Emcee Les Izmore and producer D/WILL make up the electrifying hip-hop duo Heartfelt Anarchy. The two artists blend their respective talents together in this project to create a vital, prolific musical collective for the Kansas City scene to enjoy. We talk with them about their upcoming appearance at Middle of the Map Fest.
The Deli: Down and dirty: 1 sentence to describe your music. What is it?
D/WILL: Alan Parsons Project x DJ premier instrumentals with Izmore raps on top.
Les Izmore: Middle of The Map Music.
The Deli: What other artists are you looking forward to seeing at MotM?
D/WILL: Ebony Tusks, Stik Figa, and all the amazing DJs.
The Deli: Let’s talk about the self-titled album you just released, What can we expect?
Heartfelt Anarchy: An experience.
The Deli: What does supporting local music mean to you?
Heartfelt Anarchy: Community.
The Deli: Who are your favorite local musicians right now?
Les: Cowboy Indian Bear, The Abnorm, Diverse, and The Conquerors.
The Deli: Who are your favorite not-so-local musicians right now?
D/WILL: Binary Star, WLAK, Lecrae, Yellawolf, Kendrick Lamar, The Black Keys, Ces Cru.
Les: Antibalas, Ka, Animal Collective, Kendrick Lamar, and Danny Brown.
The Deli: What is your ultimate fantasy concert bill to play on?
D/WILL: I have been blessed to rock with a lot of national acts, so that’s a tough one… Madlib and J.Roc, maybe.
Les: James Brown and The JBs, Exuma, Outkast, Rage Against The Machine, and Fela Kuti.
The Deli: Would you rather spend the rest of your life on stage or in the recording studio?
D/WILL: In the recording studio.
Les: Stage.
The Deli: A music-themed Mount Rushmore. What four faces are you putting up there and why?
D/WILL: James Brown—he’s the godfather of soul, and was the hardest working man in show biz.
Marvin Gaye—super soul!! So talented… an amazing musician/producer and his voice is like heaven.
J Dilla—King. He changed the way my ears hear music.
Les: James Brown, Sun Ra, Fela Kuti, Bo Diddley.
The Deli: All right, give us the rundown. Where all on this big crazy web can you be found?
Heartfelt Anarchy: http://heartfeltanarchy.bandcamp.com
The Deli: Always go out on a high note. Any last words of wisdom for the Deli audience?
D/WILL: Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.
Les: Each crew Teach Two. And check out live shows. And put down ya phones and engage.
Heartfelt Anarchy is:
D-WILL
Les Izmore
Check out Heartfelt Anarchy at Middle of the Map Fest Friday, April 5, where they will play at The Conspiracy Room inside The Uptown Theater at 10:00 pm. They will play right after The Last Bison and right before Kids These Days.
You can check out their other projects at Middle of the Map too—Les will be featured with The Hearts of Darkness on Saturday at 2:00 pm on The Outdoor Stage (outside of Buzzard Beach). D/WILL performs with Stik Figa at The Riot Room on Saturday at 11:30 pm.
–Michelle Bacon