It's 1996, a turning point in music. Stacked high above your combination CD/cassette deck in heavy rotation are numerous hip-hop classics like 2Pac's All Eyez on Me, the Fugees' The Score, Jay-Z's Reasonable Doubt, and Nas' It Was Written. If you're like us here at County Grind, you dug deeper than just the mainstream and pulled out backpacker classics like Heltah Skeltah's Nocturnal, Ghostface Killah's Ironman, and, last but not least, Ras Kass' Soul on Ice.

From the minute Ras emerged on the scene among the often-bubblegum raps dominating airwaves, he stood out as one of hip-hop's most talented lyricists. One listen to the critically acclaimed track "Nature of the Threat," and you realized -- hip-hop doesn't have to be about busting gats and banging hoes. Rather, hip-hop, if done right, can explore issues like religion, homosexuality, the government, and even the history of Western Civilization, as evidenced all over Soul on Ice.

Since then, Ras has continued to release critically acclaimed albums, from 1998's Rasassination to 2010's A.D.I.D.A.S. (All Day I Dream About Spittin). His thoughts and beliefs have evolved -- but one thing has remained the same -- Ras Kass can rap with the best of them. On the eve of his return to the Fort Lauderdale area to perform at Green Room's Brown Bag Wednesdays, County Grind caught up with Ras Kass for a candid interview.

"Loud post-rock. We're a little all over the place, but it's moderately contained. We've got loud sludgy parts and we've got more orchestral pieces that we try to work in," Michael Martens, drummer of Atlanta band O'Brother says this of their sound, but for the most part, he and the band want you to decide for yourself. 

Their most recent release and first LP Garden Window was made with a little help of the fans. When they started writing, the band live streamed the process, Martens says, "People could logon to the website we created for it, and watch us through the writing process." They would get on and chat with fans, he calls it a very interactive process.

"It payed off after the record was done, because people felt more a part of the record than they would have been." Fans come up to them after shows and tell the band that they remember particular parts of the creation process. It's like they were there. 

Unsurprisingly, they're all happy to be home. Singer Gabriel Alcala notes in Dorothy-back-from-Oz style, "There's no place like home!" Bassist Danny Gonzalez is looking forward to catching up on the basketball playoffs, and drummer Diego Monasterios says, "I feel like I'm on vacation." As Ponce de León might agree, Florida is sort of the best place to unwind after overseas explorations.

Brian Fair is the dread-headed lead singer for metal band Shadows Fall. Though the group has referenced Rastafarian ideas in their lyrics, including on the song "Wasteland" off their upcoming release Fire From the Sky, Fair says based on his hair, "everyone assumes we're a rasta band anyway."

 

Chatting on the phone with Alabama rapper Yelawolf -- born Michael Wayne Atha -- is like catching up with an old friend. After our 45-minute conversation, it felt like we were. His welcoming personality and charismatic storytelling ability break down the often rigid barrier between a performer and an interviewer. At least when you're not boring him with series of all-too-predictable questions.

"I don't know now how many times I've had to explain my stage name," says Yelawolf. "Or the number of tattoos I have."

Steering clear of the mundane and repetitive topics, we spoke about the insanity that is Twitter; his upcoming album, Love Story; and musical success at 30.

She's a blonde bombshell, barely legal, and has a knack for causing media frenzies due to her provocative outfits and on-stage behavior. But, despite Taylor Momsen's rock n' roll exterior, the Pretty Reckless front-woman is actually quite sweet. In a recent phone interview, Momsen chatted with the New Times about performing with Marilyn Manson, befriending porn star Jenna Haze, and reveals the truth about leaving Gossip Girl.

It comes as no surprise that Taylor Momsen's musical sound and style is heavily influenced by male musical legends. Growing up, she survived on a healthy portion of classic rock -- her father had a rather extensive record collection -- including Led Zeppelin, The Who, and The Beatles. But, it was at the young age of nine that Momsen really figured out where she wanted to be in life, on stage with a guitar in hand. This epiphany occurred after going to see the White Stripes with her dad.

"It was loud..." laughs Momsen. "And fantastic."