UPDATE: An earlier post incorrectly implied that Hassan is still a member of POPO. The post has been revised to correct that.
Over the last few months, half a dozen people have told me that I had to check out POPO, a band based in Philadelphia and composed of the three Malik brothers: Zeb, Shoaib and Hassan (who has since left the band). These guys have been around the music scene for a while, their sound has been called “post-hip-hop,” a fusion of punk, hip-hop and world music. In 2007, they opened for Nine Inch Nails and this past year, they signed with Mad Decent records, the record label created by Diplo (who once collaborated with and dated M.I.A.) According to the story, Diplo saw POPO play at a club in Atlanta and was so excited by their music that he detonated a firecracker onstage and was thrown out by the management. I caught up with 24-year old Hassan Ali Malik, POPO’S former drummer and sometimes-vocalist to ask him a little about his time with the band.
Is the band called “The PoPo” or “POPO”? The Internet has a lot of variations….
It went from “The popo’s” to “The PoPo” to “POPO.” Next will maybe be just “PO.” Or “poo poo.”
When did POPO begin?
The popos ( now “POPO”) was started by Jahan Zeb and Mike Collins in the late nineties. They played reggae.
How was the name POPO chosen?
POPO? I didn’t, but it stuck ’cause we liked the way it sounded phonetically. Doesn’t really have anything to do with the police or anything…How long have you lived in Philadelphia?
About the last two years officially.
Where did you live before?
I was still in Philly, just didn’t really have a home. I was bouncing around between places in and out of the city: our practice space in Fishtown, my cousins in West Philly, my parents in the ‘burbs and with friends around Temple University.
Were you born here or in Pakistan?
I was born in America, right outside Philly, first generation. My oldest sister was the only one born in Pakistan, out of the five kids in our family.
How has living in Philadelphia affected your art?
I think the weather here affects my art most. I feel like the weather can affect the mood or style of your music. It affects my style of clothing for sure. I’m sure if I lived on a warm tropical island it would come through in my music somehow, whether good or bad. We get all types of weather imaginable here in Philly. The harsh winters toughen you up though. I would never want to live somewhere where the weather was perfect all the time, like L.A. I’d turn into a pussy.
How, if at all, does your religious background and upbringing affect your music?
I’d say its affected it a ton. I went to a Catholic school from Pre-K till 6th grade. I would also go to Islamic school on Sundays. I’m basically a Catholic Muslim according to my upbringing. it was pretty confusing at times but looking back on it I’m glad I got to experience both. I probably wouldn’t be doing music if I hadn’t. I got made fun of a lot for having Rage Against the Machine and Manson stickers on my binder, but that just made me like what I liked even more. Everyone else was into Dave Mathews band and shit. I had one best friend all throughout Catholic school. Jack McClatchy. He played guitar and got me into a lot of good music. He could even pronounce my name right. I hope I meet Dave Mathews one day so I can tell him how shitty his audience is.
Your musical inspirations?
It’s all inspiring really. Even music I don’t like inspires me to not suck. Growing up I listened to a lot of early hip hop and Bollywood soundtracks my mom would listen too and later got real into the whole grunge thing. Lately, actors have been more inspiring then musicians and the idea of playing a role to go with the music is something I enjoy trying to do. I try to get as close to the music as possible.
Your parents’ opinion on your music?
They think it’s lame.
Do you and your brothers ever fight?
Yeah. You can’t expect to be in a punk band with your brothers and not have fights.
How does your relationship affect your music?
The more we fight, the cooler the music gets, haha.
Any desi influences in your music?
Yeah, there definitely is here and there but not so much on purpose. I’d really like to get my hands on some instruments like tablas or a sitar.
Your favorite desi music?
The soundtrack for the movie Khal Nayak is definitely one of my favorites.
What you do when you’re not playing music?
I like to play table tennis, Tetris, hacky sack. I like going to thrift shops when I have money. I like experimenting with my video camera. I like to hang out with my dog and dig.
You’ve since left POPO to pursue other interests. What kind of music are you working on now?
I did stuff under the name HAMSTAR for a while, which was a grungy rap thing. I plan on bringing him back to life. I’ve been doing shows lately as Sunny Ali, Goth Western kind of thing. I wanted to hibernate for the winter and get away from the whole scene I was around, try to start something fresh. I’d like to do as many projects and make as much music as possible before I die.
(h/t Taz)
always cool to get a rec on a new band- thx phillygrrl.
interesting synergy on the khal nayak soundtrack- a link on SM about the Kominas says they are developing a cover of ‘choli ke peeche’…
I would like to talk to Dave Matthews about their audience too haha. Cool interview.
It really annoys me when guys who have the potential to look attractive – don’t.
Some eye-brow threading, some shaping of the hair, and form-fitting, flattering clothing and colors and these guys would be good to go. How come so many men don’t care about these things? They do care about getting chicks though and by caring for their appearance just a bit, they could get a lot more – both in quantity AND quality.
Dudes – what gives?
“Thus Spake Woman” you should check out Dave Matthews.
Taz, thanks for the interview.
i think chicks like his ungroomed/avante garde look. at least the chicks he probably likes.
no offense, friends, but it IS possible to put out great music and look clean at the same time. “rebelling” against society doesn’t mean you need to look dirty, unbathed, and ungroomed. seriously your music will speak for itself if you’re worried about not looking the part of dirty rocker!
@linus: It’s not a Taz interview, it’s a Phillygrrl interview.
his style is classic hipster– very deliberately chosen in every detail– def got its own fashion idiom. the nabes Williamsburg and Bushwick in Brooklyn have the highest concentration of the look that i’ve been around in NYC. hipster is the ‘new’ alterna-look, kinda punk-thrift store extreme self-consciousness.
some people are just dirty, if you’re first thought is that someones dirty look is intentional you are projecting how self concious you are yourself
this is a funny convo considering desi people have notoriously awful fashion
Popos ain’t punk.
Sorry I recommended them, Phillygrrl – had no idea that they would be such douchebags. There’s a real difference between hipsters douches and hardcore punks and I think they are blurring the line (not in a good way). Trying to censor the media is totally not punk.
Hasan sounds like a doll though – Looking forward to his new projects.
i shared practice space with popo a while back. walked in on the 2 older bros sleepin/jammmin there a bunch, cant say i saw the younger one there at all really.
i agree with linus. i like his look and his music. quit all the playa hatin’!
Never heard of them, but I think the next logical permutation of the name is obviously pappaan.
Gottit? PAPPAAAAAAAN!!!
(Or is that too Bhangra?)
im glad that you all know exactly what is important when it comes to music… looks, fashion, impressing girls, and well tamed eyebrows… if you don’t have those things, then you most definitely do not know how to drop beats.
but for the record, i think hassan’s got more creativity and passion about what he does than any “groomed”, “well-dressed”, needle-dick-browed, j crew loving fascist that i know. thanks for reminding me why i hate society… go watch some football. LONG LIVE HAMSTAR
Funny. Dropping beats seems to be more important for guy musicians, singers and performers than female ones. Can you imagine if Beyonce didn’t wax her moustache, eyebrows or armpits?
I hold men to the same standards society holds women.
The personal is political.
Anyway, let him keep his shaggy hair (I say he needs to grow it long) and baggy clothes. But those eyebrows need to be dealt with!!!
for the record he is trying way too hard.all the creativity and passion in the world cant measure up to true talent. now back to football!
tonights gona be a good nihgt-{black eyed peas HELLO}
actually most male musicians i know have no problem using their music to impress girls. you may think he’s only doing this for the music, but i’m pretty sure he’s using his looks and his music career to pick up girls. have you talked to most male musicians? they are doing music to GET LAID, not to “drop beats” your view point on musicians is a little idealistic
well no one is disputing anyone’s creativity. would you love a musician who didn’t wipe his ass? bathing is sanitary, there’s nothing wrong with being clean. the look is obviously pre-planned to appeal to folks like you who think that in order to give the middle finger to society, that you have to focus on superficial things like purposely looking “rebellious” or “dirty”. if you hate society then you can properly rebel against it by embracing values that the mainstream rejects, like not being selfish, helping out others, promoting DIY, things that most americans have no interest in. the fact that you hate society makes you common with society since most people in the US only care about themselves and could care less about other members in society. indie/punk/rock fashion costs money and i’m sure it cost money and time to find clothes to fit this look. what’s the difference b/w superficial music scenes and the society you hate? they are embracing the same shallowness.
if you’re a man and i’m assuming you are, i’m pretty sure you wouldn’t date a girl with a unibrow and facial hair. i don’t see anything wrong with expecting the same cleanliness expected of women to be expected from men.
you all are assuming alot based on ONE pic! hell maybe hes not even into girls… i dont see how you can assume so much based on a few questions and one pic. bottom line, his music is alright and ill support the young fella to get out there and do his thing. r-dawy do you personally know this kid? did he or another male musician do you wrong or something? lol. if not i think ur looking into it WAY too deeply.
“I hold men to the same standards society holds women.”
I find it interesting how every other blog about FEMALE entertainers is followed by a long string of commentariat regarding her LOOKS by the male constituency, and allowed to go on unchecked as if this were the ACCEPTED NORM, which it is, but when the shoe is put on the other foot, somehow we are all supposed to be only concerned with “talent”.
What gives?
Seriously.
Men assume alot based on one pick of women all the time. The dude is an ENTERTAINER who’s putting himself “out there”. Just like FEMALE entertainers, he’ll have to learn to take the heat or get out of the kitchen.
What’s good for the goose is good for the gander and vice versa.
In this case I think the issue is that it’s not good for either the goose or the gander. There isn’t much good to come from applying it to either.
I’m not even offended from a gender issues perspective so much as by all the good musical talent that we miss out on because we’re too busy ogling the Britney Spearses to cultivate the Susan Boyles.
Pardesi Gori wrote:
Umm…where have you been? That kind of talk does NOT “go on unchecked”, at least on Sepia Mutiny. Usually, one of the moderators steps in and asks the commentators to stop.
INDIA. But I’m back now.
Yeah but not until like the 80th comment, yaar.
Because, PG, we don’t lose the forest for the strees.
Apparently, men do care.
This convo is why desi’s SUCK.
@Phillygrrl, the link is broken. Is this them? http://www.myspace.com/popobros
Any links to the solo work?
Accha? Then you shall never see the forest OF the strees!
Sorry, ignant moment, I didn’t see that the myspace link was given. But there’s only three songs up! I wouldn’t think this is what a genre called “post hip hop” sounds like, its seems more like lo-fi echoey garage punk.
Hi Turnip, if you clink on the first mention of POPO, it links to their myspace. If you link to the last question, about Sunny Ali, it links to Hassan’s music. The band removed the video a day or so ago, I’ll be sure to update that. Thanks.
More and more this site is fashionably dumb. Desiness + trash = trash, yaar. Like Das Racist, these asslords prevaricate caucasoid germ hipsterdom to suit their passe aesthetic and are culturally dis-relevant. Yeah I said it, culeros grandes. It’s like Vandana Shiva plagerising MIA on a post-colonial rant because MIA has nice earrings. PoPo probably discovered shoegaze in college and thinks the clash is the end all for punk. Hip hop? Post-hip hop? Bollywood listening as a kid litmus test? Are you kidding me, madamsaheb? That is one of the most illegitimate bastard zeitgeistisms of the new year. Post-hip hop died with De La Soul. Do research before you start dropping names carelessly without any concern for fact. You don’t think we’re reading, but we are. Bury yourself in jalebi napalm while mashing up Gauttar, Spinoza and Spivak.
Fun with google translator or did you just buy yourself a copy of “Indie Rock for Dummies?”
I dont udnerstand ay of this. I am SO herbert…
@GOSHT hey retard- De La Soul isnt dead. You’re a dweeb. Popo sound nothing like the clash, the only reason there is anything in this article about ‘post hip hop’ is bcause phillygrrl didnt do any real research and took a clip from a four year old bio-on top of that interviewed someone who appharently isnt even in the popo band. As far as this ‘zeitgeistism'(dork) you speak of, maybe its about time someone desi had their finger on the fucking pulse instead of being so painfully out of touch like you, using the same old tired desi references and jokes. Stop trying to flex and make something yourself d bag.
” interviewed someone who appharently isnt even in the popo band”
Hassan was a part of POPO for seven years. He only left a month ago.
@GOSHT – I think a hipster would only use a word like “asslords”. also if you click on your name GOSHT it directs you to junk.com …..LOL!
kashif wrote:
kashif, “GOSHT” links to a different website every time he posts a comment.
GOSHT is one of my favorite posters. Not that I read SM a ton, but his insightful vitriol is entertaining.
PHILLYGIRL, have you heard of OneAMRadio? You should hit him up for an interview. Rad dude, good music.
I don’t know from music, but this insult, whether apposite or not, is HILARIOUS!!! So is that entire comment.
i saw Popo open for Major Lazer this summer. They were un-listenable. It sounded the painfully slow slaughter of animals.