Words: @chasenpaper

Footage: Emmanuel Blackwell

Chace Infinite is a one of one, an individual that has no predecessors before him and none to follow.

A rare breed. Like the one off and dead stock kicks that encompass his less than modest collection which is large enough to submerge the car in his garage. As half of the Southern California duo Self Scientific with Dj Khalil, Chace carved out his cross continental underground following through out the mid 90’s and early thousands earning a rep that sits solid to this day.

Don’t be mistaken though. It’s not just rhymes, gear and limited quantity sneaks for this emcee. He’s got

an extremely observant eye for outlier information. Ask him about Obama and he’ll hit you back with the President’s support of H.A.A.R.P and the testing of tectonic weapons being the source of the recent series of massive quakes in Haiti. It’s way left field but the information is very easy to get access to if one was inclined to know things that will shatter reality and closely held world views. In Chace’s case destroying reality and rebuilding it is just another day at the office.  His esoteric knowledge and contribution to hip hop in the realms of music and street fashion at its nascency is as certified as VVS diamonds and it’s only proper that it doesn’t stop. He’s pushing into 2010 like high tide with Self Scientific’s conceptual “DESIGNER MUSIC”  Ep, the Self Scientific “Come in Peace, Prepare For War”  project, and guest appearances on albums like Bambu’s upcoming “Paper Cuts”.  Posted at Prohibit in NYC’s Lower East Side we popped through to see the man, where he was kind enough to roll up a blunt and let his thoughts fly. Get up on magic!

You’re stuck in the Amazon RainForest. What are the first three things that you do?

• Chace Infinite: What season is it?
• 
  

It’s Rainy season.

• • Chace: Ok…
  • (#1) Find a clean water source.
  • (#2) Find high ground and covering. To get a knowledge of the landscape
  • (And #3)…Can you Smoke ANY OF THESE MUTHA FUCKIN’ PLANTS!
  • (laughs) We’re in the Rain forest! I know there’s some kill in here somewhere.

You’ve had your pulse on fashion and the street wear movement for over 10 years. In your eyes,when did streetwear brand labels come to play such a big part in the music, and how folks these days perceive artists?

• • Chace: I’d say 2000/01 with the inception of Complex, then with Ebay with people re-selling gear that you couldn’t get in other parts of the country.  As the Internet became more prevalent, you could find out what was poppin’ (fashionable)  in Tokyo, L.A, or New York the same day. And Kanye came along and made it so it had to be part of your I.D or your make-up as an artist to get respect from certain people. So it was a combination of those three things happening all together. Which I think is kinda fucked up and weird.  But I guess it was always kinda like that. Except it was silk shirts and Bally’s shoes.

Download:Self Scientific Designer Music

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Did you rid yourself of your shoe collection?

• • Chace: I probably got about 300 pairs. Me and my girl went to see my parents and she was buggin’ out. You can’t even fit a car  in the garage no more, and a lot (of shoes) out of boxes. I’m not the type to get some shit and not wear it. I have some really rare kicks. The 1 of 15 low top EA Sports Air Force 2’s, beat the fuck up. All of ‘em beat the fuck up. I don’t even skateboard either.

So have you always been the ILL collecting type?

• Chace: I  started collecting when I  was in 8th grade playing basketball at Super Star Summer Camp in Santa Barbra. We’d trade for jerseys and shoes. Coaches would order out of the East Bay Catalogue and only get their team color ways. So we’d trade jerseys and Air Forces with kids from all across the nation at camp, Michigan, Jersey, everywhere. When I’d come back home and ni***s would see me in yellow and white Air Forces they’d ask, “Where did you get them at?” I traded for them.

What lasting legacy do u want to leave musically?

• Chace: Just a body of work man. Self Scientific means knowledge in self and we really write to explain shit to ourselves. The music comes from a really introspective place. I think we make really relevant thought provoking music. So people will see our growth and our contradictions, all of it is out there.  Ultimately we make hip hop for artists.

Let’s say you’re the head of a Record Label who are the top 5 artists you sign? You can pull anybody.

• Chace: (#1) I’m going to get Eminem first. Because he’s white and he raps better than anybody, and that’s a formula that’s going to make you alot of money.
• (#2 )I’d do a record with NAS produced all by Khalil (Producer/DJ Khalil)
• (#3) I’d do a rock project with cats that are respected but still sell. Like the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s or Kings Of Leon, T.V On The Radio. Some artsy rock shit I could take over Fader with.
• (#4) I’d sign some one like Lalah Hathaway just because I love her shit. I don’t care how much it sells.
• (#5) I’d sign Krondon. Who is an amazing artist. I just don’t think people have gotten the full spectrum of his talent yet.

Final question, one year into Obama’s presidency. What do you think?

• Same shit. As long as humans are emotion driven we’ll fall victim to to the hype. He’s a black dude, and from that perspective it’s amazing. Because regardless if Obama is part of the plot to control and kill us all. There’s kids out there that will be inspired by his story. And for indigenous people and minorities it’s a great thing to see. But in a way it’s like ni***s can never win. When it’s all said and done when people look at what his signature is on, which he really doesn’t have much control over. It will be some of the most detrimental things done in history. What he represents is the system that has been oppressing indigenous people for so long. He’s the president of United States of America Incorporated. And at the end of the day it’s like, “These ni***s can’t have anything. Give ‘em the Presidency. They bankrupt the country with their fake ass health care bill. Let the Chinese buy up everything. 151,000 people die in Haiti, and this ni***s signature in on the papers that authorized the development of HAAP to make tectonic weapons. What are they doing?”  I don’t know. But don’t think it’s that far fetched. Information is so available now, but people are just sheep. They believe it’s (the Haiti Earthquake) is an act of God because it plays into the whole end of days shit.

Speaking of the end of days. What are you going to be doing for 2012?

• Burning shit down man. (laughs)

Not spending with the family?

• Yeah chillin’ with the family, burnin’ it down. Because it’ll be the end of times as we know it. Not the end of the world. I think alot of shit will be revealed. The black man was on Saturn and Mars. They’re gonna find that shit out.

FIN.