With few people coming before him, Yukmouth was a big help in laying the blueprint for successful artists in the bay area. After the dissolving of the Luniz it was far from over for Yuk as he embarked on a successful career by capitalizing on his cult like fan base. After all this time the name Yukmouth is still one that rings bells not only in the bay but hip-hop in general.
As of late Yukmouth has continued releasing classic material, doing big things in the DVD game, and helping to keep the bay hot. Sixshot.Com got up with Yukmouth to discuss his early successes, being one of the first rappers to break into the DVD game, the impact his friend Mac Dre had on hip-hop, and why we might never see a Luniz reunion.
Sixshot.Com: All right Yuk the first thing I wanted to ask you about is the United Ghettos Of America DVD you put out a few years ago. That was one of the first underground DVD's ever. Did you have any idea at that point that the underground DVD market would blow up like it did?
Yukmouth: I never knew the DVD scene would blow up like that. I just started filming like on some reality show type shit. The fans want to see and they want to know what goes down on the daily with there favorite entertainers. Now everybody out there is doing DVD’s to bring their fans closer to them and to let their fans get to know them better. From all the DVD’s comes the reality shows now so filming has become so big in TV and music.
Sixshot.Com: I was watching a video on Youtube where you were saying that a lot of dudes were shouting Mac Dre's name and taking his style and didn't even know him. How did his death effect you and do you still feel that way today?
Yukmouth: I still feel that way man. A lot of people in the bay that never knew Mac Dre was riding’ off his name and fame as the first hyphy rapper. People were dressing like him, talking and acting like him, and didn't have a clue of who he really was or what he represented. All that hyphy music came from Mac Dre. All the dancing crazy, wearing stunna shades, and ghost riding whips all came from him and his Thizz Entertainment movement, period.
Sixshot.Com: You're doing your thing with Smoke A Lot. What are your future plans for the label and how big do you think it can get?
Yukmouth: Well as for Smoke A Lot Records I'm finally able to sign myself to my own label now that I left Rap A Lot so hopefully the label will blow like my albums did in the past. I got a strong fan base and I've been selling records without radio and video, just word of mouth my whole career so I’m used to no airplay and still selling over a hundred thousand units every album thanks to my fans. Hopefully they will continue to support me in the future. The next move for Smoke A Lot is my next album, The West Coast Don. After that we got the Thuglordz and The Regime. Also we got the UGA Volume 3 CD and DVD as well as the Eye Candy Volume 2 DVD and CD so we’re definitely dropping a lot of stuff in 2009.
Sixshot.Com: As a pioneer of Bay Area hip-hop how do you feel about the hip-hop coming out of the Bay today?
Yukmouth: I feel the music in the Bay is over looked a lot because a lot of people only think of L.A. when they think of the west coast. They have to also peep that all the slang words and game comes from the bay area and not from L.A. All the slang Snoop uses comes from the Bay area. L.A. people don't talk like that. I just think at the end of the day we need to link up with L.A. and make the west coast as big as possible because right now the whole west coast is falling off. We got to unify and keep it gangsta and not pop.
Sixshot.Com: Why do you think you've been able to remain relevant in hip-hop for so long?
Yukmouth: Like I said, I got a strong fan base and The Regime is a worldwide movement. There are Regime members from the west coast, mid-west, east coast, and down south so we’re getting pushed in every market. Also overseas in Germany, Australia, Amsterdam, New Zealand, and London we’re doing our thing so the movement is everywhere so I think that has a lot to do with the support and the sales of my projects still to this day. We are pushing the line everywhere, dragon gang.
Sixshot.Com: Last time we talked you weren't really feeling Numskull. How is your relationship with him now and will we ever see a Luniz reunion?
Yukmouth: Well nothing really changed since then. I still don't get along with numskull and I’m still doing me. He disrespected me too many times to just keep forgiving him. Its like we cool one day then we beefing the next so to avoid all the bullshit drama I don't fuck with him no more and he got more problems than me right now. He’s locked up facing 20 to life so all I can do is pray for him now so no reunion unless he beats his case.
Sixshot.Com: You've become a serious CEO. Do you prefer working behind the scenes or in front of the camera?
Yukmouth: I say both because I like making music and I like making money as a CEO of my own label so I like to play both sides of the field as far as this music goes, CEO/rapper/trapper, put that all together and you got Yukmouth.
Sixshot.Com: You and C-Bo are releasing projects as well. How did that come about and what is it like with you two in the studio?
Yukmouth: C-Bo and me became the Thuglordz in 2001 when we made the song “Spray Yaself”. That was the first song C-Bo and me ever did together and from that day on we just clicked like big brother and little brother. We get along how Numskull and me used to get along back when the Luniz first started, so we about to drop Thuglordz 2: Thug Money in 2009 so all the fans should get ready for that.
Sixshot.Com: I've heard a couple diss tracks by you and C-Bo going at G-Unit and The Game. What's the situation there?
Yukmouth: Yeah that was in the past. Now C-Bo signed to Young Buck so we stopped beefing with the unit. As far as Game goes, him and me squashed our beef before the Beef 3 DVD even came out so its no more beef with these guys. We all good.
Sixshot.Com: Were you happy with the response to Million Dollar Mouthpiece?
Yukmouth: I’m happy with every album I drop. Just to be able to make music and get paid instead of selling drugs in the streets is a blessing. So Million Dollar Mouthpiece didn't sell as much because of the fallen economy and low sales in the music industry. I’m not mad. People are broke now and they’re not buying music. Artists that used to sell 3 to 5 million units is only going gold now because of the economy so everybody’s sales are going down, not just mine so I’m humble about the situation.
Sixshot.Com: You've collaborated with a lot of artists. Who are some of your favorite artists to work with?
Yukmouth: My favorite artist to work with is niggas that's like me. I smoke kush all day and everyday so niggas who smoke is my best artist to work with, niggas like Devin The Dude, B-Legit, Redman. Mac Dre, C-Bo, Bun-B, Z-Ro, Lil’ Flip, and D-Don from New Jersey. I burn the roof down when I’m in the studio with these artists.
Sixshot.Com: You tour a lot Yuk and you been a lot of places. Can you tell us the craziest shit that ever happened to you on tour?
Yukmouth: The Luniz was on the Jodeci and Biggie Smalls tour when we were kicked off the tour for shit we didn't do. We was the opening act for the tour so when the big names on the tour would get in trouble they would blame everything on us. For instance, Junior Mafia had burned up a hotel room in Sacramento and they blamed it on the Luniz and we weren’t even in the same hotel.
Our room was across the street from theirs so it was a lot of favoritism going on so we finally got kicked off the tour for things the other artist did. That’s the most fucked up shit that happened to us on tour.
Sixshot.Com: All right man give us a run down of all the projects you have coming up that we can look out for.
Yukmouth: Well like I said we’re going to drop my new album first which is the West Coast Don then Thuglordz 2: Thug Money, The Regime and Dragon Gang, and UGA Volume 3 are all going to be dropping in 2009 so be on the lookout for those projects. I’m also doing a documentary about my life called Million Dollar Mouthpiece so also be on the lookout for that online or in stores.
Sixshot.Com: Anything you'd like to say to all your fans out there?
Yukmouth: I just want to say thank you to all my fans because without them I’m nothing so as long as yall continue to support me and my Regime movement I will keep dropping hot albums and DVDs. God bless and one thug one love.
Source: http://www.sixshot.com/interviews/13432/
