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 Abdominal
Interview
interview 0233 added
11.09.04 words: Nikesh technical:
QED
Abdominal is an MC’s MC, a nice technically superior flow
that can adjust to various speeds, tempos, rhythms, instruments and moods. He
has a versatile cannon of one-liners and story-raps. He likes rapping fast and
his work with DJ Format has certainly built up a reputation for him as one of
those rappers your favourite current rappers really respects. As for sound, he
sticks to those retro beefy boom-bap type beats and summery vibes. And it works
well for him.
I caught up with the Canuck before a recent Jazz Café appearance to chew the
breeze on his new album with DJ Fase, “Flowtation Device,” his work with Format
and MC Pitman…
How are you and who is your favourite superhero?
I'm great & my favourite superhero is Spiderman. I know it's not the most
original choice, but I'm being honest. I like Spidey because he's not your
typical invincible, square-jawed hero, like a Superman. He's more of an
underdog, everyman type of guy. He doesn't take himself so seriously & you get
the feeling he'd be cooler to hang out with than say a Thor or a Mr. Fantastic.
Tell us about "Flowtation Device", what attracted you to DJ Fase's production
and what you feel the final product says about you?
With the way I work, I almost place a higher priority on personal relationships
than I do on abilities. So, first & foremost, I started working with Fase
because he & I were really good friends. Luckily for me, he's also a very
skilled DJ/producer. I think his strong points are his abilities to convey moods
in his beats & his sequencing (he listens very carefully to his emcees' lyrics &
will respond accordingly with change-ups & drop-outs, rather than just letting
the same loop run for the duration of a song).
"...I
like rapping fast & not too many producers are making fast beats anymore. Format
likes making fast beats & not too many rappers are rapping fast anymore..."
Honestly, Flowtation Device is where we were at when we made
those songs (1999-2001) & although I still like them, I'd be lying if I said I
thought our/my new stuff wasn't better (check the 3 new cuts on the re-release;
"A Good Day", "Slow and Deliberate" & "Sewmehnee (Time's Fly)"). I like
Flowtation because it showcases our different styles & emotions, rather than
being a whole record of just battle tracks, for example.
What is it about DJ Format that you feel gets the best out of you?
I like rapping fast & not too many producers are making fast beats anymore.
Format likes making fast beats & not too many rappers are rapping fast anymore.
Do the math.
As DJ Format is from the UK, have you heard any UK hiphop?
Not too much...I'm digging what I've heard from the Aspects and I like the few
songs I've heard from Ty. I bought the Pitman record, which I know people write
off as a joke, but I still listen to it.
"...There's
so many emcees (& actually just music in general) out there, you need to find a
way to stand out..."
You recently played some UK shows and a festival or two, what are your
thoughts on UK summer bunnies?
By summer bunnies, I assume you mean girls. I've been living with the same girl
for 5 years, so I tour with blinders on.
What makes you a good rapper?
Technically, I know people say I have good breath control, I can rap fast etc.
But to me, the most important thing is originality. There's so many emcees (&
actually just music in general) out there, you need to find a way to stand out.
You can have the best voice, flow etc., but if you have nothing interesting to
say, I'm not buying your shit.
What makes a good rapper?
See above.
How did you develop your style?
Through becoming comfortable with expressing my own personality on stage & on
wax. People always say 'just be yourself', but you can only do that by finding
out who you are & gaining the confidence to express that. There's no real
shortcuts & for me it took (is taking) a lot of work...shows, writing, recording
etc.
"...I
bought the Pitman record, which I know people write off as a joke, but I still
listen to it..."
What is next for you in terms of projects?
I have a bunch of tunes on Format's new album (which should be out early next
year). There's a few solo tracks & also a few back-&-forth tracks with another
Toronto emcee, D-Sisive. After Format's record comes out & we tour it, my plan
is to do an Abdominal solo album, with Format & Fase supplying the majority of
the beats alongside a few other producers.
Who would you like to work with?
I'd like to rock a Cut Chemist beat & vocally speaking, I'd love to do a
back-&-forth with Kane!
Any final big ups/shoutouts?
Just to all the aspiring emcees out there...keep it up, work hard & put out some
dope music (like I'm trying to). There's so much shit hip-hop these days, we
need more beacons of hope out there. Peace, Abs.
Respect,
-
Nikesh Shukla
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