Five Steez talks France Nooks’ death and honoring his name.
“I remember I got the call from Mordecai
Seven thirty two, number unrecognized
Cruising in the ride, Kera at my side
The man was telling me France Nooks died.”
CREATIVE: What does family mean to you?
You’ve lost so many people close to you. Does the healing process become easier with each loss?
It has to be tough. How do you stay sane?
Life goes on. You heal, you move on. Death is one of life’s constants. It’s just a reminder to make the most of the time we have.
The death of a loved one is always a touchy subject, but what made you decide to write about France Nooks’ death on “We Can Never Know?”
How difficult was it to put the bottled emotions in words?
It wasn’t hard at all to put it into words. Partly because this probably rested heavily on my mind at the time and because it’s just the truth. What was hard was listening to the song after it was done. I was stuck in my seat and I felt hurt that the song even came to be. I hated that it existed. From I was satisfied with the recording, that was it. I really didn’t listen to it much until I started getting the mixes for it some time this year… and I recorded it early last year.
Is “We Can Never Know” the most personal song you’ve ever written?
It is one of the most personal, for sure. It could be, but it may not be. I’ve had songs like Slaving on the Plantation, which still resonates with people to this day. That was me simply telling my story at the time and how I felt. I think it’s something I tend to do in my music but these songs are probably among the most focused and have the heaviest emotions.
It has been nearly 2 years since France Nooks’ death… Where’s your mind at right now?
What do you think happens when we die?
My honest answer is that I believe I will never know for sure so I don’t think too much about it. I believe we’re all just energy… and this energy, or our soul, doesn’t really die. Where it goes, what it does or what it becomes after… I have ideas, but if I’m honest with myself, I do not know for sure. We Can Never Know…
What’s your relationship with God like today?
I’ve found my music lately has far more references to God than it usually would. I find this interesting because I have a concept that does not fit within the traditional ideas of God. Now that a can of worms has been opened [laughs], I will answer the question by simply saying that I believe I’m fulfilling my duty and purpose, but I’m aware I’m not in full alignment and am working on it.
