Photos by Mariama Rafetna
A few Sundays ago a couple dopehouse residents – Los Angeles trio Pac Div (with special guest Raven Sorvino) and Tulsa-to-Hollywood’s own Johnny Polygon – headed out east to take over Manhattan’s Webster Hall during their Light Up The Night Tour. Check out some of the shots, as well as a brief sit-down with Pac Div, from the dopehouse down bottom.
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Interview by Mariama Rafetna
How’s it been since you released GMB?
BeYoung: We always take that pride in putting and crafting our the work… we always feel good about the music. And right now it’s a nonstop movement. And the last few weeks we’ve been on this tour, so it’s like new city, new state everyday, new climate, new temperature allergies acting up and shit… [laughs] it’s like yeah.. constant movement last couple of weeks.
What are some of your favorites joints off GMB that you like to perform?
Mibbs: “Savages” is fun. “Debo” is really fun – that turn up – whew. “Bank” is live. Shout out to Kendrick Lamar on “Cross Trainers”. Shout out to Mac Miller on “Black “Acura.” Shout out to Kurupt on “Fuck Y’all.”
Who are some of the biggest influences that keep you guys going?
Like: It’s not even a particular person, but more so a feeling that makes you say “keep going”. It’s a voice you hear. You don’t know who it is or what it is. It’s just a feeling…
BeYoung: Its really a variety of things. Life shit. Having a conversation with your uncle, having a conversation with your cousin. Life in itself. Real shit like that. The money motivates you, but at the end of the day its not even the money. It’s the reason you started writing raps in the 3rd or 4th grade in the first place…And what reason was that?
Like: It’s the spirit. It’s a spiritual feeling. And I feel like in America – I can’t account for any other continent but in America – African Americans in particular don’t really have a voice. So we try to really speak out through different arts. And that’s why African American entertainers really put their spirit into it, because that’s wall we have. I don’t even know who my great-grandfather is. I don’t even know what race he is.
You spoke a bit about our voice as African Americans. What do you think Pac Div lends to that voice?
Like: We leave that up to the listeners to decide. Because we cant really tell you. We just go off of feeling. We didn’t even kno we was gonna be entertainers like this. We really loved basketball and sports; when we thought about being a music group, that was kinda passé. We didn’t think that it would take us seven years without doing another job as our life, and it’s taken us place s we never imagined.
What’s in the works for you guys now?
Like: We’re obviously always working on group shit. Mibbs is working on a solo project called Free Base with production by Scoop Deville – who did Kendrick Lamar’s “Poetic Justice”. BeYoung is working on some dolo shit that I’m gonna be putting in on the production tip called Daily Bread. I’m doing some instrumental projects, going off the grid for a bit to learn more and probably be deejaying and more producing. Our next project gonna be soooo dummy though! You don’t even understand…
Is there a time frame for that?
Like: This year… definitely in the near future. Could be end of the summer or fall… we gone pump that. Not far at all.
Is there a name for that yet?
Like: Nah, no name yet –
BeYoung: we cant give that out just yet… [laughs].
