It wasn't too long ago that we did a pretty interesting Q & A with NYC's Lady of the Night "TastyKeish". So when she hipped us to the project "Synchromystic" by Herma Puma, it only made sense to ask her if she could holla at those kats for an interview. The following is TastyKeish's interview with Simple X on behalf of Herma Puma (Pimpernel was not available at this time)
1. "Synchromystic" is clearly filed under the Hip-hop genre, but it seems to carry so much more weight then that. What do you attribute that to?
First and foremost we are fans of good music. Our dusty crates contain records from the rarest funk 45's to the most experimental fusion lp's. We felt that while Synchromystic will get tossed in the "Hip Hop or R&B" genre depending on the outlet, we wanted to represent our love for good music at the same time.
2. What's the story of Simple X and Pimpernel Jones? During the making of this project, were there any compromises/concessions made by either of you to get it done?
Its quite ironic how we got connected. Way back when we were both downloading some mp3's to sample from each other on a file sharing program. Basically we both were like "dude is downloading my shit," then messaged each other. Turned out we liked each others work so decided to turn it into a project.
During the making of the record, there were so many tracks in the vault that it was hard to decide which to roll with for the LP, but at the end of the day we were both happy with the tracks that made the final cut.
3. When you envision a person's first listen to "Synchromystic"....What type of person is that? Where are they listening to it?
A listener of Synchromystic is hard to categorize, because it can be anyone. The majority will probably be hip hop junkies and those who dig listening to instrumental music aka Dope beats. It is hard to pinpoint what the initial point of contact is, but it is probably on their computer or phone (either via a internet radio show or some blog) , then they toss on the ipod or burn a CD to bump in the whip, etc.
Some people may get thier first exposure to Herma Puma on the online game by the makers of Grand Theft Auto called APB. We are featured on there, and you can hear it while driving a (stolen?) car.
4. Largely an instrumental album, there are a few rappers on the album; Who are they and how did you select them?
The MC's on the record are evenly split between UK artists and US artists. Pimpernel rounded up the UK Mc's while I got a few folks I know from around the Chicago Hip Hop scene. We stuck to our respective area of residency because we wanted to give people from around the way a chance to shine. You will see other projects produced by us showcasing some of these artists individually in the not so distant future. You can find all these artists on Myspace or Facebook.
US Artists (Chicago)
Sensei of Soul: Sensei is my long time friend from diaper age, knowing that I was gonna put out a record I had to get my brother from another mother on board.
MC Scud One: Scud One is one of the very raw lyrical spitters from Chicago, he had an dope idea for that tables turn track so we had to lace it.
The Gent$: The Gent$ are comprised of three very talented vocalists in their own right. Ill Legit (Must Be Illy), Wes Restless (Jordan Years), and Pugs Atoms (Grant Parks, DJ Vadim). They picked a track and killed it.
UK Artists
Rider Shafique: Rider was just coming off the release of his album Black Canvas which is more of a modern Reggae vibe, and was looking for more stuff to get into. He blessed us with Space to Breathe.
Elemental: Elemental is part of a group called The Menagerie, and is a lighthearted MC. We didn't quite have a vocalist like him on the record and felt it was good to add something a little different.
ASM: ASM is a well know hip hop crew in Europe, they are also label mates on First Word Records http://www.firstwordrecords.com we had the chance to work with them and capitalized on it.
5. My favorite track is "Disposable Rappers". I think we all know some artists that are just taking up space. What are your experiences with "Disposable Rappers"?
HAHA there are plenty of things just taking up space. Hip Hop has always had a love for battling and crushing wack mc's what better way than making a public service announcement about it!? Speaking from personal preference, I have heard a lot of them either on the TV, the radio, or on the street. Why not do the hip hop community a favor and take out the Trash??
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