10 minutes with House of Pain at the Adidas Skate ‘Away Days’ Premiere

I had the chance to attend the LA premiere for Adidas Skateboarding's first full-length film, Away Days, the product of three years of filming, spanning shoots in more than 90 cities around the globe. The event, hosted by Snoop Dogg, featured a set from the legendary DJ Premiere, as well as a performance by 90s hip-hop icon, House of Pain, in celebration of the 25th anniversary of their chart-topping hit, "Jump Around."

I had 10 minutes to catch up with Everlast of H.O.P. in the green room.

In today’s music climate, fans move from one song or artist to the next like a change of clothes…So, a huge congratulations are in order for the 25^th anniversary of “Jump Around.” How does it feel performing that so many years later? Does it feel just like yesterday or do you even have to think about it at this point?

No, it’s not just like yesterday haha. It’s fun. We don’t do it that often, so when we do it, it’s for a good occasion or party.

https://https://youtube.com/watch?v=KZaz7OqyTHQ

“Jump Around” is a one-of-a-kind and classic party anthem that’ll always pop off…but fast-forwarding, what song do you think would be the “Jump Around” of today?

Hmm, I don’t even know…I mean, I know names of cats that are doing things, but I don’t really know their records. Here’s the thing, I’m a dad, I don’t even go to clubs anymore, I couldn’t tell you what hot records are banging in the clubs…

Well, I guess what was banging then is different from what is considered to be banging now…

It seems like, just jumping in general, at some point in a concert, is a thing anyway…Everyone has that moment in their concert now where they make the people jump.

Being an artist, and working in this industry, is no doubt stressful and frustrating at times…What do you do for fun? Other hobbies/interests?

If I’m not working, I’m at home with my kids, that’s my favorite thing to do. I collect art, sneakers…

What’s your most prized sneaker?

Oh, I don’t know. I don’t think of sneakers in that way, it’s more about the hunt…I don’t think I’ll ever be able to wear them all, but it’s kind of like…feed the beast at this point.

What’s about your favorite thing to do with your kids?

Sing, play music with them, watch them make music, make art…eat Chinese food! That’s probably our favorite thing to do together…

What spot??

It’s far from here…I think it’s called Red Dragon Inn…

Where is that?

I’m not going to tell anybody where I live…it might not even be a real name haha! I’m smart, I’ve been doing this for 20-something years…but trust me, it’s a good spot.

So, as the notorious rowdy boys…what’s one party story or wild night out?

Um, we were kicked off the Beastie Boys tour…I would wear that as a badge of honor. It was our first major tour, with the Beastie Boys headlining. We were psyched. We thought it would be the craziest shit ever…

Was it?

No, there were Buddhists already. Haha. They were kind of different, good guys…but like, first day of tour, Danny Boy bought two AK-47s at a gun shop in Texas, which is where it started…and in the early 90s you could just buy an AK-47 and walk out with it…So, he got two, ran onto the bus…that was only the first day…and around 10 days later we got kicked off.

Wait, so why then exactly?

An altercation, not with the Beastie Boys, but can’t say who or how…not sure about the statue of limitations…

As a veteran in the music world, do you think your taste has changed a lot since you were first in it? Or do you still have most of the same things in rotation?

 Every once in a while, something new will get in. The last couple records I bought…if it was rap, I guess, Kendrick Lamar, and then, the last Alabama Shakes record. Other than that, I listen to a lot of oldies: Sam Cooke, Otis Redding...

What about your general outlook on the music scene now vs. then?

It’s two different worlds…It just seemed like it was a little bit more about making music, developing, and being good at music…a lot of other shit didn’t matter, like where you lived, how you lived…Now, if they think a kid is going to be a star, it’s almost like they make him have all the things…it’s about lifestyle now, lifestyle sells…but again, I’m old. There used to be a thing called selling out, that doesn’t exist anymore…

Do you skate? How would you rate yourself?

Pshh, I could skate to the liquor store, to get some beers…I can avoid the little pebbles…I could skate well enough that I don’t wind up falling on my face…could maybe jump off a curb, I ain’t doing anything else…I got to play guitar. If I fall and break a wrist, I’m done.

Do you see commonalities between skate culture and hip-hop culture?

At this point, it all intersects…the Internet changed everything. Even a super heavy metal kid now likes Prince…everyone gets exposed to everything. It used to be, if you liked rap, you’d have to find the guys who knew rap, and they’d have to tell you what’s good or what’s not, and this is what’s cool, this is what you wear, and you’d have to earn that from these dudes…like apprenticing almost. Now, you can google it and just buy it all. Fake it ‘til you make it…’til you know, pretend you know. That’s kind of what I see…

What are you up to this summer?

Play with my kids and go on the road…I’ve been doing this since I was 18, so this is what I do, I go on the road.

It must still be exciting though…

It’s better than a shitty job…I like the work, but exciting is maybe the hour or two when I play, but the rest of it is wake up in the morning, go to an airport, or get on a bus…

Do you have a favorite place to visit? Or you’d rather be home, I guess?

At this point in life, yes. I haven’t been everywhere, but everywhere I want to go, pretty much…

Lastly, what is a must-do or bucket-list type thing for anyone in LA?

I don’t do this anymore, but I used to take cats to the Hollywood sign, hike up there.