SHOCK G from DIGITAL UNDERGROUND interview

Flatline: You have been so incredibly creative through out your career, both musically and artistically. Where do you grab inspiraton from?

Shock G: Love. Not just as in romantic love with a woman, but love everywhere in the world around me. People making each other laugh and smile, good times with friends & family, anytime harmony's amongst me, it inspires me. Of course, being in love is the ultimate inspiration too, when I'm lucky enough to have a special someone like that.

Flatline: It's been 10 years since the last D.U. record "Who Got The Gravy?" dropped. What made you want to go one last round with this album?

Shock G: One reason is, we finally came across a good, stereophonic, soundboard recording of a D.U. show, rather than the usual camcorder versions we have so many of. The bulk of this album was recorded at a live show in the bay area. You can hear the hometown luv in the air, and both the audience and the band was in rare form. We didn't bother to include the songs in which we simply rapped over the records. I figured we all know how the records sound already. No, instead we put the "unplugged" sections on the album in which Eric "Kenya" Baker (So Many Tears) is on guitar, DJ-NuStylez is on the turns, Juan Carlos is on percussion, and I'm at my favorite place in the world, on piano. Meanwhile the entire D.U. roster is blessing the mic. All the spin-off acts were in the building too that night - Luniz, Saafir, Element, Choice Cutz, even Strictly Dope, Tupac's original group before he joined digital underground. That's reason one.

Reason two is because, those last 10 years you spoke of, since the "Gravy" album, we've been touring constantly, worldwide, and in that time it sorta seasoned us. Our live show has evolved much tighter then before, and we recruited alot of good emcees along the way too. This album reflects that growth and showcases those emcees. And there's even a third reason...

Reason three for releasing "Cuz a D.U. Party Don't Stop" is because few Pac fans know that our clik wrote the music to practically all of Tupacs singles for his first 3 albums. For instance, So Many Tears was Eric Baker & I musically, I Get Around was myself, Homies Call & Brendas Got a Baby was our homie Deon Evans a.k.a. Big-D the Impossible. In a sense, we were Tupacs in-house band, and I was even supposed to be his music director on his up & coming overseas tour in the fall of 1996. Of course the tour never happened, but you could say this album is a taste of what it might've been like musically, because these are the cats that would've been there. And though Pac may've passed on, we at least have Ray Luv (of Strictly Dope and early ghost writer for Tupac) and Pacs' protege Mac Mall representing in Pacs honor. Plus they supplied me a 77-key Fender Rhodes electric piano that night, so I was in heaven. It's a beast of a recording.

Flatline: There's always talk of you working with Tupac but you worked with another lyrical giant on the last record - Big Pun. How did the two of you hook up and what was it like working with him in the studio?

Shock G: Real talk, on the day we were supposed to record, four plates of spanish food showed up at the studio before he arrived. Then the studio gets a call...it was Pun checking to make sure the food had got there before he showed up (!!!) I heard he was up around 500 pounds at the time. They put a chair in the vocal booth, he layed his verses while sitting down, and we had to punch him in every other sentence, so he could catch his breath. Jeeeesus, the poor dudes heart just couldn't take it any more. He was a great dude though, wayyyyy kool, wayyyyy chill.

I kept thanking him for showin up & fuckin wit our ol' skool asses, and ya know what he said? "C'mon, I had to. You were the first person to put Puerto Ricans on the map when you shouted us in the Humpty Dance."

And ya know what I said?
"Yeah, but you mean Doowutchyalike".

And he said.. "No, it was the Humpty Dance."

And I said.. "Naw, it was Doowutchyalike".

Then he just stared at me like he was trying to figure out whether I was serious or not, and I walked away, back to the soundboard to finish mixing the song. The next day when I woke up, I was like "Damn, he was right! It was the Humpty Dance! He must think I'm crazy!" I was so high from blazin wit him that day, I got stuck in a zone where I really remembered it to be Doowutchyalike!! DOH!

I asked for Pun cause his lyrics were sexually obsessive like mine were. Around that time, most cats rhymed about either crime or violence, but Pun was a ladies man like Humpty, so I thought he'd be a good match with me. And luckily, someone on our label (Jake Records) knew someone at his label and put a call in for us.

Flatline: What can the average listener expect to hear on the new record? Any guest spots we should watch out for?

Shock G: Yes, look out for BINC (a.k.a. Best in Northern Cali), he's hella funny. And also Liz Suwandi, a new female vocalist who's been touring with us lately. We call her "our Fergie".

Flatline: Why do you think Digital Underground isn't scooping up many awards or being recognized for the work you've put in over the years?

Shock G: "Grammys, Emmys, Dammys, nuthin 2 me, but when they rock us in the streets we say ooh-wee."

Witnessing the impact our music has out in the world & universe is like receiving 20 Grammy awards. Things like...when Jay-Z used the Humpty flow in his song, or watching the dancefloor go bananas when "I Get Around" or "Freaks" drops, or watching the girls come alive when they rock us in the strip clubs. (laughs) We're also in the wedding books and the kareoke books lately. We've done two tours a year almost every year since 1989. We may not have any special awards but we're blessed to have what we do have, and for that I'm grateful.

Flatline: Can we expect a solo album from Humpty Hump in the future or maybe an ep with Biz Markie?

Shock G: (laughs) I doubt it, but I'll ask Humpty next time I see him. Who knows, he might be into it.

Flatline: You're a group with a worldwide fan base on a smaller record label. How has the industry changed in your eyes since you came out with Sex Packets?

Shock G: When we came out, hip-hop was still a teeny-bopper (18 years old) so it was focused on all the things teenagers focus on; dancin & partying. But Hip Hop is all grown up now, so it's focused on more adult things like money & business, hence half the people in hip-hop also being business people. The artform is going through all the same changes R&B and Rock & Roll went through. Remember when it was Sammy Davis Jr, Frank Sinatra, Elvis, and Berry Gordy flashin' all the riches? Now it's 50-Cent, Jay-Z, Eminem, and Sean Combs baybay!! Jazz & Rock used to be the music with all the shocking deaths & excesses; Billy Holiday, Hendrix, Elvis, Lennon. Now it's Tupac, Biggie, Jam Master Jay & Eazy-E. Nothin's new under the sun, huh?

Flatline: Any thoughts on the candidates and the election this year?

Shock G: Yeah, I hope the most hicky backwoods republican wins, just to make everything worse so we can finally move on to the next system of government. Capitalism obviously doesn't support the human population very well, or the earths' resources. So it's capitalism itself I'd like to see lose. I guess Obama looks good, he offers a glimer of hope, but we all know ain't nuthin really gonna change with the american mindset unless a major revolution of some kind happens. GC for president!! Clinton or Carlin, take your pick!

Flatline: If Tupac were still alive, do you think he would have left the rap game alone and maybe entertained the idea of politics?

Shock G: I'm not good at the "what if" game, who knows what he may have done? Anything's possible. Hmm, what I do know is, he's NEVER leaving the rap game now, and his art & poetry has always been involved in politics.

Flatline: Will you be taking the new record out on tour?

Shock G: There will be no D.U. tour as we just recently disbanded. 2008 marks our 20-year anniversary (signed our first contract, and recorded our first single in 1988, Underwater Rimes) so we recently did our final show in Vegas, and have disbanded to take a much needed hiatus from the road, our first break in TWENTY YEARS! (20!!!!) Hoorayyy!!

Flatline: Yo! MTV Raps recently celebrated their 20th anniversary and you were there for that amazing period in time. What are some of your memories from doing the show and just that time period in general?

Shock G: I can't remember anything, I did too much ecstacy in the 90's.

Flatline: (laughs) Do you have a particular D.U. album or song that you are most proud of?

Shock G: I like "Sons of the P" with George Clinton and Pee Wee from the Dangerous crew. We freaked that shit!! Um..."digital Lover" is pretty cool too. Lots of open space in that song, just like Snoop's new jam.

Flatline: What does the future hold for Digital Underground?

Shock G: Can't know untill it happens. In the words of the immortal Fiona Apple...
"If there was a better way to go, it would find me.
I don't know, the road just rolls out behind me."

The new Digital Underground album will be available May 27th on iTunes, Amazon.com, CDbaby.com and stores everywhere! Go get that!
myspace.com/therealshockg myspace.com/humptyfunk

- Flatline for Rapstation.com

DEL the FUNKY HOMOSAPIEN interview

Flatline: Who approached who for your move over to Def Jux for the new album? It seems like a match made in heaven since they heavily promote loads of creativity.

DEL: Well, I guess you could say that I was looking for a home to launch this 11th Hour project from, and they had an opening. I know El-P from a ways back, we cool. I really respect his artwork and also his drive that got him where he is now with his Def Jux thang. Plus I know Mr. Lif too, that's my folks, and he seems to be doing good with Def Jux so that kinda let me know that was a safe bet. And so far so good, I'm loving it, they looked out and I been doing what I can to make their job of getting 11th Hour out there to the people easier.

Flatline: Who are some of your favorite emcee's?....particular artists that you listen to, as an emcee, that completely blow your mind lyrically.

DEL: Right now? Well, there's alot of them, for different reasons, but I would have to say that, outside of Hiero, Redman is someone who particularly speaks to my demo graph. Also cats like De La are all time favorites, Q-Tip, the JB's, these are cats who constantly I can count on. But I like other stuff too, for instance, The LOX and especially Styles P have been one of my favorites for years. All of the Wu of course I love, Ghostface of course as well as Raekwon always kills it. But I also love Pete Rock as an emcee, too. Diamond D is one of my all time faves on the mic, always witty and always drops a gem or two. Andre The Giant is a favorite, matter of fact just say DITC. But Lakim Shabazz is one of my favorites too, as well as JustIce. KRS ONE of course and Chuck D as well. It's too many to name, I love all the raw dope emcees who keep it really fly with the lyrics for different reasons, but the main reason is the funkiness and the ability to spit something real every once in a while.

Flatline: I know you weren't happy with "The Best Of..." that Elektra put out a couple years ago - but getting to finally hear "The Undisputed Champs" with Q-Tip and Pep Love was amazing. What was it like getting down with Tip in the studio?

DEL: Q-Tip is truly one of my favorite dudes, man. I'll never forget how cool he was to me when we first met, he really embodied that spirit of HipHop that I thought EVERYBODY in HipHop would be like before I got into the game and really peeped it ain't all like that. Tip is someone whom I've always related to very closely. We have similar paths and I could always tell from listening to his lyrics, but when we hung out the few times that we did I could see that it was a vibe that was all over, they just did it in a NYC style, we did it in a Oakland Bay Area style. But it was all peace and I think we were both starting to just get a feel of that.
Tip actually was real cool, cause he would look out for me. That's why anytime dudes try to say he ain't the shit no more or try to call him out, say whatever about whatever without even listening to the shit...actually, by watching him, I knew how some dudes would just turn on you. Cause I seen people do it with Tribe before even listening to their new material. Their album was the Love Movement, the LOVE MOVEMENT how could people front on that? And the music was a new direction, J-Dilla included in it. Some dudes fronted and now look, J-Dilla is they hero now that he's dead. But when he was alive they were frontin, without even a listen really to base they hate on. I'm goin off, but I got respect for Tip, man. Cause he a real artist and he tries things, even when it turn out sometimes dudes front at first, he still willing to try.
Now, about the studio session. I actually was so obliterated I don't remember much. I drank basically some concoction consisting of 2 40 oz, mixed with gin and orange juice. Don't ask. Anyway, I was obviously dumb loaded, but Tip didn't badger me about it. I had a box of SP1200 disks I brought out. I was letting cats peep what I could do production wise. Tip dug it. Busta Rhymes came in, I know him from Elektra, LONS, Dinco was my man, he was dumb cool too, as well as Busta. But anyway, Busta is like peeping my heaters and he like nodding, like "Yo, these are pretty good, son!" It was nice to get that love from the East Coast cats cause it started there. They made me feel like "Ok you ill, we'll accept you into our shit."

Flatline: You've rhymed on side projects with Handsome Boy Modeling School, Gorillaz and Deltron 3030...any other super group plans in the works? I heard the sequel to Deltron will be coming out in 08 as well.

DEL: I don't know if I like the title of "super group"...seems to set up alot of anticipation only to be ultimately let down because for some out there the expectations will never be met. COULDN'T be met, it would be impossible to live up to the fantasy conjured up by some dudes. BUT...I am always trying to collaborate with real cats when I got the time to. El-P and Tame One are two that I'm working on getting crunk. A-Plus as well. Dave from De La, Prince Paul. Another Deltron of course. But also I'm working with D-Stroy, working something out with my man Pumpkinhead...alot of things, but you know, it takes time and some things are first priority. There's a Hiero album being finished up now. Basically I never stop working on stuff, I even have instrumental dance albums, funk stuff, rock stuff, punk stuff, I stay making stuff.

Flatline: "11th Hour" was produced almost entirely by yourself. How long did it take for this album to finally come together after all this time?

DEL: Once I was able to raise up out the game of the mentally insane (those who look around in the streets for someone to blame), it actually didn't take that long, but I must admit I was conceptualizing this LP for quite awhile, ever since Both Sides had ran it's course. I knew I had to learn more about music in order to take it to the next level, whatever that may be. And I worked on my Funkentelechy so I would be able to funk harder than before.

Flatline: Back around 96 or 97 I saw you and the whole Hiero crew tear it up live. Is the art of performance dead in hip hop these days?

DEL: I wouldn't exactly say that, because HipHop IS performance, it's based upon how well you perform. The live setting is where it all starts and it looks like where it will end up in this era of record labels finally losing almost all of their power over consumers. It's anarchy right now, and there's alot of jaded people who feel they been burned and won't even give anything new a chance, it's too late. It's that game again that I was talking about earlier. But all the doper cats know: you gotta be able to command attention. No matter if you got dancers and mega-props on stage or you just standing there streetsweeping with the lyrics. People wanna be entertained, how we as artists get to that point is all up to our preference and what we are best at. But the presentation we deliver will be judged based upon our personal performance, HOPEFULLY, anyway.

Flatline: Were you a fan of Radiohead before Amplive came along and got you to spit on "Videotapez"? The end result is really dope.

DEL: I have a few Radiohead LPs, I have always dug their bag, man. They do what they do and they do it well, you can't really front on them for any other reason except you just don't like them. Because they are doin it. Videotapez I did for Amplive primarily cause he asked me to be down with the project, but I also knew that it could get me a little pub. But really I did it cause Amp is my patna and he asked me to.

Flatline: It's been an interesting road for you since you debuted back in 1991. What keeps you motivated musically and lyrically?

DEL: Musically the curiosity that leads me to continuously try to explore new ways to organize music is motivation enough in itself. But also the personal feeling of gratification and achievement I feel from being able to do something well and being able to see my own growth on a continuous basis is motivational for me, and I would assume for anyone else in a similar dimension.

Lyrically, the motivation is primarily the need to speak about things that I can't get anyone to listen to any other way BUT in a rap. I'm a funky dude, meaning that I walk around in a funk alot of the time. I don't bug cats with it, I'm not a drag, you dig? I just put it away. Rapping is one of the ways I can let some of that funk free, and it's a safe way, a creative way that'll entertain people who feel the funk like I do. It also lets me aim that funk at targets in a basically harmless manner, it's just a rap dig? If it get people to pay attention then fine, and that may hurt some people's feelings but there's no name tag on the rap. If it's dug it's dug. Music is the other way I can express funky feelings in a way that lyrically I can't do. So lyrics and music work hand in hand.

- Flatline for Rapstation.com