OzHipHop.Com MAUNDZ Interview - From Mr NOBODY to ZERO
MAUNDZ - From Mr Nobody to Zero.
Interview
FORCE (F): Hi Maundz.
MAUNDZ (M): Allo Allo old friend
F: Lets start back a year and a half or so ago when you dropped Mr Nobody. Did you expect that album to be as big as it was?
M: Dunno what I expected really... I mean it was a first album and although Id been around for a minute I still feel like I had to come out guns
blazing like nobody had heard of me before (hence the name Mr Nobody).
The album was obviously not big on a mass scale, but it definitely got the ball rolling for me and opened the eyes of a few people that hadn't heard
of my work before, cant complain!
I respect everyone for the praise they've given me for it!
F: How did it feel getting respected artists touting you as the next big thing? Hoods were tweeting about you, Funkoars added you to their
bill in Adelaide and everyone was biggin up old Maundzy.
M: Haha shiiet I dont know about the next big thing, unless they're referring to my evolving girth, cos I been going hard on them potato cakes lately,
if that's what they're on about, then word im definitely the next big thing in the local hip hop scene, look out skin bags!
I got love for all those dudes man, grew up listening to them, and now im making music with a lot of them, its a bug out!
The pioneers in this country are very supportive of the up and comers, it definitely motivates you to show and prove
F: You were onboard with Cartel just before that dropped but it wasn’t an official Cartel release. Was that simply a matter of timing or was
it that it was past work sort of thing?
M: Bit of both really, Fluey hit me up and wanted to get me involved with CC, he introduced me to Geko and we got talking. By the time they decided to
put me on, the album was about to drop. Bees dick, but thats all gravy, not really much point putting a CC stamp on the album if they didn’t really
have much to do with it, feel me?
F: So whats it been like joining the Cartel fam, WIK came on-board around the same time yeah? Whats it like over at Cartel HQ in regards to
making music?
M: Yeah me and WIK jumped on board about the same time.
Its fucking cool man, I fly the flag high for my team and wouldn’t wanna be rolling with anyone else.
I've had a lot of fun making this album, it's been a completely different experience to recording the last.
The studio is an actual studio that Geko has built, it aint at somebody's house, with the distraction of televisions or people busting through the
door every 5 seconds...
When we're in the studio, we're there to work, feed off each others thoughts and create some shit.
F: Before we get onto the new album, you are dropping a mixtape just beforehand. Whats on this and when is it available?
M: Yes I am, we just decided to do this shit a few weeks ago for the heads that support my stuff..
A bit of it has been up for download in the past on soundcloud, but the tracks always max out so a lot of people miss out..
Its got remixes, live cyphers/freestyles, i've recorded a few new brand spankers exclusively for this release and will also be chucking a joint off
the upcoming album on there aswell..
All blended by my buvver Discourse on the 1's n 2's.
Will be up for free download next week, and free hard copies will be available at shows and hip hop stores around the land.
F: So ‘Zero’ is the new album to drop in May and it is entirely produced by WIK. Besides the dope beats obviously, what made you just go with
one producer as opposed to your previous work?
M: I just wanted to try a different formula this time around, and I had the right man to hit up, so I would’ve been stupid to pass up the
opportunity..
F: Did you find WIK easy to work with, in a way of the direction you wanted the album to go, same page sort of deal?
M: Pretty much man, me and WIK share a similar taste in music, not just hip hop, but everything in-between, so that was a plus.
We both wanted to bring a cohesive sound throughout the whole album and experiment a bit.
We got a lot of live instrumentalists on the album to beef the breaks up a bit such as sax, vibraphones, violins, live bass, harmonica etc
Always good working with someone that wants to expand on things and make that shit bang
F: Were there any disagreements on beats that made the album?
M: Yeah we culled a few tracks, not because we didn’t like them, we just felt they didn’t sit right with the rest of the album.
That aint no thing though, always good to have a few aces up the old sleeve.
F: Can you define WIK’s style of production for those who may not know of him?
M: He's a fuckin animal, what more can I say.
Dudes are gonna wake up real quick about that too.
WIK has a world class sound, he just hasn’t put his name out there, he is definitely on par with your Trials's and your M Phazes's and the rest of the
cats getting theirs out there at the moment.
He's on some Dairy Bell shit, what flavour you kids want??? He's got it.
F: A lot of people had commented on previous tracks you and WIK had done together that it really suited your style, did that influence your
decision to go with him for a whole album?
M: Nah not really man, once I heard a few of his beats for myself that I hadn't rhymed over, I knew what was up, I knew I wanted to get some work done
with the dude. But it definitely is a bonus that people we're feeling the chemistry long before the talk of a duo album ever popped up.
F: Your beat choices on Mr Nobody were spot on in a lot of peoples eyes. Are you a picky dude with your beats, do you know what you sound good
over?
M: Yeah im pretty particular, I don’t even know what the fuck I want, but when I hear it, and I dig, I want it, simple as that.
Some beats automatically put you in go mode like you already know what you wanna vibe about, so I just wait till those moments come and when it's on,
it's on.
I did knock a lot of beats back from WIK, but the amount of beats this guy has is just fucking incredible man, there’s a lot sitting there stockpiled
for another possible release
F: Is there a particular style of beat you just don’t think you would suit? In a hip hop sense.
M:
Yeah I love J Dilla's work, and a lot of cats seem to be trying to emulate that style these days, I cant get down with that sound personally, i just
don’t sound right over that style I feel.
But hey, Im down to run at whatever man, I don’t wanna put limitations on myself, but if something like that got offered to me, I don’t think I’d go
out of my way to get up on it unless I felt I could pull it off.
F: Having done tracks with WIK, I find that you can send him something and he sends back a final version where he has done some crazy shit to
the beat and it makes the track even better. Did he pull that shit on you?
M: Yeah of course he did, all beats are distinct and come out with left jabs when you don’t expect it.
But WIK, if you do by chance read this interview, hurry the fuck up, we aint got long hombre haha
F: Enough about WIK. How do you think you have progressed for this album as an emcee?
M: I've got more of an opened mind towards trying new shit, im all about progression man, I don’t want to be stagnant and rag on about the same old
shit over the same old loop ya know?
Not that I did that on the last album by any means, but I like to get topical..
I still go in on them bars and all that, but not as much as the last.. I don’t want to be seen as a one trick pony, I wanna flip whatever on the
scene, and when people hear it, hopefully it gets them thinking that I show some versatility in the mix.
F: People sometimes pidgeon hole you a little I think as an angry rapper style dude but if you listen deeper there is a lot of social
commentary and opinions in your raps. Do you feel sometimes people miss them due to your big persona on the mic?
M: People can suck my dick
F: You are pretty hard on yourself as a writer. Often tweeting about how you only want to write classic shit, make a burner album etc. Do you
feel this is a self motivation that works for you? Do you think ‘Zero’ is a classic, complete album and what do you think makes a classic
album?
M: Well fuck, if your making hip hop, and you dont want to make classic shit, what the fuck are you in it for!!???
No point going in to a gun fight with a super soaker.
I know I said the word before, but cohesiveness is the key to a dope album I think, you gotta have all boxes ticked. But that’s just my opinion, I
don’t write the book on how to make a classic, and if I did, I’d probably be talking to Steve Rivkind at the moment, not your good self haha.
I'd like all of my work to be held in high regard by the kids coming up in the scene, no doubt.
F: There appears to have been a lot of involvement from the crew in the making of this album. Tweeting photos from the lab with everyone
there. Is this the case and if so what part did people play or are they just hanging around when you there?
M: The office next door to the lab had been giving Geko free slabs of cider for months, so that shit kept people hanging around, that was good cider
yo!
I usually get to the lab once a week, and myself Gek and WIK put in a solid8-10 hour day together putting everything together that we've individually
done throughout the week.
F: I know you have a lot of respect for the pioneers, especially in the Melbourne scene and have looked to them for advice and guidance in
part. It seems the whole Cartel crew have a good relationship with a lot of ‘older’ heads. How do you think this impacts what you personally are doing
with your music?
M: Its had a great impact on what im doing, if it weren’t for the older heads in this scene that gave us something to aspire to in the first place, I
wouldn’t be doing what im doing now, that’s real.
Its a two way street with respect, and the only reason we're getting some, is because we give it.
F: So, lets get down to the nitty gritty. What are we gonna hear on this album. What you rappin about?
M: Like the last, its got a bit of everything.
I go in on the battle bars, I get a bit deeper on some personal shit from my past and who I am, there's some topical joints on there, there's a sequal
track to another track off the last album, we got stories, the whole shebang, no arty farty dance shit though, sorry kids..
This time round we've definitely taken a more musical route though, there's a lot of talented musicians within our circle of friends so why not take
advantage of it?
But most importantly, we've kept it 100 when it comes to bringing what we feel is a good representation of hip hop from old Melbourne town.
F: Are you ready to reveal the guest list just yet? I know it is impressive.
M: Nah not yet, will have to wait a few weeks for announcements from the head honcho's.
F: How did you connect with each artist you have on there and why did you want them on there personally?
M: Every one of the artists I have on here are all artists that I have wanted to work with for years, and im blessed to have them on here.
It really is an honour considering majority of them all have extremely busy schedules and have taken the time out to get down with a knockabout like
myself.
I've known a lot of these dudes on a personal level for a minute, and some I haven’t known for long at all, but they are all people that I have a huge
respect for when it comes to this rap shit, because they're all so fucking different man!
F: I got fucked up at your video clip shoot. Cheers for the beers firstly. Can you tell people about the track and the clip ideas?
M: haha your welcome, I think half the place left with heat stroke that day... 2 days filming in 40 degrees getting physical and sinking piss. Dang...
The first clip is a familiar topic, but I wanted to put my own spin on it... I rhyme about the 90's, and the other older dude who I looked up to as a
kid rhyme about the 80's...
I hit WIK up last year and said man I really want the most 90's beat that you can find me, I don’t care how long it takes you, just give me some shit
that’s just gonna time warp everyone, and a week later dude had my back, the beat is fucking beautiful man, it really is.
My boys Full Clip are behind it all and its looking mickey mouse.
Will be up next week!
F: Will you be doing any more clips for the album?
M: Yeah we're already working on the next one, with a few lil tid bits in-between then to keep the promo ball rolling..
Lucky to have talented dudes like Discourse, Heata and B wiv on my team.
F: You have spoken before about how you are not really a touring kind of emcee. It just doesn’t sit with you. If the demand is there, would
you try to make it work or is it just not you?
M: I'm down to give it a bash man, I knocked back a 30 show national tour support slot last year because of work. Its fucked man, but i've got a cushy
job and im too lazy and comfortable at the moment to be doing 7 shows a week type of thing.
Im always down to hit interstate, but I just don’t know how i'd handle going hard every single night, I need some sleep man haha
F: That said will you be launching ‘Zero’ to the masses live?
M: Of course!
Peeps that have come to our shows know we like to get rowdy and set it off and that’s what we'll be doing.
We will definitely be taking the show around the country to all major cities and other towns in-between, I cant wait, love meeting new faces!!
F: So, give people the details, when is it dropping, any special packages and where can they cop it?
M: Zero will be available nation wide and on iTunes MAY 25th via Obese Distribution, you'll be able to cop it at all JB HiFi's, all hip hop stores and
all hip hop websites around Australia. There will be pre orders and all that other good stuff going on aswell...get it up ya!
F: Thanks Mr Maundz.
M: Cheers bruv, shouts to everyone that has supported me
Free album from http://www.drakezilla.com featuring The Tongue, Syntax, Mdusu, Johnny Utah. On the beats is Trials, Mac Lethal, Sammsonite, Mdusu,
Mules + more.
[quote][i]Originally posted by DrBind[/i]
Never mind some woman pretending to be a social worker luring young vulnerable pregnant women into some seedy preggo sex den.
Bind has probably fucked a pregnant girl. [/quote]
Goonbaggers! We will be interviewing Goonbag fam Andrew Maundz Maunders this Saturday live from the Obese Records retail store. Got any questions
you'd like us to ask him? It can be ANYTHING. Hit up our Facebook page.
HALLA!
We platinum baggin, bitch!
http://www.goonbag.com - Australias ONLY 24/7 Online Hip Hop Radio Station
![[*]](images/ozhiphop/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
