If we are judging people by the company they keep, Hyphon should be a shoo-in for being a solid artist. After all, he hangs around the rising hip hip/rock group Happy Tooth and Dug.

Hyphon’s bandcamp states he is “more Henry David Thoreau than Gucci Mane.” This is evident upon the start of his flow. Honestly, this is the first time I’ve found an artist in Columbus since discovering Keyoung that has giving me the feeling of spoken word poetry while maintaining the flow of a seasoned hip hop artist. A seamless blend of two sectors that might have similar definitions, but differe ntThe branding and production has a DIY aesthetic though, which I dig. Perfect for Worst Kept Secret Fest.

Hyphon kicks off Saturday at 5:40. It doesn’t overlap with the 9-5 workday, and it’s the weekend, so no excuses! Get to know him via our Worst Kept Q&A:

Tuned Up: What’s the best live show you saw this past summer?

Hyphon: When I was on tour this summer I took a couple days off in Milwaukee and I caught Aesop Rock at Summerfest in Milwaukee. That had to be the best one.

Various sites are proclaiming some conspiracy related to an event allegedly taking place in late September. What’s your favorite conspiracy theory?

The moon conspiracy. I thought I was really into the lizard person conspiracies and the Bilderbergs, but once I saw Buzz Aldrin pop some motor mouthed moon denier in the face, it was ON!!

October is Halloween month. Who or what did you dress up as that makes you cringe now?

I was not super poor as a kid, but my parents diverted a lot of costs so we could have travel and educational experiences. As a result my Halloween costume when I was 5 was a Wonder Woman top, a fur cape and a broach to clasp it around my neck. I thought I was Hawkman until a new friend in my teenage years exposed the bitter truth that there was no Hawkman and that I wore Wonder Woman clothing.

In five words, where do you see your band in a few years?

Living document, exclusive collaborative releases.

Full album tours are becoming a hip trend. What album do you need to hear front to back live?

Paul Simon’s Graceland

What is your worst kept secret?

My sweet tooth for pop music and low brow rap.

List three bands you wish more people knew, and why.

Kill The Vultures (Oddjobs) – These guys were a foundation of the Minneapolis hip-hop scene that really inspired me to write, but still they remain the unheralded group from that era, the unsung hero of the Minneapolis scene is a tie between this one time super group(parsed down and rich with side projects) and Carnage the Executioner.

Jellyfish Brigade – Lucas Dix and I met when he and Gavin Theory were still Hives Inquiry Squad. They spent a influential year in the small city I call home before moving to Portland, Oregon. Gavin was diagnosed with cancer and despite seeming to shine bright through the loss of his leg inevitably died. Lucas was faced with a lot of transformative experiences in those few years and with the sonic help of The Great Mundane he crafted an album that is an applied lesson in living.

Airo Kwil – Airo makes dark introspective music that is infected with catchy popiness. Airo is one of the most diverse artists I know and I was sad to miss him the last time he made it to Columbus, I want you to hear it because besides the new Phantom Balance and Mic Kellog it is the only rap/r&b album I am playing front to back currently.

What lyric from a song just moves you like none other every time you hear it?

“That she said, that we were just make believe.
But I thought she said Maple Leaves.
And when she talked about our fall.
I thought she talked about our season
I never understood at all. ” Jens Lekman, Maple Leaves

You are booking a festival: where is it, and who headlines?

It would be in Guatemala, somewhere you would have to reach by taking chicken buses across long stretches of the countryside with average people. It would be co-headlined by Manu Chao and a reunion of Little Brother.

Your music is the soundtrack to a multimillion dollar movie. Who stars in it?

Ed Harris, Adrian Brody, Scarlett Johansson, Johnny Depp, Richard Greer, Winona Ryder, Reed Grimm former contestant on Amercian Idol, Edward Norton, Clive Owen, Kevin Spacey. You really opened a can of worms on this one.