Reykjavík Grapevine - 06.08.2004, Blaðsíða 26

Reykjavík Grapevine - 06.08.2004, Blaðsíða 26
by Bart Cameron On August 6th, PoppTíví will broadcast from the Battle of the MCs at Gaukur á Stöng. The favorite to win goes by the name of Dóri DNA. He won the battle two years ago and is always a finalist, though he has faltered recently. He is also coming out with a new album in a few months which promises to change the face and the production value of Icelandic hip hop. And he’s Halldór Laxness’s grandson. So what does he have to say for him- self? First of all, how old is he? Dóri: Write down that I’m 20. I think it sounds better. All the rap- pers are in their twenties now. Grapevine: Done. Where are we going? Dóri: We’re going to drive out to get my CD from my producer. But you can’t bootleg it. Everybody had the first Rottweiler CD before it went on sale. Grapevine: I don’t think that will be a problem. But if I wanted to, do I put it down as Dóri or is there a band name? Dóri: NBC-No Bullshit Campaign. We played with that name once and it stuck. “There are only three words in English that don´t rhyme” GV: How long have you been on the scene here? Dóri: Four years, but I became es- tablished two years ago when I won the MC battle 8 Mile style. GV: And you’ll be involved in the 50 Cent show, right? Dóri: I’m in the Rottweiler show, opening, yeah. Their MC is featured on the NBC album. This record is the best that Icelandic hip hop has ever seen. It offers beats and rhymes that are A Class. GV: Who are you topping? What’s the best before you? Dóri: Forgotten Lores was really good. The first Rottweiler album was really good. The Gods’ Off- spring, their second album is great. GV: And these are MC’s who rap only in Icelandic. Dóri: Yeah. Rottweiler sold 10,000 copies of their first album. GV: Isn’t it easier to rap in Icelandic with all the inflections? I mean, the old poetry is full of thick rhymes. Dóri: The old poetry, the rímur, people say that’s like rap. But it’s not really. It can be really long. Most of the rímur did not even rhyme. And the language was hard to understand. Some of them were six hours long. GV: Okay. But the language? Dóri: No. There are only three words in English that don’t rhyme. It’s harder in Icelandic. We’ve also got fewer words. “It´s not a reference to my grandfather…” GV: But you rhyme in Icelandic. And then there’s your moniker, Dóri DNA. Dóri: Everyone thinks it’s a reference to my grandfather. But it’s not like that. I want to make it on my own talents. There was just a call out at the end of a song, and I said my name, my crew, which was DNA, and Mosfellsbær. GV: That’s where Laxness lived. Dóri: I live right next to his house. We have been driving throughout Reykjavík and pull up at what seems like a random street corner. There a strung-out looking young man waves us down, runs over to the car, and holds a CD in front of Dóri. “Ekki bootlegga,” he says, and gives me a stern look. Dóri calms him down as the man looks me over. Finally, he hands the CD over. We go through the three songs on the CD, track by track. The rhyming is relaxed and skilled, but the pro- duction may stand out even more. “Beat makers in Iceland are very talented - some of them do make it internationally,” Dóri says. Somehow this leads into him telling me that he practices Brazilian Jujitsu. “See if you can work that into the article. Brazilian Jujitsu,” he says. And there it is. DON ´T B OOT LEG IT: DÓR I DN A P REP ARE S TO REW RITE HIP HO P MUSICand����� All Over Town, August 6th-7th GAY PRIDE The Pride opens at Loftkastalinn Theatre at 21.00 on the 6th. At 24.00 there will be a girls’ ball at Þjóðleikhúskjallarinn and a boys’ ball at Jón Forseti. On Saturday, the parade starts at 15.00 at Hlemmur and goes down Laugarvegur, where the stage pro- gram begins at 16.15. Gay balls are held at NASA, Jón Forseti and Nelly´s in the evening. Café Rósenberg, August 9th THE ROBIN NOLAN TRIO The Robin Nolan Trio is a contemporary jazz powerhouse producing hypnotic rhythms and rippling melodic themes of Latin, jazz and hot club de France. Their repertoire features jazz standards from the greatest composers of the 20th century, including Django Reinhardt, Cole Porter, and Duke Ellington, as well as their original compositions. George Harrison was a fan, so shouldn’t we be? Bar 11, August 11th, 22:00 DAYS OF OUR LIVES Punk Rock band Days of our Lives is playing to- night. They’ve been around for a year now and play only their own songs, 12 or in total. Jón Björn plays bass, Leifur and Egill play guitars, Konni drums and Andri sings. This is their first gig with a new bass player. They’ll also be playing outside clothes store Brim on Culture Night. No Admission. Laugardalshöll, August 11th 50 CENT & GUNIT The Mother Fucking PIMP is here with his friends, money and sponsored footwear. 50 Cent is here on his “beg for mercy world tour” and backing him up are among many, Icelandic hip hop bands Quarashi (who are also big in Japan) and the XXX Rottweiler, featuring Johnny Nash. Admission is 4500krónur and tickets will be available at the door. Grand Rokk, August 12th, 21:00 RÍKIÐ Rock band Ríkið will be celebrating its one year an- niversary along with Nintendo rock band Dýrðin, Jan Mayen and the Icelandic debut of the Foghorns, fea- turing Hot Bucket II. The band has also decided to take this opportunity to disband. Ríkið released the album Seljum Allt (Sell Everything). This was widely ignored, except by authorities who slapped a huge sales tax on the mostly unsold pressing. The band responded by giving the album away at a concert en- titled Gefum allt (Give Everything). It is still await- ing a refund from the tax, although this has failed to appear. Vocalist Valur Gunnarsson is currently the editor of a reputable local publication, and bassist Jón Trausti sells ads for said publication. Drummer Óli drives a truck, and guitarist Árni Hamaríus will soon be celebrating his first year of unemployment. The visitor´s KEY to ICELAND Its saga and scenery Over 400 colour photographs A complete ROAD AND REFERENCE GUIDE Including the highlands and all mountain roads Also Available in Germ an as: “Island Atlas” Iceland is a country of great and unusual natural beauty. Every turn in the road, every change in the weather presents a new and fascinating aspect. Detailed maps of the entire Icelandic road system Street maps of towns and villages Maps of numbered mountain tracks Map of golf courses Classified list of advertisers Index of 3,000 place names Information on accommodation, petrol stations, etc. And much, much more Available in bookstores and petrol stations around Iceland For more info call Stöng Publishing House – Tel.: + 354 554 77 00 NIGHTLIFE 26

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