a written question or he used that answer before but I assure you it was all freestyle.

On a side note the Low Pressure banner with the two bottles of XXX alcohol on it is the worlds greatest banner. This spawned my first question:

How come you guys aren’t sponsored by a beer company?

Moves: Ahh, back in 93 my first tour with the group I was in Hip Club Groove we tried to get sponsored by this wine company and the town we were from called Truah NS was called great white its 20% white wine and it costs 12 bucks for a 40oz all the kids in the town (Neoteric adds “it gets ever high school kid fucked) yeah every high school kid gets fucked out of their mind on this drink in Nova Scotia but uhh anyway we try and get this shit because we are going on tour and were like 19 or whatever we drank this all of our life and uhh we had this big presentation and shit too we pitched it to the head honchos and they all seemed like they liked it and we left like being positive and the next day they called us and said no that discouraged me we didn’t get a beer sponsorship like Kunga did.

What did you get for a beer sponsorship?

Kunga 219: We got G’s from Keith’s ( Alexander Keith’s )

Oh ya?

Kunga 219: ya for one song, we gave them one song they took it and fucked the song and made it not sound as good as it originally sounded and gave us $8008.00

Damn

Kunga 219: we got no beer and no copies of the CD I had to steal them from my friends I’ve stolen two copies

Where could you get this?

Kunga 219: in 24’s of Alexander Keith’s distributed in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island

You had one song on the CD?

Kunga 219: Yeah one song on the urban compilation with was one of three different CD’s available in a certain amount of 24’s

Rhek: Buck 65 has a song on the comp and he doesn’t even drink any beer ever in his entire life Moves: Never once in his life has drank a drink of beer

You serious?

Moves: yeah, that’s the dirt

That’s the dirt?

Moves: and he got money from the beer

Kunga 219: The dirt is the dirt is this is the dirt I will tell you once in one sentence He did not want to take the money because the fact that it was coming from a booze conglomerate but was forced to take the money by his management because he owed that much money to his management so the management took the money directly with out his choice in the moral decision

Moves: that’s bull shit

— At this point in the interview the audio tape is hard to translate but there is a lot of discrepancy about Kunga’s previous statement—

Kunga 219: it’s true, it’s true, he came up to me and told me I don’t want this shit on this compilation, I’m about to turn this money down and I was like give it to Kalib

Moves: all you have to do is kick someone in the balls dude once, then it’s over with

How effective is kicking someone in the balls?

Moves: it could incapacitate them for at least a half a minute

How many people have you kicked in the balls?

Moves: including when I was in junior high and elementary, when like wedges were in effect and shit like that?

Yeah

Moves: I’d say about 15

Cee!!!!!!!!: that ain’t to bad

Any famous people?

Moves: No

Canadian Famous?

Moves: No

Any Canadian famous rappers?

Moves: I’m gonna smash Cee!!!!!!!! In the balls soon

Cee!!!!!!!!: (said something I could not make out on the tape, too much noise)

Moves: You smashed me in the balls the other night in Banff

How do you feel about that (Cee!!!!!!!!)?

Cee!!!!!!!!: all I’ll say is far as I’m fuckin concerned the cock sucker smashed me in the balls the night before to my recollection which isn’t too good it hurt big time

Moves: But it didn’t even happen, I get punched in the balls and he tells you I did something to him

Cee!!!!!!!!: I can get people to fuckin, I can get see he’s already planning and scheming to the next of me, I can get Turka 902 to tell ya right now that cock suckers did hit me In the balls tell him (Motions to Kunga 219)

Kunga 219: You (Moves) hit him in the balls but you (Cee!!!!!!!!) hit him in the balls harder later

Cee!!!!!!!!: But he in retrospect bag tagged me more then I bag tagged him

Kunga 219: We already agreed on all of this

— At this point in the interview everyone is trying to convince Moves to bag tag Cee!!!!!!!! Rhek and Neoteric suggest that Moves do it for noyz319 at ugsmag. —

Cee!!!!!!!!: we will do it for National Geographic were not doing it for noyz though

Everyone is laughing hysterically at this point

Moves: National Geographic, are you talking about being naked and shit?

Cee!!!!!!!!: were on the goddamn Ethiopian steez

What’s the Ethiopian steez?

Cee!!!!!!!!: The Ethiopian steez is when all them got no clothes on and just fucking uhh barbaric, barbaric style

Do you try and incorporate that into your songs?

Cee!!!!!!!!: No, I wouldn’t fuckin insinuate that because I have never been to Ethiopia and I don’t know how it actually is but I assume that mother fuckers come from different places trying to assassinate people from Ethiopia. You have no choice but to be a barbarian

— Another out burst of hysterical laughing —

Moves: I keep my clothes on

What can you(Cee!!!!!!!!) base those thoughts on?

Cee!!!!!!!!: On National Geographic commentary

True nuff, true dat!!

Cee!!!!!!!!: Not that I trust those faggots

— A conversation breaks out about how this is the best interview ever and everyone can not wait until it is published. Neoteric suggests that Cee!!!!!!!! Break it down and deliver the real knowledge. However the knowledge is interrupted by a guy perpetrating that he is Al Swanski. —

Cee!!!!!!!!: what the update on it, I’ll give you the knowledge

Al Swanski: What do you mean?

Cee!!!!!!!!: well what you were just saying fucking to him

Al Swanski: well I was trying to figure out if he actually knew who Al Swanski was

Cee!!!!!!!!: I don’t know fuck all about

Al Swanski: Al Swanski is the type of guy that been around. He kind of done a few things. He made moves in the industry. He’s just try’n to, he’s just coming up

Cee!!!!!!!!: Is he keeping it discrete?

Al Swanski: Ah yeah he’s keeping it real. Calling down to radio stations winin prizes what not and stuff like that. Making prank calls

Moves: Free burger King Meals and that?

Al Swanski: yeah

What’s your favorite fast food Moves?

Moves: Rascoe’s Chicken and Waffles in Los Angeles

Is it good?

Moves: It’s actually the best

Best ever?

Moves: Best thing I ever ate!

What’s the best thing to eat in Vancouver?

Moves: Best thing to eat in Vancouver is moldy vegetables that cost a dollar mixed with rottini

— Al Swanski rudely interrupts at this point and the audio makes no sense as Cee!!!!!!!! Calls Al a Mason, Moves calls him Al Sharpton and the laughter and banter is fast and inaudible. At this point Tachichi steps in to regain a sense of order. —

Tachichi: Stop this shit! You need to be backing off of my man, this is dj moves master of the booze. (He goes off on a rant that is too long to type but soon back and this is what he had to offer) Where we at Saskatoon? OK, everything is fuckin lovely man like we just made the record and fuckin ahh and I got my boy Rhek One over there holler like you know the shit man I ain’t trying to say nothing but I’s drunkie you need to do (can’t make out the word) cause I’m way to funky. I’m out her like you sisters underwear dude.

Neoteric: Best interview ever!

Too much laughing and chaos! Cee!!!!!!!! requests that the Mason be removed.

— The interview tries to take a more serious approach but Cee!!!!!!!! says he doesn’t want to get too serious. —

What can people expect from the Cousins of Def release?

Cee!!!!!!!!: Well the Cousins of Def release on the Low Pressure records label is a friggen project that we friggen made over a span of about six months. It’s pretty remarkable

Neoteric: He’s really not saying that it was really the shit

Cee!!!!!!!!: It was in the mist of uhh, the previous projects like the arseholes, and the booze brothers that we released before that and the energy just kept going and we had her all in tact and fuckin it was basically just the, what can I say, it’s unique, it’s sexual, it’s all the beautiful things you want all the sexual things you want on a rap record.

Rhek: Tell him about the Lesbians in Vancouver

Yeah tell us about some Lesbians in Vancouver!

Cee!!!!!!!!: Lesbians in Vancouver have some sexy tracks in their arms. There usually purple red not pink and that’s how you know hookers are hookers because if their tracks are just fuckin beginning to form you know they have only been hookers for a minute. But if they are purple you can usually score a blow job for a good $5.

Word, do you know this from experience?

Cee!!!!!!!!: I know from experience and my man put me on from back in the East Van. I’m not going to expose his identity cause it’s incriminating evidence may That’s fair enough! I don’t want you getting punched in the face. You might get hit in the balls later but not punched in the face

Cee!!!!!!!!: I’ve been punched in the face a few times. When it’s unexpected it’s beautiful but when it isn’t it’s not so great. Cause it hurts from a sexy fuck.

When’s the last time you got punched in the face?

Cee!!!!!!!!: Well I got punched in the face uhh…Neoteric suplexed me earlier this evening and almost broke my hand

Before the show?

Cee!!!!!!!!: No it was just like 20 minute ago, but last I got punched in the face was back in 99. Fuckin I had 5 dudes jump me in a vehicle right in front of my old high school that I graduated from the same year and uhh my boy took off runnin up the street because he got jumped in front of a club the previous night and got a bottle smashed over his head and was afraid of his stitches bustin open. So that was the reason for the whole thing. It wouldn’t have been such a violent attack if he didn’t fuck off.

— At this point Kunga 219 tells Cee!!!!!!!! to expose this guy’s mc name. Cee!!!!!!!! says a name that I can not make out on the tape. Kunga tells him to expose his real rap name Cee!!!!!!!! reluctantly reveals that it is EMO (Energy Manipulative Organism). At this point there is a lot of people talking and it really doesn’t make any sense. Kunga spits in Cee!!!!!!!!’s face as Tachichi reenters the scene and this is what he has to say about the Cousins of Def CD. —

Tachichi: The COD record. Let me tell you about the COD record, the COD record is real big man. It’s me my man Cezzle, they call him Cee!!!!!!!! around the way, Dj Moves. We made a record were we could actually have fun. Ahh , have a detailed description of what we do every day without sounding like we are making the next fucking (pause) the next fucking dope hip hop album or whatever you want to call it. None classified right. Just going out doing whatever the fuck we want to do. Were making booze heists, were making songs like barbecues, were making songs about women, were making songs about our life, were making songs about everything and it all collaborated , its all collectively done in one album and its just crazy dude. Craziest rhymes I ever heard, It’s all fuckin done by everybody’s perspectives, me and Cee!!!!!!!! and it’s just completely off the hook and that’s just what we did man.

And everything ended up turning out gravy and it’s a dope ass album COD. My boy Rhek One over there making the cover making it look like it’s fuckin big time you know what I’m sayin.

Cee!!!!!!!!: Like it’s a Jay-Z record or sumthin. It’s got a cover that’s up to par and I like big fuckin tits!

— At this point Rhek One is hollerin about an alleged incident involving noyz319, my mom’s car and another car. I can not confirm or deny the validity of this claim. All I know is everyone is okay including my mom’s car. Neoteric is Wearing a Relativity records shirt and Cee!!!!!!!! goes off on a tangent about the Mo Thugs Family and others on the Relativity label. Cee!!!!!!!! wants to also make it clear to all the people out there that Cee!!!!!!!! has eight exclamation marks. Don’t get it twisted! —

Who do you listen to?

Cee!!!!!!!!: uhh, The No littles album- The feeding, what else are we feelin right now? The Three 6 Mafia-the breakable, the latest Tech Nine album absolute power which is totally good, The SMG album which is a collaboration between Ice-T, Smooth the Hustler and Trigga the Gambla. The new Good albums which ain’t out yet but is bagnin as old shit.

When’s the new Goods album coming out?

Kunga 219: The new Goods album is coming out in September.

What can people expect?

Kunga 219: aaahhhhh, what do you think? I don’t know what you would think. For real it would start off with a lot of good raps and a lot of good beats and would end up with a lot of good beats and a lot of good raps.

Who’s producing it?

Kunga 219: It would all come from Gordski.

All Gordski!

Kunga 219: yeah of course what else. I mean we had some in between moments but they weren’t very long. Nor, they were exceptional, they were.

None the less they were in between moments. What we have here is the holy two nugget grail and it consists of two humans. And we got it! Dude we got it!

Who are the two Humans?

Kunga 219: Gordski and Kunga 219 man this is the stupidest shit ever. Like look at us you can go any were and nothing is sacred dude. Were takin it down. Pullin it off the walls. Screamin it in between . Shittin in the unflushable toilet. So to speak.

Moves: Kunga 219 is the impotent man when the world falls apart and there is only one man left.

Cee!!!!!!!!: But he still locks it down like a gorilla pimp. If there’s no broads left to pimp he’s pimpin the trees and the nut holes. All I want to do uis spread love to women with big fuckin boobies! And that’s it!

Moves: It don’t even matter about there face. It’s only if they have big boobies. They could even have no head.

Cee!!!!!!!!: I don’t give a fuck about, actually all they got to have is a torso with a pair of tits on it.

— Everyone is kind of bewildered about the statement that Cee!!!!!!!! just made. There is some laughter but the interview just moves on. Pardon the pun. —

What kind of moves Low Pressure going to make in the years to come?

Moves: We try to make money and put out records. That’s it.

That’s the future game plan?

Moves: Yeah well you know. It would be good to put out 12” but that costs too much money.

This is why it is so important to buy music. Support all Canadian independent hip hop!!! Buy Records and CD’s so people can continue to press up more!

Neoteric: We got some big shit coming up for sure a lot of large projects in the works we can’t speak about right now because we are finalizing the details on it.

Moves: I’ll give him the scoop!

Neoteric: No don’t give him the scope

Moves: Were talking to Twin Gambino of the Infamous Mobb and were trying to get the guy with the low voice that sounds like Nine. I think it’s Nine myself.

— Security rolls up because we are outside of the hotel room and are being too loud. The interview takes a brief pause while the most timid security guard tries to tell us to move inside the rooms and be quiet. We get back to talkin some Low Pressure business. —

Moves: Were making a 12” soon, I think we are going to stop making cd’s for a minute. Make a couple 12”.

And then recoup (cost)

Moves: In Canada I don’t think you can recoup on 12”. I don’t think you can no matter what. Maybe wit like a white label and put a stamp on it. A white fuckin sleeve.

What about 7”?

Moves: There good too, but they are not as good to play.

That’s the new trend in hip hop right now!

Moves: Cause it’s so fucking cheap. Everyone’s so cheap. Muther Fuckers. Fuck off with your 7” shit. This ain’t no 1960’s pop shit. We ain’t tryn to make the shit like that. Hip hop is hard!

— We move inside were Kunga 219, Tachichi, and Cee!!!!!!!! drop exclusive freestyles for this interview. You will have to take my word that they were off the wall. —

Neoteric comes in to say the last word and his take on things!

Neoteric: Man this was the crazy shit. But what I gotta do is shouts out to Chaps, Matt (Hip Hop Bear DSU Network) Thanks for bringing it to Saskatoon Edmonton, East to West 96 Reunion tour commin you way. I just gotta shout out Chaps again for ugsmag. We met noyz last night in Edmonton and he held it down. We gotta shout out Weez-L and Chase!

Word if you ever get a chance to see any of the Low Pressure guys play live, do it! They all rip and all are extremely top notch people. Thanks to Moves, Tachichi, Kunga 219, Cee!!!!!!!!, Neoteric and Rhek One. 1996 Reunion tour was insane and it will go down in Canadian folklore history. Next time be a part of that history! If you are interested to hear how this all translates to cd you can pick up all the Low Pressure releases from the ugsmag store!

Peace,
 Chaps