When you’re presented with something uncommon, it’s not easy to label it and although the music industry likes to label their artists and genres, the opposite is true for El Paso music collective ‘Rare Individuals’. The crew is made up founding members Derrell Peoples, Lavell Jones, Josh Brown and Andy C. along with heavy collaboration with their DJ’s ‘The Heavy Heads’. Their sound can be described as having hip-hop elements along with identifiable notes of dance, pop and alternative rock.
Despite having formed the group, each of the members actively pursue their own music; Derrell and Andy formed a duo on the side called ‘DNA’ short for ‘Diverse & Artistic’, Lavell and Josh are independent artists as well and Lavell is currently working on releasing a solo album titled ‘Searching’.
Fusion Magazine caught up with a few members from the crew to discuss their history together and their aspirations for their individual and collective music careers.
How long have you guys been making music together?
Derrell: Well Lavell, Josh and I have known each other our entire lives. We’ve been doing music since we were very young and have been in rap groups with other members but we are the core members of Rare. In high school, I met Andy C.; I saw potential in his work and he got thrown in the mix.
Lavell: Josh and Derrell and I grew up together. We were kids when we started our group; we even have pictures of us when were six years old performing in front of our parents.
Josh: That’s really how everything started – we just went with it.
What were those first few years of making music together like?
Lavell: When we first started writing, we wrote choruses. We never really understood what a verse was back then and so we would write four or eight bars of the same things. We had two microphones and a tape recorder; we’d record that and make our parents listen to it. [Laughs] That was our first experience with recording.
Josh: I have to say that we got serious about making tracks when we were about 15, our freshman year in High School. We began recording at Derrell’s house, in his room and in the closet. We’ve called ourselves ‘Rare Individuals’ since about senior year in high school.
Lavell: We had other friends from high school that we got involved with us musically, but we four took it our music a lot more seriously and just stuck to it. I think the music comes out better because we’ve been together for so long, too. The topics that we’ll touch on are stronger too.
How do you feel that your sound has developed?
Derrell: After high school, Andy C. and I moved to Orlando, Florida for a little while to work on our music. Moving helped the development of our music but I think that we’re still developing; we’re always on the search to be better. We love music and respect the art form and we have a message that we want to spread of peace, speak truth to the people and inspire some change.
As you’ve been refining your sound, what kind of elements are you incorporating in Rare?
Derrell: We are definitely incorporating new sounds into the mix. We’re influenced by so many artists and we take different elements from every genre. So through our music we want you to hear things that you normally don’t hear in hip-hop. We hear new music and that’s just a new idea to add to our arsenal.
Lavell: We would take what we already knew about hip-hop and incorporate new elements of music that were getting into, like alternative or classic rock. Artists that I would say influence our music are The Beatles, Pharrell Williams, Kanye West and Jay Z. I’m really big on lyrics, substance and flow.
Josh: Although Kanye West influences me and his music was the first that I bought, I don’t like to say that I make hip-hop music. When I really started studying music, I really gravitated towards indie music, alternative rock and even a little gospel but I really love being creative with music and mixing all those elements together into one.
I’m looking to create something new every single time I make a track. Not just in reference to hip-hop, but in music in general. I want to continue to bring elements into my music that people just haven’t heard before. Personally I like electronic, neo-soul, a little gospel and even a little classical.
Any plans on touring soon?
Josh: We’re just looking to do a little four city tour in Austin, Dallas, San Antonio and so on. Not really planning a full blown tour until we put a little more music out there and get our name out there.
Lavell: Actually I will be showing up in February for Black History Month at Southwest University. We might also drive over to SXSW to perform as well.
What are your personal musical goals?
Lavell: My personal goal is to be taken more seriously on a musical level. It’s not just about Hip-Hop or Rap for me. I’ve been working on my upcoming album ‘Searching’ for a while and I feel that people will respect it a lot more and it’s been so much fun making it.
What else is in store for the group in 2013?
Josh: It would be nice for Rare Individuals to take the music world by storm 5 to 10 years from now and share our ideology of ‘Rare Individuals’ you know – when you’re rare, you simply can’t be duplicated. I’d love it if we could inspire folks with our message of positivity. I want to bring freshness to the music industry.
Right now we’re working on a compilation album that should be coming out later this year. That’s what we’re focusing our energy on.
Lavell: We’re in the process of picking out the tracks; it should have around 14 songs on it.
Derrell: That’s going to be a bigger release and we hope to have it out by summer 2013, maybe sooner in spring. That’ll be something really special, I promise.
Get Connected:
Lavell Jones: https://www.facebook.com/LavellJonesMusic
DNA – Diverse & Artistic: https://www.facebook.com/rareDNA
Josh Brown: https://www.facebook.com/joshbrownrare
Heavy Heads: https://www.facebook.com/TheHeavyHeads
TEXT: CRYSTI COUTURE @CrystiCouture