HHDX Special Interview by Josephine Basch

North Carolina has never had it this good. In a few short years, Little Brother have not only managed to create a movement, but have given hip-hop lovers a reason to keep listening. Their debut album, The Listening, released in 2002, came almost out of nowhere and drew more comparisons than you can shake a stick at. So it was no surprise when the likes of ?uestlove and Pete Rock started singing their praise. Without preaching or taking themselves too seriously, LB have managed to give their audience something to think about while keeping them entertained. No bells and whistles, just straight hip-hop. The Minstrel Show, their second full-length album and first major label release (on Atlantic Records) marks a more mature and pensive trio that has a lot to say.

They recently sat down with HHDX to promote their upcoming project and reflect a little on the current state of affairs, being the G-Unit of the underground and of course, world domination.

Your album is called The Minstrel Show. When I interviewed Paul Mooney, he spoke at length about how so many people still have that slave mentality and don’t want to break out of it…how do you feel about that?
Pooh: Today, as far as music is concerned, the black face has been replaced with: guns, rims, pimpin’… People feel like that’s the only way they can get on. And rapping, is to come in and talk about shootin’ niggas and moving boatloads of coke and shit like that, when that’s not the case. You just gotta be willing to be you, and a lot of people are not willing to be them. And that’s when it goes back to the minstrel shows, when white people performed and painted their faces black and later on, when black people started performing those same minstrel shows; they HAD to paint their faces black. Where now, you don’t HAVE to come in talking about guns and shooting and shit, people think that’s what they gotta do – that’s the only way. That’s basically what we’re talking about…you can be successful by just being you – the best you. You don’t have to go out and be an imitation 50 or Lil’ Jon.
9th Wonder: Or imitation Little Brother.

You got a lot of those?
9th: Not yet
Phonte: If the album goes platinum, I guarantee you…
9th: It’s whatever’s hot. And we’re trying to go platinum like Phonte said and sell a lot of units and… I guarantee you, a lot of labels will be like, “you talking about something real?”
Phonte: Yeah, “that whole reality rap thing – yeah we need that! Did you go to school? Did you go to college? Did you drop out? OK, that’s great.”
Pooh: The music business is like a car factory. It’s like, “OK, what’s gonna be the new car this year? 50, he’s the new car this year. We need to manufacture 50s tonight. OK, 50’s out of style. Little Brother, that’s the new car this year? We need to manufacture Little Brothers! Come on, we need to make these Little Brothers!” And that’s all that shit has become, like car factories. Continued on page 2 »