Five Questions Blog | Dres of Black Sheep on the Real Hip Hop - Black Voices Blogs
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2007 July 11
In the current debate over the content of rap, Dres hails as a legendary emcee whose style represents the best essence of hip hop: fun, humor and intelligent lyrics. Born in the Bronx, N.Y., Dres is a solo emcee made famous as part of hip hop super duo, Black Sheep. Black Sheep's first album 'A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing' was released to both critical and commercial success in 1992. To continue promoting the true spirit of hip hop as a solo artist, Dres released an online-only album last year. (This October we can expect an album of similar flavor from his fellow Native Tongues Posse member, Q-Tip.) Dres is also a much-adored performer, sought after this year for both the 2007 Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival and 'Rock the Bells' tour.
Dres brought his love of real hip hop to the Black Voices studios as we asked him our Five Questions:
Will there ever be a Black Sheep reunion?
I would like to think optimistically, and say as well as there being a Native Tongues tour, there will be a Black Sheep reunion.
Why did the group break up?
Essentially I would say that it had to do with the endeavors of a man and the endeavors of a child. When we started we were basically 18, 19 years old. Essentially, when we ended up parting ways I think it had a lot to do with just us growing as people, growing apart, maybe realizing different value systems. We attempted to kind of reunite for a project, and it just wasn't there. I don't mean that to say anything belittling about me or my former partner. But people change, people grow and grow in different directions. It just became something to me that was much more spiritual as opposed to something that was even trying to be competitive. I felt that there was just a need for what that album attempted. And I think my partner thought of it a little differently. That was his prerogative. I don't think it was a bad situation. It just was what it is.
What are your thoughts on the current state of hip hop? With current hit songs like 'Walk it Out,' 'Pop, Drop and Lock It' and 'Lip Gloss,' do you think these songs are silly or cool?
I think that's a funny question because those songs you mentioned are rap songs, not hip hop songs. I don't view myself as a rapper. I view myself as an emcee. And I don't rap, I rhyme. I don't have a problem with rap music, but there is definitely a difference between hip hop and rap. Which is why I am so glad to participate in something like the Brooklyn Hip Hop festival. This festival is something that illustrates the difference between hip hop and rap. Hip hop is much more cultural, it has much more to do with who you are and how you live, and even how you grow. A person in hip hop doesn't necessarily finish what they've started. Rap to me is very interchangeable. For those three songs you just mentioned, you could take the heads off each of those artists and put them on the others, and it basically would be the same to me.
Do you think you will continue to be in hip hop or branch into other avenues like acting as other rappers have?
I would like to try to do some acting. You have the Mos Defs, just a slew of cats, the DMXes, or whoever, that have shown the versatility of what hip hop can do. Hip hop can dance, hip hop can act, hip hop can sing. I had an opportunity to do a flick with Laurence Fishburne. He gave me a little role a few years back in a movie that he had written and directed. I liked it, it is something I would like to pursue. I don't feel like it would be in the forefront in my life, but I think it's something that I could do, and that being the case, why not?
As we are a technology-driven company, I have to ask: what cell phone do you have right now? What do you love and hate about it?
Ah! It's a Sidekick 3. It's very user friendly, and I love that aspect of it. But it doesn't open all types of documents. I'll usually have to forward a document, like to my regular e-mail. I wish that it had some of the broadband--like with the blackberry you can look at different visual things. I wish I had that aspect of it, but I'm pretty happy with it. I'm new to the world of computer-saviness. I'm kind of getting in where I fit in. But the Sidekick is very comprehensive, it works totally for me, and even makes me look good sometimes!
Yes you are very stylin'! Thanks for having such a sense of humor with that question, and thank you for answering our Five Questions.
Watch Dres perform at the 2007 Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival:
Black Sheep, real hip-hop??
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