December | 2007 | Amalgam Digital Blog

Hezekiah For Higher Artist: Hezekiah Interviewer: D.S. Turner

Hezekiah For Higher

Hezekiah Interviewed by D.S. Turner 12-17-07

AmalgamDigital.com: Why did you call this album “I Predict A Riot”?

Hezekiah: The personal reason was the pressures that I went through growing up as a teen that never answers for in my life left me bitter and aggressive and it happens in everyone life. If there is a problem and it dent get fixed there is gonna be trouble. Dido on a political stand point also.

AmalgamDigital.com: Name the significant events and people that influenced and propelled you to create the album.

Hezekiah: My mother, Ayinke of Aaries, and family. When I made this album I was soul searching and I found out so much more about myself.

AmalgamDigital.com: Your album is very heartfelt and soulful in its sound, from the lyrics to the beats. Philadelphia has a longstanding history of influential soul artists that have defined the city’s sound for decades. What artists did you grow up hearing that influenced you to create the music you perform?

Hezekiah: Mann Otis Redding all day in my home BO Diddly grace Jones Parliament, and a bunch of country.

AmalgamDigital.com: In your song, “I’m Single Now,” you seem pretty excited to be single, yet spiteful to your ex-girlfriend. During many post break-up periods for former couples, ex-mates try to get over their pain of the break-up by hurting each other by rubbing it in their faces about moving on with their lives and finding new people to date and/or fuck. Is that the purpose of this song?

Hezekiah: Yeah you can say that (laughs). I had a really bad break up with my girl making this album and yeah my boys called me and was like “you single now” so a went out and partied my ass of came home the next day and wrote a song 2 wks later she and a got back together then later broke it off again (she said its me or the song)… hhhmmm… its a good song peace thanks for the inspiration (laughs).

AmalgamDigital.com: Also in the song, you talk about pursuing women in a nightclub. In many cases, men that have girlfriends or wives see more women that flock to them even more so since it’s a fun challenge to get what they know can’t have (or can). Then when men become single, women tend to sense desperation from a man, and stay afar from those men that are squirrels trying to get a nut if they don’t have their game right. Have you found someone new since making the record to not worry about the hot pursuit in the clubs anymore, happily increased your list of new found freaks, or had to settle for simpleton-looking scraggly chicks at the end of the night to angrily clean the pipes?

Hezekiah: You sound like you’ve been there before. I’m over all that fucking who ever when ever and I’m a dork not cool at all and ladies like alpha men weather it’s aggressive or money. I just didn’t want too many new names on my dick. truth be told I never cheated on her and I slept with one person when we broke up…truth!

AmalgamDigital.com: Music is therapeutic for many artists in many ways. You address a broad range of issues and experiences that are show your political, personal, spiritual states of mind that gives the album’s intimate feel for the listener. After completing this album, did you have any feelings left over about some issues you addressed?

Hezekiah: I wish I addressed mo’ I just didn’t want to over kill.

AmalgamDigital.com: Your delivery is very preacher-like with choir choruses that sound like Black spiritual hymnals. Did you grow up going to church?

Hezekiah: Ha yeah I sang in church that’s where I fell in love with music

AmalgamDigital.com: Do you play any instruments?

Hezekiah: Yes I’ve played bass 15 yrs now… I’m ok.

AmalgamDigital.com: Have you always been involved with music, or what epiphany made you drop whatever you were doing before making records to make you pursue a music career?

Hezekiah: I always did music 12 yrs old is when I started putting songs together though I wish someone would have schooled me on the bullshit of the biz.

AmalgamDigital.com: What should we be looking for soon in the near future from you? Any projects, tours, collaborations with new or established artists?

Hezekiah: Hezekiah-Black Eyed Peas collabs, my rock project Johnny Popcorn, and my sister Keziah’s album.

High Fives And Black Eyes Artist: Mr. Len Interviewer: Ritz Carlton

High Fives And Black Eyes

Mr. Len Interviewed by Ritz Carlton 12-05-07

AmalgamDigital.com: How is making music in 2008 with Dummy Smacks different than making music in 1998 with Company Flow?

Mr. Len: My role in making music and putting it out is the main difference. Company Flow was a 3 man group where we had to try and represent the vision of 3 distinctly different personalities. The format in which records were put out back then is considered ancient. Funcrusher Plus was available on cassette…who puts out cassettes now?? Nowadays the vision is mine. The artists on Smacks share the vision I have for the label so there’s not much compromise there. Furthermore, if they want to go in a direction I don’t agree with I let them go out and do whatever they want. No restrictions. I don’t stop them from working with other producers, emcees, or labels. Not very common for a label with signed artists.

AmalgamDigital.com: You’ve been putting a big focus on the digital music movement recently. What made you decide to go really jump into the digital world and how is it working out for you?

Mr. Len: The digital world is the future for the music industry. While some people (myself included) love to have the physical copy of a record, be it vinyl or cd. The majority would rather sit home and download it. Especially with music that isn’t being commercially pushed via MTV,BET, or radio. So far it’s slow but picking up. Since we started our 1 A WEEK or 30 in 30 campaign people are slowly starting to come around. A song a week for 30 weeks can only really work digitally.

AmalgamDigital.com: What can the fans expect on Self Indulgence?

Mr. Len: Self Indulgence is me being absolutely all about ME. They’re all songs that I produced that have made their way to records and some that I sat on for just such an occasion…the occasion where I wanted to show just how much I like ME and why you should also.

AmalgamDigital.com: Can fans expect another Roosevelt Franklin album?

Mr. Len: Expect a way fans…I can’t put a date on it yet, but for all you muppet loving, Elisha Cuthbert stalking, angry at Rap Music folks out there we will invade your airwaves with manic insanity soon enough.

AmalgamDigital.com: Who is the craziest member of the Dummy Smacks fam?

Mr. Len: Easily Eggz from BullyMouth…..there isn’t enough time to exlain why. I’m sure most people that know about us would expect it to be Mental Case… ya know cuz of the name.

AmalgamDigital.com: What’s the wildest shit you’ve seen on the road?

Mr. Len: In Denmark, we were at this outside market hanging at this one booth. A dude from the booth behind us wanted our attention so he turned his music up ran to one end of the market and did cartwheels back to his booth.

AmalgamDigital.com: Kice… Of Course is one of the most underrated in the game. How did you come to connect with him and have you started working on a new record?

Mr. Len: I connected with Kice through a mutual friend who used to manage me while I was in college. And I would see him around with his crew at the time called The Enfatry. They used to rhyme everywhere they went..the good old Eastwick, New Jersey days. Yes there is a new Kice record on the horizon. There’s a beat for him right now on my MPC.

AmalgamDigital.com: I heard recently that you didn’t show up at a Company Flow reunion. Is this true and if so, why did you choose not to go?

Mr. Len: You heard correctly. I was in South Jersey and couldn’t make it. No big story or beef. Just not in the area.

AmalgamDigital.com: If you had to quit music tomorrow what would you do for a living?

Mr. Len: Become a writer. Short stories maybe some graphic novels.

AmalgamDigital.com: What’s the biggest misconception about Mr. Len?

Mr. Len: That I’m a really dark person. I probably laugh more than I kill…probably.

Pick up Mr. Len’s Self Indulgence exclusively at Amalgam Digital for $8.99.