Define your genre in five words or less:
“Slam poetry/conscious hip hop.”
I walk past as you guys are playing, go get a beer and tell a mate… what do I say?
“‘I just witnessed the best lyricism I have ever heard!’”
How long have you been gigging and writing?
“Writing for six years, gigging for one or two.”
What has been your favourite gig you’ve played to date?
“A set at the famous Nuyorican Poets’ Café, in NYC. And a gig in support of Lowkey in Sydney.”
Who’s your idol?
“Still the effervescent and ever present Tupac Amaru Shakur, for his prolific nature as a writer, his openness, and his massive heart which conveyed immense power and fearlessness in his work and life. There has not been a revolutionary like him since.”
How has the world affected your music?
“By growing up in a household of music from Sade, Metallica, Gypsy Kings, John Farnham, Pearl Jam, Tupac and Biggie, old and modern Greek music, Italian tunes, Spanish Flamenco, Michael Franks, Tony Bennett, musically, the world has always been all around me. I can never listen to only one genre of music for very long. Politically and culturally, the world affects my music by forming a major part of my subject matter, so musical and cultural traditions affect my music both sonically and lyrically. The combination, more often than not, sounds like hip hop because it’s the only genre that samples so heavily and encourages cultures to pick it up. It’s easy to bring diversity to hip hop, that’s why I have always loved it as an art form.”
How do you want your music to effect the world?
“I want my music to help people expand their views, to believe they can make amazing works while having a good time. I’m into ‘edu-tainment’. If you are going to make something that educates, you should make it entertaining so people will be attracted to the art and therefore the lesson inside it. This is also where I get my name: Lesson. But, to have fun and enjoy yourself… I would be happy if people took nothing away from my show other than inspiration.”
What do you think a band has to do these days to succeed?
“Hustle, harder than ever. Be on top of the social network interfaces we all love to hate. More importantly, though, be good at what you do and treat every gig as the gig. You never know who is in the crowd.”
