Hades Forum

Cormega



MVRemix: Do you think "The Testament" shows how much you have grown over the years?

Cormega: I think so.

MVRemix: The artwork is very close to the advertising originally put out by Def Jam way back when. Is it the same or just based upon the originals?

Cormega: It's somewhat based upon the originals but it's not the same.

MVRemix: What are your thoughts on the recent events with 50 Cent and the new beefs he solidified with "Piggybank"?

Cormega: I mean that's irrelevant. I don't have any thoughts on it.

MVRemix: Okay... Do you have any comments on Hot 97's airing of the "Tsunami song"?

Cormega: I think that was repulsive.

MVRemix: Any new info on "Urban Legend"?

Cormega: KRS One, Big Daddy Kane, PMD and Grand Puba are gonna be featured on one song with me. Production by Lil' Fame of M.O.P., Nottz, Emile... All I can say is it's incredible. And if you look at any interview I've ever done; I've never said that about my own work.

MVRemix When's that likely to actually surface?

Cormega: That'll probably be out, maybe by the end of the year...

MVRemix: What does the average Cormega day entail? I heard you have a very strong work ethic. What sort of hours do you pull?

Cormega: I mean if you look at the more recent photo's of Cormega, you'll notice I look tired. I have bags under my eyes sometimes. Sometimes I don't get no sleep. Like last week I drove from Washington, D.C. to Boston. Washington is closer to the South and Boston is one of the further east states - I did that and I didn't even go to the hotel to get any sleep. I did that straight. In-between that time I went to Philadelphia and taught a class on Hip Hop at Temple University.

MVRemix: Do you still drink and smoke?

Cormega: Hell no! I wouldn't be as focused if I was a smoking.

MVRemix: With your success, what's your current goal? Are you looking to make music forever or are you looking to make the perfect album, what's your aim with music? I heard after "Urban Legend" there are rumours of you retiring and such...

Cormega: [chuckles] I don't know. I can't call it until after "Urban Legend" comes out. But to be honest with you - I don't know if I could top "Urban Legend."

MVRemix: And so the mentality is once you've done the best you can do, you'll leave it at that?

Cormega: It just depends on my motivation because I'm tired of looking for something to inspire me. Being an artist, being an actor or whatever is very time consuming. You give so much of yourself. If you go on the road to promote a project - you're gone. And when you're in the studio, you're gone. So there's a lot of times when you really don't have a social life or time for your family. I'm tryin' to figure out "Is it really worth it?" Like, I love my fans but it's something I have to consider because nowadays the fans love you ratio is not as great as it once was. I bust my ass and if I don't see the love reciprocated by the fans, then I'll tilt my hat and go out on top.

MVRemix: If you could change something in your career up until this point, what would you, if anything?

Cormega: Only thing I would change is doing "Legal Hustle" on Koch. I wouldn't do that.

MVRemix: Do you think they promoted it poorly?

Cormega: Yeah.

MVRemix: What's going on with "Who Am I?" DVD, you've been working on it for a while now... I remember interviewing you in 2003 and you talked about your "Day In The Life" DVD - is this the same one?

Cormega: It'll be out this year. It'll be out soon... Sooner than "Urban Legend."

MVRemix Can you give me some details on what's on the DVD?

Cormega: It's gonna be all kinds of stuff. Behind the scenes footage, show footage, in the studio footage, unreleased videos, interviews - all kinds of stuff. You're gonna see stuff that you've never seen before like in the movies. You'll see. I've got a lot of people anticipating that.

MVRemix: A friend passed on a beat CD to your manager in LA for a producer named DJ Kno. Have you had a chance to listen?

Cormega: DJ Kno?

MVRemix: Yeah...

Cormega: That's ironic, I was just thinkin' about that. Somebody gave me the CD but there's so much talkin' in the background - drops or whatever.

MVRemix: Yeah, he's doing a production album with Masta Ace and The Beatnuts...

Cormega: Yeah, you hear so much talkin' in the background. I could understand a producer doing that so nobody jacks his beats, but I couldn't feel the beat 'cause every few minutes it says "Such and such, such and such," so I couldn't get into it. I want to hear his beats. Tell him if he wants me to hear his beats to give it to someone that's cool with me and give it straight to me. He don't gotta worry about anything funny happening.

MVRemix: How do you typically handle receiving beats? Because I know it was passed onto your manager. Do you personally scan them, does someone else before it gets to you?

Cormega: It's my own thing 'cause I gotta live with it at the end of the day. I'm the type of person - somebody brought his name up to me. If somebody brings your name up, it's gonna give me more of an incentive to listen to it 'cause you've got that credibility... People have spoken highly of him, so I really was interested in hearing his beats. There was so much drops in the back; I couldn't hear the music. When I tried to hear the music I'd hear "Such and such, such and such..." Usually when somebody give me a beat CD, this is what I do; I listen to anybody's beat. A lot of my peers will get a beat from somebody, and I've watched guys just throw the CD away and I say "You can't do that. Just because the guy isn't known doesn't mean he isn't talented."

MVRemix: What are your relationships like with Buckwild and Ayatollah, any projects happening with them?

Cormega: I would do anything if Buckwild needs me. Buckwild is one of my favourite people period in the industry. He's just got a good heart. There's not too many people like Buckwild. Ayatollah - we was workin' on the Ayatollah project. We'll probably throw that out in the summer or the winter.

MVRemix: Any more charitable plans?

Cormega: Yeah, I'ma do a big cookout just for my site - for the people that come to my site that's able to be in the tri-state area. I'ma do a cookout just for cormegasite.com. I'm tryin' to do a song right now talkin' about the Tsunami situation and the 9-11 situation, just all about tragedies. And I'm gonna donate the proceeds to charity, to somebody that we know that's gonna get the money to where it's needed. I've already dropped my verse. I'm waiting on the other artists to participate.

MVRemix: What's currently going on with Don? and Legal Hustle?

Cormega: Oh, Don? 's focused. Don? 's gettin' beats right now. She got a few songs done and Don? 's album might be out by the fall.

MVRemix: Any ideas of a title?

Cormega: "My Brother's Keeper."

MVRemix: Any last words?

Cormega: Go buy "The Testament," it's in stores now.

Pentru generatzia JMT - Interviews.mp3

Deci spune exact ceea ce este > Stoupe > Rza > Premier tare de tot!

Vinnie Paz.part 1
Vinnie Paz.part 2

Intr`adevar, asa se colaboreaza ati simtit ce a iesit

Chuck D ('98 dar mi-a placut)



Okay so, I'll start the interview.
Go ahead. You know what we're talking about.
Firstly, thanks for doing this interview.
No problem man, happy to be doing it.

So tell me about "Bring Tha Noise 2000." Why did you release it in mp3?
Well you know we believe in changing the way artists are governed by their record companies and retail outlets. We like to lead the changes, the way things are. This wasn't no Public Enemy vs Def Jam thing. Basically, "Bring Tha Noise 2000" was gonna be a promo and pressed up and only sent to certain people. We decided to put it in mp3 and give it to everyone for free like what they were doing but on a wider scale.

Do you think you'll ever put up "Bring Tha Noise 2000" in MP3 again?
Oh shit. Hell yeah!

Whats sort of content does the album have? Messages and such like?
It has 3 unreleased tracks and a megamix of previously released material.

In Public Enemy's absence do you think there has been an emcee or group that has carried the same weight, knowledge, intelligence and power as the group?
Um, I think as a combination, as a whole yes. But nobody ever came with the consistency. Public Enemy is a one of a kind situation.

I'd like you to end or make the answers clearer to rumours that have been floating around... What's going on between you and Zach De La Rocha? Plus, I heard there was some sort of beef with Primo (DJ Premier). The media always spreads rumours, so I'll get you to tell your audience the truth.
Well you are the media too, but yeah, I know what you mean. So which rumours again?

What's going on between you and Zach De La Rocha ?
Oh Zach and I have been in contact a lot lately. I want him to do a new track with us on our next album.
Are there any problems with Primo?
No, no beef with Primo. See on the '10 Crack Commandments' they used my voice which annoyed me. I wasn't annoyed with Biggie or Puffy or Primo but with Arista because they used a sample making a fool out of me. I mean I was just with Primo on the Smokin' Grooves tour. Things with me and him are cool.

The St Ides commercial law suit - I understand where you were coming from on that one. What was the reason for your reaction though?
Basically, my voice is me, and my beliefs are mine. Anything that I say is up to me, I don't want any problems falling under my umbrella.

Do you still believe 2Pac is alive ?
No. I never believed after two weeks. At first I did, but then by October friends of mine and peeps I know convinced me that wasn't true but it stayed on the internet.

With the amounts of collaborations going on in R&B, Rock, Metal, Drum & Bass etc., is there anyone or any genre you'd like to hook up with for a track?
Yeah. Bo' Didley.

Which emcees/groups are you feeling at the moment?
Jurassic 5, you know. Black Eyed Peas, Redman and Method Man, they my two favourite emcees right there.

Did you always want to be a rapper?
Nah. At first I wanted to be a graphic designer in the music business but one thing lead to another.

Other than "Bring Tha Noise 2000" is there any other future ventures that you'd like your fans to know about?
Yeah, Slamjams.com our interactive rap site and www.bringdanoise.com our worldwide Internet radio station.

Where did the name Chuck D come from?
Chuck was a nickname of mine and D is my middle initial.

Akrobatik



Your name; Akrobatik does it have any personal meaning to you?
Sure, I flip shit on the mic. I have versatility that allows me to flip different topics, rhyme schemes, cadences, etc. I rhyme, produce, mix, engineer...it just stands for versatility.
Word, lets talk about what got you into Hip-Hop. What were your major influences that got you into rhyming? How long have you been emceeing?
I started rhyming in like 1983 to Kool Moe Dee and Run DMC shit. BDP, Public Enemy, JB's Tribe and De La Soul were also major influences...EPMD too.

How do you feel about the state of Hip-Hop currently? A lot of people feel that when Hip-Hop caught money kind of took over and stripped it of it's purity and meaning. Also how do you feel about this underground/mainstream thing? Do you feel you fall into underground category or would you say neither?
I just make music that I am comfortable with. When I was coming up, I didn't know what I wanted to do, so I copied other peoples styles or imitated the MCs that I liked. Now I know who I am and I am comfortable with myself to the point where I can just write. The problem with hip-hop now is that there are adults who approach hip-hop with the same philosophy that I did as a child; they just bite off of what's already selling. The result is, well, this current state of rap music. I think I can be described as underground because I am different, I have something to say, I am independent, and I can produce my own stuff. But other than that, I want to be part of an uprising of MCs who all come at hip-hop with some level of uniqueness.

That's definitely what Hip-Hop needs right now. So what other emcees or albums are you feeling right now?
Umm, I feel a lot of Boston shit. Skitzofreniks, Mr. Lif, and 7L And Esoteric. I am also feeling Gangstarr to death, the Roots, Mos and Kweli... I like the GZA too. High and Mighty... I'm feeling mad heeds ... Redman The 12" 'SayYesSayWord' is out in stores now. When can we expect the full length and what kind feel is it gonna have?
The full length is still a project in the works. I want to create more of a demand for my product before I drop a body of work. But when it does come (some time next year), you can expect an album where no two songs are alike, and they are all tightly produced - head nodding shit from beginning to end

Are there any albums or 12" that we can look forward to seeing you guest on?
I will be on the 7L and Esoteric album, on a song called 'State of the Art,' which is also featured on the DJ Revolution 'R2K, Version 1.0' Album. In addition to this, I will be on the upcoming Raw Produce album, as well as being featured on upcoming singles by Breez Evahflowin and T-Max.

How do you feel the internet has affected Hip-Hop and your career? I know that the internet has helped me discover lots of dope artists, your self included. So how do you feel about it. Do you think artists are using it to their advantage?
They are not. I personally think that the best part about the Internet for my career is that it gives me the opportunity to personally connect with the people that enjoy my music. I speak to people online all the time about all types of shit. Some of the coolest heads I know are those that I met online. Plus the online sites really big up hip-hop. It's a whole alternate side of things. Lovely when not abused, or used as a mask of anonymity to spread hate.

Earlier in the interview I asked who you've worked with. Instead, are there any artists hip-hop or non hip-hop that you would like to work with given the chance?
Chris Rock. Nia Long (I will get into acting in hopes of sharing space with her for a significant period of time). I'd love to work with KRS-One, Roots, Q-Tip... DJ Premier and Guru, and Pete Rock. I have other plans, too. Stuff to ponder...
Could you expand on that a little?
I've been thinking about things I'd like to do outside of Hip-Hop. I'd like to be writing and editing more, I work for a magazine here in New England and I'd like to be more involved. I'd also like to get into acting if possible.

Is Hip-Hop the only music you listen to? If not what else you listening to and what attracts you to it?
I listen to anything that involves master craftsmanship or talented, charismatic material. A list of my favorite non hip-hop artists would include: Prince (the illest ever), Bjork, Funkadelic, Isley Brothers, Marvin Gaye, Roy Ayers, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, all types of stuff

Cool, how do you feel about this current rock/hip-hop fusion? Groups like Limp Bizkit and Kid Rock? You think it's just a phase? Do you like it or thinks it's bad for both rock and Hip-Hop?
It's great for both genres, but I'm not really into it.

I wasn't aware that you produced and engineered? How did you get into that? Are you going to be producing your album entirely or are you going to have some guest producers?
I will definitely have guest producers. I taught myself what to do on the boards...Most of my experience comes from watching. I have done everything I have up to this point without owning any equipment. When I have my own studio...Look out!

I'll be looking forward to that day. As a producers, who do you feel are the best producers in Hip-Hop? Both now and ever.
DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Dr. Dre, Ali Shaheed Mohameed, Bomb Squad are some of my favorites, and of course Prince Paul

You planning on doing any club tours any time soon?
I am going to do a club/college tour starting late fall. I am doing a show in Ohio on the 7th

With the millennium coming up. Where do see Hip-Hop going? What you think will happen or change in the art form?
Akrobatik

How so?
I will hopefully switch the focus back to skills and away from propaganda and tuff-guy talk.

Well, thank you for taking the time to do this interview. You're definitely one of the dopest up and coming emcees. I wish all the luck with your upcoming album. In conclusion do you have anything you'd like to say to any fans or artists that may be reading this interview?
Don't fall for what the world's irresponsible people are trying to make you believe. Formulate your own opinions. Don't let the media tell you how black people should be, because they are wrong. Don't let MTV tell you how you should look; they are wrong, too. Filter the bullshit from the dope shit and see everything for what it is. Most of all, stay positive!

Shock G is a legend; not only in rap and hip-hop, but his talents as a producer, musician, and a cartoonist are also part of this complex man.
Shock G dropped his first independent album 'Fear of a Mixed Planet' Oct.12th.2004
A widely anticipated album 'Fear of a Mixed Planet' has lived up to all the expectations.
Shock G is best known I guess for his fore front position with Digital Underground and being one of the people who helped bring Tupac Shakur up and get him in the 'game.
Shock has worked with almost everybody, from Richie Rich to George Clinton to Prince.His wide range of talent is present and in very good form on 'Fear Of A Mixed Planet'. Even the album insert art is great.
This is an all around great job and one I am sure Shock is proud of.
Pick it up and see what I'm talking about. You won't be disappointed.
Also visit www.ShockG.com to keep up on Shock. Check his site. It is 100% free and has many mp3 and other great stuff on it.
I had an opportunity to ask Shock G a few questions . I'd like to thank him for his time and Betsy Bolte Public Relations for hooking it all up. Thanks also to 33rd Street records.
Interview by Westside for ThugLifeArmy.com

- Thanks for taking time for us, we appreciate it.

Shock G - Likewise, thanks for the opportunity to speak to the world. Website interviews mean a kid in Ethiopia could be reading this. That's big!

- This album has been along time in coming. Are you relieved that it is finally out?

Shock G - True. Finally a chance to speak my heart and mind as Greg Jacobs, instead of only what I think "Humpty", "ShockG", or "Piano-Man" should say. They are more-less characters, personalities that I write for, ya feel me? I'm not as smooth as "ShockG", or as wild as "Humpty". They were just rappers that I myself wanted to see, emcees that I thought would be cool, so I portrayed them myself, to entertain myself as well as the masses. My regular personality, Greg Jacobs, is more personal & shy and needs way less attention than "they" do. On the album "Fear of a Mixed Planet" Shockg is named as the artist, but I'm actually just being my regular self "Greg" on alot of the songs.

- With the first track I knew that this was a different, 'real' album. You threw Tupac out in a way that many don't comprehend these days. Thanks for that.

Shock G - Those who knew him behind the scenes saw a person who was always reading, studying, organizing, and plotting his next move, instead of only the wild person who we all saw publicly. Had we not pulled him on tour in 1990, he had plans to accept a seat as a chairman within a campus struggle organization that had invited him to Atlanta. Go here for my full story on that, select "Shakur Legacy".

- Really this is a journey, not listening to a cd. I really never heard anything like this. Is that what you were trying to get across with this project? Trying to grab people's minds instead of just beats and floss?

Shock G - Quiet as it's kept, that's what I tried to do with every CD I ever worked on but I guess this one just came through more than the others.

- There are many of Digital Undergrounds crew on this album, but it seems the 'direction' is different than the Digital Underground norm. How is the feedback on the album been?

Shock G - So far, every single company that hears it wants to distribute it or get involved in some way. Our agent, Bobby Bessone outta nashville, said I should've waited and heard what Sony & Universal had to say, but we're happy with the independant decision that we made, 33rd Street Records. They understand the positive, alternative, enlighted path & message we're trying to spread. A broader scope than lyrically limiting yourself to just guns, diamonds & slick street slang only. I see too many shorties immitating us and getting caught up in the pen before they really knew what they were clakkin about, and then waking up to reality at 27 with 4 more years to go and their futures all fucked up.

- It has been said that you saw this album as a project for total creative freedom. Is that something that wasn't present on the Digital Underground albums?

Shock G - digital underground had an invisible fence at the borders of "what people expect from us" and "what we're known for" that subliminally kept us all from accepting anything outside that fence. Yes, on this album I made a run for it and successfully scaled that fence without getting popped by any of the guards. But it wasn't easy.

- How is it different on a solo album for you, being as it all rests on your shoulders, instead of a 'group' effort?

Shock G - It actually felt the opposite of what you just said. At the digital underground sessions, the weight of everyone involved & represented by the group was on my shoulders. "Naw we shouldn't say that shock", or "you sure you wanna put that on the album? ..I thought D.U. was known for this, people want this from us." ..and so forth. But on this solo joint, I only answered to the Great One Spirit or the Higher Consciousness of the Universe (god or whatever you believe in) morally and for final editing and so forth; rather than remain prisoner to music industry codes, D.U. standards, and mere human laws & morals. I had to face my own conscience instead of the consciences of the entire group for a change, which I believe allowed more infinite focus and less getting stuck with narrow short-visioned human trends, laws, or society induced limitations.

- "Holmedown Up," (which features Yukmouth, Java & 5th Element,and Clev MC). That beat is tight as hell. Is that one of your beats?

Shock G - Yes. An alternative version of that same beat exists on Cypha 7s "Give it Here". Cypha 7 is a group from LA featuring Akim & Shaheed who I met up at Project Blow last year. They opened up for Aceyalone & Abstract Rude one night and blew the roof off dat bitch. I been workin wit them cats ever since, and they blessed the stage wit us at our last sold out performance at Johnny Depps Viper Room on sunset blvd in West Hollywood last July. It was advertised as "ShockG with special guests" and it sold out the week it went in the paper, a month before the show. Needless to say, I was both suprized and proud of that. And thanx Cypha 7, yall ripped it up that night. They busted some of their original material while I held them down on live keys & drum machine.

- Who is responsible for all the beats on this album, are they mostly yours?

Shock - I did "Keep it Beautiful", "Cinnamon Waves", and "Holmedown Up" but "Cherry Flava'd Email", my favorite beat on the album was done by Marc Rosenberg a Jewish dude and cousin of Leila Stienberg who really discovered Tupac and who produced the "Thug Angel/Life of an Outlaw" DVD. Cherry Flava'd Email is so heated it's hard to let our socially trained & racially brainwashed minds believe that a jewish cat produced it! "My Opinion" was produced by my former piano student Chris Clay who studied piano under me in the mid-nineties when he was a teenager. He also studied jazz piano under Randy Myers in Oakland, which can also be heard in his style.

- The track 'My Opinion' with Numskull of the Luniz is surely to cause a lot of controversy. There seems to be a mix of 'fun' tracks and some rather serious ones. What would you say the over all message of the album is?

Shock G - Think before you act. Remember that music can be all-over the place, style-wise as well as topically. Don't get stuck doin' the same style & subjects as everyone else, make it interesting. The world is yours to pull from, so why limit your focus? I try to apply this to life as well.

- You have a lot of great people on the album. Is there anyone ya wanted but just couldn't get together with in time?

Shock G - Yeah, I wish Fionna Apple coulda' dropped some piano (live or programmed) on it somewhere. And I really wanted the Horny Horns (Fred Wesly & Maceo Parker) on some stuff but oh well, at least we found Walter Davis, he's brilliant as well. Couldn't find D'Angelo to sing some stuff so we used a D'Angelo sound-alike in a coupla' places (hee hee). But we did find Q-Bert and OH MY GOD did he bless Cinnamon Waves with his magical scratches.

- The sound of the album is really a combination of all genres rolled neatly into one. How would you classify the sound? Can you put it in a category?

Shock G - Hmm, I don't know "Trippier Hop"? "Dumb & Bass"? Ha ha. or how bout.. "Gumbo-Hop" or just "Gumbop" (like gumbo, we threw it all in there!) It's the new & shockadelically improved Caramel Milk Shocklet SHOCKWAVES!! And fo da' hoes.. the new Protien Shocklet Squirtshake!! AHH HA HA HA!!

I don't know, it's just music. (..or moo-sick, depending on who ya ask!)

- Are there going to be any singles released from the album?

Shock G - I think "Let's Go" has been selected to be first.

- Can we expect any video's to be made off any of the tracks?

Shock G - Yes, each single and then some. I heard cats been doin DVDs with vidys to every song on the album. I would like to try something like that, or at least offer alittle more than just vidys for television. Any directors out there that are diggin the album and have a treatment in mind please hit us up. Bring your reel (or whatever you got) to the next show and you can find us by checking the "What's Up" page @shockg.com". "Let's Go" we're ready.

- I know the artwork is as amazing as the album. The insert is really a good job. I totally got into it. Who all helped hook that up?

Shock G - My friend Shawn @deja vu design helped me with the format & layout, and I guess I drew the little cartoons n stuff. It's stuff that I been doodlin on planes & in airports over the last coupla years and then took it, cleaned it up and used it for the CD. The "G-3000 Sound & Image Creator" was created on a flight home from Spring Break in Corpus Cristi Texas with digital underground & Element. Looking down out the window of the plane I saw so much traffic, smoke, farming, industrialization, and suburban sprawl connecting every city together I remember thinking "damn, we're running out of earth!", and I sketched my dream instrument "the G-3000" so I could re-design the world a better place with room for everybody.

- Besides the album you have been doing a lot of shows and dropping a few tracks over at Mob Life Records. You did 'Hurry Up Run' for their 'On The Grind' Mix tape. Do you plan or have you did any other drops with them?

Shock G - I last saw Eli of Moblife at a 2Pac birthday/Mutulu Shakur benefit concert in Manhatten that was put on by Mopreme Shakur & inwhich we performed with Dead Prez and some of Thug Life. He gave me that mix CD and told me he wants to get me on the next one Jah willing. So we'll see, I hope so.

- Are you going to be on Mopreme Shakur's upcoming album over there?

Shock G - I hope so. Mo's been doing shows with me & Slapbak, the eightpiece live-band I've been collaborating with this year for the live shows. If he needs me, I'm there. And thanx fo' pullin me in to the Wakeup Show in LA that day Mo!

- How did you get all these dudes to commit to the album? Did ya just put a call out or did a lot of them shout out that they wanted to do it?

Shock G - A little of both. And I got all the writers info divied-up & filed with our accountants, so everyone who contributed let's keep our fingers crossed for good sales and usages; there will be checks for everyone.

- Do you find that dropping collaborations is easier for you , with your show schedule than doing full blown album projects?

Shock - Yes, and thanx for asking that, you just helped me understand it. To stay home and put everything else on hold while focusing on one album requires not just a budget but a budget that can keep us all afloat during the process. Otherwise I gotta continue to squeeze in a song here, a song there, while we keep our large network of artists & entertainers afloat. That's why it took over 3 years for me to write, record, mix, and package my own solo album, because it was subject to the same process.

- When will we see 'Lost Files' available again?

Shock G - Lost Files can be downloaded for free right now from the MP3 page @shockg.com. We don't charge for that one cause it's mostly just out-takes & experiments that didn't make the albums.

- The new Digital album I have been told will be ' D-Flow Project'. When is it expected to drop?

Shock G - We switched the artist name from "D-Flow Project" to simply "ShockG" but it still features most of the crew and will hit stores nationwide October 12th as "Fear of a Mixed Planet". Another 'D-Flow' album is the soundtrack to "Sex and the Studio/Volume 2" which will hit stores by Christmas.

- With the heavy show schedule you have, how do you find time for all the rest? I mean this album is not just a fast drop, you can tell that by just one listen.

Shock G - I'd been writing this album in my spare time since may 2000, the year & month I walked away from ecstacy. I had a bad drug scare that year and documented it in the song "Baby You Okay?". It was the first lyric written towards this album. But I didn't began actually recording the album 'till fall 2002 and didn't finally call it finished till this last spring, when I began getting the art ready during the Def Jux tour. (..inbetween digital tours I went out with Murs as his music conductor from march to may 2004, states & canada.) So as you see, there wasn't much rest, BUT I did refuse to let it be rushed and there was no label or management rushing me on this one either. So for those cooperate heads who feel it turned out better than any previous work, perhaps the lesson is; if you want good product, you can't rush the artist. (..unless it's a 2Pac type which is definitely not me. I wish I could work that fast, but it don't work that way for me. Not only am I in my forties, I'm also a virgo and virgos strive for perfection and will tinker away at a project for damn near fuckin ever.) It was a free day here, a free half-a-week there. Anytime it finally slowed down to no tour, no travel, no outside studio session, no family visit, "YES! ..my chance to finish that one song with Yuk", or whatever it was. But yes, I refused to let it be rushed, and didn't care when I finished it, I just wanted it to sound right. Thanks for recognizing that in one listen.

- Have you been asked to produce any tracks on the upcoming Tupac album?

Shock G - No but even better, they asked Deon Evans (formally Big-D the Impossible from Pacs' Underground Railroad) to do a gang of tracks for it and God knows my dog needed that work right now to help with his family & medical bills. He just got a liver transplant and his body is accepting it, Jah blessed!! Luv you D!


- Well with this drop over and out, what is next for Shock G?

Shock G - An eightpiece live band made up of me on keys & others playing all the stuff I ever produced, alive & accurately. So if you got songs wit us and/or just wanna rime over some d.u. production, come "get up in the show, & help us get it crunk son!"

- Well 'Fear Of A Mixed Planet' is truly a fresh concept and something that I hope you have a lot of luck with.

Shock G - Thanx sir.

- Are there any shout outs or things I missed that need to be said?

Shock G - Young people DOOWUTCHYALIKE! As in follow your heart and what you know is right. But never feel like you have to follow in the footsteps of others and do what's popular or trendy. Start your own style. Think, it ain't illegal yet.

- Well I appreciate your time and good luck with the album. I know there are a lot of people who where looking forward to this and I know they will not be disappointed. And I know we will be hearing many more drops from you in the future. It is really good to see ya shinning again-----1-Peace.

Luv!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! shock-geeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TRAGEDY: STILL REPORTIN'
By Toshi Kondo

It is unfortunate that many Queensbridge hip-hop veterans from late 80??€�s and early 90??€�s can now be found on milk boxes or demeaning ??€?Where Are They Now???€? segments. Tragedy Khadafi has avoided this fate with the resiliency and guile necessary to survive 15 years amongst industry snakes. He has craved out a respectable body of work spitting hard street slang mixed with 5-Percenter ideology way before Wu made saying ??€?Gods??€? and ??€?Earths??€? popular. With the pending release of his latest album, Still Reportin??€¦ on 25 To Life/Solid Records, Tragedy took time out to explain the science behind Middle East references, a recent run-in with the police, and his feelings on that dude screaming ??€?What! What!??€?

HHS: You??€�re obviously aware of your XL rating in XXL Magazine and other good write-ups for Still Reportin??€¦. What are your expectations for this album in comparison to your previous work?

Tragedy Khadafi: The main expectations for this album is basically that it gets out there to the public and that my dedicated fans pick it up and hopefully to make a lot of new fans. And also too that people get to listen to my album and sort of go through the journey wit me and just get a glimpse into my mind and my soul and heart and not just take Tragedy and pigeonhole him.

HHS: On the track ??€?Hood??€?, one of you lyrics is ??€?Magazines write articles and show no credit??€?. Are you referring to a specific instance involving you or just in general?

TK: I??€�m referring to me, as well as other artists, as well as people in business in general. A lot of journalists, a lot of magazines don??€�t do their homework thoroughly. I got love for Big Tigger after I finally got to meet the brother and vibe with him, but I felt a certain kind of way when I saw an article where me and Nore had that ongoing beef. I guess he was called to critique my song ??€?Bloodtype??€�, which was an attack on Noreaga??€�s character. And he said in his critique that I sounded like Noreaga and bit Noreaga??€�s style. To me that??€�s offensive because if you knew the history and if you knew the truth, you would know that I pioneered Nore??€�s style.



HHS: In regards to Noreaga, does it bother you that an artist you introduced to the game has achieved more commercial success then you?

TK: Well, I define success in a totally different light. To me I gotta be successful as a man first. In terms of Nore, yeah it can trouble someone when you feel that you??€�ve shown that person nuthin??€� but respect and you feel like you were slighted. But now we??€�re on good terms. We deal with each other fairly and justly. It wasn??€�t always like that. So therefore was I jealous of his success? No. Was I angry, sort of bitter with him in terms of how he moved and the decisions he made? Yeah, for sure. Now in terms of what I put into that project The War Report, I put my heart and soul into it. That??€�s why if you notice I don??€�t really put artists out [anymore].

HHS: Still Reportin??€� uses a lot of sound bytes from movies. Was there a particular theme you were trying to bring across through the usage?

TK: Basically, I don??€�t watch a lot of T.V. I??€�m a movie head. They??€�re certain movies that I like or enjoy that have the sound bytes that really left an impression on me and made profound statements in terms of the struggle and life in general. Whatever I talk about, whether it be a relationship, whether it be the streets, whether it be imprisonment, whether it be politics, I encompass struggle in it. So I wanted to make a soundtrack to my struggle. I wanted to not just make an album, but give you a picture as well.

HHS: You had a lot of different producers that you used on this album. How did you go about getting beats for this album?

TK: Well every time I think about doing a project, I just put the word out. I??€�m very close to the streets. It??€�s proven to be very fortunate for me because I get to meet a range of people. This is the era of hip-hop. Most cats do beats, do rhymes, know someone that does either or and you just connect yourself. You keep your ear to the pulse of the streets and you get the hot shit. So I would basically take time to sift through it. And get with the right producers where I could either share a vision with them or help impress my vision upon them and get them to enhance my vision and also get them to enhance their production skills.

HHS: What was your arrangement like with the 25 To Life label and Penalty? Is it similar to your situation now with Solid?

TK: In terms of the CNN situation, it was a glorified production deal. Now 25 To Life operates and functions as a label. We got a staff. But I??€�m hands-on with everything because that??€�s the only way I know how to work. Sometimes it??€�s very hectic for me being that I have a family and my whole personal life and I??€�m an artist, so I have to be on top of the business and my craft. But 25 To Life now is a full-functioning label. We have a staff like I said. We basically have a distribution deal through Solid/Caroline.

HHS: Earlier you had said you don??€�t really bring out artists anymore, but are you going to with the 25 To Life label?

TK: First in line would be my brother Castro (featured on Still Reportin??€¦), I don??€�t like to concentrate on too many artists for a lot of reasons. One, the reality is that 25 To Life is a small company. Two, I gotta rock with something I believe in. Like when I first met Havoc, I believed in him before he was even Havoc. I believed in his aggression and his persistence and I knew he would make it. He wasn??€�t even really nice at first. But I knew he would do everything it took to become better and that??€�s what he did. And thus you have Mobb Deep. When I met Capone and Noreaga, it was the same energy. See I have to feel that energy. Cause once I feel that energy, no one will deny me. I remember when we first completed The War Report album, Funkmaster Flex, who I respect, I took him the album and he told me ??€?Yo, it??€�s aright. But I??€�ll dip and dab with it since you my man.??€� It winded up being a big record for everyone involved. But I wouldn??€�t let him tell me no. I would sit in front of the radio station every day. Sometimes in the snow, sometimes in the rain, I didn??€�t care.

HHS: You talk about persistence. With all the bs that comes along with doing music have you ever had times you felt like quitting?

TK: Too many to count. I??€�ve got to that point where I felt frustrated and put it down. I actually quit twice in my life. The first time I quit is when I first came home from prison and this is before the Intelligent Hoodlum album ever came out. And it was a dude I met named Joe Fatel who was actually my DJ, who I mention on my first album who really inspired and motivated me back into it because he knew all my rhymes. See you gotta appreciate what your gift is and what your desires are. Once you appreciate that, then realize that??€�s why you get frustrated. It??€�s not necessarily the fame or the money. Just look for instance at Jay-Z. Financially Jay-Z is way above Nas. But Jay-Z felt the need to come and battle Nas because it was a challenge of his craft. It was a challenge of his passion for the music. I always felt his shit, but now I have a even greater respect for him because a man with all that material gain and wealth still has a desire to be number one. That shows that he really loves hip-hop. People don??€�t see it that way because he may talk about flossin??€� and shit like that, but you gotta look deeper than that. From that example alone, I can tell Jay-Z is an intimate lover of hip-hop and music. The second time I wanted to give up, I believe this is like when Dre first dropped The Chronic (Death Row Records, 1992) really wanted to give up and just put it down. And one day I was walking down the street and this dude was in his car with his girl on Canal Street and he just stopped in the middle of traffic, jumped out his car and chased me like half-a-block, and was like ??€?Yo, I??€�m sorry to run up on you like that, but I just had to tell you, I know you probably get frustrated in the business or whatever cause you didn??€�t blow up like all the other artists did, but please keep doing what you doing. You keep me going.??€� And that alone outweighed the times that I??€�ve gotten frustrated.



HHS: With your recent run-in with police officers in New York, you??€�ve experienced the alleged abuse of power by the NYPD first-hand. What factors do you feel contribute to this problem and do you feel it??€�s gotten worse then it was in the past?

TK: It??€�s gotten worse, I mean you always had examples where they would take it to the extreme of course and those are examples like Diallo, and crimes of that nature, which are unforgivable acts. But when it comes down the situation with the man of color, that??€�s always going to be a factor until this government adheres to its promises and it??€�s so-called ??€?constitution.??€? But just in terms of the present day, things have definitely gotten worse and there??€�s a lot of factors that contribute to that. The terrorism thing, I mean you got police using that ??€?terrorism??€? mentality and the so-called fear of terrorism in the United State basically to go buckwild on the streets and profile. Bottom line is they [government] use excuses to make a police state. To declare martial law on motherfuckers.

HHS: Yeah, it??€�s crazy how they passed the Patriot Act because at time everyone was so traumatized from 9-11 that people just let it pass through.

TK: Which leads us to wonder why [9-11] happened. Everybody knows that when you traumatize someone and then come with a false sense of security, the people are going to automatically run with you. Now would the Patriot Act benefit the government? Of course, cause you can go into everyone??€�s privacy. So therefore government is always watching. And therefore always informed, and therefore always controlling. So when we look at that, we say ??€?Damm, why did this big traumatic this happen???€� How could you not know that these people were doing all these things when you keep such a close eye on everything? Maybe you had a hand in it. Maybe you were involved because it??€�s so ironic that the same person you trained and supplied with U.S-issued weapons happened to be the same man that you claimed spearheaded the attack on the World Trade Center.

HHS: Many rappers including yourself (Col. Muammar Qaddafi) haven taken names from leaders in the Middle East? Also, taking to calling Queensbridge Kuwait. What is the significance or correlation there?

TK: It goes back to when you had the 5 Percenters, my thing was at a certain point in hip-hop, everyone wanted to be mafia-affiliated or take on the attribute of a mobster. With me, I was raised with Islamic influences in my life, so I was educated on the fundamentals of Islam, and I read somewhat about Muammar Qaddafi and I respected him as a leader. He didn??€�t rule with cruelty. But overall, even from the CNN aspect, like when we started that, basically we were reportin??€� from the streets. Thus you have the title for the new album Still Reportin??€¦. Like if you listen to the song on my album ??€?Walk Wit Me??€�, I??€�m just breaking down, not just about the World Trade Center incident, but also about just straight-up persecution and assassinations in the black community and the urban community. And if you listen to songs like ??€?Crying On The Inside??€�, I??€�m just talking about losing people and almost losing people in my life whereas people may think we??€�re artists and we making money, we always happy. But in terms of redefining myself by adding on Khadafi, it??€�s like I??€�m a leader and I??€�m not just going to take something on because it??€�s popular to do. So when we came with the whole Middle Eastern thing, everyone was like ??€?Oh shit. It came out of left field.??€�

HHS: Speaking on the song ??€?Crying On The Inside??€�, is your son okay now? He doesn??€�t have any lasting injuries?

TK: No. That??€�s why I made the song. If you listen to the beginning I??€�m saying how I believe in angels. My son fell 30 feet from a project window and all he had was a hairline fracture. The doctor who worked on him came to me and said ??€?I don??€�t know who you are, I don??€�t know what you doing in this life, but God loves you.??€� But I say in the song when I??€�m talking about my son, how my moms and pops, they held his arms and broke his fall.

HHS: Aright, that??€�s all I had. Do you want to leave off with any last words?

TK: October 21st, Still Reportin??€¦ in stores. Show love.

THE ALCHEMIST: THE SCIENCE Of MAKING BEATS > > > > Brilliant !

The Alchemist first got his start as a fourteen-year-old emcee in the Whooliganz, a Cypress Hill offshoot that made little noise. As he got older, Al decided to concentrate more on the aspect of making beats, rather than rocking the mic. For a while, Alchemist studied under DJ Muggs and the Soul Assassins camp, making beats for Cypress Hill and various Soul Assassins projects, yet sometimes was never given credit. Within the last year, Alchemist stepped out from the shadow of his teacher, producing somewhere around fifty songs, for everyone from Swollen Members to Mobb Deep. The now twenty-two-year-old producer works closely with DJ Premier, and with his current track record, could potentially be seen as one of hip-hop??€�s greatest beat smiths ever. We met up with Al at D&D Studios, and asked him to break some shit down for us:



The Alchemist On Beginning:

"I used to hang out at B-Real??€�s crib in Venice and they built a little studio in the back, that??€�s when I first started working with Muggs. As a matter of fact, it was a song that was done back then, with Busta Rhymes and Cypress, this was right when Leaders was breaking up, and Busta was just about to go solo. It never came out, but it was called "Think About It", and they sampled (Special Ed??€�s) ??€?Think About It??€�."

On Muggs and Ghost Producing:

"He didn??€�t really train me because I had already been doing my ground work making beats. By the time I started working with him, I already had a year or two experience working on the ASR-10. Muggs does his own thing, and he??€�s an extremely talented person. You??€�re going to hear stories about what goes on and what went on, and there are definitely situations when I was coming up where I had to go through steps. Everyone goes through them, and at that point, sometimes you feel like you are being sonned, or held down, but that??€�s just how the game is. They were just the steps I had to take, and luckily it didn??€�t break me, it just made me stronger. They just show me more love when they see me doin??€� my thing. I??€�m always going to be representin??€� Soul Assassins, cause that??€�s who put me in the game."

On DJ Premier:

"When I first moved out here, I hooked up with Premier, so I got tight with him, and he put me on with a lot of artists."

On Mobb Deep??€�s "The Realest"

"I got a call from Prodigy that night, and he was like ??€?Yo, remember that beat you were playing? Come through.' Him and Havoc both liked that beat, and both wanted to use it for their solo projects, but they ended up using it for their album. G. Rap heard it, wrote his rhymes right on the spot and we did it. I tell G. Rap every time I see him, ??€?Man, that shit was an interlude, nobody cared about that beat??€�, then he decided to write to it, and now the beat is incredible."



On Royce The 5??€�9??€�s "I??€�m The King"

"That was the first beat he ever picked from me. I didn??€�t think much of it, but the artist made the beat. When he was writing rhymes to it, I didn??€�t know where he was going with it, but he freaked it."

On Pharoahe Monch & M.O.P.??€�s "No Mercy"

"That was a beat I originally gave to Prodigy, but one day I was playing beats for Pharoahe Monch one day. He heard a bunch of beats and he liked a lot of them, but then I played him that one, and he was like ??€?I don??€�t like any of those other beats but this one??€�. Then there was a scenario that it was Prodigy??€�s beat and everything, but then I told Prodigy that Monch wanted to use it, and he was cool with it."

On Casual??€�s "I Gotta Get Down"

"That was a Dilated Peoples song years ago that never came out. Dante Ross picked that beat out, and Casual was in love with that beat. I tried to give that beat to M.O.P. a while back, but that was before I made the connection."

On Dilated Peoples:

"Evidence and I went to the same high school. After I went on tour with Cypress, I had to find a new high school because I missed too many days. Evidence went to this little private school in Malibu with like 40 kids, and he hooked me up. That was the best thing that ever happened to me. That??€�s how I got in college and everything. I had a lot of input on "The Platform" album, but because I live out here now, I??€�m not in the studio with them everyday. But I am closely involved with Dilated Peoples. We??€�ve been working together for so many different years. Evidence even rhymed on the Whooliganz record back in the day."

On Swollen Members / Battle Axe:

"Evidence hooked me up with Swollen. I was out in Canada, I made the beat for "Front Street" out there. I just did a whole album for Buc Fifty out there for Battle Axe Recordings. I know me and Buck can make ill shit. Madchild is a big fan, and he showed interest. There wasn??€�t a lot of money, but we just said fuck it, and did a whole album. We didn??€�t hold back or nothing."

On Buc Fifty:

"Buck is one of the few people in this industry who I can get down with. We could be in the studio, and I??€�ll tell him ??€?Yo, that rap sucks??€�. We fight and we go through it when we work on music, and that??€�s how you create the best shit. I know him from L.A., when he was Buckwhead in The Wascalz. Before I met him he was from NY, and he moved back here, and he was always cool. I feel like I know how to produce him, I am one of his biggest fans. I know his rhymes better than he does."

On Agallah??€�s "Crookie Monster":

"That was all Jon Shecter??€�s fault. Like ten years ago, Agallah had this idea to rap like that, and one day we hooked up with Sheck, and found the Sesame Street sound, and we chopped it up, and we just brought it back from the dead."

On Versatility:

"If you hear the beat tape right now, you??€�ll hear a lot beats for these types of emcees (Mobb Deep, CNN, Nas, etc). Music is like that, it rubs off of whoever you are around. If I go back to L.A. and start hanging out with Evidence for two weeks, it just takes a minute. You have to go in and out of different zones. I didn??€�t make "Guaranteed" and the shit for G. Rap in the same day."

On Forthcoming Beats:

"I got three joints on Prodigy??€�s album, one of them, "I Keep It Thorough" is my shit, I could play it all day long. They won??€�t even give me a copy. I??€�m doing a lot of work for Mobb Deep. I'm their tour DJ, right now. Everyone from Queen??€�s wants my shit now. I did three songs for CNN, one with Foxy Brown, where she is dissin??€� Lil Kim HARD! I did three songs for Nas??€�s "Queensbridge" project. Also, I did some joints for Everlast??€�s new album, I produced the entire Buc Fifty album, and there??€�s the new D&D Project I am working on now. "

ps: dupa mine, s`a dus si asta . . . pacat

THE ALCHEMIST parca e acum DJ-ul lui EM, la Shady Records....nu?

ONE BE LO: UNDERGROUND LEGEND
By William E. Ketchum III

Whether it's dishing the assist or taking it to the hoop on his own, Nashid Sulaiman has proven that he can play all positions on the hip-hop court. Under the name OneManArmy, him and friend Senim Silla teamed up as Binary Star and proceeded to take over the Midwestern hip-hop scene. Featuring narratives like "Glen Close" and punchline platters like "Indy 500," their full-length album Waterworld earned them a cult following. All the while, Sulaiman steadily established his own identity, doing cameos for other artists, releasing his own solo project, and founding what would arguably become Michigan's most reputable source of hip-hop, Subterraneous Records.

Five years later, One Be Lo has become Fat Beats Records' first officially signed solo artist. With his new album, S.O.N.O.G.R.A.M. (Sounds of Nashid Originate Good Rhymes And Music), he plans to expound on his reputation of bringing quality hip-hop. In a candid interview with HipHopSite.com, One Be Lo talks about his new project, being his label's franchise player, and the difference between an MC and a recording artist.

HHS: First off, tell me about the new album, S.O.N.O.G.R.A.M.



One Be Lo: This is the official introduction to who One Be Lo is and what he's about. I put out records before, but as a solo artist, this is me debuting. My intentions with this album are the give the listeners, or the fans, the consumers??€�whatever you want to call ??€?em??€�an understanding of who I am as an artist, and what they can look forward to, as well as (give an understanding to) MCs, producers, record labels, distributors, whatever. I'm just trying to bring this type of hip-hop to the table; these types of rhymes, these types of beats, this type of vibe to the table. That's what I grew up on, and that's what I'm about.

HHS: How do you think this new album differs from your first solo project, Project F.E.T.U.S.?



OBL: Using the whole analogy of a fetus, (the new album) is just more developed. The first album was just like, "I'll never put out these records, they're just laying around, and if I drop S.O.N.O.G.R.A.M. first, I can never put this record out. So let me drop this one first to get it off my chest." Originally, I was only going to press 1,000 copies and give them to the hardcore cats on the web site; but after selling 1,000 CDs that week??€�and I didn't even announce it, I was "Boom! I've got a CD out!"??€�we kept pressing them. But now I'm a more developed, more mature artist. I'm not where I want to be at yet on S.O.N.O.G.R.A.M. either, but I just want people to see the growth.

HHS: Let's get into your past a little bit. You earned a reputation through Binary Star, a group which consisted of you and Senim Silla, but you two split before the release of Masters of the Universe, the re-packaged version of your first full-length album. What's the story behind that?

OBL: What it all boils down to with that??€�and there's two sides to every story??€�but my side, to sum it up in the smallest words possible, is that we were making good music together, but being an artist, you want to be in a creative atmosphere. You want to work with people that inspire you to be creative to the best of your ability. And, just because you can work with a cat in the field of art doesn't mean you can do business together. Up until that point, we always rhymed together, but we never really did business together.

I would just say it boiled down to creative differences. I don't want to quote nobody or misquote nobody, but I just didn't agree with some of the concepts, I didn't agree with some of the decisions he was trying to make. And he didn't agree with some of my stuff. So I'm like, "Instead of me telling you how to do your thing, just go ahead and do your thing, because you aren't going to tell me how to do my thing. If I think it's live, I'm going to do it. I just thought it'd be better if we went our separate ways." And he's like, "Maybe it is." He went his way, and I went mine. He's doing whatever he's doing, and I'm doing whatever I'm doing.

HHS: There was a bidding war amongst several independent labels for your next album. What made you decide to go with Fat Beats Records?

OBL: As far as the bidding war, I personally didn't know nothing about that. And from Binary Star to now, I've never been a record shopper, shopping my album. My whole philosophy is, I could knock on the door saying, "Hey let me in," or I could make noise on my own and have them at my door saying, "Yo, let us in." When I sent the record to my man who worked at Fat Beats, they were talking about doing a 12-inch. So I said, "I'll send you the whole album, just pick whatever you're feeling." They heard it, and they were like, "Forget the 12-inch, let's do the whole album." I put the stop on what I was doing just to see what they were talking about.

I felt like instead of me going to a huge label where I could just be another fish in the ocean, I'd rather go to a small label where I can actually be a priority. There's not a whole lot of money involved, but at least I can be a bigger priority; I'm not looking for somebody to save my life, I'm just looking for somebody to compliment what I'm doing. I'm not going to lay down and let Fat Beats do it, I'm going to do what I've got to do to push myself, and hopefully these cats can just come in and add to that push.

HHS: Why did you change your name from OneManArmy to One Be Lo?

OBL: I would go on tour, and I would get to a venue where I had never been before, and I would see OneManArmy posters all over the wall. Or I would get calls from people like, "Yo I heard you were in Salt Lake City this week;" I'm like, "What are you talking about?" Well, there's a punk-rock group out there called OneManArmy. There's no legal issues right now, but we just thought it'd be better to avoid that whole tug-of-war thing about who can use this name, take the album off the shelf, etc. We just figured, before the OneManArmy name gets any bigger, lets take the fans right now and make the transition to One Be Lo. And then everybody else, the new people, they'll just see me as One Be Lo, so we can avoid the whole potential legal fiasco. So that's how the whole thing came about. It's not something where I'd rather be that name, but the reason that we did it was all legalities, we wanted to avoid something that was totally avoidable. I'll always say "OneManArmy," and that's what I represent, but just for marketing purposes, it's One Be Lo.



HHS: You're really known for your live shows; you tour a whole lot, and you really know how to move the crowd. First of all, tell me about the preparation you put into your shows.

OBL: It's funny, because my whole life, I don't think I've ever practiced for a show. We don't rehearse routines, or go through songs we're going to do. Maybe I can afford to do this because I have a little catalog, but I'll just go to the venue that night, and I'll just look at the crowd and feel the vibe. If it's 90 percent females, I'm going to do this tonight; if I'm in the hood, and it's all hard rocks there, I'm going to do this; and if I'm going to an elementary school, I've got something for them too. I'm an artist, and I interpret my own music, but because my music is versatile, it's like a menu. Everybody don't eat chicken, and everybody don't eat meat, so if it's a vegan crowd, I've got something delicious for them cats; if you eat meat, I've got something delicious for them cats; if you like junk food, I've got some of that too. I try to feel the vibe of the night, and who I'm performing with will affect what I'm doing, whether I'm going first or if I'm going last, how big the venue is, and that's just all from experience. It's nothing that I can put in a book and explain, I just go with what I'm feeling. Whatever feels good, that's what I'm going to do. I might put together a set list and change it on stage because it doesn't feel right. When you know, you just know what the crowd wants; even if they don't know it, you know.

HHS: In hip-hop, a lot of cats can make great records, but they can't put on a live show that well. Why do you take live shows so seriously?

OBL: First of all, a recording artist and an MC can be the same thing, but they aren't always one in the same. A person who can go in the booth and drop a classic verse, he's a good recording artist, but is he a dope MC? Then you've got cats that can go on stage and kill it, but they can't go in the booth and kill it; he's not a good recording artist, but he's a good MC. Then you've got people that can do it onstage, and can do it in the booth, he's an MC/recording artist. I know cats who have lyrics, but they can't put it together in the booth; I don't know if they get nervous and start sweating or what, but everybody can't do it in the booth, the same way everybody can't do it on stage.

On stage, it's the best way to say, "This is who I am. This is what I look like, this is what I sound like, this is my wit, this is my personality, this is how I perform, this is my presentation." You can see how a person looks on a poster, but what do they sound like? You can see a person's personality in an interview, but what do they look like? In the video you can see certain things, but on stage, do you replicate the album, or do you interact with the crowd? Onstage, you can win a person, and have a horrible CD sitting on the table over there, but you just won them with your personality. Is (the artist) real, is he accessible, is he an asshole? You can tell that when you meet a person, and you see the vibe that you get from them. So that's what the stage show is about; if you've got that, I don't care what you sound like in the booth, you can go anywhere and kill it.

HHS: You're from Pontiac, which is right outside of Detroit. A lot of people see Eminem as the face of Detroit hip-hop, but Detroit's hip-hop scene is deeper than his commercial success. Who else is making noise in Detroit??€�both locally and nationally??€�and how do you think that the Detroit hip-hop scene differs from others?

OBL: When you say "making noise," you've got different levels of noise. You've got the mainstream level, the internet buzz, and the "everybody in Detroit knows who this cat is" (type of buzz). Nobody's making the noise that Eminem's making (on the mainstream level), but a lot of people would argue that technically he isn't even from Detroit; I'm from Pontiac, but I don't represent Pontiac. I don't represent no city; I do what I do, and I don't have a choice of where I was born from. I represent Detroit more than a whole lot of people from Detroit do, but if I say that, (skeptics say), "That nigga's not from Detroit."

If we're talking about strictly Detroit hip-hop, I'm going to have to exclude myself; but if we're talking about the Detroit hip-hop scene and all the cats in Michigan that rock Detroit, form the scene and make it what it is??€�such as myself, AML, Invincible, and others??€�then you have a very diverse scene of very talented people on all spectrums of the rainbow. Everybody ain't on the same thing, but you've got a lot of people doing their thing. I think that Motown has a big contribution to that. By Motown, I mean the Midwest; growing up, I was on A Tribe Called Quest and N.W.A. and Geto Boys. I wasn't West Coast this or East Coast that; we're in the middle, so we're getting all of it. I think cats on the East Coast??€�I don't know, ??€?cause I ain't from there??€�but I think they're going to be a little more biased towards the East Coast, ??€?cause that's where they're from and that's what they're all around. I never realized how beautiful it is to go record shopping and digging in Michigan until I started going other places. We're in Motown; do you know the history and record collections that come out of this place? You go in record stores (in Michigan) and you see this big melting merge of music, and you go somewhere else and they've got some of this and some of that, but I think that the Midwest is the melting pot of music. That's why I think some of the biggest artists??€�whether it's Michigan, Chicago, or whatever??€�come out of the Midwest. There's a lot of soul in Detroit, there's a lot of history in Detroit, and we were influenced by East Coast, West Coast, South, all of them. I was at least; I think that's the big difference.

HHS: Your album comes out February 8, and you have a multi-album deal with Fat Beats Records. What's next?

OBL: I couldn't even tell you man. I would like to believe that whatever's next is going to be hot. The reason I say that I can't tell you what's next is because 90 percent of the songs I wrote just came out of nowhere. Every album that I put out was an accident; from Binary Star to F.E.T.U.S. to Waterworld Too, it was never planned that way, but as an artist, inspiration can just come at any different time. So because of the past, I can tell you that my next album is going to be called this, but at the last minute it might change. So just look out for One Be Lo music. Who am I going to collab with? I can't even tell you; I might do an album with DJ Premier, or I might do an acapella album, but it's going to be the true essence of hip-hop, whatever it is. I want to make music that's going to be here like Enter the 36 Chambers and Illmatic; I don't know if I can achieve that, but I just want to put a smile on somebody's face, and get cats to think about something they don't normally think about.

* * * * * * * * *

2005 > This Cd is a Compilation of Unreleased songs, Remixes, etc Produced by the Trackezoids (Decompoze, Zhao, Magestik Legend and LoBeOne Kinobi). This album also features production by Ant (Atmosphere), Jake One and Pete Rock. A must have in the F.E.T.U.S., S.O.N.O.G.R.A.M., L.I.F.E. collection.

Tracklinst :

1. Dick Head Tracy
2. What You Know
3. Ben Frank
4. Lyrictricity
5. Timelines
6. The Genesis
7. Make Beleive
8. The Host
9. The Hood
10. Whatupdoe
11. Pressure's On
12. You Can Tell
13. Deceptacons (Remix)
14. Unparralleled (Original)
15. Set It Off
16. War Report
17. Ya Never Know
18. Lost In The Shuffle
19. Behind The Music
20. The Bomb
21. The Fever
22. World Wide (Remix)
23. Get Some
24. Rhetorical
25. Rocketship (Remix)
26. Cold War
27. Wake Up (Remix)

Capone: The Definitive Interview Part 1
By Martin A. Berrios




Going on almost ten years in the game, Kiam Holley's story has yet to be told. As one half of the acclaimed Rap group, Capone-N-Noreaga, Capone has quietly seen it all and been through it to match. Growing up in the infamous Queens Bridge Housing Projects, he got the Hip-Hop itch at an early age. Straight from the source??€�s mouth, "It's funny, ??€?cause Shante basically raised me man. Coming up, being a Hip-Hop fan, I felt good having people I saw on TV right in my backyard. I could see Craig G., MC Shan, Tragedy [Khadafi], Marley Marl, so I felt good.??€? During the release of CNN's The War Report, N.O.R.E. was forced to promote the album by himself, as ??€?Pone was locked up on a gun charge.
With the release of their follow up The Reunion, came even more drama. Foxy Brown aired out rival Lil' Kim on "Bang Bang," which caused tension in the streets between all parties involved. One weekend afternoon, Lil' Kim and members of Junior M.A.F.I.A. were exiting New York radio station Hot 97 as Capone and company were entering. Screw faces were exchanged, shots were fired and Hip-Hop history was written.

As of late, N.O.R.E. has continued to further his solo career, as ??€?Pone has been rarely heard or seen, leaving many to make their own assumptions about the group's future. Now with his first solo album Pain Time And Glory in the chamber, AHH caught up with the QB G during his mastering session. We talk CNN, record executive slime, Hip-Hop police and get an inside look into what he says went down at the Lil' Kim Trial.



AHH: What??€�s new, man? Where you been?

Capone: I been in the muthaf**king hood! [Laughs] Nah, I??€�ve been in the studio recording. I??€�ve been working hard on this album. I??€�ve been really focused on doing this solo album for about three years, but prior to that, I wasn??€�t focused on doing a solo album. I was basically focused on just getting situated and getting it where it needed to be.

AHH: So if you weren??€�t focused on doing a solo album, what was the focus all this time?

Capone: I was just recording, basically just focused on getting my s**t tight. I was away from the game for a minute. There were still things I wanted to touch and better myself at. So basically I was in the studio just grinding.

AHH: During the height of the West coast vs. East coast, it seemed that Queens was the only borough to stand up as a unified body, and y??€�all did the song ??€?L.A. L.A.??€? How did that come about? Y??€�all were throwing cats over bridges in the video.

Capone: Right know you got two ways to get in the game. Know somebody or diss somebody. And we took the diss somebody route because we knew the people we knew, and that was s**t wasn??€�t getting us to where we needed to be. So it was like, f**k that. Much respect to Snoop, Dogg Pound, that??€�s my family right now. But at that time, it was like, ??€?Muthaf**ka, how we going to get in the game and get it right???€? And the best way that we seen was a opportunity that was thrown at us to do a song for the Bad Boy mixtape. So we said ??€?s**t, what better song to do than to go back at the West Coast n***as on that tape." That was the biggest way to make it pop off. So we did the record ??€?L.A., L.A.??€? Puff heard it and was like, ??€?Nah, I can??€�t do this.??€? And I respected it as now, being a businessman and O.G., That??€�s not the art of war he was playing. So cool, we put the record out ourselves. We pressed up the record thanks through Stretch Armstrong. And we took it like that. That got us in.

AHH: Both of CNN??€�s albums were hot in their own right. Can you get into the making of The War Report?

Capone: S**t, that was a lot of f**king pain and suffering making that album. We got our record deal in December of ??€?95. Me and NORE had about 10,000 a piece. We went and bought all the same clothes so we could like a Rap group. Same Avirex jacket, same kicks all types of s**t. That was our first checks from rapping so we were feeling like a Rap group. After that money was gone, then back came the bulls**t. You know $10,000 don??€�t last long baby, especially when you got family to take care of. Two months later, my house got raided.

AHH: By who?

Capone: Police. You know n***as rattin??€� in the hood. You know I hold my weight in gold baby, I put my twirk in, I did mine. Even though a n***a trying to get out of the hood, you can??€�t take the hood out of a n***a. So n***as know I??€�m still moving accordingly. So they figure the best way to stop my shine, is to get the police involved. Then that happened and I get caught with some guns. I go to jail on February 28th. I get bailed out March 5th. March 12th, my moms die. So it was like she was holding off for me until I got home, so it bugged me out. Mind you, this is all while we were recording the album. So in the middle of June, three of my mans die in a car accident. The next day after that, I got shot. So after getting shot, you know I??€�m in the hospital a couple weeks, I come home. I go back to the studio. Remember I got locked up in February, so I got a case. I??€�m going back and forth to court through all this s**t, arm in a sling, f**ked up. On November 19th, I turned myself in to do my bid. The judge told me, ??€?If you want to stay out another two weeks, I??€�ll give you another two weeks.??€? I was drunk as a muthaf**ker, I hurled on the court steps. I??€�m rocking in the court room, mad weed in my ass. I had everything, my shank. Ain??€�t no s**tting that back out, baby. That??€�s real G s**t. [Laughs] If you a gangster, you really respect it. This all happened in 1996, and I still managed to keep my head up. I think jail really focused me. Because at the end of the day, I am the only child, no brothers or sisters. All I had was my mom. That was my first time really being alone with out her. My first bid I did in jail, she was there. This one, I was on my own.

AHH: So what about The Reunion?

Capone: S**t, I came home man. I came home like a boss. I set that coming home pretty s**t off.

AHH: So what's your favorite CNN album right now? What's more special to you?

Capone: Ughhh, The War Report. On The Reunion, I was a rapper, The War Report, I was a street n***a. I didn??€�t really know anything about Rap. I wasn??€�t growing up to be a rapper. I stumbled upon the s**t. Like I tripped on the deal, like oh s**t sign where? I still had loose cracks in my pocket when I signed the deal! It was hard, but I made the transition. I made the switch.

AHH: What's up with you and N.O.R.E. now a days? Keep all the way funky.

Capone: I keeps it 100% funky, I don??€�t front. Me and N.O., we family, it??€�s beyond partners. We could argue all day about records, about music, about whatever it wants. But it all goes down, because we have to see each other. So what y??€�all may not see on in the personal, y??€�all might think on record. Will there be another CNN album? You??€�ll see, because I can??€�t tell you that. Right now he??€�s doing him, Reggeatoning it, and I??€�m doing me. At the end of the day, he??€�s on his road to success, and I??€�m on my road. It??€�s all right for people to do that. We don??€�t fight, we don??€�t have arguments, everything is cool. You not gonna hear about me getting on the radio and saying I wrote his verse and s**t. You know what I??€�m saying? We don??€�t bump like that.

AHH: What lead up to the separation?

Capone: I didn??€�t want to do the Reggaeton thing like that. He wanted to do that, so that??€�s basically what that is. I love Reggaeton music, but I feel like I haven??€�t even made my mark on what I??€�m trying to do.

AHH: You cool on Reggeaton music? How do you feel about him crossing into Reggeaton?

Capone: I love Reggeaton music, n***a. My kids are Spanish, man. At the end of the day, the music is great. Man, I been to Puerto Rico. I been to the hoods in Puerto Rico. I been to the parts of Puerto Rico, that Puerto Ricans never been to. I feel like Reggeaton, it was about time. Everywhere I go that was musically orientated, I think Puerto Rico was the only place that didn??€�t get their national shot. Jamaican Reggae music just blew up from Shabba [Ranks] hitting the scene. Now so maybe Daddy Yankee and these dudes could take Reggaeton to the level that has longevity like Reggae music and all other types of music that??€�s not Hip-Hop.

AHH: What??€�s up with your album?

Capone: The album is called Pain Time And Glory. I don??€�t know what people think of Capone as an artist. I know what people think of me as a n***a in the streets, but when you hear this album you??€�re going to respect me as an artist. You??€�re going to feel good in the way the CD [feels] to you and I??€�m going to feel good in the response Ima get. Every song on the album is an experience on its own. I got Scarface, Raekwon, Peedi Crakk, Akon, Bun B, Devin Da Dude on there, C-Murder.

AHH: Can you get into the situation with you and Screw in New Jersey last year?

Capone: I can??€�t really talk about that situation, there??€�s an investigation pending on that. There??€�s basically a situation where we were at a comedy show where s**t got a little bit out of hand. This dude was acting a little shaky. Screw being the type of dude he is, he love his family and he considered me family. And if you??€�re family, you??€�re gonna go all out for your family. And he felt that we were in harmful situation, so he stood up. In he event of standing up, the opposition was prepared for the other opposition and my man Screw, rest in peace, got killed.

AHH: How has that affected you?

Capone: Yo, that kind of f**ked me up. I??€�ve seen n***as get killed, I??€�ve been in shootouts, I??€�ve been in a lot of predicaments in life, that is one predicament that I can truly say that I hate talking about. I hate talking about that s**t. I can talk about getting shot, loosing my mom, but that situation is one situation that really gets under my skin.

Specially fo` Deena >



MIXING IT UP WITH SHOCK G
By Pizzo

Let's start from the beginning - tell us how you hooked up with Macola Records for "Underwater Rhymes"?

My manager at the time Atron Gregory quarterbacked that. I always stress to aspiring artists the importance of having a manager. It shows that at least one person other than yourself believes in you and is willing to spend his own precious time and efforts on your project. Just you yourself believing in you is not enuff. Of course you believe in you, you're you. Of course you think you got a hit, you wrote it. Of course you love it, it's you.

Why did you decide to invent characters like MC Blowfish and Humpty Hump rather than just doing Shock G? Do you feel you "created a monster" with Hump?

It wasn't a why should I thing, it was more of a why not? I once read a quote from George Clinton saying "Characters live longer than real humans do, look at bugs bunny, still young and funny as ever." Humpty was a rapper that I wanted to see, but nobody else was doin it, so I just did it myself.

How long were you able to successfully hide the fact that you and Humpty Hump were one in the same? Do you have any good stories of industry people or fans being fooled by your duality in person?

It still goes on today. I'll spend an hour choppin it with a cat backstage, going in and out of the voice and other Humptyisms, and then out of the blue he'll say "so is the guy wit the nose coming tonight?" and be dead-ass serious and eager to meet him. When we showed up with my true-life younger brother dressed as Humpty at the Arsenio Hall show to do "Same Gang" with NWA, ..Easy-E & Mike Conception was both like "wait a minute, what da fuck is goin on, I was just talkin to Shock-G dressed as Humpty and then Shock-G walked up!!"

As far as your deal with Tommy Boy was concerned, on paper was Digital Underground just Greg Jacobs? Or were you collecting checks for Eddie Humphrey as well?

Eddie Humphrey, Shock-G, Humpty Hump, M.C. Blowfish, S. Bocaj (jacobs backwards), P. Washington (Peanut Hakeem Anafu Washington), Piano Man, and DFlo-production squad are all registered with BMI as A.K.A.s for Greg Jacobs so that I can collect & keep track of my publishing & writers royalties. Only I signed with Tommy Boy, not the other d.u. members, Pac, Money-B, etc. This was a move we learned from George Clinton so that we didn't tie-up the whole click on one label. George had what was basically one group signed to about 6 different labels, as Funkadelic here, as Parliament there, as the Brides of Funkenstein, as Bootsies Rubber Band, etc. So we tried to do the same thing with Raw Fusion on Hollywood Basic, Pac on Interscope, Saafir on Quest, etc., though we all still worked on all the albums.

Everybody has their Tommy Boy horror stories and disses, from De La Soul to Naughty By Nature to Nore. How was your experience?

I got nothing against Tom & Monica, they were just business people being true to what they do just as we we're trying to be artists. Tommy Boys' style was to keep it hot, blazing, new, trendy & pop, so once your trendiness began to wear off, so did their attention & effort in you. Can't turn around n blame 'em for that though, because when I was new & trendy, we loved all the attention and support. Queen Latifah, Treach, De La, myself & others are all fairly established in the game now and we all owe our start to Tommy Boy Records.
One way I did tease Tom over the years was that his label was a freak show, all weirdos n misfits. He had Africa Bambaata the spaced-out inter-galactic emcee, Stetsasonic a hip-hop "band", Queen Latifah who at the time was one of the rare few bisexual female-rappers, Humpty-Hump a plastic nose & plaid suit wearing rapper, De La Soul the hippie rappers, and Rupaul the transvestite. Tommy Boy Records, the circus of the industry! Hee hee.

...

Obviously you probably get asked about 2Pac all the time, but what was your relationship like with him after he left Digital to persue his solo
career?

Like an ambitious family member who went on to become extremely popular, busy & successful. The love & support of each other never died, but the day-to-day communication was just not possible. On those rare occasions when we would cross paths, like once or twice a year and usually to work rather than socialize, we would simply pick up where we left off, comfortably & casually as if we never stopped. I tried not to fuss & sweat him too much because I knew what he was going through and it was the last thing he needed or wanted more of.

On your new album, Fear of a Mixed Planet, why did you decide to use the moniker Shock G, rather than Digital Underground? Will you continue to work as Shock, or will you release future records as DU?

Can't know, let's just see.

How do you feel the new material differs from the old material - or do you feel that it has not changed?

Hopefully a little wiser overall as we've matured a bit and seen alot over the years. I tried to dump some of that wisdom into the new stuff without being preachy or arrogant. In hindsight, I was alittle big-headed and aloof in peak d.u. times. I made a serious effort to come down out of the clouds and be more conscious and connected to the world this time around. When I realized how much of what we say & do was influencing the youth, I started to watch what I promote, and try to guide them or at least nudge them into being thoughtfull and careful with their futures. Being the freak of the industry, drinking all the Hennessey you got on the shelf, and getting loose in a bathroom can all leave you ass-out in the world if you're not careful and selective. And even some of Pacs advise wasn't all good in my opinion. We all loved Pac for his courage & fearlessness, and yes, stand your ground and be strong about what you believe in, but always being the first to blast is not necessarily good advise. Being the first to blast is usually a no win situation. You either kill, wound, or get killed or wounded; either way your future is fucked. There's alot of alchoholics & sex addicts out there who are my fault. There are also alot of young people in prison who are Easy-Es and Pacs fault. We make it look fun & survivable, but for many it's a trap. Choose your path wisely young shorties out there. Think before you act. Not every cause, insult, or attack to your pride is worth throwing your future away.

What is the story behind the ultra hard to find release, Digital Underground "The Lost Tapes" - why was it so rare?

It's nothing. Those are mostly throw-aways that didn't make the albums for a reason. If you're really into us, I guess it's something to have, sorta like bloopers and experiments. I don't know where to get that stuff, it's mostly bootleg anyway.

You've been working a lot with Murs on tour and on the song "Risky Business" - how did you hook up with him? Would you ever consider producing an entire album or at least EP with him?

If Murs asked that of me I'd have to do it. The question is, could we keep it consistantly dope & interesting? Hmmm, I believe so. If any label, investor or executive producer also thinks so, get at us (Murs & I) with a budget and we'll make it happen. I'm sure Murs will pull in a great guest emcee or 2 or 3. And I'd be open to collab with the producers & musicians of his choice cause he usually makes good decisions about stuff like that. But we'll need doe to pull it off comfortably. Otherwise we gotta keep doin what we know will feed us which is whatever we're doin at the moment. That's the reality. We're still just regular grown men with lives, families, bills, debts, and responsibilities. I met Murs in Tucsan at a hip-hop night in a small bar around the corner from his record store in like 2001 or 2. His Murs Rules the World album was so refreshing & intelligent to me that I just had to touch down on something with him if the opportunity ever arose and it did about a year later in LA. I was relocating to LA at the time, living with a friend and looking for a place, when he hit me up online and we just made it happen. He made it real easy and provided a cool low-key spot where we could get it done, a small garage studio with adequate equipment and a smooth engineer. Him & Murs were both humble & friendly and the vibe was good & lite. We joked & got our drink on that night. I hid the fact that I was nervous inside and eager to lay something good. I had to pull it off cause I have alot of respect for what the Living Legends and Mystic Journeymen do and it was the first time in awhile that anyone from those types of cliks got at me. I felt like I was representin for all major-label crossover-rappers who didn't plan to be pop, but just wound up out there. Most of us know we could of wound up in the underground freestyle world just as easily as any of them can wind up on radio; it's a thin line. Murs & I got along so Jah blessed. The topic, title & concept was all his idea. The track was mine, an original but obviously a sequel to the Freaks of the Industry beat.

What is your best Digital Underground memory?

The Doowutchyalike motel party & video shoot weekend in downtown Oakland, no question. It's not that the party was so much better than the others, (the Humpty Dance shoot at Club Townsend in San Fran, the Sex Packets album release party- westcoast, the Sex Packets release party- eastcoast, the I Get Around pool party at the mansion in Malibu, the Return of the Crazy One party/shoot- in the warehouse in San Francisco, the Sex n the Studio party/DVD shoot in that Belly styled hollywood mansion, the Murs Risky Business shoot at the former Wutang mansion in LA, etc.), they we're all fun parties. It's because the Doowutchyalike shoot was our first legitimate filmed industry function, our first taste of an entire record company and film crew fussing all over us and fullfilling our every request. It's the most satisfying feeling in the world to have your art validated to the point of a huge production staff all following you around and sweating your creative ideas. The 3-days of half-naked chicks, music & homies didn't hurt either.

I remember something about Sex Packets that the tape had more tracks than the CD - what tracks were omitted from the CD and why?

No reason other than CDs were limited to 70 minutes back then but cassettes could go longer. "Hip Hop Doll" and "Tribute to the Early days" were chosen because one was already released as a B side to the pre-album Doowutchyalike single, and the other was just an ol'skool cassette jam taped off Kenny Ks radio show in 1986 or so. Me, Kenny-K (Kenneth Waters, R.I.P.), The MD Dazzlin Doc-P, and an emcee named Skoobie used to call ourselves The 4 Horseman and would do routines over the air on 88.5 WMNF in Tampa back in the day. That was one of those recordings.

. . . More piks can be found on His website . . . http://www.shockg.com/

On the new album, you speak about race pretty openly. Why were these issues not touched upon as heavily on your previous albums?

"Now red white tan black yellow or brown, it really doesn't matter we can all get down and do what we like..."

"Black people, white people, Puerto Ricans, Samoans, do the Humpty Hump"

I think that is because I was still part of the sleeping masses perpetuating color distinctions and divisions, subliminally without even realizing it. The biggest stronghold of racism & discrimination is in our own minds, our inability to simply refuse to catorgorize each other that way. Everytime a magazine, newspaper, TV spokesperson, familymember, or official refers to a person as a color, everysingle time we refer to a person as black or white, we've contributed to keeping a line between the two. Everytime we pair up couples that way in films & TV shows, we're quietly teaching the youth who they're "allowed" to date or interact with. Just like all the other animals, newborns don't make that distinction, untill they learn it from us. Otherwise people would pair up according to their interests and lifestyles which is what nature would have us do in the absence our cancerous color divisions. Active kids would run & play together, quieter kids would chill, wanderers would wander together and so forth. And later as adults the same thing would apply, bookworms would meet in the library, scientisists in the lab, athletes on the field, etc. A father would first expect his outdoorsey daughter to come home with another active outdoorsey person, before he expected her to link with a person of the same color. What in the world has color got to do with anything?
Put it this way, some people have the characteristics of a sports car, fast & racey, and others are more like a van or sport utility vehicle, helpful & practical. If your into sports cars, a viper of any color will make you happier then a van of any color, right? But because we put so much emphasis on color, most humans wind up with a bad choice in mating, and a person who seeks a "luxury car" winds up making babies with a " pickup truck".

..But it was the right color!

Which one of your songs would you say your from your entire career is? What song would you say is your least favorite?

Can't know. It's all moods and perspectives. When I'm chillin with a woman I'm proud of I Get Around or Kiss You Back, but when I'm chillin with the Arch Bishop Magic Don Juan, I'm proud of Good Thing We're Rappin. When I'm wit Heather Hunter or India (porn actresses) it's Freaks of the Industry, but when I'm wit Moms it's Wussup Wit the Luv or All in the Same Gang. When I'm alone it's Jerkit Circus.

Who are your dream artists to work with in hip-hop and outside of hip-hop?

Lauryn Hill, Fionna Apple, RZA, Avril Lavigne, or Kool Keith. He's insane, I like that in a person. I like the total artists, the singer-songwriters, the self produced people who present a whole unique aura in their own world. Prince, RZA, Andre3000. I wouldn't mind being Humpty on a Beastie Boys song, that would be filthy. I wanna do a song with with Luci Liu. I bet she's got a great flow. Hey Luc, if I made a beat for you would you do it? I would give you my best!

What can we expect in the future from Shock G?

Better posture and a more grateful attitude. I been doin some yoga & learning to meditate.

un super interviu cu Jay Z... Jay Z mereu da interviuri tari... pacat ca a fost ignorat pe thread-ul asta..

Q-UNIQUE: WITH A VENGEANCE
By Max Herman

Sometimes support from a friend or family can quickly turn turmoil into triumph. For Q-Unique a simple phone call from longtime friend Ill Bill (of Non-Phixion) was the spark that helped ignite his solo career. When Q's days with the Arsonists seemed to be coming to an end, Bill jumped in, ready to help get his album and name out and into the public. Now, approximately two years later, Q-Unique has been across the country performing on the Warped Tour and is set to drop his surprisingly personal solo debut, Vengeance Is Mine, October 19th on Uncle Howie Records. While the future of the Arsonists has yet to be written, one thing for certain: Q's name is getting out there and he's got plenty to say, so listen up.



HHS: What was it like performing on the Warped Tour?

Q-Unique: Ahhh man, you know it was good because I was performing in front of people that I normally never perform for really. You know--punk rockers, people with Mohawks. Obviously you get your fan-base that come in because they want to see you but just being surrounded by rock people all day was definitely a dope experience for me.

HHS: And how did the punk-rock kids embrace you Non-Phixion and Immortal Technique?

Q-Unique: They were good--they were with it you know? When you do something and you do it from the heart and it's real according to you, people are gonna accept that. You know what I mean? People can sense what's real. I'm not saying what's real for hip-hop itself 'cause I'm not cocky like that. I'm not saying that what I do is supposed to be all of hip-hop, but it's real according to me. You know what I'm saying? So that's the way I see it.

HHS: What are some of the craziest things that happened on tour?

Q-Unique: Man first of all just traveling in a 15-passenger van with Non-Phixion across the U.S. being cramped... that in itself was crazy. And driving for seven hours, fourteen hours--all that shit was absurd. Because you're cramped in a van all day, after a while it just starts working with you, so you do something about it or you don't. For me I would do things like crowd surf in the van and brothers would get mad at me (laughs). I was getting fed up kid so I would put on like the Slipknot album--the new Slipknot album-- and the shit would come on and I'd start crowd surfing and slam dancing in the middle of a 15-passanger van (laughs).

HHS: Yeah, I can't even imagine how some cats are on tour for half the year. It's ridiculous.

Q-Unique: Yeah, it gets to you after a while but you gotta really make (the) best for what it is because you get homesick real quick.

HHS: So once you got home did you guys run into any of the (Republican Convention) protests or did you kind of steer clear of Manhattan pretty much?

Q-Unique: I stood clear of it. I mean I got peoples' backs for what different people stand for but I definitely ain't trying to be in there like that. You know what I mean? That's not my bag.

HHS: About your album that's coming out, Vengeance Is Mine, it's a lot darker and more personal than anything we've heard from you before. How long have you been waiting to make an album like this?

Q-Unique: I think it's been since the middle of the Arsonists. I would do things on the side that would be really personal and really dark but it just never made the album because the Arsonists' albums were more of a compromise of five different people and a certain direction. The Arsonists had it's own direction and obviously the direction that I went wasn't the majority of the direction. So I've always wanted to do it, but there was always something inside me that also stopped me from doing it for myself. It was more of like me having it inside me and then Bill saying, 'Yeah, that shit's gonna work, that shit's gonna be hot.' So once he co-signed it, I had all the more confidence to say, 'Okay, that's what I'm gonna do--I'm gonna tell people my story.'

HHS: Was it a relief to get all the strife from your childhood onto record?

Q-Unique: Yeah. Yes it was. You know what? At first as an MC you got that ego, you know what I mean? So you feel vulnerable, but then after a while, as a human being, it was like therapy because I was able to get rid of a lot of demons--not really get rid of them, 'cause you never get rid of them. But at least you get them outside in the open. It's like ya'll are listening to me vent and I appreciate it... and also tell ya'll a story--a real story to hold your interest with that. You know?

HHS: So how long has this been in the process of being written--this album right here?

Q-Unique: (Pauses) You know (laughs), that's a good one. I started out a solo artist right--in the late '80s--from there (I) just kept on getting with different groups and different things. So if it's based on just being from going solo to getting back to solo, it's been a long adventure. The album itself took a couple a years to really map out, get all the beats and get all my ideas together and also to warm people up to my presence. It was a whole strategy... 'cause not only did I have to go and write an album and get everything together, but I also had to get on the road and get on stage and alert people to the fact that Q-Unique was standing alone. And Non-Phixion helped me out a lot with that 'cause they took me to Europe and they took me on the Warped Tour and they took me to different places and they were like, 'Look, this is our boy, believe in him and this is what he's doing now.' You know?

HHS: Yeah. On "One Shot" you speak on how A&Rs told you that a Puerto Rican could never sell but then Fat Joe and Big Pun come along and then things changed. So did any majors approach you about putting this out?

. . .

Q-Unique: No. I've lost my confidence in majors. I never considered shopping this to a major. Those experiences were based on when I was a little younger and I went and shopped my demos and people would say the most absurd, racist things to my face. You know? It was bizarre. When you're an artist sometimes you fall naive to the reality and you want to believe that people listen to you music based on skill and merit and that it's a good song, but the way the business breaks it down is: race, creed color and where you're coming from and what kind of character you're bringing up. So I've been told everything from 'Puerto Ricans won't sell' to 'You need to rap in Spanish' to all types of shit. You know? And for me I was like, 'Fuck ya'll, I'm a hold my ground' and I wasn't dictated. The Arsonists shit was real successful in a sense of getting my name out there and getting the whole crew's name out there. You know we did our thing. And Bill and the rest of the Uncle Howie people--they got my back. And people that have been hearing the album, slowly but surely, everybody's been okay with it. So I believe I'm doing something good. You know what I mean?

HHS: Definitely. So that's why you went with Uncle Howie--because you knew that would let you do whatever you wanted to?

Q-Unique: Nah, not at all. I mean I easily could have just did my own thing. It was just to have a brother of mine that believed in me. When you see hard copy of the album come out, there's gonna be a little story in the jacket and it's gonna say that the album was put together through friendships--because it was based on Bill calling me. You know me and Bill and have known each other for a long time so toward the end of the Arsonists whole thing he just called me out of the clear blue sky like, 'Yo, what are doing?' 'What are you doing with yourself?' And he was concerned. And I told him, I don't know if I'm gonna do this Arsonists thing and initially he was like, 'Just come on the road with us.' And then it went from there and he'd seen me performing and he was like, 'You know what? Let's do a solo album. I think you deserve it.' And that's how it came about really.

HHS: So are the Arsonists officially done now?

Q-Unique: For now it's my turn. That's all I can tell all the fans. I know what everybody's thinking--I know what everybody is wondering. I guess everybody should ask me that question in about a year or so. You know what I mean? After I get my fill (laughs lightly).

HHS: I guess everyone's wondering 'cause back in the '90s the Arsonists were mad deep and the numbers just started dwindling down. Is it because people just wanted to do their own thing?

Q-Unique: It was a lot of things. It was bad internal--not really bad where cats is trying to kill each other--but it was internal beef and just not being able to see eye to eye. We grew up together man and so when you have that and you're really that close as brothers man, after a while you need space--you're growing up, your ideas start to change, your ideas ain't the same as the other cats' ideas and you want to see things in a different way. You need the space so that's exactly what happened.

HHS: All right.. Most people don't know that you make beats too but you produced both of the Arsonists' albums right?

Q-Unique: Yes I did.

HHS: And also a lot of this album right?

Q-Unique: Yes I did.

HHS: Okay, do you have any other production in the works for other people too?

Q-Unique: Yeah, me and Bill are getting together to do a production company called Hit Mongers. And I'm going to be producing for the Non-Phixion album and my main objective is to get my career going, but what I really love to do the most is to find some new cats, a new group or whatever and bring them up through the ropes and produce for them and give them the shortcuts. You know what I'm saying? Just do that. I want to be one of them kind of cats. But at the same time I'll bow out gracefully. I'm not one of those rappers that just won't go away like some of these ignorant fools, but if the Supreme Being blesses me where people just want to keep hearing Q-Unique then so be it.

HHS: Basically you also want to be an A&R with integrity?

Q-Unique: An A&R with integrity and a producer, you know--somebody that they can trust. I'm not walking in there like on some scheming and on some half-ass shit. The way things is with my album is the way I want to do other people's albums. Bill came through (and) he not only said, 'Let's do a solo album,' but he sat with me through the whole thing and he made sure shit was tight. He was there like Rick Rubin--like Rick Rubin does with all the groups he produces. That's the way I want to be. I want to be able to spread that kind of love too--make sure that shit is tight. Know what I mean?

HHS: Being that your album is about come out pretty soon, what else do you want people to know about it?

Q-Unique: I just want people to really pay attention. I know that sometimes as a musician we get over-detailed with our work and with other people's work--meanwhile the average consumer could just breathe through your chin and they just look for the basic elements. I'm like, that's cool, you can look for the hot beats, you could look for the quick one-liners here and there, but overall I just want people to listen and really pay attention. I really put my soul into this and I really feel good about it and the people that surround me feel good about it and now the strangers that I don't know feel good about it, so I really want people to pay attention and just enjoy it and peep it out.

APATHY: HERE's My MIXTAPE
By: Matt Conaway


HHS: Let's get right into it and talk about what everyone wants to know. You've been signed to Atlantic for awhile now, and I'm sure this is the number one question you're tired of fielding, but what's the reason(s) your debut has been delayed so long?

Apathy: The reason for the delay is singles. Hit singles. I've recorded a lot for the album, and I'm sure everyone out there has their own opinion of what I should do, or what Atlantic should do with me... but I really have to say that Atlantic knows what they're doing. I can't just put out a regular club joint. Or some regular ass boom bap song. It has to be different, catchy, lyrically dope (considering that I'm adamant about maintaining my artistic integrity), and appeal to a wide variety of people. The bar has been set so fuckin' high, that you have to come out the gate with some real different shit. Cuz off the bat, the scrutiny is gonna be overwhelming.

HHS: Any truth to these rumors so we can clear those up now. 1.) That you experienced a major case of writers block. 2.) That Atlantic wanted more commercially accessible material out of you (as any major label does) and it took you out of your comfort zone and took you a minute to grasp what they are/were looking for.

Apathy: There is truth in both of those statements.

1.) I was having writers block, off and on... but I was also getting a tremendous amount of shit recorded at the same time. I'm my own worst enemy when it comes to writing. I'm a perfectionist to the point where it drives me insane. What people don't understand, is that through the years, all my records that were ever released, were songs that we were willing to leak... like battle rap shit. But in actuality, the shit you HAVEN'T been hearing, are my concepts, and stories that I always put aside for albums. Which I write A LOT more of, than battle raps, or braggadocios raps. So sometimes, the pressure of writing conceptual tracks, coupled with trying to make hits, can be stressful, and form writers block for a second.

2.) Of course they want commercially accessible material from me. That's how they're going to sell records. This is the music BUSINESS. Not music Art Foundation. It's my job to maintain artistry. It's their job to sell records. I was always under the assumption (being that I was Indy, and Indy is sooo anti major label), that they would want to turn me into a pop project. Like a Stagga Lee, or some other white pop rapper. My A&R (who is in charge of what goes on my album, when it comes out, and what goes on with it), Mike Caren, WANTS me to do something different. He actually WANTS me to maintain my lyrical integrity. He WANTS me to have hip-hop classics on the album. He does NOT want me to sell the fuck out with some corny shit. Cuz at first, I didn't know what to do. So we started makin' stereotypical club shit. And he says "No... that's not you. Be yourself." Which actually shocked me. Nowadays shit is different. Artists like Outkast, Eminem, Ludacris, Kanye West, Missy, Timbaland, and Alicia Keys... have made it OK and commercially viable to do some different shit. So that's where I'm at now. Trying to make a single that's gonna be huge... but still me.

HHS: Every artist wants to be a priority at their label and Atlantic is a huge label, with a slew of commercially successful artists. Yet, recently Atlantic signed a group that has been making allot of noise on the underground circuit---Little Brother. To many this seemed like another instance of you getting put on the back-burner and falling out of favor with the label. With all that in mind, have you ever felt slighted while at Atlantic?

Apathy: Not in the slightest. Here's another example of being on the outside, looking in, and trying to GUESS what's going on. Little Brother getting signed has NOTHING to do with me. We have two separate A&R's, on two different sides of the continent. My A&R is Mike Caren, out in LA... I believe their A&R is Rob Tewlow, who's in NYC. The label kept me. They dropped TONS of acts. But kept me. They have faith in me. They give me love, and help me out with anything I ask for pretty much. But they need singles. What can they do with me, if I don't give them anything to work with? They don't want to start promoting me... cuz then everyone will be like "Why can't I buy his album?? Where is it??". I'll have adds, promotion, and talk, but no product. You can't do it like that.

HHS: Looking at the situation from a glass half full perspective, the delay has also giving you an opportunity to continue growing as an artist/lyricist and to really ensure the debut is crafted and polished correct?

Apathy: Hell yeah. I thank god they didn't release the shit that I first recorded for them. Cuz its kinda wack to me now. Maybe that's me being crazy... but I really get to watch, and understand what works. I get to watch trends, and learn from other's mistakes.

HHS: How far into the LP are you, who are you working with and what should we expect?

Apathy: I have about 25-30 songs done. I don't record hundreds of songs like other artists do. Cuz 90 % of their shit is usually throw away shit anyway. I prefer quality to quantity. I know that's an old clich?©, but that's real. I'm real picky about what I record. And if an idea is half assed, or just average, I get rid of it.

HHS: To many, at this point it seems as if your immense talents are being wasted by all of the delays. Worst case scenario, if there are further delays in the future at Atlantic, at what point do you decide to cut ties, go for self and shop for a new deal (there has to be other opportunities out there for you) and at any point have you contemplated that scenario already?

Apathy: I don't really think my talent is being wasted. I'm working' on multiple projects at the same time. I'm keeping myself busy, regardless. I'm not the type that can sit still. If there is a hold up, and I have to wait, I'm doing something on the side as well. And as far as contemplating things not working out with Atlantic... Oh yeah. Anything can happen. You'd be a fool not to plan for the worst. Nothing is promised or guaranteed. I'm not really sure about cutting ties, and at what point... cuz I know the label has a tremendous amount of belief in me. However... I definitely always think 10 steps ahead. It's only logical to. So I'm not really worried about anything. I always have contingency plans. I'll always keep it moving. No matter what.

HHS: Obviously the title of your new mixtape, Where's Your Album, pokes fun at that much-asked question, but can the title also be taken as a fuck you to the non-believers?

Apathy: Half of it, is a "fuck you" to the non-believers. It's meant to be read two ways. One was is the question being posed to me. "Ap, where is your album?" Then the question is fired back at people who think they can do better, or someone who thinks they are better than me... so I'm like "Where's YOUR album!?!?"

HHS: Its amazing to me that "Checkmate" was recorded in 1997, I would assume you've accumulated and recorded a bunch of material at this point?

Apathy: Well... I didn't record that in '97. I wrote the verse in '97. But it's always been one of, if not my favorite verse of all time. The problem was, I was never, ever able to find a beat that I liked to fit it. Then by chance, 6 years later... I meet an 18 year old producer from Mass. named Cyrus Tha Great, who hit me with a beat CD. And for some reason, I spit that verse to this beat, and it was perfect. I never thought I was going to find a beat for it.

HHS: Can this mixtape be considered the official jump-off for the promotions of your debut, the buzz starter?

Apathy: Yeah, I think so. That was my aim. To begin all over again. I wanted to show everyone who said anything about me, that I can do it all. Stories, battle shit, introspective songs, concepts, double time, weird flows, rock shit, EVERYTHING. I'm also building a more diverse fan base now.
Another thing I like about this CD is the quality. My DJ, Chum The Skrilla Guerilla, recorded and mixed it, like it was an album. Everything is on point. All the mixes, all the quality. It's not your average mixtape. I don't even really like calling it a mixtape... but hey....

HHS: Has Atlantic heard "Seven Nation Army" and "Personal Jesus" from Where's Your Album? If so, they had to be pretty pleased with the results no?

Apathy: Oh yeah. Those are their favorite songs by far. They really bugged out when I did those. Cuz I didn't just attempt to take some rock shit, and rap over it like whatever. I did it right.

. . . more piks on http://www.demigodz.com/

HHS: Last time I spoke with you (interview for Urb's Hot 100 for 2003), I remember a conversation we had about you working with Pete Rock and how surreal of an experience that was to where you were like "oh shit, I'm actually in Pete Rock's lab." Has there been anyone else that you've had the pleasure of working with that generated a similar feeling?

Apathy: Goin' to Pete's crib was incredible. I come from that era... and hip-hop has always been the biggest thing in my life. Like a religion to me. So meeting dudes like that is just beyond comprehension. I mean, no doubt, they're just people like anyone else... but the music they did, is indelible in our lives. Sometimes if I'm trying to remember something I did, in a certain year, I'll reference it, to what songs were out at the time. Like "Oh, that happened in 94, cuz Gravediggaz just came out". The other thing that was a hug moment in my life was chillin' with Rakim. Ra was madddd humble... and they had me backstage with them, makin' sure I ate with them. Playing Playstation... they were real. Mad down to earth. Mad cool. That shit bugged me out. I met KRS-ONE at the Wake Up Show in LA. A lot of people. Met Big Pun. All of that means a lot to me.

HHS: If we looked in your CD changer right now, what LP's would we find?

Apathy: I'm a little bit out of control with how much Jay-Z I listen to. In my opinion, he is the greatest of all time. So I constantly listen to Jay. Other than that... a lot of old shit. Gang Starr is my favorite group of all time. So a lot of Gang Starr. Nas' Illmatic is my favorite album of all time. I listen to that probably 3 times a week, still. Older Tribe, De La, G Rap, Rakim, old Jeru, Souls of Mischief, Da King & I, Yaggfu Front, Common, Showbiz & A.G. One thing all my friends know about me is... I RARELY listen to a whole CD. I have super A.D.D. (Attention Deficit Disorder). So I'll listen to a song, sometimes even HALF a song, and switch the CD. I'm nuts with that shit. I drive people insane, in the car.

HHS: What is the craziest rumor you've heard about yourself that was completely bogus?

Apathy: I've heard a lot of rumors. That I got dropped. Back in the day, there was a rumor that I was a big fat kid. People thought I was black. People think I'm a rich college kid. I didn't get dropped, was never fat and I'm not black. Was never even close to rich (trying to get there now) and I never went to college.

HHS: What's the most common misconception fans have about new artists that are on a major label?

Apathy: That the label is just gonna fly into action and press out a super star. That they're gonna just throw you on tons of remixes. They think things happen fast. And they don't. Things take a lot of time. This shit is NOT easy... at all... even with a major label. It's almost damn near impossible to translate to people, what it's like being signed. Cuz each person has a unique experience. If I had DJ Clue, co signing for me, or Dre, or Timbaland, or someone... it would happen much faster and be easier. But I have no one. I have me. I'm doin' it on my own.

HHS: If you could have one producer produce a posse cut for you, who would it be and why?

Apathy: DJ Premier!! While Posse cuts are getting fuckin' TIRED. I think Primo would keep it interesting. Like "Speak Ya Clout".

HHS: And who are the two emcees that you would have join you on this hypothetical posse cut?

Apathy: Since it's hypothetical... probably Guru and Nas. I don't even think it would make sense. But who gives a shit. It would come out hot.

HHS: Before the release of the proper debut, are there any of projects we can expect from you after Where's Your Album?

Apathy: Yes. Definitely... Prior to the Atlantic album coming out. I will be doin' an Indy album. I'm going to be using the title of what my first album was supposed to be, "Eastern Philosophy". Most of the songs for the original Eastern Philosophy were either put out already, are on the "Where's Your Album" Mixtape, or are just long gone. But there will be two songs from the original, that I revamped, that are on there. This will be my "Reasonable Doubt", or "Illmatic" or "Ready To Die". I'll talk more about it later. But this is gonna be real big. I can't say who's putting it out yet... (Legal shit) but it's a huge Indy label. Atlantic kinda hooked me up with them, to help with my street buzz, prior to the major label album. Atlantic is giving me clearance to do it and it's almost a done deal. I'll let you guys know in the next couple weeks.

HHS: Last Words?

Apathy: I work real hard. My shit is coming out, one way or another. Respect that!! I definitely wanna thank you for doin the interview Matt. I'm so sick of the typical bullshit questions and you didn't go that route. Good lookin' out!! I gotta give respect to everyone who holds it down for me... Celph, Chum, all the Demigodz, Emilio, Mike Caren, James Lopez, Chris Morris, 8TH, Vertigo, Sean, Pizzo, everyone at hiphopsite.com, Natalia L, my Doe$Rakers Click, Emirc, my sisters (Alexis, Chrissy), Jean Grae and Collin... a lot more people. Look inside the album cover.