MD + SXSW = LC & FG hating

by Mild Davis

For those who know, Austin, TX’s South by Southwest Music Festival (or SxSW to the kool kids) is the biggest single event in music every year. Sure, Bonnaroo is fun and the Pitchfork Fest is a good time, but where else can you get four solid days of music, parties, free beer & bbq and hangovers? This year, we want to hear what the bands have to say about their upcoming trip to Austin. Since not everyone is lucky enough to hop a plane to TX for four days, went sent these 10 Question Fill-In-The-Blanks questionnaire for SxSW-bound bands. We'll post them as they roll in but we'll let Lower Life Form kick it off and show you how it will go:

1. The freshest piece of gear I’m going to rock at SxSW this year will be my ___cock ring___________________.

2. To kill the __wee_________ hours in the van on the way to TX, we’re going to bring ___lube_____________.

3. I will stand in line for hours to see ____Dolly Parton_____________ this year.

4. Texas BBQ and Lonestar Beer makes me _____glad I'm from Texas____________________. (Circle One) Unless/Especially if it’s free!

5. The more free beer I drink, the more likely I am to __grab some titties______________.

6. With all the free stuff from corporate sponsors this year, I really hope to get my hands on ____some titties________________.

7. If I see someone wearing ____press credentials____________ in Austin, I’m going to walk up to them and hit them in the mouth.

8. If I see someone wearing _____puke___________ in Austin, I’m going to walk up to them and hug them.

9. Don’t tell nobody, but I heard a rumor that __Willie Nelson______________________ will be playing a secret show at Stubb’s. Shhhhhh!

10. What happens in Austin, ____is always gayer than what doesn't happen_______________ in Austin.

-Lower Life Form

Catch them March 15th

2:30pm

The 4th St Blend @ The Compound

1300 E. 40th St

8:00 pm

The Light Bar Rooftop

Stage (Showcase)

408 Congress

Check out one of their joints here

Lexicon Will Rap and Rock Your Panties Off

These two brothers from LA have been on the indie hip hop scene for a while with a loyal West Coast following, and now us East Coasters are also diggin' it with their current album, The Rapstars E.P., and anticipating their new album release coming in 2008. They kinda remind of us of 311 and a little bit of the Beastie Boys and their carefree, witty lyrics set them apart from those emcees trying to be all serious. They have their own style for sure and its guaranteed that true hip hop heads and hot chicks will be making it to their shows...oh yeah, and Perez Hilton.

L and F: Lexicon basically means vocabulary or even dictionary. How'd you come up with this name?
Oak: Ever since we started making music (mid-late 90's) we've always been outcasts. First we were the only white guys in our area rapping and freestyling with the best of em, and even when underground hiphop eventually became saturated with white rappers, we still were thought of as weird and different. We'd be talking about girls and drinking when all the other white MC's were talking about more abstract stuff with real dense lyrics and topics. Just not our style at all. And since we fused rock and hiphop, we don't fit into either genre at all. So to make a long story long, our name represents our originality. Each field of work, politics, sports, etc, has it's own lexicon (like you said, vocab or words that are specific to that field). Because we're so different and always have been, we're our own lexicon. And since our job is to work with words, it makes even more sense.

Nick: plus it sounds like the future.

L and F: You guys have fused hip hop and rock really well and we think fans of both genres can appreciate. Who are your musical influences?
Nick: We grew up on groups like A Tribe Called Quest, De La, and Diamond D and all of the other amazing hip hop that was coming out in the early and mid nineties. So that whole era is a huge influence to us, but at same time, our ex-hippy parents were bumping The Police and Talking Heads and the Rolling Stones and stuff like that so by the time we were at a mature enough age to like more than one style of music, there was a jumbled mess of everything in my collection.
Oak: I think our hiphop schooling made it possible to fuse rap and rock in a dope way. Nobody who has ever really tried it before was a hiphop head first and foremost...instead they were rockers trying to rap. It doesn't work. I think and hope that we bring an integrity to our music that you can only find in real, true, from the heart hiphop, regardless of how "rock" it sounds.

L and F: Your raps talk about getting with girls a lot. Do you think this helps or hurts getting ass after a show?
Oak: All of it...girls either a) think its charming, b) think we're chauvinist pigs, or c) think we're too much drama. But it all doesn't matter anyway cause we both seem to always have girlfriends.
Nick: Yeah, i kind of see it as a bat signal to my future wife. It's really the only reason i'm doing it. haha.

L and F: Perez Hilton, the Queen of All Media, gave you props on his site. There's no one better to be on your side right now. Did you see a boost in your fanbase?
Nick: The girls emailing us on myspace became a whole lot more attractive. But yeah it was pretty crazy. The day Perez featured us we got so many hits on myspace that then they featured us.

L and F: You sample the Geto Boys in Big Money which is real hot, do you guys live like big money rock stars? Like, do you still have jobs and drive your mom's Plymouth Voyager or are you balla' status already?
Oak: Glad you're feelin it! Although totally exaggerated, the song is kinda true about the way we live. We're lucky enough to be making money from what we love to do and don't have day jobs, but things get scary about oh, every other day. Can we claim "super-minor balla' status?" "Ballin a few times a month?"
Nick: I just make sure I look good and go to places that have open bars so I can look like a big tipper.

L and F: What can we expect from Lexicon coming up? Any shameless plugs (not butt
related)?
Nick: Album is done! Final touches are being put on it now but it probably won't be out until the first half of 2008 at some point. Vague enough? We also have some crazy big stuff in the works but seriously, as douchy as it sounds, we are contractually bound to not speak of it. I swear.
Oak: it really truly will be worth the wait...we hate that its taken so long to get this album out there. We're gonna be putting up some previews on our myspace soon...keep checkin back!

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 you privates like some celebrities we know?
Oak: We're supposed to wait until we're super big to do that stuff?? All I do is drive around (in my beat up civic) buck naked, drunk, with so many guns stuffed under my seat that i can't even move the chair forward or backwards. Wait, what?
Nick: Hahaha. But yes. Yes. Without a doubt. I already have a reservation in rehab.

Check 'em out at Lexicon Music and their Myspace

Free Yo'self with Yo Majesty

Yo Majesty comes straight out of Tampa with raw lyrics and live shows that might make you blush at first but then make you wish you could keep it that real. Shunda granted us some answers to the questions you all want to know about the finest, proudest ladies from the South. They've got the banginest bangers to make you bounce.

L and F: Yo Majesty has been making its mark everywhere recently, not just in the hip hop circuit but where music is concerned in general. How does it feel to be so well received by fans of all genres?

Yo: Its ah blessin from the Lord to have da love dat we have...it's out of the ordinary kinda love! Dats wassup...

L and F: We haven't had the pleasure of seeing a live show. Can you describe what your shows are like? It looks like there are some boobies involved. Give us the scoop.

Yo: Its not about boobies. Its about da way the music makes the people feel. They say it makes them feel free, its a refreshin...its out of the ordinary; they say dat they've been waitin on dis for a long ass time!!!

L and F: Your lyrics have been well received in part because they are ruthless and uninhibited. Do you girls really live the life your lyrics would suggest?

Yo: People appreciate our realness. If we weren't walkin da walk dat we talk about, dat'll make us some fake ass bitches. Do you think we're fake???

L and F: You have been compared to groups like J.J. Fad and Salt-N-Pepa. Do you find this to be a compliment or do you try to stay away from being pigeonholed?

Yo: People are free to speak there opinions. We stepped into the game legends before the whole world will get to know who we are. But, on the real, you can call me Shunda and her Jwl.B.

L and F: What can we expect more and/or less of from Yo Majesty moving forward?

Yo: You can expect more truth and less bullshit when it comes to Yo Majesty concernin the industry period!!! We came to conquer...


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

Yo: We already super big. Dis supastar shit is over-rated. I told you, more truth and less bullshit!!!

Check them out... the one and only Yo Majesty

"Shock Value Is Always Good Marketing" by Ardamus

So, you heard about the new title of Nas's album, right? Homie called it "N!gga" and then Def Jam told him he had to change it. So he changed it to "Nigger". Like, Def Jam told him to correct the spelling. Ha. One thing with Nas you have to agree on is that he trying to reach people out there more with his music using basic words that attract your eye. No one would give a damn if he called his album anything else. But he's smart and not just doing that to boost sales but to get a conversation going about the state of hip hop and the black community.

But lets take a step back and look at whats happened in hip hop latey for a second. We've got Oprah putting on a conference with Common, Rev. Ben Chavis, Kevin Liles, and Russell Simmons to discuss the state of hip hop due to what happened with Don Imus. Before that, Nas struck with "Hip Hop Is Dead" last year; which prompted every fucking interview I read to ask the artist if hip hop is dead. If you have to ask, then its dead to you is how I feel. And also, there was other things going on. Such as Cam'ron on 60 minutes with Anderson Cooper saying that he'd stay silent and not be a snitch; stating that it is a code of ethics that come into play from his background. And the whole 50 Cent vs. Kanye thing which kind of set them as having roles in the hip hop game being Kanye as the "concious" type and 50 being "gangsta". Which doesn't matter who was who because they each walked away with a shitload of money that most of will never see in our lifetime. And lets not forget the NAACP trying to bury then N-Word which didn't have much of an affect as far as I know. I bet I know someone who went to the N-word and soon as I saw them I heard "nigga please" or "whats my nigga?". Sorry, I was being sarcastic but you know what I mean. At least they tried.

So, what do all those things have in common? Controversy. Its keeping hip hop alive in a way that people do not see. At this point, hip hop is being asked to take responsiblity for certain things that are being put on the public for people to hear.And furthrmore, people keep talking about how they want more of a message in hip hop so, therefore, maybe Nas has a message within this album that the hip hop audience can grasp. Nas naming his album "Nigger" is a double-edged sword. On the good end of the spectrum, that album could raise more awareness of our language in hip hop music; as well as tackle issues that our black communities would like to neglect. The bad comes in where you have the majority of who buy albums, who are surburban caucasians, taking a title like this and running with the word in order to make it seem like its ok to say nigger. Not like it hasn't been happening already but a reinforcement of this amongst a bunch of dumb-ass wanna be 8 Mile assholes could happen. Just having that word in forefront would either make people turn to it or turn away from it. Either way, its gets that attention with the shock value, even if it is done without that sole intention.

And another to consider is that he could be following the footsteps of Dick Gregory's "Nigger: An Autobiography". If thats the case, then my homie K-Beta already beat Mr. Nasir Jones to the punch (http://cdbaby.com/cd/kbeta); which is an album people need to hear. Regardless of what people may think of this move, its a good challenge for hip hop because its probably the most blunt and straight forward genre of music out there. And with messages that artists can encode in their music, there's not telling what people will be able to grasp from what they say in the near future. With an album titled like that, it might be worth a listen since the title has a deeper meaning behind. Never what you'll expect.

Listening to music to corrupt my brain,

Ardamus

www.myspace.com/sumadra

www.reverbantion.com/ardamus

www.myspace.com/ardaplus

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

Plastic Little Doing Big Things

Plastic Little comes from Philly but is at every party from NY to England makin' you wanna go halves on a baby. They'll seduce you with their come hither lyrics and urban bad boy good looks. Just ask them to holler without all the driz...

L and F: I mean, is this like a constant frat party? It sounds like you guys have a lot of fun.
PL: We have fun, but we definitely wouldn't have fun at a frat party. If you say frat party, i think of young WASP motherfuckers in rugby polos and dirty white baseball hats dropping pills into girl's drinks then complaining about the democrats are ruining the country. Yuckies.

L and F: We are huge fans of hip hop so we're sitting there listening and you guys are like really talented poets with nasty ass mouths. Job well done, who are your influences?
PL: Hmm... Lil Wayne, Yellow Man, Ghostface, 3-6 Mafia, Jigga Jay-Z, Andre Nickatina, Abner Jay, dranking, sex, and dranking some 'mo!

L and F: Tell us about your new album, "She's Mature"
PL: She's Mature is a roller coaster ride into the dark depths of sex, partying, and fantasy. It's some real absurd shit if you think about it. When we were making it we never thought of the vast contradictions that would come about from making harry Potter references on the same as gun violence inferenes. We just like what we like and we never try to reconcile the contradictions on the album. Life is full of hella contradiction. Most folks like to look at a picture of Talib Kweli and think to themselves "Oh, he's the good guy rapper." Then they look at a picture of 50Cent or whomever and say "He's one bad nigga." But real life isnt that simple all the time, It'll present you with some crazy scenarios in which you'll have do bad shit to come out on top sometimes.

L and F: You guys are from Philly and most people I know have a serious love/hate relationship with that place. What are your thoughts and where can we find you out and about in Philly?
PL: Philly. Cheap rent, getting a bit pricey though. Lot's of super talented folks here, lot's of shitty folks as well. Not many good jobs here for young creative folks, that industry is in NYC or LA, but the drinking here is good, and I often feel like i'm a part of tribe, like being fom Philly is like being in this tribe and if I go to LA and meet someone from Philly we smell each other's butts like we're dogs then go chase after squirrels together.

L and F: Can you explain what "drizhollering" is and would you call us the next day?
PL: Drizhollering: being so drunk that you try to get a girl/boy's phone number while they're standing right next to their BF or GF. Drizhollering: Waking up in someone else's bed and praying to god that you can escape their bed without waking them up and subsequently escaping their home without alerting their roomates, then you'll stop drizhollering. Drizhollering: Crying in the tub.

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?
PL: Hells yes! Jonthousand actually has 2 penises. Wait until the paparazzi gets a flick of that shit! His second dill is green too! Peaaaaaaace!

Check them out here or here and buy the CD not only because its awesome but its important to support independent hip hop

This Living Legend is Fresh to Death

Whether he's on tour with Atmosphere or chillin' at the Bunny Ranch, Luckyiam is experienced in the game and is ready to reap his rewards. Currently, he's one of the most respected emcees in the underground rap scene and with a new, well-recieved album out, he's truly most likely to succeed.

L and F: You have a super smooth flow that we think most emcee's struggle to accomplish. You have been in the game a while. What's changed?
Lucky: Thank you! (Black man Blushing!)
I think that I have finally reached the point to where I'm truly satisfied with my voice and I have learned how to use my vocals as a instrument that fits nicely in the pocket of the beats I choose. Where others end up fighting the track and often times kill the value of a dope beat.

L and F: We thought about running a brothel at one point and then we see you in URB talkin' about pimpin' possibilities. What's that all about?
Lucky: Haahahhaaa... well my publisist (Trevor Seamon of Score Press) told me that URB wanted to do something with me for they're DIY issue and it didn't have to be based on music...sooooo, I thought of a business I had knowlage about and turned in a list of 10 things you should know about starting/running a brothel! I hang out @ the Bunny Ranch with Dennis Hof when I have free time here & there so I have watched and learned from the best*

L and F: You're on tour a lot. What's it like being away from home and the kids. What keeps you focused?
Lucky: Yes I am gone a lot.. Now more than ever. To tell you the truth I Love being on the road and traveling in general so I rarely get homesick. I love my kids and my family but I'm a road warrior @ heart so too much downtime only makes me anxious & grumpy. I even keep my toiletries in the case at home like I'm @ a hotel or something. I dunno it's in my DNA..and focus? Shit, I'm still working on that but I party waaay less on the road now because I'm out to be the Best in this shit and giving my all after too many all-nighters just won't cut it.

L and F: Your new album is called "Most Likely to Succeed", what is success to you?
Lucky: Success can be defined in many ways. To me I'm already succeesful, I have been to Australia 6x's, Europe 7x's, Japan 9x's and etc. We have a hardcore grassroots fanbase built off of nothing but blood sweat & hustle,countless amounts of fans have expressed that I have changed their lives to some degree and I have a lot of ladies on me and after me!
All of that is success to me. The only thing that I have not experienced is fame & mass amounts of monetary gain.
Soooooooo..Dues paid, I'm ready for my rebate. The fame is optional but I have 3 little girls who I want to worry about nothing except for school.

L and F: When you have a party, how do you throw down?
Lucky: Uh Oh...well it depends on what I have to do the next day! Heehehehe..
I basiclly do whatever I want to do but I don't go too far off the deep end ie. Herione or weird designer drugs.. I do party like a 80's rockstar, but I aint a drug addict or a fiend. Find out for yourself @ Neighborhood Fest!!!

L and F: When you get super big, will you become a media whore, driving all drunk and showing your privates like some celebrities we know?
Lucky: I already do that. But if I ever get to the point where the world is watching, they won't catch me doing it*

Check Lucky out on his Myspace or his homepage and buy the CD!!!!

Sparrow Love Crew Is Too Fly

We just found out about Sparrow Love Crew and we feel like a big fat void has been filled. The filling is 6 uniquely hot dudes with some serious flow and a crazy loyal West Coast following. Just make sure you bring your A-game to the party and some rubbers.

We interviewed 2 of the group and here's what they had to say:

L and F: Your music makes us want to dance, not in a crazy glow stick way but like we're having a block party and we should be havin' somebody's baby. How would you describe your style and what are your influences?
Kid Wizard: That's a pretty genius way to describe it already...For me its like throwing a crazy block party where people are there to have a good time. For a couple of hours be able to forget about work, the world's troubles, if your steezy or not, and get down. Hip hop, if that's how people classify us, is our way of describing that atmosphere. Bring the kids and the Senior citizens. Influences for me would be- Run Dmc, Souls of Mischief, M.I.A, Buena Vista Social Club, Bettye LaVette, The Knife.

DJ Opi Styles: Our style is all about energy and having a good time. When people come out to our shows, whether they're fans or just there by chance, we want to engage with them and do our best to make sure they have a good time. Our influences range from one end of the spectrum to the other. I'll be rockin Dj Qbert or Dj Shadow one day, Ryan Adams the next, and Michael Jackson the day after. Each MC in our crew has a unique style of rhymes because of our wide variety of influences.

L and F: What is the groupie situation like. Any good stories?

Kid Wizard: Not that I know of. You should ask brixx.

DJ Opi Styles: Not that I know of. You should ask Duke Danger about Fresno.

L and F: What do you think of the state of hip hop today, where the south seems to rule and strip-hoppers and dope boys seem to have the upper hand?

Kid Wizard: I think hip hop is at a state were its open for new artist to break out. I'm not saying it's easy. If you produce good music, that is what will truly speak for itself in the end. The south is on top, and it has been for a while now. Just like any genre or music that's hot at the moment, some of its fresh and some of it is whack. I truly think our style is something new for hip hop. We have driving electronic beats, and four different emcees who spit a unique way. Our dj plays like twenty instruments and builds crazy electronic equipment that he uses on stage.

DJ Opi Styles: I am not a fan of a lot of mainstream hip-hop because, for the most part, crews are just out for cash and fame. Don't get me wrong, I want to get paid too and fame could be fun, but you won't catch me claiming that as my reason for being a part of SLC. I also don't ever plan to get a grill.

L and F: When you're not doing shows and recording, what do you boys do all day?
Kid Wizard: Well we're not making much money so we all have day jobs. Besides that we love to hang with our WestMonster family and BBQ. We also hit some massive party waves at the beach. A lot of our friends are in bands as well, so we go out and check their shows.

Opi Styles: When I'm not rockin with SLC, I'm at school, I'm writing and recording my own music, or I'm just chillin with friends.

L and F: We've never been to a show but the pictures look fun, what could we expect if we saw you live?
Kid Wizard: Your money back. Ha, just joking. Playing live is the best feeling in the world. To express our art is priceless. So we love to get the crowd involved. People usually say they leave our shows sweating and wishing they had more comfortable dancing shoes on. Its a serious party.

Opi Styles: Loud, hyped, energetic hip-hop, a funky bunch of boys on stage, Uma Theremin solos, a moving crowd, and usually by the end of the night, a blown speaker or two.

The question we almost always ask:

L and F: When you guys hit it real big, will you become media whores, driving around drunk and showing your privates like some celebrities we know?
Kid Wizard: Why wait till your big, i do that now. I kidd I kidd. No that's not really our steez. Plus my mom would have a heart attack, and i like the fact that my mom is alive.

Opi Styles No, that's illegal.

L and F: Any shameless plugs (not butt related)?
Kid Wizard: Besides the fact that we have a single dropping in less than a month, I wanna shout out: WESTMONSTER!!!!, our beat man Kid Kooala, and Hole-Mole.

Opi Styles: Ahhh yeah, keep an ear out for Delta Spirit, (their first record should be dropping sometime in October) and check out Meta Clothing at http://www.myspace.com/metasaurus for some fresh threads.
http://www.myspace.com/sparrowlovecrew