So, i have been sitting on this interview for quite some time due to my hiatus from Facebook, and not keeping up with people to be able to finish the interview but i am very glad that now it is complete and finally, fully put together. So no more waiting, here it is....
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MYSTI: To whom may or may not know the person who this interview is with, Edd Bundy is a Hip Hop Producer/Emcee from London, England who is a member of Dead Rabbits, Ill Of Writes & Region Of Kings.
So, i guess my first question is, how did you become associated with these groups?
BUNDY: Where to start? haha. Ok, well once upon a time i was working in a 'crew' called Ill Upon Arrival (shout out to everyone involved there) and this was back in the Myspace glory days, i personally got talking to TMB and we spoke about doing a Region Of Kings / Ill Upon Arrival collab which happened shortly after. Then after some time, for what ever reasons IUAR kind of dispanded, everybody had other goals and lives to resume, i said this to TMB who i was cool with by then and he said i would be welcome into ROK anytime i wanted. So there... i was in ROK.
Ill Of Writes originally was the "supergroup" so to speak of Me (from Region Of Kings) and Samuel Tafari, formerly Supreme The Truth (from The Brotherhood), and put the two names together to come up with Hood Kings, ive spoken about how me and Samuel came to talk and work together so really the watered down version is, Myspace, then a forum i used to run, now, were super fresh, done.
DEAD RABBITS however, i think was down to TMB, Grim and a few others who decided to vouch for me to be in DR, then i got a message from Grim the same night i was hooking up with TMB. Enroute to his studio i got the message asking if i would be down with DR, obviously i said yes, the rest is history. So peace to everyone who wanted to work with me in all of these endeavors.
MYSTI: You mention you met a few people on Myspace, how do you think things have evolved, or not, from those days? BUNDY: Myspace was glorious, it was basically Facebook & Soundcloud rolled into one. Really it helped a lot of dudes get where they are now, but things evolve, things change, for the better or for the worse these things just happen. The death of Myspace wasnt so much as a bad thing for artists, instead it gave them a platform to go and prove themselves elsewhere. Musically though i feel everyone i knew those days have evolved and elevated to a whole other level, easily.
MYSTI: Ok, so as a whole, what do you make on the state of Underground Hip Hop right now?
BUNDY: We live in a particular age and culture that anyone with a computer (or even a phone right now) can illegally download some form of production software, or they can pick up a Microphone for next to nothing that usually comes with recording software that makes "being a rapper" or a "producer" the easiest thing in there world. On top of that, you put into the mix someone new to Hip Hop can message whoever they want, buy a verse or a beat from really really well known artists and instantly be catapulted into the scene like "yo did you see who that new cats working with?". Yeah most of the time you know this person has bought his way into the scene, but if you follow the circle, next up another new guy sees this guy is working with all of these dudes he then thinks "if I buy this dudes beats, I can then have that level he's at".
Which to me is a shame, because myself and a good 90% of artists I know struggled their way to where they are, doing shows, trying to compete with the more household names and actually getting props from their verses or beats and getting to work with their favourite artists in turn out of love and not money. I know times have changed, I cant hate on change, it is what it is, but you put most of these so called up and coming rappers buying verses and beats to get shine up against the vets of the years past and its a complete miss match, young bols wouldn't get the time of day. So if I had to say my opinion on the state of underground Hip Hop now, ill say it wasn't what it once was BUT at least you got a section of true people trying to do it the right way and we got a few key players trying to change the game for the better once again.
MYSTI: Who are those "key players" and section of people helping to change it?
BUNDY: 30 and Over League are doing good shit to help Hip Hop, they're part of a bigger circle of things that really helps the scene go back to what it once was. In essence they are a bunch of emcee's/producers/family members/friends/associates that have come together with the idea that no matter if your younger days are behind you, you can still make an impact, to me thats a dope thing, i guess im just waiting for a 29 and Under league haha.
Steve Sxaks & the Cypher Circuit + Marsten House, thats having a BIG impact right now, a lot of good things coming out of that venture and shout out to Steve who is the most down to earth dude i have ever spoken to, its of no surprise to me that he is making all of this work.
Obviously Dead Rabbits are doing good things and reaching out to new people, all my diabolical people. Basically anybody who is more about the scene than about themselves are putting out a good example.
MYSTI: Also, i'm 30 and Over now *cough cough*.
Right, here's something for you to answer truthfully, how did you end up being an emcee AND a producer? and do you think it hinders you or it helps?
BUNDY: I think i started out more seriously as an Emcee. Truthfully i see myself as an Emcee who produces on the side, thats my real passion, although i know other people see it the other way round. It doesnt really HINDER anything, but at the same time it doesnt help that people know me for my beats and those same people dont really know or pay attention to the fact that i rap, i guess it comes with the territory.
MYSTI: People see you more as a producer then? Does that mean more people want to buy your beats than your verses?
BUNDY: Realistically, im so diabolical that nobody wants to buy anything from me regardless of what it is. Hahaha, for real though people are more likely to buy a beat than a verse, i guess because im more well known as a producer. I still stand my ground that some producers aren't given as much shine though because people want to buy that Premo beat or the best for their price range, regardless of how good the beat is, for them its all about the name. If you have a Premo beat people are more likely to check the track, even if Premo made the best with his balls and some string, you are more likely to buy that than someone at the low end of the scale with some of the best beats youve ever heard, but nobody is likely to check the track because that dude hasnt got a name in the game. Its bullshit really.
MYSTI: How has it affected you?
BUNDY: You mean the whole artists not giving lesser producers money? It hasnt affected me at all, luckily for me i worked for Rolex for 4 years and now i have shares in the company, on top of that i invented cotton candy, and the Nerf gun so im pretty set for life.
MYSTI: We have heard a few Edd Bundy albums and ep's over the years, what has been your favourite?
BUNDY: For me, my favourite project to date was Ill Of Writes - Blue Van Music, it was recorded in one day, Jake One makes insane beats, and the cuts from TMB on that project were insane, but it was probably the most slept on project that ive ever done, which surprised me a lot. Second favourite is DIRT MERCHANTS which is due to be released in August, that was a lot of fun to make in my opinion, and everyone involved are cool as fuck.
MYSTI: What is "Dirt Merchants"?
BUNDY: I think you mean "Who are Dirt Merchants?" haha, all good. Basically Dirt Merchants are the collective genius of Words, I.N.F, Rated R and Edd Bundy. We discussed doing an album, we then actually did the album, and now we are releasing the album, digitally & physically, sometime in August. So definitely watch for that.
MYSTI: Personally my favourite records of yours were the Collectors Edition series, will we get a Collectors Edition 3.
BUNDY: I'm hoping so, TMB has a folder of lost vocal tracks, so im hoping he can put something together for them, plus a bunch of music i put out as singles in past years that never got a real release could be put on there, lets just wait and see.
MYSTI: What other music from you is in the works?
BUNDY: So, so much. Ill Of Writes we've got FMA3 coming out asap, and i have recorded 2 ep's worth of material just waiting for Samuel and TMB to stop being diabolical and finish some of them up. Dirt Merchants as i said is coming out in August. I'm producing an EP for Words called Sticks & Stones. I have a producer project finished waiting on mixes, and theres a lot of material i still have to record for various things. I think once ive recorded everything im taking some time out of music.
MYSTI: Do you have any favourite emcees/producers right now? If so who are they?
BUNDY: Look, i dont even listen to much music, honestly. I only really listen to a small section of people, i don't really know how i rap or produce because i know so little about music these days.
In all seriousness though, as much as i fuck around and say this dudes a diabolical bastard one of my favourite emcees is Samuel Tafari, and thats not me being biased due to us being Ill Of Writes, sometimes this guy will say the realest shit on the mic and it will get overlooked by so many people, dude amazes me with his rhymes sometimes.
All of my DR brothers and Dirt Merchants, I.N.F is a beast of a rapper, honorable mentions go to Kue The Vandal who's just raw, Godilla, Eff Yoo, Capo, Glomgold, Sosa, Tha Soloist, Lateb, Slant, a whole load of dudes i enjoy listening to indeed.
Producers... gotta by MoTioN, this dude CAN make some of the best shit you will ever hear without a doubt, only when he wants to though, you can't push this dude for shit haha.
Dope Antelope, just ill, erm.. Grim Reaperz, Luka, Trilian, Demon, the list is endless, so many producers can pull that shit out the bag.
MYSTI: If you could do an album with a producer or an emcee who would it be?
BUNDY: I've worked with most of the people ive wanted to work with, fortunately, those who i would want to do an actual project with though, Dope Antelope for sure. Nico The Beast i reckon that could work, on my beats. Eff Yoo, Godilla, these guys i got the time of day for.
Tha Soloist & MoTioN............................................ hmm. You know what i could sit here all day debating this shit, but really if someone wants to build they know where i am, im down to work haha.
MYSTI: Whats the most difficult thing about being a producer?
BUNDY: Being this good, is a burden.
Hahaha, fuck, i don't know, sometimes samples can be a bitch, sometimes i want to play my own shit, then i do, and that pisses me off. Us producers are very temperamental.
Really though, to me the hardest thing about being a producer is the need to be a perfectionist and scrapping so many beats because i don't think they sound crisp enough and i can't do shit to make it sound how i want it to, its frustrating.
MYSTI: Who are your hero's?
BUNDY: Musically? Tay Zonday, obviously. Non musically? Paul Gascoigne, without a doubt.
MYSTI: If you had to give advice to anyone based on being a producer or an emcee what would you say?
BUNDY: 1. Don't do it, pick a different career, don't be a diabolical bastard. 2. If you didn't listen to 1, and you're adamant about being a rapper, at least don't be a dick and have an ego before you deserve it. 3. BUY A FUCKING BEAT FROM ME!
MYSTI: LOL, well thanks for that insight Bundy, it has been a pleasure to see your answers to these questions, finally, if you have any links you want to share here put them up.
BUNDY: Aye, it was fun, we're definitely have to do this again.
Links though:
As 'The Grand Imperials' (an EP put together by DJ TMB x Edd Bundy x JBL The Titan) has just been dropped upon us, i caught up with DJ TMB & Edd Bundy and asked a few questions about the project. Here's what they had to say;
MYSTI: Ok, lets talk 'The Grand Imperials', first and foremost, personally I loved the EP. From Verses, to cuts to beats.. Which leads me to ask. JBL The Titan, how did the partnership happen to come around with him?
TMB: Edd and myself have been working with JBL for a few years on various albums, such as 'Listen here' off Godilla's Altered beast project, and more recently
with Adrian Adonis on 'The Margin' and 'Check game'. Me and Edd talked about a new ROK album and I started asking around for beats and JBL sent me
a folder of beats for me to choose from. I decided that instead of waiting for all the features for an album it would be quicker and easier to break it into a series of EP's and Godilla and Caesar Glomgold had already sent me their verses on the JBL beats so JBL became the first in the series and here we are.
MYSTI: The name 'The Grand Imperials' is very particular, how did you come up with it? TMB: I came up with it after sample searching for cuts for the first track with Vas and Godilla, It came from the Lord Finesse line that I cut up in 'Listen Here'.
We were going to ask the Facebook world to pick it but I decided that The Grand Imperials suited the project best. There are 3 tracks which have the words 'grand imperial' cuts on them.
MYSTI: What was the process in picking features for this 'feature heavy' EP?
TMB: That was also down to me, I wanted to keep the features a secret, even Edd didn't know the features until I had all the features back, then I sent them all to him for writing his parts. I listened to the beats a few times and kind of knew who I wanted on them, I feel the emcee's fitted the beats perfectly and they all smashed it out the box. EDD BUNDY: Yeh TMB was the ultimate asshole with this project, I didn't hear the features or the beats really until he got most of the verses in, to be fair, it helped me out by having some guides so its all good at the end of the day.
MYSTI: Bundy, what was your inspiration and motivation for writing for this project? Any different surroundings or techniques?
EDD BUNDY: I just listened to the beats and verses when I got them and tried to vibe and write something that fit with the whole feel of each individual track. Basically I wrote most of the verses taking a shit or watching Babestation so nothing really out of the ordinary.
MYSTI: You guys bring a different vibe to an otherwise samey type of UK scene in the sense that you both work with a majority of US based artists, why is this?
TMB: I've listened to more US artists as a fan since I was a kid, So I kind of aimed at the US as an artist/DJ. I do enjoy a lot of UK Hip hop but I have never really pushed myself into that scene. I working with Edd, Sam Tafari, MoTioN, DarkArts and a few others over here is always a pleasure and it's great spending time with these like-minded heads and good people.
EDD BUNDY: The US has an incredible pool of talent and so does that UK, lyrically if you really listen there's a draw to both. The only reason I'm in the US market more so to speak, is because that's how ive come up, I listen to a majority of US Hip Hop, i talk to more US Hip Hop artists than i do UK ones, and therefore i work more with that scene and that's the type of vibe my verses give off. I've got time for UK dudes all the same Samuel Tafari, Seiza, Killa Mans Biro (original ROK shit) to UK producers MoTioN, Dark Arts, Demon, Mike... I just like making Hip Hop.
MYSTI: Obviously, you are not just an internet crew, you actually get together to chill, rock mics, drink ales. Do you think either of you would be in the same kind of position music wise as you are right now? Do you feel you raise each others game and do you have a good understanding of what the other is gonna feel before you get to work on music?
TMB: Edd, Sam and myself try to meet up as much as possible, both Edd and Sam come over to my home studio to record verses and projects. As far as cuts go, like every track I do, I vibe from either the emcee or the beat or both to get the right samples to suit the track.
EDD BUNDY: Like TMB said, we all hook up as much as possible, when you say England dudes think its so small that were in walking distance of each other, that's not the case, or we'd hook up more and make more music. We put in work and have to spend a lot of money to hook up, and we do, cos were family. Which is really a front, because I hate all of these diabolical bastards.
MYSTI: My favourite track from this EP is Here We Go. What are your favourites?
TMB: I'm more than happy with the entire EP, I don't have favourites.
EDD BUNDY: I think its no secret now that myself and TMB have got a lot of time for everyone on here, especially Godilla who holds us down. Personally I've been looking forward to working with the guys Tone Liv, Capo, Glomgold, Vas for a long time so its a solid list. EVERYONE got busy though, I gotta give a special shout out to Steve Sxaks & Eddie Madrid who bought a completely different flavour to that track and the outcome in my opinion was dope.
MYSTI: From Sensi Starr to AOTP to Marsten House you have a lot of heavy hitters on here, do you think that helps for future work you may do together?
TMB: It's a blessing to have all the features we have, I met many of the guys in person and have worked with every one of them on various albums and tracks, every feature we have is built of respect, no money has changed hands in making this EP which is a beautiful thing for the love of Hip hop and the music.
EDD BUNDY: Like I said, everyone got busy on this and if and when we work together again i know they'll get busy again too. The fact that so many dudes willingly took part in this EP shows that the love can come from anywhere (for TMB anyway haha) and to see all these names in one place is definitely helpful for future music ventures for sure.
MYSTI: What's next for ROK MUZIK?
TMB: I'm already putting together the next EP in the series which features Level13 beats. I'm always involved in the Ill of Writes material which is basically ROK Muzik.
EDD BUNDY: Ill Of Writes - FMA3 will be the next project released and TMB is a big part of that as well as myself and Samuel Tafari. In terms of ROK, there will be a good few EP's to come so watch this space.
MYSTI: The EP is very feature heavy as I said earlier, but the solo track 'Time To Buy Ale' you came up with, will there be a video for it?
TMB: Quite possibly.. we meet up a lot and drink Ale a lot so yeah. We have talked about it and I hope our good buddy Ixion Form will help out with the editing if we do.
EDD BUNDY: I can confirm 100% that some sort of video will be released for this, I have numerous ideas BUT in reality the video will probably be the laziest most unthought through video ever, just like the rest of our videos. We keep it diabolical.
MYSTI: For the fans and collectors alike, will there be any physical forms available for purchase of The Grand Imperials?
TMB: I'm working on the cd's as we speak, but the digital downloads are available now from my Bandcamp https://djtmb.bandcamp.com/
EDD BUNDY: Yeh... So go and buy it so we can afford more ale
MYSTI: Will there be any extra merchandise made to promote the EP?
TMB: No just the cd's for now.
EDD BUNDY: I wanted some Grand Imperial g strings made and a whole trading card game based on the ep, but I've seen how badly card games can go for people in Hip Hop. So you'll just have to be content with the CD.
MYSTI: Finally, will we hear another JBL x TMB x Edd Bundy project in the future?
TMB: Yes quite possibly. JBL is a talented and very creative brother. I always enjoy cutting up on his beats. At this point I'd like to thank JBL and everyone who blessed us with a feature for this EP. And of course massive shout out to you Mysti and all the other blogsites for the promo ….We appreciate you.
EDD BUNDY: I'm open to any JBL project where TMB also plays a part, its a solid team and I'm happy how this ep came out.
I want to take this opportunity to shout out Samuel Tafari for being so diabolical, Ganjre 3000, Seiza the professional Bozo, Skinnybonez The Godfather, Melma the Trap King, Cliff Manmeet Clavin, Inph of Heddsnotts, Clever K is still King of New York, Green Sleaze aka Sleaze Nuttz aka Sleazus Christ, all my diabolical dudes and dudettes, Mike, TMB, JBL, all the features and of course MMHHC. Peace.
............. So there we have it, The Grand Imperials, in DJ TMB & Edd Bundy's own words.
If you haven't heard or bought the EP yet, here it is Embedded for you who are too lazy to click on the link :)
