INTERVIURI

[sunrah]

TRUTH In CONSEQUENCE

By: Jillina Baxter

QUEENS, NY??€� I was invited to the home of Consequence to talk with him about his mixtape, "Take 'Em To The Cleaners". I called Consequence around and he asked if we could meet up around 3:15pm so he could tidy up his place. Come to find out, Consequence stayed around the way from where I was at for the weekend in St. Albans, how convenient. He greeted me at the door with a smile that brightened up the day which had been overcast. He said, "I'm just getting off tour and it's been awhile since I've been here so you gotta pardon my place." I didn't mind the mess well I guess that's a man for you. At least he was hospitable and offered me some refreshments. Before we sat down and kicked it about his upcoming projects, I asked Consequence to take a picture for the website. He said, "I don't usually take pictures unless I'm dressed. I got my pajamas on right now and I need to go upstairs and change". What he called pajamas was actually a T-shirt and a pair of sweatpants which looked alright to me. So after going back and forth about taking the picture, Consequence finally cheesed up. Now that he was relaxed, it was time to ask Consequence about his CD.

JB: What's going on Quence?

CON: What's up, what's up?

JB: Why are you sitting over there? You need to come a little closer, because you're going to be doing most of the talking, ha ha.

CON: What's good Albany?

JB: Let's talk about your mixtape coming out June 22nd, "Take 'Em To The Cleaners"

CON: Like you said, "Take 'Em To The Cleaners is coming June 22nd. The new wave of Hip-Hop has already been in stores and the next phase, "Take 'Em To The Cleaners", my mixed CD features Little Brother, Talib Kweli, Common, of course, my dog, Kayne West, my m-f team, GLC, Linden crew you know how we do. 1-I-2 is in the building.

JB: What are some of the songs featured on the mixed CD?

CON: The white label we pressed up is called "And You Say" featuring John Legend. The B-Side of that is "Doctor, Doctor". "Wack N*****" featuring Kayne, Talib Kweli and of course, Common and me woofing at the end. "I See Now" which is the joint with Little Brother. "So Soul" featuring Kayne, Khayree and John Legend singing the hook. There's a lot of joints on there. "N***** tried To" is my personal freestyle on there. Me and Kayne also redid a version of The Souls of Mischief joint "'93 'Til Infinity" called "'03 'Til Infinity". "Getting Out The Game" is on there which is gonna be on my official album, "Don't Quit Your Day Job" which is most likely coming out on Roc-A-Fella. I'm also working on a novel, "Don't Quit Your Day Job" that will be out the same time as my album hopefully. I got a DVD coming out hopefully before the end of the summer. It's gonna be called "The Comeback Kid" which is sort of like an autobiography just to catch people up on what I've been doing, what I've done, where I'm going.

JB: For the people who aren't familiar with Consequence, you have done some things with A Tribe Called Quest. Is Q-Tip your cousin like blood relative or is he your cousin like Snoop Dogg refers to everyone as cousin?

CON : Q-Tip is really my cousin, family. That's initially how I got started. First thing I ever had in the marketplace was "The Chase Part 2" which is the B-Side to "A World Tour" from the "Midnight Marauders" album. Then I proceeded to join A Tribe. I was featured on the "Beats, Rhymes & Life" album and was on the first single, "Stressed Out" and on half of the album. Then I had a deal on Elektra, but it fell through and I asked to be released. I had an album called "Hostile Takeover" with Busta, Havoc, and ??€¦ whatever. Then I went through my turmoil and shh for a couple of years trying to get back in the game, because I had left A Tribe for business reasons. I caught two more deals between now and then, but you know what I'm saying, they also fell through, but I just kept with it, kept with it, kept with it. So this is what I feel is my college degree, rapping. So I just kept going until I got shh to turn my way and eventually I met Kayne. We clicked up and he opened his home to me. He gave me access to all the beats that Roc-A-Fella artists were rhyming to so I just started making joints. I eventually dropped which was my first mixtape "The Cons Vol. 1 ??€� All Sales Is Final". It got real good reviews. MTV gave me Mixtape Monday Pick of The Month. Source gave me Off The Radar, XXL gave me Show and Prove section at the same time in April so we just kept going from there kept doing new joints. Kayne was working on "College Dropout" and we eventually did the "Spaceship" joint and DJ Enuff was playing at least 5 songs that we did on the radio. So now we're here. "Take 'Em To The Cleaners" is the next step and from there is my album.

JB: So when is the album expected to drop?

CON: Hopefully, most likely the first quarter (2005). Until then I'll probably just put out a couple of singles. I'm on Rell's first single. I have a song on "State Property II" Soundtrack 'cause we're in the movie and shh. I'm just trying to set everything up. Then we're shooting the video for the Rell joint "Real Love" with me and Kayne rhyming. "Spaceship" is gonna be a single, too and is gonna be coming out in the fall.

JB: So out of all the songs on "Take 'Em To The Cleaners" which song is your favorite and why?

CON: Umm. Umm. I don't know. That's a hard question 'cause I like them all. I like all of them for different reasons. I'm trying to think which one is my favorite song.

JB: I can tell you my favorite song, "Wack N*****"

CON: So why is "Wack N*****" your favorite?

JB: I guess because I was going through something and I heard this song and I could I.D. with it. Even though I don't care for the N word, I could appreciate the humor of the song.

CON: You know what? One of my favorite songs is "You and Your N****". That's actually one of my favorites.

JB: That's the one about baby daddy drama, right?

CON: Yeah, yeah that's it. I know a lot of people like the Little Brother joint.

JB: Aaww! "I See Now". Yeah, but some big chicks might be offended by that.

CON: Hey, listen.

JB: Oh, so what you saying?

CON: The views and opinions of individuals are that of their own. I like "And You Say" to that's also one of my favorite songs that's why I chose that one as the single. I just like how John Legend killed it (starts singing) "and I wanna know where you are ah, ha". It's a few joints on there that are my favorite. I like "Incredible Hulk", too, just because, you know (laughing).

JB: Yeah, that little concoction (laughing).

CON: I think people are going to enjoy it, I hope so.

JB: It's banging. Definitely banging.

CON: Oh, good looking. I definitely appreciate it. If you like "Take 'Em To The Cleaners", "Don't Quit Your Day Job" will probably be probably be your favorite album next year.

JB: Sounds like you're planning to take over first quarter.

CON: I mean, I just wanna do what I do. I just wanna do my numbers and keep it moving, know what I'm saying? I know that the game is the game and I just hope I get my time to show people what I do that's all.

JB: So are you on tour right now?

CON: We just got off tour. We did the School Spirit Tour. I came out on Kayne's set and did "Space Ship", "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly" or the "'03 Until" joint. Also Dilated Peoples performed with us and sometimes the Young Gunz came out. It was good though. We had fun. It was cool. Everybody was just doing what they do. There were a couple of incidents where I also wound up slapping somebody in their mouth. Not nobody on my team, just some dudes at some of these little schools. Their momma paid for their schooling so they really don't think before they speak and they mouths get them into shh until a real n**** jumps on their back, but we had a real good time. We're supposed to be going out on tour this summer with Usher.

JB: We'll ya'll gonna have to come to Albany, because Usher loves Albany.

CON: Cons loves Albany, too.

JB: Yeah Cons knows peeps in Albany. It's definitely a small world.

CON: Albany is like little Linden. For all my Linden and Murdock n***** living in Albany doing what they do, ya heard.

JB: Yeah people be sleeping on Albany. Albany is the capital of New York State, ya heard.

CON: Yeah, hopefully we'll be up there in Albany. When I was with A Tribe we were up there, I forgot the name of the park.

JB: Lincoln Park.

CON: Might have been.

JB: You were there? I was there. That's when SUNY Albany held their SpringFest in Lincoln Park. I didn't get a chance to meet A Tribe Called Quest.

CON: It was us, C.R.U. that's when Black Rob was??€¦

JB: Yeah, that's the same event. I remember CRU.

CON: I remember that show. That show was good.

JB: I talked to C.R.U. and Black Rob and got pictures of them. By the way what happened to C.R.U.? What's up with Black Rob? I guess that's another subject.

CON: That's neither here nor there, you know. Shouts out to my n**** Black Rob, that's my man. Word up.

JB: What advice do you want to give about getting into music ..

CON: Don't quit your day job (laughing).

JB: That line came right on time. A little plug for your upcoming CD.

CON: On the real, just do what you do and do it to death. Whatever you do if you play ball, you're a journalist, you're a rapper, a doctor just want to be something. Inspire to be something and if you're real about your shh, be real about your shh. Don't ask nobody to put you in a good position if you know you can't do nothing, but put them in a bad position. You can't ask for a person to give you a look. People make their choices, but you have to be real about the choices that you make. If you make a bunch of f'ed up decisions how could want for somebody to put you in a good position, immediately? Goodness comes in time. Greatness comes in time and time is a gift from God. So if you want something, everything goes in steps. Nobody becomes??€¦ Barbara Walters is who she is because of all the groundwork she put in. Oprah is who she is groundwork that she put in. It's been years you just don't (snaps his fingers) become Oprah! Oprah just didn't become Oprah.

JB: Yeah it's important for artists to know that.

CON: Michael Jordan wasn't just Michael Jordan. (Tu)Pac wasn't just Pac. Pac started out as a roady for Digital Underground. So you gotta give yourself room to evolve and you gotta be willing to evolve as well. How can you expect your income to grow if you're not growing as a craftsman or woman, a person who does what they do if you're willing to stay up those late nights, chase those interviews or be in the studio until 5 in the morning? If you're not willing to do that, you can't ask a person who's already done that to put you there, because they can't even do it anyway it's something that you have to do for yourself. My advice is anybody trying to get in, do what you do and if you're real about your shh, be real about your shh.

[sunrah]

Ill Bill: SOMETHING`s Wrong WITH HIM

By Fat Tony

Something about the kid Bill just ain't right. As one third of Brooklyn's Non Phixion, the world got a long, hard look at the warped mind that is Ill Bill through his searing lines on NP's classic debut, The Future is Now. No doubt, Bill is one of those people that just don't give a fuck. Lyrically he's vicious; his verses are often violent outbursts of pure energy laced with a gritty realism that only comes from having walked the walk. Fuck with Bill, or any member of his team for that matter, and just see how real it can become. Musically, everything the kid touches is fire. From Non Phixion to his solo joint, one thing Bill is about is bringing a kind of raw energy that is something like a wild riot that's gone way out of control. Whether he's speaking on government conspiracies or narrating through a cleverly designed concept song or when he's on some straight gutter shit, Ill Bill consistently bruises everything with this serious energy he creates every time he steps up. This time he's teamed up with the demented genius of brother Necro to put out a record that is part introspective, almost diary-like admissions and part murder and mayhem. Bill's album is the first of a trilogy of solo records from all three Non Phixion members to drop on Necro's Psycho+Logical-Records, and already the praise is unanimous. With production duties handled entirely by Necro, it's the kind of collaboration Non Phixion fans have been fiending for since day one, and it definitely does not disappoint. The kid just comes with the heat, and he's lyrically relentless.

HHS: So your solo debut just dropped, why don't you give us an idea of what we can expect.

Ill Bill: The album's called What's Wrong with Bill? This album is my answer to all the "happy rap" out there right now, all the fruit-flavored shit you got coming out; all that so-called "hardcore rap" right now, that shit is soft to me, too. Right now I'm doing that punch-you-in-the-face rap, that new shit; adrenaline rap. If you're into that soft, cornball rap you're not gonna' wanna' check what I'm doing, it's really not for you. I don't wanna' say that it's on some throwback shit because we're doing it so we're giving you that 2004 goon-ism, you know what I'm saying? And beat-wise, the only dude in Necro's league right now is Dre. So stay stupid if you want, keep sleeping, but Necro's making the hardest beats in the game right now and ain't nobody as hungry for success as we are right now. That's what this album is about. I'm putting everybody on blast, nobody in the game is as ill as my team, nobody. Ninety percent of the rappers out right now are trash. Either they on some gay shit or they think they hardcore. Every rapper is either sucking 50 Cent or Cam'ron's dick, trying to sound like G-Unit, Dipset??€¦and even those dude ain't fuckin' with me. Aside from dudes like Scarface or Jay-Z or Ghost and a handful of others, most of the shit that's coming out right now??€¦C'mon kid, that shit is retard rap. Y'all deserve more than that. I'm dropping this album to save y'all from the moron music that's coming out right now. Not all hip-hop is boring, hip-hop is alive and well. We lacing you with that grimy shit y'all have been starving for.

HHS: Lyrically you get a little deeper on this album than you have a chance to when recording as one member of a three-man unit. Like in the title track where you delve into some pretty heavy shit. Is this something you strove for as far as why you are doing a solo joint?

Ill Bill: That first joint, What's Wrong? that's just about my life growing up, I speak about my grandmother, women in my life, to my moms, to my girl??€¦just the stress that I deal with on the day to day. I really felt I needed to let people see what was going on in my life and get things across as an artist, not as being a part of a group. Being in a group you're not really able to express as much in sixteen bars on a track. You gotta' deal with other people's ideas and concepts and it's hard to get as personal as I was able to get on this album. Non Phixon is three MC's and we all have different ideas and we want to get them across, that's why we're all doing solo albums right now because we want to let people have a little more insight into us as individuals.

HHS: What kind of mind-state were you in while writing this album?

Ill Bill: I just wanna' get things across what I've never really been able to get across on a record before, because I always try to touch on something different. I don't want to talk about the same things on every song. That's probably the most important thing that I have in mind when I write. As far as working on a solo album, it's something different because I'm used to being in a group. But, it was kind of easier, in a way, to make this album because if I had an idea I could just drop it. I didn't really have to deal with anybody's opinion, I could do exactly what I wanted and conceptually I was just able to go off and spit, and not have to condense all my ideas into a smaller space.

HHS: So being a solo artist, you experienced more freedom to do what you want. On the flipside, did you feel any added pressure to carry a whole album yourself? Usually, like with Non Phixion, you got two other people to carry the weight with you, to fuel you up creatively and such. Do you put that kind of pressure on yourself that you gotta' come better because it's all you?

Ill Bill: There's definitely more pressure, but at the same time, overall, doing a solo record was long overdue. I feel like I can stand on my own two as a solo artist and make a record that speaks for itself.

HHS: Definitely. A lot of people in the game just can't hold down an entire solo record. I think one of the biggest reasons you pull it off so easily is because you got Necro creating those tracks. How dope was it to do an entire record over his beats?

Ill Bill: I thought it would be interesting to do, and me and Necro were talking about it and we knew that certain people would probably think that being that Necro has a certain sound, a certain style that people automatically associate with him, and that was going to be something that was gonna' come across on the album. That's why we were very conscious when we chose the beats for the album. We wanted to make sure that a lot of the beats, when people heard them, would be like 'Word? Necro made that beat?' It was bugged out, because of the kind of vibe that we are able to create. That's just something that goes back to when we were kids. His production just fits perfectly with what I'm doing lyrically. More so than any other producer I've ever worked with. The way I look at it is; if it ain't broke then why really try to fix it? That's why we set out to do the whole album together. That's my brother, so it's a natural thing. For us to work together made sense and I think a lot of people may have heard Necro production of an entire album on his projects, but I think this is something that's gonna' establish him as a producer in terms of being able to produce an entire album for someone other than himself.

HHS: Yeah, Necro is definitely slept on by too many heads. What do you think it's gonna take for people to finally recognize?

Ill Bill: Doing exactly what we're doing is gonna' show people. This is what we do, and really we haven't released that much music up until this point. We're gonna' be releasing more music this year than we ever have before so it's just a matter of grinding and getting the music out there. That's how people are gonna' see. To me, he's the nicest producer in the game right now. We have our favorites, everyone from Dre to Primo, to Large Professor, people like that are legends in the game. Necro is the new blood. Everything he's doing is on par, on the same level with what our favorite producers did. He's just continuing what people like Dre and Primo and RZA have done. He's the next step.

HHS: When you guys approach a track together, how does it work, is it on some telepathic-type shit?

Ill Bill: Yeah, it's exactly like that, telepathic and shit. There really isn't any formula to how we do it; it's different every time. It's just a matter of me listening to a bunch of beats and picking out whichever ones I'm feeling at the time. I just listen to a bunch of beats that I like and as soon as one grabs me to the point where I start writing to it, it just goes from there. It makes itself happen, it just kind of takes over.

HHS: Is there ever any kind of sibling rivalry between you two, do you find yourselves trying to outdo one another as far as how creative and how bugged out you can get?

Ill Bill: You gotta' understand, we're brothers, you know? There's always gonna' be some kind of a competition between us. I think. But, at the same time it's kind of like a double-edged sword. because although we do have that competitive nature, at the same time us being brothers, us being blood, it allows us to connect in way that we really can't connect with anybody else. You gotta' peep it from the angle that we grew up in the same house together, we listened to the same music, we were influenced by the same things, we've experienced a lot of the same things. There's some personal shit that we've experienced in our lives that will link us together forever, regardless if we make music or not. There's a lot of levels that my brother and me connect on, so that's gonna shine through in the music. Sometimes he just makes a beat, man, and it's just perfect.

HHS: Non Phixion has always been known for bringing tracks that are just straight energy, and you keep that same feel throughout your solo album. How do you maintain such a high level of frenzy?

Ill Bill: Any kind of music that I've always been into, I've always been into music that gets my adrenaline up. Not only with hip-hop, but I also listen to a lot of hardcore and a lot of metal and that has an influence on me in just how I deliver my rhymes and how we perform when we do shows, whether it's Non Phixion, or if I'm solo or I'm out on the road with Q-Unique??€¦ we're just on some real, next level shit. I look at a group like Rage Against the Machine and the energy they have on stage or even Slayer, you know? Groups like that have the kind of energy that we want to put into our shit and that's not really normal with a rap group.

HHS: How is it that growing up in the housing projects of Brooklyn you were ever exposed to hardcore and metal?

Ill Bill: When I was growing up everything was about hip-hop, it was all about hip-hop. I'd go to school and see kids rocking T-shirts of different bands and what not, and I was exposed to it. I grew up on KISS; you know what I'm saying? I was up on that; I was always a big KISS fan as a little kid. But KISS was more mainstream, anyway. It wasn't like I was really exposed to shit yet. It was all about hip-hop and I had to really go out of my way to really peep metal. I seen like Twisted Sister videos on TV, you know. But that wasn't the real shit. At that point that was pop. It was already in the mainstream. But I would see Iron Maiden T-shirts, Metallica T-shirts??€¦ the shit that really caught me was the "Metal up Your Ass" T-shirt with the toilet bowl with the knife sticking out of it, I seen that shit and it made me curious cause I've always been into really extreme shit. The shit that was like next level. I was always a big comic book collector. The artwork on a lot of metal T Shirts always grabbed me and made me curious about what the shit sounded like. I went out of my way to find it. And that was definitely against what was going on in my 'hood because out of every window and every car you'd be hearing Roxanne Shante battling UTFO; LL Cool J and Beastie Boys and RUN D.M.C. Ain't nobody in the hood was really listening to metal and hip-hop, except for my man Weenie-Ween. That was my homeboy, he was always a few years older than us. He was the dude; he was like the Rick Rubin of the projects. He'd walk around in a bubble goose with a King Diamond T-shirt; he had all the Red Alert and Marley tapes and everything. That was the only dude who rocked like that. Then Goretex moved in to Glenwood (projects) and he was the same way, man. He had the same mind frame. We would all hang out: me, Goretex, Necro and bug out listening to everything from Rakim to Celtic Frost.

HHS: What can you tell us about Non Phixion?

Ill Bill: We just dropped The Green CD/DVD which is a retro release in a way. We're real happy with the way it came out, but more so we're real happy with the response it's gotten. It's in a mixtape format and it has a bunch of pre-Future is Now shit on it: demos, freestyles and whatnot. There's some brand new joints on there as well. Plus it comes with a bonus 2 hour DVD with everything you'd wanna' see on Non Phixion. Mad live footage, backstage and tour shit, interviews, plus us just buggin' out. Something hot that people have been asking about for a minute. Then we're re-releasing The Future Is Now in a platinum edition 2 CD set, so you get the original version plus an extra instrumental disc as well. We're also working on a new album right now, the Nuclear Truth album, that's a new record we'll be putting out this fall and we're about 4 or 5 songs deep. And at the same time we're all putting out solo albums this year. My album comes May 4th, Sabac's solo joint; Sabacalypse drops June 3rd. Goretex's shit; The Art of Dying, that's coming in September. All of us putting out albums: Hyde's putting out an album, Q-Unique's putting out an album, his album drops in August. Q's album is bananas. Necro's doing like half the album, Q did beats on it. We got Beatnuts doing shit, and we're still working on it.

HHS: What's up with Stephen King?

Ill Bill: He's working on stuff right now as well. He's gonna' put a single together. E-Dot's gonna' be the next one to come out with an album on Uncle Howie after Q. E-Dot's shit is shaping up crazy. His album is gonna' be bananas. He's definitely coming with some next shit. He's a little something different than the rest of the Uncle Howie camp.

HHS: Aiight, all this music shit is fine and good and all, but let's get to the real shit. There can't be an Ill Bill interview without hitting the most important topic: PORN. Do you have an all-time favorite porn star?

Ill Bill: Ha, yeah, word to porn. Necro put out his first film, we're all about porn. We would definitely like to explore more aspects of the porn industry, but like everything else, man, it takes time. A lot of time and right now we are just focused on this music thing. As far as a favorite porn star, nah, I don't really have a favorite. You know why? The porn stars be getting old to me and I be moving on. We was watching Ginger Lynn movies, Vanessa Del Rio, the real wild bitches, ugly bitches like Sharon Mitchell... I gotta' give props to the ugly bitches, they work harder. The old school shit is the nastiest. It's hard to watch those old movies without laughing. Big shout out to Joey Silvera, a porn legend. that's my homeboy.

HHS: Last words?

Ill Bill: I just wanna' say that, really, people should peep what Uncle Howie and Psycho+Logical-Records are doing right now because we're laying down the blueprint for what motherfuckers really need to be doing. I know people been waiting a long time for new music from us and we givin' it to you. This is it. This is the fuckin' nuclear reactor about to explode, you know what I'm saying? To me, I don't feel people are really being very creative right now. Everything is one-sided and stale. Either you're a conscious rapper and you're on some goody-two-shoes shit, or you're a so-called "gangsta' rapper" and everything is thuggin' the fuck out and "??€¦yo, I'm from the 'hood??€¦" I'm from the 'hood too, I ain't had no father in my house, drug dealing, all of that shit. My uncle ruined his life smoking fucking krills. I'm from the projects; you know what I'm saying? But I'm not scared to leave the 'hood. Not every song has to be about the 'hood, the 'hood, the 'hood. I'm not saying to make Dungeons and Dragons albums, that shit is fucking corny, too. There needs to be a little more versatility in the game right now.

[Deena]

Shyheim: The Man In The Mirror
By Tiffany Hamilton



A lot has changed in the life of Wu affiliate Shyheim since he first debuted on the scene. At the age of fourteen, his precious antics matched with his innocent face captured the hearts of Hip-Hop heads and teen girls everywhere. After releasing his debut album The Lost Generation and performing countless guest spots along side Hip-Hop legends, it was destined that the young MC was destined to reach new heights. After dropping three consecutive successful albums, it seemed that the ??€?rugged child??€? had it all, but after facing gun charges and being on the run for two years before serving a two year bid, it turned out to be more to Shyheim than met the eye. Now after releasing his fourth album and out on the street for one year AHH.com got a chance to speak with the rejuvenated entrepreneur about his business plans, his new album, life and lessons learned. It??€�s been a long road but nothing that the Staten Island native couldn??€�t handle. With a new daughter to keep him focused, he is out to prove to the industry, that there is nothing more intimidating than a hungry MC.

AHH: What??€�s been up since we last spoke to you?

Shyheim: I have been spending time with my daughter and getting my artists together, really just taking care of the business side of things.

AHH: What happened to the online reality show?

Shyheim: It was time consuming. Trying to do it with the cameras following me everywhere as well as with the nine o??€�clock curfew was hard. I felt like I was trying to do everything at one time, with releasing the album, The Greatest Story Never Told, and the show it was a little overwhelming. So I decided to put it on hold. I am definitely going to pick it back up, I think that once I really get out there and reach the masses and really build the fan base up, I will take it there and really focus on the show. Sorry to all those out there who was checking for it on the site.

AHH: Before Bow-Wow, Romeo, J-Kwon, and all the ??€?kid rappers,??€? you out there rapping and acting; do you feel that being in the industry at such a young age molded some of the decisions you made?

Shyheim: Truthfully when I came into [the game] my life was speeding already, [being in entertainment] just helped speed it up even further beyond my years. But if I could do it all over again I would definitely go to school and graduate college with a degree in the business, so I would know what I was talking about [back then]. Instead I went backwards and got my experience through trials and tribulations to get the experience of the business.

AHH: Although your last album was successful with no promotion, do you feel that being on parole is hindering your career?

Shyheim: It really hinders me a lot, because a lot of people don??€�t want that negativity. I mean yeah I got caught up in it living two lives. But with the charges I got, no one is going to want that type of dude around them knowing I got charged with armed robbery. You got thousands of dollars worth of jewels on you because they think I might snap and be like, ??€?F**k it! I??€�m going to take your jewels if things don??€�t go my way.??€? I ain??€�t going to front though, because I have felt that way a lot of times but then I think about what I went through and snap back to reality.

AHH: What do you feel the industry fears the most with your return?

Shyheim: You look at some of these dudes in the industry walking around with houses on they neck and they face screwed up. I have to stop myself from thinking like, ??€?I??€�ll take ya s**t right now and if I don??€�t have it on me and don??€�t get caught, all you can do is testify.??€? But for the sake of my daughter, I just leave those types of people alone because they really be testing me. If I could change anything [in the industry] I would make sure that people are being them and I mean the real them. If you a square dude who has never been in the ??€?hood but you respect our struggle, then I have no choice but to respect you for doing your thing. But if you a wanna be thug walking around like you from the ??€?hood and you not, you going to have problems because people going to try and test you on that.

AHH: With that being said, how do you feel about the over glamorization of negativity in the industry?

Shyheim: I think the reason it??€�s so successful is because there are more ignorant people than smart people, so it goes to show you that a lot of people are ignorant in our community. And the school systems aren??€�t teaching the kids anything so all they can go off of is what they see and hear. So when they hear someone like Mos [Def] or [Talib] Kweli, it??€�s not that they don??€�t like it, they just don??€�t understand it.

AHH: Where do you feel you fit in the equation?

Shyheim: I feel that I am border line, because I got my times where I talk about street s**t, but then I flip and say but these are the consequences if you go this route. But what I noticed that when I??€�m not rhyming about the reality of the streets as far as consequences that follow the negative actions, no one wants to hear it, but if I come out talking about, yeah nigga I??€�ll stab you in the face, it??€�s acceptable.

AHH: How has your perspective changed since you have had you daughter because when AHH talked to you last you had new found perspective because you were 46 days out, now it??€�s been a year and a half??€¦?

Shyheim: She has helped me really put things into perspective as far as thinking about other people. Don??€�t get me wrong if I was making 20 million, I would ball ??€?till I fall [laughs], but right now I am well to do, you know and much more focused on providing what??€�s right for my daughter.

AHH: Will your newfound perspective come through on your new album?
Shyheim: My new album which is called Featuring My F*cking Self, will reflect being back in the free world. The Greatest Story Never Told was written entirely while I was incarcerated, so I was real in depth with my thoughts and my feelings because I was into it. But now it??€�s back to being on the grind, being block with cats and being at parties and chilling with girls. It??€�s really two different lives. Now I am able to talk about the different things I see out here on the street versus just spreading the knowledge that I read.

AHH: Last we spoke to you, you explained the Wu-Tang situation as business but fam, with RZA starting his new label, would you consider doing a joint venture?

Shyheim: You know it??€�s funny, RZA??€�s my man, he taught me a lot and gave me a lot; but what I want out of life he ain??€�t going to give it to me. I know the game and I know too much to really work under him. Right now I feel that it??€�s time for me to shine on my own, you know. No disrespect because I will definitely still support.

AHH: Are you planning on doing any collabos with Meth or anyone, because I heard that you were supposed to be linking up with Mathematics and Soloman for a project??€¦

Shyheim: Word, I didn??€�t know that. [laughs] I mean I heard they were linking up to do a R. Diggs project with Math and Soloman, so maybe they have me in mind, but I haven??€�t confirmed anything. But hell yeah if the paper is right, I??€�m going to be right there because I definitely believe in getting paid my worth you know. I mean I have to eat, you know I have a daughter to feed. As far as collabos go, naw. My next album is going to be me solo, that??€�s why it??€�s titled Featuring My F*cking Self.

AHH: I hear that Jay is really trying to build up a tight label over at Def Jam, calling out to all the old school artists??€¦

Shyheim: Man, that??€�s f**ked up, because I aint old school.[laughs] I am just a young n***a that was hanging out with the old school cats. Tell Jay that you can still catch me on the block. I??€�m for real though, Jay need to holla at me or any exec that can see my vision.

AHH: We know you have worked with Biggie and ??€?Pac, but what??€�s up with the Big L tat on your neck?

Shyheim: Well Big L was my mans, you know we did the collabo on my Man Childalbum, but before that I knew him before then, you know back when Hip-Hop was Hip-Hop. Big L was a cool dude who was never on no superstar s**t, we used to chill out and smoke in his hood, there was never no problems. But he is one of those artists who I feel never got his just due, so I got his name tattooed on my neck to show people that as I rise he will be right there, I am making sure that no one forgets him.

AHH: What would you like to say to the fans?

Shyheim: That I??€â„?m me, I??€â„?m a real easy guy you aint got to be a rider for me to kick it with you. I want to say thanks for the love and if you like my album, support it. I would say call the radio station but they won??€â„?t play it because I??€â„?m not getting extorted. Go to the Itunes and download the album The Greatest Story Never Told. For people and promoters trying to get at me, business only, email me at [email protected] and to all the crazy niggas out there, don??€â„?t play on my s**t, because I will change my s**t. Don??€â„?t hit me up with the crazy s**t talking about, ??€?Remember me,??€? because I probably won??€â„?t. [laughs]

[Deena]

Buckshot & 9th Wonder: Breaking Atoms
By Jarrod Miller-Dean


For more than a decade Buckshot has been stunning Hip-Hop crowds with his fiery rhymes. Whether it was with Black Moon or the entire Boot Camp Clique, lyrics ranged from insightful to riot-inspiring, striking a chord in all that listened. But after 1998, Buckshot unstrapped the backpack and became disassociated with his purist audience. Alone, Buck wasn??€�t quite the same. But as Duck Down plotted its second coming, Buckshot seems to have taken stock in his lyrical assets.

On the new album, Chemistry he teams up with Little Brother??€�s 9th Wonder. This echoes in the likes of an Ice Cube melding with a Bomb Squad, or a MF DOOM and Madlib link. Geography is defied as careers and attitudes are examined in a new light, stirring up plenty of conversation. As Buck turns a new leaf, 9th Wonder continues to resemble Premier??€�s vast body of work a decade ago - only Jay, Group Home, and Bahamadia became Bleek, Justus League, and Jean Grae.

AHH brought in 9th and Buck to collaboratively tell their story, get a sense of self, and celebrate creativity in 2005. From Bucktown to Durham, we got this thing sewed up!

AHH: Buck, how did you hook up with 9th Wonder?

Buckshot: Evil Dee had mentioned 9th as one of his favorite producers. So we called him and sent him some music. One of the tracks was ??€?Alyiha,??€? with Smiff n??€� Wessun. He sent us back the remix, which became ??€?Night Riders.??€? It was crazy fire. From there, we started working together. It??€�s been all love since.

AHH: You??€�ve been so strongly associated with Da Beatminerz, even in the off years. Was it very different moving from an Evil Dee to 9th?

Buckshot: No. But it??€�s obvious that they are two different producers with two different vibes. Evil Dee has mad love for 9th. That??€�s good because generally, a lot of producers don??€�t get along. The fact that they respect each other and vibe in the way that they do, makes things great all around. 9th reminds me of that Pete Rock, Large Professor sound. It??€�s a mix of Jazz, Soul and a bunch of other stuff rolled into one. Regardless, he still has his own vibe and sound.

AHH: How do you feel about the people saying that you??€�re a ??€?young Primo or Pete Rock???€?

9th Wonder: I take it as a compliment, but I leave it at that. There??€�s only one Diamond D, one Primo and one Pete Rock. I enjoy the comparisons, but there??€�s only one 9th Wonder. I just let the people make the comparisons. In my eyes, producers like Evil Dee are on another level. There??€�s only one ??€?Crooklyn Dodgers.??€? I don??€�t think that I could ever make something as good as that. I??€�ll be chasing that dream forever. It??€�s eerie for me. I met Q-Tip and Method Man both at the same time. Q came to the studio to do a track with Little Brother, and brought Meth with him. It was crazy. Here I was working with them and I??€�d been banging them on my headphones back in high school. To work with cats like these is a dream that I don??€�t want to wake up from.

AHH: What??€�s it like for you to meet so many artists that you grew up listening to?

9th Wonder: I once met Morris Day. I get excited for stuff like that. Meeting him was more of an amazing thing than, say, meeting the hot artist that??€�s been out for the past two weeks.

AHH: How important was it to you to work with Buckshot?

9th Wonder: I??€�ve been a fan since 92??€�. He influenced me to recreate that same sound up til??€� now. I was in a ??€?Black Moon state of mind.??€? I try to focus on what I??€�m doing. I wore fatigues the whole week. Timbs and all. I still know cats that live the Boot Camp frame of mind. Boot Camp gives off an aura. I want to do the same thing, only in beat form. Put it like this, I??€�ve been a Boot Camp and Wu-tang fan forever. They??€�re both amazing, but to honest with you, I??€�ve always been a bigger Boot Camp fan. ??€?Who Got the Props???€? and ??€?How many MC??€�s??€? changed my life. They meant a lot to me.

AHH: How was the vibe in the studio?

Buckshot: To be honest with you, I did the whole thing as a ??€?one shot deal.??€? 9th gave me the tracks and I went into the booth and did my thing. It??€�s not rocket science. The more you make it that, the more you will fail at the formula. It??€�s not that complex. I did all of it in six days. When people listen to the album they may think that everyone did their own thing. That??€�s not the case. We laughed, joked and just vibed. Phonte wrote a verse in thirty minutes in his head. That s**t is crazy. It took me the same time to write it out. Because of the good vibes, energy and love, it came out dope. It??€�s beautiful. It was just good chemistry.

AHH: 9th, what were listening to as you crafted this album?

9th Wonder: I was big into everything, from 80??€�s Duran Duran to Curtis Mayfield.

AHH: Chemistry seems less about you in the writing, and more about the world, perhaps as seen through you??€¦

Buckshot: I used this album to reflect and write about what I??€�m about. I used to write and rap and rap and write. I still do, but I deal with simplicity of the art. I do what I feel. I??€�m telling you, when you palm this album, there??€�s no bad s**t on it. There are no more mistakes in my career. Every song on this album deals with something.

AHH: Some people say that Boot Camp has never released a bad album, but have criticized your solo albums??€¦

Buckshot: Sure, I??€�m aware. They??€�ll be like, ??€?What??€�s up with this???€? Well, I??€�ve gotta move. What??€�s funny about that is for that time, it was a damn good album. There were no garbage tracks on it. BDI Thug sold a lot of copies. They may not be the traditional Buckshot Shorty albums, but this one is. I did that album early to get it out of the way. Who??€�s to say that I can??€�t have fun on an album? When I did the album, 2Pac was one of my inspirations. That??€�s why I called it, BDI Thug. It??€�s on some, ??€?not limiting yourself on s**t.??€? Do what you do. You have to be versatile and be willing to step out side of the box.

AHH: You mentioned that haters say, ??€?Off with His Head.??€? How do you deal with critics that say, Buckshot doesn??€�t have it anymore???€?

Buckshot: I??€�ve learned the hard way about worrying about those kinds of things. At the end of the day, you??€�re the one that loses. No one wants to learn the hard way, but if I can shorten a cat??€�s trip by dropping some knowledge, then I will. I??€�m trying to focus and go for the gusto. I??€�m doing my thing.

AHH: How do you feel about the heads that say that 9th Wonder is just a ??€?flavor of the month???€?

9th Wonder: Internet cats don??€�t know anything outside of the Internet or Okay Player. We got on because of Okay, but a lot of people know about Little Brother. People get music from mixtapes and about a million other sources. There is at least one out of five that know a Little Brother or Pooh track. Skeptics are gonna be what they are, skeptical. We are gonna be what we are. I could criticize, but I don??€�t care. We do what we do. It??€�s funny because any rapper that doesn??€�t talk about sex, women or money is automatically labeled, ??€?conscious.??€?

AHH: What was up with the Black Moon and Just Blaze beef?

Buckshot: That wasn??€�t beef. Listen to Biggie??€�s song and that??€�s what I consider beef. The Just Blaze stuff was a disagreement. I??€�ll disagree with a cat all day, but that doesn??€�t make it beef. There is no beef. Just Blaze is a cool cat. For the record, I got mad love for Hov. I shouted him out on my album. That??€�s my dude. He??€�s a Brooklyn General and I??€�m a Brooklyn General. I??€�m not trying to get on the Roc. I want to merge. We??€�re too small not to wake up and merge on some Roc and Duck Down distribution s**t. It wouldn??€�t even be about music. That??€�s what I??€�m talking about. I always shout out to Jigga.

AHH: There really isn??€�t any profanity on the album. Was that a conscious decision?

Buckshot: It??€�s just natural. I wasn??€�t conscious of it. It??€�s not easy, but what people have to remember is that there are different areas of Hip-Hop.

AHH: Will there ever be another ??€?Fab 5??€? album?

Buckshot: That??€�s a good question. I don??€�t know. I hope so, but I don??€�t know.

AHH: Do you think that there will be another Little Brother and Duck Down collaboration?

9th Wonder: You can??€�t force collaborations. They just happen. It??€�s a part of the vibe. Pooh and Phonte are both on Chemistry.

[sunrah]

Del The Funky Homosapien

He talks about his up coming project 11th Hour, the possibilities of Hiero or Gorillaz' projects, his health problems and MUCH much more.

D: We got Del right here...So Del How?s the Cali Comm tour going?

Del: Lovely. Aside from my health, which is a big deal.



D: Whats going on with that?

Del: Too much touring man year in, year out...stress mainly.

D: You need a break?

Del: It's time to stop a second, yep. A long one.

D: Well aren't you recording an album now?

Del: Trying to.

D: 11th Hour right?

Del: You got it. But, it's hard to focus on the road.

D: How far along are you?

Del: I got joints, half way, about 9.

D: When can we expect to see it in stores?

Del: After Opio's joint maybe, that's Jan 25th, he out here with me.

D: Yea I see Op at the show ya'll had in Pomona. Who have you worked with on the album?

Del: Oh, just me. I'm a hermit.

D: haha No features? What about production?

Del: Me and Freestyle Fellowship was chatting bout some shit.

Oh shit that sounds sick

Del: I've studied for year?s music production.

D: So you're doing your own production?

Del: Yep, by default.

D: Coo.

Del: I got it though. I've got it polished to the level of a Major.

D: What up with Deltron 3030 Pt. 2? Will we ever see one?

Del: Oh yeah fo sho. Automator hit me yesterday.

D: Oh really?

Del: Yep

D: How?s that Handsome Boy Modeling School album? I heard you on the single.

Del: It's doing well, I believe. I'm in a whole other world out here though.

D: Yea. Where you at now?

Del: Who knows? My side hella hurt.

D: Word?

Del: So I'm not really concerned with much of the details of travel.

D: I get you. But the tours almost over right?

Del: Yep. Plus ODB just died.

D: Oh I know man R.I.P. ODB. Speaking of deaths, you heard Mac Dre died right?

Del: Yeah man, dunno how though.

D: He got shot In Kansas City.

Del: Ope told me not too long ago.

D: He was a pioneer out in the Bay

D: Fo sho.

D: But so were you

Del: Shit is wild.

D: Why do so many people sleep on Hiero?

Del: I dunno. {We} under the radar

D: You were coming up in Oakland around the time everyone else was.

Del: I feel as though I didn't really consider what people felt at first, not to slight anyone, but... So I started taking my job more serious about 5-6 years ago.

D: Making music more appealing?

Del: You could say that, less discord. Now I can pretty much produce a full album anywhere.

D: I get you

Del: Which would make it more appealing, I guess.

D: Probably.

Del: Or peel back the layers shielding people from getting my point.

D: But you still got your following

Del: Oh yeah. That's one thing...

D: You've made it that you're appealing but not different.

Del: Explain...

D: Like the stuff with The Gorillaz. That?s mainstream appealing, but it was still your style that your old fans would feel.

Del: That's hella different to me, but I got you. You know, mainstream is whatever's mainstream. It's a state of being.

D: Right

Del: So you can't create it really.

D: True.

Del: That's up to the listener.

D: Anything can be mainstream.

Del: Although fools do try to alter shit, as always.

D: Of course. People always try to follow trends.

Del: The keyboard is an even tempered instrument. Because fools tried to make it where you wouldn't have to tune it. They didn't succeed, so they got almost all the keys evenly tempered. Almost! God does that. Not humans!

D: Right...But it'll never be perfect.

Del: exactly.

D: Nothings ever perfect.

Del: As soon as you get it to a perfect state, you realize how it can be perfected. So, you know, I just try to make music I would buy.

D: That leads me to my next question. What is Del feeling right now?

Del: Oh I'm feeling in control of my life and my music. But I feel like people around me sometimes think I'm trippin'. Cause it's never been done before.

D: But I?m saying, what music are you feeling? Outside of yours.

D: Oh ok. Well, I don't listen to my music much. I make new shit constantly.

D: Yea...

Del: But, Consequence is ill. Kanye West, funny niggard. Both them niggas.

D: Yea they got some funny ass lines.

Del: Uh, Dave Chappelle.

D: I'm still waiting for Season 2 to come on DVD!

Del: Huh?! Hell yeah. {I'm also feelin'} Red, Mef, Wu, always. I fucks with Erick Sermon too. The Liks, MF Doom, that's my nigga.

D: I aint feeling MF Doom much.

Del: What? Get outta here.

D: I don?t know why, I just can't get into him.

Del: Why? Too ill?

D: Not even with Madlib production could I get into dude I don?t know what it is...He don?t got replay value for me.

Del: You gotta know why? Not to pester you...

D: Na its coo. His voice is a little rough for me.

Del: Oh I can get that. Eh, but Suga Free is the nigga though!

D: Suga Free is wild.

Del: I can feel that.

D: He's not the greatest emcee, but he's just wild on the mic. Says some crazy ass shit.

Del: Yeah Suga Free/Quik is like my top shit. I think he is a real dope emcee.

D: Yea he's crazy.

Del: His style is different as hell though, in a cypher he might get laughed at.

D: "She got fired from the sperm bank for drinking on the job!"

Del: See?

D: That?s a dope ass line.

Del: He got new ones though. And he a real nigga.

D: Would you ever consider a collabo? You and Suga Free?

Del: I'm from Oakland, so you know the pimpin' is natural... I just don't use it for pimpin' hoes. But hell yeah! I love Suga Free. I mean, I play his new joint constantly. Some cats don't feel me though, they think I'm trippin'.

D: Who?

Del: Every thing he raps about I been through you know... Some of my friends who just don't get it or get me getting it dig?

vYea you?re not the typical town rapper.

Del: Naw

D: Is that why?

Del: Although I am pretty regular, in terms of tastes, I?m a medium.

D: I?m saying style wise, you don?t sound like Richie Rich, Dru Down or Yukmouth.

Del: Yeah

D: They're personified by most as the Oakland sound.

Del: They don't sound alike either?

D: Oh na. Not at all. But their styles are, I guess, more accepted as the Oakland/Bay sound You know?

Del: I think that it's just time musically for someone to really break the bank.

D: I feel you.

Del: Niggas don't work all that hard in general. I?ve been bustin my ass.

D: Whets your take on the New Bay?

Del: I love it. Hate the fact niggas can't get along though.

D: You don?t feel disrespected?

Del: Oh hell naw. I get tons of love all the time.

D: As you should. Some rappers have said they feel disrespected by that.

Del: Oh by what? Sorry.

D: By The New Bay.

Del: Huh? hahahahaha neva heard of it.

D: Oh you aint heard of the New Bay?

Del: Nut uh. Like the new South?

D: Oh let me break that down first haha

Del: Ok?

D: Locksmith, Left, Balance and Mistah F.A.B. and some other cats have started this Movement called New Bay Locksmith was that cat who made it to the finals on the MTV Battles .

Del: Oh ok.

D: Lock and Left are with E-A-Ski's label.

Del: Oh like that? Good shit.

D: Yea. They just put out their album.

Del: F.A.B. is dope too.

D: Yea he is. All them are sick. On some lyrical shit.

Del: They are kinda like a new Bay.

D: Pretty much.

Del: That don't mean I' m an old Bay. I?m just Del.

D: Of course not. That?s not what they?re saying

Del: I feel I exist outside of that.

D: They're just the new cats in the Bay doing some different.

Del: Oh I feel that, I?m just clarifying.

D: Right No doubt.

Del: Agreeing with you basically.

D: I think that?s the beef a lot of people hold.

Del: I?m for Black people advancing period.

D: They probably feel this new cats are calling them old and washed up, but they're not.

Del: That make me stronger that's why I clarified.

D: I feel you.

Del: But I can see how it can be taken as implied.

D: True.

Del: I?m a medium, so I can see it both ways.

D: That?s good.

Del: Sorta used to confuse me, cause most people take sides, theirs usually.

D: Yea they do.

Del: I take mine as a grain of salt by default, cause I?m a Leo.

D: You?re laid back?

Del: Yep. So off the back, I?m throwing too much on it, so I take some off by default.

D: Yea...That?s good though.

Del: Sorta hotheaded.

D: It causes less stress.

Del: Yeah I?m bad though.

D: Stress can kill you.

Del: Yep, that?s why I need to chill on the road. I love people, you know, performing, but the other shit extended over time is murder.

D: You?re real stressed on the road?

Del: Yep never stable.

D: What stresses you? Being on the go?

Del: We constantly moving, no stability.

D: Ah...Yea that is pretty stressful you stay on the Tour bus right?

Del: It's better and worse that we got a bus. I?m highly allergic to dust, floating particles, the ac is always on.

D: Would flying be better?

Del: Naw I hate flying.

D: Oh really?

Del: And the ac problem is there too.

D: Yea...

Del: At least I got a say if it's on or off on the bus

D: That?s good

Del: But the filters be filthy.

D: Otherwise that'd be a problem

Del: That's how my lung blew out.

D: Oh really? When did that happen?

Del: About three four days ago. Niggas is so used to controlling they climate, they forget about opening the window.

D: Damn

Del: I was hurt real bad.

D: And you?re still touring?

Del: Got a brace on now, but I?m barely making it. No movement on stage but my lips. I use my bo to walk.

D: Damn That sucks

Del: They think it's for show, like a prop.

D: I can see why you need a break.

Del: It's gotten to this point, it's my fault ultimately. I aim to please, you need something, I?ll probably say yeah.

D: I get you. Sometimes you gotta say no though. You can?t please everyone.

Del: Like jada said, some hear that, and tend to run with it.

D: Yea You like Kiss?

Del: Oh Jada album is off the meat rack too.

D: He makes great mixtapes.

Del: He did everything he said he was gonna do in interviews, cause I felt he was holding back first album.

D: He tried to please everyone on his first album.

Del: He felt that, he listened to the people. So I gotta feel him, he said he was just living the high life, mansions, chilling skrilla.

D: Yea

Del: Then shit got realer; you can hear it in his album.

D: You never really let money influence your raps huh?

Del: Not really, I feel if my music's top notch, then money obviously will come. So I focus on my music, I?m obsessed with music.

D: While I?m asking about influence. Did Cube being your cousin influence you much?

Del: Oh yeah he my hero, one of them.

D: He exec. Produced your first album right?

Del: Yep. He a black hero, man!

D: People say he fell off, what do you think?

Del: Cube the nigga, he get mad about that too. First niggas all saying he the shit, then he rep shit harder, niggas say he fell off.

D: People are never satisfied.

Del: So he isn?t happy about Hip-Hop right now of course. As soon as you get to perfection, you realize how to perfect it.

D: Right...Even the most perfect thing has room to be perfected

Del: Just illustration on never being satisfied. It's a goal to be obtained I guess, although it's flimsy.

D: He?s on two tracks on the new Lil Jon album.

Del: Oh word?

D: Yea One track just him and Lil Jon, the other is with Jada, Nas, T.I. & Bun B. That shit is crazy.

Del: Oh ok, I gotta get that then T.I. is the nigga too, good nigga.

D: Yea he?s coo.

Del[/b]: Bun B is the nig too,

D: Bun B is the shit to me, I hold him higher than Scarface.

Del: I gauge niggas on what they reppin?, niggas styles is always gonna be different, so I can't really gauge a nigga on how he flow. If it sound good, cool.

D: Yea I get you. Lyrically though, Bun B is top notch.

Del: Oh no doubt, just intermingling my thoughts, I be all over the place. May not be my personal taste, but I can see that a nigga bustin? still.

D: haha Don?t worry.

Del: Since everything relates to me, I mean in my mind, not literally to me.

D: Who would be your 3 favorite emcees ever?

Del: Damn, that's tough, Rza, A.G., Red.

D: Wow Rza huh?

Del: there's others, but since emceein' is a format, their styles come closest to what I rep

D: Yea I get you Red is that dude though

Del: rza I relate to almost 100 percent

D: That's A.G. of Showbiz & A.G. right?

Del: Yep. Bronx niggas got that, but D.I.T.C., the whole camp is ill. So is Def Squad. Red I relate to a lot cause A-Plus is my best friend. They both Aries. Red Sister Roz too I know, he was rough.

D: Yea man. Too bad Big L died. He fathered the style for so many emcees today.

Del: Yeah, but I look at it as a format, so you know, we all rap.

D: Right?

Del: So nobody really fathered it to me, except the first nigga who ever said a rap.

D: I get you. I`m saying though, the heavy punch lines?

Del: And that's so long ago that its relevance is damn near trapped into just that fact. I feel you, niggas bite.

D: He got that from Lord Finesse, but Big L made it popular.

Del: Lord Finesse is definitely on my top list, he introduced me to A.G., Big L?

D: He?s slept on heavy.

Del: I know, I was just sayin that in the shower yesterday.

D: haha

Del: Like niggas is trippin?! E-Dub though, that's my nigga, simply states shit.

D: EPMD was the group.

Del: That's my shit, PMD is nice too.

D: Yea...But I wasn?t feeling his new album.

Del: I felt a lot of his shit.

D: Erick Sermon still got some beats.

Del: But it's kinda one sided. E is nice, he keep a groove though, that can?t get old like James Brown.

D: Yea

Del: He will work a groove man!

D: He was one of the only East Coast cats on some Funk shit. Him and Redman.

Del: That's why I love em to death, cause I?m a Funk cat, I don't listen to rap hella.

D: Haha What Funk you feelin?

Del: Parliament of course.

D: Mandatory

Del: Godmoma Brides is my most favorite group of all time.

D: That?s a name you rarely hear.

Del: I know they only had two albums.

D: Yea... They weren?t that popular.

Del: I love female vocalists and their best, to me simply stated, was they style. Some find it redundant, repetitious, it's bigger than what they sayin? though.

D: Yea. It`s all about feeling the Vibe.

Del: You got it.

D: Everyone has different tastes.

Del: Niggas rhyming try to get over with that though sometimes.

D: Example?

Del: Like, my flow sounds ill, I can say anything and niggas will like it be the mind state. Till they do it too much and niggas notice. That's why I decided to study so I won't run dry.

D: Oh ok I get you. They go to the well one too many times.

Del: Yeah ha! Exactly. Not that I would do that on purpose, but I felt like I was gonna hit a point of stagnation that could ruin my career if I?m in it for the long haul.

D: Yo...What?s up with the Gorillaz? You gonna do anything else with em?

Del: Oh, that was a spontaneous thing, not intended to blow that fat, so I dunno if it's the sort of thing that they feel needs to be repeated in a series. It was a hobby between the artists. It was meant only for the internet, overseas, stuff like that.

D: How did it come about anyway?

Del: Automator happened to be producing it, while producing Deltron, so he needed a vocalist on those joints; he knew I could do it fast and good.

D: Crazy. That shit came out nice.

Del: Like that night, I just finished reading a book on writing hit songs. Used it on that joint ?Clint Eastwood,? went platinum.

D: haha That?s what?s up.

Del: So in my mind, that means it worked. You gotta freak it your way though, that's the first page in the book. I mean I was surprised to hear of it,

D: True. Were you surprised people felt here over here in the states?

Del: Yeah! I forgot about it, then one day, some kids recognize me on the street, say they heard me on the radio. Of course I'm thinking, huh? They explain to me it's Gorillaz.

D: haha

Del: I actually had to think for a minute... ?Oh you don't know? They play it constantly!? I?m like huh?

D: Everywhere too MTV, Radio etc

Del: I?m still stunned, but pleased that definitely helped me build my studio setups. That helped me continue to further my music studies to create major league music. It's for the people really.

D: I?m sure it did. What about another Hiero album?

Del: uh...That {Hiero album} depends...

D: I know everyone?s doing their own thing?

Del: You see, I feel in the past, my eagerness to do shit has been abused, so now I?m falling apart... Physically.

D: You're not thinking of retiring are you?

Del: I need a rest, if more Hiero projects require road trips which I?m sure it will... then no ut-uh, not till I get my shit on.

D: Oh ok

Del: And it's not any of the groups fault, Cas, Som, Pep, those is my fam.

D: Its time to look out for you though right?

Del: Exactly! No offense. So they know already, I need to relax.

D: Right . . .

<Part 2 coming soon!>

[sunrah]

> > > NTM english - french!

This interview was made possible by Zavattiste Int?©rimaire Pag?¨s (see the section Z' authors) and was carried out by same Pag?¨s and Vincent Royer, cousin of famous Malo. For the occasion, Pag?¨s wrote us a intro which is caught with serious (but which could allow it, fortunately), which withdraws me a proud candle of the foot (!!) paske I will not have to make it:) Here which is marked on the sheet that one made me pass:

"Thursday October 15, 1998, The Seine Saint-Denis.
We arrive in a tiny studio of repetition of Aubervillier where the Supreme develop last details of its round. Environment is electric and we have under the eyes the final proof, if it were necessary one of them, that Shen and Joey have the intention of foutre maliciously fire [ NdZ: Not Pag?¨s, that it is IAM... Arf! ] in whole France as from November.
Little by little the tempo goes up and the duet connects the titles of their last flashpoint, in a new swirl of samples which would make awake an army of corpses.
Then, after a small hour of repetition, it is Kool Shen serene and slackened, without Joey Starr, which is devoted to our questions.

PS: Julien, thinks of returning the minicassette to me and of sending the interview to me after printout it, thank you. [ NdMM: would I have made a boob? ] "

In the last album there is impression which you found a kind of coherence, that your rap is succeeded more, that you reach a certain maturity. It is a point of view which you divisions?

Kool Shen: Maturity, I do not know. When you speak to me about maturity, me I think of musical maturity. If it is for saying like some that the direction on the level of the texts changed, me I do not find. When one says "Does not let trail your sons", when you listenings the first verse before even as one says does not let trail your sons there is a criticism of the company during sixteen measurements. For me "the system has the head under water", that made eight years that it is said. To say that today one is mature, that would like to say that when one wrote "the world of tomorrow" eight years ago, one was immature, that one wrote things which were not judicious. And yet three weeks after one sings that, that p?©tait with the minguettes. When you adhesives with the topicality, which occurs in the life and the company, it is there or you are right. When people come to say to me today that one is more mature because one says "Does not let trail your sons", the message of N.T.M. that ever was to say lets trail your sons. The first message of N.T.M. it east opens your eyes and does not make only undergo. Awake and take you in hand.

It is related to the fact that you take age and that you evolve/move?

I believe that maturity is musical. Work is more succeeds, I have the impression that what one pushes on the music is more in osmosis than than one made, only three years ago. Work for us is to pose lyrics on music. There are two things, the music and the lyrics, and the made whole that of the music.

You think that it is the music which changes?

The music, it undergoes the evolution of Hip-Hop. Eight years ago in the United States, since unfortunately one has the glance turned much towards the United States, Hip-Hop was not the same one. You take no matter whom, who was there eight years ago and which leaves a disc today, this disc will not have anything to see. And us, one undergoes also the fluctuations of that. But the musical quality, it is also made by us, the way of posing to us on the music and of creating this osmosis. Now it is different, it functions in the same way than front. Fortunately! The rap is in perpetual evolution. You have people who arrive, if I take really basic examples, THAT, there five years ago it were not only one guy like that, with this style there. And tomorrow there will be another and then still another... And if you rappes like Run D. M. C today, you do not do anything any more, because that is not any more per hour of time.

How you the idea had just worked with others rappers, to form a kind of family around you with Zoxea, Lord KB and Busta. It started from a project, of a step?

With the base not. I had the occasion to meet Busta Flex, which wanted to make an album. One discussed a little and that interested it that I carry out his album. With the base it was not even IV MY PEOPLE, one had not created it at this time yet there. With Busta, one started to work on the album, and then one said oneself that one was going to call it IV MY PEOPLE. And then Zoxea is calf rapper on the album of Busta. It is a pal with Busta. I learned how to know it, I found that it had a potential, that it was able to make an album. One continued like that, and then the next time, there will be still another which will arrive. Here.

Precisely, is what you want to do an album all sets?

I do not know. One will see! One has in optics to do it. Maintaining on the level dates, I privilege initially the album of Zoxea, and then after I would like to produce small young people who are in bottom of at home, Dany Boss. After that one will see whether one makes an album IV MY PEOPLE.
In any event, the first of the priorities for me, as for Joey, it is N.T.M. If that must sully the fact that one has to make a fifth album, one will put all that on side and one will in any case make our fifth album for Joey, the things are a little different. It wanted to do one compiles. It really created B.O.S.S. It took a dozen rappers undergrounds, not known, except Kossity or M.A.S.S. which rappe on our album. Interest being to make discover new talents, and to really make a concrete trick 100% Hip-Hop.



It is well because you allow young people to return in the medium!

I think that the step is bloody more egoistic. I want to do it. Not. After if that helps the young people, so much better! I will not go in studio to give pleasure with someone else! I save the gal?¨res to them, since I passed by there. It is that the advantage which I can give them. And then control of the studio, to bring people to them who it is necessary. Maintaining that is not because I knew gal?¨res that I do that. It is because I find that the guy it has a potential and that I want to work with him. That one wants to make a mortal trick! On our premises, one ever functioned by copinage. Have beautiful being to you my super pal, as from the moment or one is not in the same one is delirious, that does not do it! If not that would like to say that I could produce an album of rock'n'roll tomorrow, because I have a pal who is rocker and which needs me so that I make him discover a studio. Me, it is not my trip!

You remains authentik even compared to that!

Frankly ouais! Me, I see it like that. I do not make seeming that does not interest me. Me and Joey, it is a challenge! When I bump with him, and it has been my pal for eighteen years, it does not have there kindness. You rappes, you ensure! When that does not go I say to him, and conversely. I do not know little about relations in the groups where that really does not occur like that!

Today, one attends in France with the creation of families the level of the rap. For example, I A. M. made with Funky Family and Def Bomb. Do you think that that can advance the things?

It is sure that if people who are already in the place and who know a little the business begin with driver people who are derri?¨res, it is more interesting than if they is the houses of discs, which know nothing there, which do it. As you said a few moments ago, compared to what I can bring to the young people, there it is the same thing. They can bring their experiment and all the remainder. Therefore, it is a good. Maintaining the danger, it is not to make like the houses of discs. So when are the different with dimensions one for you of the barrier you start to be negligent with respect to people who arrive behind, it is not good! Us one made our trick with our tripe and one tries to make the continuation in the same way! If not, it is not interesting. Only the word Hip-Hop, it is a counter-culture. One is there to be against! All that is done, all that occurs, all that the variety can represent. Me, I do not speak about commercial. I do not know what that wants to say. There are the goods and the bad pieces. After it goes or not, it is the problem of publishes. For me, there is a music and there is a rapper. The guy owes rapper like one rappe into 98, whatever his style, since there is billion styles. But one is into 98! You leave me a style four years ago, I could not say you that the title cases, even if the prod. is mortal. It is necessary that the prod. is per hour of 98, that the guy rappe like one rappe in 98. The rap, it is performance. If not, you make a book! When write to you ideas, musicalement you are there to create in more one dynamics on the music. One gives you a binary support, with you to make it spectacular! That it is low, that it is fast, that they are claiming, that it is style "my benz" with meufs, I of insane. Bring back for me a trick where I can say myself, that it is of Hip-Hop!

And on the level of general public Hip-Hop?

But it is of that that I speak to you! I speak to you about requirement. One is it so that there is no excess.
If one passes in the houses of discs and that one can introduce people like Busta Flex, it is not to do that! It is necessary to be as demanding for the guys as you produce that you can be it with yourself.

But is what you do not believe that this kind of rap can familiarize people with the rap itself?

Not!

Many groups had these remarks there!

I know. Not how groups, journalists too!
I am afflicted, these people prevent it the others from pushing. After when you arrive with a minimum of speech, one says to you but me I pass from the rap, I pass him there. I do not pass from the guys like you! Are truths they where? Not with the radio! NTM one is with the radio because one bored to death to them during ten years and that it was proven to them that today one was impossible to circumvent. And if is to leave place only to NTM, that is not either interesting! In the claiming rap, there are thousands of people who have things to say and which already left the skeuds. The album of Afrojazz, for me, it is a bomb! The product, it is there! And they, they make 30 000 sales. And with 30 000 sales, you do not eat and you requests if you will make a second album. It is that the problem of people who make shit which opens is saying the ears of people, not, that does not open the ears! That gives a certain indication of the rap. And then when arrive to you with NTM, one says to you but you see that one can make rap like him or like him there.



Si vous en aviez l??€�opportunit?©, comme Run DCM, Public Ennemy, ou m??me en France Timide et Sans Complexe, de travailler avec des groupes de rock, est ce que vous le feriez ?

Non ! C'est bien pour les gens qui aiment la fusion !

Mais, parfois la fronti?¨re est ?©troite, et on peut d?©river vers d??€�autres musiques en utilisant certains samples !

Mais chanter sur du rock, non ! Moi, je chante sur du Hip-Hop ! Le Hip-Hop, c'est beat/bass. Le sample dont ? priori tu parles, je m'en bas les couilles. Moi, c'est le beat et la bass ! C'est du Hip-Hop. Apr?¨s tu rajoutes ce que tu veux. Tu connais notre album. On a chant?© Chopin pour That's my people. Tant que ?§a sonne bien ? mon oreille, c'est bon ! Maintenant jouer avec un groupe de rock, de jazz, je ne dis pas que je ne pourrais pas m'?©clater, on l'a d?©j? fait ! Raggasonic joue avec des musicos et quand on joue tous ensembles sur sc?¨ne, moi je m'?©clate. Pas de soucis. Mais c'est autre chose, c'est pas notre truc. Je vais pas faire Anthrax comme Public Ennemy ! J'ai aucun plaisir ? ?©couter cette musique. Alors encore moins ? chanter dessus. C'est une question de go?»t. Je suis peut ??tre sectaire. Il y a des puristes de rock qui te diront c'est quoi cette merde de Hip-Hop. Je ne dis pas que le rock, c'est de la merde. Ca ne m'int?©resse pas. Point. Nous on a des tas de choses ? faire dans le Hip-Hop ! Comme eux, ils ont des tas de choses ? faire dans le rock. Le mec, si il a la voix, les m?©lodies, si il sait ce qu'il fait et o?? il va, il fera un truc bien. Rock, jazz, ce que tu veux ! C'est un artiste, il va cr?©er des trucs. Le malheur c'est quand c'est de la p??le copie ? chaque fois r?©chauff?©e. C'est aussi pour ?§a que le Hip-Hop n'est pas mort aujourd'hui. Il y a un underground qui ram?¨ne des choses, encore et encore. Le probl?¨me des trucs commerciaux, c'est que ?§a ne ram?¨ne rien, c'est juste la r?©p?©tition de recettes d?©j? ?©prouv?©es. Avec ?§a, on va nulle part.

Parle-nous du num?©ro 2 d??€�Authentik qui va sortir.

C'est une bombe ! Le premier ?©tait pas mal, celui l? c'est une bombe ! Pour nous ?§a vient ? la suite de l'album. Ca n'est pas un moyen de contourner les m?©dias, comme j'entends dire parfois. On peut encore s'exprimer dans la presse, mais l? on interviewe qui on veut, on fait ce qu'on veut ! C'est un bon d?©lire ! En plus ?§a se passe avec Sear, le r?©dacteur en chef de Get Busy qui a sortit une vingtaine de num?©ros tout seul, qui a le m??me esprit que nous et qui vient de Saint-Denis. On partage vraiment le m??me esprit ! De plus, On a grandi un peu ensembles, ce qui ne g??che rien. Voil? .

Et comment vous est venue l??€�id?©e de faire ?§a ?

Comme ?§a. Tiens, pourquoi pas ! Ce serait marrant ! On interviewerait des mecs qu'on conna?®t, ou qu'on conna?®t pas. Pas forc?©ment des mecs qui sont dans notre camp. Et puis, c'est gratuit ! Moi, ?§a me fait rigoler, les canards de Hip-Hop. Nous on a la chance d'avoir des gens qui mettent de l'argent pour la pub dedans mais il me semble que dans les autres journaux aussi je vois des pubs, voir davantage. Remarque eux, ils essayent d'en vivre, c'est autre chose !

Une partie du jeune cin?©ma fran?§ais se tourne vers le probl?¨me des cit?©s, avec film comme la haine ou Ma-6-T va craquer. Qu??€�est-ce que tu en penses ? Est-ce que ?§a peut faire ?©voluer les choses sur le terrain ?

Non ! Ca reste du cin?©ma, et nous ?§a reste de la musique. On traite aussi des probl?¨mes de cit?©s, mais ?§a reste de la musique. Si les gens s'imaginent que c'est ?§a qui va faire ?©voluer les choses, et bien ils se trompent ! Cin?©ma, musique, ce que tu veux, ?§a reste de l'art. Nous on essaye de faire des choses et si il y a des personnes que ?§a fait r?©fl?©chir, tant mieux ! Mais de l? ? changer les choses ! En plus pour l'instant ?§a a ?©t?© mal fait...

C??€�est vrai que Ma 6 T va craquer, franchement ?§a fait peur !

Ben ?©coute, tu vois, je ne l'avais pas vu. Il est pass?© sur canal il y a une semaine. Je n'y ait pas cru ! JE N'Y AI PAS CRU ! Je pensais pas que c'?©tait possible. Et puis les citations de Karl Marx ? la fin ! Faut arr??ter de croire que les jeunes des cit?©s sont des ouvriers r?©volutionnaires. Le jeune de cit?© aujourd'hui, il est dans la merde. Alors il fait gaffe ? son cul, point. C'est aussi ce que son film illustre, c'est vrai. Mais beaucoup trop dans l'exc?¨s. J'ai m??me pas envie de parler de ?§a. Je pr?©f?¨re gonfler un mec qui a fait un bon film plut?´t que de descendre un mec qui en a fait un mauvais.

Justement, quel film t??€�as marqu?© plus ou moins r?©cemment ?

Le premier film de Richet, " Etat des lieux ", ?©tait bien. Malgr?© toutes les lacunes. Moi, je ne suis pas contre les lacunes. Nous, on a des lacunes. On en aura encore sur le prochain album. Et sur le premier album, on en avait franchement beaucoup. C'est normal ! Le fait qu' " Etat des lieux " ait des lacunes sur le plan artistique n'est pas grave. Il aurait progress?© par la suite, avec les moyens. Mais ?§a ressemblait vraiment ? quelque chose. Ma 6-T va craquer c'est pas s?©rieux. C'est pas possible, quoi ! Putain ! J'y crois pas !

Qu??€�est ce que tu penses d??€�Internet ? Vous avez cr?©?© votre site il y a peu??€¦

C'est un moyen de communication g?©nial mais ce truc l? me fait un peu flipper. D'un cot?©, c'est de la technologie, avec des avantages mortels, tu peux communiquer partout, et en m??me temps ?§a cr?©e une soci?©t?© encore plus individualiste. De toutes fa?§ons, on va l? dedans ! Malheureusement. Alors, allons y ? fond ! Faisons m??me un super Internet qui va encore plus vite. Je crois qu'on enferme les gens. Il y a des mecs de 28 ans qui passent leurs journ?©es ? aller chercher des informations sur l'?©cran et qui on les yeux niqu?©s ? force. L? , t??€�es plus dans le palpable !

Tu serais pr??t ? diffuser un concert sur ton site ?

Bien sur ! Mais on diffuse d?©j? des images de live il me semble. Et puis des clips, des informations sur nous. Sympa, quoi ! Mais je vais pas aller dormir la dessus ! Le gros avantage c'est que tu gagnes du temps au niveau de l'information. C'est positif sur plein de trucs. Mais apr?¨s, tu as le revers de la m?©daille...

Vous seriez pr??ts ? faire un album 100% ragga, vu que Joey est pas mal l? dedans ?

Non, comme dit Joey, on se le fera plus devant la glace. Il se prend pas pour un raggamuffin. Certes, il a un potentiel ! Mais franchement son truc, c'est le pera. Il s'est toujours essay?© au ragga. Il a des petites gimmicks entre les morceaux. Et aujourd'hui il a r?©ussi ? le coucher dans " Pose ton gun " pour l'album. Et puis c'est vrai on est potes avec Kossity et Joey va s?»rement produire son album. Donc les influences sont l? . Mais de l? ? faire un album, non ! Il y aura des petites touches raggas, mais c'est tout, juste parce qu'on kiffe bien.

Et dans la musique, vous avez chacun votre home studio, vous travaillez ensemble ?

On ne produit pas nos musiques, ? part sur trois morceaux de l'album que B.O.S.S. a produit, sinon pour le reste on travaille avec des gens...
Pour le premier album, on avait un D.J. qui faisait toutes les musiques. Il est parti ? la suite du deuxi?¨me album. Donc on a ?©t?© chercher des gens autour de nous, D.J. Clyde pour le troisi?¨me album, et puis l? sur le dernier on a travaill?© avec D.J. Exp?©rience. Mais B.O.S.S. fait de la musique. Sur l'album, il y a trois prods, " Ma benz ", "C'est arriv?© pr?¨s de chez toi ", et " Je vise juste ". Mais moi je ne fais pas de musique.

Sur le premier album, il y avait un morceau qui s??€�intitulait " Le monde de demain "...
Comment vois-tu aujourd??€�hui le monde de demain ?

Le monde de demain, aujourd'hui, fait plus peur qu'? l'?©poque. Je pense que demain, ce sera pire ! Tu sais moi, j'ai qu'? ouvrir les yeux. M??me si vous arrivez pas ? vous rendre compte, vous qui ??tes au pouvoir, alors prenez des chiffres, vu que le terrain vous connaissez pas ! Il y a dix ans il y avait 2 millions de ch?´meurs, aujourd'hui on en est ? 3 millions avec des chiffres trafiqu?©s. Et en vrai 5 millions. Ben voil? ! Ca va aller mieux ? De quoi on parle l? ? Tu me parlais d??€�Internet qui va aller encore plus vite ! On est dans l'automatisation du monde. Avec de moins en moins de main d??€�?�uvre. Tout le monde de toutes fa?§ons n'aura pas bac+7 et m??me ceux qui ont cette chance l? aujourd'hui ils se retrouvent au MacDo. Le syst?¨me a la t??te sous l'eau, on le dit tr?¨s clairement !

Si tu avais un message ? adresser personnellement au reste de la plan?¨te, ce serait quoi ?

L? , si tu veux, on parle pendant quatre heures ! A part balancer des banalit?©s, comme Patrick Bruel, du genre faut arr??ter la guerre. C'est vraiment pas le message que j'ai ? balancer ! J'ai m??me pas envie de dire ?§a. A quoi ?§a sert ? Tout le monde a envie qu'entre les palestiniens et les feujs ?§a s'arr??te parce qu??€�on a peur de la quatri?¨me guerre mondiale, et que si elle arrive on ne s'en rel?¨vera pas ! On est dans un syst?¨me o?? on y va tout droit. ON Y VA TOUT DROIT ! Mais de le dire ?§a fait tellement gamin, tellement r??veur. Tu vois Michel Fugain, ouais d'accord super ! De dire ?§a t'es cool Michel ! J'ai pas envie d'??tre cool. Un message au monde entier ? Ecoutez NTM les gars, c'est de la balle !

ps: mi`a tradus o colega, sper ca va descurcati > ma adresez celor interesati !

[sunrah]

http://rapidshare.de/files/3015179/Copy ... i.wmv.html

Kufi smacker is back, summer wit Miami.

Diplomats Week @ http://allhiphop.com


No longer on the Roc, Cam??€�ron is about to lay down a new manifesto. He??€�s gotten all of his comrades comfortable at a medley of labels. He??€�s established his businesses, and closed others openly. Cam??€�ron??€�s eyes are on bigger things ??€� and all eyes are on him.

AllHipHop.com looks at Cam??€�s accomplishments, some of his fumbles, and the unturned stones of an artist that??€�s oft considered one-dimensional. With Diplomats Week in full-throttle, it??€�s only natural to check in with the architect of the city the Dips claim they built.

Cam??€�ron: I liked the things going with Mike Jones there; I feel they really helped out with the levy even though it was poppin??€� already with his situation.

AllHipHop.com: Can you compete with the foundation they??€�re paving in the South?

Cam??€�ron: A lot of people don??€�t know I lived in Texas in a year, I lived in Atlanta for a couple of months, and I moved to New Orleans; I bounced around a lot of different places. I got friends a lot of different places and also I picked up, you know I went to school in Texas so I picked up in the south at a young age so already knew about the vibe. A lot of New York people back in the early 90??€�s didn??€�t really know that the South had a movement going on.

AllHipHop.com: Do you know when you??€�re gonna premier your new work?

Cam??€�ron: Well what I??€�m gonna do is, honestly, like Jim and Juelz and stuff come out, ??€?cause they??€�re pretty much ready to go to get their stuff going. Then after that, we??€�ll figure out dates. [We??€�re] probably looking around October-ish.

AllHipHop.com: ??€???€�Bout It, ??€?Bout It,??€? the remake, got a lot of love. However, there has been a lot of criticism to the ??€?Push It??€? cover and some others. Usually, you??€�ve got a reason for all you do ??€� so ??€� what were you thinking?

Cam??€�ron: When we was little, we loved that song. That song??€�s still hot; that song??€�s still hot til??€� this day in my book. I like that song.

AllHipHop.com: Are you concerned that The Diplomats are bringing too many acts out at once? That kinda back-lashed on Wu-Tang in the late 90??€�s??€¦

Cam??€�ron: We still got a long way to go so before it gets to that I think it??€�ll go a long, long, long way. And a lot of times, like with Wu-Tang, what happened with them, I think the chemistry just wasn??€�t the same because certain people moved certain places, and it wasn??€�t like they wasn??€�t all back at [Shaolin] when he was making the beginning albums, and then stuff started to fade. With u,s even though it look like everybody??€�s fame elevated, we still stay in the studio together, we still doin??€� our music, we still like, ??€?Oh yo no, don??€�t do that.??€?

AllHipHop.com: How do you look at the new Roc-A-Fella situation, since you were a major Roc success story a few years ago?

Cam??€�ron: I don??€�t know, I hope it does well. I hope it does excellent. I can??€�t say. We??€�ll have to see but I don??€�t wish anybody bad you know. They still, everybody from the bottom trying to make it to the top so it??€�s all gravy. I just wish them the best.

AllHipHop.com: What about Dame. There??€�s a lot of talk going around about some unhappy dealings towards the end??€¦

Cam??€�ron: That sounds like a question for Dame.

AllHipHop.com: Why did you not stay with him?

Cam??€�ron: Sometimes somebody may not negotiate the most money [that] you can negotiate yourself. You may feel you??€�re worth more. And somebody may not want to put that fight up for you. So what I do is, I negotiate my deals in the beginning. As soon as I get the money, I want Dame to come in and he just running the day to day operations and he??€�ll receive royalties with me, split points and back-end.

AllHipHop.com: That??€�s in the Asylum deal?

Cam??€�ron: Yes.

AllHipHop.com: There were no issues with Juelz staying at Def Jam?

Cam??€�ron: I mean no. He??€�s at Diplomat [Records], the distribution is Def Jam. I get paid the same amount as I would get paid on Asylum with Def Jam. It??€�s just that he??€�s distributed through them. With me, I sat down and talked to them and we had a conversation. He said if I wanted him to leave, he??€�d leave and I said you go. You??€�re 20 years old now, you gotta make those decisions for yourself. And he wanted to stay, so I was like that??€�s that. No matter what you want to do, I got his back.

AllHipHop.com: Okay.

Cam??€�ron: What we had was a production deal, which means we just in control of our budget. I rearranged it for a joint-venture deal, which means after [the release, we] split the profit 50/50 with Def Jam. So the way it was before, if you sold a million, two, three, four million records -you weren??€�t getting any backend money. And now, if he sells two, three, four million records he??€�s gonna be gettin??€� maybe half the re-recoups. It may be about 3-400,000. He??€�ll be gettin??€� maybe five or six dollars a record.

AllHipHop.com: One thing you stressed was recording in your own studios. On the More Than Music compilation, it seems that Juelz is housing the studio??€¦

Cam??€�ron: He was the first one to get a studio out of all of us. We all work out of his studio; he gets the money from the studio.

AllHipHop.com: Do you do it all there?

Cam??€�ron: We do everything except for master. We mix there and do everything there except for mastering.

AllHipHop.com: I had heard about this track recently on a mixtape where you recounted the shooting of Freaky Zeaky and the death of Eric ??€?E??€? Mangrum covered in blood. Was that a hard song to record?

Cam??€�ron: A lot of times when I??€�m rapping, it??€�s about the truth, just not always [what??€�s said] in the papers. People don??€�t always know about what I rappin??€� about, because it wasn??€�t made public. You know it??€�s hard enough for me to see that E got killed, and [Zeaky] got shot when it really happened; wasn??€�t really that hard when I did the song, because that??€�s what I do. I take stories from the ghetto and then put them out there. But you know when that happened in reality I was hurt.

AllHipHop.com: People associate you with swagger and not showing emotions??€¦

Cam??€�ron: Well I mean, if you ever listen to any of my albums, I always got something. It may not always get heard, or put in the public eye, but I always keep something of that nature on the album, because everything isn??€�t always about forcing a person to be hot or whatever.

AllHipHop.com: Have you spoken to Zeke recently?

Cam??€�ron: Zeke is doing well. He was just recently, maybe a month and a half ago, just moved back to North Carolina. He was in New York doing his bid and now he??€�s finished with that. He??€�ll be out about this time, next year.

AllHipHop.com: What about Mase? There??€�s a lot of history there, and people are confused. You??€�re both under the Atlantic umbrella now.

Cam??€�ron: I spoke to Mase, he??€�s a minor league player in basketball [now]. [We spoke] maybe about a month, a month and a half ago, went out a couple of times. But you know, I doubt we??€�ll be doing any music together.

AllHipHop.com: So there??€�s no beef between you two?

Cam??€�ron: No, not at all.

AllHipHop.com: What did you guys talk about?

Cam??€�ron: Nothing. Like I said, we just was telling about old stuff, playing basketball. He showed up.

AllHipHop.com: Who won the game?

Cam??€�ron: Neutral party. We played 21, not one-on-one.

AllHipHop.com: New Yorkers are talking about this new ride you brought on ??€?em??€¦

Cam??€�ron: Yep, I gotta a Lamborghini in New York. I had one in Florida but I figure this is a bigger deal in New York.

AllHipHop.com: Have you opened it up yet on the road?

Cam??€�ron: To the limit ??€� 210 [miles per hour].

AllHipHop.com: A lot of people may??€�ve doubted the liquor game. How has it been?

Cam??€�ron: Liquor??€�s doing excellent. We??€�re just the number one new liquor in the country last year. We just left the National Liquor Convention in Orlando; sold 40,000 cases our first year.

AllHipHop.com: I had heard you??€�re raising the bar with the clothes??€¦

Cam??€�ron: Well, yeah. It??€�s called Vavoli, Upton and Malone. It??€�s coming straight from Italy. What I??€�m doing now is I??€�m working the runways in Italy, so that when I come to America, it??€�ll already be out in Italy for two years. I??€�m not doing like a sports clothing line; I??€�m doing a straight up couture line. What happens is I??€�ve been working with the factories and the manufacturers and getting it rocking in Italy. Their dollar is two to one to ours. It??€�s way more worth than our dollars, so I??€�m trying to get that going over there first and then bring it to America. A lot of times what people don??€�t realize is, you go to fashion weekend and you??€�re like, ??€?Wow, fashion week.??€? And if you??€�just because there??€�s a fashion week in New York that doesn??€�t mean you can get in fashion week in Italy. If you??€�re in fashion week in Italy, they want you to come to fashion week in New York.

AllHipHop.com: Why Vavoli?

Cam??€�ron: That means ??€?I??€�ll fly,??€? in Italian, and right now we have certain things in Apollo Express on 121st Street between 7th and 8th Avenue right next to the Apollo Signature Park.

AllHipHop.com: Is it true the beauty salon closed its doors?

Cam??€�ron: Yeah, it??€�s a wrap.

AllHipHop.com: Do you feel you get the proper credit for being an intelligent individual. People can joke at slang and pink cars, but you??€�ve brought out many successful businesses??€¦

Cam??€�ron: No. I don??€�t think I get the credit at all. You know, that??€�s why I hired Damon first, because you know besides him being my man, and besides him being as smart as he is, a lot of times I would say something when I used to be at Sony [and nobody would hear me out]. It still goes on today in certain different things, not necessarily in the music business. There??€�s still always things to learn but on my level. I could tell somebody something, and then they??€�ll think I??€�m bugging. If somebody else tells them the same thing with a suit on or glasses, and that??€�s it - that??€�s the right thing to do.

[Deena]

Pitch Black - The Fantastic 5 -audio interview

Pitch Black??€�s members (D.G., Devious, Fast, G.O.D., and Zakee) have each been involved with hip-hop since day one. Zakee says ??€?Everybody was doing their thing, talent shows, school performances, beat boxing, djaying, we all wrote graffiti. So we??€�re 360 degrees of hip-hop, we cover every aspect of the culture, the way of life.??€? After forming Pitch Black in 1994, the five went straight to the lab and honed their skills, writing rhymes, and recording tracks.

Pitch Black decided that one person could never fully embody hip-hop. Only a group could perfectly express the culture, and thus Pitch Black was born. The average rapper today knows more about diamonds and silk than beats and rhymes, but Pitch Black brings pure hip-hop into the 21st century. ??€?We??€�re a throwback to original b-boys, but in a new package, we??€�re old-school new-school niggas. It??€�s high-tech, b-boyish, schizophrenic, we come one after another and it??€�s like an explosion!??€? Together, Pitch Black does what no single individual could ever accomplish. They are hip-hop perfection live and direct in your ear hole.
part1
http://s18.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=1SPQ ... UKK6SDYIPZ
part2
http://s18.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=18NN ... RHCXHH00FR
part3
http://s18.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=0VH2 ... 7JKWO33D0S

[Deena]

Jaguar Wright: Different Day
By Nia Beckwith



When she first came on the scene three years ago with her first album Denials, Delusions, and Decisions, Jaguar Wright found herself aligned with a debatable category of music labeled Neo-Soul.

You might remember seeing her on stage with one of Hip-Hop??€�s most intriguing groups, The Roots, or maybe you remember how she kicked out her big voice in the Coca-Cola commercial. All in all one of the most memorable and pivotal moments of Jaguar Wright??€�s career was when she sang background for Jay-Z on MTV??€�s Unplugged, sharing the stage with some of the biggest names in Hip-Hop and R&B. At that moment, people began to really take notice.
Refusing to let the media stigmatize her soulful sound and upbringing, Jaguar has retuned with her sophomore effort Divorcing Neo 2 Marry Soul. Out to prove that she can hold her own, Jaguar has crafted her new album all by herself. ??€?The only way to truly prove that you are great is to do it on your own??€?, says Jaguar. With the struggles of being a mother, an artist, and a wife on her back, Jaguar took time to tell Allhiphop.com Alternatives how it all goes down.

AllHipHop.com Alternatives: You??€�ve been off the scene for a while. What??€�s been going on with you?

Jaguar: Just working and living.

AHHA: What??€�s been the biggest challenge for you so far being a wife and a mother in the music industry?

Jaguar: All of them. If I was to just do one, I??€�d have it made. If I had to do two, I could probably manage okay. But doing all three is a lot.

AHHA: How are you able to keep a balance?

Jaguar: You can??€�t - and anybody that says they can is lying. There??€�s no balance. You get up in the morning and do what you can get done that day, and then you get up the next morning and do what you didn??€�t finish the day before. Sometimes certain things fall to the wayside, sometimes you forget things; sometimes you can??€�t be a 100%. You just do it because that??€�s who you are.

AHHA: Becoming pregnant with your second child - was that a surprise or was it planned?

Jaguar: I would say it was a little bit of both. Nobody really plans kids; I don??€�t care what they say. God gives you what you??€�re meant to have when you??€�re meant to have it. Did I fully intend to have a kid? Yes??€¦Was I expecting to get pregnant when I did? No??€¦It wasn??€�t like it was one of those things like, ??€?Oh my God what am I going to do???€� I called my managers, I called everyone and was like I know you??€�re going to be pissed off but I??€�m having my baby.

AHHA: Do you think things your career would have traveled differently if you didn??€�t have your second child?

Jaguar: Yes. I know people like using that as an excuse, but I believe all the difficulties that went on in my career were because a lot of people were able to say and do a lot of things and use my pregnancy as an excuse. Any shows that I was supposed to be part of could have been postponed or pushed back, I wasn??€�t told about that. People made decisions for me, said I wasn??€�t available without even asking me. The truth is people do what they want to do. Had I not got pregnant, I wouldn??€�t to be able to discover a lot of things that were happening in my own personal and family life. I have a 12-year-old son that is going through puberty right now, and because of this forced sabbatical I??€�ve been able to really be a mom. In these types of situations you can keep working, you can keep writing, you just might not be able to do what you want to do right then. Furthermore I don??€�t think I wouldn??€�t have been able to come up with my new album if I hadn??€�t gone through all of this.

AHHA: So you can say you??€�re a prime example that things happen for a reason?

Jaguar: Yes, everything happens for a reason even and sometimes you don??€�t see the reason until it shows up. I??€�m not upset at all, and I think that most pleasant surprise of all is that people have been waiting for a new album from me. People didn??€�t forget about me. When you think about it I only sold a quarter million records, I haven??€�t had any real TV presence in almost two years, I didn??€�t have a strong radio presence because my record company at the time MCA records was a bunch of jerk off a**holes that just didn??€�t give a sh*t about good music. They tried to have me trapped in the imaginary world of ??€?Neo-Soul??€?. I should have just faded away. There are no more loyal listeners anymore - you??€�re only as good as the last hit you had five minutes ago. Just to know that people have been waiting and remember lets me know there??€�s strong loyalty there, and that proves to me that I must have made a strong impression.

AHHA: Tell us about your album.

Jaguar: I pretty much did the A&R and executive produced this project by myself. I wrote all the songs and also produced two songs. There are no cameo or guest appearances, and I did it on my own without The Roots. My album is f*ckin??€� ridiculous, I couldn??€�t be more proud. I??€�m literally living my music right now, it??€�s so strange. I don??€�t know if it makes me clairvoyant, brilliant, or blind. I think it??€�s a little of all three, because the smartest muthaf*ckas most of the time is the dumbest muthaf*ckas.

If I plan on having the career that I want to have, I have to do it with no help. Every song is incredible. All vocals are as they should be and the mixing is wonderful. The producers did a f*cking fantastic job. I did it all with just $150,000 when it should have cost a million dollars - I??€�m pretty f*ckin??€� incredible. Unfortunately I have to remind people. I don??€�t mean to be cocky and sound like I??€�m sweating myself, but I??€�m not frontin??€� - I??€�m being really f*ckin??€� realistic. Nobody could have done this sh*t but me. What a minute, that??€�s a lie. There??€�s only one other person, and that??€�s my buddy Jill Scott. She??€�s done it before.

AHHA: So you and Jill are good friends?

Jaguar: Yes. I love her to death. My life would not be the same without her. I have inherited her as a friend, comrade and confidant. I thank God for her. It??€�s nice to have a friend that truly understands you.

AHHA: Tell me about your experience with working with The Roots.

Jaguar: Being with The Roots was one of the best experiences of my life. I??€�m never going to make music like that again in my life it??€�s impossible. There??€�s magic between me and those gentlemen. You feel the electricity the second you step on the stage. Feeding on each other and giving it up. But the problem is when you are surrounded by a ton of greatness, people really can??€�t see your individual greatness. People liked to associate my greatness with the fact that I was with The Roots. It was even said, ??€?She was cool in the Coca-Cola commercial because she was with The Roots??€�. Nobody bothered to say that Coca-Cola came looking for me first, and then it only made sense for The Roots to be in commercial.

AHHA: You were fortunate to hook up with Jay-Z for MTV Unplugged. What was that experience like.

Jaguar: That was kind of undeniable because I stood on the stage on my own with some of the hugest heaviest hitters in the game and held my own and added something really great to the show. I will always be thankful to Jay for that, and that Mary J Blige shared the stage with me [when I] was just a little nobody.

After the MTV Unplugged show things got very difficult for me. Jay ??€�Z has always been nothing but brilliant and wonderful, and for someone you barely know embrace you and give you that type of opportunity and to completely say thumbs up??€¦It wasn??€�t a very happy home for me at MCA for me after that. Another female artist over at MCA did not like it and made things difficult for me. It was a like complement and a curse.

AHHA: How do you feel about being put into the Neo-Soul category?

Jaguar: There is no Neo-Soul category. It was dead from the moment it was conceived.

AHHA: Why do you feel that way about it?

Jaguar: Look at the word. Look at the phrase. Neo meaning new? New Soul? How is Soul new? For me to say I??€�m doing new Soul is disrespecting the entire history of Soul singers. For me to say its new is to say, ??€?I was never influenced by Aretha Franklin because I??€�m doing some knew sh*t. Marvin Gaye he was a??€�ight. That was some old sh*t this is some new sh*t??€�. How can the f*ck can we divorce our history for a marketing ploy. We stab ourselves in the back by letting the media put that title on us. We??€�re Soul singers - the only difference is we were raised in Hip-Hop. Its evolution, there??€�s nothing new about it. We??€�re just the next generation.

AHHA: What??€�s craziest things you??€�ve ever heard about yourself?

Jaguar: I don??€�t know there always some craziest rumor going on about me - I??€�m an alcoholic, I cheat on my husband, I??€�m aloof - but the overall craziest thing I??€�ve ever heard about myself is that I purposefully tried to sabotage my career by getting pregnant because I was afraid to compete.

AHHA: How did it make you feel to know that someone had said that about you?

Jaguar: I didn??€�t feel anything from it. If anything, I felt sorry for the person who said it.

AHHA: In your music you seem write about life experiences and people you know. Have you ever written something about someone and had them confront you about it?

Jaguar: Yeah. I feel like if you don??€�t want me to write about it, don??€�t be around me.

AHHA: Has it ever had an impact on a relationship you had with someone?

Jaguar: Yes. Do I care? No. It??€�s the truth. If you don??€�t want your life on record don??€�t mix it with mine.

AHHA: How important is mainstream success to you?

Jaguar: Not important at all. I could care less. I don??€�t need to be an A-list celebrity. I don??€�t want to be followed around, I don??€�t want to be harassed, or find pictures of myself in different magazines. Coming up being known by everybody wasn??€�t always a good idea, so why should I want to change that now. I know that to a certain extent I know there are some compromises I??€�m going to have to make, but I??€�m not going to compromise my integrity and dignity. I don??€�t need to be the ??€?it??€? girl. If I never have a mainstream multi-platinum album it??€�s not going to hurt my feelings.

I always say you??€�re not a real entertainer unless you can stand on a stage with a four piece stage with no theatrics. I always believed, concentrate on the work and make the work great, and if the work is great you will inevitably become successful - and with success comes money, fame and all the rest of it. I want to be an acclaimed artist - not a chased-after artist. I want to be recognized for my talents, my gifts, my thoughts, and my words.

[Deena]

Sumethin' FRESH 4 y'all!This is (like someone use 2 say) Good Shit
Interview with Tonedeff


http://www.hiphopgame.com/index2.php3?page=tonedeff

ENJOY

[ronin]

OK what's going on here,
who is this kid
KtheI???

by Dave



Ok, let's start with a little personal info. Who are you and what do you do?

My name is KtheI???, and I'm an underground Hip Hop artist from Cambridge Mass. I'm an underground Hip Hop artists for the advanced music listener, because it's definitely some spaced out type stuff. Quite intricate. And I've been up in Cambridge for most of my life, representing all around the Cambridge/Boston area. I was down with a crew called Rebel Alliance and many other local crews with people like Virtuoso. I'm an MC growing, basically, to make it short.


How did you start rhyming and how long have you been doing this for?

I became an MC through my cousins. My cousins got me into Hip Hop many years ago. They were doing talent shows back in the days with famous groups like Top Choice Click and ED O.G.... way back in the days. They got me into it and wrote a couple of rhymes for me. It was just a joke at first, but I kicked what they wrote and eventually realized that I wanted to start doing it by myself. I started doing this about twelve years ago, so I've been into it most of my life. Ever since I was a kid.


You said that you were from Cambridge. How was it growing up there?

Back in the days, the Cambridge and Boston area was incredible. Growing up there got me motivated to do many different things. It expanded my mind and I began putting rhymes together that were a little different than the norm. Quite abnormal, to tell you the truth. And there were a lot of abnormal MC's in the area, so it was like a bonding. Artist like 7L&Esoteric, Mr. Lif, Karma, way back in the days when I used to run with them, Virtuoso, all of them, they got me into the scene. They got me into shows when I was underage, because they are older than me. So when I was 16, and the show was 21 plus, at places like Western Front, they would be like: "ya, ya, he's with us". I would go there and just chill. It got me motivated because there was so much Hip Hop around me. And so much different types of Hip Hop, which made it incredible and got me energized to do it


Can you describe your style of rhyming and what sets you apart from other people in Hip Hop today?

My style of rhyming... I call myself "boom bap", but I cannot say only that. It's boom bap, complex, out of this world at times. Very different. There are many one-word descriptions that I could use for myself. Intelligent. My style is something that is out there, unique. I didn't emulate it off of any one. It's called years of listening to many different types of music and not only Hip Hop. I will go from Trip Hop to Jazz to Rock, and always stay open. And when you put that openness into what you feel you want to accomplish, it can create completely different things. You'll have many influences coming together to create this one. It's definitely different.


After you started writing and getting into the scene, who influenced you in the early days? Who are the people that influence you now?

The early days, 7L&Esoteric, Karma, the whole Rebel Alliance crew really. Lif, Virtuoso, FaktsOne. Also, Company Flow of course. Wu-Tang, back in the day. Roots. Common Sense was like my favorite MC for a long time. He was just angry with his. There are just so many artists. I could be here all day. There are so many artists, even from unknown places. I listen to the Anticon thing, Sole... They all impress me because it's all different. It all influenced. That's what people have to understand, if you are always one-track minded you will always be in that one track dimension. That's the bottom line. I make sure to stay in the fifth dimension (laughter).


So your brain is just open to whatever comes up.

Basically. I don't think about what I want to do. It just comes to me.


I know you have a lot of projects going on now, what have you been up to lately?

Lately I've been incredibly busy. I've been working on a collaboration with my friend from Sweden. He's in a group called Stacs of Stamina. His name is Johan. He's doing production and I'm going to rhyme on it. It's going to be dope. Eventually I will be working with my boy TheButterflyswift. That's my man, and we are going to be putting a little something to together called 'We Missed the Train'. That's a little crew, it's going to be different. I'm also working with this crew Distorted Megabytes, the heads I came to the show with tonight. That includes my man Mud Buddha, OptimisGFN1 , DiverseOne, TSE, we're mega deep... Holmes, Rev.Al. Also I'm working with these heads who are my boys that I grew up with, around my neighborhood in Cambridge. It's me, my boy BrokenKlutch, my boy Rubber Bandit, Shawn Doe, Digistance, Mic Strategist, Str8-A, we're mega deep too. So there are multiple things going on. I'm working on my solo EP at the moment which is completely produced by me. I wanted to take some time to have one of those under my belt. It's going to be called, 'Me, myself, K the third person I'. It's a little weird. It goes in and out of this abnormal state.


At this point in Hip Hop's life many genres of rap music have been born. Commercial, independent, battle, gangster, progressive, underground, etc... what do you think about that and where does Kthe I??? fit into it?

Right now, the commercial industry... I don't even like to get into that, but everybody knows the obvious. Puff Daddy is controlling the industry. And there are other artists, like Jay Z, who have the industry in their hands. But in the underground, it's pretty obvious that it's a Def Jux world right now. It's a Def Jux world and it's an Anticon world. You know, people who have a name and their name is out, and they are releasing incredible music. You're going to be in control if you are releasing volumes of incredible music.



Oh Ya (as I lick my lips with anticipation...)?

Leaking it out... There are some Chicago crews that are ready to come out and represent with me. My boy Vile, my boy Full Exposure, Aural, Drool, all these kids, they are incredibly deep and doing some advanced type music. And sometimes it's Boom Bap, but it's not your average normal Boom Bap. It's more that 2003, or more like 30,003 type Boom Bap. It's out there. And right now, who I'm actually waiting to represent [here we go] is my man Big Jus [Holy shit, I didn't even know about this one!]. I just came back from Atlanta and I did a few songs with him that are coming out on a single. It's actually produced by a guy named Orko from Sandiago. He did some stuff for Saul Williams. He's produced some stuff for me also. I went out to Atlanta with my boys Mud and Holmes about two weeks ago and it was great. I had a nice experience. We laced three tracks. The first was myself, Jus, and Orko. The second was Myself with Jus on production. And the third was just me with Orko on production. It was pretty off the hook. And in the spring, when the spring hits, Jus is starting his own label. His own personal label, and he's trying to get me on. He's trying to help me out and has been a huge support. I respect him a lot.


He's definitely an underground icon.

Ya, it's funny when people that you respect a lot, you end up meeting them and they give you the same love that you give them. It's one of the best experiences I ever had. And also meeting Orko, that was a bonus surprise. I respected his music so much already, but he was such a down-low person... and just to go there and meet him also... and now he's like "Oh ya, call me, you want production, you got that". Everything this year is working and it's what I've always wanted. It's working in all my plans, my plans are coming together this year.




Ok, here's some off the topic questions. What do you think about crossing the genres, such as when a Mos Def decides to tour with a Ja Rule? Is that a hinder or a help?

I would say that in some ways it helps and in some ways it does not. Sometimes, in a major way, it does not help at all. It can help if, for example, an underground artist or group like Company Flow went on tour with Wu-Tang at the time of 36 Chambers. Big group. Major label. But that would work because Wu-Tang were rugged back in the day, and they attracted the kind of audience that would respond to a group like Co-Flowwho were also rugged. On the other hand, if a group like Co-Flow went on tour with someone like Ja Rule, that would be completely different. Now you're taking a group that is very gritty and putting them on tour with somebody who is completely soft. That doesn't mix. Wu-Tang and Def Jux make more sense than Def Jux and Ja Rule. With the first, you'll get a solidified ruggedness, but with the second you're mixing rugged with some real corny stuff. It doesn't work. Actually Vast Aire of Cannibal Ox did a show with Ghost Face Killah. Ghost face had just released a great album, and Vast did a show with him. That helped him a lot because the fans who are into Ghost Face are now buying the Can-Ox album. And that's how it works.

Mos really is going on tour with Ja Rule.

Ya, but you see, that's not going to work for him. Well, It might work because he has more of a main stream appeal. He's underground, but you could see in the beginning that he was bound to eventually make a different move. It might work.


Where did your name come from, and what's with the question marks?

Oh, (laughter) OK. My name comes from... on the Streets they call me Kiki. That's my nick name. And way back in the day I kicked this rhyme that started off: "Well it's the K the I the K the I", basically spelling it out like they used to do, K-solo steese. And someone told me "you should keep that as your name, I think it works. K the I, no one is going to copy that". I was like, "that's true". At first I didn't like it, but as time went on, I realized that it flowed better than Kiki. I looked at it as two separate letters in the beginning, but the more you say it, it flows well. Then I got attached to it. And the question marks... 3 is my lucky number. The three question marks. Now the first question mark represents to the person who is seeing or hearing about me, it will represent: "K the I... who is that?", you follow... The second will just solidify that sentiment, "Oh my god, who really is that??". The expression gets a little stronger. And the third, well that adds complete confusion now. "OK what's going on here, who is this kid K the I???". That is the name I wanted for myself, and it stands for what I created it as. People will come up to me on the street, "I heard you before, I heard about you", and that's good.


If the name stands out...

Yes. And as time goes on, more meaning comes out. The three question marks came at the end. It built up. First, 3 was the lucky number and then I realized what it could really mean to me.


Aight, this is because I've known you personally... How do you stay the friendliest kid in hip hop?

Oh... I don't know, man. It's because I'm a happy person. My mother raised me right.


No doubt.

Ya, It's just like, there is no need for me to get mad. Even if it's something that might make me angry in the aspect of someone putting me down for example. An MC dissing or something... I just stay happy. There is no need for me to get mad. Eventually good things will happen if you always stay humble. That's how I feel. And it's better to in-take if you get something great handed to you, and appreciate it. If you're going to be ignorant about life, then when you get something good you'll take advantage of it and use it to disrespect people. Say you blow up and you were a mean person and never appreciated the people who helped you out, they helped you but you didn't see because you were so angry all the time. You disrespect them and I don't like that. If somebody helps me man, I appreciate that. I never will disrespect somebody because I get "bigger" than them or whatever. If somebody helps me, I always remember that. I always remember. If I get to the point where I even get a little money to help somebody else, I'll do that. Even if it's a magazine. If I get big man, you got a publisher coming.


Oh ya [I'm straight blushing at this point]...

And I'm serious about that stuff. Just because you have to look at it like that. You have to help people. I don't want to be one of those heads who leaves my area and no one remembers about me and no one cares about me because I didn't care about them. That sucks.


If there is somebody out there who is hating the state of rap today because they were never exposed to the underground, and the many different qualities of this music, what are some of the things you might say to that person?

I would just tell the person to have an open mind about things. I have a huge mind about things. I never keep my brain closed to something that might be interesting. How do you know if you don't like Hip Hop if you have not heard all that there is to hear in Hip Hop? I can say something like, "I don't like commercial Hip Hop", but then there might be a commercial head that gets me open. But he's still commercial. You can not be like that. On the reverse, some people within Hip Hop might say, "You're on a different thing, you won't attract a crowd". Well, why don't they sit down and listen to what I actually got to pull off? Someone might think that I'm talking about nothing in my lyrics. But if they just took some time, ten minutes, to actually think about what I'm saying, they would notice that I do make sense. Friends of mine, and this is what I like the most, when I release a song they will tell me different things about the song every time I see them. "Yo, I understand what you meant at that part now", and two weeks latter, it's like, "oh now I understand the whole song!". And they'll come back to me later still and say something like "I didn't know you snuck that in"... so they are listening, and I respect that a lot. You cannot close your mind to things.


Tell me your discography, and then tell me what you have planned for release in the near future.

My discography.. all right, The first thing is the Powers of Sun 12 inch, Which is me and my man Christ on Mutant Records. The Komadose Productions BetaOne CD which is me and all my boys from Cambridge with the Lost Channel. The Distorted Megabytes CD. And The Forgotten Realm bootleg which is older, more experimental songs than what I do now. The stuff I do now is still spaced out, but back then it was out of this world Hip Hop. I still do that when I'm on the solo tip, but when I work with heads, I try to just make it some rawness.


Coming on many different levels.

I like to come on many different levels. I know personally, when I'm by myself in my own little trapped mind state, it's going to be something crazy. My EP is really really weird. As for the future, I have a 12-inch coming out. The Teletron 12-inch produced by The Butterflyswift. Yes I say his name a lot, because that's my boy. He's a strong supporter of what I do. He produced the main song on that record which is called Teletron 1. Also, Arc from Definitive Jux, he gave me a beat for that record. Hopefully the Orko and Big Jus tracks will be featured on there also. That will happen if it comes out Jus' label. If not, the record might come out on Ninja Tune. BigJus is releasing his album on Ninja Tune and he's sending my package down with it. I have multiple things in the plan. My solo project should be coming out by the Spring. I'm waiting to see my options with labels. And the 12-inch should drop in March. The promotional team is getting ready for that right now and I'm going to Chicago for it. It's funny that I'm getting down with a Chicago label, I never expected that. Chicago is just dope. I'm getting down with them. They have a label out there called 2064. They used to be a major graff crew out there. They basically turned that into a Hip Hop organization to put out records and so forth. They respected my stuff, my boy Vile. I produced something for his record, and a lot of other cats out there. There is also the collaboration with my boy Johan, that should be out by the spring. That gets the Europeans on my side. Stacs of Stamina is respected out there. Ok, A special treat... In the spring also, there might be a KtheI??? and Big Jus EP coming out. I'm going back there in may and putting in some work. Me and him talked and we agreed that I'm going to spend a month there in may.


Holly itch. Word up man, I happy for you. And I thank you for hooking this interview.

No doubt Dave, thank you. Keep in touch brother.

[Deena]

Esthero: Perfect Blend
By Kathy Iandoli


Esthero is one artist whose name has flowed through the lips of music connoisseurs as an answer to the question of who is on the verge of taking over music. Citing Esthero comes with just cause, as the Toronto native revolutionized music at the age of 18 and has finally returned to bring the revolution back. Her 1998 Breath From Another inspired people across the globe with her universal sound. Whether it was Esthero's harmonious voice or her versatility in production, she set a standard for musical fusion.

Taking seven years to live, die, and resurrect, 26-year-old Esthero has successfully birthed a musical timeline that describes her journey from teenager to woman. Wikked Lil' Grrrls brings Esthero's love of music and pure poetry to the surface, creating a sound absent of any genre or classification. Bringing depth, edge, love, riot and rebirth, Wikked Lil??€� Grrrls is a self-contained masterpiece that proves to be a phenomenal homecoming for the young mastermind.
AllHipHop.com Alternatives politicked with the Pink Pirate of Hip-Hop and beyond about her inspirations, her new album, and the future of fusion.

AHHA: Would you classify Wikked Lil' Grrrls in the same section of the record store as Breath From Another? Why or why Not?

Esthero: No. Breath From Another for some reason was put into the 'Electronica' section, which is odd 'cause there's so much live instrumentation. sighs I'm so misunderstood. That section is usually in the basement of stores. I think Wikked is much more of a 'Pop' record, for lack of a better word, in the sense that it covers a lot of moods, styles and genres. In a perfect world there would be a section in stores dedicated to music that is heavily urban-influenced but not necessarily Rap or Hip-Hop. I would say put it in 'Jazz' if I didn't think the Jazz police would come after me.

AHHA: Why did you choose to make this album more personal?

Esthero: I'm a person. I don't know that this record was intentionally more personal, but just less shy. I was a girl. Now I'm a woman. Lordy, I'm starting to sound like Britney Spears.

AHHA: Explain the concept behind ??€?Wikked Lil' Grrrls??€� - the song and the album.

Esthero: ??€?Wikked Lil??€� Grrrls??€� [the song] is basically a love letter to, and an anthem for the strong beautiful badass goddesses in my life that have proven to be a wonderful influence. And you know that women like that are usually accused by onlookers of 'being up to no good.??€� I imagined that we were all referred to at some point in our childhoods as 'wicked' or 'naughty' little girls. Especially girls, who were comfortable with their bodies, spoke their minds and celebrated their womanhood. The song is a tongue in cheek celebration of the moniker. And most importantly, it promotes a sense of comradery between women. Wild women. The album- well that just happened. No plan. I Just followed my heart ??€?til it was done and I had told all the stories as best as I could.

AHHA: What was it like working with Andre 3000 on ??€?Junglebook??€�?

Esthero: Hmmm. Let??€�s see. Working with Andre is like a perfect humid breezy summer evening with the smell of saltwater lingering in the air... or like finding the perfect pair of shoes to match your favorite outfit on sale... or when you get into a warm and fluffy terry cloth bathrobe after a bath...or how it feels when you get into bed and your sheets are freshly clean and you just shaved your legs--comfortable and sexy.

AHHA: Which ??€?creators in the movement??€� in particular are you calling out to in ??€?We R In Need of a Musical ReVoLuTIoN??€�?

Esthero: All of them. Anyone can join a love movement.

AHHA: Discuss the creative differences between Esthero the producer and Esthero the singer/songwriter.

Esthero: There are none. Esthero the producer thinks Esthero the singer/songwriter is the cat??€�s pajamas.... although Esthero the producer has a hard time getting Esthero the singer to finish lyrics within a reasonable period of time...like say seven frickin' years.

AHHA: What are the current CD's in rotation on your stereo?

Esthero: John Legend, Feist, Wayne Newton, Tupac, Pink Floyd??€�s ??€?Shine On You Crazy Diamond??€�, and various cartoon theme songs from the 80's like Thundercats, Transformers, Jem and the Holograms, and Fraggle Rock.

AHHA: How has the Hip-Hop community benefited your career?

Esthero: By being so supportive... and inspiring and frustrating me at the same time. By being passionate, and by opening their arms to me and understanding my voice.

AHHA: When did you come to love Hip-Hop?

Esthero: I've always loved good music. Period.

AHHA: Your favorite quote you've ever said or sang?

Esthero: I would have to say... ??€?Music was the lamb that made a lion out of me??€� - but I can??€�t take full credit for that.... The universe gave me that one. I'm not that bright. And recently on stage in a daze I said, ??€?As we go marching into love we are bound to get scars.??€� That one's okay.

AHHA: What is the biggest misconception about Esthero?

Esthero: I don??€�t know. What would you say?

AHHA: Hmmmm. Probably that you??€�re Black [laughs]

Esthero: [laughs]

AHHA: So what are your top five ass shakin??€� songs?

Esthero: ??€?Crooked Booty??€� by Dungeon Family, ??€?California Love??€� by Tupac and Dr. Dre, ??€?Elephant Message??€� by Elephant Man, ??€?The Light??€� by Sean Paul and ??€?Bouncin' Back??€� by Mystikal. [Bouncin Back] will turn any respectable young lady into a stripper on the dance floor. I swear I grow a 40-foot booty when I hear these tunes at full volume. I will hurt somebody. I'll be the baddest bitch in the club...the club in my brain that is... [laughs] I??€�m sure everybody else is like, ??€?That poor white girl done lost her damn mind! Oh snap is she having a seizure? Somebody help her!??€�

AHHA: Who right now in Hip-Hop or beyond do you feel the industry can, and can't, do without?

Esthero: I think Outkast has been so integral to Hip-Hop and to music in general because they continue to push boundaries and challenge people's ideas of what Hip-Hop and Black music should sound like or look like. There is also such a high level of artistry, poetry and musicianship that I feel they really set the bar for. As for what the industry could do without, I would have to say I wouldn't be sad if all the misogyny and 'cock worship' would just go away. And I am referring to all forms of music and the music business- not just Hip-Hop.

AHHA: Having already worked with a number of amazing emcees [Black Eyed Peas, Last Emperor, Poetic, Mos Def] are there any other Hip-Hop or R&B artists you'd like to work with?

Esthero: I would love to work with Big Boi. I would love to work with Eminem. I would love to work with Pharoahe Monch, John Legend, Alicia Keys, Angie Stone, Bilal, D'Angelo. Devin the Dude! How could I forget him? I would love to do something with Devin the Dude! Devin if you read this, I have a brilliant idea for a track! And also Kardinal Offishall.

AHHA: When and where will you be touring?

Esthero: If all goes as planned, I will be doing a bunch of record release parties in major cities immediately following the release of my album. I'm hoping to hit Atlanta, Detroit, New York, DC, Toronto, Miami, San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver, Montreal, Los Angeles, and Chicago. After that I'll try to jump on a tour with someone else for the summer. I love to play live and it truly is a unique experience at our shows.

AHHA: Why do they call you the Pink Pirate?

Esthero: If I told you, I??€�d be obligated to kill you. Just playin'. I??€�m a pirate...and I like pink. Now that I look at it though, it kinda sounds a little perverted. Ha!

AHHA: Which city has more soul: Toronto or New York? Weigh your words, woman!

Esthero: That??€�s like asking, ??€?Who do you love more, your mom or your dad???€� They both have souls, just different souls. I like New York a lot, but I love my home. I would not have been able to make the record I did if I weren't from Toronto. You have better pizza- I'll give you that, but Toronto has better jerk chicken. If you ever roll through get some plantains at Crystals.

AHHA: Where can people find out more about your album and upcoming shows?

Esthero: They can visit my website at www.esthero.net

AHHA: If you weren't here, where would you be?

Esthero: St. Kitts??€¦ sunshine, Mohito, good book.

[sunrah]

Raekwon
by Alex Fruchter

Hip Hop changed forever in 1993. The emergence of the Wu-Tang Clan brought a new style of music that Hip Hop fans around the country embraced. The gritty production and diverse rhyme styles of the Wu-Tang Clan made them stand out among the Hip Hop scene. The Staten Island crew also brought attention back East, as West Coast Hip Hop was dominating radio stations at the time. Their debut album, Enter the 36 Chambers, showcased the talent of the Wu-Tang Clan collectively, and also opened the door for each member to achieve solo success. Raekwon, known as the Chef, seized the opportunity and turned out what is considered a Hip Hop classic.

Respected for his impressive lyrical ability, and creative rhyme schemes, Rakewon released his debut album, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, in 1995. The album created a huge buzz and went gold in only 3 days. Ten years later, and a few albums in between, Raekwon is ready to release the sequel, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx part II.

We had the chance to speak with The Chef about the new album. And while he??€�s not divulging much, he promises this will be another classic. It??€�s not hard to believe him after hearing that his verbal skills will be complimented by the productions of Busta Rhymes, Rza, and Dr. Dre.

Read along as the Chef talks about his latest album, his feelings about The Lex Diamond Story, as well as how his own style has evolved over the years.

SS: This sequel has been in the works for quite a bit of time what are fans going to expect from it?

Raekwon: Well, you know you can expect a lot. You can expect mad heat. We??€�re bringing back to the streets, keeping it straight hood, gully.

SS: How does the Raekwon that I??€�m talking to right now compare to the Raekwon that made the first one or 36 Chambers when you guys were starting out?

Raekwon: Back then we was hungry. We??€�re coming in the game, we??€�re doing everything on our won. We??€�re getting our own support. It??€�s a difference between now and then. Right now I got money or whatever, but I??€�m just still keeping it hood. I??€�m always in the hood. Nothing changed about me. That??€�s the only difference. The money just got a little larger. Other than that, I??€�m still in the hood showing love to the kids. And that??€�s what it??€�s about right now.

SS: What was it like working with Busta Rhymes as a producer?

Raekwon: Well you know Busta, this ain??€�t our first time working with him. We worked with him for a while back. He did a song with us for the Wu album. We did another joint for some mixtapes. We??€�ve been messing with Busta for a minute. It??€�s just me and Busta just been closer now. We??€�ve been doing shows together. Ever since we??€�ve been overseas doing shows we just connected, staying in touch with one another. We??€�re just helping each other out right now. But it??€�s real good to have Busta on our side. You know he??€�s down with Aftermath and Dr. Dre. He plugged us in with Dr. Dre, so we got some joints with Dr. Dre on the album. It??€�s all good.

SS: What are some themes that you??€�re exploring on the album, where are you going to take people with this?

Raekwon: I??€�m taking it every which way I need to go with it. It??€�s going to be dancing, you know what I mean. But mostly, honestly, I??€�m just bringing it back to Cuban Linx. Nothing??€�s going to top Cuban Linx one, but it??€�s going to be similar. You??€�re going to get fed the same way, all classics. And that??€�s basically really it. We??€�re going to do it the same way but it??€�s just going to be more up to date. I got people supporting me on this go around. So everything is good. We??€�re going to have a lot of work. We??€�re going to see, I don??€�t want to say too much right now cause we??€�re still in the making. I??€�m like 65% done with the album right now. So I don??€�t want to give too much out. Basically we could do another interview again in like a month and a half, two months or whatever. By then I??€�ll have everything full fed. But basically I??€�m excited. This is the most anticipated album right here, Cuban Linx 2. I??€�m just waiting for everybody to look forward for it.

SS: We??€�re you happy with how the Lex Diamond Story was received?

Raekwon: Nah. I??€�m not mad at it. Every album??€�s not always gonna sound the same. I can appreciate everybody, give everybody something different. I??€�m just that dude. The same thing over and over, it gets tired after a while. I just like to explore, try to do different things. I know what the people want from Raekwon. They want the hood stuff and all of that. Everything ain??€�t just about the hood. It??€�s just about the kids and all that. I just tried to make music for the last album for the kids. But now it??€�s like I??€�m doing it for the kids and for the adults, and for my old fans back in the 90??€�s.

SS: You??€�re often referred to as one of the best lyricist and most creative Hip Hop artists but you haven??€�t experienced the same success in terms of selling records and stardom. Does that frustrate you at all?

Raekwon: Nah, it never frustrates me. Because I??€�m always going to sell records regardless if it go double platinum or whatever. I??€�m always going to have respect in the hood for who I am, Raekwon as a lyricist. I??€�ll battle anybody, but that??€�s not what it??€�s about. It??€�s about making good music and letting the fans hear what they want to hear. Right now it??€�s like everybody??€�s saying the same thing over and over. I did it all. We done did it all, the whole Wu. Everything everybody??€�s talking about now, we done did. Me and Ghost done brought out the Wallies and the Cristal and all of the that. Everybody??€�s just adapting to that right now. That really don??€�t bother me. I??€�m going to sell records regardless, and I??€�ll have respect always. That??€�s my main thing, the respect. Everything ain??€�t always about the money to me.

SS: How do you approach music differently when you might be writing as part of Wu-Tang versus your own stuff? Do you feel as a solo artist you have more freedom to discuss things you want to discuss?

Raekwon: Not really, I can??€�t really say that because if I??€�m around my guys I??€�m going to feel the same type of way. When you??€�re around your guys you always feel-your pen game always writes different, but you got your guys around you too. So you know you try to do everything where it fits everybody, as far as our rhymes. When I??€�m by myself I just go on my own zone. Whatever I feel like I want to come up with, I come up with. It depends on the beat. I try to just flow with the beat.

SS: You were talking about being a part of Wu-Tang and you and Ghostface doing so much, how does it feel to be a part of something like that, where kids coming up right now will list Raekwon as one of their influences? Could you imagine that when you started out?

Raekwon: Naww, I ain??€�t even imagine being the game. When we was growing up we didn??€�t have it as easy as kids have it right now. You might come outside, you might see a ten year old, an eleven year old outside like 9:30 at night with his moms or somebody, or his pops. Back in the day it wasn??€�t like that for us. We had to be in the crib before it get dark. So, you know, everything is just new. This is 2005 right now going into 2006, so the millennium changed, a lot of things changed. Basically I done grew on a lot of things and I??€�m just catching on a lot of things still, but it??€�s like at the end of the day I got to do what I got to do. Now I know everybody wants Raekwon from back in the 90??€�s so that??€�s what I??€�m bringing right now. I gotta bring it back from the 90??€�s again.

SS: How accurate is that song on the Nas album when he talks about you as well?

Raekwon: With the Biggie situation?...That wasn??€�t nothing. To me that was a compliment. It wasn??€�t bad or nothing like that. Only the real people knew what time it was as far as with the Biggie situation. And all that was, was a miscommunication but Nas just did a song to set it out, just to say how he felt. I ain??€�t mad like that??€¦Nas is my homeboy. We grew up the same era. I knew he wouldn??€�t say nothing to try to play me out or anything. He just say what he felt at the time. Like I said, it depends on the beat. It??€�s how the beat roll. If that??€�s how he got to write it, that??€�s how he got to write it. When you hear this album, Cuban Linx 2, I??€�ma say some things, everybody??€�s going to be like, ??€?wow.??€� That??€�s just how it is, that??€�s how the game is right now. I??€�m not mad at all.

[Deena]

DJ Revolution Doesn't Watch MTV
By Craig Smith

Heard as far away as France and with eleven million listeners, the "Wake Up Show" is the planet's most listened to hip-hop radio program. That makes DJ Revolution the globe's most widely heard hip-hop DJ as he's skillfully manned the show's mighty turntables for eight years and counting. HipHopSite talked to Revolution about memorable "Wake Up Show" moments, his pal Sway's MTV gig and his loads of outside projects.

HHS: Has anybody ever spit a line on the show that was so phenomenal, it messed up your DJing?

DJ Revolution: The night after The Juice and Supernatural battle, these cats went back and forth trading lines for 40 minutes. So there goes 40 minutes of lines to mess your head up. Canibus always blows my wig back with some shit every time he comes through.

HHS: Do you ever feel intimidated knowing the number of people around the world checking out your every scratch and mix?

DJ Revolution: Only the first time I ever hit the air on the show. But it wasn't because of the radio audience, it was just the people in the studio. Babu, Q-Bert, Shortkut, Melo-D, [Roc] Raida, Swift, Apollo etc. They were all in town for a show and they happened to fall through the studio that night. That's some pressure for dat ass.

HHS: Didn't the show go off the air for a time?

DJ Revolution: Yup, we went off the air in 2000 in L.A. and then In S.F. shortly after. Basically, even the "Wake Up Show" couldn't avoid becoming a victim of the corporate monster taking over the radio world. We came back on the air in January 2003 and have been going strong ever since. Picking up new affiliates and I even got the show running in France now.

HHS: Do you ever get tired of explaining just what is you do to people that don't get hip-hop DJs?

DJ Revolution: No, because I don't fuck wit those kinds of people. And I don't explain anything with words anymore. You see me in a club, hear me on the air, check me on a record or mixtape I might give you??€¦If you don't get what I'm doin' by then, you just a dumbass.

HHS: What's the most important thing about being a great DJ?

DJ Revolution: There isn't one most important thing about being a great DJ, but I know what you're getting at. I would say your individuality and your ability to express it well on the wheels. Bringing your experience and love of music to life in front of an audience--and do it so that everyone knows that you just played something everyone knows and loves, but you played 'em your way. Mixed 'em your way. Scratched 'em your way. Or you broke a new record and everybody says later on, 'I heard that a while back when Rev played it.'

HHS: You've heard it all on the Wake Up Show. Has anyone really surprised you--meaning you didn't realize how dope they were?

DJ Revolution: Well, Eminem surprised us all. Ha ha. When he came through at first, nobody knew who the hell he was. He was just some dude playin' the side of the room when all the major Rawkus dudes would slide through. 'Til he hit the mic, then it was over. More people have surprised me the other way. Turning out to be much worse than I thought they would be.

HHS: There've been Wake Up Show moments that have turned into legendary happenings. Any stories like this you can share?

DJ Revolution: Biggie on our show doing an interview and freestyling one week before he died. Then the next week we were on the air literally one block from The Peterson Automotive Museum where they held the Vibe [party] and he was murdered. Crazy and very disturbing. Other than that, there are literally too many classic moments to share in this interview

HHS: Any new projects you are working on?

DJ Revolution: Yes, but some are so secret I won't even let it out yet. Look out for my series of mix CDs starting with "Class of 85'." I'm going all the way to 2005. 20 volumes. '86 is out in a month. '87 by the end of the year. Crazy! 2 new albums next year for sure. I'm takin' over in 2006

HHS: You were heavy into production work for several years. You've seemed to be more into making mix CDs the last few years. Why the change?

DJ Revolution: Just a phase. I'm actually doing production a lot. Just not for hip-hop artists. Doing a lot for film and TV and other stuff. But I'm actually about to start recording again. I got the bug and have a lot of ideas to get out. It's time again--and my production quality has increased ten fold.

HHS: What are some of the shows or flicks you've contributed music to?

DJ Revolution: My music was used in VH1's "Hip-Hop Honors" award show. A couple of shows on ESPN. I do a lot of library production music that just gets placed without me knowing when or where. That's some funny shit. Just watching TV and having your music pop on in a weird scene, where you'd least expect it.

HHS: Didn't you score "Black Mask?" How was that experience?

DJ Revolution: Black Mask, with Jet Li--It was great and I learned a lot from it. I learned that I wanna do more of that kind of work, so I am.

HHS: How has the show changed with Sway's MTV gig? Has your visibility increased?

DJ Revolution: Maybe a little bit more visibility. MTV watchers and real hip-hoppers usually don't cross paths in what they listen to or care about. I never watch MTV and my dog is right there on it everyday. Most people don't even know about Sway and what he really loves. Hip-hop is runnin' through his veins, they just see him on MTV and he's just another VJ. He mentions the show and helps artists out and always has our back, but it's two different worlds that usually don't scratch each other's backs. Feel me. The show has changed because he lives in NY. He commutes, so we can do the shows. From NY to LA so often it would probably kill a normal dude. But that's how much the dude loves hip-hop and what he does for it.

HHS: With all your upcoming discs highlighting a year in rap, do you feel like a hip-hop teacher?

DJ Revolution: Nah. I'm no teacher, just a hip-hop DJ who loves the music he grew up on and devoted his life to. I wanna make sure that the newer generation gets a taste of what they missed and are missing now. It's all in fun, but I do hope people listen to it and say, ??€?Goddamn...what the hell happened to hip-hop? It used to be something totally different.' The series is a tribute to hip-hop and its pioneers and I went full out with the artwork also. Its done in yearbook fashion with Kool Herc as the founder and dean of students. It's a trip and everybody who has seen it loves it. That's all that matters to me.


[Deena]

Cage: Bringing Out the Dead
By Bill "Low Key" Heinzelman



There comes a time in every individual's life when a person looks in the mirror and asks, "Do I like what I see?" While not many expected it, Cage has gone through an epic transformation in which he drastically changed his lifestyle, his music, his attitude and even the way his blood streams in his veins. Since rolling with 3rd Bass' Pete Nice and Daddy Rich over a decade ago, Cage went on to drop cherished singles on Bobbito Garcia??€�s Fondle ??€?Em Records. As the acclaimed underground dissolved, Cage found himself on Rawkus alumni High & Mighty??€�s Eastern Conference imprint. The underground vet furthered his rep for his gore filled raps, drug banter, and verbal smut - but according to Cage, that was never really an accurate depiction of who he is. Chris Palko seeks to change.

Looking to reverse the self-inflicted misconceptions and take his career on a different path, Cage has delivered the most important work of his career with his new album Hellz Winter. The record finds Cage delving into his troubled past, and in turn, ditching the murderous and misogynistic rhymes he is known for. So, reader, leave your feelings about Cage at the door, and observed the evolution of the artist as a young man. Cage spilled his life changing story to AllHipHop.com.

AllHipHop: Why the move from Eastern Conference Records to Def Jux for your new album Hellz Winter?

Cage: Well, there are a few reasons for the move. One being, I felt that I had hit the ceiling with Eastern Conference years ago. You know, they weren't really doing much, they weren't really spending any money. And the second reason; there was just a lot of shady s**t going on, as far as money was concerned. I wasn't seeing money for things they were profiting from, even down to merchandise. I have never seen a dime from a single piece of merchandise that was sold with my name on it.

AllHipHop: On Hellz Winter??€�s "Public Property" you go over the E.C. situation, so how much money do they owe you?

Cage: As far as the actual number, we are working on that. I have lawyers looking into that right now. [They] made a good 30 or 40 thousand dollars that I didn??€�t see a dime from. "Public Property" for me, was basically a way for me to vent. I was putting it out like, ??€?We don't talk, I don't talk to you.??€? The last time I spoke to them was around October 2004. They don't have any money, and they have no artists. They have artists doing one-off??€�s with them.

AllHipHop: What did you see in Def Jux that made you believe in them and want to sign?

Cage: There was one time when E.C. and Jux were equal. Then Jux went on and got offices, and E.C. didn't. Jux started doing videos and things like that, and started becoming a real company. Another problem with E.C. that I had was, they would dump all their money into the High & Mighty. No matter how much their record sales would continue to drop, they would just keep putting money into themselves. They didn't put any money into my project. They spent like ten g's on a video for their Highlite Zone album just so they could get played on MTV2 and Subterranean one time. I made more money signing to Jux, than I have with Eastern Conference the past year and a half before I came with Jux. You are having big meetings about your release and your talking about different approaches and strategies. You go up into the office and there are 13 or 14 people there. E.C. never even had a secretary or an office.

AllHipHop: Musically, how would you say you have grown and progressed as an artist from Movies For The Blind to now with Hellz Winter?

Cage: Well, this is the first time I have actually taken anything serious. With all the releases prior to this, I have always known I had an ability to write a song really fast. Especially when there wasn't really any subject matter, it was all the same. With this record, I said, ??€?If I drop dead tomorrow, I don't want my last words to be some f**king rendezvous with some groupie.??€? With Movies For The Blind, it was a cool record, but at the time, we knew we were going to put "Agent Orange" on it. Because making singles back then was like an album - you would have so many singles. I felt if I stepped out of it too much, there would be all these songs and "Agent Orange" would sound completely out of place. So I made the record with "Agent Orange" in mind and in that frame of mind. And I go back and listen to that album now and I'll be like, ??€?What the f**k was I thinking about???€? A lot of the s**t I said on that record I address on "Paranoia" on Hellz Winter. Everything I said on Movies was because of my buzz. I was completely on mad drugs and with this record, it was a matter of a complete life change, not just artistically. As a man, I completely don??€�t agree with any of the s**t anymore.

When I decided to make this record, I gambled. I wanted to talk about my life and I deal with issues that have plagued me since adolescence. I'm dealing with my father's heroin abuse, child abuse, drug addiction - I just wanted to talk about real s**t. There is plenty of kids who listen to my music who aren??€�t trying to hear what I am saying right now, I'm sure of that. They want to keep you in a box, and as an artist, that is not what you want to do. Now I'm over the misogyny aspects, now I'm just like, ??€?What's the point? Wow a b*tch sucking my d**k, wow how original.??€? Even the braggadocios s**t, I was done with the whole battle-rap thing. It??€�s just a bugged out place to be in right now. I got this record which is essentially a pivotal point in my life right now - musically and in life in general.

AllHipHop: You debuted on Pete Nice??€�s [3rd Bass] solo album. In the last decade, how has the White kid in Hip-Hop??€�s role changed?

Cage: . I came up in Rap music in a time where it was nothing like this. I came up in a time where if you rapped and you were in a club, you were one of three or four White people period at the party. Now, I do a show and its 95 percent White kids- depending on where the show is. I got the. ??€?Wannabe, the wigger,??€? all that s**t. It??€�s like kids today, who is going to call them those names? The ten other friends who dress exactly the same? One day I just woke up and said, ??€?I'm a grown ass man. I'm not dressing like a child anymore.??€? I was wearing Timberlands everyday like I just left the f**king construction site or something. Everything changed! It wasn't just the music, it was my mind, my physical appearance - everything!

AllHipHop: When was the bottom?

Cage: I had a long time girlfriend of like seven years just bounce on me like two weeks after taking her to Costa Rica for like two weeks. So you come back from paradise, just trying to settle back into things, and this girl just bounces and breaks up with me the day before her birthday. So the "Subtle Art of the Breakup" on Hellz Winter is about her. And me not really caring because I had cheated on her, but at the same time having never dealt with abandonment issues as a child, because I was always the dude who stuffed everything in a box and when that box gets full I just make another one. Basically, I was on this downward spiral. I was going reclusive, I was up to 230 pounds, and I'm 5'11, so I was physically fat. One day I ate like a half ounce of mushrooms and I woke up in hospital room with cigarette burns in my forearm. And I had kind of bar coded myself with flashes from the elbow down to mid-arm where the cigarette burns were. So I woke up in the hospital, and they apparently gave me something to put me to sleep. I woke up, put my s**t on, grabbed my phone, and literally fled the hospital. I was afraid that because of my mental health background, I would get committed. So I broke the f**k out, fled the hospital, and got home around 9:00 in the morning.

AllHipHop: Then what?

Cage: I wasn't the same person anymore. I hated everything I had done prior and I hated things that I had said. I was in a car and my music came on and I was just like, ??€?Turn that f**king s**t off!??€? It just annoyed me. I hated everything that I have ever done. We were watching The Wire first season, and one of my worst songs on Movies For The Blind, in my opinion, "CK Won", and that s**t was in an episode of The Wire. So that s**t came on and I was listening to the lyrics and I had offended myself!

AllHipHop: You??€�re still coming back and shedding better light on issues, like your childhood. Breakdown the track ??€?Stripes??€? for us??€¦

Cage: "Stripes" is about my father Bill Murray, [ironic coincidence] and he was an MP stationed in West Germany. Basically, he is like 19 years old and my mother is about 17, 18, and she is pregnant with me. So they are stationed in Germany, and he is f**king doing heroin and selling heroin. So he gets a dishonorable discharge and he ends up coming back to New York, so it??€�s basically a story of my mother and my father. I'm my father??€�s spawn and then I have this bulls**t in me that comes from this dude. It is basically the story of all that shit and the anger I have for that cat and the frustration with it. But at the same time, it??€�s for my mother. How she had to deal with all that s**t and that's why in the song it??€�s like, "With her back against the wall, she can hear death singing in her." The song touches on her issues of not wanting to live or deal with anything, and the abuse she suffered. My father was a path of destruction and anyone in his way suffered pain and misery. So the song is definitely a serious song. It??€�s designed for anyone who can relate to that s**t, and doesn't have a soapbox or a way to vent and put their s**t out. I remember growing up and going through shit and listening to specific records that would help me deal with it. . I don't really know if people are relating to it, or people are just getting enjoyment out of my suffering. Which is I guess, what people like anyway. I have always been a fan of the tortured artist.