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  Teef Interview
interview 0397 added
29.04.06 words: AGP
technical:
QED
Like all good thief’s, London emcee Teef has
been sneaking around under the radar
quietly putting in work and doing his thing for some time. But all that
is set to change with his new mixtape 'Honour Amongst Teef Volume 2',
the impressive follow up to last years Volume 1, just released onto the
streets and making noise. With this latest release, Teef is stepping up
his game and aiming for notoriety...
Teef, firstly, to
get it out the way… on the CD you drop several hints (especially the
title and the thief's theme that is '5 Finger Discount'), which make you
out to be a bit of a sticky fingered artful dodger! What's with the
name?
 Ha
Ha! First question as always! My birth name is Lateef so you can see
where I got the Teef from, and as a yout’ nobody could be bothered to
say the whole lot (Lateef) so people kept getting confused and not
knowing what my name is and shit so my boy Notes always used to call me
Teef and since then it stuck. This is from years back, it ain't a name I
just thought to call myself as a rapper or nuttin’ a lot people don’t
even know my name is Lateef, everyone just knows me as Teef.
That clears that up!
Your new mixtape 'Honour Amongst Teef Vol. 2' has just hit the streets;
it features a well-rounded mixture of raw spitting and conceptual songs
with definite lyrical themes, all delivered over a variety of production
styles. From classics to current beats and brand new, tailored
production which really makes it stand out from the majority of mix CD’s
today which seem to just have kids chatting bullshit over big US
instrumentals and thrown together synth rhythms. What's the thinking and
strategy behind this original approach? How did you set about the
construction of this CD creatively? Are these conceptual verses going to
be a big part of the Teef arsenal?
In terms of what’s the thinking behind making a track and that, to put
it in simple terms; I just do me. But a concept for a track could come
to me without me hearing a beat and a concept for a tune could come once
I’ve heard a beat that triggered off an emotion or suttin’. It ain't too
deep to me ‘cause its all natural. I guess I just have my own way of
doing things that differs from a lot of others. I just make tracks I
think are gonna sound nice. I don’t think on constructing my mix CD’s in
the sense of “I need a jiggy tune, then I need a female vocal tune, and
then I need a blah, blah, blah...” I ain’t ticking boxes here. I don’t
know though? If you think the way I base a track around a concept is my
main strength then it’s up to you! The loves appreciated from all
angles.
It’s certainly
something that grabs your attention and makes you listen to what you
have to say and that’s what a lot of demos and mixtapes lack these days.
“...I had
to create a style that was unique enough to stand out from the crowd but
in a subtle way...”
Moving onto the distinctive voice. Your varied flow and delivery is
pretty unique and you display impressive versatility. It’s a breath of
fresh air. How did you develop this style and who are your hip-hop
influences and heroes at home and worldwide?
Thanks
for the compliment! Err… I almost get stuck when asked who are my
influences! Maybe I get my style from being more interested in rappers
that were more unique or rappers that had a certain way to them that no
one else particularly had, and I guess I thought I don’t want to sound
like the next guy sounds and I had to create a style that was unique
enough to stand out from the crowd but in a subtle way. Boy… I don’t
know I just do me. I have a lot of influences outside music though and
just life in general is influential… the shit I experience and what not.
As far as figureheads go… maybe a few heroes… but I’m more into
anti-heroes and villains!
A large part of
constructing a successful mixtape is in the picking of production as a
foundation with which to showcase your skills. You opt for a mixture of
new production, classic funk breaks, sometimes rhymed over in their
entirety, Tony Starks style, and instrumentals from producers such as J-Dilla
& Madlib which might not be that well known to some. Which producers are
you checking for? Who would you like to work with? What sound can we
expect from you in the future?
 Right now for beats I’m checking DJ Dough (indelible), Jig Dilly and
I’ll always be knocking on Kain’s door once in a while for beats. But in
saying that I still listen to a lot of beats CD’s and I’m open to hear
what people are coming with. There are a few producers I have in mind to
check but that’s not to be said right now!
With tracks like
'Paint Downing Street Black', 'Big Brother' and 'Fuduck The Boythem' you
have the state and the police in your sights. There seems to be a lot of
anti-establishment sentiments in your work and a certain revolutionary
spirit. Where does this come from? Is there a bit of the revolutionary
about you? Do you feel a lot of youth's are being inspired by uprisings
like the Paris riots, to say 'enough is enough'? What needs to happen in
this country for the obvious frustrations of the 'hip hop' generation to
be quelled?
I’m just on the tip of I don’t really like to see “bad mind” shit happen
like unnecessary killing and shit. On paint Downing Street black I was
just like “man this is how I feel about the government right about now
and here it is.” I ain't about to try and school people and give facts
and figures and speeches and shit, I just give you how I feel. I’ve been
on protest marches and that, masked up and shit, but I aint saying I’m
your most political brother out here ‘cause I aint. I just have my
opinions and views like everyone else. If you agree then all bless to
you, support the cause. As far as yout’s over here being inspired by the
uprisings like the Paris riots, I don’t think so. I don’t even think
half the yout’s on road watch the news or read the newspaper. They’re on
some ‘on there own money tip’ out here. It would be good to see more
yout’s get involved in knowing their rights and fighting for it and shit
but until heads get focused I don’t see it happening.
“...As
far as real hip-hop fans are concerned I don’t know… everyone thinks
their shit is real now...”
One of the mixtape’s
standout cuts is the chilling 'My Friend Kaybelrex’, which (quite
literally) shows a different side to Teef that might have been
unexpected. It tells a paranoid schizophrenic tale about you having an
unwelcome voice in your head influencing you. Please tell me that isn’t
real!! Where did this concept and the detail you breathe into it come
from? Is there a darker side to your personality that you haven't fully
exposed yet?
Ha
Ha! Yeah this tune is one of my favourites as well. To be honest that
was where my brain was at about 5 years ago… trust man. As actual fact
that concept is old I just kept it. My rap name was Kaybelrex for a
little piece way back and I was a little on some dark, chilling, horror
movie shit and I did actually give myself a personal Kaybelrex tattoo on
my left hand. I could go on… but as I said that’s where my mind was at 5
years ago. That shit was so real I could of told you the in and outs of
it, that’s why I could give you every last detail. But there’s more to
come from Kaybelrex trust me…
On 'I Got Balls' and
'Can't Make Me' you come across as a headstrong individual who won't
compromise for no one. What's more important to you, critical success,
respect from peers and real hip-hop fans or commercial success? Or all
three?
 I just love music. And when I see people abusing it or mistreating it or
not appreciating and understanding what good music is I guess I just get
pissed and refuse to give in to accepting it. I think that’s why I get
the fuel to want to give you the proper hotness that’s not compromised.
I want to sell a lot of records and have people appreciating my music;
respect is important whoever the fuck you are. As far as real hip-hop
fans are concerned I don’t know… everyone thinks their shit is real now.
That term has lost it’s meaning… but I still do see what you mean in my
own way. Anyways, I just want fans that appreciate music to be honest.
But even if you don’t like me and you end up buying my shit, more power
to you. And as for commercial success… Ha ha…as long as no one knows
what I look like…
I see! Moving
on…Members of your crew, Merkers Cartel, appear on your mixtapes, who is
a part of that and what should be on the look out for from them? Is
there a group project on its way?
The Merkers is Teef, Notes and Mandrake. Notes is at work with his 1st
mix CD, look out for that, and Mandrake has got his EP “Slum Life” out
now and yeah there will be a second mix CD from us as soon as we get
together properly ‘cause we all got different life shit happening right
now, but they’re my boys, not just rap partners. We were boys as
individual rappers before we decided to do a proper group ting… its
natural sometimes… who ever you chill with you make music with.
You're down with the
Kung-Fu collective; you're even hosting a room at their 6th birthday
bash at Fabric in April with a heavy bill including NY's Boot Camp Clik
and an assortment of UK heavyweights including Jehst and Asaviour. How
did the hook up with Kung-Fu come about and what's your part in it? Also
tell us a bit about the radio show you host on Itch FM.
How I hooked up with KUNG FU was a bit mad! Not in a crazy way but it
happened so naturally without anyone knowing what the situation
potentially held. But shouts to them man they’ve been good to me! Ha ha
its funny, but to cut the long story short I was working for them for a
while handing out flyer packs outside events and that and I was always
on the grind doing my music, dropping them (the owners) my CD’s and that
and they were feeling what I was doing.
“...I
guess I just have my own way of doing things that differs from a lot of
others...”
Sarah love and Ti2bs couldn’t do
the show on Itch FM any more so they asked me to step in and takeover
with DJ Klose One… so we did. It seemed to be that heads were feeling
the show and how it was going so they started getting me more involved
and that, then they put me on board and put me up on hosting shit.
Mystro is still the man though, don’t get it twisted! Yeah, the radio
show is the KUNG FU SHOW on Itch FM 105.1, every Friday, 8-10pm. You got
me on the mic hosting and DJ Klose One spinning the vinyl you get me.
There’s always freebies to give away and that so if your brass, tune in!
Shouts to KUNG FU! Don’t forget Kung Fu 6th birthday bash, April 27th…Teef
will be hosting the second room at Fabric with DJ Gone, DJ Klose One and
DJ Penfold.
What's up next for
Teef? I gather the two mixtapes already released are part of a trilogy?
You emceeing abilities seem to be constantly evolving and improving with
each track so what can we look forward to next?
 You’ll
just be hearing more music from Teef with mix CD’s with DJ Gone and EP’s
with DJ Dough and that, but I guess you got it… Volume 3 will top it off
to end the trilogy. But the ‘Honour Amongst Teef’ series is just
showcasing me; how I’m doing things and what my thoughts are. Look out
for Kaybelrex also…
Have you started
work on a debut album yet?
Boy the album ain't even talked about! Don’t even really utter it… Ha ha!
Man, I don’t even talk about a proper album release right now. I know
what its gonna be like, but not right now. Just look out for a CD or
anything with Teef or Kaybelrex’s name on it…
Any shout out's,
plugs or other business?
Big up Mr. Dontekz, Kung Fu, Fidgit and everyone that supports me man,
my peoples and all the above I already mentioned. Honour Amongst Teef
Volume 2 Out Now At
Www.Suspect-Packages.Com, Deal Real, Beat Hut, Hq Records, Wired For
Sound And Other Good Record Shops… Also Every Friday; ‘The Kung Fu Show’
With Teef And Dj Klose One, Itch Fm 105.1, 8-10pm And
Www.Teefonline.Com.
- AGP
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