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Zurich. Friday night. 7.45 pm. I’m running late for my scheduled appointment with Gang Starr Foundation member Afu-Ra. 30 minutes to go and I’m still missing a recording device. First traces of anxiety…
Two phone calls later: I’m on my way to Volkshaus to pick up a recording device from my friend DJ Record (who opened up for Afu that night, God bless). After a brief conversation, a short cab-ride through Zurich’s red light district and a couple of French beers, I was finally embraced by a smoked-out, but yet talkative “Body of the life force”.

1. What made you start rappin’, who influenced you and what motivated you to write your own lyrics?

Well, I mean………….. I started rappin’ from being a fan of Hip Hop music and being a fan of different artists, you know. Hip Hop was so big being broadcasted that you can’t deny it, y’naI’msayin’? From being around Hip Hop and being around people who I knew (Jeru), you know, I was exposed to Hip Hop by somebody who was actually good at it. So basically I started writing my own lyrics from being around Jeru watching him do his thing. He hooked me up with Premier and Guru and he made me see the music business what it’s like. If I was influenced by Jeru? Yo, that’s not even a question you have to a sk if you know about Afu.

2. This is your 2nd time in Zurich, what are your impressions of Switzerland?

Switzerland?…..Hmmm…I love Switzerland. Hmmm.... I like particular parts (of Zurich), I can’t even break it down, I can’t equate it like that because Switzerland is Switzerland. One part might be different but I don’t know cause I’m not from around here. I only go by the energy of the crowd and just how much people love Hip Hop and from the press to the fans.
The whole Hip Hop community has really embraced Afu. Ever since I was just rhymin’ with Jeru, you know. Anytime I hear that I possibly could do a show in Switzerland, I’m like…make that shit happen!

Short interruption, joints get passed and Afu’s wondering what kinda weed we’re puffin’.

3. You were first heard in 94’ on the Sun rises in the east. How would you describe your present relationship to Jeru and the rest of the Gangstarr Foundation?

As it is now, you know, Jeru still being Jeru and havin’ him managing his whole shit and I gotta do mine, so it’s like Jeru’s gotta be Jeru and Afu’s gotta be Afu, y’naI’msayin’?
The separation that people are seeing is basically the vision of two men really wanting to establish themselves in the world. Especially on my behalf because I was rollin’ with Jeru all the time, and no matter where you wanna look at you always gonna fall to that category of being Jeru’s sidekick. We’re still cool, but I gotta do my own thing.

4. Tell me about your LP. What’s the concept or the philosophy behind “Body of the life force”?

Well, basically we start with who I am and that’s Afu-Ra which means Body of the life force. That’s the embodiment, you know, the physical representation of the force that creates life. So that comes in all different forms, shapes and things. Even things that you can’t see, you know, so that’s what Afu is, that’s what everything known is, that’s what I chose to represent.
As far as being a person that’s humbling I had to make a decision in my life, I had to change my whole strategy. I wanted to make power moves; not in the sense of business or makin’ money, but just in a personal sense. I had to get off the corners, smokin’ weed, rollin’ dice, you know, I could really be living a more risk free, more healthy kinda lifestyle, you know. I talked to somebody about it and he gave me advice. This provided that way of being reborn, take a new direction in life, so I found the name Afu-Ra through the Egyptian book of the dead, you know, and ever since Afu-Ra be representin’ that.

5. Do you feel any pressure since your Album has been released?

I’m just tryin’ to give a different vision within Hip Hop music and a different relationship between the artist and the fan. I wanna try to have the best relationship that I could have with the people that’s gonna buy my music, through the music, naImean, so that’s why I chose to do the things the way I do.

6. Talkin about your lyrics; you kick so many different types of rhyme styles, sometimes on a more spiritual tip, sometimes you spit battle raps and sometimes you remind me of a script writer for some Kung Fu flick. What’s on your mind when you’re tryin’ to get your shit on paper?

It depends on what it is….. (deep breath)
It totally depends on the mood of the track. I get a beat, I hear it and if it’s the one I don’t even have to do anything with it, just sit there and rock to it and then I come up with the concept. When I heard the Mortal Kombat track I was like, me and Masta Killa had said we were going to do a song together when I get a album deal.
I mean, I don’t pick different beats for different cats. I get the beat and then I draw up a vision, just like cannabis.
Some songs…I mean, I have the topic, I just start rhymin’on a freestyle tip, y’naImean? No matter if I freestyle I always gonna come in a, let’s not say message orientated, but a deeper sense of what truly is, naI’msayin’.

7. You seem to be a very intellectual person, did you attend any colleges?

No. I mean, I finished high-school. (break)
I mean, college of life, I guess…hmmm…..After high-school I ain’t had no job, I used to run with my boys, I used to sell books out on the street, naI’msayin’. From doin’ that, people always wanted to know what this book is about. I definitely read a number of books. That was a good way to stay intuitive, reading something of substance where you can learn from. I think that heavenly benefited my rhyme style, who I am, basically my whole life.
An addition to that is; using your knowledge correctly which is the wisdom equals in understanding.

2 hours later Afu entered the stage in a Kung Fu wise manner to bless us with one of the hottest underground performances Zurich has seen in a while.

Interview by Phil&Kins, sixshot 2mil1.

Peep AFU-RA Concert Snapshots
Buy AFU-RA, Body Of The Life Force Album