To call the Rumble Strips a ska band is a tad misleading. They do have a Madness-worthy horn section that gets employed on a quite a few tracks, but reading early press coverage about the band, you’d think they were the second coming of the Specials in matching checkerboard suits, skinny ties and dark shades. Despite the need of many rock journalists to quickly slap a two-tone label on the band, the brass section is hardly the centerpiece of the Rumble Strips. Girls and Weather, their first full-length, actually draws stronger influences from the typical classic Brit pop bands, borrowing from groups like the Kinks, the Jam and Blur. Don’t expect any life-changing political anthems on Girls and Weather, as the Rumble Strips tend to traffic more in catchy songs about daydreaming and crushes.

The ’90s underground scene was more than a little important in the evolution of hip-hop music as we know it today. In fact, some could argue that era rivals much of today’s musical productions. And during the ’90s, more than a few prominent artists on the underground circuit were blessed with the incredible behind-the-scenes mastery of K-Def. Beats, beats and more beats composing a jazzy, soul-fueled aura that commanded attention were K-Def’s bread and butter. He produced and laid down the music that helped make an emcee’s flow work on multiple levels.

Though a mere toddler in the multiculturalism of the wider world, Seoul’s hunger for new influences is quickly changing the city’s traditional monoculture. It won’t be too long before we see some strong brands and international influence coming out of Korea.

On the last leg of his acclaimed Liquid Swords tour, the emcee known as the Gza took a young pupil to school, a student who has since 1993, never been late to a class taught by the thoroughbred Staten Island academics known as the Wu-Tang Clan. With the recent release of Gza’s fifth solo venture, Pro Tools (Babygrand Records), tonight’s lesson revolves around longevity and the use of metaphor in a hip-hop verse. The Brooklyn-bred professor (born Gary Grice) proudly opens his mental vault when the enlightenment-seeking pupil asks an astute question of what the metaphor means to his teacher’s work and what he hopes his listeners take away from the words he crafts and how that has enhanced his longevity.

The Gza has been sharpening his darts since the age of 11 in 1976. On this specific night he asserts himself stating that his key to longevity is a concoction mixed of one part being true to himself, one part knowing how to adapt to the listener, with a splash of the ability of being able to stay ahead of changes that are sure to come in this ever-fickle industry filled with “here today, gone tomorrow” artists and fans alike. Dropping his first commercial joint in 1990 on Cold Chillin’ Records (Words From the Genius) and subsequently adding four solo albums and countless features to his discography since his debut, is what has primed the Gza for a seat on board of directors of the Lyrical Come Correct Committee, if there ever was such a thing.

Just as his pupil begins to understand what longevity means to a teacher who can claim a fan base that spans two generations, the Gza attempts to adjust the aperture on the mind’s eye of his student, hoping to shed more light. “The power of the metaphor brings color to the picture. It makes it three-dimensional. You can turn it around. See it this way. See it that way. It’s like when Meth said ‘Killa Bee, holding down his honeycomb.’ That could mean your loot, ya girl, ya crib…just a small example of how metaphor is powerful. Take Rakim for example. I don’t know if you know remember this joint but on ‘Musical Massacre’ Ra says, ‘…If this is imitation it can’t be the same show/Maybe what you’ll find somewhere over the rainbow/Courage, heart, brain, you need rhyme/Turn on your mic, snap your fingers three times/We gone, or the story won’t end the same/And you’ll feel the flame/The potion was weak, make another antidote…’ It took me eight years to figure out he was talking about the Wizard of Oz right there. That’s how good metaphor can be used, it keeps people listening.”

Hello my name is…
Jason Arnold.

Aka…
J, J Dog, JDA, Jarnold.

I was born in…
Alabama, raised in Southern Oregon and Southern California. Been in Orange County since ‘85 with a winter on Kauai and a few years in Mammoth.

The reason that you’re reading about me is…
I guess someone finds me interesting… No, I’ve been in the surf, snow and skate industry for 15-plus years and am a shameless self-promoter.

I work for…
Myself! I direct marketing for Blackhart Brotherhood (a design/marketing firm) and Allyance apparel.

Right now I’m working on…
Keeping my forehead off the desk.

But I’d rather be…
Sleeping!

The worst job I ever had was…
One of those temp gigs where you sit there for six hours applying labels. Torture. I lasted about a week.

My most prized possessions are…
By far, my 13-year old daughter (if she can be considered a “possession”). Materialistically, I’d say my surf ridin’ stick and my books.

The first thing I do in the morning is…
Wake up grumpy, smoke a cig, go to work.

The last thing I do at night is…
Go to bed tired.

My mama always said…
When I was just a baby, my mama told me “Son, always be a good boy, don’t ever play with guns.”

I love it when people…
Do what they say and say what they mean, are having a good time, don’t complain all the time, and are down to earth no matter who they are or what kind of status they have.

I can’t stand when people…
Lie, cheat and steal. I also can’t stand it when people won’t stand on their own two feet and take responsibility for their actions.

The most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen is…
My daughter, Jessie! She saved my life probably.

I am what I drive/ride, which is…
I rock a long and wide van.

If you ever see me walking down the street…
Please don’t run me over or throw anything at me.

My most notable run-in with the law was when…
Oh boy, there’ve been a few, no comment.

If I had to say sorry it would be because…
I made a girl cry or did something stupid to one of my friends ‘cause I was drunk.

I lose control when…
I drink whiskey or tequila, which is why I haven’t drank either in over ten years.

The last time I swore I’d never drink was after a night of…
Drinking. Last night led to me saying just that this morning!

Future projects and plans include…
Plenty of ongoing projects with Allyance; we’ve just wrapped up two surf contests and the tradeshow circuit; snow is probably flying by now so gearing up for the season. My plans are to become filthy rich while maintaining my dirt bag lifestyle.

And before I leave I’d like to give a shout out to…
My family! Without the support of my folks, who have shown me by example the importance of sacrificing for those you love and the imperative need for honesty, and my daughter being born, I probably would have been in a bad place. Also, my close friends, you know who you are, thanks for the support!

I’m voting for…
Voting is for those that actually think they’re gonna make a difference. That’s pretty cynical huh? My politics are best kept to myself.

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PickleSickle.com provides all the proof you’ll need.