EPIC {{arts & entertainment}}

The Crunk Kids Tour came crashing through Massachusetts on October 13, 2009. Held in the small upstairs of the Worcester Palladium, I have hardly seen girls with their love sharpied across their face for any particular band since the Backstreet Boys were breaking hearts circa early 2000. And yet there they were all of twelve or thirteen with BC13 scribbles across cheeks and arms and foreheads decked out in their neon attire, hot topic tutus, bumpits and hair glue just waiting to dance and scream their hearts out to brokeNCYDE. Fog poured from the smoke machine until the room was choked with it, the multicolored lights seemed to get lost in it, trapped and helpless to shoot every which way dispersed by it. Then the gyrating, screaming, thriving mass had settled and the music stopped, brokeNCYDE left the stage to one of the loudest “one more song, one more song,” chants I’ve heard in a long time. And they got their one more song. Having witnessed the whole thing, I left the Crunk Kids Tour that night only a little bit wiser about what exactly “crunkcore” was and the band that invented it. Earlier in the evening, I had the opportunity to have a few words with brokeNCYDE’s MIKL in the women’s restroom discussing everything from the more prominent use of autotune during live performances to all the things he just didn’t care about.

How did you come up with the name brokeNCYDE and bc13 as an abbreviation?

Mike: Went through a hard time and brokencyde—we’re broke inside. And BC 13 was just an abbreviation I guess.

What exactly is “crunkcore?”

Mike: We keyed the term and it’s just about having fun. Getting  crazy.

If your music had a physical form what would it be?

Mike: Probably alcohol.

When kids come see brokeNCYDE what do you want them to walk away with?

Mike: Just a smile. Having fun.

What was the deciding factor in signing with Suburban Noize Records?

Mike: They’re just cool people and they wanted to work with us.

Were there talks with other labels?

Mike: Yes. I don’t know. It just happened for a reason I guess.

I’m not a fan but the kids like… how did you come up with the name?

Mike: It’s a slap in the face to the industry and anyone who doesn’t believe in us.

It broke Billboard’s top 100 when it debuted so the kids did like it…  but there were a lot of negative reviews about the album—how did it make you feel?

Mike: I don’t care.

What do you think makes the music or your band so controversial? People talk shit for a lot of reasons.

Mike: We’re blunt and say the way it is. People don’t like it.

What song on the album bests sums up brokeNCYDE?

Mike: Get Crunk.

What have been the best and worst moments of touring over the past year?

Mike: Nothing bad, you know? And the best is just being able to tour and connect with people.

On some of the tours [in the past year] there have been negative comments about brokeNCYDE by other bands. How does that affect the tour environment?

Mike: We don’t care what people say. It’s not going to stop us. They have their right to their own opinion.

Whats next for brokeNCYDE?

Mike: More tours and another album. Who knows?

Have you started writing?

Mike: Yeah, we’re working on it.

How will you know when you have made ‘it’?

Mike: I have no idea.

Wake up with a million dollars?

Mike: Uh I have no idea.  Just live.

If you could plan out the ultimate tour who would be on it and what would it be called?

Mike: I don’t know the name of it but I’d want to tour with 3OH!3, Hollywood Undead,  Innerpartysystem, and Breathe Carolina.

Many bands are using autotune as a clutch during live performances. Do you feel it takes away from the show or adds to it?

Mike: Its just something new. Not new to music but its more commonly used. There’s always phases, and we’re probably just a phase, too. Hopefully not, but you know what I mean? Music is art. And art is always different so you’re either going to like it or hate it.

Your music is my exboyfriend. Why did we break up?

Mike: I don’t know—probably partying.

Infidelity?

Mike: I don’t know. Craziness.

If you could go back in time and tell yourself one thing what would it be?

Mike: What the fuck did I get myself into? It’s just one wild ride.

Any messages for the fans or haters?

Mike: Haters we really don’t care about at all. They don’t bother us. And our fans: just that we love them more than anything. You know, we live for them.

Final thoughts or comments?

Mike: No. I’m just tired.

Thanks for taking the time and I’m sorry we got you up!

Mike: It’s cool. It’s cool.