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MVRemix: How would you describe your own music?
Zuluboy: My music, its basically telling people what they dont want to hear but need to hear.
MVRemix: Like what?
Zuluboy: I like educating and reminding people and stating laws. Its basically rebel music. Conscious, rebel dance music. Im trying to make you dance at the same time as that. Theres a huge message behind it.
MVRemix: Yeah, intelligent hip-hop doesnt have to be boring. Some intelligent emcees make the mistake of using 30-syllable words
Zuluboy: Yeah, and you need a dictionary. [Laughs] Thats what Im also trying to fight against at home. I use the simplest words to tell you shit. I basically represent the Zulu nation in the way that I come through. I represent, because there are tribes at home, like you have your west coast, east coast [in America]. I try and represent my tribe. I try putting my tribe out there, because its basically those people that are in the minds of the whole of South Africa. Like Yo, youre Zulu. You must a fighter. There are so many war stories about the Zulu. I try to educate people about our tradition and our culture, you know, and try and convince them to accept it and really learn from it, because you can learn from whatever that you open your mind to. I learn from the Rastafarians, the Chinese, the Indians
MVRemix: My culture can kick your cultures ass.
Zuluboy: You know what Im saying? Thats what it ends up being all about at home. Im basically trying to represent the dream of the king. King Shaka, his dream was to turn Africa into a country. But Im trying to do it through music.
MVRemix: What kind of issues are closest to your heart?
Zuluboy: At home? In music?
MVRemix: That you express through your music.
Zuluboy: Okay. HIV and AIDS. Issues that are really close to my heart are ignoranceI think our greatest war is ignorance, throughout the worldproblems creating solutions. Because without solutions, youd never have business. Say I needed to get to the outside of Vancouver quicker, so the man who invented the car was brilliant and hes got the best business. He created a solution for a certain problem. Issues that are close to my heart: The way that we live our lives now. Now, youre not cool and dont fit in if youre a good boy, when you dont take groupies to the hotel, you know? Society has really conditioned us to really go with the flow and become vultures, and become irresponsible for the actions that we do. [Another issue is] drugs. People die from drugs at home.
MVRemix: Why do you think hip-hop is as effective as it is in getting through to the youth?
Zuluboy: I think its effective because Im still a youth in my time right now, but when I was younger, hip-hop was a father to me. It told me stuff that my mom couldnt tell me, because I was raised by a single parent, you know. It told me stuff my mom couldnt tell me. Thats how I think it can be powerful, because it actually dominates between the educated and non-educated, in terms of the music, mood and feeling. I just write something on my notepad and go perform it there, and then I can actually school people, from drop-outs to post-grads.
MVRemix: Haha, the Mos Def line there.
Zuluboy: Yeah, thats a Mos Def line. [Laughs] Youre educating people, you know? Its a huge thing. Its not a stuck up sense of music, like classical. You basically are what you listen to. Like when you listen to hip-hop, you have the Timberlands and sagged pants. And when you listen to house, around where I come from, I see you with the tight pants, the trends, the Gucci, trying to look fresh for the ladies. So think hip-hop communicates more to the youth because its the underdog of this whole industry. Thats why I think people are messing up the game by blinging it out.
MVRemix: What projects are you working on now?
Zuluboy: Im working on my debut album. I havent even got an album out. Im working with Native Rhythms; thats my company. Its basically a company of afrocentric soul and hip-hop soul.
MVRemix: When did you start working on the album?
Zuluboy: I started working on the album last year, in October, and its gonna hit the shelves at the end of July. Almost done.
MVRemix: Do you know how the distribution will be yet?
Zuluboy: Yeah, people should be able to get it all over the world, because were working with major labels like EMI. Distribution is EMI. We like having that independence of having our own company, and yet be signed to a major. Thats when you get creativity and freedom.
MVRemix: If hip-hop was a woman, what would she look like?
Zuluboy: Yo, shed have beauty and brains.
MVRemix: You think that hip-hop, even today, would be beautiful and smart? Considering everything that hip-hop has
Zuluboy: Been through? I think, right now, hip-hop would be a prostitute, but beautiful looking. But she will sell herself to get what she wants.
MVRemix: So shes not that smart anymore.
Zuluboy: Yeah, shes lost that intelligent, but sometimes it kicks in. When shes standing at the corner of the street, that intelligence kicks in sometimes and she doesnt sell herself cheap. [Laughs]
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