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By: Erin Evangela Gannie
Looking to satisfy your love of hip hop, but you want something a little different and refreshing? Look no further. Atlanta’s own genre-blending duo, the Headphone Junkiez, is a group for a new generation. The Headphone Junkiez have a very unique twist on music with their ability to switch between classic hip-hop, g-funk, rock and R&B rhythms. They are the south’s newest discovery and they are establishing their own brand of rap. The Headphone Junkiez are a duo that consist of Zi (short for Zion) the laid back half of the duo and the Yin, the spirited and slick-talking counterpart to Geecue’s Yang. To understand the mindset of these two you have to put your headphones on and vibe out to their music.
Zi (also professionally known as Max Hondo) grew up in a middleclass two-parent home, played drums from the 4th grade all through high school and received a band scholarship to Jackson State University, yet always felt like an outsider. Geecue was raised with a mother who had a substance abuse problem and an incarcerated father, both of whom are now free, but his family owned and still owns a string of beauty salons, and his grandmother worked tirelessly to support the household. Both members experienced those “coming of age” situations, such as rebellion, hanging with the wrong crowd type, but found the proper path along their journey. Geecue secured a job, car and studio equipment at sixteen, as well as receiving an academic scholarship to University of West Georgia. Zi enrolled in the Media Production program at American Intercontinental University. From their education, love of music and their ability to not just listen to music, but study it, they come to the “table” with undeniable club bangers such as “Pik N Roll”, “Gettin 2 Da Monay”, “Playa Phresh” and many more. You can take any topic or tempo and the Headphone Junkiez can rock with it.
EG: How did you guys come together? How long have you been in the business?
HJ: We met by chance at a local Church and instantly clicked in 2003.
We officially became a group in late 2007, so we’ve been in the business for two years
EG: How did you come up with the name? What’s the meaning behind it?
HJ: Because each time we put our headphones on, we are on a natural high, tuning out the world. And of course they are junkies for our craft. The love for music, that’s one thing that as people we all have in common
EG: What inspired the track Muncheez?
HJ: Muncheez was one of those spur of the moment records that came about when I was kicking it with a lady friend of mine. The right mood, along with the perfect blend of feelings and emotions, created an amazing and visual song.
EG: What’s your first single?
HJ: Our first single is “Getting 2 Da Monay” which is a little insight into high life and good times with powerful deliveries, distinct voices and mixed with lots of energy
EG: Tell us about the track “Pikk-N-Roll”?
HJ: “Pikk-N-Roll” is our follow up single after “Getting 2 Da Monay”. That’s a real fun record! Basically, it’s a double meaning. We’re using basketball terminology to describe how we hit the club and leave with that chick we had our eye on all night!
EG: Tell me about your collabs with Flo.
HJ: Flo, that’s our producer. He’s the muscle behind the beats. We’ve been working closely with him since the duo began.
EG: How do you describe your sound?
HJ: Our sound is like a big bag of concepts and lyrical kinetic energy all together. We<
switch up between different styles and genres of music.
EG: If you had to pitch yourself to all the music lovers on why they should listen to the Headphone Junkiez, what would you say?
HJ: We are relatable with day to day experiences, as well as fresh and authentic sounds. We want to bring the fun back, and to further distinguish ourselves by not using misogynistic lyrics and keeping foul language to a minimum.
EG: Are you performing a lot? Any tours?
HJ: We definitely have a lot of things in the works but to stay up on what’s going with us you can hit us up on any social networks: tagged.com/officialheadphonejunkiez, www.myspace.com/officiaheadphonejunkiez or twitter.com/hpjunkiez
EG: What projects are you working on?
HJ: Finishing up our album and working on a mixtape, which both are untitled at the moment.
EG: How hard is it as a new and upcoming artist to break into the music business?
HJ: As an upcoming artist, especially in a city where there is a lot of talent, it’s hard to get a piece of the limelight. Like the old saying goes, “You’re here today and gone tomorrow”. So in saying that, work is never done. We still continue the grind to the top.
EG: What words of wisdom can you offer to aspiring artists?
HJ: The Five P’s – Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance.
EG: Any final words?
HJ: We appreciate your support and continue to follow us. And we would like to thank Crunk Magazine for giving us this opportunity to be featured in their magazine.
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