(Jazz Fest EXCLUSIVE) PARTNERS-N-CRIME: New Orleans Legends To Perform At Jazz Fest

Legendary: of or pertaining to a legend or of something celebrated, as in legendary music artists

The Heat Magazine can think of no better word to describe Partners-N-Crime, or PNC as they are affectionately known by their admirers, than the word “legendary”.

There is just about no other group anywhere in the world that can bring people together like New Orleans’ own, Partners-N-Crime. It is nearly impossible to find a group with the longevity and staying power like PNC – and even more difficult to find one that has the influence carried by PNC.

PNC will be the first act to go on stage just after noon this Sunday on the Congo Square Stage at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. They have a very special show planned for their guests, including performing with a live band, bringing something totally new and fresh to the music world. It is sure to be a performance you don’t want to miss. They will also be appearing at the Tim Smooth Benefit concert Saturday night at the Chalkline in Marrero, Louisiana.

Mr. Meana and Kango Slim are true legends and mentors in the music world and they represent their city well. They have not only helped to shape the bounce music movement, but they have helped to create a style of music that is often imitated, but never duplicated, a quiet compliment to this duo who have brought such a rich flavor to an already spicy gumbo of musical talent throughout the Crescent City.

PNC has created countless classics such as “Pump Tha Party” and “N.O. Block Party”, just to name a few, and their originals can get a crowd going mad in no time flat. PNC’s music does more than hype up a crowd though – on some level, it also serves to bring people together, in a city that is, on some levels, sometimes known for division. PNC will even be shown in an upcoming episode of HBO’s hit original drama, “Treme”. When a David Simon production takes notice, that’s proof positive of sheer star power.

The Heat Magazine had an opportunity to speak with PNC about their upcoming Jazz Fest appearance and here’s what they had to say:

THE HEAT MAGAZINE: What can you tell our readers about PNC that they may not already know?

PNC: As far as the people from New Orleans are concerned, we’re considered legends from here because of our sound. We’d say that we’re one of the only groups that’s left around that’s still doing New Orleans style music, meaning with the dialect – the whole nine, you know. Even Wayne and them some time sound like they’re from somewhere else, the way they pronounce words and say certain things, but what we have now – we still have that cultural sound, like the kind of music that has how New Orleans talks – or you know, that New Orleans cold swag. Like, we still do the party, we still do the bounce or vibe within our music so that’s what Partners-N-Crime is about. It’s like we’re bringing New Orleans to the world, for real, you know. We’re bringing the culture. Anything by Partners-N-Crime is going to have New Orleans culture in it. That’s pretty much what we stand for. We’re just trying to give back that sound to the world – like Atlanta got their style of music, Miami got their style, and DC got the go-go – well, we got this thing that we consider bounce or what people consider a style and we freak it all different kind of ways. We might do it classical style or we might add a jazz feel to it, but the whole level of it is – you’re gonna feel that bounce essence. At the end of the day, that’s how we do it.

THE HEAT MAGAZINE: What makes PNC different, as far as Mr. Meana and Kango Slim staying together for years? What is the glue that holds PNC together? You see some groups come and go, but PNC has always been around.

PNC: Loyalty, first of all. We brothers from a different mother, you know what I’m sayin? Friends may fall out or grow apart, but family always finds a way to stay together when it’s a loving family, so we have love for each other and we have respect for each other so we give each other our lanes to do what we do. That’s pretty much been us from the beginning. We have respect for what makes sense and it can come from either one of us – at the end of the day, if it all makes sense, that’s what we choose to do as a whole. That’s been our gel for keeping us together. We don’t like the word “fan” because it’s a word short for “fanatic” and we don’t really look at people as fanatics. We don’t look at everybody that buy our records as fanatics. We look at them as supporters. We have a good supporting team that make our grind what it is. We try to keep giving people what they love and that’s what makes Partners-N-Crime what it is. That’s what kept us in the game for so long – to have love for what we do and to have respect for what we do. People who support what we do see that about us and push us to make another song. If we wanted to quit today or tomorrow or do another vibe, they’d make us go back to the studio to do it again. That’s pretty much what it’s been – love and passion for what we do. And more than anything, we put God and family first in everything we do. We know that is so important.

THE HEAT MAGAZINE: What can we expect from PNC at the Jazz Fest performance?

PNC: At the Jazz Fest performance this year, we’re going to do a live band. We’ve been working with a live band for a year now and a lot of our performances we’ve been doing in the last year have been with a live band. What we’ve been trying to bring to Jazz Fest this year with Partners-N-Crime is show them that we can do a real music set, besides what every rapper do with just getting on the mic and rap over the words and this and that – we want to give them the live essence of what we’re doing. We want to give our supporters some music where they’ll say they would have thought Trombone Shorty or somebody would have directed or created it. We’re going to give people something different and something grown and where we’re at and we’re going to give them that old school music for what they love, from “Pump Tha Party”, “Tell Me Why You Acting Funny” to “Shake It Like A Dog” and songs like that. We’ll give them all that, but we’ll give it to them in a live performance and I think people are going to enjoy what we have to offer.

EDITOR’S RECOMMENDATION: Make sure to check out Partners-N-Crime at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival on Sunday and pick up a copy of the CD they made especially for their supporters, “Partners-N-Crime & Black Menace Presents Chill Society”. It’s highly recommended by The Heat Magazine management and staff and you don’t want to miss out on getting your copy of this special souvenir.