Who's VERBAL THREAT, collectively?

Original members are Sphere and Reppond. Through the years we have collected additional members such as DJ Flict..Todd Davis (production) Meshun (vocals) Ray Ray (live drums) Dragon (break dancer) Mi'(female dancer)

How did you cats meet ?, seeing that you're from different coasts.

Sphere and Reppond met in College out in California. Sphere was going through some tough times out in NYC..getting into bad situations etc. So he moved out to Cali with relatives and to go to school. Sphere and Reppond met and shared the same views on hip-hop and having the same influences. Brand Nubian, Gangstarr, Kool G Rap, BDP, PRT, XClan, etc...

You've been performing together for more than ten years. What kept your partnership alive? 

The love for the game. We're confident that when Verbal Threat explodes world wide, the amount of love we put into our music will radiate out to our fans world wide. Hip-hop is not dead yet.

What inspires ya'll to write? 

Each other..we challenge ourselves daily. We also look to old albums to inspire us to spit to a certain level. Daily Operation by Gangstarr is in constant rotation. Kool G Rap's Wanted Dead Or Alive..newer cats like Ghost face..Nas..AZ..Inspecta Deck etc..

Were you ever involved in an emcee battle that turned into fist fight? 

Not yet..close encounters though..hahaha..

You cats kinda remind of the Mystik Journeymen as far as your passion for Hip-Hop is concerned. Are you firmiliar with them? 

Unfortunately not..The only reason for that is we've just be concentrating on our own music. We haven't bought new rap in a long time. We're strictly late 80's cats. 

Being into beatmaking myself, I have to ask you this. Who makes all your beats? 

Our main producer is Todd Davis from Soul Motion Ent. He does 98% of our tracks. Me and Reppond dabble with tracks on occasion, but when it comes to bustin out dope songs..we leave the production up to Todd.

What do you cats have planned for this year? 

This year we're releasing a new e.p. out on vinyl...songs included are Playoffs..Headknock..Still I Rise..and we're undecided on the last one. We're working with Khaleena Intl. on a tour in Japan which is still under way. We're hoping to get that started before the end of the year. Other than that we'll be in the studio 247 and rockin shows all over.

Anything else you'd like to say to Hip-Hop fans in Africa? 

Peace and love and keep your ears open for the new VT joints coming out. We'd love to come out to the mother land and shit..We just gotta have a whole new catalog banged out. Support real hip-hop and don't lose hope in the music. A lot of cats are abusing this game...turning hip-hop into commercial R&B. We're not seeing that. Peace out Stone Kold...Verbal Threat Baby! Peace to all graffiti writers world wide..This culture will never die. Kool Sphere CAC TF. KDM.TDC.Queens NYC..Reppond Cali love baby! No War!!!

By Koldstone

---