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Hip Hop With a Divergent Beat - MEET THE SHIVTAZ By Robert E. Martin Born on the doorstep of the new millennium in that landmark year of 1999, The Shivtaz are a hip-hop group that forged together the strengths of their respective members into a vision of diversity that has commanded microphones throughout the tri-cities with their stylistic flow. Consisting of TDO (Tim Maker), BattL (Mike Latty, Karnaj (Terry Dawkins) and DJ Mike Mayhem (Mike Hernandez), the group is very much like their name - they refuse to conform to any particular creed or style or fashion, but 'shift' from genre and topic depending upon the mood & style of the moment. "People aren't going to know right away who we are," notes TDO, "because we don't sound the same every time we perform. We sample a lot of different sources for our music." The group has pooled their collective created talents to write, produce, and record their highly anticipated first album, Logical Warfare. Comprised of gritty street themes and hardcore battle rhymes, Logical Warfare is full of all original music that flips words to a variety of tempos, displaying the evolving technique of each emcee on songs like Breathe, Freebase, and Perfect Timing. "This whole thing actually started back in '98," explains BattL. "I started hanging around in California at DJ's house and he told me about Tim. When we got back from California, we decided to put this group together as opposed to following solo projects. Usually you don't find many hip-hop/rap groups around because generally it's just one guy up at the mic. So we figured we're all mature, older guys, that were around when hip-hop first came out, so let's get together and make something happen." "We started recording," continues TDO, "and decided to do everything ourselves - the producing, the writing, the recording, even the artwork. It took two years to put this first project together because we all have full time jobs, but during that time we started doing shows at The Watering Trough, The Empire Club back in '99, and now we're playing at venues like Wiseguys and spreading the sound around. DJ's been doing this since '85 and has been all over the place. Mainly we want to start some type of real hip-hop scene in this area." "Bedlam was the first group that put us on the bill," notes BattL. "We started out doing these underground 'dis' tapes because we didn't like the way the local scene was looking, and they loved it. They put us on the bill and since that first opportunity we've been doing many different shows." "Mainly, on those first tapes, we parodied a couple different acts because our feeling was that coming out locally, you shouldn't try and act like a major star. You can't talk about having a mansion and all this stuff when you don't. So we kinda made fun of that, and Bedlam dug it because it was something different. Now we're trying to get down with the Detroit scene because the culture is thicker down there. We've hooked up with some different lyricists and a group called Element, who also turn out some nice stuff more on our level." "We want to come out and keep this on a hip-hop level," notes Karnaj. "It's what we grew up with. By the same token, we want to bring our own niche to the whole thing to keep the essence but add the flavors." "I feel our showmanship distinguishes us," he continues. "We're not just walking back and forth with a microphone, but bring excitement to the stage. To me our CD is very edgy. We don't stick with one genre. We don't just write about cars, girls and drugs but try and take old subjects and make them fresh again. It's the beats that we use and the type of lyrics that we use, It's unpolished so you feel the energy." "Each one of us has our own style and the way we like to deliberate," comments BattL. "Sometimes it's more conscious. I like to bring up issues, but not in the plain jane way but through the music. I don't like to preach and tell people what to do on the mic, but cast it out there so people can hear what it is and what it's about." With so much diversity at play, what does each member feel they contribute to the group? "Myself, I feel I'm the well-rounded one of the group," reflects TDO. "I change my voice a lot more than the other guys, so I bring a little of 'this & that' to the table." "In terms of social issues, I talk about things the others can't because of the way I grew up," comments Karnaj, "so I bring a certain perspective about the streets and hard times, although I don't dwell on it." "My specialty is to 'break it down' in many different ways," states BattL. "I'm the raw one, I think. I bring the energy." "I contribute what's no longer there much in Hip-Hop anymore," notes DJ Mike. "Usually you'll have one or two guys up on stage with a microphone, but I'm actually a live DJ, so bring the music to the table. I'll shift the music in the show and provide the foundation. Guys that grew up with hip-hop remember seeing a DJ in the back, like a maestro, working two turntables. I've been a DJ since '85 so I have a nice collection of music. That's my specialty." And what exactly is the Shivtaz trying to project on their first CD? "It took so long to produce because we had a lot of material to pick the tracks from," states Tim. "So we wanted to make sure nothing was left out. We didn't do any radio edits but wanted to state our vision, lay the foundation, and keep it edgy." "It's a huge collaboration for us, so the first CD was stating who we are and what we're going to be about. We're not going to stay totally raw, but on the first CD we thought it important to do so. We wanted to show our true colors. This CD chronicles two years of our lives. To us it sounds old now, like a history lesson. We didn't have a of help on this first CD and we're proud of that fact." So what are their impressions of the local scene right now? "It's kind of fragmented," notes Tim. "There isn't a lot of cooperation and there's a lot of copycat 'fake' stuff - like everybody wants to be Eminem. We're trying to build a foundation of original stuff and try to cultivate the local scene more in terms of venues." "A lot of people think hip-hop music breeds violence, but it's important to state that in most cases it isn't like that. Bar owners are scared to books hip-hop shows sometimes, but we have a lot of crowd participation and remind people they are here to have a good time. If they want to see it flourish, they can't get out of hand. And everybody responds well. We have to bring it together and have an understanding with each other and network and help each other, not shoot everybody down." "We're all here to do the same thing, basically," adds BattL. "We all wanna get notoriety and branch out and do better things. To do that we all have to come together in a compromise as a hip-hop community. It's what you put into it. We're on the experimental edge and don't put music out because he or she likes it, but because we like it. Hip-hop is the baby of music. That's the latest genre to blow up, like rock 'n roll in the sixties and seventies. There are more avenues to take and more innovations coming up." And what does the group feel is the most challenging thing about what they're doing? "Being totally independent," reflects Tim. "I produce all the music and mix it and to me its trying to set up shows, promote, and still be creative back in the studio without bringing other stuff in. Eventually we're going to bring more people on-line, when it's due time and finances support it, because all the 'business' stuff takes away from creative time. We want to record and make great music, but doing all this other stuff is a challenge." The Shivtaz new CD Logical Warfare can be purchased on their websites at www.cdbaby.com/cd/shivtaz and www.mp3.com/theshivtaz, along with www.tower.com. They are also preparing to release a follow-up EP in the fall entitled Lyrics for Champions. They will be appearing live on September 7th at the B.V. Low 4 Life Show and September 11th with Element, 40 Flea, and SilverSpork at Captain's Cove in Saginaw, with 50 percent of the proceeds going to the soldiers in Iraq. Called the Society of Songs Benefit, the September 11th Festival is intended to support United States troops stationed in Iraq and also showcase members music. 50% of the donations will be put towards supplies to comfort troops in their time of need. |
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