by Morgan Y. Evans
LINKS:
Freddy definitely isn't going soft or selling out the foundations of Madball to try and score an easy hip hop paycheck. Listening to Catholic Guilt, you can tell that he is truly coming from a place of honesty, delving deep into personal stories both harrowing and humorous. One of Freddy's most memorable musical experiences was purchasing The Show by Doug E. Fresh and the Get Fresh Crew, featuring Slick Rick, and rap/hip hop was a second love and revelation for Freddy.
A fertile collaboration with DJ Stress The White Boy that emanates from the core of Freddy's personality, Catholic Guilt is an important release that reminds us how hip hop and rock have a lot in common when done right. Though there are no heavy riffs or stretched-thin crossover stunts on the album, the point is still made. This record is really and truly about hip hop (with one small wink and nod to The Clash on a vastly altered and fun version of "London Calling" with new lyrics), but knowing where Freddy comes from fills in the mental gaps. Shit, even if Freddy had thrown in some rap-rock onto Catholic Guilt, it would come off more quality (ala Rage Against The Machine) rather than forced like much of the artists who pillaged the rap rock genre to death and ultimately basically drove nu metal into the ground. DJ Stress and Cricien have really taken care and spent time on everything from the beats to the selection of guests, like-minded artists ranging from Vinnie Paz of Jedi Mind Tricks to the boys from Rancid to Travis McCoy from Gym Class Heroes.
I interviewed Freddy about his love of real rap, the links between his favorite types of music and just where all this Catholic Guilt comes from.
MORGAN Y. EVANS: Freddy! The record is very entertaining
and there's some great jams. I love the album cover. The photography is
very stylish. How did this whole idea come about and how did you build
your creative friendship with DJ Stress The White Boy? Can you talk about
that and the album name?
FREDDY MADBALL: Thank you. First of all, glad you like the record as a whole. The photography/art work was done by Liz Bromley, a very talented individual who happens to be my sister-in-law. I'm lucky to have her in my corner. She's a big deal in the design world. She was very into doing this for me! My wife also contributed with the back photo. Drew Willis also assisted. He's my bro-in-law. It's a family affair, man...what I can I say! The concept was a combination of my ideas and all of theirs. Regarding Stress The Whiteboy, my friendship with Stress took place some years ago now. Basically, we hit it off personally and creatively and what you get is...Catholic Guilt. The concept/title was my idea, as well as the lyrical content. But, I couldn't do any of this without all the people I mentioned. Stress laid a great foundation for me to build on. Shout out to Paul Conroy for introducing Stress and I.
MYE: What was it about this time and place in your life that made this record happen?
FM: Not sure, but it all feels very natural to me. Not forced at all. I guess it was meant to come at this point in my life. It's an idea/passion that's been brewing for a while. It all came together when it did, so I'll take that as a sign. Now is the time! I plan on learning and growing with this like I've done with Madball, etc.
MYE: Let's talk about faith. I think with faith a lot of times it is hard to reconcile the struggles and pain of the world. I have come to terms with it in some ways along Buddhist lines that suffering is inevitable and it is how it is, though I still question why things had to be this way. I tend to be very scientific about it, but also open to spiritual ideas. I think there was a creation of the Universe but I don't buy the divisions religion often causes in human hands, the opposite of unity. It was cool to hear all the soul-searching on this record of yours. I like that you also are embracing that theme we are all human and nobody is perfect.
FM: We are all definitely not perfect. Those ideals and the pressure that religion puts on people is unfair. Who are they to do so anyway? This album is definitely about soul-searching, regardless of your religious background. You don't have to believe in anything, but I think you may be able to relate to some human emotions that I'm expressing with this record, or at the very least, respect where I'm coming from. I am spiritual in a lot of ways, but I agree with you, things are not meant to be this divided. On the other hand, I have no issues with telling the stories of my darker side. Basically it's all me, good and bad. I think a lot of people are torn in one way or another, so you can relate.
MYE: True. Can you shed some DMS light on "Dead Man Saloon", as much as you feel like talking about? "Gunshots" also is a real shiny, happy number!
FM: "Dead Man Saloon" is basically a story that follows me and some of my boys for three days. If you listen to the track I'm counting down the days/verses. It speaks on a time in my life when I was living a very wild/cowboy lifestyle (hence the name “saloon”). Saloon is what we would call the bars on the Lower East Side. Same with the after hour places we would frequent. In those times, I was drinking and doing other things way more then I should have been, but it's part of who I was/am. It's definitely one of the darker songs, especially considering that some of my dearest friends did not make it out of that "lifestyle". I'm one of the luckier ones, I suppose. But, I have to tell these stories. It's therapeutic and it's important.
MYE: I totally agree, man.
FM: I'm not necessarily glorifying that lifestyle, but I'm not going to sit here and say there weren't some fun moments along the way! It all shapes who we are...the good and the bad. I try not to step into those shoes as much these days. I have way more to lose, but it's a part of me I'm not ashamed of. It helped shape me. Hopefully that makes sense. With "Gunshots", it's a song about overcoming struggle and getting to where we are now. There were a lot of obstacles in my life, a lot of blood was shed. But, here we are, me and my people, making moves in the music world, significant ones. Here we are making wiser decisions as well. We are the same people, yet we're not. But we can't forget the turmoil. It builds character. Also, don't sleep on the impact we are about to make in the hip hop world. That's what that track is about.
MYE: Right on. Let's talk about "Dark Of The Night". I love the way you are questioning things in that song. Can you talk about the message of that song and also getting Vinnie Paz on the track. It's definitely my favorite performance from you on the record. Great lyrics! Plus, I've been digging on that "Uncommon Valor" Vietnam song Paz did with R.A. The Rugged, man. My man, rapper Bobby Delicious (who is super dope!) got me into that tune, so it was cool to hear Paz on your joint also.
FM: That was the last song I wrote for the record. I wanted it conceptually to tie in with the album title. The minute I heard the beat, that topic came to mind. The beat was produced by my man LD who has 3 songs on this record. He is another talented individual! But anyway, the message of the song is basically who knows if there's a God or not? It's about being torn spiritually/religiously, etc. Like I said before, I have a very spiritual side to me. At the same time, I sometimes have this pessimistic side, or some would say realistic side, that just questions the whole thing...faith/religion/ the afterlife. It's all part of my Catholic Guilt. [laughing] As far as having Vinnie Paz on there...well, I know Vin, and I like what he does. I knew I wanted him on the record and this song just seemed appropriate. I know he is Muslim by faith, so I wanted his perspective on the subject matter. I think it all really came together.
MYE: Yeah, that is one of the best parts, that you both had different spiritual backgrounds. Man, Brittany Murphy is dead. It was just announced. Talking about rap...she was good in the 8 Mile movie. That girl was too cute to die, but at least she got to do some cool shit in life. If you don't mind, any friends who've passed you wanna give a shout to that you wish were still around to hear this record? I know there's friends of mine that died who would've loved to read some of my interviews nowadays and it's good to think of the people we've lost around the holidays when we should be thankful for what we have. My friend Quillan who got me into Hendrix and smoking weed when we were kids...he drowned a few years back in a hot tub on New Years so I always have that on my mind leading up to the end of December.
FM: It's sad when anyone that young dies, man. I want to shout out 2Hip and Boston Mike. Love you brothers and miss you dearly.
MYE: Let's talk about your track with Rancid, remaking "London Calling" by The Clash as hip hop! That's a gutsy move, my friend. How'd that come about? It sounds cool.
FM: Well, I wanted to write a song about London. Stress threw that song in the pot as an option. The reason being, I was going to play my first show ever there (London), with Necro. I got offered the show based on just a couple/few songs that I had done. I needed more material for the show. "London Calling" came out of that pressure to write more material. We both respect The Clash, etc... so it just seemed like a song that we could "flip" and make it cool. I hope we did! I can tell you this, a lot of punk purists gave me compliments on the track, people that don't even like hip hop. When Rancid heard it they bugged, they loved it. They happened to be my friends, so it made sense to involve them. They killed it! Shout to Lars and Tim!
MYE: My friends Kaya Chaos (who used to front the N.Y. punk band Deviant Behavior) and Danny Ilchuk (ex-Roguish Armament/The Shining Path) used to date. I was hanging with them a lot when my old band Divest was working with Ilchuk and Doc from Bad Brains. We'd all chill and it was dope to talk with Kaya and Danny, who were then in a side project with Dr. Know called Blackguard. They'd talk about how all the cool punks in New York always liked real hip hop, because it comes from a true place like punk rock and hardcore. That's like me... I got into real music from getting into Ice-T and Public Enemy and then finding out about Jungle Brothers, Big Daddy Kane and even shit that was very positive like Arrested Development. Can you talk about the development of your appreciation of hip hop? Obviously Danny Diablo/Lord Ezec has kicked some butt with his rap career. Nowadays a lot of heavy fans are hating on rap again, because the mainstream is so bad! Were you nervous starting up this shit? I mean, you can't get that nervous having had the balls to get onstage with Agnostic Front when you were a kid! This is just another way you're demonstrating your style! Rapping about struggle and crime isn't that far a cry from "Smell The Bacon/What's With You".
FM: I've been into hip hop music/culture ever since I was a kid. I grew up with it! I embraced it from a young age, like I did hardcore. Like I said before, the idea to do this was always lingering in my thoughts...I just finally found the time to do it. The time and the right people to do it with. Rapping about crime? I'm rapping about life and all kinds of stuff, my man...and no, it's not a far cry from “Smell The Bacon”. It's all street/underground music. Street born sub-cultures. I'm proud to be a part of both.
MYE: How was the record release party for Catholic Guilt at Kate's Joint? I was actually interviewing your big bro Roger that same day on the phone, but he said he had a Disasters show that same night.
FM: It went really well! Especially considering there was a blizzard that night! My friends and fam came through though.
MYE: Wanna talk about any of the other guests or people that helped make Catholic Guilt possible? That sentence sounds funny. "I'd like to thank everyone who made my Catholic Guilt possible"! How about Travis from Gym Class Heroes on the bonus track? Anyone else?
FM: Thanks to Slaine, Jaysaun, Travis, Rancid, Vinnie Paz, and of course my man Reef!
MYE: Dude, gimme a good scoop on the next Madball! Fiends wanna know! How do you envision it sounding, or is a lot already done? I gotta say that the song "Infiltrate The System" ,for a band with as many records as Madball, you are still recently writing some of your best lyrics.
FM: The new MB is being written as we speak. All I can say is...look out young bucks! We're are bringing the fire on all fronts!!
MYE: Thanks man. Great to hear. Take care.
FM: PEACE! Much respect.
