Post by Adam B on Jul 19, 2005 10:23:10 GMT -5
Killascripsha Interview
By Adam Bernard
The O.R.D.E.R. have worked their way to being one of the most well known rap groups in Connecticut. They're constantly on the move, politicking and performing at every spot imaginable in CT and NYC. Recently, Killascripsha took a second to breathe and sat down with The Reality Box to discuss what The O.R.D.E.R. has been doing to achieve their goals, his feelings on the CT Hip-Hop scene, and what needs to be changed in order for CT to succeed. After reading this interview you'll know one thing's for sure, this MC is highly educated in the ways of the industry. Killascripsha knows what he's talking about and he's here to share the knowledge.
Adam Bernard: How did The O.R.D.E.R. meet up and become a group?
Killascripsha: Pryme and I have known eachother for at least a good nine years and when the Raekwon Cuban Link tape came out, the unity of that tape, it kind of inspired us all to take our rap game serious. We said let's get our group together and see what we can do. Logick I met in 97-98 and he's been like my right hand man ever since. In the last two years we put The O.R.D.E.R. together and we're just trying to keep it as lyrical as possible. Pryme has moved on, he's taking his ministry serious. He's back in the search. Now it's me and Logick, but it's the same formula.
AB: You said Pryme's "back in the search," which makes it sound like you kind of knew from jump that Pryme had other things on his mind.
KS: Pryme, like I said, as far as going back to the search, he was ministering a while back, something happened in the church that devastated him, mentally and physically, but when he took time away from it he was caught between trying to be a righteous person, the streets, and the rap game and he got caught in-between. There was a lot of paranoia coming from his end in terms of a lot of places that we went to, a lot of venues, he felt this was not the life he wanted to be involved with.
AB: What part of Connecticut are you from?
KS: Hartford.
AB: What have you found to be the biggest advantage of being a rap artist in Connecticut?
KS: Not to discourage anybody in Connecticut, but as far as an advantage I can't really say there is one. There's no support from your local radio stations. The only ones that do support the artists is college radio and that's why if The O.R.D.E.R. ever gets to the point where we want to be college radio will be in our mouths and on our minds as much as possible. If it wasn't for college radio we wouldn't get heard by the underground listeners. There's no unity between any of the artists. As far as us we've tried to reach out to certain individuals. All of us, we got crumbs on our plate, we're trying to make a full meal from that, but if we come to you don't try to take our crumbs. Let's build a foundation together so we can all eat healthy. There's some local producers out here who want $800 for a beat and it wouldn't even make the cutting room floor. It's really tough to deal with Connecticut artists, producers, let's not even talk about the radio stations who don't even want to hear what you have to offer. You approach them in the streets or the clubs. They bring known artists in but there's no good look as far as "here's a local artist, maybe they can add on." I'm sorry to say it but it's been a struggle.
AB: CT still hasn't seen a rapper emerge from the state and really represent for us. You've already listed a few potential reasons why, but are there any more reasons why do you think that is?
KS: We need more creativity from the Connecticut MC's. We need to sound different, we need to get our own distinct sounds. The cadences of some of the MC's I've heard is reminiscent of the MC's that are out there, the Cassidy's, the Jadakisses, the battle MC's from Harlem you see on the DVDs. A lot of the MC's here are basically emulating to try to get on. Don't get me wrong, to a lot of the MC's out there that's probably what you think it takes to get on but at the same time let's create. Let's take our craft a little more serious. Let's really write from the heart and soul. Let's come with real real heart and soul. I think that's a big problem.
AB: Why do you feel The O.R.D.E.R. has the potential to be the group that represents CT nationally?
KS: That's a very good question, and again not to offend anybody, this struck me kinda funny and I remember tellin the guys this, a lot of people who have heard our material, they've had the nerve to tell us "wow, you don't sound like you're from Connecticut." And I've always been like, what the hell is that supposed to mean? Being that we've heard that so many times, we take our music seriously, we're always trying to think of certain ways to make the last song better than the last song, so we're always diggin deep, we're always studying, we're always advancing our vocabulary, we're always reading. Not to say that other MC's don't do that, but from the sounds of it, other's don't. We'll listen to a track and try to make our lyrics, or cadence, or hooks, according to that track. We're not one dimensional. Our lyrics make almost a marriage to the track that we're on. We're always going to sound distinctive. We took it as a compliment but at the same time we took it as an insult. What is that CT sound?
AB: Big Mike has your music playing all over the country, how did you link up with him?
KS: I met Big Mike through a partner. I was in a group called Sins of Reality which translated into Dhark Citi. Big Mike was kind of managing another group member at the time. That group member told him he should meet me. When we started dealing with Krumb Snatcha and The Wolves, this group member was trying to put himself up in front of everybody. When people caught wind they severed ties with this individual, but Big Mike and I were still cool.
AB: One of your most recent singles is "Street Government," tell me a little bit about what "Street Government" is all about.
KS: Street Government, that was something we had to give to the community in terms of when they listen to that record there's a lot of political references and martyr references. We made that sort of chanty anthem but we also tried to divide that into a lesson. We mention Malcom X in there, we mention controversial presidential comments. That's really a lyrical confrontation to the industry right there.
AB: Describe the current state of CT Hip-Hop, in your opinion.
KS: Certain groups that have been played on mainstream radio.... it's not good. It's not food for thought, it's not a good recipe that's going on. I don't blame any of these artists, I blame those who are steering them in that direction to make party hits. It's not working. From the way CT has been going and the way Hartford has been going, there's a story to tell out here. Tell that story, tell that story where you're from. Let's get personal. Write what you really feel, that will make people say "damn, let's take a ride out there and find out what's going on out there." Right now we don't have an original sound.
AB: What else should the people know about ya'll?
KS: We're a humble cast of characters, that's first and foremost. We are not that overconfident group, we're not the one's who will say "we spit hot sh*t, we can do this we can do that" what you see is what you get from The O.R.D.E.R. We'll give you something you can appreciate. I like to expend my vocabulary. I like to reach out and really have one of my listeners say "damn where'd he get that information from?" Or, "what's on his mind?" We're always grindin and we're quick to jump in the vehicle and go to any event that will benefit us or benefit Connecticut. I just got back from Florida, The Source Awards. I was there. A lot of it's bein in the right place at the right time. I actually got to attend the show and met Marion Suge Knight. He's a cool individual.
Suge Knight and Killascripsha
By Adam Bernard
The O.R.D.E.R. have worked their way to being one of the most well known rap groups in Connecticut. They're constantly on the move, politicking and performing at every spot imaginable in CT and NYC. Recently, Killascripsha took a second to breathe and sat down with The Reality Box to discuss what The O.R.D.E.R. has been doing to achieve their goals, his feelings on the CT Hip-Hop scene, and what needs to be changed in order for CT to succeed. After reading this interview you'll know one thing's for sure, this MC is highly educated in the ways of the industry. Killascripsha knows what he's talking about and he's here to share the knowledge.
Adam Bernard: How did The O.R.D.E.R. meet up and become a group?
Killascripsha: Pryme and I have known eachother for at least a good nine years and when the Raekwon Cuban Link tape came out, the unity of that tape, it kind of inspired us all to take our rap game serious. We said let's get our group together and see what we can do. Logick I met in 97-98 and he's been like my right hand man ever since. In the last two years we put The O.R.D.E.R. together and we're just trying to keep it as lyrical as possible. Pryme has moved on, he's taking his ministry serious. He's back in the search. Now it's me and Logick, but it's the same formula.
AB: You said Pryme's "back in the search," which makes it sound like you kind of knew from jump that Pryme had other things on his mind.
KS: Pryme, like I said, as far as going back to the search, he was ministering a while back, something happened in the church that devastated him, mentally and physically, but when he took time away from it he was caught between trying to be a righteous person, the streets, and the rap game and he got caught in-between. There was a lot of paranoia coming from his end in terms of a lot of places that we went to, a lot of venues, he felt this was not the life he wanted to be involved with.
AB: What part of Connecticut are you from?
KS: Hartford.
AB: What have you found to be the biggest advantage of being a rap artist in Connecticut?
KS: Not to discourage anybody in Connecticut, but as far as an advantage I can't really say there is one. There's no support from your local radio stations. The only ones that do support the artists is college radio and that's why if The O.R.D.E.R. ever gets to the point where we want to be college radio will be in our mouths and on our minds as much as possible. If it wasn't for college radio we wouldn't get heard by the underground listeners. There's no unity between any of the artists. As far as us we've tried to reach out to certain individuals. All of us, we got crumbs on our plate, we're trying to make a full meal from that, but if we come to you don't try to take our crumbs. Let's build a foundation together so we can all eat healthy. There's some local producers out here who want $800 for a beat and it wouldn't even make the cutting room floor. It's really tough to deal with Connecticut artists, producers, let's not even talk about the radio stations who don't even want to hear what you have to offer. You approach them in the streets or the clubs. They bring known artists in but there's no good look as far as "here's a local artist, maybe they can add on." I'm sorry to say it but it's been a struggle.
AB: CT still hasn't seen a rapper emerge from the state and really represent for us. You've already listed a few potential reasons why, but are there any more reasons why do you think that is?
KS: We need more creativity from the Connecticut MC's. We need to sound different, we need to get our own distinct sounds. The cadences of some of the MC's I've heard is reminiscent of the MC's that are out there, the Cassidy's, the Jadakisses, the battle MC's from Harlem you see on the DVDs. A lot of the MC's here are basically emulating to try to get on. Don't get me wrong, to a lot of the MC's out there that's probably what you think it takes to get on but at the same time let's create. Let's take our craft a little more serious. Let's really write from the heart and soul. Let's come with real real heart and soul. I think that's a big problem.
AB: Why do you feel The O.R.D.E.R. has the potential to be the group that represents CT nationally?
KS: That's a very good question, and again not to offend anybody, this struck me kinda funny and I remember tellin the guys this, a lot of people who have heard our material, they've had the nerve to tell us "wow, you don't sound like you're from Connecticut." And I've always been like, what the hell is that supposed to mean? Being that we've heard that so many times, we take our music seriously, we're always trying to think of certain ways to make the last song better than the last song, so we're always diggin deep, we're always studying, we're always advancing our vocabulary, we're always reading. Not to say that other MC's don't do that, but from the sounds of it, other's don't. We'll listen to a track and try to make our lyrics, or cadence, or hooks, according to that track. We're not one dimensional. Our lyrics make almost a marriage to the track that we're on. We're always going to sound distinctive. We took it as a compliment but at the same time we took it as an insult. What is that CT sound?
AB: Big Mike has your music playing all over the country, how did you link up with him?
KS: I met Big Mike through a partner. I was in a group called Sins of Reality which translated into Dhark Citi. Big Mike was kind of managing another group member at the time. That group member told him he should meet me. When we started dealing with Krumb Snatcha and The Wolves, this group member was trying to put himself up in front of everybody. When people caught wind they severed ties with this individual, but Big Mike and I were still cool.
AB: One of your most recent singles is "Street Government," tell me a little bit about what "Street Government" is all about.
KS: Street Government, that was something we had to give to the community in terms of when they listen to that record there's a lot of political references and martyr references. We made that sort of chanty anthem but we also tried to divide that into a lesson. We mention Malcom X in there, we mention controversial presidential comments. That's really a lyrical confrontation to the industry right there.
AB: Describe the current state of CT Hip-Hop, in your opinion.
KS: Certain groups that have been played on mainstream radio.... it's not good. It's not food for thought, it's not a good recipe that's going on. I don't blame any of these artists, I blame those who are steering them in that direction to make party hits. It's not working. From the way CT has been going and the way Hartford has been going, there's a story to tell out here. Tell that story, tell that story where you're from. Let's get personal. Write what you really feel, that will make people say "damn, let's take a ride out there and find out what's going on out there." Right now we don't have an original sound.
AB: What else should the people know about ya'll?
KS: We're a humble cast of characters, that's first and foremost. We are not that overconfident group, we're not the one's who will say "we spit hot sh*t, we can do this we can do that" what you see is what you get from The O.R.D.E.R. We'll give you something you can appreciate. I like to expend my vocabulary. I like to reach out and really have one of my listeners say "damn where'd he get that information from?" Or, "what's on his mind?" We're always grindin and we're quick to jump in the vehicle and go to any event that will benefit us or benefit Connecticut. I just got back from Florida, The Source Awards. I was there. A lot of it's bein in the right place at the right time. I actually got to attend the show and met Marion Suge Knight. He's a cool individual.
Suge Knight and Killascripsha