Monday, March 05, 2001

[hanDJob talks to] perv of da low livz



This time we’re going to have a talk with Perv from DaLowLivz out of Philly and before we start I gotta say BIG UP to Alkuttraz for introducing me to this dope Crew and their Ep.

hanDJob:   How is it going Perv? Since a lotta people outside The US probably never heard of DaLowLivz please introduce yourself to the world and share some background information on how DaLowLivz started out.

Perv:   Hey, Dalowlivz was a group we formed in Philadelphia back in the 90’s. We met up as individuals and groups working in my studio. We merged our efforts to do a group thing, pressed it up and put it out. We knew each other for a while. We did shows in Philly, college radio, talent shows, that whole circa and wanted to just put something out for fans of our underground stuff and people outside of Philly.

hanDJob:    It’s been about 14 years since the Fam And Squad Ep was released. What have you been up to in the meantime?

Perv:    I sort of chilled after that. I had enough of the bogus music set. In Philly, as far as rap goes, it was political all the way. When we actually took our E.P. around to local radio it was astounding how much bullshit there was to get it played. We even were told that we could get more play if we did a little under the table action. I was like that’s illegal and was shown the door. And that was the biggest station that promoted local talent. Another station put us on a contest versing Cru on Def Jam. Though we were local talent and got majority of call votes, Def Jam of course came out on top. I was told before that, that we would get played but Def Jam was who buttered the bread at the station. After that I wasn’t interested anymore. We got a great response from colleges and the underground but didn’t have cash to pay off the radio. I sold all my equipment and said fuck it. Unfortunately for everyone else in the group, I had the studio and did all the music for the group’s stuff. But after all we went through amongst the group member’s and the stations, I think it was agreed enough is enough. I did some stuff afterwards to pass time and just got back into doing some stuff but wouldn’t go through the shit we went through again.

hanDJob:   Munk Wit Da Funk is featured on the Ep as well. Is he from the same neighbourhood or how did that collaboration come about?

Perv:   I was actually introduced to Munk by the group GNC. Corleone, who is on Niggaz Got Beef, is his younger brother and I used to talk with him and Bruce aka Little Gotti. He was from West Philly and I was North Philly. We talked here and there and I asked them all to do a track. At the time it was a Perv track that I was doing to diss various people on (which is why there aren’t many members on it). Instead I cleaned up my lyrics, gave a copy to Munk and GNC. They loved it and threw some lyrics down. Munk knocked it out in one take. His lyrics were so good that he reused them on one of his own tracks. I gave Munk another track after that called “F Ur Style” which he loved also but it never got done.

hanDJob:   Something I always ask is how do you feel about the state of the (Hip Hop) Culture these days? Are you still listening to Rap Music? If so, who are you feeling?

Perv:   I listen to Hip Hop, sparingly. I get so tired of what is put out now. I can’t tell the difference between pop club or hip hop anymore. If I gotta listen I try to keep it underground but I don’t know, nowadays my IPOD is filled with other sounds overseas. Out of all the people I know there aren’t too many that listen to mainstream hip hop. I like off the wall stuff. Chino XL (if his stuff ever hits again), Royce Da 5’9 and Slaughterhouse, DJ Shadow even Childish Gambino. I’m waiting for the start up of new La Coka Nostra or Dan The Automator projects. I just need lyrics and something different. There is other things besides how much drugs I sold and the last I checked these people live out of the neighborhoods and haven’t sold if anything in years.

hanDJob:   Any upcoming projects or plans you’d like the readers to know about? Furthermore, is there any shelved DaLowLivz material that hasn’t seen the light of day yet?

Perv:   When you set up this interview I searched all around for stuff and came up empty and I was the one with the reels and made the music. To tell the truth I got fed up when I quit and threw most stuff in trash and gave the other stuff away. So if there is stuff it would have to be unearthed by a trashman somewhere. Only track I found that I might unearth was an unfinished copy of “F Ur Style” that never got done…no vocals sadly. I don’t even know if I could do anymore projects. The group disbanded but I am in touch with a couple of members, so who knows. However, the whole point of Pervert was to say anything I wanted, you know take it to the limit. Nowadays even if I censored my stuff it would be politically incorrect, protested, I would have to write various groups an apology letter and have to go to rehab for insensitivity counselling. I’m starting to write again but for now I’m forced to do instrumental music. It’s music that I’ve been experimenting with but noone’s ever heard. I’ll add stuff from time to time on youtube just to get a feel. Some hip hop, some clubbish, some alternative but I know not to call them all Hip Hop. I’m still Pervert but for this I’ll be… thepsychosexuAL…..

hanDJob:   Thanks for taking the time to answer those questions!



1 comments:

Anonymous said...

thanks for the interview. feeling the man's frustration...nevertheless it's sad that all the material is gone.

peace