Powerflo’s Sen Dog Names His Dream Collaborators

Who can be on Powerflo frontman Sen Canine’s dream collaborator checklist? The musician has triumphed within the rap world with Cypress Hill and is exploring his heavier aspect with Powerflo and through his look on Full Steel Jackie’s weekend radio present the musician shot his shot with a number of artists he’d wish to work with from each the rap and metallic worlds.

He named off two rappers which have dabbled within the rock and metallic world in Chuck D of Public Enemy and Prophets of Rage and Ice-T of Physique Rely. His dream collab checklist additionally options a number of notable rockers together with an iconic metallic drummer, certainly one of nu-metal’s most revered bassists, a Rock and Roll Corridor of Fame guitarist and one of many extra chameleonic and prolific vocalists in heavy music. He reveals his full checklist within the chat under.

Sen Canine additionally stresses the significance of his brotherhood, citing the help and backing of Powerflo bandmates Billy Graziadei and Christian Olde Wolbers in giving him the encouragement to launch the interior beast. Plus, he tells us how he is in a position to faucet into the interior aggression on the band’s new Gorilla Warfare album.

He additionally displays on the evolution of the rock and rap crossover and the place his heavier influences had been initially developed rising up.

Take a look at extra of the chat under.

It is Full Steel Jackie and I am so excited to welcome to the present this week Sen Canine of Powerflo. The band is again with their newest album, Gorilla Warfare, a stellar set of songs crammed with angle and heaviness. We clearly know you from Cypress Hill as properly, however with Powerflo coming again, how nice has it been to seek out this outlet to indicate off extra of your heavy influences?

It has been actually, actually good. It has been an amazing factor to have occurred as a result of not solely do I get to do my factor with Powerflo, however in addition they inspired me and challenged me to get heavier at instances. I discovered that to be a problem value taking over.

Billy [Graziadei] and Christian [Olde Wolbers] mentioned, “We heard you rap and this and that. You are good and all the pieces, however know we wish to unleash the interior animal that you’ve in you. As a result of after we’re on the tour bus hanging out or no matter and Metallica is taking part in or Slayer and I am singing alongside, I suppose someplace alongside the way in which, Billy thought that I might do it.” So I used to be identical to, “Okay, properly, let’s examine what we might give you.” And the extra we did it, the extra snug I received.

I am grateful for these guys to have the arrogance to inform me sure issues and me obtain it properly sufficient to go on forward and take a look at various things.

Powerflo, “Battle Machine”

Sen, Powerflo is such a singular mix of affect from the person members. You have received Billy Graziadei, who comes from the hardcore and punk world, and Christian Outdated Wolbers with one of many nice industrial metallic bands, Worry Manufacturing unit. The place did the frequent bond come from to find the sound for this band? And is there something off limits out of your backgrounds as to what would represent a Powerflo music?

Nicely, all of it comes from being bros and hanging round and figuring out one another from the touring scene. I met Christian I believe again within the 90s and Worry Manufacturing unit, now and again we would be on the identical invoice. He was lots like us, man. He lived to partake within the 420 and issues like that. And the brotherhood simply grew to become stronger and stronger to the place we simply do not at all times hang around simply to do music, since we simply hang around as bros.

The extra we frolicked with him, the extra we favored him and he finally performed on our Cranium and Bones file for Cypress. We additionally had him within the “Rock Celebrity” video. And from then on, it is simply been a relentless brotherhood of hanging round and doing music.

Once I began, I had the primary couple songs for Powerflo, and I knew that I used to be going to want a band. I went to Christian, and at the moment he was simply rehabbing from his bike accident that he had. I do not assume he had an curiosity in doing music on the time. However then I let him hear the songs and he was like, “Who’s singing on that?” I am going, “Man, that is me, man.” He was like, “Okay.” So I believe that received his curiosity going. After which he had the thought of going after Billy.

Billy is attention-grabbing as a result of he mentioned sure immediately, after which a pair days later he mentioned no, after which got here again a pair days after that and mentioned sure, after which no once more, after which lastly sure. So we received Billy in and Billy’s very, very musical and a really clever man. When he received into the group, our manufacturing stepped up so far as what number of songs we had been doing per week. We grew to become one thing that we labored on laborious. And his band, Biohazard, was the primary band ever, I believe in 1993 or 94, that had me visitor seem on a hardcore file. Our relationship began from there.

So we stored it shifting. I do not assume there’s something out of bounds so far as what we’d file or cowl from any of our pasts or no matter. However as a result of we’re doing Powerflo now and it is music for the longer term, we have not actually gone in that path. We had been extra involved with developing with our personal authentic music and getting that time throughout versus attempting to cowl a music that certainly one of our bands may need did that had some success again within the days. We wish to achieve success with this band.

Sen, the title observe brings in one other metallic vet, Ernie C. oi Physique Rely fame. It is a laborious hitter for certain. And Ernie’s guitar work undoubtedly rocks. What’s the course of whenever you welcome a particular visitor and what made Ernie the precise alternative right here? Did you could have any directives or did you simply let him do his factor?

I did not have any directives for him. I might identified Ernie for a very long time and I do know that he is an excellent guitar participant. And simply the truth that he agreed to be on the file was massive. I knew that no matter he did was going to be unbelievable. So I did not have to offer him any path or something like that.

The one factor that I ask is that you simply hearken to the music first and when you prefer it and are critical and also you vibe with it and you possibly can be sincere with me as a result of I do know not everyone’s going to love what you do on a regular basis and that is okay. what I imply? You are going to have people who such as you, individuals that do not such as you, and that is fantastic. However when you prefer it and when you assume you would be on a music, then we would like to have you ever. That is how we received Ernie.

We had been on tour with Physique Rely, I believe, again in 2019 or one thing like that, or 2020, and Energy Circulate had the consideration of opening up for Physique Rely and I watched their present each evening. I’ve at all times identified Ernie to be a very good guitar participant. However after I noticed him each evening play dwell and see what he did then I am realizing wow, he is an actual badass. Physique Rely is fortunate to have him. He is an amazing guitar participant.

I made a decision to ask him to be on the file. He mentioned sure. And it was an amazing factor. Him and Phil Demmel, each of them, they heard the file they usually had been all the way down to be on it.

So after we requested Ernie to be within the video, he mentioned, “Yeah, man.” So I used to be like, “All proper, cool.” Ernie, you possibly can truly get good recommendation from. Not simply on being in a band or a music, however simply total life recommendation. He is a kind of guys.

He is carried out lots, witnessed lots and has realized lots. He isn’t shy on passing that recommendation alongside. We had quite a lot of good dialog. He put me up in quite a lot of good video games. So I really feel blessed to have him on the file and have him on a video. it is a heavy file. So it’ excellent that one of many heaviest guitar gamers, Ernie C., might be part of us.

Powerflo, “Gorilla Warfare”

We had been speaking about collabs right here with Powerflo’s Sen Canine.  Do you could have a dream collaborator you’d wish to get on a Powerflo file? Simply providing you with the prospect to shoot your shot.

Oh, wow. I would not thoughts recording with perhaps Chuck D, one thing like that. I’ve at all times been a fan of what Public Enemy does, particularly them being on one of many first to have a Slayer pattern on there. That actually caught my consideration. So to have the ability to sooner or later do one thing with him.

what? David Lombardo and I’ve at all times talked about doing one thing collectively. There’s lots of people within the business that you simply look as much as. The Cavalera brothers are additionally an amazing duo to hearken to and think about perhaps sooner or later, hopefully, hopefully, we do one thing with them.

I am a fan of music, so whenever you inform me a dream collaboration, I might consider quite a lot of completely different individuals. However for probably the most half I needed to do one thing with Ernie and we received that carried out and hopefully sooner or later Ice-T and myself might get collectively and do some get down on a music on the heavy tip.

I’ve at all times revered what he is carried out with Physique Rely. I have been a fan of his all his profession, actually, however when he did Physique Rely, then that actually received my consideration. So there’s undoubtedly lots of people that I might, that I might like to work with so far as collaborations and whatnot.

Chino [Moreno] from the Deftones is one other one. Simply love what he does vocally and the way his method to songs is absolutely attention-grabbing. I believe they’re completely different than everyone else. And Shavo [Odadjian] from System of a Down. Love his bass work on all the pieces that he does. He is simply an unbelievable musician and a very, actually, actually good homeboy to hold round with.

The gorgeous factor about collaborations is you by no means know who you are going to get teamed up with and the truth that one thing stunning goes to return out of it, though it could be someone that you simply by no means thought your kinds would ever match or they’d by no means wish to do one thing collectively. If you get two inventive individuals in a room, and also you begin engaged on one thing and then you definitely simply begin hammering it out and getting it carried out and then you definitely impress your self. I believe that is the perfect factor.

I might undoubtedly put Slash from Weapons N Roses in that checklist too. His guitar work is unbelievable. And once more, one other actually good human being. That is what I wish to encompass myself with. Simply total good people that do issues from their coronary heart as a result of they wish to they usually, they aspire to do issues like that.

That is an excellent checklist.

Yeah.

We’re again with Sen Canine of Powerflo. Listening to Gorilla Warfare, there is a justifiable share of aggression on right here. The album pulls no punches. There is no shortages of wrongs on this planet immediately. What was inspiring via this course of. And do you want any hyping as much as get in that aggressive mindset on these songs?

I do not want any hyping as much as get on it. I believe the one hyping up that I wanted was from Billy and Christian. They mentioned, “We have heard you rap on these rock tracks, and we all know that you possibly can do it. However we wish you to step it up now and let that interior animal inside you out. Let it out, let it yell and scream, let or not it’s mad.”

I simply discovered myself eager about issues earlier than I might go to the studio. I might simply hearken to quite a lot of Metallica, Slayer as properly. I like these guys method vocally after which simply begin eager about issues which have gone improper in my life and want I had extra of a management over. There is a frustration residue that builds up and stays there. Despite the fact that day by day turns into much less and fewer, you possibly can simply faucet into it. So I get to the studio and Billy, figuring out me, he’d have a bunch of beer there and we roll some joints and whatnot and simply get to writing.

Each time I wrote one thing, I sort of felt like I used to be letting one thing out of me. I used to be releasing one thing that I used to be holding again that was in my unconscious. I discovered it to be therapeutic to have the ability to try this factor. So simply go on forward and be aggressive. It is like who I was after I was youthful. I sort of let that go the older I received. So to faucet that reservoir was not a tough factor at this age. I have been via quite a lot of issues, some good, some dangerous, however I used to be in a position to pull from these sort of energies simply to place myself in that.

I wish to destroy this microphone proper now kind of factor. I used to be in a position to pull from these sources and get into that mode. As soon as I did it, I wish to try this once more. So the album Gorilla Warfare has a total aggression on it, as a result of I beloved what I had discovered and I needed to do extra of it. There is a couple songs that are not actually that manner on there, however they nonetheless carry that sort of vitality.

Powerflo

Sen, wanting again at historical past, we are able to draw a line between Billy and Biohazard and your self in Cypress Hill each making appearances on the groundbreaking Judgment Evening soundtrack. Again in 1993, it knocked down among the boundaries between rap and heavy music. 

You have spent a while within the rock world on festivals, touring and visitor appearances. Would you say that the rock and metallic audiences had been extra welcoming and accepting again within the 90s of that crossover? Or from what you have seen, is it extra embraced now coming from the rap world right into a metallic band?

I’ve seen the followers from rock and metallic accepting hip hop and rap within the early 90s after we got here out, and I keep in mind after we first began touring we would see quite a lot of Public Enemy shirts and Beastie Boy shirts within the viewers. Then individuals began coming in carrying these rock and roll shirts like Metallica and Primus and all this, and I used to be like, “What is going on on right here?”

I sort of discovered that that viewers again then was keen to obtain us as they’d obtain a metallic band, a tough band and it is as a result of I imagine that the 2 musics share quite a lot of the identical beginnings as one another.

When individuals are saying again within the day that rock and roll would not final and whatnot, that is the identical factor that individuals had been saying about hip hop, that it will by no means final. Hip hop now’s over 50 years previous. And I believe the viewers might really feel that we knew our historical past so far as rock and roll and metallic went. And we did. It got here out in our music. And the followers love that.

Then I believe it is advanced with the Judgment Evening soundtrack. Nicely, to begin with, I gotta give props to Run DMC and Aerosmith. Trigger they’re those that went on the market and did it first and had been like, oh, it may be carried out. One other one which made an impression on me. Public Enemy and Anthrax, the identical factor. So it is at all times been like an evolvement of the type, proper? After which it received all the way down to the Judgment Evening soundtrack.

I believe we had two songs on there. However when you take a look at the checklist of artists which can be on there, I am like, “Oh, man, that is loopy.” However it actually solidified the truth that it is now not only a gimmick factor. That is an precise musical type, proper? And afterward, bands got here in that show that. what I imply? I am speaking about Rage in opposition to the Machine and Limp Bizkit and people sort of guys that got here in and took that type to get to new ranges.

Now it is an precise style. Individuals name it rap metallic, however I simply name it music. So I believe I’ve seen an evolvement of that type that is occurred for a few years. I believe all these bands contributed in an enormous manner. However it had its delivery and now it is persevering with to develop and get wider and greater. And that is the place we’re with that specific type. I additionally really feel that these two musics have at all times blended properly collectively. They simply go good collectively.

READ MORE: 12 Rappers Who Are Impressed By Rock Music

Again within the days on MTV, they’d a present referred to as Yo! MTV Raps. I neglect what time it got here out. It was a half hour present. After which proper after that, Headbanger’s Ball would come on. Now quite a lot of my mates would watch Yo! MTV Raps and cut up. However I might stick round and watch Headbangers Ball too.

That is superior.

It simply did one thing for me and I believe that that was simply a part of it. It grabbed me and I knew that all over the world there needed to be extra individuals like me that actually favored each sorts of musics and dreamed about sooner or later presumably doing a mashup is the frequent terminology that it is referred to as

Within the mid-90s I began a band referred to as SX10, which meant surfers hold 10. And that is the place I realized the best way to write these rap-metal songs. That is what led me to Powerflo. Once I began doing the Powerflo songs I felt fully like that is truly my type of music, that is the place I excel at, is on tracks like “Gorilla Warfare” and issues like that. That is what will get me off is that hardcore, guitar pushed music.

Biohazard & Cypress Hill, “How It Is”

Sen, the yr is winding down. Inform us what’s on the horizon for your self within the coming months.

Within the coming months now we have a handful of Cypress Hill dates nonetheless left on the calendar and dates are beginning to decide up now as you understand, as we communicate. After all getting on the market and doing Powerflo and in some unspecified time in the future I would not thoughts giving performing one other shot. Attempting to get on the market in entrance of the digicam and seem like pure and never nervous, which is a sport in itself. However I would not thoughts attempting that once more. Hopefully I get a possibility to do this.

Together with having the music and aspirations of doing extra performing, there’s additionally  being a dad to 11 and a 9 yr previous. So my calendar, it is fairly full.

I am not attempting to complicate myself an excessive amount of however at this level, however in line with how previous I’m, I do not wish to say there’s an emergency button I am pushing, however I undoubtedly really feel like I received to do issues now versus ready.

Christian and Billy, myself, we actually imagine within the undertaking and Powerflow. And we needed to do one other album, and we received it carried out. And now we’re speaking about doing a 3rd album. So I believe we’re on the precise tempo. There’s an ideal time for all the pieces. When God says, “It is your time to shine, go do it now,” hopefully individuals will dig what they hear.

Additionally, simply all of the followers all over the world who’ve supported my profession and our profession within the band Cypress Hill and all the pieces else that we do. I’m grateful on your help and the truth that you could have many decisions on who you select to hearken to and go watch dwell and all that, I really feel truthfully blessed for that. I simply gotta say thanks very a lot. It means the world to me to have followers all over the world that know my lyrics and know who I’m and what I do. It is simply wild to consider. Thanks anyhow. We respect it. It means the world to us.

Due to Sen Canine of Powerflo. The Gorilla Warfare album is out now and out there via the band’s web site. You may sustain with the band via Fb, X, Instagram and Spotify. Discover out the place you may hear Full Steel Jackie’s weekend radio present right here.