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Uncle Blak with the fall edition,yall...I caught up with a veteran's veteran. Youngans and Now-schoolahs, yall are being watched, i promise you imma get at yall. But I had to get this cat in right quick. Like m'self, this cat just does his thing and slides off. Comes equipped with his own swagger. We aint crew or nothing but It's a mutual thing were, If I saw him and vice versa...you know how us colored cats do...we give the headnod piece like...sup. So thats what I did, I hailed up d'one called DVS. Lets start the show...
YM: That’s a cool site Jilly Hunter laced for you and your crew...sup, Lunch. A new CD in the works? How were the previous releases received. Yeah, Jilly really came thru on the website...that's really Lunchbox's baby right there, though. He hounds me incessantly for content, so it should turn out quite nicely. Rest assured that he has a lot more in store for the masses. I'm currently working on my 1st solo album, "DVS For Alderman". I expect to be finished in early 2005. It’s really giving me a chance to stretch out and show some of my range, and it has been a very eye opening experience. Nothing like recording 12 songs and realizing that "HEY....I'VE CHANGED! TIME TO START OVER!!" I'm pretty sure the finished product will be worth the wait,though. My 1st release was as part of a collective called THE GENESIS EXPERIMENT, consisting of myself (DVS), emcee G-Sicks, emcee/producer Fathom 9 and engineer/DJ J Mecca. Though it was never commercially released, this album got tons of underground love in Memphis, TN, where it was originally recorded. Since the four of us were from such diverse backgrounds (Sicks is from NY, I'm from Chicago, J Mecca from CT and Ennis from Memphis)...cats were really surprised to hear such pure hip hop coming out of this supposedly "country" town. Even though it was recorded in 2000, I still got asked about what happened to "THEM GENETIC EXCREMENT CATS"!!
YM: I've seen you go from a tourney host, as well as a participant. To one who appears every now and again. Still quality material yet scathing towards the boards when you rhyme. ("Fuck the boards”, even snapped off on this here mag). Other times endearing and engaging with your poetry, your most showing exceptional range (Fierce). Talk about these changes
*Changes F.Rellevant playin'*
Haha...I think its all part of the cycle of being an artist and having genuine love for the Freestyle Board. When I first came to OKP in 1999, the Freestyle Board was the 1st place that I gravitated to. As a writer and an emcee, it was just beautiful to see like minded people sharing their art and really giving a damn about one another. But, as time went on and as my life grew more complex with family, school and kids and all...I just wasn't able to dedicate the time to the boards like I used to, day in and day out, responding to EVERYBODY...Upon my return after a hiatus...it just seemed like the atmosphere of the board had changed. Whereas the Freestyle Board used to be a battleground for emcees to cut there teeth, I came back to this new "Def Poetry Jam" style that I just wasn't feeling. I guess it was a natural progression as more people came to the site...but I bristled against it. I had my beefs, granted. In the process, I served plenty a cat...and had my head straight busted more than once...but in the end...it was all out of love for this place. Right now? I feel like I'm an OG...partially because I AM older in age than most of the people who post here...and partially because I've been here so long that I don't feel the need to prove myself anymore like I did when I was a bit younger. But in the end? I love you guys to death...and I will support you as much as I possibly can in doing what you gotta do. Cat's in here is talented, yo.
YM: How far has the music taken you in your life. What I mean is...you got the voice, flow and production that complements. What’s left to conquer out there. Where have you gone with this and where’s this all going.
Well...what cats really don't know is that I was spitting on mikes when most people were in Pampers. I gave the valedictorian speech at my pre-school, for chrissakes!! My father's connections afforded me the chance to speak in front of thousands of people at a time before I was even a teenager. So...I said all of THAT bullshit to say this: Flow doesn't come naturally...you have to actively develop your own voice. My entire style comes from years of experience, and a deep love for this Hip Hop music that raised me. The only thing that is left for me to conquer is my own self-doubts. I know I'm NICE...but the question is, how nice? Because every time I think I'm tight...along comes a Lunch or a Fathom 9 who reminds me that in reality...I still got a loooong way to go. But I'll never stop rhyming. Giving up isn't in my blood...its how I get through the day. I'ma be that 70 year old nigga in the back of the club getting buck to "Ante Up" with a walker and shit.
YM: Earlier I said wassup to Lunch. Did yall meet here on the boards? I remember back than it seemed like yall were crew along with a few others (what’s the name of the crew). Has the boards served as a breeding ground of sorts? A place where you were able to form alliances, possibly go on and make some serious moves with.
Haha....me and Lunch met when I was throwing a tourney. I just happened to be in the chat room firing lil keystyles back and forth, when I noticed this cat Lunch was rather nice with the nouns and verbs. So...I hipped him to the tourney I was throwing...and the rest is history. Me and that cat have been thru so many different incarnations and aliases it’s pathetic...but we both share a real strong passion for being the best at what we do...and at starting a WHOLE LOTTA SHIT!!! If I hadn't met Lunch...there might not be an OMNi today. (For those who don't know, OMNi is a collective of emcees, producers and singers that met here on OKP, and have aligned with one another to ensure our individual and collective success). That was all Lunch from start to finish.
YM: Why do you think so many of the battles you've hosted been archived? Others also hosted some here and there. Were there mods around to select who gets in or...
Well, a lot of the battles I hosted where like the 1st one's done. I hosted the 1st successful (to completion) battle. I still owe ToeJam his Frozen Snickers and shit! I had seen other battles being thrown...but I also noticed a lot of arguing and what not about biases and whatever. So...when I threw my battles, I wanted them to be unbiased in a way that no one could question the outcome. Angieee (the old web mistress extraordinaire) and B Kyle were real supportive of the battles, and the material that came out was just FIRE...hence the archives. I really thing that a lot more of the work on this board should be archived...but that's on the mods and what they see fit.
I was just lucky to be one of the 1st to do it and do it well, you know?
YM: Where’s the Freestyle Board at? More specifically highlight the good things that are happening as of late. Alot of folks are quick to point out the flaws or faults. Let’s hear your take on the positive side of things here. You know what I can say about the boards now? I really feel like the love that I felt when I first came here is coming back now. People like Robynwildchild, PhotoSynthesis, Ezzsential, InstantAxis...hell even RickyPooh (a.k.a. MiracleRic) have genuine love and respect for each others art. The Freestyle Board rides for one another...which I might not have been able to say a year or so ago.
It’s got me to a point where I actually ENJOY coming around and building with cats again. And I'm sometimey as hell...so that's saying a WHOLE lot!
YM: Favorite part here...in your own words, break down DVS. Cause alot of folks only see the name every so often. I remember seeing it as Divine Versatile. So how did we get from that to the 3 letters. Go... OK...here we go... When I first started spitting, I went by the name MK Love...for this embarrassing assed crush I had on this chick across the street named Kelly. (My boys still crack on me about this one). I went from there to "DaRealis", but that didn't really speak upon my attributes.
So...I decided to break down what mattered the most to me. The 1st thing I got was "Divine"...because everything that I do in life, and ESPECIALLY within this art form, is influenced by my undying devotion to the Most High. The next one was "Versatile"...'cause I write poetry, I emcee, I freestyle, I sing, and I can even dance a little if you throw on some Deep House music!
The 3rd attribute was "Skills". I wanted it to be in my name that I had skills, undeniably. You can't say my name without making reference to my skills. Point blank. So, now we got the acronym D.V.S., right? But we ALSO got "Devious"...and THAT shit is true as hell, too! I'm not the one you want to leave around your little sister if she's over 18, yo. TRUST! Not saying I'd cuff her and be bogus about it...but I've always had that little "devious" look in my eyes, like I'm just a LITTLE too slick for my own good.
So...that's the foundation. I've got other plays upon that...but we don't have all day, now...do we? LOL! It was always DVS, but I was trying to put my 1st two attributes on blast. But...you do me a favor and try logging in as DivineVersatile every day, multiple times a day, on this site... FUGGGG DAT!!
DVS it is...DVS it shall remain.
Spank you for playing.
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http://unclevicart.com/
me and the fellas would converge and heat up some Hot Pockets in preparation for Rap City.© Roc
dude, getting a response from the folks at freestyle is like watching water boil...© Tek
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