 Goldenways: What was the first most influential verse you heard?
MR. LIVE: If I had to narrow it down it had to be the second verse of “NO TRESSPASSING” on CHUBB ROCK’S second album “AND THE WINNER IS…”
Goldenways: Why did it hit you so hard?
MR. LIVE: For me it was the illist combination of flow, lyrics, and delivery I had heard up to that point. This was before I really went head first into the New York underground scene back then.
Goldenways: Tell us a little about how your career in music began...
MR. LIVE: As far as putting out music, it began in 96… I gave BOBBITTO GARCIA a demo and he liked one in particular ”SUPA DUPA” and he released it on his label “FONDLE EM” Records. From there I established a label called “GET THESE” Records along with EARL BLAIZE of ANTI POP CONSORTIUM, TONY BONES and my dude BIG VES.
I put out three more maxi-singles. After this, there was a slew of singles and compilations in Europe and Asia and finally my first album that was released last year in France called “THE BANG THEORY”
Goldenways: You have a somewhat "old school" sound, in the sense that your music makes me nod my head and takes me back. Is there a style that you try to stay true to?
MR. LIVE: Well…I have always tried to stay away from sounding like anyone in particular, at the same time, I try to stay as current as possible as far as lyrical content. In saying that…I make it a point to keep the “BOP” or the “HEAD NOD” in everything I do. Some my call it old school, some may call it a classic sound, I really just try to make good, soulful music.
Goldenways: How would you describe your sound?
MR. LIVE: Back in the day I used to call it “THE SWAYFLOWESSENCE” but to break that down, it’s a combination of environment, swagger, individuality, and musical influence. Add the ability to be diverse in what I speak about and that’s how I would portray my style.
Goldenways: A lot of artists change with the times, do you feel like that is something you do?
MR. LIVE: I believe I do. I think most of my music reflects who I am and what is happening around me NOW. But I am an old dog so you might not here to much of what you call the RADIO FORMATE SOUND. You know…your FLO RIDER, T-PAIN, post NEPTUNE sounds in my stash. OR that kinda mixtape sound where the brother or sister is basically spittin about ONE THING over other cats radio hits.
Goldenways: What do you hope the average listener takes from your music?
MR LIVE:To be honest, I really don’t do music for the average listener. In my opinion, the average listener is mostly influenced by what everybody else is listening to. I believe I make music for people who like a little more substance to there music. And what I believe THEY get out of my music is just a real, hearty, HIP-HOP kinda vibe. A music that I believe invokes a number of emotions, not just one or two.
Goldenways: How much time do you spend revising your rhymes?
MR. LIVE:I would say a good amount. I am more of a writer then a free stylist so as I write, I see what fits in relation to flow and content. If it doesn’t fit, I usually find out while Im writing it.
Goldenways: How do you feel about the state of Hip Hop today?
MR. LIVE: Actually I think it’s in a beautiful state right now. And I think NAS ‘s statement helped a lot.. Please believe that he knows its not dead. What he did do was create a platform for debate, something that we in HIP-HOP never do. A person in this genre can’t give a critique without it being called “HATING “And if you take the fact that THE INDUSTRY is more dead then HIP-HOP will ever be, you will see a lot of acts come forth that are not persuaded to do “THE CURRENT THING” since the money wont be as good, you will see a lot of artistic minded groups and individuals coming out.
Goldenways: What are your goals for yourself and your music?
MR. LIVE: Nothing really big. All I would like to do is make good HIP-HOP music, travel the world with it, drink some exotic liquor, smoke some exotic weed, make love to some exotic women and make enough money to keep me and my son fresh to death.
Goldenways: What are you working on right now?
MR. LIVE: Well…right now I will be putting a mixtape out called “school’s in session” that should be out and circulating around the end of july. Then a second album that’s untitled but should be finished around august. At that same time I will be out in Europe promoting a single that me and POOH from “LITTLE BROTHER” did for my man OFFMIKE out in France.
Goldenways: What does Hip Hop's Deepest Days mean to you?
MR. LIVE: WOW…If I understand the question right…for me it had to be the early nineties to the late nineties underground AND mainstream. In that era, you had so much versatility. But the more time that past the more there was separation between what was called mainstream and underground in New York. But even with the mainstream stuff you had a sense of artistry to the music. The decline in the quality of the music came when the industry became absolutely robotic in what type of acts they would sign.
“HIP-HOP is not dead, Its misrepresented”
Get to know MR. LIVE better @
http://www.myspace.com/mrlive
Much love and thanks goes out to MR. LIVE, I have really enjoyed this interview!
 Goldenways: What artists have influenced you?
iLL-FLaVa: When I was very young I was only allowed to listen to jazz and classical music, so over the years I’ve taken a liking to musicians such as Art Tatum, Keith Jarrett and Herby Hancock. As I got older, I explored different avenues of music, and got really heavy into the sounds of 70’s soft rock, and artists such as Prince, Sting, Ennio Morricone and Fiona Apple.
M.E.R.C.: I would have to say that Bob Marley has influenced me more than any other artist. I feel that his music sent a social message to people worldwide and his sound will always be timeless. There are some Hip-Hop artists like Mos Def, Outkast and The Roots who have influenced me too, but most of it is Bob.
Goldenways: You guys have a very unique sound, how would you describe that sound?
iLL-FLaVa: I would say that our sound is a combination of Hip-Hop, Jazz and Electronic music. We use a bit of our past influences to create a future sound in the present state of Hip-Hop.
M.E.R.C.: Our sound is a mixture of many types of music. The words are Hip-Hop but the music behind the words is always eclectic. I think you have to have a unique sound to get the attention if your audience.
Goldenways: Have you consciously worked to develop that?
iLL-FLaVa: Honestly, I don’t think we have. We would just let the music take us to a place where we could best express ourselves. You know, really think outside the box. Our goal is to make good music and express ourselves to our fullest potential, no matter the sound.
M.E.R.C.: No, It is what it is. We don’t sit down and think about what song we want to make. iLL-FLaVa makes the track and whatever comes out of that is what we get. I don’t ever think that we consciously know how any song will turn out. The feel of the music drives the overall product. That is the difference between the one hit wonders and the legends, the feel.
Goldenways:How did you come together to form Kumi Hues?
iLL-FLaVa: A few years ago, when we were just starting, M.E.R.C. would come over to my apartment and rap what he had written to my beats. I loved it! I just knew there was something special about our work together, so I asked him if we should be a duo. He agreed and we’ve been Kumi Hues ever since.
M.E.R.C.: We met through a friend a couple of years ago. I would go to this cat’s house (iLL-FLaVa) and he would have beats on top of beats. So I started writing to them and we decided that we would work good together.
Goldenways: What do you hope the average listener takes from your music?
iLL-FLaVa: I hope that people will simply enjoy it for what it is. Honest, fun loving and thought provoking. We want to relate to the masses, you know? Be what people anticipate.
M.E.R.C.: I want people to enjoy our music. I want them to hear the beat and the lyrics and then realize that Hip–Hop is something for everyone. Hopefully we can make people think and dance at the same time.
Goldenways: Your sound is somewhat eclectic, how important do you think it is for artists to be more eclectic and experimental with their music?
iLL-FLaVa: I believe balance is the key. Right now in the industry, a lot of music seems to be all one dimensional. The same sound being reproduced all over and over. We need to have all kinds of music emerge. That’s what so cool about it.
M.E.R.C.: Yes our music is eclectic, but I think that it is more important for artists to be themselves. Our music is eclectic because we are eclectic. The industry creates artists. They make people sing or rap what makes them money. How can artists experiment with their music if a label executive is the one who created their sound? We see a much bigger picture and we look at it from every angle.
Goldenways: What plans do you have for Kumi Hues?
iLL-FLaVa: To become one of the most influential music groups in the hip-hop genre, to create a sound that draws people in, and to create the mold rather than conform to it.
M.E.R.C.: We plan to continue to improve. We can never sit still. The DREAM MACHINE will never land. We want people to hear our music years from now and respect it and not just think of it as novelty music. Hip-Hop is alive and we are proof of that.
Goldenways: What does Hip Hop's Deepest Day's mean to you?
iLL-FLaVa: An explosion of good music is on the way very soon…
M.E.R.C.: It means that Kumi Hues is needed. All good music is needed. It means people should not be afraid to be different. Color stands out. Ten colors stand out even brighter, so listen to us.
Get to know Kumi Hues better @:
http://www.myspace.com/kumihues
Much love and thanks goes out to Kumi Hues for giving us a peak inside their unique sound!
 Goldenways: What was the first most influential verse you heard and why did it hit you so hard?
SoulKlap: For me the most influential verse or really even verses that I wrote was for my song, "Blind Faith." That whole song was initially sparked by a poster I saw of a war documentary. At the time, I had never heard a song about a soldier's perspective of war. I mixed in my emotions about the war as well, but most of it was just from hearing stories of vets and current soldiers overseas. I shocked myself with how deep it was upon first listen.
Goldenways: What do you hope the average listener takes from your music?
SoulKlap: I just want to make good music. There's no gimmicks with me. Just good music. I really want to touch people with my music. There's been times I've performed where I didn't get a thunderous applause, because people listen thoroughly to the lyrics and they touch their souls. Which is part of the reason I go by, SoulKlap.
Goldenways: I've heard that you're not too keen on the idea of being signed to a major label, can you tell me more about your feelings on that?
SoulKlap: Well I'ma say this. There was definitely a time where I didn't want to go major, due to the fact that major labels are like factories. They manufacture sound. It sounds like that too. However, now we're in the days where artists like Kanye and Talib got their own labels. I definitely wouldn't mind gettin on labels like that, becuz they don't manufacture sound they make really good music. Eventually I'd like to have my own label.
Goldenways: You fill your music with a very positive vibe, how are you able to stay away from the negativity that permeates so much of what we hear?
SoulKlap: Funny that you ask that becuz I wasn't always like that. I was just like everyone else, but I realized I'm not everyone else. For me, I like listening to positive music, it makes me feel good. I wanna make other people feel good with my music too, so I try to keep things positive.
Goldenways: I have read that when you started rapping you weren't so positive. You have said that you were rhyming about "killin, dealin, and havin bitches squealin", what made you change your style up?
SoulKlap: My mom actually found a book of rhymes I had when I was younger. It was filled with raps about sex, violence, and drug references. She actually liked the rhymes, but she said to me "that's not you." I realized she was right. I grew up in the suburbs. lol. I never have owned a gun, sold drugs or called a woman a bitch. That being said, I started being myself in my music. With songs like "Procrastination," I talk about my life as a college student procrastinating from doing his work. Songs like "Nights and Weekends" I talk about being in a long distance relationship. To me that's real life. It's no different than what rappers like Little Brother would do. Shout out to Phonte and Big Pooh!
Goldenways: You produce and write your own music, do enjoy one more than the other?
SoulKlap: I've come to enjoy producing more than writing. Writing is the first thing I did, then producing. But really, putting a beat together from nothing is amazing to me. Writing to me has become something a lil bit easier than producing. I like the challenge of producing.
Goldenways: What 5 words would you use to describe yourself?
SoulKlap: Soulful, Honest, Young, Gifted and Black
Goldenways: What plans do you have for yourself and your music?
SoulKlap: Eventually I'd like to start a label. I really wanna produce for artists (myspace.com/soulproducer holla at me!) I would definitely like to work with Lupe, Kanye, Cool Kids, Jay and Nas as well. So we'll see.
Goldenways:Favorite Artists?
SoulKlap: Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco, The Cool Kids, Jay-Z, Nas, Common, Talib Kweli, Mos Def, Coldplay, John Mayer, Fiona Apple, Feist, Amy Winehouse, Beatles, Jamie Cullum, and a whole lot others!
Goldenways: What does Hip Hop's Deepest Days mean to you?
SoulKlap: Early 90's, late 80's Black power rap era.
Much Love and thanks to SoulKlap for the opportunity to do this interview and the commitment to quality music!!
Get to know SoulKlap better @:
www.myspace.com/soulklap
www.myspace.com/soulproducer
soulklap.blogspot.com/
 An interview with a truly prolific King!
Goldenways: What was the most influential verse you ever heard? Why did it hit you so hard?
Icon:
It's hard to say. There a lot of verses that have influenced me for different reasons. I guess ultimately my most influential verse would be Method Man's rhymes on "Bring the Pain" because those were the ones that made me start rapping. Everybody knows Method Man is one of the coolest rappers ever I don't think I have to explain that hahaha.
Goldenways: What do you hope the average listener takes from your music?
Icon: That's a good question that I guess I've been knowing the answer to as long as I've made music but for a really long time I was very much caught up in proving I was the best ever to the world that I lost sight of it. with all the things I've been experiencing in my life for the last few years, it's come full circle though. I've been listening to a lot of Joe Budden lately and it's like he's saying things in his music and hitting the mark with what I feel about a lot of things. It's the feeling that there is someone else out there that feels the way I do about these things. So when I make the majority of my music now I make it with the feeling that someone else out there feels the same way I do and they just need it articulated in music so they don't feel as alone in this world as they want us to believe.
Goldenways: How would you summarize the state of "underground" hip hop?
Icon:
In every way it has become a microcosm of all the things wrong in not only music in general but the world. I think that's what happens to everything really, relationships, businesses, everything. It starts out good and then everyone else wants a piece of it so it becomes clique-ish and stale and goes to shit for one reason or another. There are still a lot of people making great music but not getting heard and it is my goal to make a difference in music period. Not just underground shit. Fuck the bullshit I'm trying to get a grammy!
Goldenways: Do you think that "underground" hip hop is strong enough right now to bring hip hop in general to a more lyrically intelligent and quality driven state?
Icon:
In my naivete I believe it's possible. That's what the third renaissance is all about, however I just came off tour and the tours that I headline are always a reality check for me that this will always be a game of inches for me. I believe we could all rally behind one emcee or group and bring them to the next level, I guess I'm just disappointed that it's not me that they will do it for hahaha.
Goldenways: Your rhymes are so put together and complete...do you do much revising and critiquing your work...or is it really just that easy for you?
Icon:
I've always been very careful with my words. I'm a very critical person so everything that comes out of my mouth goes through a gauntlet before I give birth to the thought so of course when I write I do it with a certain amount of scrutiny. It's natural for me to do that, I just take my time and get it right the first go round.
Goldenways: On your album "Mike and The Fatman" the song "Poverty" really touched me personally. Especially the verse:
"Here she is homeless, former smoker and battered wife/ Yeah her appetite for love, and hope is magnified/ She's broke but not broken, life pumps under her skin/ A businessman spits in her hands, "Change comes from within"/ With that saliva in her palms/ And delight in her heart/ She prayed "For your sake I hope you know how right that you are".
What inspired you to write those lines?
Icon:
That whole song is something I'd been wondering about for some time, basically it's like who is truly poor? The one who follows their heart and gains experience and ultimately ends up with no material possessions to show for it? Or is the person who conforms to societal beliefs, falls in line, and never really follows their dreams but has all types of material possessions and accolades is that person rich? So here in these lines I'm explaining that this woman she has been through it but she still follows her heart and she knows how to live, she's not upset that this "rich" man has spit on her she turns the other cheek and offers him a life lesson, but the question is...are we listening?
Goldenways: What advice to you have for those trying to sift through the oversaturated hip hop market in search of quality?
Icon:
Keep searching until you find what you are looking for because it's definitely out there. Also give music the time to sink in. We're so caught up in the microwave music world that we live that we don't give our modern day classics the time that we gave the old ones to sink in. Once you find a brand you can trust, continue to support them so they don't shy away from their greatness.
Goldenways: What advice do you have for the up and coming artist?
Icon:
Never stop dreaming. Refine your hustle. Never sacrifice your artistic integrity, for any reason. Not for money, not for love, nothing. All that shit is fake.
Goldenways: What artists do you respect not only for their work ethic but also, lyricism, quality, content and consistency?
Icon:
Dos-Noun, Qwel, Pharoahe Monch, Ghostface, and everyone else on my team.
Goldenways: What does Hip Hop's Deepest Days mean to you?
Icon:
Everyday of my life for the last nineteen months.
Get to know Icon The Mic King even better @:
http://www.myspace.com/iconthemicking
Iconthemicking.com
iconthemicking.mypodcast.com/
http://www.youtube.com/iconthemicking
Much love to iCon The Mic King
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