By Al of http://AlisHere.wordpress.com/
A:. Who are some of your musical influences in general, and as a bass player? Were you ever into other native New York music of the 80’s like hip hop, freestyle, or DJ shit like Frankie Bones?
E: Songwriting: The Beatles, The Doors, Hendrix, Kiss, The Who, The Stones, AC/DC etc. Bass playing: Geezer Butler, Billy Sheehan, Jamie Jameson, Phil Lesch, Steve Harris and more. I loved hip hop back in the day especially early KRS one, Eric B and Rakim and Public enemy of course. I also loved the early NWA and Wu-Tang Clan. When rap became a fashion show, I dropped it like a bad habit. The first time someone made a whole song about their clothes or their watch, I was like, this is super gay, im out. I love the gangster shit when it is real, my current fave is 50 cent with the melodic Nate Dogg hooks, that is the shit. I just started Dj-ing, so I am connecting with all the latest hip hop, and there is some great shit out there. I like the sound of some of that dirty south shit. Looks like it is starting to get fun again, I have done collaborations with Onyx, Cypress Hill, House of Pain and more. Also Jam master J, RIP.
A: ( You’d probably really like Papoose, he’s from Bed Stuy. Check out Alphabetical Slaughter)
A: What was the NY hardcore scene like in the 80’s and where was most of the action? Downtown mostly, LES, Alphabet City or also other places?
E: My first exposure to the hardcore scene was around 85 when I was in college. My roommate turned me on to the Cromags, AF, Bad Brains, etc.
Funny, I had to go to Upstate NY to meet another guy from Brooklyn who turned me on. I was really into metal like Mercyful Fate, Slayer, Motorhead back then, early Metallica. I quit college, moved back to Brooklyn and started Biohazard. I used to go to hardcore matinees at CBGB’s it was astounding, the Cromags, Age of Quarrel demos were my favorite, along with Carnivore, etc. We used to play with the NY Hoods, Absolution, The Icemen, Leeway, Warzone, Sick of It All Madball and more.alot
I used to roadie for Carnivore and they shared a rehearsal space with Agnostic Front. I got exposed pretty early on and was immediately into it.
I never stopped loving rock and roll and metal though. Brooklyn had it’s own scene at Lamour’s, and I liked that better. There were not chicks at CB’s, just a lot of fights.
A: (I saw this documentary called American Hardcore that really documented the hardcore scene well)
A: A lot of people born in my era ( mid 70’s to early 80’s) treasure the Judgment Night soundtrack. I personally think it doesn’t get enough due. That helped start shit for real, along with the Anthrax/Public Enemy collab and Rage Against The Machine’s first album (Aerosmith/Run DMC and Faith No More is different). How did your collab with Onyx come about? Was it just natural because they were sort of like rap Biohazard and they are also from BK?
E: We were managed by Rush artist mgmt, Def Jam, Russell Simmons. They thought Biohazard was the most hardcore rock band, and Onyx the most hardcore rap group. They threw us in the room and the rest was history. Billy did the remix of the number one hit SLAM, and we made a video for it at a Biohazard gig in the early 90’s at the academy. The scene was open back then and it was groundbreaking. I ran into Cobra from Booyaa Tribe in Vegas last week and we talked about Judgement Night. It was my first gold or platinum album, I was proud to be part of it. Rage came after, but I loved it. Run DMC / Aerosmith and Public Enemy / Anthrax was dope but not original music. I loved Anthrax’s first few albums, Awesome riffs, GO SOD!
