Eclectic Shades Magazine September 2014 | Page 55

The GUUD consisted of 4 emcees (Mirage, Young Nick, Trashman & Blacc Goliath) between 2008 and 2010 the group did over 125 shows and recorded 2 projects an album called "The Guudness" and a mixtape called "4 Elements" both did very well, Mirage would describes this as one of his most productive periods. The group remains friends but disbanded in 2010. Mirage quickly released "Formula512 Vol. 2" as well as "The Savant Album" in 2011 it was called some of his best solo work to date. In 2012 he also released a new mixtape called "The Soul hop Era" during the recording of that mixtape he did a show as part of The Untapped radio show on KAZI, that's where he met Side Effect. He also completed another solo album called "Art & Commerce that he would released in 2013.

After meeting in 2012 the 2 exchanged CD's and had a conversation about hip hop and touring on an independent level. In 2013 the 2 recorded a mixtape called The Undergrind (Underground-Grind) so that they would have material to perform together during the tour of the same name. They kept hearing how dope the name was so they decided to use it as a brand name to operate under. The mixtape grew legs and became an underground classic through blogs worldwide and the many views that the videos they put on youtube. Side effect comments on the pride they take in being self contained "we both understand that we had to provide a steady stream of content to stay visible in the current market, but we wanted to make sure it was quality content. I'm pretty good with video editing, Mirage512 is good with ideas and video concepts so we flooded the net with the mixtape and videos that we produced, shot and edited ourselves".

The 2 both produce, record and mix music, they both have home studios that they work out of. They want to maintain creative control above all else. The Undergrind makes what they call adult contemporary hip hop. Though they make music for everyone their main demographic golden era hip hop heads like themselves. The music has a new classic feel if that makes sense, or as Mirage512 raps on Titans "spirit of the youngins mind like the elders / learn from my mistakes so there's really no failure"

The Undergrind is currently preparing a full length album called "The Incomparable". The album plays like an ode to the golden era hip hop that they grew up on there is not much mention of balling out, overt drug abuse, how they can get your girl to cheat on you cause they have more money or how many ways they can kill you. Instead they come with witty lyrics that are meant to inspire you during your daily grind or undergrind in this case while also letting you know how nice they are on the mic. The 2 also make it a point to inject some political material on the album, they feel it completes the message they want to convey with the project. Their sound is a gumbo mix of boom Bap, southern hip hop, soul, blues and R&B

Hip Hop needs what these guys are bringing to the table, they are a much needed bridge between the classic and the future.

THE UNDERGRIND

SIDE EFFECT ([email protected])

MIRAGE512 ([email protected])

TWITTER@THEUNDERGRIND