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Attitude Solution
After nearly two decades of frustration, local MCs Pikahsso and Tahiti finally exhale on PPT's Tres Monos In Love. 4.October.2006 Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 “What’s your favorite track?” Black Tie Dynasty lead singer Cory Watson, a fellow Idol Records signee, rushes up to me with a huge grin at the CD release party, and we tell each other our picks like 13-year-olds trading baseball cards. It’s a mostly black audience at the party, but a few rock kids are here and more of them have certainly taken notice (“Some of the Idol bands really want to tour with PPT!” Karwelis confides). PPT is fine with that, pointing out how well the band has done at rock venues like Rubber Gloves and even a country-leaning Kinky Friedman benefit this summer (“Those white ladies still write us,” Pikahsso says). But the trio certainly isn’t intentionally trying to be the chipper, white-friendly group, asserting that they’re merely sticking to their own roots and influences. Proof of
that doesn’t come more concrete than a telling moment at their performance at a
recent Democratic Party fundraiser. Faced with an unenthusiastic, wallflower
crowd, “Some folks
were like, ‘Thanks for saying that, that’s so true,’” In the same way, a variety of music crowds will be forced to look beyond the surface of PPT, whether they’re full-on rap fans or utter novices. Tres Monos In Love intentionally throws curveballs at both crowds, bucking structure and expectations in 45 minutes. Surely, the group will face a few indignant looks as they push further, but they’re too busy to pay the haters much mind. The next PPT album is already in
the works--the guys forced me to turn the tape off when they played new tracks,
fearing that someone else will copy their idea (and it’s a damn good one, so I
don’t blame ‘em). Solo projects are also on the horizon, from the long-awaited Blew Period to a new Tahiti LP to
Picnic’s work with The guys have their business and promotional acts together, and at the CD release show, they knew how to work the crowd, individually talking to every writer, reporter, friend and possible new fan to thank them for coming to the party. Same thing when I had the trio’s attention at Picnic’s place. But on both occasions, even as the guys expressed uncertainties, insecurities and sensitivities, I could read the looks on their faces, and truth be told, they weren't full of fear, even if Pikahsso did have his moment. No, the looks were more like, “Are we done talking yet? Let’s make some damn music.” Sure enough, at the CD release
show, they could be seen jumping up and down in place, sick of waiting for the
final song to play before they could get on stage. And they even jumped the gun
during our interview, blaring new tracks and working on their arrangements
before I’d even finished asking questions. When I left Picnic’s, I could still
hear the beats, the shouts, the lyrical freestyles by Pikahsso and Sensitive dudes? Sure. But in creating
an album about their loves, their relationships, their mistakes, they created a
brotherhood. When Pikahsso, Picnic and Band link: PPT on MySpace |
