New Haven hip-hop duo Northern League is always hustling. “My answer is always ‘yes’,” rapper and New Haven native A.B. (at left in photo) said in a New Haven studio appearance. “Whatever’s going to get us more exposure.”
That’s why Northern League’s music has been featured in films like Stomp The Yard and The Architect. That’s why you may have also heard their songs on TV shows like CSI Miami and Entourage. That’s why they even have a track on a video game called Audition.
And that’s why they appeared on the air with Joe Ugly on UglyRadio.net on Friday night.
A.B. and Keith Lo, the other half of Northern League, were featured guests on Joe Ugly’s weekly Friday night internet radio show, broadcast from above the Subway sandwich shop on Chapel Street in downtown New Haven. In between Coronas and shots of Jack Daniels mixed with Hype Energy Drink, Northern League talked to Ugly about the music business, their current projects and their plans for the League’s future.
The Business
Relaxing at a table in the mirror-lined lounge of the radio studio prior to going on air, A.B. described Northern League’s sound. “It’s universal hip-hop,” he said. “We like being available to every race and age.” Northern League is currently promoting Yo Yo Yo Kids: Yo, It’s Christmas! an album of holiday rap songs aimed at children. They’ve also recorded tracks like “Sweat,” which they describe as “a little more ‘adult-oriented’… Actually, it’s triple‑X, to be honest.”
Click here to find a sample of the group’s music.
Northern League has been together for five years. Keith Lo, wearing an ear-flapped ski hat and a huge jewel-encrusted wristwatch, recalled when they first start making music, “the chemistry was completely crazy.” Keith said that he’s been rapping since he was a kid but that being in Northern League has taken his raps to another level. “It’s finessed all the stuff I’ve been into.”
Where Keith is focused mainly on the music, A.B., the more outspoken of the pair, is all business. But that’s not what his initials stand for. Wearing a glittering diamond cross necklace under his hoody and frequently pausing to check the stream of text messages arriving on his iPhone, A.B. explained that he took his name from the “One Life to Live” soap opera character Asa “Ace” Buchanan, a self-made billionaire business tycoon. “He was the one who controlled everything in the series,” said A.B.
Both rappers were born and raised in New Haven. A.B. attended Hamden High; Keith Lo went to Hillhouse. Asked what they think of the current New Haven hip-hop scene, A.B. said, “If I had to rate it one to ten, I’d say it’s a seven or an eight.” He said that the scene could be more organized, more unified. “New Haven residents need to support the local artists,” he added.
In addition to the Christmas album, Northern League had a couple of other projects to promote on the air Friday night. They’ve got a single, “Gone in 60 Seconds,” available on iTunes. Their first album, Wet Paint, is scheduled for release in April. They’re also trying to put together a tour for next summer. They want to bring their music to Miami and California. A.B. said that Northern League is gaining a following in the southwest. “In Arizona they’re pumping our music real lovely.”
Professor Ugly
“You guys are my model artists,” said Joe Ugly to Northern League on the air Friday night, during a several-hour conversation that covered, among other topics: traffic tickets in New Haven, the music business, the importance of clearing snow and ice off of your car, Beyonce, masturbation, Eartha Kitt, and the history of rock and roll. Ugly explained to his listeners that he approved of Northern League’s work ethic and its ability to explore diverse markets for its music.
Ugly’s Friday night show is part talk radio, part music showcase, and part lecture about how independent musicians can and should to take advantage of “new media” in the 21st century. Like a lecturing high school teacher, Ugly frequently tells his listeners to “listen up” and “pay attention to what I’m telling you.”
“The main mission of Ugly Radio is to elevate unsigned rappers to the next stage of their career,” explained Ugly, who describes himself on air as the “Dean of the Underground.” He said young rappers need to learn how to take advantage of the internet to promote and sell their music.
After an hour on the air with Ugly, Northern League took a break and traded in their bottled waters for cold Coronas. Using specially designed two-tier shot glasses, Joe Ugly poured a round of “HypotheticallyUglys”: a shot of Hype Energy Drink topped by a shot of Jack Daniels. A series of toasts followed.
Back on the air, Ugly continued his lecture, talking about the importance of creating music that appeals to multiple audiences. “Listen up, I’m trying to help you know how to market your shit. You have to make music for the world.”
A.B. agreed. “You need to be able to play both side of the game, to take off the hoody, put on a button-up and go into a restaurant and make the deal.”
A.B. said that Northern League was ready to make the move to mainstream success. “We’ve got the car warming up right now. We’ve got the rims on it. We’re ready to go.”
Keith Lo closed the show with a shout out to his four-month old daughter.
GOOD INTERVIEW WISHED WE COULD HAVE KNOWN MORE ABOUT THE GROUP IVE HEARD ALOT OF THEIR MUSIC GREAT STUFF