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 Jonzi D Interview
interview 0018 added 26.07.00 words 2-Hip
Who is Jonzi-D? If you don't know that then his website sums it up better than we ever could:
Jonzi D has been actively involved in British Hip Hop culture, rapping and
b-boying in clubs and on street since it's inception in the early
eighties. After graduating from The London Contemporary Dance School
in '92, he performed in Tel Aviv, and at Jacob's Pillow in Massachusets,
US. As an MC and poet, Jonzi's collaborators include 'The Roots',
MC Mell'o', DJ Pogo, The Young Disciples, Courtney Pine and Lenny
Henry. He featured on the "One Hell of a Storm" poetry album and "The
Rebirth of the Cool" compilation CD. TV credits include The South
Bank Show¹s "Looking for the Perfect Beat", and "Different Voices",
part of the 'Ba Ba Zee', Channel 4.
Jonzi has performed his work all over Europe, Southern Africa and
America, along with educational programs in youth centres, prisons
and schools including Howard University DC, and LCDS. He has been
commisioned to create work with Phoenix Dance, Soweto Dance Theatre,
as well as the "40 Degrees" fashion show at Earls Court
(taken from www.jonzi-d.com)
So tell people who don't know, exactly what Jonzi D has been up to
This year in particular, I've been working on nuff theatre projects. Earlier this year I wrote and performed Looney Toons, a piece about the effect of TV in a one parent family, I was the telly! Performed an old piece called 'Safe' in a hip hop theatre night at Sadlers Wells, 'God Complex' at The Royal Opera House. (met Prince Andrew there, felt bad cos I diss his mum so much!) Wrote and directed for Theatre Royal Stratford East youth company, a piece called 'Ask da Mayor'. I choreographed A piece with Intoto contemporary dance company, devised a piece in South Africa with Zapac arts, called Africa 2000........ Boy! Nuff tings when I think about it!
How easy has it been to get to the stage you are at today?
Pretty hard. But I welcome hard work. When things start getting easy I feel like somethings wrong. It's the admin bullshit that kills me. As a company director I have to make a lot of decisions to do with strategy, finance and delegation. The art often takes a back seat. I resent that shit, but you gotta take care of business.
So What blend of hiphop do you bring and whats it all about?
I'm very influenced by the club and music scene that I grew up in, the eighties was a phenomenal time in London. I used to go mad for James Brown during that mid-eighties funk revival. Doing the 'goodfoot' and wearing flares as a joke, way before Snoop made it trendy. The lineage of hip hop's roots from the breakbeat was clear to me, Also, hip hop was much more dance orientated then. Be it bboy or boogie, heads and headettes was always busting new moves every week. I suppose I bring my experience of fun, creativity and edutainment. Incorporating jazz, reggae, and soul is natural cos I grew up around it. Incorporating theatre is natural cos I grew up in that too! Fuck it! Hip Hop is the sum total of all of the freshest shit out there! I try to be extra-fresh......
For what reasons did you set up the Apricot Jam and the others?
Gaps. Not so muchas gaps in the market, but gaps within the creativity of my community. Before the Apricot, open mic events were like war zones where gladi-orators fought against other mic wielding opponents, or even the baying mob of blood thirsty battle fans waiting to scream "kill, kill!!" I knew my shit was nice, but I was paro to step up in case of premature booing. I knew a lot of emcees felt the same way.
How about an environment that promotes intelligence, respect and appreciation for other peoples work. It sounded utopian at the time, but I knew heads wanted to chill out and vibe instead of being on the hardcore defensive all the time. Also, I was working with live instrumentation a lot with Steve Williamson and Quite Sane, my emceeing felt freer with jazz musicians that understood hip hop. Not dissing the one and twos mind you, Shortee Blitz is an integral part of the Apricot experience, as turntablist.
I always knew it would be popular. The Rhythmic in Islington was the SPOT! It was proper plush in there, heads came thru with their trainers still, but only their freshest, newest shit! We had the most females in any hip hop jam at the time. And they paid to get in. No girls free shit. They came cos it was worth it. Heads respected the type of sistren that reached Apricots. Man would have to step correctly.
Rodney P, Mad Ridla, Narco T, MC Mell 'o',Ty, Cash Crew, Julie Dexter, Alison Evelyn, Mikey Supa, Blak Twang, Bury Cru, etc etc have featured at Apricots. After a while we were getting all types of accolades. Tightest band, best venue, crispest girls, hardest working man in London hip hop 1996 (me, declared by Big Ted when he was at choice FM).
I just wanted to hear London's darkest emcees and poets doing their thing, in a professional environment, with nuff positive vibes. Kinda like the spirit of the eighties with the creativity of the future.
What plans do you have for them in the future?
Couldn't tell ya. All I know is that WE WILL BE BACK, for all those that dare deny StillBrock Productions potential. It's alot of work tho.... I can't be the promoter/host all the time. The artist in me was suffocating. That's why I've been loving this theatre shit of late.......
When you toured, were you suprised that heads in other country's were
feeling the British blend of hiphop?
No. As I've toured i've realised that where true heads are concerned, "It ain't where you're from, It's where you're at", to coin a phrase. (Maybe R shoulda coined it harder). Basically, if you are good at what you do, you will be felt (easy), regardless. I performed Lyrikal Fearta in Philli, DC, Prague etc and got standing ovations! More than in London. All over the world, hip hop heads ask me whats up with UK hip hop. People in Europe still talk about Hijack and Blade like it was yesterday! Globally, heads ain't forgotten what the UK has to offer, they just ain't heard it. And that's another story......
What keeps you working hard at what your doing for the scene?
Love for the artform, dun.
How does your London background with West Indian parentage, help you in your
lyrics?
Boy.....sometimes I wonder if I've got any Grenadian in my voice at all! Especially compared to some of these white emcees who sound more yardie than me! My accent is shaped by my environment, all the travelling I've done over the last 6 years in particular, has resulted in various twangs that surface now and again. Bit of east coast yankee, bit of South African township slang, bit of middle class English, all on a foundation of Afri-Cockney. I can't help it. I'm a sponge.
Whats the 'Aeroplane Man' all about?
Here is a press release. We're doing dates all over England next year. Check the site for updates. www.jonzi-d.com
Aeroplane man
'Born and bred in England,
but I gotta go,gotta go.....'
The true story of a black man's journey from East London, on a global quest to find his spiritual homeland.
'Is my mother's land not the Mother land?'
Jonzi D, alongside an eclectic ensemble of emcees, dancers and musicians, present the full length version of his critically acclaimed solo, Aeroplane Man, as featured in 'Lyrikal Fearta'
'Yeah man, yeah man',
With a unique fusion of rhyme, lyrically motivated movement, classical and modern black dance forms, plus live breakbeats, the universal theme of displacement is delivered with insightful honesty, and exhilarating energy.
'Call up Mister aeroplane man,'
Tragedy turns into hilarity and back again, as we take flight on Still Brock Airways tour of the urban African diaspora.
Please fasten your seatbelts,we'll be experiencing some edutainment 30,000 feet above see-level!
Poetry, what link to hiphop does it have for you?
Nuff links! Rhyme, meter, delivery, similie, metaphor etc ......I could go on. Play any emcees rhyme accapella and you've got performance poetry. The forms of rap and poetry are pretty much the same, it's the culture in which the forms exist that differs. Within the poetry scene in London alone you have various cliques ranging from old, old school Shakespeare, Keats cordaroy wearing type bods, to the ex-graduate, beer swilling, Apples and Snakes crowd. Then you get the Urban Griot, young black and afro-concious scene, which will always have some straight up hip hop heads in the house hoping they don't offend the headwrap entourage. Believe me, I been there!
Do you have plans to release any material, maybe a Jonzi D album?
Dunno bout the Jonzi D album yet! ButI'm blatantly looking to do a soundtrack for Aeroplane Man. It's gonna be a concept EP for the promotion of the show. Not straight hip hop........whatever that is........but a journey of musical styles throughout a poetic narrative. Some boho shit! Hold tight hip hop crew, I'm coming for ya!
Do you think that bands like the 57th Dynasty are a good thing for British
hiphop, or do you think coming up with our own blend it more important?
What do you mean? Like they ain't "british" enough? Fuck where you from...............anyone doing good music in Britain is good for British hip hop.
When do you see the big break for UK acts?
When internet technology becomes faster. When we organise our own jams more. When we pay for UK artists product instead of looking freeness all the time. When we stop criticizing our fellow artists for 'trying a ting' and being creative. When DJ's on daytime radio decide to play our shit. When we celebrate good music instead of bitching about it's validity. And when we burn down babylon.
 
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