Hi guys, thanks for tuning this episode of Nikki Good Times. On this episode, we have an awesome guest. We have uh Bobby Simmons, Statasonic, who is an internationally well-known American hip-hop group. Uh Statasonic originated from Brooklyn, New York. Statusonic had three hits in the top 40 in the US Billboard charts. These songs included Sally, Talking All That Jazz, and Float On.
Statusonic was one of the first hip-hop acts and pioneers to perform with a full band and use live instrumentation in their recordings, paving the way for future hip-hop bands such as The Roots. The band combined beatboxing, sampling, technology, and live band performance, incorporating RB jazz dance or reggae and rock into its sound. Statasonic is also considered one of the first acts that pioneered the jazz rap genre. Uh, welcome and thanks for coming on my podcast, Bobby.
Thank you so much, man. Glad uh to be aboard. Wow, that's some that's good information right there.
Thank you. How's it been how's it all been going over there? How's how's life?
So far, everything's going pretty good. And, you know, I mean, with with the whole pandemic going on, we had to figure out a way to, you know, to keep moving. We had an album to finish. So, you know, thank all the technology, um, we was able to uh uh to uh put together uh uh this project, this album, you know, to get it out there. We didn't want to wait, so we had to keep ourselves busy.
So things are going pretty good over here, and we're we're opening up a bit, so we're we're moving uh slowly, but we're moving.
Amazing. Um and I guess from the pandemic perspective, how has how has that affected you? You've obviously had to adapt it to the technology as well, as just you alluded to. Has that affected you any any way personally or professionally?
Well, I mean, the only way it it affected uh any of us is that we we weren't able to well beside myself, well uh everybody, you know, we all live in different areas, like Daddy O's of Houston, uh Prince Paul is in Atlanta, um I'm in New York, Delight is in New York, Wise is in Virginia. So we're all over the place, so we had to figure out a way how we can get the album done. Um I'm the only one who actually was in a 24-hour track studio to during the pandemic, me and my engineer only.
And um, so it it it it almost affected us, uh, but again, we had to figure out a way how to navigate through it so that we can, you know, continue to do what we had to do safely, you know, of course.
Yeah, for sure. Um, tell me about how Stetter Sonic uh initially begun and the journey from overseas. I believe you guys all met in New York and you're from New York.
Well, yeah, um actually Stat Sonic originally was was just the two members, uh, which uh that was Daddy O and Delight. They're actually the the the two members that formed this band. Um uh but we all grew up together in Brooklyn in the East New York uh Browns or section here in in New York and Brooklyn. And um, but Delight and Daddy O, there were other members in the group um that wound up not sticking with, you know, the format.
So what Daddy O did was he started looking for pieces that was gonna uh create this concept of an idea of because we all were fans and still are fans of like Earth Wind and Fire and Ohio players and you know some of the great bands of the 70s, and we wanted to create something like that in hip hop. So what Daddy O did was he handpicked everybody in the group. You know, a guy like Fu Kwan was handpicked because he grew up with us in a neighborhood in East New York.
Um, Prince Paul, we saw Prince Paul DJing at a block party in Long Island, and he was doing so good that uh delighting Daddy O was like, who's that kid? And you know, and at one moment Prince Paul was scared because we looked like a gang of you know coming after somebody. And we was like, no, man, we we like what you're doing. You know, we got this group, but we want we want to know if you want to be a part of this group.
So after seeing Paul, Paul was handpicked and also Wise was handpicked, you know, for doing beatbox and mixing machine. Uh DBC actually was picked first. DBC was up in um Upstate keyboard player. And um and I asked I actually was the last one to be recruited as you know the drummer to come in.
So we all grew up together, but uh the group came together just being really handpicked by Daddy O and Delight and and knowing what we would they we all had an idea what we was gonna put together of being the hip-hop band. Let me let me make this clear. He pinned that name, hip-hop band. That name didn't exist in the 80s at all until Delight pinned it. So I just want to make that clear to everybody else that's been saying they're a hip-hop band that had no idea what that was until we pinned it.
Wow, that's incredible. That is absolutely incredible. Um, I guess what gives the what has given the longevity to Stetasonic? Because you guys have been around for obviously such a uh a long time. Um it's incredible the longevity you've had.
Well, uh the the longevity was was us being friends and then being enemies. It was a bit, I mean, you have to realize uh a group goes through everything, and and and I I will speak on behalf of Stasis Sonic ourselves. We had some great times, but then we also took a break in '93. No, 91. We took a break in 91, and we all departed and went our own ways, and we were all working on separate projects. So we, you know, and that was because of differences in the band.
Everybody was, you know, Prince Paul was producing De La Soul, and Daddy O was producing, you know, Biggie Smalls and his group Junior Mafia. And I was I was doing movie scoring like Rocky Five and Tales from the Hood. So we were all doing separate projects. You know, I guess you could call it at that time we was all feeling each other because we were we were we were our own producers in our own right.
So I guess the longevity is what uh kept us together is the friendship of and the love of what we created as a hip hop band. And one thing I can say Prince Paul had always said Prince Paul said the best time he ever had with Cecil Sonic is when we on stage performing live. So we know that we all feel the same way. Some strange reason, well I won't say strange reason, but when we get on that stage and we we hit and we do like that hour or two hour show, we know nothing else.
And we just have a great time. So I think that's what keeps us together is the fact that we truly really enjoy like doing what we do as a group. Now, personally, ha ha ha ha ha ha, we'll we will class, but the one thing we do love is the music that we do.
That's fabulous. Um, I guess what is the motivation behind the music? So the process, all the songs that you've done in the past albums, what was yeah, what was the motivation behind them? What was the inspiration that made these songs, and what was the process, I guess, as well?
Well, I know the the uh let's let's go album from album. So we're talking about the first album on fire. The on fire album was basically an introduction to let people know who we were. Because in hip hop back then in the eighties, you basically had your MCs, your DJ, and then at the time, you know, you you saw slowly coming dancers dancing with the rappers. Well we can dance, but we're not dancers. Uh the one thing that we knew that we could do, everybody had a part in the group.
Me as a drummer, uh-huh, DBC as a keyboard player, and Prince Paul as a DJ. So we became the band. We had to actually use the elements of what we had to create the music. And then Wise as a beat box where we do a lot of great percussion sounds to uh to balance and what we were doing, the DJ, the keyboard player, and me as a as a drummer. Uh-huh. And then you had your MCs. So that first album basically is is the is the uh the approval stamp.
Even sonically, when you listen to it, we we rarely did any sampling on the album. What you hear on the album is uh ex is is the stripped-down version of a hip-hop band. Just a live drummer, a DJ scratching, and a keyboard player playing bass lines or synth sounds. And then Wise doing beatbox on top of that. So we inspiration was that we had to figure out what kind of act or band we wanted to be. We couldn't copy everybody else.
Because if we cop if we copied Run DM C, everybody would have said, oh, y'all, y'all copying Run DMC, or we would have copied the Fat Boys. So we didn't want to be a group that was copying anybody else. We had to create our own vision. Look at the light right there in the building. Edwise. What's up, brothers?
Hi guys. What up? Can you see me? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, I am. Let's give you a go.
So so let me let me introduce them to you. Right here on the bottom of that. On my my left right hand side, on uh under you, uh, Egan, is is the one and only MC Delight. And right under me on the right hand side is the human mixed machine for cutching this MC.
Peace. Peace. That's the meeting.
And this is Stetasonic.
Sir.
Yes, sir.
So he was just telling me about the journey and um talking to the first album. Um, I guess, yeah, do you guys have any insights into it as well that you'd like to share?
Well, let me let me interrupt the guys. He was basically asking what inspired Stessasonic's uh musical uh ability. And I was explaining to him that the first album on fire was our way of uh getting a stamp of approval of letting people know who we were and who we we were becoming as a band. And that on fire album literally sonically explains who we were because that's a stripped-down album completely. Like we rarely did sampling in that album.
Very raw, yeah.
That that album was very raw. And and and and plus, um to give a um um uh to add on to what Bobby had said, it was also to sort of like um uh chronicolize the vision for hip-hop in general. Songs like Forever My Beat, My Rhyme, it were more than just ragged your rhymes, they were rhymes that uh um idealized um what hip hop meant and will mean to future people that will get involved, um, and the present people that were involved at that at that particular time.
If you were to listen to the rhymes carefully, you see us lay out the format of why of the love of hip-hop that we had then and that we still have now. The love of hip hop that exists with other artists as far as how they feel about my rhyme and how they feel about their beats, that's what um the on fire album is all about, also.
Incredible, incredible. Um, and then I guess let's jump to the second album. Uh, talk about that.
In full gear.
You know how you know you got the the the the the um the the stick in the car, you know, and you you you you rev up the car, you know what I'm saying, when you put it in certain gears and stuff like that. Um, well that's what we was done with that, uh, in regards to again the topics, the subjects, the subject matters, is to put certain things into perspective on not only how we feel, but how b-boys were um and and hip hoppers were feeling in general, you know what I'm saying?
It was a uh education type of album, you know, uh educatement, as my man from BDP, K.R. Swan would say, you know, so uh that's what it was all about, um talking all that jazz, Sally Wall, um um we can go on and on uh with the with the titles and cuts on that album. So um it it it was well planned of putting things into perspective of of our feelings about hip hop in general.
And and and that was a growing point for all of us too, um, you know, uh musically. Yeah, yeah, musically, particularly coming off that first album. And we were all, all of us in the in the band, in the group, um, we had love for every MC or artist that was putting out records back then, whether it was just Ice, uh Big Daddy Kane, Biz Markey, Dougie Fresh, you know, the Fat Boys Run DMC, Public Enemy. We we had love for all those cats.
We were listening to what they were doing, and we wanted to make sure that we didn't get in their path. Because back then, if you tried to sound or copy somebody else's style, you was really going to get called out and your career really could be over. So we had to make sure we we carved out a lane that nobody can copy from us, and we succeeded.
Yeah, 100%. You've you yeah, it basically created initially a whole genre. So, yeah, like your type of music's just amazing and incredible that um that you've released. And then I guess falling into the third album, um, what about that? Talk to about that. What do you think, wise?
Blood sweat and no tears. Blood sweat and no tears, um, you know, it's a good album and stuff, you know. We we definitely grew uh, you know, again musically and stuff. Um on that album, I was I was doing a lot more rapping on it and stuff, you know. Little by little I was growing, you know what I'm saying? Um and and and to me, you know, the the album, I mean, it it didn't get the the the play that it should have gotten stuff like that, but um, you know, I felt it was a very good album.
So, so so you so you want me, I'm sorry, Delay. So you want you want me, listen, listen, I told him, I told him I was gonna tell the truth, like, you know, you want this thesosonic story, I'm gonna give you the Stessosonic story.
So, the Blood Sweat and No Tears album, all of us, every member of us, the light, you know, he had his production, Platinum Vibe Productions, and Wise was preparing for a solo album, and Daddy O was already doing his solo album and doing stuff, and Prince Paul was already producing everywhere. And by the time we got to do that Blood Sweat and No Tears album, we were all over the place.
And however, however we put that album together, I even told Daddy O this and told a couple of guys, I said, I don't even remember what the album sounded like. I would have to play it again to realize we did a good job. But during then, we didn't think because it was like we were all over the place. And at that time, at that time, we was on a uh the brink of the band was disbanding at that time.
Yeah, we we were just to add to it, Bobby, you know, there's a lot of things um uh um at that particular time that was on my mind that made me even come up with the title Blood Sweat. Usually you have blood, sweat, and uh blood, sweat, and tears after the after that bad, after that group.
But when I took that that particular title and I said no tears, um um it was a sounding of the horn that, you know, um, yeah, we have our love for the game, you know, and w we're not we're not gonna cry about it, you know what I'm saying? Although we had a lot to whine about at that particular time um because of you know, pretty much the relationship with the label had sort of like deteriorated at that particular time between us and Tommy Boy.
And that is what I was feeling at that at that day in time, that the relationship had deteriorated. But we, you know, we we're not we're not gonna cry about that, you know what I'm saying? We're not gonna, we just wanna do this album, we wanna put our our our our blood and our sweat, and we're gonna do this and then we're gonna call it a day.
And we ain't gonna cry about it.
We ain't gonna cry about it. We we we gonna call it a day.
So now you wanna you you you you wanna hear the secret to to about that album? Let's let's fall with what what are we talking about the light wise? We're talking about uh, what was that, 91? So we're talking about almost 30, no, twenty twenty-something years, twenty-nine, twenty-eight years since that album was released? Man, we find more people liking that album than the others. And we're like, are you out your mind?
You are you You mean to tell me you you listen to Blood Sweating No Tears more than you listen to an info gear? But me and Daddy Oh, we sat down the other day and we found all these, particularly young kids, finding a liking to that album. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying they're not supposed to like it. Well, a person like me, who produced the album with the guys, is a bit surprised.
Because I would I I would think our greatest work was, you know, the first and second album, but we're proud that people found their way around too. Yeah.
And the thing and the thing about it at that time, um, whether you know your guys that knew it or not, I I I was done recording the time.
Oh, no, no, we knew. That's what I was explaining, Igan. I was like, yo, you want the you want the stamp story?
Yeah. I was done.
If you want the sonic story, we'll tell you.
Um within the first single uh of of this oncoming album called Here We Go Again, um we c we we made sure that people understanding that, you know, um uh we the best thing that you ever lost at the scene. You know what I'm saying? But we would have definitely been recording all the way through the time because we knew what who we were and what we basically had to to um to offer, but we couldn't do it under those circumstances, the the way in which things were going at that particular time.
So yeah, Tom Tommy Boy, they they they didn't know how to market us. You know what I'm saying? I mean, we you know, we we're the original hip-hop band, that's what we you know, that's what we call ourselves and stuff like that. So Tommy Boy did not know how to market that. You know, I mean, he they could have marked, you know, marketed us um the same way they market soul and and everybody else, you know what I'm saying? Because we're still hip-hop. You know, that doesn't change.
You know, the only thing we just go out with a lot of band. And and we also, you know, do our music in the studio, you know, with instruments and stuff. So, but um, you know, it is what it is.
Yeah, thanks. That's that's um incredible story, obviously, and thank you for sharing. How did you guys get, I guess, re-engaged and re-umbin? So how did that how did that transpire, that side of things?
Uh I'm sorry, say that again, I didn't hear you, I'm sorry.
How did how did you guys re-form again? So how did you I guess how did it yeah, how did you get back to creating the music again and um getting back in the game for it, I guess.
Well well I mean we I I'm go ahead, wise, go ahead. I I I would say, you know, Bobby has a lot to do with it. You know what I'm saying? Because um he started help, you know, he started hooking up the shows for us and stuff like that, and you know, little by little, um, you know, we started talking about doing the album and stuff. Bobby, you could take it from here, man.
I mean, we we we've been even we've been coming in and out doing shows even during the mid-90s. People would call us and say, hey, how can I get stepped back together? We would do pop-up shows, you know, in New York or certain places. So we were always gigging. I I think uh our problem was that we were just having an issue with the record company, and we just had to wait that contract out uh before we decided that we were going to put out another record.
We wound up trying uh we wound up looking at doing a deal in back in '95 uh for an album, which never happened, but which people can find it though on vinyl. Those are like the lowest track, y'all can get them. What is it called? People in your neighborhood, y'all can find it. Yeah. Um, those were the tracks that we recorded during the 90s. Well, we we we we didn't have to really reinform ourselves. We were always getting together to do stuff, particularly when it came to shows.
I think we we kind of got serious when we said, okay, we tried it the first time. Let's take a jump at this again, and and and we can do a new music and a new album. We were never worried about the new artist that was releasing music. We're never scared of them. We we ain't scared of none of them artists that's out there. We know who we are and what we're capable of. Love and when we're not followers. So we don't have to use auto tunes and try to do features on our records so we get the clout.
We sets aside. Y'all should know who we are. You don't know who we are, you're gonna learn. You know, so we we we never had a problem with that. So doing new music was never a problem, and most of all of us we were producing songs anyway with other artists so we will always work better.
Amazing. Well, um, I guess individually and collectively, what's the best advice um that you've learned in your careers?
Um, the best advice um one one thing is um the can to continue to um um learn the business and the business of music. That's a lesson we learned a long time ago. Um uh but continue because the the the music has gone through a a big uh a big change because at the advent when we began um music at that time or hip hop was being being perceived early on as a that it may be a fad and that it would not continue, which was the reasons why we did albums such as On Fire and Info Gear.
Um and and at that particular time, um we were uh visionaries of what we knew this music was going to evolve into. And so um nowadays nowadays we're we're just looking at just re uh establishing against a sonic style of sound, and um and we'll be putting out a lot of different types of uh uh sounds and and directional uh music in hope to inspire not only uh the uh younger people and the older people, but also some of our peers and stuff like that.
Yeah, and and and and you know, the advice that I can give the people is the one thing I've always learned years ago when someone said to me, I said it to them and I'm gonna keep saying it, is that make sure you know this is what you want to do. Because because the business really it it when when they say the belly of the beast, it really is. And you gotta have the stomach for it, you gotta have, you know, thick skin for it. And and right, and and and d and and truly be true to what you do.
The one thing that I can only speak on about only for Stessasonic is we was true to what we wanted to do. We never, never said, well, let's just settle in order for us to pop off, let's do this. We was like, no, let's go back to what started this, what made us happy, and if it sounds good to us, it's gotta sound good to somebody else. And that's what we're more concerned about. I mean, that's why, ain't that why Bruno Mars is hot right now? You know what I'm saying?
Because it's like he does, you know, he he definitely take a page out of the book of you know, of the throwback. But if it sounds good to him and his people, it's gonna sound good to everybody else. So I I my advice for everybody to stick to it and understand um why you why you're in this business and your reasons why you're so amazing.
Um I guess what does the future look like for said something else?
I can tell you what the future looked like for Stethistonic. We got a new we got a new joint out right now. New single is called Now Y'all Giving Up Love, and we are very, very excited about this new single. Um it's definitely Stethersonic, it's definitely Stet Style and Stet Sound. Which just you know, for you to know, that's how the name Stethosonic came about. Style and sound. So um it's it's a it's a great song.
It was a song that we we used to perform as a freestyle when we went over to the Netherlands when we was in Helmut. And we loved the track, you know, performing to the track so much that we said when we get back home. And the reaction to the track. Right, exactly. And the reaction to the track when we because no one's never heard it. When we when we first performed that track, we performed it in Helmet.
We was in the Netherlands, and um, we were doing the festival, and the people was like, yo, that's a hot track, but the guys were freestyling to it. So when we got back home, guys, you know, I got on the phone, I said, guys, write something to it. And cats got together, and they put something together to it, and it's a great song, and we want everybody to please show love and support. It was on all your digital platforms, Spotify, Title, Apple. Go wherever you guys, and we got vinyl too.
We got special vinyl for people if they want to purchase, like a Red 45 vinyl and stuff like that. So the future looks good for Stethersonic. We have an album that we prepare for, and another single uh that's produced by the Delight called Here We Go Again, which is going to be pretty, pretty big. So the future looks good for Stasonic. We we on it, and we might be I'll keep it a secret for now, but we might be nominated for something, but we just have to wait to see.
And the thing the thing is, is that we are going to do some things that that um would be uh historical uh and revolutionary as far as uh because there's never been a a bunch of guys, um, they probably call us old heads now, you know what I'm saying, that's uh paving the way um um for the younger generation or the or our peers that's coming behind us, you know what I'm saying, whereas you you have this new onslaught of of new music and new ideas to bring a refreshing of to the total game because
um a lot of us, you know, I love the young guys and stuff like that, but a a lot of uh a lot of it is is just the same talk. You know, I talked I had a young guy uh with me the other day and um he asked me you know to put on his Bluetooth uh his uh he wanted to turn on on his Bluetooth so that he could play some music. And every track he was playing was as he would call it, because they were gang related. And and that is not what the music was meant to be. You know what I'm saying?
And that's my my beef with uh um um the media in general. Y'all y'all can do better than that, there's more money than just in that, you know what I'm saying? And why would you try to pigeonhole us in that kind of way, you know what I'm saying? Um the music was meant to be entertaining, the music was meant to uh pass good messages uh to all races, creeds, and whatever the case may be, that's what the music was all about. You know what I'm saying?
So uh it it it's about a a re uh a renaissance uh uh so to speak of the uh of the styles, of the what what was the ideal and approach to hip-hop um back then and what it should be right now. We're just here that now we're not here to remove nobody, but we're just here to add to there there's more there's more um homes on the block that should exist even in today's hip-hop.
Uh a lot of today's hip-hop um sounds like uh like a really long 12-inch, you know what I'm saying, or 24-inch, whatever you want to call it, is just an extension of itself and it just keeps going and keeps going and keeps going. What does that sound like when it's a dis sound like a disco record? You know what I'm saying?
Like an extension, you know? No, they have a what they have a lot of uh they have a lot of uh titles that they call they call it uh mumble rap and and stuff like that.
And the thing about it is that I had I had cats bring me um, you know, wanting me to listen to their music and stuff like that, and you know, and the rhyme is basically, you know, the same as the next guy and the next guy. They just switching switching the lyrics up a little bit and stuff. You know what they when they bring it to your wise, what'd you tell them? Hey, this is a long disco record. How would you tell them? Yeah, it's you know what I'm saying?
You know, it needs it needs change because everybody seems to be rapping about the same thing. They're just switching the words around. Could you cut this record short?
Um, yeah, thank you guys um for sharing everything. I think it's incredible your journey, everything you've done, your pioneers, your legends. Um and yeah, thank you for coming on my podcast, and I do appreciate it.
Well, thank you so much. And once again, we want to let your audience and everybody know, please show us some love. The song is called Now Y'all Giving Up Love from Stessasonic, all your digital platforms, please support. And uh we hope to you know join you again, man, and and extending some more stories because we got stent stories for you. Yeah, I can't wait.
I can't wait. Quickly, what's one of the funniest stories you can share from your history? That you can remember quickly, briefly, what's what's one of the what what's one that stands out?
Oh man, y'all. There's a there's a f what uh well, I don't know about Go, Wise, go a wise, go ahead, Wise.
There's a there's like a whole bunch of them. Remember Bobby the Drake, man.
But well, I mean, well, I guess he well look, I w uh let me let me share two quick ones for you. It'll be very quick. Sure. The one funny one that I can remember is when we all was in Germany. Follow me, wise and delight. When we were in Germany, this was the tour we did with EPMD. It was the EPMD and Stetson Sonic InfoGear tour. It's 1988 of October. We out in Germany, and back then they told us that those German audience for their appreciation, they spit. Am I lying?
Yeah.
They spit at you.
No, you're not lying, but go ahead. Right, right, right.
They spit at you. And we was like, yo, that ain't how we do it. But all we remember was when EPMD was on and they spit at EPMD and a big fight project, everybody was just in the audience's fight. But the guy that promoter was trying to tell us this is how they show the appreciation. But we we've never been to Germany where we where we perform, they say ho or they shout. No one spits on us. You know what I'm saying? And that's one moment I know that we experienced that.
We was like, we ain't with this, so when we come out here, they're gonna have to do something different. The other funny experience is how we met Prince. Uh oh, yeah, yeah. When Prince came. Right, well, he was called Prince, he didn't lay on. And he came, we we we was performing in Minneapolis. And we performed at the first Avenue Club, and the promoter told us that Prince was coming to see us. And he was like, get the f guy. Ain't no Prince coming to see us.
What are you coming to see Public Enemy and Steph for? We did two shows that night. He came to the second show.
Yeah, yeah.
He came to the second show, stood in the corner with his long, blown-out hair with these black leather gloves on and long black trench coat, and he just standing there looking at us, and the guy introduced us to him, and all he did was shook our hand and said, And that's it. But it was a cool moment. Yeah, yeah, it was. But for Daddy Yo, well, that's another story. But anyway, so yeah, yeah, yeah. But anyway, those are like some cool moments.
And when we some stories, but we got lots, lots of them, but you we you gotta sit and do a chat with us on old.
We got you guys back on. We'll definitely do it. We'll go through the all the stories because I can't wait. Definitely, man. Thank you having us, man. Thank you. Have a great day, guys. Hi, man. Okay, thanks a lot, man.