Show n er rOOD Hip Hop Band Speaks ea s On n Politics 0 Martha Carter Contributing Writer March Club was packed The dance floor rippled with chanting kids sporting brands like and Triple Five Soul All present present present pre pre- pre pre- sent to witness one of the most revered groups on the underground nip hip hop circuit The group consists of DJ Premier who plays a strictly vinyl live set and the philosophical philosophical philo philo- philosophical street veteran Guru as MC Big Shug an original member of the group made an appearance brandishing the mike with ease Saturday night they took the stage with a vengeance pumping out classics like Code of the Streets and Just to Get a Rep Gurus Guru's milky vocals rose commanding commanding commanding com com- manding over the subtle ride of Premieres Premiere's coveted beats The crowd spoke on command transfixed as they recited lyrics to their favorite anthems Gan star released their first alum album in 88 and have since since put put out a total of six alb albums ms Their most most recent effort The sold over half a million copies After the show the two relaxed in the green room surrounded by trays of fresh fruit and a select group of adoring fans Premiere was tired from the long high-energy high show but Guru seemed to be riding riding riding rid rid- ing the adrenaline rush As represented in their music they have strong opinions when it comes to the hip hop scene Globe You two seem to have mastered the art of subtlety and youve you've managed managed managed man man- aged to come with a completely completely completely com com- original sound Did your two styles evolve together or did it click from day one Premier It worked right when we got dot together existed before I even got in the group Big Shug started with Guru years ago in Boston He and I met through a mutual friend We talked about who we liked and didn't like in the game we were so much on the same page I sent him some tracks and he wrote Words I manifest couple other joints that was on our first album No More Mr Nice Guy and Boom We clicked right from there from day one After that we learned how to update our formulas Just like AOL you got 30 40 now theres there's 90 we do the same thing We update our formula but we still keep it the same Were We're older than most cats in the game but I love it as much as the first day I started started started start start- ed it Globe Do you feel that artists have a social responsibility responsibility responsibility Premier M My social t responsibility is is out the records I make We do records that are politically conscious like Riot Act Act bout how theres there's Martial Law in the United States now Its It's like a police state Its It's not the normal way of America land of the free home of the brave Its all about balance without balance youve you've got chaos and der That's what weve we've got right now Guru We gotta be responsible for ourselves for our music our culture You are responsible for your lyrics for everything you do and everything you I do comes back to you At Atthe Atthe the end of the day youve you've gotta realize that people are following their lyrics people are living that sh out Globe Your lyrics seem to be a cross between your personal history and philosophy philosophy philosophy phi phi- but remain intelligent intelligent intelligent intelli intelli- gent throughout Were you well-educated well and how do you feel about public education education education edu edu- cation Guru Public education is important if you can maintain and do it Iwas I Iwas Iwas was a teacher I was caseworker caseworker caseworker case case- worker for foster kids and it was hard for me to make a living like that It was hard for me to pay my rent in New York off that salary Its It's a damn shame that someone who sits on the bench of a professional sports team makes three to four times as much as someone who's a good goodteacher goodteacher goodteacher teacher in a public school We need to deal dal with these inequalities and injustices and imbalances in our tem Education if you can get it is very important If you can cant canU t then thenh educate yourself If youve you've got a athirst athirst athirst thirst for knowledge satisfy it Globe Do you feel that the artists who represent hip hop in the mainstream understand and emulate the motives of the founders Guru Its It's pretty obvious that most of the principals that hip hop was built on have been left to the wayside wayside way way- side and put in the background background background back back- ground as opposed to the importance of material things and money It doesn't doesn't doesn't does does- nt surprise me but its it's up to the audience the older people in the audience to teach the younger kids what's up when I go to Europe all the kids know the history of hip ho hop and andin andin andin in Japan but kids kids in America dont don't know I would say its it's our responsibility responsibility responsibility as members of the culture to pass it on Globe Are there any contemporary artists you would endorse Guru Theres There's a lot of contemporary contemporary con con- contemporary temporary artists that I like I feel like a lot of old- old school artists are bitter because they got stuck in their era or of success they didn't think about what was gonna happen next what's comin next year or how to evolve with their style That's something we think about all the time We keep it consistent You'll know its it's me but I got a alot lot lotof of different things to bring to the table when I come to the microphone I 1 get disappointed disappointed disappointed dis dis- dis- dis appointed when cats are hatin on the young cats for makin money Im I'm from these guys These fuys guys are entrepreneurs These hese guys are getting label deals these guys are you know and s and that is important We had a six album deal under final we J- J Virgin EMI so w ly IX done done- with that that that-imd and its it's like a new beginning for Its It's exciting Globe Are you concerned concerned con con- concerned with censorship right now and what's going on with censorship censorship in the Broadcast Industry Premier It doesn't bother me The more they shutdown shutdown shut shutdown down the more its it's gonna come back underground and go back to the purity We Ve were about this back in 90 91 We warned wanted people Guru Theres There's always been the issue of censorship censorship censorship censor censor- ship especially in cities like Salt Lake When we were on tour with Rage in 99 they were tellin us what we could do and say But its it's the same way in Jamaica They've got a strict code where you cant can't cuss on stage in the Caribbean But that's part of life Globe How has it been performing in Salt Lake Have you noticed the conservative conservatIve conservative con con- culture here Premier We were here touring with Rage Against the Machine and ana they were protesting that show We know the strength in number number num num- ber and we already know how minded close-minded people can be to the future of the youth Were We're not close- close minded to it because we we were the youth that started all this |