Texas Underground Rap
Coalition
Presents
Bavu of
Reelaktz
Y2k
Interview With Audio Tracks
Profile of Reelaktz
Austin American Statesman and Other
Reviews
Bavu's 1997 Home
The Texas rap scene is in a category by itself. There are some people
who say it is an extension of the West Coast hip hop sound: long bass lines
driven over intense beats with a gangsta twist. What we call something to ride
to. Yet still on the underground there are emcees show respect to the gift of
poetry. That is the person who "watches what they say" when they pick up a
microphone; you might recognize this saying from a track, "Watch what ya'
sayin", on the Guru's Jazzmatazz with Chaka Khan bringing the vocals.
Bavu, of Reelaktz, is one such MC. I first got a taste of his lyrical
skills one day at a friend's apartment four years ago. While me and my
other emcee friends shared brews, Bavu gripped the mike and went non-stop
while everyone began to be absorbed by the Barry Whitesque type of flow.
Everyone present seemed to feed of his energy. Most of the MC's there were just
beginning to sharpen their skills so we all let the proven veteran do his thing
for a while. Since that time, Bavu has performed on numerous stages in the Live Music
Capitol of the world, released demos, and worked with other local
artists. He is a member of the powerful triumvirate called Reelaktz that
brought the tightest set at the 1997 South by Southwest Music Festival. Also on
tap was Company Flow of New York and Disgruntled Seeds of Austin. Reelaktz
rocked the show with non-stop energy, tight lyrics, and unity on stage. Bavu
also performed with the Disgruntled Seeds which capped an intense performance
for this rising M.C. 
We caught up with Bavu via the internet after his graduation from the
University of Texas. This is the first cyberspace interview with an artist for
the Texas Underground Rap Coalition. We are trying to keep hip hop alive in the
next millenium at TURC. We touched on topics such as the state of rap and the
way of life we call Hip Hop, his favorite emcee of all time, and his writing
style. Bavu is shaking up the industry with his lyrical selection and silky
smooth baritone flow. The industry is due for an emcee of this caliber and the
Texas Underground Rap Coalition is here to introduce him to the world. We hope
to have interviews with the other members of Reelaktz in our Spring 1998 issue
of the Underground Artist Spotlight.
What Do you think about the current state of Hip
Hop?
The current state of rap music
is something to be proud of, because the music is constantly being played
worldwide. When I was first introduced to hip-hop music at around the age of
five or six, all rap was underground. The most "mainstream" example that
appeared
pretty early on was Ice-T on the breakin' movies. you have to be proud
of the fact that rap has come a long way in a relatively short time, as far as
exposure. But a major reason the music has blown up so much is also a major
drawback. There's a lot less creativity surfacing in hip-hop. Originality
usuallly means underground now. A lot of folks are falling into the same mold so
they can get big exposure, or so it seems. I know it's not natural for all of
these folks to be playing the same few
characters in their records, when so
few of them grew up together or even know each other personally. Too many people
are jumping on bandwagons, which makes originality more refreshing than it
should be. Biting is ok now. I don't know enough about the industry to comment
on it. Rap music is definitely adapting to society. After all the comparisons of
rap music to movies, etc., now a lot of rap sounds just like movies we've
already seen. And, surprise! It's being embraced by the same masses if it's
spelled out clearly enough. The fact that rap music has voices from all kinds of
places, both geographic and economic, combats the music's relatively homogenous
sound.
Do you think that most rappers are all about
beats?
I don't think most rappers are all about
beats. I think the genre of producer/rapper is prevalent, though. Guys like
Warren G, Richie Rich and Dr. Dre -- all of whom I find entertaining -- aren't
expected to be emcees, because it's understood: "Oh, he aint claimin' to be no
rapper...He got them beats though".. In Booty music, there's not a big emphasis
on content. But pretty much, everyone else is concentrating on the messages they
send -- positive or negative -- as well as the beats. But I think
the beats always attract you first. So if you're trying to expand your
following, I suggest you get some nice music!
Why do you think everyone embraces the music of
Tupac and the Notorious B.I.G.?
I think younger kids like Pac and Big b/c their
rhymes are original, yet catchy. They have trademark sounds like Magic/Jordan
have trademark game. Even if you aren't making the most kid-concious music ever
marketed, young people love you if you're doing your own thing. Pac and Big
especially get respect from the youth b/c they are obviously excited about what
their doing, and that's contagious. Let me know when you see kids embracing a
monotone, everyday sounding rapper.
Who do you think is the best emcee of all
time?
The best emcee of
all-time is Rakim. He just hit me with an undescribable impact. In fact, his
powerful style convinced me to start writing rhymes more often, instead of just
poetry. I just felt he was the ultimate word smith, which every emcee should
strive to be. He didn't always have the greatest beats, but he always put out
jams, and people always knew the words--verbatim. I think some of the other
all-time greats are KRS, Redman, Black Thought, Pac, Big, CL Smooth, Q-Tip,
Buckshot and Common.
Where does your lyrical motivation come
from?
My lyrics are life styles, meaning I'm talking about
real life, situations, themes, etc. I don't do a lot of fantaastic stuff,
because fantasies don't really do it for me. I just channel my life experiences,
beliefs, etc. into my content.
Who is the most influential person in your life and
does that person have anything to do with your music?
Like a
lot of rappers/emcees, I think my mother's the most influential person in my
life. My dad is just as important to me, but me and my mother have a best friend
type of relationship, while me and my father are more like extremely similar
homeboys from different age groups. I talk to my mom a lot. With her being my
main influence, a lot of the lessons she taught me over the years and
experiences we've shared go into my content.
Will the underground artist every get his
props?
I doubt it. I don't see underground artists ever
getting their credit for keeping this thing doing. I guess that's just part of
being underground. If you get you due, how underground can you be? Unless your
underground scene is giving you food and shelter, I don't know how a so-called
underground artist could ever get what he/she deserves. 
Do you think the underground guides the rap
industry?
Not really. Some ideas are stolen from poor, broke
acts, but I think the indurstry only gets so much of its stuff from the
runderground. Moet/Cristal/ etc/ is running shit right now, and how much of that
could possibly be floating around in the underground? I figure "underground"
acts who just happen to have the same subject matter as the big names are
probably not really underground. They're following the form of the big-timers
and hoping to blow up fast.
What other parts of the rap industry have helped hip
hop go worldwide?
The media of course. As much as people
complain about the media, it's responsible for at least half of any industry
artist's exposure. If it weren't for the Source (magazine), all these industry
folks would seem like total strangers. But feature reporting, music reviews, and
commercials bring those folks home to you, constantly.
What's in store for hip hop in the next
millenium?
I don't know. it could swing a number of
ways in the near future. Hopefully, it'll go back to being diverse, as much as
it used to be. Then there's room for Reelaktz.
Are you into playing characters in your
music?
No. I think it could serve a purpose -- to narrate,
to illustrate, to speak metaphorically. But i'm not really into it. If an idea
comes around, and I think it's the right thing to do, I'd do it. It would
probably be for something satirical or extrememly deep. I don't know. We'll see.
Disclaimer
The Texas Underground
Rap Coalition would like to thank Bavu and Reelaktz for their time and
patience. All answers to questions appear as they were sent to me by
Bavu. TURC is a place where an artist will never be censored or
edited. We ask questions, the artist give us an answer. That's
it. We want the world to see the real artist, not what the mainstream
media wants you to see.
Bavu's Y2K
Interview with Audio Tracks Profile
of Reelaktz
Bavu's
1997 Home