Psykhomantus: Okay, so first question. When did you fall in love with Hip Hop. Lol! ?
LOL…Fair question. In all honestly, I’m still falling in love with Hip Hop. We have had a tumultuous go at things over the years. I always listened to Hip Hop; I grew up in it, so it was always around me. But I can’t say I definitively elected to begin taking part in the culture until I was about 13. That’s when I started to buy albums on my own (as opposed to just listening to the radio or TV). But I actively began to take part in the culture as an emcee about 6 or 7 years ago, prodded by my homey K.E.V. and another friend, with whom I formed the first manifestation of our group Nu Dekades.
RyanNicole: Nu Dekades is yourself and K.E.V. who I met and glad to be a friend of in the UK, but you are also in another group called THE FEM REDUX. Who is in that group and how did that come along?
The Clique/FemCee Redux is not so much a group as it is a collective of artists who came together to do a project, revamping Kanye West’s “Clique” song and making it an anthem for female empowerment. We produced a song and a video and have been doing a select number of shows by request. The collective consists of artists: Jazz Monique Hudson, Dom Jones, Tiara Phalon & myself. We had our final official performance a couple weeks back at the 12th Annual Malcolm X Jazz Festival, held in Oakland, CA. Though we are not an official group, our collective continues to work together and the Clique project has spawned some powerful ongoing collaborations.
P: So apart from Rapping, what else do you do, I heard you also act, Is this true?
RN: I am called the 4A. Some artists endeavor to be the “triple-threat”, but I wear so many hats, one might call me the Mad Hatter! 4A is my brand. It stands for the work I do as an Artist, Actress, Athlete, and Activist. I maximize my talents and network to improve the health (mental, physical, & spiritual) of people in my community and of the African Diasporas. To these ends, I have put in significant work in each category, have enough awards and high honors to be considered advanced in any one area, and fully enjoy offering up 100% of myself to every endeavor. A few notable distinctions follow:
::: ARTIST :::
Emcee, Singer, Songwriter, & Poet as RyanNicole & with my group Nu Dekades; host of the most popular Spoken Word event in the East Bay.
::: ACTRESS :::
Associate Artist with the California Shakespeare Theater, STARS Agency represented actress
::: ATHLETE :::
CA State High School Record Holder, Scholar Track & Field Hurdler at University of Arizona & San Diego State University, Professional Fitness Coach
::: ACTIVIST :::
Youngest Executive Director in Oakland, LeaderSpring Executive Leadership Fellowship Alumnus, Proprietor of my own youth development/social justice consulting practice.
P: So how did you feel listening to The Chronicles Of RyanNicole back to back?
RN:I love the project! It is always a humbling experience for me to know that people appreciate my music, and are willing to put their creative time into making something new of it. I appreciate your efforts immensely. “The Chronicles…” is a nice journey from my nervous beginnings to now. It is like a time capsule that truly chronicles the personal quest to find my sound and voice. What I am most happy about is the clarity with which my intended message comes across. The thesis of “The Chronicles…” is my love for my people and that fact is broadcast loud and clear.
P: Who are the producers on the mixtape and where are they from?
RN: There are a ton of producers on the mixtape from all over. Some are local folks like Aristotle (Enjoy U), Will Bracy (S.O.S), Mars Today (Tightrope Remix) from Oakland/San Francisco. Cynergy from Canada produced 4 Colored Girls & Think Twice. Dela of France produced Thesis and several other tracks on Nu Dekades most recent project “Nexus”. Some are just beats I borrowed in classic mixtape fashion because I dug the sound and thought I could flip them nicely.
P: What's do you class as the golden era for Rap music. Late 80s or Early 90s?
RN: Early 90’s of course! I feel like Hip Hop was still learning about itself in the early 80’s. Right around ’87, ’88, ’89 it hit its stride. And by the early 90’s Hip Hop knew what it was, what it wanted to say, and was open to the many ways and vessels by which it wanted to say it!
P: Can you remember your favourite performance?
RN: There is a time that really stands out when I was performing a spoken word piece called “Bootstraps”. At the time the piece to me was old (and kinda played out), but I was requested to perform it, so I did. As I got into it, I feel like I started to leave my body and I finally heard what I was saying. It was almost as if I was able to stand in the crowd and be my own audience. When I listened to what I was saying, I was struck by how powerful and timely the message was, and I began to cry uncontrollably…right in the middle of the performance…in front of people I didn’t even know! If you know me, you know I don’t cry, certainly not in public, and certainly not in front of strangers! It was the moment that I fully realized that THIS is precisely what I should be doing with my life.
P: Is there a performance that you've done and said to yourself that you could of done that better?
RN: ALL THE TIME. The great part about performance is that there is a ceaseless potential for improvement. I’ll probably be fine-tuning my performances forever, and if God wills it, I’ll be rocking mics well into my golden years, still striving to earn my own respect.
P: Who are your 5 favourite MC's of all times?
RN: That list is always evolving. Today I can say I like (in no particular order):
1. Lauryn Hill
2. Black Thought
3. Kendrick Lamar
4. Mos Def
5. Posdnous
P: Last question. What will we be expecting in the future from you?
RN: Constant improvement. A newer refined me that will result in bigger and better productions in every category of my 4A brand; most relevantly equating dope releases from RyanNicole & Nu Dekades.
Check out Nu Dakades & Psykhomantus presents The Chronicles Of RyanNicole
Status Update 1 (Intro)
Thesis- Nu Dekades
Enjoy You feat Aristotle
La La:
Magic Carpet Ride
S.O.S.- Nu Dekades
Just feat. Joseph Peters
Tribute- Nu Dekades
Four Coloured Girls
Cry Baby
Holla At Me
Status Update 2 (Skit)
90's Shit- Nu Dekades
Faded Lady- S.S.O*
Town Biz:
Computer Love- Zapp*
Tightrope (Remix) feat RyanNicole- Janelle Monae
Bad Chick
Clique - The FemCee Redux feat. Tiara Phalon, Dom Jones, & Jazz Hudson
Status Update 3 (Skit)
Think Twice
Black Friday- Nu Dekades
Outro
Bonus: Clique - The FemCee Redux feat. Tiara Phalon, Dom Jones, & Jazz Hudson (Music Video)
