The Fresh Breath Committee first made its appearance at the Scribble Jam last year, correct? Can you tell us what brought you all together?

Yes, that is correct. We were all separate artists before we came together. The event was for mixtape releases by On Point (Flawless & Fo Chief), Catch Lungs and Purpose, but Scribble Jam was the actual event that introduced the Fresh Breath Committee. All of us emcees were initially a part of another crew but had to leave because of creative differences. It started with On Point and Catch Lungs in that former crew, and then we met Purpose through the Boxstate MC Battles that I was co-hosting at the time. He was a weekly contestant. And then through networking we linked up with Kontrast around the same time as well. When things didn’t work out with the previous crew, we branched out and began working and doing shows together including national shows in places like Philadelphia. Things went so well, we ultimately formed the Fresh Breath Committee. A lot of separate hard work from each individual led to us coming together through the Colorado hip hop scene.

I hear a lot coming together on your songs – soul, R&B, and more contemporary hip-hop. How do you create your songs? Do you start with a beat, sample, or something else?

I believe that hip hop is the one genre of music that can bring many genres and elements of music together in one, and I think that’s what we all have in common. We all believe this, which enables us to have endless creativity and harness all of our talents. We have five Emcees (On Point, Kontrast, Catch Lungs, and Purpose), two producers (Flawless and Hi Res), three singers (Crystal, Flawless, and Purpose), and a DJ. So with all those things sometimes a song can start with a hot beat, a fresh hook, a really smooth sounding harmony, a freestyle, a dope DJ cut for a chorus, etc. The process can pretty much be different every time which allows us to have that creative spark and diversity.

When people think Denver, they don’t think hip-hop. Please educate our readers about the scene where you guys come from.

I think when people think of a state or city’s sound pertaining to hip hop, they think of a place that has one very unique sound. A lot people think the reason Colorado hip hop has not really made it big is because we don’t have that one distinct sound. And they’re exactly right in that aspect, because we don’t. Truth be told, we are one of the most diverse musical cities I’ve ever heard. Of course some artists have similarities, but ultimately the hip hop artists here are all putting out something different. And I definitely don’t think it’s something we should apologize for. The whole point is to be different, not sound the same. So to the outsiders, I would say if you would like to hear the most eclecticism and diverse place for hip hop, come to Colorado.

What do you plan on bringing to the stage for the Westword show?

We plan on bringing everything. From energy, creativity, talent, to different vibes of songs, etc. We basically do everything in our power to entertain the crowd, while sending a powerful and positive message. That’s the great thing about our group. With the range of each member’s talents, we can give our listeners and each crowd everything they want to hear.

You have a seven-member group right now. Does it get crowded?

Ha, maybe once in awhile in the literal sense for shows, but other than that, no. Yes we have seven members, but when it's seven members with the same drive and goal, we are able to work through anything.

What are some of the band’s most basic influences?

Wow, where do I begin? To name them all would take up to next year’s showcase to finish. We all have our own personal influences and personal favorite emcees and artists. The one thing about us is that we are influenced by many genres. Hip Hop, R&B, Soul, Classic Soul, Rock, etc. There’s no limit. A few names would be artists like J Dilla, Nas, Masta Ace, Eminem, Elzhi, Kanye West, Brother Ali, A Tribe Called Quest, Wu-Tang Clan, Marvin Gaye, The Stylistics, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Alicia Keys, R. Kelly, etc. The list goes on and on.

Also, the band name is pretty funny. Where did that come from?

Give the credit to Catch Lungs. He had relayed that name to Purpose and I before a previous interview and we loved it as soon as we heard it. It basically says it all. We want every lyric and sound you hear in each of our breaths to be fresh. And if you knew us individually, you would know that it fits us perfectly.

What is your group’s plan for the future? Is there an LP we should expect?

We are currently working on our upcoming debut album entitled CPR. CPR meaning we are giving hip hop the fresh breath it needs to stay alive. The game has been diminishing over the years and struggling to breathe, and we want the kind of hip hop we represent to save it. The album will feature artists such as legendary emcee Masta Ace, as well as local artists such as The ReMINDers.

What do the other members do when they aren’t working with the Fresh Breath Committee?

Along with working on Fresh Breath Committee related music, we all work on our separate projects as well. We definitely put the focus solely on this group until the album is released, and if there’s any other agenda for us. But other than that, we definitely pursue music outside of Fresh Breath as well as encourage it - whether its working on another project with other artists, individual projects, producing projects for other artists, or DJing shows and events for clubs. We definitely like to keep it moving when there is nothing on tap for Fresh Breath at the current moment.

How would you like to see hip-hop change in the next ten years?

Not only do I wish this would happen, but I truly feel it is happening that true classic hip hop style is back on the rise. That’s basically what we would like to see. Of course stay innovative, but just get back to actually caring what you are writing about and having substance and a message in your music. I think hip hop has veered away from that and it’s what has hurt the culture. Music is the ultimate form of self-expression, and hip hop is one of the best genres at doing that. So let’s use what the fathers gave us the right way.