Jason Griff & Alex Ludovico Return with THE RED MAN IS HERE. RUN. EP & Introduced FEDXRA BXYS with Scorcese (The Witzard Interview)

Last year, Los Angeles emcee Alex Ludovico continued his ongoing #MedicineMondays weekly singles series and this year, he's doing something similar with #RewindWednesdays. His Bandcamp page explains, "Drugs, sex, and Hip-Hop. Alex Ludovico, born in Gary, IN and created in Chicago, is the living embodiment of that credo." One of our personal favorite moments from 2019's #MedicineMondays roll-out was Ludovico's collaborative EP with fellow Chicagoan Jason Griff entitled SCARF TISSUE. Upon returning from our honeymoon to Italy, we immediately linked up with Griff & Alex Ludovico, via email, to talk about their phenomenal SCARF TISSUE EP. They were kind enough to help us assemble a comprehensive track-by-track (All-around) Breakdown for SCARF TISSUE. Now, following a string of one-off singles, Alex Ludovico & Jason Griff have returned with the first proper EP of #RewindWednesdays, THE RED MAN IS HERE. RUN.

For THE RED MAN IS HERE. RUN. Griff & Alex Ludovico recruited a few expertly-rapping friends—The Dutchmaster, Zilla Rocca, and Scorcese Lorde Jones—to help ring in their second collaborative EP. Griff/Scorcese previously worked together on their Dream Team: A Stokely Hathaway Joint and here, he re-appears on EP closer "Len Bias." Together, Griff, Scorcese & Alex Ludocivo have teamed up to form FEDXRA BXYS (pronounced: "Fedora Boys") and supposedly, a full-length group project is currently in-the-works. Scroll Down to read our comprehensive interview with Jason Griff & Alex Ludovico. THE RED MAN IS HERE. RUN. is currently available to purchase, stream, or download on Griff's own imprint, Bordering Insubordination. Instrumentals for both THE RED MAN IS HERE. RUN. & SCARF TISSUE EP's are currently available to purchase on Bandcamp, for interested/aspiring self-quarantined emcees.


Sincerey,

Matt "The Witzard" Horowitz
Comfortably Self-quarantined


I. How did the circumstances surrounding the creation of THE RED ONE IS HERE. RUN. differ from your previous collaborative EP, Scarf Tissue?

Alex Ludovico: Not very much. We linked up when I was back home in Chicago for a couple months at Griff’s place. Sat down and stewed over beats for a couple hours. We work super-fast.

Jason Griff: We worked on this new one together in-person. The first EP was done solely over The Interweb and carrier pigeon. We, also, had features from other rappers on this project, as opposed to the last one, where all the vocals were done by Alex.

II. So, I've always wondered about this... but how did you decide which artists to feature on which songs? For example: why The Dutchmaster on "Monsters Inc.?" Why Zilla Rocca on "Dipsh*ts?" And why Scorcese on "Len Bias?"

Ludovico: It's just about matching tones and voices. I sent Zilla the EP and asked him to jump on a track. "Dipsh*ts" spoke to him. Scorcese had the perfect style to play the "drug dealer" to my "drug user" on "Len Bias." And The Dutchmaster is my O.G. Chicago homie from way back, so his voice felt perfect on "Monsters Inc." An artist knows when something fits a vibe they're trying to convey. It's natural.

Griff: All three of those dudes are our friends, as well as our peers. We're always sharing music with each other and when we do something that somebody we love would sound great on, we make it happen.


III. Would you mind talking a bit about the meaning behind the album title, THE RED ONE IS HERE. RUN. and its companion album cover?

Ludovico: Griff & Proton Beats are gonna answer this question.

Griff: It was created [spur-of-the-moment] by a genius 10-year-old and we loved it and decided to use it. Kids are smarter and more talented than adults, anyways.

IV. EP closer "Len Bias" marks the official debut of FEDXRA BXYS (Fedora Boys) consisting of Griff, Alex Ludovico & Scorcese; what's next for your newly-minted 3- man crew, fellas?

Ludovico: Nothing is set in stone. We're working, as always. When it happens, it happens. Scorcese is one my my favorite rappers working, so it's on the way...

Griff: We just take it a day at a time; we're always creating and we'll see how the various processes and ideas come together. It's a strange world out there right now and we're taking it a day at a time, trying to not get shot on site by The National Guard.


V. Now that your second EP together has been properly released into the world, what's next for Griff/Ludovico? Do you have any immediate plans to actually meet in-person yet?

Ludovico: We've met in-person a million times. I'm from right outside Chicago, so we're well-acquainted. And we've already started our next EP. We work too fast to not drop three of these a year. We're just working at all times. And in my personal music journey, I'm about to head out on my first tour in May. Starting in Santa Fe, New Mexico and ending in Tampa, Florida. More details on that once The Coronavirus hysteria dies down.

Griff: We've met several times. We're just gonna keep creating and see what happens next...

VI. What else are both of you currently working on or preparing for release, be it either solo or collaborative?

Ludovico: I'm always working. But I have an issue with modern day Internet culture. Everyone is obsessed with what's next and what the future [holds]. I'm making it a point with this release to let it marinate. Make people appreciate what's in front of them. If I cook you a plate and you all you care about is the next meal, that tells me people don't appreciate what’s in front of you. This EP is full of dope production and dope rapping. LET IT BREATHE!!! Heh. But, as mentioned in the interview, me and Griff have a couple more EP's lined up.

Griff: Working on a handful of different things simultaneously. More stuff with Alex, Scorcese & I are putting together a [Griff/Scorcese] Dream Team remixes project and a few other surprises along the way.