Keak gets into his brand new album, new projects planned, his history and much more. Done by contributor Todd Davis, unfortunately no audio available on this one.
Check it out:
Keak Da Sneak: Bringing Back The Mobb
Keak Da Sneak Interview - Talks New album, history and more..
- Thread starter Baycentrik
- Start date
Keak gets into his brand new album, new projects planned, his history and much more. Done by contributor Todd Davis, unfortunately no audio available on this one.
Check it out:
Keak Da Sneak: Bringing Back The Mobb
Keak Da Sneak: Bringing Back The Mobb
Keak Da Sneak
Bringing Back The Mobb
Words: Todd Davis
Published: March 31, 2010
For many, no introduction is necessary, however, for those not in the "know," meet Oakland, California's own, Charles "Keak Da Sneak" Bowens. A former member of popular Bay Area rap collective, 3X Krazy, Keak and company, Agerman & B.A., literally hit pay dirt back in '96, when the, then, indie trio inked with Virgin Records. Stackin' Chips, the group's most successful album, dropped in the spring of 1997, and spawned the hit radio anthem, "Keep It On The Real."
Following the release of their third and final effort, Real Talk 2000, 3X Krazy "officially" disbanded, opting out in order to pursue various individual endeavors. Keak, easily the most charismatic of the bunch, soon aligned himself with Sacramento based imprint, Moe Doe, with his second solo offering, Hi-Tek, still considered by many fans his best work-to-date, debuting in June '01.
Flash forward nearly nine years, and numerous projects, later, and Keak Da Sneak is gearing up for yet another LP, Mobb Boss, one that he strongly feels may soon become a, future, classic body of work...
Baycentrik: Let’s just jump right into this brand new, sixteenth [Whoa, has it been that many?] solo album -- Why did you decide on titling it Mobb Boss?
Keak Da Sneak: Thank you, Sir, but I am at around 18 albums now! *Keak chuckles* My choice to call this album Mobb Boss is because while being a youngster growing up in Oakland everything was Mobb this and Mobb that. I am just trying to bring some of the old ways back to the [current] time.
Baycentrik: That makes perfect good sense! So, how do you feel that Mobb Bosseither differs and/or compares to other previous Keak Da Sneak releases?
Keak Da Sneak: I am very confident about the Mobb Boss album. This album really came out well. If I had to compare this album to some of my other ones, I would have to pick this one over many.
Baycentrik: For someone, like myself, who hasn’t heard Mobb Boss just yet, what would you tell that person can be expected? Are there any personal highlights; i.e., cameo appearances, favorite tracks, producers, etcetera?
Keak Da Sneak: Mobb Boss has a few features, but the features aren’t what make a Keak Da Sneak. I have to admit this is a real nice album, one of my better works. You can expect a slapping album from front to back, no lie. All the production onMobb Boss is done by Big Hollis.
Baycentrik: Oh, okay. Well, lyrically, when you sit down to pen your rhymes, where do you find your inspiration at??
Keak Da Sneak: I find my inspiration from my life situations, as well as the situations of the lives of my people around me faced with similar life trials.
Baycentrik: Let's take it back to your early beginnings...Tell me your whole inception into music -- When did you first become interested? And, how did it all begin for Charles Toby Bowens?
"Being a youngster growing up in Oakland everything was Mobb this and Mobb that. I am just trying to bring some of the old ways back to the [current] time."
Keak Da Sneak: I have been interested in music since I was about eight years old. I used to listen to a lot of music on the radio and Agerman and I used to rap against each other. One day, Ager said we should become a group. We [decided] to call ourselves, “Two Raw Brothers,” and then later, “Dual Committee.”
Baycentrik: You are an Oakland, CA, native, correct? So, growing up, who were some of your strongest musical influences?
Keak Da Sneak: Yes, East Oakland to be exact. Growing up, I was inspired by Tupac, Eazy-E, and many [others] in the music industry. I like many different artist's music; I just don’t want to write like no particular artist. I pride myself on being myself. I am Keak Da Sneak, and want to be known as being original.
Baycentrik: You are definitely that! So, at what point did you actually decide that you wanted to pursue music on a professional basis?
Keak Da Sneak: Music started off as a hobby to me, but after Agerman and I used to rap against each other in front of people, it was the [people] around us that said we should do this professional, so we ran with it and it worked.
Baycentrik: Originally, where did the moniker Z-Kush derive from? And, why did you opt to change it to Keak Da Sneak?
Keak Da Sneak: I don’t know anything about the moniker Z-Bush name, but my first rap name was C-Rock, C being short for Charles. Keak Da Sneak came from me sneaking out of the house all of the time to hang with the older crowd. One day, one of the dudes in the hood said, "There goes the little sneak, Keak Da Sneak," and everyone started laughing. Next thing you know, I ran with that.
Baycentrik: What particular string of events led to your initial hooking up with Agerman [Dual Committee], and later Bart or B.A., and the eventual formation of the, now, defunct 3X Krazy? And, what ultimately caused the group to disband?
Keak Da Sneak: B.A. was a friend of Agerman. One day, when B.A. came back from the East Coast, Agerman called me up and said you need to hear my patna flow, he’s good. So I did, and we decided to add him to the group and we became 3X Krazy, and we did great music together. We all started off solo, which ended up making us go solo once our careers really started. Solo means to disband.
Baycentrik: I see, it was all just a part of the "bigger" picture! Well, how would you describe and/or define the style of music that you create and perform?
Keak Da Sneak: I describe my music as real life mobb music. Real music that represents the 'hoods that surrounded the city that I grew up in.
Baycentrik: Let's discuss your longevity in this business of music -- What do you feel has been, and will continue to be, the key to your success? And, what will keep sustaining "Mr. Supa Dupa Hyphy" in this grueling industry?
Keak Da Sneak: I plan to be here in the music industry. I’m not going anywhere. I’m going to continue to make that music for us to dance and ride to. I will always continue to keep it real in my music.
Baycentrik: What sets you apart from both your peers and friends in this business of music?
Keak Da Sneak: What set me apart from my peers and friends in the industry are my work ethics, originality, and love for making music. Even if there were not money involved, I would still be making music.
Baycentrik: Do you have any other aspirations, maybe even outside of entertainment altogether?
Keak Da Sneak: Other aspirations I have are making movies, and I even written one. I just want to be able to start acting or getting into the movie industry some type of way.
Baycentrik: Would it be fair to say that you are happy with the current state of Hip-Hop music? More specifically, West Coast and/or Bay Area rap? And, with that being said, what about the business side of things with the rampant running of illegal file sharing, downloading and bootlegging that has slowly but surely destroyed the industry as “we” know it?
Keak Da Sneak: I love doing music. It has changed a great deal, as far as the business side of music is concerned. With technology, our music has been able to be spread across the world without us having any part, and at the same time without us getting paid a lot of
"Even if there were not money involved, I would still be making music."
times. Technology has also helped us. I guess [we] have to take the good with the bad.
Baycentrik: That's absolutely true! So, since everyone either knows you already, or will become familiar with you, for and through your music, what would you want these same people to know about Keak Da Sneak that they won't get from listening to your record(s)?
Keak Da Sneak: I just want people to know that I am real, that I am down to earth, and that I am human. I go through the same life struggles as many others. I still fuck with the 'hood, that is why I stay relevant with what’s happening.
Baycentrik: What would these same people find you doing in your off/spare time completely away from the music?
Keak Da Sneak: Away from my music, people will find me reading a lot and staying active with my people. I go to clubs, I kick [it] with my folks. I don’t let this music shit separate me from where I came from.
Baycentrik: To date, what has been your biggest career highlight?
Keak Da Sneak: My biggest career highlight was being asked to perform on MTV: My Super Sweet 16. That was real big for me, as well as the entire Bay Area. I am the only one that [has] done that.
Baycentrik: Yeah, I remember that, it was a great episode! Well, as for the immediate future, what's next for you –- First single & video, has it been determined yet? Album, Mobb Boss, scheduled for release when?
Keak Da Sneak: The album release is scheduled for May 18th, 2010. The single is going to be "Rims on Everything," which is a hot song to open the summer up. People are going (to) use this song as the theme song when they are out there shining with their clean ass cars, trucks and bikes. That is most likely going to be the first video as well.
Baycentrik: Any plans to take the Keak Da Sneak show out on the road anytime soon?
Keak Da Sneak: I stay on the road with my music. I have never stopped performing, so I am expected to be on the road. That is a given.
Baycentrik: Alright! Now for someone who hasn't experienced you performing live, what would you tell them can be expected?
Keak Da Sneak: When I perform at a show, I entertain the crowd. I don’t just rock side to side like they did in the past. I vibe off the crowd, and feel their energy -- I just go hard!
Baycentrik: Are there any future mix-tape(s), collaborative efforts, or cameos on others works, to look out for from you in the meantime?
Keak Da Sneak: There is going to be mix-tapes coming up, as well as a reunion to that Dual Committee and 3X Krazy music. I will be working with YURPS World Entertainment in the future on some of these projects.
Keak Da Sneak
Bringing Back The Mobb
Words: Todd Davis
Published: March 31, 2010
For many, no introduction is necessary, however, for those not in the "know," meet Oakland, California's own, Charles "Keak Da Sneak" Bowens. A former member of popular Bay Area rap collective, 3X Krazy, Keak and company, Agerman & B.A., literally hit pay dirt back in '96, when the, then, indie trio inked with Virgin Records. Stackin' Chips, the group's most successful album, dropped in the spring of 1997, and spawned the hit radio anthem, "Keep It On The Real."
Following the release of their third and final effort, Real Talk 2000, 3X Krazy "officially" disbanded, opting out in order to pursue various individual endeavors. Keak, easily the most charismatic of the bunch, soon aligned himself with Sacramento based imprint, Moe Doe, with his second solo offering, Hi-Tek, still considered by many fans his best work-to-date, debuting in June '01.
Flash forward nearly nine years, and numerous projects, later, and Keak Da Sneak is gearing up for yet another LP, Mobb Boss, one that he strongly feels may soon become a, future, classic body of work...
Baycentrik: Let’s just jump right into this brand new, sixteenth [Whoa, has it been that many?] solo album -- Why did you decide on titling it Mobb Boss?
Keak Da Sneak: Thank you, Sir, but I am at around 18 albums now! *Keak chuckles* My choice to call this album Mobb Boss is because while being a youngster growing up in Oakland everything was Mobb this and Mobb that. I am just trying to bring some of the old ways back to the [current] time.
Baycentrik: That makes perfect good sense! So, how do you feel that Mobb Bosseither differs and/or compares to other previous Keak Da Sneak releases?
Keak Da Sneak: I am very confident about the Mobb Boss album. This album really came out well. If I had to compare this album to some of my other ones, I would have to pick this one over many.
Baycentrik: For someone, like myself, who hasn’t heard Mobb Boss just yet, what would you tell that person can be expected? Are there any personal highlights; i.e., cameo appearances, favorite tracks, producers, etcetera?
Keak Da Sneak: Mobb Boss has a few features, but the features aren’t what make a Keak Da Sneak. I have to admit this is a real nice album, one of my better works. You can expect a slapping album from front to back, no lie. All the production onMobb Boss is done by Big Hollis.
Baycentrik: Oh, okay. Well, lyrically, when you sit down to pen your rhymes, where do you find your inspiration at??
Keak Da Sneak: I find my inspiration from my life situations, as well as the situations of the lives of my people around me faced with similar life trials.
Baycentrik: Let's take it back to your early beginnings...Tell me your whole inception into music -- When did you first become interested? And, how did it all begin for Charles Toby Bowens?
"Being a youngster growing up in Oakland everything was Mobb this and Mobb that. I am just trying to bring some of the old ways back to the [current] time."
Keak Da Sneak: I have been interested in music since I was about eight years old. I used to listen to a lot of music on the radio and Agerman and I used to rap against each other. One day, Ager said we should become a group. We [decided] to call ourselves, “Two Raw Brothers,” and then later, “Dual Committee.”
Baycentrik: You are an Oakland, CA, native, correct? So, growing up, who were some of your strongest musical influences?
Keak Da Sneak: Yes, East Oakland to be exact. Growing up, I was inspired by Tupac, Eazy-E, and many [others] in the music industry. I like many different artist's music; I just don’t want to write like no particular artist. I pride myself on being myself. I am Keak Da Sneak, and want to be known as being original.
Baycentrik: You are definitely that! So, at what point did you actually decide that you wanted to pursue music on a professional basis?
Keak Da Sneak: Music started off as a hobby to me, but after Agerman and I used to rap against each other in front of people, it was the [people] around us that said we should do this professional, so we ran with it and it worked.
Baycentrik: Originally, where did the moniker Z-Kush derive from? And, why did you opt to change it to Keak Da Sneak?
Keak Da Sneak: I don’t know anything about the moniker Z-Bush name, but my first rap name was C-Rock, C being short for Charles. Keak Da Sneak came from me sneaking out of the house all of the time to hang with the older crowd. One day, one of the dudes in the hood said, "There goes the little sneak, Keak Da Sneak," and everyone started laughing. Next thing you know, I ran with that.
Baycentrik: What particular string of events led to your initial hooking up with Agerman [Dual Committee], and later Bart or B.A., and the eventual formation of the, now, defunct 3X Krazy? And, what ultimately caused the group to disband?
Keak Da Sneak: B.A. was a friend of Agerman. One day, when B.A. came back from the East Coast, Agerman called me up and said you need to hear my patna flow, he’s good. So I did, and we decided to add him to the group and we became 3X Krazy, and we did great music together. We all started off solo, which ended up making us go solo once our careers really started. Solo means to disband.
Baycentrik: I see, it was all just a part of the "bigger" picture! Well, how would you describe and/or define the style of music that you create and perform?
Keak Da Sneak: I describe my music as real life mobb music. Real music that represents the 'hoods that surrounded the city that I grew up in.
Baycentrik: Let's discuss your longevity in this business of music -- What do you feel has been, and will continue to be, the key to your success? And, what will keep sustaining "Mr. Supa Dupa Hyphy" in this grueling industry?
Keak Da Sneak: I plan to be here in the music industry. I’m not going anywhere. I’m going to continue to make that music for us to dance and ride to. I will always continue to keep it real in my music.
Baycentrik: What sets you apart from both your peers and friends in this business of music?
Keak Da Sneak: What set me apart from my peers and friends in the industry are my work ethics, originality, and love for making music. Even if there were not money involved, I would still be making music.
Baycentrik: Do you have any other aspirations, maybe even outside of entertainment altogether?
Keak Da Sneak: Other aspirations I have are making movies, and I even written one. I just want to be able to start acting or getting into the movie industry some type of way.
Baycentrik: Would it be fair to say that you are happy with the current state of Hip-Hop music? More specifically, West Coast and/or Bay Area rap? And, with that being said, what about the business side of things with the rampant running of illegal file sharing, downloading and bootlegging that has slowly but surely destroyed the industry as “we” know it?
Keak Da Sneak: I love doing music. It has changed a great deal, as far as the business side of music is concerned. With technology, our music has been able to be spread across the world without us having any part, and at the same time without us getting paid a lot of
"Even if there were not money involved, I would still be making music."
times. Technology has also helped us. I guess [we] have to take the good with the bad.
Baycentrik: That's absolutely true! So, since everyone either knows you already, or will become familiar with you, for and through your music, what would you want these same people to know about Keak Da Sneak that they won't get from listening to your record(s)?
Keak Da Sneak: I just want people to know that I am real, that I am down to earth, and that I am human. I go through the same life struggles as many others. I still fuck with the 'hood, that is why I stay relevant with what’s happening.
Baycentrik: What would these same people find you doing in your off/spare time completely away from the music?
Keak Da Sneak: Away from my music, people will find me reading a lot and staying active with my people. I go to clubs, I kick [it] with my folks. I don’t let this music shit separate me from where I came from.
Baycentrik: To date, what has been your biggest career highlight?
Keak Da Sneak: My biggest career highlight was being asked to perform on MTV: My Super Sweet 16. That was real big for me, as well as the entire Bay Area. I am the only one that [has] done that.
Baycentrik: Yeah, I remember that, it was a great episode! Well, as for the immediate future, what's next for you –- First single & video, has it been determined yet? Album, Mobb Boss, scheduled for release when?
Keak Da Sneak: The album release is scheduled for May 18th, 2010. The single is going to be "Rims on Everything," which is a hot song to open the summer up. People are going (to) use this song as the theme song when they are out there shining with their clean ass cars, trucks and bikes. That is most likely going to be the first video as well.
Baycentrik: Any plans to take the Keak Da Sneak show out on the road anytime soon?
Keak Da Sneak: I stay on the road with my music. I have never stopped performing, so I am expected to be on the road. That is a given.
Baycentrik: Alright! Now for someone who hasn't experienced you performing live, what would you tell them can be expected?
Keak Da Sneak: When I perform at a show, I entertain the crowd. I don’t just rock side to side like they did in the past. I vibe off the crowd, and feel their energy -- I just go hard!
Baycentrik: Are there any future mix-tape(s), collaborative efforts, or cameos on others works, to look out for from you in the meantime?
Keak Da Sneak: There is going to be mix-tapes coming up, as well as a reunion to that Dual Committee and 3X Krazy music. I will be working with YURPS World Entertainment in the future on some of these projects.
