|
 All Natural Interview
interview 0018 added 30.07.00 words2-Hip
They have many ties to the UK scene, helped mainly by Ben Dubuisson who owned the Purple Penguin shop in Bristol, and got them signed to Cup Of Teas hiphop offshoot Uppercut Records, Capital D returning the favour by appearing on Ben's '100 Strong' album, released on Hombre earlier this year. 2-Hip caught up with Capital D to ask about plans for both All Natural and solo projects.
Right then, give us a low down on what you and the rest of the family tree
have been up to recently and in the past?
That's a pretty big question. Musically we've completed the second album
entitled "Second Nature" and are getting the distribution and marketing
angles done right now. It should come out late this year or early next year.
The first single from that album "Stellar" is out now. The Family Tree
added a new member named Iomos who is dropping a single in Fall called "The
M.I.C." b/w "Deep Rooted" It's definite classic...and not cause I'm biased.
On the personal tip, I'm getting out of rhyming after this next All Natural
album. Moving on to try and start a publishing company. On the U.S. release
of the first album there was a book that came with the record...I'm gonna
concentrate on publishing more books. Tone B. Nimble is gonna concentrate on
keeping the music going by putting out other Family Tree artists thru All
Natural Inc., and we'll probably still do an occassional All Natural single
here & there.
How does you own solo work differ from your work in All Natural and the
Leftfielders, what different aims do you have in each?
My solo joint will be a lot more political and abstract than the All Natural
album. Some mellow stuff, some really rough stuff...bascially just real edgy
material that's pushing the boundaries. The All Natural is always dead
centre hip-hop straight from the core. The Leftfielders is probably not gonna
happen any more.
You are working on a novel at the moment called 'The Writers Block' based on
characters from the track of the same name. When you made the track was
it the intention that you would write a novel on it? Give us
a low-down on the book in general?
It wasn't in the sole intention no, but i did want to try and develop
characters with depth instead of just write a song for the hell of it. as
you said, the novel focuses on characters from the song, expanding on each
character and how his/her life intersects with the other characters.
basically i see myself as a writer long-term so i'm trying to push myself in
that direction.
When I listen to your lyrics I think you are one of the most intelligent
MC's I've heard for a long time, do you feel that writing lyrics is a lot
like writing a novel and where does all the inspiration for these lyrics and
books come from?
Thanks, i appreciate that. The inspiration comes from living, analyzing
situations, reading, school and of course foremost God. I love to try and
create and challenge myself to think hard on subjects. Writing rhymes can
become real easy so I want to push myself further and write better rhymes,
while still maintaining a straight hip-hop edge.
Your weekly night 'The Circle', what are you trying to achieve with that?
That night is defunct now but it was a collaboration with some really tight
young jazz musicians here in Chicago. I guess if i wasn't moving in other
directions we probably would have tried to start a band or something. They
are gonna be featured on my solo album though. We were really just trying to
create a little set for poets & mcs to get together and debut their pieces.
A lot of the poetry scene in Chicago is real flashy now from the success of
"love jones" but this was a real subdued, underground spot...i enjoyed it.
How do you juggle the work of All Natural inc. and other things, I mean how
much work does running the company involve?
The company involves a total commitment. That's why i'm passing alot of
responsibilities to Tone so that i can concentrate on a publishing co. You
can't do both at the same time. We always said we wanted a music and
publishing co. but we didn't bank on the work it would take. It's hard
enough & frustrating enough to be an indie artist, then to be an indie artist
who's running a co. takes a life commitment. It's difficult to balance other
aspects of your life with that kind of time & effort. Starting any company
takes your whole day, way beyond the typical 9am-5pm job. It's worth it
though. I'm going back to school to get a business degree so that i can do
the publishing co. the right way.
In the UK we are often given the impression that Chi-Town has one of the
closest net hiphop communities in the world. Is this true, I mean do you and
Grav, Lil'ray, NO ID and others all hang out?
I really haven't been on the scene that much lately. I hang a lot lower than
most people and try to focus on creating new material and the business end of
things. But Chicago's scene is very tight. There are alot of talented
people in chicago that are all cool with one another. People like you
mentioned and DJ Precyse, the Molemen, the Family Tree, J.U.I.C.E., Mass
Hysteria, and Primeridian. I think that represents some of the dopest in the
chicago scene.
What do you feel about the recent success of Common (sense)?
I think it's good for him. He seems to be growing as a person. I personally
liked some of his older stuff, i think his best album was his second album.
But he's progressing as a person & has his own plan for himself. He's always
remained positive & genuine, so i don't knock him for that.
You appeared on the UK label Hombres 100 Strong album, how did these contributions
come about?
actually Ben from Purple Penguin who put the 100 Strong project together is
probably one of the main reasons we're doing this interview. he runs a
record store &, along with his mate Scott, hooked us up with a UK record
company for our first album. We didn't even know him but he had the record
in his store, liked it and helped put us on. Then we collabed with him on
the 100 Strong project. We also did something with him on another project
that should come out later this year.
I know you have been to the UK a fair few times, what do you feel our hiphop
culture is like, and do you have any UK acts that you listen to?
All Natural & the Aspects
|
I'm a big fan of Lewis Parker & Roots Manuva. Those were two of the dopest
albums of the past few years. Both were real different sounding but pure
hip-hop. The djs in the UK & Edinburgh are sick. I love the uk scene &
spent about 3 months over there last year. I think that the uk has a much
less-glamourized hip-hop scene & that appeals to me. There's too much glitz
in US hip-pop.
We have a big problem in the UK with our acts copying American accents,
which needs to stop but what do you think the UK scene can learn from the US
one,
I like Parker & Manuva specifically because they don't have US accents. That
to me is fresh. Same goes for task force. By rhyming in your own dialect,
even regional english dialects, you add flavor to hip-hop. Essentially
people who want to add to hip-hop will keep their uniqueness & add it to the
culture. People who only want to take from hip-hop will copy what's out
there & try to profit from it.
Is there another All Natural album in the pipeline or is everyone doing solo
stuff? Tell us a little about these?
The All Natural album is the priority. It's always been about me & Tone as a
unit. We have our own personal interests & we're both growing as individuals
but the unit is always the thing. The second is done, has been done since
the beginning of the year. It's a banger, way better than the first. On
this one we collaborated more. The first one was alot of my direction, this
one is more the both of us & it's better that way.
Where do stand on the House of Blues controversy and other anti-rap
related issues going down in Chicago?
We did a show at the House of Blues opening for Mos Def right as that
controversy was starting. We've performed there a number of times. I
support what people are doing but they have to remember, the house of blues
is a big arena. If you don't have an album out you can't expect to be
performing there point-blank. Nobody will put you on in a place that big
based on your single sales. You gotta put yourself on by dropping
full-length albums that catch their attention.
If that track off the album where you run down "hiphop history 101" was to
be taught at university/college, what events and albums from the last 10
years of hiphop history (apart from your own) would you deem worthy of
inclusion within the covers of the course's set textbook?
The re-explosion of the indie scene worldwide is one of the biggest
phenonmenons in recent hip-hop. That has fueled life back into hip-hop. The
touring of artists like the Roots made alot of that possible & the presence
of Rawkus. They may not be 'indie' in the sense of how I use the word, but
they help create a scene where i can be successful as an indie artist. Also
the aging of hip-hop groups such as Brand Nubian, Tribe Called Quest & Pete
Rock & CL Smooth needs examination. The way they've tried to repackage
themselves to an audience that was not essentially on some hip-hop. Then I
think you have to look at the Puff syndrome & how that has affected hip-hop.
Also the staying power of De La Soul, to me they are the only group from
the 80s still doing it the way they used to do it while growing at the same
time.
Your album came with a free book 'Fresh air' which set out a lot of strong
views and insights into the state of hiphop. I know this was your work, so
how did this come about and was it a deliberate decision not to put all the
information within this booklet onto the CD in multi-media format?
I've always wanted to be a writer. That's what got me into hip-hop, the
lyricism...specifically cats like Krs & Rakim. fundamentally i think that
hip-hop has to be used as tool to educate, otherwise it doesn't even deserve
to exist. the multimedia cd-rom idea was just too big to do at that time. I
wanted to do it, but ultimately i didn't have enough knowledge on how to do
it. We're talking about 1996...i was still trying to graduate from school, do
an album, write a book & fund the whole thing. But i'm taking some classes
now on how to make better use of the web & cd technology so we'll see what
the future holds on that tip.
Your album goes to great lengths to isolate and highlight all that is wrong
with emcees and rap music so what I want to know is, can you tell me about
something/s good to come out of the culture.....?
People that i meet when we do shows remind me of all the good that is in the
culture. Remembering what it was like to listen to "follow the leader" for
the 1st time. Being pushed to educate my self by artists like X-Clan, Brand
Nubian & KRS & a person like Iomos, just who he is as a person has alot to
do with hip-hop. Plus the long-term friendship i have with Tony is due in
part to hip-hop. The culture is rich & powerful but, being powerful, it
can be used for harm as well. I really just want the people who are affected
by the culture to be the primary people who affect the culture. That's what
the book & album were all about. When that doesn't happen you lack
reciprocity.
Any last words, messages for all the UK fans and heads?
Keep supporting true hip-hop & make sure you support your own. (special
shouts to mr. bongo & to the bristol & liverpool heads.) big-ups to the
promoters who put us on to perform & the record buyers who made it possible
for us to come over there. I love the uk, hell my girlfriend lives in the
uk. without the uk hip-hop culture we would never have met. I appreciate the
uk scene in alot of ways...believe me! Peace.
Check All Natural's website : allnaturalhiphop.com
All photos from allnaturalhiphop.com, photographer unknown.
 
|
