What happened to the Digital Undergrounds, the Biz Markies and the De La Souls? With all this serious rap, who fills in the gap for the people who just want to get their dance on? The answer, according to their PR folks, is the dauntless duo of deejay Yea Big and emcee Kid Static.
South Side Chicagoan Kid Static started off at the age of 12 making frenetic & glitchy chiptunes. Years later, he gained local recognition as the front man for the defunct instrumental hip-hop group, The Cankles, whose much lauded Goddamn!! dropped in 2005 along with Static’s privately issued solo debut Have You Seen This Man?
Yea Big (Stefen Robinson) was reared on Ravi Shankar, bluegrass & Motown. He released his first full length CD, The Wind That Blows The Robot’s Arms, on Chicago’s Jib Door label in 2006.
Yea Big has done remixes for Minneapolis avant-hip hop outfit Kill The Vultures, the 12 Apostles label, Illegal Art, and continues to produce tour only mash-up and remix ep’s, the first two of which feature The Mae-Shi and Rapider Than Horsepower.
We caught up with the super duo and dropped our Ten Questions We Ask Everyone on they asses.
#1 What’s the last CD/Download you bought with your own money?Was it worth the dough?
Kid Static: I bought Jamie Lidell’s “Multiply.” It was well worth the $10.34 I paid for it.
Yea Big: I most recently paid 5 US dollars for that new set-your-own-price Radiohead album. That album is totally worth $5.
#2 Best/Worst part about being a professional musician?
Kid Static: Does professional mean you’re good at it or living off of it? Because we’re damn good. And we live off the music we inject into our veins. Pure. uncut. music.
Yea Big: I’m not sure I am a “professional musician”. I still pick up dog shit 5 days a week to pay my rent.
#3 Worst “real job” you’ve ever had?
Kid Static: I worked for a dentist once. In a basement. He was insane.
Yea Big: Blockbuster Video! But only because I worked for them at one store for about a year, and when I wanted to transfer to a different branch they made me re-apply, which involved taking a personality test that wasn’t around when I was initially hired, and when I took the personality test I came up “Code Yellow,” whatever the fuck that means, and they wouldn’t re-hire me. Assholes.
#4 Who is the worst band member to sit next to on the van/bus?
Kid Static: I’d say Stefen (Yea Big). He’s all nice and considerate n shit. I mean how dare he be fun to work with. Screw that guy.
Yea Big: There are only two of us in this band, and we travel in my Oldsmobile. Static is a pleasure to sit next to. So by the process of elimination, I guess I’m the worst.
#5 Most embarrassing music purchase?
Kid Static: I would never be embarassed of anything I bought to make music.
Yea Big: I honestly can’t think of any music purchase that I am embarrassed of. Sorry.
#6 Build the perfect musician:
Kid Static:
• Voice of: Marvin Gaye
• Songwriting of: Ashford and Simpson
• Musicianship of: Ben Folds
• Personality/Image of: Ghostface Killah.
Yea Big:
• Voice of: Jeff Buckley
• Songwriting of: John Hartford
• Musicianship of: Fat Day
• Personality/Image of: Frank Zappa.
#7 Biggest twat in the music biz?
Kid Static: Rosie O’ Donnell? I hear she does valet parking. HEYOOOOOOO!
Yea Big: I would assume, Madonna’s. I’ve never seen it myself though.
#8 When I hear_________ I want to stick a hanger in my ear.
Kid Static: Hurricane Chris – A Bay Bay. I was standing at the bus stop and this three year old kid kept dancing and yelling “A BAY BAY A BAY BAY A BAY BAY…” and his mom was smiling happily away. I wanted to smack the both of them.
Yea Big: Condoleezza Rice speaking.
#9 The greatest Founding Father is________,
Kid Static: I’m going to go with VP George Clinton because it’s fun to imagine Parliament Funkadelic in the White House.
Yea Big: William Whipple, because his last name is “Whipple”.
#10 I love Glorious Noise because_________.
Kid Static: I don’t know about LOVE. I mean I just met you and things are going okay. I would definitely see you again. Let’s do this a couple more times, get drunk on a Saturday and wake up next to each other first. We’ll definitely see if we click with time. Let’s not advance things to that level so early okay?
Yea Big: “Glono” sounds so sexy.
Video: “The Life Here”
MP3s:
• Yea Big + Kid Static – “The Basement / Enfant Terrible”
• Yea Big + Kid Static – “The Life Here”