There's been a lot of talk in the mountain biking about new video, . His last video, Performance, got viral in a nasty way as soon as it was released. So this time, I thought I'd call up SpandX and get some behind the scenes dirt on his new video before things get out of hand. Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
For a skinny guy, how'd you get so phat?
Spandex adds about ten pounds on camera.
In Get Dirty, did you really eat that Subway sammie dipped in the mud?
For sure.听 It was pretty gritty, but beets Metamucil. (Proof of that in the behind the scenes video below.)
听
How about the grill shot, how did that taste?
The grill is of the other rapper (Jake Salcone).听 He kept complaining about it, but I just kept saying, “needs more mud.”
Was that you that aired the jump鈥攐r did you have a stand-in do it?
While I am a pretty awesome mountain biker, my stunt double was none other than Kris “Jaymo” Jamieson. We filmed a lot of the video at , outside Sandy, Oregon.
How do you get from making videos for Wall Street to this?
It's been like a really steep drop-in to a huge kicker.听 After working for the Wall Street Journal, I thought I'd made it.听 But after steadily earning less and less for the next three years, I wondered if maybe it was time to throw in the towel.听 For my final hoorah I decided to make a video just for myself, and get back to what first inspired me. I threw together ',' and the rest is history….
Are you boot strapping this, or are you getting funding?
I like the guerilla filming style.听 Otherwise things move too slowly.听 So low budget, or no budget, is definitely how to keep it real.
Any bigger productions on the horizon?
As a matter of fact , I directed a feature length film that will be coming out at the end of summer.听 It is a fictional tale of one kid out to be the best rider in the world.听 Look out for “Wheels of Fire” coming soon!听 Also, I am trying to raise money to create the most amazing cycling/euro music video ever.听 The song is already finished!!!!听 It's basically bollywood meets eurotrash.
Are you a part of any of these subcultures? Roadie? XC? DH?
Well, let's just say I have to get in deep, to understand these cultures from the inside out.听 Besides that, I am a huge fan of the bicycle.听 Nice job Pierre Michaux!!
How do these concepts get spawned? Take me through your creative process?
Usually they spawn from a simple idea I get by reading the news or something.听 One day I was reading a local Portland free newspaper and looked up and jokingly said, “you know, it's all about performance.”听听 BAM!!!听 The rest was easy. For 'Get Dirty' the original idea came from my good friend and the hippest human on earth, Jake Salcone.听 One day I received a strange phone message where he just kept saying “Get Dirty”听 Over and Over.听 After I stopped being creeped out, I called him and said, “Let's do this!!!!!”
Your styling is pretty spot on, are you doing that yourself?
I have great style, what can I say.听 But I generally preview everything for my girlfriend first.
Do you have a creative team?
Yes.听 Me. ….and usually my girlfriend Lauren tells me which lyrics are REALLY bad.
And are you writing the lyrics?
Yes.听 I usually pace around my living room freestyling lyrics.听 My girlfriend chimes in on about one out of 20 lines and says, “Ooh, that one was good!”
Who is your favorite wrapper?
Wrapper?听 Like a candy bar wrapper?听 KRS ONE, Del, Mos Def, The Grouch, Sage Francis, Dead Prez.
If you could be any wrapper who would you be?听
Theo-E (aka Theodore Didday, )
Pro roadie?听
James Moore.听 He was a little known racer from the late 70's.
Pro DH hiller?
.听 He's pretty gnar, and quite a blithe and jocund chappie!!
–Heidi Volpe