Music
Press
“OAKLAND’s BEST KEPT SECRET”
Don’t Even (Kevin Stewart) and Epic (Anthony Msaky) may be considered fresh to Oakland’s
hip hop scene although both have been practicing their craft for years. Progressing from
turning out any and every crowd with their lyrical free styling skills, and battling all comers
at open mike competitions, Don’t Even and Epic have signed a recording contract and as
HazMat are going on tour performing recorded songs.
We caught up with HazMat during a break at the studio and chatted with them about their growth as artists.
So it seems like you two are moving from being "Underground Soldiers" to a more professional level?
Epic: Yeah you can say that. The first phase of "craft construction" is done and we're stepping it up a level and raising the bar lyrically in 2006.
Don't Even: The term "underground soldier" is basically saying my first love is underground music, but at the same time I know in order to be more successful I need to have some type of connection with the mainstream audience.
Is HazMat filling a void in the Hip Hop scene? What does you music represent?
Don't Even: I wouldn’t say were filling a void I would just say were bringing something new to the hip hop community and being were from Oakland CA a lot of people don’t even look at us as hip hop, but the HazMat Boyz are about to change all that. We’re really not trying to represent any one or any thing all we’re trying to do is put new faces and a new spin on hip hop, period. We’re really not trying to represent the music, we’re just letting our music represent us.
Epic: I wouldn’t say filling the void; I would say starting a new venue because our music is educational dirt. Meaning while it still contains a rugged edge, it still has strong messages with in it. And we look at our music as being the cleansing element for the industry, which we see currently as being contaminated by a lot of toxic material.
Do you have a particular message in mind when you write or are you inspired from hearing the beat?
Epic: Well a beat can ignite powerful lyrics, but being a poetic individual, writing comes natural. Beats are helpful but not required for me to write a hit.
Don't Even: Me personally, I am beat driven, but at the same time I’m a poet so that really gives me a little bit of an advantage because I could write with or without a beat. And seeing that poetry is my first love coming up with concepts and ideas is nothing to me, but when I hear a beat especially if it’s tight man I have thousands of topics going to and fro and that’s when you get the best of me.
What do you two bring to you live performance that distinguishes you from the "pack", in other words, what can I expect for my $20?
Don't Even: All I can say is when you come and see a HAZMAT show your seeing just that, a show, unlike any other show and the reason why I say that is because I’ve been to a lot of shows, but you rarely see the artist go into the zone and what I mean by the zone is when you totally open up your third eye and are now acting, saying, and even living out your words in front of total strangers and by the time we’re through you would have forgot you paid 20, 25 or even 30 dollars, but you will leave feeling like a part of something special.
Epic: We like to call it "The Hazmat Experience" which is a combination of lyrical crack, town business, and true MC'ing. Were not looking at our listeners as fans because they come and go. We consider them "folks", and when we finish our show we kick it with our folks.
Don't Even, you started out as the poet, Scarecrow, do you plan to incorporate some spoken word on future songs or do you consider your verses poetry?
Don't Even: I consider everything I say is poetry and the reason I say that is because I put thought into any and everything I say before I say it and poetry is just that-- words that I was able to collect as my thoughts, my emotions, and my spirit and put on paper, then speak those same words to my friends, my family, and my folks and now they can see my vision. For me that’s powerful. So to answer this question, my verses are poetry and my poetry is verse.
What does Hazmat have planned for 2006?
Epic: There are several projects in the works for us. We’ll be on the radio very soon, hopefully hitting international waters and a lot of upcoming show dates. Watch out for the compilation dropping just before the summer, and the HazMat album “Fixin; to Clean Up” hitting the nation in the fall.
Don't Even: To take over the world like Pinky and Brain, but the only difference is E.P.I.C and I both got mad brains, so watch out world!!
2006 Tour Venues
Blake’s on Telegraph, Berkeley, CA
The Palladium, Modesto, CA
680 Lounge, Danville, CA
Angels, San Jose, CA
Tha’ Pound, San Francisco, Ca
Warren Theater, Fresno, CA
- CF Press
Discography
Video @ www.creamfactoryrecords.com
CD/DVD: "FiXin2cleanUp!" and Who Got You Jumpin' video. Release date: January 12
CD: Cream Factory Presents HazMat (Cream Factory Records)
Featuring "You Know What Happens" and "Where's My Dough", and Touchin' Plat.
Photos
Bio
Dont Even
Born Kevin Anthony Stewart a quarter century ago in Biloxi Mississippi, Dont Even was encouraged and inspired by his mother, Shirley to expand his mind and go beyond the norm. Shirley moved Dont Even and his seven other siblings to West Oakland California where Dont Even fell in love with hip hop. Creatively, Dont Even began his career as the poet Scarecrow. Scarecrow became a regular on the poetry underground scene with pieces like 9eleven, Where was you niggas at, and Backbone.
West Oakland was fertile ground for hip hop and rap. Too Short, the man, the player, the pimp had changed the game in Oakland. After hearing songs like Freaky Tales, Oaktown and Getting It, Dont Even felt music was his calling. Shortly after starting on his musical quest, Dont Even met Boom a.k.a Raspect and formed the group Jacobs Descendants. After doing shows in Oakland and Los Angeles, Boom decided to move to L.A. while Dont Even stayed in Oakland to perfect his craft.
Epic
Epic a.k.a Anthony Msaky was born ahead of his time. 3 months ahead and barely weighing three pounds, Epics journey began in the rolling hundreds of East Oakland. Epics mother and grandmother instilled the importance of education at an early age. They vowed he would not sound like a hoodlum yet knew he needed to know both street smarts and book smarts to survive and thrive.
By the age of 13, Epic was mimicking favorite loyal artists such as Too Short, E-40, and others like NWA, and began to write his own versions of songs he liked. Epic was able to take his interest in music to the next level when he connected with Cal-Cutta a.k.a C.R. Day whose brother, Poetic had a mini studio in his bedroom. Epic soon laid his first track Rap a lot and smoke too much and began working on his demo. Epic determined to be heard, entered talent shows and freestyle battles, soon earning a reputation and recognition for his lyrical talent.
In the fall of 2005, Dont Evens and Epics lives collided in a freestyle battle at Spankys. After a one-on-one 2 hour battle, Dont Even and Epic exchanged numbers and contemplated forming a group in the future. Shortly thereafter, Dont Even contacted Epic regarding interest in an indie label, Cream Factory, in signing them. On Sept 19th 2005, Dont Even and Epic made it official and HAZMAT was born.
Links
