Mr Loop Interview

Certified Banger: Mr. Loop! How goes it?

Mr. Loop: I’m good, nothing to complain about!

CB: First of all tell us, if it’s not obvious, how did you get your name?

Mr. Loop: Well, two reason really – my surname is Lupin, and I’ve always been called Loop as a nickname my whole life, and I make crusty Hip Hop using sample loops…

CB: And now please tell us how you named your album ‘The Bury All’:

Mr. Loop: That’s just another play on words – I’m originally from Canterbury and featured a lot of east Kent artists on the album, and also its kind of ironically arrogant cos I’m kind of a humble dude, haha!

CB: It’s your first album isn’t it, debut as they say. Might we have heard you on anything else previous to this?

Mr. Loop: There are a couple of mixtapes knocking around that I’ve done beats for, there’s a Kojack Brothers mixtape called ‘A Fork & Other Cutlery’. Quite a few people have my beats, but I’m not sure what they’ve done with them to be honest! I did some other stuff before my album that hasn’t actually come out yet, for example I have a beat on the Rapskallions album ‘Slicker Than a Bucket of Snot’, which should be out shortly on the Sweatbox Sounds imprint.

CB: You make the beats on which many MCs spit. Let’s break that down a bit: Why do you make Hip Hop?

Mr. Loop: I’ve always loved Hip Hop since I was a kid, that and funk and soul, and I cant really play any instruments, haha! On the real though I grew up listening to The Pharcyde, Tribe, Gangstarr – all that good American s**t, then got into my uk stuff like Blade, and the UK scene seemed to go from strength to strength with the likes of Low Life Records etc starting up… I just always wanted to either rap or make beats. I tried emceeing – even did it live once, but I don’t really have the right skill set for that… I’d also like to graff, but my painting skills really are s**t!

CB: Are your productions sample based? What do you go for when digging? How often do you find a useable break or loop?

Mr. Loop: I always sample s**t. I love taking something from a different era and flipping it into something completely different that a completely different type of person will feel.

When I’m digging I go for anything that looks interesting. I mean, you got all your classic breaks and stuff, but I like weird s**t as well, like Yodelling records and all that kind of stuff – I’ve got a pretty ‘sample anything’ mentality. I’m of the Lewis Parker school of thought – there’s at least one thing on any record, be it a kick drum, a horn stab, anything that you can sample.

CB: Do you just loop stuff or do you chop it up and switch stuff round? Explain how you dos it:

Mr. Loop: A bit of everything. Sometimes you find something that sounds dope just as a loop and all it needs is a sprinkling of some other melody, a big fat drum pattern and a bass line, but sometimes you need more than that – I loop, I chop, I EQ the s**t out of stuff, whatever sounds good to my ears.

CB: What do you aim for, aside from perfection, when creating the perfect beat?

Mr. Loop: Something that sounds good! Depends really – if it’s a mellow introspective number I want something mellow and introspective to complement the emcee, and if it’s a rowdy jump up joint I want the beat to reflect that and kick you in the balls! I wouldn’t know about creating the perfect beat, don’t think I’ve ever done that, but you just kind of aim for something that sits well sonically. Having said that, Yosh was talking to me the other day about doing a really happy fun beat and getting him to get all Necro on it and chat bout shanking and murking, would be truly jokes!

CB: Which, if there is one, is your favourite track off the album? Which one would you put in a time capsule if there was only digital space for one song?

Mr. Loop: From an emceeing point of view I’d probably say ‘The Middle Path’, I think it’s seriously dope, but from an overall song point of view it would have to be ‘Out on the Razz’ – Lyrics are funny, tune gets people head nodding, it goes down well at live shows, and we had a right laugh recording it in the studio.

CB: Fun is important I think! Which other tune would you put with it? It can be any song in the world ever.

Mr. Loop: That’s a hard question! It would probably have to be ‘If you want me to stay’ by Sly and the Family Stone. Love that tune too much!

CB: MCs: you got loads on your album. How does one go about orchestrating these large manoeuvres?

Mr. Loop: The first emcees I hooked up with were the Rapskallions (Slippa & Zoo Mark). I linked them through Vee-Kay whose studio I was using at the time for a project I was doing. Through them I linked loads more people down in East Kent – Yosh, Humble Pious, J-Soles, Doc Cerberus, Remi etcetra. Also going out and about at shows down there helped me link with people. I managed to get Wordsmith on there ‘cause Vee was mixing the ‘Pursuit of Harmony’ LP at the Sweatbox, and he has Words down there all the time, dude is absolutely sick – that album is gonna be absolute fire when it drops.As for the others – Mudmowth, 777, Beit Nun, Super Dertie, B’tol & Eva – I liked what they did so I did some cyber stalking and asked if they wanted to get involved, and they liked my beats so they said yes.

CB: So the internet’s a useful tool for you. But do you like people stealing your music on the day it’s released? Can you summarise your much debated thoughts on that right here and now?

Mr. Loop: Haha, you’ve obviously seen my rant elsewhere! My thoughts were just that if you like something you should support it. If you want my full thoughts you can find it easy enough by googling!

CB: Yeah I saw all of it! So, what’s the future of music and the internet? I Hope at least CDs never go obsolete, what’s the outlook on physical product in your view?

Mr. Loop: I think they’ll always be a place for CDs (or some similar physical media). Some people like the aesthetics of a physical product, and they make a great promo tool as well. I think having a proper physical product may also increase the amount of value someone puts on something as well. Maybe not, I could be wrong, but I attach more value to something I can actually hold than a stream of data. Maybe I’m just a caveman and need to be dragged into the 21st century!

CB: Nah, I’m totally with you on that one! What shall we all do now that we’ve read this interview with your Hip Hop producin’ self?

Mr. Loop: Er, go buy my album from www.suspect-packages.com – it’s only £6 for the CD… also check out the other artists on Sweatbox Sounds and their projects: Vee-Kay – ‘The Audio Workout’, The Rapskallions – ‘Slicker Than a Bucket of Snot’ (coming soon) and the Yosh EP and Album (also coming soon). Plenty more stuff from myself in the pipeline including a new album which is a kind of collaboration. I’ll let you know more when we’ve finished recording. Apart from that, go out, have fun, enjoy life, and play nice!

Peace

Oh, can I give a shout to big Vee-Kay, The Rapskallions, Yosh, and everyone else I work with.

CB: Yes. Peace.

JC Interview

Certified Banger: Yo JC, how are you?

JC: Yes bruv, I'm good man. Everything is good, just taking a break from studio, trying to cook up some fresh bangers haha. Big up Certified Banger though, if I'm not making music that's where I'm at, reading all the latest hip-hop news brrappppp.

CB: Let's get right into talking about your latest release, the very heavy 'The KHz Project'. Give us the outline of it:

JC: Yes. Thank you for the props, I'm glad you like it. Well all this started back in 2003 about 3 years after I first started making beats. I had an idea and I guess that's just part of who I am; if I want to do something I see it through, and although it's taken nearly 6 years, it's done now, so better late than never. The concept is kinda comical with a serious theme, I basically break into the BBC and hijack the radio, in an attempt to stand up against the commercial garbage music that pours out daily across our airwaves. Funny, but since I started this they are playing loads more decent independent music now, but still not enough, so it's kinda relevant still.

CB: There are some fairly well known guests on there. How did those collaborations materialise?

JC: Mostly, they had heard of me through my work with Hoodz. I have a lot to thank Hoodz for, and working with them proved mutually beneficial because just as they were waiting and waiting for years for the right producer to come along to bring out their energy with the right beats, I was propelled into a position where people knew me for something, so if it wasn't for Hoodz, none of the collabs would've happened, I'm sure of that. So big up the HU all day.

CB: In my opinion you made a significant contribution to the overall sound of the Hoodz Underground album ('Bringin' it Back'.). How did you develop that sound that is still evident on your new release?

JC: Thank you, that's a big compliment. I really just try to inject energy into my music. Music should stir up emotions, that's how I feel. See with the Hoodz, the type of beats they would select would be the hype beats, the ones with a lot of energy which gives them the perfect platform to express their collective rowdiness, because, as anyone who has witnessed a HU show will tell you, they definitely like to bring the ruckus. On this record, I like to think I've expanded on the range of emotions involved, so you have some hypeness, some really chilled relaxed beats, and some kinda conscious melancholic beats also.

CB: How do you work when it comes to MCs using your beats?

JC: It depends, I mean on this record I had much more control and in most cases the artists were looking to me to provide the concepts, so that was exciting for me. I had to sketch an outline of where I wanted certain tracks to go, and then it was left to the artists to paint in the lines. In some cases, tracks just evolve on their own, that's what happens when you deal with artists who are talented - they are able to bring beats to life on their own, so in some cases, it was a natural process. Of course it's different when I sell a beat though, I'm not really looking to have any kind of input on that front, I'll leave that side of things down to the artist.

CB: Which tracks are your favourites from KHz in terms of your production? And which are your favourites in terms of the rappers' input? Which tracks are receiving the most buzz?

JC: I like ‘Judgement Day’, I think that is the stand out track and that is really the one that most people are feeling also. I thought it all came together really well. I laid it out like it could be a story, but it came back as a bragging rights track from the rappers, and Leona killed it off with the hook. That's the one right there. I also like the title track KHz because I like the energy it brings, and I like ‘The Day’ because it sums up where we're at right now with the struggle we have to go through in this game, R.C kills it with the line "then they stack us at the back, hoping we won't chart".

CB: You're giving it away for free. How come? What do you hope to gain from that? Is it a feasible business model?

JC: Well this is the kind of thing I'm talking about. As an artist, the biggest hurdle is building your name. I don't have no major label backing me, I don't have a marketing budget, I don't have a street team or a management company who are paid to push the name. It didn't make sense to go with a hosted service and do a full digital release, or even a physical release charging people for the product when no one really knows the name. In that sense, this is a chess move and after spending nearly 6 years and thousands of pounds of my own cash money on something just to give it away for free, no one could accuse me of not paying my dues. I just hope people feel the music, that's the bottom line. This is here to entertain people, if I do that, I hope I'm on the way to building my fan base and being in a position where people could see themselves going out to HMV to pick up the next JC album, knowing that they are going to get good entertainment for their hard earned cash.

CB: Some folk like to know stuff like this: What equipment do you use and what process do you go through when making a beat? What do you think about when creating?

JC: Well right now I'm using a MacBook running Logic Pro. This was a gift from my very amazing super generous and supportive wifey so I have to just big her up for that. It's an upgrade from my previous Mac which is really on its last legs. I was using an MPC before that too but I ran into some financial difficulty a few years back and it was a choice of either getting evicted or selling that, so I tearfully parted ways with it. I hope to get one back at some point though, dope drum machines. I don't really think too much about ideas, if I hear something, and I can see potential in it, I'll try it out. Sometimes it doesn't come off, other times you stumble across something better trying out something else, it's all just part of the fun of beatmaking. I really like to make loops out of stuff, so it sounds like a loop, but actually isn't. A lot of my production revolves around that theme. Instead of just taking a loop, make your chops sound like you've all you've done is just taken a loop, that way it sounds natural, but is also quite clever. Simple and clever, that's the key.


CB: You're from Sheffield. What's it like in Hip Hop terms? I think I remember an open mic night being featured on TV once, were you there?

JC: Next question! Sheffield is dry mate. There's talent about but the scene is difficult and no one is really putting hip-hop shows on no more. A grime artist would get a slot over a hip-hop artist now, standard. In September time when all the students arrive there are a few things going on, but that's only for one or two months a year. Lame really. I remember the show, it was Jahnell and T4 who did that, as he's from Sheffield and he wanted to get us some exposure. Maybe he can get some of my beats on TV? Jonny? You reading this?

CB: Could Hip Hop in the UK survive if London was razed to the ground and was never rebuilt? Where would UK's Hip Hop capital be if that happened?

JC: Tough to say, I think maybe Birmingham or Notts would have to take the throne. Manchester can keep the dubstep cup though!

CB: You work with some artists local to you on 'The KHz Project'. Who are they and can you tell us more? Can you recommend any underground or up-and-coming artists?

JC: Yeah there's a lot of talent in SY. Big up Taurus go check him out, VenDetta is a dope rapper from Sheffield who really needs to get writing and recording, Tef is based in Doncaster and is part of Figgaz of Speech, there's Leona who featured on ‘Judgement Day’ who is now in a group called Bad Habit, there's a few cats doing their thing man, it's live-o up in SY, don't sleep. Joe Gutta lives near Doncaster too man, and he's cold, big up the UN all day.

CB: What does the rest of 2009 hold for you as a producer?

JC: Really just looking to move forwards, get to work on a full album, get started on a dual production project with my man Taurus, maybe get asked to do a few remixes, and sell a bunch of beats along the way. If you are an artist looking to get some fresh beats just hit me up on the email which is jc.productionz@gmail.com, and we can get it crackin’. Eventually I want to score film and do advert music and things of that nature, so I do think outside the box… occasionally!

CB: Any last words?

JC: Yeah thanks for taking the time out to ask me some questions, thanks for the support, thanks to everyone doing their thing to help me, you all know who you are and your help is appreciated more than words can say. If you contributed in any way to the making of The KHz Project, thanks to you, you all made it happen and hopefully I can build from here on out. Look out for me in the 09. Peace

JVF Clique

Certified Banger: So, where are you coming from? Part of the world? Tell us about it – in general and with regards to Hip Hop, and what mentality do you have when creating the rap music?

JVF: Well we’re from Hinckley town, Leicestershire, The Middlelands, UK. A-past-it’s-best market town where a lot can take place in efforts to stem boredom. Back in the 90's there was a Pirate radio scene but it the DTI squashed it, most of the town now is beer and poppy dance music but there are a few heads that keep a music scene alive. We try to keep our music non-stereotypical and original; we always try and experiment, push the boundaries and find new angles, aiming to give the listener a new viewpoint of reality, and not a load of bollocks about flash cars and jewellery. We have always been very self-critical which can create obstacles but does create a quality end product we are all happy with.

CB: How seriously do you take Hip Hop?

JVF: Most of it not at all, a lot is pure bulls**t, there are many quality acts out there but the average listener has to search them out. We mostly try to tackle serious subjects not serious bulls**t, but you do need something to make you smile occasionally.

CB: How do things work creatively when you’re working as a group? Is it difficult and do you ever fall out?!

JVF: We used to fall out, but we've known each other since we were at school and been working on music together for 14 years so we just about know what each other like. We all have our own interests/preferences but also know we can get results by allowing each other room to be creative.

CB: Name 5 essential things needed for a rap group to survive and succeed:

JVF: Originality, self Belief, dedication, an open mind, a healthy sense of paranoia.

CB: You’ve got an album coming soon. What’s it called and what are going to be the best things about it?

JVF: Yeah, the album’s dropping this March, It’s called ‘Alternative Income’. We’ve been working on it a while now. T he best things about it?Probably it’s diversity. There are a lot of different beats, rhymes and subjects from new angles. It's a breath of fresh air; it's the arrival of the mothership on the music scene. Hopefully there’s something on there for everyone.

CB: How will you follow the album up? More work, releases, shows…?

JVF: We're already putting together our next project entitled ‘ Founders Of The Feast’ EP. So watch out for that! We’ve also got a couple of collabos up our sleeve, including the soundtrack project entitled ‘Fulci Lives’, an UK/Italian/Russian production, but all in good time. ‘Alternative Income’’s release is the priority at the moment but we’ll keep heads fully up to date at our website : www.jvfradio.com

CB: What do you all do outside of Hip Hop? Can you give us a glimpse into your lives so that people don’t get the wrong impression about UK Hip Hop?!

JVF: We're just 4 buds trying to make an average living; you'll hear more details on the album.

CB: How do you see Hip Hop coping with the regression and the ‘credit crunch’? Will there be any effects – positive or negative?

JVF: Hip Hop breeds off bad times, as unemployment rises so will the listening to real Hip Hop, sales will undoubtedly be pushed to new lows but this should affect the majors far more than Independent labels, good music will prevail... and it'll be cheap.

CB: When and where will the album be available?

JVF: The album drops in March 2009. It will be available at our website, you can pre-order it now, and all good digi download sites – I-Tunes, CD Baby, Napster, etc,etc,etc. It will also be available on your local high street, as long as it’s still there! Big shout to all who have supported us!

CB: Any last words?!

JVF: And to everyone who hasn’t heard us, hear what we're all about at www.jvfradio.com

Incisive

Certified Banger: Yo Incisive, in order for people to get to know can you tell us all the basics: Where you’re from, how long you’ve been making music, what projects you’ve worked on in the past:

Incisive: I’m a rapper from West London. I’ve been making music since around 1992 when I was in a duo called I.n.A - Incisive & Adrenaline but it wasn’t until 1998 that we recorded our first first album and showcased our developing skills in the final of Choice FM’s Rapology ‘98.

Since then, I’ve nurtured and refined my skills by recording another two fully independent albums and securing regular airplay on pirate and mainstream stations such as Choice, kiss and 1Xtra from tracks from the albums. A lot of my material is self produced not because I wanted to get into production particularly but more because I didn’t have producers around that were willing to give away as many beats as I needed. So I learnt how to produce and record my own tunes through engineering for myself and others in a local youth centre and using the internet to teach myself how to play piano and guitar. Only through an informed choice, being aware that I wasn’t fully prepared and wanting to finish university was it that I didn’t push the radio buzz further.

Now that I’ve finished University, upped my game and skills, I feel I’m ready to show the world my music.

CB: I’m sure that you want to tell everyone about what you’re currently working on. You’ve got some singles coming out – tell us about them:

Incisive: My upcoming single is a song called ‘Release’ featuring an artist called Shax. The song is just about getting back home and after a long day and just kicking back, listening to your music just to ‘Release’. It’s produced by a real talented producer called Origimoz. I shot a video for the song directed by Jamie Cox (who shot Bashy’s ‘Black Boys’ video) which should be out in January ‘09 to lead the release of the first mixtape. That single was just featured in 1Xtras homegrown show as single of the week and was on the homegrown podcast as a free download for a week which is a good look.

CB: And they will lead to a mixtape or an album? When will those be coming out?

Incisive: Currently I’m working on two mixtapes, one being my own effort and the other entirely produced by another producer and also my album. My own mixtape will be out in the first quarter of 2009 with the lead single being ‘Release’. The other projects will be out later in the year – no set date but definitely in 2009. ‘Release’ is already available on itunes, amazon and all other good online vendors but is officially released in February.

CB: Who have you worked with on those? Have you had any good endorsements from big names in the game?

Incisive: My own mixtape was almost an entirely solo effort – I felt it was necessary for people to get to know me and what I’m about first before I start hiding behind features. I got some production from TE1 (www.myspace.com/te1productions) and Origimoz who also made ‘Release’ (www.myspace.com/origimozmusic ). A vocalist I work closely with called Shax (www.myspace.com/shaxmusic ) is also on the mixtape quite a bit but that’s more backing vocals because I like to incorporate that music aspect to my songs with backing vocals and extra more musical parts.

The other mixtape I am doing is sort of a Hi-Tek/Talib Kweli project in that it is entirely produced by producer TE1. Again, I got Shax with quite a bit of backing vocals on that, but I also got a tune with Kyza and also one tune with a Canadian artist called Muneshine.

My album is still in the making so we’ll see who we get on that.

I dunno about endorsements but I done a tune a couple years back called ‘London N.E.W.S (North, East, West, South)’ which featured artists repping each end of London all on one track, Sway repped North, J2k East, Baby Blue South and I repped West London – that was produced by longtime friend Nutty P (www.myspace.com/nuttypmusic).

CB: Who, in your opinion is really doing their utmost to promote real Hip Hop in our country?

Incisive: In this country at the moment, I think Bashy’s doing a good job in terms of making it cool to not be on such a badman ting with the whole Black Boys movement and his sound in general. Sway’s recent album was a real good representation of what good UK Hip Hop sounds like and he’s got the overseas Akon link so in terms of promoting real Hip Hop – yeah man, them two. Some might argue and say that Bashy, (and Sway to an extent) are not “real” Hip Hop because they dabble in grime as well but I think they are UK Hip Hop and so they embrace our music as well – it’s still all Hip Hop in my eyes.

CB: What is in your mind as you write a track? What inspires you and pushes you?

Incisive: One liners and punchlines come to me randomly during the day and I might get them down on my blackberry or whatever but when I’m writing a tune, normally I do it on the inspiration of an instrumental – it may not necessarily be the instrumental that I’m going to finally record on but it’s definitely off a beat of some sort. In terms of what I’m going to write about, I just start writing and whatever happens, happens – I don’t sit down and say, I’m going to write a “girl tune” or a “story telling tune” – I just write and things seem to come together in the end.

Hearing other artists tunes – especially UK artist with GOOD tunes or freestyles on radio shows pushes me because that is my direct competition and I guess nothing pushes anyone more than a bit of healthy competition.

CB: How do you fit into the current rap scene and its trends?

Incisive: I think I fit into the current rap scene and its trends by filling that gap there is at the moment in terms of the more conscious tunes from the more average dude as opposed to songs from most artists who claim they are the “most gangster about” or tunes just designed to sell records quickly with some quick gimmick or dance. Don’t get me wrong, I listen to them tunes sometimes with the best of them but at the same time, you don’t ALWAYS want to hear those kind of tunes and at the moment, there isn’t that much options for alternative more conscious music that isn’t too extreme and backpacky – I think I try and strike a balance in between. Tunes like my upcoming single release are about “Just getting back to my yard been on my feet working way too hard...” It’s something that almost EVERYONE can relate to and identify with but at the same time, the beat is on the border line of backpack and more mainstream Hip Hop. I think there’s a space for me in the current rap scene and if there isn’t, I’ll squeeze in somewhere!


CB: What, looking back over 2008 have been the high and low points for Hip Hop from your point of view?

Incisive: The high point for me has been, I think, the Giggs freestyle. Not the tune in itself but its impact. Just seeing the reaction and love shown in the streets and in the clubs from almost...everyone...from a tune from a UK artist – I haven’t seen that before ever and I think it opened doors for more UK Hip Hop artists to be respected more as artists who are able to penetrate the streets and clubs to that extent and level – there’s always been a stigma over UK artists and I think that tune took us somewhere else.

CB: Which tunes have you been vibing off this year?

Incisive: I like listening to quite a lot of R’n’B when I’m at home. Robin Thicke has been on my playlist quite regularly with his older album – ‘Evolution of Robin Thicke’ . Amy Winehouse got quite a lot of airplay from me as well. I like R’n’B because of the musical aspect of all the live instruments and harmonies; I’m a real fan of music. In terms of Hip Hop, obviously Weezy – the whole ‘Carter 3’ album, but in general, in terms of American artists, I prefer the older stuff – old Jay – ‘Blueprint’ etc, Biggie…

I prefer to listen to UK artists so on this side of the pond: Kano’s ‘Hustler’ tune was big for me, Sway’s album was big, Wretch 32 as well – I like that ‘Punctuation’ tune.

CB: What are you looking forward to in 2009?

Incisive: I’m looking forward to hearing new good music from the growing pot of very talented UK artists around and I’m looking forward to finally getting my music out there for the people to listen to – nothing else really.

CB: Any last words?

Incisive: Keep an eye out for Incisive – My Ish is the camp. Support UK Music. Nice 1.

Dialektiks

Certified Banger: Yo Dialektiks, on behalf of everyone – thanks for dropping the free album! What were the best and worst things about making it?

Dialektiks: Because it was our first project, the best thing about making it was the progression made as artists every time we made a new track. We could hear our sound getting better and better as our techniques improved and when we put the tape together we got good reactions from people which really encouraged us to come at this bigger and better for the next project.

The worst thing about making the tape was all the technical stuff. Neither of us are sound engineers and all the levelling and EQ’ing took forever. For the next project we’re getting our friend, Fig Leaves, to do it all!

CB: For those thinking of downloading it – can you describe your sound and the album as a whole? Who would you recommend it to?

Dialektiks:The sound is heavily influenced by Philly soul samples and funk. It’s laid back, melodic hip hop with intelligent lyrics about anything and everything. We’re trying to do something that isn’t so widely available in the UK. As an artist you don’t want to sound like or emulate anyone but if you’ve heard Murs and 9th Wonder then what we do is similar. We don’t take ourselves too seriously and we bring an element of fun to our music.

CB: Yeah I love their album. What are you personal favourite tracks of there? Can you tell us about them and maybe the story behind each one?

Dialektiks: ‘Call Me’ is the track that everyone is drawn to. The vocal on the chorus is catchy, the melody on the verse is bounces along and the three verses from three rappers (it features emcees T.E.R.R.O.R and Gemz) are all top quality.

The idea behind it was to set it up as a competition between the 3 rappers to see who could come up with the best verse. Money was riding on it and there was to be an impartial judge but every single rapper missed the deadline so no one won! Still got three amazing verses out of it though, definitely one for the best of CD 20 years from now!

CB: Why did you decide to make it available for free? What will it lead onto hopefully?

Dialektiks: It was never suppose to be a work that was really heard by anyone. It was just a tape to practice, a learning curve, and a dummy run. When we played it to some friends, people seemed to really like it and we got a good review from someone who had been on our MySpace so we decided to put it up for download.

We’re just happy if people listen to and enjoy our stuff, right now we’re not in it to make money. Hopefully we’ll get enough feedback from people to know how we can improve for the next project ‘D-Day’ - that’s coming out in May 09. We want that one to help us make a mark in the UK Hip Hop scene. The dream is to get signed to an indie label by the end of 2009.

CB: What’s the meaning behind the title?

Dialektiks: We wanted the title to give an insight into our sound and philosophy. We don’t rap about dumb s**t like guns and bitches, hip hop is a chance to get yourself heard and to share thoughts and we wanted to say things that were going to count and that people could relate to. We put thought into our music and that’s why its design is hopefully intelligent. Also the acronym of Intelligent Design, I.D. also stands for ‘I Dialektik’ as in this is us, this is our work, this is who we are.

CB: It reminded me of the ongoing argument of evolution vs. intelligent design/a creator God. What are your opinions on that?

Dialektiks: I’m not religious but I understand that people need to believe in things, need to have faith in something else because the world we live in is far from perfect. I have tried believing in higher things but I’ve found my faith is vested elsewhere, generally in those around me who pick me up when I need them the most. So there’ll be no shout outs to God in the next album acknowledgments from me, but Newspeak has a little more faith than I do!

CB: So, you’re from Edinburgh – what’s that like from a Hip Hop point of view? Is there a good scene? Is it bad being so far from London?

Dialektiks: It’s definitely a good scene out here. It’s quite a close knit community of emcees, DJ’s, and producers where everyone bumps into each other. We’re based in Edinburgh and come from England, but everyone has been really supportive out here. I think everyone knows it’s tough to get good music heard, so there’s no beef.

Two people big in the scene that have really been really helpful are DJ Beef who kind of took us under his wing when we first got up here. He introduced us to the crews and the best places to go. Then a big up to Ralph Peterson, he’s the manager of Medina, the local hang out for all real hip hop heads. He routinely holds open mic nights and we’ve performed there a few times.

It’s not that bad being so far from London. We did our ‘Call Me’ remix with two rappers from London, T.E.R.R.O.R and Gemz just by sending beats over the net. We’re avid believers that if you put in the work and make good music then you’ll be heard. So drop us in Alaska with a mic, an MPC, a Mac, and internet and I guarantee you’ll still hear hot music from us!

CB: So where are you from originally? And why are you now based in Scotland?

Dialektiks: Decksterous is from Sheffield, and moved to London to study at university. Newspeak, was born and raised in South London. We met whilst working for Oxfam and soon discovered we went to the same university. After graduating, we began making music in London but for work reasons, Decksterous soon moved up to Edinburgh. We continued to make music with Decksterous sending Newspeak instrumentals and Newspeak firing back completed tracks but when we decided we wanted to take music seriously, Newspeak quit his job and decided to move up to Scotland and we set about producing our first mixtape - ‘Intelligent Design’.

CB: What are the positives and negatives of Edinburgh just in general? I like the history but dislike the weather and the price of a pint!

Dialektiks:

The positives –
Going out to the centre of town and being able to walk back home! Never taking a night bus again…
The scenery being amazing all year round…
The people are just generally real friendly out here. Always willing to help…Even the traffic wardens!
The Fringe Festival is amazing! Comedy, Film, Music…what more do you need?

The negatives –
This place is so cold we had the heating on in May…It makes me wish global warming would hurry the hell up!

CB: Who else is making moves in the Edinburgh area?

Dialektiks: There are loads of cats making big moves in Edinburgh. Again, gotta big up DJ Beef and Ralph Peterson, DJ Sonny, Jee4ce, S.T.M, Catchclick, Freaky Family, Young Fathers, Underling, Werd and Deeko, Evil Residents…The list goes on…Apologise if we forgot anyone, the weathers playing tricks with the old memory…

CB: In realistic terms, where do you see Scottish Hip Hop going? Is it in a healthier state than Hip Hop in general?

Dialektiks: I think like economies, every form of music has a cyclical boom and a bust. Mainstream hip hop is in a bust right now. Apart from a few artists, it hasn’t recaptured the energy it once had. There’s only so much ringtone rap you can listen to. People will start looking to the underground scenes again, but this time rather than music just emerging from New York and the West Coast, it really is a world wide scene. I reckon as soon as people start making music like they’re never gonna get paid off it then it will start to get interesting again.

I don’t think there are any two rappers or groups in Scotland that sound the same. So it’s very refreshing to see people doing it for the love of the music. It also keeps other areas on their toes. You know what they say, competition is healthy…

CB: Thanks for speaking about these issues – I think you’re the first Scottish artists I’ve had on here so that’s cool! Finish us off with any additional info you’re burning to tell us:

Dialektiks: Our next album, ‘D-Day’ is coming out in early summer. ‘Intelligent Design’ was just a practice lap, this is going to blow people out of the water! We’re just striving to be better artists, so every track we do is going to better than the last.

We’ve also got a crossover EP with the artist Fig Leaves coming soon. It’s going to be a crazy fusion of hip hop, indie, 80’s rock, funk, genius! Check out the Myspace regularly for updates, add us on Facebook…Dialektiks, The group that keeps on giving!

Mudmowth

Certified Banger: Yo Mudmowth, how’s it going, what’ve you been up to?

Mudmowth: What’s happening? Everything’s wicked at the moment man, the record’s been selling real well, just got back from a small tour of Denmark and Austria now, the crowds were amazing over there, they love their Hip Hop man. Besides touring and pushing the music just been real busy recording new stuff with Metabeats we got an EP coming soon called ‘Sledgehammer Kisses’, I’ve been doing stuff with P.L.O who produced ‘Skullcrackology’ which is pushing the boundaries, its gonna be a project for everyone into music full stop we got violinists, guitars everything on there, the stuff we got recorded so far s**ts on anything I’ve ever done so I’m really excited about getting that out! As for my album ‘Breakin Blocks in Legoland’, that’s recorded waiting to be mixed down and features production from Ghost , Evil Ed , Conspicuous , Sam Rockwell (who produced ‘Circus in the Cemetery’ and ‘Broken home’) and others. I can go on all day about how good it is but I’ll just sound like an egomaniac, all I will say is if it had been released this year it would have s**t on everything in UK Hip Hop that came out.

CB: Loads then! How did you get into Hip Hop as a fan and as a rapper?

Mudmowth: I think it was hearing Treach from Naughty by Nature that really made me want to rap, ever since I heard that first album man . I loved that whole fast flow he had, ‘Yoke the Joker’ was my shiiiit! If I told you how I got into this as a fan I’d be lying; I cant remember that man, it’s just in you I guess, I cant really remember a time I wasn’t into Hip Hop. even as a kid in school when everyone was into the Chili Peppers, Green Day, Nirvana and all that I was listening to like Bell Biv Devoe, Cool J, Biggie - basically whatever I could get my hands on. I remember Ralph Rips**t giving me a Thirstin Howl tape that blew me away.

CB: You’re from Wales – it seems like the scene there is getting really strong, tell us about it:

Mudmowth: Am I? haha. Yeah man, the scene here has been strong from day one! I swear you see more talent on an open mic night here then I do anywhere else in Britain , and that aint coming from a guy stuck in a cave I’ve been all around man and I genuinely believe that we got more if not as much talent in one spot as anywhere else. And it aint just skills its originality as well man , There’s only so many times I can listen to someone spit a 16 about how their sicker than syphilis , or how they they’re battle veterans, haha f**k off and make gabba.

CB: Most people might think that Wales + Hip Hop = Goldie Lookin’ Chain. Did they promote the scene or stunt its growth? What would you say to people who only think about GLC when they think about Welsh rap?

Mudmowth: If someone thinks Wales + Hip Hop and comes up with GLC, I don’t even want them to listen to my shit anyway man, lets be honest here they’re a gimmick, I’m into artistic music man not something my niece could writ, unfortunately that’s what sells nowadays so people are always gonna have that perception ‘cause its all they’re seeing in the public eye.

I don’t think they helped promote or stunt the growth of the scene here ‘cause they’re in no way attached to it, that’s not Hip Hop that’s pop music. It’s like asking a Swedish emcee does the fact that Aqua had a number 10 hit with ‘Barbie Girl’ hold him back at all?

We just do what we do and love doing it man. Besides don’t see me as Welsh, see me as a dope human emcee.

CB: What’s been you big break? How have you been getting yourself heard?

Mudmowth: There hadn’t been one single event that kinda changed everything I guess its just more like there came a point where a few things started falling into place, I started getting Radio1 airplay, magazines were getting in touch to do articles, I got a chance to guest appear on a lot of other albums; Ghost, Evil Ed and Cons, the Colony mixtape, a lot of promoters from all around Europe started showing interest - I mean a lot of things jus started looking up. At the end of the day man all I want is as many people as possible to hear my music whether they download it, burn it from a friend - It doesn’t matter. There’s no better feeling to me then when someone comes up to me or gets in touch telling me they’re feeling my stuff. That’s my inspiration right there. I don’t do this to make up numbers.

CB: Tell us about Associated Minds, your label – it seems to be one of the most consistent labels around at the moment. Who are you label mates with? Is there a team spirit?

Mudmowth: Without question man. Look basically when you work on an independent label there’s so much riding on each release we cant afford weak releases, cos the money we make goes into promoting the next one, so putting out garbage would put a big spanner in the works. So you can be guaranteed everything we ever put out will be fire! People are NOT READY for our next release; Willos CD ‘Wot’s Willo On?!’ it’s beyond bananas the shit is grapefruit. He’s the most original emcee in the world without question. As for calling everyone label mates, f**k that that’s too official, we’re all boys. If I do ever marry Lilly Allen they’re all in the front row except for Ralph – he’s down front giving up the ring!

CB: Yeah I’m well looking forward to Willo’s stuff, His guest verses have been crazy in 2008! Your latest piece of work is the ‘Circus in the Cemetery’ 12” on white vinyl. Tell us about that – favourite tracks, any tales behind the tracks etc.

Mudmowth: Yeah, well basically they were tracks recorded for my album but they didn’t really fit so we decided to put them on an EP and get it out there. The first tune ‘Skullcrackology’ was one of them on the spot records, I went to the studio to record some other stuff I had written , walked in and PLO was playing that beat and I started like biting the walls and headbutting the dog and remember saying right stop that shit warm the mic up and let me tear that track a new arsehole, I had just been laid off from work, my girlfriend had finished with me so I had a gang of gremlins in my stomach that needed to come out and I spewed most of them over that beat right there. As for my favourite tune I gotta say ‘Broken Home of Mr Jones’, I was seriously in a dark place when I wrote that, I was drinking everyday, getting in a lot of trouble and I felt like everyone who was close to me was getting further away, the bad thing looking back is I was bringing a lot of it on myself, there were people in much worse situations than me that were happy with life. Either way I really let everything out on that track and just opened myself up and put it down on Sam Rockwell’s amazing beat. You won’t hear a tune like that from me again man I am loving life nowadays and being down just aint me. I heard a saying before “Love your time alive ‘cause you’re a long time dead” everyone wants to pay attention to that right there, we can moan about life when were in our coffin and got nothing else to do.

CB: The artwork for ‘Circus in the Cemetery’ was brilliant – along side the white vinyl it really made the release a complete package – who did the art? Will you continue to work with them?

Mudmowth: Yeah man, a guy from Cardiff called Mr. Shrew did the artwork, he did a ridiculous job on it man, I love it. I definitely want him to do more with us in the future it’d be my pleasure, you should see his new s**t man, he just keeps getting better. He could paint the Cistine chapel with a sledgehammer. Check his stuff out at www.mistershrew.co.uk

CB: Some of your lyrics are pretty abstract! Where do you get your ideas and concepts from?

Mudmowth: I’ve got a Shakespearian midget trapped in my basement, so whenever I get writers block I poke him with a rhubarb, whatever he shouts back goes straight into the verse, its simple man. Just call me Muddy Fritzl.

CB: What is your live show like?

Mudmowth: Imagine The Beatles came back to life, had a scrap with Led Zeppelin, fell in love with Joe Satriani, had kids that looked like Big L and spent Christmas in the forest on acid with Jamiroquai - that’s our live show right there! We do our live shows as a group - mudmowth and the swamp kids, who are Beatbox Fozzy on drums, Ralph Rips**t who needs no introduction, P.L.O on guitar and Kima Otung singing who is honestly just a ridiculous talent - she deserves so much more. Our DJ tends to change most shows just to keep things fresh but shouts to Paul B, Jaffa and Mayor for their work behind the boards.

CB: What will you be doing to celebrate Christmas and New Year this year?

Mudmowth: I can’t stop writing lately man I swear its become like a drug, so with all this time off I’m just gonna keep filling these pads and recording as much as I can. I feel like I’ve only given maybe 50% of what I got in the past and that aint enough. I had a conversation with Ruffstylz the other week and told him there can’t be a worse feeling in the world then being 60 and thinking I could have done this, could have done that - so I aint gonna let that happen. I’ve got an opportunity with Associated Minds to actually do something with my life, to have something to be proud of so from now on it’s all guns blazing. So yeah, except for when I wake up on some curb New Year’s day in a Scooby Doo outfit, I wanna spend Christmas recording and pushing the music as much as I can.

CB: Have a good ‘un then! Just round up for us what you’ll be bringing to the Hip Hop table in 2009 and finish us off:

Mudmowth: First up will be my EP with Metabeats – ‘Sledgehammer Kisses’, then later on in the year – ‘Breakin Blocks in Legoland’ will finally be coming out - my 17 track epic. It’s got everything you could want from a Mudmowth album - black comedy , storytelling, anthems… I even got a tune called ‘John Candy on there. Keep in touch through www.myspace.com/mudmowth and keep checking www.associatedminds.com for updates. Peace and everyone have a good Christmas.

Joker Starr

Certified Banger: Can you tell us your necessary background details so we can build on basics for the rest of the interview? For example: who you are, projects you have worked on, people you have worked with.

Joker Starr: My name is Joker Starr Supercilious, the baddest emcee you might not know too well. I have a colourful CV of people I have worked with so let’s start at the beginning: I will give the main names because I have worked with a lot of people - Soliheen and James Yarde are my producers and mentors, DJ Dynamite of Dynamite Deluxe in Germany, Seanie T on the Dark Horizon mixtapes, DJ Blufoot's ‘Ablution’ album, Keith Lawrence's ‘Coming True’ EP, production credit on Ty's ‘Upwards’ album, collaborations with Fallacy, Genesis Elijah, Terri Walker, Estelle, Sway, Micall Parknsun, Jehst bla bla bla the list can go on and on and on - Google it!

CB: What are your current or upcoming projects? ie albums, singles, tours, guest spots…

JS: Next thing coming up from myself is the ‘Northborough Estate Project’ which is a mixture of freestyles and original music featuring mainly artists and producers from Slough, and a few people that have given me help over the years like Genesis Elijah, Beat Butcha, Micall Parknsun and all the people that taught me my craft. It will be a nice follow up to the last mixtape I released a while back. The aim is to release it on my own label Flukebeat in 2009 ahead of my debut album which will follow later on in the year. I am also involved in a few YNR project being released 2009 as well so it’s looking like a promising year and aint nothing even happened yet.

CB: How would you describe your sound? Is there any one track that would best define your style?

JS: I asked my boy Ice what his opinion was as I was answering these questions and he said "Hmmmmmmmm. It's the s**t, got everything that you need. The truth and all ting”. Micall Parknsun said "I would say it's a combination of ill humour and character which no one else has. Too many man being clones with they lyrical". Keith Lawrence said "Joker Starr came to my attention when he put out his debut single 'Raw Spittage' a couple of years back. I felt his crazy anarchic flow and said to myself I'm gonna work with him". My opinion is my sound is lyrical, my sound is energy, my sound is soulful and my sound is hip hop. The tune that sums that all up is 'Raw Spittage' because there was nothing like it when I came out and has not been replicated since because people can’t do it. The baddest. Period.

CB: Who have been your biggest musical influences and which Hip Hop artists have inspired you? Which are your favourite albums? What music were you brought up on?

JS: Biggest influence have to be my mother, friends, the streets, being poor, being hood rich, learning music, knock backs, little sucesses. In hip hop my influences had to be people in my circle like Scankman, Dark Angel, Dre Milla, G-Man, Soliheen. I aspired to be in the posistions Blak Twang, Mystro and Roots Manuva so in that respect they pushed me to get my game tight indirectly. Seeing how well Sway is doing is making me say i can reach his heights but with my own sound.

My favourite album has to be Ghostface Killah's Supreme Clientele, near perfection.

I listened to loads of music as a kid. It varied from what MTV was showing in the 80's because it was a rock and dance channel and Yo MTV Raps was on 1 time a week so I used to get the video out and record it when it came on so I could see the rap music videos over and over again. Also the parties my parents used to take me to had a lot of soca and african music so my upbringing was quite varied.

CB: What is your earliest memory of anything Hip Hop related? First rap track heard? First time you rapped?

JS: Mums bought me a radio Christmas '89 and Max LX & Davey J changed my life on Kiss Fm, that’s my earliest memory. As for the first tune I heard I was probably listening hip hop before I even knew what it was, I got tapes upon tapes but I am gonna say it was probably a tune by Caveman UK ledge. First time rapping was learning ‘Dre Day’ lyrics with my boy and we used to record ourselves rhyming the tune like it was ours. I still got the tapes at home in a safe place.

CB: Where are you from? Can you tell us a bit more about the Hip Hop scene there?

JS: Slough Town, outside of West London. It’s a shame because its a place full of talent but there is also a lack of drive and determination to be successful. So you have a lot of rappers and producers but they all in their bedrooms. Joker is their hero.

CB: What about the Hip Hop scene in general, UK or worldwide – where do you think it's headed? Are things good/bad? What are your current philosophical thoughts on the current trends in rap music?

JS: Hip Hop is where it is always been. The trend is the same, what people doing is the same, the only difference is that you have a lot more people who can’t produce or rap becoming the sound that is being recognised as the main music makers when they are not musicians. Music is more accessible now and easier to make. The channels to get your music heard are also more vast, inclusion of the internet also means that where quality control was handed to the DJs to take care of and the street, a tune can become hot because it just get nuff hits on Youtube and that. Over saturation of rubbish music is the problem not hip hop itself. Tradition routes of success becoming less relevant is the problem not hip hop, hip hop is fine it’s just the people in it.

CB: What process do you go through when writing a track? Do you start with a beat, a concept, a lyric that you thought of in the shower? What happens next?

JS: The process is to have no process, no limits to what can be attained and how it can be achieved. I do whatever i have to do to complete the song. Which ever method feels appropriate for the circumstance. I aint really a fussy guy when it comes to writing lyrics.

CB: Where do you hope to see yourself in 5 years, 10 years time? Is it an achievable goal?

JS: Running my label, putting other artists on. I may have a family of my own them times so teaching all off them to be the baddest emcee's in the world but obviously they wont be as good as me will they. Still making them bangers and mash records for you and your blogger friends to write about.

CB: What do you say in reply to this recent comment: "UK Hip Hop is wack. It's just corny people on the scene... In my opinion it's just rubbish. People are just lost and confused following fashion and trends".

JS: Whoever said it is right in some ways but I will tell them this. I will eat your up for breakfast, a lot of rappers over here are good lyricists but I suppose lack the X factor that make a good rapper a great emcee. But I would eat most if not everyone for dinner coz I’m HUNGRYYYYYYYYYYYY!!

CB: What do you think about Obama's election and Dizzee's appearance on news night?

JS: Dizzee. For f**ks sake. SHUT UP. They should have asked someone who can talk properly. Media did that on purpose; wanna show black young males as bumbling ignorant idiots. Think your smart don’t ya!

CB: Any last words?

JS: Check out www.suspect-packages.com for my records, my myspace www.myspace.com/jokerstarr. Go download my mixtape for free @ http://www.flukebeat.co.uk/ and check out some of the people on my ‘Northborough Estate Project’:
www.myspace.com/dicec1
www.myspace.com/dansolo303
www.myspace.com/theopn
www.myspace.com/dexterrortry
www.myspace.com/soliheen