Who is R.O.D. and tell us a bit about the album.

PABLO ROBERTS aka R.O.D born and bred Cape Townian lyracist (stands 4 Rhyme Or Die, or whatever you wish). The album has 14b tracks (9 original songs ie beats and lyrics & 5 interludes).
It is strictly a Hip Hop album.
The theme is about surviving/maintaining in this rap game against all odds, especially those 'Rap Assassins' who try and keep you down.

How long have you (both) been in the game?

R.O.D been rapping for 9 years - Debut in October 1991 at The Blackhouse - Bunked school to rap @ the competition that day.
First song ever written called the hitman (performed at Blackhouse debut - Started as a breakdancer back in 1983.
Member of Brothers-R (Rico aka Mr FX, Pedro aka Da Voice, Fran-cisco aka Jiggas & Pablo aka R.O.D) founded 1998.
First crew - Street Brothers (1991)

What equipment/software do ya'll use to make your beats?

First equipment Yamaha DD10 bought by Rico aka Mr FX in 1989.
1990 Rico bought Amiga 500 to produce beats.
1993 Rico and Pedro bought Amiga 1200 and other studio equipment - produced tracks for Do-For-Self compilation cassette in 1994 with Octomed on Amiga.
1994 Pedro buys Roland sound module, amp and some other equipment.
1998 Pablo bought Pentium PC, Soundblaster Live and Cakewalk to produce beats
1999 Pablo bought another PC and Isis sound card. Fran bought mixing desk & shit (Built our first professional home studio together)
2000 Bought cd re-writer. Release first Brothers-R artist album (R.O.D. RAP ASSASSIN)

Tell us, who features on the album?

My brother Pedro aka Da Voice (member of Street Brothers and Brothers-R, producer of various groups and jingles for GHFM, ex member of rap group WAR, also EX music compiler of Bush Radio ). Pedro produced track 10 STAY STRONG, also rhymes on 1st verse. Recorded background for FEAT. ME (interlude) at Cape Town Station Taxi Rank-on the deck-also is the person speaking to R.O.D. So folks can also hear a bit of Cape Town.
Other Brother Fran-cisco also produced track 6 and features on the interludes.
Also features a friend, Brent Henry aka G-Loco on Stay strong.
Our cousin Lerissa Daniels also Feature on the album.

How do you feel about the politics that we've been experiencing in local hip hop?

Politics in Hip Hop is fucked up. Brothers-R We like this! You do your shit and we do ours. Talk shit about us thne that's your thing...However we will let you know what we feel, and if you don't like what we say too bad.

Do you think there is an elite group of hip hop people who want to control it here in South Africa?

There are so many emcees but so few are calling all the shots, like they be owning Hip Hop in South Africa. It's time to dispossess these clowns of there self made titles... When you listen to the radio or put on the TV these days Big Bucks Bonanza/ Channel O presenter/clown CAZ is rhyming and MCing like he invented Hip Hop in Africa...He is wack, take note folks...he has no skill!!! Cape Town clowns P.O.E.C., Wack Noise, BVok and the Host of "Suddenly Fundi" Hip Hop DJ's from the various radio stations all over South Africa will play only what they like (if it sounds East coast or prefably from the East coast, or it's their own shit). They dis shit like they own the rights to the whole production, and come up with 'use the community schemes' for self promotion only! Brothers -R are straight, we wanna make doe first and then help folks, not like in the old days when we were helping folks but neglecting ourselves. But these concious X-men (and over the years there's been too many) are X-Cons lieing to folks like politicians, and not saying what they really up about. Like back in '95/96 when Da Voice was producing jingles for GHFM hip hoppers were dissing him and calling him a sell-out..today all those dis-prins are sucking GHFM Dj's dicks for exposure..They should all get together and have one major orgy the faggots that they are!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I heard some of ROD's tracks on an interview on Bush Radio in the car and it was tight, I definately hear an oldskool/bboy with a dash of new skool flavor influence in there. Was that the intention?

My influences have been many over the years...I've grown up with Hip Hop, like I used to breakdance in the early eighties and I was listening to T-LeRock, Kurtis Blow and all the electro shit back then. I'd say I respect Dr Dre's shit cos' he's grown all the time, first revolutionizing and now evolutionizing with the changes in the Hip Hop scene over the years. That's how I'd like to be seen. Obviously nobody heard my early productions cos' it was never released, but I'd say I've improved a lot. The album is really about how I feel about shit. The style of production is my own style, except where Fran and Ped did the production. My intention was to get my shit out there and that's why you got my cd in your hand I guess. After this you can expect lot's more from Brothers-R. We busy on the Street Brothers album right now and solo albums can be expected in 2001.

What do you think South Africa needs right now to make hip hop help create employment?

We need recognition as legitimate businessmen first (contracts and other legalities are our top priorities at Brothers-R Studios)... Next we need to make some real money...Getting a song in the billboard top 200 is our aim in the next 2 years...Re-investment will follow and money will be made. Right now all of us brothers are sacrificing by each one bringing his share to the table in order to make our business work.

What are your live performances like and, where will you be performing in the next weeks?

Our live performances are just the! LIVE!!!!! We have a mixed set with lot's of crowd participation, so it's real tight... We performed @ Maliblues, All Nations Club and The Works thus far. We hoping to be performing at Synergy new year(waiting on a response still), club Vibe and where ever we can to get our music heard. Do you know anyone with a venue, cos we'll be dare!

Tell us, what are the dopest tracks on the album? All the tracks are dope, but ALL I AM (TRACK 12) is the tightest I'd say. FRIENDS(TRACK 8) has a lot of meaning. I REALISED..I CAN"T is also very dope.

I'm gonna ask a crappy question here, but, is there any dis tracks on here?

TRACK NO 7 - IT'S AN INTERLUDE BUT LISTEN CAREFULLY TO THE CONVERSATION - IT'S A MAJOR DIS TO A LOT OF FOLKS WHO STILL HAVE NOT LEARNT TO SACRIFICE TO ACHIEVE WHAT THEY WANT.

Where can we buy this album?

AT THE FOLLOWING GOOD MUSIC STORES:

OUTLAW RECORDS (WYNBERG, CLAREMONT and CAPE TOWN BRANCHES); CD-SPOT (WYNBERG); PLAYBACK (CAPE TOWN GRAND CENTRAL)... OR HOOK-UP DIRECTLY BY CALLING BROTHERS-R STUDIOS at (021)7013634 OR E-MAIL \n This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ">Pedro

Any last words?

To the young ones coming up listen to this...sacrifice & re-invest into your shit if you wanna make it in this game... Hip Hop is your expression so express it in a way that you feel right about it.
Oh and support our shit by buying the album R.O.D "RAP ASSASSIN"

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