Dumperfoo on Impressing Vanilla Ice, Hanging With Snoop Dogg, and Other Hip-Hop Hijinks

By Benjamin Leatherman Fri., Jan. 18 2013 at 5:00 AM

Categories: Q&A

Continued from page 1

So you weren't only on the hip-hop tip?

No. I wasn't always into hip-hop. It kinda fizzled out around [1991], a lot of our friends had died, so I moved to Phoenix and started working in bars like The Grind and did some DJing, spinning Nine Inch Nails and all that crap. It was on 24th [Street] and Camelback. That's where they had Smashing Pumpkins, Tool, Belly -- every huge band during that time in the '90s grunge era -- all first played there before Lollapalooza kicked off. They were some of the best shows I'd ever seen at that place. I was working there from day one to the day they got shut down in, like, 1992. Then I worked for Randall [Goodwin] at The Atomic Café.

What was that like?

I used to throw punk rock shows and shit at Atomic Cafe. Like I did the UK Subs' 20th anniversary tour with Anti-Flag. I used to tour with a band called FKR. It was like a hardcore band and we went all over the place. I was into all kinds of different shit. I was always into a lot of different shit, but hip-hop always been just -- there. Ever since I was a little kid with dancing and breakdancing. I always listened to punk because of my skateboard roots. My brother and my cousin were punk rockers, so I always had that sort of edge too.

Do you still skate?

Up until a few years ago, when I started trying to skate after The Blunt Club. We'd go 20 or 30 deep and try to sneak into the skate spots and I started falling down and it hurt real bad. I was like, I'm done, dude.

How are your skills as a DJ?

I wouldn't say I'm a great DJ, but I like doing it. I haven't done it in a long time, but I play more funk and soul, I like that sort of stuff. I have so many talented friends that I haven't been called upon to DJ, which is probably a good thing (laughs) I won't even get into it. I like rare funk like crate-digging stuff, the originals. I like reggae and dancehall stuff like that. Like Savande/Samandi . . . weird stuff.

What about rapping?

I can't rap at all. Horrible rapper.

Michael "Mic Cause" Cosentino:

Aw . . . he can rap. If it's real late at night and we're driving home from Albuquerque and everyone's real drunk and no one's paying attention, then you can hear Dumper in the back.

So are we ever going to see you onstage performing with the Drunken Immortals instead of painting?

Um, probably never. Not a good rapper at all.