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BAYCENTRIK INTERVIEW:
Balance: The Unsigned Legend
Balance
The Unda Dogg King
Words: Fern
Published: June 5, 2008
Balance faces a busy year in 2008. Renouncing the throne as mixtape king, Balance talks reviving concept albums from the past, continuing on as an Unda Dogg, and fulfilling the fans wishes with collaborations. He also gets into the once flourishing mixtape scene, a newly saturated market, and the gameplan that others should be following.
Balance invites new artists and producers to submit their music and beats directly to him. E-Mail [email protected] with your music.
Baycentrik: Let's get into your beginnings in the rap game, for those still new to Balance.
Balance: Basically I started rapping in junior high school. I never really did it as something I wanted to do until high school really. In junior high school, it's just freestyling at lunch at tables and shit like that, then in high school it was like I finally got my first group. The first song I ever recorded, I was so weak they cut me off the song. The next day I didn't even know until they were handing the CD out at school. I was like damn my verse didn't make it. So that was my introduction in to the game, getting cut off a song. Ever since then I been working hella hard, getting myself better. Then finally I made the song, I got better than that group, linked up with another group and just kept linking up with groups.
Probably about 5 or 6 years ago is when I first got up with Frontline. We formed the New Bay and I started hitting up mix CD's and Locksmith was doing the battles. New Bay was me, Mistah FAB, The Team, Frontline, F.E., Esinchill, and we were just going around making hella music together and doing shows together. From there, I went solo and dropped my first album in 2006 called Young & Restless. It was a successful record for me. I dropped like four mixtapes, two before Young and Restless, one called Balance: The Mixtape and one called Bay Area Mixtape King. Bay Area Mixtape King was a title given to me by Mind Motion
"The first song I ever recorded, I was so weak they cut me off the song. I didn't even know until they were handing the CD out at school."
because I was freestyling on hella tapes and one time on the air Mind Motion and Chuy were like, 'yeah Balance is like the mixtape king of the bay cause he on everybody's mixtape.' So I came out with my first mixtape Balance: The Mixtape because everybody was asking for it.
Baycentrik: Let's rewind a little to the New Bay era. Did you guys catch alot of flack for calling yourselves New Bay? You obviously weren't trying to disrespect the older generation, but I'm sure some took it the wrong way.
Balance: It was definitely alot of flack. If you're not making any noise, if you don't get any flack that means your not doing anything. I think one of the reasons it was so much flack was because for the first time in a long time it was all these new artists from the bay coming together as one. If it was just like one of us then it wouldn't have been a big deal. But it was a team of us and we were getting on the radio and doing freestyles and battling and murdering cats lyrically, just hitting the streets and doing all the clubs handing out CDs. So we caught some flack in the beginning. We met with different artists who had a problem with it and we got to explain what we meant when we said New Bay. When we said New Bay we didn't mean we're new and better, we just meant that we are new artists from the bay area. Therefore what else can you call new artists from the bay area except New Bay? When we started talking to the OGs from the bay and put down the hard work, we showed them that 'we respect yall, we listen to yall music.' The problem began to dissolve, and so did the term New Bay. The reason that dissolved is because we were no longer new. Shit, after two years of saying New Bay you can't say New Bay no more! The Team dropped an album, they became successful, Frontline dropped an album, they became successful, Mistah FAB became successful, I became successful. So you can't no longer call yourself New Bay.
Baycentrik: You, alongside Cellski, were the first to start doing mixtapes in the bay area. Back then people didn't mind paying full CD price for a mixtape because they knew they were getting a quality mixtape. What are your feelings towards the mixtape game today?
Balance: Well the mixtape game around the nation is just flooded. People are making mixtapes instead of albums. I never went at a mixtape like this was gonna be my album, I went at a mixtape like it was my promotional tool to get people interested in my album. I think people do too many mixtapes. I did two mixtapes then I dropped the album, and that was because I was unknown. Since then I ain't dropped no mixtapes. I'm dropping one more, but to prepare people for my album. I think people spend all their time doing a mixtape because it's cheaper and sometimes when stuff is cheaper you don't put as much effort into it. That's why the mixtape game sucks. Me and Cellski was the first ones to start it when it wasn't cool. Then Keak did a mixtape, then I think Mac Dre did a mixtape. Then it's like 'oh shit it's cool to do mixtapes in the bay because Keak and Mac Dre did it.' Then everybody fuckin did it. 50 Cent blew up and it's just too many mixtapes. I think you should just do one mixtape, make it tight as fuck and just hand that
"Unsigned Legend...is basically my last mixtape."
shit out for a year or two. There's no reason to do a mixtape all the fuckin time, I don't think.
Baycentrik: So a mixtape should be looked at as a promo tool for real album, not a project in itself?
Balance: Yeah I never made money off my mixtapes. And I don't say that just because I don't want the fans to come get me or nothing like that. I'm saying that because I would always hand out 3 times more mixtapes then I would sell. It's a promotional tool. You give it away for free, you want people to buy your album.
Baycentrik: Talk about the Golden State Warriors album. That was originally Balance Yo Chips?
Balance: Right.
Baycentrik: Is this a project you had your hand in as far as choosing producers and creating songs with the artists or did you basically collect songs from different artists in the typical compilation fashion?
Balance: I dropped the album in 2006. I did Big Rich and Balance Unda Dogg Kingz mixtape in 2007. Coming back I didn't wanna do another solo album, so what I decided to do was make an album that's mine, but feature all the people from the bay that I fuck with that I didn't get on my mixtapes or my album. I be in the streets and people be like, 'yo man you need to do a song with Cellski.' Okay, well I did one with Cellski on this new album. 'Hey man you need to do a song with Messy Marv and Yuk.' Oh okay, I got that. 'I wanna hear you with Jacka.' So it's like I can't get all them people on the album because my album is me. So I made my album, but with the bay dudes. I'm picking the beats, I'm working with different producers and artists on hooks, but I'm making sure everything is me. I'm picking the beats, we doing the hooks and I'm just getting the rappers to rap on it. So it's a Balance album but I rap on every song or I do the hook. I think there's 12 songs, I rap on every song except two. I got a song with J. Stalin, Guce, and Smigg Dirtee and I do the hook on that one. So it's like my album but it's got bay artists on each song. I took my time on this it ain't like I just threw it together. That's the reason why I changed the name. It was taking so long to make it, to breathe life into it I dropped a new single and changed the name. I think Golden State Warriors is a more fitting title.
It's brand new producers, I'm working with the Icon, a production team out of Oakland. They did "I'm Good". Traxamillion did two songs, Infrared who did some stuff for Ya Boy produced on it, Sidewayz did a track on it. A producer named White Noise did a track on it, I got everybody. I got Messy Marv, Yukmouth, J. Stalin, Beeda Weeda, Jacka, The Pack, Cellski, Lil Coner, Dem Hoodstarz, Big Rich, FAB, everybody dude. It's all my homies that I fuck with, everybody from the bay who's music I like is on it.
Baycentrik: So your next solo album is Unsigned Legend?
Balance: Nah, Unsigned Legend is a mixtape I'm doing with a DJ from LA named Nik Bean. He's heavy in LA, it's basically my last mixtape. It's fire, same style as my other mixtapes. Half real shit, half not real music, instrumentals. I got alot of dope features on it, I did something with Willie Joe, Glasses Malone, about to do something with Bishop Lamont. I just did something with A-Wax. It's my last mixtape and that's coming out July 1st or the 8th. Just in time for Independence day. I'm gonna have free downloads, it's gonna be like a small amount in stores but most of it will be free download.
Baycentrik: Golden State Warriors will be released after that?
Balance: Yeah Golden State Warriors comes out late August, early September. Then [laughs], me and Big Rich just started working on Unda Doggs 2. A ten song album, we just started on that today. We got the beats picked, fire, and the producers on that is Traklordz, Icon, White Noise, Sydewayz, it's crazy man. All real shit. When we did the mixtape it was so popular people liked it so much that they wanted a real album. So we gonna drop that in August, right in between Unsigned Legend and Golden State Warriors compilation.
Baycentrik: What label are these projects coming out through?
Balance: What it is, I been recording all fuckin year, ever since last October. I
"The Day Kali Died is gonna be twelve songs and every song is gonna be a concept song..everything is gonna be leading into each other."
been recording so much material and it's so hot, I'm just gonna find different ways to get it to people. The mixtape is gonna be for free download so I gotta get you the link for that one when it come out. It will be in some stores. The compilation is gonna go through City Hall distribution. The Unda Doggs album is pretty much me and Big Rich doing it directly through stores. So all the music will be in stores. What I'm trying to do is release all this music to get people excited for my album and then I'll sign either a major or do an indy deal. I told you about the big album right?
Baycentrik: Nah.
Balance: I'm finally doing The Day Kali Died.
Baycentrik: Wow! I remember seeing those ads years ago anticipating that one.
Balance: Yeah dude, I'm finally doing that shit. Midi Mafia who is a production team out of New York, they doing a majority of it as well as the other producers that's workin on other stuff. I got my production team Icons, Traklordz. The Day Kali Died is gonna be twelve songs and every song is gonna be a concept song. It aint gonna be random rapping, everything is gonna be like a story.
Baycentrik: Basically, a movie in audio form?
Balance: Skits and everything, everything is gonna be leading into each other.
Baycentrik: Are you still in contact with E-A-Ski?
Balance: Yeah E-A-Ski and me go way back. He was one of the first people that was really trying to help me with my career. He's actually the first producer that did the New Bay song. I don't know if cats remember there was song called "New Bay" that E-A-Ski produced that had me, Frontline, FAB, Clyde Carson, Esinchill. Ski is actually working on his new album from what I heard. I think later this year. Me and Ski still folks.
Baycentrik: What's the word with Frontline?
Balance: Frontline dropped their albm called Lock and Left. If you ain't got it go on iTunes and get that. I think they in the studio right now working on a new album
Baycentrik: Balance, I appreciate the time. What do you wanna leave the fans with ending off this interview..
Balance: Just thanks for all the support. I know I didn't drop alot of stuff in 2007 but this year I got alot of shit coming. First be on the look out for Unsigned Legend mixtape, then be on the lookout for Golden State Warriors, then be on the lookout for Unda Doggs 2, and then The Day Kali Died. Go to my myspace page myspace.com/balanceskillz and youll be able to hear whatever music I got going on. I'm gonna be putting up YouTube videos. Everybody out there just call your local radio station and ask for 'I'm Good'.
BAYCENTRIK INTERVIEW:
Balance: The Unsigned Legend
Balance
The Unda Dogg King
Words: Fern
Published: June 5, 2008
Balance faces a busy year in 2008. Renouncing the throne as mixtape king, Balance talks reviving concept albums from the past, continuing on as an Unda Dogg, and fulfilling the fans wishes with collaborations. He also gets into the once flourishing mixtape scene, a newly saturated market, and the gameplan that others should be following.
Balance invites new artists and producers to submit their music and beats directly to him. E-Mail [email protected] with your music.
Baycentrik: Let's get into your beginnings in the rap game, for those still new to Balance.
Balance: Basically I started rapping in junior high school. I never really did it as something I wanted to do until high school really. In junior high school, it's just freestyling at lunch at tables and shit like that, then in high school it was like I finally got my first group. The first song I ever recorded, I was so weak they cut me off the song. The next day I didn't even know until they were handing the CD out at school. I was like damn my verse didn't make it. So that was my introduction in to the game, getting cut off a song. Ever since then I been working hella hard, getting myself better. Then finally I made the song, I got better than that group, linked up with another group and just kept linking up with groups.
Probably about 5 or 6 years ago is when I first got up with Frontline. We formed the New Bay and I started hitting up mix CD's and Locksmith was doing the battles. New Bay was me, Mistah FAB, The Team, Frontline, F.E., Esinchill, and we were just going around making hella music together and doing shows together. From there, I went solo and dropped my first album in 2006 called Young & Restless. It was a successful record for me. I dropped like four mixtapes, two before Young and Restless, one called Balance: The Mixtape and one called Bay Area Mixtape King. Bay Area Mixtape King was a title given to me by Mind Motion
"The first song I ever recorded, I was so weak they cut me off the song. I didn't even know until they were handing the CD out at school."
because I was freestyling on hella tapes and one time on the air Mind Motion and Chuy were like, 'yeah Balance is like the mixtape king of the bay cause he on everybody's mixtape.' So I came out with my first mixtape Balance: The Mixtape because everybody was asking for it.
Baycentrik: Let's rewind a little to the New Bay era. Did you guys catch alot of flack for calling yourselves New Bay? You obviously weren't trying to disrespect the older generation, but I'm sure some took it the wrong way.
Balance: It was definitely alot of flack. If you're not making any noise, if you don't get any flack that means your not doing anything. I think one of the reasons it was so much flack was because for the first time in a long time it was all these new artists from the bay coming together as one. If it was just like one of us then it wouldn't have been a big deal. But it was a team of us and we were getting on the radio and doing freestyles and battling and murdering cats lyrically, just hitting the streets and doing all the clubs handing out CDs. So we caught some flack in the beginning. We met with different artists who had a problem with it and we got to explain what we meant when we said New Bay. When we said New Bay we didn't mean we're new and better, we just meant that we are new artists from the bay area. Therefore what else can you call new artists from the bay area except New Bay? When we started talking to the OGs from the bay and put down the hard work, we showed them that 'we respect yall, we listen to yall music.' The problem began to dissolve, and so did the term New Bay. The reason that dissolved is because we were no longer new. Shit, after two years of saying New Bay you can't say New Bay no more! The Team dropped an album, they became successful, Frontline dropped an album, they became successful, Mistah FAB became successful, I became successful. So you can't no longer call yourself New Bay.
Baycentrik: You, alongside Cellski, were the first to start doing mixtapes in the bay area. Back then people didn't mind paying full CD price for a mixtape because they knew they were getting a quality mixtape. What are your feelings towards the mixtape game today?
Balance: Well the mixtape game around the nation is just flooded. People are making mixtapes instead of albums. I never went at a mixtape like this was gonna be my album, I went at a mixtape like it was my promotional tool to get people interested in my album. I think people do too many mixtapes. I did two mixtapes then I dropped the album, and that was because I was unknown. Since then I ain't dropped no mixtapes. I'm dropping one more, but to prepare people for my album. I think people spend all their time doing a mixtape because it's cheaper and sometimes when stuff is cheaper you don't put as much effort into it. That's why the mixtape game sucks. Me and Cellski was the first ones to start it when it wasn't cool. Then Keak did a mixtape, then I think Mac Dre did a mixtape. Then it's like 'oh shit it's cool to do mixtapes in the bay because Keak and Mac Dre did it.' Then everybody fuckin did it. 50 Cent blew up and it's just too many mixtapes. I think you should just do one mixtape, make it tight as fuck and just hand that
"Unsigned Legend...is basically my last mixtape."
shit out for a year or two. There's no reason to do a mixtape all the fuckin time, I don't think.
Baycentrik: So a mixtape should be looked at as a promo tool for real album, not a project in itself?
Balance: Yeah I never made money off my mixtapes. And I don't say that just because I don't want the fans to come get me or nothing like that. I'm saying that because I would always hand out 3 times more mixtapes then I would sell. It's a promotional tool. You give it away for free, you want people to buy your album.
Baycentrik: Talk about the Golden State Warriors album. That was originally Balance Yo Chips?
Balance: Right.
Baycentrik: Is this a project you had your hand in as far as choosing producers and creating songs with the artists or did you basically collect songs from different artists in the typical compilation fashion?
Balance: I dropped the album in 2006. I did Big Rich and Balance Unda Dogg Kingz mixtape in 2007. Coming back I didn't wanna do another solo album, so what I decided to do was make an album that's mine, but feature all the people from the bay that I fuck with that I didn't get on my mixtapes or my album. I be in the streets and people be like, 'yo man you need to do a song with Cellski.' Okay, well I did one with Cellski on this new album. 'Hey man you need to do a song with Messy Marv and Yuk.' Oh okay, I got that. 'I wanna hear you with Jacka.' So it's like I can't get all them people on the album because my album is me. So I made my album, but with the bay dudes. I'm picking the beats, I'm working with different producers and artists on hooks, but I'm making sure everything is me. I'm picking the beats, we doing the hooks and I'm just getting the rappers to rap on it. So it's a Balance album but I rap on every song or I do the hook. I think there's 12 songs, I rap on every song except two. I got a song with J. Stalin, Guce, and Smigg Dirtee and I do the hook on that one. So it's like my album but it's got bay artists on each song. I took my time on this it ain't like I just threw it together. That's the reason why I changed the name. It was taking so long to make it, to breathe life into it I dropped a new single and changed the name. I think Golden State Warriors is a more fitting title.
It's brand new producers, I'm working with the Icon, a production team out of Oakland. They did "I'm Good". Traxamillion did two songs, Infrared who did some stuff for Ya Boy produced on it, Sidewayz did a track on it. A producer named White Noise did a track on it, I got everybody. I got Messy Marv, Yukmouth, J. Stalin, Beeda Weeda, Jacka, The Pack, Cellski, Lil Coner, Dem Hoodstarz, Big Rich, FAB, everybody dude. It's all my homies that I fuck with, everybody from the bay who's music I like is on it.
Baycentrik: So your next solo album is Unsigned Legend?
Balance: Nah, Unsigned Legend is a mixtape I'm doing with a DJ from LA named Nik Bean. He's heavy in LA, it's basically my last mixtape. It's fire, same style as my other mixtapes. Half real shit, half not real music, instrumentals. I got alot of dope features on it, I did something with Willie Joe, Glasses Malone, about to do something with Bishop Lamont. I just did something with A-Wax. It's my last mixtape and that's coming out July 1st or the 8th. Just in time for Independence day. I'm gonna have free downloads, it's gonna be like a small amount in stores but most of it will be free download.
Baycentrik: Golden State Warriors will be released after that?
Balance: Yeah Golden State Warriors comes out late August, early September. Then [laughs], me and Big Rich just started working on Unda Doggs 2. A ten song album, we just started on that today. We got the beats picked, fire, and the producers on that is Traklordz, Icon, White Noise, Sydewayz, it's crazy man. All real shit. When we did the mixtape it was so popular people liked it so much that they wanted a real album. So we gonna drop that in August, right in between Unsigned Legend and Golden State Warriors compilation.
Baycentrik: What label are these projects coming out through?
Balance: What it is, I been recording all fuckin year, ever since last October. I
"The Day Kali Died is gonna be twelve songs and every song is gonna be a concept song..everything is gonna be leading into each other."
been recording so much material and it's so hot, I'm just gonna find different ways to get it to people. The mixtape is gonna be for free download so I gotta get you the link for that one when it come out. It will be in some stores. The compilation is gonna go through City Hall distribution. The Unda Doggs album is pretty much me and Big Rich doing it directly through stores. So all the music will be in stores. What I'm trying to do is release all this music to get people excited for my album and then I'll sign either a major or do an indy deal. I told you about the big album right?
Baycentrik: Nah.
Balance: I'm finally doing The Day Kali Died.
Baycentrik: Wow! I remember seeing those ads years ago anticipating that one.
Balance: Yeah dude, I'm finally doing that shit. Midi Mafia who is a production team out of New York, they doing a majority of it as well as the other producers that's workin on other stuff. I got my production team Icons, Traklordz. The Day Kali Died is gonna be twelve songs and every song is gonna be a concept song. It aint gonna be random rapping, everything is gonna be like a story.
Baycentrik: Basically, a movie in audio form?
Balance: Skits and everything, everything is gonna be leading into each other.
Baycentrik: Are you still in contact with E-A-Ski?
Balance: Yeah E-A-Ski and me go way back. He was one of the first people that was really trying to help me with my career. He's actually the first producer that did the New Bay song. I don't know if cats remember there was song called "New Bay" that E-A-Ski produced that had me, Frontline, FAB, Clyde Carson, Esinchill. Ski is actually working on his new album from what I heard. I think later this year. Me and Ski still folks.
Baycentrik: What's the word with Frontline?
Balance: Frontline dropped their albm called Lock and Left. If you ain't got it go on iTunes and get that. I think they in the studio right now working on a new album
Baycentrik: Balance, I appreciate the time. What do you wanna leave the fans with ending off this interview..
Balance: Just thanks for all the support. I know I didn't drop alot of stuff in 2007 but this year I got alot of shit coming. First be on the look out for Unsigned Legend mixtape, then be on the lookout for Golden State Warriors, then be on the lookout for Unda Doggs 2, and then The Day Kali Died. Go to my myspace page myspace.com/balanceskillz and youll be able to hear whatever music I got going on. I'm gonna be putting up YouTube videos. Everybody out there just call your local radio station and ask for 'I'm Good'.
u the truth balance...u always be making quality music a true lyrcist...I wana know you looking for beats because I got them...Also I read your interview with dubcnn and I never knew you gotta degree in screenwriting... I'm studying in the Academy of Art in Frisco I'm majoring in directing I would like to know what kind of screenplays you write...get at me
