this is an article on carson that i whipped up for the stash mag, but i figured i'd share it to spread some positivity
With the three-eyed Hiero logo spanning his chest, Clyde Carson embodies the past, present and future of the Oakland rap scene. Having worked his way up from selling CDs out the trunk to hearing his songs played in regular rotation on KMEL, Clyde’s dues recently paid off in the form of a recording deal with Capitol Records and The Game’s Black Wall Street imprint. I caught up Clyde recently when he crashed in on an artwork session with my graphic designer. While he was getting some much needed tech support for his new Mac, I took the opportunity to ask Clyde Carson the questions everyone in the Bay wants to know.
First off, how did you get your deal with Capitol & BWS?
Did I tell you this story yet?
Nah.
Bedrock, who produces for The Team, he gave Earl Hayes, who’s signed to Interscope a beat CD with my vocals on it. Earl Hayes was like, I can get this nigga a deal right here! So he shot that shit to his manager, his manager shot that shit to Wendy Goldstein (Capitol Records, Senior VP of A&R), and Wendy Goldstein flew me down a couple of times. I met her, performed in front of her like yo this is what I am, cause you know a nigga hungry! I can’t get no bigger in the Bay! I done did too much out here, it’s like, what else can I do? Put out another album, yahmean? So you know, I really wanted that deal and she wanted to make it happen. That’s how The Game and Jimmy Henchman got involved. It was a whole thing like she played the shit for them, cause she gave them a production deal and they was like we could run you through them. I’m like just give me the deal man, yahmean? Get me the deal man. Game’s hella cool, he loved my shit, Jimmy Henchman hella cool, behind me 100%. I told Game from the jump I’m on Black Wall but I’m independent. I ain’t no soldier you feel me?! I’m Moe Doe’d the fuck out, and the nigga came at me with open arms man, him and his whole crew. So it’s like I ain’t got nothing but love for them niggas man.
Did you get a regular artist deal or…?
Yeah… regular artist deal man! I took what I can get. You know what Chinese Mike, I know why you asked me that, because it’s like Bay Area muthafuckas, and you know the whole world could agree with this man, they stuck in the Bay. There’s no one ever to pop from the Bay, they stuck in the Bay and that’s how I was. I almost didn’t take the deal, straight the fuck up. I mean, you got to think though, I was like, I don’t know, I dunno about this shit. But the only thing that got me to take the deal is we good, nahmean? Luckily, Hyphy Juice is doing amazing numbers and we good and it don’t matter. It’s like yo, just get me this muthafuckin’ deal. I don’t care how I get this muthafuckin’ deal, I just need to get on a major so I can smash with this Moe Doe shit, smash with this Team shit, smash with this shit that I been doin’, this whole Town shit and this Bay shit. It’s all one.
So what pays better, Hyphy Juice or independent rap?
Hyphy Juice! Are you serious? C’mon, what kinda dumb question is that Mike. Give me some questions baby, that’s just an obvious one.
Yeah I know but I wanted to hear you say it. Tell me about the album you’re working on.
Theatre Music is the name of the album. Top to bottom it’s one score of music, one body of music. I done got down with Wyclef, Bilal, mufuckas I grew up on like Pete Rock.
You got a Pete Rock joint?!
Yeah, that’s the joint I put Bilal on! Pete Rock is the shit, hella cool though! Brought me some weed, ain’t that bout a muthafucka? Know what I’m talkin’ bout? Nigga I grew up on, so shout out to Pete Rock, shout out to all the producers when I was in New York who slid through. There was a line of muthafuckas up in the studio, shout out to Wyclef for even hoppin’ on that joint with me, and his studio Platinum Sounds, that’s the studio I fucks wit. They bang real tough and you know, I’m an independent nigga and to be in that world is a whole nother level, you feel me? To be recording with the big studios, and mufuckas comin through, and all the big producers, even if I ain’t take nothing from them, they still had slap. I’m just looking for a certain sound on my album.
What sound are you looking for?
My shit is street Hip-Hop soul music. Straight up, I love soul music, I love underground Hip-Hop, I love Hip-Hop to the fullest but I like that street shit as well and I’m gonna mix some of that Team club sound into it, yahmean? The album is done but I’m still recording. I feel like it’s done, but then I’m kinda like I dunno man. I wanna do some more joints. I feel like right now lyrically and creatively I’m at a point where I can do what I want; it’s all about the beats though! It’s all about the beats, it ain’t really me, it’s the beats so I just be lookin for beats and trying to get the hottest beats.
I know you started your career as a solo artist, but do you have plans to do a major label Team album if you get on?
Of course! Nelly, St. Lunatics, Eminem, D12, that’s what you gotta do man! Not saying my niggas is them, and not shittin’ on them cause D12 cool nahmean, them is some niggas I was fuckin’ wit’ when I first touched down in LA they was recording their album when I just started on my album. We was in the same studio and you see a nigga every day know what I’m talkin’ bout, cool ass niggas and I plan to do the same shit cause I see, if it weren’t for Eminem they wouldn’t be, yah mean? Them niggas got the big budget, big room, I’m over in the little room recordin’ my shit, I’m like damn I hope one day I can do my niggas like that where we workin on these Team albums big budget, big all that shit you feel me so I plan to do that. It’s like right now, it’s just me workin on my shit. The only nigga who with me is Jungle. Maine doing his own thing, Kyzah doing his own thing. But that’s how it’s been. When I was workin on my shit, before The Team, it was just me workin on my shit. Maine was just there fuckin wit me, Maine quit school to come fuck with me. It was like, fuck it, lets do this shit, grind this shit out and it took a long time yahmean but we grinded that shit out so of course it’s like no matter what we always gonna create. Team is for life – Clyde shows me his tattoo of The Team logo on his forearm with the names of all four group members, Jungle, Maine Mannish, Kaz Kyzah and Clyde Carson written below in cursive – These don’t come off. That’s for life so that right there can answer any question a nigga asking me about The Team.
