ABSTRACT MINDSTATE INTERVIEW: In a genre often focused on the immediate, Abstract Mindstate represents the enduring power of substance. The Chicago duo, composed of EP and Ol’ Mas, are veterans whose blend of sharp lyricism, jazz-infused beats, and intellectual depth laid groundwork long before the latest trends. Get familiar…
What five words define your sound?
Olskool Ice-Gre: Soulful, Midwest, Adult, Contemporary, Hip Hop
Ep Da Hellcat: Thoughtful, Lyrical, Spiritual, Spirited, and Uplifting
Tell me something unique about your creative process.
Olskool Ice-Gre: I put a lot of thought and effort into using words not often heard or used in Rap Music as well as words I haven’t used in a song previously recorded.
Ep Da Hellcat: I attempt to be creative lyrically, using different parts of speech I picked up from English class.
Which song of yours would you like people to hear first?
Olskool Ice-Gre: Our current single ‘Who Would’ve Thunk It’ feat. Sly Pyper.
Ep Da Hellcat: Referring to ‘The Art Project’, I would say listen in order– it’s that fresh! If you have never heard Abstract Mindstate, go to Bandcamp and listen to our entire body of work prior to listening to ‘The Art Project’.
What inspired you to make that song?
Olskool Ice-Gre: The music is always my inspiration. The track sounds like a good story should be told on it, so that’s the approach we took.
Ep Da Hellcat: The tracks usually inspire our content for every song.
What’s the most vulnerable you’ve allowed yourself to be when writing/making music?
Olskool Ice-Gre: Back in 2005 we recorded a song called ‘A Good Man Is Gone’ on our second mixtape titled ‘Chicago’s Hardest Working Mixtape Vol.2’. It can be downloaded/streamed to this day, but my verse was about my father who was murdered in 1997. Prior to that I’d never written about him or what happened. That song was the first time I really allowed myself to be vulnerable and speak on it. Since then, I’ve shared several real-life situations and personal stories but that was the first.
EP Da Hellcat: I don’t think I have ever felt particularly vulnerable on any track. I’m an open book, and I have always been able to speak and share my truths regardless of the medium.
What’s the best/worst experience you’ve had on stage?
Olskool Ice-Gre: My best experience was in New York City at the Hammerstein Ballroom. We were the Midwest finalists in a contest called the Salem Orb-e National Talent Competition sponsored by Def Jam. The venue was standing room only and at capacity, which was our largest crowd up to that point. Everything lined up perfectly that night. Comedian Bill Bellamy was the host, and he gave us a fantastic introduction. The sound was amazing; we had the crowd going crazy, and our performance was flawless! It’s a night I’ll never forget because it was also my worst experience on stage.
There were specific rules to this contest. Each act had a five-minute time limit on their performance, and no act could be associated with a label or have a signed artist on stage with them. Well, the group that performed after us was from Brooklyn. They were 7 to 8 members deep like Wu-Tang Clan. But unlike the Wu, they were extremely unorganised and so rambunctious they missed their start cue twice, so they had to ask the sound man to run it back two times. They also had a hot New York artist on stage who was signed, and they proudly introduced him as if that wasn’t a rule.
When they finally got going, their performance went well past the five-minutes allotted and every time they’d lose the crowd – which happened often – they’d scream “where Brooklyn at” to get them back. When the winner was announced, they gave it to that group. We stood in disbelief because we were clearly robbed. A week later our manager received an official letter stating that the decision was revised after careful deliberation and we were named the winners of the music category. This was equal to being cheated because it destroyed the momentum and potential for press because it was a week later and although we ultimately won, we didn’t step off the stage of the Hammerstein Ballroom winners. It was terrible!
EP Da Hellcat: My worst experience on stage was performing when I had the flu. Performing and being on that stage is the only reason I continue. And that reciprocity from the crowd is at this point the only thing gratifying enough to keep me doing this. So, all the other performances other than the one when I was sick were the best.
What is your favourite song to perform?
Olskool Ice-Gre: Off the new album it’s ‘Feature Presentation’ for me because I like how the hook flows live. I love the joints that allow a call and response with the crowd. On the previous album, we have a few like ‘Elevation’ and ‘Sound Off The Alarm’. We gotta flip some of ‘The Art Project’ hooks so the crowd can get involved.
Ep Da Hellcat: ‘True Story’ and ‘Bar Louie’ from the new album, ‘Brenda Song’ from ‘Dreams Still Inspire’ and, I will go waaaay back– we had a song called ‘SHOOK’ that used to send the deck up when we performed it live.
Which artist/song/album made you want to make music?
Olskool Ice-Gre: I started making music young with my cousins who were talented musicians but the artist that made me want to rap is Ice-T, Reckless off of the Breakin’ soundtrack.
EP Da Hellcat: I wrote rhymes in high school but was never really thinking about making songs – although I did make a couple at the behest of my cousin. I think attending an HBCU in the ‘90s and the village I surrounded myself with and that accepted me made me more serious about rhyming, the artistry, and making songs.
What’s the meaning behind your name?
Olskool Ice-Gre: My nickname in Grammar School was Gre-Gre with a long “e” sound. As I mentioned previously, Ice-T was my inspiration and back then the common prefix was either kid, cold, cool or ice. Instead of calling myself cold Greg I played off of Ice-T and became Ice-Gre which is a rap version of my nickname as a kid. I added Olskool in college once we became Abstract Mindstate. It was to pay homage to the Rap artists who laid the foundation for Hip Hop.
EP Da Hellcat: I utilise many monikers in my rhymes, the main one being Ebony Poetess, Hell Cat (aggressively passionate/bad tempered) Woman.
If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing instead?
Olskool Ice-Gre: I’d be active behind the scenes in music and entertainment. It’s what I’ve always done and still do now. The only difference is the opportunity presented itself for me to get back to my own artistry, so in the spirit of seizing the opportunity, it put me back in the forefront.
EP Da Hellcat: What I do now: practicing Applied Behaviour Analysis as a Board-Certified Behaviour Analyst.
What’s success to you?
Olskool Ice-Gre: To me success is being able to make a living off doing what you enjoy. I don’t believe it has to be singular in that regard either. If you’re capable of balancing more than one thing that brings you joy and finance, I consider that success.
Ep Da Hellcat: My success is defined by never needing to ask permission– waiting for “nothing,” depending on “no one,” agency, and a level of happiness that inspires joy.
What moment in your life/career forced you to change direction?
Olskool Ice-Gre: I’ve had to change directions many times in my life/career, and the only thing that has ever forced change is survival. Whatever was necessary at the time that allowed me to take care of myself, I changed direction. I always work my way back to what I’m passionate about, but survival or the need for financial stability has forced a change in direction.
EP Da Hellcat: My baby brother’s death, and allowing his children and my immediate family to see more, to see what’s possible. You know, a diamond from dirt and all that.
Where can people keep in touch with you?
Olskool Ice-Gre: My personal pages on IG & X are: Olskool_IceGre. On Facebook it’s: /OlskoolIceGre and www.irefusetoquit.com. The group is: @abstractmindstate (IG & FB), @abstractmindstatechi (TikTok), @abstractmindstateofficial (YouTube) and www.abstractmindstate.com
Ep Da Hellcat: IG: epdahellcat
