Fame can bring a lot of things. But for the boys from Far East Movement, the first Asian-American group to hit No 1 on the Billboard charts in the US, it’s brought a determination to stay grounded and to keep it real.
Following their performance at the dXb Music Festival on Friday night, the group took time out to chat to tabloid! about their inspirations, their fans, their collaborations and their quirky style. And Kev Nish, Prohgress, J-Splif and DJ Virman, proved they are a down to earth friendly bunch.
Having collaborated with every one from Justin Bieber to Flo-Rida, Pitbull and Tyga and toured with Rihanna, LMFAO, Lil Wayne and Lady Gaga, the their performance at Dubai’s Festival Park saw them pay tribute to their inspiration growing up: the Beastie Boys, a group they consider an enigma of old-school hip hop who broke down barriers with their work and who have given so much to the genre.
“It has been great working with every artist and that we have learnt something different from every one of them,” Kev Nish says. “When you are on tour you learn from the crowd, from the back stage personnel, the supporting sound crew and we try and incorporate this in our music. Dirty Bass, our new album, was built on the road when we were touring with Lil Wayne.”
When asked to play favourites with the artists they have worked with, the group of four unanimously voted for Snoop Dogg. Having grown up on his music, they acknowledged his importance even today. “Snoop Dogg! He is the man!,” Prohgress reiterates.
Dressed in eclectic bomber jackets, Far East Movement say their style is like their music: organic, old-school and hip hop. They try and incorporate elements like boom boxes to their custom made clothing.
Reminiscing about the times they spent handing out CDs on the streets of LA, they say they have not forgotten the support of their fans. Which is why they partnered with nonprofit Do Something and social media video sharing programme. Viddy for their single ‘Turn Up the Love’ where fans sent in videos that featured on the song’s video as a way of giving back to the people who have always had their back.
“It is important to keep it authentic... keep it real,” says Nish.
Having asked Dubai to ‘Turn Up The Love’ the group have promised to return.
*Yusra Farzan is an intern at Gulf News
