http://www.westsiderap.com/interviews-equipto.htm
WSR: Wussup Equipto. I wanna thank you for taking the time to do this interview for the site. First thing, why don't you go ahead and introduce yourself.
I'm Equipto, a San Francisco rap/hip hop artist.
WSR: I know this question's been asked many times before and probably will be asked many more times but let's get it over and done with. What's your nationality and how has that influenced your music?
I'm Japanese & Colombian. Hip Hop is the music that I grew up to since I was a small child, so as I grew with the music I discovered and studied more and more about my culture & heritage and put it in my music. There's so much to learn, the journey never ends, that's why I'm here in Japan right now, exchangin' game and tradin' war stories.
WSR: You over in Japan right now. What's going on over there at the moment?
Hip Hop is huge out here but there's not too much understandin' of the culture, like how hip hop started and so on. But that also goes for the states as well. I just feel like I gotta little more responsibility over here. At the moment I'm doin' shows, radio & magazine interviews, photo shoots and just chillin' wit some dope dj's & producers. "Plus I'm out here doin' somethings with "Fatboy Entertainment," DJ Joey Slick is givin' me alotta love out here. He's from InterFM Radio 76.1, that's a pretty big station out here. I'm tourin' with the Sco-journers, a group outta Frisco doin big thangs, I'm basically tryin' to make this my 2nd home and it's turnin' out lovely.
WSR: Talk about your name "Equipto." How did you come up with the name and is there a story behind it?
My homie from Bored Stiff, White Mike made up the name and gave it to me. I liked it so I kept it. My definition for it is to "provide what's needed," so that's what I try to do.
WSR: How did you first get into rapping? And who put you on first, gave you that first big break you were looking for? Was it Nickatina?
My dad gave me my 1st taste, Run DMC's 1st album & Kurtis Blow's X-mas rap. Since then I ain't stopped lovin' it. As for a big break, I aint seen it yet, this ain't where my music stops, it could only get better from here. Nickatina liked my rap style enough for us to do a album together and threw me on his tours. He definitly broadened my fanbase and got a lot more ears listenin' to what I gotta say now.
WSR: Growing up, what were some of your musical influences? Obviously hiphop but besides that, was their any other genres? I heard somewhere that you were a big jazz fan back in the day.
Well, my dad was a jazz promoter when I was a child and basically fed me the music since I was a baby. The Jazz-life is so similar to the rap-life.Years down the line we'll be listenin to Rakim & Big Daddy Kane, like folks listen to John Coltrane & Thelonious Monk, wonderin what happened to the golden years, later on realizin' the best hip hop has passed us already. Before labels controlled what was actually bein put out and money became such a issue. But I luv all kinds of music. Here's some artists so I won't have to explain too much, Jimi Hendrix, Peter Tosh, The Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Eric Dolphy, Roland Kirk, Burnin Spear & of course 2pac. That's really a small sample.
WSR: How'd you and Nickatina hook-up?
A label I was workin' with a while ago wanted me to do a song with him so they hooked it up or what not. That song happened to be "Blueprints Of War," since then we been kickin it, PS-2in' it. I just think we relate to alotta shit besides the music, that's my folks.
WSR: I was cruisin the internet the other day and I came across The Prophet's site and it says you and him maybe doing a track or two together? What's the latest on that right now? I been following The Prophet for a lil while now and he's got some serious heat. I just wrapped up an interview with him probably about 2 weeks ago.
Prophet is a cool cat, he gotta nice style. I think we might appear on each others mixtapes in the future, time'll tell. Shit's really hectic and busy for me at the momentbut P knows what's up.
WSR: Tell me about "Cigarillos?" Who you got producing the album and is there anyone featured on it? When can we expect it to hit the streets?
This album is somethin new for me and I'm excited to release it. I got Nickatina on a few cuts, San Quinn, The DE, Smoov-E, The Grouch, Son of Man and more. Production by Nick Peace,Q-York, De & Tone Capone. Early 2004 is when it'll drop.
WSR: Those features and producers definately look hott. But what exactly can we expect from "Cigarillos?" What is it that you as an artist bring to the Bay Area with this album?
This album is more of a "Feel Good" album, that's the way I like to put it. Ain't nuttin' on this album gonna make you too sad or too happy. I think what I bring to the Bay is somethin unique. I dont like separatin' myself from other rappers from the bay, that's for critics to judge. I think if you listen to my records, you wouldn't think I was from the bay area. I try to give a worldwide feel and make music I would like to hear, dope beats & lyrics, that's pretty much it.
WSR: After "Cigarillos," what's next for Equipto? Will you and Nickatina be doing another album together sometime in the future?
Everyone asks if me & Nicky gonna do another album, I can't really call it. I know it'd be fire once again though. What's Next? Travelin', tourin' & networkin'. I love this life. I dreamed of this since I was a kid and now it's all unfoldin'. I'm just a regular cat doin' what he luv's to do.
WSR: Let's talk about Bored Stiff for a moment. How'd you first hook-up with them? Also, can you talk about your growth as an artist from then to now. What's the latest with the group?
Bored Stiff is my family. We all were raised together, I started with them in the late 80's. We all been threw so much in life, lost members in jail, by the gun and the hustle. Our music has been all over the world but shit's been hard for cats, and that's what makes me who and what I am now. I started in this game at a early age, so my growth as an artist came along with my growth as a man. In order for a artist to grow he has to change, That's how I feel and I do what I feel. Everyone doesn't have to agree & that's the beauty of bein' an Artist.
WSR: Will there be another Bored Stiff album anytime in the future?
As for Bored Stiff, we got alotta dope music done, ready to be released. We just waitin' on the right numbers to approach us. The music is worth too much to just put out there for the love. I honestly feel the "Stiff" has something special to offer the world but it takes the right money to get heard in the way we deserve to be heard,or else it's pretty much meaningless. That's just my opinion.
WSR: You recently released a mixtape entitled "For The Record." For the folx that haven't heard it yet, where can they get it and can you tell the people a lil about it?
"For The Record" came out alot tighter than I thought it was. That's just me bein' honest. Everywhere I looked I seen a new Mixtape out. Then I started hearin' them, they were coo, but I thought I could do some of these mainstream beats some justice as well. So I told DJ TD Camp (Bored Stiff) that I wanted to do a mix cd thing. I told'em some beats I wanted to rock over and he added some as well. I wrote it in two days and had alotta fun doin it. Alotta people tell me it's better than some of these full length albums cats come out with so I must've done a pretty good job. It is sellin' a lot more than I pictured. I wanted to just give it away but hey, if cats is buyin' it, why not sell it. It should be at all Rasputins & Amoebas, or online at MillionDollarDream.com
WSR: Which of your albums have you enjoyed making the most? And why? Which one was the hardest to put together? And why?
I think "Cigarillos" was the hardest to make just because responsibilities and expectations get bigger. But at the same time it was fun as well. I love challenges. Midnight Machine Gun was another album that was hard work. On that album I wanted to find a new approach & style so it definitely put me to the test.
WSR: Wussup Equipto. I wanna thank you for taking the time to do this interview for the site. First thing, why don't you go ahead and introduce yourself.
I'm Equipto, a San Francisco rap/hip hop artist.
WSR: I know this question's been asked many times before and probably will be asked many more times but let's get it over and done with. What's your nationality and how has that influenced your music?
I'm Japanese & Colombian. Hip Hop is the music that I grew up to since I was a small child, so as I grew with the music I discovered and studied more and more about my culture & heritage and put it in my music. There's so much to learn, the journey never ends, that's why I'm here in Japan right now, exchangin' game and tradin' war stories.
WSR: You over in Japan right now. What's going on over there at the moment?
Hip Hop is huge out here but there's not too much understandin' of the culture, like how hip hop started and so on. But that also goes for the states as well. I just feel like I gotta little more responsibility over here. At the moment I'm doin' shows, radio & magazine interviews, photo shoots and just chillin' wit some dope dj's & producers. "Plus I'm out here doin' somethings with "Fatboy Entertainment," DJ Joey Slick is givin' me alotta love out here. He's from InterFM Radio 76.1, that's a pretty big station out here. I'm tourin' with the Sco-journers, a group outta Frisco doin big thangs, I'm basically tryin' to make this my 2nd home and it's turnin' out lovely.
WSR: Talk about your name "Equipto." How did you come up with the name and is there a story behind it?
My homie from Bored Stiff, White Mike made up the name and gave it to me. I liked it so I kept it. My definition for it is to "provide what's needed," so that's what I try to do.
WSR: How did you first get into rapping? And who put you on first, gave you that first big break you were looking for? Was it Nickatina?
My dad gave me my 1st taste, Run DMC's 1st album & Kurtis Blow's X-mas rap. Since then I ain't stopped lovin' it. As for a big break, I aint seen it yet, this ain't where my music stops, it could only get better from here. Nickatina liked my rap style enough for us to do a album together and threw me on his tours. He definitly broadened my fanbase and got a lot more ears listenin' to what I gotta say now.
WSR: Growing up, what were some of your musical influences? Obviously hiphop but besides that, was their any other genres? I heard somewhere that you were a big jazz fan back in the day.
Well, my dad was a jazz promoter when I was a child and basically fed me the music since I was a baby. The Jazz-life is so similar to the rap-life.Years down the line we'll be listenin to Rakim & Big Daddy Kane, like folks listen to John Coltrane & Thelonious Monk, wonderin what happened to the golden years, later on realizin' the best hip hop has passed us already. Before labels controlled what was actually bein put out and money became such a issue. But I luv all kinds of music. Here's some artists so I won't have to explain too much, Jimi Hendrix, Peter Tosh, The Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Eric Dolphy, Roland Kirk, Burnin Spear & of course 2pac. That's really a small sample.
WSR: How'd you and Nickatina hook-up?
A label I was workin' with a while ago wanted me to do a song with him so they hooked it up or what not. That song happened to be "Blueprints Of War," since then we been kickin it, PS-2in' it. I just think we relate to alotta shit besides the music, that's my folks.
WSR: I was cruisin the internet the other day and I came across The Prophet's site and it says you and him maybe doing a track or two together? What's the latest on that right now? I been following The Prophet for a lil while now and he's got some serious heat. I just wrapped up an interview with him probably about 2 weeks ago.
Prophet is a cool cat, he gotta nice style. I think we might appear on each others mixtapes in the future, time'll tell. Shit's really hectic and busy for me at the momentbut P knows what's up.
WSR: Tell me about "Cigarillos?" Who you got producing the album and is there anyone featured on it? When can we expect it to hit the streets?
This album is somethin new for me and I'm excited to release it. I got Nickatina on a few cuts, San Quinn, The DE, Smoov-E, The Grouch, Son of Man and more. Production by Nick Peace,Q-York, De & Tone Capone. Early 2004 is when it'll drop.
WSR: Those features and producers definately look hott. But what exactly can we expect from "Cigarillos?" What is it that you as an artist bring to the Bay Area with this album?
This album is more of a "Feel Good" album, that's the way I like to put it. Ain't nuttin' on this album gonna make you too sad or too happy. I think what I bring to the Bay is somethin unique. I dont like separatin' myself from other rappers from the bay, that's for critics to judge. I think if you listen to my records, you wouldn't think I was from the bay area. I try to give a worldwide feel and make music I would like to hear, dope beats & lyrics, that's pretty much it.
WSR: After "Cigarillos," what's next for Equipto? Will you and Nickatina be doing another album together sometime in the future?
Everyone asks if me & Nicky gonna do another album, I can't really call it. I know it'd be fire once again though. What's Next? Travelin', tourin' & networkin'. I love this life. I dreamed of this since I was a kid and now it's all unfoldin'. I'm just a regular cat doin' what he luv's to do.
WSR: Let's talk about Bored Stiff for a moment. How'd you first hook-up with them? Also, can you talk about your growth as an artist from then to now. What's the latest with the group?
Bored Stiff is my family. We all were raised together, I started with them in the late 80's. We all been threw so much in life, lost members in jail, by the gun and the hustle. Our music has been all over the world but shit's been hard for cats, and that's what makes me who and what I am now. I started in this game at a early age, so my growth as an artist came along with my growth as a man. In order for a artist to grow he has to change, That's how I feel and I do what I feel. Everyone doesn't have to agree & that's the beauty of bein' an Artist.
WSR: Will there be another Bored Stiff album anytime in the future?
As for Bored Stiff, we got alotta dope music done, ready to be released. We just waitin' on the right numbers to approach us. The music is worth too much to just put out there for the love. I honestly feel the "Stiff" has something special to offer the world but it takes the right money to get heard in the way we deserve to be heard,or else it's pretty much meaningless. That's just my opinion.
WSR: You recently released a mixtape entitled "For The Record." For the folx that haven't heard it yet, where can they get it and can you tell the people a lil about it?
"For The Record" came out alot tighter than I thought it was. That's just me bein' honest. Everywhere I looked I seen a new Mixtape out. Then I started hearin' them, they were coo, but I thought I could do some of these mainstream beats some justice as well. So I told DJ TD Camp (Bored Stiff) that I wanted to do a mix cd thing. I told'em some beats I wanted to rock over and he added some as well. I wrote it in two days and had alotta fun doin it. Alotta people tell me it's better than some of these full length albums cats come out with so I must've done a pretty good job. It is sellin' a lot more than I pictured. I wanted to just give it away but hey, if cats is buyin' it, why not sell it. It should be at all Rasputins & Amoebas, or online at MillionDollarDream.com
WSR: Which of your albums have you enjoyed making the most? And why? Which one was the hardest to put together? And why?
I think "Cigarillos" was the hardest to make just because responsibilities and expectations get bigger. But at the same time it was fun as well. I love challenges. Midnight Machine Gun was another album that was hard work. On that album I wanted to find a new approach & style so it definitely put me to the test.
