Headliners

We have: DJ Ill Co, Slush-One hustler and manager, Reggy Lines the linefront man and Ryan 2 Times making those beats and breaking them up. Jane is missing, she is the singing part of the crew. P-Irie soon to be seen as the support act of the Headliners? He didn't want to headline any more, so quitted the crew. Started off in Zoetermeer, a suburb of The Hague, The Netherlands. And now giving an interview in coffee shop Netsotov's kitchen. Representing in an air of good weed and laid back tracks, Lenny Kravits, on the background. (A Dutch coffee shop is not known for its coffee but as a legal and official retailer of weed).

Friends on school, love HipHop, getting busy, you know the deal. Headliners are a part of Da Phat Pack. A crew with breakers, singers, writers etc. etc. Going to party's together. Reggy Lines about how the performing started: "Bought a machine, you could make some beats on. That's every thing you can say about it. And one week later we performed for the first time at a youth center in Zoetermeer. Cool, loved it." DJ Ill Co: "But it was proven that we needed a beat creator, so we met Ryan."

It's so simple. While doing the interview I jump to the conclusion that we are doing it in Dutch. So we have a crew rapping in English, a magazine written in English and AQ is interviewing in Dutch?! Yes, we are on the right track again.

AQ: What is the sound of Headliners?
Reggy Lines: "Ryan 2 Times loves whole different music then I do. So we have different kinds of styles. Together it gets how it is. I don't need The Hague as only inspiration source for my lyrics. For example I went to France for a holiday last week and wrote five lyrics. By the way French people only speak French, 'very handy'. But I get my inspiration from everything. I write every day."
AQ: It's a unique sound. Spacey, industrial hard beats but with what as roots?
Reggy Lines: "Ha, ha... Smoking much?"
Slush One: "Reggy and Ryan both got a dark mind. So the sound is kind of dark too."
Reggy Lines: "Most HipHop is funky today. Ours trips, it spaces and is hard. Most beats are up-tempo not slow like trip-hop. We don't use a lot of soul samples. For example that 'singing saw', it was a string. Cut it up and reversed it."
Responsible: Ryan 2 Times. People didn't have to ask him something for a second time. He used to tag Twice.
Slush One: "He always goes out with two girls."
Ryan 2 Times with a smile: "Also going home with two girls. Everyday."


"We are busy people, so people meet us."

Very active on the producing front they already released a lot of tapes. One 7" red vinyl single. That size you can't store anywhere. Not with your records, tapes, or CD's. "We are on four compilations CD's and two coming up. One with a magazine called Reload from Amsterdam." (Listen to 'b-boys' on www.reload.nl)
AQ: How come?
Reggy Lines: "I just write a lot. Why hold it back? 'Write, record and release'."
Slush One: "I'm just doing a lot. Like to do a lot. Did my own magazine, a graffiti magazine called Freestyle'. It was the first graffiti magazine in Europe, though kind of wacky because it was made with black and white copies. Now doing 'Reflections', a kind of fan letter were we also put other cats in the spotlight. If you have news, just send it to tank33@wxs.nl. When I met Headliners I was the man to do the things next to the music. I couldn't rap, DJ or produce beats but I can work hard and good. Merchandising Headliners, T-shirts, Reflections and tapes. You know the deal."

AQ: You're releasing tapes, CD's, making T-shirts, performing a lot. I see you going with a busload in a rental bus cold rocking a party.
(...)
Slush One: What was the question?
AQ: Do not know. Lost it totally... Got it! So what do you think about the future?
Slush One: "Well, we are emotional people. We do what we do with our feelings. We don't have plans like 'We got to make it!' or something. As long as we feel happy with it we do it. Getting better and better."
Reggy Lines: "We think in terms of delivering a lot. You can choose your best songs. If you deliver a lot you get known. And if your known you get to places. People should come when we are performing because it is always a party when we are rocking."
(Listen to 'Always Ready Never Done' on Dutch Breakz)
AQ