Location
New Orleans, LA
Website
www.truthuniversal.com
Truth Universal: I'm originally from Diego Margin, Trinidad. I've been a New Orleans resident since the age of 4. As far as Hip Hop goes, I've been an active participant since the early 80's. I actually wanted to DJ back in the days, and I still have that desire. Just messin' around with lyrics brought me to the realization that I had a knack for rhyming. I had been freestylin' for years. I was never really the talent show MC. Like Nas said, "Back in '83 I was an emcee sparkin/but I was to young to grab the mics (in the parks and).." So, I played the background until like '91. With the encouragement of my roomate, and high school patna Bell, I started composing rhymes. I hooked up with a cat from New Orleans who goes by the name Pantha. He had the campus Hip Hop studio called the P.I.T. He put me down with the family--P.I.T. Productions--and with minimal equipment we started recording demos. It was after that that I really began to be serious about rhyming.
What does "Hip Hop Movement" mean to you?
Truth Universal: To me a movement is a concerted effort by a group of people to bring something to existence. Now to me "Hip Hop Movement" is the effort through this artform, even though it's being heavily exploited and distorted, to reclaim it and put it back in the hands of who it belongs to--Original people. This whole thing was born out of the culture of Black people. So, we should own it. In all aspects of my life I'm moving towards self determination, and being that I'm sooo involved in Hip Hop, it is one of the tools I and a lot of my comrades are using to (moving closer to bringing) bring that reality into existence.
After listening to "Statistically Speaking", I realized that this was the first time I've heard something like this out of the New Orleans area. How would you describe New Orleans and Hip Hop?
Truth Universal: I think every locale's scene is going to reflect commercial trends and preserve the native flavor in that particular place; either separately or at the same time. Then you will have the smaller percentage who rebel against the more popular methods (with the same aim as the commercial cats a lot of times). We are no different. Like right now, everybody wants to have a "mixtape". This shit is getting tired. I call them corporate mixtapes. Everybody and their mammie is doing whole tapes or CD's of freestyles and songs with other folk's popular instrumentals and what not. 50 did it along with a lot of New York cats, and it caught on. Now it's here. Everything you hear on the radio from content to instrument/keyboard sounds, to the regional slang from other places is here. It's like emulating 106th & Park. We also have the rappers and producers who do things more in the vein of the traditional N.O. sound. That's the sound inspired by the Afrikan ancestors--The Mardi Gras Indian/Second Line Brass Band Rhythm. Bounce music is still popular. Finally there are my peers and myself--those with a more sample oriented traditional hip hop sound. There is that small enclave of us who value the DJ presence. But to sum it up, its just like the West Coast situation some years ago. The so-called Gangsta music was the force to be reckoned with. After it's popularity you started seeing the Low Profiles, Freestyle Fellowships, the Pharcydes, the Heiros; The more traditional MC/DJ sample heavy hip hop. That's coming here. No Limit and Cash Money made way and now we're on the rise. The scene is growing.
What are the differences or even comparisons from other hip hop artist and yourself?
Truth Universal: I heard Zion I say that people try to label and compare you to other to make it easier to deal with. I guess we need to do that logically. With that said, I get compared to any other artist with socially conscious content. I am compared to every other Hip Hop artist that's on the scene with similar content and format. "Your sh*# is like Kweli.." "Your sh#! is just like Prez." I'm like any artists who values the live show, the MC/DJ presence, and substance. One thing that separates me from most message oriented MCs is that I make sure the skill level is above average and the beats are exceptional, I think this is where Hip Hop that promotes social awareness falls short.
What were some of your musical influences and what other hip hop artist did you listen to then and now?
Truth Universal: Of course my hip hop path was guided by those I came up listening to: Mantronix, Just-Ice, T. LaRock, Grand Master Flash and the Furious Five, Fat Boys...it's really too many to name. The live shows that I attended back in the days have a lasting affect on me too. We saw Clark Kent and Dana Dane, Run DMC, Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, Heavy D. and the Boyz with Eddie F spinnin', Public Enemy...There was no machine with all your songs lined up. That's a Karaoke, not a concert. These days I'm bumpin the Coup, Dead Prez, Nabii na Dad (my homegirl from here), Gang Starr, Micranots, Scienz of Life, Mobb Deep, One Belo/Subterraneous etc., and mixtapes. I keep an A.I.M. Unit Mixtape in my deck.
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