Pimping in Pittsburgh!

The Pimps Of Thieves have come a long way. A decade in the making, the Pimps Of Thieves Have Developed from boys, into men. At an early age, Pimps Of Thieves saw success when the music they began making out of a Pittsburgh basement became well received by the Hip-Hop community in Pittsburgh. They come forceful, with a sound that combines classic Hip-Hop...with classic ballads of Jazz, Funk and Soul. A sound is created that is distinguishable, energising and fresh. The Pimps Of Thieves create lyrics that come unique, forceful and political and combine them with pounding beats and funky samples. The Pimps Of Thieves are working on an album that will bring powerful hooks and shed light on relevant issues we face today. Along with the album, a 12 stop tour of the United States...with 2 planned international stops at festivals in Shanghai and Belgium. Get ready for the PIMPS OF THIEVES.

HipHopInformant: How long have you been involved in Hip-Hop?

Pimps Of Thieves: For about ten years we have been making music. In the beginning it was much more relaxed though. Just a drum set, a microphone, and a basement to play in. We were still in middle school when it all started, so we have developed a lot.

HipHopInformant: How would you describe your music?

Pimps Of Thieves: True. Distinct. Relevant... It revolves around a mutual love for hip-hop, but with respect to all great music. You will hear elements of rock, funk, and soul in many of our songs. Most importantly is our lyrical content that is socially relevant, as well as other tracks that stay true to who we are. There will not be one track on our upcoming album where we don't remain true to ourselves.

HipHopInformant: What got you involved with Hip-Hop?

Pimps Of Thieves: A combination of things. Growing up in the inner city, being raised in the public school system, hip-hop was very evident in our environment. Plus we had parents and teachers who encouraged us to follow our musical interests from a very young age.

HipHopInformant: Are there any artists that influence you and your music?

Pimps Of Thieves: Yes, and there are way too many to list. Bottom line though, what got us into making music to begin with... was great music. Anyone making music and doing a great job at it has probably inspired us, and a lot of other people, to make some great music. It starts with hip-hop influences but goes decades before hip-hop was even born yet.

HipHopInformant: “The Establishment” is a strong song and has a very strong message. Does your other music in general have a message?

Pimps Of Thieves:Yes, "The Establishment" certainly has seemed to have struck a nerve within Myspace and some of our other internet sources. We will have one or two more politically/socially influenced tracks on the album. We think that people are frustrated with the lies and misjudgments of our government and "The Establishment" in particular, came with forceful lyrics in such an intelligent way. Not all of our topics revolve around those issues though. You will hear everything from songs about the sold-out music industry, to life growing up, to sunny days, to representing ourselves and our city. If we had to some up our music in general... we would say it's simply "us". It's what we are, who we've become, what we've seen, and what we are thinking.

HipHopInformant: How did the name Pimps of Thieves come about?

Pimps Of Thieves: It's basically a play-on-words derived from the name "Prince of Thieves", from the classic tale of Robin Hood. Coincidentally, similar to Robin Hood's tale... we think the popular music of today is too much in the hands of the rich and greedy executives, who don't care about the quality of what they are putting out. We intend to give some quality music back to the people who have been patiently waiting.
Let's just say we came up with the name in a basement... most likely with a box of phillies, some funky smelling substance, a karaoke machine, a bunch of VHS tapes, and a good case of the laughs.

HipHopInformant: What is your view on the state of Hip-Hop at this moment?

Pimps Of Thieves: Overall, pathetic. A lack of real musical thought going into the instrumentals. And a complete lack of lyrical skill and content in the songs now. This isn't said to discredit those still doing their thing.... they are still out there. They are just becoming a minority now in hip-hop.

HipHopInformant: What is the most enjoyable thing about performing?

Pimps Of Thieves: Watching people sing along to songs you wrote. The crowd’s reaction. Meeting the fans. Adrenaline rush!

HipHopInformant: What does the future hold for Pimps of Thieves?

Pimps Of Thieves: The near future holds an album. We have been working on it for a while now, and are really pleased with the tracks we have done so far. We have about 8 finished, and only about five more to go before we are ready to release it. The plan is to have it available through all major CD stores and internet stores. Details will be announced soon. After that we hope to tour, but nothing is set in stone yet. For any information, the best place to always check is www.myspace.com/pimpsofthieves. New songs are being posted every couple of weeks.

www.myspace.com/pimpsofthieves