4 Paws

Hi and thank you for this interview. Please introduce yourself.

Hello - you‘re welcome. I want to thank YOU for letting me take part in your fanzine.

I do rap music by the name „4PAWS“. I am a Vegan Straight Edge kid and hungry as fuck!

How did you become straight edge and vegan ? How long do you follow this

path ?

I came in touch with Vegan Straight Edge trough my home town‘s Hardcore scene and Hardcore music in general. First I became vegetarian because of an ex-girlfriend. After that I started attending more and more political hardcore shows. I learned to know interesting people, went to an NUEVA ETICA show, watched Earthlings and one thing came to the other. I went vegan. After splitting up with my druggy ex-girlfriend I truly became Straight Edge. I had made my expieriences with this lifestyle before, but from now on it became part of my identity. I‘ve been vegan for more than 3 years now. I‘ve been Straight Edge for almost 3 years. Both lifetime decisions of course.

How is the situation in your area (political vegan edge people, shows,...) ?

Lot‘s of vegan restaurants/shops, there is a XVX band coming half a year… I guess the situation could be worse!

Hahaha!! I am just kiddin‘…

When it comes to Vegan Straight Edge-culture the situation is, that I am the only Vegan Straight Edge-act I know of in Hamburg. Besides music there is a friend of mine capturing photos on shows. (NoXRoses>faceb**k) There is a aspiring graffiti artist called xFarbzwangx bringing the XVX on our city‘s gray walls.

A bro in Lübeck (close to Hamburg) is doing the VgnXSolution Distro and organizes shows. (>faceb**k))

Not really in my area, but there is a cool dude in Berlin doing all the XVX-tats in Germany I know of. You should find him by his artist name Art War (>faceb**k)

Other than them there is not much of pure XVX DIY stuff going on in Hamburg. Of course there are lots of cool projects made by vegan or straight edge friends of mine.

To sum it up: I know some cool and trustworth XVX kids in Hamburg and close towns. Some of them are close friends. Our Vegan Straight Edge appearance is small and not connected in an overall all XVX-scene. We all know each other somehow, but not everyone‘s cool with each other.

Like in every sub-culture there is lot of distrust and bad expierience even in the own circles, plus lot of Vegan Edgers obviously live their beliefs just for themselves or don‘t really show them off in public (not even on (related) shows). Good example: right now we are desperately working on getting the ‚X‘ back on the back of the hands at shows… haha

Like everywhere there are people dropping veganism and (the label) edge continously.

Well, at least some remain.

Are you involved in any other bands or groups ?

I am not involved in other bands. I am co-founder of an animal liberation group called „Animal Liberation Network“. We mainly co-operate in a net of animal rights/liberation groups in Hamburg and close towns. We also do our own actions. www.aln.blogsport.de

I created the common interest platform „Vegan/Edge Rap Worldwide“ on faceb**k which you probably know. It shows an overview of today‘s and past artists. Even though I don‘t have anymore time to take care of the page. If anyone‘s interested - let me know (veganedgerap@web.de).

Why did you start to rap ? How long are you active ? What was your

motivation to put such a strong message into your lyrics ?

I started rapping in march 2010. I‘ve started being active not long after I became vegan. My motivation for everything was, and still is, the past and current oppression of all sentient beings.

It rips my heart apart, each time I am faced with the harsh reality of animal abuse and oppression of humyns. I see unjust behaviour and fucked up things everywhere. Hard to stay positive in this world. Music can be a productive outlet for angers and fears and to share feelings with like-minded people like you for example.

Do you get a lot of feedback ? Is it positive ?

I get lots of feedback. 99% of it is positive. Some months ago a person had concerns of the political correctness of my lyrics (f.e. because of using the curse word „bastard“ in one of my songs). I explained to him why I felt it‘s ok to use it and other of my statements (f..e.: „theories are worthless, without any practice“ (translated into english)). I enjoy sincere feedback and criticism, but I am no big fan of being „political correct“. Music is about feelings, and I will not limit or even censor my music‘s content for the sake of constructs like that. I am just trying not to be an asshole.

Who influences your lyrics and your music ?

I think the german Vegan Straight Edge combo „Goodfellas“ gave me the INITIAL inspiration to do XVX-related rap music. Even though I would NOT identify myself with their actions & lyrics anymore. Big influences on my lyrics have bands like Canon, Chokehold, Contempt, Culture, Day of Suffering, Earth Crisis, Lifeforce, old Maroon, Reprisal, Tears Of Gaia, Mostomalta, Sentence, Canaan, Gather, Eye Of Judgement, True Nature, among others. I take influences from Death Metal and Black Metal genres aswell. When it comes to beats and rap-style influences, there are Albino, xIrreversiblex, Dead Prez, Stic, Omega Impure, xForgotten Frequencyx, xReign Of Terrorx (RIP), Wolf-Cell-Solid/SuperXContra (RIP), Naj One (RIP), xResttox, xMenção Honrosax, xGaeax and S-1. Not topic-related rap music I like (and which inspires my beat-choices): Nas, DJ Premier, Lewis Parker, Kendrick Lamar, Wiz Khalifa, Killa Kyleon, Blaq Poet, Necro, Gang Starr, Guerrilla Seca, Sa4, Nate57, Talib Kweli and many more. As you can see I like to take my favourite parts of many different artists/styles...

You made a soli track for the austrian animal rights activists. What do

you think about the green scare ?

„Green Scare“ stands for the fact, that multi-national corporations, earth and animal abusers more and more begin to realize the damage direct action and coordinated campaigning can have on their business. At some point they are scared of us. In fact it‘s the unpredictability of autonomous political action and the growing desparation of activists willing to go to the utmost to reach even smaller goals. Obviously I hate all the repression that comes with it. But I admit I was suprised how hard they hit the austrian animal rights movement for example. I followed the case for long time and my personal way to contribute was this sign of solidarity. I received positive feedback from one of the convicted, I am proud they liked the song.

What do you think about paragraphs like §129 in Germany and §278 in Austria ?

Since it all happened in Austria, we became more alert in Germany. Why shouldn‘t it happen to us? I take precautions in my actions by keeping crucial things to myself instead of blindly trusting every new face in the scene. Well, the art is to stay open for new people and ideas. To let people gain trust without questioning everything. It‘s one of the worst things the government is capable of. The tactics of observation and introducing snitches into progressive political movements. They spread distrust and destroy lifes when the time comes. We have seen that in Austria and I feel sorry for all the people that had been harmed. As I don‘t belief in the legitimacy of any government and „book of rules“ like the german and austrian (or any) law, there is no need to say that I hate these paragraphs among many others. Problem is, I can‘t change the situation, so I need to deal with it. That‘s all I‘ve ever done since building a critical consciousness for my surroundings.

In the past you had some problems with the „Ärzte gegen Tierversuche“ ("Physicians Against Animal Testing"). Can you explain what happened ?

Long story short: I was invited to play after a big demonstration against animal testing in Bremen. I thought this was a great idea to get more progressive ideas of total liberation across, so I accepted thankfully. Apart from the fact that the gig was shitty (I played just 3 tracks of 7, just one of them in front of the demo-crowd) the „Ärzte gegen Tierversuche“ invited a guy named Wolfgang Apel to talk after my gig. There was protest announced by the animal liberation participants because of his functions as an „honorary president“ of the „Tierschutzbund“ (German Animal Welfare League) and his activities as a chairman of an slaughter association called „Neulandfleisch“ (I guess to „supervise“ the murder or whatever).

Directly after he started his speech we began to get out our message across by lifting up signs and shouting to enlighten the crowd on his involvement in animal abusement and murder. His personal security (guess somebody was scared of the greens) showed aggressive behaviour by pushing some of us around and so on. We asked the organizers for help, but they just let it happen, without any effort of de-escalation. It was clear, the „Ärzte gegen Tierversuche“ already took sides. There are different statements in the interwebs, if you‘re interested in the happenings and capable of the german language you can start here: http://4paws.blogsport.de/2012/05/01/4paws-stellungnahme-zum-tag-zur-abschaffung-der-tierversuche-vom-28-4-2012/

Ich empfehle ausserdem
die Stellungnahme der Tierbefreiung Hamburg, die zu den Protesten aufgerufen hatte:
http://www.tierbefreiung-hamburg.org/archives/1232)

In your songs you take a strong stand for militant actions. Is this the

only option for you ? What means "active veganism" for you ?

I think militance is one of the most powerful tools we got to destroy harmful property. It also can be the only way to safe another individual. Taking one life to safe another? Is it fair? These are high moral questions no one can really answer. If I would encounter a person that is inflicting damage to another individual I would take any necessary steps to prevent that person from doing it. It gets more complicated if you think about all the damage we deal out against mother nature and the individuals in our daily lives. Aren‘t we supposed to do something about that?? To reduce the damage is the less we can do. Reducing damage for us mostly means living vegan, limit consumerism and so on, but these are very passive things to do. By „active veganism“ as mentioned in „Militanz“ I mean doing anything more than just changing a diet or habit. Doing more than just not doing something. To actually do something, creating networks, doing legitimate protest, including militant actions. It all depends on us, how far we are willing to go. I get inspired and I do the story-telling. That‘s all.

What do you think about such huge organisations like PETA ?

As part of a more emancipatory animal liberation movement, I think we would be better off without them. Unfortunaly I hear lots of people comparing our work to PETA‘s and sometimes confusing our goals with theirs. Fact is, PETA reaches a bigger audience by receiving large amounts of donations and using popular marketing strategies. At the same time they don‘t connect animal exploitation with humyn explotation (f.e. sexist marketing). Do their methods help the animals in a more effective way than we do? I don‘t think so. They did some good research in cases of animal abuse. Now everyone can see what‘s going on in animal laboratories. But still - nothing has changed.

Do you think that straight edge is a political stance? Do you think, that

abstinence has any impact on the world ?

I think Straight Edge has a political stance in it. But not all of it is political. I agree with „Straight Edge is politics“ but I also agree with „Straight Edge is culture“. I naturally include drug free considerations in my anarchist beliefs and I belief you can‘t build any collective succesfully, if there are drugs of any kind involved. In a world free of violence, there can be no drugs. Besides politics, Straight Edge became part of my identity and consciousness. Same way I feel connected to the ethics of Hardcore, I feel connected to the ethics of Straight Edge. I just cannot part the one thing from the other, even though in reality we all know, Hardcore can exist without the Straight Edge in it. Well, I do think that abstinence has an impact on the world. Any (healthy) and sober person on the world, whether Straight Edge or not, can be made fully accountable for his_her actions. This is basic for life. Without any responsibility and reliability nothing can be build. My drug free life has led people to Straight Edge and made others consume less when I am around them. Being around people who consume less drugs or no drugs at all is just safer and healthier for everyone.

What do you label as drugs ?

Illegal drugs and legal drugs (tobaco, alcohol, misuse of medicine). Obviously substances like caffeine and sugar can be addictive too, but don‘t tend to destroy lifes of other people (Exception proves the rule).

What do you think about drug dealing ?

I think it‘s shit and a bad thing to do. Obviously not every drug dealer is a bad person, due to economic situations and lack of education, people just get involved in it. But I hate how many teenagers adapt some heroic image of drug dealers, created by some rappers who tell them so. Dealing drugs became somehow an obligation for a „true, masculine, gangster“.

You used a dialog from "Princess Mononoke" as an intro for your cover song from

xKurohatax ("Requiem of the Earth"). Can you explain, why you use this

quote. What do you think about this movie ?

It just fits perfectly in the image Kurohata created in their song. Like Kurohata, Princess Mononoke was driven by a profound hate against humynity for their actions against mother nature. At the same time they still have hope things can work out in the end. I just love the movie. Hayao Miyazaki made some really beautiful animes.

What do you think about DIY ?

DIY is the essence of art in general. It also is the essence of culture. And culture is the essence of our humyn life. As you can see DIY is very important to us! Haha.. Without you making this fanzine there would be no interview, because in an capitalist world only things count that generate money. So thank you for keeping DIY alive!

What can we expect in the future from you ?

I will release a full-length mixtape in 2013 and play some shows in Germany. There will be some interesting features on the mixtape so just stay tuned.

The last part is for you. Any shout outs ?

Thank you for your time. Thank you again for the interview. I wish strength to all activists in Austria for the hard times. I wish you all the best with your future projects, especially with the fanzine. Keep Vegan Straight Edge strong and committed!

If you are interested in my music you can check out these pages:

http://4paws.bandcamp.com/

http://4paws.blogsport.de/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/4Paws/267102203374188?fref=ts („4Paws“ on faceb**k)

XVX