GOD COMPLEX AND ARCHITECTS OF INTELLECT
SPLIT INTERVIEW




by Bevan Jee

God Complex are rappers Seamus and Karma who both take hip-hop to
the next level of science through their descriptive lyrics...
killing sucker ducks with Strontium 90 on the planet Link 9.
Architects of Intellect are duo Truth Elemental & RLA who deliver
butter rhymes over head nodding beats with hard hooks and mad crazy
style. Both groups hail from Boston and together with their DJ 7L,
have released a Split-EP (one group on each side) on Independent
Boston label Brick Records, which is temporarily located in Arizona.
For more information contact Brick Records at -P.O. Box 364,
Flagstaff AZ 86002-0364, USA. Phone (520)-779-9303. Voice Mail
(800)-587-9312. If you don't I might send some man eating koala's on
ya'...

GOD COMPLEX

GOD n. spirit or being worshipped as having supernatural power.
COMPLEX adj. made up of parts

"And the war ended with a demonstration of human science...
for the first time the atmosphere had a new component strontium 90."
- Intro to Strontium 90

1. Firstly, what is STRONTIUM 90?

Strontium 90 is a radioactive isotype potion we use to exterminate
crab rappers. It is present in nuclear fallout and can be
assimilated in biological processes and deposited in the bones of
humanoids and animals.

2. How did the group form and what do you hope to accomplish in
hip-hop?

We formed in 1993. I [Seamus] was deejaying on college radio,
occasionally rocking freestyles w/ my old crew on the air and one
day Karma and G [7L] had come down to the station telling me they
made beats and wanted to link up so we did and here we are...As far
as what we want to accomplish in hip-hop, we would like to restore
the original rules of the game such as having a real dj, creative
emcees, and innovative beats. Save all the singing and
commercialized garbage for you know who.

3. You sampled some classic b-grade science fiction movies in
your tracks. want to drop any names of some sci-fi movies that the
readers should check out?

Some nice sci-fi would be Invasion of the Saucer Men, War of the
Worlds, Bladerunner, and of course the Star Wars trilogy. How about
Godzilla and Tron? Ha! There are many. We come with all of the vocal
soundbytes an samples for the tracks but Madsol did the beat for
Strontium 90.

4. Tell us how the group formed and a little about the
relationship between God Complex and Architects of Intellect.

Truth and I [Seamus] were both deejaying at this college radio
station an really identified with each other about what good hip-hop
and trash was. I like that in a person. Truth had been with RLA and
I was with another crew, but we had done shows as one unit in the
Boston / Providence areas. Karma and 7L came along and we did shows
as AOI & God Complex. That is how it all began. We later formed the
Rebel Alliance.

5. Who came up with the idea to release a slit EP?

Truth presented the idea to us. He wanted to release underground
talent on Brick Records and we had been with AOI through a lot of
the muck as far as live shows so he looked out like no one else and
put us on. Good lookin' Truth!

6. Did you guys take physics, chemistry and science seriously
at school?

Ha! No. I [Seamus] did not take anything seriously in school. I am
currently at Emerson College studying communications. 7L is studying
the same at Salem State. Karma is studying graphic arts at Salem
State. The sci-fi chemical shit is just acquired through life in
Link 9 (our world).

7. The track Secret Wars features you using Marvel and DC comic
book characters and powers in your rhymes, and has that slamming
hook "I read comics and books -yeah marvel!" by Kool Keith. How did
you guys come up with that track?

Karma and I [Seamus] grew up on comic books and sci-fi / fantasy
shit. We have mad comics and figures. We had that Cenubites track
off a Stretch tape in like '93. We sampled it straight from that.
Secret Wars was done in '95. As soon as we got it on wax, we found
the Cenubites on vinyl! Oh well.

8. I know you are crazy Star Wars fans, are you Looking forward
to the prequels?

Yes yes yes. The shit is going to be ill, you will find out Ben
Kenobi was just a clone and the 1st of the 3 will open with a scene
of just thousands of Mandalore Super commandoes standing at
attention ready for battle. It is going to be crazy.

9. Tell us what artists outta Boston that we should be looking
out for.

Me, us, we? No, look out for Nabo the Jedi (part of our crew, the
Rebel Alliance), Mr. Lif, Mopus, RawProduce, Skitzofreniks, and
Akrobatik. That's about it.

10. What is the next move for God Complex?

We will be dropping a few joints on the Brick Compilation for
January and expect to drop a 12" later on in the year.


ARCHITECTS OF INTELLECT

"...MC's steppin with ignorance I'ma lock ya in an escape proof box
and swallow the key, done a good deed for the hip-hop community so
don't step with the static cause shit will get drastic, I'm leaving
crowds flipping like they were in gymnastics" - Truth
Elemental on "Verbal Gymnastics"

1. How did you hook up as a group?

Me and RLA hooked up a few years back. We both went to the same
voc-tech high school and met up there. We formed AOI in 91 or 92,
something like that. We both were on the same wavelength and shit so
everything just snapped together. We both got a lot going on in our
lives besides the group, so we didn't really get serious until last
year. Before then it was all shit and giggles.

2. "Verbal Gymnastics" is your debut cut. tell us a little bit
about the track?

Verbal Gymnastics is basically a metaphorical head stompin,
knowhuhI'msayin? I mean a lotta MC's talk about their use of
metaphor, when they only droppin similies. But we using undiluted
metaphor, look at the name itself - Verbal Gymnastics - Basically,
words be twistin, flippin, spinnin, and shit. And all that requires
strength, going along with this metaphor, verbal gymnastics implies
mental and verbal strength and ability. That's what this song is
about, AOI flexin our verbal ability and agility.

3. Tell us how Brick Records was formed and what the label is
all about.

I formed Brick Records a little while back. I used a little loan
money to get it started, hopefully I can make enough back to pay off
my loans and debt from this shit. The premise behind Brick Records
is to promote and put out dope undergound music with something to
say. We are not looking for run-of-the-mill mediocre MC's who got
nothin to say or only regurgetate the same played out themes that be
plaguing hip-hop. We want kids that are comin with original thought,
lyrical ability, creativity, and mad heart. That's a lot judging by
today's industry standards, but that's why we underground. Boston
gotta lotta underground talent, but we get overshadowed by New
York. Most artists from Boston only make it after they move out to
New York. I got mad love for New York, but Boston's gotta represent
it's talent, too. Brick is an outlet for us to do that. Although we
primarily a Boston label, I'll put out shit from kids anywhere as
long as it's dizzo.

4. What would you say your main influences are as an MC?

My main influences as an MC come from anything that makes me think.
I mean that may be from a philosophy or religion I learn something
about, seeing something happen around me that's either mad positive
or negative, listening to a certain kind of music, reading a good
book, whatever. Anything that gets my mind juice flowin. Whatever
concepts, ideas, and/or actions move me.

5. What other releases/groups are coming out on Brick Records
in the near future?

The next Brick Records release is going to be a Rebel Alliance
sampler LP. There's no title or anything yet. The Rebel Alliance is
our crew - rebellin against the bullshit in hip-hop. Tentatively on
the record is Architects of Intellect, God Complex, Liftedly Man,
and another Boston artist, not definate yet...we gotta couple in
mind. Each artist is gonna do two cuts each, plus there's gonna be
some posse cuts and other surprises included on this LP. Heads can
also be expecting AOI and God Complex 12"s to drop sometime after
that.

6. While listening to your new track "Ballad of a Flexible
Bullet" I noticed that your style has changed and progressed from
the EP. what do you think influenced this change?

I mean we always progressin. The shit on the ep was old, "Ballad...
" is new. We takin everything a lot more seriously now, pushin
forward and shit. "Ballad..." is a lot more serious song. If you
think that was progression, wait till you peep "Syndrome." But for
real, as individuals and a group, AOI is all about movin forward.
That shit's fundamental to the name....Architects of Intellect -
builders of knowledge. We building up, block by block.

7. What music/artists do you listen to?

I listen to all types of music - hip-hop, dancehall, jazz, old
soul, etc. But for hip-hop I listen to all kinds of shit, but
basically I get more outta the shit that makes you think, or that
shit where you know mad thought went into their lyrics.. Artists
like KRS-ONE, JERU, all the way back to Grandmaster Flash...all that
shit make you think. That's thehip-hop I get the most out of. I
used to really appreciate Rakim, also. I listen to a lotta the
underground shit coming out now, too. Some of it is real cool, some
of it 's a bag of assholes. Whatever. I mean I also got to admit
that I'm a victim sometimes, too. What I mean by this is that
sometimes I'm willing to forgo lyrical ability or content and listen
to inferior weak MC's because they got dope producers and bangin
beats. I don't even gotta name names. But that's a price everyone
gotta pay until people with somethin to say start getting paid,
Basically, I'll listen to whatever is dope by my standards, no
matter where it comes from or how old it is.

8. How healthy is the hip-hop scene out there in Boston?
It's got mad potential, but not all of it is utilized. We (Brick,
Rebel Alliance, etc.) are trying to help with that.

9. Do you think djing, breakdancing and even aerosol art? are
now lost artforms and neglected aspects of "hip-hop"?

I don't think that they are lost arts. These traditions live on.
However, just like MC'ing they are getting raped by crab muthafuckas
who don't know or understand the origins and what shit's about. I
mean some kids just got no heart, they just in it cause it's a thing
to do...or make them look "down" or whatever. I mean it ain't like
you had to be there from the start, but you gotta have the heart and
know your history. Know where shit is coming from, Besides knowing
all that you gotta respect and appreciate it.

10. What is the next move for Architects Of Intellect and Brick
Records?

Like I said the Rebel Alliance sampler LP, and new singles. We
always lookin at new shit, so if you on the same wavelength as us
then send it.