NECRO – Interview with Necro

New York City based Rap artist, NECRO is one of those few musical acts that crosses musical boundaries. As the proclaimed inventor of Death Rap, NECRO can appeal to fans of both Hip Hop and Metal. Death Rap is an apt nomenclature due to the morbid raps he and his Circle of Tyrants shoot from their mouths like poison darts. Lyrical subjects normally reserved for a Death or Black Metal album will have the most close- minded metal head dropping his jaw in agog after hearing them performed in rap songs or the most conservative Rap fan bobbing his head to the wicked beats. Read the following interview with NECRO to learn more about this unique artist.

You have a diverse musical background. Can you summarize your musical training and involvement with various rap and metal projects?

Ive been playing guitar for years, was in a Death Metal/Thrash band when I was 11 years old, started rhyming, and by 16 was doing Hip Hop full time. I have worked with Metal groups from OBITUARY to Igor from SEPULTURA to HATEBREED to Away from VOIVOD to Vinny Appice From SABBATH/DIO to Alex Skolnick of TESTAMENT to Sid Wilson from SLIPKNOT to Matt Harvey from EXHUMED to Dan Lilker of NUCLEAR ASSAULT/S.O.D./BRUTAL TRUTH to Lord Ezec of SKARHEAD/CROWN OF THORNZ, as well as paying dues in the Hip Hop world for 16 years.

How did you make the transition from playing metal to rapping?

It was just natural. We had been turned down by certain labels and I guess we had a choice of keep playing Metal or pursue Hip Hop. For some strange reason we decided to pursue Hip Hop. We felt like we had something to offer. There was no one like us, and there is still no one like us.

Are there recordings of INJUSTICE (NECROS Metal band) available for purchase? If so, where can we find these?

Its not available for purchase, but I made an INJUSTICE Myspace page, which you can find at www.myspace.com/injustice1990.

The last couple NECRO albums featured guest metal musicians like Jamey Jasta and Away from VOIVOD on The Pre-Fix for Death and Vinny Appice and Alex Skolnick on your latest album The Circle of Tyrants. How did you conceive this idea to merge true metal with psychotic rap? How did you implement this idea?

Easy, Im a true Hip Hop head and a true Metal head so I just combined both in a way that I would wanna hear, as well as getting experimental. Keep in mind, these are just experimental songs so far. I have yet to be able to delve into this style like. I will as time goes on. There are so many possibilities with Metal and Hip Hop, and each genre itself is sick. I find both to be similar in the aggression and rebellion.

The above-mentioned albums featured appearances by some of the best in Hard Core with Jamey Jasta (HATEBREED), the best in thrash with musicians like Dan Lilker (NUCLEAR ASSAULT, S.O.D.) and Igor Cavalera (SEPULTURA), Grind with Matt Harvey of EXHUMED, and Classic Heavy Metal with Vinny Appice (BLACK SABBATH, DIO). However, you have not used a Black Metal star yet. Can we expect to see some of Norways most notorious on a future release?

Possibly, I have actually spoken with a friend of mine from Norway who is involved in the scene out there, and she told me that a lot of Black Metal guys are already Necro fans, so it will happen soon. You can bet your life on it!

Rap and metal have a history together going back to the time when PUBLIC ENEMY and ANTHRAX hooked up for Bring Da Noise. One could even look further back to the collaboration of AEROSMITH and RUN D.M.C. Today one could turn on the radio at any time of the day and hear a rap metal band or Nu-Metal. Up until this point, though, I cannot think of any group who has merged extreme metal, particularly Death Metal, with rap. Do you consider yourself the father of Death Metal Rap or Death Rap?

Well, lets get something clear, I invented and created the term Death Rap. Thats my shit! People would ask me how do I describe my style of Hip Hop and I would say, I rap on brutal, violent shit. You can call it Death Rap. So, I am the father of that term and style because I created it, and Death Rap itself is just one of my styles because I rap porn shit too and thug shit as well. I got many styles I excel at as for the fusion of Heavy Metal and Hip Hop, I created the term Metal Hip Hop and I would say I am the first real Hip Hop artists to really working with Metal legends on a full album. Of course their have been instances where people collaborated for soundtracks and did one offs, but nobody is really rocking it like how I did. Either way, I dont give a fuck what anybody else does. All I know is when the NECRO shit is put on whether it is Death Rap or some Metal Hip Hop shit, it will crush you and destroy your mind!

Your raps contain lyrics showing you are a true metal head. The inclusion of underground metal legends like the Tardy brothers from OBITUARY further solidifies you know your shit. Hard core fans of certain music styles tend to be conservative and frown upon change, especially accepting outsiders of other music into their clique. Have you received any type of backlash, from rap or metal, because of your blending of styles?

Yeah, a lot of people dont wanna give me my respect. When I do Hip Hop with no Metal in it, I get hated on because my shit is the brutalest form of Hip Hop on the planet, so Im used to it, and of course they hate when I fuse Metal in to a track, but fuck them! And in Metal, you got ya kids that hate rappers, so they lump me in with everyone else failing to realize I am in a class all by myself, but they can go fuck themselves, too. There is always a balance needed on Earth, and for all my fans we need. Those that hate me or dont understand me, so its all good. Hate on.

While we are still discussing the subject of rap and metal concoctions, how do you feel about radio-friendly, Nu Metal?

I dont like it, its gay. Fuck them and their mothers!

Many of your raps allude to the devious deeds of infamous serial killers. What is your fascination with serial killers? How have you become so knowledgeable on the subject?

Im not really fascinated by them. They are just part of the world. Im fascinated by life as much as death. Its all amazing. Life and death in a whole is amazing, and serial killers are interesting, but I dont dwell on them specifically. They might get mentioned in a verse if Im trying to make a point or if it works for the word play of a rhyme scheme.

Many people fascinated by serial killers have one killer who really stands out in their mind. Do you have a favorite serial killer, and why is this murderer your favorite?

Nah, I aint sweating any of them. They are all interesting. Manson is very interesting in the way he went about his business, but they are all insane, obviously, and would all make a great band together (makes smiley face).

Many of your raps contain reminisces. You like to look back on your life and past interests. I find the rhymes that throw your listeners back to the classic days of metal most appealing. Does listening to an old school metal album inspire you to create rhymes?

Oh yeah, its very inspiring. I was there when Kill Em All dropped. I go back far to the start of when metal started to the start of Hip Hop. Maybe not 1981 or 79, but by 1984 and 1986 I was there. I was a little kid, but I was being brainwashed and was into the records heavily. Im a musician, a total musician, at one point I could some classic shit on guitar with my fingers, so I love Metal!

The title of the latest NECRO album is The Circle of Tyrants. When I first read about that title, I instantly thought of CELTIC FROST. This title means something more to you, though. What is the idea of The Circle of Tyrants? How did you conceive this idea?

Well, it worked for us because we are a circle of people, a crew, and in Hip Hop a circle is a cipher and a cipher is when kids stand in a circle and rhyme, so the circle worked, and to be tyrants lyrically is to be super brutal. It also worked for the name of the group, and happened to be a Metal throwback. It was my idea to call the group Circle of Tyrants, that name came from the song Circle of Tyrants off my Gory Days Album, and Goretex came up with the name for that song. He had said it in his rhyme, so its all a combo of our growing up and metal influences and influencing each other.

The Pre-Fix for Death featured the famous metal album artist, Ed Repka (DEATH, MEGADETH, too many others to list). The artwork on The Circle of Tyrants has more of a comic book look. Is that what you were going for? Who did the art for this album?

I use different artists on different albums. I experiment and the Circle of Tyrants to me needing a Marvel Comics look, so I got someone from DC Comics, actually. He has done a few covers for me as well as Ed Repka, the legend, who I used on The Prefix and the back of The Sexorcist.

Your circle of tyrants, Ill Bill, Goretex and Mr. Hyde all seem to share the same macabre interests as you. How long have you known these guys? When did you first start collaborating?

I have known Hyde for about nine years now, Id say. I think I met him in like 97, if Im correct, maybe 98. Bill and Goretex I have known since the projects, as a kid, Bill being my blood brother. Ive known him my whole life, of course. Me, Bill, and Goretex always were into art and very competitive. My brother would always put me down and be hard on me and that actually pushed me to be doper. Then, Bill taught Goretex how to rap at one point. When I met Hyde he was doing his thing but needed a lot of fine tuning, so I helped to mold him into a more professional rapper by showing him different ways he could flip flows and topics.

How has the above-named unholy trinity influenced you musically or personally?

Im influenced by everything in life, so every person I come into contact with influences me in some way, either negative or positive, and of course my peoples have influenced me into being better. The more my brother would put me down, the more Id work harder to be the best, and I got very good and can now say Im untouchable in my field of rhymes and beats.

The Circle of Tyrants was released nearly two years ago in 2005. When can we expect a new NECRO album? Can you give us details about the new material?

In 2007, I will drop a new NECRO record and it will be my best work to date. It will be super brutal, insane beats, and super technical violent lyrics. Just what the fans are waiting for, seeing all the crap that has been released by mediocre mother fuckers. I have no doubt my worst shit will kill all, but I aint dropping my worst shit, it will be my best. I have never dropped anything I felt was under par. I always over achieve on my products. Expect INSANITY!!

Is there a message you would like to convey to our readers?

Yes, go to my web sites and buy tons of merchandise. You probably all downloaded my albums for free, so now is your chance to support the chance.