Quiet Entertainer: First off, You’ve been a well known curator in the Clarksville Music Scene. How has running your own venue helped you to do that?

Zach Lerman:Running the coup has given me the ability to see most of whats going on musically in town. Even if something is going on that is not at the coup I usually try to keep up or stop by. I have a very good sense of what is and what isn’t going on in town. This helps me get excited and encourage someone if they are talking about doing something new or exciting.

ZL:I am 1 of 3 owners that keep the place going. We have tons of other people that help us out all the time though. I book a lot of shows and run sound.. I am trying to get more involved in traveling more often and hanging out in other scenes to meet people and see whats going in our general area. I am a visionary.

ZL:Too many ways to count, some good, some great, some not so good. Good in that Clarksville has never in it’s history had so many amazing artists come through and share what they are doing from all over the country. 1000′s of bands have played, we had had everything from burlesque, drag, parties,movies, vegan potlucks, art shows, experimental theatre, spelling bees, political meetings, debauchery, sobriety, recording sessions, movie shoots, more parties, bands from France/ Austria/ Norway/ Japan, noise, punk, hip hop, death, grind, electro, dubstep, triphop, acoustic , math,  doom, and every genre that you have never heard of. Before the coup there was house shows, which don’t get me wrong some of my best memories of my entire life were there, but I would like to think that the coup has brought a legitimacy to the town. Some of the negative things that I feel have happened because of it is that ( I am about to sound like an old man) I feel like a lot of kids don’t understand what its like to live in a Clarksville where the coup doesn’t exist so they take it for granted. You wanna talk about seriously nothing to do, these kids don’t EVEN fucking know. But I feel over all there has been a positive effect.

QE: What is the Coup’s role  in the Clarksville electronic and hip hop music scene?

ZL: The Coup has been housing pretty much every type of electronic music you could think of for the last four years and hip hop has for sure been in our top styles of music that we promote. The Coup is a place where all underground music can be nurtured. But we encourage electronic artists and hip hop artists to think outside the box and not just trying to remake whatever they have heard on the radio or where ever else. It’s important to try and do your own thing no matter if there is an audience for it or not. There is something beautifully amazing in creating something new. But the Coup was instrumental in bringing to light the rise in dubsteps popularity in the past few years. But now that it is overplayed we have to tried to move on a little. The coup has brought in some pretty cool acts from Nashville like this is art, wick-it and many more, which I am sure would have never happened if the coup did not exist. There are a number of small producers coming up out of the wood works too which is cool. The coup is also a place were a lot of local acts have gotten their start such as SMOKEE B. CNDYPNTS!,  TEE-AYE-SEE-OHHand many more. So I would say the coup has been vital in housing and maintaining a both of these scenes and many others.

ZL:Mostly we have just been working with the city of Clarksville parks and recreation in putting on Clarksville’s annual Riverfest. The fest has been around for a long time but a few years ago they let us have our own stage and the next year we had two. So we have been booking acts from all over the state and more to come be a part of this free festival. Last year we booked 53 groups to play in 2 days. We will be doing the same this year.It has definitely brought hip hop and electro into the spotlight a little more because I would venture to say that never before in the history of clarksville has their ever been such a large amount of underground artists together at a city sponsored event at one time. They would maybe book one lucky band that would get to play the fest, now we are booking over 50, so I would say that it is a large blow to the man. This year it is on Sept 7th and 8th. We are also putting on a bike and music festival this year on the 19th of may. Like most other things we do we will incorporate all types of underground music. We also will be hosting our 4th birthday party on the weekend of April 19th entitled Weekend of Death 4.  We have plans for a few other big things that I cannot talk about at this time.

ZL:We have a lot of artists coming up from Nashville to play and hang out. Usually they come and have a good time and let others know what we are doing and it brings more artists our way. We have really only recently gotten into cross promotion where we are trying to get some of the Clarksville music up in Nashville. A lot of this has come from me and Smokee B and Tee-aye see-oh going to Making moves at the End and trying to get connected with whats going on there. We are trying to close the gap between Nashville and Clarksville. It’s not that far away but its far enough away to feel like you went somewhere. Plus we like coming up and eating some tasty food at Cafe Coco! So basically the plan is to try and develop a larger sense of community in the TN area through hanging out and playing music with people in other towns more often weather its going somewhere else or having people come to Clarksville.

ZL:My main everything right now is LIBERATE TE EX JESSE SMITH. It is me and my friend Matt Watkins. It is a spacey, hybrid of older indie instrumental rock with some newer electronic perspectives. We use ableton and some guitars and a few vocals but not too many. A lot of harmonious soundscapes with outerworldly synths. It has everything from electronic noise to ambient beds to straight up neo-futurist dance epicism. Every song is different. We really want to help develop the future of electronic music. There is so much that surrounds the fact that if you make electronic music you have to be making electro, house or dubstep. This is just simply not the truth. We are trying to explore some of the more artistic ways to bring music to life using technology. We do whatever we want, if a song seems like it is just starting around the five minute mark then we let the sound develop naturally and try not to put any restrictions or preconceived ideas into the process. For some reason it has come to be accepted that a song is an intro, a verse, chorus, and an outro. We are seeking to destroy this abomination in music. Music has the freedom to be whatever it feels with out the constraints of modern songism keeping it packaged in a nice neat little box that is formulated for the mass public to be able to swallow without any thought. Artists once again need to let the art make itself. We art just the facilitators that can either allow the information to flow freely to open the minds of the people or we can bottle nose it all from the depths of our soul to help keep the public in there drone world of soulless consumerism  We have just finished our 2nd album and will be putting it out pretty soon on GHOST HOUSE RECORDS which is our label that we have put stuff out on for the last 10 years or so. We are also working with a friend of ours by the name of CHRIS LAYTON. We are making a music movie to the new album which he will be filming. He is amazing. The video will be an inter dimensional journey to find truth and fulfilling ecstasy of the afterlives.

ZL:I started making zines about the same time we opened the coup. I had tried to get a bunch of stories in the local paper but they really seemed not to care about what we were doing. We could get a few stories in here and there but it was always on the back page. We really needed a local publication that was telling about the music scene and what was actually happening in the town. I started with Empire of Honesty which is a zine about music art and life in Clarksville. I have covered many local acts as well as Nashville and Murfreeboro bands. I moved on to put out a few stories that I wrote about some crazy times that I have had in my life called “trackmarks” . These were detailed accounts of drugged out craziness that I went through when I was younger. I put out a few other peoples stories and have put out “The truth about drugs” which is a non biased look at some of the more popular recreations drugs. I recently put out my newest creation which is ” Damn the Man” . It is a guide to living apart from corporate influence in the modern age. I like to put things out that could open peoples minds, I for sure want to empower those who already feel the same as I do but I want Clarksville to transform. The only reason it is the way it now is because someone made it that way. All it needs is some people that care and live what they believe. It is also just about putting the power back into the hands of the people. To do this we have to stop buying stupid crap. The corporations who are buying our government our doing so because we just cant possibly live without updating our iphones every 6 months. We are the ones with the power. We need to bring a sense of community back. Every single person needs to have a garden if they have space. Imagine eating food from the ground everyday instead of having to go spend your hard earned cash on it. No one would be hungry and there would be enough variety to trade freely between everyone. We do not need the corporate gods. They are trying to make it to where humans don’t know how to survive with out them. We rely on them to exploit third world countries so we can have a new t shirt that looks slightly different then our other ones. They are not people, they do not have feelings, they do everything with one goal in mind and that is to maximize profits. We can have an amazing future if we create one, but if we sit back and watch tv and listen to the mainstream media then humanity might be doomed forever. Seriously.

ZL:Yeah, I get to talk with and meet a lot of people who share similar ideas and I get to let other people know whats going on who maybe have never thought about reality beyond what they have been told. Having the zines is a good way to get stuff out there though. But yes it has given me a platform and I think that the Coup is rapidly developing into a vital part of the Clarksville community which means that our ethics and way of life are seeping into the collective consciousness of the town.  We want to destroy the corporate mentality. We want to transform Clarksville into a model town that survives on its own art, food and ideas. It will be an uphill battle. But we are a thousand times closer to this reality then we would be if we didn’t have the coup.

ZL:The future is bright. The Coup will be a center for free thought for all of the world to see. We will continue in our fight for bringing humanity back to the people. We will be working hard to make Clarksville a hub for artists all over Tennessee. I have this relative plan to run for mayor that I have been thinking about for the last few years, but who knows that seems a little crazy, but some might have said opening up the coup was crazy. Everytime you accomplish a goal it gives you the insight that you can do things. I am not only what I am right now. We are the future if we choose to be. The Coup is choosing to be the future. One where people have minds of their own and govern themselves. “DAMN THE MAN, SAVE THE EMPIRE”.

If you like this, please go ahead and share, tweet, or +1 this post. and I thank you.

It seems like I always see Ducko McFli’s name when I’m taking a look at who’s doing something in the Nashville Hip Hop scene. I felt like I could learn a lot from him to help me get my work done and to hustle. Then I realized that we could all learn something. So I asked him a few questions. I’m so glad he had some time to spare. Here’s the result. 

QE: I first heard of you because of your project with Chancellor Warhol called N.O.B.O.T.S ? How has collaboration helped your career as an artist?

Ducko McFli: Collaborations have played a huge part in my career. From the project that kinda put me out in the open with Chance & The Nobots, to My project with Openmic, to doing production/songs with artist ranging from Dee Goodz, Young Buck, Ofishal, Rio, and more.. More than just a tool for promotion all the stuff I have learned from watching how these artist work has def played a greater role in the way I have been trying to structure my own project.

QE: You were heavily involved with dropping 4 albums last year. How were you able to get that much work done? 

DM:  I am a hermit, its really that simple. I never leave the house unless its something i really want to see or some where where i want to show support. Other than that i spend 90% of my time on my computer, mixing,writing, producing, sending emails, networking, editing video/pictures. I always tell everybody I speak to that I might not be the best but I def will be known as one of the hardest working. That and this is what I love to do. Its easy to just buckle down and get projects done when you have as much fun as I do making them.

QE: What tools are the most useful for you to stay organized?

DM: Man I live and die by my 17” Macbook Pro and Ableton Live. That’s really all I use. I have recently got a couple upgrades that im excited about but ultimately I always end up back on the OG set up.

QE: You often tell everyone that they can find you duckomcfli at everything. How important is it for you to be everywhere and why? 

DM: Its not so much about being everywhere for me but being where i need to be when somebody interested in my product wants to find it. I know that there is a strong cast of artist/producers coming up in the ville right now and I have always had a great appreciation for anybody who rocks with me. I know that there is plenty other things you could be doing with your time so if you take the time to check me out I want to make it as easy as possible for you.

QE: Tell me about your latest release?

DM:  KINGDUCK was my latest release, my 1st official release as a rapper. I love the project it was a great start for me as far as letting people know I rap and what I actually stand for as person. Its an E.P. I tried to keep it short and sweet its only 10 songs. Produced entirely by the homie Chris King (www.twitter.com/lifelovekicks) 

What a lot of people don’t know is that the entire project was wrote/recorded in 1 day. It really was crazy how it kinda happened. I sat down to write and didn’t get up till I had wrote all the songs, They all sounded good so I ran with it. Recorded it up at the big homie Matic Lee‘s spot in 2 hours and then he mixed it and we put it out. Its different, I don’t feel like there is anybody else really making music like I do, its got a different feel. I don’t do swag rap, I don’t do cool kid stuff.. The motto here is The Return of The Real and thats what I try and bring out.

QE: What are you currently working on?

DM: I am currently working on the next E.P. “The Return Of The Real” I have gotten together some new material that I am currently finishing up for the new project. We are really excited about it. I was reached out to by a couple producers after I dropped the KINGDUCK project and I have been blessed to have some crazy records and features from some super talented people. I am currently in the progress of shooting videos and about to start recording the last batch of songs for it and we are hoping for a May Release right in time for summer..

QE: Tell me about any other project you’re a part of.

DM: The other projects I am really on right now is the rest of the P.U.S.H. crew I have put together a strong cast of rappers and we are about to start putting out music really soon that is gonna get a good response we hope. Sofa Brown is in the final stages of finishing his tape “The Wonders” which is crazy, he is sending me songs as he gets them wrapped up and everyone is better than the last. We are about to start shooting his promo material here in the next week or so. There are also new projects being put together by Evan Blocker, and Karl Marx as well.

QE: If another artist wanted to collaborate with you, what would they need to do first? what do you look for when you want to work with someone? 

DM: I really just wanna know that you are working. I love good music, as long as you make good music and your business is on the up and up then lets work. I am not any better than anybody. I work a regular job and pay my bills just like anybody else. I hate when people tell me that they waited to hit me up or didn’t want to at first cause they thought I wouldn’t mess with them.. I make my self so openly available because i want to work. If you got an idea, HIT ME UP. Lets make some dope shit.

QE: How do you define “hustle” or “grind”? Meaning what are some tangible things that you actually do every day to make sure you’re successful? 

DM:  Hustle to me is just doing everything you can to get what you want. I don’t know if what im doing is the right thing, the good thing, whatever but its all I know and all I can do. I just make sure i know going into anything that i have put my best foot forward and whatever happens from that happens. All you can do is do you and keep putting out product, If its good and you are dedicated it will work. You just cant expect it over night and stay patient and humble.

QE: 2011 was a great year for Nashville hip hop. What would you like to see happen locally in 2012?

DM: Truthfully, Nashville is moving better than I have ever seen it. There used to be a problem with clicks not supporting other clicks and causing this unnecessary blockage of nashville talent but thats not happening any more. People are reaching out and linking up and making stuff happen. I love where we are right now.

QE: What artists do you see “doing it right” in Nashville and what are they doing? 

DM: There is so many artist right now im really messing with, Openmic, Petty, P.A. Lit, Stan, Kaby, Ofishal, Chancellor Warhol, and it goes on. People have their plans together and are making things happen for the city and I really have a crazy amount of respect for the people that are making noise in a city where the Hip Hop community has been silenced for so long.

www.duckomcfli.com

www.twitter.com/duckomcfli

duckomcfli@gmail.com

www.soundcloud.com/thepushlife

www.soundcloud.com/duckomcfli

Pics by ShotByShante Photography, Ramiah Branch Photography, & Kelly Hite Photo.

When I wrote my blog post awhile back about quitting my job too early and how I now need to work even harder and more hours, a lot of people on my email list wrote me and suggested I launch a Kickstarter campaign. I’ve seen some artists get well known for their success on Kickstarter. I’ve also seen some artists and bands not do so well with it. Lately, I’ve heard about a lot of bands going the Kickstarter route. It sure seems better than selling all my gear on eBay. I’ve felt uneasy about using Kickstarter. I’ve hid from it. I didn’t want to launch a huge page just asking for money. Even though I have a donate button on my page (wink!), It’s kind of off to the side, my own way of passive promotion. I’ve been looking around and I’m still considering whether I want to do it. If you’re in my same boat, I’m thinking there are 5 things we should consider before we launch a Kickstarter campaign.

Do you have a following? Or at least a list?

You have to have an email list. I was thinking about one campaign from a guy I know. This guy was in one band that had a huge following. But then he left that band and started another band. So his new band and new music had a Kickstarter. So yeah, he was Kickstarting his new project, new album, etc. But for the majority of that campaign, he was doing it just through friends, family, and social media as far as I could tell. I think at some point, his previous band reached out to their huge list to promote it to people who already were fans of his music from before. I wonder if Kickstarter is best for launching your FIRST project or your first record. Otherwise, I think about that band and wonder how it would have gone if the previous band would launched the campaign from the beginning. I don’t know the details of that; so I’m only speculating. But that’s one of the things that’s held me back.

Do you have a cause?

What’s the reason for having a Kickstarter campaign? Are you just trying to put out an album? I have this feeling that it has to be about more than that. Amazingly, technology has made it that you can make a fantastic record without the thousands of dollars that some are asking about. Here’s a great post about that. I guess that is the main thing that artists will try to raise money for. I don’t know all of the rules for using Kickstarter. I remember wanting to buy a new mixer before. I still haven’t done that. What if I did a campaign to buy a new mixer? Still kind of lame. What about a new mixer so I could start a new DJ teaching business? A little better. What about money so I could start my new business of teaching DJ lessons to kids? Now we’re talking… by the way, what a great idea for me. What about you?

Are you adding value?

What do people get for backing your project? It’s got to be more than just downloads to a new record. Especially if you don’t have a list or following. What does a fan get? I was messaged about a band’s project one time. I had never heard of them. For the different tiers of giving, you could get free downloads, posters, vinyl, t-shirts. This would all be great if I were a fan of the band. But this campaign was my introduction to the band. So I absolutely did not want to buy any of that stuff. Would you? If I were already a fan of the band, I’d have been more into it. When I think about this, I consider that maybe kickstarter is only best for fans. Maybe just for checking out the kickstarter project they should get music for free anyway. I don’t know.

Are you showing work? Showing yourself?

I just don’t want people to think I’m lazy. I work a day job (hopefully not forever). And I work on this blog. And I work on music. Yet musicians are often seen as lazy. I would not want people’s pity. I’ve been really challenged with the thought that people want to support hard workers. People don’t want to give out handouts. In my financial struggles, I’ve received a lot of handouts. I appreciate those but also, I hate that I was in the position of need. On the other hand, I would want people to know that they are not just supporting some project or some record. They are supporting me. Supporting the pursuit of art; and therefore supporting the artist. Me as a person. Do people see that when I communicate? When they read my blog? When they are on my email list? When they follow me on Twitter? Do I only speak about how I’m working on my hot new track? What is Quiet Entertainer really about? I have to think about these things. What about you? What are people supporting? The work? Or the pipe dream.

How long will your campaign be? How much will it be?

If I give people two months to donate, then is it really that important? I don’t know. Do I want my fans to raise money so that they can afford to help me raise money? It seems kind of backwards. I suppose if I did something I would make it really short. I’d know very quickly. Either I have the following and the interest of fans to support what I’m doing, or not. If so, great! If not, I can not waste two months of posting, updates, and emails with everyone asking for money. One big push and it’s over. There is some principle from Influence. Scarcity. I don’t remember it right now, but I know that if the opportunity is short to get the value, then it’s more attractive. Maybe two or three weeks max for me. What do you think?

I suppose I should stop over-analyzing and just do something. Don’t want to think it to death. However, these are some things I’m thinking about before I launch a Kickstarter campaign? What else? Let me know in the comments.

Pics by FurtherBeyondPhotography & Audible Imagery

In Nashville, those of us in the hip hop and electronic music scene get our info on what’s good in a few different places. Eventually, we all take our cues from Sean Maloney. Writing for the Nashville Scene, he’s established himself as the voice of hip hop music and electronic music in Nashville. This gives him a unique perspective on a music scene and vast connection to all the different pockets of every genre. I appreciate that he took some time out to answer a few questions.

QE: I first knew you as Bawston Sean. Are you from Boston? How did you end up in Nashville?

SM: I grew up in Massachusetts and lived in Boston right before I moved here, though my family is actually from the city of Lawrence. (The same city as Statik Selektah for those of you keeping score at home.) In ’97 I had met the dudes from a now super obscure Nashville band The Methadone Actors and they told me that they studied the music business here. I forgot about that conversation for about five years, until I had a roommate steal all of my stuff and decided that it was time to get the hell out of Boston.

QE: My very first show in Nashville was actually filling in a slot that was left by you at Springwater. Tell me about how you got plugged in to DJ-ing in Nashville.

SM: Socially, I tend to gravitate towards record nerds wherever I end up and the nerdiest nerds even in this nerdy town tend to be DJs. About a year after I got to Murfreesboro my roommate Linwood — currently the drummer for Those Darlins — and I started a night called An Unzipped Fly at the Campus Pub. We played punk, soul and garage at a shitty dive bar. It sounds pretty by-the-numbers now, but 8 years ago nobody was doing that, so we ended up pulling a good crowd. Then I worked at Grand Palace Records for a few years, doing promotions stuff, booking shows and DJing at said shows. But mostly everything for me starts with figuring out that they had dollar drafts at the Campus Pub.

QE: How did you end up with the Nashville Scene? Had you been writing a lot before linking with them?

SM: I wrote lots and lots of bat-shit insane PR emails for Murfreesboro bands and for some reason folks at the paper paid attention. Well, the bands were pretty fucking awesome. Ghostfinger, The Bang Up, Glossary, How I became the Bomb. But ya, I had been deluging the Scene with spam and starting flame-wars on the Nashville Cream for years when I decided to move to the city. I just sent the music editor at the time, Tracy Moore, an email and said ‘Yo, I wanna write’. And she said yes.

QE: It appears that within that publication, you’re the official voice of the local hip hop and electronic scene. How did that fall into your lap? Or did you plan it that way?

SM: In that first email, I mentioned that I could cover hip hop and electronic music; even though at the time there wasn’t a lot of hip hop or electronic coverage in the paper at the time. And again, I’m a nerd, so when I commit my interest to a topic, I tend to go overboard. I’ve loved hip hop and electronic music since I was a kid and found it sort of frustrating that nobody was writing about it in the local papers. I’m lucky enough to have editors that have trusted my taste and instincts. It’s really just dub luck on my part that I started writing just as things were really gelling musically.

QE: I heard about you being a comic. How is that going?

SM: It’s…interesting. I haven’t been doing a lot of stand-up lately, because it’s really tough to turn my brain around from writing music criticism all day. I do have some new material I want to work up, but mostly I’m just making guest appearances on The Chris Crofton Show podcast. That takes care of my comedy-jones most weeks.

QE: Tell me about any other project you’re a part of.

SM: Currently teaching my cat monlogues from the work of Anton Chekov.

QE: How has being a writer helped you add value to the music scene?

SM: Fucked if I know, but it definitely keeps the lights on at my house.

QE: I wrote a blog about how to get a write up in the Scene. What’s your best advice to an artist trying to get press coverage or trying to get on your radar?

SM: Don’t be a dick. Get your shit together. Work hard on the art of music and don’t try to impress me with you tangential knowledge of marketing lingo. Nobody gives a fuck about your “brand”, just concentrate on making good records. Make sure your links work and your meta-data is complete. Don’t expect a response. Don’t let that discourage you. Go to shows, all the fucking time. Talk to people, meet people. Stop spamming Twitter if you ain’t gonna show up when it counts.

QE: You have a unique perspective in that all the different sections of the local hip hop community will contact you or try to keep you informed of who they are or what’s going on. What are some things that you wish everyone knew about the hip hop/electronic scene?

SM: That people even know it exists at all is enough for me.

QE: One day someone will tell me that Nashville’s hip hop scene is great; then someone else will say that it’s horrible. I like our scene a lot. But how do you think our scene compares to other scenes around the country?

SM: I think people forget that even awesome scenes with big national artists still have lots of shitty music. Most music, in any scene is generally going to be bullshit. I think a lot of people have these really crazy expectations for what a scene can be, and then they’re disappointed when their wildest dreams don’t come true. But if you want to eat, breathe and shit music 24/7, there’s no better scene in the world.

QE: What mistakes do you see being made in the Nashville hip hop scene?

SM: Too many people are trying to get everybody else behind their “movement”. Fuck a movement, make a record worth listening to. A lot of people put the cart before the horse, concentrating on branding and imaginary clothing lines when the need to be working on their craft.

QE: What about the electronic music scene?

SM: People need to rediscover the glory and the majesty of house music.

QE: 2011 was a great year for Nashville hip hop. What would you like to see happen locally in 2012?

SM: Some outside attention would be great, but I’d be happy with having more good music to listen to.

QE: What artists do you see “doing it right” in Nashville and what are they doing?

SM: I there’s a lot of artists that are “doing it right” but that also means different thing for different people. I think in general, it’s the people that are the most patient and willing to work, the people that have spent years doing their one thing regardless of the recognition they may or may not be getting. The folks that are concentrating on music rather than all the peripheral bullshit that are definitely doing it right.

Ross Norton is relatively new to the Nashville Hip Hop scene. Yet, he’s already got his hands in more things locally than a lot of people; myself included. He emcees as Kid Dead. Also, he’s been performing as part of Last of the Horsemen along with some other projects. He’s also been booking a lot of hip hop shows in Nashville including the weekly Makin Moves show at The End and the monthly Pay Dues shows at Cafe Coco. I thought it’d be great to bring him on to talk about how’s he’s doing it locally in Nashville hip hop.

KD: Well, to be honest, there’s a few people that helped me immensely in breaking into the scene. First off, one name comes to mind, Bobby Exodus.

QE: What made you decide to start booking the Pay Dues Shows?

KD: Pay Dues is an interesting beast. I honestly don’t remember exactly how it happened. Last of the Horsemen got asked to play a show there with Bobby Exodus, Jermy J and Darian D and a couple others early in the summer of 2012. After that show, someone (not sure who, Bobby?) sent Cody my way and I was approached about doing a show. I sorta just threw Pay Dues on their not even thinking people would be into the name like they were. Honestly, I was having trouble coming up with a good name and I thought Pay Dues was “the best I could come up with”. With a lot of help from Bobby, Jermy J and the rest of the crew of misfit artists it seemed to catch on right away. We got a good write up in the scene from Sean Maloney, a lot of really good acts to play, some kinks were worked out, lots of fun times were had (and still are happening) and the rest is history. (QE note: Here’s how to get a write up in your local music scene.)

Quiet Entertainer at Pay Dues

KD: The Makin’ Moves shows seem to be the next step from Pay Dues. For a good while now people have been telling me I should move Pay Dues to The End, or at least somewhere other than Cafe Coco. And, for a little while I considered it. But really, I like the shows at Cafe Coco. It’s a very intimate setting. You can feel a part of the crowd instead of apart from the crowd. But, nonetheless, something new was definitely needed. Jesse, who does booking at The End, has talked me about booking since I started doing shows at Cafe Coco. We finally came up with an idea we thought would be a lot of fun and really get people out. Makin’ Moves is sort of a spawn from Pay Dues that we will hope is even bigger than its predecessor.

Kid Dead at Makin' Moves

QE: Has booking these shows helped you in your artistic pursuits?

KD: Promoting and booking these shows has been hard work, time consuming, and stressful, but most of all it’s been a hell of a lot of fun. It has given me an amazing opportunity to promote my own music along with other artists that I respect and enjoy listening to. I have also met so many awesome people to work with and collaborate with. Outside of hip-hop being a boys club and semi-competitive, it really is a community and a lifestyle. I’ve learned more about making music, playing shows and the music industry in the past year than I have in my whole life. It’s really pushed me as a fan and as an artist. It’s important to support people who’s music you enjoy and to work really hard at what you love.

Last of the Horsemen; From L to R: Jix, Kid Dead, Simian Says, & Trait the Unknown

QE: Tell me about Last of The Horsemen.

KD: When I came to Nashville I knew one person. A very good friend of mine from Nashville that lived in Tallahassee for a while and we became very close because of our love of the music. After a little while of getting on my feet and semi-establishing myself I started diving into the Nashville music scene. I had met Simian through some mutual friends and we had talked about music many times. Our interests were similar and eventually we got together in the studio and messed around with some ideas. Together ,we came up with the name Last of the Horsemen and soon after brought Trait the Unknown into the mix. The first song we ever did called “Lady Killer” was a beat we collaborated on and made together. The basis of the beat is a sample from the song “Twisted Nerve” by Bernard Herrmann. Though, most people would recognize it as the “whistle song” from Kill Bill. We sat down and wrote a kitschy, violent tune about murder, ninjas, roofies, and other more dubious themes. We sorta just clicked from there. All of us began getting together as much as our schedules would allow. Our dark rhymes and similar interests and passions seemed to drive the music itself. We’ had a lot of awesome people support us in our pursuits and played a lot of really fun shows. The Horsemen have recently been low key but, you haven’t seen the last of the Last of the Horsemen.

Kid Dead & Bobby Exodus

QE: Tell me about Kid Exodus.

KD: Ok, so a lot of people in Nashville know Bobby Exodus. Like I said before he was one of the first people I met to show mad love in the community. But not only that, Bobby has become a really, really good friend of mine. We both support each other in everything we do and help each other out when we can. Me and Bobby decided it would be cool to rock a set together.. So basically, we just traded each other our music and listened to it like it was the most amazing music we had ever heard in our life. Pretty much until we couldn’t handle listening to it anymore. We never practiced together once because we were both working full-time jobs at the time, but we got together at the December Pay Dues and rocked it! It happened to be the smallest turn out for Pay Dues since it started, but it was still a great time had by all. Actually, I can say, it was one of the most fun shows I’ve played since I’ve been in nashville. Big shout out to Bobby Sexodus for being the hip-hop apple of my eye (if I was a gangster rapper I would insert a “no homo” remark here).

QE: Any other project you’re working on?

KD: Right now I am currently finishing an album I did with Jermy J. It’s an artsy, indie sounding little album. It’s a little personal, a little weird, a little silly, a little rough and it’s just been a lot of fun for us to do. I’m also working on a project with Darius from Island Hustle Society. He is an amazing producer and I think people are really gonna enjoy what we’re doing. On top of that, me and Simian are working on new Horsemen stuff. We’re gonna be taking some time on this next set of songs and come out with a full length album hopefully by early, mid summer.

QE: Is collaboration an important part of your artistic process?

KD: Collaborating with other artists has been huge for me. I have learned so much about other people and myself working with other artists. I have also had the chance to get to know some really amazing artists better personally. I’ve been able to develop some friendships that I’m really happy to be a part of. For me, the music is all about the love anyways.

Last of the Horsemen

QE: What’s the hip hop scene like in Tallahassee? How is it different from the Nashville hip hop scene?

KD: The Tallahassee hip-hop scene might as well be non-existent. There just isn’t a lot going on there. It’s a pretty small town and it’s a party college town. There’s a lot more of a punk/rock and roll scene and they have some really talented musicians, but for some reason local hip-hop just isn’t very big at all. Basically, the scene is completely different than in Nashville. Up here, there are just so many more opportunities. Everybody and their mother and cousin and dog play music here. That can be sorta difficult because it’s hard to get the exposure you want with so much else out there but there is also a lot more opportunity to play, collaborate and get involved in the scene.

QE: What are some things you want to see happen with the nashville hip hop scene?

KD: Well, like I said, I really enjoy Nashville. I’ve fallen in love with the place. The way I see it, I’m a newcomer. This scene was here way before I got here and it will probably be here way after I’m gone. With that being said, I think people are doing things pretty good here. One thing I don’t like in any part of my life is elitism or people being stuck up or snobbish. That doesn’t happen a lot, but it does happen. It’s an inevitable part of any venture, you’re going to find people that either, have something to prove or think they are better than you. The truth of the matter is, not everyone “makes it big” but the more people are working together, the more each individual has a chance of going somewhere and getting their music to more people. That’s my goal at least. I just want to be happy with what I’m making and get it to as many people as possible. That way the people that dig and can relate to my music can find it and enjoy it. So basically, I just wanna everyone to get along. Also, support your scene. Go out to the shows you enjoy, but also maybe go check out something you haven’t heard before. Maybe you’ll be surprised. If you love hip-hop, then show how much.

QE: Who are some artists that are “doing it right?”

KD: Well, ya know, I have a lot of artists that I really like and who’s music I enjoy. And most of them I know personally and are really cool people. One group of people springs to mind when I think of someone “doing it right”. The kids from “Lifegang” have got somethin pretty cool goin’ on.

Check out Kid Dead as part of Last of the Horsemen or follow Kid Dead on Twitter.

Photos by Birds Fly Productions, Kelly Hite Photo, Shots On Sight, & FurtherBeyondPhotography.

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