Features

THAFORMULA.COM - Now the last time we spoke you were in the process of dropping your "Odds & Evens" LP, that was almost 2 years ago. What that took so long for the album to drop?

Defari - I know I was in the process of finding the right home for it and the album just wasn't done yet.

THAFORMULA.COM - So what do you do in between time to get by man when you got such a long delay?

Defari - You know, I was doing a lot of shows. Two years ago I was touring with Xzibit and doing guest appearances, you know just hustling man. That's what I do.

THAFORMULA.COM - From the time we last spoke 'till now have you seen how much Hip-Hop has changed just in that short of time?

Defari - Yeah it's a lot more singers in the game nowadays but I said that shit a long time ago. It's a trip how now people are talkin' about it. Rap became like sing-song type of shit. I told people man. But I didn't foresee the corporate invasion of the whole game which shut down the independent industry. But that's where the game is at.

THAFORMULA.COM - How do you feel it affected the independent game?

Defari - Well it first started when they took away "The Box," which was a way for the general public to vote for their favorite videos. They took that away and then it also started with them taking away a lot of our radio outlets. The city of Los Angeles used to have way more radio shows where independent artists could thrive versus now, they only have one so it was the corporate invasion not only of the majors getting together and putting an all out assault on the internet but also the corporate invasion of the fuckin' radio stations. They all became corporate and that made it real bad for the independents, and for the young kids who came in the game after my sort of heyday in the mid 90's. For the kids who came after that in the late 90's it really sucked for them cause they didn't really have no outlets other than the internet, and then nowadays you got certain groups who thrive off of the internet who grew little cult followings and they don't even make no real rap music. It's not even real Hip-Hop. Like Atmosphere, you know the game got weird man! It's a lot of weirdo's to me nowadays. A cat like me is caught in the middle, however you know I'ma find my way through it. I'ma still find my way.

THAFORMULA.COM - Why do you think you fall in the middle?

Defari - Well the reason why "Odds & Evens" sort of fell in the middle is not so much because of the game, it's more so because of the machine behind the record. High Times Records is a piece of shit label so you know?

THAFORMULA.COM - I thought with the label and the magazine they would have given you major promotion?

Defari - Yeah man. What I lacked on this album was the television presence that I had on "Focused Daily." 'Cause nowadays if you're not on that box where people can see you, then people are not even gonna know you're out and that's the bottom line.

THAFORMULA.COM - It's amazing to me when I look back to when you as well as other Hip-Hop acts were once on majors. When you look at the shit that is coming out on the majors nowadays and it seems like not much is being said or done about that...

Defari - I mean the bottom line is, its not that artists aren't saying nothing, it's that they are not being heard and that's just the bottom line. If you take "Odds & Evens," its an album which is worthy of any major distributor or major label. "Odds & Evens" to me is "Focused Daily" times 10, but I'm an opportunist and I jumped in the bed with High Times and you know here we are. For my next record you won't see it on High Times and you know the bottom line is if it wasn't for the people there wouldn't be no Defari so I'ma still keep doing what I'm doing for the people.

THAFORMULA.COM - A lot of people don't even know the album dropped man. Shit I didn't even know till a couple of weeks after…

Defari - Yeah that's my point, and unless they are walking to the stores and seein' it, they don't know it came out. They did the little street promo and shit like that, but the bottom line is I had no television presence and the game nowadays man, uh, street snipes and stuff are burned out. That stuff is a throwback jersey just like the magazines. Magazines do not sell records anymore. The television sells records and that's the bottom line. If you got no television presence then the only people that are gonna know you are your true hardcore fans. I mean the record is sellin' and as a indie I have already recouped, so business wise I'm doing okay in terms of the formula, however the awareness for the record could be a lot more if I had just a television commercial or something like that.

THAFORMULA.COM - Man you could have done all this yourself if that's the case…

Defari - I did, like for example the video for "Spell My Name." People have seen it, it's just the masses haven't seen it. You know I did that myself. A television commercial for my album I put that together myself. Whether high times chooses to put the money up to get it to the TV is out of my control.

THAFORMULA.COM - That's strange man. I thought with the magazine they would have the money for that?

Defari - Nah, High Times is just a name. The magazine doesn't even fuck with them and that's what I thought. When I was signing to them I thought we had the backing of the magazine. They just use the name man. So for any of you artists out there or perspective artists who are even thinking about signing to High Times, don't do it. If I would have had the backing of the magazine, shit! I would have had five videos.

THAFORMULA.COM - What I think is funny is how you notice these little cult followings that are happening now?

Defari - Yeah because I'm out here trying to get shows and a lot of these dudes are taking my money you understand? It's like a lot of these cats are taking my money. The Ugly Ducklings, Atmosphere, Aesop Rock, and all this shit that I ain't even heard of. I guess it's a lot of these young kids that always be on the computer that are into these MC's and these groups that kinda represent and look like them. When I hear these niggaz music I be like "damn that's horrible man." This shit is straight garbage.

THAFORMULA.COM - Yeah, but that's the underground now man…

Defari - Yeah it's changed so you know it's just a bunch of weirdo's. It's a bunch of weirdo's running the scene and then there is a huge gap, there is a huge middle and right now that's where Defari is. That's where Phil Da Agony is, and that's where we're all at. But you know you gotta ride the storm and shit, there will be a bright day.

THAFORMULA.COM - Did you ever think though Defari, that the major label scene would be in better shape then the underground scene 'cause the underground scene right now is just a total disaster?

Defari - (Laughs) Yeah I feel what you're saying. That's an interesting question.

THAFORMULA.COM - Well I mean I've never seen so many of the underground artists biting the mainstream artists by doing bounce tracks and wanna be club tracks, and love tracks that just ain't working. Usually it's the other way around. It just shows me how desperate artists are now to get put on...

Defari - Well yeah you either have that or you have the weirdo shit. But uh you know the game has gotten to such a point where they're starving us out. But it's not gonna stop me cause my whole pedigree is built on…I came in this game with a full-time job and then I transferred over to full-time rap artist. So at worst I would just go back and get a gig and still keep doing the music. My whole thing is I done been through so much bullshit in the business side of this music, I wanna get back to loving it and just doing it for the love of it.

THAFORMULA.COM - Did you expect the indie scene to turn into what it did?

Defari - Well you know its a trip because you know its always been around. It was around in '95 but it just that there was underground and then there was under, underground. And now it's just risen to being the underground, so its time was on its way. You know the fact that a certain type of music is at the forefront of the underground now, it was only a matter of time for that to happen. I think it's a grave mistake for any artist to dwell in a certain year or time period because the earth never stops spinning, so as new as the young kid's get, you as the artist got to be just as new if not newer than them. So that's how Defari is, I keep it moving. I still got to keep doing Defari 'cause I know there is thousands of people out there who always wanna hear me.

THAFORMULA.COM - I hear you man, but sometimes it's hard to accept a certain era has ended...

Defari - Yeah. You know what's crazy is promoters man. That's another thing we need to talk about. The promoters nowadays have all changed first off. Like a lot of the old promoters are not in the game no more and the new promoters are all scared of shit because they really don't have good promoting skills. Take a Defari, how can I sell out the House Of Blues but yet I haven't even done a West Coast tour yet?

THAFORMULA.COM - So you have had a problem getting shows this time around?

Defari - Man, I've had the most problems getting shows than any year in my life. Because the promoters are coming back with such kibbles n' bits for a nigga that it's damn near disrespectful.

THAFORMULA.COM - It seems like they are just going with the weirdo market now like you said…

Defari - Yeah but its interesting the formulas they use cause I study. Its not that they're just getting these cats the gigs, take a Atmosphere who sold out the Fillmore like three nights in a row in San Francisco, but look they are selling it out at a seriously reduced ticket price. It's not like a Defari show where the promoters is always trying to get top ticket price for it. For these dudes they are cutting these huge deals. My point is they are not extending the same formula to an artist like myself. It's damn near discrimination (laughs). It's like I laugh about it because I think about it. I think about why they aren't extending the same formula.

THAFORMULA.COM - A lot has to do with these new promoters that don't even know Hip-Hop man...

Defari - Definitely that. Take it back to Bigga B, and "Unity (former Los Angeles Concert Venue)," the O.G., the foundation of all this shit. Rest in Peace to Bigga B. I did Unity 5 times at least. My O.G.'s the Liks did it 3 times. Xzibit did it at least 2 or 3 times and it was a polish to the L.A. Underground, to the shows. It was something that the streets pumped 'cause that's where the underground comes from is the streets. Now underground comes from the internet and if you go to a Defari show it will be street up in there. It will be everybody and that's what I love about it. If you go to some of these other shows, it's far from street. So its just basically the promoters have come and gone and the game has changed, so with that like any good professional you gotta make the proper adjustments.

THAFORMULA.COM - So with this new album man, how was it making "Odds & Evens," and did you complete it a while ago?

Defari - Nah I got it done over time. Like a collection of maybe 2 years all together, but there was a bulk period where I was just hammering them out. Like a 6 month period. This was the first time that I actually CEO'd the whole production so my name is just not on there as Executive Producer. I literally did it and everything that I wanted to happen, god willed it and I paid all the people that worked on it literally out of my pocket and cats did me a favor. They all stepped up and really showed how much love they had for me, and look what you got? "Odds & Evens" is probably the best kept secret in the stores right now. The reason that it has sold as much as it has is because of word of mouth. I'm still working on getting the television presence. The album is far from over. It's only been out 3 months and we're gonna work it for the whole year. We're committed to working it. I got a new single coming out now called "Extra Thump." It's about to hit West Coast radio. Also the "Behold My Life" remix with Dilated Peoples is about to hit the underground and college radio so we gonna keep working it man. Then you got myself and DJ Babu, we got a new group called "Likwit Junkies."

THAFORMULA.COM - How did that come about man?

Defari - It was long overdue man. The fact hat we had worked on 3 songs together already from "Joyride," to both "Behold My Life's" I just thought that Babu's production talents really could got to just a whole other level and really just be exposed on a whole new higher level. I came to him with the proposal and he was interested in doing a group, and now we got a crazy album man. I mean the album is crazy.

THAFORMULA.COM - That's a good move and that should open up a new audience for both of you...

Defari - Definitely because the sound that we have is uh, one, its not out there and two its never been heard before which excites me cause that's hard to do in today's era of rap where so much has already been heard.

THAFORMULA.COM - How are you guys planning on putting this album out?

Defari - Were gonna put it out through ABB, and I just really wanted to bring back to Beni B and the trademark of the label which is good west coast Hip-Hop. 'Cause you know I launched the label with him as the inaugural artist with "Bionic" and I was the one who basically brought his way Dilated and everybody he's ever fucked with really except for some of the newer artists like Little Brother and stuff like that. He went and found that himself.

THAFORMULA.COM - I asked this question to you 2 years ago and I'ma ask again. Will there ever be a Likwit Crew LP?

Defari - Yeah, well right now were working on the Liks album. To be honest with you…will there ever be a Likwit album? I don't know. I'm all for it. But you're dealing with a lot of grown men and sometimes its just hard to unify them and sometimes its not.

THAFORMULA.COM - So is everything cool now between you and X, and basically the whole Likwit crew?

Defari - Yeah, that shit is over man. All that shit is as relic as a lot for these weirdo cats rhymes. X is working on a new album, the Liks, uh I got some hot spittery on their album. Tash is working on "Rap Life II." I'm on Dilated' new album "Neighborhood Watch." So I'm still doing my thizzle man. I'm in the streets with the "Strong Arm Steady shit with Phil and Krondon and all that.

THAFORMULA.COM - What's up Tela (King T) man, what's he doing?

Defari - I should be asking you that 'cause your guess is as good as mine.

THAFORMULA.COM - So much talent man. I just don't understand...

Defari - Hey man, its just like all the brothas who played basketball in the city, so much talent…It ain't no different man. All you can do is tap the bottle and twist the cap and pour out a little for the dead ones. That's all you can do man. Some of us are gonna keep doing it and some of us ain't.

THAFORMULA.COM - What do you see as the next step in Hip-Hop man. I mean with all these corporate mergers happening what do you see happening to the music ?

Defari - Ultimately the streets will prevail. So some sort of new gorilla warfare tactic created by the streets where the music is not in sole control of the corporations is going to prevail once again. When this will happen I don't know, how it will happen I don't know, but I'm a be a part of that shit though! (Laughs)

THAFORMULA.COM - And if it doesn't happen?

Defari - Oh it will happen man, you know why? Because there is 360 degrees of everything so it will happen.

THAFORMULA.COM - Do you think we have seen the worst or is the worst yet to come?

Defari - Its funny 'cause in America where there is a will to make something worse, it can happen, so I don't think we have seen the worst of it no. When you start getting these corporations taking over radio and television, you know if one entity is controlling it it's literally like the government. It's like they are controlling the images, the sound bytes that your getting and then what they're doing is just straight making people robots. Even the internet went corporate man and this is supposed to be controlled by the people. You know they called us the "X Generation" but that was such a misnomer because the X Generation" really is now. The generation with no soul, with no cultural values, like a video game generation.

THAFORMULA.COM - For More Info On Defari hit up www.Defari.net.

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