Whites representing, in chaste Fanonian ilk, the oppressive colonizer group and blacks, the enslaved, subjugated lost tribe of Shabazz.

I have obviously changed a lot in the last fourteen years, but being in the same room with Brother J gives me a comfortable sense of familiarity.

Wasting no time, I jump right in. "How did the passing of Sugar Shaft affect the group as a whole?"

"It was hard because, you know, for a person, to work with other producers they're not going to have that kind of flow that someone that's been with you half your life has had, you know what I'm saying, so on that level it hurt me.

"I celebrate him every time I come on stage, man."

Shaft passed away the same year as Eazy-E, in 1995, for the same cause: complications from the AIDS virus. With both Shaft and now, since March of 2006, Professor X deceased, I inquired about his production on the new album slated for the 31st of October, and titled Return From Mecca.

"On that project," the Dark Sun Riders album, Seeds of Evolution, which was released the same year Shaft died, "I introduced some of the producers and now that production team is now, probably about ten times more than what I represented with M.A.T.E. and Ultraman."

DJ M.A.T.E. and Ultraman are both members of Dark Sun Riders and Ultraman is involved with the new X-Clan project.

"So, now we have Fat Jack in the house and we have DJ Orator and Pro Mic and Bean One; there's so many different cats, man, that are coming to contribute their energy that have wanted to contribute to conscious music and have never had the opportunity to do it on a real mantle."

J excused himself a couple of times to go next door to converse with his tour mates. My curiosity eventually overcame me and I asked him, "Who's over there?"

"My partners Fat Jack and Zulu."

"No shit?"

"Yeah, you wanna meet them?"

"Of course."

Next door Fat Jack and Zulu are posted up in house clothes watching the tube.

"Do you know we are?" asks Fat Jack in an inquisitive tone.

"Are you kidding me? I've been banging y'alls shit for like eight years or more."

I began rattling off various ATU albums; Mood Pieces, Underground Fossils, and Thynk Taynk, much to their impression. They were caught off guard by my knowledge of them and I was surprised by theirs. I guess they weren't used to folks being familiar with their work outside of LA.