erin_broadley

Discovered in 2000 by Sharon Osbourne only a few shows after forming, OTEP was asked on the spot to perform at Ozzfest. The band was unsigned during its first stint on the tour, but made such an impression that it was invited to play two more years. After releasing two strong albums on Capitol Records and enjoying cult-like fanaticism, OTEP is back with a brand new album The Ascension , a new label, and a nationwide tour.

The bands sparkplug of a lead singer Otep Shamaya is absolutely hypnotic, intimidating and seductive on stage. Shes equal parts roaring lion and slinking sex kitten, and all parts rock. I sat down with Shamaya at a Japanese restaurant on Sunset, moments before she hit the stage at her bands sold out show in Los Angeles. I learned that Id want Shamaya on my side if I were ever to get caught in a bar fight, find myself at a podium opposite any Republican, or forget the lyrics to any Mos Def song...

Arlan Hamilton: How has your day been?
Otep Shamaya: Hmm, its been kinda crappy. Went to the doctor today and found out I have a polyp on my vocal chords. Its the first time its ever happened to me. I feel like superman just found out, ya know
AH: Whoa, what are they going to do? Or what are you going to do?
OS: They want me to drop off the tour, but I cant do that cause the record just came out. So, I dont know. I think Im going to maybe cancel one show after tonight [Ventura] and I got a shot of Cortisone which is making me feel loopy right now. And then tomorrow I have to go back and get another shot.
AH: Was that their only option for you, to quit the tour?
OS: Well yeah, thats what the doctor wants me to do. But I cant. So I just have to get some rest. And [the doctor] said for me to be kind to myself. But Im not very kind to myself. Thats not how I think about myself. I mean art is three dimensions. Its physical, its spiritual, and its mental. So it has to be all three things to me otherwise it loses purpose and I dont understand it. So hes telling me to take it easy tonight and thats really going to be hard. Im trying to figure out how to not lose myself in the songs, because thats what I do.
AH: Did it hurt to sing during rehearsals?
OS: It started hurting on the road just a little bit.
AH: So when youre really going at it, is it bad?
OS: Yeah, it hurts a little bit sometimes. But were just a couple of weeks into the record release so
AH: Oh no, I understand. I just dont want you to keep pushing it if its going to create a problem thats more permanent in the future.
OS: Thats what my doctor said.
AH: I know you dont want to disappoint people.
OS: Thats the hardest part. Just knowing that, [pauses] well see. I noticed it in the last couple of shows, there was a difference. Your body tells you when something like thats wrong. Even though Im not like Pavarotti by any means, I can do certain things with my voice that not many other singers can do. Like I can rip two notes at once so that it sounds like Im harmonizing.
AH: Whoa, that gives me goose bumps.
OS: Well, I havent been able to sustain that during shows like I normally can. And thats when I really realized I should get my vocal chords checked. Ive never had them checked before.
AH: You have to take care of yourself, because the people that matter will understand.
OS: Yeah but I dont want to drop off the entire tour and[/] I dont want surgery. Surgery can help, but I also know a lot of people whove had surgery and they cant sing anymore at all.
AH: Well, its also a problem that can go away on its own, right?
OS: Yes! And thats what [my doctors] hoping for. Just take a rest, and not talk unless I need to. Things like that. Im quite loquacious so thats going to be hard.
AH: You could put tape across your mouth and it could be a statement.
OS: Very good! I did that at a radio station once cause I didnt want to talk to the DJ.
AH: [Laughs] Thats awesome.

[Interrupted for the fifth time in 10 minutes by our waiter whos a bit upset that were only going to be having green tea and diet Pepsi the whole night.]

OS: I cant eat right before a show.
AH: Im assuming youre a vegetarian [because of your animal rights activism.]
OS:I wish I were a vegetarian. Im a reluctant meat-atarian. I dont eat red meat but I do eat chicken and fish. Im trying to phase that out. Its purely for a social statement. I find that the murder of animals and the way that they do itI mean if I was in the wild and I was hungry, Im going for it. But theres also the natural part of that hunt where [the animal] could get away or it could hurt me, so then its kinda fair. But these slaughter houses
AH: I completely understand. You know this is kind of difficult because I have SO many questions I want to ask you, but Im not sure what youd be comfortable talking about.
OS: Do you mean about my sexual orientation? Cause Im out.
AH: Oh, I know. Id love to ask you things about that. I dont think Ive made it a secret that I [dig you.] I think my exact words on my website were, I want to have sex with Otep Shamaya.
OS: [Laughs] Yeah, I did see that, yes. Its very flattering.
AH: Well, let me ask you some things that are more appropriate.
OS: Ha, sure thing.
AH: Your band got started in 2000, right?
OS: Yeah, we were just a local band in the scene. Four or five shows into it, we got discovered right over there at the Roxy. Then we got signed.
AH: Wow. What were you doing before the band?
OS: I was almost homeless, just trying to find myself. Getting into trouble. Got kicked out of college. I was just trying to find my place in the world. I dont know. I was trying to really discover what my purpose was and I didnt know if it was going to be writing, or prison, or the army [laughs], or if I was going to become a political dissidentor an artist. I really wanted to be a writer. I wrote all the time, I drew all the time. Books and books of stuff. I still have them somewhere. They were these long diatribes about politics and some poetry. Some of it was shit[i/]. [Laughs] It was just my journey to self-discovery. The difference between then and now is that I edit myself a lot now because of course Im conscious that people read and pry and note and thats hard because Im a really private person.
AH: Yeah, I definitely get that about you.
OS: Yeah, ya know, and then we did Ozzfest in 2001. We didnt even have a record out yet. I think we made a big impression on Ozzfest, but most of our fans I think have come from when we started touring around the country and from finding us online or through a lot of the things that Im outspoken about. We share a lot with our fans. I try to include them in as much of the art as possible and try to promote creativity. I wasnt around a lot of creativity when I was younger. So that was important to me. During that time when I was searching and alone I would have wanted to be a part of something creative. Even if its just anonymous on the Internet, I would have wanted to be part of something powerful and creative that would have made me feel unique. And thats what were trying to do for people now.
AH: Thats really wonderful. And do you have lots of friends that are in the industry right now?
OS: Sometimes women get territorial which is always weird to me. Ive met only a few [in the industry] who arent[/] like that. Its funny because men try to hit on me, and some women are competitive with me. I definitely have friends in other bands. A lot of my friends are in separate areas of art.
AH: What do you think of other female fronted bands in your genre?
OS:You know, I wish them all well. I give them respect because I know what its like. I hope one day were all judged by the merit of our performance, and not necessarily on our biology.
AH: I was reading that your album was supposed to come out last March. What happened to have it pushed back for six months?
OS: We were on Capitol for two records. Then their parent company decided to shake the tree a little bit and they fired everyone. When the new people came in I said I didnt want to work with them because they were inheriting our work and not passionate about it. Sometimes change is good. We found a new label now thats an indie label called Koch, which Im crazy about because theyre not caught up in all the major-label bullshit. The delay was due to all the executive negotiations that go on between lawyers and that takes a long time.
AH: Does Sharon Osbourne still support you and everything?
OS: I havent spoken to her for a while, but every time Ive ever seen Sharon out weve always been on great terms. Shes done a lot of great things for music, and Im friends with Jack and Kelly. So thats cool.
AH: Thats awesome. You know, I was just thinking about your appearance on Def Poetry Jam and how incredible and intense that was. How was that experience for you?
OS: It was a much different animal than performing in a rock concert. When I walked out Im tattooed and people were like, What is she gonna do?? And you know hip-hop is my first love, so Im like loving being around Russell Simmons, and Mos Def is one of my favorite MCs of all time. And I was gushing over him. But I felt a little alone. The other poets really didnt include me. They did a prayer and didnt invite me into it, ya know.
AH: Thats not very God-like.
OS: Its not, and its not very poet-like either, you know? I thought we were an inclusive group but they kept going like, Who are you? Weve never seen you on the circuit. And I kept telling them I was a singer in a rock band, you know. And at first they were like, Well good luck with that. So I walk out there and I do my rhyme and then there were people who were really impressed. And when Mos Def came out after me, he had a tear in his eye and he held onto my hand and he wouldnt let it go. I walked backstage and all the poets were applauding.
AH: Wow, thats nice.
OS: Yeah I felt really good about that. My old label didnt really promote the appearance and so the only people who saw it were HBO viewers. I won that episode by about 70% of the votes. So it definitely ended in a positive way. I love the venue. It was one of the most memorable experiences of my life. Id love to do it again.
AH: Yeah, when I put the clip of it on my site, I told my readers that even if they couldnt for some reason get down with your music, they were going to be blown away by the spoken word that you do.
OS: Thats the next thing I wanna do. One of the good things about signing with Koch is that theyve given me a side project thats going to involve poetry and hip-hop. I really enjoy doing what Im doing with the band, but theres a whole other part of me thats hungry that needs to be fed.
AH: You paint, youre a writer, you perform. Do you feel like youre jonesin if you cant express yourself through art?
OS:Yes! And people dont necessarily understand that about me. I should always be doing something purposeful, or its a waste of time. I could be doing something completely meaningless and just filling my cup with treasures and waiting for my last breath, or I could be out there doing something meaningful with life. I try to make sure that art always has a very strong place in my life and that I serve it as piously as possible through writing, recording, singing, performing, painting, whatever.
AH: Have you tried acting?
OS: Ive done a little bit of acting. I enjoyed exploring acting very much. Its a really interesting creative process to be able to pretend youre someone else completely. I would love to do it again if I ever have the opportunity.
AH:After a show, are you completely drained or are you refueled by it?
OS:Depends on the show. Usually we end with the song Warhead which is a really loud angry political song against the Bush administration. So when I go off stage [after that its just best not to talk to me, because Im stillits like Im leaving a trail of fire behind me. It takes a minute to get those emotions out of my system.

UPDATE: Shamaya returned to her doctor a few days ago and was told that her polyp has shrunk drastically and shes looking healthy and able to finish out the rest of her tour.

Visit the band at www.myspace.com/otep