ON THE DOWN LOW: Stupid?, Okai and Max!m!l

(from Rolling Stone)

Regime Change (NYC) featuring Negus World (Haiti and France), Bataka Squad (Uganda), Rah P (Tanzania) - “Mash It Up”

Regime Change is the future. I know the name may sound way too political, but this group loves to Booty Watch and party just as much as the rest of us. They strike the perfect balance between having fun and delivering a message. They have similarities to A Tribe Called Quest, Black Eyed Peas, The Fugees, and Kanye with heavy influences from Wu-Tang, Public Enemy, Outkast and Afro Cuban rhythms. Remember the days of thought provoking, inspiring Hip hop that we all loved so much… the days of house parties, BBQ’s and political rallies? Those days reemerge when you listen to Regime Change.

The first three singles are a perfect sample of their eclectic, artistic, and inspirational album, Int’l Party, set to be released on 1.20.09 (sounds like there’s another regime change happening on that day too. lol). This is truly an international Hip-hop album with featured artists from all over the world. There are MC’s from Iraq, Uganda, Haiti, France, Tanzania and El Salvador, as well as Musicians from Japan, Mexico, and Germany. Not to mention Producers from Switzerland, Italy, and Canada. Of course the US is heavily represented by Latin sensation Denise De La Cruz, and production from Ayatollah, Old#7 and Abel Okugawa to mention a few. Every Continent, excluding Antarctica, is represented on this album bringing together different Nations and demographics from all over the world to celebrate music.


Regime Change is wasting no time promoting their album. They made national TV in Toronto, Canada, for performing at a sold out fund raiser for Gulu Walk, who deals directly with Ugandan children that are displaced due to a long civil war.

More recently you may have caught them in LA on Sunset Blvd @ the Roxy performing for Subterranean Network, or in Washington D.C. at the International Hip hop festival with Negus world and Bataka Squad.

Let’s take a look at the core members of Regime Change starting with super rhythmatic MC, Okai (pronounced O-ki) who is also a percussionist known for his killer Djembe technique. A first generation Haitian-American, his parents both came from Okai, Haiti which, needless to say, is where he gets his name. This is Okai’s sophomore album. He released an album produced exclusively by Ayatollah in 2005 called Dekonstruktion of the Mind with special features including Vinia Mojica (Native Tongues) and Planet Asia. The single, “Bout that”, hit #1 on college radio charts in Nov. 2005, while “Face/Off”, featuring Planet Asia, got spins on commercial radio worldwide. Okai has an extraordinary rap sheet. He has opened for the likes of Bilal, ?uestlove of the Roots, as well as performed side by side with Louis Fonsi at the 2006 Latin Grammy’s in Madison Square Garden.

He has also lectured for children at the United Nations on Haitian immigration and politics, and plays Djembe with the underground sensation, Drumadics, in NYC venues and in the subways.
Then there is Stupid?. It may seem ridiculous but he really wants us to call him Stupid? … with a question mark. This fiercely original MC has an uncontrollable spirit and flow that took some time to tame. He is the wild card of the group. Stupid? is unorthodox to the fullest degree. His sound is an espresso blend of Ghostface and ODB, with a surprising hint of Barry White. His freestyle is monstrous and he’ll battle anyone, anywhere, anytime. “For a while Stupid? would not write at all, me and Okai would try for years to get him to write down his rhymes and, of course, when he finally wrote one it was about love.” says, Max!m!l. Makes sense right? As Stupid? would say, “Stupid? is what Stupid? is.” He was a featured guest on Dekonstruktion of the Mind, and recorded a song with Ana Ortiz (Ugly Betty) way before Betty was Ugly. Stupid? possesses the rawest form of creativity, perfect for the next big reality TV series to invade your home. Stupid? believes, “you are never not enough, to be hot enough”. Say that again.

Every crew needs an anchor and for Regime Change that is Max!m!L, (yeah that’s right, his name is spelled funny too). Taking it back to the birth place of Hiphop, he founded The Dugout recording studio in the South Bronx.

He banged out three Instrumental albums with legendary producer Ayatollah(Personal Legend, Now Playing, and Listen), recorded and mixed with the likes of Anthony Hamilton, Boot Camp Click, Rah Digga, DJ Twins, Michael Bivens (New Edition), and Reese Steele (Ms. Rap Supreme) to name a few, co produced The Truthseekers album Super Cool, and was executive producer on Dekonstruktion of the Mind with Okai. Although he is mainly behind the scenes, Max!m!L surprises us with several powerful rhymes on the album.There is a history of working with A-listers.

He was assistant music producer for Phillip Seymour Hoffman’s directorial debut, “Jesus Hopped the A train”(produced by Madonna) and “Our lady of 121st”, and toured the country with HBO’s Def Poet Vanessa Hidary as her music producer. He even paid his dues getting blunts for Redman and Method Man, before becoming arecording engineer for them among other Hip hop elite(Eric Sermon, Rocwilder, Keith Murray, and more) at Mirror Image Studios NYC.

Together they are Regime Change a well rounded multi-cultural hip hop group looking to change the way we think about music. No more separations between commercial and underground, booty shaking and consciousness.

They understand that a music group is very similar to a society; multi-faceted and ever changing. This formula could prove to be the winning ticket for this monumental group.