Comprised of rappers Numskull and Yukmouth, Oakland, California, based Hip Hop duo Luniz, formerly LuniTunes, are most famously known for their platinum-plus, anthem-like smash offering “I Got 5 on It,” and its equally infectious star studded remix featuring Spice 1, Dru Down, Richie Rich, Shock G & E-40, taken from the group’s 1995 C-Note/Noo Trybe/Virgin debut, Operation Stackola.
First things first, last year (August 11th 2023, to be exact) marked the 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop — What exactly does that mean to and for you?
And, to quote the late, great The Notorious B.I.G., “You never thought that Hip Hop would take it this far!” — Was this something that you ever could’ve imagined?
I never really pondered how far Hip Hop would go until I realized that the powers-that-be are actively trying to destroy black music as a whole. I think they are taking away the biggest outlet that our people have, besides sports, to make a decent life for ourselves. It started with not promoting conscious music, and the nail in the coffin just might be this P Diddy affair.
What are some of your fondest, most stand-out moments / memories from your lengthy tenure in this thing called Hip Hop?
The first time I heard The Fat Boys, and really discovered Hip Hop…and the day “I Got 5 on It” hit the radio.
That said, what are your future plans and / or goals throughout the remainder of 2024, going right into ‘25?
I’m traveling and touring in different countries right now for 2024-2025, after / in between time I’ll be focusing on me and my wife’s film company and family.
Switching gears here, what exactly do you want people to get from your music?
Just want people to be able to relate, and maybe find something that feels familiar.
If you could collaborate with any one artist, living or dead, who would it be and why?
That would be a long list, but that one would be Michael Jackson; reason being, his talent went beyond what was thought to be possible in music, video and dance.
If you could play any venue in the world, which one would you choose and why?
I think I’ve done them all.
On a more serious note, are you happy with the current state of Hip Hop?
I am not.
What do you feel has and will continue to be the key to your longevity?
Not being totally accessible, and “…5 on It” being one of those songs that not many people get to have in their career; it’s that undeniable kind of classic.
Do you have any other outside / additional (future) aspirations, maybe even completely away from entertainment?
Really, I just want to relax and be able to do whatever comes to mind, if the world is still here.
What’s an average day like for you?
I’m mostly at home with my family keeping them aware and safe and surrounded by love.
Please discuss how you interact with and respond to fans…
I don’t call them fans, that’s short for fanatic, I call them fam, short for family because they help me feed family. They will always get the same (from me) that my immediate family gets, love and respect.
What is your favorite part about this line of work? Your least favorite? And, why?
My favorite part is that I don’t have to have a 9-to-5 job; I make my own hours. I do what I wanna do and I make a living at it, there is nothing that I don’t like about this job.
What advice would you have for someone wanting to follow in your footsteps?
If you really want it, do everything you can to get it…but at the same time, always have something to fall back on because these footsteps are very hard to follow…meaning, we are very lucky in the stars and many other things fell in line for us. Not many people get that chance.
Looking ahead, say five or maybe even ten years from now, where do you see yourself?
Hopefully, at home with my family and doing our part, helping to save this incredibly out of control Planet and everything on it.
Is there anything I left out or just plain forgot to mention?
No, I think you got it all.
Any “parting” words for our readers?
A message for your readers: if you’re not an individual, how can you ever be true to yourself; follow the crowd is not something we should want to do. If someone can give you your opinion, why would this planet need you here? Be an individual.
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