By Darro Davis
Birth. School. Work. Death. – Life has never been summed up as simply as the title to Hyro’s debut album. But his life and music offer layers of complexity that are masked with a simplistic looking façade. Upon first sight of Hyro, you might not expect the raging guy that you can see in his music videos (see sample below). Sure, people have tried to blend rock and rap together for years now, but no one has quite ever gotten it right… Hyro is the TRUE pioneer…
What’s your opinion on bands like Fishbone, Bad Brains, the Memorials, etc.?
I think highly of all the great pioneers of this beautiful music I love so much. If we were at a restaurant and any of those great musicians walked in I would have to give my seat or a table to them out of respect. Without them there is no Hyro Da Hero.
Afro-punk - refers to the participation of African Americans and other black people in the punk and alternative music cultures. Do you see yourself as an Afro Punk artist? …And how do you feel about the term/phrase Afro punk?
If I grew my hair out I would have an afro, so I can do nothing but relate to that title. I love it. I'm black and I'm proud, and I'm a big fan of punk music. We are all one, from hip hop to punk rock, its all the same attitude, but dammit Afro- punk sounds cool as hell so I'll roll with it.
The music industry seems to create terms/genres to pigeon hole Black artist/bands. But when different races do something out of the norm it is what it is. White rappers are just white rappers rapping. In response to that statement, what’s your take/input on Black artist/bands that sing something totally different from the norm and out of the "that’s not Black music" element, such as rock, punk, hardcore, metal, etc.?
It's truly a weird thing; it shows the dominance that one race has over another. You see black artists do whatever they can to crossover to a white audience losing their street cred and beliefs along the way. The music that black people think is out of the norm for us is truly our music that we created. It's sad to see us walk away from a music that shaped what we are today. I am proud to see black people that step up and try to be so called different and not care what people think. As long as you are true to yourself the game will follow you. I'm from the streets and I love rock. I'm being me whether people like it or not. And soon people will hop on the bandwagon and try to follow though they were not down with it at first.
On a personal note, do you consider yourself different as an individual?
I always considered myself a natural born leader, never a follower. Kids used to get into drugs and all kind of things to try to be cool but I felt I was already naturally cool. I listened to the music I wanted to listen to, dressed the way I wanted to and never felt like an outcast because of it. I was always popular amongst the crowd and never set out to try to be. Me and my little brother are truly blessed thanks to the teachings of my Ma and Pa.
How is it like being a black male rap/vocalist for a rock band?
It is awesome. I grab people’s attention right off the bat. People can’t wait to either boo the fuck out of me or cheer till they lose their voice. I love that. It’s a challenge that I always want to conquer. It makes me stand out. Especially since a brother don’t sing. I rap.
Anything new coming up for Hyro Da Hero?
Touring, touring, touring… and a new music video. I’m also playing some sick festivals like the Download festival and others. I can't wait for people to see what I have in store for the future and see me rock stages.
