BOSTON
REDSO
SWERVE
GANG STARR
There's so much commercialism in
rap now, that's what we're totally
against," says Guru, the man behind
the rhymes of the Brooklyn-based rap
duo Gang Starr. "After everybody gets
tired of all the little fads, they gonna
look for something real," he continues.
"They gonna look for lyrics that have
content, they're gonna look for origi-
nality, beats and music. That's what
we're all about."
Guru, (Keith E.), along with his part
ner DJ Premier (Chris Martin), began
making noise on the east coast in
1989 with their debut Lp No More Mr.
Nice Guy on Wild Pitch records.
However, it was the success of "Jazz
Thing." from
the sound-
track of Spike
Lee's film Mo'
Weight." which challenges one to use
knowledge and skills to acquire goods
and power.
Gang Starr charged onto the hip-
hop scene without changing the con-
tent of their lyrics or style of beats.
"Rap started out as just a battling
thing," says Premier. "Who's
got the best lyrical poetry, and
you still got to do those types of
songs because that's how it all
originated. Along with that, we
like to talk the real deal."
The real deal, which has
been described by the Guru as
"facalities" (facts about reality).
can be found on their latest pro-
You can't be
a leader
ject, A Daily Op-
eration. "Our
music combines
street knowl-
Better Blues, if you're weak. edge, intellect
that helped
and spirituality,"
them realize they were capable of says Guru. "That's what people
enjoying national success.
The group decided to bust a power
move by taking their second Lp, Step
Into The Arena, to Chrysalis Records.
The album produced several hit sin
gles, most notably "Just To Get A
Rep." a song about robbing people in
order to gain a reputation for being
tough, and "Who's Gonna Take The
60 THRASHER
need to survive in an urban en-
vironment." However, he adds,
"It's not like we're on a crusade to
preach, but you can't be a leader if
you're weak. A kid could listen and
say. "These guys are strong, these
guys are real. You can't give any-
body a message if they don't feel
your strength."
-Rap Lady G
and roll routine. "We try
to avoid all the industry
bullshit. We're not into
DRIVER DAS
The perfect time for Swerve-
driver is after the rush hour, when
the sun goes down and the roads
empty. When you can flick on
your headlights and sit behind
the wheel with your foot to the
floor and your eyes fix on a dis-
tant spot on the highway.
Swervedriver are about cruis-
ing, speeding restlessly without
destination, ending wherever the
road carries you. Since their
three years ago in
inception
Oxford, England, Swervedriver
have shifted gears smoothly,
through tours in
wandering
Europe, America and Japan
Their debut Lp Raise feels like
a hedonistic road trip. Guitars
flare in and out like blinding high
Roving
beams, while drums veer reck-
lessly through a sandstorm of
lethargic vocals and turbo-driven
bass. The band's latest Ep, Reel
To Real, is slower and more
leisurely, like a Sunday drive
through green hills
Swervedriver vents its frustra-
tions on high-octane rock and
high-speed driving. "You can't
cruise in England," says guitarist
Jimmy Hartridge, "There are too
many traffic lights. I did a lot of
driving through the desert in
America a few years back on
vacation, and I loved it."
Rolling over the road less trav-
eled is a way of life for Swerve-
driver. Nothing is straight or direct
and they don't believe in the rock
oving rollerblader Chuck Walters called up
Gene Simmons and grilled the God of
Thunder on babes, boards and bass.
Gene, how you been baby?
Can't complain.
I got a few questions I want to ask you.
OK, I never touched her. That's the answer to the
first question.
What's up with the new record?
Well, it's the first one I can really hold my head up
high about in a long time. I was lost in pop fucking
hell for years, seduced by money, power, fame, cor-
porations and women.
How many records do you guys have out?
This is the twenty-fourth album.
Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
And Moses and all of the rest of the Jews. In
Europe we have additional albums that haven't
come out in America as well as in Japan.
What is the current line-up?
Bruce Kulick is on lead guitar, Eric Finger is our
new drummer, he's played with everybody, from
Sabbath to Alice. Paul did a solo club tour and he
being rock stars with
groupies and cocaine.
We like meeting people.
drinking beer and sitting
around talking."
But Swervedriver are
not beyond a little rock
and roll excess, they just use a
bit of common sense when they
celebrate. Err, sometimes. This
one night, Adam was incredibly
drunk," Hartridge says. "As soon
as I went into the room, I saw
him opening the window and
unplugging the TV. He was trying
to throw it out the window."
"So he's hanging out with the
TV, and I'm yelling, 'don't do it,"
because there was a Corvette
right under the window. I was
pulling one end of the TV and he
was pulling the other. I managed
to get it back on the TV stand
and then I tumed around and he
was completely passed out.
Things like that happen some-
times."
-Jon Wiederhom
KISS
used Eric Singer. With the sad passing of our drum-
mer Eric Carr, who was with us for eleven years.
longer than our original drummer Peter Chris, we
went through an emotional roller-coaster ride. Then
it just seemed right to use Eric Singer.
Did you ever skateboard in your life Gene?
Yeah. Not very well. I'm big. I'm six-two. So skate-
boards crush underneath me.
Where do you find all the flashy chicks?
Here's what happens. You put honey out on a rock
and you attract bees, and if you put shit out you
attract flies. So if a girl looks good, maybe it's the
honey that attracts them. But being in certain bands
gives you certain fringe benefits, shall we say.
Do you rock for chicks, music, or the fans?
Many years ago, the money thing just stopped
being a consideration. I mean you've got your rent,
food and you need to find a place to sleep. Past that
point, it's all gravy.
Is that your dog barking?
Yeah, Slonkin. It's a German word meaning boiled
beef. And he knows what's going to happen to him
if he barks. Hence the name, Slonkin.
It's official, kids. Rap, hip-hop, all it's var-
ious mutations and permutations are here
to stay, in the house and on the charts, for
ever and ever, amen. They even have rap-
ping Muppets on Sesame Street, Word,
I've seen it. But the cool thing is just when
it seems time to toss in the towel and give
up a longtime, albeit rocky love affair with
the genre, along comes something differ-
ent and on the money. Something very.
very dope. Dray and Skoob, the micro-
phone bandits of Das EFX, and their debut
Dead Serious unleash stream of (un)con-
sciousness rhymes at breakneck speeds,
liberally mixing up the profane with the
preposterous. Guided by mentors Erick
and Parrish (aka EPMD), Das EFX got a
witty and wise startling record that kicks
hard.
Their rollicking, sometimes nonsensical
freestyle riffing vocal sets them apart. It
has a ragamuffin feel (although both Dray
and Skoob deny any reggae influence)
and a quickness that is mindboggling.
"The style just developed, to tell you the
truth, Skoob says. "It's not like we sat
down and thought like, "Yo let's make a
soundke this, I'm gonna say a word like
this and then I'm gonna say five words
after it and then on the sixth word, I'm
gonna do that. We came together, he had
his own style had my style. I mean if you
want an underground sewer album, then
you have to pick up Das EFX."
Amy Linden