Dumi Right - Always Legit
Not too many rappers are Nikki Giovanni approved! Seriously. And when he’s not crushin’ his own mic (ya know feedin’ his hip-hop habit), you just might find Dumi Right contemplating the significance (and utter brilliance) of the handful of Tribe Called Quest albums out there. See, Dumi can spit verses from both the Low End Theory and Midnight Marauders albums forward and backwards–and he won’t forget a bar, I swear–but just don’t ask him to chose which one is better! - JB
What’s good? Its been a minute since we last spoke? (Circa the first PH Music compilation release) What have you been up to?
Staying busy. Since then I went on to release the O.U.O album, of unknown origin through pH MUSIC/Domination Recordings and through a coincidental conversation I had with DJ Fisher, I connected with some cats that were interested in putting out unreleased Zimbabwe Legit material in the form of the album Brothers from the Mother that never saw light of day when things fell apart back when we were still with Hollywood Complex. After putting out those 2 albums I’ve been working on this new project, The House of Stone and putting in some work with guest appearances on records by Cadence, The Good People and The Saint and a few overseas compilations.
How do you leverage your time between the fam and your music?
I mean its like there are really not enough hours in the day. I have a full time day job, then I have a family so want to make sure that is the main priority. Then there is this business of music. Basically I just have to prioritize, some social stuff that isn’t business related has to get deaded. I mean if some heads want to get together and just kick it I might have to pass so I can spend time with the fam and then jump out when I have a session, show or some business stuff happening. I also have to try to be ultra organized so I can maximize my available time. I have to make sure I stay sharp in all the arenas of my life but also remember that family is most important.
Recording with your bro as Zimbabwe Legit, makes music for you a true family affair. But are there any other family members that are musically inclined as well? Does anyone else offer support or constructive criticism?
I have to mention that our oldest brother Mandla who went by the name Fu Man Chu passed away this summer. He was a great brother, father to his family and friend and inspiration to both of us. He really is the reason that both of us got involved with hip-hop in the first place. It all started when he used to bring home records since he was in a DJ crew and they used to do parties and events. He brought home some gems and we’d always dig through and either make tapes or just listen to stuff. He always had the hottest new joints back then be it Funk, Soul or early hip-hop from Kurtis Blow to Grandmaster Flash, Midnight Star, Loose Ends and on and on. He also got us into dancing with the electric Boogaloo and then we eventually moved on to popping and breaking. Actually I remember he had me enter a dance contest when I was in 6th grade. I didn’t win but as the runner up the local paper opted to run my picture since I was the youngest cat competing. Anyway, Fu Man Chu was the manager for a dance crew that he used to book at events and hotels. So we basically watched him make moves and do his thing and that is definitely why we do what we do now. Beyond that he just was that figure you look up to and seek to emulate. He commanded so much respect. I’ll never forget one time he blew up the spot downtown Harare one afternoon. A couple cats were rhyming and he even though he was a DJ more than an emcee, he just busted out a freestyle and the large crowd of people gathered around went wild – that was a pivotal moment for me. I should point out that his respect actually went way beyond just the realm of music. He was just known for being someone you could count on, but he was definitely a pioneer for the music scene back in Zimbabwe. I know that’s not 100% where the question was headed but I had to speak on that and just say peace to my big brother, he is missed so much.
People have their opinions about old Vs new? But, rather than focus on the negative, what (to you) is good about hip-hop music present day?
The fact that with the Internet and the ability for easy self-publishing it has opened up doors for global hip-hop to be heard. When we were coming up in Zimbabwe it was real hard to get hold of stuff..but now you can get podcasts, people can email files, artists can post songs and have them hosted for free on social networking sites, you can send material to publications in different countries. Its an exciting time because of the technology but at the same time technology has opened the floodgates where now there are so many artists. I think the pendulum is swinging back to stuff where heads want to say something and do something different. I think that phase, or renaissance if you will is just beginning but when I listen to Talib, Pharoahe or Common I have hope for the future. I think the fact that you can make dope tracks and get them distributed digitally and physically without worrying about a major is a good thing. Its also good to see a lot of pioneers and veterans still doing their thing and teaching class in the virtual school of emceeing, letting cats know how it really goes down.
What keeps your firing burning when it comes to making music?
It’s a great outlet for expression, address an issue or even just relate some of my experiences or opinions. When I hear dope beats I can’t help but want to kick a verse. I also get invigorated from performing at live shows! Rocking something that you penned and crafted and seeing the reaction or getting dap after you’ve ripped it is definitely gratifying and keeps you going. I mean I did a short set as part of a talent show I was judging for a charity and so there was a wide demographic in the crowd from old to young and I had teenagers and then a grandmother tell me that they really dug my performance and liked what I had to say. Knowing that I moved someone or that someone heard me, that keeps me charged and able to continue doing this.
Past few years, many an emcee/rapper have contemplated retirement or hangin’ up the mic for good. Do you think you will ever out grow this passion?
I won’t make records and do shows forever–but I’ll probably always write as an outlet and use the experience I’ve learned in some capacity related to music. Funny with hip-hop, people seem to have this imaginary maximum age. I don’t know who started it but its pretty dumb. Mick Jagger is still rocking, Paul McCartney, Hugh Masekela, Miriam Makeba, every genre really, except hip-hop, people want to enforce some kind of age limit. I mean I can see saying you can’t have people 50 years old making pop music because that has a certain cookie cutter mold and formula that doesn’t jibe with that, but hip-hop was never meant to be pop music. If anything hip-hop was supposed to break all the rules and carve its own path as its done. People want good music first. Heads will always get amped if you throw on some classic Tribe or De La or KRS “The Bridge is Over.” So I said all that to say I won’t ever outgrow the true essence of the culture!
The new album is titled House Of Stone. What I get it from it is, “solid music,” but is there any other significant meaning behind that title?
That’s exactly right. We building a house on a foundation of rock, because you know what a wise man once said about, “Castles made of sand…” And that’s what I think about disposable music, it’s like a castle made of sand. The House of Stone title though also comes from the literal translation of the word Zimbabwe which means house(s) of stone, which was the name given to an ancient stone city that was the center of an empire centered around what is now the country of Zimbabwe. That stone city remains as a landmark referred to as the Great Zimbabwe ruins. The title is a double entendre so to speak.
From the looks and sounds of it you guys went all out on House Of Stone, what were some of the highlights of putting together this album?
There were so many great moments that occurred in the process of crafting this. I remember when Prince Po got down, I was so excited. It had special meaning since we had been label mates back with Hollywood Basic and when I approached him he was so inspiring and he came at it from a point of mutual respect. I commented about the love we were getting and people that were coming to the table and his response was “Of course, I expect these people and more to be attracted to your energy.” Each time I got another one of these high profile cats down I would just get charged and it would keep me going for another few weeks through what was a long and arduous process. I remember when we did a show with Grand Wizzard Theodore about a year ago. This album was in the works but our ‘lost tapes’ record Brothers from the Mother was out and hearing him say he was a fan and really liked our music meant a lot. Having Vast call and say how he was digging the beat and then getting on it and killing it was real dope. I also told Vast that my daughters now constantly recite his line and say “daddy, get on the mic and let em know who you are.” That’s classic. Putting this together man there were times I felt like that old tv show, Parker Lewis can’t lose. For as much adversity as I encountered, when things started clicking, its like we could not be stopped. The right producers popped up with just the right beats. When heads fell off or flaked out, there were solid candidates coming to the table with even bigger and better goods. With positive heads coming forward and doing great work, it kinda renewed my faith in people coming together for the purpose of elevation and making progressive music.
Any drawbacks?
Pulling a project of this magnitude together on your own as an independent artist/label is hard as hell man! There were times when I was close to breaking because you have to do EVERYTHING. From the creative side of coming up with concepts, hooks and verses, trying to coordinate with artists to guest appear, negotiating the distribution, getting someone to do artwork, thinking about marketing, promotion and publicity. Its like that song where Masta Ace said, I’m the label and the artist, manager, promoter. From that standpoint man at times I wished I could just kick back and be creative and let someone else handle the logistics. On the other hand though, its totally up to me to decide the direction and content without any instructions from “a mountain climber who plays an electric guitar” telling me what songs I should do or that I need a commercial radio single or club banger. I guess artistic freedom has a price.
Dumi, (and this is where I break into straight fan mode), but how were you able to connect with so many talented artist? Artist who have been “milk-cartoned” for some time now, I might add. Cause honestly, the last time I heard an Apani or Chubb Rock verse I think Clinton was in office?
It’s true a lot of heads are going to ask the question like Nas and say “where are they now” but I think almost exclusively EVERYONE on the album, even if they were much more prominent in the Golden age and after, is STILL doing their thing on some level. Chubb Rock has an album dropping this fall, he was telling me how he stays on the road with other old skool heads like Dougie Fresh, I know Mike G is in the studio and gets big offers to do shows worldwide, YZ has put records out and has a couple projects about to drop and I could say the same for Apani, Prince Po, and everybody is still alive and kicking.
How does one go about getting a collective like that together?
For the most part it was off the strength of connections we had made with people in the past. We’ve known YZ since way back in the the Hollywood Basic days! At one point we had even been speaking to him about management. I connected with that brother when I got a message from him saying, do you remember meeting me or something like that. We politicked on the phone a few times after that and collaborating became a no brainer. We’ve known Vast from rhyming in Washington Square Park in New York City back in early to mid 90s back when he was running with the Atoms Family. My brother and Breez go way back and we’ve done shows together over the years, I know Asheru just from years in and around the music scene and shows and open mics. Apani isn’t someone that I knew but I was looking for a sick female emcee to rip it and knowing her rep, it just made sense and she stepped up and blazed it. The link with Mike G was historic because the Jungle Brothers were cats we followed when we were back in Zimbabwe through promos we got from our mentor Dave Funken-Klein. We met them a number of times when we came over to the US and so it was great to get the Brothers from the Mother and the Jungle Brothers together. Mike G is just real cool people’s too. I think it would be highly unlikely to pull this off if I was just trying to get an all star guest list by trolling the Internet. That is one thing I’ll say too. Everyone that got down was mad cool, no one had a Hollywood complex – ha ha!
Gotta say, “Where I’m At” is probably my favorite track - that’s some proud music right there. The hip-hop nation just don’t make records like that anymore..
Thanks man, glad you dug it. Yeah we’ve gotten a lot of great feedback on that song across the board. If you want to know what’s on our mind and exactly what Zimbabwe Legit is all about, listen to that song right there. Its personal and just really from the heart. I wrote the hook while vibing to that ill Cadence beat on my daily commute. It just came to me as I was kind of looking back and taking stock of what I have done thus far and where I was trying to get to. And Akim’s verse is pure reality man, real talk right there. Also, I listen to Mike G’s verse for personal inspiration, I keep repeating, “The only one [that] can stop you is yourself and God!” That’s deep right there.
Not like they should have to be told, but what do you want listeners to take away from this album?
Hopefully at the end of the day heads get a chance to hear the album and appreciate the story of these brothers that have come a long, long way and have never stopped trying to make straight up GOOD hip-hop! I mean I still am amazed when I think it all began so many years ago with an aspiring emcee in Southern Africa writing a letter to an industry cat in New York city saying, “Yo there’s some brothers from the mother out here doing damage [in our native tongues].” I also think that this album is timely as ever, relevant to the times, current, up to date and necessary.
And whatever became of your efforts to open up your own school of emceein’?
For any colleges or schools that have hip-hop classes or seminars, add this to the curriculum – for real – required listening on so many levels. I mean the courts are evaluating the constitutionality of death by lethal injection and here we are talking about it. The press is debating the merits of hip-hop as art and we’re critiquing society, the criminal justice system, class and race. And then we’re also just kicking ill rhymes over hard hitting beats. You want it, we got it, come and get it!
Like we always do bout’ this time.. When I say Dumi, you say “Right”– Dumi! “Right!” Dumi! “Right” And when I say a great hip-hop experience - you go grab the ‘House Of Stone!’ In case you didn’t catch my man’s drift, Zimbabwe Legit got that freshly-updated-flash-back-music! Crumblin’ pink-cookies in a plastic bag with a boom-bap swagger!
Until the next time..hip-hop, get involved!
