New to Milwaukee's hip-hop scene, Second Hand Citizen have released their debut EP, "Big Brother Watching."
Citizen -- comprising vocalists Rosebud Coal and Winston Smith -- share their thoughts on society, and the current state of hip hop on the EP.
The history of the group goes back to the "dark corridors of the UWM union," according to Coal. "We were working security, started talking about music, and began creating it soon after."
The name Second Hand Citizen has many connotations, according to Smith. It could be "a citizen who is viewed as inferior in the social, political and economical hierarchy of a set group of humans. Or a musician whose work is derived from the work of other musicians who came before them. Living off the work of another."
Of their repertoire, the duo is most proud of the tracks "Big Brother Watching," which, they say, "challenges people to look at positive and negative sides of some important issues," and "Twisted Arms," which "compares the prison system and military recruitment strategies in the U.S." Another tune, "Damn Shame," calls out the new wave of MCs currently infiltrating MTV.
Second Hand Citizen's influences recall a simpler time in the hip hop world. In high school, Smith says, "I always tried to listen to Public Enemy -- and my mom."
Coal, on the other hand, preferred "A Tribe Called Quest and Wu Tang Clan."
Now, the band's tastes include disparate artists such as Bjork, Outkast, Jay-Z, David Cross and Beck.
In the near future, Second Hand Citizen would like to record an album in a proper studio -- "not out of our bedrooms," as Smith says -- and tour. "Then, move to London and take over the British rap scene. We would also like to open for the Alan Parsons Project and/or Outkast."
And now for the most important question of all: why should anyone buy their music?
"You can expect to hear something that you used to love about hip hop that you don't hear anymore, as well as something new that you never thought would come out of Milwaukee's hip hop scene," answers Coal.
Second Hand Citizen's EP, "Big Brother Watching," is available at Atomic Records and Exclusive Company, or by emailing the band at secondhandcitizen@gmail.com. The band will perform Jan. 6 at Points East Pub at 10 p.m. and Jan. 28 at Onopa Brewing Co.
Second Hand Citizen's Web site is myspace.com/secondhandcitizen.
