Third Sight feature – Published in Serie B magazine, 2006
An unedited version of this q&a interview is available online at spinscience.org.uk and ukhh.com.
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Liberation Music
Even though they dropped their first album nearly 8 years ago, Third Sight are still considered as one of the finest US rap groups by fans worldwide. The gap between their first, and now classic, LP ‘Golden Shower Hour’ and the recently released ‘Symbionese Liberation Album’ doesn’t seem to have dented the fanbase or reputation a bit either. Like fine wine it gets better with age. Composed of Jihad the Roughneck on mic duties, Dufunk and D-Styles on production and cuts, Third Sight are slowly but surely stamping their print all over 2006 with a new LP that’s proving successful, features the likes of MF Grimm, Ricci Rucker and Raggedy Andy and is one of the nicest hip hop LPs we’ve heard in a while with beats, cuts and rhymes to shame most other crews. So with this in mind it was only right that we set up a conference call with this talented trio and find out some more about the music, the crew and other little known facts.
Why the long gap since your first LP?
Jihad: We weren’t as organised, we didn’t have no management for a long time, and that meant that it took a while for us to get shit together so we could do this new album properly. Also D went and did his own solo thing, with his album and tours, and the way Third Sight works is that we can’t do a record without him. Being disorganised and lacking management were definitely major factors, that and not knowing how the industry works as well as we do now!
How did you guys approach the production because you can hear/feel the influences but the music also sounds genuinely unique?
Dufunk: For me it’s because I like to really chop my beats up, really obscure the samples. I like it where you can’t tell where the sample came from. Add elements to it, make it more personal but without overloading either. Basically make it dark and entertaining. I’d broke up with my girlfriend after the first LP and so I made loads of beats with anger in me, I put that and my hurt towards the music. Jihad would be like ‘get in there and make some more beats’!
D-Styles: To me the turntable and the samplers are the same thing just different tools. I’ll make a beat and then see if I can cut to it, and if I can I know Jihad can rhyme to it. I like to keep my music minimal too so the rhymes and cuts can become the filling elements – make the thing whole and stand out. I’m not one for overproduction.
And Jihad where does your inspiration come from for rhymes?
J: From popular culture, the climate of politics at the moment, stuff I read in my own time… I always try to be cleverer than the next MC, touch on things that people haven’t because that way you know you can be fresh without having to think about what the other person has already done or said. I like to find different narratives basically. My comfort zone is being different. I hear the pattern, the rhyme pattern, as an MC probably more so than non MCs. Sometimes I can get lost in the pattern and so sometimes words can become secondary to it. But then there are other times where I’ll be writing a story, wanting to tell one and so the pattern becomes secondary to that.
I was wondering about what your thoughts were on the US rap scene? How do you see yourselves within it?
J: Rap is multifaceted. The one facet that doesn’t get much shine is the original recipe - just 2 turntables, a fader, pad, pen and whatever you do the production on. We make the music we don’t hear so much, and it’s out of our affinity for that flavour of music and we take it really seriously. We don’t want to make pop, we’re not trying to use the underground as a springboard to go pop. We know what our flavour is and we try to do it to death and in the current vacuum of pop pop and crap rap, it shines. I hope it inspires people and makes others want to do similar things.
DS: I don’t think we’re going after a formula, I think we just make music we want to hear. And it’s weird because I read reviews and people are saying what we do is a great throwback to the 90s hip hop… I guess so if you want to call it that but it’s just the music we want to make really, this is us.
DF: This is what you get!
Last question – tell us 3 things about Third Sight people wouldn’t know?
DF: I’ve been a DJ since 82. And I like Marvel, and I like eating.
DS: There used to be another MC in the crew, Smooth Tone. But he’s moved on since. As for me I love playing poker and I’m also a master table tennis player – no joke.
J: I listen to a lot Jamiroquai. People probably don’t know that. I’ve got his moves down and I’m trying to get some of his hats too. Women love horned hats, I don’t know if you know that?
‘Symbionese Liberation Album’ is out now on Disgruntled Records. Hit up greatestworldfamous.com or myspace for samples and more info.
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