Fullee Love Interview: Just me giving a taste of what I'm doing

Read our interview with Fullee Love AKA Soup/Zaakir of Jurassic Five.

Jimmy Coultas

Date published: 8th Nov 2013

Fullee Love Interview:

Image: Fullee Love & Burt Blackarach

When Jurassic Five exploded into the consensus of hip-hop lovers back in the mid nineties, they did so as part of a movement which rejected the played out themes of gangsta rap which dominated at the time. Completely in thrall with the core principles of classic hip-hop they enabled the DJ to once again become central components of the group, with DJ NU-Mark and Cut Chemist just as important as the four emcees that joined them; Chali 2na, Akil, Mark 7even and Zaakir aka Soup.

The latter has since gone onto rock a new moniker for his latest work outside of the group (who reformed last year for a series of successful shows), adopting the name Fullee Love to reflect this new direction. He's teamed up with Grammy Award winning producer Burt Blackarach (behind the boards for Public Enemy's Paralympics soundtracking 'Harder than you think') for a soon to be released EP, and the duo are doing their only UK show together at the Prince of Wales in Brixton on Friday 15th November (head here for further info).

We were offered the chance to speak to Fullee before the show, and being big hiphop and Jurassic Five fans we jumped at the chance. The upcoming EP, the 'bullshit' of beef in hip-hop and his ultimate posse cut cropped up in the conversation.

You’re due to perform alongside Burt Blackarach in London shortly. What are your experiences of the city like and what can people expect form you at the show?

My experiences in the UK has ALWAYS, and I mean ALWAYS, been great! I enjoy myself each and every time, you guys were the first to embrace us (J5) and that kick-started our careers. I'm forever grateful. Don't expect anything; I always shy away from that question (it's loaded). I'll just do the best I can, and let the chips fall as they may.

You’ve got a new EP out, tell us about it.

Well the EP isn't actually out right now, it's coming super soon tho. It has no directions, just me giving a taste of what I'm doing. Just music. I didn't wanna hit folks over the head wit to much out the gate, so it's just six songs of the blackman doing his thang.

We’ve read that the Fullee Love name is about breaking from Jurassic Five in terms of stylistic ways, with you remaining as Zaakir with your work with them. How liberating has it been to focus on a different creative project?

It's liberating in the sense of just me doing it myself, cause that was never a intention of mines. I never wanted to do a solo ANYTHING ha! I wear my heart on my sleeve and my confidence is shaky sometimes, so it's just cool to be like fuck it! Ima do it anyway.

Are there any plans for more music from J5?

Is very possible, but at the same time, we're not the same people we were back then. So it's hard, be we'll see which way the wind blows wit it.

There seems to be a competitive streak re-emerging in the more mainstream side of Hip-hop again, with Kendrick Lamar’s Control verse igniting the act of rhyming as a sport and Eminem going into linguistic overload on ‘Rap God’. Do you think it’s a good thing for the genre as a whole, and how important is the idea of beef to the genre as well?

I don't know if Kendrick Lamar's verse really sparked anything at this point, cause we've yet to hear the results from others. All we've heard is rebuttals to that particular verse. I'd need to hear the individuals whole body of work. So I really never saw what all the excitement was about, plus 2 of the guys he named are actually on the song with him so...

Beef in the game ain't important at all! It's dangerous, that is what it is. It's not like the old BDP vs Juice Crew type battles, where it stayed on wax. You never heard of them approaching each other in a physical manner, cats now days are coming up dead, and all of them have been people of color. So no... I'd never cheer for that bullshit.

Outside of hip-hop what music are you feeling at the moment?

The classics... I love them! Soul/ R&B.

What else lies in the future for you?

Bruh I don't even think that far ahead.. I can barely control what's going on right at this moment.

And final question, dream situation time. You can create the ultimate posse cut with musicians dead or alive, with four emcees on there (you can pick yourself!). Who would you pick, and who would you get to produce it and sing/rap the hook?

My dream posse cut? Grand Puba, Slick Rick, Nas, Black Thought. Marley Marl producing, and Chrisette Michele singing the hook.

Like this? Try Yasiin Bey aka Mos Def live @ Stylus, Leeds.

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