Bei sommerlichen Temperaturen, gibt es nichts besseres als „Eis am Stiel“!! Vielen Dank für Euren Besuch und die pornöse Musique gestern Abend Dennis S.!! Schreit extremst nach einer Wiederholung!! #eisamstiel #pornomusic #daswohnzimmer #backnang #denniss (hier: Das Wohnzimmer musicbar/lounge)
Chicago Hip-Hop always seems to be at the forefront of trends yet to be seen in the genre. Stars like Chance the Rapper, Chief Keef and, not to mention, Kanye West have been defining Hip-Hop in the 21st century for years now. However, a relatively new upstart duo is potentially on the verge of creating a sound all their own, one of cohesive chaos with tracks that clash and mix genres like very few artists could do.
The duo is Leather Corduroys, the brainchild of SaveMoney affiliates Kami de Chukwu and Joey Purp. With former trail blazers like the aforementioned Chance and Vic Mensa leading the way to the mainstream hype of the Windy City collective, Kami and Joey are making it their mission to continue what the more popular members have started—make music no one else is making.
Recently, I talked to the duo about their breakthrough full-length Season, their origin as collaborators.
Xavier Veccia: You guys just dropped Season. How do you feel about the finished product?
Kami de Chukwu: Really proud of it. Very proud of it.
XV: What was the inspiration behind including so many styles?
KC: Everything, really. Nonmusical references, our favorite musical references, taking into account growing up— everything that affects us. We can do a little bit of everything as opposed to having six different types of styles.
XV: What were you two listening to while recording in order to stay open to different sounds? Anything specific that really drove you?
KC: Everything, man. It’s hard to answer that question, ‘cause like there was never a point where you just listened to one situation. You’re always keeping your ears open. Your ears are always open.
Joey Purp: Yeah, and we were first doing the album where we worked on this sh** for literally, a year-and-a-half. Like 18 months. There wasn’t a specific time period where we recorded a lot of the music. We had a long, long time to get it done. So, we kinda lived through everything that was coming out and everything that was recorded.
XV: How do you think you two grew in between Porno Music and Season? Both musically and individually?
KC: I mean we naturally and organically grew a little bit older. Not that many of our values changed, but they kind of dissolved and then grew. We’re still the same people just at a different point of life. So musically, I think that resonated more with Season. I think Season is a little bit more concise than Porno Music.
JP: Yeah, I think, as far as musically, we’re a lot better at paying attention to small things. You gotta credit bringing in other people to let them prepare you to like see what they want to do with it as opposed to having everything being our interpretation—our input.
XV: How does being apart of SaveMoney influence you as artists?
JP: Personally, from the beginning, we all showed each other the possibilities of what we were capable of. We all kind of just helped each other.
KC: Just seeing Channo and Vic [Mensa] do their sh** kinda just put it in perspective that it is possible. That sh** was like a blessing for us. A lot of people don’t have that, but we definitely still have our own perception and take on making music. So, it just compliments us. We all compliment each other.
XV: When did you guys first decide to create Leather Corduroys?
KC: What was the first time we actually said that sh**?
JP: I don’t know, I can’t remember now.
KC: Yeah, it’s been a minute. That sh** was also just another thing that just happened in transition that just sort of stuck. We’re really good at doing stuff and then making them have a purpose. Because a lot of this sh**, like, come on, our first tape is called Porno Music Vol. 2. That sh** was in stride. But, that means something now, I guess. I couldn’t tell you when we made half of these songs, really. Or, when we decided to name what what. Like, hey, it stuck, it fit, obviously.
XV: How does working as a duo differ from working alone?
JP: Working as a duo allows more freedom to leave things unfinished—to leave things to the wind—because you always know there’s another influence as opposed to having to really put your head down and get through something because it’s only you that has to finish it.
KC: Yeah, I’d definitely say working in a duo is easier. It’s like, it’s [more fun], but I think, like he said with doing solo stuff, you really have to be able to sit there until the end of it. You can’t rely on anybody, leaving any ideas open, because then you just won’t have a finished song. There’s always another perspective with a duo to complement each other. That sh**’s fun. We’ll probably never do it again, though.
XV: I noticed in past interviews, you called Leather Corduroys an “art project.” So, is it still an art project for you two or has it become something bigger?
KC: I think you can never be bigger. Like, an art project is the biggest thing you can possibly be in the sense that we’re not taking away from it by calling it an art project, we’re adding something to it.
JP: Yeah, we’re not saying this is a rap group—this is a stage name—something like that. This is an actual art project. It’s a living, breathing thing. It can be whatever it turns into.
KC: ….Calling it an art project, and it being used just kind of tears down a lot of the boundaries it has. Leather Cords can translate into a whole ‘nother medium. It’s an idea.
