There are striking simularities between the evolution of Suicidegirls and the career of underground rapper Sean Daley, better known as Slug from the Minneapolis hip-hop duo Atmosphere. Slug has been a supporter of SG for years, contributed his music to the Black Heart Retrospective and even name-drops the site in a song title on Atmospheres 2003 record Sevens Travels. But there are also more subtle career links to be explored. Like Suicidegirls, Atmosphere are known for their punk-rock ethos and DIY approach to distribution. They have been touring for over a decade now; winning over heads and hearts one city at a time. It seems like Slug is finally reaping the fruit of his efforts.
He is the co-founder of Rhymesayers Entertainment, a record label which boasts an impressive roster of up-and-coming artists. Equal parts cocky and self-deprecating, with all the requisite charm of an iconic MC, Slug is the kind of enigma that journalists are eager to unravel. I had the chance to pick his brain during Atmospheres recent North American tour.
You can check him out at [URL]http://www.rhymesayers.com
Karen Coltrane: You said that you started touring with a live band because you were getting too comfortable touring as a DJ/MC duo with Ant and wanted to do something terrifying. Now that you've been touring with the band for a while, I'm wondering what you're doing to creatively terrify yourself these days.
Sean Daley: Well actually there is a 2 parter to this cause when I started doing the live band thing it hadn't been Ant that I was touring with. It was actually a guy named Dibbs. But that becomes part of the answer. What me and Dibbs were doing, yeah, it became complacent so I started doing the band thing. Granted I haven't quite yet become complacent with the band thing. It still freaks me the fuck out. I did start incorporating Ant into the set now for the first time. He's never toured with me and ma'am that is easily the most terrifying thing I've ever fucking done.
KC: You are known to be a very literal poet and your lyrics have a lot of direct emotional introspective. Do you use your music to externalize issues that you are dealing with and distance yourself from them? Or contrarily, does writing and performing make you hyperconscious of these issues and make you dwell on them?
SD: All of the above. And I'm not a poet.
KC: What are you?
SD: A rapper. But all of the above. I don't think there is a real science to it. Sometimes I wonder if I am trying to manifest things by rapping about them.
KC: If you are not a poet, where do you think the distinction lies between poetry and rap?
SD: Education, self-education even. Just giving a fuck about it, about the art. I could give two shits about poetry. I have never liked reading the shit. I do like some particular poets when they write actual short stories. But I'm not looking for dancing fucking words.
KC: Do you mean someone like Bukowski? Is that what you're into?
SD: Sure. He's okay. I would totally have sex with that guy.
KC: I think he might be dead. But you could still try. It could be hot.
SD: Thats part of the allure.
KC: You have suggested in previous interviews, that your songs contain subliminal political commentary. Is there anything else in your music that you think audiences would miss or would misunderstand upon first listen?
SD: Yeah. Do you know what I mean? I don't even know if I could elaborate on that. I think 90% of the shit I do gets misinterpreted. And I think that that's good. I think that other people's interpretations of what I'm saying are generally actually way cooler. And so I leave it alone. I tend to not reinterpret anything for anybody and let people just gather their own shit. I'm not really supposed to be here. This is luck. And I'm going to ride this roller coaster till the wheels fall off.
KC: How do you see yourself in relation to your fans. And how conscious are you of audience reaction? When you write your songs do you ever feel the need to censor yourself or do you just release them as is and hope that people will like them?
SD: Nah, I've kept the three separate. Most of the time I release things as is and hope that the label likes it and that the label can figure out a way to even get people to like it. Because honestly I don't even think that the burden of worrying about people is on me whatsoever.
KC: You're talking about your label Rhymesayers right?
SD: Yeah I'm talking about Rhymesayers. At the same time I'm not allowed to cast votes on my own projects. That's a conflict of interest.
KC: Are you still involved with the administrative A&R side of Rhymesayers?
SD: Yeah but as shy as possibly. There becomes a lot of conflict of interest now that my band has gotten to the position that it has gotten. So it's like I do stay active in it but I also at the same time actively know that the best role I could play right now is: okay go be Slug, hop up and down, smile a lot. That's my administrative effort for the most part at this point, aside from calling people to yell at them.
KC: I find that the artists on Rhymesayers all have distinct styles but that there's also an element of cohesion across them. So I was wondering if you could, in a few words, describe the Rhymesayers sound.
SD: Everybody involved is good people. There is nobody involved that I don't trust. Everybody involved is good people, from the artists to the administration and I think that's a big part of our sound.
KC: As a record label owner, and also as an artist what is the legacy that you want to leave behind? How do you hope to be remembered and written up about in hip-hop history books?
SD: I hope they say that I'm one of the nicest, most generous people that almost became famous. I also honestly hope that in parentheses, like down below, they also mention that I give good head.
KC: I'm sure ladies on the site will be thrilled to know that.
SD: I know. That's why I said that.
KC: You've been involved with Suicidegirls for a few years now. How did that initially come about?
SD: I got involved because of a friend of mine who was involved. She just kind of weaseled me in.
KC: Atmosphere is a bit of a hip-hop anomaly in terms of having a large female fan base . And I don't mean that in the Justin Timberlake groupie sense. I mean a lot of chicks relate to your lyrics. Why do you think that is?
SD: You don't think they relate to what Justin Timberlake is saying?
KC: I think it's a different kind of relating and a different kind of attraction to the songs.
SD: So his songs make you want to fuck, and my songs make you want to fight?
KC: Going along with that metaphor I'd say Justin's songs may make some girls want to fuck whereas your songs make girls see themselves in what you're saying. Chicks almost see themselves as you.
SD: Is this your take on it, or is this like a general take? So women see themselves as me? Wait, that's awesome! Can you hold for a second?
KC: Sure.
SD: Okay, hold on [click] Mommy? Okay so what does that mean?
KC: I'm asking you what that means, or what that means to you. If that's even something that you have considered earlier.
SD: No, I've never considered that. It's one thing to relate. I have related across genders to women singing, but I don't know if I have ever, ever projected myself into them. I don't know if I've ever done that with any female singer, and that's kind of interesting. Honestly I'm sure I've done it with male singers, probably Barry Manilow or somebody. And for you to say that kind of freaks me out. And not freaked out like I don't like it. More so freaked out like, how come I've never thought of that? Or none of my weird artfuck friends have never even said that or conjured the idea.
KC: In light of your recent MTV appearances do you believe that it is possible to be a high profile artist without having to compromise yourself and is that something that you aspire to at this point in your career?
SD: I do think that's possible. I don't think that that's what I am aspiring to. I do think that if you throw a dog a bone, me being the dog, I just might grab onto it the bone depending on what it is. And thats what I've been doing, but not on some I want to be a household name level. I realize that there is a direct correlation between appearing on Conan OBrien and the exposure that Brother Ali will receive because of that. I'm 34 years old I have no more intentions of spending the next 4 years of my life climbing to the top.
KC: That's noble of you.
SD: No it's not a noble thing. It's still selfish because it's still self-validation. I'm still doing it because I feel like it's what I have to be doing and I have to validate myself. You know what I'm saying? And don't martyr me there, cause I'm still on my own shit. I still get blowjobs on tour.
KC: So do you take an element of responsibility for the exposure that artists like P.O.S. and Brother Ali have been getting recently? Do you see your work in that?
SD: Only in the fact of when I do what I do it generates a few resources. One being money which I put a lot of behind Rhymesayers. And so in that sense a lot of our research and marketing and all the stuff that independent labels bust their asses trying to afford to do, is affordable for us, to an extent of course. In that sense I do know that my work is setting progress for other people because there's resources, not just money. There's resources behind what we can do with a Brother Ali record. Now that those resources are there, it's on Brother Ali to step to the plate and hit that fucking home run. It's still on every artist to bring their shit. But Brother Ali and P.O.S. will probably be the next artists that really start generating resources so that further down the road as we gain more artists, we can make it a little easier.
KC: I have one last question, its silly but its telling. If you could have one person bring you breakfast in the morning who would it be and why?
SD: If I could have one person being me breakfast in the morning I would probably have to say my father, because it would be nice to have a morning conversation with him.
He is the co-founder of Rhymesayers Entertainment, a record label which boasts an impressive roster of up-and-coming artists. Equal parts cocky and self-deprecating, with all the requisite charm of an iconic MC, Slug is the kind of enigma that journalists are eager to unravel. I had the chance to pick his brain during Atmospheres recent North American tour.
You can check him out at [URL]http://www.rhymesayers.com
Karen Coltrane: You said that you started touring with a live band because you were getting too comfortable touring as a DJ/MC duo with Ant and wanted to do something terrifying. Now that you've been touring with the band for a while, I'm wondering what you're doing to creatively terrify yourself these days.
Sean Daley: Well actually there is a 2 parter to this cause when I started doing the live band thing it hadn't been Ant that I was touring with. It was actually a guy named Dibbs. But that becomes part of the answer. What me and Dibbs were doing, yeah, it became complacent so I started doing the band thing. Granted I haven't quite yet become complacent with the band thing. It still freaks me the fuck out. I did start incorporating Ant into the set now for the first time. He's never toured with me and ma'am that is easily the most terrifying thing I've ever fucking done.
KC: You are known to be a very literal poet and your lyrics have a lot of direct emotional introspective. Do you use your music to externalize issues that you are dealing with and distance yourself from them? Or contrarily, does writing and performing make you hyperconscious of these issues and make you dwell on them?
SD: All of the above. And I'm not a poet.
KC: What are you?
SD: A rapper. But all of the above. I don't think there is a real science to it. Sometimes I wonder if I am trying to manifest things by rapping about them.
KC: If you are not a poet, where do you think the distinction lies between poetry and rap?
SD: Education, self-education even. Just giving a fuck about it, about the art. I could give two shits about poetry. I have never liked reading the shit. I do like some particular poets when they write actual short stories. But I'm not looking for dancing fucking words.
KC: Do you mean someone like Bukowski? Is that what you're into?
SD: Sure. He's okay. I would totally have sex with that guy.
KC: I think he might be dead. But you could still try. It could be hot.
SD: Thats part of the allure.
KC: You have suggested in previous interviews, that your songs contain subliminal political commentary. Is there anything else in your music that you think audiences would miss or would misunderstand upon first listen?
SD: Yeah. Do you know what I mean? I don't even know if I could elaborate on that. I think 90% of the shit I do gets misinterpreted. And I think that that's good. I think that other people's interpretations of what I'm saying are generally actually way cooler. And so I leave it alone. I tend to not reinterpret anything for anybody and let people just gather their own shit. I'm not really supposed to be here. This is luck. And I'm going to ride this roller coaster till the wheels fall off.
KC: How do you see yourself in relation to your fans. And how conscious are you of audience reaction? When you write your songs do you ever feel the need to censor yourself or do you just release them as is and hope that people will like them?
SD: Nah, I've kept the three separate. Most of the time I release things as is and hope that the label likes it and that the label can figure out a way to even get people to like it. Because honestly I don't even think that the burden of worrying about people is on me whatsoever.
KC: You're talking about your label Rhymesayers right?
SD: Yeah I'm talking about Rhymesayers. At the same time I'm not allowed to cast votes on my own projects. That's a conflict of interest.
KC: Are you still involved with the administrative A&R side of Rhymesayers?
SD: Yeah but as shy as possibly. There becomes a lot of conflict of interest now that my band has gotten to the position that it has gotten. So it's like I do stay active in it but I also at the same time actively know that the best role I could play right now is: okay go be Slug, hop up and down, smile a lot. That's my administrative effort for the most part at this point, aside from calling people to yell at them.
KC: I find that the artists on Rhymesayers all have distinct styles but that there's also an element of cohesion across them. So I was wondering if you could, in a few words, describe the Rhymesayers sound.
SD: Everybody involved is good people. There is nobody involved that I don't trust. Everybody involved is good people, from the artists to the administration and I think that's a big part of our sound.
KC: As a record label owner, and also as an artist what is the legacy that you want to leave behind? How do you hope to be remembered and written up about in hip-hop history books?
SD: I hope they say that I'm one of the nicest, most generous people that almost became famous. I also honestly hope that in parentheses, like down below, they also mention that I give good head.
KC: I'm sure ladies on the site will be thrilled to know that.
SD: I know. That's why I said that.
KC: You've been involved with Suicidegirls for a few years now. How did that initially come about?
SD: I got involved because of a friend of mine who was involved. She just kind of weaseled me in.
KC: Atmosphere is a bit of a hip-hop anomaly in terms of having a large female fan base . And I don't mean that in the Justin Timberlake groupie sense. I mean a lot of chicks relate to your lyrics. Why do you think that is?
SD: You don't think they relate to what Justin Timberlake is saying?
KC: I think it's a different kind of relating and a different kind of attraction to the songs.
SD: So his songs make you want to fuck, and my songs make you want to fight?
KC: Going along with that metaphor I'd say Justin's songs may make some girls want to fuck whereas your songs make girls see themselves in what you're saying. Chicks almost see themselves as you.
SD: Is this your take on it, or is this like a general take? So women see themselves as me? Wait, that's awesome! Can you hold for a second?
KC: Sure.
SD: Okay, hold on [click] Mommy? Okay so what does that mean?
KC: I'm asking you what that means, or what that means to you. If that's even something that you have considered earlier.
SD: No, I've never considered that. It's one thing to relate. I have related across genders to women singing, but I don't know if I have ever, ever projected myself into them. I don't know if I've ever done that with any female singer, and that's kind of interesting. Honestly I'm sure I've done it with male singers, probably Barry Manilow or somebody. And for you to say that kind of freaks me out. And not freaked out like I don't like it. More so freaked out like, how come I've never thought of that? Or none of my weird artfuck friends have never even said that or conjured the idea.
KC: In light of your recent MTV appearances do you believe that it is possible to be a high profile artist without having to compromise yourself and is that something that you aspire to at this point in your career?
SD: I do think that's possible. I don't think that that's what I am aspiring to. I do think that if you throw a dog a bone, me being the dog, I just might grab onto it the bone depending on what it is. And thats what I've been doing, but not on some I want to be a household name level. I realize that there is a direct correlation between appearing on Conan OBrien and the exposure that Brother Ali will receive because of that. I'm 34 years old I have no more intentions of spending the next 4 years of my life climbing to the top.
KC: That's noble of you.
SD: No it's not a noble thing. It's still selfish because it's still self-validation. I'm still doing it because I feel like it's what I have to be doing and I have to validate myself. You know what I'm saying? And don't martyr me there, cause I'm still on my own shit. I still get blowjobs on tour.
KC: So do you take an element of responsibility for the exposure that artists like P.O.S. and Brother Ali have been getting recently? Do you see your work in that?
SD: Only in the fact of when I do what I do it generates a few resources. One being money which I put a lot of behind Rhymesayers. And so in that sense a lot of our research and marketing and all the stuff that independent labels bust their asses trying to afford to do, is affordable for us, to an extent of course. In that sense I do know that my work is setting progress for other people because there's resources, not just money. There's resources behind what we can do with a Brother Ali record. Now that those resources are there, it's on Brother Ali to step to the plate and hit that fucking home run. It's still on every artist to bring their shit. But Brother Ali and P.O.S. will probably be the next artists that really start generating resources so that further down the road as we gain more artists, we can make it a little easier.
KC: I have one last question, its silly but its telling. If you could have one person bring you breakfast in the morning who would it be and why?
SD: If I could have one person being me breakfast in the morning I would probably have to say my father, because it would be nice to have a morning conversation with him.
VIEW 25 of 31 COMMENTS
drox:
mad respect. rhymesayers keep things interesting.
abbie:
i was smiling as i did this and am smiling still.