Stinkweed Tribute from Short Fast & Loud #26
I met Kindred while i was a dj on 90.1fm KZSU. Anytime i had a band from Redwood City play at the station, Stinkweed would be there. Usually cuz he was in the band. One time i had 12 West Bay hardcore bands play in 3 hours on my show. I thought for sure it was all just going to fall apart. Kindred took control making sure the next band to play was ready and kept everything moving smoothly. I could not believe how great everything went. Then at the end of the night, Kindred cleaned up all the beer cans and bottles and made sure the station was clean before he left. There are lots of stories of how crazy Stinkweed was, but i will always remember how kind and respectful he was. A true legend that will be missed by all who were lucky enough to know him.
- Big Chief
I have played shows with Plutocracy several times over the last 10 years. The last tour they did up north I got to spend a couple days with my old friends. At the end of the last show Kindred, myself and some other friends were smoking, drinking and talking. Kindred noted I had grown up and gotten big, I smiled and said "Not as big as you" he smiled and asked if I thought I could beat his ass? I replied "I don't know, I don't think about you like that". He said if I tried to fight him the first thing he would do is break a bottle and stab me in the neck.
R.I.P. Kindred
- Michael Freeman
Kindred,.. what can I say that would do him justice? As a musician, a person,...it was hard to separate the two. He was the real deal. Passionate, original, hardcore to the bone. He was on his own level, master of his own world. A six-stringed/lyrical assassin. A true artist.
So many stories I wish I could share, but just can't for so many reasons, it would be inappropriate. I'm biting my lip with a huge grin on my face. To think that I will never see him again makes me sad, it's hard to take. But at the same time I'm grateful for the moments we had. Thinking of those times with Stinko, at his best & worst, which a lot of the time were one in the same, shine through and makes me smile.
As Snowman told me not long ago,.."the roots run deep". RIP Stinko
- Jerry Flores
For the last 15 years I have volunteered at college radio station KZSU, located 10 minutes south of Redwood City, California. My main gig at KZSU has been setting up microphones and doing the mix when we have bands come down and play live. Over the years, every time it seemed like the West Bay scene had quieted down a little bit, Kindred would show up at the station with a new band; I can’t even count how many times he played on the radio. Of the hundreds and hundreds of people who have come through the station, I never saw anyone with as much energy as Kindred. He was constantly moving and talking, always creating something new, always pushing people to get up and do something. He will be missed.
- Smurph
When Dan asked me to write something about Kindred, I really didn’t know where to start. As anyone who knew him knows, words can only do him so much justice. I first met Kindred when I was fourteen or fifteen; he was an incredibly intense person. He could be the funniest and coolest guy to hang out with, always up to some crazy shit or telling stories you couldn’t make up if your life depended on it. He could also be downright terrifying. He had some intense demons, and when they surfaced you’d better look the fuck out. I think Kalmex put it best when he said that Kindred only ended up in this dimension by some galactic mishap; whatever his mental wavelength was, the frequency had numbers they don’t make on this planet. Kindred also never suppressed his alien personality, with his music or with his attitude in general. For that I always had a huge respect for him, even though at times it was hard to see past the raging maniac on his surface. I’m truly grateful I knew him, and jamming with him the last few years of his life was a huge honor. RIP brother.
- Eli Bloch
Kindred was one of a few people that made me feel like a poser. He was the real deal, full throttle, no bullshit and walked it like he talked it. A legend before I ever met him, I saw his tags all over Multiplex Studios (where my first band used to jam) and highway 101. There were stories of him having to shave his head and leave the area because someone had snitched on him. Soon thereafter, I was able to see the man himself at a pizza joint in Saratoga. He was playing with Plutocracy and it made a huge impression on me. His style was entirely unique, totally brutal riffing, twacked out noises and a satanic hiphop vibe. Four years later he joined my band and my doomryde began. Kindred was a leader, the West Bay Presidente, and those that chose to follow were rewarded by getting to write and perform with the most gifted, creative, original and true artist we have ever known. This thing of ours, The West Bay Koalition, was his idea. Bringing together all of these like minded musicians, graffiti artists, MCs and DJs, was by Kindred's design. The depraved grindcore of Plutocracy, the "Electric Jungle Violence" of No Le$$, and satanic hiphop of Shedwellas and Shadow People, among many other projects, are the legacy Stinkweed leaves behind. I have never been more proud to be a part of it. So do yourself a favor and search out this man's truly underground masterpieces.
- Frank Marchi AKA Ramon Salcido
I am really at a loss for words, but feel honored to have been given the opportunity to talk about our friend Kindred. I wasn't a fixture in his everyday life, nor will I pretend like I was. But, the times our paths crossed were freakin awesome. Always great dialog, some funny outrageous and true stories, stuff you just couldn't make up.
Stinko was a one man party. Where he went others migrated. Example: No less was doing a live mic at KFJC one very warm spring night. The studio was packed like a sardine can (no exaggeration). A few songs into the set Kindred, soaking wet, yells, "Everyone - stop - breathing!!!!!!!!!'" Hahahaha "Classic".
Restating the obvious, there was always supreme attention to detail and quality to every track Kindred would lay down, regardless of what style of music. Seeing him with Pluto, No Less,
Shed Dwellas was always an event. But the studio is where his true genius shined. His grasp of timing and rhythm was closing on unequaled, while encouraging and motivating those working with him.
Over recent years I was blessed enough to sit have a real conversation with him. The conversation was partially about music, but what truly resonated in his words was how he valued and loved his family and friends. R.I.P Kindo. God Bless you brother!!!!
- Pete Kopf
Kindred, Stinkweed, West Bay Presidente, Garr Baloff, El Spestoso Yerba, our brother...light a hog leg and tilt one back, for our Doomryder beacon has left this planet for greener pastures. Take it back to 1993, Kindred had already recorded 5 of the gnarliest grind releases ever. For the next two decades he would record dozens of releases from grind to rap to punk, and all of them kill. Kindred is the West Bay Legacy. All of us remaining Doomz know this and it is sad that our legacy has left the building. Kindred was loved by many for his passion and creativity that pushed the rest of us to be as sick as we could be. He was one of very few friends that I know would put his neck on the line for me. When he asked to join Agents, I thought he was joking. I immediately learned that Kindred was no joker. He never did anything for a laugh. What he represented was 100% hardcore and his talent was top notch in this arena of half-assed copy cats glitter-coating their 'art projects'. Kindred was genius calculated audio chaos. He never cared what you thought. No Me$$ wit No Le$$. Schragglers!
- Jason Balsells aka Lord Balsakk
Kindred was one of those rare artists that was so true to his craft and so honest to himself that he exceeded all categories. Heads would trip on first meeting him cuz he couldn't be sized up and safely placed in any "type" - he broke down barriers between scenes and genres, and he constantly inspired me to reassess myself - all the way to the end. I loved him like a brother, and I miss him as a dear friend.
- Max Ward
DOOMRYDER, SONIC HOLOCAUST MASTER, SINISTER FREQUENCY BROTHER, ALL AROUND WICKED MADMAN - ALL WOULD EASILY DESCRIBE MY RECENTLY FALLEN BROTHER OF THE DIABOLICAL SIX STRING KINDRED A.K.A. "STINKWEED". I REMEMBER WATCHING HIM PLAY GUITAR (MY PERSONAL FAVORITES BEING PLUTOCRACY AND HIS TIME IN THE TOTALLY UNDERRATED NO LESS) AND PRETTY MUCH INSTANTLY KNOWING HE HAD "THE GIFT OF SHRED" . HIS WAYS WERE ALL HIS OWN AND PERSONA COULD BE FELT A MILE AWAY. COMPLETELY POSSESSED AS A PLAYER AND WRITER OF MUSICAL MAGIC, KINDRED WAS ALWAYS EASY TO BE AROUND AND LOVED TO LAUGH !!! MAYBE HIS SECOND BEST CHARACTERISTIC WAS HIS SENSE OF HUMOR AND THE FACT THAT I COULD SPEAK WITH HIM IN "DOOMRYDER TONGUE" AND HE "GOT IT" INSTANTLY. THERE WERE TIMES WHEN WE SUCKED DOWN SOME "TROPICAL FRUIT BURSTS" AND THE TWISTED TONGUES FORKED AND WE CACKLED SO FUCKING HARD IT WAS JUST UNREAL. HE STILL "GETS IT" BUT I'M NOT THERE TO WITNESS IT NOW. ONE OF THE TRUE FOUNDERS OF "GRIND" NOT "McGRIND" !!! REST IN PEACE DEAR SOUND SERVANT AND BROTHER. I WILL MISS YOU ALWAYS.
- ERIC WOOD
I remember right before Stinkweed went to jail for the last time (2009), they threw a party for him at Elbo Room SF as a benefit, so he’d have some money on his books while he was locked up. The line-up that night was: Verlaten, Go Like This, Shed Dwellaz, and Plutocracy with SF’s legendary DJ Quest on the wheels of steel throwing down in-between acts, and Lakeview MC Eddie K as the host of the evening. I recall Fillmore rapper Z-Man in the pit and backstage the entire evening as well. This is what I wrote about the show for gurpcity.net back then:
The Shed Dwellaz took the stage to rap about all kinds of ill shit ranging from pulling guns, on… well, everybody, to Stonehenge and conspiracy evil. Tizoe is a killer MC; his raspy-as-all-hell voice was like an icepick on uptempo turf beats by TC Bonelocs. And, what more can I say about the main man himself, MC Stinkweed was the hardest working man that night, playing guitar in two bands and rapping like a hardcore veterano; the man is simply: El Presidente. “Shed Dwellaz number one, straight born in the casket!” Eddie K and Z-man were both drawn to this RWC take on the old Army Block (Stinkweed’s origin) mobstyle, and started doing the Ms. Pac-Man (have Ed show you) and even Quest was crip-walkin’. Then all of a sudden, who takes the stage? Muhfuckin’ PLUTOCRACY!?!? Then I take a second look… no! wait! Plutocracy with Quest scratching! It was fun to hear them rip through a set of their cop killers while Quest ripped the vinyl. In between songs Stinkweed was like, “If we stick to fucking gether, c’mon let’s destroy the fuckin’ system.” That was definitely a Dank Daddies style party for rilla, and the man was sent off to the belly of the beast in style.
Stinkweed told me once that he felt a lot of people always gave him props for his riffs, but it meant a lot to him when these OG MCs from his “home turf” were feeling his flow. I think he finally felt vindicated as being good at both forms of hardcore shit, which he obviously was.
When Stinko got out, he was at DJ Eons house almost every day as the two began the crafting of the west bay rap comp “Low Budget No Budget.” This is when I finally became friends with the west bay legend that I’d known of and been introduced to off and on for over 15 years. And I can say this, time spent crafting rhymes, songs and skits with Kindred whether at Dan’s house, the Stink crib, in the ride mobbin, or just via text message will be some of my most cherished as an MC. Stinkweed had a way of cutting through all the fancy-style bullshit and just saying what he knew the homeboys on the street needed and wanted to hear, and fuck everybody else. I learned that from him.
- LUKE SICK / Grand Invincible
A stereo system that was set for John Denver was no match for Plutocracy. That’s what I learned during my first audio experience with Kindred and my parent’s record player when I was in high school. Coming up in Redwood City was a unique pre-internet growing experience. A world where if you were weird you had to find others the hard way…the real way. I made horror films with friends, collected comics and played in “Dorkcore” bands like Disruption, Useless Youth and Sheep Squeeze and was aware that there was all these other subcultures around me and the revelation of Pluto was that things could be darker, faster and more street than I thought was possible. I had a feeling the guys in this band were baaaaad dudes, sneaking around my hometown at night with contraband and spraycans. I was a little intimidated. I can’t remember when I actually first actually formally met Kindred, he was so much of a human blast beat that I can’t place where the first “hit” was, he would just knock you over with his intense swagger and the explosive situations he would seem to always get you caught up in.
It was when Kindred starting rapping in the Shedwellaz back in ‘95 and it was fucking good that I realized this dude was close to actual genius level. The Shedwellaz recorded at my old friend Dan Lactose’s house in a bedroom studio. We would drink beers, listen to Kindred’s hilarious stories of vato locos, crazy hoes and the goings on in the deep underground scene. He oozed legitimacy, and I learned… heart. If Kindred thought you were real, he included you in his life and NEVER forgot you. Being a bit of a dufus myself, I couldn’t believe a guy who was that gifted in intense music would drop my name in his lyrics and rhymes. Later on, I made some music videos for the Shedwellaz and the Shadow People. Kindred was a ham for the camera, but when we had our friend Clint dressed as a dead cop, who was then pulled from a car trunk into the back of a bowling alley, the real cops were called. It was watching Kindred smilingly explain what we were doing to the real cops as he had this upside-down cross made of red food coloring and karo syrup painted on his chest in while wearing a gas mask is still a special memory.
In early 2012, for some reason or another I was seeing Kindred more often. Last time I saw him, my wife, my friend TC , Kindred and I were having a smoke in the Mission. I was getting pretty drunk and was mouthing off about “hey maybe 2012 is the end of the world” sorta thing. No one seemed to doubt it, but Kindred looked at me, took a big puff of the hogleg and said “It isn’t the end of the world…the suffering lasts forever.” Kindred isn’t around to scream or rap or play guitar about “the suffering” and we all suffer from that. Rest in Peace, my friend
.--leecho badeecho--
Stinkweed’s personality was similar to a hand grenade going off in public library. His voice was loud and his appearance was louder. It was common for him to arrive at a gig sporting pajama pants, safety goggles, gardening gloves, a shower cap and a 6XL Mac Dre shirt. People were either instantly drawn to him or completely repulsed by him and often that initial repulsion would eventually turn into respect for his psychotic originality and unorthodox style. Stinkweed never followed trends or tried to fit in. He was who he was and if you didn’t like it, he didn’t care, he was already somewhere else scheming something new. He was a legit homeboy who followed a strict lifestyle code. He created the West Bay Coalition as a way to unite his friends and their bands and he expected us to follow a code as well: Respect your brothers. Stinkweed made me laugh my ass off and could get me so fucking pissed off, often simultaneously. He was a prolific graffiti writer and a very talented MC. I think that for all the credit he received for his achievements in metal and grind, he was always disappointed that he was not as respected for his contributions to the local hip hop scene. Some of the times I saw him the happiest these last few years were when he got props from an old school writer or another veteran MC. He was one of the most amazing people I’ve ever had the opportunity to know and I feel very lucky I was able to create so much music with him. So grab that 24 and tilt it back, roll that hog leg and launch it and crank that doom box to 10. That’s what Stinko would want.
- Dan Lactose
