Hard Knock Radio Intv | Hip-Hop and Politics

Hard Knock Radio: M1 of dead prez Speaks / Obamacare Intvs from Wash DC (02-20-14)

February 22, 2014 By mrDaveyd

Hard Knock Radio (Feb 20 2014) We sit down w/ M1 of the legendary group dead prez who has just returned from overseas. We talk to him about artist responsibility and commitment to social justice movements. He talked about the group’s evolution and what its like for the group as they approach the 14th anniversary of their debut album ‘Lets Get Free‘.

We also talk to him about the legacy of mass surveillance and how its always been present in Black and Brown communities and was ignored and dismissed by the mainstream. M1 notes now that mass surveillance is everywhere what was once a ‘they’ problem is now a ‘we’ problem..

We round up our show with more interviews from the floor of the Families USA convention in Washington DC regarding the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare)

right click the link below to download or
stream the HKR Intv

hardknockradio_02-20-2014 M1 and Healthcare

Filed Under: 2014 Daily News, Hard Knock Radio Intv Tagged With: Dead Prez, hard Knock radio, M1, mass surveillance, Obamacare

The Gentrification of Black Power-Making Sure History is Not Distorted & Erased

February 3, 2014 By mrDaveyd

A few weeks ago an online discussion about the concept of Black Power and whether or not it was being diluted and gentrified popped up on the facebook page of Jared Ball, long time radio host, journalist and professor at Morgan State and author of several books including I Mix What I Like and A Lie of Reivention Correcting Manning Marable’s Malcolm X . A lot of interesting points were raised about the systemic erasing and distorting of history in academic settings which was resulting in a younger generation of scholars building theory and ideas off of faulty information. This online conversation sparked off a round table that was recently hosted on the syndicated Hard Knock Radio.

A couple of other scholars Dr Quito Swan of Howard University (Black Power in Bermuda) and Professor Rickey Vincent of UC Berkeley and SF State (History of Funk, Party Music) were contacted for a robust round table discussion that covered a variety of topics ranging from the history and origins of the term and what inspired Kwame Toure then known as Stokely Carmichael along with Willie Ricks to kick things off during a rally in 1966 in Mississippi.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpQ1woQ57j4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ed3b7uS3fn8

We talked about the deeper meanings behind the term and how it jived with the political and social dynamics at that time. We also talked about the harsh reaction to the term from the US government and how almost immediately there were efforts to both eradicate and redefine it.

Dr Jared Ball

Initially Black Power was a call for folks to stand up against imperialism and over the years its been reduced to economic prowess and later Black people’s to get in position of power and mimic imperialistic actions long taken by the US. As Jared Ball noted Black Power has now become an ‘American story‘ of success where the status quo is maintained vs one that steadfastly opposed wrong headed policies put forth by this country.

Ricky Vincent built upon many of the points he put forth in his new book Party Music which chronicles the way music was influenced by the Black Power movements.. He noted that Carmichael tapped into an energy of resistence that was bubbling amongst Black folks all over the world. He just gave it a name. The state via the FBI recognized that energy and spent alot of time trying to dismantle and stifle that energy controlling and using culture.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHnUFpCeGxQ

We also talked about how the concept of Black Power played out on the international stage. This is Quito Swan‘s area of expertise and he put forth a number of salient points and reminded us that one of the challenges we have today is that as some try to soften and redefine Black power, they leave out how the freedom struggles in the US linked up with freedom struggles elsewhere, from the Carribean , throughout Latin America and Africa. He focused in on the first Black Power Convention that took place in 1969 in Bermuda.

Below is our Hard Knock Radio show roundtable -Enjoy

http://www.audiomack.com/song/hard-knock-radio/the-gentrification-of-black-power

Filed Under: 2014 Daily News, Hard Knock Radio Intv Tagged With: Black Power, Gentrification, Jared ball, Kwame Toure, Quito Swan, Rickey Vincent, Stokley Carmichael

Jackson Rising: The Bold Agenda of Mayor Chokwe Lumumba for 2014

January 16, 2014 By mrDaveyd

Chokwe Lumumba

One of the most overlooked stories of 2013 was the election of Chokwe Lumumba is Jackson, Mississippi where he garnered over 75% of the vote. The former lawyer of the late 2pac Shakur and former political prisoner Asaata Shakur is considered in many circles to be the nation’s most progressive and radical mayor.

He was an integral part of the Republic of New Afrika which called for Black people to establish a nation within a nation, looking at 5 key southern states Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina as the base.

He was the founder of the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement which has chapters all over the country and has been focused on a number of issues facing the Black community including the plight of political prisoners and police accountability among other things..

We sat down and spoke with Kali Akuno who does political outreach for the Lumumba administration to get an update as to how they have been doing in their 6 months in office and what bold plans and initiatives they intend to put forth in the upcoming new year..

Kali Akuno

For those who say we need change and we need to create a world where we ‘do the right thing‘ and take the proverbial bull by its horns and go to work’, then your attention and energy should be focused on Jackson, Mississippi. They are taking steps to do many of the things I’ve heard people say we should be doing in meeting after meeting, convention after convention and gathering after gathering.. Jackson is ground zero. If you are African-American, Jackson should really be watched considering the city 80% population, history and current day-to-day challenges.

In our conversation with Akuno, what stood out is the city laying critical ground work to be self-sustaining from top to bottom. They are changing the infrastructure of the city so that its green and ecologically efficient. They have aggressive entrepreneurial plans. They aren’t begging big corporations for jobs, they are creating them.. They have radical approaches toward social justice.. And they are putting forth an incredible conference in May called Jackson Rising..

Listen to the Hard Knock Radio interview below. You will be inspired..

http://www.audiomack.com/song/hard-knock-radio/2014-agenda-for-mayor-chokwe-lumumba-administration

Filed Under: 2014 Daily News, Hard Knock Radio Intv Tagged With: Chokwe Lumumba, Jackson Rising, Kali akuno, politics

The History of Bay Area Hip Hop Dance: Roboting, Strutting, Boogaloo & Funk

December 16, 2013 By mrDaveyd

Medea Sirkas

In recent weeks we’ve been doing a series of radio shows and articles that highlight certain aspects of Hip Hop History. In particular we been focusing on local (Bay Area) and West Coast History which sadly after 40 years is usually overlooked and marginalized by many writers and scholars.

Yes there are lots of stories about stellar artists like NWA, 2Pac and Ice T to name a few, but the West Coast narrative as told by many outside the West, leaves many with the false assumption that there was no dance, music or art culture that existed prior to the 1980s..

We sat down with Bay Area dance pioneers Fayzo and Boogaloo Dana of the legendary dance group Medea Sirkas and had them shed some light on some important overlooked history. They are staples in the Bay Area and have been around before the term Hip Hop was even coined. Nationally and internationally they have been featured in numerous videos for artist like Paul Wall and Usher. They have been on TV shows including Showtime at the Apollo.

In our interview they noted that they remain relevant after 40 years because they’ve learned to evolve and change with the times while still staying masters of the styles of dance they helped pioneer. They noted that popular dance styles like Roboting, Strutting and Boogalooing that are now associated with Hip Hop have been percolating in the Bay Area since the late 1960s.

Fayzo & Boogaloo Dana

The pair talked about pioneering dance figures and crew who proceeded them including the Black Messengers and the Black Resurgence who are considered the fathers of all this.. The pair walked us through their long history which began with them being solo dancers from different cities in the early 70s. Fayzo was part of a group called Demons of the Mind which was started in 78 by Larry McDonald.

Boogaloo Dana joined the group in 83/84.. Demons of the Mind which was a mainstay in the Bay Area for years. Eventually Dana and Fayzo went on to form Medea Sirkas in 91 and have been going strong for over 20 years.

Fayzo who has been dancing since 1972 noted that each city within the Bay Area had their own style and approach to the various dance styles along with particular styles of dress. San Francisco, Oakland and Richmond were the main hubs that interacted with each other in terms of dance competitions and showcases and hence became center attractions. Other cities like San Jose and East Palo Alto were also main players as well..

Boogaloo Dana noted that the early dance scene evolved to a point that one could tell what city or part of town someone was from based upon the types of hats and shoes they wore. The way people moved outside of actually dancing reflected the attitude and vibe of particular locales..

In our interview both men noted that terms like boogalooing and strutting had been around for a long time but became specifically defined for Bay Area folks to describe particular types of dance movements. Roboting dates back in the Bay Area to the mid 60s, that was made famous by Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5 via their song ‘Dancing Machine‘ in the mid 70s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHJUPm8X8I0

It had a variety of styles that varied from city to city. In other words the way a someone did the robot in Oakland was different then the way cats in Richmond did it. Just about everyone you spoke to traced back a different influence. They ranged from seeing the robotic movements of mannequins in department store window displays to seeing the robot in popular TV shows like Lost in Space. They also detailed how group routines evolved and all the different components like dominoes and fall always came into being..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRF9eW9jalg

Boogaloo Dana talked extensively about the music scene noting that deejays weren’t the big thing , it was all about the hundreds of funk bands that made things pop. The dance crews eventually became main attractions over the bands the same way rappers eventually over took the popularity of deejays. The music that dominated the scene was funk where the emphasis was on the bass line.. Eventually as deejays became popular folks gravitated to electronic sounds that were funky. The mainstays were groups like Kraftwerk and Yellow Magic Orchestra.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_8Pma1vHmw

Fayzo

Fayzo who hails from the Fillmore district opened up and talked about the strange intersection that early dance scene had with the infamous People’s Temple that was ran by Jim Jones. He and Dana are doing post production on their documentary ‘Strutters for Life: The Untold Story of Medea Sirkas‘ and in it they go into painful detail about how key pioneering dance figures of groups like Black Velvet featuring the late Charles Marshall were members of the People’s Temple and were among the 900 people who perished in Guyana after drinking the poisoned Kool Aid.

Fayzo was a member of the People’s Temple and was scheduled to go on that ill-fated trip, but wound up not going. He lost a number of family members and for a very long time never spoke on the tragedy. Dancing offered an escape from the harsh reality he and others endured with respect to the People’s Temple massacre..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTacucX9gtM

Boogaloo Dana

During our conversation Fayzo and Boogaloo Dana spoke about the ethnic make up of the dancers at that time. They both noted the scene was predominantly Black and eventually evolved to include other races.. The crossover so to speak happened during the late 70s early 80s as media attention was given to the Hip Hop scene emerging from New York City. Both Fayzo and Dana noted that throughout the 70s many were unaware of breakdancing/ bboying or what was going on in New York. Nor did they know how big that scene had become. They talked about how New York’s Hip Hop scene integrated into what was going on in the Bay..

We conclude our interview by talking about pioneering women in the Bay Area’s early dance scene and the accomplishments of other dance crews including Richmond’s Housing authority who would go on to be main choreographers for Michael Jackson.

Click the link below to download or Listen to the HKR Intv

Here’s pt1 of our Hard Knock Radio Interview

http://www.audiomack.com/song/hard-knock-radio/history-of-bay-area-hip-hop-dance-pt1

Here’s pt 2 of our Hard Knock Radio Interview

http://www.audiomack.com/song/hard-knock-radio/history-of-bay-area-hip-hop-dance-pt2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLhbD5QeDHE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQ7d1crBIio

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qT-80wlGW0

Filed Under: 2013 Daily News, 2014 Daily News, Hard Knock Radio Intv Tagged With: Bay Area, Boogaloo, Boogaloo Dana, Demons of the mind, Fayzo, hard Knock radio, hip Hop dance, Medea sirkas, Strutting

Dead Prez Member Mike Flo Kicked off Plane bc of ‘Suspicious’ face Tattoos

December 12, 2013 By mrDaveyd

We caught up with Mike Flow (Mike Flowers) who is the dj for the group dead prez who talked to us about how he was racially profiled and kicked off an Alaska Airlines flight en route from Seattle to Portland.. The flight attendant became suspicious of his facial tattoos and decided to delay their flight and have Mike removed..

Flo in our interview explained that his facial tattoos are African symbols and part of his religion and that they are legally protected under our laws. He also noted that he’s a platinum member of Delta Airlines which is a partner to Alaska. As he pointed out, if I was such a threat or my tattoos were ‘so offensive’ why take me off and put me on later flight?

Flo noted that he was made to feel less than human and during our conversation we noted the increasing amounts of suspicion tossed on Black people with negative and sometimes fatal results. They range from the young college student named Trayon Christian shopping at a high-end store in NY ( Barneys New York) who drew suspicion from the cashier who felt he shouldn’t be buying such an expensive piece of clothing to two young men in New Jersey who had a cashier refuse their cash payment for a baby stroller because she thought the large sum of money might be counterfeit… Even after the cops were called the store, Buy, Buy Baby refused to accept the payment..

The suspicion has had fatal results including the tragic killing of Renisha McBride last month who went seeking help after a car accident in a Detroit suburb and was shot to death by an elderly man who says he thought she was a burglar. Police shot 24 year Johnathan Fowler after he was in a car accident and approached them seeking help, they claimed they thought the unarmed injured man had a gun..The most egregious and notorious case of Black person being profiled because he looked suspicious was that of Trayvon Martin who was shot and killed by a racist neighborhood watch volunteer named George Zimmerman who was acquitted of the crime.

From wearing hoodies in the rain to having face tattoos on the plane there’s agrowing list of these types of incidents. What went down with Mike Flo is the latest one.. In his case he’s already gotten a lawyer who are hard on the case and he’s launched a campaign called #ItsArtNotACrime.

Click the link below to download or Listen to the HKR Intv

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_77Exdlh8k

Filed Under: 2013 Daily News, Hard Knock Radio Intv Tagged With: alaskan airlines, deadprez, Mike flo

Cynthia McKinney Speaks on the Legacy of Nelson Mandela

December 12, 2013 By mrDaveyd

My condolences to the family and loved ones of Nelson Mandela and to the people of the Republic of South Africa and all of Africa. I had the opportunity to meet Nelson Mandela on several occasions. It is true that he was a transformational leader;

I also visited Robben Island and saw the prison where he lived and worked and the cell in which he was incarcerated.
Mandela’s is a very moving journey, one that carried the dreams and aspirations of an entire nation and world of people ready for change and alleviation of suffering. And to all of us who work for the day that oppression is a phenomenon unknown to humankind.

-Cynthia McKinney-

We had an opportunity to chop it up with former Congresswoman and Green Party Presidential candidate Cynthia McKinney about Nelson Mandela and his legacy. She talked to us and explained why he was a transformative figure. We talked about his long friendships with Libyan Muammar Gaddafi, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Cuban leader Fidel Castro and the key roles they all played in helping Mandela get free and Apartheid to end..

McKinney noted that the US government along with Israel put up major roadblocks at every step of the way to hinder the African national Congress and Mandela and that should not be forgotten..

She talked about the contradictions of Gaddafi being killed and Obama who led the charge for regime change in Libya speaking at the memorial. We also talked about Winnie Mandela and why she is not only forever linked with Mandela, but why she is important in her own right..

Click the link below to download or Listen to HKR Intv

Filed Under: 2013 Daily News, Hard Knock Radio Intv Tagged With: Cynthia Mckinney, Mandela Memorial, Nelson mandela

Port of Oakland Truckers are Set to Strike.. Here’s our Intv Breaking down the situation

November 26, 2013 By mrDaveyd

We talked with independent Oakland truck driver Isaiah Thomas about the plight of independent truckers who use the Port of Oakland and the wretched conditions and harsh mistreatment many have to endure.

For starters they are being forced to spend up to $80k to modify their expensive trucks. They are made to sit with engines idling for up to 6 hours to load and pick up a delivery when its been shown and proposed that time could be more efficiently used by the Port companies.

The cost of gas and other expenses incurred for operating a truck runs on average 6-7k a month, not counting the new payments they will have to make for truck modifications. The independent truckers have banned together to form Port of Oakland Truckers Association (POTA) and after having exhausted just about every option, which includes meeting with Oakland Mayor Jean Quan to meeting with Port officials to going before California Air Resource Board (CARB)

The Port of Oakland Truckers are set to strike 6 am ..Wednesday Nov 27 2013..

Here’s a couple of good articles to bring you up to speed:

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2013/10/25/18745431.php

http://oaklandporttruckers.wordpress.com/

Here’s their breakdown of the situation with Isaiah

Filed Under: 2013 Daily News, Hard Knock Radio Intv Tagged With: hard Knock radio, Isaiah Thomas, Port of Oakland Truckers Asssociation, POTA

SFPD Brutally Beat Black Bicyclist & 3 Others: Father & Sister Speak Out

November 20, 2013 By mrDaveyd

Last Friday the eyes of the world were on San Francisco, California when thousands of people came together to transform the City by the Bay into Gotham City, home to the Caped Crusader Batman. On this particular day San Francisco was playing host to another hero 5 year leukemia patient Miles Scott who donned a suit and played Batkid. The Chief of police for SFPD Greg Suhr and Mayor Ed Lee pulled out all the stops to help the Make a Wish Foundation grant Scott his wish to enact a number of scenarios ranging from saving a damsel in distress to stopping bank robbery. He helped Batman take on his arch nemeses like the Penguin..

Seemingly everyone in the city got into the act. Traffic was stopped, buses rerouted and over 15 thousand people took off from work and went down to City Hall to see Mayor Ed Lee present a Miles a key to the city. The day was filled with lots of smiles and lots of tears as everyone wished Miles a speedy recovery. Among those in attendance was 21-year-old ‘DJ’ Paris Williams, a well-mannered, popular 21-year-old SF City College student and avid bicyclist.

He left the event elated along with everyone and rode his bike back home which was several blocks away at the Valencia Gardens Apartment. As DJ rode up to his door as he has done hundreds of times, he was approached by two undercover officers. They took issue with DJ riding his bike on the sidewalk The only problem was the apartment complex is private property and not are residents allowed to ride their bikes within the complex, they frequently do.. Here’s what DJ’s friend wrote about what took place next on the instagram site:TakingastandSF

Apparently, the officers said something to DJ about riding his bicycle on the sidewalk as he was pulling up to his home in the complex. It is unclear whether the officers identified themselves or not, but did proceed to get out of their car, grab DJ from behind as he was entering the home and beat him for no apparent reason. A police search uncovered a cupcake and juice that DJ had just purchased from the corner store. Nobody has spoken to DJ since the incident occurred as he was immediately taken to S.F. General Hospital for treatment, and then to the 850 Bryant police station. So far, it appears no charges have been made against DJ either.

There is building video surveillance footage of DJ’s confrontation w/ police, but it that has yet to be released by housing authority. Furthermore, three residents came to DJ’s aid when they saw officers beating him up, only to find themselves also under attack by officers. By this time, uniformed backup had arrived on the scene. Including DJ, a total of four individuals were beaten and arrested by officers. Video footage of the altercations that occurred after DJ was beaten can be seen here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NQle7jWJjc

RIP Andy Lopez

Needless to say what took place has angered not only the residents of Valencia Gardens which is a tight-knit community, but folks all over the Bay Area who have grown weary of out of all this brutality incidents by out of control police. From the shooting death of unarmed 13-year-old Andy Lopez last month to unarmed 16-year-old James Rivera being shot 48 times in Stockton to the coverup and shooting death of Alan Bluford in Oakland to 61-year-old disabled Andrea Naharro shot this past weekend in San Jose, folks all over are on edge. There have been a number of protests calling for charges to be placed on the officers in the Valencia Gardens incident.

In talking with residents a few concerns have surfaced. The main one is that Valencia Gardens is in the historic mission district which has been undergoing massive gentrification. As more white folks have been moving in, many Black and Brown folks who long made up the majority of folks living in the Mission have noted they are frequently being profiled and stopped by police. They are often viewed suspiciously, even though they have lived there for generations…Many feel that they are being made to feel unwelcome in their own neighborhoods and police harassment is part of a larger process to make it so uncomfortable that folks move out.

The other concern is that the police now patrolling the area around Valencia Gardens are young inexperienced and rookie cops who have little connection or familiarity to the community. Its been noted that in years past the police knew the folks living in the Gardens and the residents knew the police.. Now they have folks who see the VG as a community where they can get some street smarts and cut their teeth using the residents as fodder..Since the protests instead of trying to meet and reassure residents, police have increased patrols and sending undercover officers around as a way to intimidate folks. The people who were beaten have been left traumatized. Some have not returned to their homes.

We sat down with Selina Rodriguez whose brother Orlando was one of the residents shown in the video being pummeled by police. His face was smashed on the ground and was bloodied up pretty bad. The other person we interviewed is Frank Williams, father to DJ Williams and a long time community activist who works with people coming out of prison to be transitioned back into society. Both have degrees in criminal justice and are keen organizers. Selina has put together several of the protests with more to come and has complained about SFPD officers sitting right outside her house trying to intimidate her..

Frank Williams described his son as someone who is deeply hurt and too shook up to come back to Valencia Gardens. He’s been staying with relatives. He doesn’t understand how and why such brutality was unleashed on him..Williams during our conversation described what took place as straight up terrorism with officers who had nothing but hate and contempt for the residents they beat up. Below is our interview with both Selina and Frank.

Also check out articles on this at http://missionlocal.org/2013/11/allegations-of-police-brutality-spark-protest/

and http://uptownalmanac.com/2013/11/sfpd-assaults-black-cyclist-discover-he-was-only-packing-cupcake-and-juice

and http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2013/11/17/18746480.php

Click the link below to download or Listen

DJ Paris Williams after being beaten by SFPD

Blood from the beating of Orlando Rodgriguez

Filed Under: 2013 Daily News, Hard Knock Radio Intv Tagged With: DJ Paris Williams, hard Knock radio, orlando Rodriguez, Police brutality, Selina Rodriguez, SFPD

Sunspot Jonz of Living Legends Speaks About New Film ‘Isis Dynasty’

November 15, 2013 By mrDaveyd

Sunspot Jonz

We got a chance to catch up with Sunspot Jonz of Mystic Journeymen and front man for Living Legends to talk about his latest venture. Many have long know Jonz as a dope emcee who has put out countless albums and helped personify what it means to be an independent and corporate free within the music arena.

Not too many, know Sunspot for his work in education and his work as an accomplished film maker. He had long been writing screenplays and had attracted quite a bit of interest for some of his projects. He also was behind the cameras for the Living Legends video ‘Now You Know’ . He also did a short called ‘Resin‘. and a documentary about the Living Legends called ‘Street Legendz‘. He also did a film called ‘Dreamweaver‘ which has yet to be released

Sunspot’s love of film was one of the factors that led to him leaving his native East Oakland for LA. The goal was to bust down the doors to Hollywood. In our recent interview he explained that unfortunately, many of the stereotypes and pitfalls that we’ve heard about La La Land manifested themselves, which led him employing the DIY ethos that made him successful within music.

This new film Isis Dynasty is the product of a film company called CorFat he founded with co-director Fatima Washington in 2010. It’s about the challenges facing a young woman who has 30 days to make it in Hollywood . If features some well-known actors like; Faizon Love (Couples Retreat, Friday, Who’s Your Caddy), Golden Brooks (Girlfriends, Beauty Shop) and Paula Jai Parker (Hustle & Flow, She Hate Me, Friday). Jonz will also be starring in the film, putting his acting chops to the test…

Below is our Hard Knock Radio Interview with Sunspot Jonz

Click link below to download or Listen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6RfXcv-gM8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oithV6xkno

Filed Under: 2013 Daily News, Hard Knock Radio Intv Tagged With: hard Knock radio, Hip Hop, HKR, IndiGoGo, Isis Dynasty, Sunspot Jonz

Hard Knock Radio (HKR) Intv w/ West Coast Legend & Pioneer Sir Mix-A-Lot

November 14, 2013 By mrDaveyd

Sir Mix a Lot

Sir Mix-A-Lot aka the JR Ewing of Seattle does not always get his just do for his contributions to Hip Hop. For many he’s simply the guy who did the pop, fun-loving anthem ‘Baby Got Back’. The reality is Mix is pioneering figure in West Coast Hip Hop.. He was one of the first to come out and put Seattle on the map. His career was built on and independent label he co-founded called Nasty Mix.. His deejay at the time Nasty Nes was one of the first people in the country to do a Hip Hop radio show..He was one of the first to have his own TV series ‘The Watcher‘.

When Mix’s first single Square Dance Rap dropped, many immediately thought he was a new artist from LA or down south.. It was later discovered that Sir Mix A Lot was from Seattle and what appeared to be a gimmick type song was actually the first stone in a long career that has gone over 25 years..

In our Hard Knock Radio interview we talked with Sir Mix-A-Lot about what it took to make it in music and how he’s managed to keep himself on top. He offers up keen advice for artists just getting in the game. We talked to Mix-A-Lot about the way the industry is changing and what he finds exciting about it.

He talked about the success of Seattle’s latest star Macklemore and his relationship to the indy artist. They are good friends. Mix-A lot talked at length about the importance of being independent and what that meant when he started vs what it means now with respect to an artists like Macklemore. He gives a nice history lesson about how rap especially in the West Coast was always about being independent. He noted that there was no other way for folks to get on but to put out music on an indy label.

We talk to Mix-A-Lot about the story behind his landmark songs Posse on Broadway and Baby Got Back.. He says both were homages of sorts.. Posse on Broadway was tribute to all the cities that have a Broadway where folks gather to show off their rides and check out the scene. It was initially inspired when he visited Arizona and saw they had a Broadway similar to what was in Seattle..

In Baby Got Back, he said he wanted to have a fun and respectful way to let women know it was ok to have curves and show them off. he explained at the time of him doing the song, many women were being told to slim down and hide their curves, especially if they wanted to ‘make it’ in Hollywood or the world of modeling.. Sir Mix-A-Lot’s song changed the perception as he intended. He said his song has stood the test of time, because it had a bit more substance and wasn’t exploitative.

Lastly we talked about Mix-A-Lot’s other career and love which is high-tech.. Many don’t know that before he started rapping Mix-A-Lot was into high-tech on the hardware side and that he even had his own computer store. He noted that he’s always been good with his hands and his soldering iron game is ‘sinister’. He also noted that he makes frequent trips to the Bay Area and spends quite a bit of time in Silicon Valley. Currently Mix-A-Lot is working on a new venture that will help artists who wish to enhance their own music studios. He talks about that new project in our interview..

Mix A lot will be performing at Yoshi’s in San Francisco this weekend..

Sir Mix-A-Lot ‘Posse on Broadway ‘

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBPpy_SVV_0

Sir Mix -A-Lot ‘My Hooptie’

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_F76ySzk48

Filed Under: 2013 Daily News, Hard Knock Radio Intv Tagged With: hard Knock radio, HKR, Posse on broadway, Seattle Rap, Sir Mix a lot, West coast rap

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