Spice-1
Interview by: Scott Bejda
You’ve kept quiet for a few years. What made you decide to come out full force now?
I just really want some kind of justice because muthafuckaz need to know why they haven’t heard from Spice 1 and why I wasn’t out there like I was supposed to be. The people that I trusted turned their backs on me and all I knew what to do was keep rappin’. I had to keep my flows and you will know once you check out this "Truth" CD. This is the dopest CD that I dropped in a while. I’m out here trying to tell my story. I’m back in the Bay! There is a new boss in town and it is the old boss.
What is it like to be back in the Bay?
It is beautiful because I still got the muthafuckaz who didn’t believe in all that bullshit who still fuck wit me. I still roll with my riders! I got old school Black Panthers who got out of the penitentiary who are happy to see me back out here. I’m back out here fuckin’ with my folks.
Why did you leave in the first place?
I was confused, young, and depressed about everything. I didn’t want to deal with none of that shit because I was mad. I wanted to leave before I ended up shooting one of these muthafuckaz out here because at that point and time I was ready to pull out heaters. I just wanted to go raise my kids and made sure they were good and then come back. I got two 8 year olds and a two year old and they are all girls. If I’m not doing the right thing I feel that I got all the right motives and I’m a real spiritual cat. I don’t fuck with nobody if they ain’t fuckin’ with me. Niggaz hated on me and left me out there for dead. I’m the rose that grew from the concrete right now because my career is supposed to be dead, but it’s about to revive because I’m about to tell this story to everyone. I am just telling the truth and if these niggaz want to get mad then fuck ’em. That is why my album is called "The Truth". I did everything the right way and I had to let all of this shit out.
How is your new album, "The Truth", compared to your earlier material?
It’s right up there with "Amerikkka’s Nightmare" or the first album because it’s some knocking ass shit. I did that on purpose to let everybody know that I will drop some hot shit. That shit is going to have you fired up! Remember when you heard my first album and you felt like "Goddamn, who the fuck is this?" If you didn’t know who I was you’d be thinking the same thing. When I listen to I think that if I was another rapper that dude would be giving me a hard time. When you hear it you will be trippin’ the fuck out because a nigga is snappin’ on that muthafucka!
Are you spitting fast on some songs?
Hell yeah, on a few of them! The song "Thug Music" is the one that you really want to bang. I love spitting that song at a show because ain’t nobody else is going to go out there and spit it like that. I know that!
Has your lyrical content changed over the years?
It ain’t really changed except for some of the slang today but I’m still talking about everyday life and the real shit. The album is real versatile. There are songs on there that you could play for your momma, and then there is songs on there that you could play for your homies. I got features on there from Kurupt, C-Bo, Jayo Felony, and Yuk. I’m all about music so if a muthafucka wants a good album they need to pick that up. The rest of these muthafuckaz out here have all been playing around and I’m out here spitting it for real. I’m snappin’ on the mic!
What has the response for the albume been so far?
I’m having people tell me that they are banging the shit out of it and they want more. The demand for it is real high right now.
Are you working on another album?
I started working on my new album but I also started working on this DVD called "Spice-1 Greatest Hits Videos" and I got all of the videos on there along with some concert footage and me doing some crazy shit.
Do you have the clay video of "187 Proof?"
That one is on there and every video. That should be real big this year and I should have a lot of people get a hold of it. That should be coming out on my label, Thug World. The DVD is pressed up and finished and all we are waiting for is to get them in the stores and start doing some marketing promotions on that. We got videos on there for "Strap On The Side", "Welcome To The Ghetto", "187 Proof", "Trigga Gots No Heart", "East Bay Gangster" and all that shit. The cover of it looks like Grand Theft Auto.
How does the new Hyphy movement in the Bay affect you?
I’m just glad seeing niggaz trying to do something and get out there and make something happen. I probably won’t get too hyphy in none of my songs, but it’s good for the youngsters to do what they do. As far as me, I’m always going to be me. Good music is going to last forever and I just make sure that I put out some good music whether it is Hyphy or Crunk or Snap.
When did "The Truth" come out?
It has been out for maybe a couple of months, but right now I’m re-releasing the shit because we didn’t really do no promotions on it. Now we’re doing the marketing promotions with commercials rolling and interviews with Murder Dog. It ain’t got nothing to do with what it sounds like because we know the shit is going to be knocking. When it’s coming from me I’m going to have some bangers. The problem ain’t never been the music; it’s just getting the shit out to the stores letting them know that it’s out there.
When do you plan on dropping your next studio album?
As soon as we finish promoting this "Truth" album I’ll be working on another one. I’m kind of kicking back and waiting because I got "The Truth" album and we’re about to drop the Thug Lord album, and me and MC Eiht are gonna drop an album. I don’t want to have my albums competing with each other.
Will you be on the Thug Lordz with Yuk and Bo?
Yeah! That shit should be fire. We should be killing them with that. I was supposed to be part of the first album. I did about two songs with them but I had to do about a month and a half in the county. When I got out I went to Seattle and I think I was recording the "Truth" album then.
What label are you putting the Thug Lordz album out on?
It will come out on High Powered Entertainment in a couple of months.
What made you keep it real all these years?
I’m a spiritual cat and a deep brother so I know that the material things really don’t mean shit. It’s imbedded in my heart and soul that the material stuff don’t mean a damn thing because when you die you can’t take none of that with you. What matters the most is your family. If money comes around and I get paid and I am ballin’ out of control cool, but if money never comes around then I’m not going to be mad because I’m still content with my music. My music keeps me going!
In which way has the Bay changed the most since you first came out?
The Bay got the Hyphy movement going but there still ain’t no gangsta who came out of The Bay besides me. I’m looking for the next gangsta to step up out of here and make the impression that I made on the world. Everybody else is hyphy and fuckin’ off their cheese because they are telling all of the jackers how much money they have. Niggaz be out there getting jacked because they sit on the mic and scream about how much money they got.
You are a legend. Why do you think you never got your props, Spice?
Because the people that are supposed to have your back will turn on you. That’s why I’m out here right now and things ain’t going like they are supposed to. I still got the skills to damn near out-rap every muthafucka in tha game! That’s why you don’t see a lot of my videos because my people back in the day turned their backs on me.
What did they do?
They started spreading rumors about me. I couldn’t get back at them because my people didn’t have my back. They were telling people that I was a loose cannon with pistols. Yeah I got pistols but I’m not a loose cannon. They dragged my name through the mud and started telling executives at big labels that I was a loose cannon. Everybody in the industry was looking at me as a loose cannon after that and I’m talking about the people that I brought into the game.
I never heard about that. But it didn’t stop you. You are still going strong.
I got a good four or five million in sales under my belt right now. There is only three of us in the Bay who has that: Too Short, Spice-1 and E-40. I was the one who brought the Bay out there because wasn’t nobody talking about the Bay before I did "East Bay Gangster". Too Short was talking about Oakland and 40 was talking about Vallejo, but after I made "East Bay Gangster" everybody started saying "I’m From The Bay."
Now that you mention it, that was the first time I heard it like that.
Remember that other song when I said "187 proof ass nigga from the Bay." I’m the one that brought everybody together to say "This is the Bay!" The niggaz in LA didn’t know the difference. They didn’t know Oakland and Frisco and all of that so I told them it was The Bay. When people asked me where I was from I didn’t say Hayward, Oakland or Frisco but I said the Bay. I went all over the United States telling everyone I’m from the Bay. I put that shit on the map. There is a lot of history with me right here!
Interview by: Scott Bejda
You’ve kept quiet for a few years. What made you decide to come out full force now?
I just really want some kind of justice because muthafuckaz need to know why they haven’t heard from Spice 1 and why I wasn’t out there like I was supposed to be. The people that I trusted turned their backs on me and all I knew what to do was keep rappin’. I had to keep my flows and you will know once you check out this "Truth" CD. This is the dopest CD that I dropped in a while. I’m out here trying to tell my story. I’m back in the Bay! There is a new boss in town and it is the old boss.
What is it like to be back in the Bay?
It is beautiful because I still got the muthafuckaz who didn’t believe in all that bullshit who still fuck wit me. I still roll with my riders! I got old school Black Panthers who got out of the penitentiary who are happy to see me back out here. I’m back out here fuckin’ with my folks.
Why did you leave in the first place?
I was confused, young, and depressed about everything. I didn’t want to deal with none of that shit because I was mad. I wanted to leave before I ended up shooting one of these muthafuckaz out here because at that point and time I was ready to pull out heaters. I just wanted to go raise my kids and made sure they were good and then come back. I got two 8 year olds and a two year old and they are all girls. If I’m not doing the right thing I feel that I got all the right motives and I’m a real spiritual cat. I don’t fuck with nobody if they ain’t fuckin’ with me. Niggaz hated on me and left me out there for dead. I’m the rose that grew from the concrete right now because my career is supposed to be dead, but it’s about to revive because I’m about to tell this story to everyone. I am just telling the truth and if these niggaz want to get mad then fuck ’em. That is why my album is called "The Truth". I did everything the right way and I had to let all of this shit out.
How is your new album, "The Truth", compared to your earlier material?
It’s right up there with "Amerikkka’s Nightmare" or the first album because it’s some knocking ass shit. I did that on purpose to let everybody know that I will drop some hot shit. That shit is going to have you fired up! Remember when you heard my first album and you felt like "Goddamn, who the fuck is this?" If you didn’t know who I was you’d be thinking the same thing. When I listen to I think that if I was another rapper that dude would be giving me a hard time. When you hear it you will be trippin’ the fuck out because a nigga is snappin’ on that muthafucka!
Are you spitting fast on some songs?
Hell yeah, on a few of them! The song "Thug Music" is the one that you really want to bang. I love spitting that song at a show because ain’t nobody else is going to go out there and spit it like that. I know that!
Has your lyrical content changed over the years?
It ain’t really changed except for some of the slang today but I’m still talking about everyday life and the real shit. The album is real versatile. There are songs on there that you could play for your momma, and then there is songs on there that you could play for your homies. I got features on there from Kurupt, C-Bo, Jayo Felony, and Yuk. I’m all about music so if a muthafucka wants a good album they need to pick that up. The rest of these muthafuckaz out here have all been playing around and I’m out here spitting it for real. I’m snappin’ on the mic!
What has the response for the albume been so far?
I’m having people tell me that they are banging the shit out of it and they want more. The demand for it is real high right now.
Are you working on another album?
I started working on my new album but I also started working on this DVD called "Spice-1 Greatest Hits Videos" and I got all of the videos on there along with some concert footage and me doing some crazy shit.
Do you have the clay video of "187 Proof?"
That one is on there and every video. That should be real big this year and I should have a lot of people get a hold of it. That should be coming out on my label, Thug World. The DVD is pressed up and finished and all we are waiting for is to get them in the stores and start doing some marketing promotions on that. We got videos on there for "Strap On The Side", "Welcome To The Ghetto", "187 Proof", "Trigga Gots No Heart", "East Bay Gangster" and all that shit. The cover of it looks like Grand Theft Auto.
How does the new Hyphy movement in the Bay affect you?
I’m just glad seeing niggaz trying to do something and get out there and make something happen. I probably won’t get too hyphy in none of my songs, but it’s good for the youngsters to do what they do. As far as me, I’m always going to be me. Good music is going to last forever and I just make sure that I put out some good music whether it is Hyphy or Crunk or Snap.
When did "The Truth" come out?
It has been out for maybe a couple of months, but right now I’m re-releasing the shit because we didn’t really do no promotions on it. Now we’re doing the marketing promotions with commercials rolling and interviews with Murder Dog. It ain’t got nothing to do with what it sounds like because we know the shit is going to be knocking. When it’s coming from me I’m going to have some bangers. The problem ain’t never been the music; it’s just getting the shit out to the stores letting them know that it’s out there.
When do you plan on dropping your next studio album?
As soon as we finish promoting this "Truth" album I’ll be working on another one. I’m kind of kicking back and waiting because I got "The Truth" album and we’re about to drop the Thug Lord album, and me and MC Eiht are gonna drop an album. I don’t want to have my albums competing with each other.
Will you be on the Thug Lordz with Yuk and Bo?
Yeah! That shit should be fire. We should be killing them with that. I was supposed to be part of the first album. I did about two songs with them but I had to do about a month and a half in the county. When I got out I went to Seattle and I think I was recording the "Truth" album then.
What label are you putting the Thug Lordz album out on?
It will come out on High Powered Entertainment in a couple of months.
What made you keep it real all these years?
I’m a spiritual cat and a deep brother so I know that the material things really don’t mean shit. It’s imbedded in my heart and soul that the material stuff don’t mean a damn thing because when you die you can’t take none of that with you. What matters the most is your family. If money comes around and I get paid and I am ballin’ out of control cool, but if money never comes around then I’m not going to be mad because I’m still content with my music. My music keeps me going!
In which way has the Bay changed the most since you first came out?
The Bay got the Hyphy movement going but there still ain’t no gangsta who came out of The Bay besides me. I’m looking for the next gangsta to step up out of here and make the impression that I made on the world. Everybody else is hyphy and fuckin’ off their cheese because they are telling all of the jackers how much money they have. Niggaz be out there getting jacked because they sit on the mic and scream about how much money they got.
You are a legend. Why do you think you never got your props, Spice?
Because the people that are supposed to have your back will turn on you. That’s why I’m out here right now and things ain’t going like they are supposed to. I still got the skills to damn near out-rap every muthafucka in tha game! That’s why you don’t see a lot of my videos because my people back in the day turned their backs on me.
What did they do?
They started spreading rumors about me. I couldn’t get back at them because my people didn’t have my back. They were telling people that I was a loose cannon with pistols. Yeah I got pistols but I’m not a loose cannon. They dragged my name through the mud and started telling executives at big labels that I was a loose cannon. Everybody in the industry was looking at me as a loose cannon after that and I’m talking about the people that I brought into the game.
I never heard about that. But it didn’t stop you. You are still going strong.
I got a good four or five million in sales under my belt right now. There is only three of us in the Bay who has that: Too Short, Spice-1 and E-40. I was the one who brought the Bay out there because wasn’t nobody talking about the Bay before I did "East Bay Gangster". Too Short was talking about Oakland and 40 was talking about Vallejo, but after I made "East Bay Gangster" everybody started saying "I’m From The Bay."
Now that you mention it, that was the first time I heard it like that.
Remember that other song when I said "187 proof ass nigga from the Bay." I’m the one that brought everybody together to say "This is the Bay!" The niggaz in LA didn’t know the difference. They didn’t know Oakland and Frisco and all of that so I told them it was The Bay. When people asked me where I was from I didn’t say Hayward, Oakland or Frisco but I said the Bay. I went all over the United States telling everyone I’m from the Bay. I put that shit on the map. There is a lot of history with me right here!
