Get Open – Q&A Interview

Tell us a little about yourself. Where are you from? How long have you been making Hip Hop?

Kiambu: Native New Yorker are making hip-hop since I was like 13. I’m from Harlem New York City. I was raised in the 80s but being that from New York we have all wide world view cosmopolitan approach and vision that isn’t restrained within a time period

Von: I was born and bred in the Bronx, family is originally from Antigua in the Carribean.

Siba: I’m originally from Paris, France and I discovered Hip-Hop thru my mom. Yeah Mama introduced me to “The Message” at 11 years old and then in 1984 took me to see the New York City Fresh Fest where I saw Bambaataa, Fab 5 Freddy, Grand Mixer DST, Ramellzee, Rock Steady Crew, Graff Artists Lee, Dondi & Futura 2000. I’ve been rhyming since the late eighties and producing since the early nineties.
The first track I sampled was “I Wish” from Stevie Wonder.

What influences you in making Hip Hop?

Kiambu: My main influences in hip-hop are wack emcees and people who make terrible music. Obviously sbg from life experiences and I don’t believe in being fake so I speak from the heart when making music. Artists always have a voice and have something to say. I try not to be redundant and speak on what everyone else speaks on.

Von: Life. Experiences…..the world around us.

Siba: My love for music in general and the positive message that was the original concept. Speak out on current life and social issues. Nowadays it’s watered down but I believe in cycles and things will come around or totally change conceptually. We’ll see how things evolve or dissolve .(lol)

Describe your music, and what separates you from other MCs?

Kiambu: Creativity is first and foremost. Making music that is accessible but is also unlike other people’s sound is important. It’s always been out of love for the heart and the sound in the feeling that motivates us. We have very high work I think and believe that it’s worth making the best we can.

Von: Enjoyable audio. Everything.

Siba: Our music definitely reflective of our environment. Living in NYC, we breath in so many different cultures and get exposed to many different folks.

Who have you collaborated with? Who would you like to collab with in the near future?

Von: Sadat X. I AM. I’d love to collab with Doctor Dre and Dungeon Family.

Siba: On this current LP, we’ve worked with relatively unknown but extremely talented vocalists like Joy Poirel, Jordana DeLovely and Marie Martin. In the past we’ve frequently worked with Glam from German Hip-Hop kings Main Concept. We’ve worked with Vinia Mojica (Mos Def, Talib, Common), members of IAM from France. Our first EP “Get Open” which featured Sadat X (1997) was executively produced by DJ Bob Sinclar, one of the most well-known DJs in the world.
On the production side, I’ve produced a track on Everlast’s triple platinum album “Whitey Ford Sings The Blues”.
I’d love to work with Mos Def, Toumani Diabaté, DJ Premier, Redman and many others.

Your definition of “Underground Hip Hop”?

Von: uncompromised music.

Siba: Real, organic, no commercialism.

Kiambu: From the roots

Production wise, who are your influences? Who does your production?

Von: Too many to cite. We do.

Siba: Our German counterpart Glam often works with us. On our mixtape and our album, Imhotep and Akhenaton from IAM did a couple but we do most of the production.

Any current or future projects you are promoting?

Siba: Right now, we ‘re promoting our latest release “The Week-End” and we’ve been charting in the top 15 on the CMJ Hip-Hop charts for the last 7 weeks.
We’re currently mixing our latest free project which is entitled “IAM Open”. Where we’re using instrumentals of this legendary French Hip-Hop group IAM recent LP, “Arts Martiens” and rewrote new lyrics.

Can you give us a brief description of the creative process of Black Book? Also/ tell us a little bit about the concept and idea behind your Album/Mixtape Cover Art.

Von: You know! Like when a Graff dude would open up an empty black book and let you bless a page or when you finish off a work and you show it off…. it’s urban, hip hop.
Writing and recording an album is just like this. Splashing your art on a canvas. Except, this work is developed as a collective.

Kiambu: Everybody was making a mistake and that his promotion. Are originally come from school my everybody was making a mistake and they using that his promotion. Are originally come from church is going to pop my head and black book comes from graffiti was the visual representation of the culture and we wanted to emulate eye-catching graffiti. Tape is a little rough and street but it’s accessible is just like Rafeedie is not only peoples names repping themselves but there’s also social commentary on the bathroom walls.

Where can we find your music and info?

Itunes: http://bit.ly/1jDyQas
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/get-open-music
Web: www.getopenmusic.com
Fbook: https://www.facebook.com/getopenmusic

Any shout outs?

Siba: To my Mama, Desdemone Bardin (RIP), to my pops, Jerry, to my family and close friends for the support, Sam Wilson our graphic cat, Jerome Lagarrigue for the amazing cover art, Ryan West, the maestro engineer and Jeff Reeves who mastered “The Week-End”
Kiambu: To my pops Steve (RIP), Mom, Kim, Solange, Zola, Casey, Jon Baker and Harlem.

Von: Pops, Zoomba crew, Hax and the Bronx.