All photos by Sean Brekke-Miesner
NA(T)IVE SON, comprised of Clyde Shankle and Carbyne, is a duo from the Cali Made camp who has been quietly on the grind of late. Recently heard by many via the second part of “On Citas” on IAMSU’s Kilt 2 tape, they’re more akin to Souls of Mischief than $hmop Life. While a bevy of young Bay Area emcees are making moves these days, Clyde and Carbyne are setting themselves apart with a laid back sound, melodic flow, and lyrical chops.
In the lead up to the release of their The Harvest EP, Ben D-L and I (who make up WORDSSOUNDPOWER) met up with them at Soundwave Studios in West Oakland, a rehearsal and recording space right at the edge of the city. Sitting on a collection of dusty furniture on the back patio, the excess noise of Van Halen cover bands bleeding into our conversation, we spoke about everything from their origins to their vision of the future.
Immediately it was clear that Clyde and Carbyne are like brothers. They look completely comfortable with each other, and don’t have that fabricated kinship vibe that seems to plague some rappers. If anything, they are friends first and business partners second. “Aside from the music, as people, we can really hang out and just talk. We motivate each other,” Clyde says.
Their new EP, The Harvest, shows the great potential of Na(t)ive Son. Over soulful samples and drum breaks, Clyde and Carbyne demonstrate their ability to craft fresh records with a vintage layer of dust. With production from Oakland beatmaker Spencer Stevens and HBK’s Kuya Beats, The Harvest is a promising alternative to what is expected from Bay Area rap.
It seems like their hard work has been paying off. On the heels of their “On Citas” collaboration with IAMSU, Clyde enlisted Su again for a new solo track with Dave Steezy called “Tryna Get It.” Having the Bay’s biggest rising star on their side of the ball certainly isn’t going to hurt Na(t)ive Son’s growth, but don’t think they’re trying to ride anyone’s coattails to notoriety.
In Oakland, where it seems like every 18-year-old either has a mixtape, Carbyne and Clyde stand out as people dedicated to their craft. Clyde assured us that they are dedicated to improvement: “We just have to up the bar a little more. Make it more of an art form than a hobby. I remember when it was a lot of fun just to [rap] simply for the fact. But when you take your time with it, that’s when you can come up. You got to respect the craft.”
As far as what the future holds, it seems like Clyde and Carbyne can take their music as far as what they’re willing to push it. “I don’t want to put a limit on it and say ‘oh we could be here or we could be here,’ says Clyde before adding, “It’s a struggle; it’s hard. It’s going to be nice though because it’s going to pay off.”
