Hoodlouse: Team Prolific Interview

27.01.2011

We’ve been waiting for a great Hip-Hop group to come along. It seems that the idea of power in numbers has faded out of late. Whether it’s battling egos stifling creativity or simply unfashionable to be part of a collective, there’s a distinct lack of the sound of unity.

Step forth Florida based Team Prolific. Their name alone shows their commitment to work together to achieve something inspired.

These guys have got energy in abundance. We for one sincerely MISS that feeling of different perspectives rolling into eachother in one record. The quick boom-bap exchange between Q-Tip and Phife or the way Slum Village textured records with their mix of flows. It’s rejuvenating to finally hear this style of outfit again in 2011.

[audio:http://whenthebeatdrops.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Team-Prolific-Situations_prod.By-San_Calo.mp3|titles=Team Prolific – Situations]

Team Prolific have been working together since 1997 in one form or another, so it’s safe to say they’re mixtape veterans whose time is not overdue, but instead impeccably timed.

We’ve caught up with them upon the eve of their first EP release, ‘The Movement’.

Check out more from our interview below with group members Neme, Flamez and Zin O.d.

INTERVIEW

WTBD: We like starting with this Twitter orientated question. Describe yourself to our readers in 140 characters?

Flamez – We are the golden age of the new era, original, wild, versatile real, bash, we the next up, the next step, the new standard. Haters can’t stand it but they got to live with it, or die listing to it.

Neme – To sum it up we’re Prolific.

WTBD: Now one word to describe each member…

Zin O.d– (Describing Flamez) Swift.

Flamez – (Describing Neme) Visual.

Neme – (Describing Zin O.d) Overdose.

WTBD: You’ve been making music together since ’97. The 90’s was a golden decade for rap groups. Did any of the 90’s rap groups significantly influence your coming together and future direction?

N – The direction we took from the 90’s was the realness that the music had, But off top the biggest influence for us coming up was Wu.

F – Plus groups like M.O.P, The Roots, Bone Thugs.

Z – We respect how they all did their own thing, and keep it original and true to themselves, and all them niggaz could spit, we respect their work.

WTBD: You started out by performing in talent shows and freestyle battles. Do you think the art of freestyling is dying out? Ever battled eachother?

Z – I don’t think the art of freeing is dying out, its just not put out their like that anymore were in different times, but it’s still there.

N – And to answer the question of battling each other we all have sparred from time to time Me and this nigga Flamez went at it, and I know him and O.d had some epic battles before.

F – Word, that’s how we stay sharp, we do it for the sport that right there is training. WTBD: Unless we’re sleeping on them, there don’t appear to be many mainstream rap groups on the come up at the moment. Why do you think that is?

N – Honestly I can’t speak much on new groups.

F – Word, a lot of these groups don’t seem real.

Z – Most of these groups is plastic because they put together, or plastic because there fake together.

N – Real talk and the people know that, that’s why a lot of these new groups’ don’t work. It’s not real.

WTBD: With your feet inside the door of the new decade, what changes do you think will occur in Hip-Hop in the next 10 years and what do you want to achieve individually and collectively?

N – One thing for sure is that Hip Hop will continue to grow, were will it be in the next ten years, I don’t know. Right now there has been a reemergence of Emcees that can actually spit so hopeful that last, but who knows. But speaking on the Pro, we are trying to spread our wings take this as far as it goes. Like the group’s we mentioned before, we are trying to build a legacy, so the next 10 years just know that you will be seeing the Pro… in one shape or another.

WTBD: You state that you didn’t come together for fame, money or comfort. Would you say there’s too much money to be made through Hip-Hop now? Maybe it’s been a victim of its own success…

N – Don’t get us wrong this is the music business, were in the business of selling music. I don’t think there is too much money to be made. The problem is i believe a lot of these niggaz just don’t respect the craft.

F – They just do it for the money, we do it cause we love to make music and the money happens to come with it.

WTBD: You’ve got several mixtapes under your belt, recently had your track ‘Getting Down’ licensed for a skate montage featuring Ryan Shackler and are on the cusp of the release of your first EP, ‘The Movement’. That’s some start to the New Year. How have your day to day lives changed over the years. The more successful you get, the busier you get, right?

F -You’re right about that the more success equals more work, but we have been preparing for that.

Z – The changes in our day to day is that we are seeing the benefit of all this work we been doing.

N – It might sound cliché but we been grinding, ya boys have been putting in work for a minute and now people are recognizing it and that’s a good feeling.

[audio:http://whenthebeatdrops.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Team_Prolific_Spell_on_you_featuring_nina_simone_clean_mastered.mp3|titles=Team Prolific – Spell On You]

WTBD: Now we’ve heard, ‘Getting Down’, ‘Situations’ and ‘Spell On You’ (which by the way, includes one of the best uses of the Nina Simone sample we’ve ever heard. Brave move!), what should fans new and old expect from this EP?

N – Thanks for the love, that’s the homie Sutta Caine on the beat big ups to him. From “The Movement” except nothing but the best.

F – Hip hop like you remember it, music that you can deem classic, the joint “Spell On You” is classic. Every track on this project you’re going to feel there is no fillers.

Z – An EP might not be big, but every track off “The Movement” is big. You are going to experience something new on every track.

WTBD: When will the EP be available and where can people get it?

F – We shooting for early first quarter, and when it drops you can find it everywhere it will be a digital release. You know it will be at Teamprolific.com that’s always a best bet to find Pro music. But it will be on I tunes, amazon music and all that, just type in Team Prolific.

WTBD: You’ve previously hooked up with German DJ’s Decane and DJ Danny T on mixtape collabs. It’s obviously easier than ever to get your music spread worldwide. Is establishing a reputation in your home town as important as it once was?

Z – Not really but it’s always good to have that foundation cause that’s home. But to answer your question naw…

[audio:http://whenthebeatdrops.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Team_Prolific-Getting-Down.mp3]

WTBD: You’ve produced your own music as well as enlisting the help of producers from outside the group. Is there anyone you’d like to work with, or any collaborations coming up that you can tell us about?

N – As of collaborations look out for some more Daywalker and Prolific joints in the Feature, and of course San Calo.

F – And we got something coming out with Dj Ten out of New York that shit is crazy. I am telling you to look out for that, And also another producer out of Florida Rayze.

Z – We also linked up with a couple emcees out of Germany, shout out to Nizza and Sais for showing the Pro love.

WTBD: Finally name one person we should be following on Twitter and why? You may choose yourselves, depends whether you mind being cliché…

N, T, Z – @johnthatdude… he could tell you about the Pro.

Check more from Team Prolific at teamprolific.com or twitter.com/teamprolific.

Hoodlouse: Joonie Interview

07.01.2011

I’m sure we’ve all done it at some point. You know that awkward situation when you admit in conversation to knowing about someone you know nothing about? It’s shameful but sometimes it’s just like an insecure reflex and you spend the rest of the conversation hoping that questions about this person don’t catch you out. Post-conversation you do your research in order to avoid putting yourself in that position again.

We felt a similar way when we were introduced to Joonie. A quick background check and you’ll find he has worked with the likes of Mos Def, Angie Stone and Nappy Roots. The self-questioning began, ‘Why hadn’t we heard of him before now?’ A question we allude to when we were able to interview him (below).

Then we started to play a couple of tracks from his debut album ‘Acoustic Love‘. First up was ‘So Fly‘ which had us hooked (after one listen you’ll want to describe everything as ‘fly’, the word becomes that deep rooted). We won’t go into a full album review, you know we don’t do that here, but here’s a quote to sum up our thoughts on the rest of what we heard – ‘Joonie is the Soul/RnB artist we’ve unknowingly been yearning for‘. Feel free to put that in with the promo material Joonie!

So do your homework, watch the videos and read our interview below. Make sure you’re clued up for when someone asks, ‘You heard of Joonie?’

Joonie – ‘So Fly’:

Interview with Joonie:

WTBD: Hey Joonie. Firstly, thank you for taking the time to do this interview. Where are you right now and what have we interrupted you doing?

Joonie: I’m in L.A. right now enjoying an actual winter. Its usually hot around this time here. Thanks for having me.

WTBD: ‘Acoustic Love’ has been out for around 8 months now. How does it feel to officially have a ‘debut’ album out? This has been a long time coming right?

Joonie: This album has been a long time coming and it feels great to be able to finally share this breath of fresh air with the world.

WTBD: There’s been a lot of praise from critics who highlight the purity of your sound and content. It definitely helps separate you from your peers in the current climate. Is this a conscious decision or just the way you’ve always made music?

Joonie: This is just the way I create music. It took some time to really polish my sound but I’m grateful for what I’ve been blessed with and I enjoy sharing it.

WTBD: Stepping back a few years, when you were first starting out, teaching yourself to play piano and guitar. Where was that motivation to learn coming from? Whose songs were you learning to play?

Joonie: I started playing piano at the age of 9 and gospel was mainly what I was exposed to. With that being said, I’d learn songs from gospel greats and as I got older I started to venture out a bit more. I was motivated by the art itself, I just loved the sound.

WTBD: I understand you originally never wanted to be a singer, and were focused on your work as a songwriter. Sounds like you were an introverted perfectionist who didn’t necessarily want the limelight. Is that an accurate description?

Joonie: lol.. Yes I guess that’s safe to say. When producing songs and writing songs, I knew the sound that I wanted and I had no one to demo the vocals I needed so I had no chose but to do it myself.

WTBD: So eventually you did start singing your own material and your demo fell into the hands of Warren G. Subsequently you got your first label deal which fell through because you didn’t agree with the direction they wanted to put you in. This must have made you re-assess your goals and outlook on the industry?

Joonie: Very much so… Forced creativity can really be draining and can actually take you off track of what your all about and that’s a little of what kinda happened in the major deal situation. When it was all said and done I had to re-evaluate what was important to me in music and personally. I eventually found an even deeper love for music after a short break from it all.

WTBD: You took a hiatus at this point, but still contributed musically ‘behind the scenes’ to a number of projects. Was it hard not being at the forefront of the industry? Or in hindsight, do you think you needed to go through these experiences in order to become the person you are today?

Joonie: I had nothing to give at that moment so it wasn’t hard being behind the scene for me. I took that time to really re-find myself as a musician and more importantly as a person. If that situation hadn’t happened I honestly don’t think I’d have the unique sound I have today.

WTBD: In 2009 you were the Musical Director for the film, ‘I Do, I Did’. The film featured a number of tracks which were later included on your ‘Acoustic Love’ album. Can you pinpoint a moment around this time, or before, where you thought, ‘I’m gonna give this solo material stuff another shot’? Did it even happen that way? How did the album come about?…

Joonie: Well, I had been working on songs for my own listening pleasure but I remember being on the road touring with American Idol Elliott Yamin and seeing him perform night after night and getting such a great response for doing what he loved and it started a fire in me to want to do something with what I have been blessed with. Family and friends pushed me as well.

WTBD: Back to the perfectionism thing, this by the way is in no way a criticism. I notice you continue write, record and produce all your own material. Who do you take influence from and whose advice do you listen to most?

Joonie: Most importantly, I try to finish my songs before letting anyone hear them because if I listen to a bunch of people while creating, it can get really messy. I take some advice from mostly people who don’t make music but enjoy listening to it because they usually give an opinion based on how the music feels as aposed to logic and sometimes logic isn’t good when making music. My music’s influenced by events and fantasy more than any undividual person.

WTBD: What do you make of the current state of RnB/Soul. Which artists impress you? Anyone you’d like to work with?

Joonie: I’d love to see or hear more genuine R&B/Soul and musicianship in the mainstream, thats probably my only complant. I’m impresed by a number of artists and I wouldn’t mind doing a song with each and every one of them.

WTBD: Having earned your stripes through your experiences over 10-15 years in music, you have gradually shaped the person and artist you are today. You now seem comfortable in what you’re doing and people can hear that through your music. Do you think artists expect too much too soon in today’s industry?

Joonie: Yes.. I did and it got me nothing but stress and heartache but now with understanding and a love for creating great songs that can touch the emotions and even cause change in peoples relationships or within, I feel no need to force anything. Time will eventually yeild to greatness and when it does… I’ll be on top.

WTBD: What’s next for you? We’re hoping you’re not going on another hiatus…

Joonie: lol… no need for another hiatus. I’m continuing to push this great album of mine “Acoustic Love” as it continues to pick up momentum. Look forward to more shows from me all across the world this year.

WTBD: Thanks for your time Joonie. We appreciate it and we will continue to support your music here in the U.K.

For more information on Joonie and to check out his debut album, ‘Acoustic Love‘, please visit jooniezone.com / joonie.bandcamp.com or follow him on Twitter @jooniezone.

Hoodlouse: Weirdo T.C

09.11.2010

Like your hip-hop left of centre? Swag a little strange? Then keep reading you off beat freaks.

To our Hoodlouse feature we introduce you to L.A born, raised and based emcee Weirdo T.C, A.K.A Weirdo Wit Da Glassez.

She caught our attention through Twitter a couple of months ago, firstly through her animated style (digitally and physically) and then through her mixtape, ‘Made From Scratch Volume 1‘.

The mixtape serves as a natural extension to T.C’s colourful personality. Bumping this is like being stuck inside a Hip-Hop kaleidoscope.

So many Hip-Hop artists choose to be ‘controversial’ in attempt to be bold. What refreshes us about Weirdo T.C is that she shows her personality through the way she flows and the diversity of subjects she’s willing to rap about. Taking risks and experimenting with the music is what Hip-Hop is all about, so for that Weirdo, we salute you!

Check her sugar coated swag music below and see what she had to say when we caught up with her for an interview.

INTERVIEW WITH WEIRDO T.C

WTBD: Seeing as we found you on Twitter, can you describe yourself to our readers in 140 characters?

WTC: I’m a young female rap artist from Los Angeles CA. My style represents the less serious side of life. The fun, careless, free spirited side of living.

WTBD: So, having had a few months to reflect on your first Mixtape ‘Made From Scratch Vol 1’, how you feeling?

WTC: The majority of my feeling is motivation. I’m so motivated to out do my last tape, it’s not even funny! I can’t wait for Vol. 2. I’m certain everyone
will be pleased.

WTBD: Have you got any one particular track that you’re most proud of?

WTC: Yep! My “Weirdo Swag Money” song! I’m so proud of that song because it was actually my first time ever producing a beat. And it turned out to be the song that is getting the most positive feedback from the LA hip hop
community.

WTBD: One of our favourite tracks from the Mixtape is ‘Unthinkable’ featuring Nella, Chuck D and Kwalified. Can you tell me bit about these guys?

WTC: Umm yeaah, Chuck D is actually the CEO of a up & coming record label
based in Los Angeles, he is also the producer behind a large selection of my music. Nella is a rnb/soul singer. I have so much faith in her. With a bit more training I could see her being the new aged Aaliyah. Last but not least is Kwalified! Kwalified is actually my older cousin. He lives in Hawaii and is very notable amongst the Hawaiian natives. He never fails me when I need features for music!

WTBD: Can you tell us a bit about where you’re from? Name three things you love and hate about living in L.A.

WTC: Three things i love about LA are the beaches, Hollywood, and the fact that most people in the music biz are local to the Los Angeles California basin.

Three things hated about is the constant weather change, earthquakes, and last but not least the constant weather change! LoL 🙂

WTBD: Tell us what we’d be likely to witness if we spent a day with you?

WTC: A lot of studio mics, shows and Amp energy drinks. LOL

WTBD: Now you talk a little about your image / glasses in the intro of the Mixtape. Do you worry people might think it’s a gimmick?

WTC: Nope, I’m a weirdo. I hardly ever care what people say about me. Glasses are my thing. WITHOUT THEM I FEEL NAKED. Its not an attention thing for me. I’ve been rocking glasses ever since I was a toddler. Glasses are 1 of my many loves.

WTBD: Nicki Minaj seems to be taking the limelight from all other female rappers right now, what do you think of her?

WTC: I like Nicki Minaj. She has a lot of haters doing there job right now. Its
enough light to share, There just aren’t any females trying hard enough to get some. Nicki isn’t hogging any light she’s just doing what she does really well. Cant hate on somebody succeeding at what they are doing if they’re doing it well.

WTBD: What do you make of the term ‘femcee’?

WTC: I don’t really agree with this term. yet i still use it. lol. I don’t see why females cant be referred to as emcees also..

WTBD: The phase ‘Hip-Hop is dead’ seems to be rearing it’s ugly head again recently, what do you make of Hip-Hop’s current state?

WTC: Its not dead its just evolving.

WTBD: What’s next from you? You did say the next Mixtape will be x10 ‘Made from Scratch’, that’s a tall order.

WTC: I’m currently working on Vol 2. the title is weird alotta people are gonna question me but idc. lol. i won’t disclose what it is yet but just keep
updated with me!

WTBD: Finally, recommend one person we should be following on Twitter and why?

WTC: ME! haha twitter.com/@WeirdoTC & twitter.com/@iAmWeirdoTC

Hoodlouse: YFame

07.11.2010

Hoodlouse is the section of our blog whereby we support artists who we feel truly represent the values and ethics of Hip-Hop. This could come through incomparable vocals, ingenious production, creative lyrics, outrageous content or more importantly, gut instinct. Through whatever avenue we find your music and whichever state, suburb, county, creek, gutter or lab you’re making music from, if we like it then we’ll share it.

If you’re a fan of the music we publish then comment on it, RT it, like it, StumbleUpon it, open that mouth you’ve been blessed with and TALK about it! It’s as important as ever to spread the word about the Hip-Hop music you love.

Intro OVER. Now we can tell you all about our first featured artist YFAME.

We joined Twitter a couple of months ago now and within the first few weeks we got Tweets from rappers, beatmakers and singers asking us to check out their work. 95% were pretty lame, dated or lacked any originality. However, one track that caught our attention was New Jersey based producer and rapper YFame’s – ‘In The Air’. It’s tough not to sing along to the hook in this track, put your masculinity aside for a second and enjoy it.

Not only did this track shout out to us that we needed to find out more, but YFame’s self made blog/artwork had that mark of a hustler. We test you to find anyone who can hold down a 9-5 and still produce music on this level. Any doubts will be squashed once you’ve checked ‘Honest’. The production and lyrics in this track define that very word.

YFame’s fourth mixtape… actually we’re gonna call it his first ALBUM is ‘The Somebody-ish Nobody‘, released 2nd November 2010.

The Somebody-ish Nobody by Famey Baby

To find out more from the man himself check what Famey Baby had to say when we caught up with him for an interview (below) and visit www.iamyfame.com !

INTERVIEW WITH YFAME:

WTBD: Seeing as we found you on Twitter, can you describe yourself in 140 characters?

YF: 20 Y/O. Artist, Music Producer. Determined, Universal. I have music for everybody. musically active for 10 years and i refuse quit. YFame !!

WTBD: We’ve found you upon the launch of your newest Mixtape ‘The Somebody-ish Nobody’. Describe to our readers what they’ve missed so far?

YF: They’ve missed 3 extraordinary mixtapes. My first was entitled “Bookbagz & Chuck Taylors” which i released June 2nd, 2009. This mixtape was sort of gritty, it was all about lyrics and Hip Hop. It shows how i separate myself from everyone else lyrically. Next i did a project called “YFame presents : Da Thriller”. That was released October 28th, 2009. It was a Halloween mixtape which included my favorite Horror movie & Horror TV show themes, with a twist of MJ’s “Thriller” of course. Personally some of my best work. The third project i did is called “Kid On The Bus”. VERY personal, VERY straight forward. Its basically my life in 14 tracks. The mixtape package included a short narrative video which is now on YouTube.. Search: “Kid On The Bus”. As far as putting projects together, i think i’ve done a great job so far. All of these mixtapes can be found on my website www.iamYFame.com

WTBD: Now you rap, produce and do your own artwork. Which came first and which is most important to you?

YF: Music Production came first. 2001 i made my first beat and was was doing that for quite some time until i picked up a pen and pad and started writing rhymes. Those rhymes turned in verses and those verses turned into songs. Importance? I would have to say that Music Production is MOST important to me. It’s my passion. Making music gives me a feeling that nothing else can give me, and that feeling is indescribable. My fellow Music Producers will agree.

WTBD: Producers are now getting as much recognition as rappers and singers, but on the flipside a lot more people are now claiming to be producers with production software more easily available. How do you think this might affect Hip-Hop?

YF: It already has affected Hip Hop. In my opinion. Tons of young “Beat Makers” are going out and buying and / or downloading these programs and abusing them. One thing that affected Hip Hop WERE those “Beat Makers” getting the recognition that they got. Then before you know, everybody all of a sudden wants a beat decorated with piercing synths and booming 808s. Now don’t get me wrong i use FL Studio XXL, which IS a software. The difference between the “Producers” and the “Beat Makers” in my opinion is the knowledge or actual understanding of music. “Beat Makers” lack both.

WTBD: Your bio states that, ‘You will NEVER hear “gangster” music come from YFame’. What do you consider gangster?

YF: Gangster music, or Gangster rap as in Guns, Drugs & Abrasive lyrics. I’m not a Gangster and i’m far from one. I don’t know about that lifestyle and i don’t care to know. Nor do i care for the rappers who make that type of music. I frown upon it. Notice i said “Rappers”. To me, there’s no such thing as a “Gangster Artist”. I salute N.W.A. & 50 Cent for making a killing off of their music, But i honestly think it’s getting old. To all of the Gangster rappers, find something new to talk about, it’s about to be 2011. Get creative, you’re welcome.

WTBD: Do you think rappers now need to consider their live performances more, as that seems to be where the money currently lies?

YF: Yes. Shows / Live Performances are extremely important to me, and should be important to other artists as well. Your stage presence plays a major part in who you are as an artist. Interacting with the crowd, crowd participation, the way you hold the mic, projecting your voice all plays a part. One of the main things to perfect and constantly work on is your live performance. I encourage artists to do more shows / Open Mics / showcases. Also, it wouldn’t hurt to practice in a mirror , i do it all the time ( Haha )

WTBD: Tell us the bar you’re most proud that you’ve written…

YF: WOW.. That’s hard. I don’t think it’s a bar that i’m MOST proud of but it’s the one that came to mind and i’m pretty proud about it. It’s “Niggas actin’ like they made YFame, but YFame is SELF made / If i’ma be SHADOWED by ANYBODY it’s gonna be SELF – SHADE”. .Basically saying that i made myself, i made my own image, my own brand, and my own sound. Also saying that i won’t let ANYBODY think that they made me. Since 10 years old i’ve basically been on my own with this music and i refuse to be shadowed by anybody. Point blank. That song is on my new mixtape “The Somebody-ish Nobody” ..It’s entitled “Self Made”.

WTBD: So what can we expect to hear from ‘The Somebody-ish Nobody’ mixtape?

YF: For the current supporters of me, Growth. To NEW supporters, Something NEW. If you’re an aspiring artist, get ready for a reality check. If you’re one of those artists who think that you’re bigger than what you are, THIS mixtape will bring you back down to earth. This mixtape is very musical, and i say ALOT of stuff in this project. Every song says something. It just might be my best so far.

WTBD: It’s clear for people to see that ‘Hip-Hop’, at least commercially, has travelled in an unfamiliar direction recently. Who or what do you think will be key to its development over the next year?

YF: Now i could say “Me!” ..But i think the real key is UNITY. These artists who make “Real Hip Hop” never want to support other artists who also make “Real Hip Hop”. It’s gonna take a movement to bring Hip Hop back to the way it was, and i don’t see that happening without unity. Example: The South. The south took over because they have unity. They all stuck together and supported eachother. Currently i’m not seeing that anywhere else. As far as artists who could develop Hip Hop, i would have to say Apollo The Great ( www.ApolloisHIM.com ) , O-Skeez ( www.OSkeezOnline.com ), KanYe West, B.O.B., J Cole, Wale, a few others and not to mention, me, YFame.

WTBD: Tell us a little about Wondamuzik?

YF: Wondamuzik is an indie label / production company founded by me in 2005 at the age of 15. It consists of Apollo The Great, O-Skeez & Dj Deuce. There were other artists but you know, some people just aren’t passionate about music like the rest of us are. “WondaMuzik” is what you would hear in the beginning of most of my beats / songs. We make music for everybody. Personal music, Dance music, Soulful music, Reggae music, Raw Hip Hop, Current Hip Hop, Pop, We also experiment from time to time. It’s a “Wonder” how we make such good music so consistently. Subtract the “er” from wonder and you got “Wonda”.

WTBD: Name one person we should be following on Twitter and why?

YF: Me, @YFame ..I’m really trying to get the #SupportYFame & #TeamYFame campaigns rolling, so when people find me on Twitter they should hit me with a #SupportYFame or #TeamYFame. Which ever one they prefer. Besides me, everybody should be following @KanYeWest, simply because he’s putting out the best music right now. Those “Good Friday” tracks are all GOOD music (No pun intended).

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