Souls of Mischief Exclusive Interview W/ CHAMPMAG.COM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Souls of Mischief Exclusive Interview W/ CHAMPMAG.COM
Hollywood
CHAMP Magazine

 

CHAMP: We got Souls of Mischief in the building to discuss the album Montezuma’s Revenge. What was the anticipation towards the album looking like?

 

Souls of Mischief: It’s exciting because we got Prince Paul on it and the fans have been waiting for it so it’s good to give the fans what they want. It’s a great record so I’m really happy.

 

CHAMP: Off the bat. I gotta start off with the name Montezuma’s Revenge. What’s the meaning behind and who’s Montezuma?

 

Souls of Mischief: Montezuma was an Aztec king and we’re from California so we’re part of Mexico and the Aztec Hieroglyphics, but really we just recorded the record on a street called Montezuma and it was a working title and the finally became a natural title.

 

CHAMP: Who do we got featured on the album production-wise and artist-wise?

 

Souls of Mischief: Prince Paul is on there, we also got beats by Domino. No guests. It’s just Souls of Mischief really. There’s four of us, so it’s not like it get boring/

 

CHAMP: A joint coming off the album of course is titled “Tour Stories”. We prompted you guys to come out with that joint to launch the album?

 

Souls of Mischeif: It had a good feel, nice vibe to it and we’ve been around the world so many times.

 

CHAMP: Like you had mentioned, you guys have been around the world what are the  “Souls of Mischeif Necessties” that need to be met to ensure the tour is good man?

 

Souls of Mischeif: Lot of merch (merchandise), that’s about it man, I guess the other guys would say a bunch of herbs and stuff.

 

CHAMP: Definitely. Now I’m sure you guys have witnessed a major change in the industry. Were you guys accepting of the digital transition from when you guys initially dropped or was it difficult for you guys to adjust and adapt to everything that was going on music these days?

 

Souls of Mischeif: It’s really easy for a digital transition. We realized that shit murdering the fuckin’ sales ‘cause the whole thing with digital is if they can get it digitally they can digitally for free so what the fuck are they gonna pay for?

 

CHAMP: Exactly

 

Souls of Mischeif : People talk about digital is this, digital is that but man really until cars have mp3 players in there which they’re starting to do, people are gonna buy more cds. It’s like 80/20. People are like “Ahh digitals are up 1000% from last year” but the shit came out three four years ago. It’s fuckin’ everything up. We don’t make music to make money. We just love making music and that’s what it comes down to man. They come to our shows, they buy records, they buy t-shirts, we’re able to make a living. As far as the digital shit, sales wise is fuckin’ everything up.

 

CHAMP: I hear you on that

 

Souls of Mischeif: Kids my daughters age don’t buy records anymore at all. If they do buy something, it’s like Miley Cyrus.

 

CHAMP: It’s getting easier each day for people to get access to the free music.

 

Souls of Mischeif: Yeeeah and it’s like if you can get it for free, why pay for it? Especially in the recession. Our real album has the instrumental disc that’s not available at all digitally, we’re gonna have a remix record out and we’re gonna put that out digitally and we might sell it just to get people to buy the record. When it comes down to it you can’t stop the time and the future so we didn’t have a problem making the transition, but the transition has the industry downsizing like crazy. Sales are down like 80% you know what I’m saying?!

 

CHAMP: Exactly that’s a big drop, but going back to the album. What is it you guys want the people to take away from the album once listening to the entirety of it?

 

Souls of Mischeif: That hip hop is alive and skills matter. A lot of people are basing their concepts on who’s the best, who’s the greatest, and a whole bunch of shallow shit and these dudes be wack, and hip hop actually had a code of ethics and a meaning not too long ago. I think when the money rap started to take over everybody started to talk about your numbers. Is a Bow Wow a fresh rapper? He’s gone platinum like c’mon keep it 100. You got someone out there “The Greatest Rapper Alive” with like three records. If people come away with something is that hip hop is alive and well and that it actually means something to some people, and hopefully those people are who we connect with. I really like the people who actually listen to the lyrics and respect the complexity of beats and shit, and respect that we have concepts and all that kind of stuff you know.

 

CHAMP: Seeing the differences of artists that have come up in the game, who are some of the new artists that you think are joining you guys in helping keep the hip hop that we know and the true essence of  hip hop alive these days?

 

Souls of Mischief: Well I’ma keep it 100. New cats know more about a lot of the times – I mean, they’ve heard please believe. Our fan base is kids you know what I’m saying? Whether their parents put them on or their older brothers put them on fools know what’s up. I just think they know that if they made some bullshit they might sell as far as new cats now, I like Guilty Simpson, Black Milk, Blue, Pac-Div, 8510, there’s a lot of dope new guys and I just wanna add to the dope new shit. We’re not an old school group. We don’t make old school rap we make new shit and that’s all I’m trying to add. We not tryina detract and that’s basically the same thing. We not on some hip hop is dead it’s alive. There’s are groups that are making some fresh music.

Proper Aim – Souls of Mischief