The Undertakers

American Azeem's lyrical flow reflects his reggae roots, while illustrious producer Zeph supplies mostly old-school beats.

In the world of West Coast hip-hop, some artists start out underground and break into the mainstream, and then there are those who’d sooner retire than pull a Black Eyed Peas. Slot local hip-hop duo Zeph and Azeem in the latter category. Comprising Oakland “wordologist” (and fixture of the scene since the mid-’90s) Azeem (left) and SF “beatsmith” Zeph (right), the two—who have collaborated on various projects since their 2001 college-radio hit, “Rubber and Glue”—are hoping to remain under the radar. The catchiness of May’s debut record Rise Up (Om Records), which, at press time, was one of the Top 50 most downloaded hip-hop albums on iTunes in the UK, could present a change of plans, however. Replete with accordion samples (“Play the Drum”) and political messages ranging from racial harmony to mainstream-music “fuckery” (as Azeem calls it), the album is aimed at, in his words, “intelligent thinkers and trendsetters.” The Jamaican American Azeem’s lyrical flow reflects his reggae roots, while illustrious producer Zeph (a disciple of KutMasta Kurt, the legendary Santa Cruz DJ) supplies mostly old-school beats. “Rise Up has an upbeat tempo that makes it exciting,” says Zeph. “Hip-hop has gotten mundane and repetitive, especially in the commercial market. Even if Azeem and I aren’t the ones who save it, we can definitely stir it up.”

See Zeph and Azeem (omrecords.com) perform at Slim's on July 6 for the Scribble Jam Tour.

Check out our exclusive behind-the-scenes video at Zeph and Azeem's photo shoot.

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