Grip Grand English Interview!…like, from England.
Thanks to Dan (straight outta Leeds) at Real Rap Talk for giving me yet another opportunity to make a douche of myself in public. Gracias, hombre. I had fun with this one, and I especially like how, somewhere along the way, the hyperlinks got muy loco, causing–for example–Richie Cunning’s MySpace address to appear on the printed page as “Invalid Friend ID”…hilarious. Regular readers of Routine Fly will see a lot of familiar material. What can I say? I’m a very lazy man…
Anyway, here’s another self-serving interview about me, provided by me. Enjoy.
I posted this thread up a while back and got some good response, so i thought fuck it why not try and get hold of the dude and try and get some interviews poppin…so i sent Grip an email with some questions and never heard back from him, so i thought i must have pissed him off, mehhh fuck this dude….ahahaha… 4 weeks later, Grip’s my man again (n/h)
so if anyone cares, and you should, then read on to learn more about the man behind my personal favourite album of the year, Brokelore, and check his thoughts on the subjects dearest to our hearts such as beer, blunts, the GOAT, Lil Wayne, and the North American sea cucumber.
Q. It does have a cool ring to it but what the hell typa name is Grip Grand?!
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Dutch. |
Q. Where you from?
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To quote my first album (and paraphrase Eazy E): “Well, I’m from Broakland, yeah man, wear hand-me-down/ Money up to here? Not me. Go back to Fancytown!” But I was born in San Francisco. I spent a decade there, then a decade in LA, then started moving all over the West Coast. |
Q. Where you going? What’s next for you?
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I am going straight to the top, in a flying car made of champagne corks and mink coats. Once I get there, I expect to be surrounded by starlets and drug dealers and other newfound “friends,” all of whom will be in my limousine when I go to pick up my Grammy Award for Best New Native American Medicine Song Recording. On stage, I will decline the award as a protest against the cruel and inhumane harvest of the North American Sea Cucumber. After the ensuing scandal, it’s off to Stonehenge, where I will spend a fortnight studying Druidic lore by day and drunkenly reenacting scenes from Spinal Tap by night. In the meantime, I’m working on a mixtape for the semi-weekly project I’ve been doing lately, which is called Chart Toppers (for more info and free downloads, go to Routine Fly Chart Toppers) …it’s basically me rapping on recent Billboard hits by artists like Britney Spears, and T.I., and, um, Metallica, but it’s ten zillon times better than that sounds. Maybe. As far as my next proper album, it’ll either be another solo effort or the new Scoviet Union joint (which is me and my main man Richie Cunning from Frisco, a dope rapper and producer: Invalid Friend ID). |
Q. You touring? any plans to come over to Europe? Hook me up in the UK, I’ll take you for tea and cream cakes. Ater a blunt of course.
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You know, when a man offers to take me for cream cakes in the States, I never know what he’s really suggesting. But since there’s a blunt involved, I’ll go along with it. Seriously, the touring thing is tough. I mean, the way album sales are (since everyone is getting my album for free from websites like yours…zing!), touring is one of the few ways the lesser-known artist can put some dough in the pocket from this music thing. But if you are not an established artist, and you’re not opening for an established artist, many promoters aren’t trying to fly you overseas. However, if there’s a demand from the audience, maybe they’ll listen. So tell your local concert promoter, record shop, and DJ to look into some Grip Grand. Please. Really. I’m begging you. As soon as someone calls me, I’m headed out there. But I am broke as f**k…I can’t pay my own way to tour overseas…or underseas (especially underseas)…or even in the U.S….I have a tour or two in the planning stages right now, but since a number of these opportunities have fallen through in the past, I hesitate to put them to paper in advance, thereby jinxing myself. So keep your fingers crossed, and if you’re in any position to put me on tour, or on your record label, or to benefit me personally in any way, holler at me on MySpace or through Routine Fly TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW… …I am now accepting charitable donations and/or naked pictures of your girlfriend. Ask me for details. |
Q. Routine Fly TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW… < what is this site about? Who are the rest of the team?
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Routine Fly is the website started by my crew, Northern Cali’s own Rec-League All-Stars. Actually, it’s not my crew, they adopted me when I was living in Santa Cruz, CA (a Rec-League stronghold). Rec-League is a massive crew of rappers, producers, DJs, and associated riffraff, all of whom have been grinding for years. It’s also a highly secretive cabal of super-powered hitmen assembled by the Allies in WWII as part of a classified plan to assassinate Hitler’s mustache. Clearly, the mission was a success, as Der Fuhrerstache (aka the Charlie Chaplin) is now one of the least-acceptable forms of facial-hairstyling in the world. After the spectacular success of that operation, the planet lapsed into the long and uninterrupted peace it has enjoyed ever since. At which point, the Rec became a rap crew. If I named all of the active members, I would run out of paper, and I’d have to go fell another tree in my backyard…then chop it into firewood, sell it at the local market, and use the profits to buy paper at the office supply depot. And I would never get this interview done. Anyhoo, if you see a Rec-League album out there, these are the names you might expect to encounter: Grip Grand, Haji P, MF Shalem, Proe, Q’m, Richie Cunning, and Rob Rush…and I can’t forget our spiritual leader, Rec-League Records founder Matty Eye the Mayor. |
Q. You like comics? Favorite comics? DC or Marvel? Best/worst comic adaptation? For me Galactus was the biggest upset in movie history. A fucking cloud? What the fuck? Sorry…I’m rambling. So yeah, comics….
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Oh, I love comics. I even write a weekly blog about my pull list on Routine Fly. My favorites constantly change, but generally I follow authors. Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, Brian Michael Bendis, Ed Brubaker, Warren Ellis, Mark Millar, Garth Ennis, Grant Morrison, Brian K. Vaughn, Bill Willingham, Robert Kirkman, Geoff Johns, Frank Miller, Joss Whedon. Others, I’m sure, but those are my regulars. Also, I think that’s everyone working in comics today. But whatever. Favorite comic of all time is probably the Watchmen (Alan Moore is unfuckwithable), followed by The Dark Knight Returns. Criminal, Walking Dead, Ultimates…Fables is great, Bendis’ run on Daredevil was amazing. I could go on and on, I love everything from Sin City to Uncle Scrooge (Carl Barks, so money). As far as Marvel versus DC, I can’t really pick, but I go through phases. I was off DC for a while, post-52…I gave up during Countdown, although I did read the excellent Sinestro Corps story that ran through the Green Lantern titles, and I’ve been reading Final Crisis. I wish I had started reading Grant Morrison’s run on Batman when it began, but now I have to go back and catch up. Ditto for Geoff John’s recent Superman stuff. Meanwhile, I’ve been on a steady diet of Marvel books for the last few years or so. House of M, Civil War, Secret Invasion, whatever. I like events. |
Q. Not ass-kissing right now, but Brokelore is probably my favorite album of the year – a shining star in an otherwise disappointing year. Can you give us a few words on what it’s about? Your inspiration?
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Thanks for the kind words. I guess Brokelore was my attempt to put together an album that I would really enjoy myself, that would stand up to repeated listening musically and lyrically, and that touched on everything I like about hip-hop. So I put all kinds of beats and songs on there—new school, old school, samples, synths, battle records, social commentary, funny stuff, serious stuff—and I tried to make the music and the words have some depth and some range stylistically. My perspective as a writer is usually that of the Everyman, you know, not of the rap star sitting on top of the world (‘cuz I sure ain’t that…yet). I call it Normalcore. So that’s what you’ll get on Brokelore. Beats, punchlines, and life. |
Q. You hooked up with A.G and Percee P on Brokelore. That’s a couple of damn good guest spots right there – and I must admit, that’s what drew me to your album! Did you work with these guys in person? Who would your dream collab be with?
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I worked with A.G. in person for part of the recording process, but Percee I only spoke to on the phone. Luckily, those cats are both professionals, and they certainly don’t need my input to lace a track lovely. In both cases, I had already completed most of my work on the songs when they got involved, so all that was left was for them to kill it. Which they definitely did. My dream collab…produced by Premier. Featuring Redman, Busta, and M.O.P. And then another one produced by Prince Paul featuring De La, Q-Tip, and Dres…oh, throw the rest of the Native Tongues in there, too. And a Marley Marl track with every member of the Juice Crew. And a Large Professor track with Nas, Prodigy, and AZ. And a Kanye West track with Rhymefest and Murs and Phonte. And…how much time do I have to answer this question? |
Quasimoto?!….
Q. Poppin’ Pockets is labeled ‘remix’ on the album – where’s the original?? Can we hear it?
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The original mix of Poppin’ Pockets—which has the same beat, but completely different lyrics from yours truly (and no A.G., so sorry)—can be found on the Poppin’ Pockets 12” (for all you vinyl collectors out there)…it’s also on iTunes. I think it’s on my MySpace page, too (MySpace.com – Grip Grand – Brokeland, California – Hip Hop / Rap – www.myspace.com/gripgrand). Admit it…you didn’t really try very hard to find it, did you? |
erm, not really… http://www.100megsfree3.com/fwc493/S…barrassedR.gif
Q. You produced the majority of your album! I like your sound. What gear did you use? Produce for anyone else?
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Thanks again. Most of the album was made in the program Reason, but a few of the beats were made in an old version of Fruity Loops. I have a very spartan studio set-up at my house, not a lot of fancy equipment, just a turntable, a mixer, a small USB audio interface, a mic, and a pre-amp. And then I have a few small keyboards, guitars, etc. Usually, I start a beat with my record player and finish it with layers of synths and other instruments that I play myself (in real life or with the computer). Sometimes I subsequently remove all the samples. In addition, some of the songs on Brokelore were made at my house and then taken to the Look Records studios and recreated there in Pro-Tools. We also fed a few sounds through the filters on an ASR-10 to give them more character. When I started producing, I used a cassette four-track recorder and a little Yamaha sampler called the SU-10. I’m glad I learned on outboard machines, but you also can’t beat the speed and convenience of digital production. I think it pays to learn both. I do a lot of in-house production for the Rec-League team. My man Q’m (aka Cumulus) has an album coming out soon (Happy Hour), and I did more than half of that. I’m working on a remix for a song that my homie DJ Flip (Ireland’s finest) put together called Crossroads, which has verses from me, One Be Lo, and Zumbi from Zion I. I have some other secret irons in the fire as well. Whatever work I can get my hands on, you know I’m there. |
Q. The House of Pain Prince sample you used – simple but effective. I realize that’s not a question. Discuss.
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I don’t know what you mean by “Prince” sample, as there was no Prince involved on my end, much as I love His Purple Highness. Did Prince use a similar sample? You know something I don’t. Which makes me very uncomfortable. Oh, never mind…I was just sitting on my keys. |
My mistake, i was thinking about Jump Around… the horn fanfare intro is from Bob & Earl’s 1963 track, harlem Shuffle..
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And, yes, it may sound like one of the samples on Brokelore is from the same source as the intro to House of Pain’s Jump Around. But I would like to say, especially if you are reading this and you are a lawyer, that there is no sample, and, if there was, it would NOT be from that song. Not at all. Really, really, not. These aren’t the droids you’re looking for… |
Q. You sang some nice hooks – I can’t get ‘this is the way we win the war’ out my head. You gonna enter American Idol?
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Why enter when you’ve already won? At this very minute, Simon Cowell is on his way over to pick me up for a round of squash at the Racquet Club. And then we’re meeting Paula Abdul for drinks at some kind of pharmaceutical manufacturer’s convention downtown. Should be very educational. |
Q. Your label – I had a look at Look and saw they got some nice artists on the roster – DJ Design, Phat Kat, Dudley Perkins and Georgia. Yeahhhhh. I never study labels anymore, but Look looks good. Look looking after you?
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Look has offered me some incredible opportunities, including the chance to work with talented artists like the above. Everyone up there at Look is real cool to me, and they’ve taught me a lot over the years and helped me bring my music to the place it is now (wherever that may be). Good folks. In purely business terms, though, I will be a free agent come 2009, so who knows where my next album(s) will surface? Interested parties, get at me. |
Q. You come across as a really nice guy (if you don’t mind me saying) you don’t come across cocky or arrogant. That’s not very hip hop of you. Discuss..
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Yeah, I keep telling myself that I would be more successful if I were a total a**hole. That seems to have worked out for so many people. I mean, sometimes I get cocky and arrogant in the course of rapping about how much I will slay you on the mic, but outside the booth I am nice like Clark Kent (whereas, inside the booth, I’m nice, like Clark Kent). I know it’s not very hip-hop to be normal and have feelings and sh*t, but…yeah. What can I say? I like people. I am one. |
Q. Lil Wayne: Quality artist or most elaborate practical joke ever?
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Well, Wayne may have lowered the quality of his overall artistic output in favor of a staggering rise in quantity, but that’s a fine line every artist walks. People love to hate, but really, look at it this way. As a professional songwriter with countless hits under his belt, you can’t knock his talent. He’s been writing successful songs since he was literally a child, and that is a real skill. Pop songwriting is a craft like any other, and despite what many people think, it is far from easy to come up with a hit song even once, let alone many times over. So I respect his work. Beyond that, as for his lyrics, I will offer this quote from his version of Upgrade U: “It’s a new game and I’m the coach like Avery/Leave it to the flow we gettin’ dough like a bakery/I don’t really want to, but these n***as makin’ me/Put a motherf***er on ice like the Maple Leaves/That’s a hockey team, and I ain’t on no hockey team/But I’m a champion. Where’s the f***in’ Rocky theme?/Damn. Rest in peace Apollo Creed/I’m a monster, every day is Halloween….” If you don’t think that’s tight, I don’t know what you’re looking for in a rap song…maybe you should just stick to your Best of the 90’s compilation. |
:dam:
Q. Diss me hard in 8 bars please:
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To quote E-40, “This ain’t a freestyle, I don’t rap for free, mang.” But here’s the first verse to my remix of T.I. and Rihanna’s Live Your Life, which, while already released, I totally wrote with you in mind: –This is Grip Grand, rappin’ is cheap To hear the rest of this savage beatdown, go to: |
or alternatively, view it here you lazy fucks…
Q. Downloading. Good or bad?
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Good and bad. Good for publicity, bad for making money. A larger number of people hear the artist, but if the label can’t sell more than a few hundred CD’s, that eventually equals more artists having to quit rap and go back to their day jobs. At my level, you can make a tiny bit of money touring and moving merch on the road, but album sales help prove to promoters that you have a crowd who will buy your tickets. Otherwise, it’s hard to book those shows in the first place. So the loss of music sales hurts other revenue streams as well, and there aren’t many of those to begin with. However, this downloading is the new reality, and the answer is not just to sue everybody. We’re all struggling to find a solution as artists, labels, whatever. Still, I’m not already successful like Metallica…both of my albums are explicitly about being broke. So obviously, I could use the few cents I earn every time one of my CDs sells. The ethical implications of free downloads aside, clearly I would prefer that everyone buys a copy, as that would enable me to keep working as a musician in the future. |
Q. Gimme your top 5 albums of the year.
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1. MC Nougat—Get Nuts 2. Supreme Dream Express—Sonic Glitter Train 3. Tie: D.R.A.P. (Dance Rock Ass Party)—Music to Make Music To D.R.A.P.—Music to Make Music To 24. Lefty Lucy—Blunt Full of Glass 5. Grip Grand—Brokelore |
Q. Who’s the GOAT?
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Muhammad Ali. But if you mean the greatest rapper…at the peak of their careers, my starting five is KRS ONE, Slick Rick, Ice Cube, Rakim, and Big Daddy Kane, because of the impact they all had and continue to have (wanna read my stupid-long blog/message board about this very topic? Go to: Routine Fly Blog Archive The Greatest Rapper Alive). But my single favorite rap song of all time is probably Nas/Large Pro doing “It Ain’t Hard To Tell”…that’s a perfect song to me, lyrics and beat. |
Q. Post your funniest Youtube video
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I have never done anything remotely funny on YouTube. Well, there was this one thing, with a hardboiled egg and a tube sock, but they made me take that down. There were a lot of complaints from animal advocacy groups. |
smh i didn’t mean the funniest youtube by you, just a youtube you find funny…
Q. Post your favorite rap video
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Oh, that’s too difficult. So many good ones. That one just takes me back. I remember when this came out like it was yesterday. |
Q. Post your favorite non-rap video
Q. I like jokes. Make me laugh. Keep it short though, I don’t like long jokes.
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I also like jokes. But I cannot promise to make you laugh. Here goes. Why did the monkey fall out of the tree? …. Because he was dead. … Why did the second monkey fall out of the tree? …. He was stapled to the first monkey. …. |
*tumbleweed*
Q. Finest pornstar?
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Gargantua the Denuded Mole Lady |
Q. Thoughts on the presidential campaign? Is Sarah Palin a MILF?
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I don’t know if she’s an M that you would L to F, but as for me, I find ignorance unattractive. I think the election of Barack Obama is a deeply meaningful cultural moment for my country, and I hope that eventually we can regain some respect in the world as a conscientious and responsible nation. It is thrilling to have a highly intelligent and compassionate leader in the executive office. About g**damn time. |
Q. Beer of choice?
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Cold months—Guinness Hot months—Various beers from Mexico |
Q. Godfather or Goodfellas?
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Godfather II. |
That just about wraps it up…Thanks for your quick response to my interview Grip, any last words…?
OK, this is where I beg and plead in a desperate attempt to further my career. Everyone go buy Brokelore, go buy Welcome to Broakland…help me help you. Otherwise, my next album is gonna be a limited edition run of 50 CD-Rs hand-wrapped in newsprint. Go to Routine Fly TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW… , you can download all kinds of free stuff there. Hit me up for beats and rhymes (for best results, offer me money!) at MySpace.com – Grip Grand – Brokeland, California – Hip Hop / Rap – www.myspace.com/gripgrand. Go on YouTube and watch all the Grip Grand “videos” and give them a million stars. Tell your friends about how very special I am as a human being, and refer to me as the reincarnation of some person whom you know to have special significance for the party you are addressing. If you can find it in your heart to do those few things, or a significant fraction of those things, or at least one of those things, or to do none of those things but to consider doing them or, possibly, having a proxy do them for you…well, that’s all I can ask. I thank you, my family thanks you, and my God thanks you.
Don’t you? No?
OK, just the first two then. Beggars can’t be choosers!
And here’s a free mixtape (plus a crazy tale to tell about it). Almost an hour of free Grip. Go get it:
Routine Fly New Grip Grand Mixtape!
Click on the links that say “Grip Grand—Boner Jams ‘03”…jump through the hoops, it’s totally free—but you can donate if you want to.
That is all. Thanks again for everything,
Grip
November 14th, 2008 at 4:13 pm
I like his older stuff better
November 14th, 2008 at 5:20 pm
Yeah. He fell off.
November 14th, 2008 at 5:55 pm
I don’t know, didn’t you hear his remix with Katy Perry? Grippy is gettin it in!
November 16th, 2008 at 3:35 pm
NEW CHART-Topper please. No Kanye.
November 17th, 2008 at 4:18 am
lol!
November 17th, 2008 at 1:33 pm
I heard G-double is a total pedo, real talk.
November 17th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
Just kidding, bust seriously folks, go cop that Brokelore.
November 24th, 2008 at 7:22 pm
wait f*** you Gabe, Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D was awesome… yes thats what I took from this article. Hey did you hear they made a GPS with Kits voice, voiced by the O.G. William Daniels. it can even call you by your name or michael if you prefer.