Hollars and Dollars Exclusive Interview: The 49ers
July 6, 2011
Yo, the first time I ever heard The 49ers was when I was traveling in Japan and I heard their track on a compilation down there. We were able to catch up with them and find out what’s been goin’ on after the release of their new album “Musaic” which is a must have for those who love true Hip Hop.
-Mista Kay Himself
First, who are The 49ers and where you living now?
Jas – The 49ers are Jas Mace and Marchitect. We’re living in the 2nd smallest state in the United States – Delaware.
Tec – Its on the East Coast right between, Philadelphia and Washington D.C.
How did the 49ers come about?
Jas – We met playing little league baseball. I hated him. He thought he was the best in the league, but I knew I was the best. Lol. He was a friend of a teammate of mine. My teammate asked if I wanted to go over his friend’s house and play baseball, turned out it was my baseball nemesis. Lol. Then we found out that we both wrote raps and it’s be a wrap ever since.
Tec – One day I went over to his house and he had a rap written on the type writer. That was big technology for a kid back then. The next day I brought my Keyboard over and we’ve been doing music together ever since. We were the youngest in our crew, and we followed my (Marchitect) brother around while his rap group went to the studio and recorded their songs. We all eventually became a group called The Outfit and put some vinyls out in the mid and late nineties. After that project, me and Jas became a group again, and became The 49ers.
Who did you listen to growing up and who shaped your style?
Jas – Before I really had a choice, I grew up listening to artists like Pink Floyd, The Doors, Janis Joplin, Hendrix, etc. Once I was able to turn the dial myself it became KRS-ONE, Kool G. Rap, Big Daddy Kane, New Edition, Michael Jackson, etc. I think I have been influenced by those emcees around me such as Marchitect, Grouchy Greg, Harun Karim, and Mark B. All of them were in the group called The Outfit. It’s always been influenced by those that had something to say, and used metaphors and similes to get their message across. Nowadays though, I’m really feeling the story tellers.
Tec – Growing up we listened to a lot of soul music, and doo wop. We both collected vinyl. The rarer the better. We had a nice connection at a local flea market who would have a van full of vinyls, and just break us off for a dollar a record. Classics. On the Hip-Hop level, we listened to a lot of A Tribe Called Quest, Dela Soul, The Bootcamp Click, The Beatnuts. I liked a lot of the west coast stuff, Dj Quik, N.W.A. and Eazy E.
The first time I heard you was out in Japan. How did you guys end up doing so much work out there?
Tec – We ended up being able to get so much work in Japan, by linking up with the artists directly. We just kept our ears to the street and worked with artists like 2mo’key and Moto, and Stilla-Mode, Dj Chika, Soul Chef and Ogha, because we liked their music. This allowed us to be emerged in the scene, even when we couldn’t physically be in Tokyo. We just tried to keep an independent mind state, and hustle hard. We’ve always been totally hands on with our career.
Jas – Yeah, at this level no one is going to do the work for you. We really try to keep out name out there by doing collabs and trying to tour at least once every two years. In fact, I’m organizing one as we speak for September, so promoters and organizers in Japan get at me. Lol.
Do you feel the reception in the US differs from the reception in Japan?
Tec – . The reception we get anywhere in the world is appreciated the same on our end. I think the culture of a place determines the level of reception. That’s what’s good about Japan that we like. We’ve noticed that the fans, really appreciate the fact that our music is not being simplified or dumbed down. I think it’s more acceptable to be a crazy fan for something in Japan, as opposed to the United States. It always feels good however when we get a great reception in Nyc, or Philly, because their the kind of places where if you can make it there you can make it anywhere.
Jas – Yeah, it’s like, in the US if you are a fan nowadays it’s seen as a bad thing. Everyone is a rapper, producer, or a CEO so they see you as competition. I don’t really get that feeling in Japan. Plus, it seems like the underground scene is a little more accepted out there. It kind of has the feeling of like when Rawkus started hitting the scene. I remember walking into the record stores in Japan and seeing albums like Lord Finesse, Gang Starr, Diamond D, and Pete Rock and CL Smooth where you would typically see Black Eyed Peas, 50 Cent, and artists like that. I couldn’t believe it.
Current state of Hip hop in the US vs Japan. What’s your thought? Any up and coming Japanese or US local artists you been listening to?
Jas – I think it’s pretty similar. It just depends on what part of the area you are in. If I go to Gas Panic in Roppongi they are probably going to be playing the same crap that I hear at your typical club in the US. But if you check out an event that we do in Philly or Delaware, then you’ll get more of that good hip-hop that you might here at an underground spot in Shibuya or something. I’m proud of what I’m hearing coming out my state right now. There are a lot young gunners in the game around my way that are doing a lot of good things. In Japan, my good friends Stilla-mode always have my ear. When I was trying to get the first tour popping they were the only ones that really looked out for us, and I’m always going to be indebted to them for that. There are a lot of talented producers and emcees working hard in Japan.
Tec – I think the current state of Hip-Hop everywhere is rebounding. With the Internet we have the opportunities to hear what’s good, really all over the world. Basically anywhere you are in the world, you can find some tight rappers, in a spot, it might be a little tiny hole in the wall somewhere but, they’re going to be spitting lyrics, over banging beats. So I think personally that the State of Hip-Hop is looking good right now. I’ve been listening to a lot the Money Makin Jam Boys, which is Black Thought, Dice Raw, Sts, Porn and Truck North. I got exposed to their stuff while directing an independent film for Dice Raw. Listening to the new Dj Quik album. There’s a lot of tight emcees from Delaware as well. I like to check a lot of them out live.
- What gets you guys in the “Creative” mindset?
Jas – The 49ers can sit down and create a creative environment. We’ve written raps in studios, apartments, basements, planes, trains, cars, buses; I mean you name it and we’ve probably wrote a verse there. Lol. All I need is a pen and pad, and I’m good. I don’t like “writing” raps on smart phones though. Lol. Call me old fashioned. It’s not necessary but I do prefer to write my verse listening to the beat, that way I can shape my delivery around the bass kick, snare, and hats.
Tec – When we get into our creative mindset, it all depends on the situation. Sometimes, it might just be us hanging out with our friends, and having a good time, when we get the idea for a song. It could just be the both of us in the studio, listening to instrumentals. We normally come out with ideas pretty quick. We have more of the old school philosophy where you leave the studio when the songs done. At least the recording. Its rare we leave things unfinished between sessions. So it normally starts with an instrumental, once we hear that, we start bouncing off ideas, and then once the pen gets burning up the paper, we have a 49ers song.
You just dropped your new album “Musaic”. Super dope album. Tell us about the title of the album and what influenced you during the creating of it?
Jas – I appreciate that. All of our titles usually are a play of words. State of the Art, The Ultrasound, and Musaic all have duel meanings. Musaic was just a play off of mosaic, a bunch of smaller images used to make a larger, bigger picture. We took that concept and just used songs instead of pictures. A lot of the credit to what influenced the album would have to go to SoulChef. He produced most of the album and the beats he sent and the ones we chose to use created the concepts and was the driving influence behind the album. Shout out to homie SoulChef!
Tec – The title Musaic, is a play off of the word Mosaic. We wanted to take different elements and style and piece them together to make one overall picture or fabric. Different textures and shapes, tied together musically, with the music being the glue holding it all together. Thank you for calling the album dope. We appreciate that. We try to just go off those chills you get when you hear some Hip-Hop that just hits your heart. If the song gives us those chills, then we know it will fit for the album. The album, was really influenced a lot by the producers we worked with. We were looking for a certain sound, that had to be an expansion of our old sound, but also a return to the sound, that we started off with So we called Soul Chef, Lems, Think Twice, ourselves, and a few others and their beats inspired us to try to do so much with them conceptually.
You’ve been keeping busy even after the album drop. What kinds of things can we expect from you guys in the near future?
Jas – The 49ers are working on a collaboration album with ZDW?! and Acharu, which will be released in Japan before the end of the year. ZDW?! is a production team consisting of LEMS, Sounguage, Hazzy, Kaede, and Otokaze. Hopefully I didn’t miss anyone. Lol. The album is shaping up to be really nice. They are a great group of producers. I like to stick to one thing a time and focus all my energy and creativity on that project. But once this album is finished I’m working on a conceptual album with Navid B and a solo joint that’s untitled at the moment.
Tec – In early September we plan to tour Asia, and expand outside of Japan. Taiwan, and hopefully China and South Korea, if we can make some things work. We have a new album called SOULSTICE coming out in Japan in late summer, that will hopefully be the soundtrack to many summers to come. That’s a collaboration with the producer Lems, and his camp. I have a mixtape coming out MARC: MY WORDS, and a free album you can download now called EVERTYHING MUST GO. We both will be making appearances on different collaborations across the globe, and just keeping busy.
Last words?
Jas – Yeah man, when are we going to get that heRajiKa tracks collaboration? Lol. Other than that, shout out to our fans across the globe. We really appreciate all of you. We’ll be in Japan and Taiwan in September so come check us out. If you want The 49ers in your province, city, town, country, state, house, hit me up! lol.
Tec- Peace and love to all our fans!
Hollar your 5′s
First 5 Things you do when you wake up
(Jas)
1) Hit snooze
2) Hit snooze
3) Stretches
4) Shower
5) Brush teeth
5 Things you do when you wake up
(Marchitect)
1) Usually talk to my girlfriend, she lives overseas, so she’s on her lunch break when I wake up.
2) Throw on some good music
3) Log onto allhiphop.com and see what the latest scoop is
4) Update, Yaheard.com, and check the emails, messages, etc.
5) Continue working on the beat, I fell asleep making the night before.
5 things you’re really into right now?
(Jas)
1) Musaic (shameless plug) 
2) Samurai Tales by Romulus Hillsborough
3) Lao Tzu
4) COD Black Ops
5) Traditional Kung Fu
5 things you’re really into right now?
(Marchitect)
1) Making Beats on the Asr-10
2) Making Beats on the Mpc 1000
3) Directing Music Videos
4) Going to the Beach
5) Old School Alfred Hitchcock movies
Top 5 things you can’t live without
(Jas)
1) Water
2) Food
3) An orifice to release that nasty stuff lol
4) Books
5) Music
Top 5 things you can’t live without
(Marchitect)
Really, after having my crib burn down, and barely making it out,
The only thing I cant live without is my family, my girl, my friends, and god not in that order.
Top 5 artists you’re listening to
(Jas)
1) MF Doom
2) Death Cab for Cutie
3) Ryuichi Sakamoto
4) Fela Kuti
5) Mayer Hawthorne
Top 5 artists you’re listening to
(Marchitect)
1) Michael Jackson
2) Ofra Haza
3) Dj Quik
4) Ahmad Jamal
5) Jay Rock
5 dope things about Japan
(Jas)
1) Temples
2) Toilets
3) Food
4) Drunk salary men before the first and last train
5) Really, what’s not dope about Japan? Lol
5 dope things about Japan
(Marchitect)
1) The food, is not so fried and fatty, its really good, and a lot of times good for you
2) The Club doesn’t start jumping off until about 2 am
3) People are genuine, and will help you when you need it
4) So many different styles of dress, and music, that are just buzzing all round you
5) The love we receive from our fans, its so sincere, and its amazing to be able to connect to a person and touch their lives, with your music
this was a good read , good job with the interview