Visionaries Are The Ones We've Been Waiting For

LMNO, 2Mex, Lord Zen, Dannu, KeyKool, & DJ Rhettmatic make up the Visionaries which just so happen to be blowing up on the West Coast and a city near you with their new CD Release "We are the Ones". They may not talk about sexing you up or the rims on their ride but they will make your rump shake.

L and F: In a hip hop world of dope boys and materialism, how do you guys stay so positive? How important is that?

KeyKool: My family taught me values of love and trying to be positive and appreciative through the good and bad times. That's life, and we all have our highs and our lows, but music always helped me feel better, so that's the reason why I choose to be a part of a group that feels good to be a part of, in making the music, performing, and just hanging out with.
LMNO: In our Hip Hop world we get along with the D. Boys, the B-Boys & B-Girls... I know what drives people to hustle to get money so I dont judge. As far as keeping it positive, we are Blessed to capture a positive sound on these records but please believe we all fall off the positive train now & then, the music, ALL music, helps us with the soundtrack to a better life to live.

L and F: Your group is made up of multiple ethnicities. Did it kinda happen that way or was there some sort of Spice Girl making the band thing that took place?

KeyKool: Visionaries came together naturally, we all somehow saw the good heartedness of each other, and got along well. I met LMNO through the music industry in 1989, and that was an attempt by a management company to put together a "multi-ethnic" group, so they had a vision to put together a group, ironically, years later, the Visionaries came about naturally as friends with a love for music and the hip-hop culture.
Dannu: That's Cali for you....

L and F: We've come across a lot of hip hop groups with like 6 and 7 members lately doing well. How hard is it to make money with so many?

KeyKool: In the music industry, it's hard to make money period, so splitting it with 6 members is even tougher. But we know that we are the strongest together, and that even when we weren't making money at all, the feeling is the same, this music and movement we are part, and all of our experiences in this as members of Visionaries is priceless.
LMNO: Instead of slicing up a whole pie, we slice up a slice of the pie...
I wish someone would question my LOVE for this movement, we see little to nothing as far as money goes but I remain Greatful for ALL that we receive...


L and F: Your newest cd, We Are The Ones (We've Been Waiting For), has been very well received and is the 4th album. What does that title mean and how would you describe the album?

Key Kool: The title means that it's up to us to determine our reality. Not only as we the Visionaries, but we as a people, anyone out there. There's no one but yourself that will determine the outcome of your lives....so what are you waiting for????
LMNO: The title was brought to our attention by Mike the Poet.
He read a poem titled "The Time Is Now" spoken by a Hopi Elder & when he came across the quote "We Are The Ones We've Been Waiting For" he called me up & said "MAN DO I HAVE A TREAT FOR YOU CATS!!!"
As far as what it means to me, everything you think you are waiting for can be found within

L and F: Your music is huge on the indie hip hop scene. Do you ever see yourselves going "mainstream" or signing to a major label?

Dannu: I'd love to be able to have millions of people supporting our music...why not? are we doing this for several thousand ears...or as many ears that would listen and enjoy......whatever it takes by our standards....
KeyKool: We have been releasing our music on our own for 12 years now through Up Above Records. Should we ever get accepted on a mainstream level, hopefully it's because a larger number of people have an overstanding of what our music is about. Regardless of mainstream or indie, we just hope our music is meaningful, and we will never compromise what we believe is music that we enjoy to make.

The Question We Always Ask...

L and F: When you guys get super big, will you become media whores, driving around all drunk and showing your privates like some celebrities we know?

KeyKool: Well, I believe some of us have already done those things in the past...lol No, really though, I know that we are down to earth people, and that regardless of our success and so-called stardom, we will be true to who we are; on the other hand, with a group of 6 dudes like us, you never know what might happen next, but at least it keeps it fun and interesting....
LMNO: My days of driving drunk & showing off my privates are long gone. IM grown up now so when we get super big I pray to remain humble & deserving of all the success we get.
Dannu: you'll know soon enough...........


As always, support Visionaries and independent hip hop and buy the CD...preview music here