V Exclusive! Dead Prez’ Stic.man On New Album: ‘Throws Every Convention Out The Box’

Following the news that politically-charged hip-hop duo dead prez has signed a recording deal with independent New York label Krian, group member stic.man spoke to VIBE about what fans should expect from their upcoming release Information Age.

The October 16 project, which will be the first studio album in over eight years for stic and partner-in-rhyme M-1, was indeed a musical and conscious journey in the making. “As long as we have been working on this dead prez Information Age album it ended with me being in a hotel room in Fort Lauderdale and 1000 push ups and 17 hours later we finished the last session of the mix,” stic.man recalls of the moment the project was finally wrapped up. “So [this] October we are finally dropping Information Age.”

Indeed, there is a lot to live up to for dead prez. The mythology behind their classic 2000 debut Let’s Get Free, an album that was lauded by critics and hip-hop fans as a fearless nod to the socially conscious era of Public Enemy, Brand Nubian and later Black Star, is towering to say the least. Since then, stic and M have led their RBG collective (Revolutionary But Gangsta) on various projects, collaborating with everyone from Jay-Z to Nas.

Yet stic makes it clear that fans should expect a more broadened artistic statement from dead prez in 2012. “This album represents a different approach to the dead prez message,” he explains. “There is growth, creativity, a lot of lyrics, a lot of information…it’s basically a creative, conceptual album that throws every convention out the box.”

And then there’s Stic.man’s solo pursuits, sparked by his 2011 debut The Workout. He’s already planning a return to his conceptual fitness album. “I’m working on a follow-up to The Workout and staying on my health and fitness,” he adds. “I’m loving that and building that brand and moving for health and wellness.”

Information Age’s first single “A New Beginning” is out right now.