When I told my friend that I was going to interview you he was like I don´t know who they are or how they look like, I just know that they make great music. Do you feel like that? Is it important for an artist to have a well-known face?
Om´ Mas Keith: It´s most important for an artist to have an identifiyable object and or face associated with a their particular brand. That being said, basically an artist has to have a well known somethin / anything in order to move ahead. Sometimes a particular face sells the whole thing, but what about radio head, they don’t even have their faces on the CDs. It´s their music, and name that sells the band.
You released The Hollywood Recordings this April. What is this
It´s about A.M.E.S. or Afro magnetic electronic spiritualism It is in our opinion an amazing way to sum up the albums sound. „Afro“: inspired and truly originating from Africa. „Magnetic“: The Positive and or negative force of Attraction. „Electronic“: The science that gives us all the ability to enjoy pre- recorded music. „Spiritualism“: The belief in higher powers or a philosophy or doctrine emphasizing the spiritual aspect of being
How did you hook up with Babygrande?
We met the owner of Babygrande like 4 years ago. He wanted to do a deal with us , but it wasn’t the right time back then. As soon as our contract with sony was over, we went forward with doing an indie deal.
What do you want to accomplish with this record?
We are basically just using this to start out. The fact of the matter is that only a small minority of music buyers has had the opportunity to ever hear a Sa-Ra song. This album is like a crash course or a Sa-Ra 101 for the listener. There´s no real big deal that it´s our first full length. You have to start somewhere, right? So why not start at the beginning? Give´em Glorious, Rosebuds etc. from the new to the old. Like our music embodies the true essence of hip-hop. We´ve been testing our music for 5 years now, at some point you´ve just got to release your material. You have to make it available so cats can form an opinion, and put some money in your pocket.
Your major debut album Black Fuzz will be released later this year.
How many songs have you recorded so far? What can we expect from this album?
Well, it will probbably come out in 2008. It will have at least 14
songs, and like 4 skitts. You can expect a true reflection of our life and times. We will shine as vocalists on this album. It will be 180 degrees from this album.. It willl be much more conceptual and less like a compilation.
Sa-Ra Creative Partners were formed in 2000, now it´s 2007 and you are working with the best artists in the game. Where do you see yourself in next 5 years?
Well, we are currently working on a distrubution deal with a major, and in the next 5 years we predict that we will release at least 5 more full length Sa-Ra albums, as well as 1 new artist per year, that we will sign to our label.
You worked with many famous artists. Were you with everybody in the studio? What do you think of collaborations done via internet?
We actually collaborated with Erykah Badu over ichat. I was producing her in real time for our Black Fuzz album last year. Although we do mostly work with artists at our studio compund.
In one interview you said: „We want Coldplay fans and Daedelus fans and Madvillain fans.“ It´s good to see that your musical taste is so diverse, becuase fans of Madvillain probably don´t know who Daedelus is and vice versa. Do you know Daedelus or even MF Doom and Madlib personally? What do you think of their music?
Yes, we know both of them personally. We love everything they do! Biggup Dadelus & Villan!
What are you currently listening to?
Bob James – Touchdown, Steely Dan – Royal Scam, Erika Rose – Rosegarden.
You´ve worked Erykah Badu, Talib Kweli, John Legend, Jill Scott and many others. Is there still anybody you´re willing to work with? If so, who and why?
I once read that you´re going to work with J-Lo. Has the collaboration already happened? With her being quite disrespected in hip hop community do you care about fans´ statements on this collabo?
That collab was supposed to happen thru a Sony Exec, but it fell thru. We think that we still have a shot to work with her, but it probbably won´t be hip-hop style music. We have range, it might be more on the salsa tip.
