5 Questions with Rags #77 - Deuce Eclipse

If you're plugged into the West Coast hip-hop scene, there's a good chance you've seen or heard the man known as Deuce Eclipse, whether you know it or not. See, about 16 years ago, I went to my first proper live hip-hop show, a couple of weeks after I turned legal drinking age up here in British Columbia. It was a Quannum Projects tour featuring Lyrics Born and friends. Among those friends was powerful Zion-I. At that time, Zion-I was three people and one of those people was singer/rapper/generally amazing human being, Deuce Eclipse. It wasn't until the summer of last year (2019) - when Garden City Grooves festival here in my hometown announced they were bringing Bay Area groove-monster BANG DATA as part of the years festivities – that I realized that not only had I encountered Deuce Eclipse's captivating talents more than a decade and half before, but he has been (and still is!) putting out ridiculously groovy, thoughtful, passionate music under his own name, as well as with the powerhouse that is Bang Data.

Paired up with the multi-talented Caipo, Eclipse formed Bang Data and the duo hasn't stopped creating since, carving out a special place in the west coast music scene. “I was working on a solo album and I was working with Amp Live, from Zion-I, at the time. We kind of hit a wall. I was trying to do more singing in more Spanish, so he took it upon himself to reach out to other people and put them in touch with me. That's how I met Caipo,” Eclipse says, speaking to me from home in the Bay. “At the beginning, Amp Live was actually part of Bang Data. He was still in Zion-I and it was taking off, so he had to be there more, so Bang Data ended up being me and Caipo. At the end, we're the ones who stuck it out, stayed in the studio and started creating. Caipo thought he was basically kind of done playing live, but I think the music inspired him in a way that he wanted to start playing again. We started recording and coming up with all kinds of different music, then we ended up staying together as a group.”

The power of Bang Data has opened up phenomenally unique opportunities for the band, in spots of popular culture that no one could have predicted. The group's self-titled single “Bang Data” from their absolutely fire album La Sopa, found its way onto the intergalactic hit of a TV show, Breaking Bad. “Breaking Bad was a huge thing for us in a lot of ways. It gave us faith that we were on the right path. We didn't know about the show when we placed it and when we told people, they were like, 'Wow, you're going to be on Breaking Bad?! That's amazing. It has a huge cult following and breaks a lot of music.' We had no idea. I watched the whole series after the fact,” laughs Eclipse, reflecting on the impact that being featured on such a high profile show had on the group. “It really put us on the map as a group. It rolled from there, created a motion that enforced the Bang Data vibration, enforced our position and place in music.”

As a wrestling fan, I would be remiss if I didn't mention Bang Data's stint as the house band for critically acclaimed promotion/series Lucha Underground. It's a time that Eclipse looks back on fondly, even if it sounds like the gig could run a band ragged. “It was an intense couple of weekends. You work long hours and you have the be ready. It's very intense to be honest with you, but we had a lot of fun doing it. A lot of people called me like 'Did I just see you?!' because I got a lot of homeboys that are super wrestling fans. It was a lot of fun. Watching them wrestle live and see behinds the scenes, seeing how it's all created. All the people screaming – it's crazy, it's an intense situation. Not to mention, it's super hot in there!”
In a musical and cultural environment as dense with diversity as the Bay Area, it's no wonder that Deuce Eclipse has kept a foothold there as long as he has. It's a true comfort to know that people like him are out there making real-as music that can make you move and think at the same time – with no reason to sacrifice one side for the other. It was an honour to get speak with someone who unknowingly has been part of my listening diet for nearly my entire adult life.

1. When's the last time you did something for the first time?

I don't know why this is coming up, but when I water-skied, a long time ago. This was years and years ago, somewhere in California on a camping trip. My friend's dad had a boat with skies. I don't know why but the first time I snow-skied as well, I did it the first time. I don't know how I did it the first time but I did. I got up water skiing for the first time with no problem. I think it was for Boy Scouts. That's one of the first times I did something that stands out in my mind. But I've never done it since.

2. If you could spend the day with anyone, living or dead, who would it be and what would you do?

It would be my dad. I would spend the day with him and we would probably catch a Giants game, drink some beer and just talk.

3. If you had to be responsible for one household chore forever, and you're the only one who had to always do that job, which chore would you choose?

It would probably be...either be vacuuming or watering the plants.

I like vacuuming too, because you can see the progress.

Exactly! It's instant gratification. Those are the best chores, when it's instantly gratifying. You sweep something up and it's gone.

4. What's the best memory you have of a teacher growing up?

It would be when a teacher was holding auditions for the Nutcracker and I got the lead role. Then she told me, “I wanted to let you know, you have the lead role, and I really believe you can do it. You were great in auditions and I can't wait for the play to come out.” That was like second or third grade. Crazy, man. I remember that day. I remember everything about that first day. My grandma took a bus to come see me, it was raining. I saw her in the crowd. My mom showed up. I've acted in the past, so I look at that as the first experience that led me to do more acting.

5. What's the last thing that made you tear up or cry with joy?
I was just with my mom and I was talking about my niece. Talking about how much I love her and what a great little person she is and it just made me tear up. Literally like an hour ago.

6. I lost the last guest question, so I went back in the vaults and dug up a guest question from the legend DJ Nu-Mark...Would you prefer a 40 of OE or some E-40?
Oh man, that's a good one. Such memories of Olde English. I'm going to have to go with the Olde English. It's been so long that it's like, “Yeah, I'll drink a 40.”