1. JIM: I've heard you are releasing a new album pretty soon. When will it be
released and what should we expect?
DIRT: It'll definitely be out in Jan. I'm hoping for Jan. 1st...but it might not make
it until the middle of the month (stay tuned to locustfist.com for all of that)
Expectations?....prove that Jesus Christ still performs miracles.
This album is definitely an evolution (WHAT EVOLUTION EXISTs!!!...heheheh) from
where I was when I wrote PLAGUE. Honestly, after writing PLAGUE (actually starting before I finished it) I had become very depressed. Mostly at what we call a 'Christian' music industry.
everyone talked about God and ministry....but it didn't seem like anyone wanted
to REALLY minister to people who didn't know God. I'm a street evangelist. a gritty, grimy down in the filth of poverty (mostly spiritual) street evangelist. I grew up with these 'bottom of the barrel' people
and I love them...and I don't see too much difference between me and them except
that I was approached by a God that was willing to come down to where I was at.
in the filth! That's what Jesus did! That was ministry! he casted away the preconceived idea's
and the worldly fears, and he came down to the 'streets' where the people needed
him most. so far, from what I've seen from this industry is some kinda of weird desire to
take 'street level' musicians such as my self, pump em up with 'golden talk',
make $ off of them and leave them right in the street where they found em.
well that's what happened with PLAGUE, I wrote a a nice album that all the
'street' level people could relate to an album that was drenched with gospel
news and even before I could finish it, it got snatched from me and trampled on
(and when I say 'it', I don't mean the actual album as much as I mean the vision
that God had put on my heart).
So basically I fell into the trap of letting men be 'God' to me, and I felt like
I failed....failed my God, failed my family, failed my people, and failed
myself.
So to FINALLY answer your question, you can expect to hear depression on this album. and then you can expect to hear how God might let that depression linger for a second....but then you can expect to hear how God is faithful to His people and how He is diligent in pulling us out of even the biggest storms if we allow Him, but no matter what...you can expect to hear of how 'dirt got his groove back'. I WILL NEVER (I hate saying never..it's really definitive) ALLOW MAN TO DECIPHER MY RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. Period!
....Oh yeah...musically....expect to hear a hip-hop emcee hook up with an
acoustic musician (Jesse Sprinkle from Poor Old Lu) and stamp a new sound onto
hip-hop.....
2. JIM: On your first album you talked a lot about "Shadow of the Locust". Could you
explain the meaning behind it all?
DIRT: Shadow of the Locust is the name of my ministry. people in the world see it as a
hip-hop 'group'...but it's more of a network. in Joel Chapter 2....the prophet
is using a current plague of locust as a reference to prophecy about Gods coming
armies (read Matthew Henry on it). So, it just hit me hard...everything Joel was
saying the locust were...he was also saying that was how Gods army is (and
should be)
a locust by itself is insignifacant....but their power is in their unity.
3. JIM: I first heard you on P.O.D.'s "Brown" album. Was that your debut
appearance? If so, did that appearance open any doors for you?
DIRT: That was my 'debut' to the world....but I've been walking my neighborhood,
beating on my chest, and writing rhymes since I was little. I think my first
debut was when I made a bunch of cardboard people, taped them on my bedroom
wall, and lip synched Michael Jackson's 'Billie Jean' to them.....I think they
clapped when I was done....maybe not.
I will say this, however, I LOVE the guys in POD....and I will never EVER forget
the doors that they opened up for me. I'm not even talkin' about the 'industry
doors'....I'm talking about the way that I haven't hung out with them for the
longest time (they're busy) but I can still be influenced by the humility of
Sonny, the kindness of Marcus and Tre', and even my petty arguments with
Wuvy. Those guys, in more ways than they'll ever know, showed me what it's like
to be an adult.
4. JIM: Your music is quite unique, how did you come up with that sound and who
are your musical influences?
DIRT: My music is unique because I serve a God who endorses uniqueness (duck bill
platypus, flying fish, swimming birds, cockroaches)....He's a very creative God!
I've learned to be influenced by all of the things that cross my path. I have my
musical favorites (BB king to eek-a-mouse to the GZA), but nothing influences me
more than experience.
5. JIM: What was the last CD you bought?
DIRT: last CD I bought was 'Sunz of Man'....but the last CD that I received (present
from Doug) was ZAO's newest album. ....man I love ZAO....
if hip-hop could capture the honest emotion of bands like that
LOOK OUT!!!
6. JIM: Could you share your testimony with us?
DIRT: I did. my testimony is that God will not crush you when you are weak Matthew 12:20.
