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In the city of Chicago's war on wackness, there are 2 seperate but equally important people. MC Filfy and DJ Jive Alive. These are their stories. *Dun Dun*
So how did you guys initially link up?
We met at Rare Faction open mic in Ithaca. Filfy was bartending there and running the show. My boy Alt invited me down there to DJ, so it was like, we all worked on tracks together and performed as the Rare Faction Crew – Me, Filfy, Alt, Missin Link, Embacee, and SaS. The two of us had a distinct relationship though because we were mostly interested in girls, dancing, and the party aspect.
Haha.
From there, I split to Cali for a while and she stayed in NY. We linked back up in Chi last year.
Who do you think has influenced your music the most? The first time I heard Filfy it took me back to Ladybug Mecca from Digable Planets.
That’s definitely one of Filfy’s biggest influences along with Pharcyde. Anything from Brooklyn. Camp Lo. I’m just influenced by the sample records I find. Fuckin’, Petula Clark and shit, you know, the woman who sings Downtown.
No doubt, haha. The chemistry is obviously there. What do you feel each of you individually brings to the table as far as the music goes and what you represent?
Umm, I bring the beats, she brings the rhymes. That’s a tough question. We always say “2 plus nice = dope times the Dos.” That’s our equation. Such formulaic questions…Damn, son.
photo courtesy: Misty Winter Photography
It’s got a nice ring to it. How do you feel about the scene out there in the Chi, and how does it compare to say, New York or Cali?
Well, the bacchi ball scene is way more competitive here.
[Laughs] I hate you.
Well we’ve only been in NYC a little, done a couple of shows there. Not really fair to judge the scene. We were in upstate NY which is undoubtedly a smaller scene than Chi or Cali. There’s just more opportunities here if you’re making music. More people, more venues, more ideas. We’ve never been anywhere where people were argumentative or just tough to get along with in general, but Chicago overall is a little more genial than Cali. Don’t get me wrong, we love Cali though. Out last trip to the bay area was amazing. Out = our.
I figured you were just gettin’ a little too hyphy to type straight.
Yeah, you know me. Actually I was just working on my hyphy remix of the Jordan Jessie Go! Theme song. Chicago gets a bad rap sometimes because people think the locals are haters. There’s a little of the Second City complex when it comes to out-of-towners. You have to prove yourself before anyone will listen, but its all love in general.
Do you guys currently have anything in the works?
Yeah, the album Filfy Flirty we’ve been working on forever. European tour this winter, west coast tour next spring, NY and Chi shows this month and next.
Damn-son.com sponsored show in the fall? [Laughs]
You say that to look important. Make it happen dunny, we’re always in. Filfy has started playing Super Mario 3. We’ll be lucky to get any answers out of her now. But lets try anyway.
[Laughs] Tell her I’ll have a few girls lined up for her when she gets here.
We don’t need no crutches or hookups. There’s a reason we’re Filfy Flirty.
[Laughs] Well save some for me! Where do you plan on taking the music? You both obviously love what you’re doing but at the end of the day we’ve all got bills to pay, and what better way to do that than make money doing something you love?
I don’t know, I’m not interested in being famous. Or being a 30-year old on tour with my hip hop crew. That shit’s just sad…But we got a few more years left in us. Right now we’re only looking as far forward as a year. We both have day jobs, and I don’t think that’s going to change really. But we’re always doing other things. Filfy’s all over the map modeling while I’m at home making tour flyers for people.
Do you remember your first performance? What was it like?
Ooh damn. Mine was with my friend’s band in high school. It was atrocious, I was fucking terrible, but we had fun at the time. Filfy’s was in NYC at the Five Spot Supper Club open mic in Brooklyn. It was an MC & MPC battle, and Filfy was mad shaky. But it’s an open mic place so everyone was really supportive. She was reading a poem off a piece of paper and was shaking so hard she couldn’t read it, so she had to do it from memory anyway. We both agree that it felt great afterward but is a serious hurdle the first time.
photo courtesy: J. Gomez
Tell her to watch out for the turtle joint throwing the boomerang! [Filfy is still playing Super Mario 3 @ this point]
“Got it under control, chief.”, “Oh Yoshime, you won’t let those robots eat me.”
Oh yeah, so whats the deal with the whole ‘Chicago promoters’ thing?
Oh, well a couple years ago there was a club called E2 and an overcrowded balcony collapsed. Since then, the city’s been trying to cook up a way to better regulate parties with minimal effort on their part. They came up with the idea of licensing and taxing the independent promoters. It means more money for the city and less people out at night. But lost business for local musicians, venues, bars, restaurants, art galleries, and lost tourism due to a suffering music scene. We’re trying to fight it off, but its tough to unite musicians, promoters, and bar folk. We’re generally slothful, so we made it easy on 4themusic.org. Get on there, read about the ordinance and send a message to City Hall about it. Filfy and I have been promoting shows since 2004, and we do it out of love and usually just barely break even. Having to pay for a $2000 license for each one of us isn’t in the budget.
How do you think the internet has worked out in your favor as far as promotion and overall exposure?
We’d only be a local act without it, which wouldn’t be bad, but we’re going to Europe because club Combustion saw our myspace after we opened for God-des and She. It only does good things. It has its bullshit just like anything else, but we work it out. We wouldn’t be friends or doing this interview right now if it weren’t for the internet.
Truth. As true as my job hating black people.
And the BIG point on the internet...When I was in Cali, we were able to keep making music because I sent her beats back in NY. Wouldn’t have happened otherwise really. I mean, I could send CDs, but the communication wouldn’t have been there.
Yeah, instant feedback is always nice. None of that rotary dial bullshit. What would you say your biggest vice is? Besides titties.
Mine, you already named it. [Laughs] We both say yes to titties.
I can’t help myself either…
Good music probably. We’re both out ‘til all hours all the fucking time.
Vote Filf Dos in 2008, and you too can say yes…to titties.
I stress myself the fuck out trying to go to all my friend’s shows and do more and more shows for the Dos. It’s a rush unlike any other. And also, sneakers.
Elaborate.
When we touch down in a new city for a show or something, our free time is spent in the local sneaker shop. I buy records before shoes, but that’s about it. Also, Filfy has a soft spot for bootleg merchandise. Always hittin’ up the local Chinatown for the new Louis V bootlegs.
[Laughs] Any show horror stories?
Filfy's worst show was in Asbury, NJ by the shore. It was a dyke show and the people there weren't interested in the music at all. Her collar wasn’t popped and she wasn’t wearing plaid shorts, so no one cared about her. We had a show in Ithaca recently where some of the locals got hurt because we didn’t invite them to perform. Assholes. I did a show with Qwel, Vast Aire, and Copywrite where I lost $1600 and someone jacked my ipod out of the green rroom. Filfy’s had to call me from solo shows so I could coach the bunk ass promoter through setting up their rented amp or some shit.
So when you're out and you’re not performing whats your poison? 40s? [Laughs]
Sometimes. Its hard to get those in a bar. As a group, we support High Life. Also partial to Jameson shots and gin gimlets. Weed is usually around if we are. On the road anyway. Back in Ithaca days it was nothin’ but smoke at our practice sessions.
