Interview by Scott Bejda
What part of France are you from?
I was born and raised, grew up in Paris but I live now in South West France near Spain.
What first got you into hip-hop and how old were you?
I came from an era in the early 80’s. As a kid I grew up on Psychedelic Rock, 70’s and Electronic Music as Tangerine Dream and Klaus Schulze, Kraftwerk then Cybotron – Clear in 1983. I discovered in fact Hip Hop by Electro Funk with World Class Wreckin Cru, Nucleus, Planet Patrol and Dee Nasty who released what they say is the first French rap record, “Panam City Rappin’” in 1984. But it was MAARS “Pump Up The Volume” in 1987 that revolutionized my vision of music and how they use the first Akai Samples and I was 11. So I entered with Scott La Rock, Fantasy Three “It’s Your Rock” Kid Frost “Terminator” in 1985, and then directly with LL Cool J, PE, NWA , BDP, Ghetto Boys,Scarface, Cool C, Ice T, Rakim, Kool G Rap, Donald D, 2 Live Crew, Beastie Boys, Esham and so on… and of course french hip hop as Ministère Amer, Democrates D, NTM , IAM and so on.
How did you get into the underground side of rap?
I always loved the Underground side of anything, from Music to movies and books, to Metaphysical things. But when it came to hip hop well I was directly in the underground research. When I was into NYC hip hop I discovered AZ – Azie Faison of Mobstyle tape called Street Wise from 1991 and the song was ahead of his time 5 years before the Mobb Deep typa sound and I was like they ahead of their time. I had the same feeling when I first discovered Mystic Stylez of Three 6 Mafia in 1995, I was like, they are very ahead of their time. They would be superstars or they would be unknown for ever. I visualize the title Most Known Unknown perfectly. In fact I have some visions as a prophet of what would be going on in the future. I saw artists would be superstars way before they blow up because they were unique in their own style. For example Ceelo Green and Keak Da Sneak. In NYC I loved an underground group who was called Ill All Scratch, very underestimated. I discovered Cool C and loved his style in 1990 before he go on death row for life. I researched Hip Hop in every underground country from the midwest to the underground Detroit. I love this City, they gave us Awesome Dre, Rap Mafia, AWOL, Evol, Gank Move, Eshamand more. To Denver and this Unique sound from Kut N Kru ,Lyrical Mersinaries, Aset 1, Mizta Sandman. Then to the Bay Area and the Sac Town Sound. My favorite Sacramento albums are Season of Da Siccness of Brotha Lynch Hung and C-BO Tales from the Crypt and then X-Raided X-Orcist. Of course Houston with Ganksta N.I.P, K-Rino, Point Blank and SPC, Criminal Elament, 5th Ward Boyz, Menace Clan to Blac Monks. And then Memphis and this unique original hypnotic trance like music sound you could feel into Truma Center Killaz, DJ Sound, Children Of The Corn, Darkside Click, Blackout and Maceo Productions and of course DJ Paul & Juicy J. In New Orleans I was surrounded by No Limit and Cash Money I was huge listener especially of C-Murder and loved Pen n Pixel’s innovative art. But also by the first Mystikal album, Mind of Mystikal done by the Genius DJ Precise who worked a lot for Big Boy Records. Suave House also was a must have trademark sound of Gumbo Funk music and my favorite producers are Mike Dean, N.O Joe in the down south along with Solo (S.U.C) and John “Swift” Catalon. There is Steve Pitts in Flint, Michigan with Dayton Family. And in the Bay DJ Daryl, Mike Mosley & Sam Bostic. I loved also Pen and Pixel Graphics art that why i decided to promote it for Shawn Brauch and organized a Gallery in Paris in 2018 and I just did a review of the history of the company for my Bro’ s of SwampDiggers.
When did you first find out about murder dog magazine?
I first find out Murder Dog Magazine in 1995 when I was for the first time in USA and I was amazed by the quality of the content in the magazine and discovered the Vallejo group Young “D” Boyz who where on the first cover of the Magazine in 1993.
What did you think of Murder Dog?
I was fascinated by the surreal life of the genius Black Dog Bone CEO of Murder Dog as an artist and Shaman too, his Mystical voice in his group Glorious Din. But I loved your reviews of underground artists. You made me discover Esham and the whole RLP catalog and put em on the map worldwide.
I’m glad you enjoyed my reviews!
You put them on the map with your reviews. Underground artists as Reality – No Apologiez, Thugz From Da Southside – Kazed Out, M-Child – Gon’ Madd and so on.
Didn’t you start promoting Murder Dog for us in France?
Yes, later in 2006 I was in contact with Black Dog Bone for years and we decided to distribute Murder Dog for french market and we put also pages MD advertising in french Magazine as RAP US. Murder Dog was the Voice of the voiceless puttin’ on the map artists and underground cities that nobody talked about from the Down South to the Bay to the Midwest to Alaska and also one time Go Go Music as a special report. I have to shout out my Bro Charlie R. Braxton who represent as well the Down South culture and Jackson, Mississipi and contributed a lot as you for the magazine. Charlie did a French famous book called Gangsta Gumbo in 2012 with co writer who was a close friend by the name of Jean Pierre Labarthe (RIP) .This book is a bible of the Underground Down South history.
You have done many interviews for us at the Murder Master Music Show in person. Who are some of the people you interviewed for the podcast?
For Murder Master Music Show I organized a Jackson, Mississipi Round table in 2015. I interviewed DJ Premier, Onyx, The Last Poets, Havoc of Mobb Deep, Donald D, Tommy Wright III, Shawn Brauch CEO of Pen and Pixel Graphics, Alchemist, Boots Riley of The Coup, Arrested Development, Awol of Blac Monks, Masta Ace, Ras Kass, Beatnuts, M.O.P, Lords Of The Underground, La Chat, Evidence, Delinquent Habits, R.A The Rugged Man, Lord Finesse, Smif- N- Wessun, Rock of Heltah Skeltah, Sean Price, Guilty Simpson, Apollo Brown, Jeru The Damaja, Chali 2 NA of Jurassic 5, Mike Ladd, Lil Sin, Sick Jacken of Psycho Realm, PF Cuttin’ and MC Outloud of Blahzay Blahzay, Mr Junebug of Capital Punishment Klik, Shabaam Sahdeeq, Mykil Miers, Dope D.O.D , Big Pooh, Dalek, Busdriver, Reverie & Gavlyn, and also you Scott Bejda aka Prez.
You do a lot of traveling haven’t you been to the United States?
Well it was around 2005 last time i was in United States, I have to come back. I was over here in USA several times since 1995 from N.Y.C to Chicago, Denver, Memphis, New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Houston, Jackson, Mississipi, Detroit, Sacramento, Richmond, Vallejo, Oakland and LA, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, etc.
What was it like to go to Memphis in 1995? This was at the time when Gangsta Pats Deadly Verses, Al Kapone’s Da Resurrection, Three 6’s Mystic Stylez, Tommy Wright III, Skinny Pimp, Playa G, Indo G & Lil Blunt, Eightball MJG and so many others were dropping. It must have been unreal for someone from France to see at that time!
Yes I was over here in Memphis in 1995 and it was crazy. I was the first French to be in Legendary Memphis clubs at Club No Name/ Club Expo in 4069 Lamar Avenue and I saw DJ Spanish Fly and DJ Jus Born mixin’, then Studio G at 380 Beale Street, Crystal Palace where Ska Face Al Kapone did shows and DJ Juicy J was DJ in this place. The vibration was like in this clubs as a voodoo trance. You can feel it on the video of the Memphis group G Style with the song “Gangsta” how they dance in a circle was like voodoo. All this was surreal to live it. And when I was the first time in the Memphis Pyramid arena who is gigantic I really could feel how this pyramid could influenced unconsciously the Memphis rappers and create later the Memphis Rap tapes and Hypnotized Minds. My name Sinixta came from the Legendary album Sinista Funk of Memphis Pioneer Ska Face Al Kapone. It was an homage to the M-Town Don. What I loved in Hip Hop is when I discovered the Mystical thing with Kemetic Knowledge and Litterature of Ancient Egypt from Uhuru, Nuwaubian and authors as Frances Cress Welsing with her book The Isis Papers, the Innovative and poetic music of Haki R. Madhubuti Medasi album and author of From Plan to Planet, Ivan Van Sertima and Runoko Rashidi (African Presence in Early Asia), Adam The Altaic, Ring and the Children of the Sun by James R. Granger, Stolen Legacy by Georges GM James, What They Never Told You in History Class by Indus Khamit Kush, Master Keys to study Ancient Kemet by Asa Hilliard. And then listening to Oakland Uhuru Righteous Black Guerillas (RBG), later became Askari X. I listened to Fesu from Texas and of course Paris and Menace Clan, also YZ ( Supreme Alphabet), Justice Allah and Ashlei Mayadia of 144 Elite (SPC) and then DFM from Sacramento.
Shouts Out to Matt Sonzala and RIP to Richard D who did a famous review with you on Underground earlier Cash Money Records and you did also together the review of When The Smoke Clears of Three 6 Mafia at time. Shouts Out to J.Dogg, Lil Ray Ray, Flaggs and David Friedman.
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