The Fast Breakin’ Classics

Kyrby Raine

Hailing from New York, the Fast Breakin’ Classics slam so much sweat and energy in the studio that you wonder how many pounds these guys lose in concert. Distancing themselves from hip-hop cliches, the Fast Breakin’ Classics cook a potent brew on Heist City of funk and rap so infectious and mercilessly catchy that it makes everything currently on urban radio seem totally disposable and manufactured.

• •

The FBC sound is the mutant offspring of different genres. How did it come together?

Over the years FBC has developed a large family tree of musicians ranging from 20-something to 30-something in ages. Growing up in that generation of music is where the influence comes in to play. With everything from classic rock to the old days of hip-hop, the FBC takes those influences and incorporates them into our own style of hip-hop that separates us from the more contemporary hip-hop you hear today.

Creatively speaking, who calls the shots in the group – or is it a democratic system?

It’s definitely a democratic system of deciding what we all like best out of all the beats we lay on the table. And as a producer, you have to at a certain point put your foot down as not to let everybody take too many shots in the dark and cause chaos. It’s a good producer who can do his job without upsetting the whole group by helping them decide what’s best rather than saying it’s this way or no way, like most producers out there today.

How does the FBC’s live incarnation compare to its studio sound?

We keep the live feel in the studio as well so we don’t lose that vibe. All the instrumentals on Heist City were recorded and mixed live even though we recorded it in a studio. We could have been on a stage at a show. It wouldn’t have made a difference. I didn’t want to break that connection between everybody by making them record it one instrument at a time.

How did the FBC come together?

The FBC came together as a group of friends from the neighborhood who grew up together and started playing together. The FBC family grew over the years and is still growing to this day.

How does the FBC fit into the New York hip-hop scene?

The New York hip-hop scene is not what it used to be. There are a lot of fakers and wanna-be gangsta’s trying to hype up the scene with the tough talk. But they never last. New Yorkers love the FBC because it’s more than hip-hop. It’s about the old days when hip hop was about dancing to a good beat, not complaining about your Uzi weighing a ton. New Yorkers are hard people to fool when it comes to good hip-hop, and the FBC delivers the goods with heavyweight funk and lyrics that everyone can relate to.

Positronic Records: http://www.positronicrecords.com ◼