A Breath of Fresh Air to Sacramento Hip Hop

A Breath of Fresh Air to Sacramento Hip Hop
By Ann Olson-Dupire

I am sitting with Raymond Valdez, Michael “MDV” Valdez, Eddie “D the Artisan” Rodriguez, Jose “Sincere” Gomez, and Eric “Myztereiz” Murrey, the creators of “Explicit Expression”. The group consists of rappers, graffiti artists, producers, poets, and more. The group will be performing at “On the Y” at 670 Fulton Ave.

Question: who came up with the idea to form the group?

Murrey: I thought it up. It was just a random idea that I ran with. I brought it to the table and everyone endorsed it.
Gomez: Me and him (MDV) did music together, then I met this guy (Murrey).
MDV: We actually all met at a grocery store.

Question: How many people in all are in Explicit Expression?
Murrey: We’re talking easily around thirty.

Question: What is each of your talents?
R. Valdez: I am a producer, promoter.
Murrey: I rap, I am a prophetic poet.
Gomez: I also rap, and what’s different about my kind of music is it can easily be converted into poetry.
MDV: I also rap. I like a double entendre. I like to talk about things that mean something else; also I am a story teller.
Rodriguez: I also rap and produce beats. Also, I paint with graffiti style.

Question: What is your inspiration when you rap?
Murrey: Experiences that I or someone I know have lived through, growing up in south Sacramento.
Rodriguez: I kind of do it as a way to uplift people, to inspire and motivate. I say things a certain way so people can relate to it and understand. There’s always a message no matter if it’s a club song, or ocapela, there’s always a message.
MDV: Me? It’s really for the love of the music. I love hip hop in its straightest form. I don’t like when people are just out there saying stuff over a beat. It’s about content, talk about something. Someone somewhere can relate to it.
Gomez: I am all about art form. Having something artistic where someone will listen to it and be like “How did you think of that.” I want to leave something behind. Even if my cd doesn’t go anywhere, it will always be here. I’m also letting my demons out, it’s therapeutic.
Murrey: I think for everyone it’s therapeutic. It’s a way to vent, express yourself, get things off your chest that you wouldn’t talk about in conversation. It’s like a creative window that we all just kind of vibe from. I think what’s crazy about this is we’ve all got our own lane. It’s not like we are trying to be each other.

Question: So the group as a whole is big on individuality?
Murrey: Be who you are. We like change, we embrace that.

Question: Where did you grow up?
Murrey: South Sacramento, I think we all did. It’s kind of like a shoe box where everybody knows everybody.
Gomez: We are all friends. We were friends before the music. I see other groups of people that are just business, we are all friends.
MDV: We are like a family.

Question: Do you think that makes for better music?
Murrey: Definitely. Hip hop started out being a competition, with us its more like collaborating. I can appreciate what people do because they created it. It makes it easier to appreciate.
Gomez: I get excited when someone else’s album is put out.

Question: Are you guys already performing in clubs?
Murrey: Yeaaah man.
Gomez: I started performing last year.
MDV: this actually our (MDV and Rodriguez) first performance.
Murrey: We have performed at Strikes, the Distillery, The Press Club, and Capital Garage.
Gomez: G Street club
Rodriguez: Blush
Gomez: And in front of the mirror….
Rodriguez: In the shower…

An HPI Interview by Ann Olson-Dupire, Interviewer
Distributed by Paul Dale Roberts, HPI General Manager
www.hpiparanormal.net / www.jazmaonline.com