Vordul and Eyedea Interview
By Gentle Jones
Vordul Megallah of Cannibal Ox is considered by many to be a fresh upcoming talent, he was mellow mannered and friendly.
Gentle Jones: What’s your current favorite rap record?
Vordul: That new 2pac, it’s so full of emotion.
Gentle Jones: How do you feel when you listen to The Cold Vein?
Vordul: Man, its wild, it’s like you can hear the progression, there’s so much little type effects on the vocals and subtle sounds in the background, you really have to concentrate. It’s some head nod type shit.
Gentle Jones: How many other producers have you worked with?
Vordul: Just El-p and Cryptic, I’ve been rhyming 2 years.
Gentle Jones: You cats just did a show overseas?
Vordul: Yeah we went to Japan. When we were there they had these bath houses where they said you could get a massage but really they took in the back and ... you know.
Gentle Jones: So did y’all get some massages?
Vordul: (laughs) Nah nah, but it was tempting...
Gentle Jones: How did you get into emceeing?
Vordul: Well I started out just drawing, and Vast got me into rhyming, and after about 1 year I got serious into it.
Gentle Jones: How long you known Vast?
Vordul: 10 years
Gentle Jones: When are you coming from?
Vordul: Uptown Harlem. I moved to Tampa, Florida for a while, to try to get out of the city. Away from the wildness.
Gentle Jones: It’s a little wild in Tampa, too.
Vordul: (laughs) Yeah, I found out!
Gentle Jones: So what’s next for Can Ox?
Vordul: Mad more material. See when all these characters, beasts, and creatures come together, you know something’s gotta happen...
Eyedea is gaining world recognition for his work with his Rhymesayers crew and astounding freestyle battle techniques, which won him first place in the HBO Blazes battles. As I walked up to Eyedea, he was explaining to some teenagers that there was an invisible devil on his shoulder that whispered topics in his ear for when he freestyles...
Gentle Jones: What’s new, Eyedea?
Eyedea: Jay and Silent Bob's movie. It’s a classic. Go see it.
Gentle Jones: So you’re a movie buff? Are you looking forward to the Lord of the Rings?
Eyedea: I saw the trailer but I am not really into that whole fantasy world thing. DJ Abilities was really into it for years, Dungeons and Dragons and all that. Him and these dudes would sit around and role-play and get trashed all night.
Gentle Jones: And what about music, what are you into right now?
Eyedea: Earth Wind and Fire, baby!
Gentle Jones: Aw man, I love them! Who’s your favorite rapper right now?
Eyedea: Eyedea!
Gentle Jones: (laughs)
Eyedea: Nah man for real I think most rappers like their shit the best. Everyone is on their own tip. Jay-Z is on his stuff, Can Ox got their own type thing, you know and I have my thing... it’s when you love what you do.
Eyedea: Yes! But not like, "Yo! Everybody listen to this!" What I do is study and analyze it, until I am disgusted with it. That’s what drives me to progress.
Gentle Jones: You’ve had quite a run recently with the battle scene. How you feel about battling nowadays?
Eyedea: OK, let me put it down for you right now. I have battled at Blaze, Rocksteady, Scribble, all that plus everywhere I go I battle dudes all day, but now I want to put that behind me... because when you battle you only have one goal, either to diss your opponent harsh or to make yourself look good, and the path to that goal is a straight line. Nowadays when I freestyle, I don't want to move in a straight line, I just want to reach in myself and go any direction it takes me. It’s limiting.
Gentle Jones: What do you think of the internet and its influence on the scene?
Eyedea: Its wack! It’s all these kids gossiping and arguing, and it’s crazy because when I talk shit with my friends, it’s all like, I am trying to make them laugh, but these cats on the internet they fight and cuss you and they're are all serious like, "I hope you die motherfucker!" I never post, but I read what they say about me. They all hate me.
Gentle Jones: Nah dude they love you, Eyedea!
Eyedea: No, their girlfriends love me. That’s why they all hate me.
Eyedea: Hey man, make me look cool in the interview OK?
Gentle Jones: You are mad cool, Eyedea.
Peace.
Originally published
in Tric Magazine December 2001
I recently attended the Defjux / Rhymesayers in-store at
Armand’s in Philly with Mr. Lif, Vast Aire, Vordul Megallah, and Eyedea. They
hung out for about an hour and had a blazing half hour freestyle performance. Mr.
Lif took topics from the audience and freestyled well with all they threw out. Eyedea
charmed the hell out of everyone with his off the top wizardry. Vast Aire was in the house but didn’t
rhyme at all, and Aesop Rock was lurking the streets outside Armand’s as if he
wasn’t trying to be there. Eyedea and Vordul openly chatted with the receptive crowd and I had an opportunity to meet with them both.
Vordul Megallah of Cannibal Ox is considered by many to be a fresh upcoming talent, he was mellow mannered and friendly.
Gentle Jones: What’s your current favorite rap record?
Vordul: That new 2pac, it’s so full of emotion.
Gentle Jones: How do you feel when you listen to The Cold Vein?
Vordul: Man, its wild, it’s like you can hear the progression, there’s so much little type effects on the vocals and subtle sounds in the background, you really have to concentrate. It’s some head nod type shit.
Gentle Jones: How many other producers have you worked with?
Vordul: Just El-p and Cryptic, I’ve been rhyming 2 years.
Gentle Jones: You cats just did a show overseas?
Vordul: Yeah we went to Japan. When we were there they had these bath houses where they said you could get a massage but really they took in the back and ... you know.
Gentle Jones: So did y’all get some massages?
Vordul: (laughs) Nah nah, but it was tempting...
Gentle Jones: How did you get into emceeing?
Vordul: Well I started out just drawing, and Vast got me into rhyming, and after about 1 year I got serious into it.
Gentle Jones: How long you known Vast?
Vordul: 10 years
Gentle Jones: When are you coming from?
Vordul: Uptown Harlem. I moved to Tampa, Florida for a while, to try to get out of the city. Away from the wildness.
Gentle Jones: It’s a little wild in Tampa, too.
Vordul: (laughs) Yeah, I found out!
Gentle Jones: So what’s next for Can Ox?
Vordul: Mad more material. See when all these characters, beasts, and creatures come together, you know something’s gotta happen...
After chatting with Vordul I sauntered over the spot where Eyedea
was holding court, smack in the center of the shop. He was rocking aviator
glasses, a moustache, and a Tony Danza mini-mullet.
Eyedea is gaining world recognition for his work with his Rhymesayers crew and astounding freestyle battle techniques, which won him first place in the HBO Blazes battles. As I walked up to Eyedea, he was explaining to some teenagers that there was an invisible devil on his shoulder that whispered topics in his ear for when he freestyles...
Gentle Jones: What’s new, Eyedea?
Eyedea: Jay and Silent Bob's movie. It’s a classic. Go see it.
Gentle Jones: So you’re a movie buff? Are you looking forward to the Lord of the Rings?
Eyedea: I saw the trailer but I am not really into that whole fantasy world thing. DJ Abilities was really into it for years, Dungeons and Dragons and all that. Him and these dudes would sit around and role-play and get trashed all night.
Gentle Jones: And what about music, what are you into right now?
Eyedea: Earth Wind and Fire, baby!
Gentle Jones: Aw man, I love them! Who’s your favorite rapper right now?
Eyedea: Eyedea!
Gentle Jones: (laughs)
Eyedea: Nah man for real I think most rappers like their shit the best. Everyone is on their own tip. Jay-Z is on his stuff, Can Ox got their own type thing, you know and I have my thing... it’s when you love what you do.
Gentle Jones: So do you roll around town bumping your own
album?
Eyedea: Yes! But not like, "Yo! Everybody listen to this!" What I do is study and analyze it, until I am disgusted with it. That’s what drives me to progress.
Gentle Jones: You’ve had quite a run recently with the battle scene. How you feel about battling nowadays?
Eyedea: OK, let me put it down for you right now. I have battled at Blaze, Rocksteady, Scribble, all that plus everywhere I go I battle dudes all day, but now I want to put that behind me... because when you battle you only have one goal, either to diss your opponent harsh or to make yourself look good, and the path to that goal is a straight line. Nowadays when I freestyle, I don't want to move in a straight line, I just want to reach in myself and go any direction it takes me. It’s limiting.
Gentle Jones: What do you think of the internet and its influence on the scene?
Eyedea: Its wack! It’s all these kids gossiping and arguing, and it’s crazy because when I talk shit with my friends, it’s all like, I am trying to make them laugh, but these cats on the internet they fight and cuss you and they're are all serious like, "I hope you die motherfucker!" I never post, but I read what they say about me. They all hate me.
Gentle Jones: Nah dude they love you, Eyedea!
Eyedea: No, their girlfriends love me. That’s why they all hate me.
Gentle Jones: (laughs)
Eyedea: Hey man, make me look cool in the interview OK?
Gentle Jones: You are mad cool, Eyedea.
Peace.
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