In 2008, Westword named Boostwell the best hip-hop crew in Denver. Headed by SP Double, Boostwell consisted of local MCs and producers Flawless, Fo Chief, ManDaMyth, Catch Lungs, EMB, Purpose, Procise, Kontrast and a few others. Shortly after the recognition, a number of members left and launched the Fresh Breath Committee (FBC). Led mostly by Flawless, FBC is a collective of like-minded solo artists who first came together to support each other but quickly realized the chemistry they had as a full-fledged group. They're preparing to drop their debut album, CPR, this month. We caught up with Flawless and talked about the new crew, the new album and hip-hop in 2009.
Westword: How did the Fresh Breath Committee form?
Flawless: Five of us [Flawless, Fo Chief, Kontrast, Purpose, Catch Lungs] linked up though a former crew we were a part of in 2008. We branched out on our own as a result of creative differences with other members of that crew. We brought DJ Skip Ripkin on board, along with female vocalist Crystal and producer Hi Res, and the sound was so amazing. We knew we had something special.
So what does the name "Fresh Breath Committee" mean?
Basically it was a name that defined us as a collective perfectly. We want every word spoken, note sang and track completed to be a breath of fresh air, nothing ever sour or false. And that is what this committee of artists can bring to the hip-hop culture, thus giving you Fresh Breath Committee.
The name of the album is CPR. What's the science behind that title?
CPR is a metaphor for what this album represents. The real hip-hop culture has been on life support, struggling to stay alive. With this album, FBC is breathing life back into the game, giving it the fresh breath that it needs for true hip-hop music to be revived and saved.
What do you think today's hip-hop lacks? Why does it need CPR?
I think hip-hop today lacks the true passion for where it all began and what it started from. It started from expressing true struggle and people with a voice speaking the truth to send a strong message. Real singers, MCs, turntablists, b-boys, etc. It needs CPR because of the people who have almost turned it into pop music. So we need to save hip-hop. We want to bring back the element of fusing many types of musical genres into one.
Other than the crew, who else makes appearances on the album?
We were very fortunate to work with the legendary Masta Ace on the track "Save the Day." Masta Ace is everything you could want in a legendary MC giving you real hip-hop music. We also have a track titled "Turn It Up," featuring the ReMINDers, which is a Colorado-based group. They are truly genuine people who share our love and passion for the music. — Quibian Salazar-Moreno
For more of our interview with Flawless of the Fresh Breath Committee, visit blogs.westword.com/backbeat/qa.
