Houston Calling

10 Questions for Work

November 18th, 2003 · No Comments

I recently heard about a local hip-hop group called Work and decided to find out more about them. They are playing on Saturday night at Walter’s on Washington as part of the ANTICON USA tour. The bill also features Sole, Alias, Odd Nosdam, Telephone Jim Jesus, Babel Fishh, Killers for Hire DJs, Rob Mozel, and J. Rios. Cover for the show is $10. 18 and over with proper ID.

Work consists of Taskrokone (producer, DJ) and Evak (lyricist). Evak was kind enough to respond to our questions.

10 Questions for Work

HC: How did Work get started?

Evak: Well, Task and I have worked together off and on for almost ten years. Either through graffiti or hip hop music. In that time Task had put out an album, done shows and done the DMC. I was playing with Citizen Change and working. Through several different phone conversations, we decided to work on music together and see were that took us. Halfway through we decided to put out the album and formally become a group. We wanted to make an album that was progressive both musically as well as socially. We chose the name WORK because it embodied both that Idea and the process of our music. Well, actually it was all Task, I wanted to be called the Nasty Nilist Network. Task shortened it, pure genius.

HC: What do you consider to be your influences?

Evak: There are so many things: Graffiti art, exploitation, injustice, oppression, Noam Chomsky, Michael Moore, etc. As far as musically, the list is too long: Nas, Miles Davis, Souls of Mischief, Saafir, Monk, Mingus, fugazi, Scarface, Del, Casual, Pep-Love, Jeru, Rass Kass, Definitely the Coup, BoogieMonsters, Public Enemy, Gangstarr, Artafacts, Gil Scot Heron, Street Military, Woodie Guthrie, Outkast, Grant Greene, Chick Correa, Cal Tjader

HC: How are you promoting your music?

Evak: Basically, out of the trunk style. Some through e-mail and some at shows. We got some CDs at Sound Exchange. Pick it up today. It’s Hottness personafied!!!

HC: What is the one thing you hate to hear about your group?

Evak: I think we just get annoyed by being pigeon-holed, by saying it’s this or that kind of hip-hop. It’s just hip-hop, or at least our own take or interpretation of it.

HC: What are your thoughts on the Houston music scene?

Evak: The music scene here is very diverse and there are some incredibly talented musicians out there now. Especially in underground hip-hop. The one thing I have noticed is that hip-hop is starting to break off into little cliques, which will eventually, if not currently, take away from the strength that hip-hop holds as a progressive movement. Shit, I just miss the brotherhood and sense of community. Where in the hell are the up-rockers and show-shockers!?

HC: Are you for or against the MP3 “revolution”? How are you using the internet to promote Work’s music?

Evak: I would say that I am all for the MP3 revolution. There is not a better way to get your music out there and if we like the stuff we hear we’re going to buy the albums. But then again when you get a CD, it eventually gets scratched or broken, shit downloading is great. But I’m not going to just sit there and shovel money into Sony Corp.

As far as from an artist’s perspective, I am not trying to make millions of dollars. I just want to get the message out, spread some healthy dissent, and just maybe fix the dent in my Honda.

HC: How are you promoting Work’s music?

Evak: Well, we are working on the website right now and selling our CDs though Task’s e-mail (mikeh@skatenet.com).

HC: If you could have one musician/band cover one of your songs, what would it be?

Evak: I would like to see Gil Scot Heron do “Goodlife” or “Question.” Maybe fugazi doing “Daniel.” Or, in a very intimate setting seeing George W. Bush do “Rainy Weather” with Dick Cheney as the hype man. Throwbacks and all that! Wolfowitz on the cuts! Get Rich or Die Trying!!!

HC: You just released your debut CD. What’s next for Work?

Evak: We want to express ourselves through the music. Give a good representation of ourselves and our beliefs. Whether it be through the content or the samples or the beats we just want it to be raw, progressive, and dynamic.

Next it would be nice to do some touring, promote the album some more. We just started working on the next album. We just want to keep progressing and learning.

HC: What’s in your CD player?

Task: American Analog Set, Casual, Blueprint, Qwel

Evak: Cannibal Ox, Mikah 9, Jaylib, Saul Williams, Latyrx, Rage Against The Machine

Now Playing: The DamnwellsBastards of the Beat

Tags: Music