| FRIDAE | July 7, 2008 08:15 PM |
Lyricists Lock In!!
The Lyricists All Truth No Lies?
By Fridae Mattas
From L to R DJ Haus Diesel, Illtone, Rym-(B)enda
Tightest sound migrating up from the underground three of Michigan’s best hip hop lyricists!! “The Lyricists” droppin some one on one!
Fridae: Why did you choose music for your path in life?
Illtone: Personally, I just got hooked to the music before I got in my teens. It was all around]me, especially in school. Beat Boxing, Break Dancing...I just fell in Love with it. The idea of creating & being on stage, it's the best feeling. Plus it's the only thing I'm good at.
Rym-Benda: Music kinda choose me as corny as it sounds my pops was a guitar player my moms was in the choir, I actually started playing trumpet in 4th grade, and it just devolped from there hip hop is freedom of creativity so there is always some place new you can take it.
Haus D: Just like anyone else, something just draws me to the music. Mostly its just the feel you get when hearing your fav. jams, the force that makes your head bob. Know one can really explain it, its just there.
Fridae: How did you all come together as a trio & who are you?
Illtone: Well, Haus isn't our first DJ or our fourth...lol. B & I met in High School & at first, The Lyricists were a trio before we had a DJ. The 3rd member James "Unknown" Brooks went away to college & left the crew. So...we had four DJ's come & leave before we hooked up with Haus Diesel. We met him through our 2nd DJ. When he couldn't make it, he would have Haus D step in for him. Who Are We? Just some cats who enjoy what we do & do all we can to make this happen & continue to build for the Love of Hip-Hop music.
Fridae: When putting a track together what comes first the lyrics or the music?
Rym-B: The music mostly with the way we do it, we dont make our own beats we normally pick them, then come with concepts that fit the beat at that moment.
Fridae: Do you write your own sixteens or do you collaborate throwing ideas around?
Illtone: We write our own sixteens & we sit around listening to the beat to see what mood fits it. So many ideas can come from one beat that we try to nail it by asking each other, "how does this feel to you?" & if we're close in range, that's what we roll with.
Fridae: Sometimes do you feel it's to hard to keep reaching for your dreams when so many doors refuse to open?
Illtone: YES!!!! lol!
Haus D: No!!! lmwao!! I really dont feel like doors refuse to open.. We might not be finding the golding door of fame or anything but doors do infact open. We're just tryin to have a good time the stuff I love. Music!!
Illtone: Yeah, Doors do open but, just not fast enough!!!!!
Fridae: Which one of you moved from Detroit to the boons (Port Huron)? Why?
Rym-B: That would be me, back in 1992. why: It was hot so I got out of the kitchen niggas was out they mind down there moms put the smack down so I came to the P got my education and hooked up with ILL.
Fridae: Your tunes are chill not to extra, original the flow is tight & on beat you guys don't sound Canadian where did that come from? Is it because your producers are Canadian. Please, whoever said that is wack! You don't sound like Canadian MCs. If anything it's more of a Old School Run-DMC vibe 80's rap.
Illtone: Nah, just because you emcee over Canadian beats don't mean you sound Canadian! Actually, I don't think anyone ever said that about us! Yeah, whoever said that IS wack!!!!! Who is he? lol! I might say we sound like Run-DMC to whoever isn't familiar with Hip-Hop. I don't think we sound like anyone really? When they asked for a reference about who we sound like I might say ATCQ (A Tribe Called Quest) or Common? But we're not either of them. Other cats say Little Brother or Talib Qweli but, it's a whole different vibe. Definitely a throw back though. Maybe 80's early 90's because it has a feel of the Golden Era of Hip-Hop. Peace to KNOW-IT-ALL, PROLOGIC,SHARKY, FRACTION, SHUA JAMES, TITUS, AL GETA, FLEX, KHALEL, D.O., LOW-KEY & ALL OUR CANADIAN BREDREN!!!
**Apparently Ill said it, according to the interview in the Metro Times**
"We get a lot of people saying that we have this 'Midwestern sound,' or that we sound like other groups from Detroit. But our producers [Pro-Logic, etc.] are from Canada, so I guess you could say you can hear the Canadian influence," Illtone says.” Quoted from the interview The link is below Thumbs-up (Metro Times Detroit)
Fridae: Do you guys plan on staying indie or would you rather get a Major Deal?
Illtone: If a Major was talking right? As in, we still have creative control & can keep it Hip-Hop & not "Flip-Flop"...then I'm down! But that's NEVER the case! I'm an Indie head but, getting the publicity that comes along with a major is good. I just think they wouldn't have long term in our future.
Haus D: I concur.
Rym-B: The dream and our drive has no limits i want to push this as far as it can go if that means Indi or Major label bring it.
Fridae: How did you choose this sound? What was the main inspiration?
Rym-B: The sound was chose by wanting to be more like the music that inspired us in the first place. inspriration music wise is cats like krs-one , pharcyde, souls, rakim, wu, pharhoe, talib and the list goes on I could list emcees all day, real music.
Illtone: AND Actually, from our producers we choose the doper beats! They usually have a large variety of music to grab & that kinda let them know what we like to emcee over.
Fridae: Who would you not collaborate with, in this game?
Illtone: Ummm....those who are not creative. Or those who DON'T add on to this culture & in it for the wrong reasons.
Fridae: Why would any one care about your crew? What's so special about you?
Illtone: We smile in our photo's...lol! Nah, we continue to add to the culture & make music that's timeless. We're just not in it to jump in & out. We want to be looked upon as someone who cares about it instead of pimpin the game to make some quick cash. Which would be nice but, we care about it's future
Rym-B: We are hard working blue collar emcees. Original tactics making limitless rap hits.
Haus D: Were a dedicated bunch that strive to better our self and better the minds of other with the music that we make.
Fridae: What can you bring to the game that's fresh.?
Rym-B: New styles, creative storytellin, hard core emceeing at its finest.
Haus D: Its not really the fresh that were tryin to bring.. not sayin were stuck in 93 but thats where I feel hip hop was its prime in my eyes. I still listen to all that old school and love it. But back to the question.... Our formula, the way Illtone and Rym-B go back and forth on songs like resume and such..That was big back in the day.. Lets recycle and make fresh again.
Illtone: More DeeJaying! I know it's not "Fresh" as in new but, I think people sleep on the Art of DJing when it comes to songs. Back in the day there use to be songs with just the DJ!! Not that everyone isn't using one or there isn't enough of it, we'd just like to exploit the tables more. I feel it's lacking in most Hip-Hop records.
Fridae: What tunes are you listening to right now?
Illtone: Ummm...I'm on alot of upcoming emcee shit outta the mitten right now. Guilty Simpson, Black Milk, OneBeLo, Buff1, Tasherre D'Enajetic. Also the likes of The Roots, Ice Cube's Amerikkka Most Wanted, Redman, Eryka Badu, Talib Qweli, Pharoe Monch, Wu-Tang, Lupe Fiasco, Educated Consumers, BMORE ORIGINAL ARTISTS, DJ Excel's Underground Files! WHAT!!
Rym -B: I got six in the dash right now and they are: Erika Badu's new joint, Talib's latest, Pharoe Monch's newest, Sly and the Family Stone, The New roots, and Get Heard or Die Tryin by The Lyricists!
Haus D: The Funk Brothers.. and everything above
Fridae: How important is music to you? Do you really love the art or do you wanna see those dollar bills roll in?
Haus D: Come on now..Yes the music...
Illtone: Yeah, Music is MAD important! We really LOVE the Art & would like to see those dollar bills roll in because of it! Without selling out & going against what we stand for which is not crossing over for the money. When you see us on stage, we're working! Pay us for our time, Please & Thank You.
Rym-B: Ditto
Fridae: Do your thang pimp yourselves to the extreme drop everything you want people to know about The Lyricists.
Illtone: We Exist on Bmore Original Records. Please google our name, check our sites,(myspace & web pages) itunes, amazon, request the music, give feedback. Welcome us with open arms, if you don't feel it...ThX for checking us out anyway. Ask us to come to your city. We rock well & rock on! If you LOVE Hip-Hop...you'll Love us.
Haus D: I like to build robots that play my video games for me.
Rym-B: Our group makes dope shit, not watered down. Pure uncut hip hop music. The proof is in the puddin, eat some.
PEACE!!
MySpace.com - The Lyricists - PORT HURON, Michigan - Hip Hop / Rap - www.myspace.com/thelyricists
©FRIDAE2008™
By Fridae Mattas
From L to R DJ Haus Diesel, Illtone, Rym-(B)enda
Tightest sound migrating up from the underground three of Michigan’s best hip hop lyricists!! “The Lyricists” droppin some one on one!
Fridae: Why did you choose music for your path in life?
Illtone: Personally, I just got hooked to the music before I got in my teens. It was all around]me, especially in school. Beat Boxing, Break Dancing...I just fell in Love with it. The idea of creating & being on stage, it's the best feeling. Plus it's the only thing I'm good at.
Rym-Benda: Music kinda choose me as corny as it sounds my pops was a guitar player my moms was in the choir, I actually started playing trumpet in 4th grade, and it just devolped from there hip hop is freedom of creativity so there is always some place new you can take it.
Haus D: Just like anyone else, something just draws me to the music. Mostly its just the feel you get when hearing your fav. jams, the force that makes your head bob. Know one can really explain it, its just there.
Fridae: How did you all come together as a trio & who are you?
Illtone: Well, Haus isn't our first DJ or our fourth...lol. B & I met in High School & at first, The Lyricists were a trio before we had a DJ. The 3rd member James "Unknown" Brooks went away to college & left the crew. So...we had four DJ's come & leave before we hooked up with Haus Diesel. We met him through our 2nd DJ. When he couldn't make it, he would have Haus D step in for him. Who Are We? Just some cats who enjoy what we do & do all we can to make this happen & continue to build for the Love of Hip-Hop music.
Fridae: When putting a track together what comes first the lyrics or the music?
Rym-B: The music mostly with the way we do it, we dont make our own beats we normally pick them, then come with concepts that fit the beat at that moment.
Fridae: Do you write your own sixteens or do you collaborate throwing ideas around?
Illtone: We write our own sixteens & we sit around listening to the beat to see what mood fits it. So many ideas can come from one beat that we try to nail it by asking each other, "how does this feel to you?" & if we're close in range, that's what we roll with.
Fridae: Sometimes do you feel it's to hard to keep reaching for your dreams when so many doors refuse to open?
Illtone: YES!!!! lol!
Haus D: No!!! lmwao!! I really dont feel like doors refuse to open.. We might not be finding the golding door of fame or anything but doors do infact open. We're just tryin to have a good time the stuff I love. Music!!
Illtone: Yeah, Doors do open but, just not fast enough!!!!!
Fridae: Which one of you moved from Detroit to the boons (Port Huron)? Why?
Rym-B: That would be me, back in 1992. why: It was hot so I got out of the kitchen niggas was out they mind down there moms put the smack down so I came to the P got my education and hooked up with ILL.
Fridae: Your tunes are chill not to extra, original the flow is tight & on beat you guys don't sound Canadian where did that come from? Is it because your producers are Canadian. Please, whoever said that is wack! You don't sound like Canadian MCs. If anything it's more of a Old School Run-DMC vibe 80's rap.
Illtone: Nah, just because you emcee over Canadian beats don't mean you sound Canadian! Actually, I don't think anyone ever said that about us! Yeah, whoever said that IS wack!!!!! Who is he? lol! I might say we sound like Run-DMC to whoever isn't familiar with Hip-Hop. I don't think we sound like anyone really? When they asked for a reference about who we sound like I might say ATCQ (A Tribe Called Quest) or Common? But we're not either of them. Other cats say Little Brother or Talib Qweli but, it's a whole different vibe. Definitely a throw back though. Maybe 80's early 90's because it has a feel of the Golden Era of Hip-Hop. Peace to KNOW-IT-ALL, PROLOGIC,SHARKY, FRACTION, SHUA JAMES, TITUS, AL GETA, FLEX, KHALEL, D.O., LOW-KEY & ALL OUR CANADIAN BREDREN!!!
**Apparently Ill said it, according to the interview in the Metro Times**
"We get a lot of people saying that we have this 'Midwestern sound,' or that we sound like other groups from Detroit. But our producers [Pro-Logic, etc.] are from Canada, so I guess you could say you can hear the Canadian influence," Illtone says.” Quoted from the interview The link is below Thumbs-up (Metro Times Detroit)
Fridae: Do you guys plan on staying indie or would you rather get a Major Deal?
Illtone: If a Major was talking right? As in, we still have creative control & can keep it Hip-Hop & not "Flip-Flop"...then I'm down! But that's NEVER the case! I'm an Indie head but, getting the publicity that comes along with a major is good. I just think they wouldn't have long term in our future.
Haus D: I concur.
Rym-B: The dream and our drive has no limits i want to push this as far as it can go if that means Indi or Major label bring it.
Fridae: How did you choose this sound? What was the main inspiration?
Rym-B: The sound was chose by wanting to be more like the music that inspired us in the first place. inspriration music wise is cats like krs-one , pharcyde, souls, rakim, wu, pharhoe, talib and the list goes on I could list emcees all day, real music.
Illtone: AND Actually, from our producers we choose the doper beats! They usually have a large variety of music to grab & that kinda let them know what we like to emcee over.
Fridae: Who would you not collaborate with, in this game?
Illtone: Ummm....those who are not creative. Or those who DON'T add on to this culture & in it for the wrong reasons.
Fridae: Why would any one care about your crew? What's so special about you?
Illtone: We smile in our photo's...lol! Nah, we continue to add to the culture & make music that's timeless. We're just not in it to jump in & out. We want to be looked upon as someone who cares about it instead of pimpin the game to make some quick cash. Which would be nice but, we care about it's future
Rym-B: We are hard working blue collar emcees. Original tactics making limitless rap hits.
Haus D: Were a dedicated bunch that strive to better our self and better the minds of other with the music that we make.
Fridae: What can you bring to the game that's fresh.?
Rym-B: New styles, creative storytellin, hard core emceeing at its finest.
Haus D: Its not really the fresh that were tryin to bring.. not sayin were stuck in 93 but thats where I feel hip hop was its prime in my eyes. I still listen to all that old school and love it. But back to the question.... Our formula, the way Illtone and Rym-B go back and forth on songs like resume and such..That was big back in the day.. Lets recycle and make fresh again.
Illtone: More DeeJaying! I know it's not "Fresh" as in new but, I think people sleep on the Art of DJing when it comes to songs. Back in the day there use to be songs with just the DJ!! Not that everyone isn't using one or there isn't enough of it, we'd just like to exploit the tables more. I feel it's lacking in most Hip-Hop records.
Fridae: What tunes are you listening to right now?
Illtone: Ummm...I'm on alot of upcoming emcee shit outta the mitten right now. Guilty Simpson, Black Milk, OneBeLo, Buff1, Tasherre D'Enajetic. Also the likes of The Roots, Ice Cube's Amerikkka Most Wanted, Redman, Eryka Badu, Talib Qweli, Pharoe Monch, Wu-Tang, Lupe Fiasco, Educated Consumers, BMORE ORIGINAL ARTISTS, DJ Excel's Underground Files! WHAT!!
Rym -B: I got six in the dash right now and they are: Erika Badu's new joint, Talib's latest, Pharoe Monch's newest, Sly and the Family Stone, The New roots, and Get Heard or Die Tryin by The Lyricists!
Haus D: The Funk Brothers.. and everything above
Fridae: How important is music to you? Do you really love the art or do you wanna see those dollar bills roll in?
Haus D: Come on now..Yes the music...
Illtone: Yeah, Music is MAD important! We really LOVE the Art & would like to see those dollar bills roll in because of it! Without selling out & going against what we stand for which is not crossing over for the money. When you see us on stage, we're working! Pay us for our time, Please & Thank You.
Rym-B: Ditto
Fridae: Do your thang pimp yourselves to the extreme drop everything you want people to know about The Lyricists.
Illtone: We Exist on Bmore Original Records. Please google our name, check our sites,(myspace & web pages) itunes, amazon, request the music, give feedback. Welcome us with open arms, if you don't feel it...ThX for checking us out anyway. Ask us to come to your city. We rock well & rock on! If you LOVE Hip-Hop...you'll Love us.
Haus D: I like to build robots that play my video games for me.
Rym-B: Our group makes dope shit, not watered down. Pure uncut hip hop music. The proof is in the puddin, eat some.
PEACE!!
MySpace.com - The Lyricists - PORT HURON, Michigan - Hip Hop / Rap - www.myspace.com/thelyricists
©FRIDAE2008™