Interview with Adru the Misphit

HM: Start out by introducing yourself, your name, where you from.
Adru: Adru the Misphit. I was born in Houston, moved to Manhattan when I was two, and I lived in Manhattan till like '97. Then I moved to KC, and stayed there for about eight years, in KCMO, then came to Lawrence about three years ago.

HM: How'd you end up in Lawrence?
ADRU: I ended up here basically to get a fresh start on things and work on music, after some of the crazy stuff I went through in KC.

HM: You have a new project on the way, tell every one what it's called, who's involved, and when it's coming out.
ADRU: Alright. The album is called "Dying on My Feet". The production is done by myself, and then Johnny Quest, Nezbeat, Miles Bonny, Beat Broker, Vertigone. There's a guest spot by ID. Nezbeat is backing the whole thing. And were trying have them ready by the beginning of October, when they'll be available online and in stores. And we're going to have them at Love Garden, Kief's, and Streetside, and Seventh Heaven.

HM: Do you have any follow up projects or guest spots to look for?
ADRU: Let's see, I have a song on your production album. I'm trying to put out a 12 to 13 song album within the next six months. I'm going to do half of the beats myself, and am talking to a few people about getting some beats. It's going to be a little different flavor than dying on my feet. Not quite as dark, considering that my life isn't quite as dark at this point, you know?

HM: Alright. So who would you say are your biggest influences as a writer and producer?
ADRU: I would say as an mc, man I have mad influences, but my biggest one's would probably be Chuck D, Special Ed, Krs, Nas, and Hiero. I would say those would be my biggest influence on a mc level. As far as producing, Premier, Pete Rock, Dilla, Rza, Muggs, that would be my biggest influences on the production side of things.

HM: What are you listening to right now?
ADRU: That Brother Ali, The Undisputed Truth, that shit is mad dope. Then J Dilla's Doughnuts, I think there is some really genius shit on there. I'm always listening to Immortal Technique, Revolutionary vol. 1 & 2. The new common album, that would probably be the things I am listening to the most right now. HM: How do you feel about the current state of hip hop? ADRU: Well, no matter what state hip hop is on the commercial side of things, there's always gonna be dope shit to listen to. There is always going to be cats doing dope shit, there always has been. I think there always will be. And I think even on the commercial side of things I think that things are starting to 180 a bit. I think people want to hear more substance in their shit, I think Kanye out selling 50, to me, is a good sign that people are wanting more substance. But to me it's still disappointing when so many people don't realize there's more to hip hop than what's on the radio.


HM: Who do you think will win the upcoming presidential election?
ADRU: Man, I hate to say it but I think the democrats are putting themselves in a bad position. I really don't think America is at the point where a woman or a black man is going to be elected as president, as much as I hate to say that. I would like to see a black woman lesbian president; you know what I'm saying. I just don't think it the greatest idea for the two top candidates to be a black man and a woman, unfortunately. I'd really like to see Obama win, but I don’t know if we’re at the point where that can happen. Hopefully I'm wrong. But either way you go, there is really not a whole lot of difference at this point between democrats and republicans. They're basically influenced by the same people, same thought processes, they all come from the same backgrounds, and nothing will ever truly change in this country until there is some serious overhaul in the way the system is run. I'm hopeful at this point. I feel like we're at a really critical time right now, I feel like this kids now I think now are our biggest hope. There's so many more kids right now than ever before in the history of this country that are being exposed to more liberal way of thought. With the internet and the music that's out right now, I think they’re being influenced in a lot of ways. And so many kids are seeing what’s going on with the war and this presidency and shit. I don’t think if we get a Barrak Obama or a Hillary Clinton in the white house that there will be huge changes in this country. I think things will remain pretty much the same. I think our biggest hope is the next 20 years.

HM: You said Obama earlier, is that who you'd like to see win?
ADRU: that is who I’d like to see win, you know. I don't know how realistic that is.

HM: Do you vote?
ADRU: I have voted the last two elections. But in 2000 I wasn't aware that felon’s votes weren't counted. And in 2004 I still wasn't sure of the specifics. But unfortunately convicted felons lose the right to have their votes counted, so I probably will not be voting.


HM: What do you think about the ongoing occupation of Iraq?
ADRU: It should be obvious to anyone now that we're in a smaller scale Vietnam. It's really sad to see so many kids losing their lives, and I think the majority of them don't know what they're fighting for. They think they know what they're fighting for, but that’s not actually the case. If we're really in Iraq to restore democracy, then there's so many other places in the world where there's genocides, and civil wars going on. And why aren't we in these places too. It pretty much comes down to the fact we need to secure our ability to have out oil. Cause it's oil based economy. It's become cliché to say, but it's the truth. It's really sad the there's a large segment of this country that doesn’t even realize that the terrorists that bombed us on 9/11 weren’t from Iraq. That’s one of the biggest misconceptions, our government has gotten to believe that that this whole war is in retaliation for 9/11. I think we're almost getting to the point where more American's want to see it end, than continue. But our president isn't trying to let that happen. And it's really sad, there's going to be no victory in this. You always hear that we're going to continue, and that the US will win no matter what. And it's impossible, it's not going to happen.

HM: Okay, back to some easy questions. What your favorite album of all time?
ADRU: It would have to be Illmatic.

HM: What's your best memory of hip hop growing up?
ADRU: When hip hop first became exposed to a lot of people, I was in the 4th grade. I guess some of my best memories are break dancing a little kid and running around trying to do graff and shit like that. When it comes to actually doing music, my best memories are when me and my boy had a radio show at Db 92 at Manhattan. We were 18, 19, and 20 years old we had the whole studio to ourselves from 1 and 3 in the morning once a week. It was fun. I would spit freestyles, and boost records and shit cause I was starting to make beats around then.

HM: Who's your favorite local artists?
ADRU: I'm just gonna say Heet Mob, those are my favorite dudes hands down. I don't think they get enough fucking credit or publicity. I mean they're signed to Chuck D's label, who is one of the biggest hip hop icon's period. And nobody seemed to make a big deal of it, some people don't even know that shit, and it boggles my mind. It's not only that, but those dudes are making some incredible shit.

HM: Okay. So what's your guilty pleasure song? Any genre.
ADRU: "I'm with you" by Averill Lavigne. Averill is my guilty pleasure.

HM: What are you reading right now?
ADRU: I'm always reading a few books at once. I just pick up this book called "spanking the Donkey", it's about this political writer named Matt Taibbi who works for Rolling Stone sometimes. He basically went undercover in the 2004 election, and worked for both campaigns. And it's just really good and funny. I like to read about politics in a way that's entertaining and not to overly analytical and intellectual. It’s a really entertaining book, the conversations he had, the things that he saw, and the way he analyses speeches and shit. I also reading a book called "Crooked Little Vein" by Warren Ellis. It's a fiction book about, a private detective who is hired to find an alternative version of the constitution that was written, that is supposed to bring America back to rigid moral values. Its kind complicated but it's about all the twisted shit he and his assistant get into. And I'm also reading a Marvin Gaye Biography called "Mercy Mercy Me".

HM: What websites do you visit most?
ADRU: Man I don’t even have the internet. So when I do get on it's pretty much for stuff I have to do. But if I did I would always be on Undergroundhiphop.com, cause they have streaming radio. There's another one I like called Icarusproject.net, it's for bi-polar manic depressive people. It has a lot of alternative ways to deal with stuff, and it has a forum where people can talk. There's a lot of artistic people, a lot of people that are radical and political. It was started by a group anarchist of kids who also happened to be diagnosed as manic depressives.

HM: What equipment do you use?
ADRU: Basically I just use a Numark portable turntable, and a fucking Zoom sample track that’s on its last legs. Actually I'm not making beats right now, cause half the buttons don't work right now. But I'm gonna upgrade soon.



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