Jessica Disu, aka FM Supreme, is a multi-talented artist who defies normal categorization. She’s been rhyming since the age of 10, and whereas many would be quick to tag her as a one-dimensional “female lyricist,” Jessica is just as quick to squash that misnomer with a perspective that deals more with sense and logic than mere gender politics. In her relatively young career she’s released five respectable projects, including a recent EP entitled The FM Supreme Project. The EP is a culmination of her experiences over the past 16 months, and holds her at her finest as she commands the mic with razor-sharp precision and heady wordplay.

At this point in her career, FM Supreme has moved away from the fickle music scene and dove headfirst into the classroom, where she’s eager to share her perspectives on life. As she continues to juggle her talents, it would be wise to keep tabs on her to see what she comes up with next. Centerstage caught up with her before her EP release party at the Beat Kitchen to talk about those ambitions and what we can expect in the coming months.

Are you from Chicago originally?
I was born and raised in Chicago. I have lived here a majority of my life with the exception of two years living in NYC. I went to college in Midtown – Manhattan – after I graduated from The Chicago Academy for the Arts High School. For a short while, lived in Harlem while interning in the promotions dept at Warner Music Group.

How and when did you first get interested in hip-hop?
I first got interested in hip-hop when I was 10. My mother was a manager at the time and had her own record label. Being around her inspired me to become an artist. I figured it would hold my mom’s attention and it was something that just stuck, but I wasn’t serious about it. When I was 11, in 1999 I think, rapper Eve came out with her song “Love is Blind,” which is about domestic violence. It was then that I knew I wanted to rap for sure and that my music could relate to people. I had a cousin who was experiencing the same type of abuse that the girl in Eve’s song was, and it just hit home. It was my “eureka!” moment and I knew then that I wanted to be the hip-hop artist to speak to girls and women, the way Eve spoke to me.

Was there one particular moment aside from that that inspired you to become an emcee or was it just a culmination of things?
The moment that made me know and believe that I could actually be an emcee was when I was 13. I actually had the opportunity to meet Eve on the South Side of Chicago. The movie Barbershop starring Ice Cube was being filmed around the corner from my mom’s apartment. I went up to the production set everyday and would rap for Eve and the other crew members of the film. She basically mentored, motivated and inspired me for a few weeks and told me to go to the studio to record my material for the first time. Those were real moments for me because just two- three years ago, I’m listening to Eve on the radio and watching her music videos, and now in real life she’s telling me that I’m a good rapper and could make it and that I should go record myself to hear how my voice sounds. I’ve been recording ever since. That was my moment of inspiration to begin my journey as an emcee and performer.

How does Chicago inspire you as an artist?
Chicago inspires me a lot, and for many reasons. There’s a lot going on here. I’m a part-time creative writing teacher at a private all girls school. I am also a teaching artist for youth organizations, Young Chicago Authors and Kuumba Lynx. I frequent performances and writing workshops in CPS. I am personally connected and affected by the youth violence and murders that are taking place here. It is as if it has become the norm. It’s not even news anymore. It’s crazy.

My biggest fear is losing one of my students to violence. I told them, “bullets have no name on them and death happens in a moment. In one moment, that could’ve been you, or me.” This is the city of shady politics, corrupt governors, mayors who step down for “no reason,” and home to the first black family in the White House. Chi City is full of stories, imagination and inspiration. It’s just really about choosing which ones are worthy enough to tell.

What’s your take on the hip-hop scene here?
The hip-hop scene here to me is arbitrary. I think there are many different scenes; grungy underground backpack rapper scene, hipster/hip hop scene, ‘I’m too cool for school’ scene. I mean I’m sure there’s more. I try not to get too involved or caught up in any of the scenes. This city lacks unity for the most part. The scenes here don’t seem to be interested in unifying to become one voice to make noise – that would make the industry and world alike notice our music, movement and culture. This inspired my song, The Barrel on the EP. My take is, think globally, act locally. Most of these artists are “local-minded” and are content and comfortable with being local. I’m good on that. I have already toured in Amsterdam and London in 2009. I’m touring overseas again soon. I can’t be caught up in Chicago politics of any kind. It’s not even important on a larger scale of things. What is important is the voice, and plight of the shorties (youth) that are dying. I’d rather rock shows that are worth it at night, financially and in my day life inspire the future. That’s what it’s really about.

As a female emcee, what are some of the biases that you’ve encountered? Has that fueled you in any way?
As a female emcee, I’m constantly hated on by my male counterparts. I’ve been performing on a steadfast grind since 15 years old; hitting the scene with mix tapes, EPs and albums before cats started rhyming. Seriously, some of these dudes just started rapping a year or two ago, and you can tell, and they still don’t show me the love and respect that I feel I deserve. I think that has a lot to do with my talent. My lyrical ability is supreme and my performance is high caliber. If you share a bill with me, you have to “bring it” or be upstaged by a girl … and no one wants that, so I’m not typically booked by these guys for shows. They never ask me to perform at their events even though they are fans or have heard of FM Supreme. I’m a very consistent emcee, I just happen to be a woman. I’m not personally offended or anything. It makes me work that much harder to be better at what I do.

In addition to emceeing you also work as a social activist and educator. What programs are you a part of, and in what ways has hip-hop helped you in terms of conveying a larger message?
I teach at an all girls high school and recently signed up to come into a CPS grammar school to teach 6th, 7th, and 8th graders. This is exciting because at the all girls school, my students are juniors and seniors. I teach creative writing, poetry, hip hop and the art of life. I’m always drawing from life experiences so my students can relate and hopefully get the lesson without having to experience it firsthand. Hip-hop gives me my credibility. The youth listen to me and look up to me because they know I’m real and because I can rap that makes me a “dope teacher.” I don’t take this responsibility lightly and because I have power and influence, I’m responsible with it or at least I try to be. I don’t curse in my music anymore or use the N-word, hopefully this will inspire my students to utilize their vocabulary more. We are all poets. My mentor, poet and Oak Park River Forest slam coach Peter Khan has always told me “rap is rhythm and poetry.”

Could you tell me a little bit about your label, the CommonWealth Music Group?
CommonWealth Music Group was formed toward the middle of second semester in college, 2007, while living in New York. I had already independently released two projects prior to graduating high school and I was functioning like a label exec: fundraising the budget, getting the graphic designer, finding the producer, etc. When I was 18, I decided to give what I was doing a name, and spirit said, ‘CommonWealth Music Group’ and I’ve been rocking with it ever since. I’ve had several young artists come and go/grow. Right now, we are in a nice place. I have a solid team behind the scenes. Talent (Producer/MC) and I are the only recording artists signed to the company presently.

CommonWealth is a movement though, full of activists, artists, educators and entertainers. My production team is sick. Be on the lookout for them, a trio including Talent. My logo and visual image is brought through the lens of my photographer, James Cox and graphic designer, Summer Coleman (Blknd Graphics). I also have a young protégé, Jasmine Carter, 18 year-old singer/rapper who?s a freshman at Columbia College. We are CW.

You’re about to release a new EP, The FM Supreme Project, could you tell me a little bit about what went into it?
The FM Supreme Project EP is a short piece of a larger body of work that is being written and or re-written for the full length LP that will be dropping in March 2011. This project was written during some very defining moments in my life over the past 16 months. The mind state that I’m in is like that of the projects, a place where you can survive but not live. Like you aren’t meant to live there your entire life. If you do live in the pj’s your whole life, it can become a hindrance to your worldly development. Or like even if you planned to live there forever, you’re hit with the reality of gentrification that knocks down the building you live in and everything around the world that you thought you knew.

To see more about FM Supreme, check out her website.

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The Opposition Party is a 10-piece ensemble comprised of talented music aficionados John Knecht (percussion), Danny Howard (percussion), Bryan “Rez” Resendiz (drums), Michael Weimann (bass), Jason Kaulas (guitar), Joshua Siegal (keys), Jake Worley-Hood (trumpet), Joshua “Shap” Shapiro (tenor sax), Andy Peplinski (trombone) and Joshua Therriault (baritone sax). For the past year they’ve worked tirelessly toward synthesizing African rhythms with reggae and dub influences, and so far the results have been sublime. Their brand of afrobeat clearly pulls from legends like Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Tony Allen and Thomas Mapfumo (in addition to many others), but as a whole they’ve continued to impress with a sound all unto themselves.

They’ve performed at a number of venues throughout Chicago (Martyrs, Chopin Theatre, The Whistler and Reggie’s, to name a few), and with a live album already under their belt it appears they’re already looking to make a permanent stamp on the local music scene. They’ll also play a free show at The Whistler on October 7 for a show. Centerstage corresponded with bassist Michael Weimann via e-mail to chat about everything from the bands brief history as The Opposition Party to his take on how powerful a genre afrobeat can be.

You have quite an ensemble, how did you all meet?
We formed a few years back when a bunch of us had been in another project, working on learning some Fela and Thomas Mapfumo material. We went different ways, but eventually a few of us found ourselves without a project at the same time, and all still interested in playing African and reggae music. So it was just kind of continuing what we’d been up to before, and gradually adding pieces that fit.

For example, our bass player and keyboard player met in an African band years before and randomly ran into each other in the music wing of the Harold Washington Library downtown. One of our percussionists joined the project after a band member tried to buy his talking drum at a store performance, only to realize that not only was the drum not for sale, but the drummer was a familiar face as well.

Can you take me back to your first performance together?
Our first performance as the full ensemble was a fundraiser in April 2009, playing to help raise money for the Cause & Affect Foundation. We set up in a wing of the Primitive Gallery in the West Loop, which was hosting the event. It was a really nice night ? great cause, beautiful space full of all of these artifacts from all over the world, a Buddhist meditation room – lots of wood and gorgeous shapes, which made for a really pretty acoustic environment, and that worked out well because we brought a mobile multi-track recording rig and put down the tracks for our album/demo, “Live at Primitive” (which you can download here). In retrospect, it?s kind of hard to believe we decided to multitrack our first performance, but it helps when you have a guitar player who is also a sound engineer and can tweak levels while playing guitar, so it worked out.

You all have deep resumes and extensive knowledge in your respective crafts, what was it about the genre of afrobeat that spoke to you guys?
When we were starting to get into these tunes as what would become the nexus of the group, it seems like there was a bit of a growing awareness of Fela in particular, especially with groups like Antibalas and Chicago Afrobeat Project coming out. But the more you get into it, the more you realize that, for example, James Brown was influenced by Fela. Talking Heads were influenced by Fela. The list goes on. And one thing that we have been really into is the way that the influence goes both ways, with African and Jamaican musicians very aware of what was going on in the states during those periods. So, possibly what’s real is the inspiration and musical ideas transferring around the world, and what’s artificial is this idea that things fit into categories or labels. With afrobeat, it’s so closely tied with some aesthetics that our ears are used to ? and Fela sings many of his songs in English, so possibly afrobeat is like a gateway drug. But at the same time, we were also delving into Mapfumo and things like that.

You cite Fela Kuti and Tony Allen (amongst others) as sources of inspiration. Do you think Fela’s political message still resonates today?
Well, the name of our band is The Opposition Party, and when we’re together and not playing, we’re usually talking politics. It would be hard to envision a period in history where a message of wariness of the government, wariness of those in power would not resonate. Most of us in the U.S. are not living in a situation where the government is throwing our family members out of windows (as happened to Fela in Nigeria), but consider that after the financial meltdown in 2008, Nigeria put the heads of its banks in jail, while we put ours in the government. So yeah, maybe the message gets more important all the time.

What do you think about Fela on Broadway? Having Antibalas involved is a nice touch.
We were very excited to see that, and hopefully many more people are aware of the sound because of that production. Also, the choreography was done by Bill T. Jones, so we’re definitely looking forward to seeing that at some point. Antibalas is a great choice, but we’re hoping if they decide to do a run in Chicago, they’ll give us a call.

Afrobeat as a genre has a rich history, but here in America it’s still a relatively new experience. What’s the reception been like so far for you guys?
The reception has generally been great, but you can definitely tell when you are getting an audience of people who are unused to the sound. It can be more of an appreciation than a participation in some cases, where what we’re looking for is total participation by the audience in creating the vibe, the motion of bodies, the transfer of energy around the room. We try to get the music off the stage and under people’s feet, under their butts. The music is restless, so it’s great when the room is too.

Where have you performed so far, and are there any standout moments for you?
We’ve performed around Chicago, so we’ve been doing the club and festival thing. We really enjoyed playing World Music Day at the Taste of Chicago last summer, and thanks to all the people who showed up to dance! Also, we just did a gig at Martyrs with Euforquestra, out of Colorado, and that was a lot of fun because the vibes of the two bands jelled so nicely. Another really special gig this year was performing with the DePaul African Ensemble at the DePaul Concert Hall. We had dozens of percussionists on stage with us for the final number, and we got to watch one of our percussionists, John Knecht, trade rhythms with Avo Randruut, who teaches the ensemble for DePaul. That was a really positive event in a beautiful space.

As a whole, how has Chicago embraced your sound?
We’re just getting ourselves known a bit, so that’s a really tough question to answer. We do a lot of different things, from dub to soul reggae to afrobeat to Ethiopian jazz to Chimurenga, other West African styles, and occasionally even some straight up funk ? we like to mix it up. So there’s a bit of a learning curve there, both in terms of what we do and in what works ? we’re always honing, always moving forward, always experimenting. The response has been pretty positive, but as for embracing the sound, there are a lot of different types of music to go experience in Chicago, and we’re still getting on the map a bit.

What can we expect from you guys in the future? Is there a full length in sight?
We’re in the midst of planning some Midwest excursions, and finding more places where we can have that great balance of intimate and spacious enough for a 10-piece band. We’re really looking forward to playing the Whistler in Logan Square. Then there’s Reggie’s Music Joint in December, and we just added a special set with Soulphonetics, resident DJs at the Butterfly Social Club, which should be very loose and experimental. Our demo is really more of a live album, and that’s 12 tracks, but of course, we’re always writing, so look out for an album of original music too.

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As a member of the legendary hip-hop collective All Natural, Marcel Wilks (aka Mr. Greenweedz) has always stood out as a large-than-life personality. His charisma on stage and love for hip-hop culture is matched only by his skills as a lyricist, host, orator and all-around music aficionado. Greenweedz’s talents have taken him all over the world and he’s shared the stage with a laundry list of luminaries like Liquid Soul, J-Live, Atmosphere, Chuck D, Melle Mel, Snoop, Ramsey Lewis and BB King, to name a few.

As an artist with very astute sensibilities, Greenweedz has been able to stretch his vision across several different genres with an equally diverse group of artists. His most recent foray has put him in alliance with local funk and soul pioneers JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound, and the result has been, as he describes it, “sparkling.” Centerstage recently sat down with Greenweedz to talk about the adventures that have decorated his colorful career.

When did you begin your career as a lyricist and what was it about hip-hop that compelled you to become a performer?
I tried for the first time to rhyme in 1986, but I got good as far as writing goes pretty quick. I officially got addicted around late ’87 when I met this crew, Raw Material. But I go to two moments in my life when I said, “OK, I’m in!”: It’s when Grandmaster Melle Mel went on stage after me and pretty much used the same call and response that I did; and I was so influenced by my big brother, when I saw him with his fat gold chains and Adidas outfit that I said, “Shit, I wanna rap.”

How and when did you hook up with All Nat?
My brothers! First cat I met was Tone B. Nimble through a mutual friend at Lower Links in ’91, a cool spot that threw hip-hop parties where a lot of dope and not so dope cats were hanging. And you knew ’cause cats steady tested each other. Then about a year later me and Capital D started hanging real tough. We use to have this posse called Unison at first and then it morphed into Family Tree; recording horsing around and vibin’. A lot of tunes just came out of spinnin’ a disc and phrases. Just typical word snatchers we were.

Eventually you linked with Liquid Soul in 2000. How did that relationship come about?
MCB all day long. Around that time B wasn’t gonna be available for some hits. So LS was like, “Man you got to go find a replacement.” I’ve been mucking with B for a minute, so he hit me and asked me if I wanted to sit in with the band and I said of course.

Was the live band dynamic something new to you at that point?

Yup, looking back on it, because Liquid Soul didn’t hire me immediately. I performed at their record release party at the Metro and I didn’t think I did too well either – maybe because Uma Thurman was there. Fortunately, I got a second chance later that year at the Double Door. See, my first hit I tried to kick writtens over live complete instrumentations. Trying to plug lyrics to a piece rarely works. For me, that’s hard! When a DJ is spinning an instrumental, the beat pretty much remains the same BPM, but when you play with musicians there’s a lot of coloring that takes place, though often subtle. You could have a drummer that drives harder as the song progresses. I totally over thought it. That second hit, I floored ‘em! I free-styled and that worked for me cause there’s no pressure – you off the cuff in the first place. Basically, I also learned when you play with musicians there’s a certain language and shorthand that happens. You got to understand that too, or at least feign it.

So from one legendary band to a now burgeoning band, JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound, how did you guys come together?
First off I got five syllables, Billy Bungeroth. If you ever happen to meet Bill at a party, plant yourself there. You’ll be in for a treat. So I get a call from Bill Bungeroth last year early December, whom I’ve known for about 13 years. We had a fiction writing class together at Columbia College back in the day. The course was writing intensive and we had to read each other’s work and discuss; it was only eight of us so we all got close quick. Bye the bye everyone got an A but me ? I got a B. Anyway he connects back with me through Chris Neal the saxophone player and keyboardist of the band. They were doing a Christmas benefit for Second City at the Double Door. I must say I never heard of JC Brooks and The Uptown Sound before the hit. I couldn’t make rehearsals, and I didn’t research them. When I sat in, it was refreshing! The whole band made me feel at home ? from a chill dressing room to building with me individually: Renaldo, Ben, Kevin and JC.

What’s your experience been like performing with the Uptown Sound?

Sparkling! Because everything comes back to the show. JC Brooks is a superstar and it’s like he stepped in a time machine and leaped to the future. He reminds me of the quintessential soul singer in every sense of the word. With no ego. We like Sam and Dave when I’m up there with him. The whole Sound is a brave bunch. To incorporate a rapper in a genre that’s very particular to its soul music can be a tricky tightrope to walk. But it goes over because I’m connected to soul music naturally.

First off it was prevalent in my household during my childhood. When I first started rhyming – remember in the mid to late 80s ? all hip-hop was James Brown samples or variations of soul. So that was my wheelhouse. In order for me to understand something at times I need a reference point, so even though I know this is raw power soul, when you add my vocals it’s like I’m kicking rhymes like I did during my youth. Plus in some way rock steady, northern soul, gospel, blues, hip-hop, etc., is all connected when done right. Some soul cats hear it and get it immediately, others may diss but still bob their head to it in disgust.

We (JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound) are all about trailblazing and we own whatever energy we put out there. I don’t know a lot but I do know this: When you decide to be the first or amongst the first, cats will mock, then they catch on and then if you present it right they follow. I’m never afraid of doing something new, don’t mean it’s fresh every time but it could be. If it’s not then we plain and simply don’t do it. Presentation is key, if you serve steak and potatoes on a clean plate then they eat it, you take that same meal and try serving it on a trash can lid then it’s not as appetizing.

You’ve had the opportunity to host and open for a lot of different acts throughout the years, who has been the most memorable?
The most? Maybe it was one time at Chicago State about six years ago when I moderated a panel discussion with Kanye West and Capital D. Basically, Cap D came to me earlier and suggested I should break into a rhyming session after the Q&A; I’m with it. Let me set you up for it: I’m at the podium, Cap is to my left at the table and Kanye is to my right at the table. So I start with Kanye, who was down, and he kicks a verse. Then Cap D goes and kick some writtens. Now I didn’t initially plan on rhyming, I even go back to Kanye. Then Cap D gets on the mic and asks the crowd “y’all wanna get Green on the mic and hear the moderator rhyme?” the crowd claps…ahhhhh. The old alley-oop.

Now, what I didn’t tell you is that Cap and Kanye were kinda laid back poetics and I knew I wasn’t going that route. I projected my voice with inflections along with body language. The crowd liked these guys, of course, but I had em rollin’! It was like I was a comedian up there. They were laughin’ and I kept walking into the applause with more rhymes. This turned up the volume and Kanye pushed away the table stood up and got hyped, so did Cap. But that day was mine from a rhyming standpoint. You just had to have been there. I know gold when it arrives and it took a seat that day.

For as long as I’ve known you and your work, I’ve always seen you as a true-blooded Chicago artist. What is it about the city that continues to inspire you?
It’s grit! People here are some of the hippest, hatingest, lovingest, critical, sensical, intelligent and cut-throat people you ever wanna encounter. Cats will kidnap you for $1500. Man that’s cold, but it’s fair. When I travel, I take Chicago with me. Chicago gets respect over the globe. Homey, sometimes I wonder if we’re aware of that. A lot of my homeys that visit here “hate it” because they never get any sleep when they’re here. Chicago throws better LA parties than LA. It’s a great city for out-of-towners too. In the summer … winter time can hurt at times but it’s Chicago.

What’s your take on the hip-hop scene here?
I don’t know. I used to really feel I should have an answer for this question at all times, but I don’t. There’s no scene really, I mean cats throw parties here and there but there’s no “scene”. But I’m spoiled because I can recall when there was a semblance of hip-hop every night of the week. I go to a lot of parties that’s reminiscent of hip-hop in my own mind. Like soul parties, for example, where I freestyle to myself. When I hear the DJ play a Temptations tune that PE might have sampled back in the day. Plus the mental makeup of a soul aficionado is similar and snobby like a hip-hop purest of 10 or so years ago, no offense. In addition, I might go to an underground reggae party where the Soul Summit DJ’s doing some toasting or I can check some riffs that I might have been exposed to through a hip-hop record. Oh, there’s some coolness over at Beauty Bar. I go to a periodic family reunion when an old school artist falls through The Shrine. I guess hip-hop is morphing into dance and everyone’s down to sell out. But there’s always hip-hop vigilantes out there. I know them and they lookin’ for a hero or lookin’ to become one.

What’s on deck for you in the coming months?
Man, I’ve been really on more of the business side of things in addition to being an artist. I’m what you call a rapper/manager or player/coach like Pete Rose without the gambling. I’ve always been hands on but I really like to facilitate myself. Cosmos Ray started a management team called Hey Lil’ Baby and it’s been a blast! In addition to rockin? with JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound, I also rock with Rita J. Hey Lil’ Baby manages both entities.

Right now, I’ve been keeping myself fresh by contributing my talents to projects I believe in and that I find to be trailblazing as hell. That hits me where I live. A lot of cats in JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound knew my work in some capacity and reached back or out to me, depending on how you look at it and so has Rita. As artists, both of these groups had they boat in motion and decided to add another sail. I feel so blessed and warm right now. I got music brewing and stewing in me and not like in an Axel Rose kinda way, but just when I start it I wanna be able to sink in to it. I don’t stress creativity in a sense where it drives me crazy anymore. I’m just doing what I’ve been doing, fucking with music and working my number.

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It’s been a manic 3 months, but the wait is finally over… enjoy!

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Loyal Divide is a genre-defying quartet made up of Siddharth Chittajallu, Adam L. Johnson, Andrew McCarthy and Jonathan Notowidigdo. They had originally formed in 2005 while attending Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, but didn’t hit their stride until they moved to Chicago in 2007. Their lush, almost haunting melodies have been compared to Radiohead, Brian Eno and Luomo, but despite those prominent influences, Loyal Divide still manages to capture their own vibe with a remarkably fresh sound.

Within their EP Labrador there exists a mature, multi-rhythmic combination of layered samples that beautifully meld elements of rock, dub-step, hip-hop and electronica into what Sidd calls “psycho-pop.” So far the group has been progressing steadily, and it appears things are about to get even bigger with their spot on the North Coast Festival as well as a new album entitled Bodice Ripper. Centerstage caught up with Siddharth Chittajallu to talk about their time in Chicago and what we can expect from their new album.

You originally formed in Ohio, and eventually moved to Chicago. How has the city embraced your style and in what ways has it contributed to your growth?
Our listening habits have changed from riding the train every day. For some reason, repetitive electronic music sounds great during the commute. We’ve all become big fans of Luomo’s Vocal City, and I think you can hear some of that enthusiasm in our upcoming LP.

You already have an impressive list of people that you’ve already collaborated with here in Chicago. What’s the experience been like for you working with these artists?
We’ve met a lot of passionate, interesting people through playing shows outside of traditional venues. There’s no money in it, but we’ve benefited a lot from playing loft parties and concerts in improvised spaces. It’s there you get a feel for Chicago’s DIY community.

You weave together a lot of different genres, anywhere from boom-bap and down-tempo to electronica, rock and beyond. How do you balance all of those influences without sounding non-committal or meandering?
We try to make every song sound as good as possible and go from there. There are certain rules. Every track has to have a money shot.

So what’s your approach to making a song? Is it more organic or calculated from beginning to end?
There are no consistent approaches. Some songs begin with a foundational sample or riff, and some songs begin as acoustic guitar demos. Then we toil over them until they’ve reached completion; it’s usually very obvious when they have.

How did the concept of the Vision Vision video come about?
That video was 100 percent BBGun. They don’t get many projects with complete artistic control, so I think they really relished the opportunity to make something on their own terms. It’s a difficult video to show my grandmother, but I think the music fits wonderfully with the footage.

Tell me a little bit about your EP Labrador?
It’s all music that we wrote right when we got to Chicago. Those songs are also our first attempt at home recording and electronic music.

What can we expect from Bodice Ripper?
It’s an extension of Labrador. We intended to make a full album, but the tracks took us too long to write and we really wanted to release something. So we released the first four songs we completed. Bodice Ripper is the album we wanted to make.

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With more than 20 years of experience, DJ Rude 1 understands more than anything the importance of staying true to oneself. He’s been deeply rooted in Chicago’s hip-hop scene as one-half of the Single Minded Pros, and despite being a major figure in the scene he still maintains a grounded focus: spreading the word on quality hip-hop music. Rude’s love for the culture started as early as grade school and has blossomed in a number of different ways, including the popular Goodness series, which has brought out a veritable who’s who of hip-hop DJs such as Babu, Maseo, People Under the Stairs, DJ Revolution, Alchemist, Edan, DJ Shortkut and Diamond D, to name a few. Rude’s momentum doesn’t seem to be slowing down despite him being the only member of SMP in Chicago, so Centerstage sat down with him to see how he’s been able to maintain his focus for so long and where he plans to go next.

Your connection with Chicago hip-hop runs deep. What was it that initially got you interested in the culture?
I was heavy into break-dancing when I was in grade school, but my interest in that began to wane and I wanted to learn more about the music we were dancing to. I started taping WBMX mixes around ’84-’85 and discovered Farley Jackmaster Funk and the Hot Mix 5. Farley always had the most interesting sets and he was the only one who would cut it up, so I followed him more than the others. I used to take my little tapes to local record stores and have them help me find the songs I liked most, and that’s when my record collecting began. A few years later my mom and I moved to the East Coast and I discovered Marley Marl, Red Alert and Chuck Chillout’s radio shows. Next thing you know I’m digging for Ultramagnetic MCs, JVC Force, BDP, etc. I like to say I’m lucky enough to have grown up on Farley and Marley.

When did you first start spinning? Do you remember your first gig?
I got a pair of belt drive turntables in 1988 and it was on from there. I worked my ass off in high school to save up for a pair of 1200s.
I’m not sure I remember my first gig. Back then it was mostly house parties. My first gig in Chicago was in 1992 at Cairo courtesy of Jesse De La Pena.

As a DJ you have the luxury of being at the crossroads of a lot of different styles of hip-hop. What’s your take on the culture now, specifically Chicago?s scene?
Believe it or not I don’t really follow the scene that much. Maybe that says more than I realize. I don’t know. I still check for new artists and new records when I hear good things, but I’m not out there kicking it like I used to.

Tell me a little bit about SMP.
Single Minded Pros was a collective that consisted of me and six homies I grew up with back East. Five of those dudes got locked up, and Doc West and I were the only ones left. We’re both DJs and producers so we started putting out records featuring our favorite MCs and things took off from there. We did records with Kool G. Rap, Tony Touch, Kool Keith, and a ton of others. Around 2006 I moved to NY and Doc bounced to Atlanta. I did a lot to build such a quality brand, I decided to keep it going by attaching it to everything I do these days. I fell back on the beats the last few years, so it’s mainly just parties and DJ sets these days.

The Goodness series has played host to some of the most revered hip-hop DJs around. How did the night come about?
When I moved back to Chicago from New York, there weren’t any parties left where I could do my thing and play the records I wanted to play. Shon Dervis and I were still doing late-night sets on Fridays and Saturdays at The Note (RIP!). But we knew management eventually would go in another direction, so it was time to look ahead. I did the first Goodness party at Lava with J-Zone and it’s been a great run from there. August will be our three-year anniversary.

Who have been the most memorable guests so far?
Off the top I’d have to say the first time Alchemist played with us. Dilated Peoples were in town doing a show at Double Door that night so they came through along with Aceyalone, 88 Keys, and even Juice came by that night. It was almost a full-blown rap show in little-ass Lava when the legal capacity was only 99. That was a great time. Other highlights for me would have to be Diamond D and Freddie Foxxx. That’s just legendary status right there. Plus, where else would you ever see Bumpy Knuckles on the turntables? And that wasn’t just for novelty sake. Foxxx gets busy on the tables. I should also mention DJ Revolution and Shortkut are easily the best DJs to have played the night. I’ll put those two up against anybody on the planet. I mean that.

I checked out the People Under the Stars set, they’re easily one of my most favorite hip-hop groups around. Are they the uninhibited party types like their songs suggest?
This is weird to say, but I’m not at all familiar with their catalog. I know they?re both serious record heads and they use an MPC 3000 like me so I always respected them for that. That night came to be after we met when we were booked on the same bill last year and I just figured they could probably rock a party and they didn’t disappoint. The Goodness is a DJ’s DJ party if you know what I’m saying, but I love when it turns into an all-out dance party, which happened that night. Those dudes are good people.

Aside from the darkroom what are some of your other favorite venues to spin at?
Shon Dervis and I are back in effect every Thursday for a weekly party we call “Elementary” at Empire Liquors. That’s my favorite party to play in the city. I just ended a 2 1/2-year residency at a small spot in NYC called Shebeen, which was always fun for me, and I also really dig Goodlife in Boston.

Almost every DJ I’ve interviewed considers this an unanswerable question, but I’m going to ask it anyway. Name your top five favorite records.
Hmm, I’ll say:
“Ain?t It Good To You” Ultramagnetic MC?s

“So Wat Cha Sayin” EPMD

“K.I.S.S.” Diamond D

“Boogie Down” Man Parrish

“I’m Hungry” Stopp

My record for 2010 is Roc Marciano’s “Marcberg” LP.

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Jesse de la Pena is a local DJ who has spent almost his entire life around music. His roots run deep into the mid-1980s b-boy and graffiti culture, and further into Chicago’s early hip-hop scene, where his contributions have left an indelible mark. As a touring DJ he’s supported a number of legendary acts, including Tribe Called Quest, Common, Mos Def, Roy Ayers, WAR and Maceo Parker. His group, Liquid Soul ? a Grammy nominated band that fuses together elements of jazz, funk, soul and hip-hop ? has stood the test of time as a truly authentic incarnation of “Acid Jazz.” Needless to say, Jesse’s resume runs deep, and there simply isn’t enough time and space to cover it all, so Centerstage tracked him down to hear in his own words some of the highlights that has decorated his quarter century long career.

You’ve been DJing for over 25 years, who was the first DJ you saw that made you want to get behind the decks?
Like a lot of DJs, it was seeing music videos like Herbie Hancock’s “Rockit” that inspired me to look further into it. Later I met a few friends in high school that were already doing parties like Hugo Mercado and Andy Kudelka. From that point on I started going to parties watching what DJs were doing and eventually started spinning with a few buddies in my neighborhood, Tommie Boy Productions. I guess we were all inspired by the radio mix show DJs from stations like WHPK, WNUR, WKKC, WCRX, WCYC, WBMX and WGCI.

Do you remember the first record you ever bought, or perhaps the one that really got you geeked for the first time?
I bought “The Breaks” by Kurtis Blow at a flea market and that started me collecting 12-inch records. Before that I had always bought 45s and albums as a kid. My mom had them around the house and she would play them for us. I guess that had a big influence on me and my two sisters. One is a DJ (Leeann) and the other became a VJ (Diane).

You helped lay down the foundation for Chicago hip-hop, what was the early scene like?
The early days were a lot of fun and we were young, so things were very different back then in the mid ’80s and early ’90s. Hip-hop wasn’t mainstream and as accessible as it is now. Just finding a space and/or bar that would allow you to do a party was a task. The stigma that came along with hip-hop was pretty negative and being here in Chicago, where it is known for being very divided, made things a bit more difficult. Fortunately, I met a couple club owners that gave me the opportunity to do a few nights around town like Joe Shannahan (Metro/Smartbar), Tommy Klein (The Vic) and John Litz (Elbo Room).

Out of all the residencies you’ve had over the years is there one that stands out as head-and-shoulders above the rest?
Probably my days at Smart Bar. That was my very first residency. I learned so much there about music and the music biz ? from their library of music to their resident DJs like Jeff Pazen, who showed me the ropes when I first started spinning there. Also the Elbo Room here in Chicago, that’s where one of my first hip-hop nights all came together, “the Blue Groove Lounge” back in 1994 plus my Sunday night “Acid Jazz” night with Liquid Soul. These two venues have played a major role in what I do today.

Tell me about how you met Tommy Klein.

We met through Joe Shannahan back in the early 90s. Joe wanted to put together a band incorporating a DJ and Tommy was the guitar player. Tommy is a super talented musician that has seen a lot. He was very forward thinking when a lot of musicians were very anti when it came to working with DJs.

When you guys were in the early stages of Liquid Soul did you have a clear vision of the type of sound you were going for or did it just evolve naturally?

I was in another band before Liquid Soul and that’s where a lot of experimenting took place. It was my first time every doing anything like this, a lot of trial and error when it came to figuring out the sound. The problem was that everyone in the band had a bit of a different idea of what that sound should be. Tommy and I were on the same page and we wanted to push things in a jazzier direction, fusing in more raw hip-hop, reggae and dance elements and still pushing the boundaries.

In what ways did the city help inspire the musical dialogue?
Just being here in a big city influences your musical taste, all the stuff you are exposed to as a kid and what you hear on the radio. Then when you start going to parties all these thing seep in. I wasn’t a kid who grew up playing the piano or taking lessons on music theory. These things became more interesting to me as an adult. There wasn’t anyone in my family that played an instrument, so communicating what I had to say wasn’t easy. Eventually I developed an ear and began to understand how things worked. I feel very fortunate growing up here in Chicago and for the time I have spent in New York when I was younger.

You’ve seen DJ culture evolve over the years, what’s your take on Chicago’s place in history?
Chicago is very rich in musical history ? from the blues and R&B to good old rock ‘n roll. There is so much music talent that has come out of Chicago. It’s unfortunate that it seems like you have to move to one of the coasts to make it. Chicago will always have its place in the history books, you will just have to dig deep to see a lot of what has happened here. If you rely on the magazines and the media to tell the story, you will just get the short version. There is so much more that never gets told.

What can we expect from you in the future?
I?m rethinking my role as a DJ at the moment. I want to get back in to producing for some artists. I have a new project called the JDL Sound Collective that incorporates multimedia and all my favorite aspects of a band and turntablism. Also piecing together a few different ideas for albums and mix CDs with a different twist.

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In his young career, multi-instrumentalist/producer Keith Kreuser (aka K-Kruz) has had the opportunity to work with some of the most gifted artists Chicago has to offer. He’s collaborated with hometown legends Diverse, Psalm One, Longshot, Adad and Iomos Marad (to name a few), and he’s made extensive contributions to famed local labels Chocolate Industries, Molemen Records, Galapagos4, EV Records (now defunct) and All Natural Inc.

Kruz’s love of music started as early as age 5 and has been on a steady climb ever since. His last EP, Look Honest (featuring singer Steve Spacek), is a tasteful take on the spaced-out soul that many contemporaries have adopted as of late. The difference is Kruz approaches the style on his own terms and develops a warm sound that’s never too nostalgic, and always enterprising in its attempt to find new and hypnotic rhythms. The real shame is that we don’t hear from him nearly enough, which is why Centerstage tracked him down to get a heads-up on what he’s been up to and what projects we can look out for in the near future.

You’ve had the opportunity to work with a wide range of Chicago hip-hop legends. How has that experience molded you and was there anyone in particular that you really enjoyed working with?
Having the chance to work with local artists is so much more rewarding than working through the mail or the internet, and is a true rarity these days. That being said, working with Diverse, Cap D, Iomos Marad, Mass Hysteria and the whole EV crew has really molded me as a producer and given me the confidence to do what I do on a continuous basis.

What’s your take on the local scene now?
Let’s just say we’re a long way off from Common rocking at the Blue Groove Lounge with Jesse De La Pena on the 1s and 2s.

You play the drums, which is in contrast to the producer who learns solely through the MPC. What sort of advantage does that give you when mapping out a beat?
As much advantage as playing piano since I was 5, studying the saxophone for nine years, or years of Ear Training and Music Theory classes in college: none. To me making hip-hop beats or down-tempo beats or whatever you want to call it, is art, and art should be evolving. My training gives me a base, but like Miles Davis said, he studied at Julliard and with some of the best musicians alive, but then had to forget it all to make the music he wanted to make.

Do you feel that hip-hop as a whole is lacking depth?
Lacking depth? Not necessarily in the music/beats, but more in topics of the songs. For example, I love Drake’s choices of beats, his melodies and even his rhythm, but dude isn’t saying anything other than what we already know, he’s rich.

Tell me about your EP, Look Honest, with Steve Spacek. What was your approach in making this album and how is it different from previous projects?
I was working on a full-length and had a feature from Steve that I was definitely on it, the album was taking forever so I decided to bang out an EP to keep getting stuff out there.

The few songs I’ve heard from the EP have a wonderful – almost dreamy – quality to them. What were some of your inspirations while piecing this project together?
I am a big fan of dreamy music. Toro Y Moi, Mew, anything that has interesting sounds and textures with pretty chords, that’s my kind of music.

The EP was released under the label Organik. How did you link up with them?
Fred from Organik reached out to me sometime after Diverse’s One AM came out, he told me he was a fan of my work and asked me if I would be interested in putting out records with them.

So is this project in preparation for a proper full-length?
Yes. I should be wrapped up with the record early summer and possibly have it out by fall.

Are there any other projects we should look out for?
The full length K-Kruz album Choose Your Circumstance, Diverse’s Round About, The Believers, which is Cap D, Iomos Marad and Me, and a record from The Fires, my rock group.

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Indigo Girls play Morton Arboretum on Saturday night.

In 1990, Milli Vanilli beat out Indigo Girls, nabbing the Grammy for best new artist. But 20 years later, guess who’s still selling out concert halls? Hint: 50 percent of Milli Vanili is dead, while Indigo Girls are 100 percent alive and touring. Centerstage spoke with folk/rock duo Amy Ray and Emily Saliers about songwriting, their upcoming holiday album and why Ray can always find a date.

You’re touring to support “Staring Down the Brilliant Dream.” Why another live album?
Emily Saliers: We did “Back on the Bus” (which isn’t one of my favorites) a million years ago, and “1200 Curfews,” which was popular with the fans. Our front of house guy recorded shows from 2006 to 2009, a slice of our history, and the recordings turned out really well.
Amy Ray: We don’t like to wait too long. We like to have a time period and then document, move on and document the next one.
ES: We had fun sifting through all the songs, some with the band, some acoustic and some with special guest artists.

Do performances blur?
AR: Ninety percent of the time I have a pretty vivid memory. I didn’t listen to every minute of every song because I would know from the first minute.

Your career longevity has afforded you the ability to help out newcomers like Brandi Carlile.
AR: Someone like her doesn?t really need our help, she’s so talented, one of those once-in-a-generation voices. It was more our excitement hearing this new person with new energy and wanting to share it. She knew our songs; it was just easy to sing together.

I asked your Facebook fans for questions, and many heard about your guitar tech, Sulli, having a stroke and sent good wishes.
ES: That’s nice. It was a devastating thing to happen for her and for us because we?re like family and she?s so young. But she’s home now, she’s in PT and she’s got her sights set on coming back to work. It’s nice to have the support not only of her friends and family but of the fans.

Emily, a fan question, how has your relationship to spirituality changed over time?
ES: My dad is a retired professor of theology and ordained Methodist minister. Every Sunday, my mom would roast a chicken, and we always ate together and could ask my dad pointed questions like, “does god exist?” or “how could a person be the son of god?” So, I grew up able to question religion. When I didn’t want to go to church anymore I didn’t have to. Now I go when I’m home [but] I have a mixed relationship in terms of what I see the church doing outside of my own personal experience. As much as I’ve been horrified by the way organized religion can oppress people, stigmatize, judge and hurt them, I also see good work in the church: outreach to prisons, a green movement, affirming congregations and people working toward gay rights.

Amy, I got a number of spirituality/songwriting questions for Emily, but the most frequent question for you was, “Can I get a date?”
AR: Wow, man, Emily gets the songwriting questions and I get a date.

Why is that?

AR: It makes me laugh ’cause … I don’t know why it makes me laugh, ’cause it?s embarrassing, I guess. I believe we suppress parts of ourselves that are more sensual, and I don’t mean sex, just feeling and touching and appreciating beauty. I’m pretty graphic and honest and I walk in the world as a sensual person. Maybe that comes out in the music.

You did get some song questions as well!
AR: (Laughs) It’s okay. The Indigo Girls have been together so long, I know where the divisions fall.

What inspired your upcoming holiday album?
AR: Our moms. My mom always wanted us to record “In the Bleak Midwinter” and Emily’s mom wanted us to record the same song! Things fell together. We did the record in Nashville with a bluegrass band, kind of an interesting approach to holiday music.

They say writers are influenced by their geography. True for you?

ES: No doubt. The south is a mysterious, murky place with a fascinating and poignant history of civil rights struggle. I wasn’t born in the south, but I feel like I was.
AR: I hear a lot of Georgia in her writing in the last 10 years.

What’s one aspect your writing process that looks least like writing.
AR: Probably movement. I finish a lot of songs while driving. I write on the road, but at home I have more of a discipline; I write earlier in the day, then doing my chores, I’m still writing in my head. I couldn’t just sit at my writing table for six hours. I have to do two, break away [and] let it brew, then come back.
ES: In college, I could write five songs a day, but now it’s much more of a discipline. I?m learning Logic, Apple’s recording software and I’m excited about that, I’m not very technically apt, but I’m working toward a solo project.

This is your first to Amy?s three.
ES: Amy’s really quite a rocker and there are songs she writes [that] we can’t do. I haven’t needed to get something out that I couldn’t through Indigo Girls, but now I’m envisioning a hybrid project: organic instruments, acoustic guitar and piano in conjunction with beats, ’cause I’m an R&B freak. I’d like to couple the contemporary sound of beats with lyrics that dig down deep. I don’t know if you could dance to it, but maybe you could snap your fingers.

Catch Indigo Girls Saturday at Morton Arboretum. Tickets are $35-$45, and the show starts at 7 p.m.

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photo: Eric Joseph

By combining elements of comedy and hip-hop in his routine, local emcee Que Billah. is an artist whose stock is steady on the rise. The West Side native first began rhyming when he was in grade school, and over time his talents evolved to where he was able to strike a fine balance between his influences and experiences. In 2005 Billah’s hard work paid off as he was recognized by Source for its Unsigned Hype column, which has featured luminaries like Mobb Deep, Notorious B.I.G. and Common, among others.

The accolade was a hard act to follow, especially when considering he was the first emcee to be profiled in Unsigned Hype since Common, but it was a challenge Billah has responded to by selling more than 20,000 mixtapes and opening for a multitude of emcees, including KRS One, Rakim, Twista, Ludacris, David Banner and Chingy, to name a few. In recent months he’s maintained the momentum by releasing singles with The Cool Kids and KRS One, which is a testament to his versatility as an artist as well as his ability to bridge creative gaps.

Where were you born and how did you first get interested in rhyming?
I was born on the West Side of Chicago, L-Town to be exact. I was basically raised on hip-hop. I have a brother that’s eight years older than me, so everything he listened to, I listened to. So I was always enamored by rap music. I first got interested in rhyming at the age of 10. I wrote my first rhyme in fifth grade for a science project about animals.

Can you take me back to your first performance?
Oddly enough, my first performance was before I wrote my first rhyme. In the fourth grade our school had its first talent show. Myself and three of my guys, one of whom just passed away two weeks ago — which is why this story is so fresh in my memory — were chosen to represent our class in the school talent show. We performed a cover of Bobby Brown’s “Don’t Be Cruel” and I performed the rap portion while they performed the singing part. And that was when I fell in love with the stage. It wasn’t until my high school talent show that I was able to hit the stage with my “on” material.

In 2005 you were recognized by the Source’s Unsigned Hype. Looking back on it how did that recognition help you get to where you’re at now?
Well, I think that the Unsigned Hype article helped me out a lot. Any time you get recognized nationally for your work, it sets you apart from the pack. I think it gave me a springboard to jump from to get people to take notice. Also, the writer of the article came to town for a congratulations party/show, which sparked the beginning of my paid show career. From then I was known as the guy with no deal and no radio play that could pack venues. So locally it helped a lot, but nationally not so much. There was a time when that article got you signed … once upon a time, but due to the turmoil that the Source was going through at the time, the article didn’t mean much nationally.

Was there an added sense of pressure afterward?
Yes and no. It was really a relief because I had been saying I would be in the Source’s Unsigned Hype for years, but I had no idea how it would happen. So it was a relief that it came to pass. The pressure came in the form of getting more press. Without a publicist it was a very hard task.

You’ve had the opportunity to share the stage with some legends. What’s the experience been like for you, and has anyone taken the time to pass on any real words of wisdom as opposed to the cliche “keep grindin’” line?
I was able to spend a few hours with KRS and Rakim on separate occasions. Both of which are super cool dudes in two different ways: Rakim more like the uncle telling you how it was when he was coming up, filling you in on the real stories behind this thing we call hip-hop, like how Nas was in the lab with him while he recorded “Paid In Full” or how his favorite rapper is Sadat X. KRS is more of the icon that feels the need to give back to the culture that he has reaped so much from by doing songs with the youthful emcees that looked up to him all these years. I could go on for hours, I got millions of stories about me opening up for people from Luda to David Banner to Devin the Dude …

You cite a who’s who of comedians as inspirations, Dick Gregory for example. People have a tendency to exclude him when talking about influential comedians, how important is it for you to maintain a sense of humor throughout your work?
People exclude Dick Gregory because he is much more than a comedian and his knowledge makes him a dangerous man. Seeing him speak actually gave me the notion that I could actually make people laugh, then drop a little knowledge in between the punch lines. But humor is the key to getting your point across; even preachers use comedy in their routines. Ask any woman what the most attractive quality in a man is. If you keep people laughing, you keep winning. But hey, if you want to be super thug and you’re too hard to smile, then you might need to get some things sorted out in your life, because that ain’t healthy.

Recently you worked with both KRS One and The Cool Kids ? on separate projects. What was it like working with two such different dynamics and do you see the styles bridging together at some point down the line?
Only thing different ’bout The Cool Kids and KRS is how they dress, that’s it, not even age because they both make timeless hip-hop. KRS said the best year was ’88 and The Cool Kids brought ’88 back. I’m honored to be a part of both their legacies, whether they like it or not. I sit right in the middle of those generations. I came after KRS and before the The Cool Kids so I am bridging those styles together.

Tell me about some projects that you have lined up for this year?
Well, currently I’m working on something very groundbreaking. I’m working on a video mixtape called “You Can’t Do That On Television,” 12 videos that blend scratch and fade like an audio tape. To my knowledge it’s the first of its kind. After that I’m dropping an EP Called “1000 Words,” which will be accompanied by six more still -picture videos, much like The Fresh Air Syndrome. From this point on I’m all about the visual and bringing songs to life.<p.

So when you’re not busy working how do you like to unwind? Favorite venues or places to relax?
When does that happen? I’m always working. When I’m not working I like to brainstorm about new ideas and how I’m going to bring them to life. Even when I’m in the club it’s business and there is very little “me time.” Honestly, where I feel the most relaxed at is on stage. I wish I could perform every day of the year, that is when I’m at peace and one with the universe. But to answer your question, I’m feeling The Shrine this year, that’s the place for me this year. I also like to cook and I get down too.

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