The Future Is Funky: A History of Afrofuturism in Music

LB: For me? I feel like being in the studio with Aziz was really freeing.

E: I think he was just 100% transparent from the very beginning. We just meshed well. The connection was just there automatically.

LB: He was just a good dude. He made you comfortable.

MB: That’s the biggest thing about VB is, like, if we rock with you on a personal level, it’s all love.

TMM: Could you briefly go into the title BLACK WALL STREET? Could you go into the meaning of this title in the context of the group?

MB: We liked BLACK WALL STREET because Black Wall Street was like, a bunch of Black people who lived in their own community, circulated their own dollar, used their own resources, built their own wealth. Like VB is. That’s us.

E: Well, it also helped out that it’s the name of one of our group chats. So, when someone suggested the name it was like, yeah this makes sense. Go with it.

TMM: On the topic of community, you guys are one of the biggest acts to come out of Brockton, MA in a long time. Are there any lesser-known Brockton artists you want to shout out?

LB: MTS Mitch, MonaVeli.

Jiles (J): 508gee, that’s a young kid who’s on the come up right now who’s really really talented

I: Shoutout my son JayMontana.

LB: Producers too. Brockton as a whole is really doing it right now. It’s beautiful to see.

TMM: Do you feel any responsibility to lift up Brockton artists with you as you grow as a group? E: I wouldn’t say it’s a responsibility but it’s something that’s a focus of ours. I mean, I’m not gonna say that anybody is responsible for any other person’s career, but it’s good that Van Buren are in the position that we’re in. We’re definitely individuals who want to help out up-andcoming artists.

LB: We do our best, but at the end of the day it goes back to the person, how badly they want it, but we definitely give a push. It doesn’t matter about followers or any of that.

E: If your shit’s fire, your shit’s fire. That’s all that matters at the end of the day.

TMM: When it comes to the label itself, do you see Van Buren Records staying as a tight collective, or growing and bringing on other artists.

E: I mean it’s not set in stone, but like we say, anything is possible.

LB: We haven’t really talked about it. J: I mean, me personally? I don’t see anyone else being added. Specifically rappers.

TMM: Shifting the focus to the future, is there anything in the works right now? Either as solo artists or a collective?

E: I mean at the end of the day, everyone here is a solo artist, so solo work is always going to happen. But it’s more about the vibe and the energy that everyone’s been going off of. Like we said, with BLACK WALL STREET, that shit just happened. So, there could be another situation where shit just happens. We can’t really put our finger on that at the moment.

J: Stay tuned… stay tuned.

• Fisher Hunnewell (Management and Finance)