Illuminati 2G

Jehuniko: Ever since I discovered Myspace a few years ago, I started talking to Avatar. His music is hella original in his delivery, lyrics, concepts, photos -the definition of an MC. I apprciate that he touches on real life issues while getting creative about it. He stays busy pushing out new music, shows and tours. Look for Avatar to be feautured on my upcoming promo album, Spiritual Warfare and to this day, I have yet to meet Av face to face.

J: Whats up loc, how are life's challenges treating you today?

A: Yo what up brother! Good, man, good. Just out here trying to stay fed like everybody else...

J: Tell me about that photo with you holding a gun to your head?

A: That one's actually from the photo shoot for my old album "Double Negative". It was right around 9-11 and I really just got the feeling our world was turning to shit. There was all that chemical weapon hysteria so I had this vision of people walking to work in gasmasks and ended up taking the pic we used for the CD with a gasmask, a gun to my head and a suit on...it's kind of also a reference to how we literally work ourselves to death in this country.

J: You seem like an eccletic guy, what sort of influences or background make up one such as yourself?

A: I grew up surrounded by music. My Pops was heavy into jazz and my Mom dug classic rock. Then my sister was really into punk groups like the homies Fang and Bad Brains, and my brother was a speed metal guitarist for groups like Sacrilege BC & Skinlab. I'm kind of an amalgamation of all that mixed with a strong love for oldies, soul, blues...and of course hip hop, from old school to golden era to contemporary underground.

J: Past tours, shows, tell us about those experiences...

A: Every show is a unique experience because people respond differently. Usually, I get great responses from heads cuz they recognize that I'm hella passionate about what I'm doing. Every now & then you cruise thru those cities where cats think they're too fuckin' cool for school, or just wanna battle you so they can tell their homies they served so-and-so from Los Angeles and build a little street cred. That shit is wack. Mostly it's all love though.

J: What can people expect from your live show?

A: A psychopathic looking maniac pacing back and forth on stage while ranting at the top of his lungs. hahahaha.

I put my all out there, whether there's 5 people or 500. I love to perform and I'll do everything I can tokeep the crowd entertained. I've been told that I look scary.

J: Give us a rundown of your catalog holmes....

 

A: Wow, that's a tough one...I'll try to get them all. As far as Avatar albums there's "Republik" (out of print), "Double Negative", "Deus Ex Machina" (w/ DJ Obi) and "Stompbox Graveyard". Then as a guest emcee or producer I've been on a few albums by Ex Vandalz, Akuma, The Beyonders, Cosmic Truckaz, Ghost Monkees, and M.Fusion. Not to mention numerous mixtapes, compilations, a self-titled CD from my old group The Underlords, and as the bassplayer for Wayward Saints I've been on a few albums on Concrete Grooves. I stay pretty busy.

J: I like how your lyrics address things such as disrespect to women and other topics of consciousness.


A: Thanks brother. The way I look at it, so many emcees just spit self-serving rhymes about how dope they are or how much shit they have. That's burnt out. Hip hop is a very powerful medium and is capable of so much influence and raising awareness. Sure there's room to have fun, smoke blunts and all that good shit but there needs to be a balance. What if Public Enemy came out right now instead the 80s? They wouldn't be able to get one song on mainstream radio. That's sad.

J: I always ask this, but what do you think about the Minute Men?

A: Not very much. There's so many things more important that people should be vigilant about than immigration. The whole immigration debate, to me, is a waste of fucking time. Anti-immigration people say Mexicans are stealing American jobs. Bullshit. A bigger concern should be that corporate America is outsourcing American jobs at an alarming rate. This is far more devastating to the working class community and the structure of the US economy. They say they want to keep terrorists from entering the US via the border. Bullshit. The fuckers that carried out 911 were here on legal US visas. It's just so much political distraction. The borders have been this way for decades, why is it such a "pressing" problem now?

J: In this world of a million MC's, I appreciate that you are original which is one of the golden rules of our culture, yet so slept on...

A: Thanks Homie. I'm tired of being slept on! hahahaha.

J: No, I don't mean you are slept on, but one of the golden rules of being original is slept on..haaa

A: It's cool though, either people will get with the program, or they won't. Hopefully they do though, we are in the midst of an enormous cultural shift. Record stores are closing, distributors aren't stocking vinyl anymore, labels are laying people off and folding, everybody downloads music for free and DJs do their sets on programs like Serato unwittingly killing hip hop. All of this is killing hip hop, and music in general. Artists are hesitant to put out albums cuz they just aren't selling like they used to. It'll be interesting to see what happens and see how many dope artists have to bail because music is no longer economically feasible.

J: Whats coming up next for you?

A: Trying to finish up a solo album by year's end. Also working on an album with Bleek (Shapeshifters/Ex Vandalz) called Speakeasy. A bunch of shows in the Los Angeles area so if anyone out there is interested, check out www.myspace.com/avatar1 for details. Outside of
that, just trying to stay fed brother!