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Interview
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More recently, Lex
Starwind and Jon Murdock have joined the Lost Children of Babylon
and are featured on their new album "Zeitgeist: The Spirit Of The Age"
already released digitally with a physical release date planned
for 30th November, 2010 via Chambermusik.
Prior to LCOB Lex
and Jon Murdock started off in the group called Foundation alongside
third member called Ricky Fitz who was incarcerated when Lex and Jon got scooped by LCOB.
The group already has
two albums to it's name with solo effort from individual
members. A chance meeting with Stretch from LCOB via a mutual
friend led to the group being introduced to Rasul, who quickly
saw their potential, acknowledged their skills and got them
involved with LCOB to complete the full circle of emcees Rasul
always had envisioned for the group. Jon Murdock and Lex's
contribution to Zeitgeist s a full testament of what is to come
and the group's continuing domination of the hip-hop scene.
For this week we
have decided to look closely at 2/3 of the Foundation and newest
members of LCOB starting with Jon Murdock. Not new to the game
Jon Murdock, who is equally an emcee and producer, has been in the
game for more than ten years and has three solo albums that were
put out independently: "Dark City", "City of Darkness", and "The
Book of Life". With LCOB now behind him, Jon plans on
re-releasing most of their recent work in a quest to reach a
wider audience while sharpening his skills and adding on to the
LCOB movement slowly creeping from
the underground. Find out more about Jon Murdock, what was so
special about this kid that made LCOB members adopt him into the
crew, find out about the Foundation and Jon's upcoming
projects... Enjoy!! |
I like to say thanks first and foremost for
taking the time to answer these questions, highly
appreciated, and will also point out that nothing will be
altered, edited or changed when this is published online.
Wu-International: Peace Murdock, how are you?
Jon Murdock: Everything's good thanks for taking the
time out to do the interview.
Wu-International: You are the latest or one of the
latest additions to LCOB camp, can you please introduce
yourself to everyone, who you are, where you are from etc?
Jon Murdock: My name's Jon Murdock I'm from
Phoenixville P.A. right outside Philly.
Wu-International: Is that your real name or an
alias?
Jon Murdock: it's an alias I got it from a Sci fi movie
from 1998 .It was called Dark City and during the whole
movie they said the name so many times and that's when I
came up with it. If you listen to the solo albums I did
sample it and spread it around the album it sounds dope.
Wu-International: Do you go by any other names you
might want to share with us?
Jon Murdock:
As of now it's just Jon
Murdock but you never know that might change.
Wu-International: You and Lex Starwind are the latest
entrants to LCOB, Who came before the other?
Jon Murdock:
We
both came at the same time.
Wu-International: How and why did you get involved
with LCOB?
Jon Murdock:
Me and Lex had a show a
few years back and the day before it I got locked up so he
went and did a solo set. An mc named Darq was performing too
who was a friend of my man Sid. Darqs cousin is Stretch from
LCOB and he liked Lex's set and wanted to link up. I got out
a few months later and we went to his crib to hear some
beats. We showed him what we were working on, he showed it to Rasul and the rest is history. Why we got involved is
because it just fell into place like that. Rasul asked us to
get on the album then he put us on the whole album and made
us members so it all just worked out.
Wu-International: When did you join the group?
Jon Murdock:
We joined about 2 years
ago.
Wu-International: Are you aware of the fall
out between LCOB and former member Amun especially with Rasual
and what's your take on all of this if you know him?
Jon Murdock: Yea I heard about it but it's
before I was involved. That's between them, I only met him
one time.
Wu-International: Were you already a fan of the
music before joining them?
Jon Murdock:
I heard them before
mainly on the Jedi Mind Tricks album. I had a mixtape with a
few newer tracks from them years ago but never had a whole
project they did.
Wu-International: So what is your role or rather what
do you hope to bring to the table within the group?
Jon Murdock:
I make beats, I rhyme, I engineer, I do all types of things.
I have a style that wasn't in the group before and I'm a
new voice that people haven't heard. I'm trying to make dope
music together that's my main goal whatever happens from it
happens.
Wu-International: What would you say are the
qualities you had or what are the requirements in becoming
an LCOB member?
Jon Murdock:
I think we just all
have the same outlook on hip hop really. We listen to the
same shit and we make music that fit's the category. You know
the real shit when you hear it and they liked what we did.
When you talk to someone you know the deal with them and we
all are really the same when it comes to what we do.
Wu-International: LCOB is on the forefront of
spiritual hip-hop if i have to class it and most of it's
members if not all are Nwuwabians, do you follow this same
path as well?
Jon Murdock:
No I'm not but I
know all about it though.
Wu-International: You were one third of the group
Foundation Army before joining LCOB, can you please tell us
more about your previous group as in members, albums, etc?
Jon Murdock:
The group is me, Lex and
Scientific aka Ricky Fitz. Me and Fitz were a 2 man group
called Foundation back in the late 90s and Lex was in a
group called Quantum Mechanics at that time. Fitz's older
brother was in the group with Lex and something happened
with the producer and they broke up. We asked him to join
and that's how that went down. We all would rhyme together
from time to time at parties or on the street anyway so it
all worked out. We got together in the summer of 2001 to
record a group album and that was call 9/11. That's the first
album we recorded I laugh at it now because of how far we've
came but I still like that joint right there. The next album
was Ground zero we did that in 2002 2003 that's the fist
album we recorded on Protools when the Digi 002 came out at
my man Sadge's crib. Next was Dark city in 2003 2004 and that
was me solo I made all the beats and put it all together. I
made that album with the thought to make it sound like
something I thought other mc's should have done that didn't.
That's my first solo so I had a lot I wanted to say. I think
the feel of that album holds weight if it's not the stories
on it or the rhymes it's the feel. Next was Dark city 2 in
2005 2006 that's me grabbing beats from other producers plus
myself and just knowing I could spit a lot nicer and I went
in with different rhyme schemes and a different mind state
on that. Next was supposed to be Ricky Fitz's album but he
went to jail so we scratched that plan. On to Lex's album
that was 2007 we grabbed beats from cats, I made a few and
this was the first album we got collabs with more known mcs.
We got Sean Price on there, Reef the Lost Cauze on there and
Verbal Tec all thanks to my man Vanderslice who I grew up
with. I did an album by myself while Lex's was going on
called The book of life. That album was me doing all the
beats again and recording it by myself dolo nobody was
involved with that project. It's not like the others it's on
some whole other shit.
Wu-International: So you and Weapon X aka Lex
Starwind were both members of this group, was Scientific not
interested in joining LCOB or was that option not available
to him?
Jon Murdock: He was in prison for a few years
so he couldn't be involved at the time.
Wu-International: So what's the situation or
current status of Fdation, is the group still active and are
you all together?
Jon Murdock:
Yea we've been a
group for over 10 years that won't change. Fitz just got out
and we recorded some new material that we plan to use on the
third Fdation album but let's see if he can stay free this
time.
Wu-International: The group apparently had an
album out in 2001 called "Call 9/11" can you please
tell us more about it as far as features, concepts,
where it can be bought etc?
Jon
Murdock:
That was just us
making music together doing everything without
nobody else for the first time. I made a lot of
beats on it and Lex's uncle made some beats on it. A
lot of cats didn't make beats then like they do now
so that was rare at the time. It's us three my man
White Rat who could have been a member of Foundation
but spends his time in jail to much and Nasty Nuckles who is Lex's uncle. Really no concepts just
rhyming over beats trying to make dope music with
the equipment that we had. it's available on
WWW.FDATION.COM
Wu-International: You were also responsible for some
of the production on the album, did you produce any joints
for the new LCOB project?
Jon Murdock:
Yea I made one beat on
that called Esoteric Agenda. We recorded most of the album
at my crib so I was involved with the whole project.
Wu-International: What's the difference between an
LCOB album and a Fdation album?
Jon Murdock: With a Foundation album we made so much
music together it's easy to do. The LCOB
joint wasn't hard to make it's just a few
more heads to get together in the studio
that might not be in town to get it done so
it takes longer. The music though came
natural to everyone so that's the easy part.
Wu-International: Zeitgeist: The Spirit of
the ages drops in October, how do you feel about
this realise?
Jon Murdock: I'm glad it's ready to drop
we spent a lot of time on it and it's a dope album.
I listen to it all the time it's bangin! It's putting me
in a better position that I've been in before with
more people knowing who me and Lex are too so that's
dope. Put it this way I've been on this site for
years checking out albums and shit like that now
your interviewing me. Let me thank Rasul for that.
Wu-International: Do you have any
favourite song on the album that you might want to share
with us?
Jon Murdock: I like a few on there a lot but
ill have to say Marshall law is my favourite track.
Wu-International: Being new into the
group, how do you feel the fans will receive your music
especially being new to LCOB fans?
Jon Murdock: Everyone that I've came into
contact with or read comments about the music liked it. I
don't see anyone hating the music we're far from wack and
they know that when they hear it. If they don't know yet
they will very soon.
Wu-International: So is your status within
the group permanent, as in will you be on their next
projects or are you just involved for just this one?
Jon Murdock: Yea it's permanent I'm in the
group now so I'll be on a lot more material and putting
out albums under LCOB productions. Other members will be
on my new material too so when that comes out be ready
for that.
Wu-International: What was it like for you
recording this album with the other members of the group
and do you have any great memories or stories to share
about the sessions?
Jon Murdock:
Shit was a circus I hated
it... na I'm playing it was all good we all got busy on this
project. The best times to me was when we recorded something
new, heard the playback and knew it was ill. We all just
chilled too, got drunk, freestyled, talked about all types
of shit and made more music. The thing that stands out the
most to me is when we were mixing the track the Venus
project: I got that track in a Protools file with a girl,
who I don't know her name, just singing on like 8 tracks for
a few minutes at a time. We had to rip it apart and piece it
all together to make it an intro, a chorus and so on. When
that came together and we listened to it, it was crazy: her
voice is nasty. It took so many hours to edit and mix but
when it was done I knew it was a track the fans would love.
Wu-International: Who within the group would you say
you work best with if any, or who are you closest to?
Jon Murdock: it's all the same to me but I'm
close with Atun, Rasul and Cosmic the most though.
Wu-International: LCOB presents Dark City, your debut
album, when is this coming out?
Jon Murdock: I'm not sure yet I put it out a few
years ago but in never had the proper release so LCOB is
putting it out very soon to reach more people.
Wu-International: Please tell us more about this
project as in featured guests, date of release, producers
and so on?
Jon Murdock:
I produced the whole
thing and it's just me Lex and Fitz.
Wu-International: This is coming out of LCOB
productions, what label is putting this out?
Jon Murdock: Good question I think we might just make
it digital but I'm not sure yet the focus is the Zeitgeist
album for right now.
Wu-International: Why have you called it Dark City?
Jon Murdock:
It was a concept I had from watching the movie and the title
fit the style I wanted to make. I don't use the movie as the
concept it's more of the name Jon Murdock and the whole style
behind it. Like how Wu-Tang used the samples from old kung
fu movies and some of the names were used from character
names or movie titles.
Wu-International: Anything else you are working on
that you like to share with us?
Jon Murdock: Dark city 3 is almost done and I think
I’ll end it with that one to make it a trilogy. We have
another group named The Flying Dutchman and that's me Lex
and Vanderslice who is a real dope producer he has tracks
with a lot of mc’s right now. Vanderslice on the beats with
me and Lex rhyming. The album’s called Foul Weather and it’s
crazy. A new Foundation album is started and I hope we can
finish it without Fitz going awol. We have some other plans
too but we’ll have to see how they go.
Wu-International: Thanks for the answers,
anything else you like to share with us that's not been
covered already?
Jon Murdock: Check out the new video Foundation feat.
Dynamic G (The war is on) directed by Alterprod
Wu-International: Last words, shout outs etc?
Jon Murdock:
Peace to all the
real supporters of hip hop out there.
Catch up with The Lost Children of Babylon /
Fdation
http://lcobproductions.com/
www.fdation.com
www.myspace.com/thelostchildrenofbabylon
Related Interviews:
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#1
[Rasul Allah 7] -
The Face of The Golden Falcon Interview [21st
Oct 2010]
#2 [Cosmic Crusader] -
Cosmic Calculations Interview [29th
Oct 2010]
#3 [Atun Seb Geb] -
Right Rhyming Interview
[3rd Nov 2010]
#4 [Jon Murdock] - The Foundation Part 1 Interview
[11th Nov 2010]
#5 [Lex Starwind] -
The Foundation Part
2 Interview [18th Nov 2010]
#6 [Ancient Kemet] -
The Alchemist Interview [25th Nov 2010]
#7 [White Lotus] -
Chief Of The Lotus
Clan [30th Nov 2010]
#8 [Stretch] - The Mad
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