[rock the dub Interview]: Wise Intelligent
You know I have to rep for my hood; Trenton, NJ is where I was born and raised, and when I was a shorty, there was one video that Ralph McDaniels and other outlets would blast: "Rock Dis Funky Joint". There were scenes shot in projects not too far from my childhood home, as well as ill shots taken on the Trenton Makes bridge. The group was the Poor Righteous Teachers, and the standout MC of that crew was a man by the name of Wise Intelligent. He had a mixture of the rapid fire flows of that time, as well as lacing his darts with intelligence and social commentary. Many fans only knew "Rock Dis Funky Joint", and didn't realize that PRT pretty much helped pioneer (uncredited in many circles) the true conscious Hip-Hop movement of that time. They dropped 3 slept on albums, and at this point, Wise is out doing his own thing with his Intelligent Muzik movement. With a new mixtape and album set to come out, khal got a chance to question Wise on where he came from, where he's at, and where he's going.
khal: First and foremost, thanks for the opportunity to let us re-familiarize ourselves with one of the unsung heroes of Hip-Hop. For the uninitiated, can you please let us know who Wise Intelligent is, who you are affiliated with, etc?
Wise Intelligent: I’m one third of Trenton, NJ’s and Hip-Hop'sPoor Righteous Teachers; Holy Intellect, Pure Poverty, Black Business, The New World Order and all uh dem ting. Lyrically, I’m your favorite rapper's favorite rapper! Not only did MC’s get knowledge of self from PRT album’s, but they also found a lot of their flows in these same albums. So in a nutshell, I am the progenitor of a lot of what’s HOT today!
khal: Do you think that growing up in Trenton, NJ, has shaped your style differently than if you had grown up somewhere bigger like NYC or Philly?
Wise Intelligent: Maybe, and maybe not! The people, the surroundings, and experiences is what adds on to a man, the way he perceives his environment and develop ideas concerning the world around him. Through my travels abroad I have come to the understanding that every “black community” with exception to a few catch phrases are identical in their poverty, oppression, suffering, decay, etc. I’m not one to follow what the masses are doing either, so I would definitely have brought something new and original to Hip-Hop regardless to where I was from. After all I’m “The Talented Timothy Taylor!”
khal: Let’s take it back to 1990, when PRT dropped Holy Intellect. What was going through your mind back then? Were you just happy to be signed, or did you know exactly what you were doing back then? Do you have any regrets in regards to choices you made back then?
Wise Intelligent: The manifestations brought forth on that particular album represent a young black male in America coming into knowledge, the first steps toward righteousness. You ask “what was I thinking?" That’s just it, I wasn’t thinking at all. Not in an ignorant since of the statement, but rather the fact that, I am at most times a vessel being used to convey certain truths. My responsibility in this role is not to think, but to choose and except. The thoughts already exist in the Universal Sub-Conscious Mind of God. We just choose, and the thoughts we choose to accept will become our reality. In other words, such thoughts will find their author. Thus, HOLY INTELLECT. As far as regrets, there’s only one; if I had Another Chance at Life, I’d listen to me a bit more!
khal: There are some who believe that a lot of the 5% ideas, as well as your heavy social commentary, were slept on back in the day. When people think of consciousness in Hip-Hop, they seem to skip over you and PRT. Why is that, do you think? Does that upset you at all?
Wise Intelligent: 90% of the people of this world don’t and won’t know shit if it is not marketed to them! This is the west we are living in. Don’t you remember, the leaders of Europe (the Emperor and the Church) would teach the masses only what would influence public opinion in whatever way favorable to their agenda? America is an extension of Europe, and the people only believe what they have seen and/or heard on BET, MTV, VH1, Clear Channel, VIBE, XXL, SOURCE, ABC, NBC, etc. So while PRT was not being marketed, groups who were being marketed could take “pieces and bits of all my hip hop hits” (to quote Rakim) and claim it for themselves. I’m not ever upset about it, my goal is not to be the “king of rap.”
khal: There is a lot of patois and Jamaican flows throughout your work, from 1990 to now. Is that part of your lineage? Do you feel any kinship to cats like the Marleys, or prophets like Capleton?
Wise Intelligent: Well no, I’m not Jamaican, my mothers root goes back to Barbados. And of course I feel kinship with all of Jamaica and the Caribbean. We are ONE people in a deeper since than slave-ships. But, that’s another interview.
khal: Can you break down the “Back to School” project you talked about on All Hip-Hop previously? I know The Talented Timothy Taylor project was the 1st of the reportedly 5-CD box set? Please explain your motivation behind this project, and what you hope to accomplish.
Wise Intelligent: The “Back 2 School” box set is actually 7 albums; one disc for each period in a school day. The First Period which is “WISE INTELLIGENT IZ….The Talented Timothy Taylor” will be followed by WISE INTELLIGENT IZ…The Unconquerable Jezus Jonez (7/7/07), and WISE INTELLIGENT IZ….El Negro Guerro, and so on…The concept behind the box set is that we are living in a severely dumbed-down, anti-intellectual environment, so I have decided to go against the grain and take hip hop Back 2 School! She’s truant, she’s “in the trap”, she “in the mall” she’s “in the club” she’s “going down” because she’s everywhere except where there is knowledge. That’s why the cover has the scantily clad sister (Hip-Hop) on a bike and we’re headed “Back to School.”
Hopefully when school let’s out I would have left a sound catalogue of knowledge, wisdom, ghetto-political social-commentary, style and substance.
khal: What’s going on with Intelligent Muzik? Is this just a label, or is it deeper than that? Do you have any other projects on the horizon under that umbrella?
Wise Intelligent: Intelligent Muzik iz by all means a movement that focuses greatly on the unknown element of Hip-Hop which is activism. Intelligent Muzik's mission is to become the first community owned and operated label in the form of a not-for-profit that trains urban youth in careers in and surrounding the muzik industry. Starting with how to own and profit from your talent.
khal: I know it’s gotta be hard to pick just one, but do you have a favorite track from your catalogue? Is there any project you wish you could redo, and if so, why?
Wise Intelligent: I haven’t made my favorite song yet. I guess that’s what’s keeping me sharp. I would like to do Black Business over, simply because I could have expounded on many more relevant matters pertaining to the title than I did. Facts like blacks account for less than 1% of all the business receipts in the country, how in 1860 90% of all blacks worked for whites and today the numbers are the same. So that’s the one I’d do over.
khal: I have heard guys like Saul Williams say that Hip-Hop has gone Republican; Cam’Ron has even called himself Bush when speaking about his rap battles. Why do you think that the mainstream is not pushing more conscious Hip-Hop? Who do you think is truly pushing that sound?
Wise Intelligent: I believe that we are getting “conscious Hip-Hop”, just conscious of what is the question. Today’s rap music is “money-conscious” and or “street-conscious.” Some have argued that the lack of positive images and lifestyles in mainstream “black” music is because positive rap don’t sale! I am not one who subscribes to this belief. PE sold, Fugees sold, Kanye sold "Jesus Walks"? Again it’s what’s marketed and made to look attractive to the masses. When you follow the links between The Bush administration, the Prison Industrial Complex, Clear Channel, Viacom and the Major recording companies you’ll begin to understand the “bigger picture.” But that’s another interview. Check out “The Globe Holders” track on BLESSED BE THE POOR?.
khal: Who or what is a bigger problem for the ghetto youth of today: the music that promotes ignorance or the government that keeps their feet on the back of the ghetto?
Wise Intelligent: Which is the “bigger” problem is not the question we should ask, rather “what is the biggest problem?” The music we listen to is a problem but is it THE problem, NO! The government has always dealt with blacks as sort of a second class pseudo-European populace, so we should expect their neglect. The problem for black youth in America whether rich or poor, free or slave is when their own so-called leadership i.e., their teachers, preachers, politicians, businessmen, authors, directors, athletes, and entertainers, are afraid to be BLACK! When we make decisions based on whether or not our words and/or actions will or will not offend white-folk! When we are afraid to teach our youth the truth about themselves, their culture and heritage and our gift of civilization, science, math, languages, medicine, etc. contributions that pre-date white man we create the problem. The problem is that our youth are being taught to envy their oppressors. This is why so many rappers assume positions of power in this muzik industry and take on the ways actions and characteristics of the oppressor. We have a desire now to be like this oppressor when the movement should be to replace him!
khal: I hear you’re still living in Trenton, NJ. I grew up in North Trenton; in fact my mom still lives in North Trenton. Do you think there’d ever be a time when you would move out of Trenton? Why or why not?
Wise Intelligent: Yes I will move out of Trenton soon enough. I need a farm land around me, at least the distance of 100 yards between myself and my closest neighbor. I love the people of Trenton, I just think that we all deserve better!
khal: Lead by Busta Rhymes’ “New York Shit”, there seems to be a brewing resurgence for the Tri-State area to try and re-claim the crown of this Hip-Hop thing. Do you think that this is possible right now, with so many fans loving the tracks coming from the South?
Wise Intelligent: Anything is possible but my attitude is and has always been, why can’t more than one style of rap music be marketed, promoted, positioned, played, consumed and exist simultaneously? Why must there be soooo much “tribalism.” We still haven’t learned from our past. We were divided on the continent of Africa into tribes (Yuroba, Mandinka, Songhai, Igbo, Hausa/Fulani, etc). The “Slave-trade” was supposed to bind up the divisions amongst us. On those boats we became one to deal with the common threat and experience. Today we don’t know what tribe we came from and rightfully so. We are suppose to be ONE people with many flavors!
khal: When you’re not making music and building your Intelligent Muzik foundation, what else do you get into? How does Wise Intelligent wind down?
Wise Intelligent: I’m a VERY family oriented man. My bride and my sons are my peace of mind, nothings more relaxing than time spent with them.
khal: Do you have any shout outs or words of wisdom to drop on the masses?
Wise Intelligent: Yes, The problem with the ghetto, the suburbs, the hood the government, the churches and everyone in the whole wide world is this; We all need to listen to MORE WISE INTELLIGENT, more INTELLIGENT MUZIK, MORE POOR RIGHTEOUS TEACHERS! So the INTELLIGENT thing to do would be to log onto Intelligent Muzik and my MySpace page and cop that “Blessed Be the Poor?” The Un-MixTape.
Big up to Wise and his people for setting this interview up. If you still haven't gotten enough Wise Intelligent, peep this interview that noz put up on Cocaine Blunts. Peep those links, check out his work, and try to do your homework on true Hip-Hop knowledge, as well as true life knowledge. Be easy.
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