Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to meet with me. Let’s start off by introducing yourself.
Myke: Myke Jay 1/3 of No Weapon.
DFree: I’m DeChard Freeman. I’m 28..
Cali: a Capricorn
DFree: No I’m a Pisces. [Laughs]. Hold on I did not get all my introduction in. I’m married to Kayla and I have three sons and I love Jesus and He’s in love with me.
Cali – Ok. I don’t know who that was. My name is James Calahan. Nickname - They call me Cali.
DFree – And he is still hiding from his wife [Laughs]
Cali – Husband to one wife, two kids with a possible on the way.
AWWW….
DeVon Odems: Im DeVon Odems, No Weapon’s manager.
How did you all meet?
Myke: I believe DeChard and I met first. I auditioned for a group he was singing in previously called Divine…
DFree: Unique Prayse
Myke: Unique Prayse. Later we met again in Austin’s chapter of GMWA. We were friends before I met Cali. We met on a trip singing with Chester Baldwin in Liberty, Texas. The rest is…
DFree: Hold on… I think there’s a mistake- we were singing outside after a GMWA function…
Cali: On the steps of St. James
DFree: No we move there but we were at a church on the Eastside [of Austin].
Cali: Yeah, you are right.
DFree: So, see I’m right. You are going to noticed during this interview that I’m right most of the time. [Laughter from Myke and Cali]. I would say all the time but just in case…most of the time.
[All three breaks out in laughter]
Whose idea was it to start the group, No Weapon?
Cali: It was all our ideas. There was no specific person who took the lead. One night after a musical we stayed around and started singing different songs. We loved the way that we vibe together, the connection. We were motivated to continue – we did not want that particular moment to leave – so we search to create this group, No Weapon. We have been together now 15 years. I know Myke doesn’t look that old.
DFree: Did you say 15?
Wow. Most marriages don’t last that long.
DFree: We’ve been separated a couple of times.
[Laughter]
Myke: No Weapon actually started out as a quintet.
DFree: Yep, we started out as five, now we are three.
No Weapon is like the male En Vogue – going from five to three.
Cali: Im not wearing a red dress [laughs].
Read more after the jump
Myke: As you can tell we are crazy.
Yeah [laughs]. Who’s the jokester of the group?
Cali: I don’t know…
D Free: We don’t crack jokes. We are focused – Fully Focused [laughs].
Myke: We have natural comedic vibes …
Cali: And it can expand to all nationalities – I think that is what he was going for…[laughs].
DFree, I’m glad you mentioned the mixtape – I noticed it’s entitled Fully Focused, can anyone tell me the meaning behind the title?
Cali: That’s a hard question.
DFree: All Nineteen songs. I can honestly say when I put in the mixtape – I just let it play. You know, when you get a CD and you skip songs- especially when its you – you get tired of hearing your own voice. I just let it play. I think people are going to be real excited about our rendition of “Trapped in the Closet”.
Cali: There’s a pause right there.
[Wide-eyed look] “Trapped in the Closet”?
DFree: “Trapped in the Closet”- that’s not the name but it’s a play off of [R.Kelly’s] “Trapped in the Closet”. So it’s going to be an amazing experience.
Cali: It’s quality work – so don’t think you are getting something you wouldn’t be proud of – as far as Austinites are concerned. We really feel the mixtape that will be release June 4 at the Facebook Fellowship event at 7pm at the ALC church*. We really do feel when you pick up the mixtape that day, you will be blessed and inspired- possibly tackling your own mixtape. To those other artists who are reading this interview at this particular time.
DFree: Inspire not intimidate?
Cali: Inspire not intimidate – yes.
DFree: Good thought
Cali: Very good thought.
DFree: I was thinking I was trying to intimidate.
Cali: Free is a puppy.
DFree: A puppy? Hold on…I’m a big dog. A puppy doesn’t [starts barking like a big dog]. A puppy does this [makes a puppy sound].
So you are saying he’s that never ending yappy dog??
DFree: That’s annoying.
Cali: I’m not annoying. I just get my point across. It’s a difference. A dog will stop yapping once you give it some food.
DFree: Half of the time when you stop talking, I still don’t know what you meant.
Cali: [Laughs] But I do I get my food? As long as I get my point across, I’m good.
Myke: Well a father always nourishes his child.
DFree: Yes and I have tried to nourish my son. Ok world, James Calahan Freeman…
Cali: [quizzical look at Myke] Myke??
DFree: James Calahan Freeman is my son.
Cali: Michael…I can’t believe…
DFree: We’ve had this ongoing relationship for years and he’s my son – not in the ministry. He’s my son [laughs]. I love him and my son loves his Uncle Myke.
Myke: As you can see this has been an ongoing joke for years and years.
Cali: As you can see I’ve grown in the ministry cause usually around this time there would be colorful language filling the room.
DFree: Colorful language???
Cali: Colorful language.
DFree: Good word.
Cali: See…
DFree: He’s grown into honoring his father.
DFree: This is from the preacher who goes to St. James. I don’t want anyone to confuse him with ALC.
Cali: But I do sing in the same group as the Pastor of ALC is a part of and who I know of on a very intimate level!
Cali: Alright.
DFree: Yours is colorful.
Cali: That’s enough about language.
DFree: We sorry to get you off track.
[Laughs] Its ok. Who’s the songwriter of the group?
DFree: We write together.
Cali: You sipping that Sonic cup.
DFree: Huh?
Cali: You sipping that Sonic cup.
DFree: It’s good too. It was hot outside.
Cali: [unintelligible talk]
DFree: No, it’s a grape slush with pineapples chopped in it.
Cali, Myke, Cassandra: That sounds good.
Cali: Supersonic cheeseburger deal on Texas toast, cut the onions and tomato.
Cali: add on jalapenos [and] a lot of ketchup.
DFree: That’s showing how much they actually know each other…that’s a little scary.
[Shakes head] Yeah.
DFree: Yeah.
Cali: Hey it happens – 15 years time you get to know a person.
DFree: And we’re all heterosexual.
Cali: Very!!!
DFree: On this note on knowing each other’s [Sonic] orders, I think we need to interject…
All [Laughs]
DFree: Did I mention I love my wife?? I love my wife! I think that needs to be said. In the Gospel music industry a lot of times a lot of stuff get acceptable and we run a straight ship.
Are you making reference to a certain artist??
DFree: No, not at all.
Myke, Cali: No not at all.
DFree: No certain artist cause there may be one who comes out but there are more who are in the closet looking at their high heels too.
Cali: [sings] Stilettos..St-st-st- stilettos.
[Laughter erupts throughout the room.]
DFree: Mainly Myke and Cali.
Cali: [Laughs]
DFree: The world knew that DFree was “the best whoever done it”.
Cali: [Laughs] Strike through!
Big strike through!!
DFree: Done…Done is past tense.
Cali: The best that ever…
DFree: I didn’t say done what…
Cali: [turns and looks at DFree] So Drake wrote that song about you??
DFree: No, no…I don’t listen to that kind of stuff.
Cali: [turns back] oh ok…
DFree: Remember y’all just bring me tracks that y’all heard on the radio.
Cali: So you haven’t text me and say “Man, we should do that song??”
DFree: Since the recorder can’t read your texts, I am going to say “no” [laughter erupts from the group]
DFree: You know what? By golly... to affirm the point that I am right most of the time I did suggest a track – Plies’ “She Got It Made”. If Im not mistaken that song “Facebook Friend” - the one we doing the video to..
Cali: That’s right
DFree: Which means it must have come out blazing hot.
Cali: Ok.
DFree: Alright. I don’t think I need to lay in any further on that point.
Cali: And we didn’t get a chance to do “Neighbors Know My Name” by Trey Songz.
[Laughs] That’s my song…
[Laughter erupts.]
I heard it last night only after my Pastor referenced it in a sermon one Sunday…
Cali: [sings] Neighbors know my name
June 4 is an important day with the release of Fully Focused and a special event for No Weapon, can anyone elaborate more on the event - Facebook Fellowship?
DFree: [points at DeVon] That gentleman over there can elaborate.
Cali: He has been introduced – he is as much a part of the group as we are.
DFree: The hardest working man in the No Weapon camp.
DeVon: To answer your question, Facebook Fellowship came from another group that was exploring doing the event and just could not pull it together in enough time. It gave us the idea of doing it. We feel Austin, Central Texas area, does not have enough things for people our age that’s into Gospel music – not into the clubbing and partying. Its not enough things for us to do. We collectively came up with ideas to have this event since so many of us are on Facebook. [No Weapon’s] using the social network to pretty much use that name to have an event. Then the mixtape fell in place along with Facebook Fellowship. Really try to give No Weapon a completion time – that how Fully Focused came about.
Myke: Let me add when we took out pause in 2004-05, we were working on an album. During that pause we had a lot of people come up and ask us “When is the album coming out? When y’all going to get back to the album?” So this is a way to give Saints a little notoriety but also to wet their whistle just to get in them ready. So when we do release the Maturity album, coming out in December. They will know what to expect.
Cali: As you heard Mike say, Maturity album coming in December. We purposely made sure that we put actual month with a release date. Those of you that purchase the EP it says Maturity album coming soon and that’s been coming soon for like…
DFree: Five years.
Cali: for five years.
DFree: We didn’t have kids when it was “coming soon”
Cali: So we don’t want to feel like anybody is being dragged along with false hopes of an album that’s not about to happen. The album will be done in December. We are making an effort – just like we did with the mixtape. For those of you who don’t know a lot about the history of the mixtape – 19 full songs. The minimum length is three minutes and 37 seconds. We did 19 songs in seven weeks. So just to show you the commitment that we have in choosing the title Fully Focused – 6:00am recordings, not sleeping, and taking 5 hour energy [drinks].
Maybe next time. When was your first church solo?
Myke: Age four and it was “Anybody Ask You Who I Am Just Tell Them I’m a Child of God”.
DFree: Age seven or eight, I sung in the Lamb’s Choir at Mount Sinai and I sung the “Shepherd’s Song”. I use to cry every time I sung that song -not because I felt the Holy Spirit or I was sad- but because I saw people at church every time they wreck the song, they cried. [Cali and Mike laughs]. I don’t know if I wrecked it but I figured if I cried people would feel like I wrecked it. It’s amazing what you learn when you are a child. On that note, there are a lot of adults who do that same thing, they see what others do and they do that.
Cali: They feel like if I cry people will feel this song a lot more or when a preacher forgets his text and says “He died” or …
DFree: Or a Preacher forgets his Bible at home and you just cry.
Cali: My introduction to singing, what many people don’t know is that my first love was dance.
DFree: No, I think a lot of people know that.
Cali: My first love was dance. I love to dance, but my first solo was “Oh Lord How Excellent” at St. James. After I sung that, I went to dance.
Who are your musical inspirations?
DFree: [turns to Cali] Do you know who inspired me to sing?? Initially?
Carol Marshall?
DFree: No not Carol Marshall.
Cali: No I was talking about the greatest..your iconic…
DFree: No John P. Kee is the greatest ever. He’s going to open for the Rapture [Cali & Myke laughs].
DFree: [sings] Lord You’re Great, Lord You’re Great, You’re the Great I Am!! [in an announcer’s voice] Ladies and Gentlemen coming to the stage next….Jesus Christ! And then John P. Kee sings back up for the Lord. [Chuckles] No, he didn’t inspire me. Actually I was inspired to do music before Kee and this is going to sound real funny…my musical inspiration was Dino from H-Town.
Cali: Wow.
DFree: May he rest in peace but I love the way that man sound on the microphone. I was like “I wanna sing.” You seem a little stung [laughs].
*Blank stare* Didn’t see that one coming.
DFree: He was cold and he has been reincarnated… [Cali and Free speak together] in Anthony Hamilton.Cali: My musical inspiration is…my dad.
DFree: [looks over to Cali] we learning a lot about each other in here.
Cali: My dad was not a singer but my dad was a…
DFree: A crooner.
Cali: [My dad] is a crooner but as far as music is concerned, my dad made me listen to music and pick out different sounds. While driving in the car he would tell me listen for how many times the high hat does this for this many measures. I would have to count as we were driving. He would make me pick out a particular note, sound, or an instrument. I would have to listen to that same one sound through the entire song and learn the rhythm that sound was doing the entire song. Back then I thought he was ridiculous. As first it was a game because I was young. I was like ‘it’s a game, ok cool” but it kept happening. In my teenage years [I was thinking] “ok can I just listen to the song?” but I would always get quizzed after the song was over. So that’s what kind of wrapped me into music is those moments with my dad riding in the truck.
Myke: My musical influence that really sticks with me is Wanye Morris from Boyz II Men. I was more intrigued of the versatility – his riffs and how colorful his voice is. He inspired me to try and pattern my voice around his for awhile.
And you added your own “Myke Jay touch”
Myke: Yes as the years went, I came into my own “Myke-ness”.
Who’s your favorite Gospel singer/group?
DFree: John P. Kee is hands down the greatest Gospel artist to ever grace the universe with his music. He is the most under-rated, under-appreciated, often-hated, often-duplicated. In my opinion, John P. is the best. I won’t say he is the best singer because there are probably other people who could out sing him –but just as far as delivering a song only one…John P. Kee.
Cali: My favorite group is Men of Standard and favorite singer is Donnie McClurkin. I love Donnie’s voice. It’s ridiculous to me…he’s a beast.
Myke: I would have to agree with my boys and say my favorite group is Men of Standard. They really were the ones that did it the best in all areas.
DFree: And if they don’t come back we are going to run their lane. So they better hurry up.
Myke: My favorite singer is hard. I am partial to a lot. So if I had to choose one- he’s my Gospel pick because he was my secular pick: David Hollister. I have everything he sang on in life.
Thanks for transitioning into my next question – who’s your favorite secular artist/group?
DFree: I don’t listen to that kind of stuff. I try to be sure I purify and cleanse my inner man [all erupts in laughter]. I am going to say Tank and Tank is a Gospel artist…he just does not know it yet.
Cali: Current??
Current and/or past
DFree: Hold on now Stevie [Wonder] got me too but Tank…yeah Tank and Stevie.
Cali: Going from past to current – Stevie [Wonder], Marvin [Gaye], Donny Hathaway, Tank, Terrell Carter, and Carl Thomas.
DFree: Tone only…Carl Thomas.
Myke: Tank and I can’t believe you didn’t mention my boy Musiq Soulchild. On tone, I would say Musiq.
DFree and Cali: Tone? Musiq over Carl Thomas???
Check back for Part 2!!
Fully Focused drops Friday, June 4, 2010 at the Facebook Fellowship.
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