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I started breaking first, before anything. You know, with friends. I'm from a Jamaican family and I grew up listening to dub and dancehall. And when I first heard "The Message", I saw the similarities with the dub mentality. And I liked it. I started rapping around 85/96, mucking about in music lessons and I thought about taking it seriously when I left school in 1989. How old am I? Umm, too old. So I got a record contract with an Islington Music Workshop through DJ Hype and Shut Up and Dance. I put stuff together and they never ended up putting it out. They kept saying it needed to sound like De La Soul, who had just come out at the time. I was fucked about really. I realised quite quickly that either you put yourself out or you sign a contract and wait about really. So it got pushed back and became a hobby and I got an education. I went to Chelsea School of Art and did a Fine Art degree. I did stuff while I was there. I was in a punk band, at the time I was checking Steve Albini's production and bands like the Butthole Surfers. Yeah, this garage punk resurgence is just the big end of the industry wringing out what is fashionable. And the sad thing is, they only scratch the surface and we only get the shit end and kids think that's all punk is when there's so much more out there. Same with
Hip Hop, which is, all the stuff you hear, sounding tired. © ukhh.com - 2003
interview 0144 added
27.05.03 words: Shook-Yaa technical:
QED
Infinite Livez is a funny man. As Mr Lingo and I entertain him over the course of a few pints at the Vibe Bar
in "fashion central" Brick Lane, he keeps us in stitches as he describes his immense history and hopeful-looking future. You may only be hearing of him now but the dude has been around for ages, honing his technique, biding his time and waiting till we are our most vulnerable before unleashing the complete dirty horse-fucker of a song that is his "Pononee Girl."
A story-based track taking in an excessive night at the pub followed by the smooth and sleazy seduction of a My Little Pony Doll, the tune is representative of Infinite Livez' hilarious and bizarre outlook on life. It was his standout track "No More Bananas" on the overrated "Extra Yard" Big Dada compilation that made me first take notice, before taking in his peculiar opening set during February's Majesticons tour. Between his megaphone and DJ A La Fu's intricate scratching, I was sold. A cockney twang and a playful flow matched by syncopated beats by Gamma's production squad amongst various others, the future looks set to be Infinite.
1) Firstly, explain who Infinite Livez is, where he came from, where he's going and why people should take heed?
Who am I? How can I describe it? Infinite Livez is just another way of being myself. I came at
Hip Hop with that outlook in mind. I got my inspiration from keeping my individuality in check. I'm quite tongue-in-cheek with hidden serious stuff that you gotta look for. I don't censor myself. That's the worst. It doesn't just reflect my mood. It's about finding out what I'm trying to get at. I do the one-liners, everything's got a gag but that is me on there. In terms of "Pononee Girl"'s subject matter, I don't really think about how people are gonna take it. With "Pononee Girl" I wanted to do something comic, about comics. And it just came to me, I had to make it funny cos I was worried people would get the wrong idea.
Where I came from? How long have you got? I'm from Shoreditch. I grew up here. I started getting into
Hip Hop years ago. I got with the Shadowless crew through Gamma. I used to go down to this place called Ghetto Grammar, it was like a
Hip Hop workshop. It wasn't a school environment; it was like a chance to meet with people without ego getting in the way. Y'know, bounce ideas off each other, show each other your ideas. There, I met Gamma and New Flesh and did stuff with them for a year. That's how I got to where I am now.
Where am I going? God knows! I wanna make music. I want to make an album that's groundbreaking. One that either you love or you hate. I don't care that much about hardcore
Hip Hop ethics. The scene's changed so much. You gotta have your own ideas. I think my album ("Bushmeat", out later this year on Big Dada) demonstrates that.
And why? It's something to laugh at, have a joke to. I don't know, maybe people shouldn't listen really. Well, why does anyone do music? They want to share it and get something back in return. It's important to be yourself. UK
Hip Hop is so stagnant. People need to be themselves to participate.
2) Which would you rather: the young pink rump of Candyfloss or the more rotund and mature behind of Bubbles?
(Laughing) Bubbles' behind sounds like the one! As long as her tail doesn't get in the way!
3) Where did the idea for Pononee Girl come from?
It came from lots of different ideas really. I had never written a story-rhyme and wanted to do a story. I had lots of ideas and wanted initially to do something bizarre using both animal and human characters. A bit of manga as well. I want to reference all these ideas. I just find the idea funny and it works, as long as you don't take it literally. It's representative of the album, Bushmeat. I produced one track on the album called "White Wee." The rest were produced by M3, Gamma, Blackitude, Part 2 and Buffer.
4) What was the Majesticons tour like?
It was lots of fun. Too much fun really. It was hard coming home. Mike Ladd is amazing. He's like an MC even when he's not MC'ing. He's a very charismatic and intelligent man. I learnt a lot from him and from the tour. I remember once, we were all in the van between venues and he did some freestyle poetry, completely on the spot. About being on drugs and realising what's wrong and sorting your life out from scratch. It was amazing. That guy's a genius.
5) What got you into Hip Hop? When did you start rapping?
6) Who were your biggest influences and who are you checking at the moment?
At the moment, I'm checking lots of stuff like Kid Acne; GLC, Pittman (I think he's hilarious); Fallacy I'm feeling; Dizee Rascal (he's ill, his flow is just… ill); Def Jux (although I think they've become too repetitive and style conscious, a bit pure
Hip Hop fascist, same as with Anticon).
And my influences? God so many… Butthole Surfers; Yellowman; Admiral Bailey; Milky and Audio 2; Ian Dury; Captain Beefheart; Prince; Doremon; Roland Rat; Pokemon; Kool Keith; Cheech Wizard and me mum! My favourite 12" of all time is "This Cut's Got
Flava".
7) How do you view the tag UK Hip Hop? Do you think it should be nationalised or be thought of globally?
That label, UK Hip Hop? That is the death of UK Hip Hop. It's always changing, the scene is always changing. Drum and
Bass took Hip Hop changed the rules and gave it a new name. Changed it entirely as a scene.
Hip Hop in the UK is not even a scene as it used to be. Black people are not as interested in
Hip Hop as they used to be. It doesn't hold the same currency for them. There's a new community and it's not clear yet what's needed for it. This is what needs to be defined. As a black person making
Hip Hop, that was why I did it. People are out there saying it's a crisis because all these white people are involved. That's not true, it just changes the way the scene is viewed. That tag is purist again and is what makes it stagnant. We need to get away from branding. Big Dada tried to define the scene with the bouncement album ("Extra Yard"). They got a lot of stick for it. It's up to the community as to whether they want to keep repeating the Demon Boys or move forward and take it to a place where the US talk about UK
Hip Hop the way they talk about garage. UK Hip Hop is becoming formulated. People are afraid to push the boat out. It needs to move forward and not be stuck in the corner.
8) How did your unique vocal style develop?
It goes back to my need to be myself as much as I can. You need to find your personal voice. I like singing and so my voice is like my attempt to sing, which is why it ends up so peculiar sounding. You need to use your own voice, the voice you use everyday. If people did that, they would sound so different. I find a lot of MCs take a particular style and it becomes what others refer to. I know I'm splitting hairs, but before everyone used to want to sound American but now I'm being hit over the head with the London accent. You need to do something different, take it further and not copy what's successful. My voice is very playful. I grew in Bethnal Green, surrounded by cockney banter. So yeah, that became my style. But I guess, what it comes down to is that I sound like my mum.
9) What is your message to twin demons Bush and Blair?
Spit; don't swallow. Our lives are out of our hands. I had to stop watching TV. Cos I know it's not real information I'm watching. Our emotions are being taken care of by people who don't have our best interests at heart. Either you get angry or feel safer but at the end of the day, here's the adverts…
And he's off into the night.
Before I go, can I do some shout-outs?
Yeah, course you can, go ahead.
Infinite Livez shout-outs: Jayden, Blufoot, Shadowless, Big Dada kru, New Flesh ….. me ol' mum!!!
With Infinite Livez' album ready to drop later this year and his regular appearances at Big Dada's monthly residency at Plastic People, GOSH, we anxiously await for him to lead by example. He has the potential to lead UK
Hip Hop to the point where it becomes Hip Hop. Nationalistic tags and regional tags only seek to give music a sense of boot camp mentality. Maybe the name of this website needs to be changed who knows? But UK
Hip Hop, US Hip Hop, Japanese Hip Hop… music is colourless as are its performers and its buyers. Music is the power to move. Not nationally not regionally but globally. The best
Hip Hop in the world is being made in Senegal at the moment but the place it comes from is irrelevant. It's the richness of language, worldliness and of experience. Of each person adding their abilities, experiences and art to the world. Infinite Livez can be the one to release UK
Hip Hop from its prison and unleash it upon the world as a statement of intent and funky grooves and lyrics about bananas, healthy urine samples and seducing My Little Pony dolls.
Infinite Livez is a funny man.
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