HipHopUG.com interviews hip hop group, The Lost Children Of Babylon (LCOB) in regards to their recent release - Zeitgeist: The Spirit Of The Age
The Lost Children of Babylon (LCOB) are a Philadelphia based underground hip-hop group founded by Rasul Allahu in the mid-90s. The group is known for their conscious and spiritual style with lyrics influenced by Nuwaubian philosophy, Islam and Nations of the Gods and Earths. They are affiliated with: Jedi Mind Tricks, Killah Priest, The Black Market Militia, The Maccabeez, The Wu-tang Killa Beez and the Sunz of man. LCOB is considered to be one of the pioneers of spiritual hip hop.
LCOB full bio on HHUG
press release
LCOB full bio on HHUG
press release
HHUG: Thank you for taking the time for this interview. Can you briefly tell us the musical approach of The Lost Children Of Babylon [LCOB]?
LCOB: The musical approach of LCOB is one part teacher in the temple, one part intelligent emcee and one part cinematic drama.
HHUG: October 19, 2010 marked the release of Zeitgeist: The Spirit Of The Age. What concepts and themes do you hope fans will acquire after listening to the album?
LCOB: We're looking to charge the batteries of those equipped with the proper artillery. We hope to inspire people to battle the big lies with common sense and break the invisible bonds - to take responsibility for our collective destiny as americans and citizens of the earth.
HHUG: Why do you think it was important to incorporate similar ideologies to those presented in the Zeitgeist films by Peter Joseph in the album?
LCOB: Despite the inevitable criticisms, the Zeitgeist films address many undeniable truths which have taken a brutal toll on modern humanity. We admired the way in which these films were compiled and sought to create a musical counterpart. Truth be told, we would've made much the same album regardless of the title - as it is a synopsis of our views independent of the film.
HHUG: Do fans need to watch the Zeitgeist films as a prerequisite to fully understand the new album?
LCOB: No, the project is not intended to be a class - although it is a form of edutainment. It stands alone as a bangin hip hop album. We don't expect people to read all the books and experience the same revelations we did in creating our first three albums - but hopefully the music will help them to reach similar realizations.
HHUG: Does LCOB fully support the venus project? Why or why not?
LCOB: Yes, we support the vision of Jaques Fresco. Many will argue with the practicality of the movement, but the corruption of the current statius quo is so deeply ingrained that a complete overhaul is our only hope for redemption. I suspect those who argue most fervently against the core concept of the venus project are motivated by greed, since that is the driving force behind the dominant systems of the world today. We are about to enter a new astrological age and we should reorganize ourselves accordingly.
HHUG:. What is LCOB's relationship with Peter Joseph and/or with the Zeitgeist movement?
LCOB: As i said earlier, we admired the work of Peter Joseph - so we established contact to make him aware of our intentions in creating the album. He supports our efforts and the inclusion of the Zeitgeist Addendum as a companion DVD in the physical release of Zeitgeist: The Spirit Of The Age - which is significant, as the Zeitgeist films have never been officially manufactured. We're also currently arranging further collaborations and possible performances at Z-Day.
HHUG: Zeitgeist: The Spirit Of The Age features an array of different producers. Can you elaborate on its production and producers?
LCOB: There's a lot of new cats poppin' up in the game and we're always scouting for fresh contributors. We wanted to showcase some different styles on this one, so we recruited some new troops. We got bangers from well known names like DJ Woool and Snowgoons, as well as gems from Tragic Allies, Blastah Beats, Arch Druids, and our own Mad Scientifik and White Lotus. Many have said that the album as a whole represents our best quality production to date.
HHUG: Previous LCOB albums were released by Seventh Cathedral Recordings and re-issued by Babygrande Records. The new album is being released independently by LCOB Productions. How did LCOB Productions emerge and why the decision was made to derail from Seventh Cathedral Recordings and Babygrande Records?
LCOB: We parted with the label on good terms and Seventh Cathedral was just an entity set up to work in symbiosis with Babygrande. The distribution landscape has become a fairly level playing field in regards to "major" versus "indie". Now artists can be truly independent and grapple the gleaming tower of digital distribution themselves. Simply put, we launched LCOB Productions to maximize the amount of revenue that we can recycle back into our own projects.
HHUG: Besides from the Zeitgeist films, what other movies do you recommend?
LCOB: There are countless movies that deserve attention, but in terms of documentaries similar to Zeitgeist, Esoteric Agenda is a good one. I always go back to baraka as well, it conveys a powerful message visually without the use of verbal language.
HHUG: 2012: Enter The Akashic Records is the upcoming album scheduled for December 21, 2012. Can you talk a bit about that album?
LCOB: Similar to the mysterious yet inevitable fate of that date, your will have to wait to behold the actual experience first hand. The more you talk about something before it happens, the more you expend its potential power - likewise, the more you mention something or someone who already exists, the more power you give it.
HHUG: What is LCOB critical perspective on the 2012 phenomenon?
LCOB: No man can say for sure. Terrence McKenna dedicated the latter part of his life to the development of the timewave zero theory (which superimposes the mayan calendar and the hexagrams of the Chinese I Ching, or book of changes, in an attempt to prophesy the outcome of december 21, 2012) and even he said "nothing may happen". However, he also said that "anything that has not yet happened may happen". This is a powerful statement when beheld in the era we live in, when all novelty is exponentially expiring.
HHUG: What other future plans and projects can fans anticipate from LCOB?
LCOB: Towards the end of 2010, you'll see the Tower Of Babel mixtape featuring a lot of exclusive tracks, as well as a couple albums from Atma. In 2011 we'll be releasing several projects from Foundation Cats, my solo joint and a multitude of side projects.
HHUG: Any closing comments/statements?
LCOB: "All i know is that first, you've got to mad. You've got to say, 'i'm a human being, goddamnit! I'm as mad as hell and i'm not going to take this anymore!'" ~ Network 1976
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