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Interview Date: 25th August 2009

Conducted By: Dark 7 Invader

Notes:
Special thanks to Cno Evil & Li Mouse. 

Interview

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 Rodentz, How are you both doing?
Cno Evil: Great, thanks for doing this, Wu-International has always shown love to The Rodentz.
Li-Mouse: No doubt...

Wu-International: Please introduce yourselves to the fans, where you are from, and all that blazhay blah?
Cno Evil: I'm Cno Evil born and raised in White Plains, New York. Still rep it to this day.
Li-Mouse: Li-Mouse also raised in White Plains, New York. All day everyday.

Wu-International: How did The Rodentz come about and how did you both meet?
Cno Evil: Ahh jeez... I would say about 11 to 12 years ago, maybe longer.. you know we grew up together, went to the same middle school and have known each other since. It wasn't until early high school that we realized we loved the same music and shared the same taste.. I had been doing music prior for years, but it wasn't until one our teachers put together this Songwriter's Showcase where he was organizing different types of music and was looking for some kids to do rap (shout out to Dennis Polanco) , he knew I did some rap, so he had asked me.. everybody else was afraid to go on stage and perform.. remember we were like 13 and 14 years old back then. Not sure how, maybe Mouse can clarify it better, but somehow we convinced him to rap also, prior to that he hadn't had much experience... but we wrote some rhymes, basically spit them over an acoustic guitar and that was that... we did this about twice a year every year during high school, during that time we both recorded our own original songs... back then it was over karaoke machines with cassette tapes and shit, we even shot a video we got a little buzz in high school, it felt real good to perform in front of all our peers... as years went by we got better and better, I started to make my own beats and the rest is history.
Li-Mouse: Basically what he said. I mean, I didn't really think anything of rapping until I heard Cno make some beats and have some old cassette tapes of him and his brother rapping. I figure I should just try it out, since I liked how they put there words together.

Wu-International: Cno, we know prior to The Rodentz you were already making music and had something out online, please tell us more about this?
Cno Evil: Yeah, I have been into hip hop and rapping probably ever since I was about 6 or 7 years old, my brothers and cousins are all basically 10 years older than me so have always taught me what they knew. They had a group called Soopafly Crew and would make songs all the time in the attic, and I would listen and try to do the same thing. My brother LG was a DJ so I would secretly look through all the records and put them on the turntables when he wasn't around and just write rhymes. That's how I got into all the music like Wu-Tang, Boot Camp Clik, Lost Boyz, Smoothe the Hustler, DITC and all these other records. Back then we didn't have much, so we would experiment making beats on this PlayStation 1 software, and make dozens and dozens of cassette tapes with beats and songs, alot that I still have in the vault of my early stuff.. I gotta admit it was pretty bad, but you can hear the improvement as the years went on.. and it means a lot to me. Once The Rodentz started getting some buzz, I had taken one of my recent little demo tapes called The Microphone Monologues and decided to test the waters and release it to the internet (this was just prior to Order Rodentia coming out), around 2004. It was a project that I basically did in 1 day, it was just a bunch of beats that were laying around my room and a bunch of rhymes I had in a book, for years. It was basically like spring cleaning and starting over. All solo shit. So I put it out, and got a pretty good feedback and it can actually still be found online if you do a google search through blogs and what not, to my surprise.

Wu-International: Mouse, What were you doing proceeding to The Rodentz?
Li-Mouse: I was basically, skateboarding, and playing roller hockey to tell you the truth. I know its a bit odd to see someone like me doing stuff like that, but hey, I've always been a kind of person that didn't do what everybody thought I should, or conform.

Wu-International:  You dropped Order Rodentia around 2005, how well was that received by the fans?
Cno Evil: Well to me, the main reason we put this CD out was for all our friends and family that had been waiting for it for years. We had basically started making this project in 2001-2003, but as the years went by, our flows got better, we got better equipment, etc etc so we had to keep starting over from scratch.. by the time we actually finished it, most of our fan base from school had moved on to college and were hard to reach to. These were the same people that were pushing us to do it and release it, I'm talking about hundreds of people.. so this was basically a big blow to us... to know that we could of released it and sold hundreds through the school halls disappoints me, but we had to keep it moving and evolve. Luckily we hooked up with Chambermusik.com and were able to press these CD's up and sell them worldwide through the internet. We got a lot of positivity and negativity, but the negativity helped us. Of course were were young when we released that and not very experienced, so we could evolve and learn from our trials and errors, but at the same time, I love this fucking CD, to me it's my baby, I had produced every single beat on it, and me and Mouse wrote some of our most personal and best lyrics, I think, to me on a personal level it would be very hard to top this. We have dozens of people to this day still repeating these lyrics and no matter we do, they love this project. It's great also once and a while to hear fans from Europe, Asia, Africa randomly say they got this CD and loved it.. it's a great feeling.
Li-Mouse: I thought it was received nicely. At first to be honest I thought Cno and I were just doing it for fun. Maybe for our friends and family, but then he started saying he was going to sell it all over the place and I was like, it couldn't hurt... So he did and now I think it's a classic album. It's hard to see myself matching those jams today. Ha!

Wu-International: You followed this with Rodentity, which was a free album, any reason why you made this free?
Cno Evil: Well this album we had started to work on immediately after Order Rodentia.... it was different, we had matured and couldn't talk about the same stuff, my beats got better and at the same time I had tried to get some outside artists and producers that I knew from around the way like Knickolist Knowledge and Sincere Noble just so I can relax and show some love. My plan was always to take control fully of the first album, and keep it in house and then expand on anything beyond that. We took our time alot more on this album, and just kept making songs and songs and songs.. next thing you know we were sitting on about 30 songs.. and we were caught between two things.. 1) We didn't want any of these songs to go to waste 2) And these songs were sounding so out dated to us, that we wanted to start fresh. So what we did was, we just compiled them and released it as a free double disc album to the Internet. I personally love this album as well, but we felt that we had to come stronger and more organized for a full length project. Some may consider this a compilation of works of some sort, but it is our second album, we just decided to release it digitally to move with the times and at the same time let the people know what were about without having to pay.
Li-Mouse: Like Cno said.. I figured that album to be our kind of flushing album to just get out all the songs we had out there and start fresh.

Wu-International: During or after this album was released it was rumored that The Rodentz are going their separate ways with split albums “The Expiration Date by Cno and Most Daring by Li-Mouse planned, please confirm and shed more light on this?
Cno Evil: There was never no disbanding of the group, just felt like after all that work, it would be cool and exciting to do our own projects. If you look at 'Rodentity', you got my side and you got Mouse's side. Each one catered to our own style and had solo songs and whatnot. Even though we blend together perfectly, we also can be two totally separate sides. We definitely can be yin/yang, order & chaos, dark and light... depending on our moods.. One day he can be the asshole, and I can be the angel, the next day it's vice versa. So we decided to show our versatility to the world and do this. That was the original idea of Rodentity, to release two discs of solo records, like Outkast did, but we blend together so well and always want to hop on each other's songs so much that it can never work out. For now, they are delayed but they will come, maybe not under those titles, but we will release solo albums at some point. Right now the time is right to do it together.
Li-Mouse: Word... I have no plans really ever of disbanding. If I ever have a solo album please believe Cno Evil will be on 80 percent of tracks.

Wu-International: So what is the status of these albums, how soon will they be dropping and please tell us individually the featured guests esp. Wu fam guests if any, producers and so on?
Li-Mouse: I really want my joint to be go like a Common/Mos Def/Talib Kweli route where I'm actually saying some real shit. I've always wanted to have a real, live, New York lounge kind of feel to my music. To really convey the message that I am not one of these bubble gum rappers, nor am i one of these thugs, money, car, hoes rappers. Just sharp lyrics that might hit a sensitive spot in your brain joints.
Cno Evil: Well for my project I am totally going to flip the script.. my vision has always been to make my album sound like a Tarantino flick.. that's all I can really say about that... I will definitely get some guests on it, my original idea was to make it some sort of compilation, but that turned into an album released in 2007 by my other mega group called Soopafly Crew, which consists of 10 members. We never released that to the world, but it's in the vault. So now for my solo project, I've decided to keep it mainly myself as far as the beats and lyrics go, but of course I'll feature Mouse like Rae did with Ghost on Cuban Linx, and if I have any outside producers, it will only be Mouse, as he has started to make beats now as well. As far as Wu-fam guests go, I will keep those surprises for now.

Wu-International: So what format is this coming out, and will it come out through Chambermusik like the first album? Cno Evil: That is all up to the quality of the music and the buzz that we have, if Clef thinks we are capable then so be it, it's all up to him. He definitely blessed us and gave us an opportunity with the first album. We personally decided not to do that with our second album, but the third album we will go hard and try make an impact. Same thing goes for the solo albums, if all is well , we will drop all three albums at around the same time.

Wu-International: Thanks for clearing that, guess your continuity is confirmed by Rodentz Forever mixtape? Please tell us more about this as well?
Li-Mouse: This mixtape right here was one of the most fun projects I can remember doing. Where we just let go and made songs like Wu, but not really. Put our own twist to it. I'm pretty sure when you hear it.. You'll enjoy as I and Cno do.
Cno Evil: Right, this actually started sort of a joke. I had told Mouse how funny it would be to redo the Wu-Tang Forever album cover but put it with cartoon rodents and our faces.. so he did it, and we put it up online, and next thing you know people were asking when it was coming out! I mean, we have always toyed around on doing a mixtape over industry hip hop beats, as we have always done songs like that in the past, just messing around. So we decided for our first mixtape to do it based around Wu-Tang, as a tribute, as they have been our strongest motivation.

Wu-International: The cover art samples that of Wu-Tang Forever, is this like a conceptual mixtape sampling the beats from the Wu album?
Li-Mouse: Yea, that cover art was me sitting at my computer bored and making a joke or a parody of the "The Rodentz Forever". Cno and I thought after it was pretty funny and we might as well try to really do a mixtape to warm us up for the real next album.
Cno Evil: Yeah, it's basically us over Wu-Tang beats that we loved.. we tried to not go the common route and instead use beats that the average person wouldn't, at the same time we put our own twist to the songs, and even mixed in kung-fu samples to make it sound like a Wu-Tang CD. Instead of just rapping over the songs, we have in a way "remade" some of the songs in our way. We have strayed from this in the past, to not sound like biters and instead make our own sound, but we felt we are in way established now and hopefully people will pick up that's it's just a tribute.

Wu-International: Forgot to ask why the group’s called The Rodentz?
Cno Evil: Not sure exactly WHO made that name, but Mouse has always been called Mouse, cause of his size and quietness in early years. I have always been named Cno Evil as my real last name is Siino, but it leaked out that some girls were calling me 'chipmunk' cause of my looks.. so next thing you know since we were also much smaller than everybody else, they started calling us rodents.. we modified it to The Rodentz and the name has stuck on for over 10 years. Mouse later added the Li to his name, to play off his last name Mosley, and also Asian superstars Bruce Lee & Jet Li.. there you have Li-Mouse. We have dozens of aliases.. I go by The Chipmonk and Johnny Greenize which is a totally different side of me, we also use the names Tamias Striatus and Mus Musculus.. we'll let you google those to find out what they mean.

Wu-International: Cno, you have done a couple of major productions such as the Brooklyn Zu album, how did that come about and how do you feel getting your beats on groups you admire?
Cno Evil: All because of Chambermusik, I have met and built with various artists because of that. Buddha Monk was just someone who enjoyed my beats alot, I had given him a lot of beats over the years starting from 2004, and they used alot of them for songs and "We Comin' For Ya" was just one that was picked for their debut album "Chamber #9, Verse 32". That was a beat that we had for years and even recorded over, for intending to be on Order Rodentia. It feels amazing to see your name on a CD and hear your beats. For some people it's nothing, but you have to understand ever since I was 7, I was looking through these CD's and dissecting the credits and what not, and now to see my name and hear my music on them is amazing.. I show it off to my brother.. he's like... we grew up to Buddha Monk's The Prophecy and 12 O'Clock, and now they are rapping over your beats! It's a feeling that hard to top.

Wu-International: So who else have you produced for within the Wu family tree that you like to share with us?
Cno Evil: I have a bunch of beats for Dungeon Masta's second album "Wishful Thinking", I have made beats for Babyface Fensta. There's alot of Brooklyn Zu songs we did that are still in the vault, I also did the Chambermusik Anthem, which you can see the video for on YouTube. Another interesting fact, one of the songs I did was Tribute (Dedication to ODB) by Brooklyn Zu (which you can see the video for on YouTube), the full version of the song, had an intro with an ODB sample over a separate beat that I had made, I don't know how but somehow that intro ended up on the Wu-Tang Clan album 8 Diagrams at the end of the song 'Weak Spot', so unofficially I have production on the Wu-Tang Clan album! Still to this day, I have no idea how that happened... it upsets me in a way, because I didn't get no credit, but at the end of day it's an honor to be featured on that album and not something alot could say. I just wish people would know! There's alot more artists that I will be working with, but I will let you know when those songs are out.

Wu-International: Li-Mouse, anyone that you would like to work with that has not yet materialized?
Li-Mouse: Most definitely... Stan Ipcus out of White Plains, definitely want to make some tracks with him. And other than that, I'm really willing to work with anyone, as long as there style somewhat closely can relate to mine. I mean I don't want to have a track where I'm spitting some real passionate shit, then all of a sudden dude comes out of nowhere saying shit like "Yo check out my fresh Strawberry Sherbet Maserati, with my fly hottie" or some shit.. Sorry ill have to smack you off that track if you start that.

Wu-International: It's obvious Cno is a big fan of The Wu, what about you Mouse?
Li-Mouse: That's how me and Cno connected. Wu was my first music that I actually can say I listened to. Like I would hear music and be like whatever, then this cat that lives upstairs from me played "Da Mystery of Chessboxing" and I was like oh shit, they got Kung Fu samples. It's a wrap. Ever since then, I can't stop listening to them.

Wu-International: So Cno, who would you say within the Clan and its extended Wu family tree are your biggest inspiration lyrically and beat wise?
Cno Evil: Lyrically and beat wise it's mainly RZA.. but over the years I have taken bits and pieces of each and tried to mold my own style. Sometimes you will hear pieces of Ghostface in me, and sometimes it's pieces of U-God.

Wu-International: You have been active online as far as Wu is concerned and have been responsible for many of the updates on various sites online, how do you manage to get time to do this as well as music, and more importantly, why do you do this?
Cno Evil: Well back in the day I did this all the time like it was my job! Now we grow up, it's very hard to, but I still try to when I get a chance. I did it because I loved it, I mean back then I was actually working for Wu artists in the 36 Chambers studio and would meet and greet each and every one of them, that's how I got my name out there and that's how I got my updates. I would go on forums and spread all the news and new songs to all the fans, because I know they loved it as much as I did. Now because of some of the artists giving me empty promises on some of the news, it looked bad on me. A lot of fans accused me of lying and what not, but at the end of the day it was just news given to me directly by them. I never benefited by 'lying', I didn't get paid a cent for anything I did, so why would I lie? It's not my fault what they said didn't happen! So I took a hiatus from all of that after being scorned, until I met Clef and Chambermusik was born, I knew then I had a more reliable working atmosphere and shit wasn't going to get twisted. I try to as much as possible contribute so the fans can hear about what they love. Chamber Dartz is something I have have been doing for over 10 years now though, when it was called wu-lyricz. It was founded by Tha Masta, and to this day we continue to keep that going, as it's something that's loved by Wu fans. Shout out to Tha Masta. www.Lyrics.Chambermusik.Com 

Wu-International: The Rodentz were recently at the Rock the Bells tour and backstage, what was that experience like for both of you?
Li-Mouse: Yo, I can't even begin to explain the feelings I had back there. I mean, I was standing next to U-God. He's my favorite rapper and it just was surreal how I was able to stand right next to him and see how things work backstage. All thanks to Fes Taylor, T-Bird and Mr. Chernak. I really appreciate there help.
Cno Evil: Amazing, I mean I have met various Wu-Tang members and Clan members and hip hop artists, but never at that capacity.. and plus to be on STAGE with the Wu-Tang Clan is one of the highlights of my life. Shout out to Inspectah Deck, Fes Taylor, T-Bird and Mr. Chernak for making it all happen. We recorded it all for Rodentertainment which you can search on YouTube to watch for yourselves.

Wu-International: Will both of you tell us 5 of your top Wu albums including Killa Beez?
Cno Evil: Very hard question! Cuban Linx, Wu-Tang Forever, Ironman, Bobby Digital in Stereo and Liquid Swords. If I had to pick a sixth, i'd pick The Pillage!
Li-Mouse: Yikes... Umm Liquid Swords, Golden Arms Redemption, Ironman, Wu Forever, Cuban Linx. And honestly, like Cno if i had to pick a sixth? Dopium

Wu-International: Which other acts are both of you keen on outside of Wu?
Cno Evil: To be honest, I don't even listen to hip hop nowadays anymore.. what I mean by that is, the current acts.. I stay just listening to hip hop from the 80's through the late 90's. Chambermusik is the only place I go to to find new artists. My favorite artist outside of Wu though is Slick Rick. But I listen to Boot Camp Clik, Canibus, Tribe Called Quest, Brand Nubian, etc etc.. I love hip hop. I just hate what it is right now. I'd rather listen to old soul music or Portishead though at times.
Li-Mouse: Common, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Jadakiss... Like Cno also, I don't listen to the shit today honestly. I just can't. It has no substance. So really I stay listening to old hip hop and ourselves. But I listen a little bit to what's out there to see if my game is trash or not. And right now, I can honestly say, Cno and I have hot shit.

Wu-International: Cno, you have been working under Chambermusik for a while now, what would you say you have learnt being under the guidance of G-Clef?
Cno Evil: Patience and obedience. Before I met Clef I was quick to open my mouth without thinking, he definitely taught me how to calm down and take my time when it comes to things. By listening to his music and production it has also taught me things, but overall just watching and learning from a man that's been in this business for years is amazing. Even though I don't express my thoughts much, just seeing the day-to-day basics of the website, the radio, the record label, the songs, the music, etc etc.. I learn every day.

Wu-International: Li-Mouse, what do you get up to outside of music?
Li-Mouse: I'm a Graphic Designer/Animator. So I do a lot of stuff creatively and graphically. I also like to Airbrush. I'm a very creative person, so if I'm not using my mind. I'm like a zombie.

Wu-International: Are you active online as well, if so what sites do you frequent?
Li-Mouse: Facebook, www.rodentcreations.com, www.manjidesigns.com

Wu-International: What is your creative process like Mouse?
Li-Mouse: Research > Research > Conceptualize > Research> Execute. I usually come up with good things if i follow my methods.

Wu-International: What are your thoughts of auto-tunes?
Li-Mouse: Only auto tuning I do is when my car breaks that's for real. Nah but seriously, like I said before music right now has no substance. I understand it's the cool new thing to do but come on guys... Honestly, shit doesn't even sound cool to me.

Wu-International: Cno, do you play any instruments and what do you use to make beats?
Cno Evil: No I don't play any instruments, I have experimented with keyboards every now and then, but have mostly been using software for my beats, every day though I try to learn new ways to do it, and have all intentions to move to bigger and better equipment.

Wu-International: Are you sample-driven or do you make beats from scratch?
Cno Evil: Both, most of hip hop is sample driven, from what I grew up on, so that's why I do it, but the samples we use are samples that NOBODY would know to be honest.. I mean, I have cassettes from my grandpa's old collection of Sicilian artists that nobody knows... this is music I grew up on before hip hop.. so it's in my blood, or maybe Mouse would get a sample from some obscure Anime or something.. we try to keep it fresh and not just sample an Al Green song like everybody does/did. When I do make beats from scratch I try to make it sound fresh, listen to Dungeon Masta's "Thangz Com Out", that was all from scratch and just my vocals doing everything, all my voice!

Wu-International: If you have to list 5 top producers who would they be?
Cno Evil: G-Clef, RZA, Marley Marl, DJ Premier, Pete Rock.
Li-Mouse: Leave that up to Cno

Wu-International: So what’s next for The Rodentz this year and subsequently?
Cno Evil: The Rodentz Forever mixtape is about 90 percent done, we are just waiting on some guest appearances, after that is done we will start work on the third Rodentz album, plus the solos. We have shows lined up in the local areas as well that we will be doing, just stay tuned to www.Facebook.Com/TheRodentz  and www.Twitter.Com/TheRodentz  for updates.

Wu-International: Thanks, anything that both of you would like to add on that has not already been covered?
Cno Evil: Check our our web show Rodentertainment at YouTube.Com/TheRodentz , every episode we basically show you a day in the life of us and some exclusive stuff like the Rocks the Bells show.
Li-Mouse: Look out for us. I can only promise you that we will do our best to continue the real hip hop vibe and feel for the ears that are becoming deaf to whats out there today. We will put everything we got into reviving or maintaining the Hip Hop culture.

Wu-International: Any last words, shouts outs?
Cno Evil: Shout out to Wu-International, G-Clef and the Chambermusik staff, and all the people that took the time to read this.
Li-Mouse: Shout out to ALL FANS, and to everyone who has ever supported me in these endeavors. SooJi Laahh You, Shout out to Cno Evil, for real! I don't even know if you suppose to shout out the person in your group but whatever. Ha! Oh and Black Bear White Plains.. What up!

Catch up with The Rodentz, drop him a note, line, at
www.Facebook.Com/TheRodentz  and www.Twitter.Com/TheRodentz

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