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One of the guys you might not have heard of, but probably should have: Playdough (of Deepspace5).

Ill Breaks Crew: What do you see the connection between hip-hop and skateboarding to be?

CookBook: I think there is so much connection between hip hop and skateboarding ‘cause they both started as such counter-cultures, and have the ability to still be that, while being mainstream as well. I grew up a hood skater, meaning a bunch of Blacks & Latinos in the hood, skating, and listening to hip hop. We were Odd Future before Odd Future was Odd Future! (Big ups to those guys!!!)

For more of our interview with CookBook, click here, To grab a free download of his mixtape, Original Recipes, click here.

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It seems Hip hop has reached every corner of the earth, take small town artist djclutch as an example. Hailing from the thriving metropolis of Altona, Manitoba (with a population of 3709), 19 year old djclutch has been making beats and building relationships with artists for a few years already, creating a humble project entitled An Audio Collection. It is a “mixtape styled” album, all the beats by djclutch, a few raps by him, but mostly from many notable emcee’s residing in the USA and Canada.

Unlike many hip hop artists clutch does not claim his work to be the greatest of all time. When speaking of An Audio Collection, he had this to say: “At a certain point I realized that this project ‘is what it is’. Its a representation of years of my life. The newest song on here was made this year, the oldest I believe is from 2007. There has been many major changes to it. I was not joking when I said these words on my first verse of the project ‘…this is the resurrection of an old direction, not to mention its not perfection, but humbly entitled An Audio Collection’. This is mixed by me, its not mastered, its certainly not perfect, but I feel as though what it lacks in sound quality it makes up for with heart.”

It is a work that could easily inspire and draw emotion, but just as simply be overlooked, it is just An Audio Collection.

An Audio Collection:

1. An Intro
2. Inspired Audio ft. The Runaway, Ill Seer, J-CLX, Crisis, Showtime, Sivion, and Silas
3. Bubbling Over ft. Dot Calm
4. Pies And Breadsticks ft. Dale Baker
5. Tempeature Gauge ft. The CDN Custodians
6. This Time
7. An Interlude ft. Shae San
8. Lights, Camera, Next Level, Go! ft. Cas Metah and Ruffian
9. The Middle ft. BigP
10. Fear Not ft. Jupiter7
11. Change My Life ft. NomiS and Namebrand
12. Collection ft. Aaron Falk(on saxaphone)
13. 20 Bars ft. Jacob Izrael
14. Pens and Needles Cypher ft. Paradox, Tirrell, Afaar, Soul Natural, N.A.T, Gingersnap
15. Cost Of Freedom ft. Chef/Camer1
16. Writings ft. reSEARCH
17. Mind and Soul ft. BillyBo, Common Child, Notion
18. An Outro

All tracks produced and mixed by djclutch
Graphic Design by Jadyn Klassen

Download it by clicking here.

Big shout out to Jon Corbin (aka The Runaway) for all the help and advise along the way. Thank you to all the artists who gave their time and creativity to this project. Props to The Station YFC for the space to record my parts and always being supportive. My crews: AMU, Custodians, Captain Bear. The “online fam” which has become the offline friends: Youngdo, Tim Burton, Harvey Rempel, thanks for lending an ear and being interested in what I do. And to Altona, all the good people. Peace.

www.soundcloud.com/deejayclutch
brettmatic@gmail.com for collabs.

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Ill Breaks Crew: It’s nice to see a video like this. What is the concept behind it?

Die-Rek: Well, as you see throughout the majority of the video it is just an “MC” and the “DJ”…not really any gimmicks or catchy story lines to it, just “art “. It’s funny but I was watching some videos the day before I posted mines and I said to myself, “What is different about my video?” ’cause being “different” is what stands out. Then I thought to myself, “When’s the last time I saw a Hip Hop video with the artist just displaying their art form?”. There always has to be some “ooohs” and “ahhhs”, but with the Grown Man Biz video, It was just straight raw flavour, just skillz, lyricism, turntablism, we presented ourselves, who we are, and nothing else! and of course the camera man did his thing to add to it, ha ha ha…

To read the complete Q&A, click here. Thanks to Die-Rek for it! If you like the track, grab the album for free at http://die-rek.com.

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ILL BREAKS CREW – what is the song about?

Afaar – The song itself is more or less a fun track. Fresh verses over a dope beat. I personally think we as Christian MC’s don’t do that kind of song as much. We want to focus on deeper topics, like social or economic situations, or scriptural concepts. Which is fresh, but I feel like this song reminded me of why I fell in love with hip hop. I wanted to show that it’s okay to just rap, be dope and not always preaching at people. Which I feel is okay. I was just doing what I love. And I think that gives just as much of a message.

ILL BREAKS CREW – what is the concept of the video?

Afarr – The concept of the video is a loose one at the moment. We are actually in the process of adding extra scenes and video footage, which is going to be fresh! As of right now, you see a kid trying to write raps, and can’t think of what to write and get’s frustrated. We’ve all been there. So he puts on his headphones and just starts grooving to the song. And then you see a girl walk into a fast food restaurant talking on the phone, and is mad at whoever is on the other line. She hangs up the phone, puts on headphones and vibes out to calm herself down. I guess you can say, the video’s concept is that the music is an escape. It’s a way to be in your own world for a minute and chill. But the trick is to have music that promotes life, and gives you that good feeling.

ILL BREAKS CREW – what do you hope that people take away from the song?

Afaar – I think people will simply take away that the song was dope! That’s all I wanted with this song. I want people to feel good listening. Fans of that golden era hip hop will hopefully listen to this and get that old feeling like when they fell in love with the music.

ILL BREAKS CREW – do you wish that someone made a song like this when you were younger?

Afaar – I think that’s what I was trying to do. Make the kind of songs that got me hooked to hip hop music. Uplifting themes, fresh beats, dope verses, live hooks. No formulas or trendy undertones. Just a cat killing it on the mic.

ILL BREAKS CREW – what is something that you’d like to share to the listeners and viewers of the song and video?

Afaar – To all those Christians who feel like it’s not okay to not talk about Christ in every song.  Just know, My Lord and savior Jesus Christ comes first in what I do. But I’m trying to meet a need. Meeting the population of people who want nothing to do with God half-way.  And even for those Christians who sometimes want to hear an MC beasting a song, but without the guns, sex and drugs.  I know there are people who want that, because I’m one of those people.  It’s not about being an alternative, it’s about setting a standard.

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Much thanks to Afaar. Check out his new album by clicking here. You can also listen to the second leak by going to our free music page. It’s called “Motivation” and it’s a single 100 bar verse.

ILL BREAKS CREW: Why did you want to do a song like this?
HeeSun Lee: I wanted to do this song because I felt, and still feel, like there are not enough positive messages being shown in the media these days. It’s always been a goal of mine to represent women in ways that can help them boost up their self esteem and see their worth internally. So, this song was a random example of a girl being cheated on by a guy and how she fell so hard because of that. Instead of looking inside and telling herself that she was better than how her boyfriend treated her, she wound up stooping to his level to try and find some dignity there. The 2nd and 3rd verses focus on the beauty of women and how we are conquerors already; we do not need the approval of any man to tell us what we’re worth.

ILL BREAKS CREW: What part of your faith in Jesus Christ comes through the song and video?
HeeSun Lee: Jesus comes in to play because I talk about how we need to start waiting for God’s best; to not settle just because society is telling us what we need and don’t need. God will provide us with everything we need.

ILL BREAKS CREW: Do you wish that a song like this was out when you were coming up?
HeeSun Lee: There have been some positive female rappers through out time; MC Lyte, Queen Latifah, Lauryn Hill, etc, but none of them really REPPED Christ. They were in limbo, I guess, haha. It’d be great to have a female rapper who can be 100% sold out for God and have the whole world hear her. So yes, I wish I had that type of artist when I was growing up.

Thanks HeeSun. Keep up the good work. You can check out more of her and her music by clicking here.

ILL BREAKS CREW: What is the song about?
Butta P. of Rhema Soul: The song is about overcoming tribulations and struggles. It’s about finding an escape through the power of God. (Delving into themes such as infatuation, abuse, and the state of the family at large, “Fly Away” pulls no punches, bringing to light subject matter which is seldom discussed, particularly in gospel music.)

Ill Breaks Crew: What is the concept of the video?
Butta P: The music video, told in a narrative format, peers into the lives of individuals struggling with issues of identity and self worth, while ultimately communicating a message of hope and acceptance.

Ill Breaks Crew: What do you hope that people take away from this track?
Butta P: Our hope is that people will find hope and realize they are not alone in their struggles.

Ill Breaks Crew: Do you wish that someone had put out a song like this when you were coming up?
Butta P: Yes, because music has the power to upliift and change a person’s outlook.

Ill Breaks Crew: What aspect of your faith in Jesus Christ comes through on this song?
Butta P: It’s all about pointing to the hope we have in God.

Thanks Butta P. for the interview and Rhema Soul for the track!

Ill Breaks Crew: Why did you want to put out a song like this?

RationaL: Music is life experiences to me. This was a situation that deeply affected my family and I and I felt it was an important story to tell. Sometimes hearing of another persons story and experiences can keep one from choosing to go down that same path in their own life.

Ill Breaks Crew: What do you hope that people take away from this?

RationaL: Some people say it’s an anti-drug song. That was the furthest thing from my mind during the writing process. I’ve heard all different sorts of stories from people who have heard the song or watched the video. I didn’t need to make a song to tell people how the world is a sick place or about all of the self-destructive habits out there. People already know that. We watch it on the news everyday. My feeling was that if even one person can watch this video and be affected towards change in a positive way then mission accomplished.

Ill Breaks Crew: What is the thought process behind this song?

RationaL: The thought process behind the concept and the writing was very emotionally driven. My goal was to tell the story from my point of view. To convey the emotions that I felt and have those all come across in the song and to the listener.

Ill Breaks Crew: What is the concept of the video?

RationaL: The concept behind the video was to document a captivating visual storyline that followed the story of the song. “Cocaine Cowboy” is a portal into the lives of a dysfunctional relationship that is marred by addiction and domestic abuse. The song tails the life of my sister and her ex-boyfriend, who lost themselves in each others’ destructive habits and a family whose lives are torn apart as a result. The purpose of the video was to peer into the realms of dysfunctional relationships, which most of us have all experienced in one form or the other, and the domino effect that substance abuse and domestic violence has on the lives of family, friends and everyone else involved.

Ill Breaks Crew: How does your faith in Jesus Christ influence making of a song like this?

RationaL: I think there definitely was a spiritual influence in the song. I’ve heard people question whether this was a hateful song. That is the last thing I wanted to come across in the song. I know from my own experiences that even in our darkest hours, when we have no idea what God is doing, He does.

Ill Breaks Crew: Thank you RationaL. Anything else you’d like to mention?

RationaL: I gotta give a shout out to everybody who got down with the vision and the whole creative process. Russ Berg, Rob Priestley, Micah Robinson, Raelene Ingalls, and, of course, Relly Rel. Go team!

Biggups to Ill Breaks Crew and my man Youngdo for the love!

-Rash

ILL BREAKS CREW: What is the song about?

K-Drama: “Holistic” is a song about realizing how whack sin is and how the only way to truly live life purposely is to pursue Christ. In this song, I mainly talk about my desire to be more like Christ. This song is a plea to God to make me complete; to make me whole!

ILL BREAKS CREW: What is the concept of the video?

K-Drama: In a funny, yet truthful way, we wanted to show different scenarios where God the trainer (the young boy in the referee jersey) was working to make me whole (as he does in everyday life). The video depicts me training on an exercising bike & in a racquet ball court. Though I felt like I was reaching my potential, God in the video was not approving b/c I wasn’t operating in wholeness. This is finally revealed fully when I try to deliver God an offering (in the form of a pizza) and it came up short because slices were missing from the box. God takes what I’m trying to do and makes me whole!

ILL BREAKS CREW: What do you hope that people take away from this track?

K-Drama: That we need to pursue Christ to be sanctified and be made whole!

ILL BREAKS CREW: Do you wish that someone had put out a song like this when you were coming up?

K-Drama: I think people have released songs with similar content and are happy that they have!

ILL BREAKS CREW: What aspect of your faith in Jesus Christ comes through on this song?

K-Drama: Self-Realization, The Gruesomeness of sin, Justification, Desire for sanctification.

Thanks for the Q&A K-Drama! You can cop his new album We Fit: The Workout Plan at Amazon and iTunes.

Ill Breaks Crew: What is the song about?

Dale Baker: The song is about a few different things. Each verse from each emcee is a different take on God cutting you down [bringing judgment]. My verse is about a guy who got hung and is on his way to hell. Awol One’s verse is about someone sitting in the county jail. Spoken Nerd’s verse is about someone confronting the Anti-Christ.

Ill Breaks Crew: How did the concept of the song come about?

Dale Baker: Well the sample for the hook kinda lays it all out. It just calls for a story type of song.

Ill Breaks Crew: What is the concept of the video, and is there an element of your faith in Jesus Christ that comes through the song and/or video?

Dale Baker: I’m being chased by religion and not the relationship with Christ. It seems I’m always bumping heads with the Christian community regardless of the fact that I have a relationship with Jesus. They always want to nit-pick the superficial even though I’m trying to reach a few people.

Thanks Dale for the Q&A!

Directed by Danny Hidalgo of Spirit Juice Studios (spiritjuicestudios.com). Motion graphics 3D compositing by Renzo Reyes (renzoreyes.com). Copyright 2010 Spirit Juice Studios, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Ill Breaks Crew: What is the song about?

DJ Sean P.: The song is an introduction to ManCHILD and Sean P. together as Move Merchants. Straight up raw beats, cuts, and raps.

ManCHILD: Like Sean said. It’s just an intro to who we are. “Two-man conglomerate, bumrush the populace.” And I also just wanted people to know that “Sean stomps out beats like Elephant Feet”. People needed to know.

Ill Breaks Crew: How did the concept of the song come about?

DJ Sean P.: No real big concept. I made the beat in 2003 and it had just been siting on a hard drive until ManCHILD did his thing. The drums are super chopped from a Buddy Rich record (the great Jazz drummer). DJ Stibs put me on to him back in the day.

ManCHILD: I think Sean suggested it be the intro. And with a lot of this record being from a party rocking standpoint, we just wanted to blast you one quick time on the intro.

Ill Breaks Crew: What is the concept of the video?

DJ Sean P.: Danny Hidalgo made the video (SpiritJuiceStudio.com). His description is “A ‘Move Merchant’ busy moving product transcends a reality he can’t escape.” As far as I know…they shot the video of ManCHILD in ATL and then the rest in the Chicago area. It was all filmed in a few days, but the CGI animation you see took a while to complete, which was done by a talented dude, Renzo Reyes (renzoreyes.com). That’s why it is just now coming out. Thanks to Dustin at Phatmass.com for putting this together and to Danny Hidalgo for stepping up to do the video!

ManCHILD: Sean covered that one pretty well. Shot all the green screen stuff in my basement here in the A, believe it or not. On each side of the green screen were toys thrown everywhere and my kids trying to run through the shot.

Ill Breaks Crew: Is there an element of your faith (in Jesus Christ) that comes through the song and/or video?

ManCHILD: Like everything I write, God is in it. There’s no grand statement on my Christian faith in the song. But believe that, no matter what, Christ is right there in the center. Thanks to Sean, Danny, Dustin from Phatmass and everyone involved. If you like this video, go to www.movemerchants.com and buy this record. It’s the best kept secret in town.

Thanks to both guys for the Q&A. Not only are they great hip-hop artists, but great guys too. Check out the album and catch a show if you can!

“The song tells the story of Hip-Hop’s history from the South Bronx to where it is today. It paints a picture of it’s humble innovative beginnings to where it began to blow up and change to now where it has mostly lost it’s way. The song doesn’t just celebrate the culture or talk about the problems – most importantly it brings a challenge and an answer at the end as Urban D. talks about eternity and introduces Christ. The song structure is purposely set up like this as verse one walks people through the 70’s and verse 2 through the 80’s and verse 3 brings you to the 90’s and today as it comes to a climax.

The music video was recently shot at Crossover Church’s former North Orleans Campus in the infamous skate park where one of the Flavor Fest stages was in 2008 and 2009. This is now vintage footage as that skate park no longer exists as Crossover moved and the new church demoed the park. The video features Crossover’s own DJ D.Vize and Reflex The Son on the hook along with several faces from the church and some of the B-Boys and B-Girls that are part of the ministry.

This song is featured on Urban D.’s album Un.Orthodox and is available on iTunes along with a remix version and instrumentals.”

Well the song was easy to make, it flowed really natural in its nature. The tracks that come naturally out of you are always the freshest to me. When a beat hits you and makes you want to rap on it, the rest is just filling itself in. My man Diaz from Hungary made the beat and I instantly wanted to rap on it when i heard it. I originally wanted to make like a “Get By” (Talib Kweli) 2010 type of song but the Rosario Dawson concept just came to me while watching “Seven Pounds”. I was watching the movie and thought to myself, “man, she is far from bad looking…I would like to meet her….but that will never happen”. That idea quickly transformed into, “man, why do I want all these things I can’t have? I have so many incredible things right in front of me”. We have our family, our friends, our God and more. Those things are more than enough to sustain us and make us happy. Next thing I know, I have a song about that concept called “Rosario Dawson”. I’ve already been blessed to hear stories of people literally hearing the song and wanting to change something in their own lives because of it! That is amazing to me and reminds me why I do this.

My approach to music isn’t the same as some other “Chrisitan rappers” (for lack of a better phrase) I know of. I dont plan on making a “Chrisitan song” sometimes, and then a “non preachy song” another time. I just make music, period! I make it a point to always be growing in my friendship with God and let the rest fill itself in. Kind of like I said earlier, God is that perfect beat, the rest will just fill itself in as long as Him and I stay connected.

The video was so much fun to shoot. Ive always been a fan of skateboarding since I was a kid so as soon as I got a chance to get some skaters in, I took it! Sean Conover is an amazing skater who I hadn’t met until the day of the shoot, but I had seen his YouTube videos previously and was super geeked to have him there with us. Also, hanging off of the back of a moving vehicle is always fun too. My man Sam Wells (videographer) was shooting while literally sitting on the hood of his car while someone else drove it! I love those raw independent-esque moments like that! Thats Hip Hop!

At the end of the day, I love inspiring/encouraging music, and I love Hip Hop; this song embodies that to me.
Much respect,
-NomiS

Thank you NomiS for the insights! To get his free EP, check out his Bandcamp page by clicking here and clicking on the ‘free download’ link. (It’s also in our free music section.)

Ill Breaks Crew: What is the concept of the song?

Jin: There is no particular concept. If I had to describe it, I would say it’s more of a personal testimony, in rhyme form.

Ill Breaks Crew: What is the concept behind the video?

Jin: The video was shot in various locations throughout Hong Kong, which is where I’ve been living for the past 2 years. I definitely feel like angels are all over the city.

Ill Breaks Crew: Why did you want to put out a song like this?

Jin: I wanted to say something. Beyond that, I wanted to give people something real and heartfelt.

Ill Breaks Crew: What do you hope that people do with this song in their lives?

Jin: Self-evaluate where they stand in life now in terms of, Are there areas that can be improved?

Ill Breaks Crew: Do you wish that you had heard a song like this when you were younger?

Jin: I would say yeah.. but a part of me now feels like each of us has to go through a certain growth process before we can come to fully understand our ultimate direction in life.

Ill Breaks Crew: What aspect of God would you want people to take away from this?

Jin: He is an all-caring, all-loving and all-providing God.

Much thanks to Jin for the Q&A and to Carl Choi of Catch Adventures for hooking that up. To download a free copy of Jin’s mixtape, Say Something, click here.

Ill Breaks Crew: What is the concept of the song?
Sean Little: Conceptually, Universal City began one morning I was sitting in a Rhetorical Theory class at the University of Cincinnati. My Professor was discussing the history of what we know as the University. The idea of a collective educational experience gave birth to thoughts of not only the shared experience of staff and students at University, but on a larger scale, the collective experience of my city (at that time) Cincinnati, and on a very macro scale, the human experience of all mankind. I shared that idea idea with Wonder and the concept took off. So, the final product of Universal City is observation. Wonder Brown discusses specific details focused on one inner-city dweller, as well as himself. The chorus encompasses general implications of city living. My verses dabble and account for an onlookers perspective, both from outside the context, and as a part of it as well. I conclude with the my personal longing, and what I believe is the longing of man, “you see the city lights and the city pressure/ once my pleasure, I want to feel more.”

Ill Breaks Crew: Why did you want to put out a song like this?
Sean Little: The song Universal City is a single from my collaboration album, with Wonder Brown of the Scribbling Idiots, titled a love aPhiliated. From the instant Wonder let me hear this beat, I have shared his fondness for [producer] Vintage’s composition. When considering which song we wanted to bring to life with a video, we decided on Universal City for a few reasons: the overall excellence of the song itself, the accessible content and concept, and the capturing of our city, Cincinnati, which has been influential on us individually and collectively.

Ill Breaks Crew: What do you hope that people do with this song in their lives?
Sean Little: Pay attention and consider the content.

Ill Breaks Crew: Do you wish that you had heard a song like this when you were younger?
Sean Little: My initial thought when I read this question was an emphatic “yes!” The following thought was, “I did hear songs like this when I was young.” Specifically, with the upmost respect for the artists I am about to mention, I think of Blackstar’s ‘Respiration’ featuring Common. They each accounted for the culture and society of the day, while introspectively looking at the ever-influential inner-city context; which, I feel, Wonder and myself sought to do as well. Comparing these songs, there are so many similarities; which is fascinating considering the vast differences of the authors perspectives, from Kweli, Mos, and Common, to Wonder and myself.

Ill Breaks Crew: What is the concept behind the video?
Sean Little: Given the concept of the song, the video was filmed exclusively in Cincinnati, OH. Wonder Brown and myself are Cincinnati natives. We created this song, and the ‘a love aPhiliated’ album in Cincinnati. So, our hope with the visualization of the song was to capture some of the context that inspired the writing. Thomas Bernardin (director/producer) and Jessica Bernardin (photographer) did an incredible job bringing to the eye what we were able to bring to the ear.

Ill Breaks Crew: How does your faith come through on this song or video?
Sean Little: In the song the obvious answer is, in the lyrics. What do we say specifically? Well, I invite you and everyone reading this article, watching the video, or listening to the music to seek and find . In the video, I am not sure I even know the answer to that question, you’ll have to let me know!

Ill Breaks Crew: What aspect of God would you want people to take away from this?
Sean Little: My intent in writing this song was not to communicate a specific aspect of God’s character. Lyrically, there is some personal theological direction I lay out in my verses. For example, in the third verse,”I say ‘there’s always profit to be made/ gossip to be relayed/ God sits deep in the shade/ watches Broadway relate/ alcoholic sips his pain away”. An idea (which is not my own) that I am seeking to communicate is that there is no difference between sacred and secular. The God of the scriptures is a God that is dually removed from His creation, as well as intimately and personally involved with it. Yes, God is in heaven; but, an equal truth is that, in the life of the person Jesus, and in the life of the Holy Spirit since the ascension of Jesus, God is simultaneously on this earth. Therefore, God is not exclusively at the temple (sacred), or the modern rendition of the temple, the church building; rather, He is alive and active, in the world (secular), in those whom He has called to Himself and commissioned to make Him known in the broken, enslaved, hurting, world.

For even more behind the scenes info on this video, check out another video, “The Making of Universal City” by clicking here. To hear more from Sean Little, click here, and for more from Wonder Brown, click here.

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Ill Breaks Crew: What is the concept of the song?
Griffin: To be true to yourself.

Ill Breaks Crew: What is the concept behind the video?
Griffin: There’s no particular concept to the video. It’s mainly me having a conversation with myself.

Ill Breaks Crew: Why did you want to put out a song like this?
Griffin: To let folks know there is the nothing wrong with being themselves and anything else is a lie. Me saying that I’m going to “do it right” simply means I’m gonna follow my heart and what God puts in it.

Ill Breaks Crew: What do you hope that people do with this song in their lives?
Griffin: I hope people learn to be themselves despite the criticism they might recieve from others, especially peers. And I most certainly hope people learn through this to appreciate themselves and how God made them.

Ill Breaks Crew: Do you wish that you had heard a song like this when you were younger?
Griffin: I have heard songs like this from fellow Tunnel Rats,  especially LPG joints before I even was a Tunnel Rat.

Ill Breaks Crew: How does your faith in Jesus Christ come through on this song or video?
Griffin: My faith comes through strong because this is me proclaiming what God has put in my heart from the beginning: to be the best at what I do and never compromise who I am as a musician simultaneously, reppin’ my faith in the Lord.

Ill Breaks Crew: What aspect of God would you want people to take away from this?
Griffin: The trust that no matter what God is still working in each and everyone of us. And just like God hasn’t given up on us, neither should we give up on ourselves the aspect of God’s love for us as individuals.

Thanks Griffin!

To hear the album and purchase it, click here.

We asked Ruslan for some behind-the-scenes info and about the song and the video. This is what he had to say.

“The song came together real naturally. Me and Braille went to LMNO’s release party together back in, like, November and we were clowning around about having “domesticated” swag and we were tweeting all kinds of silly junk about being grown-up hip-hop heads with swag (LOL, and just using that word is funny). Anyway, fast forward to January, I was workin on my EP and had been sitting on that beat from Exile for a while. Me and Braille and Blame always talked about doing a song together and shooting a simple video, so when Braille heard the beat, he was like “domesticated swag”. He wrote and recorded his verse the same night right before our Bible study. Blame did his second and I did mines last (wanted to make sure I didn’t get totally sonned by those guys)

We conceptualized the video, but shortly after, Braille moved back to Portland. He was staying at Propaganda’s apartment and was telling me how Afrocentric that spot was. We then found a weekend when Sam Wells (director) was already gonna be in the Northwest and he shot Braille’s part, then Blame’s at his place with his kids, and then mine with all the homies over. The day we shot my parts, Lecrae and DJ official were in town, and ‘Fish asked to use Beleaf’s (my DJ) turn table so he didn’t have to bring one, which was cool except their set got moved up earlier and we were still shooting the video. We finished shooting my parts and drove like mad men to the venue so that Official had enough time to set up Beleafs tech and rock with Lecrae. That was a crazy day.

Overall we hope the song shows, in a funny way, a mature side to hip-hop, that the culture is growing up and evolving and that it’s okay to be man and take of your responsibilities and it’s actually cool.

The song is a practical example of what a godly father/husband looks like, a man who puts his family first, knows how to handle business, how to keep the house clean when his wife asks him to, and how to provide and spend time with your kids. Those are godly attributes and yet they are very counter-cultural. So we were able to communicate a message that was funny and relevant at the same time.”

Thanks Ruslan!