With the “Pimp the System” front that ran wild on 2000’s Lets Get Free and Revolutionary but Gangsta one presidential cycle later, Dead Prez proved it has that gangster tip on lockdown. After a five-year hiatus from studio collaborations, the challenge that the Tallahassee, Fla., vets M-1 and Stic.man face on their forthcoming LP, Information Age, is ensuring they keep it Revolutionary.
“We don’t wanna repeat Lets Get Free or redo RBG,” stresses Stic.man. “We’re trying to create an ancient sound with superfuturistic hip-hop beats, built around chords and theory, that will have a profound impact on jazz and hip-hop but also R&B and pop music.
“People like to find a niche, but then you can’t be creative. You can’t be flexible; you can’t adapt. That’s what makes music stiff and predictable.”
Coinciding with a change in the musical structure, Dead Prez also plans to throw its lyrical content for a loop. Longtime allegiants will find Information Age‘s message emanating more akin to “Be Healthy” and “Mind Sex” than “50 in the Clip.”
“We’re talking about the moment of awakening in a person,” says Stic.man. “Having access to correct information that you can apply to your situation or knowing that the Earth is spinning around Polaris. Any person who recognizes there’s more to life than being a wage slave experiences an awakening.
“And you can use that knowledge in health, parenting, and relationships. We’re trying to show that you can fuse these elements in a real way and make an impact that I think will be encouraging but still unexpected.”
As for the gangster, it’s without question.
“We’re definitely still gonna be hard,” asserts Stic.man. “We ain’t off on any of that funny stuff, man.”
This article appears in March 20 • 2009.