If there is any good that comes out of our fucked up state as one nation under Bush’s regime (yet again) or periods of stagnation in music-be it Hip Hop or not, it is the reaction against it; the effort made by everyday people to make a statement contrary to the status quo. Three everyday cats, two of whom just happen to be dope emcees of underground fame, Mr. Lif and Akrobatik, and one of indie Hip Hop’s fav go-to DJs, DJ Fakts One, got together to form the Perceptionists-and their debut LP, “Black Dialogue” is precisely a statement against the status quo both in a political sense and against the common expectations that even their own fans might have of them. The precursor to the LP, the mix tape CD “The Razor” already caused some hype amongst the back packer crowd. What struck me first though, was the taste I got of their live show in August of 2004 at the Henry Fonda Theatre-Ak and Lif’s energy on stage really got my attention because it was like they had designed the act to be enjoyed most while listened to live. Flash forward a few weeks, and I’m eating $2 Falafels with Lif in New York, getting a first hand glimpse into how much Lif, Ak, and Fakts toiled over the completion of the record. The resulting album, which hits the streets on March 22, is a collection of various sounds; some tracks are the straight up message music we’ve come to expect and dig about Lif and Ak (with that signature Def Jux sound), while others are really party joints-it’s dope, no doubt, but it may take a couple listens for fans to really appreciate what they are setting out to do. With a three record deal on Def Jux, we should be hearing a lot more from the Perceptionists in the next couple years. In any case, read on to the interview below to see what they have to say about the record, the state of Hip Hop, and some other subjects.

V: So tell me about how you guys got to putting the Perceptionists together as a group.
Fakts: We’ve been friends for a long time I actually met them both when I was doing my radio show back in the day at Emerson College in Boston and I met them at various times throughout that and Lif approached me about doing some cuts on his record which is his first record, Elektro, and from there it became a real good working relationship I met Ak, when I first starting producing and making beats and he’s one of the first emcees I gave one of my beats to and from there for me I learned as I was going on my feet and it just happened that they happened to be there so it just kind of worked out like that.

V: How did you guys come up with the title “Black Dialogue” for the record?
Ak: Being three young black men in America, we couldn’t overlook the fact that our race is a significant point in what we’re doing, as underground artists a lot of the underground/indie rappers and a lot of the fans are white and I think that there’s a real serious misconception of what Black people are like in the Hip Hop community. That’s pretty much what “Black Dialogue” is all about; it’s Lif and I conversing on a whole bunch of different topics that affect us not just as Hip Hoppas but also as black men. Also “Black Dialogue” means not just black in terms of race but also black in terms of having a shadow over it-we’re talking about things that most rappers don’t have the balls to talk about.

V: The whole record varies a lot in sound. Some tracks are even reminiscent of the Native Tongues sound while others are political and yet others sound like party jams-maybe something you’d expect from a “jiggier” artist, was this intentional?
Fakts: That’s exactly what we were going for. We really set out when we talked about doing the record at the beginning to make it on some fun shit where there’s a song everyone can relate to. We just wanted to recreate that fun late eighties early nineties vibe where you could throw it down at a punk party and people will like it and put it on at a Hip Hop party and people will like it. Even though they are all kind of different they all do have a common thread that makes it consistent.

V: Ak, on the track “Memorial Day,” it was almost like you got into the head of a soldier out there in the trenches. How did you get into that mind frame?
Ak: I actually had a conversation with a kid who is in Iraq and it really hit me because he basically sent me an e-mail and his whole sentiment was that he was over there in this mess and they didn’t know what they were doing and he’s seeing people die everyday and so when it came time for me to write memorial day I thought about him and I thought why don’t I write this from the perspective of one of the soldiers over there instead of just another angry citizen.

V: What track would any of you say you’re most proud of on “Black Dialogue”?
Lif: It’s hard because sometimes different things strike me, right now “Black Dialogue” has held the title because I think it’s important right now, because I do not like the way that black artists are representing themselves on the commercial level I feel like we’re setting ourselves back, like it’s straight up buffoonery, Uncle Tom shit.

V: People get endorsements and sponsorships from different corporations so they can push their products in rap songs; that doesn’t help the cause.
Lif: Yea, it’s ridiculous these people are just poster boys and girls for the American dream, it’s like all they do is get on TV, they throw money at you, there’s attractive people in the videos. The sales pitch for this country is in every single video. It’s like you can just be ultra successful but not a real type of success, just the most superficial level and people just fall for it. It’s actually really pitiful is what it is, it’s just time for Black artists to wake up and stop representing themselves like that, unless that’s really you, and you really are that much of a jackass then do that shit-I’m not against gangster rap. It’s like NWA, Kool G Rap, I’m into all of that stuff.

V: Even those emcees, while rapping about whips or chains, would throw in your subversive lyric here and there. They hadn’t forgotten who they were. Even TuPac himself maintained a certain level of consciousness-I don’t know if other mainstream artists out there are grasping the importance of doing that.
Lif: I remember back in the day even Kool G. Rap had songs like “Erase Racism” and shit like that, G Rap paints a picture of the actual strife of what was going on in that era and in that time piece. His poetical value was so high. Now the style is so dumbed down; it really is just for the kids, which is what’s scary about it and like you said the artists don’t really honor that type of commentary. Another thing is think about how many people emulate TuPac it’s like how many people base their image around the elements that they thought were great about TuPac, look at JaRule. How many JaRules are running around with no top on and a rag on their head?

V: Im not sure what JaRule is angry about yet
Lif: He’s singing love ballads

V: Even his love ballads aren’t that real either
Lif: It just breaks shit down on every level, and the portrait of love that all these people have is not even realistic it’s like anyone who’s ever really been in love and been in a relationship that they’ve put real effort into; just knows that a lot of that shit these people are rapping about doesn’t really matter, when it comes down to it you gotta fight for it…..It’s like great work that you guys are doing for the Black family, thank you. As if shit isn’t already fucked up enough now the young men have like no idea that they can even meet a respectable lady and if they do they’re gonna treat her poorly, there’s too much going around. It really is just some house nigga, Uncle Tom mockery, really

V: Lif and AK, you guys are consistently labeled as “conscious emcees.” How do you feel about being labeled?
Ak: I don’t mind being labeled as a conscious emcee because at the end of the day what’s the opposite of conscious? You’re unconscious, so if I have to choose between being conscious or unconscious I’m gonna choose conscious. So I don’t mind that people can hear what I have to say and recognize that I’m aware of what’s going on around me. I think the problem comes in when people take a word like conscious and convince themselves that it means something other than what it really means

V: Or just associate it with head wraps or a certain look
Ak: Yeah exactly I mean it’s funny cuz on a day to day basis like if I’m walking down the street and I’m just doing my thing say I’m going to buy some CDs or go downtown or something, there will be some ladies out there and they’ll look at me and think I’m an average, thugged out ignorant cat just by looking at me. I can’t avoid that cuz I like to dress a certain way I carry myself a certain way but when I talk-if you have a conversation with me, you see that I’m about more than that. I think that’s the most important part, it’s not really a category that you have to fit into, like you gotta wear a Dashiki if you have something positive to say.

V: Ak, as a Boston head, do you still feel as tied to the Boston Hip Hop scene as you were years ago? Who are some of your favorite up and coming artists from that area that you want to shout out?
Ak: Any time you reach a situation where you get a little success and start traveling more, it becomes difficult to keep in full contact and connection with everything that’s going on in your local scene but I do feel like I'm pretty much connected. I feel like I know just about most of the people who are doing their thing out here, I don’t get the opportunity to come out to as many shows but when we’re out on the road I definitely try to hit up as much stuff as I can. As far as cats that are here doing their thing, there’s this one kid his name is Rocklyn he’s done some work with Fakts also. He’s pretty tight, hopefully people will hear more from him. Another cat out here called Dre Robinson whose doing his thing too. Of course you got other cats that have been around for a while but to me they haven’t really gotten the props they deserve cats like Krumb Snatcha, he’s not really an up-and-comer but he could definitely have a bigger audience, he’s underrated.

V: Fakts, It seems that as the lyricial content has taken a back seat in music and the role of the producer is becoming more crucial…..
Fakts: Yea, I agree with that

V: What changes have you noticed in the role of producers? What producers out there are you really into?
Fakts: Oh definitely, as a producer that’s what I listen for now when I listen to an album, I actually listen to a lot of West Coast stuff, and that’s where you guys are based out of right? A lot of the Stones Throw camp, I love the Beat Junkies. They’re one of my biggest inspirations as far as DJ’ing goes, even though on the indie level, cats are really big fans of Madlib because they’re so used to hearing the name associated with dope shit.

V: As a DJ and Producer what are the top few records that are essential for any crate digger?
Fakts: I always get stumped on these types of questions but I’ll just name a couple of influential ones for me: “Criminal Minded,” The first 3 Tribe Called Quest records, Public Enemy “It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back,” and as far as non Hip Hop goes, I listen to a lot of 70s like funk Bootsie, P-Funk-every single member of P-Funk had an offshoot project and I’ve listened to all of them and that’s essentially where all of my music base comes from, I heard a lot of that growing up. As long as it’s got some funk and a bass line, I’m cool.

V: Lif, I really liked your collaboration with DJ Krush, are you looking forward to collaborating with similar artists in the future?
Lif: There are a lot of exciting artists out there that I am excited to work with. One of those being ApSci, it’s short for Applied Science, it consist of my man Rapheal and his wife Dana and DJ Big Wiz who DJ’s for Aesop quite often on the road. Dana sings and Rafael comes with a De La-esque style of rhyme. We just did a song and their album is gonna be coming out on Quanum. I’m not sure when the release date is but it will be released in 2005.

V: Lif, if you weren’t rapping what would you be doing?
Lif: If I wasn’t a rapper I think I’d still want to make beats but one thing that I’m doing is writing a cartoon and I’m working on a sci-fi book that I plan to make into a film. One day maybe me Ak and Fakts will be coaching a high school football team. When we do get a team we’re definitely coming to bust your shit!

V: Do any of you have any other words for the people that will be reading this article?
Fakts: Um, other than I hope you like our record.

V: Buy it please
Fakts: Yea, buy it please! And I guess my words are what we were talking about earlier where people think in the box; try to realize that we’re trying to give you a little bit of everything here, it might not be something that you’re used to hearing from any of the three of us but we guarantee it’s good shit.

V: Change is definitely good
Fakts: Yea, you summed it up right there.