BADBADNOTGOOD
Street: Let’s start with your name. How did you guys come up with BADBADNOTGOOD, all caps, no spaces?
Matt Tavares: Before this whole band thing was even a thing, I was just writing a TV show with some of our friends, and that was the name for it. And then we totally forgot about it until one day, and I was like, “Oh, I have this name.” And that was it.
Street: What was it like working with RZA on "Man with the Iron Fist?"
Alex Sowinski: We produced two songs on it. Basically Ghostface and RZA and Raekwon, they needed some songs, and they really liked ours and they used a couple for the soundtrack. We had no idea that it would happen and it was a pretty good surprise. Chester met Ghostface briefly. It’s never been all us three meeting him.
Chester Hansen: To be honest, I didn’t really talk to him. We just shook hands. There were like a million fans around.
Street: You all went to school together at Humber College in Toronto. Are any of you still in school, or are you planning on making music for the rest of your life?
MT: We all dropped out a year ago. We’re probably not going back to school because we didn’t really drop out on the best terms. So hopefully this music thing works out. We’re planning on doing music for the rest of our lives, but if for any reason that doesn’t work out, we’d probably go to school for something completely different.
Street: How would you describe your music? Is it jazz, is it hip hop, is it experimental?
CH: It’s always pretty hard to define. Our music isn’t the same as when we started because when we got together we were still getting to know each other. It’s been evolving constantly. I guess it’s just a combination of all our influences. Definitely heavy jazz influence, hip hop influence, electronic music, whatever we’re into at the time.
Street: What’s playing on your iPod? Do you think hip hop is dead?
MT: Personally we all think hip hop’s in one of the coolest places it’s ever been. Suddenly, like all these unique artists are coming out. We all listen to it so much it’s pretty crazy.
AS: It’s always progressing, and it’s sort of on this whole wavelength where you don’t know what kind of sound or what production style or what the hell’s going to happen next or what 16–year–old rapper’s coming next. We like Danny Brown, this really dope rapper named Tree from Chicago—he’s tight—Kendrick Lamar, Wu-Tang, Chiddy and stuff.
Street: What projects/tracks are you currently working on?
MT: We got a track on Earl [Sweatshirt's] next album that’s coming out, which we’re really, really proud of. It sounds super weird. We’re working on our sixth album, which is really cool. It’s actually kind of under wraps.
Street: So what can we expect from your upcoming show at Penn with Xaphoon Jones? Have you guys worked with him before?
AS: No, but we’re super stoked.
XAPHOON JONES
Street: What projects/tracks are you currently working on?
Xaphoon Jones: I’m currently working on a record for Wiley, the U.K. grime MC. Also working on Theophilus London’s new project, "Paris 96." Producing another cover song sung by Ms. Ellie Goulding. And doing lots of remixes for people. So yeah, life’s good.
Street: You do a lot of mash-ups/remixes. How do you decide what goes well with what?
XJ: It’s less about instinct and more about being able to hear chord progressions, key signatures, and tempos. For instance, “I Want You Back” and “Sleepyhead” are both around 107 bpm and both in the key of G# Major.
Street: Who’s been your favorite rapper/producer/MC to work with?
XJ: Pharrell Williams.
Street: You went to Drexel—any favorite West Philly locales or recommendations?
XJ: I also grew up here! There used to be an amazing place to get carrot cake, near Clark Park. Also there’s a dope fish sandwich spot on 52nd Street, near Spruce.
Street: Who are your favorite new artists? Do you think hip hop is dead?
XJ: My favorite new artists are Phony PPL, Two Inch Punch and Cashmere Cat. Hip–hop will continue to exist as long as humans do.
Street: What do you think of the term “frat rap?”
XJ: I think it’s bizarre to name a genre by the group of people who listen to it. That being said, frat kids do tend to gravitate towards the awful, screechy, aggressive side of dubstep. And really unfortunate electro and Top 40.
Street: What can fans expect at your upcoming Jazz & Grooves concert with BADBADNOTGOOD?
XJ: Loud, weird, awesome beats.
