Ground Up are emcees Malakai and Azar and producer Bij Lincoln (a.k.a. Malcolm McDowell, Alex Azar, and Bijan Houshiarnejad). Young, hungry and armed with the help from friends, these guys are dedicated to taking on the ailing rap game one mixtape at a time. If you ain’t heard, then you can download all their mixtapes as well as unreleased music for FREE here. We’d also like to introduce you to some more words from Ground Up.
The Deli: How did Ground Up start?
Malakai: Well, Ground Up is much larger than you think. A lot of us met our first year at Temple University freshman orientation. Before all the music, we were just great friends. Azar had been recording since high school, and one day we decided to mess around in the studio. We recorded a song, not expecting to do anything with it. After realizing that we had some sort of musical chemistry, we jokingly decided to make a mixtape. In that way, Ground Up was more of a coincidence than a creation. As the music progressed and expanded, so did our fan base. Bij Lincs attended high school with Azar and was in California at that time. He produced a few songs for us before coming back to PA to join the group.
TD: Where did the band name Ground Up come from?
M: The band name is a reference to the way we started: from the ground up. We have built a movement of sorts by pooling our resources and not being afraid to ask for help from the people we love most: our friends. As a result, everything we’ve done so far has been self-contained and in-house. Videos, web design, promotion, booking, and recording have been handled by the Ground Up family. There are only three of us being interviewed, but there are about 15 members of Ground Up that are serving just as important roles as us, the musicians.
TD: What are your biggest musical influences?
M: A lot of my musical influences are actually poets. Because I began writing as a poet, I guess I equate poetry and music. I’d say I’m influenced most by T.S. Eliot, Walt Whitman, and Saul Williams to name a few.
Azar: Guys like Jay-Z (the best ever), Tribe Called Quest,
Black Thought, Mos Def, Kanye West, The Wu, Big Pun, and Big L helped mold me as an artist and as a person. There’s only a handful of artists that constantly motivate me to get better and those are a few. Also, my mother would play me The Gypsy Kings and The Buena Vista Social Club while my dad preached Pink Floyd and Leonard Cohen. And while I’ve always been a hip-hop head at the core, my parents were responsible for opening my mind to different genres and styles. I’m forever grateful.
Bij Lincoln: I come from a very musical family. My two older brothers are currently band members in the often featured indie rock band,
Drink Up Buttercup. When I was a child, I was constantly surrounded by musical instruments as well as my brothers’ music choices. Because of that, I acquired a love for jazz , classical music, and rock which I try to incorporate in my productions. The most influential musicians to me have been people like The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Dizzy Gillespie, Fats Waller, Queen, Gnarls Barkley, Cake, and Outkast. For a hip-hop producer, my favorite artists may seem strange, but I’m truly a fan of music in any form, as long as it’s distorted and polite.
TD: What artists (local, national and/or international) are you currently listening to?
M: Locally,
The Lawsuits and Drink Up Buttercup are both good friends of ours, and we happen to love their music. New artists like J. Cole and Wiz Khalifa are always a good listen. We’re always listening to Hov.
TD: What’s the first concert that you ever attended and first album that you ever bought?
M: I think my first concert was a Jay-Z Headline. My first album was by the St. Lunatics. I was a big Nelly fan in my younger days.
A: My first concert was a Christina Aguilera performance…it’s a long story…I was convinced I was going to sweep her off her feet and marry her when I was 10 at that show. The first album I ever owned was the cassette version of Puff Daddy and the Family’s No Way Out. I loved the shiny suits, what can I say?
BL: My first concert was
Jedi Mind Tricks at the Trocadero. It was a blast until all these clowns started moshing and throwing fists. My first album was Puff Daddy and the Family’s
No Way Out.
TD: What do you love about Philly?
M: The artist culture of Philadelphia is a wonderful atmosphere. It’s a great place to create and promote. In addition to that, people are open-minded and excited about new acts. And…the girls look nice here.
TD: What do you hate about Philly?
M: The police.
A: My ex-landlords
BL: Parking authority.
TD: What are your plans for 2010?
M: We have a mixtape called Girls Who Smoke Cigarettes coming out in early November, as well as an album releasing on ITunes by the end of the year. Our real plan is to perform anywhere and everywhere we can. We’re gaining fans out there, and we can’t wait to make it out to meet them. We’ll continue to put out music at a rapid pace for our fans.
TD: What was your most memorable live show?
M: We did a show at the Firehouse in New Hope, PA last year. It was the first legitimate performance we planned and promoted ourselves. Azar and Bij Lincs are from that area, so we get a lot of love there. It was a great turn out, and probably the most fun we’ve ever had.
TD: What’s your favorite thing to get at the deli?
M: "What was that thing we used to get back in the day? Oh yea, pussy."
A: Corned beef and cabbage and rolling papers.
BL: Pickles and provolone.
– The Deli Staff
The band 
