Interview: The Hood Internet
By Meghan Clark in Arts & Entertainment on Jun 7, 2007 11:00AM
Less than one day, people. Less than 24 hours until Chicagoist celebrates the big three at our birthday extravaganza Thursday night at Subterranean. Tickets are going fast, Milk at Midnight, Sweetish and We Make Thunder are finalizing their set lists and the Goose Island kegs are on the delivery truck.
Meanwhile, The Hood Internet DJs are huddled in their lair deep within the bowels of the city preparing for their world debut on Thursday night by watching classic Judge Reinhold films. These new mashup artists combine the play lists of WGCI and of WLUW to create something entirely new (and usually damn catchy). To complete the package they make artwork for their new creation. As we discovered, they also have a soft spot for eighties body-switching films and Cash Money. We spoke with the masterminds behind The Hood Internet, STV SLV and ABX, via their primary method of communication—the Internet.
Chicagoist: Where did the name come from?
The Hood Internet: Cam'ron made a movie called "Killa Season" and there's a guy in the movie that Cam'ron introduces one guy as "the Hood Internet"
The Hood Internet: And that's the only point in the film you see him
The Hood Internet: Pivotal character
Chicagoist: Cool
Chicagoist: In a weird way, it seems like Tha 446 and May or May Not are brought together in happy harmony with the Hood Internet. Agree? Disagree?
The Hood Internet: LOL
The Hood Internet: They could!
The Hood Internet: Actually right before we started the Hood, May or May Not had just finished up in the studio
The Hood Internet: And every day in the studio we listened to Rich Boy "Throw Some D's"
The Hood Internet: So I did a May or May Not / Rich Boy mashup
The Hood Internet: That'll be on the Hood sometime in the future, when we do "Chicago Bands Week"
Chicagoist: Are you planning theme weeks in general?
The Hood Internet: Not yet -- that's one of various ideas we have cooked up
Chicagoist: Speaking of which, where are you thinking of taking the Hood Internet? Do you have grand plans of taking over the world? Or of merging rap and indie rock fans together so they can buy each other a Coke?
The Hood Internet: I don't know if we can take it outside of the Internet, it would get separation anxieties.
The Hood Internet: ALTHOUGH
The Hood Internet: We just came up with an idea right now
The Hood Internet: THE HOOD INTERNET: THE MOVIE
The Hood Internet: Or maybe just THE HOOD INTERNET MOVIE
The Hood Internet: We're workshopping the title right now
The Hood Internet: It would be similar to Baller Blockin
The Hood Internet: Which was of course the landmark Cash Money film
Chicagoist: We're sad to admit we’re not familiar with it
The Hood Internet: Straight-to-video, oddly enough
Chicagoist: What can we expect to hear at the show on Thursday?
The Hood Internet: New shit, old shit, and some genuine shit. The atmosphere might crumble.
Chicagoist: Do you have a back up plan if the atmosphere does crumble? Maybe some slow jamz or something?
The Hood Internet: We have jams at a variety of speeds
Chicagoist: Is there any method you have for choosing which songs to mix together?
The Hood Internet: Yeah, it depends
The Hood Internet: Tempos / keys / feels
The Hood Internet: We're totally amateur DJs. I hope Tankboy was aware of that when he asked us to do this show
The Hood Internet: He's seen me DJ at Club Foot before, I'm assuming he was wasted when this happened. I'm certain that I was.
Chicagoist: But you guys have gotten a lot of attention lately. What are your thoughts on becoming a minor Internet sensation so quickly?
The Hood Internet: Two words: minor excitement
The Hood Internet: But RLY, it's pretty weird how quick it spiraled out
The Hood Internet: Such is the power of the internuts
The Hood Internet: It will probably be over as quickly as it started. Until the Hood Internet Movie drops, that is
Chicagoist: How do you manage to keep posting tracks and artwork every day, while still keeping up with your other bands and with your day jobs?
The Hood Internet: We have interns, funded through our "Hood Internships" program.
Chicagoist: The art is simultaneously awesome and hilarious. Do you both work on that? Do you ever plan the songs around the art or vice versa?
The Hood Internet: It's hard to plan a song around vice versa, because then you're essentially planning the song around itself. Oh wait, you meant the MOVIE Vice Versa. Right.
Chicagoist: Do you plan on adding more correspondents in addition to your New York ones? Is it part of the grand plan for the launch of the Hood Internet Movie?
The Hood Internet: We have correspondents in cities and countries that we aren't even aware of. The cities and countries, that is -- not the correspondents. The movie should be going straight to third-run theatres, according to our agent.
Chicagoist: The whole concept of mashups has kind of been done with Danger Mouse, etc. What made you pursue this?
The Hood Internet: Well, mostly just for fun. And I like to think we approach the "genre" (if you even want to call it that) from a different angle than most, but we weren't trying to fill some void in the world of mash-ups or anything.
Chicagoist: Why do you think your mash-ups have suddenly attracted so much attention?
The Hood Internet: Danger Mouse.
Chicagoist: There's a very singular aspect to sitting in front of a computer mixing songs together. How do you think it will translate into stage setting?
The Hood Internet: We will be sitting in front of a computer, but on stage.
Chicagoist: Who would win in a fight between Ghostface Killah and Spoon?
The Hood Internet: Pitchfork
Chicagoist: How about between The Game and The Go! Team?
The Hood Internet: Tony Yayo
Chicagoist: Is there anyone Three 6 Mafia couldn't take in a fight?
The Hood Internet: Britt Daniel / Judge Reinhold (tie)
Chicagoist: Finally, when is the Hood Internet Movie hitting theaters?
The Hood Internet: Probably in the winter, in time for Sundance. Here's a synopsis of the plot: On returning from a buying trip abroad for the department store in which he works, Marshall finds he is in possession of a strange ornamental skull. Marshall is divorced and is looking after his son Charlie for a few days. The skull has special powers, and when Marshall and Charlie simultaneously wish they were each other’s age, father and son exchange bodies. Now Charlie has to go to work and Marshall to school. Charlie also has to deal with Marshall's girlfriend. If that weren't enough a pair of smugglers are in pursuit of the skull.
“The Hood Internet” signed off.