May 1, 2013 — Kung Fu Vampire is hittin’ the road w/ Insane Clown Posse for their Mighty Death Pop U.S Tour. I feel honored and humbled to be on such a monumental tour, we put 100% into our shows and will not let a single concert goer down.

As most of you know, I have spent over 20 years working and dedicating all of my life to music. I have suffered and overcome life’s struggles to get Kung Fu Vampire where we are today and we could never have done it without family, friends & Believers who have supported Kung Fu Vampire all of these years. I especially want to thank Juggalos for having an open-ear to my style, you really helped bring me to the surface and I am forever grateful. The struggle is far from over for us though, help build Kung Fu Vampire by spreading our new Music Video and sharing Kung Fu Vampire w/ people who you think would appreciate us.

Dates are listed below, if we are not coming to your area, please understand that it is obviously out of our control but Kung Fu Vampire will be going back out this fall to tour those areas that were left out on this one. We represent the people, the underground and we do these tours for YOU.

Insane Clown Posse’s Mighty Death Pop Tour

w/ Moonshine Bandits & Kung Fu Vampire

Wed, 05/01/13	Rochester, NY	Main Street Armory	6:00 PM	Tickets
Fri, 05/03/13	Philadelphia, PA	Electric Factory	7:30 PM	Tickets
Sat, 05/04/13	Worcester, MA	The Palladium	7:00 PM	Tickets
Sun, 05/05/13	Poughkeepsie, NY	The Chance Theater	6:00 PM	Tickets
Tue, 05/07/13	Lancaster, PA	Chameleon Club	6:00 PM	Tickets
Thu, 05/09/13	Clifton Park, NY	Upstate Concert Hall	7:00 PM	Tickets
Fri, 05/10/13	Hartford, CT	The Webster	7:00 PM	Tickets
Sat, 05/11/13	Norfolk, VA	The Norva	7:00 PM	Tickets
Mon, 05/13/13	Cincinnati, OH	Bogarts	6:30 PM	Tickets
Tue, 05/14/13	Columbus, OH	LC Pavilion	7:00 PM	Tickets
Wed, 05/15/13	Louisville, KY	Expo Five	7:00 PM	Tickets
Fri, 05/17/13	West Des Moines, IA	Val Air Ballroom	7:00 PM	Tickets
Sat, 05/18/13	St. Paul, MN	Myth Live	8:00 PM	Tickets
Mon, 05/20/13	Lawrence, KS	Granada Theater	7:00 PM	Tickets
Wed, 05/22/13	Salt Lake City, UT	Rockwell @ The Complex	7:45 PM	Tickets
Fri, 05/24/13	Seattle, WA	El Corazon	7:00 PM	Tickets
Sat, 05/25/13	Seattle, WA	El Corazon	7:00 PM	Tickets
Sun, 05/26/13	Bend, OR	Midtown Ballroom	7:00 PM	Tickets
Mon, 05/27/13	Chico, CA	Senator Theatre	7:00 PM	Tickets
Tue, 05/28/13	Anaheim, CA	City National Grove of Anaheim	7:00 PM	Tickets
Wed, 05/29/13	Oakland, CA	Oakland Metro Opera House	8:00 PM	Tickets
Thu, 05/30/13	Oakland, CA	Oakland Metro Opera House	8:00 PM	Tickets
Sat, 06/01/13	Tucson, AZ	Rialto Theatre	7:00 PM	Tickets
Sun, 06/02/13	Flagstaff, AZ	Pepsi Amphitheater at Fort Tuthill Park	5:45 PM	Tickets
Wed, 08/07/13	Cave-In-Rock, IL	Hatchet Landings	10:00 AM	Tickets

Kung Fu Vampire’s video output has been sporadic these past couple years. That’s something he plans to change in a major way by releasing a video for every song on his new album, Love Bites, which came out Halloween last year. He starts things off with his first video for the title track.

Fans were clearly eager for Kung Fu Vampire to start releasing videos again. In only a couple days, he racked up over 6,000 views. The video shows a young vampire boy who’s walking down the street carrying a mysterious box, which mesmerizes all the women he passes. They follow him, hypnotized, concluding with a surprise twist that reveals not only where he’s been walking to, but what is inside the box.

The video was directed by local prolific music video director Frank Door, who has shot videos for K.Flay, the Trims, Northern Son, not to mention the infamous sandwich video for Young Science, which Kung Fu Vampire has a very brief cameo in.

Video: Kung Fu Vampire “Love Bites” | Activate | Metroactive Music & Nightlife.

Who: MC Lars, Kung Fu Vampire, Tyrese Johnson & The Breaking Light Skulls

What: ALL AGES SHOW!

When: February 8th, 2013

Where: Red House Live at 1667 Botelho Drive, Walnut Creek, CA

Why: Come celebrate Chris Paxton’s Birthday!

How: $12.00 in advance/$15.00 at the door

DECEMBER 5, 2012 by AARON CARNES

Kung Fu Vampire fans have come to expect the unexpected. He has built a cult following for his theatrical shows, which have included an eight-piece live rap band with drums, cellos, violins and back-up singers. Then, of course, there’s Kung Fu Vampire himself—a bald, pale-white vampire with fangs, goatee, white contact lenses and a lavish emperor’s kimono draped over his body—spitting verses about life, love, sex and death better than many traditional rappers.

Fans may be shocked, however, by what Kung Fu Vampire is up to now, as his current 48-city tour finishes with a flourish at the Blank Club on Dec. 8. This time around, KFV is playing just hard-hitting, no-frills hip-hop—no makeup, no kimono, and only bass player Jeremy Pollett and drummer Chris Paston to back him up.

“Some of these shows, I’ll just straight rock in a fedora and a T-shirt—and people love it,” Kung Fu Vampire says. “They’ve all seen that other guy. They’ve seen that other image. I want people to be blown away by the music.”

Despite doing something so different, Kung Fu Vampire has earned a lot of praise from his fellow San Jose rappers.

“I have a lot of respect for Kung Fu Vampire because as long as I’ve been making and performing music in the South Bay, he has been a driving force, always pushing and creating his vision where others would have given up or changed styles to fit the newest trend,” says Benny Medik from local hip-hop group Language Arts Crew.

It’s been 12 years since he first emerged as Kung Fu Vampire. During that time he has worked around the clock, booking tours, promoting himself, writing music and pressing on even when it didn’t seem like he was getting anywhere. Those who have worked with him know that he is an ambitious, determined performer.

Kung Fu Vampire really started to see an increase in fans over the past three years after he went full throttle with a near constant touring schedule, scoring opening slots for acts like Insane Clown Posse, Twiztid and Tech N9ne. While these groups have come to love and embrace him, he hasn’t signed to any of their well-established labels. Instead he continues to release music on his own label, Mad Insanity Records, which he shares with horrorcore rapper Mars.

“I’ve worked really hard to get where I’m at,” Kung Fu Vampire says.

He has made fans out of people with very diverse musical tastes—horrorcore, heavy metal, electronic music, techno—but not many hardcore hip-hop fans have embraced him over the years. “I hear the word ‘gimmick’ sometimes,” he admits. “Why? ‘Cause I don’t have a rap costume?” He means the familiar baggy pants, grills and bling, and adds, “To me, that’s the ultimate gimmick, because it’s been done over and over again. There’s a percentage of me that goes, ‘OK, now what’s your excuse for not liking me? I just came out with nothing gimmicky—I just came out with a live band and killed it. Where’s your excuse now?’”

This tour marks the release of Kung Fu Vampire’s third LP, Love Bites, his first album in four years. He feels like the album needs to be heard without any distractions. It’s an album he made for serious rap fans.

“Up until now, I don’t think I had that knock-out, ‘Holy fuck’ album. Love Bites is that album. It’s the first one in 22 years that I love,” Kung Fu Vampire says. “Traditional hip-hop fans that have seen the 2010 Kung Fu Vampire, there’s a pretty good chance they’re going to be deterred.”

Lyrically, Love Bites covers a lot of bases, including for the first time, several political songs. The last number, “The Dreamer,” epitomizes his fascination with love and death. It is a song, he says, about how love can kill. It tells the true story of a close friend who was killed this year for getting mixed up in the wrong love triangle.

Some of his raps are very personal, while others are not at all, like on “Go Away,” which takes the perspective of an alcoholic. Kung Fu Vampire has never been an alcoholic. “I don’t want to have any boundaries. I want to be able to write about real stuff, but also perspectives that aren’t mine. I want all those lines to be blurred,” he says.

In the past, he would occasionally write songs that alluded to being a vampire—though he typically steered clear of writing graphically violent lyrics. “I prefer the darkness to be in the music, more than in the lyrics,” he says. But on Love Bites, no such allusions to vampires exist. Even the song “Knockturnal,” which talks about a character that stays up all night, is really an anti-meth song.

iCount

Kung Fu Vampire was born and raised in San Jose, and still lives here. Now in his mid-30s, he has been rapping since 1991, beginning with LSP. He started Kung Fu Vampire in 2000 and has kept his real name separate from his stage name ever since.

The name “Kung Fu Vampire” came up when he and some friends were hanging out talking about how they should, for fun, film a movie. They were throwing out different genres—kung fu and vampire movies were two of them. The name “Kung Fu Vampire” just resonated. Not only did it strike him as a powerful rap name, but he also liked the symbolism. It was the melding of light and darkness; of Zen spirituality and ambition. It fit his personality.

Even from the beginning, when Kung Fu Vampire had a very distinct look, the character was never a specific entity. The symbolism and vibe of Kung Fu Vampire serve as his jumping-off point artistically, which allows him to be flexible lyrically but also gives him room to change the physical image as he sees fit and still be “Kung Fu Vampire.”

“To always write as the Kung Fu Vampire would come off a little one-sided,” he admits. “It’s more the dark-sided subculture with a lot of light. The yin and yang of everything. It can be the dark truths of reality. It can be a lot of things. When I get to be Kung Fu Vampire on stage for 45 minutes, it gives me a higher percentage of energy.”

He started to shed some of his theatrical image in 2011, a decision that evolved after he decided to let his hair out because he was tired of being bald. Once he had hair again, he didn’t like how painting his face looked—too much like a scary clown—so he stopped adding extreme makeup.

His overall approach had to change, too, because he was touring so much. It wasn’t feasible to take an eight-piece band on the road. He needed to simplify his act, hone his raw live energy and concentrate on making the best rap music he could.

He hasn’t completely abandoned the showmanship and costumes. Recently, when he was asked to make a guest appearance in the E-40 music video “Zombie,” he made sure that he looked creepy. He is also scheduled to make an appearance on the reality show SF Oddities. The producers made it clear that they want Kung Fu Vampire on the show—and he’s OK with that.

“For the next generation of Kung Fu Vampire, I may come out with a mask,” he tells me. “I may come out painted red with all-black contacts. I don’t know. I want it to stay fun. It’s like a darker hip-hop version of Madonna, if you want to be silly about it. She’s been the master of re-creating herself. I did the one style for a long time. It was me. It was Kung Fu Vampire.”

It was Kung Fu Vampire’s unique persona that got him where he is today. He attributes his surge in popularity these past few years to one random fan he has never even met. In November 2009, this fan changed his career forever by posting Kung Fu Vampire’s video for “iCount” on faygoluvers.net, the biggest Juggalo-related news site on the web.

Juggalos—fans of horrorcore rappers Insane Clown Posse and other bands on Psychopathic Records like Twiztid, Anybody Killa and Blaze Ya Dead Homie—quickly embraced Kung Fu Vampire when they saw this video.

The members of Twiztid saw “iCount” first. They loved it—which figures, because the rap duo paints their faces like clowns.

The video features Kung Fu Vampire in his full Asian vampire persona. The look of the video is ominous; the music is old-school, minor-key gangsta rap; the backup band is an odd combination of big, scary masked men and dazed, drugged-up women. In short, it was a spectacle unlike anything Twiztid had seen before. The end result was an opening slot for Kung Fu Vampire on the band’s next tour.

The Twiztid tour ran for 45 dates, with crowds ranging from 300 to 3,000 a night. The tour led to several others, mostly opening for other horrorcore and Juggalo groups on Psychopathic Records and Strange Music. But unlike many of the bands he has toured with, Kung Fu Vampire doesn’t rap about graphic violence, use campy horror-movie references or talk about smoking pot. In fact, Kung Fu Vampire has several songs speaking out against meth, and he advocates healthy living in several songs.

Operatics

Before getting discovered by the Juggalo fan base, Kung Fu Vampire was gigging in the South Bay and Los Angeles on a regular basis. His first show was in 2000 at the now-defunct City Espresso in Campbell.

By 2001, he had made his first trip to L.A. with the intention of getting seen by people in the music and film industry. He was encouraged to perform at industry showcases by one early admirer, horror-film director Darren Lynn Bousman, who directed Saw II-IV, Repo! the Genetic Opera and 11-11-11.

“I thought if the right person saw what we were doing, they could help us out,” Kung Fu Vampire says. “I felt like what we were doing was super-dope, and I just wanted people to see it.”

Bousman recalls one particular Kung Fu Vampire show at the Viper Room in West Hollywood in 2008. Several standard hip-hop acts had gone on before him. The audience was enjoying the music. Then Kung Fu Vampire appeared with his full eight-piece band and complete vampire outfit. “Immediately the crowd went silent,” Bousman remembers. “Everyone’s just standing there mouth agape, not expecting Kung Fu Vampire. What he does is so unique and crazy and almost undefinable. His stage presence is so dynamic, within one song he turned that entire crowd around. They loved him.”

While Kung Fu Vampire never got that industry bump he wanted, Bousman still involved him however he could. He performed at the Saw III premiere party and was also invited to attend the Repo! the Genetic Opera premiere—where he sat next to Paris Hilton for three hours at the afterparty. Bousman also included Kung Fu Vampire’s song “Dead Girls Don’t Lie” on the soundtrack for the remake of Mother’s Day, which he also directed.

While he was busy spending time trying to get Hollywood to notice him, Juggalos were starting to discover him and his first album, Blood Bath Beyond.

“I started selling my records online to the Midwest, places like Detroit and Kansas City,” he recalls.

The first time Kung Fu Vampire heard the word ‘Juggalo’ was in 2004. He was opening up for 2 Live Crew in San Jose.

“It’s a worldwide thing now, but I was never exposed to it. No one ever said, ‘Juggalos would like your music.’ If I had been discovered when it started I would be in the top three most famous people in the genre. I already know because I am one of the people doing it without being influenced by the genre,” Kung Fu Vampire says.

Even after he learned who these people were, it never occurred to Kung Fu Vampire to try and market to them, or that they would embrace him so whole-heartedly.

As much as this scene liked Kung Fu Vampire for his dark image, they have been equally receptive to him shedding that image. Kung Fu Vampire has gotten a lot of positive feedback on this tour.

“The thing I hear most is, ‘It doesn’t matter what you look like because the music was amazing,’” Kung Fu Vampire says. From the very beginning the whole point of being so theatrical was driven by wanting to approach hip-hop in a way different than the other rappers—who were, by and large, all sort of doing the same thing.

“I’m very influenced by doing what other people aren’t doing,” he says. “I had never seen what I wanted to see.”

Even when he was in LSP, which he started with the three Huelsenkamp brothers from his neighborhood, he was always pushing rap boundaries. They would sometimes play to backing tracks, and other times to live instruments. Sometimes they would just do instrumental improv jams. Everyone in the group rapped, including Kung Fu Vampire, who also played drums. LSP was a creative, experimental hip-hop group unlike anything else happening in San Jose at the time.

“I really respect and love those guys’ talents,” Kung Fu vampire says.

Some of the change of Kung Fu Vampire’s sound came from his friend Leon Freeze, who had wanted to do a separate hip-hop project with Kung Fu Vampire.

“He would say, ‘I want to get you away from that weirdo style you keep doing. I want to do a more traditional hip-hop album with you,’” Kung Fu Vampire explains.

They worked on what would become the first Kung Fu Vampire album. Ironically, while it was much more traditional in terms of the sound than LSP, conceptually, it was much weirder. It was, after all, made by a rapping vampire. One thing that did not change between the groups was Kung Fu Vampire’s commitment to using live instruments. In fact, for the first couple of Kung Fu Vampire shows, the Huelsenkamp brothers were his backing band.

“I can feel the drums in my chest, in my balls,” he says. “That alone gives me positive energy. It’s just not the same to backing tracks. Rappers are doing themselves an injustice by not having a live band.”

The biggest misinterpretation of Kung Fu Vampire through the years from people unfamiliar with him is that he is something besides hip-hop—which explains why he’s had a tough time convincing hip-hop fanatics to give him a shot. All he really asks is that rap fans go see him live. So far, many of those that have, have walked away with a different opinion of him.

“If they walk in on us at a concert, they would have no choice but to respect us,” he says.

Original Article: Cover Story: Local Rapper Kung Fu Vampire Sheds Costume to Focus on Music | Activate | Metroactive Music & Nightlife

408INCMAG ISSUE 5 – OCT/NOV 2012.

“This is what music is about. Touring and making it happen yourself.”

 
With being one of the most prominent artists in the wicked shit, Kung Fu Vampire knows what it’s like to grind. The San Jose artist first made his presence known on Esham’s “Helllava Night” tour to promote his album “Dead Sexy” to awaiting Acid Rap fans at the urge of Reel Life Product artist Daniel Jordan. At the time Kung Fu Vampire’s band consisted of guitar players, chello players, female backup singers, drums, bass and keyboard players and more. Every night the gothic howls of his signature style would possess and draw people closer every show. His sound was not quite horrorcore, but a sexy gotic sound that was crazy enough that it quickly caught on and caught the attention of Bay Area rap label Mad Insanity Records. After countless shows, and tours it was announced that Kung Fu Vampire would join to represent the brand at the premier of his new iCount music video. The buzz quickly spread when the artist opened for the likes of Anybody Killa and Tech N9ne. The iCount video went viral in the community. It seemed everyone wanted to know more about the South Bay artist. One group in particular was more than interested. Twiztid wanted Kung Fu Vampire to open their “Slaughterhouse” tour. Every night Kung Fu Vampire destroyed the stage winning over the Juggalo crowd night after night. With the re-release of “Dead Sexy” and the song “Dead Girls Don’t Say No”, the underground made room for their new star.

But this isn’t the begining of Kung Fu Vampire’s success story. The Bay Area was well aware of the hard work and amazing performances Kung Fu Vampire had boasted over the years at huge festivals and local clubs across the Silicon Valley. He was voted best band in San Jose by the public three years in a row. It was only a matter of time until he found his nitche and hit the ground running. The year 2012 was a monumental year for the artist. First he joined Suburbnan Noize artists Potluck touring the country once again winning over the crowd night after night. With a cameo apperance in E-40′s “Zombie” music video along side Brotha Lynch Hung, and Tech N9ne, he announced his 50 date national tour for “Love Bites” with a front page article in every major Bay Area newspaper. While most people read the newspaper eating breakfast, he was up booking one of the biggest independent tours in his genre entierly by himself. On October 31st he dropped his brand new release “Love Bites” to eager fans and hit the road performing new material of some of the rawest material yet. The point is, most artists think of rap as a hobby and are quietly in hopes that their career is boosted by a quick oppritunity of a helping hand but hardly make the effort to be seen. Kung Fu Vampire makes it happen himself. He breathes every ounce of energy into his craft and wither it be his intense stage show, his crisp masterpiece of a album, his huge promotional campaigns, or doing things a little bit louder than most, you will take notice. Once you take notice, you endulge and find yourself seduced by the vampire. Will you invite him in?

How is the “Love Bites” tour going so far?

The tour is going great. We are out here doing it big! We hit every city possible. If a promoter in Timbuktu wants us, we will go there. We have done what you call major markets like Denver, Salt Lake City, and Phoenix to really small towns like Beardstown Illinois and Allentown Pennsylvania. I’m out here with really humble and respectable musicians. This is what music is about. Touring and making it happen yourself. Not sitting around in your hometown waiting for someone to knock on your door and do it for you or performing at cafe’s and hating on the people around you following their dreams. This shit is for tough skinned driven people. Love Bites is the longest tour in the wicked underground that isn’t connected to a major or major indie label.

What would you say your favorite cities to play would be?

My favorite cities to play are places like Spokane, Washington, Salt Lake City, Utah, Jacksonville, Florida and of course in my hometown San Jose. I like every city or different reasons an have met really cool people in every city we have played.

One of the most talked about performances when people bring up Kung Fu Vampire is that you’ve played at the Playboy Mansion. What is it like there?

The Playboy mansion parties vary depending upon the occasion. I’ve had the pleasure of performing there and partying there on 3 separate occasions. The time we performed was on September of 2006. It was quite the experience. First we toured the entire estate and checked out all kinds of animals from monkeys to rare exotic birds. We were walking around with lobster skewers while we did this. Oh yeah! Then we took photos and performed for the party. After our first performance set we wandered off and pow wowed a bit in the game room. After our second performance happened things got really blurry. I immediately jumped into the world famous pool and grotto where I was groped and eventually pinned down by a hot female band member of mine at the time. The women at the mansion on this day varied in many ways. You had your bunnies, your ex-playmates, your hot drunk regular party girls and then my whole band. I was being served Bloody Mary’s at 2:00 PM in the pool by playmate of the year for 2002. I think she had a crush on me which wasn’t very surprising seeing that me and my band mates were the only younger fellas at the party. A lot of the dudes there were in their late 40′s and early 50′s so us young studs were slim pickin’s! I started to drink my face off until we left the party in a limousine back to our hotel. The whole experience was a serious check mark off of the bucket list. Thank you to the powers that be for a wonderful experience that is the Playboy mansion.

Your album “Love Bites” was just released on Halloween. What can fans expect from the new project?

Expect the unexpected from Love Bites. Expect everything from super lyrical East Coast flavored classic Hip-Hop, to West Coast gangsta rap, to Caribbean beats, to Super Horror Esq Gothic macabre! This album is loaded with high quality production only commonly found on commercial albums but with all the heart and soul of a garage band demo tape! This album speaks to those who’ve been burnt by friends, battled with alcoholism, love lost, love gained, death and prosperity. It talks about how hard touring is as well as how irritating the world of complaining ungrateful bastards are! Buy this record not to support a hungry artist but because I think it’s that damn good!

I know you worked a long time on the new album, and the new sound is amazing. What was the process of writing and recording this album and how did it differ from Dead Sexy?

The process in the beginning was similar. One big difference is that the entire record was mixed, recorded and overseen
by my good friend and Kung Fu Vampire drummer Chris Paxton. I also lived a lot of life experience between records that gave me the energy to explore various topics. I didn’t produce any tracks on this record like I have in the past. This time I solely focused on lyrics and singing.

“Love Bites” was a great album, and the tracks each of the guest features appeared on were a perfect fit. Who are some artists that you haven’t worked with that you would like to next time around?

People that I have always wanted to work with are artists like George Clinton, Metallica, the remaining members of
The Doors, Die Antwoord, my homies Tech N9ne and E-40 and of course Outkast!

“The Kung Fu is Yin energy positivity and enlightenment. The Vampire is the Yang energy the dark side the evil in all of us.”

You recently made a cameo in E-40′s music video for “Zombie” featuring Tech N9ne and Brotha Lynch Hung, how did you get linked up with them?

How I got to appear in the Zombies video was because E-40 put a call into me early the morning of the shoot asking for a favor. He said I was perfect for the voice of the chorus. I shot up to Petaluma, California and 40, Lynch, Tech and myself banged out the video in 10 hours. I get a lot of props for it but truthfully, I would have murdered that beat given the opportunity to spit a verse on it!

The Bay Area has a certain hustle that allows many independent artist to flourish. What do you think it is about your region and the mentality of the artists there?

That’s a hard question, in Hip_hop only so many people from the Bay Area seem to be able to break out and do something with their Music. For me I have always been driven even as a young Bat Boy. My hustle stems from a really strict up bringing mixed with athletics. My dark style stems from that and then seeing things as a child that a boy should not see! I think drugs and pimping are a big part of Bay Area rap. That’s how these guys get out there and be heard! I stick to good old fashion hustle and grind.

Your name sticks out so much from others in the genre, but is taken and interpreted in many ways by people who hear it. Explain what Kung Fu Vampire is and means to you.

The Kung Fu is Yin energy positivity and enlightenment. The Vampire is the Yang energy the dark side the evil in all of us. I put them together and create a blend that people can relate to. Kung Fu vampire is a lifestyle not a band. It encompasses hustle, respect, love, music, live instruments, clothing and a way of life. A sub culture that others with the same thoughts can be a part of. A lot of people globally connect to us because they are now part of it. Certain types of woman, cars, outfits, sayings, etc.

For this era of your career you have a new look, without the paint. I’m sure a lot of people want to know, is that for good?

It’s an era. The future holds something different and yet to be revealed. The unexpected will keep happening as long as I’m making music. I felt people needed to see the raw me and for the most part I wanted to spend all of my time at shows interacting with fans before and after the show. Not spending it putting on make up and contacts and etc. This music shit makes me feel fantastic and I want to share that with people who take the time to come see me.

What would you say the ultimate goal in your career would be?

To do it all. I want to shoot music videos in Paris. I want a weekly Vegas show. I’d like to be in films, score movies, write more scripts, play live on Conan O Brian, tour with Cypress Hill and I can keep going on and on!

It seems that between you and Mars, Mad Insanity Records is always making big moves. What is the secret keeping the label a prominant force?

We aren’t bitches. We aren’t egotists. We aren’t afraid to do shit others run from. This is a world filled with watered down scaredy cats. We are the truth. Mine and Mars styles are so different from each other and we just do us! We ave a brotherhood that’s real. No griping. No whining no bullshit. We cut out the middle man and do everything ourselves. Publicity, booking, art. Everything!

Will there be any new additions to the Mad Insanity Records roster?

There will be. We have 3 different artists we are looking at now, but once we announce them it will be official and we don’t want no half steppin’. We want people who can work hard and understand the basics of the independent record hustle. Anybody looking for a handout will not be signed. It’s the people who make it past the drama. The hump. Past the complainer hump! If you are out on tour with us and try to act like a diva and don’t know how to rough it, then we ain’t working witcha! It’s the artists we like an respect.

Whats next for Kung Fu Vampire?

The next thing for me is doing music videos for the album “Love Bites”, and many more things that we don’t wanna talk about. We just gonna be about! 

- All photos by Heather Worcester

Kung Fu Vampire Interview.

Love Bites

Kung Fu Vampire

Kung Fu Vampire began breakdancing at the age of six, and taught himself how to rap and sing. At the age of twelve, his aunt began taking him to see concert performances, and introduced him to a Gothic style of dress. He and 3 brothers from his neighborhood the Huelsenkamps formed a band, LSP in 1991. In 1999, he adopted the name “Kung Fu Vampire” during a conversation with his friends in which he discussed the idea of a martial arts film featuring vampires. LSP disbanded, and Kung Fu Vampire formed a new band based on the “kung fu vampire” concept. Concepts from an unpublished novel he wrote also formed the basis for the group’s stage act. In 2006, the group was voted as the “Best Local Band” by Metro Silicon Valley readers,and performed at the release party for Saw III, as well as at The Playboy Mansion.  Kung Fu Vampire performs a style of Hip Hop fusing goth, funk and electro. Kung Fu Vampire referred to this style as “gothic hip hop” and “goth hop” to describe the true sound and separate himself from generic genre labeling, but later learned that it was also similar to the preexisting style horrorcore, quickly becoming a fan favorite of the genre.

Track listing

1. Love Bites Feat Deanna
2. Knockturnal Feat Rap is a Joke
3. Strangers Feat Butterscotch
4. No place like home Feat Potluck
5. Nightmare Walkin Feat Bunny Chiba
6. Go Away
7. Destruction
8. Keep on Funkin Feat Tebo & Mars
9. Feels like I’m dyin Feat Twisted Insane
10. Evil People Feat Liquid Assassin & Lainey Leone
11. Blade Feat Mr. Grey
12. Bread for blood Feat Brother J of X Clan
13. The Dreamer

Track by track review and rating

1.   Love Bites Feat Deanna:  The intro is one of the best on the market today.  The beat is slow and the vocals are very well performed.  9/10

2.  Knockturnal Feat Rap is a Joke:  A smooth beat with a simple guitar riff.  The vocals are quick and very well done.  The hook is very catchy.  The track will have the listener bobbing their head from the first beat.  9/10

3.  Strangers Feat Butterscotch:  Another slow smooth beat.  Butterscotch adds a nice hook to the track.  Another addictive track will have the listener hitting rewind.  9/10

4.  No Place like Home Feat Potluck:  This music behind this track is Caribbean in      nature and like nothing the listener has heard from KFV.  Pay homage to Humboldt and all things      involved in partying.  Great song to get up and dance to.  Potluck puts down solid verses that work well against KFV.  10/10

5.  Nightmare Walkin Feat Bunny Chiba:  A very slow and dark beat for this track.  Great hook.  More along the lines of old school KFV.  9/10

6.  Go Away:  The beat contains a Latin guitar that really works well.  The track itself is about a relationship gone badly.  A real interesting topic and beat make this track very entertaining.  The hook is well done.  8/10

7.  Destruction:  A dark and slow beat again.  The vocals hit hard and flow with the beat exceptionally well.  Overall a dark and seductive track.       8/10

8.  Keep on Funkin Feat Tebo & Mars:  This track contains musicians from the funk era and the music was performed live in studio.  This is so different from any other track on the CD.  Mars’s verse is a great counter to KFV.  This tracks replay value is high.  10/10

9.  Feels like I’m dying Feat Twisted Insane:  Another slow/dark beat.  The vocals are very dark and create a horror movie on the track.  Twisted Insane performs a verse that completes the horror theme.  8/10

10. Evil People Feat Liquid Assassin & Lainey Leone:  A very theatrical beat sets up the track. The verses are very theatrical as well.  The featured artists add a lot to the track as a whole.  8/10

11. Blade Feat Mr. Grey:  Hard guitar riffs start this track off and give way to a slow smooth beat.  The hook is very hard and brings the guitar back in full force.  Track is about the downfall of our political system and praises revolution.       7/10

12. Bread for Blood Feat Brother J of X Clan:  A nice well performed track with a solid message.  Very different from the previous track and that placement hurts the track.  6/10

13. The Dreamer:  A calm track to conclude the album.  Speaks of his struggles as he was growing up.  The hook is about writing off a woman who left him.  A solid track to conclude the album.  7/10

Conclusion:  Fans of Kung Fu Vampire know he varies his style virtually track by track and this album is no exception.  The changing rhythm and beats will keep the listener intrigued.  The end of the album falls off a bit but not enough to turn anyone off.  The featured artists add a ton to the tracks they are on and KFV doesn’t let anyone down with the lyrics or delivery.  A very solid album and one any fan of KFV or the horror core genre should add to their collection.

Overall Rating: 8.5/10

Favorite Tracks:

1. No Place Like Home Feat Potluck
2. Nightmare Walking Feat Bunny Chiba
3. Keep on Funkin Feat Tebo & Mars

Length:

• 49 Minutes

Record Label:

• Mad Insanity Records

Release Date:

• 10/31/2012

Purchase:

• Kung Fu Vampire - $13.00

Websites:

• Kung Fu Vampire

Reviewer:

• Juggalotus

Kung Fu Vampire- Love Bites | Faygoluvers.

Antonio Valenzuela

Kung Fu Vampire brings its blood-curdling hip-hop to the Mile High City just in time for Halloween. Formed over a decade ago, the San Jose-based act is lead by the group’s namesake, who’s ferocious, rapid-fire rhymes drive the outfit’s hard-hitting hip-hop, which is delivered with live drums of Chris Paxton and bass of Jeremy Pollett. In advance of the group’s show tomorrow night at the Roxy Theatre, we caught up with Kung Fu Vampire himself for a quick chat.

Westword: How long have you been rapping?
Kung Fu Vampire: I started in 1991 and I’ve been going full steam ever since.

Where did the name come from?

Some friends of mine and I had been discussing the idea of a Vampire movie and a Kung Fu movie in my back yard back in the summer of 1999. Both of my friends felt that the name fit me, but we were gonna name our next album the Kung Fu Vampire Satire. By January 2000, I had fully adopted the name.

Recently you shot a video with E-40 for “Zombie.” How did that come about?

E40 and his people reached out to me the morning of the video shoot and asked that I play the role of the chorus; it’s not actually my voice, it’s a sample that the producer used when he made the beat.

I think a lot of people would be surprised at your performance value. What are people’s reactions to your set?

Once you see us live, it’s a wrap, I really doubt anyone in hip-hop can touch our energy during a live performance.

How did this Love Bites tour come about?

Our new album drops Halloween night 2012, and we wanted to hit the road and give people the live experience while it was fresh. In essence, this is a CD release tour. The tour is the longest tour in the wicked underground genre, 47 dates to be exact [not counting artists signed to the three major labels Psychopathic, Strange and Suburban Noize].

Who is touring with you? How did they get on?

Liquid Assassin is a dear friend to me and was invited out for many reasons. When we pick who we wanna tour with, it’s based on who I wanna be around for two months, mixed with skill level and respect. Other artists on the bill are Freelance Assassins from Allentown, PA and Mr. Grey from San Jose, CA.

So your latest project is titled Love Bites?

Yes. Love Bites will be available Halloween 2012 on iTunes and directly from us at KungFuVampire.com.

“Love Bites” Tour Dates:

• 10/19 – Sutherlin, OR – Brother’s Bar & Grill
• 10/20 – Vancouver, WA – Malibus
• 10/21 – Tacoma, WA – Back Stage Bar & Grill
• 10/22 – Spokane, WA – The Hop
• 10/24 – Missoula, MT – Monks
• 10/25 – Casper, WY – Hall of Champions
• 10/26 – Rock Springs, WY – The Broadway Theater
• 10/27 – Salt lake City, UT – The Complex
• 10/28 – Colorado Springs, CO – The Union Station
• 10/30 – Fort Collin, CO – Hodi’s Half Note
• 10/31 – Denver, CO – The Roxy
• 11/01 – Omaha, NE – The Hideout Lounge
• 11/02 – St. Paul, MN – Station 4
• 11/03 – Sheboyigan, WI – Monument Music
• 11/04 – Berwyn, IL – Tiger O Stylies
• 11/06 – Pontiac, MI – The Pike Room
• 11/08 – Columbus, OH – Bernie’s Bagels and Deli
• 11/09 – Camp Hill, PA – Coliseum
• 11/10 – Worcester, MA – London Billiards/Club Oasis
• 11/11 – Allentown, PA – Crocodile Rock Cafe
• 11/13 – Wilmington, DE – Mojo Main
• 11/15 – Orlando, FL – The Haven
• 11/16 – Jacksonville, FL – The Roc Bar (Brewsters Mega Plex)
• 11/17 – Atlanta, GA – The Masquerade
• 11/18 – Louisville, KY – The Vernon
• 11/20 – Sauget, IL – Pops
• 11/21 – Beardstown, IL – The Old Zone
• 11/22 – Frankfort, IN – American Legion
• 11/23 – Tulsa, OK – Eclipse
• 11/24 – Dallas, TX – The Door/Prophet Bar
• 11/25 – Houston, TX – The Orbit Room
• 11/26 – Austin, TX – Red Eyed fly
• 11/27 – Lubbock, TX – Jakes Backroom
• 11/28 – Albuquerque, NM – Evolution
• 11/29 – Gallup, NM – The Juggernaut
• 11/30 – Tucson, AZ – DV8
• 12/01 – Mesa, AZ – Goathead Saloon
• 12/02 – Castaic, CA – Howie’s Pub
• 12/06 – San Miguel, CA – The Ranch
• 12/07 – Fresno, CA – The Babylon
• 12/08 – San Jose, CA – The Blank Club

By Jim Harrington
Oakland Tribune
jharrington@bayareanewsgroup.com
Posted:   10/09/2012 01:00:00 AM PDT

A vampire walks among us.

San Jose rapper Kung Fu Vampire sinks his teeth into success – San Jose Mercury News.