PEOPLE UNDER THE STAIRS (October 2008) | Interview By: Jonathan Hay

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Interview was done in October 2008

Questions Asked By: Jonathan Hay

 

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Dubcnn Exclusive – People Under The Stairs
By Jonathan Hay
www.myspace.com/jonathanhay


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Dubcnn: What is going on right now in the world of People Under The Stairs?

Oh man, too much. We got off a nationwide tour promoting the new album, Fun DMC, to stick around LA and do some in-stores, just basically rock a bunch of free shows for the fans. We got to fly back out to NYC to perform at CMJ with Stetsasonic and then it’s back home for some well-needed rest (which will most likely be Beer and Dominoes). Then we got to get ready for our big ten-year anniversary blow out at the El Rey Theatre on December 19th.


Dubcnn: Tell me more about the P.U.T.S attraction with hip-hop, and what was it that made you want to be a part of it.

When we were coming up it was our music, the music we saw people like us making and we just gravitated to it. It wasn’t the soul or rock of our parents, it was something that was coming from the youth and speaking to us. Plus everyone around us who were a little older in the city were all about it. We had KDAY basically exposing us to it on a daily basis, so that was it. We just fell in and never looked back. Then we started rediscovering an endless catalogue of music from the past through hip-hop and samples.


Dubcnn: How would you two describe your signature sound?

Funky. Samples are definitely where it starts. We still sample. Everything still comes back to the old records, to the drums. Sometimes it’s just a loop or it’s a complicated sequence of chopped up pieces put back together to sound like a loop, but it’s always got to have that swing. It’s got to be funky.


Dubcnn: What is the concept behind the name, People Under The Stairs – and how did that name come about?

When we were running around in the scene in LA in 95-96, we were everywhere and nowhere at the same time. We were at all the hip-hop shows, supporting all the open mic spots and everything but we would go back and be making songs like SF Knights in the bedroom. We kind of kept that whole thing on the low because we were still fans, we were just not putting anything out or really worried about that. We would hit up all the conventions in town, Rap Sheet, etc. and not politic at all, just hang out and get high and vibe. We just loved the music. Martin (rip) from Martin’s records used to yell at us all the time because we weren’t making connections in the industry or concerned about making songs that would be good singles. We were just making music for us to bug out to, putting a lot of inside jokes in it and shit, so the name just fit. That’s how we felt. And the funny thing is, we never saw the movie until 2004. Funny ass, weird movie. It kind of fits us.


Dubcnn: Tell Dubcnn about the creation of Fun Dmc?

Recording and making Fun DMC was a lot of fun. Doing the field recordings, all of the stuff we did, it was just a good time. There wasn’t any pressure at all. The music was good and we, more so than ever, felt like we didn’t have anything to prove – especially to hip-hop dudes. We even recorded some of the vocals outside the booth, just jumping around in the control room yelling at each other, laughing and rapping. It was a good time.


Dubcnn: You guys actually went to South Central, Los Angeles to record the ambience and sounds of the streets. Share with us the experience of that unique process?

It was really important for us to capture that vibe on the record, you know? We had done a lot of touring after Stepfather and we were talking about how LA, the real Los Angeles is always pushed to the shadows because of some trendy bullshit made by implants or Hollywood types. And a lot of music now a days isn’t rooted in a geographically location like it used to be. Whether you were talking Motown or Dre, you always could here where people were coming from, what they represented. Now its all messed up, you turn on the radio and you can’t tell if a dude is from the south, east, north, west, wherever. Everything sounds the same. So we wanted to capture our experience in LA, the sounds around us on the album for everyone around the world to check out. And that meant taking the mics and all the equipment out over to 52nd and Vermont to Blewfoots house to get the real party sounds recorded. The planes flying by overhead, the dominoes slamming down, the ice-cream truck. All of that. The partying you hear on the record is a real party. And it was crazy because when we listened back to what we captured we realized how much of that vibe you can take for granted. The stories that get told, the jokes.. just basically the whole bbq vibe.


Dubcnn: Fun DMC has only one guest on the album – so, do you feel hip-hop is too focused on guest appearances and collaborations?

We never have guests on the albums besides the homies, and this album was no different. We know a lot of MCs in the industry and all that but we just try to capture the daily vibe. If a dude is hanging out in the studio we might tell him to get on the mic, but beyond that we aren’t emailing tracks to peoples managers to get a hot 16. The laundry list of guest appearances are sometimes just ways to get people to buy a record, and we don’t want to go out like that. You want to hear other people rap, buy their record. On the PUTS record it’s Mike and Chris.


Dubcnn: What is the biggest artistic difference between Stepfather and Fun DMC?

Stepfather was a transitional record for us. We were getting out of our deal with OM, and in doing so we were kind of forced to look back at the legacy of what we had done to that point. There was a lot of stuff going on around us too, people passing, and big life changes. We had a lot of personal stuff we needed to get off of our chest, and so that record was in part us putting down on wax a lot of things that we needed to say just to move forward. It was a turning point production wise too, we basically ditched the jazz loop crutch that a lot of people were stuck with so we could try to move forward with our art. All in all, we didn’t know if the fans would follow us with it, we didn’t really care – we just needed to do it. It was dope to see the OG fans stick with us though. That gave us the motivation to hit the road and say, we’re still in this. Now its ten years since The Next Step came out and we have no intentions of quitting


Dubcnn: Give your personal opinion of the current state of the Hip-Hop and where do you think the art is headed in the future?

I mean, this is kind of a loaded question. Nas said Hip Hop is dead. He should have just made a good hip-hop record and led by example. The cream will always rise to the top and as long as dudes in the streets and still have rhythm and something to say, hip-hop isn’t going anywhere. It’s real different from when it started but it would be unfair to expect it to never change. It will be whatever is happening in the streets. The streets are bad right now and so is a lot of hip-hop, but it’s not dead because dudes aren’t break dancing and painting the youth center.. Dudes will keep innovating and it will keep changing it but it will always be here in our opinion. It’s not like we’re all just going to start singing Country or some shit. The masses just need to take it back from the magazines, the radio and the media – these outlets went from covering hip-hop to determining what it was, and that’s just wrong.


Dubcnn: What do you feel about the West Coast hip-hop scene right now…?

Step it up. Dudes need to take this legacy of west coast rap serious and get back to representing what’s going on out here, instead of imitating everywhere else trying to make a radio hit for the mainstream. And everyone needs to respect that the west has different flavors. Latin Rap, Gangster Rap, and some of that ole PUTS, Pharcyde, Madcap FF13 style. We all rep LA to the fullest. The west is still in effect, we been on stage all over the world and had people at sold out festivals throwing up the LA sign and the W. We are going to keep giving our LA style to them no matter what’s going on here or there.


Dubcnn: As not only activists and artists of the culture, but fans as well, who would you say that your biggest influences are, not only from an emceeing standpoint, but from a performance aspect as well?

We used to go to all the hip-hop shows but it’s hard to say who we draw the must influence from, but definitely Run and D, LL in his prime, all those artists from that era who stepped on stage like super heroes. Even Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, Freestyle Fellowship, NWA, the beatnuts, hell if we had to list them all we would inevitably leave some out on accident and that wouldn’t be right. We are fans of this, we’ve bought and studied a lot of albums dating back to the late 70s. We truly love this music.


Dubcnn: Ten best hip-hop albums of all time... What is in your CD player or iPod right now?

Couldn’t even list the top ten, it would leave too many good ones out. But PE is definitely up there, NWA is up there, Pharcyde, Run DMC, Rakim, Beasties, it’s too many to try and list. Currently the IPod stays bumpin’ Funkmaster Flex’s 4th of July mix.


Dubcnn: Why should people not think twice about passing up the opportunity to check out a PUTS live performance?

Cause we’ll give them their money’s worth. And it will be a good party. No slow walking with towels on our head and 89 dudes on stage. Straight up party rhymes to get the party started.


Dubcnn: Your tour itinerary is filled with many dates, how do you like basically living on the road…

It’s cool but you get tired after a while. We drive ourselves, manage ourselves, set up and sell merch, etc. it gets exhausting. It’s like suspended time, you’re out hip hopping every night and the rest of the time stuff is happening at home out of your control. You worry about getting pulled over and harassed in these small towns, border crossings, getting jacked by the local knuckleheads, etc. And every night when you show up at the venue you got to put on your party face and get right back into it, no matter how you feel. But it’s worth it when you step on stage and hear the crowd yelling your name or going nuts. It’s all worth it. It sucks having to choose what fast food restaurant you are going to your one meal for the day at though!


Dubcnn: After you get off the road from such extensive touring, is hard adjusting to home-life?

Hell yeah! You wake up the next day after tour like, wait, I can stay at home and chill, eat three meals?! This is crazy.


Dubcnn: For those that do not know, give us a small rundown of some of the songs you have produced, or some of the artists & producers you have worked with?

6 albums, 10 years, mad singles, features, remixes, etc. A lot of stuff.


Dubcnn: The production of People Under The Stairs is so refreshing… tell us about your production progression and evolution?

It all starts with a love for music, not just hip-hop. Studying the way things went down back in the day, the way a song comes together, and then of course all of the classic and great hip hop that has been made, it’s overwhelming. The progression really goes from being heavily influenced but still making your own stuff (as we did on our earlier albums) to moving into your own right and then trying to harness that creativity into something completely new but still relevant, what we tried to do on Fun DMC. Something that is both Roger and Zapp and Earth Wind and Fire and some rare funk and rock, all rolled into one, because we are hearing that around us. We know our equipment better, Thes has been using the MPC since 1994 and still using it to date. It’s making beats and blacking out in the music. An SP1200. A knowledge of what new technology exists and what old techniques are crucial. It’s a lot of stuff that goes into it.

Dubcnn: Final words for Dubcnn?

Big up to the DubCnn family, shout out to south central Rick, Blewfoot and the 52 party posse – check out the wiz video in high res and Rick James the Bboy from Buffalo. Support independent hip hop and check out Fun DMC! Thanks yall!