Revolutionaries first and foremost hip hop band Dead Prez stormed into the music scene with track Hip Hop, a poignant, passionate piece produced with their own underground blend of poetical politics.
Despite little airplay – because which station will broadcast the lyrics, “who shot Biggy Small if we don’t get ‘em than they’re gonna get us all” – it secured them the recognition they so deserve and provided an international platform for their work.
And work they do. A book called The Vegan Soul Food Guide to the Galaxy, a DVD titled Pimp My Tofu, a website called Nattral and a magazine called Ammo… they take their art back to a time when you could be an artist and turn your hand to any craft.
FUSED caught up with one half of the band, Stic.man, a solo artist in his own right with debut album Manhood already doing well. Waxing about Barak Obama and rappin about rap’s bad rap.
And whadda you know, the man himself was so impressed with FUSED he trusted us enough to reveal a SURPRISE new album in February!! Be sure not to broadcast this information – the revolution will not be televised.
How did you feel when Obama won the election?
Excited at the historic moment and proud of the energy the people exhibited. That the masses of the people united on around electing Barak but sceptical of what the change would equate to in the real world.
In UK politics the distinction between left and right grows increasingly blurry. Is so much true in the US, that there’s not much distinction between democratic, independent or republican?
It’s all US imperialism and just different factions want to sit in the driver seat of power. Neither of the three is calling for revolutionary change. It’ll still be a white power system even with a black face as president unless reparations are distributed, the indigenous land and rights restored and justice is served for our political prisoners serving time. Because the latter resisted oppression. And A redistribution of wealth that eliminates capitalism and sucks the blood from the masses of people worldwide.
Who is in the Dead Prez PEOPLE’S ARMY, who are you willing to recruit and who are you hoping to conquer?
The People are the power. Dead Prez are members of our community promoting justice and power for our people. We don’t want to conquer anyone! We want to overthrow the yokes of oppression which is the system of white power and capitalist imperialist oppression wherever or whatever soil you find it on.
Your upcoming album Information Age – is the title something to do with the “Enlightened” western world which functions on the basis of knowledge being power?
Information age is about an era or period in your life where you come into an enlightened understanding of your own empowerment. There are many levels and meanings to it. To be “in formation” means to be organized and have a role to play. To be informed is to be aware of what’s going on inside you and around you and to have the understanding to impact yourself and environment in a positive progressive and productive manner. The information Age was also prophesized “if you can dig it” thousands of years ago by the Mayans to reach a point of universal alignment in the year 2012, which will be after the first 4 years of Barak in office.
So it’s as deep as the universe itself yet as real and relevant as the corner in your hood. And the new Dead Prez sound on the Information Age album will reflect both this galactic-new age energy as well as the raw reality of the hoods we call home. So we look at the so called “end of the world” as really a new beginning.
In the past there’s been a lot of integrity in your lyrics in that they’re very honest. Too much for the radio I hear! Do you think the new album will get much radio play and if not, why?
Until we control the radio stations truth will always struggle for airtime. But those directly tuned in to the RBG [Revoltionary But gangster] frequency will be able to tune in regardless. Check our online sites www.bossupbu.com and www.deadprez.com I do think our sound will help us reach farther than we ever have though and who knows, you didnt think you would see a black president of the US but it happened so change is in the air, right? We’ll see. Whatever the people organize to make happen, is what’s gonna happen. That’s for sure cause the power is in the people not the stations.
Who is your greatest inspiration (dead or alive) and why?
People who dared to care about truth and justice and health and empowerment. People like Malcolm X, Bruce Lee, Curtis Mayfield are some of my constant inspirations. But my mother and my community of elders and peers who live this RBG shit with their dedication to our community. These are my inspirations.
Your Myspace page has a rifle on it – can you tell us a little about some of the aggression we see and hear in your work?
Correction, not aggression but protection. Self defence is common sense. And a rifle is just one form of defence. Political education is protection, spiritual awareness and development is protection, holistic health is protection. Economic development, moving in silence. The rifle is just a symbol of being armed but the wars we fight are physical, mental and spiritual as well as economic. So we don’t get hung up on the gun. The gun is just one part of a greater arsenal and in actuality it’s the last resort, not the first.
So why do you think rap music gets such a bad rap?
Because it’s so powerful the haters fear it and want to blame it for society’s problems. There’s definitely garbage and bullshit out here but that’s in any art or anything for that matter. But overall hip hop is THE platform of the masses of people that are going through the brunt of the systems bullshit and it has the potential even in it’s worst expression to be a voice of consciousness and awareness that challenges the status quo. And the powers that be fear its potential. Long as they can keep it on the diamonds and cars mentality all the time, they can control it because they control the diamonds and cars. But hip hop is from the streets and unless everybody in the streets got diamonds and cars and everything else we need, there’s gonna always be that spark, that resistance to the ruling class values.
Is the A album still due out in Feb 09?
Nah April. But we got a surprise album dropping in February…..Damn did I just give away the surprise!!? Stay tuned to www.deadprez.com
Words: Erica Crompton
