Recently, Staff Writer Chris McDonald had the chance to chat with Memphis rappers Lord Treadwell I and Maurice Eloise XIII, (more commonly known as Lord T & Eloise), the so-called saviors of rap music and the world’s first purveyors of Aristocrunk.

 

 

Versus Magazine:  You have an extremely unique style that you have yourselves labeled “Aristocrunk.”   For the benefit of the readers who may not have seen or heard of you already, would you mind in your own words describing just what this means.

 

Lord T:  Well it means to harbor both sophistication and a sense of wildness. A sense of true crunk.  In short, it’s a lifestyle as well as a music style that go hand-in-hand together.

 

VM: Would you say that your living and working in Memphis, TN affects this, as it is one of the hubs (and one of the birthplaces of) of the southern, crunk movement?

 

Lord T: Well Memphis has always been a hub for revolutionary forms of music, and certainly this is the case here.  We studied under some of the founders of crunk here in Memphis, which has been a great asset to us.  We have of course studied under many other poets in different areas, however.  But Memphis has a unique flavor and a rap style that is all it’s own.

 

Eloise:  It certainly brings something perhaps that’s a bit different to the genre of rap as a whole, being schooled in the arts of poetry and rich literature, and in addition to that, the classical composers.  Some of our songs have string sections, timpani rolls, and other classical elements mixed with traditional 808 drums, which are often heard on ‘dirty south’ records.

 

VM:  On your last two releases, you collaborated with some of the finest musicians and artists in Memphis.  What really strikes me, however, is the variety that is displayed in these collaborations: you have songs featuring rappers Al Kapone and 8ball, songs with hip-hop group Free Sol.  There are tracks featuring drummer Cody Dickinson, of North Mississippi Allstars and Hill Country Revue, and even renowned opera singer Kallen Esperian.  Is there anyone you are hoping to work with in the future, either local or national talents.

 

Lord T:  I certainly know that in the future we are going to be working with Triple Six Mafia (Three 6 Mafia) if we get the chance, which will be very likely here soon.  Also, we hope to work with Yo Gotti, an up-and-coming Memphis rapper who was just signed to Universal.  I plan on actually taking our time-machine back and picking up Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and bringing him to the early 90’s where we will reconnoiter with Wu-Tang clan and do a collab with Mozart and ODB (Ole Dirty Bastard).

 

VM:  Now you mention Yo Gotti… as I recall a few years back, Eloise, didn’t you call out Yo Gotti, challenging him to a freestyle battle?  Did that ever come to fruition?

 

Eloise: It’s interesting that you should say that.  That was part of a more general call to rap battle with all great Memphis MC’s.  I had a vision, one day, to have a sort-of big party where Memphis rappers would all get together and just freestyle battle.  That never happened, and I don’t want to single out Yo Gotti as much as to try maybe to use this platform here to call out to all rappers to join in a freestyle rap battle with us…. In a nice way.  It’s all in the purpose of perpetuating the art. Plato and Socrates were known for their improvisational repartee with their students and with their compatriots.  So we wish the world were more like that.

 

Lord T:  Let me also go back to the previous question about who we’d like to collaborate with.  The Cool Kids and Santogold would be at the top of our list.

 

Eloise:  I used to date M.I.A. or I’d beg her…

 

VM: When listening to your songs it’s clear that you each have your own personal styles.  What do you each believe you bring to the table, in background, in methods, and in experience?

 

Eloise:  Well, we are twin brothers… with genetic mutations.  And being gold skinned and the older of the two twins, I would say that I played around with rhymes and poetry my whole life, so that’s really what I bring.  I’m a poet. I’m a trained poet and I’m a businessman, and I bring these skills to the rap game, and they are integral to the rap game.  And let me also tell you, that in terms of my style, I’ve developed it over a long period of time, and it’s very adept.

 

Lord T:  To answer that question I have to hark back to one of the reasons why we came to Memphis, TN – it was part of my family’s international, corporate empire.  We actually own a studio and a record label here, Young Avenue Sound, in which we’ve not only honed our craft on our records “Aristocrunk” and “Chairmen of the Bored,” but also worked with some of the many artists mentioned earlier.  And by virtue of my associations with this business, I would say that what I bring to the table is some experience on the business side of things, with regards to the game, if you will.  So the knowledge and connections are there.  In terms of the style of my rapping, there is some Snoop Dogg there… sometimes exponentially so if the moment calls for it.  But there are of course many others. 

 

VM:  On a more serious note, there has often been talk of the difficulties of white artists successfully breaking into the rap/hip-hop industry.  Granted, one of you is indeed gold, but how do you perceive this, maybe in terms of your own successes through rapping about the joys of wealth, status, nobility, etc, particularly in the face of a genre whose roots are found in poverty, hardship, and adversity?

 

Eloise:  Well that is a multi-part question, but let me first address the issue of being a white rapper, which actually I can’t do that, as you well know, but Lord T is well able.  I can tell you from the perspective of a gold man, it is very difficult.  You do get a lot of looks, people do provoke you more, especially in rap battles or even in public.  But also I would say that in terms of what we represent in the rap game and what this genre represents juxtaposed with who we are, I really don’t see that.  I see music not representing an economic demographic, but as a vehicle to represent all perspectives, and that is truly what we are doing here.  But I don’t see it as a specific genre of music dictating certain outlets of a culture.

 

Lord T:  I think that indeed, rap music from its conception… actually if you go back to the beginning, some of the early pioneers of the genre were three young Jewish men from Brooklyn, which was unusual at the time.  And certainly, they went on to huge successes.  Today, I think that you see so much more diversity in the genre, and many different artists are continually pushing the boundaries as to what can be defined as rap or hip-hop.  Whether you are M.I.A., who is Sri-Lankan, whether you are the Teriyaki Boys, who is a group out of Japan produced by Pharrell… it is certainly [evident] that hip-hop has become the dominant, cultural, musical art form internationally.  And by virtue of that, in the last few years, it’s spreading itself and expanding itself to encompass everyone from gold rappers to 17th century aristocrats who are born with white hair and blue rings.

 

Eloise:  I believe as long, and this is the case with any genre, including the one in which we are presently engaged, as long as you are true to yourself, as long as you are true to the game, just accept that it is hip-hop.

 

VM:  No you have each spoken a bit about your own backgrounds and styles and what you each bring to the table, but as anyone who has seen you perform or has even heard your songs could tell you, there is another very prominent member of your group – MysterE.  Where does he fit into the equation for you?

 

Eloise:  MysterE  is an elusive character.  He oftentimes is found performing with us live at our venue-shows across the nation.  And really, he was our man on the ground here before we arrived.

 

Lord T:  He’s sort of a middle man between us and the general population in many ways.  He helps introduce us to the musicality of rap and is quite experimental in his own right within the genre.  He was the first to fuse symphonic melody with crunk beat.  He does produce many of our tracks and he, along with a long list of other Society members, travels the countryside, spreading the revolution. 

 

Eloise:  Because of over-indulgences in red wine, fine cheese, and rich chocolate, I actually have gout.  Because of this, I cannot sing and only can rap, so MysterE certainly makes up for that with his ability to sing on some of the hooks of our songs.

 

Versus: You’re now signed with Progressive Global Agency, the same booking and management agency that R.E.M., The Dynamites, Widespread Panic, and Dead Confederate are all signed to. Any plans for a major tour in the near future?

 

Eloise:  We are in the process of orchestrating a national tour as we speak, and you will be able to catch us all across the US pretty soon.  Progressive is doing a nice job for us, and R.E.M. is a nice, small band and they have trod a nice path for us, that we are going to follow.

 

VM:  Any plans on who might support you on that tour?

 

Eloise:  It is still at the planning phase.  It will probably include a rotating cast of Memphis crunk legends, some of whom actually appear on our records.

 

VM:  As long as we are talking about the future here, are there any preliminary plans for a new album to follow up “Chairmen of the Bored,” or are you just enjoying the fruits of your labor for the time being?

 

Eloise:  Well it is funny that you should mention the future. Lord T and I are men of means, but you already know that.  We have, with a team of scientists, helped create, develop, orchestrate, and build a team that — well, I don’t want to call it a time machine, but let’s go ahead and do that.  And we are using it to record our next record, but that’s pretty much all I can say.

 

VM:  Eloise, last year you crashed the red carpet at the Grammy’s drawing all sorts of attention and intrigue as to who the man in gold was.  Any similar plans for this year’s show?

 

Eloise:  I will be in attendance at the Grammy’s this year, but after all of the hoopla that occurred last year, I will be entering through the back door and watching from the shadows.  Lord T, on the other hand, has a few interviews that he is scheduled to do on the red carpet.  So you may see him mingling with the other rappers, stars, and starlets.