C.L. & T.Knibbs
I had the pleasure to have this interview with the two talented underground musicians, T. Knibbs and Chris Louis.
They are personally two of my favorite artists and I’m very lucky to know both very well. T.Knibbs is one of my friends and have been for many years and Chris Louis is my husband.
Before I ever got the chance to really know these two, my sister and I use to work with both artists and their music. We had the pleasure of having Chris Louis in Denmark, where I am from, to perform and work on his music.
Today T. knibbs is no longer working with music, but his music is still available and he has a new mixtape coming out soon of unreleased material, produced and mixed by Chris Louis.
Chris Louis is still making his own music and mixtapes for other people. He produces, writes and makes his own art also.

1- Who are C.L and T.knibbs ( The artist)?

TK: CL and T.Knibbs are 2 artists that met back in the mid 2000’s, in the underground hip-hop prime, and recorded tracks together for years. Our styles and flows matched perfectly, we had each other getting better and better.
CL: Pretty much, we really inspired one another to be better. I’d hear what he recorded and it would get me pumped like I had to go just as hard as he did and vice versa. I never really worked with another artist that I had the same type of chemistry with.

2- Where did it all start? For you C.L . For you T.knibbs

TK: For me, it all started back in high school, growing up on Pac, Big, Mase, the early to mid 90’s rap. Then in 2003, me and a few friends started writing or own materials…I was introduced to CL back in 2005, in his mixtape days, hell, he was gonna make a tape for me…lol

CL: Yea I wrote all through middle school and high school and we all had freestyle battles. This was all before the 8 mile hype. I always stuck to making dj mixtapes though because I never had the means to record. A friend of mine introduced me to Knibbs and i was all set to make a dj tape for him, but that first track he fired back I just had to get on. Funny it took this long for me to now make a DJ mixtape for him.. Almost 6 years?

3- Tell about the music you make?

TK: I made hip-hop from the heart, plus just banging tracks in general. Made feel good music about my experiences in life.

CL: I think pretty much every artist does. I always feel like my best songs are the ones that are the most emotionally driven. Whether it be anger, love, etc. It usually flows the best and takes the least amount of time to complete because it just all comes quick and natural.

4- Where does the inspiration come from?

TK: It used to come from hearing the last track i put together.
CL: Life, people, and my beliefs. I put a lot of emotion into everything I do. There is a lot out there in the world to get inspiration from.

5- When did you guys start working togehter?

TK: We started working real close together back in mid ’05, When CL was working on his project ’94 mixtape. We were introduced through a mutual friend. Our first track together was a remix of Kanye’s “Addiction”, and after that, we probably made about a hundred more together over the years.
CL: Pretty much, I was going to make beats and mixtape tracks for him, but we just meshed really well. Gotta give Dan Draeger a shout out for hooking it up, I still remember the night we went out in Myrtle Beach and we were just talking about music at the bar. Usually when people tell me “they know someone” who does music. It is kind of like yeaa ok, who doesn’t? So this was a pleasant surprise.

6- How is it to work together?

TK: Its awesome to find someone who has the same set of skills and same level of drive as yourself, we were a great match to work together. We never met face to face until Jan ’09. The first track we ever recorded in the same studio was “On To The Next One”.
Being in the same studio working on a project is another story entirely.
CL: Yea, being in the same studio just took that inspiration to a whole new level. I literally wanted to make an entire album in the 2 or 3 days we had and felt like we could have if we had more time. Knibbs would sit down with a pen and pad and I had my blackberry and we literally would be finishing entire verses at the same time. The energy is just at a crazy level when we are in the same studio.

7- What are you most proud of with your music?

TK: The Library, the stack I mean (of Music)
CL: I’ve never really had one moment of being “proud”, but I do know it feels really good when you see someone say something really nice on a blog, or in a message about how much they love your songs, or how they can relate, or even helped them in hard times. I know that makes me feel good about what I’ve done.

8- Favorite song you made?

TK: I can give you a favorite album, “To The T” was my personal fave, the most work went into that, I should say thats the most complete work I have available. As far as me and C….”C’mon Baby” was by far the most fun I’ve ever had recording a track…
CL: I don’t have a favorite song at all. All of them mean something to me in a different way. The most interesting song I ever made was called “Spiral Clouds”. I remember the song name came to me first while driving, just out of nowhere.. Then late at night i would write the song with lyrics seeming to come to me out of nowhere also. Like i didn’t even write them. I had no idea what the song was even going to be about and like clockwork i’d always get the inspiration to write it while i was half conscience around 1 in the morning.
Looking back at it and listening, it is probably one of the deepest songs I have wrote in the past 7 years. Still gives me chills when listening to it.. Wish I could find that inside of me again.

9- What do you hope for in the future?

TK: Musically, I hope for people to find it and enjoy it…CL has been handling the reins for me for a while now in regards to that. Much thanks.
CL: I just want to keep enjoying music and letting others also. I love sharing it with other people and inspiring them. Hopefully at one point, or another I can get Knibbs back in on it too.

10- One person you would LOVE to work with?

TK: Nas, Tupac maybe…
CL: Nas has been an inspiration ever since 94. That would be a blessing, but since Knibbs said it already, I’m going to go ahead and say Ryan Leslie. He can do it all and i love his production work.

11- Favorite artist?

TK: Tupac
CL: Shakur, hands down.

12- Tell about who you are when you are not working with music?

TK: When i am not working on music i have a full time job and family to keep me busy. I have my wife and three beuatifull kids to keep me occupied in my down time.
CL: Just as normal as anyone else, no kids, but a beautiful and caring wife who I know supports my every decision. I make all of my artwork, from albums, to websites and also a lot of other musicians art. I love football, hands down my favorite sport to watch and I’m a known die hard Washington Redskins fan. I love traveling and experiencing new places and cultures, meeting new people never gets old.

13- What was you dream when you were a kid?

TK: I really don’t remember. It wasn’t anything music related. Be a baseball player or an astronaut probably… Lets go with baseball player…
CL: When I was a kid i thought everything I had in my head I was going to do anyway.. Like nothing really was a dream, just a matter of time before it happened. I remember wanting to become an F1 driver and of course travel to outer space.. Still have hope for that second one.

14- someone you like to thank?

TK: I’d like to say thanks to my dude Brucie, Of I$M Ent. for hooking me up with beats all those years…
And CL for making it happen with all my album covers and inserts and anything else “arty” I needed, when he wasn’t making tracks, he was making me album artwork… Thanks my dude!!! And thanks Anne for doing the interview!!
CL: Everyone and anyone who has invested even a minute of their time in our passion. Both you and Anita for sticking it out through the grinding years when we were really putting music out and everyone else who has had their hand in it.
and everything and everyone who has been an inspiration in my life.

I will be sure to keep you posted once the mixtape is released. Until then, here is a small snippet of one of the songs.

T. Knibbs – Words That Never Change (Snippet)