Korn have been around since 1993 and were one of the bands who kick-started the Nu-metal genre. Now, in 2010 the band are on a mini tour of the UK and Japan in support of the latest album ‘Korn III: Remember Who You Are’. We caught up with guitarist James “Munky” Shaffer to discuss recent lineup changes; the new album and what it means to be in a band like Korn.
Are you looking forward to tonight’s show in Southampton?
Yeah, I always love the concerts. People often ask if I get tired of playing live and I don’t because it’s always new faces and by remembering that it’s easy to keep your chops up.
Do you like playing the UK?
I do. Everyone here is really cool and has good taste. I’m always asking fans what bands they’re into. That’s how I find out about new music. That’s how I got into the Arctic Monkeys. A fan told me about them so I gave it a listen and I loved the raw guitar sound.
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Hazel Savage Interviews Korn, Nu-metal
For fans of hip-hop, an artist like Q-Tip needs no introduction. After forming A Tribe Called Quest in 1985 with fellow rapper Phife Dawg and producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad, the group found massive success and acclaim throughout the nineties. Along with fellow New York natives De La Soul, the band developed a style of hip-hop that shied away from the masculine, gangster bravado that was associated with the genre at the time. Their intelligent lyrics and jazz infused beats were, and still continue to be, an inspiration for many. From their debut ‘People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm’ – including the well known singles ‘Can I Kick It’ and ‘Bonita Applebum’ – through to their final long player ‘The Love Movement’, A Tribe Called Quest pushed the boundaries of hip hop and paved the way for artists such as KanYe West, Common, The Roots and Pharcyde to name just a few.
After A Tribe Called Quest split up in the late Nineties, Q-Tip delivered his debut album ‘Amplified’. While it could be argued tracks such as ‘Breathe & Stop’ and ‘Vivrant Thing’ were more commercial than anything that Tribe had released, the album was by no means a feckless attempt at mainstream success. After this fans were forced to wait until 2008 for its official follow up, ‘The Renaissance’, an album that was again greeted extatically by critics and fans. But fans of the rapper knew that the hiatus of new music was not down to the man himself, but record company wrangling.
‘Kamaal The Abstract’ was originally set for release in 2001, but his label at the time refused to release it. Deemed too ahead of its time, the record now draws comparisons with Gnarls Barkley, Andre 3000 and N*E*R*D, artists who have all found success since ‘Kamaal’ was originally set for release. After much delay the album has finally been released on RCA , although now in a remixed and re-mastered state. We were lucky enough to grab an interview with the legendary MC and get his thoughts on the album’s release, his plans for the future and chat about the forthcoming A Tribe Called Quest movie.
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Jon Davies Interviews, News A Tribe Called Quest, KanYe West, Korn, Nas, Norah Jones, Q-Tip, R.E.M
