SPITSET
Following a wave of intrigue and cryptic tweets by rappers Kidd Amaze, Isaac Lovelock and Lucifer, the advent of a new rap era has erupted. Though Lucifer is absent, Nina Tarantino of the ‘Rum and Coke’ duo takes his place on the SpitSet debut single ‘Battle’. After a few emails of back and forth questions, I managed to set up a Skype interview between the three rappers. Q: Hey, thanks for agreeing with the interview, and to start off, this is a new group, but the strange thing so far is that all of you are in different parts of the world currently, and yet you’re still working as a group. How does that change things in terms of recording, and where are each of you currently?IL: Yeah, that’s one of the stranger things, but we’re all in the middle of different projects. I’m currently in San Diego for the filming process of a new show on STARZ. It’s a really hectic time for all of us I think. The recording process is relatively easy for us though because we go in over G-Chat and talk over phone and we mail each other bits and pieces of songs, then do verses and then we meld it all together. It’s like a weird game of Exquisite Corpse.
RUM: Well , as most of you know , I'm on tour with my other half . I think as far as it affects recording , it really doesn't . If anything , I'd say it speeds up the process . When there are days where I have to go "Hey , I have a sound check in a few for the show tomorrow.." and whatever the situation may be with Kidd and Isaac then , you know , we have to come through with the verses and beats and everything at a faster pace . There may even be times where we have a deadline for stuff . I hate procrastination so it works best for me that way .
KA: It's funny how I wanted to work with Lovelock so he messaged me and we still never got a chance to meet. So in a weird way we aren't your typical rap group in any term of the sense "Group". I was with Rum and Coke last weekend and now I'm at Atlanta to go see Wrestlemania and then I'll be back in LA to work on my own ideas.
Q: We hardly know anything about the group or how it formed, could you go into that a bit?IL: Uh, I’ll take this one. It began really after two big events, the whole Studio60 contract controversy and the rap/twitter beef between Lotus, Sonyae and that whole thing. So, me, Kidd and Lucifer get together and we talk about doing something cohesive in the face of that big argument and we recorded what was the start of ‘Battle’. Lucifer’s got into some stuff though, and he’s taking a bit of a break as far as we know it, so we contacted Nina to do the part in his place. She absolutely killed it, and we gave her an invitation to become a member.
Q: What about the multitasking for you , Rum ? You're doing a lot right now , with the third studio album , the TV shows , Import/Export and even all this . How does that affect the progress in SpitSet projects , Rum & Coke projects and even the tour?RUM: I don't know about everyone else but I'm actually manic and I work best when working on 85000 different things at a time . I'd get one ingenious idea after another and make connections and all sorts of amazing ish and in my head it'll all come together . So yeah , the multitasking has a positive effect on everything I'm doing right now .
Q: Earlier you said that this happened in reaction to arguments on the rap scene, what about that didn’t you like?IL: It was stupid, and to be completely honest, though the twitter feed stuff was funny, I didn’t like the songs that came from the beef. Nate (Nathan Gamble, producer for SpitSet and friend to Lovelock) liked the stuff, and to be real, I like it given the mood, but overall I think all artists involved have had better stuff out. Moreover from that, it felt a bit artificial, that’s what I sorta like about SpitSet to be honest. We’re each trying to be better than each other once we send out verses and all that. Kidd sends out a verse with a beat, Nina sends out a verse with a beat, and the first thing I’m thinking is ‘OK, that’s good, I gotta come out with something better.’ It’s the same thing vice-versa and all.
KA: And just to add to that, hip-hop battling that I had to go through talks about you being better then others. A lot of people went through what I went through, but I'm here and I'm trying to be known as the best rapper. I talked to Matt Young and he messaged me about so many people are trying to be hungry and two of us can show us how hungry we are, and people saw that competition and felt like there was something wrong with us. I just want to make music, I not in here to make sales, bring in figures, I'm just here to make music that I like.
Q: Just a few more questions about the group overall, are there any more, or going to be any more members? If you’re adding members, who would you personally like to add?IL: Uh, yeah, besides Lucifer, this is it for now but we’d love to add more members down the line. I don’t know, I’m not a big fan of naming names in interviews, but I think we could use some backing vocals or something, everyone needs that guy or girl who can sing in their group for hooks and a general ambience and I think we can add that. Specific people though? I really like Liyah’s rapping, I like Sonyae’s and I like Lotus’ too, but they obviously can’t all be in the same group together or else they’d kill each other or something. I'd probably go with someone like Chloe for her ability to both rap and sing. Arianna Harley is another person that’s out there right now, I don’t know what she’s working on but it’d be lovely to have her come in or throw some vocals over a track to help clean it up a bit. After Kidd or Nina get done with some of this stuff, it’s real dirty if you know what I mean.
RUM: I actually think SpitSet is perfect the way it is . Honestly , it's a blessing to find this many chill rappers and put them all together to make bomb ass tracks without any egos involved or anything about who gets the larger parts or who's the center or any of that bull . Like , I love me some Chloe , I work with Lotus on a daily and she's amazing and Liyah is my bitch . She doesn't know yet , but she's my bitch . But as far as adding any of them , or anyone really , I feel like that would just make it all messy . This is a perfect combination of people if you ask me . Shoot , I don't know about Locks but the Kidd and I can sacrifice our vocals for these hooks .
KA: Group members huh, well since we have one half of a group why not take another half of a group and get someone no-one would expect, Kai for one as he just seems like a character and could bring something different to the table, Magie comes to mind for the sex appeal and we seen her would with hip hop artist before. Really go outside the box maybe someone like Dlyan who is a talented singer and someone hasn't had that big break yet. I don't know who going to come in that we all can agree on so if their more members we'll love to have them but for now I'll agree with Lovelock and just try to have "this" consistent first.
Q: Right, that’s about it for the group questions. If it’s fine, I’ll ask a few about the lyrics in the song since there’s been a bit of discussion behind the inspiration for lines and what they might mean. Kidd, in the song you said something along the lines of: “Tops on any list standing at the rap game’s peak/Leading the meek, cause they say the strong look out for the weak” Could you go into a bit of what you meant with this line?KA: The inspiration for that, I'm young but I have an old spirit so I follow that leading from the front. I want to be that guy who people look at and respect and look at me as an example. I know that there is going to be a lot of media attention on what I say and what I do, and I have younger people listening to what I'm saying and looking at me as someone who they look up too, so when I say "Strong look out for the weak," Do things that is going to help others. I'm in the position to take care of my best friend's family because their my family when I was growing up. Others might not have that but if your the best doctor or the best teacher where you live, teach the ones coming after you. Look out for the young kids or the people that are on hard times. I can't help everyone in the world, I'm not that big to help everyone in my state; but if everyone gives a little, amazing things could happen.
Q: Last question, Nina, you said: Because you being qualified to compete is only a reality in your deepest reverie
Dreamed of ending my career but it's your career tearing apart at the seams” Is that aimed at someone, and could you also go into what you meant but those lines?RUM: Lately , the recent albums and EPs I've been doing with Coke have been bordering the topic of reveries , a conscious dream or a daydream , if you will . At the time I was working on a million things and I happened to make that little connection . Nowadays I've been freestyling most of my verses and then going back to edit them and so no one is necessarily on my mind while I do these . I just let it all pour out and say whatever . Really just one of those general statements . I think because Coke and I have the résumé we do and I'm not even that hyped or critically out there as much as the next rapper , people think they can easily range rover me like I'm not even in the game . But no . That's really all I was saying .
