The underground dance scene in Boston is not limited to DJs spinning house & techno. Beneath the surface there is also a thriving hip-hop- & rap-influenced side of the spectrum, and among the guardians is Kidd Drunkadelic of the burgeoning Lifted Contingency. This weekend he is opening alongside co-conspirator BRRIO for Hudson Mohawke, a music producer affiliated with Glasgow’s LuckyMe label as well as Kanye West & Warp Records.
Mr. Drunkadelic’s government name is Dustin Labbe, & we exchanged words over the world wide web regarding essential albums, sticking to your roots, & putting in work with the aim of reaching ‘Higher Opportunity’. Let’s get to know the Kidd, & be sure to join on the fun @ Brighton Music Hall this Sunday.
Georgette Moiselle: You DJ as Kidd Drunkadelic, what is the origin story behind the name?
Kidd Drunkadelic: The name Kidd Drunkadelic is from a song titled “Tales of Kidd Drunkadelic,” from one of my favorite hip-hop duos, People Under The Stairs, off of their 2002 album, OST. One night I was revisiting the album and realized that I could relate to this character at the time. I was drinking and partying constantly, I felt that I sometimes turned into this ‘Kidd Drunkadelic’ that just bopped around, got drunk, had fun and probably pissed off a few people. So I adopted the name as my DJ moniker and changed my ways a bit. I like to not take myself too seriously, so having this as my DJ name was aimed at keeping it light. Although people still ask if my name means that I’m constantly shitfaced in the booth… I’m not.
Can you describe your personal musical influence & how it compares to your current taste?
My first three albums were, Wu’s 36 Chambers, DMX’s Flesh Of My Flesh, Blood Of My Blood, and Jay’s Hard Knock Vol. 2. I was 10. And ironically grew up on hip-hop, but I always had a love for numerous genres. Even stumbling upon classic King Tubby albums and being floored by Dub Reggae for the first time. Like anyone, I drifted through different sounds as years went on but got bitten by the electronic bug as a young teenager. Finding albums like the Chemical Brothers Dig Your Own Hole and RJD2’s Deadringer while also stealing all of my sister’s boyfriend’s Ministry of Sound compilations and drooling over what DJ life must really be like in London.
But proudly, years of being exposed to many different kinds of music has helped me have a broad spectrum of interest. Currently, I’ve been spinning mostly footwork, juke and jungle mainly because it directly relates to the music I began listening to, hip-hop and reggae. The whole footwork culture really amazes me, it’s like none other. When the world lost Rashad (RIP) it made Teklife and the footwork/juke movement even stronger. Now I see crews sprouting up in Spain, Poland, Canada, etc, all making great 160 tracks and getting love from all of the veterans as well, it’s beautiful. I’ve also been throwing down a lot more Club tracks, especially when rocking at ZUESDAY, shit gets wild. I was fortunate enough to share the stage with MikeQ and Venus X on New Year’s Eve, so club tracks were flowing.
Tell us about how circumstances started to come together for your collective Lifted Contingency?
I have been working on coming up in the city for a few years now, attending numerous parties at several different venues and meeting the people that are the heartbeat of this city’s electronic scene. What I found was a tight-knit community of artists, producers, DJ’s, promoters and party goers alike, all with ultimately one goal in mind: keep the Boston movement going.
You talk to anyone that’s been here in the scene for even just a few years and I’m sure they’ll tell you that so-and-so moved to LA or NYC to pursue either their music, their parties, or just to be entrenched in a much “bigger and better musical atmosphere.” And while you can’t truly compare Boston to New York City, because of NYC’s sheer size and layout, it’s really apples to oranges; you still hear shouts of ‘Oh man in New York it’s like ________.’ It’s true, New York City is the mecca, the holy land of late nights and ill DJ sets.
However, I saw the opportunity to maybe not compare cities but rather shed light on what it is we’re doing here, the artists and producers that we have living right here putting in work.
What is the philosophy behind your story & how are you aiming to propel this forward to the masses?
The name quite literally means, “Higher Opportunity.” This is the basis of what and why I wanted to create this. I want to provide a platform for all types of artists, whether it’s releasing singles, compilations or working on advancing our team members in their individual music careers. While doing this, I feel more than compelled to contribute to the rich music scene here in Boston. We have numerous one-off parties that we will be hosting this year, such as our previous effort with Basement Movement to bring Flava D. Lifted looks to collab with even more great local crews and people throughout the year. We firmly believe that if we do work together and support each other, it only makes things better for everyone here.
What is one particular goal you would like to achieve in 2015?
Advance our artists. This is the main idea and goal behind all of the work being put in. I want to help our guys get to where they want to be, whether it’s release a proper EP with a larger label, open for bigger acts or even hit the road on a mini tour. Everyone has different goals and I plan to address all of them and assist our artists in moving forward. Because at the end of the day, we want to be a support system, not just a brand. Last year our guys shared bills with artists like Die Antwoord, Madlib, MikeQ, Rudimental, Shlohmo, Sweater Beats, as well as playing in Austin, Dallas, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, San Diego. We look to increase this as well as branch out and potentially expand our team. As we grow, we hope to always have parties and/or events in Boston to help support the underground. There are a ton of people making it happen in this city already, and we are proud to contribute alongside them. Shout out Basement Movement, CreateSpaceCollab, DRAW, Shake!, We Steady Leanin, ZUESDAY, & Zone Def!
On Sunday you’re opening for Hudson Mohawke; has he influenced you in any way? He also comes from a sort of underdog city (Glasgow) & managed to propel his internet beginnings to production & label signage with the likes of Kanye West, what can you comment regarding that potential?
I think HudMo is a perfect example of a talented unknown producer who has referenced sending countless demos to artists for years until he actually got these huge connects. That’s what I feel is the beauty of the digital age; say what you will about the “good ol’ days” but being able to shop demos to major labels/artists in an instant via the internet is literally changing the game. I think Hudson Mohawke has done a killer job being a large-scale studio producer and being his own artist as well.
What can expect from your set this Sunday?
My set this Sunday will consist of a variety of things, definitely some heavy new age rap mixed with some strong club vibes. It’s a Sunday, but this show is going to be nuts, so BRRIO and I are planning to get everyone moving early.
KIDD DRUNKADELIC + HUDSON MOHAWKE + BRRIO :: Sunday, May 31 @ Brighton Music Hall, 158 Brighton Ave., Allston :: 8 p.m., 18-plus, $15 :: Advance tickets :: Do617 event page
