ERIC BOBO INTERVIEW 1/16/09
Jehuniko: The magic of music. Why you fell in love with hip hop because it moved you. The banging percussion making you want to war, love, wild out all at once because of the banging rhythm that worked it’s way into your spirit. Well, that feeling is still alive. Surprisingly enough, it is true. If you have been paying attention, you might know that a sick musician by the name of Eric Bobo recently dropped an album filled with OG’s like Mellow Man Ace and Kemo the Blaxican. If you still prefer organic and original music, you might have seen the video with Bobo and Mellow Man Ace killing it. As bubble gum plastic “rap” pollutes and corrupts, it is good to know that real OG’s like Bobo have enough heart to carry us forward on a good one. An honor and a pleasure……I present to you, Bobo of Cypress Hill.
Jehuniko: What was it like growing up with a father such as Willie Bobo?
Eric Bobo: Growing up with my dad was a great experience even though I only had 15 years with him. He really showed me different ways to approach music and how to appreciate different genres of music; also I was able to meet some of jazz’s great innovators at a young age. I remember him keeping me up late on school nights just listening to different albums with him explaining to me what to listen for musically. I come from a latin-jazz, improvisational background so all of those nights staying up with my dad were like school for me.
So you started performing with your father at age 5?
Yes, my very first performance was at a club called Dante’s in North Hollywood. I remember being so nervous being around all of these people and clutching on to my dad for dear life. I had to stand on a stool to be able to play both the timbales and congas. Once I was onstage, the nerves went away. I was very fortunate to be able to learn from & share the stage with such great musicians as such a young age.
So you started performing with your father at age 5?
Yes, my very first performance was at a club called Dante’s in North Hollywood. I remember being so nervous being around all of these people and clutching on to my dad for dear life. I had to stand on a stool to be able to play both the timbales and congas. Once I was onstage, the nerves went away. I was very fortunate to be able to learn from & share the stage with such great musicians as such a young age.
Eric Bobo feat Mellow Man Ace – En Mi Barrio {Live}
Before we go any further, let’s get to the album. So far I’ve only heard the Mellow Man Ace song and the Kemo the Blaxican / Cultura Londres song which are both dope. Who’s on it? Any interesting stories about the creation and collaborations?
Some of the guests on the album are B Real, Tony Touch, Ill Bill, Thirstin Howl III, Sonidero Nacional, Sick Jacken, DJ Rhettmatic and some new artists that are bubbling under the radar. What was cool about making this record was how I was able to blend different genres into one project. I was in Tucson, Arizona when I started the record and the interesting to me was being in a place where all I knew was the engineer. I was probably the most focused that I had ever been on a project in a while because there was nothing to do but record and create. Also, some of the artists on the record were from different parts of the globe so I embraced the challenge of putting the project all together in a cohesive way.
Some of the guests on the album are B Real, Tony Touch, Ill Bill, Thirstin Howl III, Sonidero Nacional, Sick Jacken, DJ Rhettmatic and some new artists that are bubbling under the radar. What was cool about making this record was how I was able to blend different genres into one project. I was in Tucson, Arizona when I started the record and the interesting to me was being in a place where all I knew was the engineer. I was probably the most focused that I had ever been on a project in a while because there was nothing to do but record and create. Also, some of the artists on the record were from different parts of the globe so I embraced the challenge of putting the project all together in a cohesive way.
How did Nacional Records come about releasing it? Where can people pick it up?
The hookup with Nacional happened through my friend Toy Selectah, who produced one of the songs on the album. He had talked with Tomas Cookman, who is the president of Nacional, and he had mentioned to him that I was working on my album. It was about a year of getting the deal all together but from the first time stepping into the Nacional office, I had a feeling that I was in the right place & Nacional was the right label for me. Besides me being a fan of some of the artists on their roster, I knew I could they weren’t just into who was on top of the charts but they were fans of music. The album is available at Ameoba, Virgin Megastores, Rasputins, FYE, as well as online stores like Amazon.com, ITunes, & other indie record stores. Considering you’ve performed with many, many legends, what comes to my mind is, what was it like to perform with people like Ella Fitzgerald, Rage Against the Machine?
It was a blessing to be able to perform with Ella Fitzgerald because not only was I in awe of her as a singer, I was the youngest person in the orchestra. I was like 16-17 years old and all I could think of was how lucky I was to be up there with her. I even had a percussion solo. Jamming with Rage was great because not only was I a fan but also they were friends. We had shared the stage a bunch of times, even with them opening up for Cypress Hill. Looking at how incredible both Ms. Fitzgerald and RATM are as artists and they are from different points of the musical spectrum, I’m like one of the luckiest musicians in the world to be able to have shared the stage with such musical royalty.
So you joined Cypress Hill officially at Woodstock 1994, what dynamic do you feel you bring to the Cypress live show and recording?
I bring the live instrument aspect to the show. With me being the one with the most technical experience and background in the group, I have been able to use what I’ve learned from my latin-jazz years to the hip-hop realm. At the time I joined up with Cypress, it wasn’t the norm to see live musicians on stage with the hip-hop set up of just a dj & mc’s besides The Roots. Now, it isn’t such a weird thing to see. In the studio with Cypress, I play different instruments, do some vocals & I’m the utility guy. We all bounce different ideas off of one another yet we all have our strengths and we play our positions. Who are you feeling music-wise these days?
I’m not really feeling all the new hip-hop that is happening at the moment but I do feel that the boom bap is coming back with albums like Q-Tip’s, Common, etc. The classic hip-hop still inspires me. I’ve been listening more to Latin-Alternative artists like Bostich + Fussible from Nortec Collective, Mexican Institute of Sound, as well as music from Mexico, Europe & Latin America.
What’s up with hitting that 8-foot bong, live on stage? I know you dope on percussion but iron lungs as well…damn. Where was that show? Obviously laws didn’t trip… Hahaha!!! Well, me hitting the bong on stage with Cypress is almost like tradition, even though I should be thinking about passing down the herbal torch though. The 8-foot bong, which is named Excalibur, is the only full glass 8-footer in existence & was a gift from this bong company in San Diego when we were on tour with Linkin Park in 2002 (http://www.liveleak.com/e/891_1224013452). I’ve been known as the guy with the iron lungs, but it isn’t the easiest thing to do when after you hit it, there’s still 40 minutes left in the show. I would come off of stage sometimes like a zombie when the adrenaline wore off from the show. We don’t bring out the bong when we know that the cops will be ready to take us in if we use it on stage. I think that we are less rebellious as far as that is concerned because in the early days, we would’ve done it anyway.
The hookup with Nacional happened through my friend Toy Selectah, who produced one of the songs on the album. He had talked with Tomas Cookman, who is the president of Nacional, and he had mentioned to him that I was working on my album. It was about a year of getting the deal all together but from the first time stepping into the Nacional office, I had a feeling that I was in the right place & Nacional was the right label for me. Besides me being a fan of some of the artists on their roster, I knew I could they weren’t just into who was on top of the charts but they were fans of music. The album is available at Ameoba, Virgin Megastores, Rasputins, FYE, as well as online stores like Amazon.com, ITunes, & other indie record stores. Considering you’ve performed with many, many legends, what comes to my mind is, what was it like to perform with people like Ella Fitzgerald, Rage Against the Machine?
It was a blessing to be able to perform with Ella Fitzgerald because not only was I in awe of her as a singer, I was the youngest person in the orchestra. I was like 16-17 years old and all I could think of was how lucky I was to be up there with her. I even had a percussion solo. Jamming with Rage was great because not only was I a fan but also they were friends. We had shared the stage a bunch of times, even with them opening up for Cypress Hill. Looking at how incredible both Ms. Fitzgerald and RATM are as artists and they are from different points of the musical spectrum, I’m like one of the luckiest musicians in the world to be able to have shared the stage with such musical royalty.
So you joined Cypress Hill officially at Woodstock 1994, what dynamic do you feel you bring to the Cypress live show and recording?
I bring the live instrument aspect to the show. With me being the one with the most technical experience and background in the group, I have been able to use what I’ve learned from my latin-jazz years to the hip-hop realm. At the time I joined up with Cypress, it wasn’t the norm to see live musicians on stage with the hip-hop set up of just a dj & mc’s besides The Roots. Now, it isn’t such a weird thing to see. In the studio with Cypress, I play different instruments, do some vocals & I’m the utility guy. We all bounce different ideas off of one another yet we all have our strengths and we play our positions. Who are you feeling music-wise these days?
I’m not really feeling all the new hip-hop that is happening at the moment but I do feel that the boom bap is coming back with albums like Q-Tip’s, Common, etc. The classic hip-hop still inspires me. I’ve been listening more to Latin-Alternative artists like Bostich + Fussible from Nortec Collective, Mexican Institute of Sound, as well as music from Mexico, Europe & Latin America.
What’s up with hitting that 8-foot bong, live on stage? I know you dope on percussion but iron lungs as well…damn. Where was that show? Obviously laws didn’t trip… Hahaha!!! Well, me hitting the bong on stage with Cypress is almost like tradition, even though I should be thinking about passing down the herbal torch though. The 8-foot bong, which is named Excalibur, is the only full glass 8-footer in existence & was a gift from this bong company in San Diego when we were on tour with Linkin Park in 2002 (http://www.liveleak.com/e/891_1224013452). I’ve been known as the guy with the iron lungs, but it isn’t the easiest thing to do when after you hit it, there’s still 40 minutes left in the show. I would come off of stage sometimes like a zombie when the adrenaline wore off from the show. We don’t bring out the bong when we know that the cops will be ready to take us in if we use it on stage. I think that we are less rebellious as far as that is concerned because in the early days, we would’ve done it anyway.
How did you end up collaborating Cultura Londres? They are interesting in that they are making dope, original hip hop, in Spanish but in England.
I actually met one of the guys outside of an after party we were having in London some years back. Rich, who is one of the founding members, was actually waiting to get into the party from Muggs, but after one too many drinks, I think Muggs forgot about him. I saw him and let him in the party. He told me about this project he was working on with a friend of his, who is the mc of the group. After hearing some stuff, I really was into their sound and I asked if I could lay down some percussion. When they heard what I did, they eventually asked me to join the group. I am really into their movement and the fact that they are one of the only groups doing hip-hop in Spanish yet be from London was a plus for me.
The drum is the heartbeat of the warrior, what keeps you going, what inspires you?
I really love music and that’s like a lifeline to me. I enjoy music from different cultures. The classics still inspire me, whether it’s hip-hop, jazz, salsa, and rock. I’m still inspired when I perform because I keep in mind that there may be someone in the audience that has a dream of making music and performing. Hopefully, by them seeing me or the group perform, it may inspire them to follow their dreams whatever they may be. Even though I was playing gigs with my father, I still would dream about playing to masses of people all over the world. I kept that thought with me and when it started happening to me, I would think about when I was younger and having that initial feeling. The day that I’m no longer inspired is the day I’ll stop altogether.
I actually met one of the guys outside of an after party we were having in London some years back. Rich, who is one of the founding members, was actually waiting to get into the party from Muggs, but after one too many drinks, I think Muggs forgot about him. I saw him and let him in the party. He told me about this project he was working on with a friend of his, who is the mc of the group. After hearing some stuff, I really was into their sound and I asked if I could lay down some percussion. When they heard what I did, they eventually asked me to join the group. I am really into their movement and the fact that they are one of the only groups doing hip-hop in Spanish yet be from London was a plus for me.
The drum is the heartbeat of the warrior, what keeps you going, what inspires you?
I really love music and that’s like a lifeline to me. I enjoy music from different cultures. The classics still inspire me, whether it’s hip-hop, jazz, salsa, and rock. I’m still inspired when I perform because I keep in mind that there may be someone in the audience that has a dream of making music and performing. Hopefully, by them seeing me or the group perform, it may inspire them to follow their dreams whatever they may be. Even though I was playing gigs with my father, I still would dream about playing to masses of people all over the world. I kept that thought with me and when it started happening to me, I would think about when I was younger and having that initial feeling. The day that I’m no longer inspired is the day I’ll stop altogether.
What is the ultimate collaboration you would like to see manifest?
That’s a very good question and I don’t know if I have a good enough answer for that. It would probably be something like a super group with some of the best musicians that are around today. With my album being a collaborative effort, maybe I could help make this super group become a reality. Let’s see what the future holds.
That’s a very good question and I don’t know if I have a good enough answer for that. It would probably be something like a super group with some of the best musicians that are around today. With my album being a collaborative effort, maybe I could help make this super group become a reality. Let’s see what the future holds.
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