Kidz in the Hall
Interview by Keita Jones
Continued from Murder Dog vol 16 #1
What separates this album from other albums that have came out in the
past year?
Double-O: We make complete and real albums. People have lost that art
because they don’t know how to complete real stories. We are all about
completion. I ran track and went to the Olympics. We got into one of
the of the best colleges in the country, we finish things. A lot of artists
work hard to get a single and then they don’t know what to do afterwards,
where as we start with an album and from that album comes the best songs
to be given as singles. We make complete projects. It’s the best hip-hop
album in 2008. The only thing I would take a number two to is “Rising
Down”.
Naledge: Our album is very diverse. A lot of people give you a lot of
“fillers” and there are maybe three songs you like and the rest doesn’t
hold your attention. We are following a new format and bringing something
refreshing to the game. It’s a new day. We are showing a dimension of
city life that is more eclectic and well-rounded. You have kids who listen
to iPods and they might have David Bowie, Pink Floyd, 3-6 Mafia, Jay-Z
and E-40 all on the same iPod. We come from that generation but also
come from the boom-bap as well. This album is the futuristic b-boy and
the new age of the b-boy and we’re taking it to the next level. This
album is listening to your iPod on shuffle and relating to all people.
We have songs that can be the soundtrack to your day. When you listen
to it, get some fried chicken and watch Sports Center afterwards.
Double-O: Hopefully when you watching Sports Center you’ll be texting
a broad because afterwards you gonna have to do something.
You’ve been exposed to different types of hip-hop. How has that shaped
who you are artists?
Double-O: It makes us better people. Music is our life and it’s what
we practice and try to get better at. Life is the cheap inspiration.
You soak up the life and environment, experiment and try to figure out
who you are as a person. It helps you in life in general and that in
turn helps you artistically.
Naledge: When you have different experiences you’re able to be more social
and expound on different walks of life. I come from the south-side of
Chicago and going to a predominately White school I ran into things that
were different from my upbringing and neighborhood. I came from an African
American neighborhood. It showed me where different people come from.
I’ve been able to express different issues that everybody deals with
because I have interacted with all types of people and feel comfortable.
We are showing versatility and feeling comfortable in different settings
and all walks of life. It’s not an act or a gimmick, it’s our real life.
In high school I could sit at any table in the lunch room and that’s
what this album is.
Double-O, How do you feel about the state of hip-hop in NY, Jersey and
PA?
Double-O: There’s a lot of dope stuff coming out now. A year ago people
would have been like “it sucks” but it doesn’t. There is a rising tide
of young artists that are finally starting to come around. There is a
new set that is coming up, just like on the West Coast with Pac-Div and
Trackademix and the Pack. There is a whole new generation of new cats
that are very comfortable in their own skin and not feeling pressured
to stick to what has been done in the past. It’s not about bringing the
East back, it’s about I’m gonna make dope music. And when you do that
the fans come around. That’s how it originally started. LA’s not coming
back, NY’s not coming back, it’s just gonna have a bunch of dope rappers
from those areas doing their thing.
