NO CREAM,
NO SUGAR: MOKA ONLY.
Vancouver-based producer/rapper Moka Only’s
latest album ‘Lowdown Suite 2: The Box’
dropped just recently of Swiss label Feelin Music. And,
with an incredible amount of releases already on his
sleeve, there’s more to come from Moka Only in
the next few months. Always busy, it’s hard to
keep up track with this millipede, but we got the chance
to sit down with him…
We’ll start with mathematics: how many
albums have you released already?
Ok, you may not believe but I’m not 100 percent
certain how many albums I’m at....off the top
of my head. I think I like not knowing. Makes me feel
like some kind of weird nut to address it but truthfully
if an artist really loves music so much then why would
he or she not want to do as much as they could? Let’s
just say 40 album projects. Could be more though!
Could you, at this moment, imagine that your
rigid work ethics and extensive work flow will ever
cool down, that you won’t remain ‘a stain
in the game’?
I can’t see myself ever stopping my music-making.
It’s just in me. It’s what I AM. Now whether
people will still care, that’s another question.
But I’m quite capable and willing to go strictly
instrumental if my raps start to suck. I’m not
huge on my own raps. I view them as garnish, really.
I’m more hyped on my ‘Ron Contour’
character I do. You are gonna start seeing more of him.
That nigga is C-R-A-Z-Y! Something kinda off about him.
‘I live in 1993, cause it’s better
there’: does hip-hop anno 2009 need to take an
example of hip-hop anno 1993?
1993 to me has as much to do with nostalgia as anything
else at that time. It was an age of wide-eyed innocence
in many ways for me because I was new to the game then.
I felt that in that period there was more room for ‘skills’
to be noticed. But it’s whatever. When I say I
still 'live there' it is partially true because the
illusion of life is whatever you wish it to be.
On the first ‘Lowdown Suite’ you
were playing the trumpet, on this album you also play
some bits, sounds good…
It’s like I said...I can see myself going all
instrumental one day and I’m about to start studying
with a trumpet tutor again just to get better because
I’m not a great player. I’m gonna switch
to flugelhorn which has a warmer sound yet is essentially
the same as a trumpet. Just has a wider and more gradual
bell shape. Same keys.
There’s a lot of things that happened
to you. On a lyrical tip, this is one of your most negative
albums, especially in the beginning. Although the music
of the album is quite ‘summery’, ‘uplifting’?
Was the music purely therapeutic? Is this the way you
can forget about trouble mostly?
Hey, glad you noticed the negativity on the first half
of the album. It was intentional to lay it out that
way. If you read the liner notes I explain how I wanted
the album to go from dark to light and that’s’
what I tried to achieve. It’s not a heavy concept
but just gave it a lil’ extra direction. I like
the contrast of negative lyrics over uplifting beats.
It’s an oxymoron. I’m no moron though.
We thought you never left the studio..?
Well I do leave the studio. I have to tour often so
I soak up more life in that way. But yo…there’s
always shit to talk about. Even if I was a real hermit
I have had enough life experience to keep the stories
and vibes coming.
There are songs made in different periods,
how much does this album actually reflect what happened
in the last year? How do you select these songs and
decide to put em on this kind of record?
Yeah, even with the songs that are from different dates
on the album, it still feels like the pattern of the
past year...more so in vibes. Does that make any sense?
Pardon, sometimes I’m not that clear. I just select
what feels right. It’s not too conceptual…just
based on feeling. I don’t like to overthink things
otherwise the albums would take forever.
You’re mostly rappin about the small
things in life (being bored, eatin this and that,…)
that often mostly matter though), would you ever see
yourself rappin about politics?
I don’t think I will talk politics because everything
in one's life is subject to change and I don’t
want to end up lookin like a hypocrite for changing
views. But then again I don’t really care. I keep
my political leanings out of music and just talk about
the little good and/or boring things that make up the
fabric of life. It’s what I do. I don’t
think its mind-blowing or anything but really, how many
other rap guys do you see doing that. I just want to
do what I want to do. We as artists all have that opportunity
to be who we really are OR to create stories in another
character. For the most part I like talking about the
little things that matter that people overlook...in
my own dialect though.
Bootie Brown of The Pharcyde is featured on
the album ànd there’s an album of him and
you in the making…
Me and Bootie Brown’s song on ‘The Box’
is actually a remix of that song and my vocal take is
an alternate take so it’s not really the same
song. Just a different approach to it. I was just fuckin
around with a beat and slipped it under the vocals for
something to do and it felt right. We’ve recorded
a bunch of other stuff and in fact have a brand new
song together on my ‘Airport 3’ album. Google
that, people! Unless you’ve heard ‘Airport
3’ already. We have done a few shows over the
last decade and change where I was opening for Pharcyde
and rubbed shoulders but really I’m not certain
when our working came up. Just one day I noticed that
I was working with Bootie Brown. (laughs) Seriously.
It’s just came to be. And now we are working on
a lil project together. Brown is dope, Pharcyde is dope.
There is NO reason why Pharcyde can’t be as ill
as they ever were in peoples’ eyes. Hip-hop isn’t
old enough to dictate whether or not someone has ‘finished
their run’ -fuck that- just keep going if it’s
in your heart. I’m 35! Shit, don’t see me
slowing down. I love it to pieces still.
If someone says "Lowdown Suite 2...The
Box" is ‘one of Moka Only’s best albums
to date’, how do you respond to that?
Then I just think thank you. To me it just sounds like
something someone would say without putting much thought
into it but I take it as a compliment. At least they
didn’t say it was wack. Fuck, it would SUCK to
be wack. Who knows, I’m sure I’m wack to
some people. I just don’t care enough to dwell
on it. I enjoy what I do so that matters first and I’m
not being cocky about that, just stating how I see it.
And if Okayplayer states ‘the end result
is phenomenal production. Phe-nom-en-al’, a quote
from the same reviewer who said ‘I bullied 2007’s
‘Vermilion for sounding like one big Dilla masquerade’?
(laughs) When I saw that guy’s review of ‘Vermillion’,
it seemed to me like he didn’t REALLY listen to
the album. It’s like I’ve said before: ‘If
niggas have samples and dirty drums these days somebody
will ALWAYS bring up Dilla’. Look at it this way;
it’s a benchmark but still I don’t really
give two shits what I get compared to. Everybody is
free to have an opinion. I would like reviewers to take
it upon themselves to listen more comprehensively but
I guess they have the job of having to wade through
shit all the way up to their ears often so they may
give something the ‘express review’ meaning
play the first few bars of every track and make their
statement. I appreciate that he mentioned now he is
going back to 'connect the dots' and brush up on my
shit. That shows he lent an honest and open ear to the
new album. I am thankful he reviewed both albums regardless
because any press is press. I like you guys though.
You always do things the right way, big ups!
How did you get with Swiss label Feelin Music?
Honestly Chief hollered at me on Myspace asking me
to do a rap over one of his beats. Right out of the
blue. Now speaking of having to wade through shit up
to one's ears often I get people telling me they want
to collab and to listen to their music and often I feel
it sucks dirtballs. And then sometimes it’s worth
checking out. I went on a whim and looked all through
his Myspace page and it was amazing! Chief is mad gifted
and has a great ear and a great vision for his work
and his label and I wish Feelin Music success. I did
one song with him (‘Felt Before’, from ‘Carrots
and Eggs’) and he sent me more beats to hear and
I actually asked HIM if I could do an album for his
label! So that’s how that happened. We will continue
to work together.
Are you considering the fact that this might
mean your European fan base will grow?
I want my Europe fan base to grow because Europeans
really seem to value music highly. Good support.
How many times a year do you take the ferry?
Where to?
I have to take a ferry to go visit my parents on Vancouver
Island or if I have shows there. But here in BC, it’s
a very extensive ferry system. The largest in the world!
And some of the biggest ferry ships too. There are tons
of islands nearby with towns on them that require car
ferries plus the weather on Georgia straight in BC isn’t
too treacherous in the winter as other places so the
water isn’t too rough. It’s like mini- cruises
for next to nothing.
What’s your favourite flavour of coffee?
I just like good old coffee, Regular Joe, but Columbian
and Ethiopian blends are some of my favourites.
Imagine someone who still got to get into the
music of Frank Zappa, which of his albums would you
suggest?
‘Overnite Sensation’ or ‘Apostrophe’.
They both have a bit of everything out of his styles.
When we last spoke, you mentioned to us that
you bought more rap now than ever…
When I said I buy more rap now I think I meant that
I go back and re-purchase albums from the past that
I’ve lost. I’m still keeping my ear out
though. Some rappers are good (laughs). Oooh, the new
Mos Def! Yup!
Fried rice…are you a fan of Chinese food
or is it out of necessity?
Fried rice…hmmm…I don’t know why
I even said that in that song. It was a lot of freestyle
stuff really. Fried rice was just the first thing I
thought of. The hook was off the top of my head. Nothin
wild. I don’t eat Chinese food often, maybe once
or twice a year.
What’s next for Moka?
Ok! Next for Moka is the ‘Mista Mista’
project with Brady, ‘The Nope’ project with
PSY (which has been done for two years now), me and
Bootie Brown’s album and a whole lot of Ron Contour.
I have like four or five Ron Contour albums in the chamber
and plan to record another ten Ron Con albums this summer.
It’s gonna be the summer of Ron! Oh, speaking
of which –yeah- on Domination records which is
putting out ‘The Nope’. I also have the
album titled ‘The Summer of Ron’. That Ron
Contour album will be out in August. There will be a
Ron Contour Myspace page soon too. Ron is my -uh- first
cousin, I –ummm- just do his beats.
Shout-outs?
Hmmm, shout-outs –uhhh- I’m not much of
a ‘shout out-kinda guy’. People I work with
or am friends with know that I got love for them...oh
shit…wait! I want to shout out Kissey Asplund
from Sweden. She is gonna blow up. She’s dope
and I wish her the best. We collabed on ‘Lowdown’
and it came out great plus I’m on a remix of ‘Demon
Love’, that shit I did with Chief. Kissey had
been saying some nice things about me too. Yup. KISSEY!
Peace, people. Thank you for the interview questions
and not coming with run-of-the mill questions. You keep
me on my toes.
Thank you!
©pf June 2009.
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