by RAF KATIGBAK

Okay, so count this as the bazillionth hip hop interview you've read where the interviewee starts off by saying, "I'm not your average MC." But coming from the bespectacled and wiry 24-year-old frame of Ottawa's Nate Nunn, this time you just might believe it. Two years ago, after getting kicked out of what he describes as a wannabe Blink 182 band (whew!), Nunn moved to Montreal, locked himself in his apartment with nothing more than a microphone and a computer, and emerged two months later as a twisted, trash-talking skater MC named Versus. Last year he dropped his debut LP Intoxicus Maximus under his Ghetto Nuns project name (featuring local DJ DR One), an album chock-a-block with technoid beats and over-the top-lyrics of the "blushing sailor" variety (as featured on tracks like "Turbo Pimp" and "Pirate Bitchez"). This year, armed only with a crappy ghetto blaster, a microphone and an energetic delivery that's as much Dr. Demento as it is Dr. Dre, Versus began to hijack public power outlets across the city with the craziest impromptu live street performance since that creepy breakdancing Spiderman guy. Now he's ready to go legit and take his antics to Foufs where he intends to prove he's not your average MC.

Mirror: From the schizophonic nature of the album I can tell you weren't raised strictly on hip hop.

Versus: In terms of influence, I can look at Nirvana and say that's fuckin' balls out. I love fucking Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones, but I can get with anything, man. I can listen to James Brown and wanna fuck everything in sight or I can listen to Coldplay and cry for an hour. I mean, what Coldplay does is a lot harder than what I do, to get up there and croon a little ballad, it's fuckin' ridiculous! To be an idiot? Fuck, that doesn't take no balls, but to bring a little skill to it… Now, I'm not G.G. Allin, but I'm not Canibus either.

M: So what brought you into the game?

V: NWA. I remember being in Grade 8 the first time I held a fuckin' NWA tape. That shit was like drugs! It was like contraband, you know what I mean? Kids passing it off in the hallway under their coats, "Here, check this out!" That's the kind of reaction I want.

M: Let's talk about the guerrilla shows you've been doing around town. Any highlights?

V: I set up in the parking lot next to Place des Arts and eventually a crowd of about 30 people formed. Then, despite the fact that I was drooling and sweating and shit, some super hottie came up and shoved five bucks in my shorts like I was some go-go dancer. I was so inspired I thought, man, if that super hot chick came that close to my genital area, I was like yo, I can pull this off!

M: So what can we expect from your show?

V: The show is gonna be a funk circus! My new shit is less ironic hip hop and more year-3000 punk disco techno shit. I wanna bring it on the James Brown level, I want abandon, know what I mean? I wanna be the tape in that kid's pocket who's hustling it around to his friends like it was a bag of drugs. I can worry about the ballads later. This shit is for now.

At Foufounes Électriques on Friday, Nov. 7, 9pm, $5

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