Words by: Jason Hortillas

Photo by: Anna Sian

To immediately erase confusion, take a page from their most recent mixtape title – Tanya Morgan Is A Rap Group. Now that we got that clear, the trio consisting of Von Pea, Ilyas & Don Will met on the Okayplayer message boards around ’99, posting and critiquing each other’s work. Bumping into up-and-coming cats of the time like Phonte of Little Brother and producer Nicolay who also networked an album on this path, They released the critical hit Moonlighting. Recently touring with the Hieroglyphics and dropping their latest release The Bridge, the boys definitely got less time to be on their laptops. Before their tour, I got a chance to chop it up with Von Pea & Donwill  “Electric Relatxation” diner style in New York’s East Village.

 Tanya Morgan represents alot of locations like Cincinatti, Brooklyn and Los Angeles. How do you guys maintain yourselves as a group?

Donwill: It started me and Ilyas in Cincinnati and Von Pea in Brooklyn. Then I moved to D.C. and later Brooklyn and Ilyas moved to L.A. Von always been the stationary member of the group but most of the time its me and Von. Wherever we end up it’s still Tanya Morgan at the end of the day. 

The internet has been buzzin’ on Tanya Morgan. Do you guys read about your own hype?

DW: I do when I get bored but it’s like reading an old letter from a girfriend you broke up with. I used to read every inch of press but now when I hear we have a review i’m like cool. Before i was seeking it out but now I take it objectively. Perception is a motherfucker. The way people percieve anything you doing defines your reality.

Von Pea: Reviews are supposed to be informative entertainment. It’s for other people to be informed about and i’m happy it’s there but i dont want to read it.  We do this because we love it.  If you talk about us just because we have a buzz, that doesn’t help. I’d rather hear a contructive bad one than a fluff piece.

You were influenced by many groups like A Tribe Called Quest. How do you see their legacy as well as the fans perceptions of your own group?

VP: I remember when A Tribe Called Quest split – it broke my heart.  A year later i thought If I can make someone love my music like them, that’s what I want to do. Tribe is like the Stevie Wonder of Hip-Hop. I didn’t come up to him like Don. He’d be like “You don’t listen to Stevie?” I compare that to kids my age that don’t listen to Tribe. J Dilla started out with them and people who are younger then go,  “A Tribe Called Quest? I like them.”

Speaking of fans, do you feel like people treat you differently now?

VP: I was at Galapagos and there was this dude who kept walking by me for or five times. Now you know I’m from Brooklyn so i’m like is muthafucka trying to hit me? He kept walking past looking. Then he approached me. I was like sup? Then he started spitting one of my lines. It’s crazy when somebody your age shows love.

DW: We have younger fans who are teenagers who go nuts for our shit. For me its kinda crazy cause its one thing to affect your peers or people of your age we all kinda jaded as far as life and music in general.

You attribute alot of your beginnings to the web community on Okayplayer. What was your experience with Hip-Hop message boards during its infancy?

DW: Theres a large population on there that know me on there prior to this. I get alot of people say that shit is just so dope to see cats come up and do that. ‘Cause they been there since I first posted a track.  I met Nicolay through there. Funny story the joint “Wildlife” off of Foreign Exchange I did a track to the original beat. When they decided to use that beat for the album, Nicolay said he had to take that beat back unfortunately.  The only person who’s only heard my version is Von, Ilyas and Nicolay. That’s how our whole working relationship started.

VP: Through this I met Little Brother, that was the big one. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for them straight up. I was the kid that thought I had to buy an MPC and I have to go to a real studio to make it happen. The Listening proved I didn’t have to do that. I knew Phonte before there was a group.

Tanya Morgan’s The Bridge is out in stores NOW