By Noe Gutierrez
You will not find a negligence of ideas in the music of Thoughts Contained. The lyrics are deliberate and the Hip-Hop is delivered with a sureness that can only be found in the Coachella Valley. All we need is the two MCs, Savier1 and Zeke Martinez, simultaneous rhymes and a guitar. Thoughts Contained will be performing on Saturday, December 15th for ‘Sleigh Bells & Beats Charity Toy Drive’ at The Hood Bar & Pizza in Palm Desert, California along with Provoked, Willdabeast, The Bermuda and DJs C Four and Jae Rawkwell. All proceeds and toy donations will go to the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission. The event is sponsored by Coachella Valley Weekly and Desert Music. Suggested donation is $5 or a new unwrapped toy.
And raising the curtain on 2019, Thoughts Contained will be performing in support of Provoked at his Album Release Party for “One Life” at The Date Shed in Indio on Friday, January 4th along with J.patron, Willdabeast and James Dorris. Pre-sale tickets are $10 and are available on eventbrite.com. Coachella Valley Weekly spoke with the profound Thoughts Contained this week for the first time.
CVW: Your music is not like anything that is out there, it’s calculated and versatile. Can you please define the Thoughts Contained sound for us?
TC: “It’s Hip-Hop or Experimental Hip-Hop, similar to Rage Against the Machine with more of a traditional approach to the genre of Hip-Hop.”
CVW: The guitar is not the first instrument that comes to mind when I think of Hip-Hop. Why the guitar?
TC: “Savier1 started playing the guitar in the 8th grade. Played in a few rock bands in high school and always incorporated it into my compositions. We thought to keep it going in our music to make it a little different. It definitely helps create our sound.”
CVW: With almost a decade as a group, what has kept you side by side and what has it been like?
TC: “We work well together; good chemistry is definitely the glue. We always take our ideas and thoughts into consideration. It also helps that our influences are similar.”
CVW: What is your assessment of the current Rap and Hip-Hop culture in the Coachella Valley and High Desert?
TC: “We think it’s getting better; we see the growth. There is more and more Hip-Hop in the mix but more importantly artists are taking their craft seriously.”
CVW: What artists from our area do you admire and seek motivation from the most?
TC: “WillDaBeast, Xpression, Provoked and Desert Rhythm Project. They all take their craft seriously and continue to create dope original work.”
CVW: What’s it like for you to collaborate with other artists who call the desert home?
TC: “It’s always fun, it tends to bring out the best in each of us.”
CVW: Where does Thoughts Contained go from here?
TC: “We are releasing our EP, making more new music, and always challenging our creativity.”
CVW: The history of Rap and Hip-Hop is well documented through its storied past of breaking through mainstream in the 1990’s to the drop in overall sales in the 2000’s. Why should the music of the genre and subgenres continue to be inspirational as well as tell a story?
TC: “It should continue to inspire because the majority of the people don’t have or own much. Hip-Hop or music in general can make you feel better, uplift you. Make you feel more confident or conscious. The stories teach you things, makes you question things in a different perspective.”
CVW: Do you believe that the Hip-Hop culture will continue to affect society as it has in the past?
TC: “We think it’s always gonna have an effect on society. Especially the young, for better or worse. Hopefully for the better.”
CVW: I believe the range of Rap and Hip-Hop artists is as wide as ever in our area. What’s missing from Desert Rap and Hip-Hop, if anything?
TC: “Nothing is missing, the valley’s been on its way over the years. It’s up to us local artists to find a way to bring more attention to ourselves and all the great talent out here in the desert. The way we see it, if anyone here comes up. It’s already good for every artist out here because you’re bringing the buzz here. Let’s work together more often and actually show support to each other.”
CVW: Lay out the next 5 years for Thoughts Contained in one sentence.
TC: “Writing new material, making sure we cover all aspects of the game.”
CVW: Is there new music forthcoming from Thoughts Contained?
TC: “Always, every day is a new lyric. Our experiences make our music.”
Upcoming shows
Sat. Dec 15th – Palm Desert, CA – The Hood Bar & Pizza – Sleigh Bells & Beats Charity Toy Drive
Fri. Jan 4th – Indio, CA – The Date Shed – Provoked “One Life” Album Release
