I recently had the opportunity to pick the mind of Alexei “Crescent Moon” Casselle. We chatted about his versatility as a musician and artist as well as his affection for Minnesota’s North Shore. We also discussed his time spent as hype man for Atmosphere and Eyedea and Abilities as well as his time spent with Oddjobs, Kill the Vultures, Crescent Moon is in Big Trouble, Roma Di Luna, and Mixed Blood Majority. He revealed his favorite spot to write and how becoming a father has changed his life as a musician and his entire life in general. I hope you enjoy reading this interview with one of hip hop’s coolest and most unique voices as much as I enjoyed conducting it. It was a pleasure speaking with one of the Twin Cities finest emcees and pioneers and please check out Alexei’s past and future projects as he continues to push the boundaries of hip hop and many other genres of music.
You have been a member of many different bands and groups throughout the years. Did you always have an eclectic taste in music, or did you grow up strictly a hip hop kid?
I've always had a pretty eclectic taste in music. When I was a kid, my tape collection consisted of Michael Jackson, The Fat Boys, Weird Al, the La Bamba soundtrack, etc. I was listening to rap music from a pretty young age (Ice Cube, Geto Boys, Black Sheep) but it wasn't until I was about 15 that I was pretty much only listening to Hip-Hop. From that point on, for the next several years, I was almost exclusively listening to local and/or underground rap.
I've always had a pretty eclectic taste in music. When I was a kid, my tape collection consisted of Michael Jackson, The Fat Boys, Weird Al, the La Bamba soundtrack, etc. I was listening to rap music from a pretty young age (Ice Cube, Geto Boys, Black Sheep) but it wasn't until I was about 15 that I was pretty much only listening to Hip-Hop. From that point on, for the next several years, I was almost exclusively listening to local and/or underground rap.
I believe I once read that Oddjobs briefly relocated to NYC. What was that experience like, and what made you decide to return back home to the Twin Cities?
The experience of moving to NYC from Minneapolis in 2001 was HUGE for me/us; it was so many things. Overall, it was a great experience because it forced us to really put our skills and collective devotion as artists to the test by leaving the comfort of the Twin Cities, and jumping into a much larger market and music community. There were many lessons learned for me personally during that time, and the growth I experienced as a person and as a musician was exponential. We got on an indie label while out there (Third Earth Music) which housed such acts as Jean Grae, Pumpkinhead(RIP), Masterminds, and they re-released the classic Juggaknots "Clear Blue Skies" EP. We also got connected with a dope booking agency and found ourselves touring with music heroes DJ Shadow, De La Soul, Lyrics Born, and opening for Snoop Dogg, Shock G of Digital Underground, and Hieroglyphics. We moved out to the Bay Area after two years in NYC, released a final Oddjobs record, and then Oddjobs broke up, which is why Stephen (Anatomy) and I came back to Mpls and continued making music as Kill The Vultures (which began in the Bay Area in '04), and everyone else went their separate ways.
The experience of moving to NYC from Minneapolis in 2001 was HUGE for me/us; it was so many things. Overall, it was a great experience because it forced us to really put our skills and collective devotion as artists to the test by leaving the comfort of the Twin Cities, and jumping into a much larger market and music community. There were many lessons learned for me personally during that time, and the growth I experienced as a person and as a musician was exponential. We got on an indie label while out there (Third Earth Music) which housed such acts as Jean Grae, Pumpkinhead(RIP), Masterminds, and they re-released the classic Juggaknots "Clear Blue Skies" EP. We also got connected with a dope booking agency and found ourselves touring with music heroes DJ Shadow, De La Soul, Lyrics Born, and opening for Snoop Dogg, Shock G of Digital Underground, and Hieroglyphics. We moved out to the Bay Area after two years in NYC, released a final Oddjobs record, and then Oddjobs broke up, which is why Stephen (Anatomy) and I came back to Mpls and continued making music as Kill The Vultures (which began in the Bay Area in '04), and everyone else went their separate ways.
Some of my favorite Atmosphere shows were the ones where you performed with them. How do you approach the role of hypeman differently than performing as the featured artist? Was there a ton of rehearsal before the tours, or was the chemistry between Slug and yourself something that was just built throughout the tour?
Thanks for the compliment. I take/took the role of hypeman very seriously, which is why I think my work with Slug lasted as long as it did. For me, I always appreciate having people to perform with (I came up in hip hop groups, not as a solo act), so just to be able to present music with someone was very fun and exciting, but the fact that it was someone who I greatly admired and was influenced by as a songwriter and MC when I was coming up, was a very surreal experience. I didn't have to fake my hype or enthusiasm for the show, I legitimately loved the material I was performing. I didn't care that I was the supporting role in that dynamic, I was just happy to be doing what I loved to do, which was living my life as an artist and traveling the world and making a living as a musician. I do think there is an art form to being a supporting role as a performer, and I really appreciate when I see it done well at shows, especially in hip hop. The hypeman/woman /person always has to put the song first before their own personal glory- you gotta know your role, know the song, and figure out how to make the lead vocalist be even better than if you weren't there. That's a lesson that I think translates well in other aspects of life.
Thanks for the compliment. I take/took the role of hypeman very seriously, which is why I think my work with Slug lasted as long as it did. For me, I always appreciate having people to perform with (I came up in hip hop groups, not as a solo act), so just to be able to present music with someone was very fun and exciting, but the fact that it was someone who I greatly admired and was influenced by as a songwriter and MC when I was coming up, was a very surreal experience. I didn't have to fake my hype or enthusiasm for the show, I legitimately loved the material I was performing. I didn't care that I was the supporting role in that dynamic, I was just happy to be doing what I loved to do, which was living my life as an artist and traveling the world and making a living as a musician. I do think there is an art form to being a supporting role as a performer, and I really appreciate when I see it done well at shows, especially in hip hop. The hypeman/woman /person always has to put the song first before their own personal glory- you gotta know your role, know the song, and figure out how to make the lead vocalist be even better than if you weren't there. That's a lesson that I think translates well in other aspects of life.
It seems that you have a great affection for the North Shore. What is your connection with the area and how has it helped to shape some of your lyrics? I sense the North Shore was on your mind quite a bit when I listen to Crescent Moon is in Big Trouble. Were any of the songs written up there?
I do have a deep connection with the North Shore, and have since I started going up there for camping trips with my mom as a kid. I can't properly explain what it means to me in this context, but I can tell you that it is a very inspiring place I return to clear my mind and recharge- and yes, I seek it out as a place to be creative and write music. I would encourage all artists to find a place that has the same effect for them, and to not stop looking for it until they have found it.
I do have a deep connection with the North Shore, and have since I started going up there for camping trips with my mom as a kid. I can't properly explain what it means to me in this context, but I can tell you that it is a very inspiring place I return to clear my mind and recharge- and yes, I seek it out as a place to be creative and write music. I would encourage all artists to find a place that has the same effect for them, and to not stop looking for it until they have found it.
Spending so much time with the late great Eyedea, you probably witnessed some epic freestyles that were never recorded. Are there any stories you would like to share about your friendship?
We could probably have an entire conversation just about epic Eyedea freestyles and other memories, alone. The one that still stands out to me as incredibly impactful is very early on in our friendship and musical relationship, when I started hyping for him around 1996 or '97, he called me up one day and was like: "let's battle." For context, I was still a rookie on some rap shit, and had only been writing songs for a year and some change, and had virtually no real experience with battling- in fact I was still shaky about freestyling in front of people unless I was intoxicated enough to not give a fuck. So he calls me and says he's coming over to my house, and we're gonna battle, and there's really nothing I could say that would persuade him to do otherwise. We were so young that he had to get a ride from his mom, Kathy, from Saint Paul to my mom's house in Bryn Mawr (near North Mpls). I remember being all shook while waiting for him to show up, like a prisoner just counting down the minutes until execution. He finally arrived and I put on some instrumentals, and he proceeded to school me, as expected. I tried. I tried. But that's not where the story ends. Every time I was ready to give up, and just bow down to him as far superior to me as a rapper, he caught me and was like, "no, don't stop, you're good. Keep going." And we did. So the point of that experience was not so he could verbally abuse me and feel good about himself- he was training me, like a sensei to a student, so that I could also get stronger and better. That's how Mikey was- he lifted up the people around him by recognizing the potential that they had, and helping to grow it. I'll never forget that, and I try to do that for others now, too.
We could probably have an entire conversation just about epic Eyedea freestyles and other memories, alone. The one that still stands out to me as incredibly impactful is very early on in our friendship and musical relationship, when I started hyping for him around 1996 or '97, he called me up one day and was like: "let's battle." For context, I was still a rookie on some rap shit, and had only been writing songs for a year and some change, and had virtually no real experience with battling- in fact I was still shaky about freestyling in front of people unless I was intoxicated enough to not give a fuck. So he calls me and says he's coming over to my house, and we're gonna battle, and there's really nothing I could say that would persuade him to do otherwise. We were so young that he had to get a ride from his mom, Kathy, from Saint Paul to my mom's house in Bryn Mawr (near North Mpls). I remember being all shook while waiting for him to show up, like a prisoner just counting down the minutes until execution. He finally arrived and I put on some instrumentals, and he proceeded to school me, as expected. I tried. I tried. But that's not where the story ends. Every time I was ready to give up, and just bow down to him as far superior to me as a rapper, he caught me and was like, "no, don't stop, you're good. Keep going." And we did. So the point of that experience was not so he could verbally abuse me and feel good about himself- he was training me, like a sensei to a student, so that I could also get stronger and better. That's how Mikey was- he lifted up the people around him by recognizing the potential that they had, and helping to grow it. I'll never forget that, and I try to do that for others now, too.
Through your work at McNally Smith, did you find that it was more difficult to teach music than create it?
My work at McNally Smith was limited to some summer rap camps under the leadership of Toki Wright and "Medium" Zach Baagason for a couple consecutive summers. I have taught hip hop songwriting and performance before, and I think it's a great experience because it forces me to really examine my approach to those crafts and test all the things I take for granted, and it helps me to understand parts of my process that I've never had to explain to others. I do think that teaching music is very different from making it, but I think that it can only make you stronger when faced with the task of helping others walk a similar path that you have.
My work at McNally Smith was limited to some summer rap camps under the leadership of Toki Wright and "Medium" Zach Baagason for a couple consecutive summers. I have taught hip hop songwriting and performance before, and I think it's a great experience because it forces me to really examine my approach to those crafts and test all the things I take for granted, and it helps me to understand parts of my process that I've never had to explain to others. I do think that teaching music is very different from making it, but I think that it can only make you stronger when faced with the task of helping others walk a similar path that you have.
How has becoming a father changed the way you approach your career as a musician? Do you find yourself consciously trying to avoid negative subject matter now that you have a daughter?
Becoming a father pretty much changed everything in my life, and music was not spared from that. While I probably question some of my subjects or vocabulary for songs more so than before I was a parent, I understand that ultimately, you are still an individual in the world, and your family members have the choice to love and respect you for who you are. I think I've built a strong enough relationship with my daughter, and work on navigating life choices in the world with her, that I trust that she will respect the choices I make as an artist, even if the subject matter is "dark", or "inappropriate". I still write things that are in step with what I wrote before I became a dad, but I also write things that I never would have written before then. If anything, becoming a parent has expanded my range as an artist, not reduced it.
Becoming a father pretty much changed everything in my life, and music was not spared from that. While I probably question some of my subjects or vocabulary for songs more so than before I was a parent, I understand that ultimately, you are still an individual in the world, and your family members have the choice to love and respect you for who you are. I think I've built a strong enough relationship with my daughter, and work on navigating life choices in the world with her, that I trust that she will respect the choices I make as an artist, even if the subject matter is "dark", or "inappropriate". I still write things that are in step with what I wrote before I became a dad, but I also write things that I never would have written before then. If anything, becoming a parent has expanded my range as an artist, not reduced it.
One of my favorite albums of all time is the Mixed Blood Majority debut. I find that it is easy to listen to without sacrificing any lyrical integrity. Was there a conscious effort between Joe, Lazerbeak, and yourself to record something more traditional than the more abstract albums from Kill the Vultures and No Bird Sing?
The first Mixed Blood Majority record was a really fun project to make. Joe and I did have a desire to make a rap record, something more traditional than either of our own projects, and Lazerbeak and I had been trying to make a record together for a while, so it all kinda fell into place, timing-wise. That album served as a really enjoyable and pretty effortless space for all of us to just make some music that we didn't have to think too hard about, build with each other, and continue putting music into the world. My core, as a songwriter, will always be mid-school '90s hip hop, so it can be a very refreshing feeling to exercise those muscles and just challenge yourself to step up and spit a hot 16 over a break beat or whatever.
The first Mixed Blood Majority record was a really fun project to make. Joe and I did have a desire to make a rap record, something more traditional than either of our own projects, and Lazerbeak and I had been trying to make a record together for a while, so it all kinda fell into place, timing-wise. That album served as a really enjoyable and pretty effortless space for all of us to just make some music that we didn't have to think too hard about, build with each other, and continue putting music into the world. My core, as a songwriter, will always be mid-school '90s hip hop, so it can be a very refreshing feeling to exercise those muscles and just challenge yourself to step up and spit a hot 16 over a break beat or whatever.
What’s next for Crescent Moon the artist? Are you in the studio currently? I have to know. Are there any plans for a third Mixed Blood album in the future?
I got a lot on my plate right now: Anatomy and I are working on a new Kill The Vultures EP, which should drop this summer; Roma di Luna (folk/pop/alternative band with my ex-wife Channy Leaneagh of POLIÇA which had been on hiatus for seven years) is dropping an album in May; F I X (rap collective with me, Anatomy, Joe Horton, and Kristoff Krane) are gearing up for new music and events this year; and I'm currently finishing up an undergrad degree, and about to transition to a graduate program to teach high school English Language Arts. And raise a kid, among other things. Joe is working on his first solo record, and Beak has been busy with SHREDDERS and managing bands, so we're all pretty busy, but I think it's possible we could make another MBM record.
I got a lot on my plate right now: Anatomy and I are working on a new Kill The Vultures EP, which should drop this summer; Roma di Luna (folk/pop/alternative band with my ex-wife Channy Leaneagh of POLIÇA which had been on hiatus for seven years) is dropping an album in May; F I X (rap collective with me, Anatomy, Joe Horton, and Kristoff Krane) are gearing up for new music and events this year; and I'm currently finishing up an undergrad degree, and about to transition to a graduate program to teach high school English Language Arts. And raise a kid, among other things. Joe is working on his first solo record, and Beak has been busy with SHREDDERS and managing bands, so we're all pretty busy, but I think it's possible we could make another MBM record.
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