It’s no surprise, then, that the youngster found solace in urban music; it was around that time that he started going to a café in L.A, where kids could show off their freestyle skills.
“There was a whole crew of people who were super good, but it was a family atmosphere. That was the final diving board for me – that plus never being able to keep a job,” he laughs. “I was always arriving late, working bad! One day I walked home after getting fired from a job and I realised I got confused real easy – and that I would get into music.”
John came into hip hop around the late ’80s and early ’90s – those heady days when every act was different. “You had Jungle Brothers, Slick Rick, RUN DMC, Heavy D, Pete Rock and C.L Smooth… There was such a disparity, and the focus was all about being original.”
To Pigeon John, this is what hip hop should be; a community of different voices. “It’s about finding your own range, and aligning yourself with people who have found their own lane – that way it doesn’t become about beating them or doing better. It’s about doing what works for you.
“I have a sound. The leaders of the game are still doing their thing. There’s only one Jay Z for example. Doing it your own way and striking, that’s what it’s about.”
John admits that at the beginning, it was a bit of a branding thing; a little mix of, ‘Hey, I’m different’. “With my first album, I was finding myself,” he figures. “I’ve done my fifth one now. I did a lot of touring and became a real part of the independent hip hop market. I decided I didn’t care if my record sold five copies – I decided I was going to do it for better or worse …
“It wasn’t about being a good emcee; I approached it like a kid,” he continues. “I’m not so much the producer, but I do know what works sonically and what stuff is important. I didn’t have that down pat [back then]. I don’t know what Daft Punk do to make their music go ‘crack’! But they’re producers and sonically they do what works. My producer did the same for me.”
Pigeon John is heading to Australia next week – hitting Melbourne at The East Brunswick Club. It’s hard to not be interested in knowing what he’s got in store… “I’ll be touring Australia with [DJ] Davey Rockit from Tennessee, and we’re going to approach the stage pretty humbly. We’re going to bring the Dragon Slayer songs in a traditional but interesting way,” he says, referring to his most recent LP.
“I did a tour with the band in France last month, and it’s going to be exciting and emotional in a good way – a real party vibe. [The show] is a bit of a dark comedy, with brokenness and joy. We’re going to let our blood stain the stage and let the piranhas smell it out!”
