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Talking to the MC Lightborn is like conversations in a dream. In a dream there are many times in which the words are repeated calmly, softly, and slowly, to understand the effect of what is going on. "I am feeling okay" "You're feeling okay?" / "I like classical music" "You like classical music?" Like the films of Stanley Kubrick or the surreal images of painter Salvador Dali, two of his favorite artists, and much like his own music, his presence is often other worldly. The reason for his attentiveness in dialogue is due to his respect for the power of art through words. Anyone who hears his debut release, his first on Philly's own Level 3 Rhino Alert Wreckords, will see that is a passionate, talented artist. A true lyricist on fire, this is true hip hop.

I met Lightborn in NYC where he lives in the summer after the recording and mastering of "Angel of Def". I listened to my advance copy five times straight through. Every song on this album is hot to def. I give it the highest recommendation. This is a classic. 10/10. This may be the best Hip Hop release of the year next to Kanye West's "College Dropout."

Viktor: First off, the "Angel" cd is amazing. I have been banging it non stop. It is the best rap cd I have heard in a while, maybe like three years, straight up.

Viktor: Totally, I can listen to it straight through. I already have like four times.

Lightborn: That was the idea. I wanted to make something that was real hot. I put a lot of time into it. I wanted it to be something that was quality from beginning to end.

Lightborn: Yeah, not as long as I have been writing rhymes, but I play different instruments and didn't want to mess with any samples. I started making beats when I was a kid, hip hop and reggae drum loops and I would play my guitar and rap or sing over.

Viktor: The beats are real hot. They are pretty dark and spacey sounding. They're definitely original sounding. What instruments did you play on the album?

Lightborn: Well, I composed the beats myself and then looped them. Then I added everything from acoustic guitar to piano to sitar to bass to irish pennywhistle to other instruments in the background.

Viktor: For real? Wow. That's pretty impressive. What is the irish pennywhistle?

Lightborn: It is a wind instrument, like a high pitch recorder used in a lot of irish folk music, but that song actually got cut from the cd.

Viktor: You really had to cut tracks form the CD, because there's like fifteen tracks?

Lightborn: Yeah, there are fourteen tracks, I actually had to cut three to fit under the eighty minutes of a standard cd.

Lightborn: How did I pick which ones? Well... I really like the ones I had to cut. Two of them I actually had some real tight scratches on. One is coming out maybe on the Wordsmiths LP, whenever that is, and the other two with scratches are tight but real long, one was like over nine minutes because of all these shouts at the end. (Laughing)

Lightborn: Do I DJ live? Yeah, I started by actually making beats and improvising my own electronic music out live in NYC. It was kind of cosmic and jazzy, and definitely a world music vibe. People felt it but many thought that I was DJing other people's albums. I was not DJing, if I am on the tables you will know because I scratch a lot. I do that more now and save the beats for producing usually.

Lightborn: My formula is that I have some ideas going into a DJ set, but mostly free it. I started out being a dub and reggae DJ. Old stuff, like Desmond Dekker, Yellowman, Peter Tosh, roots stuff, and of course early rap, but as a tablist I throw in lots of other styles of music. Indian, Irish, Classical, Hawaiin, it is pretty unique mix.

Lightborn: The album? Yeah, I was not trying to be different, I have a lot of ideas and my flows and beats create a distinct style I guess.

Lightborn: What part? Well I was born in Overbrook in West Phil, and basically raised there but I moved around a lot, Northeast to 69th Street, all over the city. I also lived in Jers for a minute and in Virginia in like second grade.

Lightborn: Green Hell? That is a slightly melodramatic term for the Cobbs Creek area from around Union Ave to State Rd bordering Overbrook and Upper Darby. It is like a grey, black and green area. Like the Eagles. Concrete, broken, little bits of grass, glass, syringes... kind of dirty and violent. It is not a good place to live or even visit. More specifically, Killdevil Hillz is the section some call the Irish Ghetto, because so many illegal Irish immigrants live there, supposed I.R.A. hide aways but there are also alot of black people. It is a section that is hard to get in and out of because or two busy intersections. It is isolated. It leads to Sunshine b ball court. Some crazy stuff has gone on there. I don't really like it too much really. No offense but people don't really come together in that community to say the least.

Viktor: Maybe the experiences you had there added to the power of emotion on the CD.

Lightborn: Yeah, my fam has seen a lot. But I am not complaining, we have been greatly blessed. The Lord has worked miracles in my life straight up.

Viktor: I noticed that you refer to God a lot on the cd. Are you a Christian MC?

Lightborn: Yeah, I am Christian in everything. There is not a thing I do that does not involve my faith in God. Everything good about me and my life is the result of the Love of Jesus. I mean, some heads may criticize me for being Christian, or not "Christian" enough. I am just trying to make honest music. Some people may not like the way I say some thing, like use violent metaphors. or scream or growl or whatever, but if you feel it fine, if not then go take lessons.

Lightborn: Fear. Man is diseased with fear which is his weakness and too often his downfall. When some one rapes or steals or hurts, it is all born of fear of not being, not having, not being part of something. I hate evil. Some people like to act bad to be cool, I think it is played out. It's a cliche. It's just weak. It's too easy to be destructive and self absorbed, it's time for people to communicate better and get off hate's d***.

Viktor: Yo, that song "Arctic Windz" is real hot, it seems on that one it is less personal and more of a response to hip hop sort of thing. A lot of underground MCs seem to be pissed off at the commercialization of hip hop, like the "McDonald's " thing you said.

Lightborn: I mean, I have been listening to rap since I was little and I know new people get into it all the time, and that's cool, but every commercial does not have to try to be down. It's like if you are selling diapers there will be a commercial with little dookies MCing and one with sunglasses DJing, come on now. Hip hop is positive, powerful, universal, eternal. It is the art. It is a direct response. It is cosmic, beautiful poetry. It can be anyway. So of course real wordsmiths who grew up with Chuck D and Large Professor and KRS are going to be pissed and bored after a while. It is like each year popular rap sucks worse. Also you asked what gets me mad, I hate in hip hop people contradicting themselves and trying to drop knowledge that they never grasped. Spiritually for example, people in various art forms lie to try to come at Jesus, though they have not ascended to the level of overstanding to appear before His Presence with depth of insight. People can say they are Buddhist or Muslim or Christian or Jewish and then may not relate to Christ's identity within their own faith. People who are truly spiritual do, but not many realize Jesus is praised and recognized ninety three times in The Koran, and is prophesized in the Buddhist scripture, the Digna Nikaya. Asia has a beautiful tradition of honoring Jesus. In Judaism, He is the fulfillment. The Messiah. Even in Hinduism, which is not monotheistic, it honors Him as the Tenth Incarnation of Vishnu. I'm saying if you're going to speak on something, know the deal first. Stop following trends.

Lightborn: I am non denominational as a Christian, though I am greatly drawn more and more to the beauty of Quakersim. Philosophically, I am also a Buddhist. All the world faiths, when studied and respected, lead together as one to God, The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Viktor: Man, that is the type of passion I am talking about. Any MCs in particular piss you off. I bet you could battle pretty tough.

Lightborn: Battle? I mean, I am not trying to prove anything to anybody. I have been rhyming and playing music for a while, I know Level 3 is coming up so when they asked me, I put a lot of time to make a hot release. I have been rhyming with the Wordsmiths for a while but it is hard to get everyone together. I mean,I am a creative dude, but I don't force it. I used to break a little, I bomb graf but it is note book style, I am not going through train tunnels. I can scratch as a tablist, but I don't really juggle cuz I don't feel it for my style, whether or not the crowd gets hype for it. Lyrically though, I put my soul into my rhymes. Not to sound conceited, but a lot of MCs don't build up their vocab or read enough. While they are getting high, I am perfecting my style, overseeing my art. A lot of MCs are corny, and say dumb s*** with the mad face on, I am not really into battling, a crowd could get all hype on some dumb s*** like talking about sneakers, but if I broke it down to that level,....yeah, I would rip a b**** MCs face off.

Viktor: Yeah I would kind of like to see that. I think your style is unique, but do you have any artistic influences that stand out.

Lightborn Artistic influences? Yeah, I feel honestly that an artist of any form's expression is the sum of his or her own personal experiences mixed with the influence from other artists or people. Sometimes more personal experience, sometimes it is more outside influence. All my work has a spiritual center in Christ. I respect honesty, and peaceful, loving people like Martin Luther King, Gandhi, and Thich Nhat Hanh. In artistic expression I also like people who respect their craft and try to attend to every single detail. Stanley Kubrick, the Coen Brothers, Robert Duvall, the painters Dali, Marc, Michelangelo, Durer, musicians like Johnny Cash, Bob Marely, Sonny from POD, Q Bert, like I said, Chuck D, KRS, DMX, Killah Priest is my favorite MC.

Viktor: Not surprisingly, that is a very diverse mixture. What music have you been listening to?

Lightborn: What music? Well I have some constants, like Sensefield and Sunny Day Real Estate. Avail from Virginia. Social Distortion. I listen to a lot of bluegrass lately, and Irish music which is part of my roots. Old rocksteady reggae is my heartbeat. I love acoustic music. it is the most hardcore in my opinion, that and acapella. It's easy to rhyme in front of people live, or be with a band, but try singing and playing acoustic just by yourself with nothing to hide behind. It is real raw. In hip hop I love the new Kanye CD. I can listen to Killah Priest every day. Also the Gravediggaz kills it still. Poetic R.I.P.

Lightborn: The Wordsmiths? Both were on the "Angel" CD, and we are trying to do a Wordsmiths CD this year, we got one song recorded during the "Angel" session. They killed it on this so I know it will be hot. It is my boys Don Floc and Matt Gaines. The name will probably change. I agonize over naames of songs and projects and albums.

Viktor; What was the toughest part and best part of making the "Angel of Def" LP?

Lightborn: Well... the whole experience was awesome, but towards the end it became stressful. The last week of recording and definitetly the mixing. I like to oversee every single part of the project. The sound levels, production, every inch of the cd design layout, so I had a lot on my mind by the end. I was up working on finalizing some nights until three a.m. I re did some of the beats three or four times until they were the exact perfect bmp I wanted. I also did not want to pay any fees for movie sample sound clips, to remain consistent since there are no samples in my beats, so I had to maneauver within legalities of the business to look out for Level 3, who trusted me with complete creative control. The best part is all the hard work payed off. I really love the way it came out.

Viktor: I agree. With the buzz about your skills and sound, do you see yourself ever going to a major label?

Lightborn: Majors? I've dealt with some of that stuff back when I was nineteen and know people behind the scenes. I don't know because my style as far as hip hop is not what a major label looks for as far as a commercial sound. You can't use "Divine Arrival" for a gum commercial, and all they're about is making money. I'm not trying to f*** with some weak hook or chorus to be popular. Real hip hop heads feel me though. Level 3 is cool. Some of my acoustic or world music may be better fit for a major. It would be great to have that type of distribution and support, I'm not going to lie, but I would have to have complete 100 percent creative control.

Lightborn: It' s cool because they believe in you. And I am part of the label besides distro. We have similar vision and all have to work hard together. A lot of major label A and Rs don't have a background in music. A lot of indie heads have experience and background in music and aren't businessmen. There's a lot of passion. Listen to some so called "punk" bands now. It is a bigger fashion show then glam rock used to be, and a lot of hip hop now is such bullshit it hurts my feelings. That is why majors are slipping, there's too much good music out there so that commercials and videos, which actually are commercials, can't fool all the kids no more. Indie labels often have better, tighter, and more passionate acts. Artists that have something to say, not just something to show. In my opinion, if an artist or act doesn't somehow pay their dues in some way, then if they come out big right away with major label support, then they are a "pop" band, no matter what they call themselves. No matter how many tattoos they have or what gear they wear, no matter how many guns they pose with in pictures, they are not "punk" or "hip hop" or "emo", just "pop" music because that is what is advertised and consumed.

Lightborn: What kind? In my opinion, just honesty. If you grew up as a kid on the "Mickey Mouse " club and come from a wealthy fam and love to dance around in circles with other dudes cool, that's your thing, but don't search for so called "street cred". Don't fake an accent like your'e from Brooklyn or Philly. Likewise I know real young boys looking up to fake a** ... "MTVCs" that call themselves hysterical names like "Mr. Murder" or "Glock G" or " Jack Knife" or f*****'..."Kill Your Moms". Young dudes who never had a gun pointed at them except maybe in a video game. People need to chill and understand themselves. People must search for truth. You can not have an identity unless you honor God. You can't find it on tv or in the movies or by making it up.

Lightborn: Yeah, I just made that up, but you know what I mean. You pay your dues by hard work. Passion. Experience. When I was a kid I would play guitar in punk bands in some far out biker places where it seemed old heads wanted to kill us. Playing basements, spitting rhymes in North Philly basements, Green Hell slums, Southwest Philly abandoned garages, DJing in BK, carryng heavy gear on the 6 train, saving up a year of money for a piece of equipment, dealing with egos and idiots, traveling all over, not sleeping, writing lyrics that make you cry sometimes, doing things yourself for love of the power of the expression of the art. Paying dues. Working hard. Trying to be good. Serving God above all. The heart of hip hop can never be penetrated by commercialism because too many respect the roots. No matter what, for every corny MC on tv with three models a***s shaking in his face and goofy looking jewelery on, talking indecipherable nonsense, there will be a hundred kids putting their heart into it in cities all over the world that will keep it positive. Kids expressing themselves from the basements to the rooftops, from tables to graf. No matter how many corporations try to make their image more "street" or "hip hop", it will not be as good as the next "Killah Priest" album.

Viktor: Yo, that's funny as s*** the way you put it, but it's true, I agree. I read that you did the art for the cover. So you also paint and draw. How long have you been a visual artist?

Lightborn: Since I was a little kid I have been drawing and painting. I loved comic books and monster movies and graffiti. I have a background in Art Education and Art History. I have a lot of ideas so have been a writer, artist, and musician for years. I love poetry. I think that doing all these things compliment each other. I also like film, but don't really do too much creative with that.

Lightborn: I love anything by Kubrick. I have studied his work. He pays a lot of attention to detail because he respects his craft. I also like the reoccuring themes in his work. The Coen Brothers, Akira Kurosawa, Andrei Tarkovsky, M. Night, and Scorcesse are directors I really like. I started out as a kid loving horror and samurai movies. I like a lot of indie and international films. Film Noir. "The Apostle", "Boondock Saints", "Frailty", "Mystic River", and "Passion" are some of my favorite films.

Lightborn: It's hard. I guess it would be "Nation of Millions" by Public Enemy, "Breaking Atoms" by Main Source, "Heavy Mental" by Killah Priest, "Five Archangels" EP by Sunz of Man, "The Pick, the Sickle, and the Shovel" by the Gravediggaz, Kanye's CD is real hot and the Goats "Tricks of the Shade." That's like seven. My boy Derrick was the drummer of the Goats. We were friends since middle school. They were a Philly crew that were down with the Roots and Bad Brains. They were tight. They repped hard. Philly is essential in the birth of hip hop culture.

Viktor Philly seems to have a lot of pride. People down there are always "Philly this Philly that, what?"

Lightborn Yeah, if you ask me, it has a lot to do with the sports team identity crisis. A lot of pride. The good people of Philly are hard working and loyal , and many are really creative. It's the birth place of graf as we know it. N Y just blew it up, let's get that staight. Some of the best original hip hop DJs were from Philly. Also hot MCs. Tuff Crew, Schooly D, Fresh Prince could flow for real. A lot of others. I have tons of stories. Philly hip hop is hot. There are little kids there on street corners that can kill some signed MCs. Roots, Beans, Caddidy, to Sun Risers, Goats, G Love was on his blues thing, Lost Children, Jedi Mind, Outerspace, Baby Blak, Maylay Sparks. My one boy, his name was Vertigo. He could ryhme real nice. But Philly...if you notice, like I think my appeal right now with a lot of heads is that it is original by nature. Some of the best compliments have been that they never heard that kind of style before.A lot of Philly artists work hard and do their own thing instead of following bullshit trends. we create them, especially with hip hop.

Viktor: Yeah, Philly can be hardcore. All I know is the Eagles fans is crazy. Okay, you can only pick one, since you are a comic book fan, who is your favorite super hero?

Lightborn: Favorite? Well again it's hard. Batman probably. Him and Daredevil have the best stories. Spiderman's got the best characters. Mage is awesome. It depends. Iron Man, Archangel. Mega Man in video games. Me.

Lightborn I would have Iron Man's armor with Arhcangel's wings. That would be hot.

Viktor Here's the MC constant question, what artists would you like to work with?

Lightborn Well there are many. See I play a lot of instruments. In hip hop I like tablists and lyricists. I am an Intergalactic style MC. I would like to work with Q Bert, Mixmaster Mike, Snake Eyez. MCs, I am trying to hook up with Killah Priest of course. Like I said, I resect him as a person and lyricist. He is my favorite MC so that is who I want to work with most. Plus we on the same vibe mentally. Percee P is real ill. Large Professor. Chuck D, my first MC. KRS, Frukwan. Poetic from Gravediggaz but my man passed. GZA, Kool Keith, RZA. Donnie Flocco and Matt Gaines. David Bowie, Johnny Cash, Sonny from POD, yo, he's my boy, he can freestyle for real, trust me.I would like to collaborate with all different style heads so we can learn off of each other. I make my own beats and do everything myself, but sometimes outside input is refreshing.

Viktor: Cool, there's more I want to ask, especially about the lyrical content on the album, but you've given a lot. Any shouts?

Lightborn Why yes. Shouts to my girl, my fam, friends, Level 3, Wordsmiths, and my brothers. Adam and also Dave, who is in jail the week for his birthday, hang in, head up. God's Plans of Blessings are Wonderful.

Viktor: Nice. Well, thanks for the interview and thanks for a CD that I will be bumping for a while man.

Lightborn: Yeah, man thanks a lot. The whole "Angel of Def" is dedicated to the memory of my grandfather, James McShea. Peace. God bless.

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