ENOIS SCROGGINS, un artiste plutôt Funk 80ies, nous a gratifiés d'un album le mois dernier, "One For Funk & Funk For all" (oui c'est très pompeux je sais, t'as qu'à faire l'intro, toi, hein...au lieu de râler!!!)Et il accepte de répondre à nos questions ( le "nous" c'est de majesté bien sûr, avec mon ego démesuré..)

Are you related to the Scroggins family from New York ( those who play in the punk funk act E.S.G. ("Moody", "UFO"))?

No, I have never met the group. But if they are funky I'm sure there are some ties that bind, you see...

Could you present Charlie Singleton and Ronnie Wilson, for people who don't know what time it is (and I'm sure there are many...)?

Charlie Singleton is Lead Singer & Guitar Player for the World Famous R&B Funk Band "Cameo" Who have had hit's like, Word UP, Candy, She's Strange.
Ronnie Wilson is one of the Trio of The Famous Funk Band, The Gap Band. He shares success with his brothers, Charlie Wilson and Robert Wilson. They had major hits like, You drop the bomb, Outstanding, Burn Rubber. Ooop's Up side your head, Yearning, Party Train.

How and why did you feel the call for religion, especially ministry, in 1985?

In 1985 that is the year of I gave my life to lord. After a decade of herroin addiction without finding a cure. I was ask the question, would you try Jesus ? Rev. J. Stratter in Muskogee,Oklahoma prayed for me and I was healed the same hour. So I begin the develop a relationship with the only doctor that could heal me. And that was the name I cried out when I was on my knees, Jesus heal, me and he did. For 3 yrs I did not have a desire to sing or do music. I studied the Bible daily because I wanted to know about this Jesus that healed me. And after 3 yrs of developing a relationship with him, in 1988 I was called into the Ministry.

Do you think faith and funk can match? Where do you preach ?

A lot of people say, Enois you are the funkiest Preacher I have ever met, and I say, you have not seen nothing yet. Just ride with me and I will show you
what it means to be free. Let me explain Faith it is simply believing and trusting in God. I believe because I have experience his supernatural healing power. Some have not experience what I have, so it is hard for them to believe. But whom ever you are loyal to, you have faith in them, Ya feel me. Now Funk use to be a bad word, but now funk is a way of life. Funk music is a sound like no other that will never die. It has to get down in your soul and you have to believe that it can.
When I started doing Gospel music my background was already funky from gigin with funk bands. I love it,it became a part of me. When some churches heard my sound, persecution did follow me because my sound was to funky to worldly. But I payed it no mind God will give you an audience. So I took my Gospel funk to the ghetto, prisons, the youth etc. So faith and Funk music is believing and staying loyal, and I'm loyal to both.

It's said that you played or shared the stage with Cameo, Zapp, Lakeside, could you say more ?

No big deal, you are the opening act. The Funk band Uncle Remus from Baton Rouge,Louisiana. I was the lead singer at the time and We always open for Big name Artist that came to town. We were gunslingers ready to fire away on anyone that stepped up to us.We had some great artists that did some time in that group
like, Charlie Singleton and Branford Marsalis one of the greatest jazz Sax players of today. All of these cats that was in that group was devoted Jazz artist until they hooked up with the "E" the Funk that came from my spirit change there lives. I have always been funky, because I was a P-Funk Clone. It has been years since I'm funkin on the level I am now. And when these young G-Funk Artist here what Enois is
putting down they ask me why haven't you been major ? where have you been. And I tell them, I have been hanging out with a Star getting schooled. Who is that Star that shine so bright in your life ? His name is Jesus and he spoke to my spirit, because you have been loyal to me now it's your time to shine.....

How and why did you become a singer (and why not a guitar player or drummer or whatever)? Did you get a usual training ( singing in the church or taught classical music, or jazz) or are you a self taught musician, or someone helped you/put you in a band?

I am just a natural born singer. I'm sure it's genetic,
my father who passed away when I was 3 yrs old was a singer and play several instruments. My brother Larry sings and played the Sax. And I played clarinet in Jr. high and when I got to high school I switched over to drums. I went on to college at Langston University in Langston,Oklahoma there I was in the Chorus and marching band. Today I continue to play percussions. I like so many other African American Singers develop their skills singing in Church.

What did you do prior to 1985 (releases, gigs, tours...)?

I gigged with a host of blues band in the 70's and 80's in a local setting. In 1977 I was picked up by the R&B group Uncle Remus as the lead singer and percussionist. We launched tours up and down the gulf coast. We went into the studio in 1978 in the famous studio in Muscles Shoals, Alabama to record our first album. The album was never released but a single called "Number One" written by the bass player, Al Threats was released and charted. The group broke up in 1980.

Who got the idea for "One For Funk and Funk For All" ? Did you for example ask for collaborations with French rappers or whatever else?

God has bless me to have 2 young and talented guys I work with. Oliv' & Misteras have in a way been instrumental in exposing to the world "Enois" These are
2 young cats who believe in this Old School Brothers skills. We work together as a team, coming up with different ideas and gimmicks. "One for Funk and Funk
for All" was an idea of myself and Oliv'. We had several names to pick from but I chose this one. I want everybody to get funked up with Enois flavor and I don't want to leave anyone out. Oliv is the brain behind finding the right artist to collaborate with and I would listen to there flow and give the ok. Doing this Album
which I think is one of a kind. I have always been daring and on the cutting edge. Put some french G-Funk artist on my project, why not. "It's the true French Connection"

Plans for the future, feel free to say anything deemed important... thanx!

I'm going to continue to spread my funk in a possitive way to the entire World. Bringing awareness that it's alright to be Godly and Funky too. Make sure that you put God first in your life. There is a sophomore Album in the works with some suprise artist joining forces with Enois to be announced. If you see George
Clinton anywhere tell him that I'm waiting on the Mothership to come and get me to take me to the Stage. To all my funkateers and funk lovers around the World I say let's keep the Funk Alive. Will I Am said,that the kind of music that he's putting out like the boom,boom song is the way of the future. I said this cat is crazy don't he know what the foundation of his boom boom is ? Let me tell you my friends, Funk is eternal.
I'll see you on the Mothership.....

Blessings,

Enois Scroggins


Alors, est-ce que la religion tue le funk, ou le funk tue la religion? On vous laisse juge avec ça

Some will start with Queen Latifah, some others with Missy Elliott, some others (especially Sunday evening backpackers :-) ) with Khia or Trina ( "rap douteux my dear"), but before all of those ladies there was one...so make way for LADY B and I thank her again for her answers!

First silly question, did you write other songs, before and after "To The Beat Y'all"?

Yes, and also many people used my rhymes on other recordings too

How would you define yourself, radio DJ/ broadcaster first and then artist, or an artist who also happens to be a media activist?

I feel that I’m a DJ/ broadcaster and radio personality who also happens to be a media activist?

As you worked as DJ (especially in the 70ies) in Philly I suppose, did you have the opportunity to meet a reporter called Wesley Cook?

No, I don’t recall that name

Could you tell me what led you to start rapping back in these days?

I was working at a club in Philly (Kim Graves) and I used to watch the guys “toast”, which was getting on the mic and exciting the crowd with rhymes. I met then Philadelphia Seventy-Sixer star World B. Free, then known as Lloyd Free. He was good at toasting and I studied the guys and thought “I can do that”

Do you consider yourself as a spiritual heir or artistic heir of acts like Parlet, Betty Davis, Aretha Franklin, Nina Simone (I still talk about the 79 era when the song was created)?

Yes, I definitely would consider myself a spiritual heir, most definitely

How did you create the song "To the Beat Y'All", was it a free style in the recording studio, or you had ideas but another beat and you changed your mind, or anything else?

Actually I wanted to rhyme over the “Good Times” Beat by CHIC or another break beat. But when I got in the studio, they already had a band Direct Current’s song (Everybody here must party) But the song was a mixture of Lloyd Free’s lyrics and my lyrics and arranged by Mimi Brown and my sister Buff.
That’s why I never liked the song because it was rushed and put out as a novelty and not a serious project. It was done in one take.

Still trying to find the background of it, how would you describe Philadelphia at the time, musically? I suppose it was between the "demise" of Philly sound ( Gamble & Huff), the slow rising of breakdance and rap, and the Disco explosion ( Chic, Trammps, Bee Gees, Cerrone)..were there block parties ( imagine you are screening a documentary of Philly in 79, for us poor French 30 years after, using mind suggestion)?

At that time Disco and Funk was very popular and the night clubs were reborn but we weren’t allowed in the clubs so we made our own “clubs” in the streets and the parks and the schoolyards. Instead of going to the clubs, we brought the clubs (DJ, Music, Dancers, lights, speakers) to the people. If you can imagine, a block party was a big block full of people, I mean when you turned the corner to the block, you were a part of the crowd. It was our way of showing that if you’re a part of this culture or you were not. It was a way to end the violence of the gang wars. It provided a way to get that “shine” (reputation) without killing someone or committing a violent act. We could “battle” with mics and turntables instead of guns and knives. Maybe we need to bring that mentality of Hip-Hop back. We could flirt and be “strong” without being disrespectful.

Let's move past 1979, I suppose you were not only a witness but an advocate of Philly rap scene ( and beyond Philadelphia), why is it so under rated( or at least less media covered than NY, LA or Houston scenes)?

Because there was never a local based nationally distributed Hip-Hop label here that would prepare and nurture careers. That’s why most of the artists here, even with Pop Art Records, did one or two songs but had to go to other labels to become successful. If a Gamble & Huff was to have taken an interest in the local rap scene and took the time to groom the artists, I believe we would have been taken more seriously

How would you describe Philly current rap scene? And what about current rap state? if you had to lead a debate about it, would you bring people like Puff daddy, dame dash, Snoop Dogg , Benzino, El-P,or people like Ice T, Chuck D, Scarface, Paris, Cold 187um, Shock G, Rakim and Professor X?

It’s Beanie, Freeway, Cassidy, Gillie….some things never change. We are still looking for New York record labels to bring us to the forefront. Although I love Beans and all my Philly homeboys, I’m kinda glad some of that didn’t work because I would never want my people to be “State Property” . Much props to the Roots and I’m very proud that they’re doing their thing and of course I couldn’t be more proud of Will Smith, Jazzy Jeff and Eve. I also respect those like Schoolly D who is still doing his thing writing for shows like “Adult Swim. It’s a shame that a lot of talent is lost because we don’t have a cemented foundation here that would support and finance our careers



If I had a debate, I’d invite Russell Simmons, Chuck D, Sylvia Rhone, Tom Silverman, Ron Resnick, these are people who took a chance on a brand new genre and believed in it and convinced corporations to financially back it and let it evolve into the monster that it was today.

What was your reaction when Soul Jazz records reached you about the "Fly Girls" compilation?

My reaction was, I was right. I say that to say that Hip-Hop is a bonafide genre of music that will go down in history as a global phenomenon. I felt Like a Miles Davis or a John Coltrane or Art Blakley must have felt years after, when their music wasn’t really appreciated in their backyards, getting the phone call saying “We love you here in China!” It’s refreshing to see that our music is recognized by the globe and not just those who speak English

And here is something for your ears, brothers and sisters (and the others)Lady B