Gangsta rap skills? Check. Asian allure? Definitely. Sex appeal? Practically oozing…
As a fan, meeting The Notorious MSG for the first time was surreal. They made quite a bit of an impression walking down Mott St. in their rock-star garb – reflective sunnies, denim cut-off jackets and signature hair-dos. Their personas are exactly the same as I’ve seen on media. They have a gift for turning innocent everyday quotes into sexual insinuations. However, instead of coming off as sleazy, their cheekiness is endearing.
The Notorious MSG are comprised of [Left to right] Down-Lo Mein, Hong Kong Fever, and Hunan Bomb.
On a warm Saturday afternoon, I met Hong Kong Fever and Down-Lo Mein in front of the Fair Video Arcade in Chinatown. I noted that the third member of their group, Hunan Bomb was absent, but the boys said they’d explain more over the interview. We proceeded to a Bubble Tea store in the vicinity for a quiet place to sit down and chat. While placing our orders, I asked Down-Lo Mein why he didn’t want any ‘bubbles’ in his milk tea. Hong Kong Fever is the ring leader of the trio, and he makes his Alpha Male status even more apparent by sometimes cutting into questions for his team members. “He doesn’t like the bubbles because it reminds him too much of testicles,” said Hong Kong Fever of the gummy little treats.
*Note: I’m not going to transcribe this interview into grammatically accurate English as previous interviewers have done so. I tell it as it is, otherwise it wouldn’t reflect the Notorious MSG’s originality. By putting it down word by word, you’ll also be able to get an idea of humorous these guys can be.
Chief Magazine: Introduce yourselves, hunks.
Hong Kong Fever: My name is Hong Kong Fever, Lord of Hardness, King-Pin of Crazy.
Down-Lo Mein: Down-Lo Mein, also known as D-Lo. The yello gigolo… With the muscle…