An interview with Headlock from After Hours.

Now it may seem like a bit of nepotism to interview a contributor to this blog just because his group has a new album out, and you know what, screw it.
I figure, what is the point of having a blog if you can't show love to your friends who happen to also have some mad talent.
So with no further ado, here is some words with the giant, wolf shirt wearing, rap afficianado known as Headlock.

Headlock

The Wolf Shirt rears its infamous head.

You and your magnificent crew After Hours have just released a new album entitled Darker Days. It’s been a long motherfucking time coming, but well worth the wait. The few stalwarts still left from A Hero’s Turf days that haven’t jumped on to the dubstep bandwagon will remember remember AH, but for those that don’t, give us a brief rundown on who, what, when, where, and how to get hold of the back catalogue.

Well basically we started out just fucking around with making music for fun back in the late 90’s. We’d all been doing the freestyle thing at parties or whatever. Edits mum had a computer at work that we could use to record stuff into, so him and DJ Jugular would go down there and make simple beats. Integer and I came on board too, as we all knew each other from around the way. We put together a terrible demo tape in 99 and started doing a few shows. Then we dropped the first album, Different Rules Apply, in 01. After that came A Heroes Turf in 03 I think. Since then we’ve been averaging out about 1 song a year until we came to have the new album. You can get the older albums for free on Bandcamp.

Does the title Darker Days relate to the hideous Adelaide winters, which you are heading in to, or does it go a little deeper.

The title is more of a reference to the sort of depressing shitty time the group has been going through, the uncertainty. We kind of had a bit of a roll going when we first started out. I don’t think we really knew what we had going for us at the time and we missed a lot of opportunities to take it a bit further. We went from doing decent shows to doing increasingly small ones and went from being productive musically to doing fuck all. We had some members leave, and come back, and stuff like that. So this albums a bit darker in that way, cause a lot of the optimism is gone. Well that’s my perspective on things anyway

Winters up here in Queensland are warm and sunny, you are welcome to visit if you think it would improve upon your general outlook.

Sounds pretty good man, but then you’ve got to deal with crazy ass northerners and that bundy shit they drink. I got given a bottle once, and I thought some one had replaced it with metho. That’s how it smells. I cant believe you guys drink that shit, honestly. It makes you angry, it makes you want to fight. Explains a lot of shit about the valley really haha.

Your Certified Wise crewmate and friend Simplex has just released an equally long awaited solo album. After both being years and years in the making, its interesting that they drop within days of each other. Some may say coincidence, others may say it was a strategic plan cunningly executed to try and take Simmo out of the rap game. Give our readers 53 reasons why they should pick your album over Simplex’s.

Well I am at least 53 times sexier than simplex. At least that’s what I tell myself in the mirror when I am crying at night. 

Telling people to pick up a copy of each because they are both dope is a cop out. Glad you didn’t stoop to that. Speaking of taking forever to drop an album, it seems to be a notorious trait of Adelaide artists. My old group was also known to take forever to do anything.  Why do you think ADL takes so long? 

 The weed. I don’t smoke weed personally, but everyone else does. I should point out all my shit on this album was done years ago.

Integer just dropped a solo jam A Thousand Words, but what have the rest of the group been doing with their time?

 See above

You and I used to train Muay Thai together for a number of years, and are both fans of combat sports so heres a couple of related questions.

Are you still training, and if so, what?

Yeah, not as hard as I used to – getting old. No more MT, I’m boxing these days. My back is a fragile sook, and throwing kicks / knees cripples me. So now I just make with the pugilism. You’d think going to boxing from kickboxing would be pretty easy. I’ll tell you right now, it’s not. I’m getting my ass kicked lol. Boxing is very technical, people under-rate the skill. You cant just kick someone in the leg til they cant walk haha.

Whats the Hardest you have ever hit someone with your giant ham fists of doom? (Seriously those fuckers are the size of housebricks.)

First of all, lol @ these questions. This is not what I expected. It was at Muay Thai. This one guy that used to come into the club, no one knew him – but he would walk around bossing people around and shit like he was the expert. Fighters and that, he’d be there trying to tell them stuff – but you watch him train and he’s a bum. One night he is in the ring sparring, and he keeps kicking one of the guys in the balls. Like 4, 5 times he did it. I can see the guy copping the nut shots is starting to lose it. So I’m like “ok I got next round, we’ll go easy ok? And no kicks, lets just work hands”. He agrees and we get going. Soon as that bell rings, he comes running at me with a massive football kick directed at my sack. I stepped out of the way (thankfully) and clocked him a half decent straight right  and put him on his ass. He gets up and I’m like “ok just chill out, remember no kicks – just go light ok?”. So the next thing he does 30 seconds later is throw the biggest fucking looping haymaker at me. Like he made one of those karate scream noises and everything. Trying to take my head off. It caught me off guard and I’m like “ok fuck this”, and threw a big right hook at him. Landed flush and knocked him out. I felt bad about that. But fuck it – he pretty much asked for it.

Whats the hardest you’ve ever been hit and why?

Hmm I dunno, there’s a few times that spring to mind. Hardest I’ve been hit in the head was at boxing, no question. Some of the guys there have rocks for hands. Couple times I’ve been put on my ass by shots that make me worry about brain damage haha. In the body, at MT for sure. Brendon (you remember him) hit me with a spinning back kick in the liver. I spent what felt like an hour moaning in the foetal position trying not to shit myself.

Any thoughts on Jon Jones destruction of Shogun and upcoming fight with Rashad, and did you shed a  proverbial tear when you realised the Fedor era has come to an end?

I don’t follow MMA like I used to, I’ve really started following boxing a lot more. But I did see jones v shogun. Shogun didn’t look at the top of his game did he. That reach disadvantage is a powerful thing too. And Fedor… that was heartbreaking, but it had to happen. Everyone gets old sometime – even Russian nuclear cyborgs.

Are you high on Edson Barboza or anyone other young up and comer you think is the future?

That chinese kid in UFC 127 looked pretty dangerous. I don’t know his name, but he put that dude to sleep like it was nothing. Otherwise I’m mainly following boxing. Check out Nonito Donaire.

Ok back to music. Who should we be looking out for from the Adelaide scene. Is there anything good due to drop?

Hmm I’m not sure what’s coming up. I’m pretty out of touch musically, I don’t really fuck with ‘the scene’ too much anymore. However I will say this, Vents new album is due out real soon and it’s going to be incredible. Funkoars will have something this year aswell, and that will also be crazy. Purpose just put out a new mixtape. I think he’s got an album on the way. Prime is working on some stuff too I think.

We know you’re a fucking huge fan of Action Bronson, and I’m certainly loving the boom bap revival with him, The Left, Mayhem Lauren, the new Pharoahe Monch album W.A.R is ill, and if you haven’t peeped Saigon’s shit with Just Blaze anong others.

Yeah that Saigon was ok I guess. The best track on it is that cmon baby which is pretty old now. I dunno, it didn’t really do it for me. Action Bronson is taking album of the year this year with Dr. Lecter though. I’m not afraid to make that prediction now. 

What else is taking your fancy lately? Anyone we are sleeping on?

That Gripz & Iron Fingaz EP was incredible. Roc Marciano always stays winning. Apollo the Great is dope too. I usually post anything I’m feeling on this blog so there’s no excuse to sleep 

Ok, last but certainly not least, how is the infamous Wolf Shirt? What has it been doing with its bad self?

It’s in the cupboard, hibernating - waiting until the world needs it again.

Will it make an appearance any time soon?

With terrorism, global warming, natural disasters, revolution, reality tv, etc all on the rise – it’s never been a more opportune time for the Wolf Shirt to return. I predict you will see it again soon.

Any obligatory shout outs can go here:

I started writing a list and it got out of control. So instead I’ll just say shouts to all my friends and family and to everyone who reads this site.

Word to Heady, and if you havent already snapped up Darker Days, do that shit immediately -  here.