Pure Order Talks “Golden Glass” Feat Abstract Rude And More
Because it’s separated from Los Angeles by the Santa Monica Mountains, Oxnard, California can sometimes be overlooked and overshadowed.
Because it’s separated from Los Angeles by the Santa Monica Mountains, Oxnard, California can sometimes be overlooked and overshadowed. But it’s a thriving seaside city of two hundred thousand — the largest in Ventura County — and it’s got a cultural history of its own. Oxnard has a long tradition of smart, dense, musically innovative hip-hop: the groundbreaking producer Madlib was born and raised there, and the incisive lyricists of the Lootpack were, too. Pure Order, a formidably intelligent rap duo, has been in the middle of the febrile Oxnard scene for years. Rapper God’s Gift collaborated with Madlib and the Lootpack before he found his perfect complement in Nemesis, a Los Angeles-born emcee with a powerful imagination and an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. The two rappers wear their hip-hop erudition proudly, they wield metaphors with the knife-like precision of master chefs in the kitchen, and they match each others’ intensity, curiosity, and righteous fury.
On “Golden Glass,” the heady new single from Pure Order, they’ve joined forces with another rapper who shares their worldview, talent, and dedication to alternative rap. It’s no exaggeration to call Abstract Rude one of the most celebrated figures in the history of Southern California hip-hop. He’s a vocalist who has always led with creativity and verbal daring, and he’s elevated every project he’s graced — including his full-length collaborations with Aceyalone and Myka 9. As one of the original emcees associated with the epochal Project Blowed, Abstract Rude has roots in creative Californian rap as deep as anybody’s. But as he demonstrates again on the bracing “Golden Glass,” his sound is a timeless one, and his ability to adjust his flow and his subject matter to bring out the best in his partners is as sharp as it has ever been.
As for God’s Gift and Nemesis, they make the most of their verses, rhyming with confidence and cleverness about the quest for wisdom, dodging the world’s illusions, and warning the audience about the designs of deceivers. While the rappers’ vision is universal, their targets are quite specific: the Pure Order emcees call out abuses of power by megalomaniacs and elitists in positions of prominence. Although they purposefully take no political sides and remain politically neutral, “Golden Glass” is a vital song for an election year. The video underscores the calm righteousness of the rappers, who share the spotlight without rancor, say what they must, and pass the microphone. Their subject matter couldn’t be more serious, but their serenity amidst turbulence is well worth emulating.
1. Who are some of your biggest music influences?
Gift says A Tribe Called Quest, Rakim, Queen Latifah
Nemesis agrees and would add Prince and Missy Elliott
2. Could you tell us about how you all met and what lead to the creation of Pure Order?
God’s Gift and Nemesis met through mutual friends in the early 2000s. Discovering their shared love for poetry and hip hop drew them together to form Pure Order. Gift had coined Pure Order already and was searching for an MC that could fulfill the vision of purity of original creative elements of Hip Hop alongside him. Nemesis was aligned with those ideals and was encouraged by Gift to pursue her art in spite of her shyness and her apprehension about this male dominated industry. They finally recorded their first song together in 2014 “The Lighthouse” prod. By long-time God’s Gift friend and fan, DJ Shag. From there they determined their vision to make music that displays the natural elevation of our hip hop culture.
3. How do you usually find yourselves overcoming creative blocks when songwriting?
We find a lot of inspiration being in nature and simply meditating on the things that are important to us in the moment. We engage in very in-depth discussions of our observations of science, mathematics, biology and ancient wisdom such as that found in the Bible to complete a cipher of powerful meaningful revelations we become highly motivated to share in the form of song.
4. What was the inspiration behind “Golden Glass”
Golden Glass was inspired by the revelation of how important knowledge is and how detrimental the lack of it has been to the world historically and currently. The incredible music produced by Doctor NO! aka Oh No the Disrupt of Crate Digger’s Palace fame, inspired Nemesis to form a hook that pointed to knowledge as a source of riches and luxury- the very thing the industry praises and parades, yet not too many of them understand that the source of longevity of our art is saying things that matter from a solid knowledge base hard-earned by actually investigating facts, which Nemesis takes pride in being an advocate of. Therefore another basic message in Golden Glass is that intelligence on a track can get a party started & is sexy. The arrangement by Nemesis also reflects the sensual pleasure sparked by the energy a precise flow over fire production can bring. Shouts to our Mix/Master Engineer extraordinaire of Madlib’s first group, Lootpack fame DJ Romes!
5. How do you approach writing song like “Pure Order” that involves multiple artists collaborating on the end product? Do you find it easier or more difficult?Our songs are conceptualized, written and arranged by Pure Order. Then, if there is room for a guest feature we think about who will be a good fit and reach out to that person. We felt blessed that Abstract Rude liked our music and was down to rock with us. He was the perfect fit for this energy and he really handled his verse like the Project Blowed LA Legend he is!
It’s fun collaborating with like-minded artists. We love the energy and relatability they add to our creative vision!
6. What was it like working with director Dirty Diggs to create the music video for “Golden Glass”
Working with Diggs was amazing! He’s a true artist and professional who listens and enjoys our artistic vision and then adds his unique flare to it by how he shoots. We are hyped that we got more projects in the works with Diggs!
7. What has been your proudest moment as artists thus far?
Rocking on the same stage opening for Rakim and Slick Rick as well as having legendary artists desire to collaborate with us based on their admiration of our skill!
8. What is next for Pure Order?
We are independently releasing our first full album which we will be officially announcing soon 2024! Nemesis has two solo albums that are mind blowing for real and will also drop this year. Followed by God’s Gift solo album curated and produced by the legend Doctor NO! A much anticipated CDP reunion of sorts! In the meantime of wrapping up those projects we’ll be dropping singles that we believe are delicious appetizers. Stay on the lookout for our next song with Oxnard Hip Hop producer Premethius called “Sovereign State” which is Pure Order’s next single!! You heard it here first!
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