Visual Hip-Hop Duo Hobo Stew Has Some Choice Words to Live By

Thanks to the popularity of the programs such as Photoshop, everyone in this day and age feels like they can become a media design mogul with purchase of a camera and a few ideas.

What very few realize is that it takes much more than a few hours in front of a computer to really set yourself apart from the crowd. Tucson graphic design artists Marco Oliva and Tommy Haskins, also known as the duo Hobo Stew, know that it takes not only talent and style but also an unique approach and finesse to climb to the top of the business. Over the last couple of years, the duo has produced videos and graphics for rising hip-hop greats, including Tucson-based artist, Isaiah Toothtaker and underground legend Murs.

I got a chance to catch a quick interview with the two young artists to get the lowdown.

See also:

-Arizona's Murs Bridges Hip-Hop's Divide

Up on the Sun: Who and what is Hobo Stew?

Tommy Haskins: Hobo Stew is two friends who decided to try make cool creative shit together. We started out pitching cartoon ideas to Disney, Cartoon Network, and Nickelodeon, [and] quickly found out we liked partying in L.A. more than having meetings with stuffy network guys. 

Marco Oliva: Yeah, fuck ties

Haskins: After that we decided to create Hobo Stew, with which we could utilize all of the talents.  

How would you guys describe your art style? Haskins: We like to say we are the one-stop creative shop. We have a wide range of styles, which we can incorporate into all the creative disciplines from graphic design, illustration, photography, cinematography, animation, motion design, editing, and film-directing.  

I know that you have a few videos with underground rap legend MURS, how did that relationship come about? 

Oliva: We met Murs through Isaiah Toothtaker and then again through [Tucson-based deejay] Herm Guzman. Murs saw some of our work and asked if we could do one for him. 

Haskins: We gladly accepted. We always have a blast working with Murs and he has become a good friend of ours.

Haskins: We've done videos for Isaiah Toothtaker and some collabs with  Nicolas Heller (Ricky Shabazz and the Boombap Boys) and we have more on they way. Stay tuned.

What music, if any, inspires you to create? 

Oliva: Unce-unce-unce -- trance

Haskins: Banjos and mouth harps.

Oliva: Nah, for real though I love music. All genres -- but not trance. 

Anything on the horizon that we can look forward to? 

Haskins: Yes, we are trying to create a new career gynoarchaeology, in which we study ancient vaginas and give mummymammograms. 

We do have a video coming out for Murs ("Whauptho") and some other ones in the works with a couple other well known artists. We are also talking about creating a web-movie, Also, a new site with some e-commerce so you can buy some cool merch from Hobo Stew. And as always we are looking for new people to collab with and new cool shit to work on. 

Any words of wisdom to part on?

Oliva: Climb every mountain, Ford every stream, follow every rainbow Haskins: No matter what kind of party you think it is... do not stick your junk in the mashed potatoes.

See more of Hobo Stew's work at Facebook. Murs is scheduled to perform Tuesday, February 5, at Club Red in Tempe.

See also:

-Arizona's Murs Bridges Hip-Hop's Divide -Isaiah Toothtaker Talks New Record Sea Punk Funk (Free Download) -Up on the Sun: The Podcast, featuring Isaiah Toothtaker, DJ Smite's Beastie Boys Tribute, and More

• Hip-Hop
• Video