Yes Yes Yalls' Shameless Plug Interview

First and foremost, who are you and what do you do?
I am legend. My name is Shameless Plug. I am a singer and an emcee. I make music with a DJ and various producers. We're called The Yes Yes Yalls.

Yes Yes Yall is obviously a classic hip-hop line. Shameless Plug seems to have some of that old school flavor in it too. How'd you come up with that name as an emcee and were there others?
One day I thought it would be a clever name so I just ran with it. Before that I called myself Al Sharp for a little while. It was the name of a song by The Beta Band that had a special significance to me. Then I briefly changed my name to Apathy until I realized there was already another act with that name. A dope one too. I found out years later that there was another Al Sharp as well. Hell, there may even be another Shameless Plug. I have no idea.

What is something that is only unique to your group, and what sets you guys apart from others?
What we make tends to land somewhere between Justin Timberlake and Atmosphere. I can't really think of anyone else who sounds like that. If you can, please let me know because it sounds like something I'd enjoy.

You guys have had a chance to play a number of festivals and big shows. Which one stands out the most in your mind, and what was that overall experience like?
You would think it would be one of the bigger ones, but it was actually just a recent gig in our hometown area upon the release of our latest album. Just something that night. I can't even explain why. It just felt better than any other time spent on stage before.

Being from NJ, how did Hurricane Sandy affect you personally, and how do you think music can play a vital role in the healing process?
Thankfully I don't live in the part(s) of the state that suffered the worst damage. We were without power for about a week and a lot of trees were knocked down but that's about it. Nothing compared to what other people went through and are still going through. As far as music goes, I recently helped organize a benefit show with a friend of mine that had a whole bunch of acts get together and perform to raise money for those who needed it. I dunno how vital it all can be, but when you have folks like Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel doing the same kind of thing, it definitely makes a dent.

Tell us about your newest album, and what are some tracks to look out for?
Our newest album is called 9000 and you should just look out for the whole thing. You can hear it all and download it for free at www.theyesyesyalls.com

What's the dopest rhyme you've ever written?
That's for the listener to decide. Sure I have my personal favorites but mostly for sentimental reasons. Stuff that meant the most to me tends to outweigh stuff with better punchlines.

Biggest rockstar moment, biggest failure moment since being in Yes Yes Yalls?
I was added to some tour a few years back and we played a show in the middle of nowhere in Kansas. The crowd there treated me like I was some damn celebrity. It was unreal. As far as failures go, they happen on a daily basis. [Haha.]

Who would be your dream collaboration? (artist and producer)
Thom Yorke. Rick Rubin.

Top 5 greatest emcees dead or alive?
Andre 3000, Rakim, Black Thought, Slick Rick and Bob Dylan.

What's the the immediate future for the group and what direction would you like to see the group go in?
The immediate future is a couple side projects I've been working on. One is a mixtape where I sing and rap over television theme songs. The other is a collaboration with my good friend John Blake. Some straight up hip-hop type stuff. We're calling ourselves The Nayno. As for what direction I'd like to see The Yes Yes Yalls go in, that kinda changes on the daily recently. It could end up more of what we've been doing with the producer/DJ/emcee thing. It could end up a full band that goes somewhere completely different. It could be more electronic type stuff. I have no idea at this point. Whatever feels right when it comes time to work on the next album is just what we're gonna roll with.

Anything else to add?
Plenty. Stay tuned.