Oldie but Goodie Goodie
This year marks the 20th anniversary of my sophomore album with Tajai, Nuntype.
I recently rediscovered an interview that Goodie Goodie Productions conducted back in 2004. Thanks to GGP for allowing us to rehost it.
Originally published by GoodieGoodie.com, 2004
Dedicated to All Pioneers…
Tajai (Souls of Mischief, Hieroglyphics) and Philadelphia-based producer SupremeEx unite for the first time since their 1999 debut, Projecto: 2501 to bring you an all-new full length album about chaos, prophecy and change.
The album is called Nuntype and represents more than 3 years of work between the 2 hiphop mavericks. Tajai, fresh off the heels of Hiero Imperium’s, Full Circle plays the role of a deity who wields the power of creation, as he plays with the inhabitants of an alternate Earth’s fate.
SupremeEx lays the musical backdrop to help tell the story, and even Oakland songstress Goapele joins the two on the album’s lead single, “Meaning.”
Scheduled for a 2004 release, Nuntype should appease fans that were left hungry by Projecto’s E.P.-format. Watch for more news as the two slowly unveil the album as it draws closer to its release.
Illustration by Cassady Benson.
Another World
Goodie Goodie: Well well well…It seems there’s some sort of Philly / Oakland vortex feeding this high concept album.
What initially prompted the two of you to work together and manifest this project?
Tajai: The first project was successful and touched a lot of people. Supreme keeps coming with the tracks, so I just tried to complement them with some commentary. This one has been years in the making.
Yameen: This project actually began before our last record [Projecto: 2501] came out. The two stories are independent from each other, with the exception of my character, SupremeEx who appears in both.
But we make no kind of connections as to temporal timelines. So it’s not really explained whether SupremeEx is on this new record because it’s the same universe, or because it’s even the same character. We leave it up to the listener.
Accessibility
Goodie Goodie: One would think that a casual grasp of quantum mechanics / string theory and a healthy imagination wouldn’t hurt those ambitious enough to indulge in the story line of Nuntype.
Do you find that these types are drawn to your music? Should we let dumb people in on this?
Tajai: I am glad that those who seek knowledge are drawn to our albums. It is a shame that the exposure isn’t such that we get to touch everybody, because I think all of the songs on a stand-alone basis are simple and intriguing enough to be enjoyed by anyone.
When you string the concepts together, that’s when it starts to get tricky (but not too tricky). I think we underestimate the number of radical thinkers out there who could get into this shit.
It’s cool to see people bug out off of music.
Yameen: Yeah, believe it or not, I personally set out to make this record more accessible than the last one. Projecto was very condensed at six songs, but we fit a lot of information into that small space. That kind of compression left a lot to be discovered, but to a casual listener, it was a little over their heads. And I took that to heart.
So with this new album, Nuntype, I wanted to make it easier for listeners to just jump right in and enjoy themselves. The full-length format complements that. But at the same time, I wanted to broaden the landscape and let fans of the first album investigate all the nooks and crannies where we left proverbial “Easter eggs.” I think that says something about string theory? What, I’m not sure (smiles).
Indeed, we indulge the notion of quantum physics and, more specifically, chaos theory in the album. Actually, here—here’s a Nuntype Easter egg exclusive: The first four songs leading up to “The Prophecy” each contain one sample from the song that came before it, in a daisy-chain, handoff manner. This was done to subconsciously remind the listener that the prophecy is imminent and that all things are connected.
The prophecy, of course, comes true on track five—right at the beginning of the album.
Contact
Goodie Goodie: I was told a lot of work was done on this project with the two of you on separate coasts. Was that problematic or did the vortex render that a non-issue?
Yameen: We’ve been doing this for years—almost six now—working in this manner. I think it works to our advantage. Individually, it allows us to marinate on the project and tend to it as inspiration strikes.
In this regard, I think it lends a timeless element to our work. Nothing is ever rushed. Plus, we’re both pretty good at multitasking.
Tajai: I took longer because of the separation, but I think we both work best in our own environments. That’s why the stuff comes together so well. I wrote 95% of the stuff in Amsterdam.
Goodie Goodie: Do you expect the Hiero massive out there to pick up on this like Bird Flu in Asia or will it take a while?
Tajai: Well, it’s great to have such a huge fan base to draw from, but we’re aiming to expand even beyond that. It’s going to take time because Hiero fans are used to a certain way of hearing the message.
Hopefully, if we stay persistent and consistent, we can get them all to connect with what we’re trying to do.
Genre-bending
Goodie Goodie: If I put this album in my computer, what will the genre read—Post-Modern Rapadelic? Country? U.S. Beef?
Yameen: Hopefully, Hip-Hop.
Tajai: I would like to think Hip-Hop, or maybe “Trip-Hop,” but it’s still boom bap—computerized chopped sounds, raw samples, rugged rhymes, and current concepts. That’s what Hip-Hop should be.
We draw from a wide array of influences throughout time, reclaiming them and twisting them to our desires. That’s the spirit of creativity with which all good music is undertaken.
Nuntype on Ice?
Goodie Goodie: Word has it that Donnie Darko has beef with you guys after seeing you perform at Club Eden Rocks in Philly and calling out his mental condition. Did you ever surprise any other crowds with that presentation?
Tajai: What? If you’re talking about the plush suit, that’s just how we roll!
Yameen: We have our top-secret ice capade project still in motion. We’re just looking for financial backers to make it happen. Which reminds me, I want to ask you something after the interview… (smiles)