Two decades ago, American hip-hop duo EarthGang were high schoolers in Atlanta making music for their friends and family. Now, with two Grammy nominations and nearly 3.5 million monthly Spotify listeners, the duo is among the most prominent voices in hip-hop.
In an interview with The Daily Illini, EarthGang, composed of Olu (Johnny Venus) and WowGr8 (Doctur Dot), discussed their beloved hometown, their upcoming performance at The Canopy Club and what it means to evolve as artists within a shifting musical landscape.
Long before EarthGang rose to national fame, Olu and WowGr8 were considered Atlanta legends. From their humble beginnings of founding the Atlanta-based hip-hop collective, Spillage Village, in 2010, to signing with J. Cole’s record label Dreamville in 2017, the duo hasn’t forgotten their roots.
According to WowGr8, Atlanta has played a role in every aspect of their song-making: the type of music they create, their willingness to experiment with different genres and the messages they convey.
“Growing up around a bunch of Black people, you get a certain set of values, and then that permeates the music,” WowGr8 said. “Everybody that we grew up listening to was different. They all tried to be different from each other … We always aim to make music that’s ours.”
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EarthGang has released five studio albums, their most recent being “PERFECT FANTASY,” the final installment in their three-part series “EARTHGANG vs. The Algorithm.”
The trilogy of projects that form “EARTHGANG vs. The Algorithm” discusses themes of AI and human experience backed with techno beats and mechanical whirring that sound both nostalgic and eerily futuristic.
“I feel like the focus on the human species has been on AI for the past four or five years,” Olu said. “Just learning how to find a way to coexist with AI and with the rapid changes and trying to figure out where AI stands in all of our lives. Whether it’s making our lives easier or whether it’s attempting to replace us in certain aspects.”
The concept of AI cleverly twists itself into “PERFECT FANTASY” within EarthGang’s proficient lyricism, silky rhythms and hypnotic grooves.
On “ROBOPHOBIA,” a 30-second interlude between tracks, a woman’s robotic voice takes over, delivering a message oddly scary and comforting.
“Don’t be afraid,” the voice rings out. “I’ve come to help/ We’ve all come to help/ We’re just like you/ Though I am a more improved you/ We’ve come to make your life/ Easy.”
This brief interlude is one of many nods to AI throughout the album, woven both into lyrics and the album’s avant-garde sound.
“I feel like ‘PERFECT FANTASY’ is a dive into the future, a dive into experimentation,” WowGr8 said. “I think that’s something they (people) can take away from the project … leap forward with your s—.”
Though the AI themes are prevalent throughout the album, it’s not necessarily portrayed negatively. In fact, Olu is all about letting AI make our lives easier — within limits.
“I believe in it,” Olu said. “You know some things I don’t like doing. I don’t like scheduling all my calls. I would love for the AI to do that for me, but I would hate for AI to f—ing write music or make movies. Those are some of the most amazing things about being a human is telling stories, experiencing life. I would hate for that to be taken by computers.”
As the music scene continues to develop, Olu believes in the importance of changing with it, something that the duo has been no stranger to over the years.
From the psychedelic soul sound of their 2019 album “MIRRORLAND,” to the more introspective 2022 album “GHETTO GODS,” EarthGang’s sounds and themes have been constantly evolving.
“PERFECT FANTASY” is also a testament to their constant transformative nature, with the album being heavily influenced by Japanese culture, inspiration that WowGr8 says comes through in live shows.
“We super themed this project out,” WowGr8 said. “Which is always fun to do. It’s like theming a party. Coming up with more and more things to build this world and make people feel like they’re really in the place that you’re setting.”
EarthGang will be performing at The Canopy Club on Saturday, alongside local Chicago talents, including Joel Q, Asha Omega and Rollie.
The local music scene is where WowGr8 and Olu got their start, and for them, preserving local music is increasingly important as young artists push to go viral on social media and streaming services dominate the music industry.
“Without local scenes, you don’t really have the greats,” WowGr8 said. “Local scenes is where you cut your teeth. It’s where you get your feet wet. Local scenes is what made us … Every city needs a local scene … It doesn’t really matter the sound. It matters the strength of the community.”
For what fans can expect on Saturday, the answer is simple for Olu: “Bars and great music.”
“It’s funny because we usually approach all of our shows as if we’re playing for college kids,” Olu said. “We bring that energy, that vibe, that intensity, just the fondness of being in college, just f—ing have a good time. We know s— is supposed to be serious here and there, but at the end of the day, let’s have a f—ing great time doing this.”
