Bush Babees: The Wait Is Over

First things first, please introduce for me the members of Da Bush Babees…

Mr. Man a.k.a. Mr. Khaliyl, Kaos a.k.a. Lee Major and Y-Tee a.k.a. Light.

Now where exactly have y’all been? And what all had / have y’all been up to during your hiatus from music?

Loaded question…we always still write music, but we have also each had other interests as well. Families, persona and business development became more and more important over the years.

That said, how have not only you all – but also the industry in general – either changed and / or evolved since you all debuted onto the scene?

Well, one of the biggest changes is connectivity. Technology has changed how we do everything; especially music. It is really great that fans and artists can connect more directly.

Reflecting, tell me your whole inception into music — When did you all first become interested in it? And, how did it all begin for Da Bush Babees?

Well being from Caribbean families, music was always a big part of life…and being in Brooklyn, New York, in general, Hip Hop was everywhere. In addition to those influences, Mr. Man’s father is a famous musician by the name of Exuma, and at the time we all met he was working as an intern at Tommy Boy Records. The group and name were his idea.

Now y’all are natives of Flatbush, Brooklyn, correct? So growing up in “The Borough of Trees,’ who all did / do you all consider to be your strongest musical influences?

Definitely the Reggae Sound System Culture and N.Y. Hip Hop. Specifically KRS-One, Super Cat, Big Daddy Kane, Ninja Man, Shabba, Fu-Schnickens, Special Ed and so many more.

In having said that, how do you all classify your overall sound and / or style?

We usually let others define it in terms of genre or title. Our sound is a mix of ’80’s and ’90’s Hip Hop and Dancehall. As with most artists, we are a blend of our influences.

Where’s does y’all’s monicker originally derive from?

Flatbush, Brooklyn. Hence Bush Babees.

What particular string of events initially led to y’all inking with Reprise Records?

A bunch of live performances. We would perform any and everywhere we could…including label offices, because we did not have a demo at the time.

Switching gears here…

What do you all want people to get from your music?

We want people to get the feeling we got when we fell in love with music; excitement. The beats to hit them in the chest, and the lyrics to make them think.

On a more serious note, are you all happy with the current state of Hip Hop?

It is evolving, and although we may miss some of the early magic that happens when something new is growing I think we have to give love to the youths coming up. They are a direct reflection of those before them. But to answer directly, no, we are not and were never happy with the state of Hip Hop. For the same reason, fans suffer. The true lovers of the art often don’t have the money or leverage to call the shots.

Do you all have any other outside / additional aspirations, maybe even completely away from music?

One thing we have been focused on is health. With all the peers we continue to lose, we have been taking time for mental and physical health. Working out, eating right and reading to expand.

It’s also been brought to my attention that Light [f.k.a. Y-Tee] is gearing up for a solo release — What all can you reveal and / or divulge about upcoming said project?

Yes, the first song is called “Dangerous.” It will be listed under Light A. Fiyah, and will be out on all platforms February 24th. We are all excited, because he has a song a month he will be dropping each month, each with visuals.

To date, what has been y’all’s greatest career achievement(s), at least thus far anyway?

This is tough…one would think working with some of the big names we have or the MTV nomination, but I think it may be this show we did in Prospect Park when we first dropped “We Run Things.” We were not scheduled to perform, but the song just dropped and it was hot. DJ Enuff saw us on the side of the stage and held up the vinyl like,”Y’all want’ to make it happen?” We did not hesitate, and the crowd reaction was insane.

One track of y’all’s that you all think defines you all and why?

Again, “We Run Things.” It was a breakthrough record for us. We were having label issues early, and this record was pulled together with our A&R, Ian Alexander, and Ali Shaheed from A Tribe Called Quest when we needed a single to cut through.

Finally, what’s next for Da Bush Babees?

As we discussed, Light is dropping new material and Mr. Man produced most of the tracks, and Lee Major has been writing and arranging. We have discussed doing something together. Nothing set in stone yet, but there are some songs already recorded.

Is there anything I left out, or just plain forgot to mention?

No. If we did, let’s do it again…

Any “closing” thought(s) for our readers?

Thank you for reading, and keep supporting us and other quality artists. Oh, and we promise not to make you wait so long again.