E.S.S.O.I.L.L. is a seven letter acronym for Elevating Spiritual Social Order Illustrating Life Lessons, but the name also comes from the New Orleans hip hop group, the Society—sometimes referred to as S.O., that ESSOILL members Bless and L.S. once were members of; as well as from ILL, an abbreviation for Illinois, the state that Akira and Loki hail from. It helps that the name contains the descriptive So Ill, which accurately evokes the music and message of ESSOILL. The name, is particularly fitting because, just as it was created from a little of this and a little of that – so thus is the group itself. Boasting an impressive six man roster, three from New Orleans, two from Chicago and one from Brooklyn by way of St. Lucia, ESSOILL is hip hop created in the tradition of jazz, funk, reggae, jungle, rock and even yes, the real hip hop.

Dork: How does a six man collective work?

Bless: Carefully. Nah but for real we are just like a family.

TheGodAli: It’s just fate, all of us are real. We just accept each other. Esso is bigger than Esso. There are so many more people involved, it just motivates us. There is no leader, no one man in charge, it’s straight round table. Anyone could be mad at anyone at any time. We just work it out.

Akira: We’re pretty much musically and mentally on the same page. The studio and art department are all in the same building. We’re around each other all the time. The living is tough, being unsigned and having our own label and putting all our own money into it. And everyone has their own thing but we all have the music… We’re family … everybody has their own space and we just work well together in time and space.

Dork: What is the ESSOILL sound?

TheGodAli: The street. If you go to a city ESSO is the parts the tourists don’t go, where the real people are.

Loki: We are just a group of regular dudes trying to share our experiences. We want to move beyond the pseudo intellectual/backpack. We are not sample driven. We do even keeled music. We have a sound and it comes out in the EP. Our sound is Oldskoolfuturistic…

Chuck: I’m not making music to shake your ass in the club to. I make music for the MC to be like, ‘I need to say something to this.’

Dork: What sets you guys apart from other groups?

Chuck: That we are a group, number one. Number two, we ain’t sayin’ no bullshit. And don’t get me wrong, I know there are some other fly dudes out there, but we just got better shit than them. Lyrical content, production, overall, we just regular ass dudes but we got a little something to us. We doing it a little bit better than these cats out right now. And we’re doing some different shit.

Akira: We are one of the first groups to come from three different regions. We’re all cats that appreciate the New York underground, hard, intellectually subtle style of the early to late 90s . Cats stick to that formula, that hook and the bumping track and you’re good, but we aren’t formulaic.

Loki: We really convey the whole idea of these United States, not just my block in Chicago. I don’t think there has been a group that was put together naturally that can represent all these regions and it’s not forced. Along with regional difference, our styles are completely different. That’s the beauty of ESSO, in terms of rhyming patterns and also production.

Dork: What groups can you compare yourselves to?

Bless: If you ask me I’ll have to say no one.

Chuck: There’s gonna be a lot of comparisons. There hasn’t been a group this size to come out since the Ram Squad. In size and number folks will think about Wu. In terms of commentary they might say a little of P.E. We do got tracks that’ll make you dance so Outkast. It wouldn’t be a bad thing, they’re all critically acclaimed.

Dork: Who are your influences and inspirations?

Bless: I’m influenced by many different genres of music and musicians, mostly old skool stuff. Being from New Orleans I was raised in a musical atmosphere.

Chuck: Isaac Hayes, Gamble and Huff, Curtis Mayfield, Dre, Roland (from Gheto Boys) Organized Noize, I was exposed to all of those cats.

L.S: Our music has obviously been influenced by so many genres, hip-hop, soul, jungle, rock, everything really. Good music is good music if it comes from the soul.

Dork: Is there an overall message ESSO is trying to convey?

TheGodAli: We are trying to let people know it’s all about empowerment. We live in a capitalist system and the only way to survive is if you are an owner and not a worker. We want people to own their own. Whatever you do just do it.

L.S: As an industry hip hop is perpetuating materialism and what makes money. They are pumping the new vehicle, flashing a lifestyle that no one is living. There was a place and a time to say GET MONEY, but now that you have it, what are you going to do? That’s what we’re doing, telling the truth instead of flashing.

Dork: What do you think it will take to affect change in hip-hop culture? When do you think the public will grow weary of hearing about materialism, sex and violence?

Bless: I feel like whatever the machine is pushing will have record sales. I think people who appreciate music can appreciate ESSOILL. Whoever is driving the machine dictates what is accepted may it be sex money and drugs or love affairs. It would be detrimental to the quality of negroes to have music that uplifts them as a people, so instead of topics such as anti-government and self-building they (the industry) market ignorance and violence as the norm.

Loki: Money and the people… the record labels will sell whatever is possible. The onus is on the people. It’s what the people buy that drives the market. If I’m making music about black power and righteousness and folks buy it, the labels will start looking for artists that are selling that. You switch what you spend your money on and they’ll switch what they market to you.

Ali: If what happened in New Orleans doesn’t wake people up I don’t know what will. Big up to Kanye West. As much money as I see people throwing around in videos. All rappers should be donating money. At least benefit concerts or something. We all know why this happened. When Rodney King got beaten up, when Amadou Diallo was shot, rappers were referencing it for awhile, I hope they continue to do the same in this situation.

Akira: I wrote an article for Savoy talking about Hip Hop and the state of black America (Savoy’s relaunch issue in February) and interviewed Rev. Jackson, Russell Simmons and other prominent blacks about what’s going on in the game. Hip hop is a real male dominated genre. I have a weird view on it, I don’t know if it’s going to last. There needs to be a strong resurgence of artists. In the game back in the 80s it was about more about what you were saying. I think the labels also have to step up. Groups like Outkast are an example of this. Andre was talking about shooting cats on the first album, but as time went on they progressed and they grew. They are the ultimate musicians ever. In music you want to elevate and you want to be free. Outkast is ten times platinum and they have their label behind them, allowing them creative control. Americans are infatuated with violence and black culture. 75% of black music is sold to white males. We have to support labels that are selling good music.

Dork: Do you agree with Kanye’s statement during the Red Cross telethon, that George Bush doesn’t care about black people?

L.S.: His cares, dislikes or wants don’t make much of a difference – he’s going to play a public role regardless. But, to answer your question, no, I don’t think he cares. America is run like a business, so these people are expendable because they’re making less money and spending less.

Akira: I don’t think it’s helping us. I hear him. I hear his sentiment. I feel you brother. But at the end of the day, I don’t feel like George Bush likes people anyway. He likes his rich rich friends but that’s about it. I don’t think this was the right time or place for him (Kanye) to say that. You ain’t Tom Cruise yet. Coming out on a national platform, when Suge just got shot at your joint, your second album just came out, it’s nothing against Kanye, someone else is going to say it, but right now, concentrate on your music. It just doesn’t look good for him on the white side, those are the folks that buy the albums. I don’t know what’s going to happen. He’s who he is. God bless him. I’m happy for what he’s doing. He’s very artistic and trying to bring many sides of hip-hop together. He’s definitely on that government list now.

Dork: Do you think it is the role of an artist to be political?

Loki: I don’t think it’s the role. If you don’t give a fuck about politics then you don’t need to talk about it, I don’t want to hear it, your art should reflect what’s in your heart. Any man who is brave enough to say what the fuck he feels, I gotta respect that. If you ain’t got no opinion, keep it to yourself.

Chuck: Even if you’re not supposed to be looked at as a role model I think if that many people are paying attention it should be part of your responsibility. I think if more people spoke their minds then maybe young people would have more power and not let these corporations run shit. In crisis situations people have to say something. I think people are afraid because of album sales, or Clear Channel might not play their songs, advertisers might pull their ads. I’m surprised Kanye did it. It started a snowball effect. Kanye said something about Katrina, then Celine Dion spoke out. Everybody and their mom was saying it was racial. This is America and race will always be an issue.

Dork: L.S., you actually had to evacuate New Orleans, how do you think this Hurricane will affect the Hip Hop community?

L.S.: New Orleans was a burgeoning city, music wise. I think it was on the horizon of becoming a city recognized for its hip hop acts. Hip hop is suffering a great loss but on the other hand, the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina will inspire a lot of musicians from the area to create something out of the emotions created. Who knows what life holds for these people who are now displaced? The next young talent might have been lost in the storm, or might just be one of the evacuees.

Chuck: Short term, it will make people realize race is a huge factor. Industry wise, somebody lived thru that shit, and some label is looking for that guy right now. The label that gets that guy I want a check off this, cause this is going into print and somebody is taking my idea. You’re dealing with a whole city that just has nothing. A lot of people ain’t got shit. You have a whole bunch of people displaced, jobs were scarce anyway. The government has a huge task on its hands. The government tries to be the world’s police, the world’s nurturer, they say it’s going to be 14 billion to get the city back. They say they’re going to do it, but I want to see if it’s really going to happen. The people that are in power now (Bush, Cheney, Brown) are going to be in their summer houses. I just wanna see how it develops. It’s some bullshit though. Some real bullshit. If that was a whole bunch of white people they would have been dropping off stuff right away.

Dork: Talk to me about Waitin’ on Babies and The City

Loki: Waiting on Babies, it’s close to me, it came from Ghostface (one of Ali’s favorite dudes) he has this line “waiting on royalty checks is like waiting on babies,” that’s how we felt about stuff taking too long. It’s been taking for so long. I’ve been rhyming for over ten years, we’re new to people but we’ve been doing it for a minute. My mama likes that song, when she hear it she thinks it’s about waiting on a baby to come, she be like, “Boy are you trying to tell me something?” That might be what she takes from it but for us it means something else. When you talk about style, that’s the Esso sound, being multi-layered, something that’s all encompassing and can touch on different avenues.

Chuck: The City verse by verse could be any urban city USA… no matter where you are it’s the same shit. If you are in a major metropolitan city with a lot of black people, it’s going to be the same. Why is it the same shit happens every day in these places? Drugs, sex, murder, backstabbing? As fucked up as it is, nobody really wants to leave the streets. That’s where you’re from that’s what you know. For the people that can afford to get out they get out but for the most part that’s just where you’re going to be.

Dork: What’s your creative process like?

Chuck: A lot of times I’ll sit in front of the keys and just start banging it out. I have a short attention span, if I don’t get that oomph like yeah this is getting somewhere I’ll move on to another beat. If somebody hears it and thinks it’s funky we’ll just bang it out. That’s how “Music” (track from upcoming album One Eyed Kings) started. I was just making the beat then Ali got on it, and then Loki and we went from there. Don’t forget to pick up OldSkoolFuturistic, 5 dollas.

Bless: Just feeling. What I feel. I don’t sample anymore, but nothing’s wrong with sampling. When I first started I was sampling, now I just hear it. I hear music all the time. If I’m on the train or sumthin, I might be bumpin to something w/ no head phones. I’m just rockin, it’s the shit. Just hear it and put it together. . It’s in me. I don’t even do it on purpose. I gotta let it out. It’s like an orgasm. You gotta let it out.

Dork: Where’d you get your monikers?

Loki: Loki the Bear. Man, this is the kind of stuff that makes us sound a little backpack, but it comes from the Invisible Man (Jack the Bear). Also Akira gave me that I rip it animal style. Plus I’m low key, I’m not all in your face but you gotta recognize it sooner or later. People can’t hibernate forever on this style I got.

Bless: I’m Bless… just Bless. Oh here we go. Names a funny thing in this game. I could bust ya’ll down with my first name and y’all would bust your face laughin’. I was Kick at 14 that didn’t stick… then they called me EN- S, because I had mad energy, on some too deep shit. Then they called me Bless after I had a life threatening experience. Now everybody calls me Bless. I take it. I am blessed. Every time they call me Bless it reminds me how blessed I am, cuz I’m not supposed to be here. I mean I am supposed to be here cuz I’m here, but I’m really not. Ya know?

Dork: Talk to me about ESSOILL as a lifestyle brand.

Akira: Mikomura is my line of custom shoes and shirts. I’ve always been collecting shoes. My dad was a sportscaster when I was growing up. He’d take me to Bulls games, introduce me to the players. Jordan once told me (I wore size 13) if I ever need a pair of shoes you can ask me. I owned probably 20-25 pairs of Jordans that he signed, and that pretty much turned me into a shoe freak. It was a part of my lifestyle when I got to NYC. Just being artistic playing around with things, making art, I started experimenting with fabrics and designs on my shoes. I own about 700 pairs of shoes. I never wear the Jordans. I’m saving them to pay my unborn child’s college tuition.

TheGodAli: We have our own label, do all our own engineering, rhyming, beats, design, our own studios -- Dead Game Studios. If you know anything about pit bulls there are some dogs that are dead game dogs, they will fight to the death. They have that fight in them. We named our studio Dead Game to show we are serious about what we’re trying to do.

Dork: Bless you breed pitbulls also, right?

Bless: My dogs I have ‘em, I love ‘em. I’ve been breeding them since I was fifteen. I’ll breed them for friends, but I’m not doing it for profit, it’s just a hobby. I like pit bulls. I’m not Big Boi nope.

Dork: What’s in the future for E.S.S.O.I.L.L.?

Akira: I definitely want us to be signed to a major, so that everyone can hear us rock… I’d like to have a Mikomura store in NY, Japan and Chicago.

Chuck: If anybody would like to support the music hit us up at Essoill.com. Support independent black music, that’s made legally, we’re not working off drug money. If you see me in the streets I might sell you a track or a CD. I’m definitely for sale but I’m not to be sold. -- el fin [back to Issue 4]