The two voices of local hip-hop group Know Qwestion have established a rep for finishing off each other's poetic phrases, for supplying the yin to the other's yang, or dropping a dose of needed levity into the other's grim musical scenarios. It's a chemistry that illuminates Know Qwestion's debut CD, Eclipse, whose release will be celebrated with a February 25 show at the Bash on Ash in Tempe. Though their raps intersect so seamlessly that they often feel like gritty, unbroken chains of rhyme, the MCs' distinct personas reveal themselves over time. Cappuccino emerges as the sober, philosophical captain of the Enterprise, while Cash comes on like a brash, uncompromising first mate--not quite Flavor Flav to Cappuccino's Chuck D, but certainly a source of fun among the life lessons. The same dynamic that fuels their musical creations is apparent in their tag-team approach to conversation.
For instance, when asked how a Tempe hip-hop act like Know Qwestion fits into the eternal rivalry between East and West Coast styles, Cappuccino says: "We're making music--not gangsta rap, not crime rap, not trendy rap, but we share a lot of the same feelings with those people. We pride ourselves on sifting through the bullshit, and checking who's real out there, and who's coming with something intelligible, as opposed to just rapping fast . . ."
"Or finishing a line with a word that rhymes with the line before," Cash volunteers, finishing his partner's thought with impeccable timing.
Cappuccino and Cash often write together, as one crafts a fragment of a song, and asks the other to pick up the thread and take it as far as possible. But they have another way of working together, a method that Cappuccino describes as "kind of eerie," as one rapper will offer a song he's worked on, and find that his partner has a new song with a parallel theme and lyrical flow.
Their creative bond has developed through years of friendship, as Cash observed Cappuccino rocking street-corner crowds with his rhymes, and decided, "I can do that." About that time, the duo met Scott, an inventive producer looking for suitable rappers. Though Cash lacked Cappuccino's rapping experience, Scott says he saw a rapid growth in technique.
"Cash was advancing before my eyes," Scott says. "Every time I saw him, it was like another year had passed, within a week."
Scott's cinematic soundscapes add bold dashes of color to Cappuccino and Cash's journal entries. A bleak sample of dialogue from the film Dead Presidents kicks off the fierce "Glitter Ain't Gold," a shot of reality to rappers who get sucked in by the promise of wealth. "Paper Chase" takes an old Lionel Hampton vibes sample, speeds it up, and comes up with an artful mood piece. "Dedication" builds its foundation around a lush Billy Paul cover of Carole King's "It's Too Late," with Cappuccino and Cash warning, in unison voices, "I can see you like the money, I can see you like the power, but only real shit survives the game."
Eclipse can be seen as a concept album, vignettes that describe what the group calls "moments of darkness," both figurative and literal. It also illustrates Cash's view that Know Qwestion's creations represent an ongoing dialogue between group members.
"I feel like jazz teaches you, if you watch a jazz person that's heavy in the game, their expressions are trying to tell you something," he says. "So when you get to a certain point, it's like an opera, you get to a new scene, maybe it's a new verse. Just because we're the lyricists, don't think we're the only two people speaking. He [Scott] is talking to us through music, and we're making it intelligible for the masses."
During its three-and-a-half-year history, Know Qwestion has been the subject of some local jealousy and backbiting, because the group's manager, Ty Carter, also runs TMC Promotions, the Valley's dominant hip-hop promotion company. In the eyes of some, it's given the group an unfair advantage when it comes to booking shows and establishing a name for itself. But, at long last, Eclipse puts the focus where it belongs: on the music. And on that score, it delivers. Despite an error at the CD duplication plant--the last two seconds of each song were mistakenly snipped off--that pushed back Eclipse's release for several days, the group members are clearly confident about what they've created.
"We're just saying, 'Buy our record.' You won't agree with everything we say, but you might be able to understand this, or feel this," Cappuccino says.
As so often happens with Know Qwestion, Cash is ready with a quick, cocky retort to Cappuccino's thought. "I'd say, 'Buy it even if you don't feel it,'" he says with a laugh.
Know Qwestion is scheduled to perform at its CD-release party on Wednesday, February 25, at the Bash on Ash in Tempe, with Sugar Hill Gang, Grandmaster Melle Mel, and DJ Fashen. Showtime is 8 p.m.
A Whole Mesa Blues: This weekend delivers one of the unquestioned highlights of the year for Valley blues aficionados. On Sunday, February 22, the Phoenix Blues Society presents its seventh annual blues festival, dubbed Blues Blast '98. The stellar bill includes zydeco veteran Terrance Simien and his Mallet Playboys, the Smokin' Joe Kubek Band featuring B'nois King, Big Jack Johnson and the Oilers, and Johnny Rawls. Also featured will be Tucson's Bad News Blues Band and Phoenix's Sweet Jeffrey and Friends, both finalists in a PBS-sponsored Arizona Blues Showdown. Blues Blast '98 will be at Mesa Amphitheatre, with a swing night on February 21 at the adjacent Rendezvous Center.
Voluntary Band Contractions: Heavily metallic local trio Freudian Slip has announced its breakup. Bassist Paul Schneider recently joined alt-country band The Revenants, which spurred drummer Jason Graham's decision to put away his drumsticks for good. Singer/guitarist Christian Henry is planning to put together a new musical project, whose name and shape are still uncertain. This lineup will play three more gigs, with its final show coming on Sunday, April 26, at the New Times Music Awards Showcase.
Slim to None: Look for The Piersons to open for ex-Replacements guitarist Slim Dunlap on Friday, February 20. Though he toiled in Paul Westerberg's considerable shadow during a Mats stint that lasted from 1987-91, Dunlap is an engaging roots-rocking front man, and the only male rock star on the planet easily mistaken for Shelley Duvall. Meanwhile, The Piersons recently scored a generally favorable review in Amplifier for their latest album, Appleberry Wine. The Amplifier review pins that persistent Replacements tag on the band, but notes that Pattie and his mates are a notch above most Westerbergian barflies.
--Gilbert Garcia
Contact Gilbert Garcia at his online address: [email protected]
