Respect BA Interview.... The Anti Gravity Interview

(Artist of the month)

This month to coincide with the soon to be released "Anti-Gravity EP" we are pleased to bring you an interview from Hip Hop Battle supremo Respek BA, Drop Zone Records were delighted to sign him up for this EP deal and the music he provided for it? ... well he did not disappoint!

So inbetween all his studio working for both Drop Zone and the ever growing and reputable Ol'Boy Records... We managed to fit in an interview with none other ... Ladies and Gentlemen, B.Boys and B.Girls ..... Respek BA ....

So where did the name come from? And what's with the aliases?

The name came from the grind of having to earn Respect in hip hop culture, especially as a Scottish artist. It's always been important to me, as having Respect is generally earned through hard work. People earn respect. BA used to stand for many things and now it stands for nothing. It's just me. Now I'm just Respek. Or BA. Or Respek BA but the name has lost all metaphorical ideals and is now simply just a name.
My alias have more of a deeper representation of me. Djinn Truf came from the Persian mythology surrounding the Djinn.

A Djinn would punish someone for making a wish, turning their own dreams against them. That has always been my style as a battle MC. I'm a counter striker by nature ha ha. When I battle it's all about taking the best thing they've said to me and making them wish they hadn't. When I kickbox I counter strike, I wait for movement from the opponent the adjust to counter their incoming strike. Fuck when I play Fifa I let them get the ball to my goal then go on the break. It's just how I am ha ha. And Truf is easy, cause I speak the fuckin truth and pronounce it like I spell it! Djinn Truf!

Nicky Tesla was literally almost just a direct way of me trying to get more people to know who Nikola Tesla was. As far as inspirations go he ranks highly on my list. The man changed the world and has never got the credit he deserves .... a discredited genius.

How long have you been battling and did you battle straight away?

I can't even remember when I started battling but it was definitely soon after I began rapping so we're probably talking 97 - 98 ish, but I was definitely shit back then. Infact I have memories of me trying to freestyle and my mates laughing at me and telling me not to bother. The first battle I have any evidence of was in 2001 I think, I was just battling a friend and it was being recorded, we actually battled in the sound booth of a studio ha ha!

How do you think Touring with Blade helped your career?

It helped in many ways. It helped me understand the ins and outs and the cut-throat nature of the music industry. Blade definitely knew how to rock a crowd and his stage show was so professional I had to quickly learn all these new techniques of crowd control etc, and I think that definitely helped me take my own live show to a next level.
Now having said that, I would have definitely benefitted more career-wise if by nature I was one of these types who goes to events just to make connections. I found myself in alot of situations where if I had a business mind I'd have been purposely befriending people in the right places, but it's just never been me. If that hinders me in the long run so be it, I don't want to have to walk around being a fake cunt to some twat just because he works for some record label with alot of money. Fuck that.

What, as an aritst, is most important to you?

My art.

Where was the best venue and city you have ever played?

Man I used to drink more back when I toured with Blade ha ha ha. It's definitely somewhere in Europe ...either Austria or Switzerland if I had to narrow it down. I can't remember the name of the club but it was some massive rectangle shaped club which stretched so far back, it was open until six AM and it was packed with like 1000 people or some crazy shit. We did the gig at about one and partied until six. I have a random memory of the DJ dropping "In The Trenches" by Juice and me jumping on some Austrian dude's shoulder going "YAAAAASSS!". Switzerland because it was a huge hip hop festival, outdoor and Jurassic 5 asked me to come on for their last track and do a 16 on the song where they all freestyle. It was the closing set of the whole festival and rocking it with J5 infront of 10,000 odd people was just amazing thinking back to it.

Given the choice to work with any artist, who would you work with?

DJ Premier.

Is there a country you haven't performed in but would really like to?

Japan, just as an excuse to see Japan. I love martial arts, and Japan is home to so many of these styles and there's alot of live fighting events to see. It'd be sick.

You lyrics are very conscious and mentally aware... what's your feeling on "Bubblegum Rap"?

On one hand as someone who works very hard to produce the best he can when writing music, it can get to you when people you know put in little to no effort make millions from writing some basic shit. On the other hand the casual listener doesn't give a fuck how many punchlines the song he listens to has in it, or how many moral messages are put inside it ...so you reap what you sow. Personally it's just too insulting to my own intelligence to attempt. I mean we could all do it, it's basic pop shit, but as a person I know I can do better and actually say thing of intelligence or with meaning, and I refuse to represent myself as some dumbed down version of me so I'm more applicable to the idiots who unfortunately occupy the majority of the earth.

Why did you name the album "Anti Gravity" and what message/information are you putting across with this?

Magnets are weird don't you think? I mean it's just hunks of metal from the ground but whether they are positively or negatively charged will effect how they interact with certain other hunks of metal from the ground. Don't you ever wonder why inside that tiny gap inbetween those two hunks of metal what goes up doesn't come down anymore? Why do the laws of physics change like that?
...and this is the basis on the technology I'm talking about. That's it simplified, but basically it's a technology I believe is being withheld from public release by the UK and US governments and amongst other governments globally.
Would aliens really travel all this way then just hover at cloud level over what any idiot could see is a technologically advanced planet with radars and shit? C'mon. So all I'll say to sum it up without going on and on is, Nikola Tesla invented anti-gravity or zero propulsion technologies which are being employed in these flying discs ...and that is it.

Who would you most like to battle?

Eminem. Think about it, I'd fuck him right up and it'd get loads of views.

Is there ANYONE you fear in a battle?

No no I don't worry about what will happen, just what has to be done.

Your never afraid to mince your words so here goes....
World Peace or a Piece of the World?

If we had world peace everyone would have a piece of the world. World peace.

Piece of Ass or drunk acting like an Ass piece?

Piece of ass on a fine dime rather than white wine.

9/11 inside job or those pesky Terrorists in some mountains somewhere?

The white house has mountains?

Nicky Tesla or John Logie Baird?

Aw man how you gonna do me like that? That's fucked up. John Logie Tesla.

Who are you listening to right now or who did you last Buy/ Download/ Rip?

I always listen to a whole bunch of stuff but I've been to a few events recently and got a few CD's so right now I've been bumping Rhyme Asylum's "Solitary Confinement" and Hock Tu Down's "Prozium Peddlin".

Wanna give those all important shout outs so people can complain that you missed them out?

BEING MC's! (Throws smoke bomb and runs).....................................

(Interview by Riz for DZR Promotions 18/05/2010)

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13T of The 13th Tribe

 

Drop zone has a Foreign Policy and now goes even further Worldwide to expand its Geo Music Politic  by welcoming The 13th Tribe, and their very own and highly unique brand of Tropical Hip Hop, to the stable .The 13th Tribe features International Multi Lingual Rappers,Vocalists and Musicians from all corners of the Globe,mainly Havanna Cuba,Barcelona,Cameroun,Nigeria,Senegal,Miami,North Carolina,Morrocco,Algeria,Guinea Conakry,Haiti and Venezuela.The 13th Tribe serve up a burrito of beats & rhymes , all finely chopped and diced by Glasgow's very own 13t,long time compadre and musical collaborator of Eastborn.

Jazz/Funk/World/Trad-Folk and Hip Hop Multi Instrumentalist Musician,Dj and Producer, 13t, brings pearls of musical wisdom to the Drop Zone fold,with his own inimitable freestlye of Conscious Afro/Indo/Celt & Tropical Tinged/Latino Hip Hop.His DJ CV is no humble affair either and speaks volumes about the form and content of his own sets, as hes strutted the boards alongside Rap Royalty such as  the sublime Godhead of Conscious Hip Hop; Gil Scot Heron,Run DMC,Mark B and Blade,Peter Parker/Fingathing/Grand Central,The Scratch Perverts,The Young Disciples,Giles Peterson,Krashslaughta and Jah Wobble to name but a few.Many Glasgow Headz may remember him as the man behind the Decks with Ground Control who hosted the Residency @ MChuills where many of Old School Glasgow Rappers and Djs, from The Freak Manoovers to Eastborn & Psycho D,all cut their teeth. Hes more recently been spotted Djing and Producing around the Iberian Peninsula from Barcelona to Lisbon and from Valencia to Vigo,flying the flag for Scottish,UK and World Hip Hop.

The 13th Tribe also work in unison with Spanish based, non profit, music charity called  VOCA.
                                                                                                                                      
VOCA exists to serve immigrant artists based in Spain and to help further their careers,whether it be by helping them record,helping them obtain
gigs or even simply offer management advice-all for free.VOCA also works in unsion with www.abisinios.org which is an Ethiopian charity
dedicated to the welfare of mentally and physically challenged kids in Ethiopia.

Drop Zone goes full circle with this latest signing as it was 13t who Engineered,Produced and Co Wrote Eastborns first ever Demo way back in the 90s,so it is with great gusto and mighty aplomb that Drop Zone welcome aboard The 13th Tribe.

Go In Peace To Love And Serve HIP HOP!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Loki

 

 

Hello. Ich bin Loki. Born and bred in Glasgows prestigious South Side. Like many men my age, Im 23. Ive been writing for over 13 years and was lucky enough to stumble accross hip hop at the tender age of 15. A late bloomer by normal standards. I like to watch life occur and then write about it. My passion for writing is unparalelled throughout the universe, as is my naivety and desperation to speak and be heard. My only dream in life is to stay alive long enough to grow cold and bitter about every Glasgow rapper who comes out after me. I have a PHD in life experience and am currently working on my dissertation titled 'Would I learn more if I wasn't so afraid to ask stupid questions?'.

Hip Hop is protest music and for that reason, I feel right at home in the thick of a good barny. Im not your 'typical' hip hop head. With my performances I try and explore different ways of expressing my thoughts and opinions as opposed to just rapping. I think the best way to really engage with your audience is to challenge them. Take them out of the 'front row comfort zone'. In my writing I try and work with lots of different styles and concepts as I quickly become bored and irritable when faced with the same thing for too long. Andy Kaufman is my hero and this would explain why I am not the most 'popular' artist to sail up the clyde in a banana boat. To call it a 'boo' fetish would be to greatly understate my purpose.

My music is 'provcative' according to some which is fine because thats how I intend it to be when I write it. I commentate on current affairs in a cartoonish, satirical way which I hope would encourage civic conversation and better understanding of the socialogical complexities we face as everyday people. By the way...if you say banana out loud enough repetitvely you begin to feel slightly stupid. I'm similiar to all other rappers in that I feel I am completely fresh and original artistically.

Ive written a lot of material over the last 5 years and now seek the means to release it proffessionally. When I get to work on a project I am very focused and driven, some call it obsessive. I see things backwards. My albums start at the end and conclude at the intro. Every song should have a beginning, middle and end and this theory translates into my ep's and albums.

People are always telling me to 'look at the bigger picture' but as much as I try...all I have ever known are the express bus routes which run between wherever I live and the city centre. Im the true heir to the throne of the Kingdom of Glasgow! Maybe one day i'll get a gig at Center Parks. Until then I will continue to address my faithful audience in the only way I know how...SINNICALLY! They are just people like me...and therefore cannot be trusted!

I dont really fit in. Which is something I have learned to embrace. Im very at ease with my role as a Pantomime Villian and Im increasingly gratified by those out there who cant stand the sight or sound of me. Its all one big show to me!

My honest opinion of the scene in Scotland? Lots of talent, lots of well organised rosters and labels, lots of dynamic artists and producers...not enough people talking about things that really matter. Too many off shoots not enough intllectual substance. Hip Hop is disappearing up its own arse and it saddens me as Scotland historically has always been a hotbed of dissidence and unrest. Im uneasy at the idea we may become too comfortable in our own skins. I want to contribute something to the proud, often undervalued history of Scottish Hip Hop but always on my own terms.

My crew, The Being emcees are quietly working away on various solo and collaborative projects and intend to become self sustaining and sufficient in the not too distant future. Emcees shouldn't come knocking. BA is close to dropping his mixtape, which I am personally looking forward to as I think he is a guy who really deserves wider recognition for his all round skills and proffesionalism as an MC. Green Bank Formula (Marrik and BA) ARE WORKING ON AN ALBUM (fuckin hurry up lads) and Gasp has started on a new EP where he will finally embrace the PUDDLEGUTS persona he has wrestled with for years. Dark stuff!!! The Doon is...well he's the Doon and no body really knows what the fuck he is doing in general nevermind musically. SKRIBBO is constantly working on material with Scatabrainz and is also hitting the open mic circuit for experience, which is something I admire. If more emcees honed their skills before demanding stage time maybe we wouldn't have so much bland overkill. MLD is trying to get Olde Boi up and running with a little help from the rest of us. Im working on an EP produced by Defy as well as an EP and album with Scatabrainz. My partner in crime, Badger Sized Rat and me have finished an EP currently titled 'Sustainable Development'. In short...I write like a bastard!

SHOUTOUTS: BADGERSIZEDRAT, MARRIK LAYDEN DEFT, GASP, SKRIBBO, DOONHAMMER, RA-DOUBLE-B, RESPEK-BA, SCATABRAINZ, DEFY, KRASH SLAUGHTA, LUCKYME, ABDOMINAL SHOWMEN, KRIMINAL, SKULLFUCK, ER, ACOUSTICBUTTERFLY, GIRO BABIES, PROJECT MAYHEM, BLAKHART, ALL TIME HIGH, SUPREME TAJ, NITY, QUEST, BRING DA RUCKUS, BLUHNT, DEMA N NICE, SOUNDTHIEF, MISTA BOHZE, CHUCK, DONZO, MELLOW D ELEMENTS, ALPHA, MOG, PEN PUSHERS, POWERCUT, DAMAGED GOODZ........take it easy people.

Loki's top ten

10.Abdominal Showmen - POLYGON FACED
(I love everything I ever hear from these guys. Innovative production and outstanding lyrically)

9. All Time High - Nothin to Prove/Mile Wide Emptiness
(contrary to belief I did think Nothin To Prove was a heavy track although at the time I didnt totally agree with the sentiment)

8. HomeGrown Pham - On a trip (This track epitomises what was once my favourite crew. Interesting, funky beats, competent EMCEES and individuality. Gotta love it!

7. Jinx - Throughout the Years (Havent heard it in a while but when I do check it it takes me away on a journey. Its honest and thoughtful. Jinx's got the skilz.)

6. Speech Therapy - I couldnt pick a particular track. For me they were very original. In the midst of angst ridden, horror core, punchline, glitch hop they represent inner calm and deep reflection. A breath of fresh air lyrically complemented by smooth production. All round good geezers. The Scorpio and Sub-Zero of Scottish Hip Hop. Or maybe Ryu and Ken. Or maybe Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum. Or maybe not!)

5. Eastborn - Red Six (Something about this track makes the hairs on my neck stand up. Inner City Lullaby is an old favourite too)

4. Surface Emp - Dont Speak/DeadPan (Always had a soft spot for Dom. Him and Hudson Mo are Old School with a futuristic swagger. 'He's the rapper, Im the dalek'. I think big things await the LuckyMe collective. They've come a long way in the last few years and I hope they do well. Looking forward to Kalamo's new album)

3. Two Tone - Parables of Quarantine/Saw the Sky Move (Nuff said. Ideal South Side rolemodels)

2. Big Div- Settle the Score - (A track to kill people to. Classic production)

1. MOG - Keepin it Glesga/One Love (This guy is a unique artist. Lyrically he cannot be touched. I wish more people could get the chance to hear him but he's a genuinely low profile guy and isn't interested in entertaining notions of local fame. I respect him a lot as a creative writer. The Realest. That simple.