Louis Logic is a New York City based underground hip-hop MC. He is a former member of the Demigodz, appearing on a number of tracks on their first album. He has also released albums as a solo artist, and as The Odd Couple with Jay Love. He has recently made his arrangement with longtime producer J.J. Brown official; his most recent album was released under the artist name "Louis Logic & J.J. Brown."
He first became interested in hip-hop at the age of eleven when he was exposed to U.T.F.O.'s hit "Roxanne, Roxanne". By his own admission, lyrical talent did not come naturally to him, and he has cited Vinnie Paz (formerly Ikon the Verbal Hologram) for the name which has become Logic's moniker, 'The Drunken Dragon.' In 2002, the Demigodz The Godz Must Be Crazy EP was released, featuring Logic on a number of tracks.
Louis Logic's solo career took off in 2003 with the release of Sin-A-Matic, which was met with critical acclaim and widespread underground success. In 2004 he withdrew from the Demigodz, citing that his association with the group was overshadowing his solo career, and the fact that his music was developing in a very different direction from the style which made him comfortable with the Godz, who generally value traditional battle-style rhyming over innovation. He stressed that the rift was not a bitter one, and that he remains on good terms with the Demigodz, particularly Celph Titled, with whom he remains personally close. However, in 2005 Louis Logic made an appearance on long time Demigodz affiliate Majik Most's debut album "Molesting HipHop (released on Domination Recordings). The song entitled "Chicks Don't Mind" was produced by JJ Brown - Logic's primary producer and close friend.
Although he released Alcohol/Ism later that year as The Odd Couple with Jay Love, his departure from the Demigodz also marked a retreat from collaborative work. His 2006 album with J.J. Brown, Misery Loves Comedy features no cameos at all by other rappers, although a singer was brought in for one track. Misery Loves Comedy was Logics first release on his new label, Fatbeats Records.
In September 2006, Louis and J.J. released their first music video for the single "The Great Divide." The video was directed by Jed I. Rosenberg.
here you go:
I ll give an intro about you, so we can bypass all those questions and get to what you are up to, now...
1.) - Tell me about the concept behind your new project, Spork Kills? Who are the participants, and how did you all meet/come together?
Are we doing real answers? Laust Jeppesen, and I met at a Socialists for Surf Reform Sewing Circle meeting aka at a studio session in lovely Copenhagen. I was hired to rap on a beat by a production duo called Tue Track and Peder for the 3rd Nobody Beats the Beats album. NBTB is a popular collective of hip hop producers in Copenhagen and Laust and his production partner and lifelong friend Rolf Hede have been members since the inception. Lausts engineered my Tue Track and Peder session and we got along so well I began to wonder I wasn’t working with his production. I asked him to play me some of his stuff and realized that I had actually met him about 2 years earlier while passing through Copenhagen on tour when I recognized the exclusive Black Thought verse he had for this particular song. We made plans to get together the next time I passed through Copenhagen but I love musing about how he never thought he’d hear from me again. I called him maybe a year later from the home of a beautiful redheaded Danish girl I was spending tons of money visiting. We linked up at his and Rolf’s studio and I met Rolf for the first time. We made a song from scratch with no samples in less than 2 hours and I knew we had an unusual chemistry. I never thought 2 short years later, I’d be innovating my own career with a Surf Rap record. Life is weird.
2.) - Do you feel that a lot of emcees, performer's, other artists are using more bands, more rock-based samples, and putting out project's using current rock-radio hits?
I don’t know. Are they? I’m not much into what other mc’s are doing. I have a few new favs but mostly, I’m a big indie rock and singer/songwriter head. I do hear a lot of talk about how everyone thinks they need a band now. My philosophy on that is if it isn’t adding something unique and tasteful to what you do as a hip hop artist, then adding a band is just for show. Save yourself a few bucks and wear a costume or something.
The difference between what I’ve been doing with my band and what most rappers do, as I see it, is that we’re not just replicating what I used to with a producer, only with a band. I’ve also been studying piano and theory for the past 3 years so I can actually participate in the writing and playing of these songs. It’s not just me standing in front of a bunch of guys who replaced my DJ. We are actually a synthesized band. Hahaha. I make us sound like we were grown in a laboratory or that we all have feathered hair and quasi-futuristic clothes. We do by the way.
3.) - What were some of your influences and inspirations for making this record?
Ok.. I’ll make a list. The Ventures, Talking Heads, Tonedeff, Rufus Wainwright, Homeboy Sandman, The Kinks, LCD Soundsystem, The Shins, Mike Patton and anything he does, Beirut, The Beatles, The Office (Not at the senior center where I work. The show. Although I don’t watch it. My girlfriend does.), My girlfriend, Copenhagen, Emil Jeppesen (Laust’s little brother and Spork Kills trumpet player), Ayn Rand, Zodiac, The Count of Monte Cristo, The Exorcist. God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater. Tight pants. Saag Paneer. This doesn’t make any sense any more. Ah well.
4.) - Do you see hip hop, rock, dance, club, etc. just fusing into one, amalgamation of music?
Damn! I guess that is what’s happening. Should I be concerned about that or happy? You don’t have to answer that. You’re interviewing me right? Sure.
5.) - What I mean is, there are a lot of hybrid-bands/groups/solo artists, out there that don't know what they are:punk, glam, rap, hiphop, hipster, indie, etc. etc. Kind of reminds me of the rock/rap/metal phase that happened in the late 90's, early 2000's...
Oh wow! I remember that! Now, I am getting concerned! I think there was a lot of really silly and awful stuff that happened as a consequence of that marketing scheme gone awry. Still, I suppose I had a little bit of a softspot for the Judgment Night Soundtrack. Del and Dinosaur Jr.!!! What!?!
www.myspace.com/sporkkills
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