Featured Artist Interview

The marriage of Hip Hop and Jazz has never sounded so good. Whoever said Hip Hop is dead should take a trip to London because the music that is being created by Geoff Wilkinson is nothing less than magnificent. Geoff has created another masterpiece with the help of lyricists Brook Yung and Sene. The dynamic trio makes up the international Hip Hop super group known as Us3. If the name sounds familiar but you can’t quite remember where you heard of the group Us3. Let me help refresh your memory, recall in the early nineties the Hip Hop club smash “Cantaloop.” Us3 is still around producing Hip Hop classics that will make your head nod with a sound that is reminiscent of the golden era of Hip Hop. The latest Us3 album is titled “STOP. THINK. RUN” and in my opinion it is nothing less than a classic. I am truly honored that Mr. Geoff Wilkinson took the time to answer my questions regarding his group. Ladies and gentlemen I invite you to listen to Hip Hop at its best while reading the interview about the legendary group Us3. I hope you enjoy and please support Hip Hop music if you are a true fan.

1. How did you come up with the name Us3 and is there any meaning behind the name?

Initially there were 3 elements to the music; the jazz samples, the beats & rap element; and the addition of a young jazz soloist on top. I wanted to acknowledge the past, be rooted in the present, and look forward to the future all at the same time.

2. When you came up with the concept of Us3, the goal was to fuse Hip Hop and Jazz. Did you think at the time the fusion would turn out to be an international success?

Of course not! Even when we’d done Cantaloop I just thought it was a cool little club track. I didn’t anticipate it blowing up on a global scale.

3. Do you recall what the London Hip Hop scene looked like in 1992? In the US gangster rap was dominating the airwaves led by Dr. Dre’s solo debut album “The Chronic.” Was London Hip Hop influenced by American rap music at that time?

It was but the type of hip hop that was influencing the growth of the London scene at that time was things like the Native Tongues stuff, the more musical jazzy productions. West coast artists like the Pharcyde & Heiroglyphics crew were also influential.

4. How did you become so interested in Jazz music? Did you grow up playing any musical instruments?

My first instrument was bass guitar, so I got into the whole funk thing early on. My tastes developed into jazz-funk, and it was a relatively short step back to discover the real stuff from there! I actually started DJing in 1982 (!) which was a great year for hip hop, and ever since then I was checking out both the growth of hip hop and delving back into the jazz. I still am…

5. Why do you think that the younger generation does not get into old Jazz music?

It does not seem like old Jazz tunes get as much credit for influencing Hip Hop like old school Soul, Disco, Funk, or R&B. I don’t think there’s so much of a stigma about jazz being an old man’s music nowadays. Jazz has become more infused in popular music than ever before. I recently saw Chrisette Michele live and she was much closer to Dianne Reeves than Mary J Blige, if you know what I mean.

6. I read that you got a song on the radio, “The Band Played the Boogie,” which you did not clear the sample. The record label executives heard the song and called you into a meeting. Not only did you not get sued but you were able to gain access to the Blue Note catalogue. How were you able to pull off that amazing stunt?

It’s true, I had one of those “seize the day” moments in the first meeting, and to my surprise they agreed. They made me do some demos first though, to check I could walk it the way I was talking it…

7. You scored a big hit with the song “Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia),” especially in the United States. I remember that song always being played on the radio. Did you have any idea that the song was going to be as successful as it was? In retrospect, why do you think that single was such a big hit in the U.S.?

It wasn’t just a hit in the US, it hit pretty much everywhere on the planet. It opened so many doors it really is hard to describe. And it’s the tune that won’t go away! People still go nuts to it everywhere. In 2009 the Us3 live band played 39 gigs in 17 different countries, including Russia and China. We just got back from a week in Japan, which was actually the 10th time I’ve been there. Sometimes I don’t think people realize how big that tune was. There’s probably some little aliens dancing around to it on Mars right now…

8. As a follow up to the last question. You have toured in a variety of countries. Do you find that the overall taste in music is different from country to country?

If you take the U.S. for example, within Hip Hop we have coastal differences in musical sounds. An album made in the Southeast part of the U.S. is going to sound different from an album produced in the Northeast. I think there are regional differences within every country. America is such a big place. If you compare it to Europe though, it’s geographically roughly the same size, but Europe is way more culturally diverse because of it being made up of so many small countries. And each one of those countries has its own hip hop scene in it’s own language, which is fascinating to see when we’re on the road.

9. When you create an album do you think about the listener or do you create based on whatever ideas are in your mind?

I always try to make a better album than the last one. I’ve been having my own private battle for years now… I just try & make something that excites me, with the idea that if I’m excited, that would transfer onto the listener.

10. The Us3 brand is very original and that is shown by your longevity in the music industry. Have you ever thought about following the pop sound in order to gain a more commercialized audience?

No thanks. I’m more interested in having a career. I’ve always been into this for the long-haul. Life is a journey not a destination, and I’m enjoying the scenery en-route!

11. What are your thoughts about the current state of rap music? Like fashion or anything else, music is subject to trends, some good and some bad. How would you describe the current trends in Hip Hop?

I think 2009 was the best year for hip hop for a while now. There seems to be more of a spirit of experimentation from both lyricists and producers and I think that’s healthy.

12. On each Us3 album the goal was to change vocalist in order to keep things fresh and exciting. How do you decide what vocalist to use for an Us3 album? How did you link with Brook Yung and Sene for the new album?

I like vocalists that tell a story. Brook and Sene both do that very well albeit in different ways. Brook often paints with broad strokes, he looks at the big picture, while Sene writes about the detail of daily life. I think their styles complimented each other. I actually found them both on myspace!

13. Are there any famous Hip Hop artists that you would like to collaborate with on an Us3 album?

I’ve always wanted to do an Us3 All Stars album, and have a huge list of potential collaborators! I’ll keep the details to myself though, just in case…

14. You have produced 7 albums and each incorporates a change musically. Is it important for you as a producer to make sure that each album has its own musical identity?

I think an album is only a snapshot in time of where you are at that particular time. I do like to experiment though, there are still things I haven’t done yet, that I’ve got ideas for. I don’t set out to make radical changes, I just like to try things.

15. Out of the 7 albums, do you have a favorite? With each album it seems like you were trying to capture a distinct sound. From concept to actual creation, do you feel any particular album captured perfectly the sound you were attempting?

I think they all have in a way. I think you can hear that I was listening to a lot of jazz when I made “Schizophonic”, and I think that you can tell I was listening to more hip hop when I made “stop. think. run”. I haven’t got a clue what I’m going to do next though. I’ve got hundreds of backing tracks, but I’ll probably make some more!

16. You have been on both major and independent record labels. Which do you prefer and why?

There’s ups and downs to both. For the first 10 years of my career I released 3 Us3 albums. The sole reason for that was due to the endless revolving door of personnel within record labels in the mid to late 90s. Big corporations move slowly, and that can be very artistically frustrating. However they also have big marketing budgets and wide ranging distribution networks. When I started releasing my albums independently it was a real smack in the face. I had to learn a lot of stuff about the business very fast. It’s much harder and far more scary when you’re funding it yourself. I like the creative freedom I have now though, and the fact that I can get things out much quicker.

17. With the creation of each Us3 album, you have relied less and less on sampling. It seem like you are now using a lot more live instrumentation. What is the reason behind the change?

Only the first 3 albums have samples on them, and there was a decreasing reliance on samples with each of those albums. I haven’t released an Us3 track with samples on since 2001. As I’ve grown as a producer it became much more of a challenge to create something entirely new. There’s no point in wasting my time or money clearing them now. And it’s more fun working with people.

18. Us3 has toured all over the world, even in Russia. How would you describe an Us3 live show to a person who has never been to see you live?

It’s a living breathing monster! Everyone is a star in the Us3 band, everyone has solo spots to show off what they can do. I’ve always been a huge fan of live music, so I got the most fiery players I could find for the band. It’s a shame we haven’t been to the USA for so long. It’s become a Catch 22 situation with promoters now…

19. The new album is titled “stop. think. run.” What is the meaning behind the title? How many tracks are on the album?

I took some time off in 2008, I didn’t release anything and didn’t do any gigs with the band. I also moved my studio from where I had been for the previous 9 years to a new building much closer to my home. I then sold a lot of gear and bought lots of new stuff. My studio is much more modern now, and has more space, which is great. I was beginning to feel like I needed to do something to shake myself up a bit, to change the way I was working. I think it worked a treat. The album title reflects what I went through – sometimes in life you have to stop and think about what you’re doing before you can move forward. Now I’m up and running again.

20. How would you describe the sound of the new album?

It’s probably the most “hip hop” sounding album I’ve made. It still has a huge jazz influence though, and I always like to have a healthy dose of rhythmical diversity on my albums.

21. You have an 8 piece live band that you are currently touring with; you have already completed 29 shows in 13 different countries. How has the response been to the new album?

We actually ended up doing 39 shows in 17 countries in 2009. That in itself should tell you how the album has been received! It’s had some great reviews, which is nice. Rapreviews.com just made the album 7th best hip hop album of 2009. I hope that makes more people in the USA go and buy it, then we might be able to do some gigs over there…

22. Where can people purchase the new album and any past albums?

I just did a new digital distribution deal last year, and all the albums are on iTunes & all good (legal!) download sites. If you want them on CD, try CDBaby.

23. Any last words for the 4fame audience?

Thank you for reading my interview and I hope you take some time out to check out the latest Us3 sounds. Peace!

Geoff Wilkinson
www.Us3.com
www.myspace.com/Us3music