Interview Time: Paradise
Paradise Following in the traditions of Tribe Called Quest, Boogie Down Productions, the Roots, Public Enemy and Jurassic 5 comes a new hip-hop classic.
Nothing but quotables here as 'The Teacher' himself, Hip Hop legend KRS-ONE trades verses alongside UK luminaries Skinnyman (Mudfam), MCD (silent eclipse), and Paradise (57 Dynasty/ TGSMP).
TAKING HIP HOP BACK TO IT’S ROOTS!
Paradise how did this project come about, you teaming up with legends in Hip-Hop from both sides of the Atlantic as they say?
Paradise answers…
Well when I heard Charlie’s beat I wanted it, and after it being still available after a few months, I thought it best to have it and to feature some other like-minded artists alongside me, so as to greater affect the theme and ethos of the song. Skinnyman and MCD are artists that I’ve known for almost 10 years, so they came up tops on the short list I made of possible collaborators. Charlie can tell you all about the KRS connect…
The Tracks awesome ‘You must learn’ were did the inspiration grow from to produce such a heavy tune?
Charlie answer...
Back when I was still making 57 dynasty tracks we had a link with krs and had hollered at him for a feature. But then the dynasty business slowed right up and mc's were drifting off to do different things, so it didn’t make sense again.
But I continued to make music, and was putting some beats together for my own project when this came up again... dise was already halfway through his album project and my “u must learn” lick back seemed to fit his concept and aims, as well as being a beat he wanted to jump on. So from there we just decided to holla at some top UK mc’s and have them rep alongside dise and krs.
Heavy mix of artistry on one track, it’s instantly the formula for a hit in all ways, KRS1 at the end of the video says “rap is something you do, Hip Hop is something you live”, where do we go from here in the culture?
Paradise…..
Greater understanding of our cultural identity is what we need more of. The great thing about the grime youth culture is that the youth can have finally found there own voice apart from a US sound or any other sound. What we need to inject there is a balance of credible music. And within our British society, obviously more cultural pride in our diversity and differences, along with overstanding of ones self.
The moulding of the lyrics beats and live instruments on this track are quoted as being similar, reminiscent of old school hip hop, what are the differences between hip hop today and the music of the past?
Paradise…..
A lot of dif, and at the same time no dif what-so-ever. Greatest dif is once upon a time there was greater balance in the music IE. Just as much thug records as positive records. A Tribe Called Quest could co-exist at the same time of NWA, and both be successful in their style of music. Nowadays the industry seems to latch onto and force the public to have to buy into what they wanna feed us, which is often a one dimensional artist of style. And let’s not forget the great streams of revenue that Hip Hop now generates as compared to back in the days.
Charlie……
The technology has changed how producers make beats. Back in the day it was only possible to use certain restricting techniques and machines to do it, so you had to excel creatively to get the best out of that... nowadays loop software and all that can virtually make the beat for you. That’s a big difference.
The unity shown amongst the collaboration of UK artist’s on this track is a sign that we can work together well, why do you think sometimes it’s a struggle to get UK artists to work together and unite?
Paradise….
Small mindedness. Everyone seems to want to “bust first” and have the spoils of which to themselves. I never ever had that mindset. Even when 57th Dynasty was on the top of the UK scene, we looked to include others. I’ve always known that it take multiple successes for our scene to thrive. A one of success is just that, a one of. The industry wont take as much interest in a scene that boast of one success story, but with a few at one time and more to come… then that represents a thriving scene. I’ve been doing Hip Hop in the UK for 9 years now, and I see the head swollen idiots that think cause their song is the flavour of the moment, that it’s all about them and there is a “no bring-ins” policy. Needless to say, I’ve watched em' all come right back down and have to hold there heads in shame, cause they knew how stupid they were carrying on at one time.
For the record, unity is needed. The scene is more important than 1 person or one group. With a thriving scene, more people can come to the table and eat!
Charlie….
We did holla at a bunch of other UK artists as well as skinny and D. most of them were slow at responding or didn’t want to do it… no names…!!!
Each artist is out spoken on world topics of grave importance to all, as you say in the track the lyrics are designed to educate people, what do you think the fundamental issues are facing young people today and how can they overcome adversity?
Paradise…..
Too long to explore, but bringing it to a root issue, I would have to say that once we instill respect! Then a lot more can grow from that seedling. Respect yourself. Others in turn will respect you. Respect your life, and in-turn others will respect your life too. I’ve seen this nihilism before when I was growing up in NYC. And I myself was a victim in terms of not being awake and understanding of the bigger picture and understanding of the struggle that we as poor and impoverished people go through. Prison woke me up, and I’ve never looked back in-terms of wanting my younger brothers and sisters to be aware of the pitfalls and loopholes that await them. We do not have to be victims and products of the negativity within our community. We can live and grow within this urban environment to become great people, respectful fathers, loving daughters, responsible adults, etc.
School curriculums have changed over the years, history’s been taught in a distorted way, there is a new method of accelerative reading, which educates people to access there neurological linguistic programming, a technique known as photo reading, (book by Paul R Scheele) it has been developed through many years of studying reading strategies of university students and could help in teaching in schools, if you could change the way one subject was taught which would it be?
Paradise
First thing that comes to mind isn’t a subject to be taught differently, but more of a way to include a lot more socially relevant education. Real life necessities to prepare the young for what really lay in waiting for them. What and how to deal with a mortgage. The discussion of such things serves as an early implant like a seed in their head that home ownership is an attainable goal for them, as opposed to the mind state that they simply turn 16 apply for a government owned flat, sign on the dole and that's it! We need to show them how to achieve on a greater scale, and homeownership is just one of those really attainable goals.
Charlie
I would change the way they teach history... at school I found it so boring and never did well, but once I grew up I realised how interesting it is and how badly and one dimensionally it is taught in schools.. But I think to change shit like that requires some major changes in society... which happens first tho?
What do the UK artists on this track have in the pipeline, projects lined up for the future?
Paradise….
The Good Samaritan Music Proj album entitled Paradise presents: TGSMP Vol.1, I also have a mixtape that I’ll be dropping on a greater introspective of my life and times. And there are my TGSMP members dropping gems of there own like Swift It Major’s mixtapes and forthcoming video: 13 Years On (dubplate special) as well as Snakeyman’s forthcoming album and video for New Kid.
Charlie
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Charlie parker is recording an album that will be a diverse mix of music and artists, heavily leaning on jazz sensibilities...