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Grafwurks interview w/Reflect June & Semantic Noise
February 22, 2008, 7:23 am
Filed under: Uncategorized


So we got an exclusive interview with the people responsible of the Hunt Club album dropped back on Valentine’s Day, which is available for free to download @ www.lonestarhiphop.com but we’re bringing it to you here on Grafwurks, thanks to Reflect June & Semantic Noise 

Grafwurks: What do you think of this Texas weather?
Semantic Noise: It’s kind of wild right? You just have to be prepared for anything at anytime. The skies are very moody; Not for the faint of heart.
Reflect June: I think it’s crazy, honestly. The most erratic weather I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting lives in Dallas, TX. 

Grafwurks: What is your preferred brew to drink?
Semantic Noise: Coffee or Beer? How do I choose? I like dark roast coffees, espresso etc… and I enjoy all types of beer for different foods, weather, moods.
Reflect June: I’m a Guinness fan, so as far as brew goes that’s the one for me. There’s a 12 proof beer that tastes amazing but almost nobody has it on tap – St. Bernardus it’s called. As far as liquor goes, any kind of rum with some coke is good for me.

Grafwurks: What’s your opinion on the elections taking place this year?
Semantic Noise: I think there’s some new stuff on the plate as far as the demographics of the hopefuls. I feel like the process and publicity of the campaign trail goes on for so long. Maybe the campaigns should be limited to 8 months before the election. It feels like we’ve been hearing about these same people for the last year and a half. I’m already wary of it and the election isn’t until November.
Reflect June: I’m not a fan of placing so much faith in our rights as citizens to elect the President. I don’t know the “powers that be” personally or even by name, but I know they exist, and I know that our votes don’t matter. The eager and unrelenting emphasis on capitalism ruined democracy in the United States, as far as I’m concerned. So I’m going to do my thing until (or if) it becomes too difficult, at which time I’ll leave. 

Grafwurks:  Where does your stage name come from (e.i Reflect June & Semantic Noise)
Semantic Noise: I once read the following and thought it was perfect: “Semantic noise is difficult to define. It may be related to people’s knowledge level, their communication skills, their experience, their prejudices and so on.” It’s from the Shannon-Weaver Model of Commutations. Textbook college freshman communications 101 stuff.
Reflect June: I’ve gone by a lot of monikers in my time, and never really placed that much importance on them, but when I first started working with Rob Viktum a few years ago I realized that I needed something to stick with. So we started brainstorming, and we came up with something that fits me as an mc and also carries the syllable structure that I wanted. Reflect June is always pointing back to that Gemini month, and tells what I do; which is reflect on everything about me and everything I know or see, and send it on back.

Grafwurks: What are some good hip hop spots that you can recommend our readers?
Semantic Noise: Wow, it’s so hard to define something as “hip hop” for me. I’ll just tell you what I think is dope in Dallas right now. The Cool out at the Cavern on Mondays, The Scoop at Fallout Lounge on Wednesdays (shameless plug - this is a weekly im doing with my crew.) 3 the Hard Way at Zubar on Thursdays, DJ Love at Ten on Fridays, Rob Viktum at Wax on Saturdays. The Party… those guys hold it down all over the city on any given night.
Reflect June: : I know Rob Viktum is going to be doing a weekend somewhere, although I’m not sure if everything definite is ironed out. Semantic and a couple other cats are going to be having every Wednesday at Fallout, which will be a dope night. I’d really just suggest going to www.lonestarhiphop.com and checking the events section. We make sure to have everything we can find out about throughout all of Texas listed in the calendar.

Grafwurks: What is your all-time favorite hip hop album?
Semantic Noise: Dilla. madlib, common, fat jon, the roots. pete rock. dunzo.
Reflect June: That’s always going to be the hardest question because the answer changes weekly, but as far as standing the test of time and still loving them I have to say two…just because they’re very different and I can’t choose between them: Midnight Marauders, and Only Built 4 Cuban Linx .

Grafwurks: This is a question is has been asked many times before; but what do you think of the hip hop scene here in Dallas?
Semantic Noise: Dallas hiphop is as dope as anywhere on the map. Shhhh. dont tell anyone.
Reflect June: I think there is a ton of potential here, and I also think there are a ton of crybabies. People here seem to think that a little bit of work should go a long way…but it doesn’t, it’s not like that. Dallas has a lot of really talented and frustrated people, and a lot of lazy people. I know that if everybody hustled like they think they are then there would be more going on here…until then (if ever) me and the people I run with are gonna keep making spots to listen to good hip-hop at, and keep making moves forward.
  
 

Grafwurks: And what do you think we could do to help & promote the scene?
Semantic Noise: It’s all about helping each other out. If you’re from Dallas and you’re dope I’m gonna support you. Just show love and support each other.
Reflect June: Come out. It’s that simple. Come to shows and tell people about shows. To the artists in this city: PROMOTE. Hip-hop promoters aren’t making any money, if you want people to hear you, hand people flyers – blow up the internet. Make it go nuts.

Grafwurks: Who has been your favorite artist(s) to work with?
Semantic Noise: Reflect June, yesitsfiasco, Juicy the Emissary, kylebeats, sunkenstate … man need I say more? I’ll put that list up against anyone in the game.
Reflect June: Rob Viktum and Semantic Noise, hands down, no contest. Favorite mc to work with has been Barfly…even though the files disappeared, oh well.

Grafwurks: And who would you like to work with if given the chance?
Semantic Noise: I’m already working with some of the most talented and unique people in hip hop and electronic music. There’s a few Dallas cats I still need to build with… you know who you are. Median is dope on the mic, so is Elzhi.
Reflect June: Darkness, El-P, I think 2-Mex and I should do a song together just to confuse people, Prefuse73, Blockhead, basically every producer I put on “My Mohawk Weighs a Ton.” And Kyle – I have no idea what he goes by, if anything.

Grafwurks: What do you have to say to those people who are in the hip hop scene cause its “trendy” or just for any other reason than the love for hip hop in general?
Semantic Noise: I don’t think hip hop is trendy anymore.
Reflect June: I’d say have fun and support as best you can while you’re here. I’m no purest, one of the great things about music is the fact that so many waves of different types of people get to wash over genres. Now, to any artists I say “Stop.” There’s too many heartless bastards already trying to make it, so stop now instead of misrepresenting. To any fly-by-night promoters: Book me.

Grafwurks: When performing, what is something you need to do before taking the stage?
Semantic Noise: I usually just need about 30 seconds to myself so I can focus.
Reflect June: Have a couple beers, maybe one shot. Flirt with a girl. Listen to my set by skipping around the songs. Have a breath of fresh air. Then I grab a whiskey to sip on stage and go for it.

Grafwurks: What do you think of these radio stations who state they are the number one hip hop station, when they don’t play ANY true hip hop?
Semantic Noise: Commercial radio is a joke. Give me a break.
Reflect June: I just put those people out of my mind. Radio is horrible but the “urban” radio here is unbelievably bad. I just got back from Chicago and was actually hearing hip-hop on a popular radio station, granted, it wasn’t much but it was enough to make the station tolerable. Here? Ugh, I ignore it.

Grafwurks: Any shouts or anything you wanna tell our readers?
Semantic Noise: Come out to Fallout Lounge and Wednesdays!
Reflect June: Have to shout out to Rob Viktum for being such a great friend and recording the vocals for us, Kylebeats, IZK, Vigilante, Camilla “Three C,” all of the Tour But to Scribble Jam crew for influencing me during revisions and having such a blast, Charlene for the influence and inspiration, Fishr Pryce for doing the cuts and pretending to be my friend for so long, Hemingway and the dozens and dozens of books I’ve read while writing “Hunt Club.” Never least, Semantic Noise – for the great music and friendship.

And here are some exclusive pics of Reflect June & Semantic Noise, pictures were taken by Teresa Nasty

  

And here is the link to download for FREE; Reflect June’s & Semantic Noise - Hunt Club brought to us exclusively thru Lonestar Hip Hop. Enjoy!


 

Reflect June & Semantic Noise - Hunt Club


1 Comment so far
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Just wanna say thanks to Reflect June & Semantic Noise for taking the time to do an interview for us! …it was a honor & for providing us with a dope ass album! And I advise you, if you haven’t downloaded this album, you better do so NOW!!! Also big ups to Lonestar Hip Hop & the whole community out on the boards…

Comment by Grafwurks February 22, 2008 @ 8:07 am



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