NJS4E: It’s a real shame that Da Bassment broke up and it’s sad to hear just how it culminated in most of you losing touch with a man you still clearly love and respect. It must be a shame also to know that had it lasted with him you would have taken over the airwaves and dominated the charts as both a collective and as individual artists.

Yeah- if DeVante was involved musically you had a smash hit- it’s as simple as that. He was super-talented and what he developed with Da Bassment along with the raw talent contained within it, I have no doubt in my mind that the sum of all that would have turned the industry on it’s head. I think while it’s a shame that it wasn’t to be, I also believe it was divine intervention in favour of DeVante’s happiness and general well-being that prevented it from happening.

The Lord works in mysterious ways you know, and I think he saw DeVante and wanted to salvage a whole lot of good for him. By that I mean, if Da Bassment had done what it would have done in the industry, DeVante would have been moreso a victim to the game- he would have had to deal with even worse things that come with the fame and success. I think Da Bassment not coming out gave him the chance to make himself number 1 for once and take a well-earned break. I think he needed that to find himself so he could have the opportunity to come back and turn the industry on its head, when he was 100% good and ready. I say that because I know there’s still tremendous talent laying dormant in DeVante and there will be redemption for him- I’m sure there will be. I still believe although he has already been a pioneer in music and added so much value to the industry in general, there’s still so much more in him that he’s supposed to contribute to the entertainment industry. And I’m certain we’ll see that very soon.

NJS4E: I totally agree. The industry has definitely suffered from his absence all these years, and the quality of R&B especially is diminishing. I think that’s the main reason why there’s been so much demand in hearing or seeing him back in action again- with both Jodeci & Da Bassment. I feel an interview like this is so important because it reminds people of DeVante’s talents and achievements and clears up what has been a very one-sided story about Da Bassment.

Yeah. It’s safe to say the situation hurt everybody, but I feel personally that no-one can blame DeVante solely, and in fact when everything is taken into consideration I feel that DeVante suffered the most. And I know and understand the feelings some of the Bassment members had towards him- that the bad outweighed the good and the finger pointed at him, but when you boil the bad and the good down to the facts, he really did put everything he had, including genuine love into us. And in the end he suffered a tremendous loss spiritually, emotionally, mentally, figuratively and financially- nobody else experienced something to that level.

It’s sad that the love and respect we all had for him has been forgotten with the Bassment story in the past and that’s why I was so open to doing this, because this is really an objective point of view and a more truthful account of what it really was that was going on and because like you I’m hoping to see him back on form again- the way he deserves to be. And I say all of this because I know- I was there! People spend too much time focusing on the negative, when the truth of it is that everybody makes mistakes and everybody learns from their mistakes as they grow- it’s just the majority of people aren’t in the public eye and whatever we all went through that was negative, just like with life, there were plenty of positives to match. And as I’ve said before, no-one was to blame for the split and I’m sure the mistakes that were made and the errors of judgement in the past- everybody has learnt from them as a result.

The fact remains that there is appreciation for the collective even to this day because despite the trials and tribulations, what is most important is the collective, the amazing, beautiful and talented people that were part of that and the vibe we had together when we created the music. It was nothing but a family thing, a lot of love and that and the music really bound us together. And that’s what everyone should remember and will remember.

NJS4E: Do you think there’ll ever be a Bassment reunion and if there was one would you get involved again?

If so I don’t believe it would be orchestrated by DeVante. I believe that it’s something that maybe the artists that made up the crew would collectively decide on. There’s a lot of us that have kept in touch with each other over the years or have lost touch and are now back on track especially after having to come to terms with Static’s passing, and for that reason I can see the artists bringing it together again. But I know that if I were a part of any type of reunion, my voice would clearly reflect the desire and the need to have DeVante be a part of it- because it really wouldn’t be a Bassment reunion without him. I’m sure most if not all of the Bassment artists would say the same too.

NJS4E: So talk to me about what you’re doing now with your music?

Well after Da Bassment and I’d finished my schooling, I still had a great passion for music. I started my own record label under my real name Tobias. Actually we (INF) put our first CD out in 1999, but we’re at a place now when more doors are opening and we’re anticipating great things with this project that we’re releasing this year. Our new album is called Breakin' N Enterin' and I truly feel it’s our best work to date.

NJS4E: Good to hear you’re still making use of your talent. The style reminds me of A Tribe Called Quest’s earlier work. It definitely has an old school feel to it. How do you feel about music right now?

That’s a loaded question Rashmi! I think what music should be about and what the purpose of music in life hasn’t changed- music was always a form of expression that carried a message- whether it was to get you to dance, to get you married, to get you thinking about the world etc. Fundamentally what we want to feel and take away from music hasn’t changed. However, once we hit the early millennium, the type of artistry (and I use that term very loosely because there’s very few real artists in the music industry anymore) and the music that is being produced by those artists right now, I don’t believe is fulfilling in the way it used to be.

I don’t believe the people who are putting it out really understand music and the art of being a musician, whether you’re a singer, rapper or producer. You know how they say art imitates life, well sometimes I believe life also imitates art and I believe that distinction is not being made in the music industry anymore. So I believe the music that we’re experiencing now is only a microcosm of the mindset that a lot of humans have right now in this microwave age- they want it quick, they want it fast and it doesn’t matter if it tastes as good as it would if it were a full home-cooked lovingly prepared meal-they just want something. And that’s what we’re getting- we’re getting anything. And nobody is in it anymore as a career- everybody just wants a hit, everybody just wants a successful ringtone nowadays, or just their 5 minutes of fame. The music game has just become saturated with that kind of music and there aren’t many people who are cut from the type of cloth that your Jodeci’s were. So what you get is a bunch of people producing mediocre material and the people not doing that-the people that should be excelling in the industry are the ones that aren’t. When you think about it people don’t produce music that is innovative and creative anymore.

The musician element- the art of creating melody is virtually dead. People don’t lay vocals like vocals were laid in the 80’s and 90’s. Rap lyrics aren’t written often enough with the finesse and lyrical genius that existed back in the day. And everything on the radio just sounds exactly the same now. It’s strange because there have been so many technological advances and more resources available to all types of artists that you’d think that there should be more progression that what there has been, but instead of getting better it seems as if it’s getting worse.

NJS4E: Wow! That is exactly how I feel but I couldn’t have put my thoughts across better than that. I tend to listen to more music from back in the day than I do that’s current and I feel old complaining about the way music is now, when I’m only 29 years old!

Exactly. That’s what is so strange because in the grand scheme of things we’re still very young, but it’s just that we’ve had the privilege of experiencing something at a time when music was truly better. And I would go out on a limb and say that this generation that is coming up right now, they may refer to the music of their day, but it won’t be with the same conviction and with the same passion and the same truth as when WE say ‘The music we had in our time was good!’ You can literally document and chronicle and put on the music that we grew up on and even the music that preceded us, and you can see that there’s a clear distinction on those forms of music and what we have right now.

A positive aspect I do want to express though, is that this interview is occurring about something and someone that pioneered a great form of music 18 years ago, and that proves to me that music is really starting to shift- people are just not satisfied with the superficial now-people want substance. And I believe there are still remnants out there-people out there who are still authentic in their gifts and their talents who can bring about this paradigm shift in the industry. And that is definitely something I know without a shadow of a doubt that I will be a part of along with the others.

NJS4E: Which is such a good thing to hear! Just a couple more questions which I’d like you to answer them without thinking too much. What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think about your memories of Da Bassment- your experience or perhaps a special event?

There were so many. DeVante. The vibes we had with each other. The music.The tour. It’s difficult to pick one experience because the whole thing together was one memorable experience. But I guess an occasion that comes to mind was having dinner with Mike Tyson. The first person Tyson came to see when he got out of prison was DeVante! He drove all the way to Rochester and took us all out to dinner at the most expensive fanciest restaurant - this was back when Missy and them were all still there. The bill must have been well over $2000 and he left a $300 tip. I remember that night really clearly because Tyson had just gotten out of jail and he drove for hours all that way to Rochester just to spend time with DeVante & us.

NJS4E: And finally, my last question- out of all the producers you’ve worked with and come across in your lifetime, who would you say is the most inspirational and the best producer you’ve ever seen in action?

I mean hands down, honestly, the most inspirational, most gifted and talented producer I have ever come across is DeVante. Unequivocally DeVante.

Special thanks to Tobias for taking the time out of his busy schedule to be interviewed by me. Tobias’s latest album Breakin’ & Enterin was released on 23rd October 2009. For more information on Tobias or to purchase any of his albums, please click on the link below:

www.thahallway.com

Rashmi Susannah Vasanthakumar

You can check out two songs from the album below:

Rap Star - INF

Check Tha Time - INF

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