Disclaimer: Interview edited for length and clarity. Links in the article contain explicit content.
Photo by Blake Middleton
If you look past the smoke filled photo shoots and listen, you find out there’s a lot more to their music. Their debut mixtape titled D.R.U.G.S. stands for “Death and Reincarnation Under God’s Supervision.”
Meechy Darko, Zombie Juice and Erick Arc Elliot may look like stoners with dyed and dreaded hair–or braided in Juice’s case, but their lyrics are laced with angst and insight.
They’re near the end of their nationwide tour with The Underachievers–collectively known as Clockwork Indigo–and A$AP Twelvy. Spinnaker boarded the tour bus and sat down with Meech, Juice and Erick after their Jacksonville show at Underbelly on Nov. 22.
When asked how they liked Duval, Meech said the crowd was “turnt up.” The three then joked.
“I got to see the stage and that’s about it,” Meech said.
“Yeah I was sleeping the whole time,” Juice said.
“I don’t really remember anything. It was fire though,” Erick said.
Filled with excitement and energy, the show was complete with crowd surfing and FBZ rapping from on top of the bar and in the pit.
Photo by Blake Middleton
Spinnaker: What’s the number one thing you don’t like?
Meech: I never f—ed with Bill Cosby. How long I been talking about Bill Cosby is an a–hole?
Juice: Forever, man. Since the 1990s.
Meech: Since the 4th grade I’ve been telling him [that]. I’ve been telling my family that for years and they’ll say, ‘Why do you hate Bill Cosby, now?’ He might have raped you and you don’t even know it. I don’t f— with Bill Cosby. I don’t like old n—– that hate young n—–.
Juice: I don’t like old n—– that hate hip hop.
Erick: Yeah, I hate those n—–, too.
Spinnaker: What films, TV shows or books have influenced your music the most?
Erick: Dragon Ball Z. Simpsons. South Park.
Juice: Curb Your Enthusiasm. Entourage. South Park.
Meech: The Shining. Beavis and Butt-Head.
Photo by Blake Middleton
Spinnaker: Do you guys have a favorite punk band? Your shows seem like they’re influenced by punk.
Meech: Flatbush Zombies is probably my favorite punk band.
Erick: Yeah, they’re a good band.
Juice: Is any of the stuff I listen to punk?
Meech: Nah, you like Sublime and sh–. You like that smooth sh–.
Erick: Alright. I don’t listen to punk music.
Meech: I listen to all sh–. I don’t have like a favorite punk band, I guess.
Erick: What about Blink-182, is that punk? What about Fall Out Boy?
Meech: Nah. He’s like, ‘Get the f— out of here with that!’
Erick: I was joking. No shots to them though. I was just f—ing with you.
Meech: I’m trying to think of the most punkest band I listen to. Is Bad Brains considered punk? Yeah that’s punk as f—. That’s just music to me, like, that’s just music.
Erick: Genres and shit always f— me up because people say we’re punk but aren’t we a hip hop group?
Meech: Sex Pistols is punk? I guess the answer is, who was the first people I said?
Photo by Blake Middleton
Spinnaker: Flatbush.
I was listening to “Amerikkkan Pie” and it kind of reminded me of Immortal Technique. Are you guys influenced by him at all?
Meech: I love Immortal Technique’s message, and I love that he’s very, like, stern and conscious, and aware of what’s going on, and very righteous. So I guess that’s what it is about the song, it’s like a righteous song.
Erick: It’s about issues that matter. I think that’s really what it is. It’s like right in your f—ing face.
Spinnaker: One last question. What do you think happens after we die?
Juice: You’re asking us sh– that we don’t even know the exact answer to, so how the f— we gonna speak about it? We can tell you some things like what we think happens but I don’t wanna talk about it cause we don’t know what the f— is gonna happen so why I wanna look like an a–hole on camera talking about some sh– I don’t know?
Meech: I’ll give you an answer. I don’t know.
Juice: We can kill somebody on this bus and try it, if you want.
Meech: Nah. I just think you die, man, and you become an ant or a piece of paper or a dollar bill or some sh–.
Erick: It’s probably a lot less complex than you think it is. It’s probably not that serious. You just die.
Juice: People do say they see their life flash before their eyes before they die.
Meech: I’ll drop this one thing and stop being ignorant. No energy is wasted in the universe. Never forget that. So, I mean, if I die, my energy will not be wasted, it will go onto something else. If I’m not a human, I’ll be a fart. Just remember that kids. I learned that dropping out.
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