by SCOTT C

Although we only get small doses of what goes on in the world of the L.A. hip hop underground up here, it's amazing to see just how many different artists and personalities make up one of the most prolific, self-sufficient independent scenes that side of Philly. Busdriver is one of those artists who, in the footsteps of Freestyle Fellowship and Project Blowed, is busting things wide open with a barrage of lyrics and well-executed storytelling for any head that will listen. Along with producers like Daddy Kev, Daedelus and Paris Zax, this MC has proven again and again that he's got a lot to say. The Mirror spoke to Busdriver over the phone from Florida.

Mirror: Tell me a little bit about the Weather, the new thing that you and RadioInactive have got going on.

Busdriver: The Weather is actually something that was started a long time ago, in like '97, '98, sort of an L.A. underground supergroup. They consisted of Of Mexican Descent, RadioInactive, Jism and Awol One. They sort of toyed with the idea of this group, but it dissolved fairly quickly. Me and Radio decided to bring it back because our collaborations are of the same spirit of what the original group did. We wanted to link ourselves to this point in L.A. underground history, because there's so much that has happened and the Weather was important.

M: I know kids from Winnipeg who are so well versed on the underground hip hop scene in Los Angeles that it scares me. You'd think that they lived there their whole lives. How does that strike you?

B: It's weird everywhere we go, y'know? I love Canada because of that. Me and the Shapeshifters toured Canada last year and found that some of our biggest fans are up there. They really follow the music that comes out and they don't miss a beat. It's great because we couldn't survive without people like that, but it's still strange sometimes.

M: Do you write new shit while you're on the road, or do you try to concentrate on the material that you're performing?

B: I just did an album with Daddy Kev actually, but it's being turned into a score for a short film called Cosmic Cleavage. It's a film about women and stuff. Daddy Kev did all the music and D-Styles did all the cuts and it's cool, but I'm still working on something else. I don't feel the need to rush and put something out.

M: I'm assuming that you also subscribe to the point of view that says to just keep on putting things out there as well.

B: Yeah! I think with a lot of indie groups, a steady release of projects and albums is what you have to do in order to sustain your audience, and I definitely agree with that. It's kind of a double-edged sword, 'cause you don't want to saturate the market with your shit, but you always want to be in the mix.

M: Most independent artists aren't pushing enough quantities to saturate a sponge, so I say get it out there!

B: The whole American Pop approach to music, where you make an album a year, promote it and then tour, just isn't the reality of most of the artists I know. I know people who complete a project in a week. It's an ongoing process.

With RadioInactive, Awol One, Andre Afram Asmar and Nonobstant at Casa del Popolo on Tuesday, April 29, 9pm, $10

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