GOD COMPLEX AND ARCHITECTS OF INTELLECT
SPLIT INTERVIEW

by Bevan Jee

God Complex are rappers Seamus and Karma who both take hip-hop to 
the next level of science through their descriptive lyrics... 
killing sucker ducks with Strontium 90 on the planet Link 9. 
Architects of Intellect are duo Truth Elemental & RLA who deliver 
butter rhymes over head nodding beats with hard hooks and mad crazy 
style. Both groups hail from Boston and together with their DJ 7L, 
have released a Split-EP (one group on each side) on Independent 
Boston label Brick Records, which is temporarily located in Arizona. 
For more information contact Brick Records at  -P.O. Box 364, 
Flagstaff AZ 86002-0364, USA. Phone (520)-779-9303. Voice Mail 
(800)-587-9312. If you don't I might send some man eating koala's on 
ya'...

GOD COMPLEX

GOD n. spirit or being worshipped as having supernatural power.  
COMPLEX adj. made up of parts

"And the war ended with a demonstration of human science...
for the first time the atmosphere had a new component strontium 90." 
- Intro to Strontium 90

1.	Firstly, what is STRONTIUM 90?

Strontium 90 is a radioactive isotype potion we use to exterminate 
crab rappers. It is present in nuclear fallout and can be 
assimilated in biological processes and deposited in the bones of 
humanoids and animals.

2. 	How did the group form and what do you hope to accomplish in 
hip-hop?

We formed in 1993. I [Seamus] was deejaying on college radio, 
occasionally rocking freestyles w/ my old crew on the air and one 
day Karma and G [7L] had come down to the station telling me they 
made beats and wanted to link up so we did and here we are...As far 
as what we want to accomplish in hip-hop, we would like to restore 
the original rules of the game such as having a real dj, creative 
emcees, and innovative beats. Save all the singing and 
commercialized garbage for you know who.

3. 	You sampled some classic b-grade science fiction movies in 
your tracks. want to drop any names of some sci-fi movies that the 
readers should check out?

Some nice sci-fi would be Invasion of the Saucer Men, War of the 
Worlds, Bladerunner, and of course the Star Wars trilogy. How about 
Godzilla and Tron? Ha! There are many. We come with all of the vocal 
soundbytes an samples for the tracks but Madsol did the beat for 
Strontium 90.

4.	Tell us how the group formed and a little about the 
relationship between God Complex and Architects of Intellect.

Truth and I [Seamus] were both deejaying at this college radio 
station an really identified with each other about what good hip-hop 
and trash was. I like that in a person. Truth had been with RLA and 
I was with another crew, but we had done shows as one unit in the 
Boston / Providence areas. Karma and 7L came along and we did shows 
as AOI & God Complex. That is how it all began. We later formed the 
Rebel Alliance.

5.	Who came up with the idea to release a slit EP?

Truth presented the idea to us. He wanted to release underground 
talent on Brick Records and we had been with AOI through a lot of 
the muck as far as live shows so he looked out like no one else and 
put us on. Good lookin' Truth! 

6. 	Did you guys take physics, chemistry and science seriously 
at school?

Ha! No. I [Seamus] did not take anything seriously in school. I am 
currently at Emerson College studying communications. 7L is studying 
the same at Salem State. Karma is studying graphic arts at Salem 
State. The sci-fi chemical shit is just acquired through life in 
Link 9 (our world).

7.	The track Secret Wars features you using Marvel and DC comic 
book characters and powers in your rhymes, and has that slamming 
hook "I read comics and books -yeah marvel!" by Kool Keith.  How did 
you guys come up with that track?

Karma and I [Seamus] grew up on comic books and sci-fi / fantasy 
shit. We have mad comics and figures. We had that Cenubites track 
off a Stretch tape in like '93. We sampled it straight from that. 
Secret Wars was done in '95. As soon as we got it on wax, we found 
the Cenubites on vinyl! Oh well. 

8.	I know you are crazy Star Wars fans, are you Looking forward 
to the prequels?

Yes yes yes. The shit is going to be ill, you will find out Ben 
Kenobi was just a clone and the 1st of the 3 will open with a scene 
of just thousands of Mandalore Super commandoes standing at 
attention ready for battle. It is going to be crazy. 

9.	Tell us what artists outta Boston that we should be looking 
out for.

Me, us, we? No, look out for Nabo the Jedi (part of our crew, the 
Rebel Alliance), Mr. Lif, Mopus, RawProduce, Skitzofreniks, and 
Akrobatik. That's about it.

10.	What is the next move for God Complex?

We will be dropping a few joints on the Brick Compilation for 
January and expect to drop a 12" later on in the year. 


ARCHITECTS OF INTELLECT

"...MC's steppin with ignorance I'ma lock ya in an escape proof box 
and swallow the key, done a good deed for the hip-hop community so 
don't step with the static cause shit will get drastic, I'm leaving 
crowds flipping like they were in gymnastics" - Truth 
Elemental on "Verbal Gymnastics"
  
1.	How did you hook up as a group?

Me and RLA hooked up a few years back. We both went to the same 
voc-tech high school and met up there. We formed AOI in 91 or 92, 
something like that. We both were on the same wavelength and shit so 
everything just snapped together. We both got a lot going on in our 
lives besides the group, so we didn't really get serious until last 
year. Before then it was all shit and giggles. 

2.	"Verbal Gymnastics" is your debut cut. tell us a little bit 
about the track?

Verbal Gymnastics is basically a metaphorical head stompin, 
knowhuhI'msayin?  I mean a lotta MC's talk about their use of 
metaphor, when they only droppin similies.  But we using undiluted 
metaphor, look at the name itself - Verbal Gymnastics - Basically, 
words be twistin, flippin, spinnin, and shit. And all that requires 
strength, going along with this metaphor, verbal gymnastics implies 
mental and verbal strength and ability.  That's what this song is 
about, AOI flexin our verbal ability and agility.

3.	Tell us  how  Brick Records was formed and what the label is 
all about.

I formed Brick Records a little while back. I used a little loan 
money to get it started, hopefully I can make enough back to pay off 
my loans and debt from this shit. The premise behind Brick Records 
is to promote and put out dope undergound music with something to 
say. We are not looking for run-of-the-mill mediocre MC's who got 
nothin to say or only regurgetate the same played out themes that be 
plaguing hip-hop. We want kids that are comin with original thought, 
lyrical ability, creativity, and mad heart.  That's a lot judging by 
today's industry standards, but that's why we underground.  Boston 
gotta lotta underground talent, but we get overshadowed by New 
York.  Most artists from Boston only make it after they move out to 
New York.  I got mad love for New York, but Boston's gotta represent 
it's talent, too.  Brick is an outlet for us to do that. Although we 
primarily a Boston label, I'll put out shit from kids anywhere as 
long as it's dizzo.

4.	What would you say your main influences are as an MC?

My main influences as an MC come from anything that makes me think.  
I mean that may be from a philosophy or religion I learn something 
about, seeing something happen around me that's either mad positive 
or negative, listening to a certain kind of music, reading a good 
book, whatever. Anything that gets my mind juice flowin. Whatever 
concepts, ideas, and/or actions move me.  

5.	What other releases/groups are coming out on Brick Records 
in the near future?

The next Brick Records release is going to be a Rebel Alliance 
sampler LP.  There's no title or anything yet. The Rebel Alliance is 
our crew - rebellin against the bullshit in hip-hop. Tentatively on 
the record is Architects of Intellect, God Complex, Liftedly Man, 
and another Boston artist, not definate yet...we gotta couple in 
mind.  Each artist is gonna do two cuts each, plus there's gonna be 
some posse cuts and other surprises included on this LP.  Heads can 
also be expecting AOI and God Complex 12"s to drop sometime after 
that.

6.	While listening to your new track "Ballad of a Flexible 
Bullet" I noticed that your style has changed and progressed from 
the EP.  what do you think influenced this change?

I mean we always progressin.  The shit on the ep was old, "Ballad...
" is new.  We takin everything a lot more seriously now, pushin 
forward and shit.  "Ballad..." is a lot more serious song.  If you 
think that was progression, wait till you peep "Syndrome."  But for 
real, as individuals and a group, AOI is all about movin forward.  
That shit's fundamental to the name....Architects of Intellect - 
builders of knowledge.  We building up, block by block.

7.	What music/artists do you listen to?

I listen to all types of music - hip-hop, dancehall, jazz, old 
soul, etc. But for hip-hop I listen to all kinds of shit, but 
basically I get more outta the shit that makes you think, or that 
shit where you know mad thought went into their lyrics.. Artists 
like KRS-ONE, JERU, all the way back to Grandmaster Flash...all that 
shit make you think.  That's thehip-hop I get the most out of. I 
used to really appreciate Rakim, also.  I listen to a lotta the 
underground shit coming out now, too.  Some of it is real cool, some 
of it 's a bag of assholes.  Whatever.  I mean I also got to admit 
that I'm a victim sometimes, too.  What I mean by this is that 
sometimes I'm willing to forgo lyrical ability or content and listen 
to inferior weak MC's because they got dope producers and bangin 
beats.  I don't even gotta name names. But that's a price everyone 
gotta pay until people with somethin to say start getting paid,  
Basically, I'll listen to whatever is dope by my standards, no 
matter where it comes from or how old it is.  

8.	How healthy is the hip-hop scene out there in Boston?
It's got mad potential, but not all of it is utilized.  We (Brick, 
Rebel Alliance, etc.) are trying to help with that.

9.	Do you think djing, breakdancing and even aerosol art? are 
now lost artforms and neglected aspects of "hip-hop"?

I don't think that they are lost arts.  These traditions live on. 
However, just like MC'ing they are getting raped by crab muthafuckas 
who don't know or understand the origins and what shit's about.  I 
mean some kids just got no heart, they just in it cause it's a thing 
to do...or make them look "down" or whatever.  I mean it ain't like 
you had to be there from the start, but you gotta have the heart and 
know your history. Know where shit is coming from,  Besides knowing 
all that you gotta respect and appreciate it.   

10.	What is the next move for Architects Of Intellect and Brick 
Records?

Like I said the Rebel Alliance sampler LP, and new singles.  We 
always lookin at new shit, so if you on the same wavelength as us 
then send it.