Endorphin
Bath & Todd E. Jones presents...
Interview: SPANK ROCK
(XXXCHANGE of Spank Rock)
“XXXChange
Says, ‘YoYoYo!’ to Spank Rock”
An Interview with
XXXChange (of Spank Rock)
( July 2006 )
Interview
by Todd E. Jones aka The New Jeru Poet
toddejones@yahoo.com
Hip-hop music is fucking beautiful
when it blows your mind. Don’t you love it when you hear an artist or a
song and you say to yourself, “Damn! That’s dope!”. Hip-hop is
magnificently stimulating when an artist and/or a producer give
listeners something completely fresh. The influences may be prevalent,
but the final product is innovative and unique. The music of Spank Rock
possesses this power. The emcee, Spank Rock (Naeem) and his producer,
XXXChange have solidified a musical bond. They have the chemistry of
legendary duos like Guru & Premier or Eric B. & Rakim. As Spank
Rock rhymes his brash lyrics, XXXChange produces inimitably vigorous
beats. Together, they have created some of the most exciting, coolest,
and fun hip-hop music in a very long time. Spank’s odd flow is
accentuated by a feminine vocal tone. Regardless of his cadence, Spank
uses a fervent confidence to deliver his sexually hardcore lyrics. The
perfect fuel for Spank’s rhymes, XXXChange’s production work consists
of thick electronic melodies and rhythms. The typical hip-hop heard on
the radio sounds boring compared to Spank Rock.
Hailing from Baltimore (Maryland), Spank Rock and
XXXChange signed to the European label, Big Dada (subsidiary of Ninja
Tune Records). Big Dada is also home to other underground hip-hop
artists like King Geedorah (MF Doom), Ty, Roots Manuva, Cloudheaded,
Busdriver, Infesticons, Majesticons, and New Flesh. Spank Rock’s
first single on Big Dada sparked some attention due to the title, “Put
That Pussy On Me”. A listener without knowledge of their past may
assume that they are European. The sound, flows, lyrics, styles, and
production is unlike typical American hip-hop music. Their single,
“Rick Rubin” pays homage to the old-school hip-hop innovator. The
b-side, “Rick Rubin-President Evil Remix” features Pase Rock (of Five
Deez) contributing a mind-blowing performance with an old-school
energy. Their next single, “Sweet Talk” is a magnificent track with a
hardcore sexual energy. The chanting of the white girls, during the
song’s finale, is a perfect example of their fun and creativity.
Released on Big Dada Records, Spank Rock’s debut
album, “YoYoYoYoYoYo” is
destined to be a modern classic. Not only
does the album include “Rick Rubin” and “Sweet Talk”, the tight LP also
includes magnificent songs like “Coke & Wet", “Bump”, “What It Look
Like”, and "Backyard Betty”. Without any performance footage of
Spank or XXXChange, the “Backyard Betty” video only consists of a
shaking booty. “YoYoYoYoYoYo” never
gives the listener the urge to
skip a track. Instead, the listener will be replaying the album until
the CD or vinyl is worn out. From start to finish, “YoYoYoYoYoYo”
is innovative, fun, aggressive, odd, psychedelic, rude, sexy, and
brash. Spank Rock and XXXChange have created an LP that reignites that
refreshing feeling when you first heard hip-hop. Hip-hop has always
been dope, but Spank Rock and XXXChange had to remind us.
TODD
E. JONES:
“What goes on?”
XXXCHANGE:
“Yo.”
TODD E. JONES: “The new Spank
Rock album, ‘YoYoYoYoYo’ was just
released on Big Dada Records. Tell us about the album.”
XXXCHANGE: “We started making ‘YoYoYoYoYo’ a couple of years ago, with
no real idea that it was ever going to be released or get half the
attention that it is now receiving. We really just did it for fun and
for the love of the music. I think that if we knew that the record
would make it this far into the public eye, we probably would have
edited a lot of stuff out. It's kind of like being caught with your
pants down. Still, there's some really good spontaneous stuff on there.”
TODD E. JONES: “Is there some
deeper meaning behind the title, ‘Yo Yo
Yo’?”
XXXCHANGE: “Not really. It's actually ‘YoYoYoYoYo’. It sounds funny
when journalists have to say it in interviews.”
TODD E. JONES: “Favorite song on
the ‘YoYoYoYoYo’?”
XXXCHANGE: “Probably ‘Sweet Talk’ or ‘Rick Rubin’. I like ‘Backyard
Betty’ too, but I think we fucked up the structure of it.”
TODD E. JONES: “Which song took the longest to create from conception
to completion? Why?”
XXXCHANGE: “Naeem originally did ‘Rick Rubin’ four or five years ago
with a guy from Philly named Steve Mcready. I did some engineering for
them and ended up with the multi-track parts to it. Two years ago,
after we finished ‘Backyard Betty’, I thought that I could make the
vocal from ‘Rick Rubin’ fit in with some of the stuff we had been
working on. So, I put it over a new beat and changed the arrangement a
little. I remixed a lot of the songs on the record, so that they would
fit better with each other as I learned how to produce, make beats, et
cetera. The sound of the record is really just me learning and trying
to update stuff, so that it didn't sound crappy next to the newer
stuff.”
TODD E. JONES: “What inspired the song, ‘Coke & Wet’? Tell us about
that track.”
XXXCHANGE: (No answer)
TODD E. JONES: “Do you do many overdubs while recording?”
XXXCHANGE: “Vocal overdubs? Not really. We try and get a whole verse in
one shot. Sometimes, we'll do a punch in. On the faster stuff, ‘Girls
And Boys’, we did some more standard punching in type stuff. Naeem did
the verses on ‘Competition’ in one take each. I like to keep the feel
kind of loose. Sometimes, he will be writing as we go along. We just
try to get it down so he can live with it for a while. Then, he'll come
back and do it in one take.”
TODD E. JONES: “The cover for ‘YoYoYoYoYo’ is very original and
timeless. I love it. Was this your idea? Tell us about making the
cover?”
XXXCHANGE: “Brent Rollins did it.”
TODD E. JONES: “When creating a
track, do you have a set theme or idea,
or do you create the music first?”
XXXCHANGE: “We'll usually start with a beat. Sometimes, we'll record
Naeem’s lyrics. Then, I'll go back and totally change the beat to fit
the lyrics better.”
TODD E. JONES: “What was the recording process like for the
‘YoYoYoYoYo’ LP? How was it different from other times?”
XXXCHANGE: “It's just been the two of us dicking around in my bedroom
studio. We watched a lot of cartoons.”
TODD E. JONES: “Musically, what else have you been working on?”
XXXCHANGE: “Lots of remixes, stuff for Amanda Blank, Kid Sister, and
lots of remixes and beats.”
TODD E. JONES: “What are some of your favorite drum machines /
samplers?”
XXXCHANGE: “I did the whole record on a $500 Pro-Tools system. I think
I had one synthesizer that I used on one track. Pretty much every sound
on the record comes from sample CDs and recordings that I did at home.
I did a lot of sound design and signal processing to get the result
that I wanted from this simple set-up. Using Pro-Tools, instead of an
MPC, allowed me to really be creative with the vocal editing and
arrangements, as opposed to making the beat and passing it off to
somebody else.”
TODD E. JONES: “On the song, ‘Power, Money And Influence’ from Guru’s
‘Version 7.0: The Street Scriptures’ album, Talib Kweli states that
Pro-Tools made producers lazy. Do you agree?”
XXXCHANGE: “I think Talib Kweli is working with the wrong guys.
Computers are just tools, same as tape machines. It's up to the artist
to make something happen. They shouldn't blame the tool if it's not
happening.”
TODD E. JONES: “Around what time in your career did you start
financially surviving form music?”
XXXCHANGE: “Not yet.”
TODD E. JONES: “Do you think that success and credibility are mutually
exclusive?”
XXXCHANGE: “Maybe not. It's hard to say. I mean there’s a lot of art
music that was never successful, which is certainly credible. There's a
lot of bullshit that was never successful too. It all depends on what
you want to achieve. I think me and Naeem both really want to make
music that people like, and can connect with. Artists like Stevie
Wonder or Prince never sacrificed their artistic ideals to get success.
You have to be very good at what you do to have massive hits. I don't
think it is really a credibility issue, unless the artist is invented
by the record company.”
TODD E. JONES: “Who are some artists you would like to collaborate with
in the future?”
XXXCHANGE: “I want to keep working with Naeem and our other friends for
a while, just to see how the whole thing is going to develop. I'd love
to work with Missy or Busta Rhymes though. They always seem to pick
really good beats.”
TODD E. JONES: “Who are some producers you would like to collaborate
with in the future?”
XXXCHANGE: “Maybe David Byrne or Brian Eno. I love the records they
made back in the day. Quincy Jones.”
TODD E. JONES: “How has being on a European-based label been an
obstacle in hip-hop?”
XXXCHANGE: “They think that hype alone will sell records. They've
skimped on the marketing budget and on buying ads. This is shit that I
don't like to talk about or even think about. It's a no-brainer. I feel
let down.”
TODD E. JONES: “What LPs have you been listening to in the last couple
of days?”
XXXCHANGE: “Remix request stuff, Para One from France, and Miami pirate
radio stations, which are really great by the way.”
TODD E. JONES: “How has your live show evolved?”
XXXCHANGE: “We freestyle every show. We have never rehearsed, but
people always seem to have fun at our shows. We put a lot of effort in,
when on stage. The audience usually shows their appreciation. Our DJ's,
now, are really great. We're going to continue to work together, as a
team, to improve the quality of our shows.”
TODD E. JONES: “How are American audiences different from European
audiences?”
XXXCHANGE: “Not that different, but you can't play Doobie Brothers or
Creedence to a European audience. They won’t get it. You have to play
them Daft Punk or something that they understand better. We usually mix
in more classic rock and stuff like that in America. Still, you never
know what people might like until you try.”
TODD E. JONES: “What do you think about current situation between the
United States and the Middle East?”
XXXCHANGE: “I think that invading Iraq was a really stupid idea. It's
time for a regime change over here too. I don't really know too much
about politics, but it seems like the guys in power over here are
really, really bad.”
TODD E. JONES: “There are a myriad of drug references in the
‘YoYoYoYoYo’ LP. What kind of drugs do you enjoy? What drugs have you
done? Which drugs don’t you do anymore? Why?”
XXXCHANGE: “I'm not going to endorse any drugs to anybody.”
TODD E. JONES: “What is your opinion on MySpace?”
XXXCHANGE: “I think it's great for musicians as a networking tool. It
sucks that Rupert Murdock has everybody's personal information though.”
TODD E. JONES: “What was the last incident of racism you experienced?”
XXXCHANGE: “Getting called ‘Beastie Boy’ and ‘Eminem’ in a
Baltimore record store. Is that racist? It felt like it.”
TODD E. JONES: “Word association.
When I say the name, you say the
first word that pops into your head. So, if I said, ‘Public Enemy’, you
may say ‘Revolution’ or ‘Chuck D’. Okay?”
TODD E. JONES: “Mos Def.”
XXXCHANGE: “Black Star.”
TODD E. JONES: “Five Deez.”
XXXCHANGE: “Pase Rock.”
TODD E. JONES: “Dead Prez.”
XXXCHANGE: “That song where they tell you what to eat.”
TODD E. JONES: “Atmosphere.”
XXXCHANGE: “Metro area.”
TODD E. JONES: “Happy Mondays.”
XXXCHANGE: “Joy Division.”
TODD E. JONES: “Kool Keith.”
XXXCHANGE: “Dr. Octagon.”
TODD E. JONES: “Coldcut.”
XXXCHANGE: “True Skool.”
TODD
E. JONES: “Wu-Tang Clan.”
XXXCHANGE: “Rza.”
TODD E. JONES: “Eminem.”
XXXCHANGE: “Emo.”
TODD
E. JONES: “Public Enemy.”
XXXCHANGE: “Chuck D.”
TODD
E. JONES: “Little Brother.”
XXXCHANGE: “So ten years ago.”
TODD
E. JONES: “Phife Dawg.”
XXXCHANGE: “Tribe.”
TODD
E. JONES: “MF Doom.”
XXXCHANGE: “Danger Mouse.”
TODD E. JONES: “De La Soul.”
XXXCHANGE: “Prince Paul.”
TODD E. JONES: “Jimi Hendrix.”
XXXCHANGE: “Mitch Mitchell.”
TODD E. JONES: “Rakim.”
XXXCHANGE: “Eric B.”
TODD E. JONES: “Curtis Mayfield.”
XXXCHANGE: “Back To The World.”
TODD E. JONES: “Billy Holiday.”
XXXCHANGE: “Baltimore.”
TODD E. JONES: “Gil-Scott Heron.”
XXXCHANGE: “Blank.”
TODD E. JONES: “George Bush.”
XXXCHANGE: “Poison.”
TODD E. JONES: “Who are your
biggest influences?”
XXXCHANGE: “My musician and DJ friends, probably more than any one
artist.”
TODD E. JONES: “What is the
biggest lesson you have learned in your
career?”
XXXCHANGE: “Work hard and don't sign anything without a lawyer.”
TODD E. JONES: “Favorite films?”
XXXCHANGE: “‘Repo Man’, ‘O Brother Where Art Thou’, The Beatles
documentary.”
TODD E. JONES: “What is a typical day like for you?”
XXXCHANGE: “I usually wake up at 8 or 9 AM, make beats, or do remixes
until 1 PM. Then, I do errands or visit my dad, who has Parkinson’s
disease. Then, sometimes, I'll do some more music at night or go out
with my girlfriend and my friends. Either that, or we're on tour or
doing a show somewhere.”
TODD E. JONES: “What are some major misconceptions do you think people
have of you?”
XXXCHANGE: “That we are sexist.”
TODD E. JONES: “Are you in a
romantic relationship these days? How have
touring, recording, and the hip-hop lifestyle affected your
relationship?”
XXXCHANGE: “Being on the road is hard on my relationship, but so
far, it's working out. I try and spend a lot of time with my
girlfriend, when I'm home.”
TODD E. JONES: “What do you look for in a woman?”
XXXCHANGE: “They have to be smart and love music & art. They have
to like my cooking.”
TODD E. JONES: “Do you get along with your parents? What do they think
about your music?”
XXXCHANGE: “My parents have always been supportive of me and my music
making, but lately, my family thing has been very stressful and
demanding. My mom died last May 2005 and my dad is very sick, so I have
to plan music stuff around my obligations to him. My dad doesn't like
the music I'm doing now, but he is happy that my career is going well.”
TODD E. JONES: “What would you want on your epitaph?”
XXXCHANGE: “Lately, I've been so close to death and disease, in my
family, that I really can’t afford to think about stuff like this
because it's just too depressing.”
TODD E. JONES: “Are there any collaborations fans should look out for?”
XXXCHANGE: “Maybe something with Mode Selektor from Germany. Possibly,
some stuff with The Death Set from Australia. Also, maybe something
with Best Fwends from Denton. It's all up in the air, right now. We're
trying to keep it in the family.”
TODD E. JONES: “What’s next?”
XXXCHANGE: “More touring, remixing, and we're psyching ourselves up to
begin work on a new Spank Rock record.”
TODD E. JONES: “Final words?”
XXXCHANGE: “Shout out to BBC Sound System and everybody else from
Baltimore who's supported us.”