MoJoe

The fans are hollering for the hits, of course. While the band tunes up the crowd calls out favorites from classic.ghetto.soul, the debut album local hip-hop mainstays Mojoe released in 2003, then reworked and re-released in 2006. But they have a new album to promote, this year's Dirty Genes. Fortunately, emcees Tre and Easy Lee — backed by the Family Band, a tight jazz combo featuring keyboard, guitar, drums, six-string bass, and a DJ — aren't the Eagles, still touring on glory days long gone and forcing mediocre "fresh material" on an unwilling audience. Upbeat new song "Silver Line" rides the smooth swell of Tre's classic soul voice to a fast break in which Easy spits double-time. The house lights go up mid-song, and the asses shaking to the rhythm confirm Mojoe's continued vitality, while some severely out-of-sync head bobbing reaffirms the material of a million BET stand-up hacks.

Afterwards Tre takes pity on the longtime fans and takes requests. "If we could do just one song, for you," he asks," what would it be?" The response is far from unanimous. Some fans shout for down-tempo childhood reminiscence "Sweetwater," but many others opt for the song Mojoe eventually plays, fiendish club track "Voodoo Coochie." Last time through, Tre invites the audience to spell the complex hook, "V-double O-D-double O-C-double-O-C-H-I-E" then chuckles when they inevitably flub it. "After all this time, y'all still fuck it up."

Following a verse of UGK's "Living This Life," last call comes over the intercom and the crowd groans. Mojoe launches into radio-ready single "My Favorite Cut" for a finale, then follows it up at 2 a.m. with a bouncer-baiting encore. The band initially attempts to appease the "Sweetwater" contingency, and Easy drops a few lines from the spoken-word intro but quickly waves the band off. "I can't do 'Sweetwater' tonight," he says and the band plays a faster track from Dirty Genes, "Carried Away." The audience obliges, lingering after the emcees exit to dance while the band jams until the lights come up for good.

- San Antonio Current

Mojoe might sound like something straight out of an Austin Powers movie, but this kind of “mojo” has far deeper roots in rap than psychedelia. In fact, San Antonio, Texas-based emcees, Easy Lee and T.R.R.E., make up the unique sound of Mojoe. Combining pure soul with club anthem elements, the duo provides a diverse range of sounds, a trait made quite evident on their new single, My Favorite Cut. A winding soul sample abruptly plummets into a head-bobbing, self-produced booty shaker. Dirty South rhymes about sexy ladies and champagne are thrown in with random old-school soul verses and the end result is an enjoyable jumble of urban sound. More than anything, the odd combination shows Mojoe’s myriad influences, which range from The Roots to Curtis Mayfield. The duo’s new album, Dirty Genes, is set for a fall release.

- DJBooth.net

Mojoe (Bavu's Revue & The Bloom Effect Present SXSW Soul)

Mojoe can't decide whether they're a hip-hop band, a funk band, or an R&B ensemble,but it doesn't matter, they're great at all three. Backed by a six-piece band, San Antonians Easy Lee and T.R.R.E., describe themselves, "as The Roots meet Outkast over dinner with Marvin Gaye at D'Angelo's house...a party that anyone in their right mind would want to attend, a free-form jam with only the tastiest beats, rhymes, and harmonies, not to mention words and rhymes that really echo the barometer of urban life."
Sounds like arguably the corniest thing ever, except that well, the description is kind of true. Mojoe were easily the highlight of the Festival's first day. The friend who I'm staying with also hails from the land of Tim Duncan, but had never heard of them in his life. Neither had I. But I'll certainly be following them from hear on out. Ultimately, that's the beautiful thing about this place, for all the banality you have to sift through and all the over-rated Internet buzz bands, every hour possesses the potential to turn you onto the next best thing. Even if they let Fastball play.

- LA Weekly - By Jeff Weiss

Hip-Hop music has gone through many changes since its humble beginnings in the late 70's from break dancing to graffiti, from gangsta rap to the dance craze. Yo! Raps recently caught up with the steadily rising Hip-Hop group Mojoe, who has embarked on a quest to feed your ears something new. They have separated themselves from the slew of rap artist that have occupied radio and CD players over the years with a sound that they describe as "The Roots meet Outkast over dinner with Marvin Gaye at D'Angelo's house". Backed by a live band on their recently released album Dirty Genes, the duo consisting of Easy Lee and T.R.R.E. boldly step out on the ledge by fusing witty poetic rhymes with soulful R&B and jazzy hooks, while staying true to their dirty south roots. Mojoe hooked us up with an exclusive interview, in which they talk about their past, present, and future in the game. Check it out!



Introduce yourself to the audience and let us know how did Mojoe begin?



We are Easy Lee and T.R.R.E. Easy is from New Orleans and T.R.R.E. is from San Antonio. We met in San Antonio around 1995 while we were in high school. The first song we ever recorded was Sweetwater in 2000, which we put on our first album, classic.ghetto.soul. That's how Mojoe began. From there we just kept expanding on the ingredients of that first song - spoken word, rap, soul, and R&B. That first song, which was recorded in a closet at T.R.R.E.'s apartment, set the tone and bar for everything we've done since then.



Why the name Mojoe? Any deeper meaning behind it?



The word mojo means a magic spell, charm, or magical powers. It was also part of a popular blues term - mojo working. So we felt like our style of Hip-Hop blues was unique and catchy enough to cast musical spells on audiences around the world; so that's what made us choose the name Mojo. We added an "e" because we wanted it to also symbolize that we were 'more than the average Joe.' Mojo + e = Mojoe.



How much did your first joint classic.ghetto.soul elevate your careers?



classic.ghetto.soul., which was co-produced by Roger Blevins Jr. of the Austin based band Mingo Fishtrap, took our music career from a hobby to a dream to a local phenomenon to a national juggernaut. That first album created a way for us to see the whole United States of America. For cats that come from where we come from, that was a huge and rare opportunity. We met so many fans and performed in front of so many different people, and got exposed to the music and culture of so many other artists and Hip-Hop fans across the country.



What growth as artists have you experienced going from working with Beyonce's dad at Music World to your new home at Straighline?



Working with Mathew Knowles taught us about the actual amount of work and sacrifice that goes into becoming a respected musical act. We toured the country with our band in a 15 passenger van. The time we spent with Music World taught us the value of patience, hard work, practice, and showmanship. We also got exposed to the process of identifying the basic components of a hit song. We had good music, and we knew how to write great songs, but Mr. Knowles helped us understand that the melody, hook, and bridge of a hit pop song must be undeniable. And if you expect to succeed in the business of music, then you should be able and willing to compose popular music. He chose the song Yesterday to be our first single, and we toured strong off that song for two years.



So what should people expect from your recently released album Dirty Genes?



Dirty Genes is a two-fold story. It documents our transition from young men to grown ass men, but, it also speaks to our initial impressions of the music industry from a 'national recording artist' perspective. And within both of these stories there's the good and there's the bad. The pop and the blues. Listeners will clearly be able to hear our growth as men and as artist. We have music for the clubs (My Favorite Cut), classic soul (Every Tear), alternative pop (Silver Line), Hip-Hop (Strange Revival), R&B (Let's Chill), Blues (Mr. Bigg Man) and every mood in between. Dirty Genes is a well rounded project. We covered a lot of ground with this album.



Are their any featured artists/producers on the album?



Guest MC's include Bavu Blakes, Money Waters, and Famous aka Lil Ken. We produced and/or co-produced 90% of the album, but the album also features production from Roger Blevins Jr., Felony Muzik, Briss, S1, and Fire Winn.



You guys really make the Hip-Hop/Soul/Jazz fusion work really well. What inspired you to create music that's different from most of Texas' mainstream Hip-Hop?



It wasn't a conscious decision to make different music. That's just how it came out of us. They say you are what you eat. So, along with southern rap, we listen to a lot of soul and jazz music. So it just comes natural when that's what you fill you head and heart with.



Do you guys play any instruments? What type players do you have in your live band?



T.R.R.E. has come a long way on the keys. Our band consists of our long time drummer, Funky Genius. We also bring on bass, keys, guitar, and a DJ for our live shows. Depends on the venue and the set list.



So tell us what a typical session is like when recording a Mojoe song?



Our recording process usually starts outside the studio. One of us will have a hook, beat, or melody, and we start building from there. We'll stock up on some beer and chief and vibe out on ideas and concepts through the night. Then, once we get to the studio we'll lay a rough mix, we'll arrange for the session musicians to come through and lay their parts, then we'll tighten up the loose ends before we start mixing. The flows don't take long. It's the singing and harmonies that take the most time. But those extra hours getting the vocals and music just right is what sets us apart, so it's all worth it.



I was really feeling the song Carried Away from the Dirty Genes album. What's the story behind this song?



Carried Away was a last minute addition to the album. T.R.R.E. was playing around with the chords from Marvin Gaye's You Sure Love To Ball. He laid down the beat and chords and we vibed out to it. T.R.R.E. and our manger at the time, APG, started playing around with a hook for the song. Easy don't really write his raps down, so he was pacing the hotel room coming up with his flow for the song, and right about the same time, we all realized that this song was about how music can get you carried away. It's like you zone out in the creative process. So, anyway, we took it to the lab and Roger helped us lay it down. He plotted it out and helped T.R.R.E with the harmonies. We called up Mingo Fishtrap's trumpet player, Steve Butts, to come through and put the cherry on top.



Who are some of the artists or producers that Mojoe wants to work with in the future?



We want to hook up with Dwele and J. Davey for our next project. We got some things in the oven with their names written all over it.



I'm personally an advocate of live performances. I believe an artist live show is everything. Have you had the opportunity to perform live without anyone that's already established in the game?



We've done shows with some great performers. We would have to say the greatest was Doug E. Fresh. A truly legendary mic controller. Brian McKnight, Joe, and Kindred the Family Soul, also put on great shows. We've learned from so many classic Hip-Hop and soul artists along the way.



Any future tour dates or appearances that your fans should know about?



November 13 in Austin at Mohawk and November 15 in San Antonio at Limelight.



What's next on the plate for Mojoe? Any news projects you are working on?



We're focused on making sure this Dirty Genes album gets the proper roll out. But, we are most definitely chef'n on some brighter, more colourful sounds and flows for the next album. But, first things first, releasing Dirty Genes and touring in support of this instant classic.



- By Anthony Cross
- YO! Raps.com

Treson Scipio and Charles Peters are ready to come clean. Better known as Tre and Easy, the MCs of Mojoe have matured and evolved their sound since 2003’s classic.ghetto.soul. With their new album, Dirty Genes, they hope to offer something unheard of in hip-hop music — emotional honesty.

“Before digging into this project we talked about what’s missing from hip-hop, and we agreed there’s a lack of vulnerability in the music and lyrics,” explains Easy. “So we decided to be open and honest in our writing. This album is most definitely a confessional.”

What exactly does Mojoe want to confess? The Current caught up with these young artists in San Antonio to hear them spill. (Tre now lives in Dallas, Easy in Atlanta, but the boys who met at Clark High School return home regularly and talk shop with each other daily.)

Dirty Genes
These days lately my mama seem to hate me / I remind her of my ol man I never really knew … See I was born with dirty genes … Washed them in bleach trying to get ’em clean / Then I hung ’em up high for the world to see …

Immediately, the album’s first words deliver on Mojoe’s promise to lay their souls bare, making the listener feel as if he’s reading someone’s journal on the sly. Yet the stories and substance shared are, in essence, about common struggles.

“This is where we come from, being raised in a single-parent home, trying to make our lives greater, but still facing the same demons as our grandfathers and fathers before us,” says Tre, who reveals himself right away as the open heart of the group. He answers off the cuff every time, his voice often teeming with emotion and his face twisting in expression.

Tre’s full-out style is the same onstage. He engages his audience with smiling banter, and his voice soars with a style that has drawn comparisons to Al Green and D’Angelo. Although the original formula for Mojoe was supposed to be rap and poetry, Tre says he “fell into the singing thing” because they had no one else to do their hooks. Listeners lucked out in the end: Tre’s voice, all butter and twang, sings the South with remarkable versatility, and his soulful renditions are one of the key elements that make Mojoe a standout group.

Ten years ago, when Tre approached his old classmate with the idea of forming a group, Easy was already a formidable presence on the poetry slam scene. A prolific and ambitious writer, he had by then published two of his three chapbooks and was experimenting with musicians to back up his spoken word onstage. Tre brought in Mingo Fishtrap’s Roger Blevins to help with the music production, and thus the first Mojoe Family Band came to be.

On another level, “dirty genes” refers to the mixed bag of musical influences that make up Mojoe’s sound. Raised on the city’s East Side, Tre imbibed the blues and gospel along with the sounds of Texas artists DJ Screw and UGK. Easy spent his first 15 years in New Orleans where he grew up on live bounce, jazz, and rap. “So when you talk about Mojoe, you talk about all that,” says Easy, “It’s the genetics of Mojoe. And somebody might call that dirty.”

Is It?
Is it rock? Is it blues? Is it jazz? Is it pop? / Is it country? Is it hip-hop? / Is it mainstream? Is it underground? / Is it fresh? Is it new? Is it right now?

Mojoe has never quite fit in or been easily defined. They’ve performed with a live band from the start, before it became the fashionable thing to do in
hip-hop. While their staple songs evoke the old-school spirits of soul, blues, and Motown, they can still serve straight-up rap and club grooves. This unique blend is credited not only to their diverse musical tastes, but also to their San Antonio roots.

“Coming from a city like this, you have to be able to make music that appeals to a wide range of people. We found that if the music is truthful and soulful, everybody will jam with you. We wouldn’t have figured that out if we came from a city where all you had to do was get on a beat and rap to it,” says Easy.

If Tre represents the heart of Mojoe, Easy is definitely the head. Though equally candid in his responses, Easy chooses his words carefully and sometimes slips into the cadences of poetry. He seems to keep the group in focus when it comes to business matters and takes an almost scholarly approach when defining their sound and its place in the musical spectrum.

Initially hesitant to label Mojoe as hip-hop, and after launching into a brief history of the form, in the end Easy agrees, “it’s hip-hop because of what hip-hop means to us … ” “Freedom,” finishes Tre. They often refine each others sentences in a way only the tightest of partners can.

Tragic Love Song
She figures I’m selfish cuz I’m so focused on this / prolifically classic, honest and purposeful disc … But if I can’t make you happy then why we draggin’ this on? / Oh so tragic when the magic in a marriage is gone …

According to Tre, success in the music business “has its treats but it’s got its poisons, too.” Both men point to their maturity when it came to recognizing the industry for the “machine” that it is. But on the subject of the women and sinnin’ that comes with the territory, the boys fall back upon their youth.

“We had made commitments in our words to other people, but in our youthfulness, you couldn’t tell us shit. It was a party every night,” says Easy about their time touring for classic.ghetto.soul. Tre adds, “We didn’t go to college, so that was our dorm-room experience.” Soon enough, though, their focus on music and its excesses made them stray too far from home and led to regrettable rifts in family life.

Their ensuing “blue period” is referenced in some of the more poignant and well-written songs in the collection. When creating their new material, Easy says, “We kept peeling layers off the verses to where Dirty Genes is just raw. It’s crazy, ’cause, when you think of blues, you picture this old man sitting on a stool, playing guitar. But with this album, we made some real blues for our generation.”

Silver Line
Hard times are yours and mine / Keep doing for yourself and you’ll find / there’s a silver line in your sky…

Mojoe is no stranger to hard times or tough decisions. Not many acts would walk away from Mathew Knowles (aka Beyonce’s daddy, head of the Music World label), but Mojoe did just that after being asked to add a Fergie-type figure to the band.

Now signed to Straightline Entertainment, Mojoe exercised complete creative control over Dirty Genes, which was finished last April but won’t see a release until May. Tre and Easy initially expressed frustration about their album’s continual setbacks. [Both the album release and this article were originally slated for last November.] But these days they seem optimistic about a new distribution deal they’ve inked with Warner Music Group. They’re using this extra time to “trim fat” from Dirty Genes and even add some fresh tracks.

“Right now, we’re in a good place, so it’s more pop going on with us,” says Easy, adding that fans can expect more fun, organic music on their next project. Meanwhile, Tre claims the next album will be the last time he raps. When pressed to define what new genres Mojoe might explore, they threw out everything from spoken word to electric funk.

With their musical throwbacks, experimentation, and continual shape-shifting, these artists are sure to keep fans and industry execs struggling to answer the question, What exactly is Mojoe?

A close listen reveals some answers: It is real music. It is live poetry. It’s a blue soul and a Sunday morning. It’s all that. •

- SA Current