Representing the 619: Rey Mysterio Interviews P.O.D
In this Superstar to Superstar, Rey Mysterio talks to his old friend and former classmate, Wuv, drummer for the band P.O.D. The San Diego group is no stranger to WWE fans who hear P.O.D.’s “Booyaka 619” each week as the Raw Superstar’s entrance theme. Their single, “Lights Out,” off the band’s sixth studio album, Testify, was the official theme of Survivor Series 2005. Now, one of the band’s biggest hits, “Boom,” is the official theme song for Saturday Night’s Main Event, which airs Aug. 2 at 9 p.m. ET. "Boom" is available on Greatest Hits (The Atlantic Years).
Rey Mysterio: What up, Wuv?
Wuv: What’s going on, Rey?
Mysterio: How are you doing? Are you back home in the 619?
Wuv: We just flew in last night, dude.
Mysterio: I just got back from touring Panama, Chile, Peru and El Salvador. It was good.
So I have a couple questions for you. Let’s throw this down. When Angels & Serpents Dance – your seventh studio album – was released in April. Now that’s doing good, I hope?
Wuv: It’s doing good, man. It’s doing really good.
Mysterio: Your song “Boom” is the official theme song for Saturday Night’s Main Event. How does that kick in? How does that make the group feel?
Wuv: Any time our music can get out there, the more people who hear it and can hype up the show – whether it’s live or on TV – is all good with us. That’s the reason why we make music, so people can feel that. I think it’s cool because “Boom” is one of those tracks, one of those natural hype songs. A lot of people have used it over the years – movies, TV shows, whatever – and it just fits. It’s got that aggressive feel, you know what I mean? It talks about getting hyped, representing where you’re from, all that kind of stuff. It’s a good fit.
Mysterio: I’ll tell you what, man – every day that I hit the gym, I have that album on my iPod, and that’s pretty much what I kick it to. When I’m doing my cardio, that picks up my pace, that pumps me up and I’m ready to move.
Wuv: Heck, yeah! Nice!
Mysterio: So the song “Boom” – where does it come from? Whose idea was it?
Wuv: I’d say 99 percent of the songs that P.O.D. writes are collaborations between the whole band. We’ve always been that garage-type band, where you just get together, jam and start putting the music together. As for the lyrical background … the music has that hype feeling to it, so I think when Sonny [Sandoval] started writing the lyrics, it was like, “I’m going to talk about where we come from and what we do.” One of the verses is, “I never knew that a kid like me/Could take his mic around the world…”
Mysterio: Yeah, exactly! (laughs)
Wuv: “…And rock the masses/From Madrid to Calabasas.”
Mysterio: Yeah, exactly. I heard that!
Wuv: The same with you. Dude, you look at us. We’re from the same ’hood, from the same part of the world, and you went on to do your thing – rep’ 619 and do what you got. And P.O.D. – we’re just doing it on the music side, on the rock ‘n’ roll tip.
Mysterio: It feels good to put it on the map, huh?
Wuv: Yeah, it does!
Mysterio: Yeah, it does feel good, I’ll tell you that. What’s been going on with the band lately? You just released a new album. Have you been touring?
Wuv: We just flew in last night. We’ve been doing one-off shows around the country f – lying out here, flying out there. Through August, we’re going to do more fly-out shows through the States. All of September, we’ll be in Australia and New Zealand with Disturbed – which is another great rock ‘n’ roll band.
Mysterio: Now, Wuv, you just released When Angels and Serpents Dance. How long would it take you guys to go ahead and start clicking? Do you have a certain time limit before you come out with the next album?
Wuv: Right now we’re just kind of pumping this record, but we always want to keep the fans satisfied with new music. So, maybe we’ll let this whole record do its thing and we’ll just work on a little EP, like six songs, and put that out for the fans. We’re thinking about maybe doing a straight hardcore record, like six songs. And we’re thinking about doing a straight-up reggae record, another six songs. We’ve got a whole bunch of ideas that are starting to roll through the heads of P.O.D. right now. I wouldn’t be surprised if we started putting some new stuff out at the end of the year or the beginning of next year.
Mysterio: The new album, When Angels & Serpents Dance, how does that click? How does music click with WWE? But with this album in particular – how do you think it evolves together with wrestling?
Wuv: I just think that over the years, with the wrestling fans and with the P.O.D. fans, it kind of goes hand-in-hand. It’s got that aggressive style. Lyrically, it’s positive and matches up well. We have that “619” song we did with you and I know a lot of wrestling fans took notice of P.O.D. just because of you, too. And so with this record, I think we’ve got the same type of formula, you know what I mean? We have aggressive, positive music, but at the same time it’s something that when wrestlers hear it – whether it is a commercial or at the show – it’s all good stuff, man. They get into it.
Mysterio: Yes, it’s definitely on an energy level, too. If you could record another entrance song for another Superstar that’s not Rey Mysterio, who would you pick among the Raw, SmackDown and ECW Superstars, even if it’s an old-school wrestler?
Wuv: Tito Santana was a dude that I know Sonny and I used to watch when we were kids. Shoot, even the female wrestlers, like Wendy Richter.
Mysterio: Yeah, I remember them, too. I was a big fan of Tito growing up.
Wuv: Sgt. Slaughter action…
Mysterio: Yeah, he’s still around, too! There’s a huge crossover between WWE fans and P.O.D. fans. Do you have any messages for our fans that will be rockin’ out to “Boom” at Saturday Night’s Main Event, or to your new album, When Angels & Serpents Dance?
Wuv: If they’re hearing P.O.D. or “Boom” for the first time and they like it, I’d say we have a new record out. And thanks to all the fans that have taken us in over the years. We’re just positive and stoked that we get to be a part of it.
Mysterio: That’s cool. Well, I’ll tell you – the WWE fans are no strangers to P.O.D. They hear my entrance song every week on TV. They know who we are and that’s cool that we’re reppin’ together, man. We’re doing our same thing, in a different world, but we’re still reppin’, and that’s the mainstream, you know? And representin’ for the youth, too, man – the “Youth of the Nation,” baby! … Well, tell the group I said, “What’s up,” Wuv. Enjoy your time off and I guess until we meet again on the road.
Wuv: That’s what’s up, Rey. It was really good talking to you, bro.
Mysterio: Thank you, man. You, too.
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