Frukwan

Frukwan: The True and Living Teacher“Frukwan is one of the most powerful and passionate MCs I've heard come out of Brooklyn,” said Timmy Grins of the acclaimed Brooklyn hip-hop collective ARCANE. “He has a message and he is not afraid of being who he is to the world.”Frukwan is one of few rap artists that doesn't need a household name, incessant spins on radio airwaves, or a top 10 video on TRL or 106&Park to earn his respect. Immensely esteemed by many of his contemporaries, Frukwan's presence should rightfully humble the demeanor of anyone with an adept knowledge of hip-hop history. Credited as founding member of the very first Hip-hop band, Stetsasonic, and the soul of underground monsters, the Gravediggaz, the Brooklyn bred MC has already made notable contributions to the hip-hop movement and is not stopping.After 17 years in the music industry, Frukwan, also known as The Multiple Supreme (for his various rhyme patterns), Frukwan offers a diverse concoction of styles, narratives, and pulsations. He describes his solo venture as a natural transition.“I just sat back and had patience,” said Frukwan, discussing his solo career's direction. “I figure it would be time to do my thing. I've been in the business for almost 20 years. I'm always with groups. Historically in hip-hop as for my achievements, being with the first Hip-hop band (Stetsasonic) then moving on to Gravediggaz and adding a new category to hip-hop, which is called "Horrorcore". Now it's time for me to just focus on Frukwan.”While remaining introspective Frukwan continues in the Gravedigga tradition “Everybody asks the questions, what's life and what's my life? I kind of made Life as the answers to the questions. Pretty much what I wanted to do was save the babies,” said Frukwan. Unlike most rap artists of today he trusts his own ingenuity, acting as sole producer and performer on his album. Possibly one reason why Frukwan has a lot to say is because he's encountered his share of trails and tribulations. He looks back on the unfortunate passing of his partner in rhyme, fellow Gravedigga member, Poetic, to cancer in April of 2002 as one of his biggest learning experiences. Standing by his friend's side until his last days, Frukwan looks back on the experience as one of much self-growth and acceptance.“It gave me a value for life”, said Frukwan. “I took inner pain to see my partner go through pain but to see him fight gave me inner peace. To see a brother pass away in your arms by the forces of nature is a different outlook. You start to ask yourself why him? Then it comes to a point where we say take me instead. Poetic was a strength that I never had.”In an industry obsessed with charts, ratings and numbers, Frukwan is unconcerned with record sells. Refusing to sacrifice his artistic integrity to push extra units, he strives to stay true to his audience.“I don't care if I don't make money,” said Frukwan. “I'm a teacher. I gotta teach. I figured that a lot of cats because they don't get successful they allow the music business to defeat them instead of them defeating the music industry. I'm just doing my thing and hoping that somebody picks it up and they feel it. There's no money in the truth when it comes to hip-hop music because everything is about trying to act other than yourself. The wilder you get you're pretty much celebrated and glamorized as that. I'm trying to go beyond that so that I can live a righteous way of life. I do this from the heart.”Hip-hop, one of the most influential and fastest spread cultures in America , is what fuels Frukwan's fire. Noticing a tremendous need for constructive role models in hip-hop, he is very aware of the impact music can have on young listeners.“It's historical what we've done with hip-hop. Hip-hop has covered the entire globe and it took 25 years. There's a power that we have that we're not even acknowledging. Hip-hop has the power right now to create our own president of the United States If we wanted to because it's all about the youth. The youth are connecting to this type of music on a global scale. Everywhere you go it's hip-hop. Hip-hop is everywhere”, said Frukwan.He also touched on the importance of his message and the overemphasis of superficial values and materialism in much of today's rap music.“People don't appreciate life,” explained Frukwan. “It's one issue that everybody is talking about and that's materialism. I don't like my people becoming savages and pretty much in the pursuit of happiness, which is living materialistically.”Bestowing a wisdom and realness that is all too rare in his realm of music, Frukwan is more than a “street informer”; he is the self-proclaimed “preacher to the black youth.” Disenchanted with the subjective way in which hip-hop is presented to the masses he proposes some unlikely yet sensible resolves.“People in today's music, everybody's following each other and it's so polluted and watered down. We probably need to change these program directors because they're not helping promote the positive that Hip-hop actually has within it,” said Frukwan.Musically inspired by the likes of Curtis Mayfield, Isaac Hayes, Barry White and Denise Williams Frukwan's refusal to conform to the norms of the rap world brings a new vision to hip-hop culture. Far from your average MC, Frukwan shamelessly separates himself from the pack.“I ain't following the other cats with the “bling bling”, the big cars and having women half naked in videos to sale records,” Frukwan stated. “That's like the only way you get recognized but that's like false recognition to me. It's not real. All of that is misleading if you look at it for real. I ain't playa hating or nothing but the truth has to be told. I don't want to destroy hip-hop I wanna build it.”Respectably hauling two decades of experience under his belt he is no doubt a pioneer of his craft. Now settling down to put work into his clothing designs, his protégé Lady Tigra and writing movie treatments, Frukwan is certainly a man on a mission.“I want all Brooklyn artists to know that if I can blaze a trail and be influential so can they,” said a passionate Frukwan. “You don't have to act other than yourself to make a record. Be a leader not a follower. I'm doing the right thing teaching the children how to stay out of trouble and do right. That's a challenge for me to try and right the wrong. Our youth are easily lead in the wrong direction but they're hard to be lead in the right direction. Hopefully something will build off of it and I'll have a lot of people who support what I'm doing.” And to my Brother who i miss Dearly R-I-P Poetic I"ll miss you. cause i know he's looking over me.