Slightly Stoopid might have started making music back in 1995, but that doesn’t mean they have any intentions of stopping. The band dropped by Big Guava Fest this past Saturday to play a set before they kick off their 2014 Summer Sessions Tour. The Minaret had a chance to hang out with Stoopid’s Saxophonist, DeLa, before their set to talk about music, marijuana, and the future.
The Minaret: You’ve been with the band for almost nine years. Where do you see Slightly Stoopid heading in the future?
DeLa: Honestly we all just love to play music and we always have, and I think that’s what the future holds is more music. More tours, more records, taking our music as far as we can. We’ve been exploring new international markets in South America. It’s been breathing new life into us.
M: You guys have so many different influential styles to your music. What influences would you say have caused your sound to change over the years?
D: Well if you’ve noticed it started off as just Miles and Kyle. We’re founded in Reggae and Hip-Hop and stuff like that, but as each new member got added or changed and the more people we collaborated, with the more eclectic our style got. That’s kind of the evolution of where it’s at now.
M: The band started out the same year most current college freshmen were born. Did your college experience involve music or were you started on a different track? Any stories worth sharing?
D: I went to Berkley College of Music for a couple of years. Eighteen year old guys in this big city and killing it, just playing music and having a blast. Turning that sound upside-down. Is there one story? No. But are there lots of stories that can be summed up in a general way? Yes [laughs] Hell yes.
M: Acoustic Roots seems to be a fan favorite, but a lot of your fans also love the hardcore metal tracks you guys produce. Which style are you guys more favorable towards?
D: All. It’s kind of like when you go to the fridge in the morning, what do you want to eat? Your mood dictates what comes out or what you go to get. It’s the same for us. When we hit the stage or the studio we feel like we just recorded five or six rock and metal tunes for up and coming record, whatever who knows. It’s just what we feel. We’re lucky enough to have our own facility at home where we can just go and make as much music as we want and record it all. No and Yes. We don’t really record one or the other and plan it out, it’s whatever the mood is really.
M: You guys went on tour with Snoop Dogg about a year ago. What’s the wisest piece of advice he gave you?
D: [Laughs] Roll that shit up, light that shit, smoke it. [laughs again]. I only had the chance to meet him once and what really struck me about him is that the guy is an icon. It’s different from being around a regular person. He is known everywhere he goes. He can’t leave his house without being known for what he’s done in music. You’ve gotta watch that person’s demeanor. Because like, he’s got all this stuff, now how does he handle it? The answer is he’s one of the coolest motherfuckers. He’s just so down. That’s the wisest thing I saw from him. Just to be that down to earth still, and still be about what he’s about, even though he lives in this parallel universe.
M: Anyone that knows Slightly Stoopid knows you guys are very 420 friendly. With new pro-marijuana laws coming into effect, what do you think our nation’s future looks like?
D: I think that we have a severe deficit problem in this country. And I think that money really does grow on trees. If over 51 percent of your population in a democratic society has admitted to trying or using regularly, as far as I can calculate, I’m not real good with numbers, but that’s a majority. I think everybody just needs to chill out with how aggressive they are in defending against that. There’s a huge problem and it’s called crystal meth. Let’s take care of some of that. Little old ghetto apartment complexes are blowing up because these guys are making this poison in this place and it’s killing. The ganja never hurt no one. Can I say that? [laughs].
M: At UT and other Florida colleges if students are caught with marijuana they automatically lose housing. Do you think that’s necessary?
D: It’s very much out of control. I mean, sure. Make it a prohibited substance that you can only use if you’re 21 and up just like alcohol, but honestly we all know the facts. It’s no more dangerous than alcohol. Alcohol is in fact, more dangerous. I’m telling you stuff that you already know. But just to drive home the point that it’s really ridiculous. It’s really ridiculous that a student faces losing their education. We’re people. We’re gonna kick it and have fun and enjoy our lives a little bit. If you wanna smoke a little bit of weed when you go home, just like you wanna have a Cognac or whatever it is that you have at the end of the night to relax after a long day, than so be it. It makes me crazy. It makes me really angry, because I would think that we’re smarter than that as a society but we’re really not I don’t think. I don’t think we’re really there yet.
M: What do you think that public figures such as yourself can do to make the change you want?
D: That’s a hard question because politically what can anybody really do? When was the last time your voice was represented in a public office? I’m 35 years old. Mine’s never been represented. So [laughs] I don’t have too much hope on that level but I think that we can just keep believing what we believe and believing that this doesn’t hurt anybody. We’re not hurting anybody, we’re not even hurting ourselves. We’re providers for our families and we live in our communities as good outstanding members. It’s bullshit. That stuff doesn’t affect it negatively, I don’t think.
M: As we mentioned before, 1995 was the year most college freshmen today were born. How does that make you guys feel about your music?
D: I think it’s so cool. It’s amazing, you know? Because 1995 I graduated high school. So I had already had my musical opinions formed by then and it was such a significant time for music and to have it be resonating with you guys it’s awesome. It means that we can keep playing and keep being relevant to younger people, younger generations.
M: Tell me about the tour you guys have planned for this summer.
D: Oh yeah, we have this Summer Sessions tour from July 9 to August and we’re gonna be out with Stephen Marley all summer. We’re gonna have other rotating bands coming in and out like our boy G-Love and Special Sauce getting back together with Jimmy Jazz and the old band, so that’s going to be really cool. I think even Cypress Hill is coming to join us on a couple dates. And big influences of ours, a pop punk band called NOFX. It’s going to be epic and all of us are really looking forward to being with them too, so it’s going to be a great summer. We’re really looking forward to it.
Selene San Felice can be reached at selenesanfelice@spartans.ut.edu