Hip hop crews are a dying breed. Every rapper nowadays is a solo artist. Locals, Six of Seven, on the other hand bring back the 80s and 90s spirit of groups like Wu-Tang Clan, Cypress Hill and Hieroglyphics by focusing on the group aspect and not one single lead rapper.

The crew has rotated a little bit since its inception two years ago. The lineup for their latest EP, White Heaven in Hell, released last week, includes the five emcees Wise Pro, Iron Slaughter, Life, Denial and Redeem with Life producing the beats.

Llife’s beats are simple, old school samples that bring to mind the classic laid back West Coast vibe. The lyrics, on the other hand, are hyper and kinetic. While each emcee brings their own unique personality to their verses, they all share in a similar passion for spitting out fast complex rhythms and poetic word strings. The five of them work together, but at times seem like they are competing to be the quickest in the group.

The seven tracks on White Heaven in Hell are the result of their two years of songwriting. While they are re-inventing the wheel when it comes to the West Coast hip hop sound, they do demonstrate skill at their craft and great respect for the genre and the decades of artists that came before them with solid atmospheric boom-bap beats that leave space for the emcees to spit as many words out as possible, which they do.

The songs have a similar production quality to one another—airy beats and aggressive vocals. The strongest song is the opener, “Forgotten Truths” which has an almost Eastern flair to it. Other highlights include “She” which has a 70s funk backbeat and “Bill’s Cosby,” which despite the title is actually very serious. (Bill Cosby’s sweater is a frequent reference throughout the EP). It has probably the softest beat on the EP. Also, the closer, “Blade Runner” is a great energetic track.

For the past year, local rap crew, Six of Seven, have been hosting monthly hip hop shows at South First billiards called Natural Selections. The shows are free and showcase artwork by local artists. This Saturday marks their one-year anniversary, which also happens to be the release show for their latest EP. We interviewed one of the rappers from the crew, LIFE, about what the past year has been like, and what we can expect in the future from Six of Seven.

Why don’t you tell me a little bit Six of Seven, what you do at South First Billiards and what the shows have been like?

Yes, Six of Seven is a collaborative initiative that includes core members Raymond Bustos (Wise Pro), Richard Bustos (Iron Slaughter), Zack Whitley (Denial) & myself (LIFE). Together we organize local Hip Hop events, which we call the Natural Selections Show in San Jose @ So. 1st Billiards. We’ve been doing so for over a year now with the help & cooperation of many prominent & active local artists. From live painting to live performances, we offer a fresh variety of awesome talent at no charge, as all our shows are free.

What is the attraction to bringing together art and hip hop together and how do they complement each other?

It’s all about stimulating your senses to the max. Whether it’s hypnotizing sounds or thought provoking visual art, I believe all these art forms complement each other as they present themselves in a manner for all to see, enjoy, & experience themselves. The more the stimuli, the better the show, in my opinion.

What sets apart your monthly shows from all the other hip hop shows happening here in the south bay?

I think the main thing that sets our hip hop shows apart from the rest is that we’re offer free shows for our local community. Other shows are based on selling tickets for big headliners and whatnot, but at our Natty Selects Shows, we don’t let just anyone perform on stage. We like to present and offer high quality Hip Hop, which is a rare commodity nowadays. You’re gonna see and witness Real Hip Hop with soul & substance when you’re at our events.

Tell me a little bit about your crew. What do you offer as a collective to hip hop?

Six of Seven has been active for years, but we officially went public back in 2010 when we first performed at the Cypher at Johnny V’s. Since then, we’ve released a double-length mixtape (Light Years/Post Apocalypse) and also been working on numerous singles. This month, Oct 20 will be our latest EP release and we’re excited to finally have something concrete to give to people. A lot of work has been put into the 7 songs being presented. I believe the fact that we’re lyricists, and put thought into what we write sets us apart from many other artists. That and also the classic sampled tracks that make up our beats and compliment the bars we write, give us a style that’s unique, pure and unadulterated.

Do you have anything special planned for the 1-year anniversary show?

We’ve got big plans! It’s going to be a Halloween costume party with a $100 prize costume contest! We’re gonna have a fog machine, strobe light & lasers! Not to mention a fresh lineup of performances planned that night, from Midnight Arsinal, KohXDeen, Walt Rogers, Sharkstyliens, Six Of Seven, & Natural Fx! There’s also going to be live painting by Adam Valentino, Joseph Rodriguez, & Oscar Lars (all amazing artists). Live DJing will be provided courtesy of DJ S90. And to top it all off, drink specials will be in effect! ($1 Jello Shots, $5 AMF’s, & $3 PBR’s). Plus we’ll have hard copies of our EP available at the show!

What are your plans for the upcoming year? Will you guys continue to put on monthly shows at South First Billiards? Or do you have other plans in the work you wouldn’t mind sharing with us?

We’re definitely going to keep throwing our shows and providing a source of local Hip Hop for our city. Ever since San Jose lost the Voodoo lounge, Toon’s, and Music in the Park, it’s harder and scarcer to find a place to have and host Hip Hop events. With the help of all the artists we’ve worked and continue to work with, we’ll be supplying the people what they want. We’re in the works of finding a proper location where we can throw all ages events so we can incorporate a more community-based aspect to the movement. Stay tuned…

Six of Seven play at South First Billiards on Saturday October 20th at 9:30pm.The show is free.