Jarv Dee, chief operating officer of the Moor Gang — Seattle’s tight, eclectic and most talented lineup of rappers since the Mass Line collective — turns street-oriented party rap into a scathing critique of itself on his recent album, Satellites, Swishers & Spaceships. The dexterous MC directs technically proficient barbs against foes real and (sometimes) imagined, which allows for a more expansive listen than you might think upon first spin.
Jarv spent a few minutes with 206UP for this week’s entry of THE SIX. Read on below.
206UP: You open the record with an audio clip from an interview with Jordan Maxwell, a well-known conspiracy theorist and philosopher. How does the content of this clip inform the rest of the album and, ostensibly, your view of the world in general?
Jarv Dee: There are a lot of lies in the world and in rap music, and I felt that his particular clip touched on what’s happening in both those worlds. I feel like some up and coming rappers [and] aspiring artists feel you have to do certain things to be [successful]. The internet is a gift and a curse: a gift for rappers to be able to spread the word of their music without a record label’s help, and a curse by giving voices to those that are ignorant. The clip is pretty straight-forward and is definitely something I believe.
“Mind of the Masses” and the “Fox Urban” interlude seem to work hand-in-hand with each other: both describe cyclical modes of deception and thought, neither of which leave room for nuance or real hard truths to be uncovered. Do you think this type of thinking was at play when Northwest Folklife canceled the Moor’s show?
Due to last minute censorship and miscommunication, we as a collective decided to decline the invitation to participate in the Joke Life, I mean Folk Life, Festival.
Talk about the earliest days of the Moor Gang’s formation. When and why did you decide to form the collective?
Me & Nacho started as Bad Ass Yellow Boyz with Steezie NASA and felt like more heads were better than three. All the Moor Gang members were already around us so we decided to clique up and make moves together.
What would you consider your greatest musical success to be at this point in your life?
It’s just the simple fact that I’m even being heard and listened to. That’s success all in its own.
In your opinion, what are the best and worst things about summers in Seattle?
I’d say Seattle summers for me personally are a gift and a curse. It’s great and enjoyable, but it’s a bitch when I have to work in that hot ass sun!
What projects do you have in the works?
I have a few collaboration projects in the works right now, one with my bro Kris Kasanova from Brooklyn. We’ve been working on that for a while, but getting our schedules to align and finishing our own projects have gotten in the way. I also have a few possible projects with a few Moors and possibly a member of Kingdom Crumbs. You’ll just have to stay tuned to iamjarvdee.com to find out more!
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