INTERVIEWS GALORE

First off, I'd like to thank the iTunes Store in Canada for having 20+ Massive Attack remixes for me to download. No thanks to the iTunes Store in the U.S. which has a monsterous.....*counting*.....ONE remix to purchase. Massive Attack (remixed by peeps like Underdog, Portishead, UNKLE, Mad Professor and Underworld) has been my soundtrack for this evening.

For the past 3+ years I have been given quite the amazing opportunity. I get to write on or interview anyone I please in the world of hip hop. This opportunity was presented to me by Chuck D of Public Enemy. We met at a lecture back in 2002, kept in touch, and a year later he asked me to write for one of his sites - Rapstation.com. I've been able to speak with people I grew up listening to and it's been nothing short of incredible getting to chop it up with some legends in the game.

Below are past interviews I've done with Mr.Kaves from Lordz of Brooklyn, Akrobatik, MC Ren from NWA, Masta Ace, R.A. The Rugged Man, Yo-Yo, Outlawz, Dilated Peoples and CL Smooth.

MC Serch from 3rd Bass coming soon........

P E A C E

CL SMOOTH interview (11/18/2006)

Flatline: You came out in the early 90's with Pete Rock and released some timeless material. What kind of memories do you have from that special time in hip hop?

CL Smooth: Just everything being new, everything being a new experience, to be accepted by the public. To be a part of some great projects...and just being able to be heard.

Flatline: You hooked up with DJ Krush in 96 for "Only The Strong Survive" on MoWax. How did the two of you get together and what was it like working with him?

CL Smooth: From traveling, just meeting different people and he was one of the people I met and I dug his music. I dug his enthusiasm, so working with him wasn't a problem. He's a DJ and very talented and from another part of the earth that I was new to experience. The reception that I got over there from the record was phenomenal. It was an impact record in my career.

Flatline: There was always talk of you doing a solo album but nothing ever came to reality. What were you doing when you weren't recording?

CL Smooth: Just living life and taking care of business that needed to be taken care of. As far as my personal life and beyond the music, finding out who I was...what I'm meant to do beyond the music and setting that up, to maintaining a certain lifestyle and a certain amount of self respect, so that when I returned I would have things to write about and I would be in a better position to be able to promote it, and most of all, enjoy it.

Flatline: You made appearances on both of Pete Rock's solo albums, and there was always this buzz about the two of you getting back together. Did you both feel that it was just best to leave the legacy intact as it is?

CL Smooth: Well, you know, I can only speak for myself...you know, I thought around the time of the early millennium that I was anticipating that we would reunite and give the people what they wanted. But when it didn't work out and I realized that our creative juices were going other places, through that disappointment of not making it, I wanted to put the energy into something because I had worked so hard to get back to that point, to be successful. So, you know, I put it into this album because I know success, a lot of times, is very scary and the element and mind state you have to be in to be successful. It weighs a lot. So I was fully committed, and to hold no grudges, I just put all the energy and focus into my first solo project which I'm very proud of.

Flatline: To me, personally, "American Me" is a triumph and one of the best albums this year. What was the writing process like and how long did it take for the project to be completed?

CL Smooth: Oh, it didn't take long, because during the time I wasn't making records I was developing my art, I was crafting it and honing it to be better, to come back much better. Sort of like a pitcher who gets an operation and he has to take the whole year off and he's doing all his therapy and all his work and come to find out, a lot of pitchers come back even better than before. I felt like it was all about preparation and how you live and what's your process and commitment to be taken seriously. I totally took myself and my craft seriously and tried to commit myself to maximize my potential and effort the best way I could. That was to go in the studio and really give it all I had, and I felt that I did.

Flatline: Absolutely. One thing that I love about this project is that it's a true solo album, there's not a million guest spots on there...

CL Smooth: Yeah, I wanted to just give people an opportunity to know that there are very few artists who feel they're interesting enough to make a full record, a full album, rather than be watered down. And I know that rap is in a grave situation where, you know, you need true artists to return. I wanted to be one of those who committed to that movement.

Flatline: It's like you never left...

CL Smooth: Yeah, I feel like I never left. I really, truly have something to say.

Flatline: That brings us to "The Terrorism Interlude" on the album where you kind of unload about "a holy war worth billions" in less than sixty seconds. Was there more that you wanted to touch upon on that track?

CL Smooth: No, not necessarily. You know, a lot of times it's the little things that are said, more than just whole songs that are focused on, cause we take for granted that a whole song is just a whole song. When we get an element of a message, sometimes it's very short, it's very to the point and those, a lot of times, get more across than actual songs.

Flatline: What's something in hip hop or something about hip hop that you don't like?

CL Smooth: Just the stigmatism that certain artists, when they get into trouble, that it just reflects on the whole game and I feel that when, you know, the person does something right or wrong, they speak for themselves, they don't speak for the majority. Most of all, we need to create a balance in this game and I feel that, I'm voting towards that way. I'm committing myself to a campaign to go towards that way.

Flatline: Are you going to tour in support of the album?

CL Smooth: Oh definitely. One of the things I'm proud of, alongside or above my studio work is my commitment to have a great show. I feel that a lot of times we are caught up in the limelight and we fail to entertain and that's one thing I'm fully committed to. I'm fully committed to entertain.

Flatline: There's so many different musical influences on this album from jazz to rock to reggae that I could see you going out on the road with a live band...

CL Smooth: That's one of the things I wanted the people to decide - how they want me. The people to decide, it is good or not? The people to decide, whether I continue, because I need their help. I need their vote and their support in knowing that. These are the creative venues and opportunities that I opened up for myself. Is it rightfully so? Would I be changing the element of or compromising the element of where I'm coming from by adding a live band?

Flatline: Well, having a band like The Roots backing you up would be amazing...

CL Smooth: It would be amazing and I can picture that now. It would be a great chemistry and that's what it's all about, for people to know that, for CL to make records, the chemistry has to be right.

Flatline: One final question for you. How does it feel to have officially released "the type of heat that makes Pete squirm"?

CL Smooth: (laughs) My whole thing with that line was to reflect on the people that I thought would be on my side and weren't. They didn't believe it could be done and it's being done. Surprisingly, like, it's like a guy that you won all the whole championships with and he's not impressed by anything you do. Even when you score fifty points in a game, even when you come at your highest level he's not impressed unless you're on his music. But I'm here to let you know that with the success of this project and provin' and letting the people speak, that it just gives it a greater opportunity for me to return with Pete and finally close, you know, the door and the chapter...or, open up a greater beginning. I'm very optimistic and very happy with how my life is going right now that I can only think optimistic, even when it's bleak and dim.

- Flatline for rapstation.com

DILATED PEOPLES interview (2/4/2006)

Flatline: Evidence, the first time I heard you on record was either on Defari's debut or The High & Mighty's debut. What was it like for you getting to work with them when you were coming up?

Evidence: You know, it's funny, cause I didn't know Defari was Defari or High & Mighty was High & Mighty. At the time, everyone was just friends, working and so focused on coming up...no one had really made a name for themselves yet. It wasn't like anyone was established. Defari would come over to my house everyday and we'd just be making music on a level like two people would, just for the love of it. It just turned into what it turned into. With High & Mighty, I was on vacation in New York, chillin' with Alchemist who had become friends with Mighty Mi. He said, listen, you should come over to my homies house and kick a rhyme on this stuff, they got some tight stuff. So I went over there and did it. Now, looking back on it, I'm proud of everyone's accomplishments.

Flatline: I love that there is always a message involved with your lyrics Rakaa, and the first single "Back Again" is no exception. You say "many things you fear have been in place for years." Speak a little more on that...

Rakaa: It's kinda like anything else. By the time it filters its way through mainstream media and through the streets and everything else, it has probably already been in place. Rumors you've heard about, problems that have been happening...things that you have apprehension or anxiety about in the future...disease and warfare, government tampering and eavesdropping. There's so many different things that are happening that people have been scared about. You're scared about living under microchips and big brother...it's just been packaged in a way where you don't feel it's the negative thing, that maybe you've always been scared of but really, you're living under many of the conditions that you've been scared to live under.

Flatline: When I first heard your material Babu, it was on Return Of The DJ, the first pressing in black and white with the cross fader on the cover...

Babu: I got that right there, I know exactly what that is...(laughs)

Flatline: How have you grown as a DJ since then?

Babu: A ton man, a ton. From my personal life, to my artistic life, I've changed a lot. I've gotten married and moved out of the house and had kids and all that. Back then, I was living under my mama's roof and working at the gas station, going to junior college...things have changed. Everything has evolved to a bigger level. Now, I can technically say that I do this as a profession. Versus having a 4 track, now I have Pro-Tools...a lot of things have changed.

Flatline: How did Volvo approach you about using "This Way" for one of their commercials?

Evidence: Dave Myers, who directed the video for "This Way", directed the Volvo commercial. Basically, what happened was, they wanted to tie the song and the whole campaign together. I have no problem with people licensing our music, whether it be EA Sports, Volvo, Nike or whoever. We make our music as is, if it fits you then great...however, I just wasn't willing to become a poster boy for Volvo. A lot of people think that's us in the commercial...we're not in the commercial. They shot that in Madrid, Spain and we're not in the commercial. They found two dudes who kinda look like us a little bit, so when all is said and done, it kinda makes it a funny situation. We licensed our song to Volvo like we would anyone else, and they kinda took it a little bit further than we had wished, you know?

Flatline: Are the Rakaa and Evidence solo albums still in the works?

Rakaa: Without a doubt, 100%, we're working on solo albums. What ends up happening a lot of times is our plans are different than our record label plans. The situation is, it takes so much time to really switch gears between the compromise gear or working Dilated and finding a common denominator for three people and the pure uncut vibe of just going after what you feel on any given day.

Evidence: Yeah, solo albums are very much in the works. There's been a couple little detours...contractually and creatively. I have so many focuses outside of Dilated right now. "The Medicine", which is Planet Asia's new album which I produced all 16 songs on, will be released in mid-2006. I did everything in my will to show my skills as a producer because, my homies now are not making 12 inches anymore, they're makings ALBUMS. You got Alchemist bangin' out "1st Infantry"...you got Babu doing his "Likwit Junkies"...you got 9th Wonder making albums for people, not just 12 inches. Pete Rock & CL Smooth, they got to do that back in the day. Large Professor, he made an entire album for Akineyle. Premier, he produced the Gangstarr albums. For me, it's for people to see the versatility and what I'm capable of doing. We got Prodigy on "The Medicine", Blackstar, Alchemist, Dilated Peoples, Cali Agents. Beyond that, myself and Alchemist are doing an album right now...50/50 basically, we're splitting half the beats and half the rhymes.

Flatline: When you were coming up, who were some people you looked up to and have you ever thought about getting them on a Dilated record?

Babu: I remember 84 distinctly, moving to California at the same time as the explosion of hip hop and breakdancing. I remember distinctly, buying records because I heard this group had a bad ass DJ. But mostly it was from groups like EPMD because they had DJ Scratch...Jazzy Jeff...Mix Master Ice...I can go on and on. I really came from that. At this point, I'm just a product of my environment.

Rakaa: At a different point in my life, LL Cool J was an incredible influence, being a young, cocky cat who just destroyed microphones and stages. Beastie Boys...RUN DMC...RUN DMC made me feel like there's something bigger than a rap song. Honestly, through everything, NWA was a huge influence coming out of L.A. and having the sound they had on "Straight Outta Compton". That stuff was just so ill. The single biggest artist to me, as an artist period, across the board, would be KRS ONE and Boogie Down Productions. Without a doubt. That's where I got my philosophy of edutainment...the idea that you have a platform, you have peoples attention..leave them with something...leave them with a jewel. Ultimately, we always try to leave them with a jewel, whether it's a little something in every song or a little something on every album. I'm not gonna feed them a meal of additives and preservatives. I'm gonna try and give them some nutrients and vitamins and minerals in there if I can.

Flatline: Evidence, were you in the studio with KRS ONE on Lyrics Born "Pack Up" remix from last year?

Evidence: No, no I was not. I wasn't in the studio with either of them. I was in the studio myself, and it's funny, I was recording myself and I think if you listen real, real carefully while I'm rapping, you can hear the hum from my Pro-Tools. So I'm sitting there in front of my G4 and it's like "nnnnn"...(laughs) So, no, KRS wasn't there. You know, I haven't met him yet. That's somebody I would love to meet.

Flatline: When are you gonna do a track with Rakim?

Evidence: That would be...there's another person I haven't met yet. That would be lovely. I just don't know how acceptable a lot of people like that are nowadays with our group. Friends make better music than strangers. I don't ever really wanna get put in a room with somebody ever again and expect to just make music. It elevates your game to a certain point but after making this new album and having the luxury of working with people I'm comfortable with, I'll probably just be collaborating with my peoples from now on. Working with Rakim is the kind of opportunity I wouldn't pass up in a million years, I'm just not seeking it out, you know what I mean?

Flatline: Babu, have you had a chance to meet any of your idols that you looked up to coming up?

Babu: To be honest with you, I've met a lot of them. It's an incredible thing, to be able to meet them on your own terms, where you meet as peers versus at an autograph signing. I mean, I know what that feels like to be on the other side of the fence. Being able to say I'm cool with Premo...we might call each other and chop it up, that's some crazy shit. He comes to L.A. and we go to the studio and hang out...I'd never believe that if someone told me 10-15 years ago. It means the most to me...getting that respect from people that you grew up studying and admiring. I can die peacefully now. (laughs)

Flatline: You guys have worked with a bunch of different producers (Premier, Kanye, Alchemist, JuJu, Da Beatminerz)...who haven't you worked with that you'd like to get a track from?

Rakaa: hmm...Rick Rubin...if I could put the original Bomb Squad back together...working with the Beastie Boys as a production crew...Capleton's crew, The Prophecy Band. I would say Dr.Dre is up there but Rick Rubin is the one. Dr.Dre is incredible but Rick Rubin would be the dream.

Flatline: You produced a handful of tracks on the first three Dilated records Babu. Where do you get inspiration from when you're creating beats and are you more comfortable behind the turntables?

Babu: To me, it's the same battle. I've juggled beats on the turntables for years and I try and take that same energy and do that with my sampler in the studio. I'm blessed to have so many high profile cats around me at all times, so inspiration is no problem, you know? I spend mad loot on records, so that's a lot of inspiration right there. I spend mad loot on weed, so that's a lot of inspiration right there. (laughs) I have an infinite amount of inspiration when I go home and see my two kids, so inspiration is nothing I'm short of.

Flatline: You're hitting the road with Little Brother. How do you balance your personal lives with business?

Rakaa: As well as we can man, you know? It's very, very difficult. To be honest, it's close to impossible. It takes an incredible amount of focus and determination on both sides to make it work. It's very difficult to balance those things with the lifestyle, with the hours, with the time, with the social scene...so we just do the best we can do. A lot of where we are right now is the product of not just getting better as rappers, producers and DJ's, but us getting better as people...us growing up as men, as business men, as men in general. We balance everything out and hope for the best in the end. It's no different than anyone else who sacrifices certain things to live out their dream.

Babu: It is very, very, very tough. That's probably the only angst in my life, is just wishing I had eight days in the week or another Babu to take care of stuff for me. At the same time, I'm blessed cause I got a lot of support from my family and my wife's family. On top of that, my wife, who's been my girlfriend and wife for so long, has kinda known my lifestyle for years. When I made the plunge, she made the plunge with me. There'd be no other way for me to make it unless I had that support system, you know what I mean?

Flatline: Since the Black Eyed Peas added a female singer to the group, has there been pressure from the label for you guys to do the same thing?

Rakaa: Nah, nah (laughs) That's something I don't think would go over too well. We might start a riot or something. (laughs) But more power to the Peas man. They just got better and better at what they do. Will.I.Am just came down to Supernatural's birthday party and got on the mic freestylin' and showed and proved why, back in the day, he was an L.A. phenomenon. He was the freestyle champion at this club in L.A. called Ballistics for like two years or some crazy shit. At his core, he's a hip hopper at heart...he's a dancer and a rapper that loves hip hop culture.

Flatline: Babu, it must be really rewarding working with Evidence and Rakaa...you're not just "the DJ in the back"...you always get your time in the spotlight...

Babu: That was the biggest reason I got with the group. I felt how connected they were to hip hop culture. They could have had a ton of DJ's but they were adamant about getting me and it was a blessing. Those guys, what can I say? They're a rare breed. I've got a dream job...I don't know any other group I'd rather be DJing for.

Flatline: What's the goal with the new album "20/20"? Where do you want to take things on this record?

Evidence: Just clarity..clarity. Period. It's very simply put, understanding who we are, what our position is in the game, understanding that we don't fall for anything...we stand for something. At this point, you can't fall for anything. We're four albums into this game, it's either people are gonna like us or they're not. It means having the comfort of it. For the first time, my voice is finally the way I want. A lot of little confidence issues I've had in the back of my head have kinda been erased and it's just time to do what we do...bring it to the people.

- Flatline for rapstation.com

OUTLAWZ interview (8/25/2005)

Flatline: After the death of Tupac and members leaving the group, what keeps the Outlawz ticking?

Noble: Just this Outlaw pride man. We put in a whole lot of work and we never really got a fair shot...whether it be tragedies or just, whatever...so that really keeps us going. I feel we're just as talented or probably more talented than the number one dudes in the game. We still young, we started when we was young...16,17. That really keeps us ticking....Pac lookin' down on us every day man. So it's just the spirit we got in us. The streets keep us ticking man.

Flatline: You switch up a couple lines from RUN DMC's "Peter Piper" and make it your own on the album. Who influenced you coming up and who did you listen to?

Noble: Aww man, growing up, everybody influenced me. Dudes like Kool G Rap, Rakim...of course RUN DMC...EPMD...everybody man. I was definitely a kid of hip hop man.

Flatline: Do you ever think Tupac's murder will ever be solved?

Noble: (pause) Naw, hell naw. I don't think the police ever wanted to solve that one.

Flatline: You've been on several independent labels. In general, what do you think of the music industry?

Noble: The music industry? It's a lot of fuckin' bullshit that go in the game but the flipside of that is when you meet good people and build good relationships. It can take you far, you know what I mean? There's a lot of money in this industry besides the smoke screen. The industry is cool...but I don't really feel like we've really been IN the industry like that. Like, sometimes, you can be in it, but not really IN IT, you know what I mean? It's kinda like a job. I love doin' music but, you know, we got kids to feed at the end of the day. So we really on the business side of it. We never really been on a major label. We basically been on Death Row but we never put out an album with them...

Flatline: What happened with the Death Row situation?

Noble: Well, Suge was locked up when we signed. When we was doing all that music, all that "All Eyez On Me" and all that Makaveli shit, we wasn't even signed to Death Row. Pac was tellin' us to hold off so we could sign to Makaveli/Death Row, so he could get the majority of the money off us. Being that we had a whole lot of music over there when he passed, we figurin' that was the place for us to be to carry the torch. If Suge had been out, it probably would have been a way different story. We haven't had the privilege to be on a major label...with big push and three videos for our album. We ain't never had that shot yet. I feel like we deserve that shot and we ain't never gonna stop. You know, I feel like we're not an independent group man...we got a worldwide message.

Flatline: On "Outlawz 4 Life" you got a few guest spots on there from people like TQ and Bun B from UGK. What was the goal all of you had in mind going into the studio to record the new album?

Noble: To be honest with you, when we was recording, it wasn't really like we was recording this specific album...we just record. That's just what we do. We got a whole lot of projects we're working on. Like me and Edi just did an Edi & Noble album...we just finished a Dead Prez/Outlawz collaboration album....

Flatline: You worked with Dead Prez?!

Noble: Yeah, we got a whole album done with Dead Prez.

Flatline: When is that coming out or is there any release date yet?

Noble: We tryin' to find distribution for it right now.

Flatline: Any chance of you maybe hooking up with Paris to have him do some production?

Noble: I'm sure we will. Actually, Paris was supposed to send us some beats for the Dead Prez/Outlawz album but I don't know what happened. I'm sure we probably will be doing something with Paris sooner or later. We also just did a little compilation with JT The Bigga Figga. We just WORKIN' man. We independent and we about to smash the streets like we never did before. When it comes to making substance, we do that shit in our sleep. We do that shit with our fuckin' eyes closed man. I don't really feel like too many dudes that are out now can even really compete with us man. People get it confused...like when you hear people on the radio every day and see'em on the tv every day....it's because they got push behind them. Them shit's don't be no hit records. Everybody doin' the same ol' shit...somethin' for the clubs....

Flatline: The majority of it is cookie cooker material...

Noble: Yeah, and everybody's video is the same...same bitches in the video...comin' with too much of nothin' new, no type of substance. There's a few dudes...like, I like Kanye and Common...there's a lot of dudes doin' their thing, don't get it wrong. I ain't talkin' about nobody...everybody gotta eat, everybody play their position. But I feel like, as far as what we do, can't nobody do it. Like, when you listen to Tupac and you get that feelin'...you can't get that from nobody else and it's the same with the Outlawz man. When you listen to us and you get that sort of feeling, you can't get that shit from nobody else. We try and put our soul on over them tracks.

- Flatline for rapstation.com

YO-YO interview (8/8/2005)

Flatline: What was it like to be involved on "Amerikkka's Most Wanted" with Ice Cube?

Yo-Yo: Working with Cube was a wonderful experience because I had a chance to see how the industry was. Being a fan of hip hop at an early age and then getting a chance to be with one of the most successful west coast artists...right when he was leaving NWA...it was cool cause Cube was considered the man. It was real cool...it was an honor.

Flatline: Then you turned around and put out your debut "Make Way For The Motherlode"...

Yo-Yo: Yeah, worked on my demo, cause at the time, Cube was just starting Street Knowledge. So, from room to room, worked on my demo, went to New York, met with Sylvia Rhone and got signed with Atlantic.

Flatline: Wow, very cool...

Yo-Yo: That easy baby! Nah, just jokin'...(laughs)

Flatline: It couldn't have hurt to have Cube in your corner...

Yo-Yo: Couldn't be too hard, huh? (laughs)

Flatline: On your second album, "Black Pearl", you worked with DJ Pooh, Muggs from Cypress Hill, Sir Jinx, Bobcat....and yet, it was viewed as kind of a disappointment. You even dissed it yourself on your third album!

Yo-Yo: Well...when "Black Pearl" came out, Cube had a lot of problems with Sylvia Rhone. It was an industry problem where...I'm not exactly sure. Cube got mad, decided he wasn't dealing with Sylvia anymore and guess who's caught in the middle? Little ol' me...new to the industry...don't know jack. I got caught in the middle of all that drama. So, "Black Pearl"...it was really what I wanted, but it didn't read the way I wanted. The song "Black Pearl" I was happy with but I didn't have a balance. It was a shock and people wasn't ready for it. When I dissed it, I didn't really DISS IT. I mean, I did, but I DIDN'T, you know what I mean? It just wasn't what I wanted at that time. But hey, it was a break through...I was battlin' my identity anyway. West coast was so gangsta...I had never been a tom boy. (laughs) I was fightin' trying to show my feminine side and tryin' to work with Cube and the NWA image, just being a female in it though.

Flatline: You followed up "Black Pearl" with "You Better Ask Somebody", one of my personal favorites, and "Total Control" dropped in 96. I pick up The Source in the spring of 1998 and see an ad for "Ebony". The release date came and went...no album. What happened?

Yo-Yo: My whole situation with the Yo-Yo project is, once Cube and Sylvia had those problems, the record company didn't know what to do with me. Cube was like, to hell with them, don't do anything. But you know, easy for him to say...he wasn't on the label. So from then on, I just got pushed to the side. Nothing was done correctly....I mean....I don't know.....

Flatline: Was there a full "Ebony" album recorded? Is there something in the vaults?

Yo-Yo: Yes.

Flatline: Will that ever see the light of day?

Yo-Yo: No...I mean, I remixed some things and used vocals on here and there for remixes but...no.

Flatline: You've mentioned Tupac in your songs before and if I remember correctly, he was in the "Romantic Call" video with you and Patra. What's it like for you not having him around? What was your relationship like with him?

Yo-Yo: Oh gawd! Pac was just like a big brother. He was a young black man who was just always in search of something else...always in search of something more. To me, he was militant, he was street, he was smart, he was a poet, he was an entertainer...he had all these qualities. He was cute...(laughs)....he was just a great person. I always loved when he came around cause he always had that energy. He always had character...he was SOMEBODY. He motivated me.

Flatline: It's been about nine years since "Total Control". What's it been like for you to sit back and just kinda watch the majority of these female rappers lose half their clothes and not really bring much in the way of skills and subject matter?

Yo-Yo: Well, for me, after recording "Ebony" in 98, I was disappointed it was never released. I was working and planning for that to move forward, which it never did, and then seein' all the other sisters coming out and doin' their thing and they're sexy and they're this, they're that...and me, I'm just the "intelligent black woman" but ofcourse I talk shit...they labeled me "gangsta" but I really never was....I talked a lot of mess but I still represented for the ladies. I was just like, maybe it's time for me to move on because I can't see myself talkin' about no Coke bottles...I couldn't see me being half naked in a lil' bikini rappin'...

Flatline: So you actually thought about hanging up the mic?

Yo-Yo: Yeah...I was like, maybe it's over, maybe it's time for me to do something else. But I started when I was 17 so I was like, what else can I do? I started right out of high school so I didn't even go to college. So I moved to New Jersey. I said, okay, I'll do acting. I got my feet wet in acting but I didn't want any homegirl roles and I felt like I was getting a lot of those roles because of Yo-Yo. So I said, well if I go to school and study the craft, then maybe they'll take me serious with my acting. So I studied acting for two years, worked on my associates degree in liberal arts, took a lot of writing classes, took a lot of english classes. I stayed in Jersey for a minute, then I said, oh it's time to go back to California. I think I was going through my transition in life, where it was, how do I bring the old Yo-Yo to the new Yo-Yo or how do I get to the next level of what it is I want to do? So I started writing again and finding other things to talk about...started listening to other kinds of music.....

Flatline: What type of music were you listening to?

Yo-Yo: Just, you know, alternative music...all kinds of music...old music. I'd listen to new music but outside of rap because for awhile I didn't even listen to the radio, I didn't watch videos...I guess I was depressed. (laughs) Even attempting to do it on my own, without Atlantic, was a challenge. I was like, what do I do? Where do I go? Who do I talk to? When you're with a major, they have everything lined up for you. So when it was time for me to get out there and do it myself, I was standing like a little lost girl in the desert.

Flatline: So now that you're on your own and doing it yourself, how's it all coming together for you?

Yo-Yo: When I moved back to L.A., I started working on my music and just working with local producers here and there. I decided that people need to know that Yo-Yo is back out so I decided to do some remixes, go the 50 Cent style...and I remixed "Goodies" by Ciara. I got a list of all the radio stations, sent'em all out, called them, emailed them....and I started getting emails back. People were like "Oh gawd, I love it!" and "Yo-Yo, you're my favorite rapper, where have you been?"....

Flatline: It's gotta be nice to feel the love after being away from the scene for awhile...

Yo-Yo: Yeah!! Because you really don't know how people are going to react. You really have to ask yourself, is it time to give it up? But, you know, this time around is so different for me. I'm doing it for more than one reason...this is for my company, this is so I can give back, this is for my community, this is for the Intelligent Black Women's Coalition, this is for my center...you know what I mean? Now I have control. Now I can do everything I've ever wanted to do. Now I have another outlet, another chance to be the Magic Johnson of my community on the female side.

Flatline: Do you have a list of producers you'd like to work with on the new album?

Yo-Yo: I'm working with Focus, Dent, Shakespeare, Battlecat..Snoop is on the project...who else? Jellyroll is producing....I'm tryin' to do something with me, MC Lyte and Queen Latifah....Kurupt is on the album...oh, almost forgot...Daz is on the album too!!

Flatline: Oh wow...I'm so excited for this project......

Yo-Yo: I know! I am too!! I just felt like, hip hop, we have such a responsibility and when I was younger we used to go around and tell these journalists, we are not role models, let the parents raise their kids and blah blah blah. We really wasn't responsible and now that I'm older, I do understand that we do have a responsibility. It means so much more for me this time and then to have everybody pull in...I mean, the SUPPORT that I've gotten from the west coast and around the world has been SO incredible. Now I get to start my own business for all the young girls that's been looking for me to do something for them, now I know how to help them and now I have an outlet to help them. It's not just me this time. So many people gonna come up under this...it's just gonna be wonderful.

R.A. the RUGGED MAN interview (5/30/2005)

Flatline: I wanna know more about your past...what first got you into hip hop and made you wanna start rhyming?

R.A.: There was this one kid, Human Beatbox Bub and he was a kid from the neighborhood that used to rap and beatbox and he was blowing up these shopping center windows with M80's and I met the dude doin' that. I said "what the fuck you doin'?" and he was like "watch this! watch this!" and he blew up the fuckin' window and glass shattered everywhere. So we jetted off on our bikes, chilled and he was like "check out this tape, check out that tape" and we started rappin' together. Then I kinda stepped up my game, got a little better than him and moved on to the other dudes in the neighborhood, just kinda went around the country battlin' and rappin' wherever the fuck I could rap, you know?

Flatline: You were 18 or 19 when you hooked up with Jive Records right?

R.A.: Well, goin' on 19 I had nine record deals on the table for a lot of money because I kept holdin' out..."fuck you, I don't need your ass". A lot of people, when they're young and get a record deal, they're like "oh shit!...a record deal!"....(laughs)....then they jump on the wack ass record deal. I just held out for a lot of money and ended up gettin' a lot of money but not makin' the right decision goin' with a wack ass label like Jive, but you know, that's where I went.

Flatline: What took so long for you to finally release "Die, Rugged Man, Die"? What was the recording process for that?

R.A.: You know, just do it as cheap as possible but make sure the shit don't sound cheap at all, you know? (laughs) I hate underground records that sound like it was recorded on a fuckin' little wack ass mixing board. I like my music to be competitive. Like, you put my music on next to whatever the fuck is hittin' and you might think my shit sounds better...but do it for as little money as possible. The recording process was goin' to see talented ass dudes who didn't have big egos who go "this R.A. shit is a cool project to be a part of, let's kinda almost do it on the strength"....and we made a competitive record. I really think that my record is competitive with the best shit out there AND a lot better than the shit that's selling.

Flatline: That's gotta be really gratifying for you to finally release the album and for it to get such a positive response from critics and for it to be selling really well...

R.A.: Yeah, well, I think there's still bigger things to come for me...this is the tip of the iceberg, just crackin' it open. I still think I got a lot of years in this rap game left in me and I'm gonna kick the fuck outta everybody!

Flatline: You hooked up with Masta Killa and Killah Priest on "Chains"...since that track turned out so nice, would you consider working with them as kind of a super group?

R.A.: You know what it is man? I like my music, my shit, my way. I'm not really into collaborating where I don't have the final say on shit. I actually had a little rock band thing goin' with members of Bad Brains a year back and everyone was all amped on it, but I wasn't eye to eye with muthafuckas. I like doin' R.A. shit my way, my mixes, my songs, my subject matter, my hooks. When I work, I'll shit on 15 of my ideas in my head in a row...that ain't good enough...that's ain't good enough. Then I get the idea in my head that I like and I'm like "wow, I got it"...

Flatline: Are you a perfectionist that way?

R.A.: Yeah...yeah man, yeah...I mean, yeah, I'm tough. When you ain't got real money behind your shit and you ain't makin' your shit right, I mean are they really going to pay attention? Whether it's big time or small time, they've BEEN paying attention to me for 12 years...and it's for a reason. I'm not even in my prime yet...I'm getting better and better every year.

Flatline: Any chance of some of the tracks you did with Bad Brains being released?

R.A.: Apart from the track "How Low" on my album, there's about four or five others in existence. Hey man, if someone wanna throw me some money my way for that shit, we'll put it out...get us a rock budget, we'll put it out. (laughs)

Flatline: What do you think about Eminem?

R.A.: Well...I really...don't know what the FUCK he did with this new album and even Eminem fans ain't feelin' it. I think he'll come back better next year.

Flatline: Safe to say that he's not giving props where they're due? Stuff he's spittin' is the kind of stuff you've talked about for years...

R.A.: I understand that...and everybody says that, and yeah, it's true. But I don't go around and whine about it cause you look like it ain't true. But Em and me are not even on the same page. He sells records to Ashlee Simpson fans, Lindsay Lohan fans...he's a fuckin' pop artist now. It ain't even hip hop to me no more with him. He could put out a record like "Encore" and sell two million...it doesn't matter if it's his worst work yet cause he's a pop icon. So me, I'm not a pop icon. I gotta make sure that my music is great every god damn time. No one wants to do their own shit in hip hop no more. You see what Chuck D did for hip hop. He made a whole moment and changed things, you know what I'm sayin'? Muthafuckas today are just clowns in the game...it ain't even about shit no more. It's a fuckin' big fat joke and somebody gotta change that. When so much bullshit money gets pumped into something, a culture is gonna get fuckin' defeated. If we could get past this bullshit wave of wackness and survive, then nothing could kill hip hop.

Flatline: In just speaking with you, I can tell you came up in the 80's when stuff was so raw...

R.A.: You know what it was? I was blessed to be able to live through that shit to see those times. I'm not dissin' the young kids who didn't see it...it ain't their fault they were born in 1985...(laughs)...or 1988 when Kane dropped "Long Live The Kane".

Flatline: It seems to me like a lot of younger kids don't want to go back and discover that stuff though...

R.A.: You know what it is? Some kids do...but most of them don't. Kids are kids though...kids don't like being educated half the time. They want whatever's simple. But once in awhile you get that little 15 year old kid from the Bronx or a little 16 year old kid from Jersey and you talk with him and he knows all the old records...he's a DJ and he collects and he knows this and that and you're like "Yo!...good for you motherfucker!!" (laughs) They do exist out there. But I was blessed to see that era and I'm happy I saw it. I'm happy I got to rock 1987 house parties with guns being busted off and all the shit that hip hop was back then. Hey, if I didn't see that shit, I wouldn't be the great emcee that I am today.

Flatline: That's true...I completely agree with that. What's your favorite memory of hip hop back in the day?

R.A.: My wildest memory was back in 94 when I was trying to get off Jive Records. Jive had this showcase and Flex was DJing and Tribe Called Quest was hosting it and MTV and BET was there and it was me and...who was hot on Jive back then?

Flatline: Fu-Schnickens?

R.A.: Yeah, Fu-Schnickens!...and Keith Murray....and man, I started a fuckin' 900 man riot. I was grabbin' speakers and throwing them...started kickin' at muthafuckas and dudes rushed the stage and bouncers was throwin' us up the stairs cause they said we did $40,000 worth of damage. We was upstairs and we didn't have no guns or nothin' and everybody was waitin' outside...with guns for us! (laughs) My boys was breakin' the couches, makin' weapons out of couch legs and shit. My boys are like "let's go out in the street, let's face these muthafuckas!" and I'm like "wait a minute, they got guns." Then finally I'm like, "let's do it" and muthafuckas were holding us back but we was tryin' to break through anyway...

Flatline: That's crazy!

R.A.: (laughs) Yeah, that was a fun show. My A&R got punched in the face, I was so happy...and one time, I seen Kenny Parker at the tunnel and he told me that him and KRS ONE sat in the car, drivin' around, bumpin' my underground classic "Record Labels Suck Dick" over and over and over again....

Flatline: That's gotta be the best feeling...you got the blastmaster bumpin' your shit!

R.A.: For six hours! That's what Kenny Parker told me...why would he make it up? I never met KRS in person...never met G Rap either.

Flatline: You and Kool G Rap gotta get together.

R.A.: Yeah, everybody tell me I gotta do a record with dude.

Flatline: He worked with The High & Mighty on "Talk Like Sex pt 2" on the Smut Peddlers album....

R.A.: Yeah, they paid him...they paid him....

Flatline: Are High & Mighty and G Rap not cool?

R.A.: The rap game is about givin' muthafuckas checks...did you think they were cool with me?

Flatline: I don't know...that's my next question.

R.A.: I rap on their shit right? So you make the decision. Throw a lil' cash in my bank account Milo and I'll rap on your little High & Mighty record. (laughs)

Flatline: (laughs) You and Eon were cool on that "Homecoming queen" track....

R.A.: Yeah? I don't remember it. (laughs) Eon ain't a bad guy, it's the other kid that really pissed me off. That Milo kid, he really pissed me off through the years but he's out the game, nobody paying attention to dude, so who gives a shit?

Flatline: The High & Mighty are done now aren't they?

R.A.: I never knew they were here.

Flatline: (laughs) you like "Home Field Advantage"...you like that album...

R.A.: I ain't never heard it. (laughs)

Flatline: Hilarious. So, are you happy now...as an emcee and as a person?

R.A.: Yeah, some days. I'm happy with myself as an emcee, I'm happy with myself artistically. I'm happy with life that I'm even here...I'm not banged up and shot up...and not as broke as I thought by the time I was 30, you know?

- Flatline for rapstation.com

MASTA ACE interview (10/10/2004)

Flatline: First off, tell me you're not going to hang up the mic...that there's a possiblity you might record some more albums down the line.

Masta Ace: Um, I'm not hanging up the mic but I'm not recording another full length album...at least I have no intentions to record another album at this point.

Flatline: Well, if that is the case, "A Long Hot Summer" is a great way to go out...

Masta Ace: That was kinda my whole intention...I wanted to make sure I left a good taste in peoples mouths. I didn't feel that way after "Sittin' On Chrome" and the long period of time after that album. I just felt like I didn't want to leave the game without people having the right impression of me. So that's why I came with "Disposable Arts" but then "Disposable" kinda got a bad rap because of the fact that the label folded so quickly...I just wanted to give it one more go and, again, just leave people with a good taste in their mouth.

Flatline: When you were coming up, who influenced you and does anyone now influence you in the game?

Masta Ace: When I was coming up, my early influences lyrically was Kane, Rakim, LL and to this day, I'm a fan of hiphop and I listen to Eminem, I listen to Busta Rhymes, I listen to Jay-Z, Talib Kweli, Mos Def...I really try to have a wide spectrum and taste in the types of hiphop I listen to. I try to listen to the best of what's out there...Mobb Deep is another group that I like a lot...I try to feed off other artists and their energy.

Flatline: Any of those artists you mentioned that you'd like to work with, maybe producing or rhyming on one of their albums?

Masta Ace: Any and all man...any and all. It would be an honor to work with any of those guys and I think it would be a cool experience as well. Those guys have made their made in hiphop and contributed greatly and if I was lucky enough to produce a track for one of them, it would be a great thing.

Flatline: You've been all over the world touring...what are some of your experiences with hiphop music and culture outside of America? Do you listen to any groups outside of the U.S.?

Masta Ace: Some of the cats in England...Roots Manuva, Rodney P, Mark B & Blade...groups like that. When I was over in England, those are the groups that was poppin' the most. As far as other countries, it's a little difficult because of the language barrier. So I can listen to German rap or French rap and I can focus on the beat but it's really hard for me as an emcee, to judge the talent of the rapper cause I don't understand the words.

Flatline: How do you feel about the exploitation and promotion of drugs, alcohol and sex in the hiphop culture?

Masta Ace: It's unfortunate...at the same time, it's no different than what rock n roll has done and still continues to do...

Flatline: That's true...good point...

Masta Ace: Yeah, I mean, it's a part of life. There's kids that are druggies and do drugs on a regular basis and therefore, like groups that promote that in their music and those are the groups they listen to...and then there's kids that are into that...and don't listen to it. So I don't think it's much different than what you're hearing in rock n roll music.

Flatline: I'm sure you've got plenty of old school stories...are there any highlights that come to mind when you think back?

Masta Ace: One of the stories goes back to The Symphony video...that was my first ever video shoot and we shot it in upstate New York...in the winter. If you look at that video, it looks like a hot western kind of video...super hot sun and all that. People don't know that it was actually like 15 degrees the day we were shootin' that video. They had to work very hard to make sure that there wasn't any smoke coming from our mouths when we rapped. They had to bring in these giant heaters to heat the room up. But it was like bitter cold and in-between shots, people was runnin' for their coats and we were all huddled...I remember we was, all 5, 6, 7 of us, all huddled around the heater tryin' to stay warm. (laughs)

Flatline: You're soon to be a father...how do you think that might affect you as an artist?

Masta Ace: I think that has some bearing on my decision to stop doing full length albums and to focus on the label. I think that...I mean, life's going to change a lot...who knows, there may be some new experiences that happen to me that give me inspiration to wanna write and do other things musically...there's no telling. This is my last album and then, a year or two years from now, so many things have happened that I'll have new subject matter I wanna touch on...maybe a door opens again. But I think the introduction of a child is gonna be a life changing experience...I'm looking forward to it.

Flatline: What's your recording process like? Clearly your last two albums weren't recorded in a week. How do you come up with the producers you wanna work with and the writing process...how does that all come together?

Masta Ace: For the most part, the producers find me. Ever since "Disposable" came out, I must have been given 150 beats from 150 different producers. A lot of them don't believe that I sit there and listen to them...I listen to every single one. I find the time and I lay down with the walkman. I like to listen to stuff in the walkman...that's how I really get the inspiration. I can't really listen to stuff in the air too much. But when I put the headphones on, it's like I kinda escape a little bit and really get into what the music is doin'...

Flatline: Do you almost get inspiration from the beat and start writing stuff right then?

Masta Ace: Yeah, sometimes that's how it works. I hear the beat and I immediately know exactly what I want to do with it. And then sometimes, like in the case of the "No Regrets" song on "Disposable", that was an idea...I had some lines...some of these lines that are in the song I had, but I didn't know what I wanted to do with them. Then I heard the beat...it was almost like, okay, this beat was meant to be for this idea...it was just perfect. And then the song, it started off as a couple small pieces, and then when I heard the beat, the pieces just transformed into a full picture...it was crazy.

Flatline: In 94, you got down on "Crooklyn" with Special Ed and Buckshot...if you could create a super group using anybody from any time period, who would be in it?

Masta Ace: Wow...a super group....(pause).....I would say...Eminem....Canibus....and.........

Flatline: ...yourself....

Masta Ace: Nah, there's some dudes that's way more technical than me with it. Eminem and Canibus are like scientists to me...especially the early Eminem stuff. So I'd say Eminem, Canibus and......I think Wordsworth is an incredible scientist...I'd throw my guy Wordsworth in there.

Flatline: You know, Strick kinda reminds me of Eminem a little bit...I'm looking forward to releases from him and Apocalypse. Tell me more about M3 Records...

Masta Ace: M3 is gonna be the home of, definitely Strick, Apocalypse is still unclear...he's a possibility also. I'm trying to be really careful and really hands on with the artists that we sign and put out on this label. I want everything to be quality music. I want to make sure that whatever albums we put out, I want them to react to it the same way they've reacted to "Disposable" and "Long Hot Summer"...I want them to react to every record that we drop...I want it to be that same reaction. And if I don't feel the album is where it needs to be, we're gonna keep on working.

Flatline: Is there a release schedule at this time?

Masta Ace: Haven't really put it to any kind of schedule. Strick's writing process is slower than most...he takes his time and he doesn't use pen and paper which is like....

Flatline: What?! It's all in his head?!

Masta Ace: It's all in his head. He's writing his album right now IN HIS HEAD. So I don't know how long it takes to record an album not using pen and paper but...we'll find out.

Flatline: Any thoughts on the political climate and the election coming up?

Masta Ace: Yeah, George Bush has got to go man...there's no other way around it. I think the whole hiphop community, if we haven't been united on anything, I think that's the one thing we are united on. We need a change. Not that I'm waving the flag for the other candidate, I just know that this guy has to go. Kerry is the alternative to what's out there, so if that's the only alternative, that's the way I gotta go.

Flatline: One final question...how does it feel to have released the album of the year?

Masta Ace: I don't know how that feels because...you know...when you say that, it's difficult for it to register with me. It's hard for me to judge my own stuff. You have no idea how nervous I was doing this record because "Disposable" came out so great for me. People loved it so much that I didn't feel...like....I felt like I was put in a situation where I could just not win. No one is gonna think the next record is better than that because that record came out great...it's perfect...and I was just afraid. I knew what I wanted to do musically, I was just, man, I was just afraid of what the reaction was going to be. It was a difficult challenge and I'm so happy with the way the album came out. There's still some more months in the year...Nas is gonna drop an album...you know, Jay-Z may drop an album. (laughs) But when the smoke clears, then we can compare "Hot Summer" to everything else that's come out...and then decide if that's the accolade it really deserves.

- Flatline for rapstation.com

MC REN interview (8/28/2004)

Flatline: You were involved in the creation of "Straight Outta Compton", one of the greatest hiphop albums ever. What are some of your memories putting together that project?

MC Ren: Well, memories that I have of it is, like, all of us together, goin' to the studio, putting the album together, you know what I mean?...not knowing how that shit was gonna blow up like that.

Flatline: ...right right....did you even have a concept going into it of what you guys wanted to put down on wax?
MC Ren: Yeah, we had a basic concept..."Fuck The Police" and "Straight Outta Compton", you know what I'm sayin'? Those were the main two, that we just said this is it...and all the other songs, if you listen to them muthafuckaz, they're just filler. (laughs) They were tight but the two main ones was "Fuck The Police" and "Straight Outta Compton". That's the mentality we went in there with.

Flatline: How does it feel to be a pioneer? You really, you know, made it possible for a lot of these rappers to say what they're saying today.

MC Ren: It feel real good, you know, to be a pioneer. You feel good to be in a category with brothers that look at you as a pioneer, they look at you as a legend. It feel good...cause back in them days I didn't even know it would be like this.

Flatline: Do you get a lot of respect from some of these younger cats?

MC Ren: Yeah...all the time...just like I show respect for people that came before me.

Flatline: You broke out and did an ep "Kizz My Black Azz" in 92 and followed it up with three solo albums after that. Are you in the lab crafting album #4?

MC Ren: Definitely...put my records out on my website www.mcrensofficialsite.com. People can go there and it's like, fuck all the industry bullshit, the radio...all that shit to me is obsolete, it's dead. The companies and the radio fucked up the game so much...have muthafuckaz working for them that don't have nothin' to do with the music. So I'm like, fuck it, I'll put my shit out worldwide on my site. The industry got it so messed up, everybody out and they gotta go runnin' for all these producers. I'm going back, working with one or two producers, how we used to do it in the old days where you could just get a feel for a producer and the producer got a feel for you and have the music sounding good! Just like we did with Dre, you know what I mean?

Flatline: ...yeah yeah...

MC Ren: ...and if we would have had different producers on the NWA records, there wouldn't even be no NWA. I'm sayin', just like when Chuck and them had The Bomb Squad. All the good records back in the day had the same producer doin' damn near the whole record.

Flatline: Are there still plans for an NWA reunion album?

MC Ren: That shit ain't gonna happen...but it's probably better it don't happen because, you know, it probably wouldn't even come out the same...I don't know. Maybe it's just better the legacy of that shit stay how it is.

Flatline: Who do you think represents hiphop today? Any favorites that are out right now?

MC Ren: (pause) That's a hard one...because my mind state of hiphop, to me, ain't nobody representin' what my mind state is thinking right now. I don't see nobody representin' that shit...creativity, makin' some influential shit...naw, I don't even see that shit. I see everyone stuck...everyone tryin' to be 'Pac. I mean, back in the day, muthafuckaz would try and be different, everyone was on different shit. Now, don't nobody wanna be different.

Flatline: How long have you been rhymin'?

MC Ren: Since 83...ninth grade....

Flatline: You still down with the Nation of Islam?

MC Ren: Naw, I left the Nation of Islam in 95...

Flatline: Any particular reason why?

MC Ren: I just felt like it was time for me to move on, you know? There's a lot of people that join the Nation and they move on. I'm still a Muslim but I just moved on, you know what I mean?

Flatline: Any thoughts on Bush and his quote, unquote war on terror?

MC Ren: Man, he came in and messed up everything...

Flatline: ...even worse than his father...

MC Ren: ...his father started it off! What he doin' now is all because of his father. It's like everything is personal cause they tried to kill his daddy. He ain't forgot that, you know? He went in there, rushed in there...the U.N. told him, hold on, wait on us...nah, nah we goin' in there. He was so pumped up from Afghanistan his dick was hard! They talk about sending over 87 billion dollars over there and there's muthafuckaz over here STARVING.

Flatline: I know you got some kids...any little MC Ren's in the making?

MC Ren: Man, I got four little MC Ren's in the making! (laughs)

Flatline: Do they rap at all?

MC Ren: Nah...but the five year old and six year old, they just be walkin' around, makin' up little rhymes...they not raps, they just rhymin'. I just look at that, their little ass be rhymin'...wonder where they got that from? (laughs) They just see shit and make up a little rhyme about it.

Flatline: That's so cool...

MC Ren: ....you know what I mean? And one of them looks just like me. So when my kids get big, muthafuckaz gonna be seein' little clones of me!

Flatline: Where do you think hiphop is heading?

MC Ren: I see the shit goin' right back to how it was. So, how it was in the beginning, that's how it's gonna be in the end. Like in the beginning, that shit was straight underground, straight street...and it's gonna go back to that because muthafuckaz is fed up. Like me, Daz, Ice-T...muthafuckaz be sellin' their shit on the internet now. It's like everything is starting back on a grassroots level. Muthafuckaz in the public now is starting to reject that shit on the radio...the videos...muthafuckaz is tired of that shit. Times change and now muthafuckaz can go get what they want, all day. It's like, fuck y'all, we go do it on the internet...

Flatline: ...damn right...

MC Ren: ...and if they can have muthafuckin' R.Kelly's shit on the internet, I know we can sell our shit FOREVER on the internet.

- Flatline for rapstation.com

AKROBATIK interview (2/20/2004)

Flatline: How long have you been rhyming and who are some of your major influences?

Akrobatik: I been rhyming since I was a tiny kid...I was pretty much born during the era where hiphop and rap music just started to get popular. I got to see a lot of the cats that were breaking ground in the beginning like Run DMC and people like that...A Tribe Called Quest and The Jungle Brothers...Public Enemy, EPMD...I'm a direct product of that era. I started rhyming during the mid-80's pretty much.

Flatline: You can tell in your sound...how old are you?

Akrobatik: I'm 29...

Flatline: Yeah, I'm 28 and I can totally relate to where you're coming from. We grew up in a good period for hiphop...I feel pretty lucky...

Akrobatik: Me too man...it took me awhile to figure it out but I really understand a lot of cats respect and the fact that they miss that whole era. It makes me think about maybe some of the backtracking that I could have done with some of the other music that I listened to.

Flatline: Listening to "Balance", I think it could have easily come out alongside people like Organized Konfusion, The Beatnuts, Souls Of Mischief, Gangstarr, Black Moon...I mean, you name it, it's got that mid-90's vibe to it. Production-wise, how did you select who you wanted to work with?

Akrobatik: Well, I mean, for the most part I didn't really have anyone in mind...I pretty much just take it on a beat by beat basis. Like, I would take a beat from your aunt...(laughs)...you know what I mean? Whenever I hear something that influences me and inspires me to write a song, I just holla back at that person. I'm lucky enough to be in a position now where people hit me up with beats all the time. It's a very easy job at this point.

Flatline: The track you did with Mr.Lif, that you produced, I think is one of the strongest tracks on the album...do you plan to produce more in the future?

Akrobatik: Oh yeah, definitely. I mean, I did a lot of my stuff prior to the album also. I did a jam for Lif that he put out on a 12 inch a year or two ago.

Flatline: What was it like working with Diamond D on the track "Feedback"?

Akrobatik: Oh it was dope...Diamond's the man. He's the type of guy where if you got common ground, you're feel pretty comfortable with him right away. He's a really good guy.

Flatline: "Feedback" has that classic Diamond sound to it...

Akrobatik: Yeah, it's crazy man. I think he told me that he originally made that beat with Busta Rhymes in mind but he never got a chance to get him the track or something like that.

Flatline: You say on the album "look out for each other cause the government is lunatics"...you wanna speak more on that?
Akrobatik: I mean, to me, it's pretty obvious...it's just...the government IS lunatics. If you look at the priorities of the American government...like where the money goes and where the money doesn't. I was just watching "Bowling For Columbine" for the 11th time and there's this one part in the movie where George Bush says something like if there's one way we can show unity in the American government, it would be for congress to send the funding for defense to fight this war...(laughs)...THAT'S THE WORDS OF A LUNATIC!!

Flatline: (laughing) No doubt...!

Akrobatik: A showing of unity is funding a war?!?? (laughs) And the fact that we're in a position where someone can just say that on a microphone to a group of people who are applauding on a tv in front of a national audience is AMAZING...

Flatline: They're like sheep...

Akrobatik: Yeah!! I can't believe not one person is like, wait a minute....so it's pretty crazy man. The priorities of America are not straight and a lot of it has to do with what the government does with it's resources.

Flatline: "Remind My Soul" is one of my favorites off the album and it's been awhile since I've heard an emcee talk about Malcolm X or Nat Turner. That's definitely important for the youth to hear...did you make a point of mentioning them?
Akrobatik: Well, that track is another example of music inspiring me to write songs because that track, being what it was, is what created the opportunity for me to write that song. There's a lot of things that I have views on and perspectives on that aren't necessarily on a record...yet. Hopefully I'll hear or create a soundscape that'll make me wanna express that particular thing. With the beat for "Remind My Soul", it told that story to me...it made that come out. Definitely big up's to Illmind for making that track.

Flatline: Your love for women on the album is pretty obvious to me...

Akrobatik: (laughs) Yeah...

Flatline: ...but there's also a level of respect involved. Where do you get that from?

Akrobatik: Well I think it has to do with seeing women being mistreated for so long...from the time I was born until today. Women are blatantly disrespected and again, it's just one of those things that's accepted.

Flatline: More so even now...you look at some of these videos that are out and it's just crazy.

Akrobatik: Yeah exactly....I mean, I love my mom...she did a great job of raising me...my grandmother and my aunt, and I just feel like to some degree you gotta be cool with them. I mean, obviously, you're gonna appreciate their sensuality and their beauty and their sexuality and all that BUT that doesn't take away their value as people who should be respected. I mean, not everyone is respectable, and there's already a song written about that..."not talkin about the ladies but the bitches"...you can refer to that and he hit the nail on the head with that. I think some people just make the generalization that they're all bitches and it's definitely NOT like that.

Flatline: It would be cool if you and Jeru did a track together. Anyone else you'd like to work with?

Akrobatik: I definitely wanna do a joint with J-Live, Premo definitely...Gangstarr in general, I'd love to do something with them...and if I ever had the opportunity to hook up with a couple cats from Wu-Tang that'd be crazy. I think as we go down the journey, I meet more and more cats each year so.....I never thought I'd be doing a track with Diamond D!

- Flatline for rapstation.com

LORDZ of BROOKLYN interview (12/3/2003)

Flatline: So here we are, 8 years after "All In The Family"..."Graffiti Roc" is finally here...what have you and the Lordz been up to since the first album was out?

Kaves: Shit, it's been a rollercoaster fuckin' ride and we just stopped for a second and got our popcorn and then back on the rollercoaster. Since we last talked we did that world tour with Sublime and we definitely got recognized...it was hot for a minute. We did a second video with Ted Demme, who passed away, for "Lake Of Fire" with Everlast and that was a record label later because the record company we were on went under...

Flatline: What happened with that?

Kaves: American was rocky for a minute and I don't know if they were losing their deal but they dropped the Venture Records which was a side label. So pretty much from there we were kinda fucked. We were on our own. And then some of the cats in the group wasn't feeling the letdown and they went off to do their own thing. Just because the record business throws you a little curve ball...you don't let that stop you. We're still from Brooklyn and we're still givin' back to our neighborhood and we're still doin' our thing.

Flatline: In 95, when we first talked, you mentioned you might be going into the studio with Biggie and Junior Mafia. Did that ever go down?

Kaves: That never happened...it was in the works with our record company and took longer than expected. It would have been amazing if we would've got Biggie and us, you know what I'm sayin'? Biggie definitely gave us props for that "Saturday Nite Fever" song and loved the line "It's our pizzeria".

Flatline: Man, the "Sucker MC" cover on the new album with Everlast is incredible. Did you ever get any feedback from Jam Master Jay on that?

Kaves: No, actually when we were mixing down that song Run was in the next room and we were able to grab him and bring him in to hear it and he flipped out over it. He was callin' me the next 3 or 4 days wanting to be in the video but Universal Records never did one. Run was a big fan of it...he thought it was the best Run DMC cover EVER DONE. I got to meet Jam Master Jay at a party a little while before he passed away and we didn't get to kick it about that song and...and that happened...and it was a true loss for hiphop. I felt like hiphop died when Jam Master Jay died.

Flatline: Absolutely...it certainly affected me more than even Biggie or Tupac cause...Jam Master Jay...Run DMC...that's what you grew up on, ya know?

Kaves: Yeh, that's what we really grew up on and that's what really gave us that adrenaline rush...like P.E. did. If it wasn't for Public Enemy and Run DMC and early LL...that's what set it off. That early Def Jam shit is what fuckin' made me wanna fight, know what I mean?

Flatline: (laughing) I hear you...

Kaves: I got to meet them (Run DMC) when I was a young kid. I was actually an extra in a movie called "Krush Groove"...

Flatline: You were in "Krush Groove" too?!!

Kaves: Yeh yeh yeh....

Flatline: Damn, you do everything!! You're in the book "Spraycan Art"...you're in "Krush Groove"......

Kaves: I'm tellin' you man, we walk the walk, we talk the talk, you know?

Flatline: That's fuckin' dope...

Kaves: I'm a graffiti artist...I was definitely out there at an early age and I was definitely runnin' around Manhatten. We got into breakdancin' and we got hooked up with an agent and the next thing you know she has us auditioning for "Krush Groove" and the Chaka Khan video "I Feel For You". So we were breakin' and stuff and I get to hang out with all those guys. I'm takin' an elevator ride and who the fuck gets on the elevator but Run DMC and Jam Master Jay. And ofcourse I got my little piece book cause I'm a writer and I open it up to the dopest piece in the book. They were flippin' through it and they seen this one that had the cotton club and it had a pimp character swingin' a chain and they autographed it for me and I still have it to this day.

Flatline: Wow...are you gonna show shots of that on the upcoming Lordz DVD?

Kaves: Yeh, we're gonna show it there. I also got to meet LL that day as well. They definitely was cool and definitely were more than happy to sign the book and gimme a pound. That set it off man...that was the adrenaline rush...that's what I wanted to be. Public Enemy solidified it you know what I'm sayin'? It was crazy to be into hiphop in that period of time. So that's what set it off. And then, you know, you put a little of your own meat sauce in the sauce and 15 years later, here we are.

Flatline: 8 years ago there was House Of Pain, Mad Flava and Miilkbone. Now we got Eminem and people like The High & Mighty, Bubba Sparxxx and Ugly Duckling. What are some of your thoughts on the cats I mentioned there?

Kaves: It was always there...the presence was always there. It's just that you only heard about a few people but there was always white kids rhyming. I think now...who can top Eminem? He raised the fuckin' bar...I gotta give him a lot of props. I think Everlast and House Of Pain broke open the door cause for a minute it was painted cause of the whole Vanilla Ice thing. If you were a white guy doin' hiphop, right away there was a snicker about Vanilla Ice and that was gettin' old because 3rd Bass was blowin' up the spot before the Vanilla Ice thing came along. But then House Of Pain fuckin' blew that door right back open. Miilkbone and all those other guys were doin' their thing and then Eminem comes and fuckin' fucks everybody up.

Flatline: Anyone else who you think is really raising the bar in hiphop?

Kaves: I'm really feelin' The Roots...Outkast...and all those other groups that try and do something different.

Flatline: Right...not tryin' to make the same beat as the next man and make the same song over and over again.

Kaves: That shit's gettin' tired already....

Flatline: No doubt...especially recently, you know what I'm sayin'? Even since the last time we talked in 95, hiphop has changed SO much...and it's not for the better.

Kaves: No, it fuckin' got.....where's the fuckin' angst in it??!? Where's the backbone??

Flatline: Where's the creativity?

Kaves: Yea man...I'm tired of hearin' about the shine and the fuckin' cristal...not to say people can't enjoy themselves man, but you know what?...fuckin' turn the page already!

Flatline: I love your line on the new album "Rip the ice off any industry bitch"....

Kaves: Yea! You know, like, play something fuckin' different for a change. Make some shit that isn't fuckin' done on a triton keyboard!! What the fuck.....

Flatline: So we move on to "Graffiti Roc"...8 years in the making...

Kaves: Well "Graffiti Roc" was kinda...I mean, that's bringing it back to the roots of where it all came from. Graffiti was our first love and it kinda opened all this shit up for us. We just bring it back man and put a spin on it and fuck everybody's head up...and bring it back to when hiphop was little bit more experimental. We wanted to capture that early New York vibe...the whole early 80's when New York was kinda grimy and hot and shit. The album kinda has party jams and feel good hooks and shit just because the summer of 83 for us was that way.

Flatline: A lot of projects are rushed...from the beats to the lyrics to the artwork. It's obvious you guys spent a lot of time on the packaging and the photos and all that...so design-wise, it's real nice...

Kaves: Yeh, we dug into the archives and we have the old breakdancing photos...that was when the energy was there in 83...that was when we first got a pair of Adidas...breakdancing for quarters outside of fuckin' Century 21.

Flatline: It seems funny for me to say this, but I think Lordz Of Brooklyn created a beautiful song and that song would be "Mama's Boy"...do you wanna speak on that?

Kaves: Yeh, well...that song tells you, gives you a little taste of our life...how life can throw you a curve ball and take away your most prized possession...your mother. We lost our mother and sister right before the "All In The Family" album so we kinda put our heads up and went strong but somewhere a few years later it caught up and took its toll on us. My verse on "Mama's Boy" was probably written over a bottle of scotch and some fuckin' rough nights...

Flatline: No doubt....it's a great GREAT song....

Kaves: Thanks man...and my brother through a few years wrote one verse and ended it a few years later with the other verse. It's a timeline of what's in the gut. That gives you a real look at what we're all about...our families. We actually did the song in 97 and then came back to it in 99 and put the third verse on it. So you can kinda date back the music and say, hey they were doin' something ahead of their time. A lot of people hear that song and say, oh that sounds like the Eminem song with Dido...well that's cool, but check the liner notes and see when we originally recorded it.

Flatline: Also on "Mama's Boy" there's a line ADM has that says "talks about war, there's still bodies unfound"...which I'm assuming is a reference to 9/11...is that correct?

Kaves: Yeh, pretty much...that's hysterical because you could put it to 9/11, you could put it to vietnam, you could put it to all of them. No one ever gets a straight answer and then you're onto the next war. It just so happened that 9/11 happened AFTER that song was written...

Flatline: Wow....

Kaves: You can definitely look at that song and trip out on that.

Flatline: What was it like for you in Brooklyn on 9/11?

Kaves: Panic...ya know, everyone went and found some guns and got on their motorcycles and didn't know what the fuck to do. New York took a fuckin' terrible loss. It affected everyone personally because of that six degrees of separation shit...imagine that all around you. It kinda makes you put everything in perspective...we didn't give a fuck if we was makin' music...we just wanted to survive.

Flatline: How was it working with some of the guests on the album like Freddie Foxxx, OC and Lord Finesse?

Kaves: Freddie Foxxx is like family with us...he's a big supporter of us. He was a fan of the "Saturday Nite Fever" video and we did some artwork for him and became close friends. When he blazed that track it was all from the heart. Then OC and Lord Finesse and all those cats...street legends...in the same boat as us tryin' to get theirs. Shit, Finesse is a legend...OC is incredible...that was a no-brainer.

Flatline: I heard that "Straight Outta Brooklyn" track at www.lordzofbrooklyn.com...any chance of that being released sometime?

Kaves: Well, what we're gonna do is put all those songs you never heard before on the DVD and on there we're gonna have a video for "Straight Outta Brooklyn". We originally did that for Pony...for one of their trade shows.

Flatline: Back in 95, you were listening to Meth, Raekwon and Biggie. What are you listening to these days?

Kaves: Um...shit...what are we listening to now? What are we listening to? Shit! I'm just gonna...you know what....I'm not gonna big up anybody but the Lordz Of Brooklyn!! Fuck everybody! (laughs) LORDZ OF BROOKLYN!!!

- Flatline for rapstation.com

Hold tight!

2/11/2007

Encouraged by Champagne via Finland, this will become an online collection of my creations. P E A C E