RZA
With Zeds Dead headed to Starland Ballroom on the next stop of their Living Dead tour, we got the latest from the dynamic DJ duo. Read on!
Interview by Angela Samartano
Angela Samartano: How did you both originally start working with one another? How did you decide on the name Zeds Dead?
Hooks: We started a group called Mass Productions years ago with the goal of making instrumental albums, selling beats, and working with rappers. Years later we started getting into electronic stuff and decided to make a new alias which was Zeds Dead. It came from our initials Z and D (Zack and Dylan) and ya, the scene in Pulp Fiction.
AS: Which musicians or DJs have inspired your music over the years? Who would you say is your biggest influence of all?
Hooks: So many people have inspired me over the years. to list a few: DJ Shadow, Premier, Pete Rock, Rza, Madlib, Dre, Mugs, RJD2, Noisia, Pendulum, Skream, Justice.. I feel like my biggest influence may be the Beatles though..
AS: What has been your most memorable gig to date? Which city do you enjoy playing in most?
Hooks: Our show we just did at the congress theater in Chicago was incredible! So many people there and such great energy. I had some surreal moments on stage looking out at everybody.
AS: Beginning last month, Omar Linx and you started "The Living Dead Tour" throughout North America, bringing along Araab Muzik, XI, Memorecks, Mat the Alien and Knight Riders. How did you go about picking artists to join you on the tour? What are you most excited about throughout the tour?
Hooks: We tried to make the lineup very diverse with everybody bringing something unique to the table. All the artists we chose play different types of sets than us and have a unique sound. It's really cool to just be in an atmosphere full of artists that you respect. It gets the creative juices going.
When: August 22nd, 2011
Where: House of Blues
3950 Las Vegas Boulevard
Las Vegas, NV 89119
Info:
Rock The Bells is an annual hip hop festival that orginally took place in Southern California only, but has since toured throughout the world. The concert features a lineup of high-profile alternative hip hop acts, often headlined by a more mainstream artist. The first festival was held in 2004, featuring a re-united Wu-Tang Clan, who performed 4 months before Ol' Dirty Bastard's death.
Entire tour schedule and tickets here!
Veteran hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan is preparing to drop a new album titled Legendary Weapons, scheduled to release on June 28th via E1. It's been nearly four years since the entirety of the multi-platinum rap collective Wu-Tang Clan joined forces on one record. Since then there have been several solo efforts and multi-member side ventures, but this collaborative release is the most anticipated project thus far.
When the first revealed track, "Only the Rugged Survive," exclusively featuring RZA on the mic, dropped last month, the crew launched an epic event that was years in the making -resulting in Legendary Weapons. RZA will reign as exectuive producer, with beats provided by Brooklyn-based band The Revelations, alongside Andrew Kelly, Fizzy Womack, and Noah Rubin (also known as Lil Flame). In addition to the core Wu members, the album also features cameos by M.O.P., Sean Price, AZ, and others. The next single to release from the album will be "225 Rounds," with U-God, Cappadonna, Bronze Nazareth, and RZA.
RZA, leader of the legendary Wu-Tang clan and legendary producer of almost all Wu-Tang albums, along with many other hip hop classics, has told The Game to remove the song "Heartbreaker" from The Game's Purp and Patron mix tape released last week.
RZA who pioneered the hip-hop beats created by the sampling of other forms of music and influenced hip hop producers like Kanye West and Just Blaze, was unable to gain permission to use the sample used in "Heartbreaker". The beat on "Heartbreaker" was originally planned to be released on The Game's upcoming album R.E.D.
Reek Da Villian's new music video is now online. I love this old school touch. We have here Reek Da Villian, Busta Rhymes, and Swizz Beatz having fun in a garage. Xzibit should like the video.
It's good to find some original hip hop nowadays. This doesn't look like a Swizz Beatz instrumental. Some say RZA used this soul music song before with Method Man. Well it sounds like a beat sampled by RZA. Anyway you now know where to go you need to have your car repaired.
This is going to be a name dropping article. We have in this "Carry It" song a team of famous guys : Travis Barker from Blink 182, Tom Morello from Rage Against The Machine, Raekwon and RZA who are in the Wu-Tang. Travis Barker who originally is a punk music drummer worked with a lot of hiphop stars this year : Lil Wayne, A-Trak (DJ), T.I, and Waka Flocka.
He also called Rick Ross, B.o.B, Swizz Beatz, Ludacris, and members of Linkin Park and Slipknot to work on his collaborative solo album called "Give the Drummer Some".
This album sould be released in february. Raekwon said about "Carry It" : "This is beautiful, man. This is going to be a f**king hit record." Well I do love Raekwon and Wu-Tang's music in general. However, I found this song pretty boring. Tom Morello's guitar solo is pretty cool, but that's it.
Here they come ! Those naughty folks are once again ready to burn LA stage. I think Wu-Tang guys have always knew how to stay fresh and always bring something new. This is probably because they all had the freedom to go on solo and then come back to the crew with fresh ideas.
Anyway, all I'm saying is that they were among the best MCs, and still are. So get ready to witness the great performance of RZA, Raekwon, GZA, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, UGod, Method Man, Masta Killah, and the recent Cappadonna.
Wu-Tan Clan live at Club Nokia on December 5
8.00 PM
Tickets here !
Here’s a rundown of next week’s shows.
August 8
- Blondie @ Pacific Amphitheatre – 7:30 pm
- Mickey Avalon @ The Galaxy – 8 pm
August 11
- Lady Gaga @ Staples Center – 7 pm
- Rush @ Gibson Amphitheatre – 7:30 pm
- Joan Jett & Blackhearts @ Pacific Amphitheatre – 8 pm
- B.B. King & Buddy Guy @ Hollywood Bowl – 8 pm
August 12
- Coheed and Cambria @ The Wiltern – 6 pm
- Lady Gaga @ Staples Center – 7 pm
- Limp Bizkit @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater – 7 pm
- Meat Loaf @ Gibson Amphitheatre – 7:15 pm
- Queens of the Stone Age @ Club Nokia – 7:30 pm
- My Morning Jacket @ The Greek Theater – 8 pm
- Tokyo Police Club @ El Rey Theatre – 8 pm
- Leann Rimes @ Pacific Amphitheatre – 8:15 pm
The Black Keys
Genre: Blues,
Indie
Website:
www.theblackkeys.com
I have to admit, the first time I saw The Black Keys walk onto the stage I was already waiting for them to get off. There I was, standing for two hours in one spot, securing a position in the pit for Radiohead to come on and the last thing I wanted to see was two guys dressed as if they raided their fathers' closets come out and play. As they came on stage the crowd stood silent and watched as the quiet, shy duo set up their instruments. Then the lead singer came to the mic, "Hello, I'm Dan - this is Pat. We're The Black Keys and we're from Akron, Ohio." Then out of nowhere, Dan Auerbach struck his guitar and let the feedback cringe through the sold out Theater at Madison Square Garden and jumped into the opening of the song ‘Thickfreakness'. Immediately the entire pit stopped talking and realized we were about to witness something special. The crowd was hit with song after song of thick blues and insane guitar solos - howling vocals and a drummer who assaulted his drums like a possessed murderer. I happened to gaze at the side of the stage and saw Jonny Greenwood smiling from ear to ear as he rocked back and forth and I knew he felt the same thing we felt.
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