Whats good Von? Thanks for taking the time out to do this interview. Do you want to introduce yourself to our readers briefly?
Yea, Im Von Pea from the rap group Tanya Morgan. we put out an album in 2006 called "Moonlighting" and if you dont know me from there you might know me from Phonte and Nicolays group "Foreign Exchange" and the song "Von Sees" or you might know me from "A Word From Our Sponsors" off of the newest Little Brother mixtape, or you just dont know me which is fine (laughs).
The first question that I had, is that you just dropped Grand Vonye, a project outside of your group Tanya Morgan and I was wondering why it was important to you to release a disc of just you, separate from the group?
Tanya Morgan was a side project originally and I was already a solo artist I just took a backseat as a solo artist because the group started to get a lot of attention from a lot of magazines and other artists. I had a mixtape called "Custom Fitted" in 2004 and some solomaterial before that. Now that Tanya Morgan is accepted as a legitimate group its important that we dont get stuck as "the sum or nothing" meaning, we dont want people to only want to listen to us when its the 3 of us, and ignore us otherwise.
I think that releasing free music is a real great thing for the hip ho community overall, the fans, industry, etc. What are you hoping to accomplish with this disc?
I already accomplished it. I started "Grand Vonye" back in 2004 but I decided against it when Kanye West really took off because I didnt want it to come across like I was trying to make a name for myself off of him. My intentions were to record a project using his production as a way of saying Im simply a fan. I did a project like this over Jay Dee beats back in Feb. 2005 and called it "What Album?" but I didnt promote that one because all of the beats werent released so it was just something I shared with a few. My only goal for Vonye was to finish something I started so long ago because I told some people about it back in 04 and every now and again they would ask me if I was going to ever finish it or was it going to be the "Detox" of mixtapes. Id rather do real songs and put them out but I just had to finish what I started.
Doing some research for this interview I have noticed that you as well as the other members of Tanya Morgan say that you feel strongly about "grass roots hip hop." I was wondering if you could expand on what you mean by that and what you think you bring to the table as a producer/MC that is unique, with everyone out there trying to be an MC, everyone trying to head a label, what does Von Pea bring to the table thats special?
I believe Donwill calls it grass roots, I just think its music without too many hands in it. too many people adding too many colors to a picture its just gonna be a black blob after a while. Tanya Morgan does music because its enjoyable, and I believe thats the #1 reason to do it before anyone else. Thats all it is to me. As far as what I bring to the table, thats not up to me its more up to the people listening. I try to just go with what Im feeling when I make music. It dont pay the rent, it doesnt get me into the club any faster (laughs). It just makes me happy when I hear it, and happy when people tell me they enjoy it. With that said the only way I know Im supposed to be making music is because of the support and even admiration we get from our peers. People that know how hard it is can be appreciatomg me and Tanya Morgan, while they continue to ignore the other thousand rappers trying to get their attention so I know were doing something right.
Little Brother, The Roots, and Slum Village are some of the groups I have read Tanya Morgan being compared to, given your emphasis on "grass roots hip hop," these are certainly favorable comparisons, but receiving such comparisons and compliments from writers is one thing...when your peers step out and openly admire you its something else. The reason I bring this up is that Questlove of The Roots listed Tanya Morgan's album in his top 10 of last year, how does receiving that sort of compliment from someone like Quest feel and have you had the chance to meet and/or work with him?
Questlove has known of at least me for a few years thanks to my nonstop posting on his website (laughs) and a mutual friend of ours. I think its special that he chose to not "co sign" us as much as he may have other groups like Slum or my brothers LB, but still shown love by saying we made one of his favorite albums of 2006. Thats like saying hes simply a fan of his fans. We didnt give him a copy, he went and looked for it. Questlove of The Roots went and looked for Tanya Morgans Moonlighting...real shit. Ive met him a few times and we were supposed to work on a "Want You To Want Me" remix with him or Wajeed but scheduling and things at our label made it not happen. The industry overall has been in decline; lyrical quality is low, album sales are dipping, and the concept of a complete album seems to have gone out the window. Yet you are plugging away doing what you can do to make your mark in music and get a position within the industry--what drives you to keep pushing despite the fact that you are pushing in what many perceive to be as an all time low in hip hop from a variety of perspectives?
Some people still want to hear what a new good complete album sounds like. Thats why "Moonlighting" was put together with the cover it has, with the cassette novelty items, the theme and concept of the skits and interludes, etc. Thats why "Grand Vonye" isnt me kicking 100 bars a song and a DJ screaming for 70 minutes, its put together like an album. It may be Kanye instrumentals but its sequenced from beginning to end like an album and songs are structured. Artists took their time when I was coming up, falling in love with hip hop and thats what Im trying to do for the people now, I think thats why theres respect for us from our peers. As far as the business Im not concerned with trying to make a career from music, or Im just not worrying about that, and as far as lyric quality from other people, theyre just making it easier for us. One of the things I thought was really unique about Moonlighting was the way you guys incorporate skits into the album; instead of just having some random stuff thrown in there or a set of inside jokes, you really worked them into the album and made them part of the record. Is this something we will see more of from Tanya Morgan?
The next album is called "BrooklyNati" and right now the only plan is to continue with the original in house production of me and Brickbeats. We produced the whole first album and thats the plan again this time. Well, theres other things planned but we have to play our cards close! It wont sound like Moonlighting but it will be what you liked about Moonlighting, and some other things that youll like about BrooklyNati.
What are some of your favorite skits from other albums?
Hmm...I like the skit from like water for chocolate when common was smacking the hoe because...its Common! Too funny. I like The LOX "You Cant Escape The Rape!" skits, but my favorite skit is this rare De La Soul skit from the sampler tape to Mosaic Thump when Pos was calling this girl and telling her someone had stolen his pack of cookies.
With the release of your mixtape and debut full length from Tanya Morgan, it seems as though you really have a concept of what it is to build an album, paying attention to track order, flow, fit, etc. Can you take us through the process of building an album some? Do you start with beats then get to lyrics? How much thought do you put into things like track listing?
Well right now like I said were starting on the new Tanya Morgan album, and from a group perspective it starts with asking if everybody wants to start yet, then just seeing where you all stand and if youre on the same page. We started with the name first, then we agreed to keep the same producer lineup and on a few other minor things. Were going to record songs and whatever we do thats produced by me or brick gets thrown into the pot. Then we pick our favorites and those are the songs for the album. From there we decide an order and a sequence. If a theme comes up then we have to record the theme and make it work within the sequence. The skits from last time were just there for theme sake and I think thats why they worked. When Im on my own I just throw any and all ideas against the wall. Rough ideas for beats, and demoed songs that stay demos for weeks. I work like Im 2 people, Ill start something, step away from it, and come back days later and hear it completely different. Thats the only way Im able to finish songs, thats the only way I finished Grand Vonye. I initiate very unorganized when Im alone then step back and organize it all another day.
Do you think the industry will see a shift to making complete albums once again or are we going to be permanently stuck in a ring-tone, hot single era?
I dont think its as simple as the industry having to change, music is a reflection of whats going on in the world. Album covers used to be so good because you had 12 3/4 inches of space to make a work or art. Albums were good because you had to sit there and play the whole 8 track, or sit in the house and play the record, or it took too much work to rewind and forward a cassette. Once the CDs hit albums still stood a chance, but it was nothing to go right to "your jam" and keep playing that one song. Now with mp3 players its officially a wrap. Youre walking around with so much music in your pocket its overwhelming. This is just what it is now, someone has to go on a campaign and let the kids with disposable income know that its cool to listen to a whole album, or its cool to actually have something to hold in your hand other than your Ipod. People are going to have to begin to give things out with every CD sold, every CD sold comes with a shirt or something, as long as you can just download the album why go buy it? In high school it was the shit if you had the new Jay-Z jewel case and you were in the lunch room looking at the pictures and liner notes. So you are doing the Indy thing, pushing yourself and your group and are really starting to cut a place in the industry for yourself, I was wondering what advice you would give to upcoming MC's? How can they get heard by labels, how can they get their music out there in such an over-saturated market?
I dont know how you can be heard by labels, but you can get attention by association. If youre on a song with someone that has a fan base, then his fan base is going to hear you. I dont know how I got that first set of ears, but thats the hardest part. I honestly dont know how to do that, I guess break your neck to open up for people at shows or go to open mics and make a name for yourself that way. Ive always just done my thing and people would want to work with me from just coming to me. I put it out there and try to let it be known but the music has to be good.
A lot of Indy or underground hip hop fans automatically dismiss all commercial hip hop. The flip of this is that most commercial fans only listen to what MTV, VH1, BET and mainstream radio drill into their heads as "good" or "real" music. I am curious as to your tastes in hip hop are and how you think more of a middle ground can be established where Indy artists can find a greater platform to be heard?
Well Im listening to Ludacris right now, as in, RIGHT now. I like the consequence album, Ima big common fan, tribe, de la, blah blah Im sure that stuff is obvious. I like the south movement as far as Luda, T.I, I like Lil Jon, I think I like Rich Boy but I havent heard his album enough yet. Im loving Detroit too, Black Milk is dope, Guilty is fire, Elzhi is the man, Wajeed and them are great. Then I love the people I consider my colleagues like Low Budget and Justus League.
What do you listen to outside of hip hop?
I like this group called the Free Design a lot. I guess its like folk music or whatever, I just think they have great melodies and the harmonizing is off the hook. I like The Sylvers, Im just getting into Pink Floyd a little, I like Black Ivory, Blue Magic, Nelly Furtados new shit, Georgia, Creative Source, and then theres some artists Im "supposed" to be listening to but theyre discography is either too vast or confusing (laughs) like Funkadelic or James Brown or Prince. Its overwhelming, they have stuff that Ill hear and its so damn funky or beautiful and Ill want more and not know where or HOW to start. Im sure that sounds odd but its like talking to a really fine woman I dont wanna just run up on it. Maybe I look at music different from oithers. Whats up next for Von Pea and Tanya Morgan? What should we be on the look out for?
Just get that "Grand Vonye" album from rappersiknow.com for free, and then go to myspace.com/tanyamorgan and add us. Were putting a new song up on our myspace on the 1st of every month this year so thats something to look forward to all year! Shout to my whole crew, The Lessondary. We all have a lot of good music were trying to put out. So everybody stay tuned.