Interview I got from WorldWideConnected
WorldWideConnected.com: Where are you from and what was it like growing up there?
I’m from Mooseknuckle, I’m from Rockland County, man. I grew up everywhere but that’s where most of my family’s from. It’s a lil hood. It’s a lower class suburb. It’s a poor suburb like 20 minutes outside New York City. I grew up there a few years but I really grew up in jail, man. I grew up in prison. That’s where I was from 14 to 22 so that’s where I went to school at, and that’s where I became a man.
WorldWideConnected.com: Is that where you started rapping too?
Yeah that’s where I started rapping.
WorldWideConnected.com: Ok. What would you say separate you from other rappers? How would you describe your style?
My style is straight to the point. I deal with reality, I deal with all things that are real… like I try not to deal too much with fantasy because a lot of hiphop is based around fantasy things. A rapper may be rich, he made a lot of money, but that’s not the reality to the consumer and that’s the people you’re talking to. Most people in the hood are poor, man. A hundred thousand dollar cars are unheard of. I’m taking it back to the 93-94 era when it was cool to have a MPV.. a lil 18 thousand dollar MPV and you was tha man. If you listen to Nas biggest record, which is “If I ruled the world”, Nas says “If I ruled the world and everything in it, sky's the limit I push a Q-45 Infinit”. He was talking about if he ruled the world he was pushing infinity. Nowdays you’ve got fantasy rap where it’s not a reality to people in the hood. A lot of people think that if they’re selling a lot of records they’re touching the people in the hood. The people in the hoods are not buying your records, it’s the white kids in the suburbs making you go platinum. You’re not getting to the people really…
WorldWideConnected.com: You talked about how you went to prison… Where do you think you’d be right now if it wasn’t for you rapping?
Oh I’d be back in jail, man. I’d be back in prison because that’s the way the system is set up. It’s set up for you to go in and out. The rap saved my life, man. Hiphop’s been in my life all my life and it’s actually given me a sense of direction now to where I believe that I have something that I believe in.
WorldWideConnected.com: You said that you started rapping in prison, how and why did you start?
Being in prison, being bored and not having a lot of things to do. Being around people who rap… My man Ruff… when I heard him I was like “This is the best rapper in the world” and he just told me like “yo man keep writing”. Cuz I always used to write but nobody knew I rapped and he just told me “Keep at it. Keep writing and shit” and I just kept writing and it was on from there.
WorldWideConnected.com: What’s “Abandoned Nation”?
Abandoned nation is actually mine. I own that. It’s a production company that I started. It’s a non-profit organization where we do things for children and incarcerated people. We give them school supplies, school clothes… And we also have the bookbank where we encourage education in lower class neighbourhoods. I’m an artist who walks the walk, I don’t just talk the talk. You could say you’re gangsta and everything but until you go out and do something or something gets done to you, nobody take you seriously.
WorldWideConnected.com: You’re not signed right now, right? Weren’t you signed to another label before?
Yeah I was signed to Aleda Records, Mark Ronsons label. He had started a label and I had signed with him but it didn’t work out. I made sure the deal was short in case I wouldn’t be happy there. Once the deal was out I got up outta there, because they weren’t real focused at the time. I’m still real col with the cat but I had to make other moves.
WorldWideConnected.com: You were on the “Unsigned Hype” in The Source a while back. When was that?
I was in unsigned hype in March 2000 or 2001… It was 2-3 years ago.
WorldWideConnected.com: Are you wanting to sign a label right now or are you shopping for a deal?
Nah man I’m hot. I’m the hottest thing in New York right now so the labels are coming to me. But they’ve got to give me a kind of deal that they’ll give Brittany Spears or somebody like that. A lot of times they think that because you’re a rapper and you’re from the streets, they’ll give you 50 000 or something he’ll sign anything. And a lot of them do! I’m not taking the “nigger-deal”. The day I sign my deal, my life has to change. I’m doing all the work for them. I just got a Rolling Stone interview, I’m on the cover of Murder Dog so I’m doing the work that the labels are paid do and I’m doing it on my own. So when I sign a deal, they have to break major bread.
WorldWideConnected.com: So you’re just kind of considering the options right now…
Yeah exactly. I’m just building my stock up, building my brand up to where they have to… not try to buy it, but buy into it and be a part of the action. I have a big fanbase already. My fanbase is humongous. I don’t really need a label right now, I’d be better off looking for a street distributor so I can make 7-8 dollars/record instead of 85 cents.
WorldWideConnected.com: So that’s something you’re considering too…
Yeah I’m just weighing all my options. Whatever makes the most sense to me at the end of the day is what I’ll be doing. At the meantime I’ll keep making music from my hard which labels does not allow you to do. All labels care about is a radio song and a club song… They don’t allow you to make records from your heart, make music that you really think is good music, they’ll give you some A&R and he’ll be like “No, do this. Rap to this beat. Do that.” I need my creative control. I need my freedom and a label will take you away from that.
WorldWideConnected.com: So are you working on a solo album right now?
Yeah I’m working on a solo album right now with Just Blaze.
Oh ok.
Just Blaze from Roc-A-Fella. He took me under his wings and we’ve knocked out about 10 records already. He’s gonna produce 95% of my album.
WorldWideConnected.com: Do you plan on having any guests on there?
If I can get Andre 3000 on my joint I’ll get ‘em. He’s an artist that I like. Dead Prez… they’re friends of mine. I can get them on my record any time. There’s not too many artists that move me.
WorldWideConnected.com: Ok. Do you have like crew that…
Yeah. Abandoned Nation is a crew aswell, man. The guy I told you enspired me to write is still with me today. His name is Ruff and if you’ve got any of my mixtapes he’s on there with me. That’s my dude right there.
WorldWideConnected.com: Ok cool. Is there any producers you’d like to work with except for the ones you’re already working with?
Umm… I’d like to work with…. Kayne West. I like his sound. I even like Pharell. I think when Pharell’s making raw beats he’s good at it. I think a lot of times he goes for the pop sound but when he does make hard records, they come out real well. I’d like to work with… umm… Dre. Or whoever makes his beats.
Haha.
They say it’s not him all the time.
WorldWideConnected.com: Haha yeah I heard something about that. Do you have a title for the album?
Yeah. It was called “Greatest Story Never Told” but I changed it to “Dear Black America”. That’s the name of my album because that’s who I’m trying to get to… let’s start thinking. Let’s start using our minds. Not your guns, not your money. Our mind is our most proper weapon. I’ve got to address my people because I address anything else. Out the gate that’s what I’m comin’ with. My album is politically motivated.