Dead Prez has been crafting revolutionary but gangsta hip-hop since the late 1990s. Having previously released two major label albums, two volumes of their independent Turn off the Radio series and two solo albums, Dead Prez’s way of life brand has become an international symbol of substance in hip hop that connects hardcore hip hop heads with the growing movement for liberation, social justice and grassroots empowerment.

u.net interviewed Sticman and M-1, the revolutionary duo who comprise Dead Prez, who have recently combined forces with The Evil Genius DJ Green Lantern for their new mixtape, Pulse of The People which is the third installment of their critically acclaimed independent series Turn off the Radio Vol. 3.

u.net: What was the concept behind the new mixtape, Pulse of People?

Stic: We are expressing what’s going on in the hearts and minds of the people, tapping into the “pulse” reporting live from the heart of things.
M1: P.O.P. is a summation of the general feelings and morale of our worldwide community. It’s a continuation of the TURN OFF THE RADIO brand which functions as a way for Dead Prez to address the broad masses who may be confronting whatever the system may have put in their faces at any particular time. It’s a snapshot of the people right now.

u.net: How the collaboration with DJ Green Lantern came about?

Stic: We worked with him on his mixtapes b4-including the Nas Nigga Mixtape etc, we were all on Rock the Bells Tour 2008 2gether and we said now is the right time and jumped in lab for 4days and knocked it out.
M1: DP’Z linked back up with Green Lantern as we were touring together last year. He was DJing for Nas and during our backstage breaks we would vibe on music and such. As a Sought after producer in today’s Hip Hop world, he has his ear to the streets as well as a highly regarded relationship with mainstream bourgoesie capitalist radio. We thought it would be great to explore a new sound as well as get a few hot verses off our chest.

u.net: Having the chance to travel and to get feedback from the audience, what do you think the pulse of the people is in 2009?

Stic: Striving to thrive inspite of a recession, going green, entrepreneurship, community investments,international awareness, healthy living…and being fed up with the amerikkkan way
M1: People are looking for a common denominator out here today. As the new imperialist world leadership emerges, many of us are experiencing the same problems. We have recently been to Greece, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Russia, Germany and even in the Gaza Strip. And the world is receiving the album unanimously. Hip Hop is still an effective tool if used by the right warriors.

u.net: Listening to the songs on Pulse of The People seem your lyrics have a broader appeal then the ones in previous albums and mixtapes…

Stic: Appeal is relative 2 the listener..we just spit and whoever relates, relates…as we grow in consciousness our music lyrics and techniques will continue to reflect that
M1: When writing this project, I definitively thought with a broader penstroke and I enjoyed being able to do more grittier work over such banging tracks. It was a much welcomed break from a very concept-driven, Information Age album we have been working on for over a year. We wanted to speak directly to the demographic we usually miss – the young, working class African community.

u.net: “Althought Obama is the president, we’re still enslaved”, what will, if anything is going to, change with Obama as president of the US?

Stic: Obama represents the same system of amerikkkan imperialism but he’s just more thought eloquent and courteous about it. We say be your own stimulus plan and get out and make revolutionary change where u see its needed including personal transformations, as well as social activism.
M1: The US Gov’t is up its same old tricks. We understand neo-colonialism and so does most of the world. It’s important to separate our criticism of imperialism from some personal attacks against the man. The songs speak for themselves however the politics of liberation is more than just music. The election of the African American president of the US has empowered the petty bourgeois angenda that would come to the rescue of the very same system that has been beating us down for the last decade.

u.net: “Not to disrespect their legacy but that’s the real OGs”, how relevant is the legacy of black freedom fighters in today’s Black America? “Real Soldiers don’t die, we multiply”, and what about the state of the Black Liberation Movement?

Stic: Our movement was attacked by the us gov’t and many of our freedom fighters were killed, exiled, became substance abusers or wrongly incarcerated. Their leadership still helps us stay connected to the struggle and create new ways to find solutions
M1: Today it’s difficult to find evidence of the world changing Black Revolution of not so long ago. The examples of courageous revolutionary leadership and progressive organizations is critical to the development of young soldiers and future leaders. Weakened by counterintelligence but not dead, our movement has nothing to lose but our chains. I expect the next phase to expose those posturing in positions of power and see real power transferred into the hands of our movement.

u.net: Who inspired your music, lyrics and vision? What is for y’all the role of revolutionary culture?

Stic: We were largely inspired by our active participation in the Uhuru Movement, and just coming up in the hood lpooking to make a difference in our families and people’s lives.
M1: Last Poets, Gill Scott Heron, Curtis Mayfield, Jimi Hendrix, Fela Kuti, Bob Marley, Malcolm X, Huey Newton, George Jackson, Public Enemy, Bad Brains, Omali Yeshitela, Kwame Nkrumah, Marcus Garvey Tupac, Fred Hampton Sr., The Battle of Algiers (Movie), Fred Hampton & Mark Clark (BPP). The role of Revolutionary Culture is to help raise the political maturity of the people.

u.net: Listening to your songs, lyrics and words there’s a question which come to my mind: What’s your definition of freedom?

Stic: Freedom has many aspects but ultimately it can be summed up as power.
M1: Freedom is achieved by the total transfer of power from the ruling class imperialism to the working class masses around the world. Therefore positioning us to carve out a new future for the world demanding that resources of the world be shared by all in fairness and not exploitation.

u.net: You’ve worked on DPz albums, on solo projects, on mags and books and you’re very active in political events and demos… you appear a very fluid but effective posse. Do you want to break it down on it?

M1: DP’z relationship is not defined by a stagnant moment in time. As a matter of fact, our relationship depends on our ability to grow. We have learned from the ebst of the OGz from the Movement to the Music Industry. The goal is Liberation, Self-Determination. It’s not a glamorous road but we’re attempting to popularize our movement through Revolutionary Culture. I’m inspired by the work my comrade Stic does. We feed off each other’s personal struggles and triumphs. We witnessed the capitalist business tactics of the unscrupulous entertainment industry, yet understand that an independent operation is one that exercise the most power.

u.net: When will your next album be out? What we can expect from DPz in the next future?

Stic: Information Age is on the way in divine time.
M1: Information Age is on the way as well as many upcoming projects from our musical family. Information Age is a project that will be very unique to DP’z catalog. We have been soaking up life and returning with new truths. The sound can only be described as “next”. It’s uptempo and informative. Look our for it near the end of 2009, as we have 2010 to commemorate a decade of RGB…