articles
De La Soul: Interview with Posdnous
from volume 01 issue 11 // Michael Spadoni
De La Soul
Interview with Posdnous
Words: Chapin
Photo: Mo Daoud
REAX: You guys gave birth to a plethora of amazing hip hop artists from your creative and everlasting jump start in the hip hop community. Over the years, you’ve stayed fresh and in contact with your audience. You’ve been very versatile with who you work with and the sound you emit. Let’s start it off with when you guys met… what was it like for you in high school?
Posdnous: We were just normal kids, man. We were overwhelmed by hip hop. We enjoyed whatever it was that was going on at the time, whether it be bikes or clothes… but when hip hop did take off, Dave and I became pretty good friends. We started experimenting with DJing and beat boxing and stuff like that. Mase had moved from Brooklyn to Long Island and we just all hooked up. Everyone had their own dreams of what they wanted to do with music.
REAX: So you guys worked with Prince Paul for some of your albums. You can tell he’s a very funny guy when you listen to his solo stuff. Is he like that in person or just musically?
Posdnous: Paul is a riot, he’s definitely like that all around. He has a really far stretching mind.
REAX: I take it you’ve heard of MC Paul Barman… one of Prince Paul’s prodigies? He cited your first album and a Dead Kennedy’s album as his influence to make music. Do you think that his style of hip hop will ever hit the mainstream?
Posdnous: Maybe… I think even when we did what we did, we weren’t trying to be mainstream. We were just trying to do what was from our heart with making feel-good music and experimental music. It is in a sense mainstream… it’s not on the frontline public-wise, but it’s still there.
REAX: Being a producer myself, I normally don’t pay attention to where my samples come from, I just take what I want and work with it. You guys felt the wrath of the corporate world when The Turtles sued for a sample you used… this ultimately let to the need for sample clearance. I’m sure there are a lot of musicians out there that have had songs that were never released due to the barrier imposed on getting rights to other people’s music. Do you feel that sample clearance is a good or bad thing for music?
Posdnous: As far as sample clearance goes, you have to clear what you have to clear. We gave all the correct stuff for the label to clear and they chose not to clear it. Then, we came under scrutiny, even to the level of getting sued. It wasn’t as big of a deal as people made it to be. The crazy thing with The Turtles was that they were going to settle if we worked with them on their album. So, it was almost a ploy to get us to work with them. We decided that we didn’t want to work with them and settled out of court. After the whole thing was over, their lawyer was a big De La fan and even got our autographs. Sampling is a part of a creative process and where hip hop has been and will continue to go.
REAX: How do you feel about the new age of producers using nothing but computer-generated sounds versus the golden days of raw record sampling?
Posdnous: Personally, good music is good music. When we were doing what we were doing, taking vinyl and finding samples is the same thing I do now with my MacBook Pro. I load in CDs, but I still hookup my turntables and sample right into my Mac. Even some of the first stuff I did, I was working on a computer using Master Tracks Pro 5. I was always into working on an Apple and I still am now. Good music and being creative is what is vital in hip hop, it doesn’t have to come from picking wax and sampling… you can sample from anything.
REAX: You guys all produce as well as rhyme, do you have any instrumental projects in the works?
Posdnous: Mase and I were recently talking and we definitely want to get steady on that. We have tracks that we have done… just for leisure and playing around with no intent on trying to sell it. We’ve been thinking of putting some of that together and also coming up with some new stuff for an instrumental album.
REAX: Do you have any plans for a solo project?
Posdnous: We’ve ventured out and tried things in the past, but we usually never finish it. I think it’s because our hearts are true to what we do with De La Soul. I am at the present time working on different projects. But… if I compare them to what I’ve done with De La Soul and they don’t measure up, then I wont put them out.
REAX: In another interview, someone mentioned a reference to the way David Bowie reinvented himself and how De La Soul does that instead of staying complacent. What other music do you listen to besides hip hop?
Posdnous: Everything man, honestly it doesn’t matter. Obviously, we have our favorite styles of music that appeal to us. But, if I just heard an incredible death metal song, I would apply it to myself and maybe look into that group and see what else they have done that moves me. I think that’s one of the things that I have always loved about De La Soul, we never try to hold anything back that we can use as a source of inspiration.
REAX: How do you feel about the internet as far as music sharing and free advertisement for portals such as Myspace?
Posdnous: It’s a new form of technology, which is being applied whether it be for selling food, selling clothes, selling music, or getting yourself known. I see it as a viable outlet for hearing and selling music. Artists do need to make sure that people aren’t always just downloading their music for free. They need to give people a reason to pay for it. Overall a lot of the music coming out these days has been very disposable. In that respect, people can just buy one song off the album for ninety-nine cents, or they can choose to download it for free.
REAX: What do you guys do on tour after you’re done with your show… dinner, clubs, or do you go back to the hotel to crash?
Posdnous: Pretty much all that. If we’re in a place we’ve never been before or haven’t been in a while, then we usually venture out, whether it’s the club scene or whatever the people are into.
REAX: You’re playing the Skatepark of Tampa’s Pro Contest After Party presented by Nike SB on March 16. How did the concept of the De La Soul shoes come about? Did someone from Nike SB approach you guys with the idea?
Posdnous: We were doing something for a company called LRG and they happened to be at the ASR Trade Expo. There we met up with a couple people from the Nike SB booth and invited them to come check out a show we did out there. One of the gentleman asked if we would be interested in working on a shoe and it just went from there.
REAX: A lot of fashion styles from the 80’s are coming back into fashion… do you see high top fades and slants coming back?
Posdnous: (Laughs) I don’t know, but I’m pretty sure everything comes back around.
REAX: Do you have any hobbies outside of music?
Posdnous: Outside of music… sleeping.
REAX: Do you have any advice for independent artists trying to make it in the music business?
Posdnous: Continue to do what you’re doing and be creative because a lot of people sound too much the same. The more creative you are, the more you stand out to people.
Interview with Posdnous
Words: Chapin
Photo: Mo Daoud
REAX: You guys gave birth to a plethora of amazing hip hop artists from your creative and everlasting jump start in the hip hop community. Over the years, you’ve stayed fresh and in contact with your audience. You’ve been very versatile with who you work with and the sound you emit. Let’s start it off with when you guys met… what was it like for you in high school?
Posdnous: We were just normal kids, man. We were overwhelmed by hip hop. We enjoyed whatever it was that was going on at the time, whether it be bikes or clothes… but when hip hop did take off, Dave and I became pretty good friends. We started experimenting with DJing and beat boxing and stuff like that. Mase had moved from Brooklyn to Long Island and we just all hooked up. Everyone had their own dreams of what they wanted to do with music.
REAX: So you guys worked with Prince Paul for some of your albums. You can tell he’s a very funny guy when you listen to his solo stuff. Is he like that in person or just musically?
Posdnous: Paul is a riot, he’s definitely like that all around. He has a really far stretching mind.
REAX: I take it you’ve heard of MC Paul Barman… one of Prince Paul’s prodigies? He cited your first album and a Dead Kennedy’s album as his influence to make music. Do you think that his style of hip hop will ever hit the mainstream?
Posdnous: Maybe… I think even when we did what we did, we weren’t trying to be mainstream. We were just trying to do what was from our heart with making feel-good music and experimental music. It is in a sense mainstream… it’s not on the frontline public-wise, but it’s still there.
REAX: Being a producer myself, I normally don’t pay attention to where my samples come from, I just take what I want and work with it. You guys felt the wrath of the corporate world when The Turtles sued for a sample you used… this ultimately let to the need for sample clearance. I’m sure there are a lot of musicians out there that have had songs that were never released due to the barrier imposed on getting rights to other people’s music. Do you feel that sample clearance is a good or bad thing for music?
Posdnous: As far as sample clearance goes, you have to clear what you have to clear. We gave all the correct stuff for the label to clear and they chose not to clear it. Then, we came under scrutiny, even to the level of getting sued. It wasn’t as big of a deal as people made it to be. The crazy thing with The Turtles was that they were going to settle if we worked with them on their album. So, it was almost a ploy to get us to work with them. We decided that we didn’t want to work with them and settled out of court. After the whole thing was over, their lawyer was a big De La fan and even got our autographs. Sampling is a part of a creative process and where hip hop has been and will continue to go.
REAX: How do you feel about the new age of producers using nothing but computer-generated sounds versus the golden days of raw record sampling?
Posdnous: Personally, good music is good music. When we were doing what we were doing, taking vinyl and finding samples is the same thing I do now with my MacBook Pro. I load in CDs, but I still hookup my turntables and sample right into my Mac. Even some of the first stuff I did, I was working on a computer using Master Tracks Pro 5. I was always into working on an Apple and I still am now. Good music and being creative is what is vital in hip hop, it doesn’t have to come from picking wax and sampling… you can sample from anything.
REAX: You guys all produce as well as rhyme, do you have any instrumental projects in the works?
Posdnous: Mase and I were recently talking and we definitely want to get steady on that. We have tracks that we have done… just for leisure and playing around with no intent on trying to sell it. We’ve been thinking of putting some of that together and also coming up with some new stuff for an instrumental album.
REAX: Do you have any plans for a solo project?
Posdnous: We’ve ventured out and tried things in the past, but we usually never finish it. I think it’s because our hearts are true to what we do with De La Soul. I am at the present time working on different projects. But… if I compare them to what I’ve done with De La Soul and they don’t measure up, then I wont put them out.
REAX: In another interview, someone mentioned a reference to the way David Bowie reinvented himself and how De La Soul does that instead of staying complacent. What other music do you listen to besides hip hop?
Posdnous: Everything man, honestly it doesn’t matter. Obviously, we have our favorite styles of music that appeal to us. But, if I just heard an incredible death metal song, I would apply it to myself and maybe look into that group and see what else they have done that moves me. I think that’s one of the things that I have always loved about De La Soul, we never try to hold anything back that we can use as a source of inspiration.
REAX: How do you feel about the internet as far as music sharing and free advertisement for portals such as Myspace?
Posdnous: It’s a new form of technology, which is being applied whether it be for selling food, selling clothes, selling music, or getting yourself known. I see it as a viable outlet for hearing and selling music. Artists do need to make sure that people aren’t always just downloading their music for free. They need to give people a reason to pay for it. Overall a lot of the music coming out these days has been very disposable. In that respect, people can just buy one song off the album for ninety-nine cents, or they can choose to download it for free.
REAX: What do you guys do on tour after you’re done with your show… dinner, clubs, or do you go back to the hotel to crash?
Posdnous: Pretty much all that. If we’re in a place we’ve never been before or haven’t been in a while, then we usually venture out, whether it’s the club scene or whatever the people are into.
REAX: You’re playing the Skatepark of Tampa’s Pro Contest After Party presented by Nike SB on March 16. How did the concept of the De La Soul shoes come about? Did someone from Nike SB approach you guys with the idea?
Posdnous: We were doing something for a company called LRG and they happened to be at the ASR Trade Expo. There we met up with a couple people from the Nike SB booth and invited them to come check out a show we did out there. One of the gentleman asked if we would be interested in working on a shoe and it just went from there.
REAX: A lot of fashion styles from the 80’s are coming back into fashion… do you see high top fades and slants coming back?
Posdnous: (Laughs) I don’t know, but I’m pretty sure everything comes back around.
REAX: Do you have any hobbies outside of music?
Posdnous: Outside of music… sleeping.
REAX: Do you have any advice for independent artists trying to make it in the music business?
Posdnous: Continue to do what you’re doing and be creative because a lot of people sound too much the same. The more creative you are, the more you stand out to people.
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