A Interview with Stokley of Mint Condition "15 Minutes of Fame"

http://www.dawahinc.com/uploads/Interviews.pdf
 
 
Stokley is a singer/songwriter and plays
drums for the band. Here’s how our interview
went:

Jenny : I’m going to ask you the same
questions that I asked Willie from Ready for
the World.
Stokley: Oh really, why?
Jenny: Because I am going to put it up like a
Battle of the Bands.

Jenny: Do you see Mint Condition as pioneers?
 
Stokley: I’m not sure. Maybe some people see us as new
pioneers. Our sound is just a culmination of
all of the groups we were inspired by; bands
and vocal groups. I guess the way that we
package it some people consider it new. We
continue to be inspired and do new things
such as E-Life, our new album.


Jenny: What do you most want to be remembered for?

 
Stokley: Being true to yourself no matter what the
obstacles. There are so many things I could
say but staying true to self is very important.
People are always going to have their
comments and feel you should do things this
way or that way. But as long as it is true to us,
then we go with it.

 
Jenny: What’s the craziest thing a female has done
to get the group’s attention?

Stokley: There have been a few things. Of course you have your
preverbal throwing the undergarments on
stage. And then you get the extreme of
somebody sending the keys to their house
with the code to the alarm system being my
birth date and their birth date. That’s pretty
wild. There are so many examples but that’s
one of the wildest to me.

Jenny: Have any of the members had any run-ins with
the law? 
 

Stokley: I’m sure being a Black man in
America, who hadn’t, hell? I mean hey, I’m
just being real.

Jenny: What about drug use. Did that play apart
in any of the group’s lives?

Stokley: I’m sure all of us have experimented when we were
younger. You gotta climb knuckle head
hill. I lived 2 blocks right around the
corner from the hood. The area I lived in
was pretty cool but literally a block away
was mess. I don’t know how any of us
made it out. Rick the bass player is from
the South Side of Chicago and you know
what that’s about. Just by the grace of
God and after school programs we made
it out. I can understand young cats
coming up today that have these
negative influences around and getting
into trouble because of nothing to do. It
is important to give them something to
do.

Jenny: What keeps you grounded? 
 

Stokley: Family. Living in the Midwest is a grounding
experience. I always say that we work the
hoopla but we don’t live it. We come
home, regroup, re-energize and then head
out again, North, South, East, West,
overseas, wherever we have to go.
Family and friends keep it real and we
can be ourselves. I would hate to have
to walk around with a bodyguard. I enjoy
the freedom that we have living here.


Jenny: Is there a criminal element in the music
business?

Stokley: I think so. Any time there is
that type of money generated in
anything, not only music, I’m talking
about government as well, there’s always
going to be something there. You deal a
lot on a cash basis, payola is still going
on and so yes I believe that you will
always have some type of criminal
element, not just Mafioso.

Jenny: What would you say is the biggest myth
about being in the music business? 
 

Stokley: Once you get in and get signed you’re rich and
it’s the end of your problems. That is not
the case like most people think. Most young
people coming thru that’s what they see.
It’s a lot of hard work and if you have any
type of success, that’s when the work really
begins. You think getting in is hard? Staying
in is even rougher.

Jenny: Do all of the members have a college
background or skills to fall back on? 
 

Stokley: Some of us. Lawrence is back in school studying
Physics. Jeffrey, the keyboard player, just
got his degree in Criminal Justice. I’m still
trying to put the nail and coffin on some of
these languages, mainly Spanish. We’re all
always into something.

Jenny: With all of what you are seeing going on
with young Black men, what do you think
of the criminal justice system? 
 

Stokley: From the little bit that I do know, some of us know
that it is unfair. It’s not balanced and it all
basically comes down to money.
Everybody trying to get paid. All of these
quotas being met. I got stopped the other
day. I really don’t know why I got stopped.
He said it was something different but he
really couldn’t explain to me what it really
was. So after he ran my license and saw
that I was clean, no issue existed. There is a
lot of unfair things that goes on. It’s jacked
up but the system has some deep problems
going on.


Jenny: What words of encouragement can you give
to all of the prisoners reading this article?

Stokley: Keep ya head up. Don’t give up. Don’t just
play cards and lift weights. Use the time
wisely. It’s a lot of great examples that have
come out of prison. I would say use that
example of like a Malcolm X or someone
like that. There are many others but use the
time that you have to reflect. There are many
that are in there that are innocent. Stay
strong. I’ve never been to prison and ain’t
looking to go. From what I’ve heard it ain’t
really no place to be. You have to live by a
different code. Stay strong.

The group can be contacted @ Mid
America Talent
PO Box 20611
Bloomington, MN 55420