CAN'T WAIT FOR TOMORROW
'cause they get better looking every day – Handsome Boy Modeling School
By Chris Nixon
For the San Diego Union-Tribune
March 24, 2005
Prince Paul Huston and Dan "The Automator" Nakamura love the word "handsome."
Sure, they used the word a total of 36 times in a 15-minute conversation (more than twice a minute). But the two superstar producers also believe in the "concept" behind handsomeness, which they chose to share with the world in their Handsome Boy Modeling School project.
Assuming the identities of Chest Rockwell (Prince Paul) and Nathaniel Merriweather (Dan the Automator), the two producers donned fake mustaches and an ultra-suave style as a basis for the collaboration, an amalgamation of hip-hop, rock, soul and turntablism.
Based on a skit from Chris Elliot's hilarious but short-lived comedy TV series, "Get a Life," Rockwell and Merriweather focus on the good things in life: fine wine, good music and beautiful women.
"We travel a lot and we see the same faces," says Rockwell, tongue firmly planted in his cheek during a recent three-way conference call. "We travel amongst the wealthy and rich to various shows and poker events. We see the same guys and they have tons of women around them. And they have the same attributes I have.
"So, somewhere along the line, we were introduced. We realized: 'You're handsome. I'm handsome. We can't keep this to ourselves. Let's do a public service. You gotta share the love.' "
After making their marks as producers (Huston with De La Soul and Nakamura with Gorillaz and Deltron 3030), the duo first appeared on the public radar in 1999's "So ... How's Your Girl?," which featured performances by Del Tha Funkee Homosapien, El-P Grand Puba and Father Guido Sarducci. The album became an instant underground classic, mixing a campy lounge mentality with the best cutting-edge hip-hop MCs.
Packed with high-profile cameos from across the boards (John Oates to Mike Patton to RZA), the Handsome Boy Modeling School returned in 2004 with "White People." The album marked a reunion for the two after five years apart.
"The thing is, five years in time to regular people is a lot different to five years for handsome people," says Merriweather, whose repartee with Rockwell resembles a comedic tennis match. "It definitely flies. One year almost equals one hour," adds Rockwell.
"Did you catch the lecture tours we did with Tony Robbins and Deepak Chopra?" counters Merriweather.
Rockwell: "Man, you missed something that was pretty incredible and magical."
"White People" features a bevy of unlikely collaborations: former Faith No More lead singer Mike Patton with turntablist Rob Swift and indie folk singer Cat Power ("Are You Down With It"), MC Del Tha Funkee Homosapien with reggae artist Barrington Levy and Franz Ferdinand's Alex Kapronos ("The World's Gone Mad"), Jack Johnson with turntablist Kid Koala ("Breakdown"), Wu-Tang's RZA with indie rockers the Mars Volta ("A Day in the Life") and jazzy pianist Jamie Cullum with John Oates ("Greatest Mistake").
So how did these two hip-hop producers muster the talents of such a varied roster?
"Man, you just have to throw the right kind of dinner parties and the right kind of people show up," says Rockwell.
Merriweather adds: "They come to us because they know we can teach them something about becoming more handsome."
After all the mixing and matching on both the albums, the real challenge comes when the Handsome Boy Modeling School hits the road. For its Tuesday Belly Up show in Solana Beach, Patton and MC Dres (formerly of Black Sheep) are confirmed. But keep your eyes open for special guests.
"Obviously, we have to make concessions, because a lot of Handsome Boy graduates are in demand," says Merriweather, who is set to release a new Gorillaz album in early summer. "We haven't tried to calculate it, but if we traveled with the whole Handsome Boy Modeling School it'd be like 70 people on the road.
"We try to bring out some of the graduates, and we have a band, and we have a whole video thing going on. Manfred Winters comes and hosts."
So how do Merriweather and Rockwell rate alter egos Prince Paul and Dan the Automator on the handsomeness scale?
Rockwell estimates: "It's a good start. They are handsome young men in their own right. But we could all use a little improvement, couldn't we?"
Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.
Five Albums
that get the Handsome Boy Modeling School's seal of approval for smoothness:
"H20" by Hall & Oates( RCA, 1982)
The Skinny: This album represents the ultimate in Hall & Oates-driven neon nostalgia. Crackling with 1980s synth sounds ("Maneater," "Family Man") smoothed out by soulful ballads ("One on One"), "H20" sounds painfully soft two decades later. But, apparently it's handsome: John Oates and his mustache make a guest appearance on "White People."
"Saturday Night Fever: The Original Movie Soundtrack" (Polydor, 1977)
The Skinny: The apex of disco marks a turning point for dance music. Without this album, there are no clubs for DJs to develop their skills, no raves and maybe no electronica music. Love it or hate it, "Saturday Night Fever" is one of the most important albums in the second half of the 20th century. Very high on the handsome scale and fits perfectly with the kitschy Handsome Boy persona.
"Feels So Good" by Chuck Mangione (A&M Records, 1977)
The Skinny: Now doomed to dentist's office lobbies and elevators throughout the land, Chuck Mangione's flugelhorn musings and groovy 1970s funk jazz once marked the pinnacle of musicianship in popular music. If you can get past the painful associations (the aforementioned claustrophobic elevators and noisy dentist's offices), the music is quite good.
Anything by Al Green (preferably 1970s Green; his first four albums in a disc-changer will work)
The Skinny: Who is more handsome than the Rev. Al Green? Not even Nathaniel Merriweather and Chest Rockwell can match Green's smoothness. The soul singer has been schooling singles and couples on love, happiness and staying together for nearly half a century. "Love and Happiness" is one of the most handsome songs of all time.
"Trans-Europe Express" by Kraftwerk (Capitol, 1977)
The Skinny: Utterly efficient, mechanic and unsoulful (at least compared to the rest of this list), Kraftwerk created techno years before electronica and decades before a single glow stick found it's way to a club. Kraftwerk would despise the chaos of a club, opting for the sterile studio environment instead. They are handsome in a clean-cut, hair-slicked-back kind of way.
– CHRIS NIXON
