When Tha Shaman (Elliot Tsai, 蔡一暐) and his THC (Taipei Hip-hop Crew, H中P在台北) posse hit the stage, up to 10 MCs work the crowd — audience members go wild, and some have been known to strip.
Following the group’s debut album, last year’s Countdown to Unsound, THC recently released Shaman’s solo album, which showcases the MC’s rhyming talents and reflects his mixed-ethnicity and personal interest in spirituality and metaphysics. Tomorrow the crew performs in Taichung for the first time.
Vinyl Word: What’s your definition of true hip-hop?
Shaman: True hip-hop is hip-hop music that says something truthful. Chuck D of Public Enemy called hip-hop the “Black CNN.” Another name for it could be the “Invisible CNN” — the news you don’t see. In the days of Babylon, kings and queens controlled knowledge and thus held power. Prophets used to speak the truth to the people through music, seeking to free people’s minds and hearts. It was a way for them to hide their dissent, which would otherwise lead to being beheaded. Hip-hop is good music to get free to.
VW: What’s your album about?
S: The album is titled Shamanizm (玄武門). I speak on such topics as enlightenment, energy, abuse, freedom, fear and pain. It’s a mix of American and Chinese/Taiwanese culture, just like me.
VW: How did you make Shamanizm?
S: It took a lot of hard work, a lot of time and care. The album has 18 songs. Two songs were recorded with a live band and a singer, it has four languages, three producers, several MCs, and a few of the beats [were] made by yours truly.
VW: Which Taiwanese artists would you like to work with?
S: Some I plan to work with are Soul Jingle (手斤口), Bozo Boyz, R.M.B.Z., AP’s Manchuker (滿人), Lil’ E (沈懿) and Beatbox Double.
VW: What are your live shows like?
S: It’s rowdy! You’ll see a group of guys who love to work a crowd and have a good ’ol time. You’re gonna see hip-hop culture, livin’, breathin’ and thrivin’! Our posse is one of a kind in Taiwan, or anywhere else in the world even. We have Mandarin, Taiwanese, French and, of course, English. Our shows have anywhere from four to 10 members on stage at any one time. Each of our MCs has an original and unique style, the combination of which leaves many with a new understanding of what hip-hop could and should be. I like to believe our music gets people laid.
VW: Tell us about your experiences gigging.
S: Ha, well, when you are at a place where alcohol is involved, anything can happen. I’ve had a guy try to grab the mic from me in the middle of a song (he wanted to sing), another guy yelling “THC” so loudly it was hard to hear the MC, guys and girls taking their clothes off ... um, yeah. It can get a little wild sometimes, ha, ha. That’s what we’re here for. If you want peace and quiet, you can go to the library. If you wanna bring da ruckus, come get some of this THC.
Shamanizm CD Launch Party with THC, Anti Hero, Marc V, and Edify, is tomorrow from 10pm to 4am at Light Lounge, B1, 85, Huamei W St Sec 1, Taichung City (台中市華美西街一段85號). Admission is NT$300.
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