Vordul Megallah. If Cannibal Ox’s second album was truly to be called Cipher Unknown then no one exemplifies that idea more than Vordul. And if Vast can be summed up by his name, then in a way so can Vordul; after all, the name Vordul is not in any dictionary. And for a rapper who came onto the scene in the late nineties wielding clutches of multi-syllabic rhymes, which he seemed to rattle off at the top of his lungs, somehow he managed to remain fairly anonymous. Cloaked within the largesse of the Atoms Family movement, he stood out lyrically without ever being in the forefront. Even when Atoms Family gave way to the duo of Vordul and Vast, somehow V. Mega was both omnipresent on the album and invisible at the same time. Interviewers seemingly often headed straight for the loquacious Vast Aire or their notable producer and co-signer El-P. Reviewers pegged him as the “other guy in Can-Ox” and for his part, he seemed more than happy with the spotlight off. In the years since, Vordul continued making music and his fans came to expect that it would have to be sought out; often appearing on smaller labels, each project seemingly more underground than the next. Somehow, as he seemingly drifted out of the music industry, Vordul nevertheless continued to make his mark on the actual music. In fact, although he has only one solo album; 2004’s Revolution of Young Havoks, including The Cold Vein Vordul has four group LP’s of some kind ,and a “street album” called Yung World to his credit. This sort of paradox somehow seems to fit Vordul and his reputation for being a “rapper’s rapper”, after all, over the years it always appeared that he was more interested in rhyming with his friends than in making money or acquiring fame. This sort of elusiveness, compounded by the 2007 announcement and subsequent cancellation (again) of a new Cannibal Ox record with El-P was fuel for speculation of all sorts. From rumors of clinical depression to drug use to a supposed rift with Vast Aire, Vordul seemed to be the fulcrum on which everything turned. Conspicuous in his absence from the at times acrimonious debate, true to form, his voice seemed stronger than ever on the only song Cannibal Ox released during the short-lived reunion for the group which never broke up. Now the walking paradox known as Vordul Mega has a new album dropping in the fall, and somehow, the lead single is a track recorded in 2000. Confused? Well, what did you expect…
Hey Vordul, what’s up?
What it is?
When I looked at the press release for this project I was a little confused. It said this project was started during The Cold Vein, before you even did your first solo album [2004’s Revolution of Young Havoks]. But you worked on it up until now? That’s a long time…
Right. Well, collectively yeah, but there were a few pieces the kid had lingering around that never had a chance to get their shine. While the first solo was being recorded with Belief, we just recorded a ton of material and chose twelve or thirteen tracks for it. But prior to that I had been recording with this kid Zach One who also made beats, this was when he was in NYU, around the same time as we did Can Ox. At that time, me and a few of my friends were putting together some songs and whatever, made maybe three or four songs and that was that. Now, I was able to retrieve it through the magic of the vault (laughs), there’s a vault that holds a lot of special material and we went and took that out. So it became part of the record in addition to material I had been working on after the first solo and stuff I did real recent.
So, how does that work when you look at this record as compared to Revolution of Young Havoks? How do they compare?
I would say this one is a fuller experience. That is due to more features and producers but it’s all put together a certain way. I enjoyed working with El again and Vast again, and what they brought to the table. James Bond too, I worked with him before on production, so that was peace, you know? But I also enjoyed working with new people; Invizzbl Men brought a lot of energy with how they do it and they had the beat for that one picked out. Megalon is just unique, a very unique brother and we had met before but never recorded so it got set up and we just vibed in the studio. Bronze Nazareth did his thing too. All those people brought their individuality into the record and helped make it a more full picture. It’s also fuller due to just life experience in general. This record took some time, you feel me? Because when Young Havoks was put together, it was put together so…how should I say it…it wasn’t as focused on as being an album. It was all about, okay, we got some dope beats, put some good lyrics to em, get in the lab…kids was a little anxious being that it was beginning of the Nature Sounds label and the my first album too. So you know, that was more about putting some [dope songs] together where this was more concentrated on the album, more focused of describing a specific time period.
You mention the features, which is something I also found interesting. Like any fan of the OX, although I like you both individually, I immediately looked to see if Vast and El-P are both on the album, which they are, yet we aren’t getting a new Cannibal Ox album. We got press advances of Vast’s album and you are featured on it, as well as being featured on the Mighty Joseph LP he did with Karniege. You guys did a couple tracks together last year on other people’s records like the “Brothaz” remix with Mr. Lif and “Planet of the Eat” with El-P and so on. From everything I can tell you and Vast still work together, are cool with each other and talk about Cannibal Ox in the present tense. So explain to me, what’s that situation, and why is it that we aren’t getting that Can Ox LP?
That’s funny. That’s ill because I am interested in hearing the final songs on [Vast’s] album because it be like, kids will record so much material at a time that you forget. It’s like okay, the music is due and then next thing you know there’s an album coming out with you featured on it. Then you hear it and it’s almost brand new to you. Because me personally, I don’t listen to my own music a lot unless it’s put together as an album. If its just pieces of songs or stuff that aint finished or guest verses, I just let em sit. Then when the album is together I might listen to it, it has to be in a way I can sink my teeth into it. So I remember doing a bunch of songs with Vast but I couldn’t tell you what songs those are on his album, I’ll hear it when it’s done, I like that better, know what I’m saying? But yeah, Can Ox is a situation that’s been on hold due to circumstances, but it’s like kids is always Can Ox, to the death! Can Ox is us, so as long as we here making music it’s Can Ox. At the same time, kids is doing their individual explorations right now.
When you guys kinda came out from the bigger and at the time, fairly well known umbrella of Atoms Family, did you in any way imagine it would be a collaboration that you would still get asked about almost a decade later? Does it surprise you?
People are always interested in when we are going to do that second album. I always see people and always somebody wants to know and honestly, it’s just up in the air; I don’t really have one reason, so I guess I’m just as puzzled as you. But it’s so many ways that life is just flowing, kids is getting older, time is passing and that is just natural, know what I’m saying? It’s like when the appropriate time comes we can indulge but what matters is we can still do our solo thing and express as Can Ox, feel me? For me and Vast, I know I can speak for him too (pauses) this was always a strong hobby of ours. It was never something like “We gotta get out there and get money!” Kids loved the cipher, loved to sit back and write some lines and just be creative, know what I’m saying? So it’s just a given that any situation we could come together and put something together, he on my album twice. I’m on his album, Mighty Joe album; we did Super Chron, Lif…but as far as another Cold Vein. It might never be another Cold Vein. It might be something totally leftfield from that and it can be appreciated or not. But as long as both of us are being creative, I’m happy for that, I know he’s happy for that, the people who listen to music as we do are happy for that. Times change. Sometimes you gotta have just one of something.
You’ve been a Harlem resident your whole life?
Yeah, the strong majority of my life. I was born in Manhattan but my moms and pops was living in the Bronx and then shortly after that we moved to Harlem. Majority of our lives we was in Manhattan, besides some time in Florida to get away from the city and came right back to Harlem.
How old are you?
I’m 29 now.
So you have been around through massive changes in Harlem, you’ve been around through the 80’s and 90’s and now the “new” Harlem and gentrification?
I always thought Harlem was a jazzy place. It always had a lot of music, a lot of shopping, 125th, Appollo…it’s pretty much an open city where a lot of people from other places flow through. I feel like New York has this essence of “The Big Apple”, big commerce, everybody at some point moves here from somewhere else or stays here or visits or takes a plane. Harlem, like anyplace, it aint too much if it’s good or bad, it just is what it is. There’s a lot of development, I mean you would never see something like Starbucks back in the days. It was definitely more specific, it was more specific to Harlem back in the days, soul food not Starbucks. Back in the days you could always get a good movie for four dollars off the street, it was always like that on 125th. People had tables up on 125th and they was selling tailor made clothing, bootleg videos and music, but then the government or whoever took that off the street and moved it into the market on 116th. But what changed in Harlem is what changed all over the world, people used to just be from where they was from but now people moving around, mixing cultures and just getting with it. Which can be a good thing…I don’t really have no strong attachment to New York except for the people I know. I went to a lot of art schools and that is where I met Atoms and that’s how Atoms Family came together and we all left school to do art on an entrepreneurial level. And my whole experience had just been all about art; I was big into comic books, just all about art. I was going to Nuyorican Poets Café and all kinda venues of that nature…
When you look back at that era in New York, that time in the underground when the scene was brand new and really right knit, what are your memories? What stands out to you now in hindsight, after all, that’s the era that sort of birthed Atoms and by virtue of that, Cannibal Ox, right?
Yeah…I would say the freestyles. There was always an event and every event was decent, at least good. There might be one artist you didn’t like cause it’s not your cup of tea but there was always an event and a thousand artists performing and you enjoyed who you enjoyed. And most nights you enjoyed everything! But then it would be the freestyles outside, know what I’m saying? Kids is just chilling, talking about the performance they saw and then get into a freestyle session, go get something to eat, then you take it in. It was always an event though, like Wetlands…Nuyorican was more intimate, from start to beginning Nuyorican was more like how it was after an event at Wetlands. It was more like everybody is really close whereas Wetlands was more like a performance and then afterwards was more low key.
It’s funny because you had a reputation for sick freestyling didn’t you? I read something El-P said about your verse on Metal Gear having been supposed to end with the Vast Aire adlib but you just kept going off the top for something like 24 more bars. And although I had that song on vinyl since forever, I always thought it was written that way, which is impressive. Was freestyling something you prided yourself on?
I never prided myself on freestyles. I always thought I could do better because I looked up to so many people when it came to freestyling.
Like who?
Who! Like Many Styles and…Walz…Subcon, Supernatural…many artists man, many, many artists. Pumpkinhead…kids was just nice and they went at it! Atoms did they thing too, kids was nice, but me personally…like me personally, I always jumped in and out. I would jump in, throw a lil' (dart) and be out [laughs]. But these kids went at it and me, I always fell back kinda, know what I’m saying. I was, for lack of better words, always very low key with it. I was just so happy to be there. And then later on I started becoming more involved and made more of a mark or whatever but for the most part I just loved the be there. I just loved to see my kin and kick it, and just be there! I observed more so…
You always have kind of taken the background in so many ways despite the fact that you were always artistically upfront in a sense. I remember when Sol dissed El-P and he threw your name out in the discussion when you didn’t have a record or anything and then El had you say a little rebuttal on his response. Early reviews of The Cold Vein almost made you sound like a third wheel to the contributions of Vast and El-P, but in retrospect you were almost like the cement that held everything together. Your discography and list of collaborations is far deeper than I think most people would realize but at the same time your interviews and public appearances seem rare. You seem an enigma of sorts, you have a lot of respect from your peers yet you always stayed in the shadows. Why?
I’ve grown a lot as an individual but…I think it was just natural. I think I just really enjoyed other people more so than trying to put myself out there. It wasn’t so much lack of confidence or shyness as it was me…I was just so overwhelmed by the energies that I was absorbing around my people…I always loved doing the art y’know? And being with my people, because I grew up as a single child till I was ten years old. Then I had a baby sister and a baby brother but they was close in age so they was playing with each other [laughs].
So looking at Megagraphitti, we didn’t get a press copy yet but we got a press release and track listing. And to a certain extent it seems like this is meant to be a pretty personal record, and somewhat of a dark record…what does this record symbolize to you?
It definitely symbolizes coming out of struggle and being able to…over the years I been involved in all types of situations. Recently I been rippin’ and runnin’ and just unable to sit still. Going through the struggles of how to maintain with self and just…not be bored. On a real personal level now, outside of the music, I’m finally able to be stable and be focused right now. Being focused and having some foresight towards what I want to do. That’s what I plan to do as far as promoting myself and that’s what I plan to do just as far as how I orient myself with people period. Because, yeah, I have been known as the person who is just out the picture, know what I’m saying? And now I have more of a grasp on the other shit in life so I have a much more enthusiastic feel to want to be more involved in my art. Whether it’s my music, someone else music or just music in general. Or just the politics of life in general, you feel me? I just want to be more in tune with it and more in tune with music. And so this represents a return to being more involved in music and more involved in creativity…for myself.
