THE QUESTIONS - whoisPARADISE EDITION
Mobo award nominated, Hip Hop award winning, whoisParadise has seen life from many different angles. His achievements run from member of the unforgettable 57th Dynasty to appearing in a Hip Hop opera! His lyricism has never wavered and his material stands strong. Currently he is set for the digital release of his new EP "Two4Se7en" which is steeped in the sociopolitical stance he takes. There is a radical cast of guest emcees such as MCD, Genesis Elijah, Silas Zephania, Detroit Red and stalwart producer Daddy Skitz holding down the beats. Right here he gives some candid responses, not dodging anything in the Hip Hop inquisition.
b-girl: Can you remember the first verse you ever wrote?
whoisParadise: Yes, the 1st time I seriously tried my hand at composing a verse was in the midst of whole “Jimmy/Jimbrowski” (BDP/JB) ‘88 circa. I knew those songs backwards and forwards, but I wanted to conjure up a new slang for my male anatomy. And sadly, after all the comparisons to fruit and veg, animals and mythical creatures alike, I came up with… PUMPERNICKEL. –It sounded provocative in a non-provocative, kind-of foreign roll off the tongue kind-of way. The whole “PUMP” play on word action, somehow mad perfect sense to me back then.
“To some my pumpernickel is considered a food, but to some blah blah blah to get you into the mood”
b-girl: Name the first rap record that you memorized all the lyrics –
whoisParadise: There’s no real 1st, I’m on a kind-of autistic spectrum for Hip-Hop. I don’t think, it just happens. But every now and then a stumper will come up – think Das EFX, Naughty By Nature’s OPP (there were some syllables in them tunes to leave ya tongue tied). And songs like The Message, by Grandmaster Flash have residence in my mind’s chambers, but I had to later in life go listen and study once I finally got his message.
b-girl: In the tradition of Public Enemy, would you consider making your lyrics available as an accompanying download with your album / EP release?
whoisParadise: Absolutely! It’s another display window for the artform and most music listeners don’t always catch every word anyway. So it helps even if only for clarity for those karaoke bars in Japan where my music better be in 10 years from now.
b-girl: Recommend a book to my readers
whoisParadise: 1st book that came to mind doesn’t reflect greatly on my book collection and choice selection, but there’s definitely a lot of wisdom on every page of that survival manifest called The 48 Laws of Power. 2nd choice would be – Makes Me Wanna Holler: A Young Man In America by Nathan McCall
b-girl: Do you think many people know what they are talking about when they shout about the illuminati and New World Order?
whoisParadise: Lies buried beneath truth, disguised as folly in plain view of non-believing, easily-swayed by notions of why suffering occurs to masses who consume doctrines without pause to chew the fat nor quiz the chef.
Tupac said something to the effect of “if the Illuminati really exists, and I aint saying they don’t, but then how the fuck did this nigger with barely a GED been on the corners scrambling his whole life, how HE end up with all the damn answers to their master plan?
Do you really think you’ve got them? Or have they got you stuck on the web distracted from the bills, legislation and liberty laws they’re editing and amending whilst WE scream about such and such and such are the shepherds. Then who’s the sheep?
b-girl: Have you ever wondered what could be the alternative to our current political system that is essentially run by the ‘elite’?
whoisParadise: Yes, but I always boil it down to a thick conclusion that man is inherently corrupt and corruptible. We are a part of this planet’s animal eco-system not apart from it. It will always be survival of the fittest (to rule) OR survival of the smartest (to rule). All those other sociopolitical states (Marxism, Communism, Leninism, Capitalism) don’t work without long term- they all fouled by inevitable similar or worse side effects and knock-on effects to “society”. Man is always in a constant state of chaos and if not, he’ll seek it out.
b-girl: What movie did you see or book did you read as a child that with hindsight you now think “that was not appropriate…”
whoisParadise: Some old 70’s massage book my mom owned! ‘The Art of Sensual Massage’. I found that book by accident and to this day, it’s the largest, heaviest, only hardcover porno I’ve ever seen. –And then owned. I was about 5 when I stumbled across that. Learnt from young some techniques. LOL
b-girl: I say hop into my Time machine, you say take me to the year 2088!
whoisParadise: I've seen the past before. I want that future-ish. I want to see what we evolve into, if we’ve learned from our mistakes or if we continue to rehash and remix and rerecord the same old, same old.
b-girl: What is your definitive “This is why I love Hip Hop” moment?
whoisParadise: instinctively knew Hip-Hop spoke in secrecy to a generation being weaned on it’s new-speak, but when I was in Auburn Correctional Facility, just rapping through the bars of my cell, spit’n all the oldest hip-hop we could reminisce to memory. I found myself rap’n verbatim intro the outro The Message - and when I reached Verse IV, I finally got the message, in the very place the song warned me of – that was a magical, breath taking moment of realisation for me. The dude was talking to me the same message set to a Hip-Hop drum pattern, and it took me 20 years before I understood.
“You’ll grow in the ghetto living second rate
Your eyes will sing a song of deep hate.
The places you play and where you stay
Look like one great big alleyway
You'll admire all the number book takers
Thugs, pimps, pushers and the big money makers
Driving big cars, spending twenties and tens
And you wanna grow up to be just like them,
Smugglers, scrambles, burglars, gamblers
Pickpockets, peddlers even panhandlers
You say: "I'm cool, I'm no fool!"
But then you wind up dropping out of high school.
Now you're unemployed, all non-void
Walking 'round like you're Pretty Boy Floyd
Turned stickup kid, look what you've done did
Got sent up for a eight year bid
Now your manhood is took and you're a may tag
Spend the next two years as an undercover fag
Being used and abused to serve like hell
Till one day you was found hung dead in a cell
It was plain to see that your life was lost
You was cold and your body swung back and forth
But now your eyes sing the sad, sad song
Of how you lived so fast and died so young”
b-girl: What is your favorite word?
whoisParadise: Analytical
b-girl: What word do you hate to say?
b-girl: If the technology downloads expert fight skills into Neo’s mind in the movie The Matrix becomes a reality what skill or skills would you have downloaded into your mind?
whoisParadise: Master Seafood Chef – I could cook up a storm and be lethal with sharp knives
b-girl: How’s your acting skills?
whoisParadise: Above par (just ask The Times – re: our Mozart Hip-Hopera at Glyndebourne opera House)
b-girl: Would you consider devising, writing and directing a drama exclusive for YouTube?
whoisParadise: Yes. Shhhhhh. Interactive is the future. Everyone is a broadcaster.
b-girl: Have you met any members of The Black Panthers?
whoisParadise: My comrade and mentor... Brother Teddy Jah Heath. – A million more shall know his name. A Black Panther and BLA (Black Liberation Army) soldier. A Martyr!
b-girl: If you could design your own flag what would it look like?
whoisParadise: A Pirate Flag. Cause it would be ALL BLACK, but don’t know what logo I’d add.
b-girl: Can you recommend a documentary to my readers?
whoisParadise: Biography – Ben & Jerry’s, a quaint David vs. Goliath story.
b-girl: Who would you say is the Patron Saint of Hip Hop?
whoisParadise:Simples. KRS-One!
B-girl: Props to whoisParadise who's answers show how widespread his talents and interests are and proves that he is Hip Hop. His new EP is out on 29th March,
RELEASE MARCH 29 - #Two4Se7en_EP feat Genesis Elijah, J The Exodus, MCD, Silas Zephania, cparkerbeats (formerly Charlie Parker -57th Dynasty) Detroit Red and Daddy Skitz
Radio Promotion Tour Mid April
Website: http://whoisparadise.com
YouTube: http://youtube.com/whoisparadise
Twitter: http://twitter.com/whoisparadise
Facebook: http://facebook.com/whoisparadise
Instagram: http://instagram.com/whoisparadise
Soundcloud: http://soundcloud.com/whoisparadise
