Crew 932 representatives are spread across the country like niceness (or should I say Noshess) is spread across the Ultraviolet Beat tape. 932 members reside in Seattle, Saint Louis, Columbus Ohio and Joliet Illinois. These different regional flavors mix into a bright menagerie of sight and sound. Not to mention these fools do everything, I’m not even going to list the artistic boundaries they cross on the regular. They also take on new identities often like chameleons. I’m not even sure how many of them their are anymore. I do know Alleyes has been known to perform shoeless and I once saw footage of Paces lift (formerly known as Splitface) riding of the roof of a speeding car like a ninja littering the streets with event flyers. 932 is an eclectic good time.
One of their latest offerings and the second edition of their beat tape series is the aptly named Ultraviolet Beat Tape from producer Noshess. It’s sexy yet strong vibe is like a bubbly hot tube filled with suicide girls sipping jack on the rocks. Whether your washing your dishes, preparing for work or getting ready to go out and paint the town ultraviolet, the new Noshess release is 21 minutes of vibed out inspiration. Respected underground emcees like Copywrite, Illogic and Blueprint have all blessed original tracks from Noshess, hit play on the soundcloud and see why. Keep in Noshy ~ Hensley
Lord Kash a.k.a Kash Flow became artistically self-aware through the Saint Louis underground scene. Focusing his skills for a decade in the group Honors English along side STL game changer Tef Poe. This was a perfect armor hardening training ground for both of them. Both artists are currently on solo paths, but plan on working together again when the time is right. The second solo joint from Lord Kash is called Rebel Sound System and it’s hittin the streets like an alien invasion. This album is a ten track power move from a veteran emcee. The impressive production from various high voltage sources reverberates through your body, while cerebral line after line fires synapses through your brain. Kash’s clever, conscious flow and rebel rock flair are tuned to a classic rapper frequency that shines on this refreshing new project. REBEL SOUND SYSTEM…..Engage. ~ Hensley
“Consider this a freebie, the next one’s gonna cost ya” – Lord Kash
Ω** REBEL SΩUND SYSTEM **Ω
DIVINE STYLINGS
Lord Kash ft. Shomriya, Realistic
PRΩDUCTION
ARZA, DJ Reminise, Blade Gordon, Black Spade, JBJR, Enferno Muzik, Tech Supreme
Sean Daley aka “Slug” of Atmosphere is at the point in his career where he can decline interviews, look down on the “little people” and not lift another finger in the world of menial jobs. The Minneapolis-based emo rapper help build an empire of underground hip-hop when he co-founded Rhymesayers Entertainment, home to P.O.S., Brother Ali and, of course, Atmosphere. Admittedly, he’s an unstoppable force with endless vision and nonstop determination to make Rhymesayers the best independent label in the world, but he’s also a bit of an egomaniac. Nonetheless, he’s done well for himself. I had a brief conversation with the man to talk about his moniker, his top 5 albums and online chess.
Kyle E. : Who or what influenced you to start making music?
Sean Daley: “I don’t know. I had an aunt that wasn’t that much older than me that spent a lot of time at my house. Just seeing the way she reacted to certain albums or artists and the fact I thought she was super cool because she was a teenager and I was a younger kid probably had an impression on me and that made me want to have something to do with making people react to me the same way I saw her react to Prince. Then the fact that I just loved rock and I’ve always been an attention seeker.”
What made you come out from behind the turntables on grab the mic?
“I just wasn’t progressing as a DJ. I started DJ-ing in ‘87. I learned how to transform and I didn’t really progress beyond that. When people started doing flairs and shit I was just like ‘I don’t care about that fancy shit.’ I just wanted to blend and stuff. So I figured I would just chill and rap.”
Your lyrical content seems highly personal. Do you ever feel like you’re revealing too much?
“Nah, because it’s all fictional.”
Really? There’s some autobiographical stuff in there though.
“I mean, no more than any book you read. It’s coming from your hand, your mouth, your eyes, but it’s not like any of those stories were truly autobiographical. They’re used to exemplify the struggle or dichotomy between the genders. Honestly half the time I was using that gender struggle as a metaphor for how I saw other things. Anybody that thinks I had a girlfriend who was as hard to deal with as Lucy is ridiculous. I had 15 girlfriends that were as hard to deal with as this character, Lucy. I stopped doing fictionalizing in the first person on the new album. There are 2 songs I did that are incredibly autobiographical while on past albums like God Loves Ugly, all the songs were metaphors. I adhered to go first person with those 2 particular songs but everything else I went narrative all the way.”
Did you think Rhymesayers Entertainment would be the empire it is today?
“Yes. I was confident in the people. I knew Brother Ali would be great. I knew Eyedea would be great. I didn’t’ know how that was going to happen, but I was confident in the artists.“
Where did the Slug moniker come from?
“Oh, it got shortened from Slug-O. That got shortened from Little Slug-O which was my nickname as a kid.”
What are some of your observations on hip-hop today?
“I don’t have any complaints. I’m to old to complain about hip-hop. There’s so many more important things to complain about. I mean, the shit I see on CNN makes me cringe. The things that go on in the entertainment world are funny to me. Everyone is so fucking insecure about their place, ya know? It’s like the backpackers bitch about the mainstream because the backpackers are broke. The mainstream bitches about the backpackers because the mainstream is afraid they won’t be respected in 5 years. Fuck both sides. Fuck the underground. Fuck the overground. Fuck the middle ground. It’s just a bunch of fucking people trying to find their fucking identities. Once you get comfortable with who you are as a person, you’ll stop complaining about all of that other dumb ass shit.”
Do you believe that comes with age?
“Yes, I think it does.”
Name you top 5 favorite albums. Go!
“It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back by Public Enemy, Fear Of A Black Planet by Public Enemy, To The East Blackwards by X Clan, One For All by Brand Nubian and Death Certificate by Ice Cube.”
How do you feel growing up in the Midwest influenced your musical style?
“I think most of us in the Midwest kind of became sponges. The East Coast, West Coast, The Geto Boys- we absorbed everybody and so we’re kind of a mish mash of all of that. You can hear a little bit of Nas and KRS One in us. You can hear a little bit of Ice Cube and Digital Underground in us. It’s like we sound like all of our influences.”
What does the music you make mean to you on a personal level?
”I guess for the most part it’s like a ritual you do to give back to the people who gave it to you. Aside from the fact that we built a business out of it, we’ve turned it into a vehicle for other people to share their stuff. It all come down to this- it’s guided by the governor in me that wants to make sure I give back like KRS and Rakim did to me.”
As a human being, how does it feel to be in the position of selling out shows and having thousands of fans that idolize you? Is that kind of weird feeling?
“I stay pretty detached from how many shows I sell out or how many units I move. I focus on the fans and try to be as personable as possible because I understand that’s what they’re here for. At the end of the day when I go back to my house, I don’t think about this shit.”
So how do you unwind?
‘I play online chess” [laughs].
What is the most important lesson you’ve learned over the past two decades?
“It definitely isn’t anything I learned in the music business. It’s pay attention to how and why you choose to self-medicate.”
I feel you there. So how do you self medicate these days?
“I play online chess.’
No yoga?
[Laughs] “No, not yet. It’s not trendy enough yet. I’ll do yoga, get a dog and play Frisbee soon though.”
One more generic question- what are the best and worst aspects about touring?
“Trying to maintain a healthy day-to-day lifestyle from sleep to food to exercise. That’s easily the worst. The best is the constant distractions when you’re on tour. You don’t get bored. There’s always something to play with and something to do.”
I’ve seen you several times and on stage, you seem like a natural-born emcee. You make it seem so effortless.
“You got this all from seeing me perform?”
Yes [laughs]. It seems easy for you. Do you feel you were just born with this gift or did it evolve from experience?
“I’m sure it came with practice and experience. I don’t know too many natural-born emcees. Most of them are practiced emcees. The only person I would say I’ve seen or heard that I would say are natural born emcees are KRS, Nas and Rakim. Everyone else has practiced a lot and cares about their craft a lot.”
Best collaboration you’ve done?
“I don’t know who. I love making music with Brother Ali and Murs- that’s it. Everybody else I just like.”
If you could work with anybody alive or dead, who would it be?
Farfetched is an independent music and art imprint based out of St.Louis, MO. We specialize in creating thought-provoking, honest, and innovative content for all
Featuring Sonic Engineers Sanguinite, Standing Sleep, Scripts and Screws, Midnight Giant, Blank Generation, Wino Willie, Micheal Franco, Scrub, EkleKtrip, Air Haze, Jai & Ebony, Crayon Stars, Whiteout , Kepra, Thelonious Kyrtonite, Symphonique, Port Side and Helen Marie.
Download the debut project PROLOGUE from the new label ***FARFETCHED***
In the past couple of years I have heard the printed word is dead, along with Punk and Hip-Hop. To this I reply “Are you fucking kidding me?” It’s hard to keep a good movement down and some things never go out of style, like tangible products you can hold in your hands. I consider myself a collector, who goes to the local record store and buys vinyl, CD’s, books, and magazines. No matter what Steve Jobs and Bill Gates say, you should always have the option. That being my opinion, along with my relentless pursuit of upgrading has prompted me to launch Locash Magazine into printed form where I always intended this version of the movement to be. We are proud to announce the arrival of issue 1 “The New Math”
Issue 1 “The New Math” click to purchase or preview
Issue 1 is a 56 page booklet printed in full color with thick glossy paper its solid like the great wall of China. Also available as a PDF download if you choose, either way it’s a content heavy periodical filled with heavy content. Original writing from Myself, (Sikboy) and my partner Orlando Escobar takes you inside artist’s minds and souls. Issue 1 features two layouts, the first from edgy fashion photographer Henry Navarro his eye for style and amazing models blaze up 10 full size pages. Layout 2 brings the visual funk of Jim Mahfood a.k.a. Food One whose unprecedented style has been blowing up Los Angeles in a major way.
Snow Li for Henry Navarros Lensexposure
Pop Life by Food One
Also 6 full length articles complete with pics feature the hottest Hip-Hop acts in the Midwest underground Including DJP, The Frozen Food Section, Jonezy, Savage Tribe, Rhyme University and the Super Delegates. Born and raised in the Midwest our travels have taken us many places, but that Midwest dirt is embedded in our life essence. As we explore new scenes and genres our experiences will transcribed directly to these pages. We don’t believe in boundaries and explore art in all mediums music, paint, photography or anything that moves us can make it in. Madly dedicated to the truth of the underground we welcome submissions, you can drop them at Locash314@hotmail.com or the facebook page on the top menu. And so it begins, in the future will be proud to have caused the headline…… “The revolution was sparked in the Midwest” ~ Sikboy – Locash Gambino
