ALL I WANTED WAS MY DAMN INTERVIEW!!

But all members of the press who attended the exciting Future Classic Festival in Miami on Sept. 12th, stood no chance of getting their story from N.E.R.D, even though I’m sure they would have appreciated a moment of NERD's time. And there were at least a hundred plus members of the press all crunched together in the VIP area on the right side of the stage...happy to be there, but suffering from body heat exhaustion. I feel that N.E.R.D. could have gave us a collective interview...but nope, we had to be satisfied with just their presence and performance, which was very good...but was it good enough?

A room full of press is a good thing for those dozens of vendors and talented artists who need the exposure. It’s also a good thing for PR firms, as it shows that they are doing their jobs which isn’t easy, there’s a lot of chaos involved. And it’s good for those people aka music lovers, who couldn’t for some reason make it to the show, so they rely on press to give them the rundown of the event. And that’s where I come in….

Now I knew Nerd was a huge successful band, but I didn’t understand what the big fuss was about.Why do people think they are so famous to the point they can't talk to people?? I’m such a hardcore rap fan with the belief that Hip Hop currently rules the music world. With NERD being an alternative rock band, I thought they would be lucky to get an interview with ME…lucky to appeal to MY audience...not the other way around! Boy was I wrong...and I learned that the absolute hard way.

(pic from virgin records)

3 p.m. When I glamorously arrived at Soho Studios, my ego got slapped into next week. I arrived too early so I sat with the vendors. Then chatted and got to know more artists and photographers. Indoors, I watched the host of the show, Brian Cynic, rip it up. I watched the skateboarders on the built-in ramps. I interviewed City of God (will publish it soon), met up with Fuzic Music, and chilled in the backstage with Art Official. These people are cool by the way (their music reviews coming soon).

7 p.m. Outdoors, I watched, photographed and listened to Ketchy Shuby and Jahfe, two great bands. The DJ battle was in a separate room, and the dance crews (Fly Khicks from America’s Best Dance Crew and Flipside Kings) performed. I can’t lie and say that it wasn’t overall a great event. But my readers wanted to hear directly from NERD. I had teenagers asking me to ask Pharrell if he’d ever built that ramp from Rob Drydek’s, (the skateboarder), Fantasy Factory. So I remained strong-minded about the interview.

1 a.m. The Press no longer had access to backstage so we all were crushed together on a VIP deck in the corner facing the stage. At this point, my dumb-ass was still determined to get the interview. So I worked my magic (had to drop it paparazzi-style) and finally got to be the only reporter in the backstage VIP room where I knew NERD had to come after their performance. Oh goody, I told myself, I was finally about to get my interview!! …But after the show, Pharrell and NERD ran out of the side entrance, hopped into their truck, and dashed away...not speaking to any press. The little people is how these rock bands get paid. Maybe NERD will remember us one day. Damn!! 10 hours in high-heals for nothing!!

Check out these pics from the show. Shout out to CBS Photography, official sponsors of the site. Check out their website HERE.

THE CITY OF GOD



The Band from left to right: Raphael (Drums), Stephanie (Vocals), Rocco (Bass), Danny (Vocals), Gunnar (Guitar), & Tiago (DJ/Sunthesizer)...Tiago spoke for the band. We linked up at the Future Classic Festival in Miami.

LISA: Tell the readers where your band name came from?

City of God: We got our name from the City Of God Movie.

LISA: Did you see the third City of God installment which recreates the police side of the story?

City of God: The name of that movie is Tropa de Elite (Elite Squad), which is one of the dopest movies out there…you see there are two sides to the story about the Brazilian hood. The City of God talks about what is really happening on the streets, and then Elite Squad is the cops side of the story.

LISA: So what do you think about the second movie, The City of Men?

City of God: I think the City of Men was cool because it made people realize how it felt to be in a difficult world. The City of God was one story, but The City of Men was a series and it truly describes how it is to grow up in that environment. You see, Brazil is a really crazy country. Brazil is a country that has two different types of societies. High society vs. the very low society Brazil. Our new president, Luiz Inacio De Silva, aka Lula, is a people’s president…sort of like Obama is here…and he is really important to us and really what we want right now. But the whole concept of the movie truly describes what Brazil really is.

LISA: Are you well received in Brazil for embracing “The City of God” as the name to describe your band and your sound?

City of God: Of course. The City of God describes our cultures and it’s where our roots lie. And our roots are all about people. It’s not about what you have or what you do. We’re about people…and people carry people.

LISA: The City of God is a phenomenal group to where you’re talented enough to open for groups like NERD…Tell us how were you able to rise from that environment to where you are today.
City of God Pictures: Alexandre Rodrigues

City of God: Follow your dreams. Stick to your dreams and don’t stop for any reason. We’re proof that it doesn’t matter what city you’re in, what type of society you come from, your income, or anything that surrounds you. It’s only about you sticking to your dreams.

LISA: So basically, when we think about the City of God, what do you want us to think?

City of God: The Future

The Band, City of God's album, REBIRTH OF SWAG, available now. Go to www.cityofgodmusic.com for more information...




pic from CBS PHOTOGRAPHY