Abstract Mindstate
Who are the members of Abstract Mindstate?
I’m E.P Da Hellcat aka The White Lotis & I’m Olskool Ice-Gre aka Tha Gud Dr.
What does each individual member bring to the table?
E.P - A knife and a fork….LOL No really true lyricism from a female perspective/ Olskool - LOL…..Lyricism from a male perspective. I wanted to say something to drink and a napkin but yall would’ve thought we were crazy.
How long have you been releasing records?
Both - Since 1999
What have you released to date?
E.P - a toilet full of hits….LOL! Let me see in 1999: The Last Demo (It was a 7 song ep), 2001: Still Paying (It was a full length album on a indie with national distribution), 2005: Chicago’s Hardest Working Vol.1 and late 2005 into 06: Chicago’s Hardest Working Vol.2 (Project Soul).
You’ve worked with an array of artists but when you came in the game you where connected with David Banner. Please tell us more about this?
Olskool - We’ve known Banner for years. E.P & I attended Jackson State University in Jackson Mississippi where Banner is from and at the time was a local rapper. He became part of our old Hip Hop crew called The Stewpot Stowaways and long story short he’s our man from back in the day who made a name for himself so E.P asked him to join on a joint with us and as we expected he did. E.P – What up Banner!!
We’re feeling the new single, especially the collaboration with Common. How did you hook this up?
Olskool - We asked…LOL! No actually Common was one of the major supporters of Abstract Mindstate during our grind in Chi and we always said we would do a joint together so when we were recording Vol.2 we felt we had the perfect song to feature him and he liked it so we all went in the lab together and banged it out. E.P – 4sho!
What was it like to work with him?
E.P – First of all it was an honour, a mind blowing experience. Dude don’t write his rhymes down either. Olskool - crazy!
Tell us about the other tracks on the single?
E.P - Missing you is Mindstate’s way of thanking God for the return of true Hip Hop. Another classic Rashid Hadee produced track. Olskool - and These Raps featuring our dawg Special Ed is our way of first paying respect to a legend by asking him to bless us with a collabo and giving the listeners an alternative to the norm. You don’t have to be hardcore in every rap song for it to be felt. You can do other things, which is why we said what we said in the hook.
Apart from Lil Brother and maybe Kanye West it seems that major labels aren’t signing the “authentic” sounding hip-hop artists. Is real hip-hop dead?
Olskool - No its not! It’s been on hiatus for a minute because suits & ties run the business of music now. The jobs that use to be filled by music lovers and those who appreciated the art of music are now filled by tight corporate types who only care about the bottom line so they’re willing to sacrifice the art. E.P - No it’s not dead. Groups like Mindstate, All Natural, Chapter 13 are attempting CPR….LOL
What are your views on the state of the independent Hip-Hop scene in the US at the moment?
Olskool - Its slowly become the way to go if you choose to make Hip Hop music with any significance, so the state of indie Hip Hop in the US is progressive. E.P- I agree
You’re planning to get out here to the UK sometime soon to perform, tell us about that.
E.P - We’re looking forward to performing in place where real Hip Hop is appreciated and coveted. Olskool - I cant wait we’ll be there in March. We wanna smash out as many live shows as possible. I’ve been talking to a very talented artist by the name of Viviana who has a joint with DMX and she’s letting us open all of her shows so we’re charged to give the people what they want.
Are you working on an album, if so when will it be released?
Olskool - We’re actually finished with our album and we’re in lightweight negotiations with it now but I don’t wanna speak to heavy on it…LOL. E.P- Yeah but we will say it has production by some of Chicago’s hottest producers Kanye, Xtreme (who has Ghostface first single and behind the success of Bump J), Absolute, Rashid Hadee, Harvey Allbangers (who’s lacing every artist in Chi right now), Devo Springsteen (he co produced Diamond’s off Ye’s album), 88 Keys ……Olskool - and a features from John Legend, Kanye and artist from our 4The Soul-Reciprocity Inc music family.
Who does your beats and what studio do you use?
Both – Rashid Hadee!!! Olskool – Actually Rashid Hadee is the Mindstate secret weapon…LOL. That’s why he produced the entire Chicago’s Hardest Working Vol.2 mixtape (minus 1 song). E.P - We love his production and how we sound on it. That’s why he’s producing the next mixtape: Chicago’s Hardest Working Vol.3 (The Celebration). It’s the last of that mixtape series…we think.
Olskool – and the studio we work out of in Chicago is called The Green Room or National Recordings. E.P – Our engineer Abe National can’t make up his mind on the name but we prefer The Green Room so that’s what it is to us….LOL
What record label are you on?
Olskool – We’re on 4The Soul-Reciprocity Inc. It’s an independent entertainment company I formed a few years back with my partner LaTina Cunningham that’s ran by us and my longtime friend/business partner and former manager Armers Moncure. We have a small 3 act roster that includes Abstract Mindstate but that’s all we need for now. E.P – It’s the place we call home. At the end of the day we know we got each other.
Interview by Brendan Deane
Abstract Mindstate
The Soul-Reciprocity
I’m E.P Da Hellcat aka The White Lotis & I’m Olskool Ice-Gre aka Tha Gud Dr.
What does each individual member bring to the table?
E.P - A knife and a fork….LOL No really true lyricism from a female perspective/ Olskool - LOL…..Lyricism from a male perspective. I wanted to say something to drink and a napkin but yall would’ve thought we were crazy.
How long have you been releasing records?
Both - Since 1999
What have you released to date?
E.P - a toilet full of hits….LOL! Let me see in 1999: The Last Demo (It was a 7 song ep), 2001: Still Paying (It was a full length album on a indie with national distribution), 2005: Chicago’s Hardest Working Vol.1 and late 2005 into 06: Chicago’s Hardest Working Vol.2 (Project Soul).
You’ve worked with an array of artists but when you came in the game you where connected with David Banner. Please tell us more about this?
Olskool - We’ve known Banner for years. E.P & I attended Jackson State University in Jackson Mississippi where Banner is from and at the time was a local rapper. He became part of our old Hip Hop crew called The Stewpot Stowaways and long story short he’s our man from back in the day who made a name for himself so E.P asked him to join on a joint with us and as we expected he did. E.P – What up Banner!!
We’re feeling the new single, especially the collaboration with Common. How did you hook this up?
Olskool - We asked…LOL! No actually Common was one of the major supporters of Abstract Mindstate during our grind in Chi and we always said we would do a joint together so when we were recording Vol.2 we felt we had the perfect song to feature him and he liked it so we all went in the lab together and banged it out. E.P – 4sho!
What was it like to work with him?
E.P – First of all it was an honour, a mind blowing experience. Dude don’t write his rhymes down either. Olskool - crazy!
Tell us about the other tracks on the single?
E.P - Missing you is Mindstate’s way of thanking God for the return of true Hip Hop. Another classic Rashid Hadee produced track. Olskool - and These Raps featuring our dawg Special Ed is our way of first paying respect to a legend by asking him to bless us with a collabo and giving the listeners an alternative to the norm. You don’t have to be hardcore in every rap song for it to be felt. You can do other things, which is why we said what we said in the hook.
Apart from Lil Brother and maybe Kanye West it seems that major labels aren’t signing the “authentic” sounding hip-hop artists. Is real hip-hop dead?
Olskool - No its not! It’s been on hiatus for a minute because suits & ties run the business of music now. The jobs that use to be filled by music lovers and those who appreciated the art of music are now filled by tight corporate types who only care about the bottom line so they’re willing to sacrifice the art. E.P - No it’s not dead. Groups like Mindstate, All Natural, Chapter 13 are attempting CPR….LOL
What are your views on the state of the independent Hip-Hop scene in the US at the moment?
Olskool - Its slowly become the way to go if you choose to make Hip Hop music with any significance, so the state of indie Hip Hop in the US is progressive. E.P- I agree
You’re planning to get out here to the UK sometime soon to perform, tell us about that.
E.P - We’re looking forward to performing in place where real Hip Hop is appreciated and coveted. Olskool - I cant wait we’ll be there in March. We wanna smash out as many live shows as possible. I’ve been talking to a very talented artist by the name of Viviana who has a joint with DMX and she’s letting us open all of her shows so we’re charged to give the people what they want.
Are you working on an album, if so when will it be released?
Olskool - We’re actually finished with our album and we’re in lightweight negotiations with it now but I don’t wanna speak to heavy on it…LOL. E.P- Yeah but we will say it has production by some of Chicago’s hottest producers Kanye, Xtreme (who has Ghostface first single and behind the success of Bump J), Absolute, Rashid Hadee, Harvey Allbangers (who’s lacing every artist in Chi right now), Devo Springsteen (he co produced Diamond’s off Ye’s album), 88 Keys ……Olskool - and a features from John Legend, Kanye and artist from our 4The Soul-Reciprocity Inc music family.
Who does your beats and what studio do you use?
Both – Rashid Hadee!!! Olskool – Actually Rashid Hadee is the Mindstate secret weapon…LOL. That’s why he produced the entire Chicago’s Hardest Working Vol.2 mixtape (minus 1 song). E.P - We love his production and how we sound on it. That’s why he’s producing the next mixtape: Chicago’s Hardest Working Vol.3 (The Celebration). It’s the last of that mixtape series…we think.
Olskool – and the studio we work out of in Chicago is called The Green Room or National Recordings. E.P – Our engineer Abe National can’t make up his mind on the name but we prefer The Green Room so that’s what it is to us….LOL
What record label are you on?
Olskool – We’re on 4The Soul-Reciprocity Inc. It’s an independent entertainment company I formed a few years back with my partner LaTina Cunningham that’s ran by us and my longtime friend/business partner and former manager Armers Moncure. We have a small 3 act roster that includes Abstract Mindstate but that’s all we need for now. E.P – It’s the place we call home. At the end of the day we know we got each other.
Interview by Brendan Deane
Abstract Mindstate
The Soul-Reciprocity
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