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
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