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I always find it difficult to write about The Living Legends. My greatest difficulty comes with the frustration of having to keep reintroducing a collective who should already be at the front of the hiphop popular conscious to seemingly oblivious readerships. A second difficulty I encounter is The Living Legend's unwavering reliability and uniformly high level of quality control - at least if there were some peaks and dips in their careers that would offer an easy angle but no: they're just too untiringly good for their own good. The third major difficulty confronting myself (and anybody wishing to give these guys some exposure) is the fact that no sooner have they began promotion for one project then three more are released. The output of each of the Living legends almost constitute sub-genres in their own right and it's impossible for one person to keep track of everything this relatively small outfit are doing. That said the release of the new album from The Cool Man Association, (a collaborative project by The Grouch and LUCKYIAM PSC) seemed a suitable event to bookmark and commemorate with an interview.
I concede that Living Legends devotees/anoraks may find the interview a little frustrating but there is a good reason for the broad and superficial scope of questioning. Luckyiam PSC's answers were supposed to be but one third of a collective Living Legends interview conducted via email back in mid November. Unfortunately however, due to the guys' hectic schedules and the hectic frenzy of the festive season, Scarab and the Grouch had still to get back to me a month on and I did not want to leave this interview to stagnate any longer. Hopefully separate interviews with those guys shall take place early in 2005 so watch this space… In the meantime, please enjoy what Luckyiam had to say about his crew, his constant touring and the Living Legends' profile over here in the UK….
Before you introduce yourself, please can I have your thoughts on the news of ODB's sudden, unexpected demise and the media/fans' response to this news?? We were performing at a BIG hip-hop festival called Rock The Bells when they started announcing that ODB had passed over the mic. I was saddened by the news. It definitely changed the mood of the event but the ultimate feeling became one of a celebration of his music and contribution to the culture & scene. A tribe Called Quest began their show with an ODB acapella. OK, now can you please introduce yourself- and your role in CMA and The Living Legends as a whole? Whatupthough, Hello ,hi ! I'm Luckyiam PSC. I'm a guy that says he raps in the CMA. I also help come up with song topics and other ideas (like our album cover*). In Living Legends I'm one of the crew captains. I book shows for Legends & inner crew groups and some solo guys on a small scale & I help set up the domestic & international touring . I'm sorta like a player/coach/owner! Who gave you your name? "Lucky" was given to me by Special K of the Furious 4 in a small town off the coast of England in 1997. He kept calling me Lucky so I was like "ok, lucky I am". and the "PSC" bit? PSC was my first rap name. It stands and has stood for many different things. The one I tell people the most is "pushing self consciousness", but I also like "professional semen contributor"! Have any of you Living Legends folk made like The Wu and each assumed half-a-dozen further aliases? Some of the other guys have a few aliases but generally NO we have not gone the WU route. How much involvement do you like and/or require when it comes to the artwork (and other non-musical aspects) for your releases.
I'm horrible/almost useless about this part of the process. I know I should be more involved with that part of the process but honestly I don't like doing that type of work. I'm good with management & booking the tour and preparing the live show etc. Grouch does the graphic design shit with Cory Shaw. I get an email with a link and say if I like it or not. Or sometimes I see that shit when it's done and I go "Oh that's cool"! The manufacturing process is over my head these days too. It's a whole different ball park. I know exactly how to get a couple thousand cd's pressed up.. BUT the Sony/RED releases require getting large amounts of cd's duplicated so its smarter to go through more than a few outlets to construct your actual CD.ie: a separate printing company, a CD presser etc. They have someone put it all together - Wait, I guess I do understand it!
Okay, I'm a lazy rapper to some extent!
I gather (from lyrics and other interviews) that you Living Legends guys' production work has developed from making 4-track dub tapes through to using Pro Tools and other computer kit. Has technological advance made creativity easier? Cut & paste,…put that chorus here … Make that guy who can't rap on beat, sound on beat!... Does it make things easier? Yeah, I'd say so. I used to hate on technology in terms of being fused with making music. What a dumb ass I was. Are you a fan of the ever-closing worlds of Hiphop and Electronica? I am not. But I am always open for dopeness. How do you feel about relative newcomers like Kansas's Approach and Cali's Oh No earning acclaim and attaining a little success through doing the same sorta slice-of-life rap as LL crew have been doing for years?
What's been the biggest boost to your career to date? The internet & me being a sex symbol! Ever felt like giving up? Why'd you keep going? Sometimes I feel like throwing in the towel… But then I remember those 2 words an older fellow told me back a few years ago.. "Child Support"! Naw, but on the real there are a lot of people that might miss us if we gave up. Plus we have put in too much work & have too much potential to give up. We can take over all of this music shit. F'real. While Mystik Journeymen were/are the core of The Living Legends, it is The Grouch and Def Jukee Murs who have gone on to attain the highest profile/acclaim of the bunch. How do you feel about this? The Grouch & Murs are dope as fuck. They deserve all the accolades/praise/acclaim they receive so I'm proud to be associated with them and happy for the success they have earned. They both saw the Mystik Journeymen shit happen from the beginning and in the same respect I have seen them develop into the people/artists they are today. As for the high profiles & shit, Look at it like this, what if Eligh had done those albums with Def Jux & 9th Wonder? You might be asking me about Eligh instead. It ain't rocket science: there is going to be a few breakout solo artists in any group or crew as talented as ours. We have about 4 guys like that ready to blow. I got NEXT. Related to Murs's recent releases, I've noticed a growing amount of political/social commentary on recent LL Crew releases. Does this mean you guys are formulating a Living Legends manifesto or is everybody free to take their own line?
What's the longest any two members of the Living Legends have chosen not to speak with each other? Why? You ask some good questions dood! Yes, finally! I dunno, I talk to everyone in decent spurts. But Grouch, & Murs the most. Most of the guys don't talk unless a show is involved. Everyone is so spread out (living wise) with girlfriends, life, kids and distaste for certain company the time away makes the reunions that much more fun. The Living Legends always seem to be on tour - is this a necessary evil or do you actually enjoy life on the road? Living Legends as a crew/group only tours once a year usually (2 times a year if we do a Eurotour). We have spot dates spread out all year long though. Murs is always on tour it seems & I tour about as much as he does: at least 3 to 4 times a year. I also like to leave the USA as much as I possibly can. Me, personally I'm addicted to the life. I keep my tooth brush/deodorant etc. in the travel case when I'm at home! I can't stand to be at home for too long. It's sad because I should be there for my children & my girl. I may rot in hell for my choices, but god forgive me.I think I was a roadie for Mozart in my past life or something. It's in me and I'm good at what I do and it's still fun. So what the fuck?! What's been your favourite gig/tour so far?
Who's the most famous person you've spotted in the crowd at one of your shows? One time an E-40 impersonator came to Broke Ass Summer Jam in the bay! We got all excited like some little bitches till we seen him up close! We ripped the fuck outta that show too! I heard Seth Green listens to living legends. If your tour bus could talk, what secret would you most dread it revealing? All the silver surfers in the back room! And the shit that happens in the bunks. Sometimes you wake up in the morning and there is a porn playing on all the tv's !!! Its like WTF?! I know the Living Legends have done releases and collaborations with labels and acts in Japan and mainland Europe but what about the UK? How come you've never collaborated with any British artists? (or maybe you have and I've missed it?)
Nobody likes us in England. I tried to get us some things out there but the booking agents & the publicists don't like us. I had a great time in London with Atmosphere & I played at the Dedbeat festival and ripped. I got love from these people and brought all the contacts home & then sent out the packages and got dissed! hahaha I would be down to work with anyone dope out there. The Streets or Wiley or Dizzee Rascal. Blade and I have the same exact birthday! He's an old friend I have lost touch with. I dunno. The UK once showed so much promise BUT now it seems some people in control of the scene over there don't wanna face the fact that we are going to be a major force to reckon with. I've heard they love MF Doom & BusDriver sells records out there. Murs is a jukee and they have an office out there so he is straight. I guess we better find a Fergie or something like Black Eyed Peas!
How is it that all you guys can be so prolific as solo artists and yet it's always several years between each group release (be that CMA, G&E, Melancholy Gypsies etc)? The (PC) answer is the time constraints and schedules etc - BULLSHIT… Living Legends is a group of independent contractors. People are looking out for themselves. They like those solo check$ and solo props & these solo artists love hearing themselves rap. To me the group shit is the fly shit. I don't wanna hear another one of your solo albums homey! The group/crew shit is always gonna be the strongest. What's more effective? A lone finger or a balled up fist? Duh?! What are the credentials of the Cool man Association? In general, you all tend to guest on each others' product so how does CMA or the other collabo projects differ in composition process and objectives to the guesting on solo projects?
For an example Grouch's Crusader for Justice album I wanted to be on that but we had a CMA coming so I wasn't on that album. I was on one track on G&E's No More greener grasses album. Eligh didn't rap on The CMA album. The CMA made songs before there was a CMA.. The Enchanted off of Nothing Changes. To Die For from Don't Talk to me & others..Then there are newer release with unintentional CMA appearances: Unsatisfied on Justify the Mean$ etc. Shit Almost famous is sorta a G&E/CMA album feat. Living Legends! Hahahaha I'm gonna get heat for
that one! When we make a CMA record we go into it with unique chemistry, focus and extreme quality control.
Given how you always seem to be touring/collaborating and otherwise making moves, do you ever make the time to switch off from hiphop? No not really just in little patches. That's a problem I have. I'm going 2 relax in Australia and clear my soul this New Years.. (between a few shows*) hehehe What or where do you consider "home"? L.A. , CALIFORNIA Which of the following takes up the most space in your respective cribs: bookshelves, vinyl crates, DVD stack or CD racks? DVD STACK What was on your Christmas list? Ipod & laptop. (I'm not gonna get the laptop), sales for the new CMA album "All Over". And Living Legends hoodies & jackets "Great stocking stuffers"! And finally, is there anyone you'd like to biggup on this world wide basis? Any final words of wisdom - or just something you'd like to plug which no previous question has enabled you to do?
What up Dedbeat festival?..bring the Legends out!!! Ebony Escalona* & Peace to all our fans in the UK call Profile agency and tell Andy to wake up and stop sleeping on living legends!, Peace 2 Europe and The World & please forgive us for letting the devil cheat and win another election while we do nothing about the shit… The Living Legends new album Classic is due March 8th 2005 limited edition single blast your radio produced by Madlib available NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you for a great interview! Can you make a template for these fucking imbecile journalists we usually face? Please?!!!
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Sumo Kaplunk
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© CD Goldie for ukhh.com 2005
Luckyiam PSC Interview
I have never heard of those people before. (just kidding!) I think there is enough room for everyone who is dope and has something to offer the listeners.
Playing Audotistic , Coachella , Electric Daisy Carnival & Rock The Bells …big festivals are what I'm made for. I respect the small venue vibe but I'm all about the huge festivals combined with other music genres, thousands of people and staff working there who are professionals and actually care.. (for the day of the festival at least!)
So there you go. It's a lot shorter than planned but hopefully there's something there for everybody. Many thanks to Tommy and Eamon for the interview and "break a leg" to Luckyiam and Murs who, as I write this, are touring Australia as "The Underbosses." . The New CMA album, All Over Is out now on Legendary Music - but if you check the links below you'll see that these guys never rest and in
all likelihood, there'll be half-a-dozen more new LL projects set for release during the first quarter of 2005. All Over starts out in characteristically soulful, autobiographical cathartic Living Legends mode but two significant gear shifts mark this project above the Legend's already commendable norm. The winning formula of casual reminiscences and unceremonious griping set to soothing synth-driven backdrops has been refined to pack more motivational prods and nudges for the listener. Moreover, the collection's centre piece is a double bill of tracks that, much like the Aspects' "Self help song" pick out both positive and negative elements of their addressee's personality. The second major shift in gear occurs when Grouch and PSC distill and decanter all their politically conscious thoughts into two timely tracks. The duo take the heated issues of immigration and the post-9/11 climate of fear and through a mixture of charming characterization and compassionate story-telling, succeed to uncover the human faces behind all the fear-mongering headlines. For the uninitiated, CMA combines The Grouch's supple, yet often clipped drawl with PSC's more relaxed husky tones over The Grouch's luxurious instrumental arrangements - and if that isn't a rich enough blend, Slug, Murs and Del tha Funkee Homosapien (to name but three) also contribute their inimitable talents to this exceptionally uplifting project.
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