Tales from the greenroom
Two underground legends, two up and coming MC’s, one crazy night in Seattle, follow two rookie reporters as we get to interview one of our heroes and subsequently break just about every rule of reporting in the process.
Unwritten rules of the green room
1) What happens in the Greenroom stays in the Greenroom
2) Repeating rule #1 for rule #2 like its 1999 and Fightclub is still popular is well, so 8 years ago
3) Don’t get star struck
4) The families of celebrities are off limits
5) Be prepared for anything
9:30 pm
My fellow associate and I are standing outside the The Showbox in Seattle waiting for a tricked out red Escalade driven by Brandon the manager for Talib Kweli and Strong Arm Steady who has our press passes. As he arrives flanking the tour bus with a custom grill and wheels I can only think of one thing. “Man I wish I had this guy’s job.” We talk briefly going over the ground rules and how the interview will go down. He seems like a cool guy but you can tell that the stress of the road is getting to him a little but he doesn’t let it affect his work. After going over the specifics he hands us over our press passes which we grab like, well two guys being handed free backstage passes for one of their favorite artists in the world, and head for the door where we utter the words I’ll never forget for the rest of my life “We’re on Talib Kweli’s guest list.”
After taking a couple of Jaeger shots provided by the Showbox’s excellent service staff we head back to the backstage area. The artists haven’t made their way back yet and the two of us whose official assignment is to interview Strong Arm Steady aren’t sure where to go since they don’t have their own greenroom. So after a few minutes we decide to walk into the room set aside for Common Market not quite accidentally as I’m hoping I’ll get to meet him too. The room is empty but it has a view of the hallway so we sit there and wait for everyone to arrive. After a few minutes a young lady of about 12 walks into the room and asks why we’re in there. It turns out to be Common Markets daughter well into her I know everything phase. We tell her our situation and she asks whose guest list we’re on. We reply Kweli and she replies “Well why don’t you go into his room.” Thanks Miss Market I’m thinking as we head back into the hallway starting to think that I may have more access to one of my all-time favorite rappers than I ever thought that I would. After heading into hallway the confusion is broken thankfully as Krondon, Mitchy Slick, and Phil da Agony of Strong Arm Steady walk in and we’re on our J-O.
We’re introduced briefly and at this time I’m cursing at myself as, the rolling eyes tell me that, my day job forces me to dress a little to clean cut than I would like to be at this point. But I was kind of expecting to have to work my way in with my knowledge of over 15 years of listening to the art form, but for now I hang to the side and watch how things unfold. Then Kweli walks in and I break rule number 3. I had handled meeting famous people well up until that point, my previous experiences being with Jean-Claude Van Damme, The Ravonettes, and a forgettable former boy band member from Together when that band was at it brief peak. But when I saw Kweli I could barely speak only managing to get out that I was a huge fan at that time. He thanks me and walks towards the members of Strong Arm Steady with a look on his face like he was in the mood for a little freestylin’ specifically towards Phil da Agony who himself is a legendary battle MC in the Los Angeles area and I’m thinking I’m going to witness a real life scene from (insert your favorite hip-hop movie here). Phil who is either sick or a little road weary isn’t feelin’ it though and everyone heads back to the Greenroom.
Krondon, is the first member to really give me access. From L.A, an avid blogger himself, and a fan of punk music, specifically the Transplants, Kron is the least veteran of the crew with a little over 5 years rhymin’ under his belt. Originally Xzibit of Pimp my Ride fame was a member of the group and he says that it’s too bad that things turned out they way that they did but they are grateful for the exposure that they got from being affiliated with him. He turns out to be a real intelligent dude and we talk for a while about the current state of music and digital promotion/piracy while he distributes blunt after blunt of from Cali’s newest enterprise where he obviously didn’t go just for the cool hat.
Kweli meanwhile seems to be at a great point in his life newly independent and happy to be so he’s just about glowing from an inner energy that comes from building a successful career from the ground up as he is about to take the stage for the sold out Seattle crowd. As he makes his way toward the stage I stay back to try to talk to Phil da Agony for a while but he’s still not really in the mood. At this point my associate and I are arguing visibly about how the interview is going which is getting a few chuckles from Phil who’s the only one else backstage. After a while he asks us if we want to go watch the show and we head out just before Strong Arm Steady joins Kweli onstage.
Strong Arm performs three songs at this point all of which are received relatively well. Krondon has the most natural stage presence of the three and while not performing his own songs with the group is often backing Kweli as his hype man. Phil da Agony is a laid back dude but has the most natural lyrical ability of the three. Mitchy Slick combines a little bit of both with an old school gangster swagger that takes me back to the G-Funk Era. After Strong Arm finishes their set I head out to the outside to catch my breath and regroup.
A few deep breaths, words of advice, and Jaeger shots later and I’m back at it. Kweli is taking an intermission and the DJ is playing all the choice cuts from the 70’s to today while some break dancers perform onstage one of whom I swear is Geologic from the Blue Scholars. Meanwhile Talib's kids, who obviously have been having a better summer break than I ever did, are keeping me entertained backstage by dancing and having a ball. I ask them what its like to have a dad who’s a famous MC and they say it’s just like having any other dad and they love getting to go on tour with him. But when I ask for a picture they decline and won’t really speak to me afterwards.
Kweli meanwhile is back from his break and in peak form going over all the classics form his 8 album career dating back to his infamous Black Starr debut with Mos Def. I get up in the thick of things to take a few pics and notice Mitchy Slick watching from the side so I move over there to watch and try to ask him a few questions. Mitchy Slick is from San Diego and has already released 5 independent solo albums many of which have gained retail distribution and can be found at your local Best Buy. He says that he greatly respects the work of DJ Quik who helped him a lot during the beginning of his career and that getting to meet Dr. Dre is the only time that he ever got star struck. We also talk about the fine line between selling out and realizing that this is his career and he has a family to provide for. Then Kweli starts “Respiration” and we both turn back into fans having to get a view of the stage.
After a few more choice cuts Kweli ends his set and heads back stage. After giving his kids a hug they push him back towards the stage for the encore. Another classy family moment from a class act. After a few more songs Strong Arm Steady rejoin Kweli for the finale and my highlight of the evening as the make their way onstage the beat from M.I.M.S. “This Is Why I’m Hot” can be heard from the speakers which Kweli has changed to “(Rappers) Lie A lot” I ask him later if this is a reference to MIMS specifically especially in the wake of the statement he made about Kanye but he won’t answer saying it is what it is and there are a lot of MC’s out there flat out lying in their rhymes. The other song they do is “Get Your Bars Up” both unreleased anti-materialistic bangers and Kweli leaves the crowd wanting more.
After the last cut the DJ who did a great job tonight comes back on and the MC’s invite the ladies onstage. Let me say this out of all the concerts me and my associate have been to the Blackstarr collective (Common included) get the more and the most beautiful women onstage than any other rap group.
Everyone dances onstage for a while and then heads back to the greenroom which is jumping. There are a number of girls and fans who have been invited backstage. Krondon continues to hand out blunts and my associate and I begin to take liberal advantage of the free drinks. Although I stay to the side for the most part as the MC are obviously more concerned with other things than us I do get a chance to get a few pics, signed posters, and a book recommendation from Kweli who with Mos Def own Nkiru bookstore in Brooklyn. Not a bad night, oh and I did finally get to meet Common Market on the way out.
Thanks again to Kweli, Strong Arm Steady, and their manager Brandon.
Kweli’s book recommendation Paulo Coelho – The Alchemist
Gander On!
