I love good music, that is no secret, so when I get a chance to interview an artist, its very humbling experience. This time I got a chance to ask Moe Pope some questions about his latest album Life After God, as well as talk about some of his older work, and his upcoming projects! If you don’t know who Moe Pope is, take this time to get to know him a little, then be sure to buy the album at your local record store, or hit up iTunes! Interview with Moe Pope, Enjoy!!!
-L Shameless.
LS: For those who don’t know about Moe Pope, can you give us a little background?
MP: I started my first serious song writing with a band called (Crown City Rockers formally known as Mission:)in the late nineties…and had to leave that band to care for my daughter in Boston, joined the group Electric Company with 4 other great Boston mc’s (insight, Daggha, Raheem Jamaal, and Anonymous) in 2004,Project Move (Anonymous, Raheem Jamaal, Moe Pope) was born out of electric really… Me, anon, and Rah just sounded great together and had similar taste in music …it was inevitable!!!! but as you know sometimes things fall apart….Solo…. I went back to the scene of the crime sort of !!!! Headnodic our Producer and Bass player for my band (Mission:) had some free time and in 2008 we recorded and released Megaphone!!!!!!!!
LS: One question I always like to ask, is who influenced you the most?
MP: That’s a really hard question!!!!!!! The first hiphop song I ever really loved was slick rick and dougie fresh (the show) I wasn’t allowed to listen to hip hop in my house…my mom wasn’t having it, but…. other family members would play it at there houses…I don’t think I ever even cared about hiphop till I heard that song, I was amazed by it and it never stopped until this day I love the music now because of that moment…. as far as music as a whole my mom played soul and R&b around the house, my aunts and uncles played rock, punk…Peter Tosh and Bob at there houses, my dad was a drummer…my granddad loved Jazz so I was pulled in every different direction musically as a kid so I dunno…….
actually imma say Memphis Bleek…. yup ………. Memphis Bleek!!!!!!!
LS: Life After God has got many great reviews on Ughh.com, URB.com, and many other sites, what inspired you the most in the creation of this album?
MP: I had been going threw a lot personally…. family, money issues, and my daughter’s mother…. I was about to quit rapping all together when I got a call from this kat Rain asking me if I needed any beats…. I had no idea how he got my number and I don’t know what made me take him serious and actually go to his crib to hear what he had… but I’m glad I did!!!! With the addition of Rain and Christopher Talkin…I was allowed to let it all out, any pain, anger, sadness, or regret I wrote about it…. I felt at the time like I was being punished by god or being beat up by god emotionally its something I feel like everybody goes threw at one point or another….”life after god” is were that came from!!!
LS: What would you say was the biggest challenge (if any), in making this album?
MP: Like I said man I was going threw some crazy and destructive shit during this time as well as my partners Rain, and Chris…I didn’t set out to make a record it just happened that way… we were just making a couple of songs and it turned into this record…I truly felt like this record saved my life
LS: I think many would agree with me when I say the production on the album is dope.
What was it like working with Rain & Headnodic?
MP: Headnod is my family we spent years making music together having been in the band (Mission:) we have laughed and struggled together so its real easy to express myself around him and create…Rain has become a really good friend in a very short amount of time …that same feeling I feel when I hear headnodics beats is how I feel when I hear Rain…. Shit if I need something loud and fuzzed out they got that, jazzy and melodic, they got that, boom bap, check, I don’t I have to worry about beats ever!!!!! p.s Rain makes a mean Chili…………!
LS: Speaking of Headnodic, you two dropped a classic album back in 08’ titled “Megaphone (which is also the name of the group!)” Might there be a new album in the works from you two?
MP: Headnod and me have been trying to schedule this for some time its definately in the works!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We want to do it…we talk all the time about it…its going to happen!!!
Psst!!! Megahertz!
LS: Many may not realize but you’ve been doing so much over the years, in 06’
Project Move released their first album, “Love Gone Wrong/The Butterfly Theory. “
Can you tell us a little bit about that?
MP: Raheem, and Mike (anonymous) and myself, were all in the group “Electric” together and we just bonded …our voices together just worked…. period I love those brothers right there!!!! one of my all time personal favorites is that record and we made it!!!! Those two kats are extremely gifted… extremely…. I hope we make another record I really do…. I think when you have a group or a band when things are not going well it’s easy to point a finger at something and say this is why things are not working…. I truly feel some day it will work… but if your solo there is no excuses if you don’t show up, no one is going to do it for you!!! You get what you give, and there is no one to blame but your self…. I think more than any group I was with they taught me the most…. they also taught me that I can stand on my own.
LS: Personally I never quite agreed with the statement, “Hip-Hop Is Dead.” In every album you’ve worked on, or contributed to, the four elements are always represented. I can’t speak for anyone else, but I would say that this is the remedy to keeping things fresh. Would you agree?
MP: Yes very much so!!!! Sometimes you have to go back to go forward!!!! But also not be afraid to digest something new!!!!!!!! Listen, I was a Keith Sweat and New Edition fan as a kid …My mom will say up and down Keith cant fuck with Donnie Hathaway or Marvin Gaye and N.E. cant fuck with the Temptations but I stilled loved those groups!!! Who am I to say hip hop is dead because its different than it was when I was kid, my daughter bumps Drake and Wayne like I bumped Tribe, Jigga and Kane…. its just different…. me personally, I done popped and locked, I got my ups tagging on walls all over the city, I was a beat boxing maniac, I cant scratch worth a shit but I can dj a party and put a smile on your face but that makes me no more hip hop than any one else loves this music or any part of our culture in my eyes …My uncle grew up listening to Kurtis blow and He just bought a Tity Boi album dude…..Fucking TITY BOI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(LS: LOL)
LS: Are there any upcoming events/projects fans should keep a look out for?
MP: Depeche Moe next coming very soon!!!!!!!!!!!!! Produced by Headnodic and Rain …if you were a fan of the Mega bjork remix album (http://www.bjorkremixes.com/megabjork/) you are going to lose your shit for this depeche mode remix album!!!!! (http://jumptheturnstyle.com/?p=12148)
LS: I want to thank you for taking the time to do this interview, is there anything that you would like the fans to know?
MP:…Pancakes are my Favorite!!!!
Peep This Video Courtesy Of Brick Records!
“Life After God(Moe Pope & Rain)\” Godzilla/Rock Me Official Video