Detroit, Michigan’s Wisemen are a movement that has amplified its Wu-Tang Clan roots to impart a theme of hardcore, soulful traditional Rap for the people. With emcee/producer Kevlaar 7, brother of Bronze Nazareth, finally releasing his debut album, Die Ageless, their movement takes a tone of immediate relevance and continues their effort to promote their Black urban lyricist movement that plans solos from Phillie, Salute, June Megalodon and Illah Dayz all this year.
Kevlaar 7 is active in his Detroit community seeking to share his art and awaken people to the pathways out of their oppression. Rarely wavering in that intensity, he plans to release an all-produced Woodenchainz album in August and an LP fully produced by Bronze at the end of the year. For now, he takes a moment to give HipHopDX his thoughts on the real Detroit battlefield, his writing techniques and beat choices.
HipHopDX: Immortal Technique recently noted he at least saw negative gentrification and the illusion of progress in US cities. All but Detroit. What’s the connection with that and all of the progressive Hip Hop music coming from Detroit?
Kevlaar 7: Detroit is like a beautiful nightmare. I guess the artists are portraying beauty when they put it out in music form. It comes out beautiful because it’s so ugly sometimes. It comes off as a release and then I’m not gonna front, [Immortal Technique] is right. It’s fucked up. I got seeds. You always want your seeds to grow up good, in a safe neighborhood and play outside. It’s like it’s almost time to get away. If it was just me that I had to think about it’d be cool. I love it. With those to take care of and protect, you make different types of moves on some grown man shit. For real.
DX: People have told me that 8 Mile is really just a barrier. It’s not really the heart of that gutter, ill street ghetto.
Kevlaar 7: They’re right. I have to tell a lot of people that 8 Mile is just the dividing point. On the South Side of 8 Mile is Detroit all the way down. On the other side are the suburbs like Farmdale and Warren. The south side of 8 Mile is Detroit and farther down south that center line it’s really hood. On 8 Mile you could get hurt on certain spots if you on the south side of the road but if really you want to go to some of the war zones it’s on 7 Mile. You also gotta think about the southwest, the number streets. That’s where Phillie is from. Salute is from the Diggs [Housing] Projects. That’s on the East Side, right off of 75. It’s crazy.
DX: Where exactly was your studio?
Kevlaar 7: Our studio was on Greenfield in the Grand River area. It’s more in the city. The farther you get in the city the more hood it’s gon get until you get downtown. In fact we had to get rid of the studio because we had so many break-ins. We was working on it. We had tool-boxes and building materials and we lost all of that shit in the course of about 10 break-ins. We brought it there on purpose trying to bring some positivity to the area. Now we moved the studio to Bronze [Nazareth’s] basement in his crib. We had to do that cuz niggas was doing crazy shit. They would chisel through a cinderblock wall in the abandoned building next door. Walk in through that chiseled wall and run in and out with everything.
DX: You are the most overtly conscious militant of the Wisemen. How do you bring that message to the Detroit community?
Kevlaar 7: There’s a certain sound to the independent artists in Detroit. We’re not just talking about bitches booties bouncing and making it rain. It boils down to the trickery done on the minds of our people that has them dumb down and not want to listen to shit that makes them think and become free thinkers. We still go to open mics, show up at a club and just chill. We don’t have to be performing, just show our support.
DX: How did you come with the album title for your debut, Die Ageless?
Kevlaar 7: I said that in a verse years back. I had a list of names to choose from as far as album names and that stuck with me. What it means is that when I drop this album on the 29th, that’s how I’m living forever. We live once and I’m going to die, it’s inevitable. But I’m ageless because I put this material out and to me it’s so poignant that I live forever through that shit. I tied that with Paragone with Celestial Productions at www.CelestialProductions.com, for the album cover design. That’s my son on the cover writing in the background. That’s actually a verse I wrote seen there and behind is a pile of books. I also live forever through my son when he has offspring too. Even when I’m dead I’m dying ageless because my mark will always be here.
DX: On “Someday,” produced by Bronze, you paralleled his verse to be mirror images of each other but distinct. Both of you are speaking about someone passing and feeling less alive.
Kevlaar 7: We sat down and did that on purpose. He wrote his verse and it was ill. He said I want you to write a verse that’s symmetrical. So when I said, “when Tyler died I felt less alive” it is at the same point he had said it in his verse. On the same bar. That’s part of the reason why that song was so epic to me.
DX: Die Ageless also deals with the choices we make as in “Solstice” when you say, “a good nigga is what I saw, almost perfect but one mistake captured his soul inside these verses/y’all listen and learn that this violence is worthless …” Tell me about the stories on “Solstice” and “Fallen Angel.”
Kevlaar 7: Those are both true stories but at the same time I embellish a little bit. It was in my junior or senior year in high school and we’re playing basketball in the driveway and there’s a corner store right across the street. But long story short, a dude got bucked on the pay phone by the store. So there were brains on the floor and it was my first time seeing that. The shit was crazy to me. The beat I made just put me in that mode to write that. It just fell out of me. You know how I started off, “1995, early autumn I saw the fire from the hammer / As soon as I bent the corner / Drop to my chest this block is hotter than a sauna / Peer from a spot and seen the nigga that was shot…” That’s exactly what it was and I embellished a little bit with The Bible and Quran trying to draw people in. Sometimes to make mothafukas take the right medicine you gotta wrap sugar around it.
And that was basically the same shit with “Fallen Angel.” I was living in a high rise in Detroit and right on Jefferson there was this club right behind the crib. I’m coming home one day and just trying to park. This nigga was just wilding and I’m trying to park and he’s yelling to get the fuck out of the way. I’m talking shit but then he pulls up and got the joint on the edges and I’m gon’ get done. That’s what it turned into with me now using my imagination because he was the devil. The passenger, his woman, saved my life, telling him that I’m just trying to get home, leave him alone.
That was deep to me and Bronze did that beat. Ghostface Killah had actually picked it out before when he picked nine beats from me and 21 from Bronze and that was one of them. When Bronze told me that Ghostface Killah had just picked it out too, I was like “Get your [money and recognition]. Give it to him. We’re trying to grow.” Eventually Ghost didn’t use none of them beats so I was like, “Yo, I need that beat!”
DX: The tracks, mainly from Bronze and Woodenchainz and some others are extremely drum dominant with lots of drum rolls, stutters, sharp snares.
Kevlaar 7: Exactly! That’s how I like my drums. This album me and Woodenchainz just did [Sophisticated Movement], he and Bronze are kind of the same. They like their drums to blend into the sample whereas me, I want my drums heavy. I want the kicks kicking and I want the snares to fuck your eardrum up. About half the time I tell them to raise the drums up.
DX: Ultimately, this album is your wake up call to the people to just struggle. You express that on “Now,” saying you’re here for the cause. What’s the cause?
Kevlaar 7: The cause is my people. That’s the current theme throughout the whole album. I’m connected with my people with my heart. Everyday I’m reading and want to elevate my mind for my people. But it frustrates me and you’ve seen my posts on Facebook so you know. The other day I said something like, “a man who knows the truth but still lives by the lie is an ultimate form of self-destruction.” Mothafuckas know the truth but they’re like “Fuck it.” That frustrates the shit out of me. We can change and I know it’s a slow process but we won’t change if it adds up to tens of thousands of mothafuckas who refuse to. It boils down to you being too lazy to change. The truth is a hard pill to swallow and a lot of people don’t want it.
Wow. S/O to DX for covering one of the best squads out there. BEST group in MIDWEST!
A lot of bitch niggas adding on in this cipher. If PUN was alive he would of pistol whopped all ya for talking shit. He would of probably collabo with Kevlaar and Bronze ’cause that’s fuckin dope they are! REAL HIP HOP! REAL FUCKIN MUSIC!
#TRUTH
“A lot of bitch niggas adding on in this cipher. If PUN was alive he would of pistol whopped all ya for talking shit. He would of probably collabo with Kevlaar and Bronze ’cause that’s fuckin dope they are! REAL HIP HOP! REAL FUCKIN MUSIC!”
TRUTH SPOKEN!! MUCH LOVE FROM THE LEFT COAST!! KEVLAAR 7 MAKING NOIZZZZE!!
cool guy just a bad rapper ,but its not his fault ///wu tang always puts out a branch of little underground groups that suck!
FYI Wu didn’t put these guys out. Bronze and the Wisemen built a name for themselves. Bronze, being that he so nice wit it, got the invite and opportunity to fucks wit RZA…can you say that?…I highly doubt it. Thus they was given rights to be Wu associates. That’s grind right there. I’ll take a Wu OG like RZAs opinion over yours any minute of the year. And what you mean “cool guy”? You and Kev be kickin it or something? now you on here hatin on him? Or you just sittin at your computer basin your opinion on what google tells you…fuckouttahere
i was listening to some bronze production on “Wu-tang Meets Indie” that shit was fire!
Wisemen isn’t Wu and doesn’t claim to be!!! Bronze GETS the Wu stamp without asking for it because RZA CHOSE to mess with HIM!! Learn the history Mr. OG Triple OG Gangster X before you open your mouth playa playa
this song is not good! and why would he disresepct puns mural like that wit this wack shit !
Let me guess, it should be YOU in front of the mural because your from the Bronx and because your so much more talented, you just haven’t been heard by the right person yet blahza blahza blahza Never heard that one before! This dude is talented and so is the other MC spittin’ in front of the mural! Seems to me both men are simply showing respect to a great fallen MC!
detroit kids are cool just not that good at rapping but atleast he tried lol
Does that list of “Detroit kids not good at rapping” include Eminem, Xzibit, Obie Trice, Royce da 5’9 and D12? I mean I feel you, whats 15 platinum albums and 13 grammy’s REALLY mean anyways right? Your either trolling or you recieve a gov. check on the 1st for a mental illness. Wisemen are dope. Kevlaar on stand alone is dope. Detroit and many other midwest cities are full of talented MC’s as are ALOT of cities ALL AROUND the US
wisemen=wutang biters!
pdonfrom the wu Wisemen is the TRUTH
Bronze makes some fairly decent beats but these guys are a fucking embarrassment to the Wu Tang brand…some of the wackest mc’s I’ve ever heard
Do I know you? You sound like a bitter 5% who is hating because The Wisemen who are not WU biters, but an extension of the WU adding on the Blues element to the Soul sound developed by RZA, are actually talented. I bet you, you can’t even pick up a fuckin mic, much less write a lyric.
No, you don’t. Bitter? More like honest. I’ve checked for every Wu related offshoot since day one and these guys are, in my opinion, wack. Yes they attempt to utilize soul music into their beats and many of the beats are high quality, but Wu Tang has always been about intricate lyrics, styles, and stories. These dudes rarely, if ever, bring that. They have no charisma or flavor and are the definition of average mc’s.
I’ll take that bet. Bring it.
wisemen carry their legacy with lyrics and beats. RZA gotta be proud of them doing it alone not beggin, not asking, just makin shit on their own. Plus you def ain’t heard the Die Ageless album so you sound real stupid saying that. These brothers got lyrics. jus that song “kings” up there, Kevlaar said “”All these rappers they rich off some bullshit…I bleed a hard road to follow, swallowing shadows” and Salute said “Paragraph niggas–intent’s indent…” that’s clever, deep and ill spoken. And Bronze got 2 classic solo albums! With quotables all over from “black royalty” to “jesus feet” and if you ain’t feelin beats like “5th Chamber” or “Worship” you weak and need to keep the drake in your life.
Come on, son. Two classic solo albums? The Great Migration was unbearable. HE SUCKS. Kevlar is worse. I said the beats were good from the jump so you’re wasting your breath trying to argue that. I love Wu Meets the Indie Culture and he did most of that. But he’s ass. Not sure what Drake has to do with any of this but if you feel that that makes your defense of utterly wack rappers better I guess you gotta play your hand. These dudes never had shit on Moongod Allah, Darkim B Allah, The Lin Brothers, Cilvaringz, or anyone in the entire Moonlight Family but for some reason got more shine. A truly undefendable and unexplainable mistake by anyone associated with the WU to allow these losers to tarnish the legacy of the greatest hip hop group in history.
I have to agree with Ive. He knows what he’s talking about. Ive gives you his argument on why he thinks that Wisemen has the talent by showing you the lyrics and argues, but you are even deaf or dumb to understand that. Your only argument is that they’re whack. Come on son, as Ed Love would say.
“All these rappers they rich off some bullshit…I bleed a hard road to follow, swallowing shadows”
Ok. This ain’t hot. It’s hating on the industry and successful rappers because he himself can’t get money due to his lack of talent. Rappers who act like they hate money is fucking pathetic.
It’s quite obvious that 99% of the supporters of this trash are these clowns’ homeys or just themselves since i’ve never seen any of these sn’s on any thread on this site before and no other website would ever mention them…No way they get 50 comments…it’s all good, man…I hope they buy you a slush puppy
“99% of the supporters of this trash are these clowns’ homeys”
There called fans genius.
And you’ll find great numbers that agree that there are many rappers getting rich of the working man’s $ without putting much effort into there music. Also, nowhere does he say he hates $ only that his love for the artform > than his love for $
If you can’t feel that, than obviously this music isn’t for you. Come to that simple conclusion and move on with your life. Your not being asked to figure a Calculus equation here
WORD!!!!
There’s more fans of these guys on this site than the real Wu or other non-mainstream rappers? GTFOH. These guys are flooding this post with their own support. Your average post of non-mainstream rappers gets 12 comments.
I agree with not liking artists who put out trash strictly to make money but I already know about it, I don’t need to hear someone rap about it. Either diss the pop rappers or keep it moving, don’t claim to ‘love the art’ more than everyone else because you’re unsuccessful.
I’m just having a discussion, homey. Real talk. I value all of your opinions. You all obviously have a lot of heart felt thoughts about hip hop and I respect that.
LOL @ the calculus equation! Maybe these guys can work with Canibus to help me get my math game up?
“These dudes never had shit on Moongod Allah, Darkim B Allah, The Lin Brothers, Cilvaringz, or anyone in the entire Moonlight Family but for some reason got more shine.” – Docevoc …..I Know the Reason: Wisemen has BETTER and MORE music. You must have something personal against a member of their group because anyone with an ear can hear that they obviously have talent and put actual effort and thought into the music they make. To say this music is “utterly wack” is baseless, definite talent here…you either 1. have a personal issue with them (sounds like it since you wanted so bad for mooncamp or whatever to make it over Wisemen) 2. or this music isn’t your style. And if it’s not your style, why are you on here wasting your time with it? Go do your rock music, and leave hip hop to the city boys chief.
Effort doesn’t equal quality…Brian Scalabrine tries his ass off whenever he’s on the floor but no one wants to pay to see him, or see him at all – period…I’m wasting my time because if you are associated with the greatest brand in hip hop history, trying to eat off of it, then you better be able to continue the legacy…
WOW!! I just listened to one of your tracks lil fella LOLOLOL You on here having the balls to call someone wack!! HAHAHAHA You. Are. A. JOKE.
Yall wanna see what kind of credibility the critics have on these comments thats calling Kevlaar wack?! Check this jokers music out LOLOLOLOLOL Google Dockevoc
Get your feelings hurt SON!!!
Wisemen “an embarrassment to the clan legacy?” Are you on dust DOC? You are HATING. These guys are the truth.
You conversely, are lying to yourself, stop trying to convince yourself these guys are wack. dese niggas nice! lol and I googled you too. LMAO. Maybe your still mad at Detroit because Eminem just absolutely shat all over Benzino & Boston. hehehehehehehehehehe!
You dudes are probably suburban wiggers talking shit. I’m from queens, and this is the crew that thumps through speakers in my projects on the regular. Both of these niggas put it down, and production was on point.
rza put these guys out? smfh! well he did put wacl la the dark man and willie the kid out ! not suprized one bit ! rza has not made a ill beat since 95 same for just about all the ill producers …now a days vets just putting on who ever aslong as they get there cash!
queens is a bunch of nerd if it aint the bridge or flushing yall niggas and go kiss a dick! this is harlem 135 and lennox same block as L and if i listen to you on buying this shit! i would have came to ya house on some murder shit or goggled you cuz of ya advice on thru the net !if its not ,meth,rae,ghost,gza, killah preist,the rebel ins ,nobody wants to hear this wack off brand shit ! son is not even better then cam and thats pretty bad !
I’m from flushing dumbass. And what nerds you know from queens? Fuck cam pink wearin’ computer putin rhymin’ ass has been nigga. You probably not old enough to buy beer,die slow.
michigan music at its best. this is how we live. revolution, not that fake as glitter hip-hop. peace to kevlaar and bronze.
fuck the whole midwest! they just a bunch of wack clowns wit no flavor wit it comes to hiphop!who the hell let these wu dick riders,fake wutang corp cats infront of a legends mural perform this ? puns in his grave crying in anger ! smfh hiphop dx wtf yall not hiphop yall dx …..dicks!
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Wow, there are some H-aters on here!!! I can’t be mad though, It would probably be my natural reaction to hate on this too if it was over my head and made me feel incompetent. Leave the comment section for people that actually listen to and understand music. Go back to watching Teen Mom and Jersey Shore reruns…stick to what you know it’s too late for you anyways. You’ve swallowed too many “media” and “useless information” pills to be a free thinker. That last sentence was a metaphor, can we say “metaphor” kids? I don’t want your brain to overheat… Fuck what ya heard…WISEMEN All DAY ERR DAY!!!
wisemen ,wise girls what eva there name is shits crazy wack! bronze is what his production is not GOLD! sick of these off beat rapping so called revolution rappers that read mad books wit cheap flows! alot of cats are underground for a reason cuz they crazy wack!
niggas kept breaking in there stuido trying to keep them from rapping lmao! plese dont put nomore of this wack shit on yall site weneed more east coast shit not know mid west wackness ,like elzi,twista ,willie the kid,or royce da 5’9 ! shit is bugged yo word up!
“not know mid west wackness” Really? LOL “not know” LMAO Wouldn’t expect someone of your great mental compacity to understand conscience hip hop. Sounds like you just have a general prejudice towards Midwest hip hop, no matter if there talented or not.
Straight up VVG! Flat out midwest hatred, it wouldn’t matter who this article was about to this dude. This man can spit tho, ill sh**. Continue your quest!!
attention recieved. mission accomplished huh? -_-
wisemen < pistons
lmmfao!!!!!!!!!
Pistons>Knicks
8 yrs w/o a ring > 42 yrs w/o a ring
*capacity*
Sounds like a bunch of Midwest hatin from computer nerds playin internet thugs on here
Word!! Most these lil “thugs” is jerkin’ to there Drake screensavers right now!! If yall really gangsters and thugs from the NY (which I doubt it) why are you posting on the net!! You should be busy out killing someone right damn now!! Get a life posers!!
REAL HIP HOP IN THE BUILDING!!! KEEP DOING YOUR THING FAM!!!
dope sound. not for the faint of mind.
WEST HARLEM, NEW YORK LOVE!! THIS IS TRUE HIP HOP MUSIC, DON’T UNDERSTAND ALL THE NEW YORK SIDEWAYS TALK ON THESE CATS! UPLIFTING AND WELL THOUGHT OUT!!
Respect.
Seen them live MANY times! House rockers! Everytime guaranteed!!!!!!!!!!
2 things: Detroit niggaz are hella grimey. The other thing is, even though Kevlar got that beat, I bet you $5 Mathematics got it and will use it for yet another tasteless wu compilation with recycled rhymes over the beat or vice versa. Just saying. I’m wu till I did son!
If these dudes can’t rap, then NOBODY can rap. These dudes are the goddamn SAVIORS of this shit, keeping the grimy, grainy, vinyl boom-bap type shit alive to the fullest.
Name me a human who threw a better dart the last five years than “Mixture of Muhammad.”
And the reason these dudes are associated with Wu is because real recognize real, and this is as REAL as rap gets nowadays.
Quoth Raekwon:
“Pay attention, put ya shoes on”
If these dudes can’t rap, then NOBODY can rap. These dudes are the goddamn SAVIORS of this shit, keeping the grimy, grainy, vinyl boom-bap type shit alive to the fullest.
Name me a human who threw a better dart the last five years than “Mixture of Muhammad.”
And the reason these dudes are associated with Wu is because real recognize real, and this is as REAL as rap gets these days.
Quoth Raekwon:
“Pay attention, put ya shoes on”
Name me a human who threw a better dart the last five years than “Mixture of Muhammad.
Diabolic – The Truth, Part II
so wu tang retired and brung the corn balls out uh smfh …..Rza is mad wack now working with knaye and shit fuck wisemen we wanna hear WU-TANG
@ dangermouse
*scratches head* how in the fuck do you wanna hear wu tang…then turn around and say Rza is mad wack? Im sure niggas dont even want your kinda support. weirdo.
ferndale bitch
Nice to see rappers thats putting time into there rhymes
Long time fan of your sound! Keep the good tunes coming brother!
this kid bronze been biting off of the wu ,when he made that joint for raekwon called butter knifes …..i neva liked wu affilates groups like,killer army,la the dark man etc killa sin made bronze nasertah beat sound dope other then that shit is avg at best not trash tho
man shut the fuck up you picky bitch embrace it or dont, aint nobody tryin to hear all that bs, bronze been apart of the wu elements for OVER 10 years! Bronze is involved DIRECTLY with Rza, freddy kruger etc…and furthermore majority of the “wu affiliates” is actual family. killarmy is 9th prince’s group 9th is RZA’s brother, killa sin is Power’s brother Power & Rae are cousins, Divine is RZA’s brother, Loung Lo is Cappa’s brother so on and so forth…this shit is like 20 plus years etched in stone and you over here bitching…eat a dick g…
NIGGAS IN THE BX NEED TO START HEARING NIGGAS BEFORE THEY LET THEM RECORD IN FRONT OF PUNS MURAL …CUZ THIS SHIT IS t.r.a.s.h ! and mad disrepect
Philly Chump…GTFOH
first off, that mural is in detroit not the BX. second, he and salute killed that!
Mannn alotta dudes on this joint talkin mad shit for NO REASON. If you don’t like the shit, that’s cool…RESPECT. But, expressing all the feelings about why you dislike someone you don’t know because of a video or affiliation really sound like some female type shit. If you are a female….go douche or summin. Kevlaar and the Wisemen have been reppin their own shit since day one. Also, they keep it real consistent and obviously get love. Enough love to get on HipHopDX…U Mad??