MUTINYZINE INTERVIEW
GDP/ DIRTY MONEY
by Christer Davidsson | May 7th, 2008
When Ryan Weber (Bass/Vox) of Florida punk rockers Dirty Money told me that the band were doing a split with New Brunswick rapper GDP I thought it sounded awesome. Ryan promised he would send me a copy when the thing was ready and a few weeks later it dropped in the mail. It turned out to be an awesome 7" and a quite original thing. I haven't heard a split with punk on one side and hip hop on the other before.
Anyway, I decided to get in touch with the band and GDP while they were on tour together and this is what they had to say.
" -The people have been great on this tour, but the miles and prices have been kicking our asses. We've been hearing about so many tours getting cancelled I think we're just happy to be out on the road still doing our thing and being able to get by somewhat" says Ryan.
The tour is quite a long-runner with about thirty or so shows all over the east coast. This is the first tour that the band has done along with rapper GDP.
" -GDP has been a pleasure to have with us. He's one of our best friends and it's helping us fiancially to have 2 "acts" in one van. We have been making the best of every situation good or bad. Having fun is always our number one priority."
" -Road's treating us pretty good, GDP fills in. Some nights better than others but we are raging hard as hell no question".
The new split with Dirty Money & GDP is awesome, no doubt about that. But it's not only the music but the concept itself that has made it an interesting release. Having both punk rock and hip hop on one 7" is a rather new thing.
" -I haven't heard anything like that, says GDP, but hopefully folks catch wise. We're not re-inventing the wheel, we're basically just rotating the tires."
So how did these guys come up with the idea of doing a split together?
" -It's kind of a funny story, Ryan explains, at least to us looking back now. Last time we were in New Jersey playing, I was hanging out with GDP because we had been friends from the last time our old bands played together back in '05. We were having a few frosty bronson's together and talking about old days and jokingly, GDP said we should do a split together. I chuckled and then it kind of kicked in like "Hey, we really SHOULD do a split!" and now it's done and we couldn't be any more siked on the way it came out. It just felt like a fun thing to do and made sense on alot of levels to both of us."
" -I was probably high or something, GDP says looking back on their drinking session, having one of my random brainstorm ideas that usually only last a few minutes but this time it just stuck."
I ask the guys if they were ever nervous about how people would look on this record. Not that it's the biggest and weirdest thing in the world but a lot of people, even on the independent side of music, can be narrow minded sometimes.
" -To be totally honest, fuck no, says Weber. When it comes to splits, even though this is our first, my mindset is if WE like it then that's all that matters. There was really no real plan besides having fun and putting out a split we were both proud of. No one buys records
anymore anyways, he laughs, so it's definitely not about making money, we knew we weren't going to be recouping on this. As for the critics, if they hear it, apparently they bought it so thanks for the $5 for gas."
" -Nah, the product speaks for itself. Real recognize real and of course there are gonna be kids that aren't into it, but the ones that get it seem to be siked on the whole dealy, says the New Jersey rapper. It's not for everybody and neither is punk rock or hip hop."
In support of the split, and to have a good time of course, the band and GDP teamed up for the 30-day tour and got in the van by the end of may.
I ask the band how the turnout has been at the shows so far? Do punk rock kids and hip hop people seem to mix well together?
" -Of course there have been some kids every night that aren't siked, says GDP, but I don't think there's been one show that at least a hand full of people walked away thinking like "fuck that was awesome". We are giving these people a god damn show every night and if they don't appreciate it, funk the bullspit."
" -The turn-out has been different from night to night, Ryan explains, even the shows with not as many people have still been fun as hell because of the good people. I mean, I think there's a over-all general mind set with punk rock and underground hip hop. Generally, most underground hip hop has something real to say unlike what you see in the mainstream. So I think there's a huge relation between the 2 genres as far as what they are making music for and speaking up about. I love GDP's lyrics, they say some real shit. My favorite line is "I'll spend a decade in a van, and I'm happy to do it, just so that the kids know it's realer in the field than it is on the TV". I don't know, it really seems crazy to me if you don't see the similarities in hip hop and punk rock plain as day. Its been cool to see a bunch of these hardcore punk kids come up to GDP after the shows and be totally psyched on his music. It makes the fact that there was only 5 people in the basement watching us worth it because thats exactly what we wanted to do with this tour and split."
When I talk to the guys they are pretty close to the end of the tour and I ask them what has been the peaks of trip.
" - We are 2 shows away from our homecoming show in Gainesville with Anchor Arms and Shaking Hands, both AWESOME bands from Gainesville which hopefully will be the peak because so far it's just been getting better and better for the most part, says Weber. There really was too many good times to put the finger on the "peak of the tour". I personally am pretty excited to be home because I have exactly...zero dollars in my pocket, he laughs. Stuff like gas prices is not going to stop us from doing this over and over again though, we will always find a way to keep on the road."
GDP can't give me any specific peaks of the tour either, but explains what he loves about the road.
" -This tour has had many peaks including canyon hikes, booze, young girls, raging in the van, strip clubs, free booze, and showing kids around the country exactly what it is we do. The road is my home."
Since GDP is the first rapper I've ever done an interview with I ask him about zine-culture and independent press in hip hop.
" -Hip hop doesn't have much independent press. Few websites and messageboards that kids have their cyber noses in the air on. Unfortunately a lot of hip hop listeners/artists (often one in the same these days) don't have the mind for independent publications and an overall community of helpful people. I guess I'm trying to bring that to hip hop to some extent, he explains, all the while showing punk rock kids there are some emcees out there that might be making some music they didn't know they wanted to hear so badly but maintaining the ethcis of each music style. I think a few kids thought this record was a collabo effort on some like rap/rock shit, that is not the case. I've been very fortunate to sink my roots into both scenes at a young age and I'd like to see both feed off of each other and keep the music coming from both interesting and innovative."
Hip Hop in general is a scene which has suffered a lot from commercialism. Speaking from
the more independent & underground side of the scene, I asked the guys if they could give the readers of MUTINYZINE any tips on good hip hop.
" -GDP....hands down. Don't bother with anything else, Weber says laughing. But seriously! He's definately our favorite hip hop artist...keeps it real!"
" -Oh come on now, GDP replies, I am fortunate to make music with some of the most talented rappers and producers in hip hop right now. You can check it out at www.DivisionEastRecords.com. I'm sure any rapper you'd interview would say the same but I swear to you my camp is the fucking illest. Division East has casted a crew of some of the illest motherfuckers in the world like The Man From Somewhere Else, John Robinson, Shape, J Stampy, DJ Prime, G. Wallace, RewMec, Espee, C-Minus, Pistol Peet. Respect is due. When I get home Division East Records will be dropping a bunch of new mix cd's including a Division East skate team video with an all DE Records soundtrack, and full length albums from Emily Rugburn (TMFSE & Junkwaffel), Espee, G. Wallace and more."
So, In what way has the commercialism of hip hop, and punk rock for that matter, affected these guys as bands and artists?
" -In some ways it has made it harder on both of us, says Ryan, but we think we have proved that you can do anything yourself if you put your mind to it. We did this split and tour totally indenpendant of any label or anything. Feels good to go against the odds and pull it off and we hope that it inspires other artists and bands to just go for it, expect to come home broke and go out and have fun making music."
" -The godz made heavy metal and saw that it was good. They said to play it louder than hell, we promised that we would," says GDP and they both start laughing.
Appearantly punks and rappers mix more than well together and this split is proof of that. Go pick it up and you'll see for yourself. Over & out...
GDP LINKS:
MySpace Profile | Division East Records WebsiteDIRTY MONEY LINKS:
MySpace ProfileDIRECT LINK TO THIS INTERVIEW:
http://www.mutinyzine.com/interview79.html(GDP photo by: Kriebel | Dirty Money photo by: Katie Suess)