June 7, 2000

Sixtoo

Well I, the illustrious Andy, writer for the incomprehensible Underground Sound got the chance to sit down, or rather type, with Sixtoo. Now, this is not your standard interview, first of all, it was done over ICQ. How innovative is that! I’ve taken the basic format from the ICQ (unedited) and posted it for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy all!

Andy: Ok, first, lets get a history of Sixtoo, how did you get involved with Hip Club Groove?

Sixtoo: Oh man… umm Hip Club Groove was just like… the high school band… me checklover moves mackenzie and gordski… it was like… just what we did, not really that serious back then

A: What did you think of the Trailer Park Hip Hop album?

S: Man, you know, all that shit is embarrassing now… but at the time it was cool…you know…its like, I could dwell on the fact that records I made when i was a teenager sucked, but there’s no point really…I talked mad shit though!

A: There is the definite style progression, Hip Club seems like your average early 90s upbeat stuff. How did you and Buck meet up for the Sebutones projects?

S: He did the biggest hip hop radio show out here… and we just kinda met though that… we hated each other back then

A: Was there an intense rivalry over something? (in-depth questions, hehehe)

S: Nah, I just always showed up at the station hella weeded, and he didn’t like it much… we got cool after a while though

A: Are you a frequenter of “external substances”?

S: Nah, I used to “overindulge” and now I don’t do anything.

A: Clean? I like it man. How do you feel about super groups like Hot Boys and Ruff Ryders completely dominating the hip hop world and bringing back the skills, a sort of renaissance for hip hop? (note sarcasm)

S: Hah, man, I’m a Ruff Ryda! I ride an expedition 8 3/4 with indys and some new deals… what about you?

A: Well, I’m a Cash Money guy so all my cash goes into mah bling bling and tats that say “ballah”. You know my steez! But seriously, who are you “jocking” at this moment, hip hop / other

S: Hip Hop: Third Sight is my shit… it’s the first album that I’ve heard in a long time that encompasses what hip hop is to me. There’s a fucking DJ on the record that actually DJs! Besides that, just the weird shit… Them is amazing… Deep Puddle Dynamics… I’ve been listening to a live bootleg of this song Slug does, about a woman with tattoos on her hands… fucking beautiful man.

Not Hip Hop: Bad Company, Virus stuff, umm… and old soul.

A: I like, though I must say I haven’t heard Third Sight. Do you take offense to the term “alternative hip hop”? It seems that in a hip hop community dominated with so many “real thugs” you provide a movement back to emphasis on essence rather than appearance.

S: Yeah, I really do… but only because I’ve put in my time doing “hip hop” enough that I feel I can help expand the definition is some way… I mean, I know what the fuck hip hop is, I dj every week, I bomb, I do all that shit… and what I do is just that, hip hop. I mean… I shouldn’t get upset by it, but f’real man… skateboard rap, alternative rap… whatever, that is like Korn and shit. I mean, weird hip hop… yeah.

A: Hahaha, I’ve found the 5th element of hip hop! Did you used to watch the CBC after school super lineup of Degrassi, Family Matters, Simpsons, and Fresh Prince?

S: Yeah, a little… I’ve never really been a TV guy though, I like X-Files.

A: What do you think of the new season? I was always a pretty big fan, but then I started watching the new season and felt somewhat disappointed.

S: I dunno man, as soon as Chris Carter stopped writing, old Sixtoo stopped watching, pretty much.

A: When are you gonna host Combat De Clips or possibly Rapid Fax?

S: I dunno, I interviewed Mixmaster Mike two weeks ago for MuchMusic, but its funny, cause I don’t even get Much!

A: Yeah man, you and me both. I’m a peasant vision guy, I only see that shit at my friends houses! That’s real ghetto, hehe. Who would win this hypothetical battle: Anticon vs. Project Blowed vs. Hieroglyphics vs. Living Legends? That would also be the greatest night of my life.

S: Oh man, I don’t even wanna say anything about that… I know if it was Sixtoo vs any of those cats… Sixtoo would lose. Ha. I’m no battle cat… I like to think before I speak.

A: Well, how about as an observer, would that be a dream event for you? (It must be getting to like 3 or 4 in the morning there, do you want to wrap up or keep the questions coming).

S: Nah, keep’em coming, I never sleep. The ideal dream battle, for me to watch would be this:

Myka 9 vs. Busdriver
Peace vs. Riddlore
CVE vs. ANY NY crew

A: Alright, since were on the topic of fantastical situations, who do YOU want to meet the most? (Any category)

S: I have been fortunate enough to meet most of the people that I have looked up to (in some capacity) but the list would go like this:

Mic Teluxe from resident alien
Neil Blender (old pro skater, dope artist)
umm… Prince Far-I

I mean… most of the people I want to meet aren’t hiphoppers..

A: That’s what i mean, non hip hop, just as a general interest. Anyway, that’s not really important; just saw it on Barbara Walters once. What do you think of the interviews you give? Enjoy / bothersome?

S: Mostly interviews are really bad because most people ask the same shit. But I mean, if you put yourself in that position, I guess you have to deal with it. I like questions that really aren’t about music or are about the specific science that music has become.

A: well, as a first time interviewer, something like this can help me get a handle on what to ask, you know? Are you into movies / any favorites?

S: I am very much into film… thanks for asking. Most of the stuff I watch is big name Japanese gangster films… Beat Takeshi stuff. I like French erotic films, and independent American cinema for social commentary.

A: Dope man! Now, my favorite action movie ever made is The Killer, I haven’t had much exposure to any Hong Kong gangster shit other than John Woo, any suggestions that i can find at my local blockbuster? And have you seen Run Lola Run?

S: Run Lola Run is amazing… umm, Id say look for “Fireworks”, it’s a good place to start. Jim Jarmusch films, that’s what I’m really all about… Dead man, Night on Earth, Mystery Train, Down By Law, all his shit is classic dood.

A: do you like the more stylistic pictures of say Tarantino or a more violence with a consequence flick by Scorsese?

S: I like the contrasty stuff, but I prefer it to be not quite so slick… Scorsese is amazing at what he does.

A: I find pulp fiction to be a great flick but something like say Goodfellas is a nice change from the ordinary. Are you big into books? One of my favorites is Kurt Vonnegut!

S: Most of the books I read are more about spiritual development than fiction, although there was a period when I couldn’t stop reading beat poetry, especially Ginsberg… I think my own style of writing is very similar to his… Pedestrian pointed it out to me one time, it made me sick.

A: hahaha. Now, for a phrase that’s dogged your career, crack cocaine addiction. Was it hard to beat the rock?

S: Yeah, it really was… I mean, once I lost the sex drive, I knew it was time to quit… I went fucking insane for about 7 months… didn’t leave the house. Then I started a job at a night shift bakery, there were no people around… I liked it, until I cut off the end of my finger.

A: Are you a proud Canadian or could you care less?

S: Yeah, I’m a proud Canadian… there’s some good shit in Canada, Halifax is one of the coolest places, and has some of the best talent in the world… our water is creative water, that’s why we sell it to the people in New York.

A: Ever traveled abroad, to say Europe or beyond?

S: Nah, I’m going in the fall… I’ve got some shows lined up in Australia, Hawaii, the UK and Japan… world tour for Sixtoo. I get crazy when I travel though, so I take writing utensils. (uhh…was that coke addiction thing serious?)

A: No man, coke thing not serious, I’m a big sarcasm kind of guy. Coming to Edmonton for the whirlwind tour or at least *shudder* Calgary?

S: We are trying to get out there, but Canadian promoters are fucking assholes. Nobody in Canada wants to take chances to help shit grow. If you aren’t on Rap City or playing raves, you cant charge what it costs to put on a show. It’s really wack right now.

A: Well, its time for old Andy to get to bed, I’ve got school in the morning, goddamnit. So, as a final question, what is the meaning of life?

S: The meaning of life is to find something that helps you make sense of truth… that’s my word… word is bondage.

A: What do you have to say to the adoring fans of Sixtoo that frequent ugsmag?

S: Stay up players… get bigger bandwidth and download my emotions for free. Oh, Ill leave you with this, since It probably wont get recorded:

And I cant
See stars through the intersection lights
At the corner of Brunswick and Cornwallis at 3:45 AM Monday morning.
The corner where cars stop and stare at me like this isn’t my home.
I’m seven steps from sanity, behind a locked door of escapism
On this street
Standing on broken glass, pretending I have enough money for toilet paper and ramen.
Sacrifice is suffice, so long as
Varitety is the spice of deaths cousin.
My only escape,
But I don’t sleep so well. and that’s why I’m standing on this same street.
Anticipating the nervous twitches knocking at the base of my neck as I
Lay in the bed that still smells like us.
It never leaves
And I still can’t
See stars through the flashing intersection at bedtime.

Props to: The anticon cats… internet cats, skateboard cats, live soundsystem cats… thugs, ravers and nerd losers… we can all kick some ass once in a while.

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