feat. MC Eiht
Substance Abuse never chased the fad. Never jumped on a bandwagon. Never felt the need to change their style to be accepted. The result is a catalog that sounds as sharp now as it did when they started — and a new remix featuring MC Eiht that proves the classic sound isn’t going anywhere.
Los Angeles underground hip hop has always had its own internal logic — a code of substance over spectacle, musicality over momentary relevance, longevity over virality. Substance Abuse have been operating inside that code for years, and the DJ Obi remix of “Flossin'” featuring MC Eiht is the latest evidence. The track pairs a jazzy, ethereal production with raw subject matter about the consequences of ostentatiousness — the disconnect between what rappers project and the reality they’re confronted with. We sat down with the group to break down the record, the lineup of upcoming collaborations, and what it means to still be standing when so much hip hop has come and gone.
“We saw the bigger picture. We wanted to last in this game.” — Substance Abuse
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The concept behind “Flossin'” is about the disconnect between what rappers project and the reality they’re confronted with — especially in 90s LA where being too razzle-dazzle could make you a target. How much has that dynamic changed in hip hop today?
Substance Abuse
The original version of the song was conceptualized in the early 2000’s, and it was meant as a commentary on how over the course of the nineties rappers began to pride themselves more on their purported material wealth than their actual lyrical skills and abilities. But the consequences for ostentatiousness are nothing new. Look at the film “American Gangster.” While there are many aspects of that movie that are disputed, no one seems to disagree that the downfall of Frank Lucas began with him wearing that infamous chinchilla coat to the boxing match. The gaudiness is a reflection of hubris, and we’ve all heard the old adage, “pride goeth before destruction…”
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MC Eiht has a reputation that crosses over into conscious and jazz-based hip hop in a way people underestimate. What was it about his energy that made him the right voice for this record?
Substance Abuse
We loved Compton’s Most Wanted growing up. And even though he is known as a gangster rapper, he sounds great over beats that might be associated more with conscious, jazz based hip hop. You hear him on songs like the “Def Wish 2” remix by DJ Premier, and you can’t help but be in awe of how adaptable he is musically. There was a great song on his seminal album “Music to Drive By” called “Jack Mode” which dealt with the same subject matter and had a beat that sounded a bit more jazz based, although it was hype. Partly because of that, we thought he would be a great fit for “Flossin’.”
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The original “Flossin'” was produced by Waes One with a hard-hitting edge. DJ Obi’s remix brings a jazzy, ethereal feel that somehow still works with the raw subject matter. How do you think about the relationship between beat and content?
Substance Abuse
We’ve always been fans of cats using more upbeat, jazzy production to deal with darker subject matter. You heard that on a lot of the early 90’s stuff coming out of Queens, like Mobb Deep’s “Give Up The Goods” or Nas’ “Memory Lane.” You could easily see those beats being used to address “happy” topics, but instead they used these beats to bring a colorful backdrop to bleaker topics, which can be very intriguing.
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You went to high school with DJ Obi. What does it mean to collaborate with someone you’ve known that long, and how does that history show up in the music?
Substance Abuse
DJ Obi was a few years younger than us, so while we had mutual friends, it was a while before we connected musically. Like so many relationships these days, it was actually forged via social media. He’s a super talented guy who has a gift for capturing the flavor of 90’s era hip hop but giving it an updated appeal. We feel real honored to be working with him.
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“LA Unified” features Akil from Jurassic 5, Sach from The Nonce, and Volume 10, produced by Kutmasta Kurt — that’s a serious lineup. How did that record come together?
Substance Abuse
We live in perhaps the most polarized time in U.S. history. But what we had saw happening in L.A. in recent years was a bit different: people squashing old beefs and coming together, particularly in the graffiti scene. Even L.A. rappers that were at odds with each other also learned to let bygones be bygones. We thought hey, maybe if people in this notoriously volatile city can do it, so can the rest of humanity. So the chorus goes “while the country is divided, L.A. is unified…”
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Aceyalone on “Nothing from Nothing” is another heavyweight collaboration. What does it feel like to be making records at this level with artists of that caliber?
Substance Abuse
When we worked with Aceyalone on “Bridges,” we knew it was only a matter of time before we did something else with him. There was a song of his that we always loved called “Fortitude” on the first “Beats and Lyrics” compilation by DJ EQ where Acey says “I got nothing to lose and nothing to gain, and nothing from nothing don’t mean a goddamn thing…” We always thought it would be a great idea for a hook and we pitched the idea to Aceyalone, who was down with it. When it came together it was masterful. A bit darker than “Bridges,” but still something people will find impactful.
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The collaboration with German rapper Retrogott on “What You Gonna Do Now” is an interesting pairing — LA underground meets European hip hop. How did that connection happen?
Substance Abuse
Retrogott is a collaborator and friend of Kutmasta Kurt, and any friend of Kutmasta is a friend of ours. Dude is really big in Germany, but he’s also such a humble and cool cat, someone who really has appreciation for the era of hip hop that produced us. As a tribute to the old school, we wanted to use the line from the late Cowboy where he says, “so what you emcees, gonna do now?” Retrogott raps in German and we rap in English, and we’ve never had a collaboration like that before. It’s not quite done, but it’s coming together nicely.
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The new album is called Cooler Heads Prevail. What’s the philosophy behind that title and what does it say about where Substance Abuse is as a group right now?
Substance Abuse
Our friend AC the PD, who’s a big force in L.A. hip hop, said the title fits us because we’re generally some laid back cats. But what I also think it symbolizes is our resistance to things that are transient. There has been so much ephemera that has come and gone over the years, so many fads in hip hop that we knew had no staying power. We never jumped on any bandwagons. We never felt nervous and said, “hey, we got to change our style up to be accepted.” We saw the bigger picture. We wanted to last in this game. So the title is about not being frazzled by these fads. Like Gangstarr said, “here today, gone tomorrow.” Lamentably that’s how a lot of hip hop is, because it’s not based on substance but rather what is catchy at the moment. We stayed cool and calm and did what we wanted.
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Growing up listening to Compton’s Most Wanted and Music to Driveby — how much does that era of West Coast production still inform what Substance Abuse sounds like today?
Substance Abuse
“Music to Driveby” holds a special place in our hearts because anyone who knew hip hop, not just gangster rap, loved that album. It just had a hip hop feel to it. The production was so unique. And you could tell that CMW didn’t care about what the fads were at the time. They just wanted to do what sounded dope to them. The result was an absolutely classic album.
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What do you want someone who discovers Substance Abuse through the “Flossin'” remix to walk away feeling?
Substance Abuse
Knowing that the classic hip hop they grew up on, or even might just be discovering, still exists. That hip hop with substance, personality, and musicality, is alive and well. We recently were blessed with the opportunity to drop something on our homie Erik Solo’s release, “Microphone Friends,” on ATAK Distribution, which also captures that magic. We hope songs like “Flossin'” and the stuff on Erik’s album will show people that the classic sound loved by so many hasn’t gone anywhere.
