Past, Present, Future: Betaplayer
So Past, Present, Future is band with a vengeance! This time we talk to Betaplayer, an Austin hip-hop group. I had the pleasure of seeing them for the first time at the Austin Surf Sesh when they were one of the openers for Godsmack.
Next weekend they will be playing Fun Fun Fun Fest, so be sure to check them out.
Members/Instruments:
Ibrahim- Vocals, Pax- Vocals
Neil- Guitar, D-Dot- Keyboard
Aloe- Bass
Tasz One- Drums
Year Formed: 2007
1 ...
. Past: What is your musical background? What has led you to this point?
We all pretty much come from a Hip Hop background except for Neil and D-Dot who grew up on rock. Through different life experiences, we grew to appreciate all types of music with Hip Hop being like our home music. I grew up in Cali and was part of the 80’s skateboard scene, so from an early age I was listening to Hip Hop but was also exposed to early thrash and punk bands like Metallica, Slayer, The Exploited, and Bad Brains. We all have similar experiences that shaped us as musicians. Whether it’s The Beatles, James Brown, Portished, Bob Dylan, NOFX…all of those influences somehow find their way into our music. It may be subtle but it’s there. At the end of the day, we just play what we think is dope and we aren’t bound by any genre.
2. Present: Where are you at now in your career? What are you currently working on?
Right now, we’re working on finishing up the album. We’ve been playing a lot of shows, so it’s hard to buckle down and write/ record music but it will be done soon. It’s going to be heavy. If you know us, you know we don’t fuck around with fluff content. There are too many rap cats that spend an hour on stage or on an album and aren’t saying anything. Honestly, that’s a waste of breath. We take it back to thought provoking lyrics that are actually speaking to the listener. Look for more of that on the album.
We’re also getting ready to play Fun Fun Fun Fest. I can’t even explain how excited we are to play that. We were in the crowd last year so it feels good to actually have the opportunity to be a part of that festival and to share the stage with so many talented musicians. We’ll see if Ibrahim and Pax carry around a crumpled up setlist and announce our songs like HR (Bad Brains) did at last year’s FFF.
3. Future: What’s coming up for you? Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Like I mentioned earlier, we’ll be finishing up the album and hopefully getting on the road for a tour next year. We’re going to continue to push the limits of our music and give people a interesting alternative to what’s on the radio and video shows. In 5 years we want to be making a living by doing what we love to do. Maybe have our name on the side of a 747 on some Iron Maiden type shit. Haha.
4. Where can people find more of your music?
You can find our music on www.betaplayermusic.com, www.reverbnation.com/betaplayer, and on iTunes once the album is complete.
5. Anything you’d like to plug?
Other than ourselves? Come check us out at Fun Fun Fun Fest on Nov. 7th! We’ll be performing at 12:20pm on the Blue Stage. Also, follow us on our Twitter (www.twitter.com/betaplayer) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/betaplayer). Peace to all of the talented bands that we’re blessed to play with in this eclectic city of ours. Rest in peace Jon Pettis.
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