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by Minister of Information JR
The Bay Area has a very diverse and eclectic soundscape. While the average person gets their music fix from doses of corporate playlists, there is different unique sounding music that wouldn’t fit in the context of hyphy or neo-soul. Hairdoo is one of those groups that keeps music interesting because they don’t sound like anybody that I have ever heard. This interview is long overdue. Let me introduce to you of the SF Bay View my potnas, Hairdoo.
MOI JR: Who is Hairdoo? Where is the group from? And how did the group get started?
WolfHawkJaguar: First off we want to give thanks and praise to the Music God for blessing us with creativity, strength and opportunity. The music means so much, it’s a great honor to be artists who are able to bless the masses with our version of the blues.
With that said, we are the big fiya power sound Hairdoo. The core members of the band are WolfHawkJaguar, Olu8, Katmandu and Wess Minister Abe LeFunk. We are currently located in West Oakland. However, the group got started in a small hut outside Lusaka, Zambia, Southern Africa. From there we moved the band to Lesotho, Southern Africa, and eventually landed in a city known as “Gangsters Paradise,” Johannesburg (Joberg) South Africa.
With the help of artists such as MXO, Sliq Angel, Skwatta Kamp and Guidance Help Us Help You, we were blessed to become African rap stars. We toured all over Southern Africa, leaving no stone unturned in our pursuit to rebuild bridges Willie Lynch broke. The Ancestors eventually brought us back to Oakland, and allowed us to grow even more through the teachings of the Music God.
The universe, working in strange ways, had us down on our luck and stuck in a rut when Boze, Katmandu and Wess Minister Abe LeFunk came along and picked us back up. With the mass amounts of artistic talent we all possess, Hairdoo is able to travel further down this old funky road and do it big time, even when the streets are cold.
MOI JR: How would you describe the music that Hairdoo makes?
WolfHawkJaguar: We make soul music coming directly from the spirit. We combine styles of the diaspora and hit it with the Juju stick, to make it hit. Our music is refreshing and brand new. It’s like a cold drink of coconut water on a hot day.
Wess: Our music is a soulful delight. It’s funky and very innovative.
Katmandu: It’s like going back to the basics. We make music that creates moods or emotions, you can feel what is being said deep inside your chest, and you can feel the vibration in the rhythms.
Olu 8: It’s music you didn’t even know you were waiting for.
MOI JR: I know that you have all been a mainstay around the Bay. Who are some of the people that you have shared the stage with? Who were some of y’all’s favorites? And why?
WolfHawkJaguar: We have been in the Bay now for four years and it’s been amazing the talent we have been able to share the stage with. From our SpitFiya days to sharing the stage with the Abyssinians, Dead Prez, Zion I, Saul Williams, Ise Lyfe, WordSlanger, Tajai, Mista Fab, Rudy Wongozi, Sun Ru, Fiya Watta, Marcel Diallo and The Black Dot Collective, Amir Sulaiman.
My favorite Hip Hop show was Black August a few years back with Dead Prez. The place was packed, and all the local artists got a chance to perform. The show went on all day and night. My favorite show in South Africa was in the Northern Province with MXO and Sliq Angel. The arena was filled to capacity, everybody was partying, we hit the stage at 2 in the morning, the crowd went wild! The party didn’t stop.
Wess: The best show for me was with reggae artist Gyptian. The club was packed, the crowd loved us and our sound was crankin.
Katmandu: My favorite show was with Ise Lyfe at the Black New World. Everybody in the band was off that “Amber and Alabama.” The crowd was into all of our songs, and collectively we was all on point.
Olu 8: We’ve performed with Skwatta Kamp from South Africa live on YFM. Ludricas claims he is the first American-born rapper to do a video in South Africa, but we were. We recorded and filmed a video with Skwatta Kamp (Best International Hip Hop Group, Source Awards) named “What’s the Word, Johannesburg?!” back in 2003. It went to number 6 on Channel O, the music video station for the continent. We’ve also performed with Slim Kid Tre of The Pharcyde, The Abyssinians, Thandiswa from South Africa’s Bongo Moffin, Pressure, Norris Man, the list goes on.
MOI JR: What is Hairdoo currently working on?
Olu 8: We are working on a new full length album entitled “Black Indian.” It’s our homage to the Music God and the spiritual freedom fighters of the past and present. A seed for the future. Our production house, Black Apes Music, is soon to release the debut album from one of the Bay’s premiere artists, WordSlanger. This is the rawest and most innovative spoken word hip-hop album that the world has yet to see. It pulls no punches. Time to put on your seatbelts, kids.
We are also working on a 1 Fam Studio Compilation and a Black Apes Music Compilation with some of the most creative artists, not only from the Bay, but from around the world. The solo release, “The Magical Adventures of WolfHawkJaguar,” is soon to take flight. Katmandu also has a project in the works.
Katmandu: Yeah, the name of the album is called “The Viberoome,” a collection of instrumentals and vibe tracks featuring various artists from the Bay.
MOI JR: When is the next time that people in the Bay will be able to see Hairdoo? And where can people hear your music on the Internet?
Wess: I want everybody to know we available to perform and if you haven’t seen a Hairdoo show, you need to come check us out. Get a new Hairdoo.
Email POCC Minister of Information JR at blockreportradio@gmail.com and visit www.blockreportradio.com, hiphopwarreport.com and myspace.com/blockreportfilm.
