Loer Velocity

Nachdem er 1999 auf “Coming Forth By Day” von den Scienz Of Life seinen ersten offiziellen Auftritt verbuchen konnte und ein Jahr später mit L.I.F.E. Long unter dem Namen Writer’s Guild eine starke (und viel zu kurze) EP vorlegte, setzt Loer Velocity nun alles daran seine Solokarriere auf Trab zu bringen. Das wollten wir genauer wissen und baten den New Yorker zum Gespräch…

How are you doin’ Loe?

What’s up, I’m good. It was a nice day today out here in Y.O. – I had lunch prepared for me, watched a fresh animation (Waking Life), got a full body massage. Word. So I guess I’d be a lil unappreciative if I complained, right?

What’s the deal with your new album “Middle Class Poverty”?

Oh right, we spoke earlier in the year. You asked me what it was gonna be titled. Umm, well basically myself and the good folks at Embedded Music decided to go with a different title. What had happened was… *laughs* I had a situation with this engineer, that I choose not to discuss at the moment ’cause I could already feel myself getting a lil upset. But umm, basically I had to re-record songs. Im always recording anyway so it’s really nothing …but, it was. My art is sincerely a reflection of whatever may be going on in my life. You know, whatever’s heavy in my thoughts at any given moment. And for a while there was a period of time where it seemed I was going thru more bullshit than should be allowed in life. Financially, relationship wise, my living situation, my health, I’m aight tho, trying to make these adulthood transitions you know? During that time I also gained a deeper sense of self, that allowed me to look at another side of me, you know? Things started to look different to me. It’s kinda interesting how that happens. So, some of the songs I had to re-record didn’t really have the same vibe that I was going for in my initial recordings. I guess I was in a different space mentally or whatever. Anyway, the new music I was creating had taken on a slightly different conversation. “Ready for Renaissance” is the title of these works. As of right now we’re preparing for an August/September release. Expect a single early this July with the cuts “Convo Pesado” & “Song I Sing”

Of course I have to ask you about the title: what’s the concept behind the whole project?

Hm, well as far as “Middle Class Poverty” whatever it sounds like it may sound like, may or may not be what the actual product sounds like. *laughs* But thats all I’m gonna say about that cause I might use that title for my next project. So you punks out there BETTER NOT BITE!!! “Ready for Renaissance” is simply my conversation and ill perspective of self growth. The classic struggle of facing the truth of what’s important to self, you know? Making transitions from one phase of life to the next responsibly, while having a sense of integrity.

Do you consider yourself a politically interested person?

Fuck Bush! Fuck Bush! Fuck Bush! Eh, sorta. Not as much as I could be really. I try not to let my views of society or government infringe on anyone else. Fuck Bush! Fuck Bush! Fuck Bush! I do know, that I know right from wrong. I do my best to question everything I may see or read in regards to society and government. Power to the people.

What can we expect from the album with regard to the music?

Expect laid back casually smooth aggressive conversations of uuhh, creative transitional reality to the sound of some engaging grooves – that classic head nod shit, haa! There’s not too many collabs. I have a joint with my man SavKills called “Centrifugal Ciphas”. Poison Pen of Stronghold makes a special appearance on “Crash Test Dummy”. My peoples from Harlem, CVees, join me in “Rehab”. Edot is on that track also. Most of the production is done by the Labrynth, who produced heat on my first single and Chris Jarvis. He’s done joints for Complex and a couple of other indie artist you may be familiar with. DJ Ese hit me with some fire. My man Donnan Linx blessed me with a couple of bangers. I think you’re gonna really like those! Oh, and I met this cool dude named Caness who laced me with some ill shit, too.

You’re a member of the group Not For Nuth’n with Donnan Linx and E-Dot – how and when did you team up with them?

Well, we all know some of the same people. Donnan was cool with my man Sav. We were introduced at the Nuyorican (Anm. d. Red: Poets Cafe). He said he had beats. I said let me hear ‘em. With dot, my man Emmo was asking me about doing a track with this dude from Canada and he was down with Plex (Anm. d. Red.: Mr. Complex). I just wanted to know what he sounded like. The first time he and I met was at the studio when we were recording the joint. A song titled, conception. I think Dot and Donnan already knew each other. We all used to just hang and burn. Have recording sessions. I mean, not just us. iI’d be maaad of us. L.I.F.E. Long, Breeze Evahflowin and some other dudes you might not know of. At some point those sessions became a lil project called Not For Nuth’n. And that’s a whole other story.

Your first single – “Story” – with Not For Nuth’n is already out, a full length album is announced to follow. Could you already give us some further information?

Besides the fact that there is a finished project… uhhh, no! Not really. We’re finishing up our solos, then we’ll probably drop something together at the beginning of next year.

You’ve worked with L.I.F.E. Long under the name Writer’s Guild, why haven’t we heard anything from you two for a while now?

Yeah, I was just wondering the same thing. He and I were building about that the other day. Hm, maybe we’ll have to release those joints one day.

What else are you working at right now, do you have any appearances on mixtapes or albums from other artists?

I’ve been keeping to myself lately. 2006 has been a quiet year. However, I have my own mixed album entitled “Loe Noise Reduction – The Hush Movement!” There’s a couple of appearances from your favorite indie artists such as Breez Evahflowin, E-Dot, Vast Aire, also some production by PM Dawn. Remember them? You can also hear me on the recently released Embedded compilation “DJ Ese – Side:Two”. I spit a nice lil confrontational joint on it. But umm, the last thing I made an appearance on, I think was E-Dot’s single “The Way I Live”. I let him borrow my voice for a hook. Oh, and he has an album with fellow canadian, Darp Malone entitled “Hero” that features me on two joints. Other than that, if you know of any mixtapes or anything for me to kill, holla!

Sometimes I feel like everyone (not only) from New York that can hold a mic wants to become a rapper. What’s your opinion – do you think that the underground-scene over there is kind of over-crowded?

Well yea, NY itself is over crowded and it’s the Mecca of hip hop. Not everyone wants to be a rapper, sometimes it does seem like that, tho. *laughs* I think it has a little bit to do with the whole business of this thing we call hip hop. The perception of either “a wicked jumpshot, slang crack rock, or rape hip hop” as a way out of impoverishment. The whole marketing aspect of it needs improvement in my opinion. The underground scene in NY right now is non-existent. It’s in a period of redundant sameness and at the same time there’s such a huge hip-hop vibe out in these streets, It’s a beautiful thing, I think.

The public focus has more and more turned away from the east coast and aligned to the booming southern and midwestern scene – have you ever imagined that New York would play a minor role one day?

Ahhh, interesting question! Nah, it never was a thought, but it makes sense. This tri-state area is geographically smaller in size than the South & Midwest. They (Anm. d. Red.: South and Midwest) have been downplayed for so long, they had to become their own market. That forces major companies to want to get behind with the money and bring the sound to broader audience. It’s nothing tho. That ole NY grittiness ain’t going no where!

How does this development affect you and your music?

It affects me slightly. I don’t listen to mainstream radio too often. The south has their sound. Not too much of it is my listening style. There’s few southern artist I can stand to listen, too. But whateva, that’s me. Then again I don’t only listen to hip hop.

What kind of music listener are you: rather the conservative boom-bap hiphop head or the all-consuming-while-its-hot type of fan?

It depends on the mood I’m in. I try to listen to everything. I don’t get caught up in the next new hype type of shit tho. You have to be creatively inclined to really catch my ear. You can be talking about selling crack to your niece, as long as its done in a way where I’m like ..”oh wow, what was he thinking” or “damn, that’s an ill way to come across” – then you got me.

If I got it right you’re working on your internet presence right now – when will the website be online?

Exactly, yeah I had to get my mind right. We’re looking to launch sometime in June/July. When the single drops.

Is there anything I have forgot to ask about? Tell us now…

Umm, yeah: a) the single “Song I Sing b/w Convo Pesado” drops early this summer. Pick that up. b) Be on the lookout for my internet buzzed promo video “Sexual P.O.V.” – it’s for the fellas!! YEAH! Lastly… Loer Velocity, The Hush Movement! Tell a friend. Peace!