Psykhomantus: Before we start. Can you tell us who you are and what you do?
Bootha Vandross:
First off, I just want to say that truly appreciate you given me this
opportunity & for all of the support. I’m Bootha Vandross, former
group member of a Dallas, TX based Hip Hop group Loose Cannons turned
solo artist. Outside of being an MC, I’m also a beat maker & dabble
in audio engineering.
Psykhomantus: When and how did you get into this art form call Hip Hop?
Bootha Vandross:
Well, being an avid lover of music…I’ve been a Hip Hop head since the
first time I heard “Rapper’s Delight” by the Sugar Hill Gang. I
officially started rhyming in 1992 after joining a group called P.O.E.
(Productz Of da Environment). In 1997 I & a close friend became the
Hip Hop duo Loose Cannons. We were a group for 16 yrs., until we split
& I became a solo artist back in 2013.
Psykhomantus: What inspires you to write your rhymes?
Bootha Vandross:
Being that I’m a socially conscious individual, my writing usually is
inspired by life events that effect my people & anyone else who
suffers from the injustices that plague us on a daily whether it’s
physical, mental, or on a spiritual level. I also think of how Hip Hop
used to carry a message & it sorely lacks that today…so that’s
something else that inspires my writing as well.
Psykhomantus:
I can't remember how I came across your music video "Barry Bonds" feat
Robi Nickoli which was featured in one of our episodes but I do remember
I could not find it on you tube, and the Vimeo file was too big so we
had to make the right as I was not going to do that episode without
putting it on. I loved the message and the beat was a perfect match.
What made you write the song Barry Bonds and who produced the beat?
Bootha Vandross:
Appreciate that you were diggin’ this joint bro & put it on that
episode. The song was inspired from the Malcolm X speech that plays at
the beginning of the song. I was trying to apply what Malcolm was
speaking on at that time (1962) to what’s going on presently. I rapped
it over a 9th Wonder instrumental & I titled it Barry Bonds because
in many ways I compare him to Malcolm X in that he was a commanding
& menacing figure to some. Every time Bonds stepped up to the plate
he wasn’t trying to hit a single, double, or a triple…he was trying to
hit a homerun which was the very thing that got the fans excited. So
with that being said, every time I spit on the mic I’m lyrically trying
to hit a homerun that will arouse the listener & get them in a
frenzy mentally, physically, & spiritually.
Psykhomantus: Can you break it down for us, with who & what projects you’ve got going on at the moment?
Bootha Vandross:
Right now, I’m collaborating on a ep w/a producer from Rimini, Italy
who goes by Aniki Beats. We’ve titled it ‘A Classic Revival’. It’s a
project that will take the listener back to that Boom Bap sound from the
Golden Era of Hip Hop. The single that we’re promoting now is titled
“Police Brutality” & it’s the next video that I’ll be shooting. You
can check it out here
https://soundcloud.com/bootha-vandross/police-brutality
Psykhomantus: Can you name 5 rappers you rate and why?
Bootha Vandross: Damn, this is always tough because I always think I’m omitting someone; but here we go:
Tupac…not
because he was the most lyrically gifted, but because he wasn’t afraid
to stand for what he believed in no matter the consequences. I consider
him the Malcolm X/Huey P. Newton of Hip Hop.
Nas…I
consider him to be the most lyrically gifted MC I’ve ever heard & he
became the shining prince of NY at the age of 17 years old.
Rakim…he’s
in my opinion the God of lyricism (including the next MC on my list)
& one of the reasons Hip Hop has a Nas. Rakim took rhyming to
another plateau with flow patterns & rhyme schemes. At the same
time he was wowing us with his prowess on the mic…he was droppin’ jewels
all in the same breath.
Big Daddy Kane…not only took
rhyming to another level for much of the same reasons I mentioned
regarding Rakim, but he was the ultimate definition of SWAG! He was the
smoothest & most rugged rhyme spitter all at the same time &
that style has been imitated, but never duplicated.
Ice Cube…although
NWA pretty much were the ones held responsible for giving us gangsta
rap it was Ice Cube who was the backbone of that group. He was not only
penning his own rhymes, but he was also ghost writing for Eazy E &
Dr. Dre. And after he broke away from the group he reigned as the King
of the West Coast for a nice period of time. And after all of that…he
molded himself into a movie mogul.
Psykhomantus: Can you name one song you wish you written by another artist?
Bootha Vandross:
“The Message” by Grandmaster Flash. To this day I haven’t heard a Hip
Hop song that was more socially conscious than that one. From the very 1
st
bars that Melle Mel breathes he paints the picture “Broken glass
everywhere/people pissing on the stairs you know they just don’t care. I
can’t take the smell, can’t take the noise/got no money to move out I
guess I got no choice!” That’s heavy man!! That song will be relevant
FOREVER!
Psykhomantus: What’s been your most memorable performances & why?
Bootha Vandross:
Probably the last performance that I did as part of Loose Cannons when
we opened up for Souls of Mischief during the ’93 Til Infinity 20
th
Anniversary Tour here in Dallas, TX. I say that because unknown to me
at that time it would be our last performance as a group. I’ve never
seen a more hyped up crowd & we definitely had them ready before
Souls took the stage.
Psykhomantus: My favourite question. Is there a Rapper you feel that should just give it up?
Bootha Vandross:
One specific rapper…no, but for anyone out there who’s trying to be a
rapper with the thought they will become an overnight sensation…to those
I say…give it up lol!
Psykhomantus: Last question. What will we be expecting in the future from you?
Bootha Vandross:
As I stated earlier, be on the lookout for the ep with my homie Aniki
Beats ‘A Classic Revival’ (no release date as of yet). I’ll be featured
on some upcoming mixtapes from some MCs who I’ve collaborated with from
different states; and looking to work with more artists here &
abroad. I’ll be doing a Conversation Piece Pt. 2…same concept but with a
different person (keeping the lid on who that is right now). And the
continuation of building my Be Vocal brand. And trying to get to London
when you boys start putting on those shows!
Once again sincerest
thanks for this opportunity & I love what you guys are building with
Visionbombing & I will continue to help spread the word!
Check out the music video's "Barry Bonds" and "Shine" by Bootha Vandross.
