Shafiq Husayn is a member of the spaced out funk collective Sa-Ra Creative Partners. Many of us might have first sinked their teeth into their music when they drop “Glorious” many years back. I know that way the moment I first became a fan hearing that tune on Benji B‘s Deviation on BBC 1xtra. Shafiq, and the rest of the Sa-Ra brothers have been making music for a long time though stretching back to session work with Ice-T in the 1990s. Last fall, around the time of the release of Shafiq Husyan’s Shafiq En’ A-Free-Ka album via Plug Research, The Loop Detroit linked up with Shafiq and we talked Detroit. K-Fresh: You’ve worked with Detroiters such as Dilla and Waajeed, has there been any others? Shafiq Husayn: Ta’Raach K: Tell me about your experiences with Dilla. SH: It was dope. He came to the house. He was with us for like 3 or 4 days straight. Spent the night and everything. He was a very peaceful brother, very introspective. He was just a real good brother all around outside of his talent. His talent speaks for itself. Dilla was a real special brother, still is. K: I know you did that one Sa-Ra track “Thrilla”. Did you record anything else with him? SH: Nah, thats the only record we got to record with him. He were suppose to record a couple other tracks but of course at the time he was sick. We got to spend some with with him though. I’ll always remember that. K: I was reading some background on the creation of Sa-Ra and it said that back in the 90s you and Taz linked up in L.A., and he came through with a CD of Dilla beats. What was your reaction to that stuff? SH: I was like “Yep, That that shit right there”. The spirit of Pete Rock. The spirit of Marley Marl. To actually hear that was pretty magical. When i heard it wasn’t so much that we had to do Dilla’s sound, it was more so like we have to step it up all around. Sa-Ra basically tried to express the creative aspect as the whole thing, as for the group, the fashion, the whole package. K: You also worked with Waajeed. Whats your thoughts about him? SH: Waajeed is another one of those special brothers too. I got to spend a little bit more time with Waajeed than Dilla. Waajeed is also another inspiration. A breathe of fresh air. Triple P came to the house actually three or four times. We met Waajeed in about 2004-2005. Waajeed is a master programmer, master soundsmith. He got hip hop all in his blood. He understands. K: Whats your thoughts about Ta’raach? SH: Ta’Raach is probably one of my favorite emcees, him and Jay Electronica. We have a song called Love Czar II thats coming out through Ubiquity featuring Jay Electronica and Ta’Raach. I get my wish list of emcees to rock with, with both of them on the same record. Ta’Raach is also a dope producer too outside of rhyming. K: You grew up in a bunch of different places, how has that influenced your music? SH: Its just a natural thing from traveling. Going out experience different people, different cultures, neighborhoods, societies, and what not. In each one of those place has their own little thing. Like Detroit, it has its own situation. If I was raised up in Detroit I would have that particular vibration to fall back on to draw from. I primarily grew up in Los Angeles, and went between LA and New York. Experience is the best why to explain it with coming into contact with the uniqueness of each one of those cities. Each place has a unique vibration to it. You listen to the music from these places and it has its distinct sound and vibration. K: Like here in Detroit, its the socio-economic relics of the industrial revolution has influenced the way all of our music sounds. SH: Detroit is a very important city to the Moorish Science Temple of America. Prophet Noble Drew Ali had a temple set up there, which was temple #4. After he passed this form, it turned into temple #1 of the Nation of Islam. A lot of people don’t know the Nation Of Islam started in Detroit. Shafiq Husayn’s Shafiq En’ A-Free-Ka is available now via Plug Research (Photo courtesy of Coleman for Mochilla.com) LINKS: SHAFIQ HUSAYN TWITTER | PURCHASE (PLUG RESEARCH)