B Dolan has beeninvolved in Providence longer then you have thought rap music was a good career choice.  He helped spearhead the consumer awareness website known as Knowmore.org with Sage Francis, and now gets to tell 401hiphop.com all about his upcoming album with Alias, and how the whole thing came to be.

H.W. For the few that might not know you, who are you and when did you get involved with hip hop, how long have you been in the scene.

BD – Who am I?  B. Dolan. The lost fourth Fat Boy.  I was keygrip #4 on Style Wars.  You might remember me from the craft services table.  I’m the one that showed Lil’ Fame where to find the banana cream crumble.  The one that blew up the bathroom before Buckshot went in it.  I ghost wrote KRS’ Gospel of Hip Hop and Nas’ verse on ‘Oochie Wally’.  I am before before.

H.W. -  You are signed to Strange Famous Records, how did that come about?

BD – I met Sage Francis at the Providence Poetry Slam in 2002, after moving back to Providence from New York.  Through slam we ended up being around each other for a few years after that, and eventually a kind of mutual respect  and friendship grew between us.  Sage had always maintained SFR as a kind of personal indie label to release his ‘Sick of…’ series, but in 2006 he decided to turn it into a more formal kind of record label. I was one of the people he talked to at that time about releasing an album, and things sort of followed and grew from there.

H.W. -  You are involved with a consumer resource site known as Knowmore.org, for those that dont know, what is the goal of the site?

BD – Knowmore.org was created with the aim of informing consumers about the people and practices they support when they buy.  Every time you spend your money on a product, you send a message of support to the company you bought it from.  “I approve of what you’re doing.  Whatever you did to make this item, or to get it at this price… keep doin’ it.  You’ve earned my business.”  And the fact is, a lot of us don’t realize the kind of action we’re enabling when we do that blindly.

So with Knowmore.org, you go to the website, enter the name of any brand, product, or company, and get taken to a page that shows you the history and info behind what you buy.  We rate companies from good to bad in the categories of workers’ rights, human rights, environmental concerns, business ethics, and political influence.  So Knowmore.org is just about helping people raise their own awareness about the issues their money connects them to every day.

H.W. -  How has knowmore.org grown since its inception? How are you trying to improve upon the site?

BD – The number of companies we’ve been able to cover has grown massively.  We literally started this database with one company profile, and have grown it to cover hundreds and hundreds of companies and thousands of consumer brands.

We’ve also gained a huge readership, and are read by tens of thousands of people per month.  With articles like our expose on American Apparel, we’ve earned people’s trust and some journalistic credibility, and I think that’s gone a long way too.  The main way we’re trying to improve the site this year is to get it closer to the point of sale by creating a smart phone App before the year’s out.  That way you can stand in the store with your phone and find out in the instant you have a question about a product.

H.W. -  The name of your first record on Strange Famous was “The Failure” what was your approach heading into the creation of that record and why did you name it that?

BD – My approach heading into the creation of that record was seriously this:  “If I die and only get to make one record, this has to contain my raw unfiltered self.”  So that’s what that album is about, and it’s a very unique kind of album that’s probably not for everyone.  A lot of folks have heard it and become rabid fans, and probably an equal number have been like ‘ehhh I don’t get it.’ … which is fine by me.

It’s just an album that was made with no consideration towards audience, or commercial success, or anything.  Like I said it’s just the raw brain-download.  I was and still am really proud of it, and it represents about 8 years of work, all told.   It’s my hope that as my career progresses, more people backtrack and hear that album from different perspectives.  I think some of the best and most important writing I’ve ever done is on that record.  I called it ‘The Failure’ because… it turns out I failed to die after I made it.  And now I’m stuck with this albatross avante-garde shit in my catalogue forever.  Nah.  Life is the trying.  Death is The Failure.  Both are necessary, I think.


H.W. -  Do you have any previous releases before “The Failure”?

BD – Just a whole lot of messy demos that I pray remain buried.


H.W. -  Your upcoming album is called “Fallen House, Sunken CIty” whats the story behind that title?

BD – It’s a long story, actually.  I was thinking about morbidly obese people.  The kind that you have to knock down a wall of their house to get them out.  I was thinking about morbidly obese people and Atlantis.  Lost people and lost civilizations.

H.W. -  Alias (from Anticon fame) handles all of the production on your upcoming project, how did this relationship form? And how has it grown since this project?

BD – I met Alias in 2006 on Sage’s Human the Death Dance Tour, and we immediately hit it off.  I had to drive him somewhere in my car and I was listening to a song called “The Four Horsemen” by the group Aphrodite’s Child.  Alias’ eyes lit up when he heard the song and the rest was history.

I felt significantly intimidated when we started making this album, and like i’d have to grow as an emcee to fill the shoes of Alias’ production.  Which is what attracted me to the project in the first place.  So, there was growth there.  There was friendship growth with one of my favorite people.  There were cancerous growths in my stomach and throat.  There was growth and growth and growth.

H.W. -  This project is more of a rap album then your previous album, is there anything you are trying to accomplish with this album that you didnt with “The Failure”?

BD – I’m trying to get PAID, motherfucker!  No one ever bought a swimming pool off their clown paint protest poems!  I’m getting old.  Too many Evel Knievel jumps off stages.  Now I want a hot tub to soak my bones in.  I heard there was money in rap.  I’m just trying to invent a dance or sumn.

H.W. -  How did the Bombzo character come to exist?

BD – Speak of him and he appears.  I’d been working as an activist, and performing political poems and raps, since 1999.  Writing them since way before that.  I was watching the start of the Iraq war on TV, as the first bombs were falling on Baghdad, and thinking two thoughts to myself simultaneously.

1.) I should never get onstage again unless I’m wearing clown makeup.  The shit I’ve been doing is a joke, and doesn’t effect anything.

2.) “Bombs away”

That’s how ‘Bombzo Way’ was born.

H.W. -  What do you feel is your biggest accomplishment to date?

BD – I dunno man.  I don’t spend much time thinking about accomplishments.  I keep undertaking ambitious things, then feeling a brief sense of accomplishment when they’re finished, then getting antsy and moving on.  I guess I try not to rate them or cherish or celebrate them for too long, because who gives a shit.  I feel like I’m as good as what I’m working on today, generally.

H.W. -  Best show you have ever performed at? Funniest moment at a show?

BD – Well, there’s been a lot of great shows, and a lot of really wild moments…

The most recent was the Strange Famous Showcase at Jerky’s this past November.  That show was really incredible start to finish, and the crowd was wild and unpredictable and weird all night long.  That was the only show I think I’ve ever been to where the crowd did not move from the time the first opener went on until the headliner got off.

We just went straight through our sets with no breaks in between, and nobody moved the whole time.  That was pretty incredible.  In the middle of that show, an old friend of Sage’s showed up for a fairly hilarious incident.  Details are on the youtubes. (ed note: Peep the youtube video right below):

Click here to view the embedded video.

H.W. -  Ok now for something else: if not for music, what would you be doing?

BD – Landscaping.  I liked that job.  I’d be in better physical condition.  Spend time in the sun.  Work with my hands.

H.W. -  Now for something rediculous: Penguins or Pandas?

BD – Penguins depress the shit out of me.  And Pandas are kinda depressing too because they’re almost extinct.  I don’t wanna see either of those animals because they’re a drag.

Jellyfish baby.  All day.

H.W. – Thank you for your time, any closing comments?

BD -  www.FallenHouse.com is the place to get all updates on upcoming shows and the new album, which drops on March 2nd.  I’m currently working out details for a record release party at Jerky’s for Feb. 27th, with some real crazy surprises lined up.  Hopefully the RI hip hop community will be in effect that night, because we plan to make it one for the books.

Shoutout to Mr. Mortal, Chachi, and the whole Elevation massive.  four oh won, fuh eva.

check out the promo video for Fallen House, Sunken City right below:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Sole has got to be one of the most dynamic front men for a band I have seen in quite sometime. He is currently on tour with the Skyrider Band in support of their self titled remix album. I got a chance to ask him some questions. You know you want to read it!

HW: Ok lets get somethings out of the way. Your currently touring with the Skyrider band. How did that come about and why did you choose to move towards a band atmosphere rather then a cd/dj setup?
Sole: because rapping over freeze dried music is boring to me. every once in a while i like to rap to an instrumental but it gets old quick to me. i like the energy of working with musicians. i have never performed with a dj, but if i met an able and creative dj i think tht would also be fun.

You newest project is a remix album of the self titled ’sole and the skyrider band’ why did you decide to remix this album and release it?
because it didnt get its proper shine the first time around and all the words on it have now become prophecy.

Now being as your with Anticon and have some say in overall operations. How did Sage Francis become apart of the early days and have Personal Journals release? And what’s the story of your first encounter with him?
my first encounter with Sage is funny. he used to be a dj and i had friend Sin providence who hated him. they always wanted me to battle him, this was when i was 17-18, so i always disliked him from what they told me about him. but then when i met him i got along really well with him, and we’ve been friends ever since. when Sixtoo was living with me he wanted to produce/record a record for sage, so i went around to the other anticon guys and see who wanted to put up beats for the project and everyone came through and gave him beats. he stayed with us for i think a month to record that, but it might have been only 2 weeks.

Now if I am right you had lived in Spain for awhile but currently your back in the states. Why did you move out there and why did you return.
I moved out there for something different. i needed to clear my head of all that bullshit that was going on around me and in America in general. i needed some perspective and joy. i wanted to focus on living a nomadic life and getting married and trying something crazy and new. around the time of New Orleans i had decided i really wanted to get back to the states, then sage offered to bring me on a tour, so those things combined made it an easy impulsive choice to get back to the empire to do the good work.

Ok I’m going way back with this one. But what ever happened to 45 below?
alias, mayo, moodswing, and even pedestrian were all involved with 45 below. it turned into anticon.

And why did the live poets group in a sense disband?
because live poets was more of a collective really. anyone in 45 below who wanted to do songs ended up just rapping with live poets, but it was me moodswing and towards the end alias who were the most driven. so for a while live poets was moodswing, alias, mayo and me, and then when we got out to oakland moodswing stopped making music with me so i went solo.   when you’re young and enthusiastic there is this desire to just get anyone who shares similar interests involved in whatever you’re doing.

Being as you tour quite a bit what has been your favorite tour experience to date?
hmm. i dunno. probably the craziest most dangerous places i’ve been, like israel, serbia or moscow. they stand out to me because there is an element of uncertainty and danger but then once i get there and its over its kind of an added joy of “that wasnt shit, im going to rwanda next.” its always traumatizing seeing how other people live outside of the safety of “the developed west,” especially hanging out in warn torn countries listening to people’s stories…. we really dont realize how good we have it in america. for now anyway.

What project are you most proud of out of your catalog?
sole and skyrider. i love that shit. to me forming a band and creating something new like that has been the most artistic growth i’ve been fuckin with for a minute. when i listen to bottle of humand or selling live water i get psyched though. so whatever, different albums for different days.

What was the idea behind ‘da bablonians’ project?
blunts, booze, and christ.

What ever happened with deep puddle dynamics? And will there ever be another so called artists album?
deep puddle was made when all of us were young in music. once we developed our egos & aesthitics properly it made another project like that impossible. no there will never be another so called artilsts album.

How long have you been vegan and why did you make that choice?
ive been vegatarian for 20 years. vegan for 6. i didnt want to go vegan, but when i tried it one summer it really helped my asthma and allergies, i could breath better and i lost weight. it made me a better rapper. all humans are lactose intolerant except for babies.

How do you feel about the state of the music industry being an artist?
its fucked. but it presents new opportunities for artists to read the shifting sands and plan accordingly for the future. if they wish to stay in it. i think labels are being outmoded and its gearing more towards artists, in 5 years as long as your stuff is in itunes and you get decent myspace traffic you wont need a label. of course thats terrifying and disgusting, but such is life.

If there was anything to change, what would it be?
in the music industry or the world? well middlemen are being phased out of the music industry. but middlemen in general are a huge problem. bankers, all this economy shit gets thrown down the pits cuz of middlemen. get rid of the middlemen and let the world become more localized, less global. you get motherfuckers eating from some farmer and butcher down the street. riding around on horses and steam, digging wells and growing your own food. thats all you need. some solar panels and a wi-fi connection.

Thanks for your time. Anything else you want the 401 community to know?
check out my website. www.soleone.org . i got lots of new things to buy.

Sole will be playing AS220 on October 18th Tickets are $8

here is the interview just posted here (cause wtf we need the hits!)

Click the read link for the whole thing!

	ESH is not only one of the world’s richest men, but one of its most recognizable. Add to that one of the most debonair, extravagant, and cocky. But, you’d be hard pressed not find a working man that doesn’t admire him. Despite a privileged upbringing, he didn’t inherit anything, and went on to fame and fortune, thanks to his business accomplishments (and his love life). What makes ESH truly remarkable is how he pulled off one of the most remarkable business turnarounds in history. After accumulating a multi-billion dollar fortune, he saw most of it wiped away under massive loan payments (his companies were reportedly carrying $8.8 billion in losses at their worst), only to regain it after making some very clever business moves. The famous bachelor accumulated buildings, yachts, and properties like a kid acquires baseball cards. At his peak he had the Taj Mahal, Trump Plaza, Plaza Hotel, and a yacht allegedly worth $100 million. He’s also the owner of the Miss Universe, Miss Teen USA and Miss USA beauty pageants. He also has 4 books that have made the best-seller list. He connects with the common man. He lives the life many of us ideally seek. He is the poster boy for Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous. He is… you get the point. Is there little wonder then that he decided to flirt with the idea of running for President? What else would you expect from a man as likely to appear on the cover of Business Week as on National Enquirer? One thing is for sure, “The Monolith” makes for interesting press. 1. How did you happen upon hip hop? And what was it that convinced you that it was something you needed to be involved in as more than just a fan? Esh I first happened upon Hip Hop in a shoebox under a bed. This was the era of Tipper Gore’s “explicit lyrics” stickers so it was common place to hide your forbidden tape collection from your parents. At a really young age I was put on to a lot of Hip Hop by my older brother or friend’s older brothers who would try to school me on what was new and fresh. Of course you had a friendlier face of Hip Hop in shit like “parents just don’t under,” but these kids were putting me up on Slick Rick, LL, Public Enemy, NWA, Ice-T. Either raunchy, raw, or bash your face type shit. I eventually discovered the more fun aspects of Hip Hop in Biz or Native Tongue stuffs, but it was that initial defiant almost taboo nature that first attracted me to Hip Hop. It was unlike anything I’d listened to before. After that it was a wrap for me. I had condemned myself to a childhood of bad freestyles and getting into trouble writing graffiti on the back of bus seats. I’ve listened to all types of music throughout my life, but nothing really grabbed me like Hip Hop did. Still the most direct art form in music. As far as deciding to add on to the culture as more than just a fan, that didn’t happen until many years later. 2. At present, you rap, produce and DJ. What element came first? How did the rest evolve out of that? At first I was strictly a DJ. Due to my fan status it made sense to start buying records and trying to introduce others to the shit I was into. I started rockin’ house parties in High School and when I realized I sucked at basketball I started bringing my turntables to home games instead of trying out for the team. It was all about fun and getting attention from girlies. I was one of the only skilled DJs that was my age from around the way, so some of the more established DJs (the ones that worked at the record stores I blew all my cash at) took me under there wing and showed me the ropes. Then the natural progression was to get into beat making. My sophomore year English teacher introduced me to his roommate who rhymed, a cat named Paragon, and we worked on a couple joints but nothing that serious. Actually, a friend of mine dug up some of the tracks recently. I was expecting to be dumb embarrassed but when I heard them I was like, “yo, these are kinda dope!” HA! After that I made beats for a couple years but never really worked with any emcees. Eventually I came to the conclusion that I had to start rhyming just so those shits wouldn’t go to waste. I don’t think I wrote a serious rap (with the intention of performing it) until my first year of college. 3. Which of these elements do you find most rewarding? Honestly, no one element is more reward than another. What I really find rewarding is making songs. To be able to make a beat, formulate an interesting concept, write it, record it, throw some cuts on it, and mold it all into something I’m feeling…that’s what I’m all about. I think that’s why my work with other artist is few and far between. 4. You’re from Providence, RI, which isn’t really known as a hotbed for hip hop. What is the scene like there? I feel like for a while people were actually checking for Providence artists. Cats from around here were on the Lyricist Lounge tour, Emerge Music was putting out the Non-Prophets shit, Clokworx was buzzing, and the source (or some other mag, I can’t remember) did an article about the scene. Then, I don’t really know what happened. I guess ya’ll stop checking. I think I have the same love/hate relationship that anyone has with their hometown. There use to be more of a sense of community. A lot of venues closed down. Some promoters quit. Now you have a bunch of extremely talented artists all gunning for the same mayoral positioning instead of getting down for the greater good. I think in general this is happening in Hip Hop. Opportunity is declining while at the same time so called “artistry” is oversaturated. Everyone thinks they can rhyme or make beats so the fan went extinct. Other than that, Providence is nice…you should visit. 5. Are there any artists from there that people might know? How about any artists they should maybe look out for? RI rap dues you probably know: Sage Francis RI rap dudes you should know: CasUno (even though he lives in MA) DJ Al-Bums Romen Rok Poorly Drawn People Joe Beats Need Not Worry Prolyphic B. Dolan Chachi Carvalo Shawn Jackson (even though he moved out west) Axe Butane Minister Ref Intikit Falside 6. How did you get the name Esh? Is it really an acronym for Eccentric Super Hero, as the title of your debut album suggests? I was given the name by an influential bowl of alphabet soup. It is in fact an acronym for Eccentric Super Hero and always has been. It is also an acronym for may other dope sentence fragments that will not be revealed until my next albums. Or maybe they won’t. Only time will tell. 7. The A.D.D.Ventures of an E.ccentric S.uper H.ero has been released on Labeless Illtelligence. How did you come to hook up with them? I met CasUno through a local promoter named Mr. Mortal who I was working with at the time. We used to throw a weekly open mic and Cas was the host. Cas and I would build often and eventually realized that we share all the same ideals and tastes when it came to music. Through him I met what was then the functioning core of Labeless Illtelligence: Vocab, AmsUno, Missing Elements, Gibran, and a couple other cats when they felt like being down. I knew that this was a crew that I wanted to get with. This was when Vocab had just dropped “On the Rock.” Soon I started intergrading myself into the live performances by holding down the turntables then jumping out to spit a joint or two. I was steady working on beats, a lot of which became the majority of Ams’ project “The Day of Devotion.” While we were putting out that CD and the single that went with it I was getting more and more involved…while others were getting less and less involved…and so the story goes. 8. Other than as a recording artist for the label, what other roles do you play within Labeless? I run Fresh Ear Studios which is where Labeless records all its material. I also share all other “label” responsibilities including but not limited to: Marketing, promotions, distribution, booking, accounting, business lunches, dress code, dance choreography, mergers and acquisitions, intellectual properties, crystal sippin’, ho cake smashin’, I hire all personal for the cafeteria, dinosaur taming, water boarding and other interrogation techniques, speech writing, character assassinating, ash tray filling, beer drinking, genetic engineering, after midnight Gremlin feeding, and…I man the BBQ on Sundays. 9. Prior to Labeless you were involved with the website Bassment Flavor. What was your role there? I think it said marketing manager on my business card. But then again, how can you trust a business card with someone’s rap alias printed on it? I don’t think you can. 10. Who came up with the concept for the cover art of The A.D.D.Ventures of an E.ccentric S.uper H.ero? I came up with the concept. The image for the cover was bubbling in my head for a long time. I knew I didn’t want to put myself on the front and I thought the image of the phone booth summed everything up nicely. Then one day I though it would be kinda bugged if I put on a budget-ass superhero costume and ran through the streets of Providence while someone took pictures. I called up my homeboy Curtis Packer who is a nice with the points and clicks and it was on. What resulted were some of the dirtiest looks I’ve ever gotten from an unsuspecting public. I was just walking around doing everyday shit. I bought cigarettes, went to the liquor store, did my laundry, gassed my car up, but the whole time I was wearing this ridiculous costume. Mad funny. Maybe I should save the outtakes that didn’t make the album for the Labeless Christmas card. 11. Who designed the costume? Have you ever worn it on stage? Ha! I really don’t think you can say something like that was “designed.” Even though I’m sure Ralph Lauren is gonna bite and put out the Lo Superhero edition. Maybe I should publish a do it your damn self E.ccentric S.uper H.ero starter kit: 1. When you’re almost black out drunk tear an “open” flag off a flag pole. 2. Tie flag around neck or use paper clip to fasten. 3. Steal motorcycle goggles from army navy store. 4. Steal sparring helmet from Sports Authority and rock backwards. 5. Bring toothbrush in case kicks are dogged during A.D.D.venturing. I’ve yet to wear the costume on stage. It’s mostly reserved for lazy Saturday afternoon chills and freaknik sex sessions. 12. Any chance you’ll put your super powers to good use and do battle with MF DOOM and his legion of Doomposters? Shit, I’m still trying to figure out how to get paid to not show up. 13. By the lyrics of opening track “Oddventures of Esh,” you appear to be knowledgeable about comic books. Are you a comic book geek? What are some of your favourites? I grew up collecting comic books. To tell you the truth, I was more into GI Joe comics then the superhero stuff. Aside from that, I think Alan Moore is a genius and has never written a bad book. Watchmen is the greatest superhero story of all time. I dug up “The Killing Joke” when I finally went to see the new Batman flick (which I think is required by law at this point) cuz that is the best Joker story I can remember. Also, the opening sequence (or close to it, at least) in the “The Dark Knight Returns” where Bruce Wayne is walking down the street is the inspiration for the first verse on my album. But no, I’m not a geek. 14. I loved the choosing of Mystery Men for a couple of samples on “Loogie.” Was that your choice? How long did it take to connect those words to this song? Mystery Men was one of the first sample sources I thought of for the album. It just fit too perfectly. I knew I wanted the “what’s his power?” sample in the beginning but then I kept watching the movie and caught Janeane Garofalo on some “how delightfully eccentric.” It just made sense. Plus Tom Waits and Cee-Lo are in that movie so…you know…win win. I’m also surprised that no one has caught onto the other sample sources that tie the album together. I guess that’s for the best. I don’t want to get sued. 15. Your whole album is self-produced. What comes first: the beats, the concepts or the lyrics? The beat almost always comes first and usually inspires the concept. I get a certain vibe from the beat and write my lyrics based on that. Sometimes I have a concept for a song that I sit on until I lace an appropriate beat but it’s usually the other way around. A lot of the time I go back into songs I’ve recorded and add layers over time. I don’t think I’ve ever written the lyrics before the concept… 16. Is there any specific sound you’re going for when you produce a track? Or any particular formula used in the creation of your beats? I don’t have a particular formula when I make beats. I try to constantly evolve from beat to beat. Same goes for lyrics. As far as a specific sound, I always need to come with a certain degree of boom-bap grittiness. I like drums that crack and make you make the nasty funk face. I like to build as many layers as possible and will sample anything that sounds good. Sometimes I keep it simple and sometimes I gets complex. I guess it depends on the track. 17. You’ve produced for other members of the Labeless family, including Ams Uno and Cas Uno. Who have you worked with outside of your camp? I’ve only produced for a few artists outside my camp. I produced a posse cut called “Out of Order Border Control” and dropped some spits on Poorly Drawn People’s latest mixtape “Shoot For the Stars, Hit the Ceiling” which is available for free download. I’m currently working on some tracks for Romen Rok’s new album which has allowed me to work with Moe Pope from Electric Company and share the bill with such dope producers as DJ Al-Bums and Joe Beats. Some more shit will be happening in the future, but nothing I can speak on yet. I’ve rocked rhymes on PDP’s last two mixtapes, DJ Al-Bums’ mixtape “That Old Downtown Sound”, and on Intrikit’s new project “Concepts” which is also available for free download. Oh, and on the free download mixtape “Hokey Religions and Ancient (Are No Match for a Good Blaster)” released by Hand’Solo Records. 18. Is there anyone you’d like to work with? I’m always down to work with new people, but there is no one that stands out as someone I’d really like to work with. I would much rather make music that is uniquely mine with the people around me. 19. Now that the album is done and out, what are your future plans? Work the album. Write raps. Make beats. Rock shows. Make the next album.

Big City’s name is certainly appropriate for the Fall River-based emcee. I remember seeing him at the first show I ever did with him and thinking that he picked rappers like me out of his teeth on the daily. It took me at least 2 more shows just to work up the courage to say hello to the motherfucker, but I was quick to find that City is nothing if not a genuinely good guy. With a stage presence that can rival anyone jocking for position in this New England underground and rhymes that can hold their own against anyone you listen to, City has finally put it all together on his album, Everything I Do Is Badass, which will be out on Delusional Records very soon. City and I took a while to converse about it, amongst other things, recently.

JotsOne:
word up
so yeah i sort of forgot to prep any questions, but i’m gonna do it up tomorrow
so whenever you’ve got time tomorrow hit me up and we’ll do it

Big City:
is tomorrow night after 11 cool?

JotsOne:
yeah that’s perfect
i’ll be here

Big City:
I work 11 to 7 in the morning but I just sit around at work

JotsOne:
haha nice

Big City:
I’ll hit you up tomorrow night

JotsOne:
well are you at work right now

Big City:
yeah

JotsOne:
alright then, screw it, lets just do it now – i want the interview to come out like a conversation between two people instead of the dry question and answer format, so let’s shoot the shit about the album for a while

if you’re down, i mean

Big City:
yeah lets do it

JotsOne:
alright cool
so the album is titled ‘everything i do is badass’ – a bold statement. what made you choose it?

Big City:
well the original title for the album was gonna be called “The City Never Sleeps” I came up with that title like 5 years ago
but then the beatnuts started the group Big City with the same album name so I had to change it. Im glad I did

I said I was gonna name the album “Everything I do is badass” kinda jokingly but then it grew on me

JotsOne:
good call. making a claim like that in an album cover challenges people to listen to see if you’re lying or not. we all know you’re not, but they’ll have to find out when they buy the disc. what types of vibes can we expect from this album?

Big City:
classic hip hop. the type of shit that got me into hip hop. not underground. not commercial. just straight up hip hop.
the cats that make “commercial” hip hop all talk about the same shit. money. guns. bitches.

JotsOne:
This is true. who made the beats?

Big City:
Crown did most of the beats on the album,but I also got beats from Dox of Poorly Drawn People, 8th Wundah’s got a jointm, Ruckspin and Cold Legistics both have a joint as well

JotsOne:
any guest spots?

Big City:
nope. Thats also why I wanted to call the album Everything I do is badass

its not that I dont like to collab. It just kinda happened like that

JotsOne:
so listeners who’ve been waiting all this time will get the all-out city experience – nothing wrong with that. what’s your favorite joint on the album?

Big City:
I dont have a favorite joint. They asked Tom Brady which was his favorite Super Bowl win and he said “the next one” so my favorite song is the next one

JotsOne:
as much as i hate tom brady, that’s a pretty dope quote. is ‘cheebahawk’ going to be on it? please tell me it is

Big City:
yeah I have to put that one on it.

Ive done shows on the road and seen dudes in cowboy hats get down to it. as far as Im concerned thats a hit record.

JotsOne:
haha you ain’t jokin. that song can get anyone moving.
so what are you bumping these days, besides yourself

Big City:
Hurricane Chris

JotsOne:
hahahaha

Big City:
joking.
no but I listen to Everything. I listen to Dilla,Madlib,Wutang, Lately Ive been listening to mad oldies music.
I started just looking for samples. Now I just listen cause I enjoy it.Funk and soul music is incredible
Im a sucker for a horn section
Im a big Beatles fan cause I grew up on that.

JotsOne:
nice selection right there
alright, we’re gonna do a little thing where i give you two choices, and you’ve gotta pick one

Big City:
lets do it

JotsOne:
obama or mccain?

Big City:
obama. I heard mccain said that he doesnt know how to use the internet. I dont trust someone to run the country who cant
get on google

JotsOne:
yeah, he scares the crap out of me.

Big City:
he did take a bayonet to the groin. that sucks.

JotsOne:
yeah, that takes balls (ha). marvel or dc?

Big City:
dc

JotsOne:
eff that, marvel all the way man. blonde or brunette
or redhead, if that’s your thing

Big City:
i know you have to pick one but ALL OF THE ABOVE
and pink haired suicide girls too

JotsOne:
spoken like a true gentleman. i think on that note, we’ll wrap this up. any shouts, last words, and all that nonsense?

Big City:
Buy my album.Dont burn it. And if you like the album go to the shows. Shout out to HW. He’s paying for it. Shout out to Jots for doing the interview. And shout out to my job,cause that where I am right now. Not working.

JotsOne:
whats the release date looking like for the album, by the way?

Big City:
we dont have a date yet but it’s sometime in August/September
its being mastered right now

JotsOne:
sounds good. we’ll be on the lookout.

Big City:
no doubt son.

so there you have it. Everything I Do Is Badass is coming at you very soon, so keep an eye open. also check City rocking the living room with Wigsplita and Tame One on July 31st, which should shape up to be a great show. and furthermore, leave some feedback on the interview, dammit!

This is the first (and probably last) time I ever do an audio interview. But here it is finally the interview with the self proclaimed “Battle Champ”. you have watched the videos, now take heed and listen.

[audio:http://www.401hiphop.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/marshalllawinterview.mp3]

for more about Marshall Law: http://www.myspace.com/themsyndikitboys

Joe beats has been involved with Providence way before I even knew this city existed. He has been one of the most prominent, if not THE most prominent beatsmiths from this state ever! He is currently on tour with Blak going up and down the east coast over the next couple of weeks. He granted me this interview, I just hope your ready for it.

HW: Its been a minute, some people might not have been paying attention but what have you been up to since the non prophets album?
Joey Beats: in the woodshed pretty much. The most notable thing I did was an remix project called Indie Rock Blues. I felt very good about that work. Everything else I’ve done since, I’ve been a lot more insecure about. So I hit the woodshed. I’m just trying to get better. I realized I wasn’t very good and I needed more practice/growth. Ive been building on a relationship with an emcee named Blak from Jamaica via Tampa, we’ve done some tours together and are going back out on the road again. we’ve been doing stuff for about two years and are finally coming into our own.
HW: How has the reaction been to these tours and recent projects with blak?
Joey Beats: better and better. The first tour was a very rough, very bare bones, we did it ourselves only a month out so it was difficult. The second one we had booking help and it went swimmingly, the third was better than that, and now we’re on our fourth…and it looks like it’s goin in that same direction, up and up, work work work. As for the music…We started off very strong…because things were very introductory and new, but then we hit a period of both not knowing what we personally wanted to do. We hit a stride a few months back and got a load of material done, the reaction to the new stuff has been great.
HW: What do your live sets consist of?
Joey Beats: very simple…me on twin sp-404 samplers and blak on the mic. We perform on the floor, thats a compromise for my sake so people can see what I’m doing on the samplers if they choose, the set is expanding though.
HW: What would you say to someone on the fence about coming to the show april 5th at AS220?
Joey Beats: say what up to humpty dumpty for me. If chillin on the fence is better for you, then shit…stay on the fence. haha.
HW: Your all-time favorite track? and why?
Joey Beats: Rap?
HW: Doesn’t matter.
Joey Beats: well I’ll just do hip hop, because if I include all genres I’ll go nuts and get all geeky. My favorite all time hip hop track is Looking At The Front Door by Main Source. why? A variety of reasons. Along with it giving me the same feeling today as when I first heard it – It still fucks with me. As a producer, I know he samples Think Twice by Donald Byrd, puts it with Detroit Emeralds, and layers “Chick-A-Boom” in for the chorus. I know it’s “Chick-A-Boom”. I have it on wax, I love it. But to this day…I still hear the vocal saying, “Games, games, games.” Long story short, it took me years to figure out, he eqd the reverb on the Chick – A -Boom sample and disguised what’s being said. Even still knowing that, I still can’t get away from hearing what Iheard as an 8th grader. The song still fucks with me. Heavy.
HW: holy shit, that is some shit right there.
Joey Beats: yeah man word.

HW: It’s been awhile since NP, are there any plans to do a sequel to that?
Joey Beats: no.
HW: What was your favorite live performance ever?
Joey Beats: that I’ve done? or that I’ve seen?
HW: seen and done.
Joey Beats: we’ll keep it hip hop again, becuase I would tell you sade if we werent in the hip hop realm, but…we’ll keep it hip hop. Hip hop. Summer 1991. Rocky Point Park. KMD. De La Soul. BRand Nubian. Leaders of the New School. I was 13. I grew up right down the street from Rocky Point.
HW: Rocky point park? like the theme park?
Joey Beats: yeah, so we used to sneak in there as kids.
HW: that place was crazy.
Joey Beats: yeah.
HW: I never did figure out why it shut down.
Joey Beats: there’s a movie out about it on dvd, etc.
HW: forreal I gotta find that.
Joey Beats: its called “you must be this tall” I think. URI cat made it, Dave Beatencourt I think. Godhead dude.
HW: Godhead?
Joey Beats: yeah yeah an old URI mag, sorry hah.
HW: so what has been your best show?
Joey Beats: well…one of two: Troubadour in Los Angeles or First Ave in Minneapolis -both on the 2004 FCC tour. I personally loved those. special venues, etc.

HW: If a tree falls in a forest does it make a noise.
Joey Beats: I think so. the world exists when you close your eyes.

HW: Any closing comments?
Joey Beats: well I appreciate your time and the questions. I thank you.
HW: well I thank you too.
Joey Beats: indeed.
HW: cause without you their is no interview.
Joey Beats: vice versa.
HW: I guess, but someone else would and could take my spot.
Joey Beats: point being: we’re both replaceable.
HW: noone is doing what you doing and doing it as well, just my words.
Joey Beats: well I appreciate that.. thankas a lot. please forgive me, if I decide not to believe you, haha.
HW: well thank you mr beats and for the people out there where can they look you up on the interwebz?
Joey Beats: joeybeats.com, myspace.com/joeynosebeats

He’s Ill, He’s Raw, and no He doesn’t want to hear your demo! Dezmatic is stomping through the east coast and one of the dates is april 5th at AS220. I had a chance to ask some question to this Behemoth. you know the drill by now.

HW:Ok so first off thank you for this interview and I would like to start off simple. Tell us for the people that might not know about you, who you are and what you do.
DEZ: Thank you too. so okay. my name is Dez. but if youd like you can call me Daniel. im a rapper. i rap. i do other stuff too. but if i had to live in a box with a label on it the label would read “RAP”.

HW: How long have you been rapping and was it always serious.
DEZ: Ive rapped since i was a little dude, which might be hard to believe … not that ive been rapping for a long time, but the fact that i was ever a little dude.

HW:You released an album on fingerprint records alittle while ago with Nobs? how did that whole mess come together and is their ever going to be a sequel to that project?
DEZ: I’ve known Nobs, Eibol, Losaka, and Hippo for a long time now. i know them all the same way i know all the rappers i know. shows. interweb. politics and bullshit. but as time goes on you see who’s really fam and who’s just rah rah and blah blah. Fingerprint is my family. Oh and YES Nobs and i are working on a follow-up. it doesn’t have a title yet but we have begun work on it. this go around we decided to invite some friends to be a part of it too. Seez Mics is on there. so is that dude Mac Lethal. both of whom im a huge fan of so it was really an honor to work with them. the sound is very similar. lots of rough rugged and raw. the last album got a lot of very positive feedback so we feel like ‘if it aint broke dont fix it’ about our formula. were taking our time with though for a number of reasons. but the main thing is we’d like to put an actual budget behind it and make an album that gets more than critical success. i mean, its nice to be the rapper that other rappers really dig. and Nobs got beats that other beat-makers is like, ‘yea that dude Nobs got heat’. but id like to get the rest of the world to pay attention you know? knock on wood.

HW: Are you still or were you ever officially signed to Fingerprint Records? and if not is their any issues involved with it.
DEZ: Aint nothing changed. i was never confined by a contract to FPR. it was just like, ‘yo Dez. we got this Fingerprint thing goin on and we’d like you to be down with it. ‘ so i got down with it. I was homies with them prior to that. but since then, shit is like i said, we fam. we go to each others’ weddings and birthdays and shit.

HW: what was your most memorable tour experience to date? I also read awhile back about problems with a tour van and having to cancel the shows? was their anymore to the story?
DEZ: Yea. the van dying on us in northern cali was pretty bonkers. that whole tour was as memorable as it gets. being on the other side of the country, dead broke and trading merch for food and sleeping in an autobody garage. it was just the icing on the cake. that whole shit was nuts. the ups and downs. one week we were waaaay ahead in money. the next we were all dead ass. I was going through the end of a relationship with a girl who I was pretty sure I was going to marry. then gyro got married at the end of that tour. I feel though, at the end of all of it, it was a test. how much shit can you eat? are you willing to get your teeth kicked in? that tour made me stronger. Im ready for anything at this point.

HW: Whats up with The Teenheart throbs project?
DEZ: THT is a full blown gang. we rob, stab, shoot, knuckle up and shut down everything we touch. that album will make you all wish you thought of it first. all praises due to the homie Rob Viktum without whom the Heart Throbs would not exist.

HW: I heard that there was a youtube show in development with your involvement, is any of this true?
DEZ: where the hell did you hear that? I wish people would let me know these things before they go and publicly announce them. haha. but yea, the Youtube shit has blown up for real though. Ive got some homies that do sketch comedy who go by the name Cuddlesmarket. they’re working on things. and of course, Onloq.com, Breakdown.tv, itshiphop.com – those are all the homies competing with MTVU and keeping up with the online television programming and shit. Ive been working very closely with management and my Cuddlesmarket homies on a program but it’s still in development stages.

HW: How many projects have you released to date and are all of them still available in one form or another.
DEZ: Ive done about 9 independent projects since i was about 21/22ish. at first they were hand-pressed got it for cheap joints. then going through pressing plants. most of them are out of print now. Behemoth I feel was my first REAL album, but it was still just me and the homie Nobs putting our money together and going as far with it as we could. I have yet to put out a ‘commercial release’. the hustle might be independent for the rest of my life. it might not. we’ll see I guess.

HW: I remember you being involved with Pitch Control Music. Are their any affiliations left and are their any future projects to look for from them?
DEZ: Ive said this before in other interviews. ill say it again. im still 518 all day. PCM is a network of people who are primarily based out of the upstate NY capitol region. many of them are good friends of mine but the ultimate goal is to take this shit to a bigger venue, a bigger stage. as some of us take that step, others fall back. but no matter who you are, where you are, bottom line is I rep for those who rep for me. that’s it. As far as projects from cats out of the Albany area – it’s non-stop. just come here and youll see what im talking about. there are so many of us now that even I have a hard time keeping up.

HW: The one rap collab (if you do these things) that you would love to do.
DEZ: Ive been fortunate enough to work with alot of different artists in the last five or six years. i cant really complain. i look forward to working more with cats all over. the homies in Cali Rheteric and NoCanDo, Im looking forward to doing work with them. P. O. S. still owes me a phone call. you know, it’ll all happen eventually.

HW: If you died tomorrow what would you want people to remember you for?
DEZ: that I was one of them dudes who’d put it all out on the table. no sneak-tip. no shady bullshit. brutally honest. raw onions kid.

HW: What can people expect to see from a dez show.
DEZ: same shit as above.

HW: Any closing lines?
DEZ: book me in your city. I promise I’ll destroy the shit out of the mic. I promise I’ll cut you a deal on the merch if you’re kinda broke. I promise I’ll be courteous. I promise I’ll be nice. I promise I’ll brush my teeth. we can do shots and make fun of the streetwear craze and listen to blonde redhead and billy ocean and watch shitty 80’s movies and go out for breakfast.

Here are some free tracks to check out from Dez

AWE – [audio:http://www.401hiphop.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/03-awe.mp3]

2 Trillion 2 – [audio:http://www.401hiphop.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/11-2-trillion-2.mp3]

For more information (and a free cd) visit Dezmatic.com and Myspace.com/Dezfuckinmatic

Prolyphic is got to be one of the best local musicians/wordsmiths to take to the stage and now with his recent signing to locally-bred but nationally known record label Strange Famous Records, Prolyphic gives me a chance to ask some questions that have been plaguing me for awhile and hopefully this interview will give you some insight into one of the future greats. more after the jump!

HW: Ok so first off thank you for this interview and I would like to start off simple. Tell us for the people that might not know about you, who you are and what you do.
Prolyphic: My Hip Hop name is Prolyphic and I am an independent hip hop emcee who is signed to Strange Famous Records. I write and perform my lyrics for those who want to hear.

HW: How long have you been rapping and were you always serious about it.
Prolyphic: I have been serious about writing and rapping since I was 17, so that would be 9 years strong. I started off writing songs that were not so serious when I was 14 and I would record them on my parents stereo. Since I was 17 I have always been serious about my writing, but not so serious about making a living off of my music.

HW: Tell us about your first tour experience.
Prolyphic: It was good. I toured with Galapagos4 and had fun traveling across the US. I learned a lot about myself and got a chance to get out of New England. I grew as a performer and as a person. Met some interesting people along the way and ti will be something that I’ll never forget.

HW: Ok awhile back you released an alarm clock set for 9:01 what is the significance of that title? you had said that their was another reason for the title what was it? and whatever happened to ducksoup records?
Prolyphic: During that period of my life my alarm clock was set for 9:01. I wasn’t trying to be different, it was something that just happened. My mornings revolved around that number and it became that way out of laziness. One night I wanted to set my alarm for 9:00am and went too far with the minutes. I was too lazy to go through the numbers again, so I just left it. So in retrospect, that situation/album title became Life in a nutshell for me. Life is not that complex, it has simple explanations. We, humans, are the ones who make it complicated. The album title was not meant to have a deep meaning, it is just a reference to a period of my life. Ducksoup records is no longer with us.

HW: What is your favorite track from alarm clock set for 9:01? and why?
Prolyphic: “A Name On A Park Bench” and “One Day At A Time” are probably my favorite tracks. What I was saying in those songs came from the deepest parts of my soul. The beats are very slow, somewhere around 65-70 BPM and they epitomize my music and style. “One Day At A Time” it’s how I started my music career and “Name On A Park Bench” is how it will end.

HW: Awhile back you released an album with robust of G4, what was that like and are thier any plans to do a sequel?
Prolyphic: Group projects/songs are tough to make, not to mention a whole album. That album took forever to complete and it should have come out 3 years earlier. What made things even more difficult is that I was in RI and Robust was in Chicago. So, getting together in person was a struggle. But, I always have fun making music because it is something that I love to do. We put a lot of work into it and I believe it should of have gotten more recognition. Such is life, there is more I could have done to publicize and promote it, but all of that is done now and I have moved on. There will not be a sequel. There is a lot of things I want to get done on my own and I enjoy being by myself on songs. It allows for more freedom when I’m writing.

HW: You are now signed to strange famous records how did that come about?
Prolyphic: I gave Sage a copy of my first demo tape in 2000, which was titled “What’s Wrong With This Picture”. He showed some interest in what I had to say and maybe saw some talent in my lyrics. So, ever since then I kept in touch with him and always sent him new music I was working on. Then in 2005 he asked me if I would be interested in releasing an album with Reanimator on his record label Strange Famous. Yada yada yada…I said yes.

HW: Your new project is entitled “The Ugly Truth” with production from reanimator. why did you choose to do an entire album with just one producer instead of selecting bits from everywhere?
Prolyphic: It was all Sage’s idea. He gets the credit. He saw something hip hopoly magical in putting us together and I think it worked out just fine. Kudos. kudos.

HW: What are your favorite tracks from the The Ugly Truth and why?
Prolyphic: My fav tracks as they say, are “The Ugly Truth”, “Broken Bottles”, “Artist Goes Pop”. “Slow To Get Up”, “The Way I See it” for all different reasons. I like the whole album, but these songs stick out to me. Some because of how they sound, the overall feel of the song, and what the lyrics personally mean to me.

HW: When can we expect the album to come out?
Prolyphic: May 6th, yea yea definitely May 6th.

HW: Alright time to get off this and ask you If you died tomorrow what would you want people to remember you for?
Prolyphic: That I was a good man and I tried my best.

HW: Any closing lines?
Prolyphic: Artist Goes Pop/Survived Another Winter 12″ and B.Dolan’s Live Evel EP come out April 1, 2008. And THE UGLY TRUTH cd comes out May 6, 2008. Peace.

For more information please visit:

http://www.myspace.com/prolyphicandreanimator

http://www.Strangefamousrecords.com

By jbro

If you have been a part of the RI hip hop scene in the past 5 years, you have seen Chachi Carvahlo perform. And even if you haven’t found yourself at an RI hip hop event during this time, you might still know this ambitious young man (30 years old) from his various activities in the community. Known by one of his friends as the unofficial “mayor of Providence,” Mr. Carvahlo is a true Renaissance man, visionary, and hip hop ambassador – a first generation Cape Verdean immigrant, representing for his people.

Chachi grew up in Pawtucket. The home of his recent business venture, Beat Box Studio (in collaboration with DJ Therion), is in Pawtucket (the old POAMLANDS MALL site – 250 Main Street). Surrounded by images of cultural icons Bob Marley, and Tupac Shakur, relaxing in the comforts of a black leather chair in his cozy studio, Carvahlo took some time out to run-down the promise and possibility of his latest venture: Peace Fest 4.

Jbro: What is Peace Fest 4?
Chachi: A gathering of artists, concerned citizens and hip hop fans that are coming together to shed some light on our culture that has been tarnished. We want to counteract that. The culture is what it is. We are the part that’s trying to shed light.

J: Why should someone come to PEACE FEST 4?
C: They should come to support people that are doing positive things. We are trying to feed people while we eat. You have to support artists that are doing and saying real things…that are trying to help. When you come to the event you are going to see “everyday people” taking time to invest in themselves, but others as well.

J: And what about RI Hip Hop?
C: The talent here is amazing. There are a lot of hard workers, but no unity. I feel that I was put here to be a bridge, encouraging people to grab the torch and carry it.

J: Is the RI Hip Hop community thriving then?
C: Of course. Providence is a rising arts community. They are shooting films here. Downtown is growing. This entire building (250 Main Street) is about the arts. We have to try to take advantage of the light that is being shined. It has been a long time since the area has had something that is consistent.

J: What is Peace to you?
C: Piece of mind. Knowing that people get down, especially now the way things are… Peace is a state of mind.

J: Can you give the audience a brief history of PEACE FEST?
C: It started in December of 2005. I was working in Valley Community School (in Pawtucket). Three students were murdered in one year. I was the Teacher Assistant/Basketball coach, trying to give these kids hope. Paragon’s (one of the artists performing at this year’s PEACE FEST) cousin (Errol Clinton) was murdered that year and I felt I had to do something. At the time Providence had the most unsolved murders in the country. I had the voice. Everywhere I found myself, I had the voice to get people to listen. I started handing out a sheet about the murders and violence that was going on. This got the kids talking about the murders at lunch…in the cafeteria…a lot of important discussions were happening. I wanted to change the course of the kids I was dealing with. Swann Notty, Wande, M.E.A.L Tix, Zawadi, John Hope…were all part of the first PEACE FEST event.

J: Do you think that Hip Hop can change that way our youth think today?
C: Of course. I don’t know how much my hip hop is going to effect the world, but I can effect the world around me. PEACE FEST sparked something in my head.

J: Where are youth’s mentals today?
C: All this was supposed to happen. The adult population is too scared or too involved to care. Parents are scared of children. It’s crazy. You see it now more than ever, babies pushing babies.

J: Have youth been abandoned by adults?
C: Yeah. The abandonment comes from parents that are unfit. It is what it is. I just try to be part of the solution, and not the problem. I know I can do better. And I push others to try to do better. And I do my best to bring people together that can grab that microphone and spit something that’s gonna make you feel something.

Rhode Island Hip Hop Peace Fest was an idea created to raise awareness about the dangers of gun violence in our music and in our communities and how it affects our every day lives. By combining the visual arts community, local media and the local community of musicians, we are spreading the message through the voices that create change and really make a difference.

jbro is a local emcee/artist/educator/peace-promoter that can be caught on stage at the PEACE FEST as part of hip hop duo RAS (Riders Against the Storm).