Food For Thought

MVRemix: Let's start in the beginning, what was it like growing up in Kansas City over the years for you guys?

Brother of Moses (Deep Thinkers): It wasn't to bad, but you really see the class/race division in all parts of Kansas City.

MVRemix: What is your first memory of Hip Hop?

Brother of Moses: My first memory of hip-hop had to be seeing break dancing and attempting to do what I saw back in '85. Dancing is one of the first things we learn how to do as children so it was only right.

MVRemix: What is that one album you each played over and over as a kid?

Brother of Moses: Freestyle Fellowship's Inner City Griots

MVRemix: How did you guys meet and form Deep Thinkers?

Brother of Moses: We met back in middle school, spring '95. We were both doing graff, and Leonard was a DJ, I was an emcee, so we started to put it down. For years I was just freestyling over instrumentals then around spring '98 we started to work with a band. We were called 7 Fold Symphony. I was the mc along with my homeboy Negro Sco, and Leonard was the turntablist. After years of unorganized freestyle based shows and a couple of nominations for local awards everyone went there own way and me and Negro Sco continued to drop music with various produces for a couple years. Leonard and I formed Deep Thinkers back in 2002, we did an album called Outlook that opened the door for us. We then recorded Necks Move in 2003.

MVRemix: What is the personal significance behind your name Brother of Moses?

Brother of Moses: My birth name is Aaron, biblically Aaron was the "spokesman" for his brother Moses that had a speech impediment.

MVRemix: How did you guys first start to make a name for yourself in Kansas City?

Brother of Moses: With the band 7 Fold Symphony, plus I was a very bellicose little mc back in the day haha.

MVRemix: KC is a relative unknown for most of the Hip Hop world, especially those living in the west and east (such as myself). So tell us about the KC Hip Hop scene and why it is overlooked.

Brother of Moses: The KC graff scene for years was untouchable, as we've had some serious productions bless our city. In the late 90's me and my crew the Circuit Breakers were responsible for putting the b-boys back on the floor from KCK to KCMO now we got a lot of crews breaking. As far as DJ's go, Joc Max (OG), Sku, BeatBroker, Just, Break Botix and many others hold it down. MC wise we got Negro Sco, Joe Good , Reach ,The Guild, Ces Crew , ID, Approach and EMC. We get overlooked because were in the middle and a lot of people have preconceived notions about our scene.

MVRemix: Tell us about your new album Deep Thinkers. What types of songs, concepts and issues do you have on the album?

Brother of Moses: I speak on a range of subjects, racism, sexism, classism almost all the ism's and some other stuff. The album is mellow with "rebellious poetry" as vibe said.

MVRemix: Who is doing the production on the album? What about guest appearances?

Brother of Moses: All production by Leonard Dstroy. Guest are approach are Mac lethal, Joe Good, Miles Bonny(horn), Jimmy Dykes(guitar) and Beat Broker (turntablist).

MVRemix: As you know, Hip Hop is infatuated with labels. So do you guys embrace the "socially conscious" label? Because I know just from speaking with various artists, such as Talib Kweli, he really doesn't like the term.

Brother of Moses: How about conscious because I'm not unconscious, I'm wide-awake seeing what the fuck is going down.

MVRemix: What is the biggest headache you guys have had to deal with in this Hop Hop industry?

Brother of Moses: Materialism.

MVRemix: Do you find it hard/irritating to get yourself heard on a large scale in today's era of Hip Hop? Especially considering that the game is oversaturated and fans are becoming less eager to go out and hear new music.

Brother of Moses: Hopefully with gorilla marketing techniques we'll be able to reach more than the average indie release.

MVRemix: Switching gears, what do you think about American intervention in the Middle East?

Brother of Moses: Neocolonialism, its just history repeating it's self.

MVRemix: Is democracy in America a reality or just an illusion?

Brother of Moses: Smoke mirrors and mass media mystification, the funniest two words I hear are "liberal media."

MVRemix: What are your thoughts on the voting process in this country? Again, is it an illusion, or do our votes really count?

Brother of Moses: Looking at what just happened I really don't think they give a fuck. The united states government has to many hidden agendas to allow a true democracy to exist.

MVRemix: Will the US go to war with Iran in the near to immediate future?

Brother of Moses: The U. S will go to war with everyone, even it's own people. It's happening every day, weather it's through bullets, bombing, sanctions, cuts for social programs, etc. People suffer, we must battle sufferation worldwide.

MVRemix: What else do you guys have going on in the future that we didn't talk about already?

Brother of Moses: I'm opening an art gallery called Visual Goods @ 102 West Armour Kansas City, Missouri, 64111

MVRemix: Any last words, shout outs or plugs?

Brother of Moses: Shout out to my son Asad, Datura ,and everyone doing good things.