Post by Adam B on Jul 19, 2005 10:59:17 GMT -5
275 Interview
by Adam Bernard
There are certain spots in America that are known as hotbeds for Hip-Hop. New York, Atlanta, New Orleans and many other cities are notorious for producing talented artists, but there are plenty of other spots on the map with artists ready to bust out, as well. Take Dayton, Ohio. Not Cleveland, not the city everyone knows about, but Dayton. DeMarco, one half of the Dayton group 275, notes the city has a strong funk background with artists like Zapp and Roger, Heatwave and The Ohio Players, but as Snipes, his lyrical partner, explains "it's a place where only a few make it out as far as big because it's a small city and there's not a lot of avenues to get out, even the athletes have a hard time." 275 are already ahead of the game in that regard, they've got the video for their single "Move Something" spinning on BET Uncut nearly every night.
The first people to make it out of Dayton, according to DeMarco, were originators. He notes "the Wright Brothers are from Dayton so we're on some fly sh*t." "It's a legendary place," added Snipes "people just don't get to see it like that." Snipes and DeMarco hope people will view them as original and add them to the small, but growing, list of Dayton residents who've made it.
275's "Murder By Numbers" mix CD's already have the city buzzin and are readying their debut album, "Unlawful Entry," for a June release. "The first single we're pushing hard, 'Strange,'" notes DeMarco. "Strange" is a racy song about the joys of sex with new women. "We want people to perceive us as lyrically very skillful, and havin fun too. It ain't all about tryin to shoot people, trying to rob people, but it's about trying to have fun, too. Hip-Hop came from fun. Overall Hip-Hop is fun, you're supposed to dance to it and have a good time," he explains "when you hear 'Strange' it will put you in that mind frame." The duo's want to have fun is also expressed, though in a slightly different way, on the song "Wheels On The Truck," when they interpolate the children's song "Wheels On The Bus" for the chorus.
Their goals for their first album seem simple enough, they just want to get your attention. Snipes explains "after people hear it I want them to be like 'wow, what was that.' I want it to be something they feel like 'I ain't never heard nothin like it but I wanna hear some more and I want to see what else they can do.'"
Snipes describes the content that he wants people to react to as a "distinctive sound you can probably say you haven't heard before. Lyrically catchy punch lines, real subjects, real topics you deal with every day. Clever stories, clever ways to flip a song you haven't heard before. A way to do it that hasn't been done before. A new way of bringin it that you haven't heard, that's what we pride ourselves on. Rap is kind of stunted so what we want to do is bring something not everyone else give ya." DeMarco seconded this, adding "it's not gonna be the same songs from track one to track 17 or however many tracks are on it. That's what makes classic album, or even good artists, to be able to come with different styles and not hear the same flow with every single joint."
DeMarco and Snipes, who derived the name 275 from being two guys who live off the I-75 highway, feel they are at a distinct advantage when it comes to their musical endeavors. DeMarco notes that their lifelong friendship provides a much more stable base than most groups have, saying "you got a lot of different groups they put together and because the chemistry isn't there trust wise it doesn't work." Snips agrees with this sentiment, adding "it helps as far as recording and traveling together because we're used to it and it will keep controversy down in the future as far as me and him because we've been doing this together for so long."
Their time together has also helped them developed unique styles, so if you think they sound different realize it's completely on purpose. According to DeMarco, "we both got our own distinctive styles to the table and that's what's gonna set us apart. A lot of groups you may have gotten em confused with each other or seen the video before you could tell who is who. With us you can tell Snipes from DeMarco."
While DeMarco and Snipes were developing their styles Dayton was busy developing it's Hip-Hop scene. "As the years pass it's growing," DeMarco notes "we're like the main group in the city so everybody is kinda on our back to break through. Got a club here called Elbows that hosts freestyle battles. We got the clubs that mostly play crunk down south type of music." The different variants of the music aren't the only aspects of Hip-Hop that are coming together in a the musical melting pot of a city. "You'll go down the street and see a cat rock Tims in the summer then go to another block and see white tees," he explains "it's a mixture."
Snipes feels that mixture has helped 275 develop a sound all their own, saying "our style can't be defined as Midwest, what you'll hear is a mixture of everything. We got our own sound talking about Dayton and the Midwest period." "It's a culmination of everything all mixed into one," adds DeMarco "and because of that you get your own flavor, like a Kanye or an Eminem they got their own sound and you really can't trace it."
With such a wide array of divergent styles in one place Snipes notes "you gotta find yourself within it. Once you find yourself you get a hold of what you wanna do what you wanna sound like."
That's sound advice for an artist in any area and if DeMarco and Snipes have their way 275 will be having the Hip-Hop world checkin for their area, Dayton, Ohio, in the very near future.
by Adam Bernard
There are certain spots in America that are known as hotbeds for Hip-Hop. New York, Atlanta, New Orleans and many other cities are notorious for producing talented artists, but there are plenty of other spots on the map with artists ready to bust out, as well. Take Dayton, Ohio. Not Cleveland, not the city everyone knows about, but Dayton. DeMarco, one half of the Dayton group 275, notes the city has a strong funk background with artists like Zapp and Roger, Heatwave and The Ohio Players, but as Snipes, his lyrical partner, explains "it's a place where only a few make it out as far as big because it's a small city and there's not a lot of avenues to get out, even the athletes have a hard time." 275 are already ahead of the game in that regard, they've got the video for their single "Move Something" spinning on BET Uncut nearly every night.
The first people to make it out of Dayton, according to DeMarco, were originators. He notes "the Wright Brothers are from Dayton so we're on some fly sh*t." "It's a legendary place," added Snipes "people just don't get to see it like that." Snipes and DeMarco hope people will view them as original and add them to the small, but growing, list of Dayton residents who've made it.
275's "Murder By Numbers" mix CD's already have the city buzzin and are readying their debut album, "Unlawful Entry," for a June release. "The first single we're pushing hard, 'Strange,'" notes DeMarco. "Strange" is a racy song about the joys of sex with new women. "We want people to perceive us as lyrically very skillful, and havin fun too. It ain't all about tryin to shoot people, trying to rob people, but it's about trying to have fun, too. Hip-Hop came from fun. Overall Hip-Hop is fun, you're supposed to dance to it and have a good time," he explains "when you hear 'Strange' it will put you in that mind frame." The duo's want to have fun is also expressed, though in a slightly different way, on the song "Wheels On The Truck," when they interpolate the children's song "Wheels On The Bus" for the chorus.
Their goals for their first album seem simple enough, they just want to get your attention. Snipes explains "after people hear it I want them to be like 'wow, what was that.' I want it to be something they feel like 'I ain't never heard nothin like it but I wanna hear some more and I want to see what else they can do.'"
Snipes describes the content that he wants people to react to as a "distinctive sound you can probably say you haven't heard before. Lyrically catchy punch lines, real subjects, real topics you deal with every day. Clever stories, clever ways to flip a song you haven't heard before. A way to do it that hasn't been done before. A new way of bringin it that you haven't heard, that's what we pride ourselves on. Rap is kind of stunted so what we want to do is bring something not everyone else give ya." DeMarco seconded this, adding "it's not gonna be the same songs from track one to track 17 or however many tracks are on it. That's what makes classic album, or even good artists, to be able to come with different styles and not hear the same flow with every single joint."
DeMarco and Snipes, who derived the name 275 from being two guys who live off the I-75 highway, feel they are at a distinct advantage when it comes to their musical endeavors. DeMarco notes that their lifelong friendship provides a much more stable base than most groups have, saying "you got a lot of different groups they put together and because the chemistry isn't there trust wise it doesn't work." Snips agrees with this sentiment, adding "it helps as far as recording and traveling together because we're used to it and it will keep controversy down in the future as far as me and him because we've been doing this together for so long."
Their time together has also helped them developed unique styles, so if you think they sound different realize it's completely on purpose. According to DeMarco, "we both got our own distinctive styles to the table and that's what's gonna set us apart. A lot of groups you may have gotten em confused with each other or seen the video before you could tell who is who. With us you can tell Snipes from DeMarco."
While DeMarco and Snipes were developing their styles Dayton was busy developing it's Hip-Hop scene. "As the years pass it's growing," DeMarco notes "we're like the main group in the city so everybody is kinda on our back to break through. Got a club here called Elbows that hosts freestyle battles. We got the clubs that mostly play crunk down south type of music." The different variants of the music aren't the only aspects of Hip-Hop that are coming together in a the musical melting pot of a city. "You'll go down the street and see a cat rock Tims in the summer then go to another block and see white tees," he explains "it's a mixture."
Snipes feels that mixture has helped 275 develop a sound all their own, saying "our style can't be defined as Midwest, what you'll hear is a mixture of everything. We got our own sound talking about Dayton and the Midwest period." "It's a culmination of everything all mixed into one," adds DeMarco "and because of that you get your own flavor, like a Kanye or an Eminem they got their own sound and you really can't trace it."
With such a wide array of divergent styles in one place Snipes notes "you gotta find yourself within it. Once you find yourself you get a hold of what you wanna do what you wanna sound like."
That's sound advice for an artist in any area and if DeMarco and Snipes have their way 275 will be having the Hip-Hop world checkin for their area, Dayton, Ohio, in the very near future.