ITS - So how did you guys come up with the name HazMat?
RC - "I guess it makes the most sense for me to answer that question, since RcThaHazard was a name I had picked back in grade 9. My name is Ryan Cole Hoover, I was Rc at first but then I wanted something to go with the "H". After that I wanted a name brand to back it all so I started figuring out what would be the most ideal thing and - honestly my buddy Dekst helped me out with that because he said, you know what, hazardous material would make the most sense because of your name.'"
ITS - Who have been your biggest influences, personally and musically?
JC - "Ha, alright. Well, I'm going to throw everyone off and go with Johnny Cash, because he's one of my favourite artists of all time but nobody expects that from me. They would think Tupac, but no, Johnny Cash."
S - "Bone Thugs N Harmony."
V - "Ummm, I'm going to say N.W.A. because of the supergroup factor and I've always wanted to do a super group and make a mark in that way. I think we're starting to do something in that aspect."
RC - "For me this is the hardest question of all. I just have such a tough time answering it, so I'm just going to say any artist that can go to their full potential and display some crazy talent is influential for me. I can't say anyone specific, it always changes."
MM - "I guess since I've done music in a variety of different genres I'd have to say that Trent Reznor has really stuck out and been the biggest inspiration to me over the years, just the way he builds his compositions and layers his music, I always tend to have a "what would Trent do" mentality when working on things."
KB - "I'd have to say it's the people in my community around me and all the different genres that are being played, and styles, and everyone has their own unique little place. I just think it's great to see that there's so much out there and that there's people loving what they do, and just doing it for the love."
ITS - Being a hip-hop group from Vancouver, how alive do you feel the scene is?
RC - "Can I go first? My opinion - my personal opinion - is that it seems that it's a lot of divided scenes but they all - well, the people i talk to anyway - are always super down to support one another. I'd like to think that we help maintain the liveliness of the scene, and if we don't then just let us know because that's what we're all about. Just keeping shit entertaining. We want to be the scene, so yeah, let us know."
MM - "Yeah I agree. It's alive, but it's segregated."
RC - "Exactly."
MM - "There's a lot of things but -"
RC - "But it's not like everyone's working together. Everyone supports one another while they still do their own kind of thing."
S - "There's lots of that. I've been doing this for a long time and there's never been a set "scene" it's just been kind of cliquey, everyone has their own group of fans and group of friends that go to these shows - all these groups of people - and it's never really connected and I think the only people who have really tried to bring all these people together - aside from Boss Records - is Hazmat."
KB - "As someone who's totally new to this, I'm surprised at how much of a scene there is and how many shows are going on all the time and how busy everyone really is with it and how much effort gets put into it. Also how many people there really are who thoroughly enjoy it and want it to keep going."
JC - "Yeah there's a lot of talented people, a lot of passionate individuals who are doing it for the music and not just the money, but it's not connected."
ITS - Nas states that hip-hop is dead, what are your thoughts on that?
V - "To build off of the last question as well, umm, I don't believe that hip-hop is dead at all. From an artist's point of view I don't believe that people are educating themselves on how to build themselves or their brand, and to a larger point build a scene, and so you've got this situation where no one thinks they can make a difference, or that it's just dead. There's so many people wanting to quickly blame other factors and say that it's dead when they can change it themselves, point one finger and four point back at you, know what I mean?"
JC - "I don't think it's dead. I think it's alive more than it ever was, I just don't think real genuine hip-hop is being broadcasted as much and mainstreamed as it once was. To be honest, when I turn on the radio I don't really hear a lot of hip-hop, I hear pop music and R&B."
S - "Yeah, he's right, what you're hearing on the radio and in the mainstream is a lot of pop and R&B, and a little bit of rap, and whatever but the rap that's happening is still a part of hip-hop. What they're doing is they're segregating one part of hip-hop from the rest of it and they're only playing that part. It doesn't mean that hip-hop is dead, it just means you're only hearing that. Hip-hop is everywhere, everyone's doing it, it's a spirit. A living breathing thing, and-"
RC - "If you don't like what you're being exposed to, then why don't you look for something else-"
S - "Exactly."
RC - "The only I have to say about that is, 'Hip-Hop is dead?!'"
Everyone - "Nope!"
ITS - What plans do you guys have for the remainder of 2014?
S - "More masturbation."
MM - "Well, from The Rappists camp, we've been working on Demolishious Pt.3 throughout the year which will probably come out in the Winter, and slowly compiling the material for the follow-up to Free Candy, which will more than likely be called, Get In The Van. And Vicious and I have recently completed ViciousMorder, Void Our Crimes, so we're looking forward to releasing and performing some of that material as well."
RC - "Clawsin aren't you dropping a new album on your 19th birthday?"
JC - "My what? Oh yeah, plans for the remainder of 2014, I'm going to get drunk everyday as soon as I turn 19. Just kidding. Actually, I'm not. But no, for the remainder of the year I'm going to be finishing up my new album, 'Nightmare Manipulation Vol.2' aka '2Pac Is My Dad', and just ummm, preparing for 2015."
S - "I'm seeing a BNE Vol.5 happening this year, and that's all I'm going to say about that."
V - "I'm working on a solo record myself, I don't have a title for it but it will be my 10th solo album, so -"
MM - "Call it Ten, like Pearl Jam."
V - "I'll call it, Dix. D-I-X. No, that's so not what it's going to be called. But umm, yeah BNE Vol.5 needs to happen."
RC - "The truth is BNE Vol.5 is already happening, with the collaboration between me, and Vicious, and Syco Sko'd, and BenZosa. Business Blue. 6 is what I think SYNZ and Vicious are referring to, but let me just quickly say this, for the rest of 2014 we've got, ummm, we're going to rock a few dope shows, a couple here, a couple there. But the biggest thing that I want to stress is that on 12.13.14 my new shit will be ready for all the digital carriers and all the everything's. Rhyme Or Die. And that's what's up, 12.13.14. It'll make a great Christmas gift, and it'll be on in tunes and all that shit and that's my big plan personally. And one more thing, we also have a sampler coming out as well, because we like to give that shit away at shows, and as as gifts and whatnot and yeah, that's all I'm going to say."
ITS - What preshow rituals do you guys have to get pumped up for a show?
MM - "Beers outback of the venue, for sure."
JC - "My preshow ritual - and this is for real, I shit you not - I always have to take a preshow shit. My nerves start acting up and then my stomach starts, and everything I've eaten from the day comes out, you know, when you get those butterflies in your stomach? And so I'll take a shit, smoke a joint, then rock the show."
V - "That's not preshow jitters, that's called Crohn's disease, man."
RC - "Honestly for me, I've got to smoke some good weed before I get on stage, that's about it."
MM - Yeah, a good session, some beers, jokes amongst the Crew, and we're good to go."
If you want to follow along with social media you can through
| http://www.twitter.com/rcthahaz http://www.tumblr.com/rcthahaz http://www.youtube.com/rcthahazard |
And to get the rest of the contact info hit up RC and he can get that to you.
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