 |
| |
|
| |
Interview
by SashaS
2-9-2001
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
| A group portrait with a producer |
|
Good Rap Guys
311 is a veteran American band that is starting over in the European theatre
Fate can play strange games and certain band careers attest to this: 311 is a quintet that's been together for a decade, has its sixth album 'From Chaos' out and the tally of the previous five is five million copies and yet they are hardly recognized in Europe as they've not visited in some four years. They are a modern nu-metal/rap-rock crossover outfit and have been doing it long before Limp Bizkit exploded on scene.
Thus, how did the Nebraskan band happen to get in such a twisted state? We went chatting with one of the band's vocalists/lyricists, SA (Martinez also appears on his passport) and the story starts several years back with a dispute with their then record company.
"We were signed to Capricorn (Universal's) label," SA reflects stoically, "and were readying to return, we had already been several times, to Europe when our guitarist (Tim Mahoney) had a hernia and we had to cancel the tour. That started problems with the label and ever since then we couldn't come to Europe, again. We are starting again and once kids hear us play, understand what we are about, they'll realise we are not just new kids on the block jumping on any bandwagon."
Slick thoughts
Although they share musical interests of Eminem and Limp Bizkit, there is nothing controversial on 311 records but are really positive artefacts without sexist bulls**t, racist or homophobic statements, expressing of social extremism; there
is not even blatant riff ripping-off. Are they really that positive, that good rap guys?
"We don't have a pessimistic angle," SA comments firmly, "we play music for people who like it and although we deal with topics that are not optimistic but it's the way we express them. That's what music is all about, talking about where your life is at, talking about relationships, there are plenty of things close to my heart. I don't think we are really good guys.
There are plenty of artists offering music negative in nature, dark and evil in tone, and there is public for it, but we feel we have a duty to swing the pendulum to the other side. Different side of life, that's us."
It certainly is the case and this band incorporates elements of reggae in the usual melange of funk, hip-hop and rock. 311 will never measure on rebellion-o-meter but that's not their career's brief. It is often said that rap is black music's punk; where does that leave rock-rap?
"I think it is the suburbia's kids answer to it, a suburban-punk you could call it. To a large part it is taking an artform further into the society that already has been bigger consumers of hip-hop. Eminem is very important because he is the ultimate for the rebellious segment of the kids and it appeals to them on the attitude, style, fashion level. They identify and there is a sense of belonging to something that is against the social conservativism."
Stairway of persistence
Being able to command theatres in their native land 311 find themselves seconding somebody else's bill. And yet they appear to retain ambition, heart's desire and hunger.
"It takes time and you have to be patient. You can't expect to explode across the world at once and it took us, in the States, three or four years before we broke through. That tested our mantle, and the first two albums fell on deaf ears of general public but it gave us underground following. We kept on working and touring and it started to produce results. We'll do the same in Europe, we'll be back in November and again in January. We love and believe in what we do and we want people to understand it."
Soon after the Kurt Cobain had his life-force extinguished, 311 found themselves playing a charity event in Seattle, sharing a bill with Green Day, Rancid, Weezer and - Hole. Was there anything special about the event, did Courtney Love do anything memorable?
"No, we never met the bitch!"
SashaS
2-9-2001
311's 'From Chaos' is out now on Volcano/Music For Nations
|
|
|
