This month, the Underground Report is serving up a platter of Hip Hop groups as we bring two independent Hip Hop crews to your door. First, we’ll meet up with Deacon and Kno of the Cunninlynguists as they share their thoughts on how the south has ruined its 15 minutes of fame and even offer up the secret to selling shit-sandwiches. Then, we’ll catch up with Iller Than Theirs, the crew that is bold enough to have that name and bold enough to stand behind it. They sat down with us to discuss their tour, their “look” and the presence of hoes at underground rap shows. In the end, as usual, we’ve added some videos, some laughs and that good ol’ underground rap to your table. Enjoy the meal and give thanks for November’s Underground Report.

Cunninlynguists: The Dirty South’s Other Side
Since the release of their critically acclaimed Will Rap for Food, the Cunninlynguists have been garnering support in the underground. As time has passed, this support has grown and flourished. With the release of Dirty Acres, a new member officially on the team and more on the way, the Cunninlynguists sat down to speak with HipHopDX about everything from the dirty south to underground struggles.

HipHopDX: Cunninlynguists are on the way up around the world. Can you explain how things are when you go over seas and the way Hip-Hop is over there?
Deacon: The U.S. pays with respect. Overseas pays with money and love. But the grind is the same. We try to give our all regardless of what stage we're on.
Kno: People outside of the U.S. like what they like, that’s why a group like us can thrive. If they like it, they listen to it. In the U.S. too many people are caught up in celebrity and connections to make listening decisions for them selves. In the U.S. you have to be visible in the coolest magazines, on the coolest websites, on the best tours and co-signed by the biggest names or you have a long, hard road to travel trying to be successful no matter the quality of music you make. Not just speaking from a musical standpoint, but sometimes I'm unsure if the majority of Americans are able to think for themselves anymore, but they'll sure as hell put a shit-sandwich on their Visa if Paris Hilton is peddling it.

DX: You guys have an interesting name. Where'd it come from?
Kno: It was more of a joke name for a non-serious recording situation. We messed around and made some music a lot of people loved. Oops.
D: From out our ass. It came from the land of naivety. We had no idea that our music was gonna go as far as it has...if so we woulda picked a name that a six-year old could spell.

DX: The south gets so much hate. How do you guys counter that with your music and how do you view the south in general?
D: I love the south. It made me who I am, but I hate what we've done with our 15 minutes of fame. The dirty south became the synthesized south. We grew up listening to the music that made people interested in this
region in the first place. But once we got their full attention we acted like monkeys. It's cool though. I think the south is dope enough to bring that real shit back and shine some more.
K: Let’s be honest, rap music gets a lot of hate in general right now...and maybe deservedly so. I'm hard-pressed to find any redeeming value in some of the stuff that comes out nowadays. At least when N.W.A. or Geto Boys or Paris or Sister Soulja told me they were showing me a side of their lives that was honest but vulgar and that was the reason the music needed to be so uncut and raw, it was believable because the imagery of violence and all was balanced with statements about life and politics and movement. Now we have gangster rappers that kill 300 people in one song but never leave their gated communities and vote Republican. I have no fucking idea what’s going on here right now.

DX: You get so much publicity and acclaim from critics but that doesn't always translate to sales. How has that been and are album sales a huge part of what you are seeking in the long run?
D: I just feel that we haven't had the sales because we haven't had the proper push from a label. Freshchest just didn't have the manpower and the L.A. underground just didn't have the brains.
K: If you're basing your success as an artist on album sales in 2007 you will be a broken man in no time flat. If you're in it for money, sell ringtones and collect publishing. If you're in it for the art, make a direct connection with your fans and run your business yourself.

DX: I loved the title Will Rap for Food. Everyone knows underground rap isn't all about the bling. Have you guys ever been that low on money, though? If so, what got you all through it?
K: All rap really is for most people is a day-to-day job with some perks. I may not need a nine-to-five but you also shouldn't expect making art to put you in a position to retire at 30.
D: [Laughs] We're not too far removed from Will Rap for Food now. Belief in ourselves gets us through everything. Continued on page 2 »