This week we dip into the world LA Graff, Punk & Rap with the hybrid band that is Downset. Formed in the late 80's/early 90's, they were the pre cursors for what became the rap/rock. Setting paths for the likes of Rage Against The Machine, Dog Eat Dog, Anthrax & Public Enemy style collaboration's and more. Touring with Suicidal Tendencies, Body Count to name a few. Behind the scenes they've also been active artists in the LA Graffiti Scene. Lead vocalist Ray AKA Shot One is a member of legendary Los Angeles Graff crew UTI - a formidable crew which includes some of the most recognised writers in LA. This episode we're talking 90's Punk, rap, tour life, graff life, LA life and creativity from 2 of the most committed characters that I've talked to in a while. prepared to be inspired! This is Downset's podcast Documenting the Graffiti Artists of History past, before their critical acclaims and contributions to the urban arts. Disclaimer: This presentation is for documentation and educational purposes only. No hard drive copies, footage or records of any interviews are held by Killa Kela and once uploaded to the outlets listed below, those are the only records in existence. Any illegal activity discussed is neither encouraged, supported or incited.
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KILLA KELA
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DOWNSET
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/Raydownset
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DOWNSET (RAP PUNK GROUP /UTI GRAFFITI CREW, LA )KKPC #149 TRANSCRIPT
KILLA KELA: One, two, one, two, good afternoon ladies and gentlemen this is a Central LA or central as you need to be and boy like I'm sweating like an old people’s home in here because I just done an amazing studio session, an unannounced studio session with my boys Roy and Ray. Downset inside the place. How are we gentlemen?
RAY (SHOT ONE): I’m doing good.
ROY LOZANO: Very good thank you.
KK: That’s some good shit. Thank you so much for having me. Big shout to Graffiti Kings inside the place big shout to Phil, Phil Leads man for hooking us up.
RAY: New York people.
KK: New York people, inside the house. Yeah, hold tight. Yeah what’s been going on I mean like we're in there we’re in the that the the goldilocks, the the hub here, we're in in the lab what’s what’s been going on in there at the moment.
ROY: Yeah this is we’re in Granada Hills, it's an eight one eight territory, San Fernando Valley North LA and we just we wanted to start demoing pre-production and we got our homie, Nick Jet from terror and Andrew Kline from strife, their in there right now working we just were trying to finish up a track and homie right here, Killa Kela came in and dropped some beatbox for an intro and there's gonna be some pretty cool beats that are we're gonna we're gonna mess with and try to hybrid and put together but we're we're in pre-production now for we're just trying to write songs for this upcoming album number six for Downset.
KK: Album six, bro. crazy.
RAY: Yeah 220 year 220 and yeah you know it's our fifth day here and we're banging out a couple songs, you know just idea tracks and put up together really quick and at the end of the day we come out with two songs and it's been really good. This is our fifth day we have about eight tracks, ten tracks something like that. We have, we have three or four with vocals and this this just happened in the last month and you know Ray, Ray and I just got back together and we started hanging out again and and doing homie things and start talking about music and then the idea of Downset it came out and this is just an idea that started a couple months ago and we've already sprung out this far and and we're just gonna put it together and do album number six. However long it takes you know and you know we’ve got special guys like like yourself coming in and dropping things and you know dropping, whatever you know you have to offer. I'm gonna have Carl from First Blood play bass for us and you know we're gonna have a lot of cool things happening. Bobby Bloods gonna play drums for us. And you know we have some shows coming up and we're planning on doing this you know 400% and and just try to do the best album that we could possibly do.
KK: There must be like this real feeling like, when the likes of me that’s you know come from another country roll through on the quest, wanting to have a chat with you guys cos like we’ll get into some deep shit right but they’re these guys are like there they are the originals, they are the original dudes, that have you know they created they create the foundations of what became that genre of the dog eats dogs meets the Pantera meets the Rage Against The Machines. I mean you say these now you say Rage Against the Machine you you almost certainly do like there's a close association particularly, the time must be crazy to come full cycle you're in the situation and you get some new energy some new things and it just feels like synergy it feels so natural, it’s happening right.
RAY: Yeah definitely, at this point we're definitely following uh, my whole approach to this whole record impractical qualities just with heavy music and hip-hop you know I've been listening to a lot of Slayer, a lot of Hate Breed and you know with hip-hop I’ve pretty much been listening to like Wu-Tang and stuff like that and so it we’re just trying to hybrid unique qualities that we have to offer at this point. We have so much experience with the style that you know it's gonna be really interesting to see where the transition is and like Roy was saying, like we're in pre-production right now and we're initially touching the essential qualities of the release it’s like we can already see what it that this is going to turn into man it's just gonna be it's just gonna be really highbred quality 2020, 2023.
KK: And its really it’s like a new kind of confidence, like we’re now seeing you guys in there like a new explaining, were like the circumstances in which you were you know when we started off you're like yeah, we're just trying to so you know there’s no pressure. Would you, okay dude it just felt like in there is like. yeah it did for me a jumping in it, I'm like yeah because their vibe was like yeah, yeah, yeah, you guys were on it.
ROY: It’s, it's taken a long time to create vibes this way and the reason why I think today it's been you know and these sessions have been coming a lot more natural and and easy is because we’re not, right now we're not on any label, we're doing, we're paying for all this ourselves so there is no time clock. We’re not looking at it at a clock, I mean eventually yes there's just time that you to pay but for a time clock with release or a label you know it's it's different. We're it’s like when we first created Downset, we did it with no pressure, we did it at our time and we did it because because we were having fun. So we want it and it just felt it just feels like that now again because you know we're, we're, we're doing it a tour pace you know and and then so anybody you know it's a big collaboration because we all need it, we need help you know it's we need to help with a lot of people, and it's writing, whether it's you know putting together album and the logistics of things, so you know I have buddies that you know coming over and and and doing their thing and as far as like dropping you know, you know drum beats or guitars or like yourself. And we want to create an environment that's when people walk in they don't feel that that stress energy and everybody's like you know looking sideways and you know it's just you know everybody can be free to do what they want and that's what the environment that we're trying to create. Yeah is to you know when people come in and sit down, they can they can express whatever their ideas and we're gonna listen to it and try it and then hear it listen to it and then give our opinion, instead of you know, oh that's just what. It's taking a long time to get to this point, I guess that of you know the album’s that we you know experience and we’ve experienced different types of albums and creating in different environments, so you know I think it’s after doing this for a while now I think it’s we've created lasting.
KK: Ray, yeah for real, um very, like with with regards to the history of the band because you know with the with the hiatus that you guys had, there will be many people that are watching this now listening to it that are not familiar with the journey that you guys took, so I mean I remember, I mean but I even me I was like I was conduit to MTV of the time you know so explain a little bit about the journey pre, well pre 96 I guess the ’94, ‘96 right.
RAY: Pretty much Downset is from the streets man, you know what I'm saying you know, I’ve been doing graffiti since about 1982 and early at that period of time, I was also into punk rock so I was able to be there at a period of time, when I was like a little kid like a boy. like rolling out in like Hollywood the valley, southcentral and it had a lot a lot to do with my with my history with with the hip-hop movement and up in the punk rock movement in Los Angeles.
KK: Which is like one in the same the Energy's the same right?
RAY: Well back then it wasn’t. Back then it was completely separate.
KK: Really.
RAY: Yeah and got to come that to come, I gave the effort that part of my journey it was two hybrid, two hybrid because when you went to a punk show like my homie Scape from cbs like when he went to a punk show there, was pretty much like punk rock fools, like maybe a couple of people that were graffiti writer, but they were like punk rock, punk rock is a separate movement and hip-hop is a separate movement, so that's that's a part of the movement in the journey you’re talking about. So about that period of time what happened is that I started hybrid in just my life, my lifestyle like what we would do is we would go we'd have meetings with the crew and then we'd go and then you know, Suicidal Tendencies, D.I., 7 seconds Beowulf, Youth of Today, Bad Religion whoever was playing at that period of time we would all get together have a meeting go get some paint and go bombing and then end up at the show,
KK: That’s so sick.
RAY: You know what I'm saying that this was happening to do this was happening between like 1985 and 87.
KK: what?
RAY: So, so so so that that period of time that is how this whole thing with Downset developed.
KK: Can you give away your name back then your graff name?
RAY: No uh, I'm Shot One from UTI, got nothing to hide you know the D.A., whoever can try to slap a case against me I’m you know it doesn't even matter.
KK: Yeah, yeah, dope, dope, dope as you were sorry, I'm fucking a huge graffiti fan as there’s a lot of these guys know I predominantly graphism is is all about this.
RAY: So, so, so, you know when you when you asked me to describe the journey that’s pretty much where it started to develop, which was like and with me just because of who I was, I was able to touch base, because there were people who wanted things separate but there were also people who wanted a hybrid things, like people who were involved with skateboarding people were going to punk shows, people who were involved with the hip-hop movement, just with me myself I was able to grab it and gravitate towards like all kinds of different people at that period of time. And nobody was getting down like that, there was a couple of people in Los Angeles who were who were really, really there and really involved like when I mean involved I’m not just talking about going to a show I’m talking about making the shows, doing the shows you know, you know going and getting your paint going to the yards rocking the bus line and rocking the MTA and do doing what we were doing at an early period of time, so the most initially the most significant time was probably between ‘86 and ‘89 like, here in Los Angeles it was just like I see, I seen it happening way way before a lot of people did.
KK: Really, really.
RAY: Yeah, for sure.
KK: So your ears and eyes were on the ground at a super early age and, and, and like you're saying there wasn't an association, so was there an association with hip hop within the graff or was it like a separate movement? Did it feel like anyone could be involved like you’re talking about punk and stuff and.
RAY: For us awe didn't care if you were, if you have it, if you had the if you wanted to go paint, if you wanted to go skating, if you you know you wanted to go to a hardcore show, if you wanted to go DJ like whatever whoever was willing to take the time to accumulate the resources so that we can produce the actual work and, like the artwork like those were the people that we were getting.
KK: That’s incredible I love the fact yeah yeah, it’s became a.
RAY: People, people talk all day but unless you're willing to go to the yards and paint, unless you're willing to go rock the buses, unless you're willing to like with Roy, it’s to see him accumulate resources and you know maximize the potentiality for, any way any project itself like that’s what it requires. You have to be out here, you have to be out here, putting things together and taking the time and it because you believe in the culture man. You believe in the science of hip-hop hardcore whatever you want to call it, like you know, you know, it's just a science man if you're gonna take the time to really accumulate the resources and make this happen that's what it requires.
KK: 100 percent, with you guys is there, is there a. so is there a dynamic in which you guys work? So, you'd would you say you're more of the constructor, the constructor of this side of the Downset movement at that time and onwards.
ROY: When we first started this band, it was just Ray and I with an idea. Yeah Ray had the idea that he wanted to hard rap over some heavy riffs and at the time, I was just really into like you know Black Sabbath and Judas Priest and then like you know like you know I was sick of it all and when he told me that I was like okay, I think I can sure you know I, I wasn’t in Bodycount was around and so at that time it was just you know it was me trying to figure out how am I gonna get this together and back in those days and that was in 1990, ‘91 when he was we came up with the idea, I want to rap on some heavy riffs and I’m thinking ,okay how am I gonna put this together and it was just putting my mind together and so we had another band called Social Justice, called Chris Lee the drummer and say hey you know he was also a graffiti artist and he was into hip-hop, punk, hardcore you know. I think a lot of things that gelled everybody together in those scenes was because everybody was to do it themselves, DIY, it was DIY so I think a lot of people like other punk rockers and that a graffiti artist and hip hoppers had that common ground to meet you know because you know I know the punk rockers they love to do a lot of murals.
KK: The kind of dog town shit.
ROY: It was all kinds, yeah so but I did the way I felt that I brought it together in the beginning was just bringing the drummer aboard and then he started with some beats and a four track and in those days we had an Alesis and a four track rolling.
KK: Classic.
ROY: you know that’s how it started in these days you know after I’ve now I’ve been I’ve been in a good 20 bands and this is my 77th album, I think.
KK: wow.
ROY: So after doing all those after putting together all those types of projects, I’ve learned how to quickly you know put together my resources and all the the contacts and, and the people that met and and you know I've nurtured my my contacts. And throughout the years and, and you know, I've just had you know a lot of people that have my back and help me out and I've you know I sometimes you have to call for your favors, mm-hmm this is one of those cases where you know, we don’t have all the money in the world to be in here every day, to do pre-production but you know it's you know, Ray has a lot of contacts too. You know, growing up you know doing that the Downset albums, all the touring we’ve done and different bands you know we have you know our friends mostly that we met that that we've brought up that we were brought up with together who are still around like Andrew, you know and and he you know he will always help us out, I'll help him out whenever he needs something with his band you know recordings and so I've gotten good at it throughout the years, I had to, I had to learn how or else I'd be wasting my money and you know so yeah so that's I would say around now you know we just we’re just putting our resources together Ray and I, hmm basically it’s you know that's how you came aboard you know, Ray you know with Ray and you know Philip Leads, a homie.
KK: Yeah, yeah New York, New York people inside. That said that's that's its area of the world which he's not going down in price right now, you know what I mean., its going up bro. I always admired a true, a true light, originator that still creates within the space that he was he came up in because these these areas, you know they gentrify they they you know it can make you feel disenfranchised ,especially from a creators point of view right you guys must have seen a lot of this comes through ebbs and flows . New York wise right and LA, more so.
RAY: You know what goes on in New York is you know in New York, you know I’m not from New York, I'm from Los Angeles but you know I have a lot of friends and you know family people I consider family you know, gentrification is a pretty substantial political, a contemporary political concern of, of a lot of people and we've seen its effects on the society. yeah and he even here in Los Angeles, the same things happening but whatever the political or social circumstances are of the era you know it’s not gonna stop what we're doing here.
KK: So true, so true.
RAY: Whether. Whether, whether billionaires are moving into East LA or Oklahoma or you know or wherever it doesn't matter dude, we’re still gonna be kickin science. Yeah then we’re gonna still keep on rocking likes and you know you know even if you when you see all the stuff that's going on even in a place like Brixton, you know I’m saying it's just like, it's not gonna stop London from representing for the culture, it's people they're gonna keep on rocking bro if you really believe in it, you're just gonna keep it riding.
KK: Yeah that's right, yeah, yeah and also like you're saying about people galvanizing to a project. Um maybe not so much as back in the day but I love the fact that creatives they come together you know, I mean back in the day and I’ve only talked as far as my back of the day you understand like, it was not a spectator sport, this shit was you get involved, it's an athleticism in this you know, be the best be the best beatboxing ,be the best DJ, be the best jump and grab your shit you know. Do you think that's exists do you think that still exists in 2020?
RAY: Yeah, for sure yeah, you know I run with a crew called UTI, dwe've been together since 1986 and no matter what what happens it works still, like I told you, it's like we're still kicking science. We don't bite, we don't jock nobody, we respect people but if you're really dedicated to the craft that you're involved in like you know what I'm saying there's my piece book I'm still burning in my piece books, you know I'm saying .
KK: Can we just maybe just for that for the for the heads, for the visual heads, yeah straight up no fucking about, look.
RAY: You know, we're still out of here.
KK: Still out here come on.
RAY: We still out here. so, you know what you're saying about,2020, 2020 is just another year man.
KK: Still reffing.
RAY: You know what I’m saying, 2020 is just another year and and the thing about hard core and the thing about hip-hop is that in the most remote places in the society people are still still getting down, you know I'm saying, I've seen a lot of growth in Asia, like Thailand, Malaysia Indonesia.
KK: Crazy, crazy. You see the breaking going on in them?
RAY: In those, areas so, so you know what I’m saying thank you so so so whether it's 2020 or 2030 it doesn't matter, if you’re really dedicated to the culture that's gonna keep you know developing and that’s the most important thing like my my one of my initial qualities entering writing this record ,it's keeping the Downset, signature but also trying to developing hybrid like what the beatbox idea, that I had you know I really wanted to hybrid that with what with some dope, really heavy dark rhythmic music, you know so so whether it's 2020 or whatever we’re just gonna keep it you know, keep it going, you know my crew, we’re still having meetings we're still painting, we’re still on all formats and level we’re still getting down.
KK: Still on it.
RAY: Yeah you have to be man, if you have any integrity for the culture your crew the heritage of what it is that you've done in the past you're gonna keep it going ,why are you gonna stop, you know, yeah well because even if you retired even if you throw in the towel you know it’s gonna, keep on going anyways.
KK: Yeah exactly and you’re gonna say to yourself, wow why did I stop imagine, I mean you only know, as far as you come until you stop, right. You just go keep going but that's always inspiring shit, I think I've heard on trip already you know, that the fact that that that plays all these years, on you still some people get really caught up and we'll all excuse, we will, we'll all go through this the the whole idea of like idealisms and after so many years the expectations of what peers around you have and what your what you want out of life, it's so charming to hear somebody two people that just have one desire and that is just to compete and just to be the best in the scene the culture that's that shit is so sick.
ROY: Thank you much.
KK: Yeah it's just bigging it up now, but yeah let's go that let's go back because like that case that era on right what happened between that that period between the 94-96 up till now, why, why the, why the disappearance, why the separation, what, what went on with Downset? This is a big question isn’t it this is.
ROY: After Check Your People there was just a hiatus, I just remember there was for a little while there was a hiatus and then we got back together to do another album and then things didn't work out for me at the time, for what was happening, but they went on and did a really good album it's called Universal and there’s the next one, they did was One Blood, so at you know. big they kept on the the Downset tradition and the saga, you want to call, it I did other bands and I've been I went I've been always been producing other bands and you know trying other things, and and you know something's just come full circle and this circle was a long one you know, but we're back here again. And we had an idea of getting together with all the original members of the first album, so Ray and Me asked and I reached out to him and they just some to the guys, just couldn't do It just couldn’t do it and one guy lives really far and and it just some some some albums guys, can't do it I mean it doesn’t mean, that they're not gonna be back on the next album because we're gonna always invite the original guys, who they want to come back they could jump aboard you know, so I think in-between all those, all those years there was you know, it's just you know you we’re like, like Ray said, we're you know we grew up in in the East Valley, it’s pretty much, it's you know in those days, it was hard to get any type of financial help for for bands and especially where we came from and we got you know, I think it was a matter it was a combination of luck and and what we were doing, we were just really hungry to do something that we loved and caught the attention of a major label and then once we sign on a major label, then we signed a publishing deal with them with another you know another major and so these things they they turn they turned the whole you know whatever you do and they did turn it into a different, Avenue and all of a sudden you have just you have to become a businessman and so something that we were not really prepared to do I think at the time because we were just you know we're just young kids.
KK: Yeah, I was gonna say that's an age thing.
ROY: Right you know, so we learned through those albums, we learned through those years and we come to terms with certain things and we’re still coming to terms with certain things in the past and we're you know we have to forgive and to move forward to progress is you know is one thing, I think you know as a man that you got me you know come to terms with it and know that you can't change you know things in the past and there was a lot of really good things and there was some not so so but you know we can always build for the future and in come to terms out you know learn to forgive and then have empathy and compassion with people’s situations because of like we didn’t know what was going on and in our family households while we’re going through this, it was a new experience so we learned we're just learning and we're still learning in those years, you know it's just, this is what we were able to spit out this is what it's become is what we're going to do and it's hard, it's hard to do it, and we’re you know we take risks and the challenges and we love the challenges and I love to compete and you know I don’t necessarily do with my music I do it I do the music, really you know for myself I do it for myself.
KK: The soundtrack to the competition of what you.
RAY: Yeah so, I got to make sure, I'm happy with my own stuff I'm not happy with my own stuff they know who I don't know you know.
KK: It doesn't translate to and that’s the last thing toy want right?
RAY: So if I, if we love it, you know that's when, we want to you know, so that's where we're doing something that, we've always loved right now and that's fine that's what it’s, it’s come out to.
KK: Did you like with with punk and you know cos I find this ,I find it you know you know when you're in the arena of the studio, it's like there's a self-challenge and there's an aggression and there's a thing that synergy locks into for a moment, when you're coming up in a band and you're young and you’re going through those stages, those anxieties and those things that may have seen, the family environment unstable or the friendship within the band unstable, so do you feel like a lot of that translation into Punk or into rap actually has a real positive effect like all that anger and like attack it's part of the essence right.
RAY: You know, I you know, that’s music and being involved with the music industry, it's just another you know, quality in human society, so you know people are involved with different industries, there's different you know, there's different scenarios for different businesses and you know, with you know with hip-hop and punk rock or hardcore whatever you want to call it, it’s just you know people, are you know once you take all those labels away from you know away from yourself, you're a person, you're involved with your own decisions to be involved with that industry and you have to you have to do your best in your involvement there and you know that's the probably the best way I can answer your question, man if you’re there you're involved in anything whether you play baseball, whether you know you're a banker, whether you know whatever it is that you're doing, just you know, you know enter the best quality and effort to that because you know it's you're representing yourself.
KK: yeah that's right attack attack.
ROY: I gotta wrap it up, you guys can finish.
KK: Go, go get it, yeah. No worries.
ROY: Cos I gotta go out of town nick has a show tomorrow Nick's band Terror, they played in Vegas so my girl and I want to get a beat out and you know make it get there tonight and then go to the show and then comeback home and then.
KK: bro, you go get it, go get it.
ROY: Thank you very much.
KK: Roy, top boy.
ROY: Thanks for beatbox and you know those are some mad skills you got up there and come back anytime.
KK: Qw, no problem brother.
ROY: We will do it again.
KK: It'll be a fucking pleasure you guys fucking kick ass man, if you're outside looking to make some noise for our kid Roy all right. Cheers Roy. Like I mean dude, this year you know the contribution between the two of you is pretty, uncanny I’ve really loved the fact that you’ve both come out of another side and there’s just a level of acknowledgement, you guys know what you're doing that it’s just like a different take on what you probably had before right.
RAY: You know I think that me and Roy just are able to go to project the practical qualities of Downset, we were really we understand what Downset is what is necessary I think every member, who has been a member of Downset has, had that, that instinct and that quality that's what you know hybriding all the ideas that is what has created that Downset brand and style you know we made our own stuff before before you know a lot of people you know.
KK: Grabs hold of it.
RAY: Yeah we're, we're the originators of our own style that's for sure.
KK: Yeah I mean when I think it you know, when I put like I said earlier, I put the same but different it is suicidal, yeah and when you said yeah when you said um bodycount, oh you know that yeah man, like and there is a cycle, that's having a body counts new shit is fire, Yeah I mean and yeah it just seems to be like this huge empty hole of opportunity isn't there like at the moment, 90s you know.
RAY: Yeah, I don’t know what, I'm not really connected to like too much of the contemporary composition of music and you know whatever is going on these years, I just do my own thing you know I'm saying. I’m all about my crew, I'm all about my family you know, I’m all about Downset and that's where I'm focused on I was listening to some Bodycount last night I hadn't heard their material for a while and I was just like you know you know Ice T definitely you know he’s just dropping it really dope
KK: Yeah he’s they’re coming hard and the production and and he's the other thing as well like in terms of, in terms of the production like taking one step forward, into the disciplines that are going on in production, but still trying to retain your sound so it is like it's like a future forward version has that been a challenge.
RAY: In at the moment for us, I think we'll for down sit it kind of comes down to a couple of central qualities, number one is like the hooks the choruses’ is you know, if you think about like ritual empower, anger you know fallen off like the quality of the chorus and theatre hooks and the outro hooks like that’s always been a quality of the Downset as I had to offer and then you know what the guitar sound that has a lot to do with the to like Roy Aris and other people that have been involved, with the band. They have like mass I've seen what these guys are developed and done these guys know their instruments, they know the all the equipment they're working with these guys have developed a pretty solid Downset sound, so when it comes to like a studio work you know the guitars and the the hybriding of the the quality of the music and you know the the choruses and all that that's what really matters tome that's where I focus on the most you know.
KK: Yeah I do feel like a lot of that is missing in modern music today and I know that makes me sound old but a lot of even like my younger friends, they will revert back to 80s and 90s sound or at least songwriting, I don't know how much that influences them but they always seem to go back to it as if like that was the the authenticity was there and it wasn’t just like an 8 bar loop of beat it was you know there was more substance to it, you know what I mean.
RAY: Yeah you know you people gravitate to certain eras because of I guess it can appreciate certain qualities in that era you know you know when I think about Marvin Gaye you know Martha and the Vandellas, like you know, it’s like Motown that was my era that was the stuff that I really grew up on you know being a Chicano from Los Angeles, like all the homies all the homies from the neighborhood, that's all we listen to. We listen to oldies and before hit then you know we started listening to hip-hop and stuff like that but that happened like in the early and mid 80s but before that we were listening to just pretty much a Motown and soul you know so there's qualities that that era has to offer and that you know that are different from now, not that R&B and black music is not the same right now but you know there was a certain vibe and quality from that era that that saw you know reaching back and you know absorbing certain qualities from a different era that's normal.
KK: That is normal isn’t it. That's what young people do as much as older people.
RAY: I think I don't I don't see I hear people, I hear people talking about like the 80s and 90s all the time and to me like I'm going back to like in my own roots I go back all the way to like the 60s
KK: Yeah, yeah you know by default.
RAY: Oldies yeah yeah for sure because that’s what my parents listen to.
KK: Teah. and they strange have it because that's the same with my pops, my dad he got into some Led Zeppelin he got into some free and you know my mom was into like Michael Jackson and Barry White and things like that.
RAY: Yeah, yeah so are mine. Yeah yeah, the off-the-wall records like one of my favorites of all time it.
KK: Crazy, crazy and like I wouldn't have said that when I was 16 all I wanted was like all I wanted was like heavy hip-hop, mostly New York , like heavy hip-hop but now as you guys, I've matured I see things in a very different the composition to songs in a very different way and often I feel like maybe hip hip hop doesn't do it for me in the same way as other genres do, as I’ve got older maybe it's just I've eaten a lot of that pie, you know what I mean.
RAY: The last real you know the last real hip-hop that that I was you know ever really interested in was Wu-tang and while you know during the early 90s what happened is a lot of people at that period of time like I was working with Def Jam and uh you know a lot of people who were involved with New York, we kind of merged from LA to New York and I started getting like hands-on observation of what you know Phillip is like a part was a part of that and you know I started to really get a close-up look on, New York, hip hop in New York rap and it was fascinating to me because it was from the streets and so am I you know and you know the last real group that I really got into was just like wu-tang because you know it's just appealing to me and Jay-Z. Man I got to give it up for Jay- Z, I think that that that you know it's just he's just he’s a dope MC man his styles are def, I you know like I have an appreciation for black music and not that Jay-Z only appeals to black people but like listening to like going back to like Marvin Gaye going back to the 70s with Bob Marley those qualities in black music to me like I feel and when I hear like Wu-tang and and Jay-z like I can feel that in their stuff
KK: 100 percent, their identity waswithin their sounds I mean I remember when Jay-Z first comes he was like …. doing the whole thin,… you know which was kind of the flavor of the day with the Das EFX fix of the world but he just had that high pitch kind of different voice, that really cut through and then all of a sudden it just, yeah it's an identity isn't it and sometimes I know, I mean this is where you know age comes into play. I think but we we we lose sight, all I do anyway sometimes lose sight of what is identifiable about individual acts I mean there's post Malone's and there's Trippie Redd and JPEGMAFIA and Ho99o9s and that but there's a lot of other copycats that you lose vision for do you not I mean.
RAY: Yeah you know actually I don't know what you mean because it's like like out of the names you just said the the only one that I've heard of is post Malone.
KK: Yeah okay.
RAY: People, people have been giving me that material and I've listened to it you know its good stuff you know I'm not hating on anybody stuff yeah, I’m saying it just.
KK: I tell you what, I tell you who who if for my for my humblest opinion what I think you would fuck with I think I've all all the acts I would say maybe JPEG, JPEG mafia, horror which is ho99o9 they got this kind of bulk hybrid thing going on and Bob Vylan as well from England you like that's just on a side note but yeah cos and that’s why again, I can't help but feel like it's it's yeah, it's your time do you know what I mean, it's it's your time to just blow and do, do, do these new things again it do you know what I mean.
RAY: Yeah, right now it’s good either for people who appreciate and like down set and want to hear down to records, I've been it's like, like when you were talking about the hiatus period like I said said Downset is something that is never gonna go away for me it's it's a part of my life people want to hear new material and this new era in downset is definitely we're in the studio it’s dope.
KK: Dude I just heard the leave the ideas alone I’m just like you this is like this is some contender shit.
RAY: That's what I’m talking about alright so Kela man.
KK: Yeah.
RAY: Thanks a lot.
KK: You’re out aren’t ya, you got things to do you’re a busy boy today right.
RAY: So I want to give a big ups to my people from New York, from New York City, Phillip Leads, thank you very much for being there for us an offering support, thanks a lot to Kela today thanks for coming out all the way to LA man, in London you know to you know to LA to it in order to do podcasts, bands in order to keep rocking and order to keep painting you have to be dedicated. This is a sign of dedication peace.
KK: Enough respect you know what it is Killa Kela podcast live and direct big shout to Phil, big shout-out to all crew and can we just take take one quick look at this fucking god dammit, look lift that right up so the kids could see the styles on this. The fucking styles for days, if yo ain’t listening, if you ain't watching you listening you get on this video right now and check out some of the heaviest shit right about now some fucking style refinements going on.
RAY: we’re out here UTI crew Los Angeles West Coast.
KK: Hold tight killa Kela podcast stay lucky take care of yourself nice Peace.