By Matthew Bridge
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer
A popular rising group is Super Lario Bros and they are making a major impact on the game. Although natives of Georgia, they have both been living in Atlanta for some time and are now doing music in one of hip hop’s biggest markets. Recently, Super Lario Bros released their new EP, It’s A Long Story.
Super Lario Bros is riding the success of It’s A Long Story and they began pushing their new single, earlier this week. Their single, “Big Things,” is out and it’s had tons of success on the internet. With the way Super Lario Bros is buzzing, it made sense to get them in for a discussion.
Recently, Hip Hop Vibe talked to Mr. Brown and Swigs of Super Lario Bros and they brought us up to speed on their history. Doing music in Atlanta is a move many before them have made and it makes sense. They also talked about Outkast, their new EP, It’s A Long Story, and much more.
Read the entire interview below:
Can you talk about how you met your partner and how Super Lario Bros came together? Swigs: We both were frequenting the same places, art shows and bars in Atlanta’s creative scene. We met through a mutual friend. Brown was working on some music at the time and so was I. When we got in the studio and the vibe was dope, the King Lario movement was already in the making and we just ran with it.
Brown: The whole EP started out with song. We met and were first hanging out at a time when we were both trying to build something. Swigs had a beat and asked if I wanted to put something on it. Before we recorded it, I received some beats that I was feeling and I ran them by Swigs. I think once we knew we were recording three, we decided to just do five and make it a project. I had been learning to produce and ended up making the beats for the two remaining songs.
What do you think is most different from you guys and other duos in the game? Swigs: Just the creative aspect of it all is what I believe separates us from other people in general. The views and perspectives in our music are authentic. We’re not going to go too far out of our way to follow whatever’s currently called “cool.” We’ll just be over here doing our own thing in our own lane.
Brown: I think we take our experiences and relay them in interesting ways. Even though this is our first project together, Swigs and I have been rapping and writing for years. We put our own personal touches on everything from the music/music selection, to word choice, to cadence.
Would you say that you guys were inspired by Outkast and, in terms of how you two do things, who is Andre 3000 and who is Big Boi? Swigs: Definitely inspired by Outkast and the whole DF amongst other great artists, I vividly remember hearing my mom’s Prince and Anita Baker albums growing up so that had a major influence as well. As far as one of us being Big and the other ‘Dre… I just think we both embody certain aspects of both.
Brown: Ha! I definitely listened to a lot of Outkast growing up. But I also grew up an hour away from New Orleans during the No Limit/Cash Money days… I’ve been inspired by a pretty wide array of Southern Rap. And I’ve also been into the independent rap scene since way back — from Quanum Projects to Def Jux to Rawkus to Stones Throw to Rhymesayers, etc. And that’s not even getting into other genres, visual art, or film! Let’s just say we’ve both been influenced by a myriad of artists and musicians.
For you, what type of impact did being in Atlanta have on the EP, It’s A Long Story? Swigs: For me, it was more the creative spaces in Atlanta that kept me inspired for the project. On the surface, people don’t really get to feel that. And with everything how it is musically right now, when I go to create something I want people to pick up on some type of balance, which I believe Lario Bros bring.
Brown: Atlanta definitely had an impact on the EP. We live here so it’s a big part of our experiences. But keep in mind, there are a lot of sides to the city that you will never see if you don’t look hard enough.
With this being you guys’ first project, are you surprised with the level of love it’s received? Swigs: I’m surprised. When we got done, we knew it was dope and we were on to something. But you never really know how people are going to respond until you’re in the streets or you get a email like, “I’m fucking with what you guys are doing.” The love we’ve been getting makes the work worth while.
Brown: Like Swigs said, it’s a pleasant surprise whenever someone reaches out to tell us they’re feeling it. I don’t take anything for granted and I’m thankful for everyone that digs the project. However, I’m confident in the music so I want to take it as far as it will go.
Since Super Lario Bros have their own project out, do you see yourself dropping a solo project? As a solo artist, what do you think is your next move? Swigs: We both like to rap. So we’re both going to be working on our own projects as well as working on some stuff together. I’m currently working on a solo project. I just want to keep being as creative as possible and pushing the King Lario Brand.
Brown: I’m wrapping up a solo EP that will be out in the first months of 2015. Even though it’s almost finished, there’s still plenty of work to do between now and the release. I’m also a visual artist and designer so I’m almost always working on something. King Lario is the name that our creative work is released under. You can view and/or purchase some of the work on kinglario.com.
Can you let the people know where to find you on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram? All of our social media info is on our website, KingLario.com.
Follow Matthew Bridge on Twitter @dgfxla.
