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Complex Got my Girl Looking AMAZING lol... YEEEEE
But a FYI , Complex has been doing some really ill covers the last couple issues.. you should check them out.
Who Doesnt Know ABOUT ... U-N-I
Photos & Interview by Emily Shen
October 2007
Why don’t you guys give me the 411 on what it is you’re all about. Your background, your childhood, whatever. Y-O, do you want to start?
Y-O: Yes, I will start. Hello everyone, this is Yonas Michael aka Y-O, one half of UNI. I made my way to Inglewood, California back in ’96 and that’s where I ran into my man Thurzday at St. Bernard High, class of ’99. I was a freshman, he was a sophomore and I remember it like yesterday… he walked up to me on the schoolyard and he just introduced himself like, ‘Yo, what’s up my name is Yannick; welcome to Saint Bernard’s.’ And I was like, ‘Oh, okay! Cool guy!’ *laughter* So we bumped heads later like, lunchtime. That’s where you know, people come out, whether you rap; you’re in the cypher battling, or on the basketball courts. So, we was kind of in both fields basketball and rapping and I believe that’s where we saw each other’s talents… on the schoolyard. Everyday. Battlin’. Battlin’. Cypher, cypher. He’s freestylin’, I’m freestylin’, you know. We were lookin’ at each other like, ‘Okay, dude’s nice.’ So then we decided to do a talent show – that was like, the second talent show I ever did in my life. Came out to the crowd and everybody was hyped. They was like, ‘Ahh, these guys is dope!’ Blah blah blah, the next day, it was the talk of the school. So, you know, it started in ’99, I would say. It’s been nine years. UNI. There’s a lot behind UNI that people gotta know about and that’s why were’ doing things like this with Premium Plus Mag. We appreciate it!
THURZDAY: I grew up down the street. *laughter* Queens Street. I’ve been living here since I was like, four or five, so yeah, I’m an Inglewood native, born and raised. I’ve been into music for a while. My parents were into reggae since they’re from Belize, so I’ve been hearing that. When I got introduced to rap and hip-hop music, it just caught my attention. My influences are Redman, Wu-Tang; my older brother put me on a lot of Wu-Tang. My uncle, when I was younger, introduced me to De La Soul. I got introduced to how to write rhymes after I learned about different poems and all that, like haikus. Haikus are not rhymings but other poems… I was introduced to their rhyme scheme and just started rapping around my peers at school. I hooked up with Y-O in high school and we just took it from there.
Obviously, you guys had a little bit of experience before UNI but still, what were your greatest fears starting up? What were you guys really afraid of?
Y-O: My biggest fear was getting on stage. Even when we did our first talent show at Saint Bernard’s, I looked outside and saw the stands filled with people and just had butterflies. I was like, ‘Oh no, I don’t know how I’m gonna get used to this!’
*laughter*
Now it’s not biggie, but that was my biggest fear… just getting on stage. That and effin’ up on my rhymes and not knowing the words!
THURZDAY: Let’s see… I love to perform so I’m not really scared when we get on stage. I might get a little butterflies in my stomach but –
Y-O: You ain’t hard! You ain’t hard!
*laughter*
THURZDAY: Biggest fear? People not appreciating the music. But that hasn’t really come to light. Everybody that hears our music has pretty much been feelin’ it. We get a lot of positive feedback, but that was my biggest fear starting as UNI. Are people gonna feel the music or are they going to try to say we’re underground and try to box us in? That’s the biggest fear: getting boxed in.
Y-O: Yeah, yeah. I’m checkin’ that. Getting boxed in.
THURZDAY: Once you’re boxed in, [your music’s] gonna be looked at in that same format, the same way for your whole career. We just like to do all types of music – well not all types – hip-hop music but not too gritty, its not commercial, its not pop, its just good music.
What about your greates setbacks as U-N-I?
THURZDAY: A couple haters.
*laughter*
Only a couple?
THURZDAY: Just people who you think are your friends turn on your back once they see you growing.
Y-O: That was my number one. Just realizing who your friends really are after you put out something. Backstabbers, man.
THURZDAY: Really, really.
Y-O: The ones who you thought were close; and then you realize that once the grass is cut, the snakes will show.
THURZDAY: Exactly. And those people know who they are. We don’t even have to make them famous.
Y-O: But I’m glad we went through that at an early stage before we went major. We cut them all out before, you know, even going through that door.
Well, what about accomplishments? What are your greatest accomplishments thus far? What do you guys feel like you’ve really hit as UNI?
Y-O: This is a major accomplishment for right now! This interview with Premium Plus Mag. That’s pretty big. Okayplayer… we’ve got four afros on that. I just go home everyday and look at the freaking page and be like, ‘Wow. I ain’t never imagined this!’
*laughter*
THURZDAY: I think the video we shot for K.R.E.AM. That was a major accomplishment. It got over 80,000 views in four or five months. Man, the album! The street album! I think that’s a major accomplishment right there; just being ourselves on record.
Y-O: Being independent! Doin’ it on our own.
THURZDAY: And getting all the feedback we’ve been getting. It’s been a great year for us and we just gotta take it to the next level, next year.
You guys made an appearance at Sneakerpimps LA and you also opened for Lupe a while back and in just a couple weeks, you’ll be performing at Soled Out at Crash Mansion LA. How did you get involved with all those projects? How did that happen?
THURZDAY: We may pursue a lot of the shows, but… uh, Sneakerpimps. How did that happen?
Y-O: I think someone heard our music and got in contact with Chris, our manager. And the person who runs Sneakerpimps –
THURZDAY: Yeah, Peter Fahey.
Y-O: Yeah, he gave Chris a call and asked about our schedule to see if we would be able to perform at Sneakerpimps Crash Mansion and we was up! I guess it was just by word of mouth and letting our music be out there for people to hear it and get in contact with us to see what our schedule is like.
THURZDAY: Dunkxchange… they contacted Chris again and were like, ‘Yo, can UNI come out?’ That was a dope show; had a lot of people there. A lot of positive feedback.
Had all these people heard of K.R.E.A.M before or was it a new thing?
Y-O: It was weird; I noticed a few people in the front, faces I had never seen before reciting the words and it kinda throwing me off and I started to stop ‘cuz I was lookin’ at them and then I was like, ‘Oh shit I gotta start rapping! *laughter* Aw man, it was weird. It was a great feeling to see people knowing your music. That just show we’re out there grinding 24/7… getting our music seen everywhere in the streets. And Thurzday and myself on Myspace.
