DJ Premier- 21 Questions Interview Series

Just found this series, and I'll need to go through and check out more videos, but I'll post the Primo shit right quick. Shouts to iKeepsit100, asks some dope questions and pushes Preem for some insightful answers.

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Mef Yo MTV Raps

If you ain't knowed Mef has a rich history on Yo MTV Raps. I really shouldn't be posting this right now (in lieu of more important things), but just so I don't forget, here are some short clips of Mef on Yo MTV Raps!
**I'm loving the fro, dukes hasn't washed that shit for weeks yo!

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Raekwon 'Street Level' Interview

If I remember right, this interview was coming out at the time that Rae was doing all the OB4CL2 publicity. Shit was lost with all the other half-assed interviews conducted at the time. The quality of the questions for this interview spot are top-notch, and shit becomes well ill when DP starts bombarding Raekwon with nostalgia, and the Chef drops some knowledge on that 'back-in-the-day' shit.
If you got the time, check out this interview:
http://www.streetlevel.com/2009/08/14/on-the-level-with-raekwon-the-chef-part-1/

***Can't embed their video player, but head over to that link dunny***

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Best Of The Murderdog Interviews Part 1

I don't quite recall how I got put on, but I've spent the latter portion of my free-time today reading through the majority of the interviews archived on the Murderdog website. Under the interviews feature you can find an archive of 10+ years of interviews with an wide assortment of artists. I was particularly impressed with the variety of questions and the depth to which most artists answered. However, the scribing is admittedly weak...
Anyway, I'm not about to link to 100+ interviews, so I hope you use the below linked interviews as a steppingstone to the rest of the material provided:

Raekwon
E-40
Big Moe
Mobb Deep
Messy Marv

And the list goes on. I'll do another post with some more of my favorites once I've digested more of the interviews. Those above 5 shits are ill though, that's where I would start...

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Souls Of Mischief Interview

I only just found this interview by SoulCulture that they conducted with 3 (of the 4) members of the Souls Of Mischief. It's a great interview, because these dudes really detach themselves from their roles as artists and analyze the GOAT argument from an average listener's perspective. Not sure I necessarily agree with the methodology that creativity/originality is necessary for inclusion on a top 10 list, because by that same reasoning you're including Grandmaster Flash, Schoolly D, Too $hort onto a list where they surely don't belong. Or is I tripping?

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Best of the Ignant Witted Interviews Part 2

I threw up the first part of this series a week or two ago, and today is as good a day as any to finish 'er up. In the below clips, dukes has some quality interviews that range in personality and cryptic-ness. I have to say the 'Mega interview is my favorite, but I'm also biased:

Juvie Interview


Cormega Interview


Kay Slay Interview Pt. 1


Pt. 2

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Best of the Ignant Witted Interviews Part 1

Anytime you see the above image anywhere on a video, you know shit ain't nothin' but troof bombz (word to Rekstizzy). Anyway, below I chronicled some of the best interviews ever conducted by the Ig'nant Witted captain. Dukes has classics out the ass cheeks, believe that. The two-part DJ Neil Armstrong interview is some of the realest shit I've ever laid eyes on. Some type ill shit with one of the most underrated disk jockeys of all time.
Enough jockery, please peep below:

Statik Selektah Interview


Aforementioned DJ Neil Armstrong Interview Part 1


Part 2


Exile Interview


Saigon Interview


I'll come through with a part 2 sometime soon. In the meantime, show dukes some love on his site.

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Meyhem Lauren Interview

Due to my extreme lack of time at the moment, I threw together this unimaginative post. The same site I mentioned for the J-Love interview, also conducted an interview with Meyhem Lauren.
I personally feel that Lauren was a much better interview subject, and I would definitely recommend checking this interview. Below are some excerpts, and this is the link to the whole thing.

How do you feel about the current style of rap that is beginning to take over the hip-hop scene today?

MEYHEM: On the real, I’m doing the only thing I know how to do, and that’s me. I don’t look down or condemn niggaz for making a certain type of song or music. It just kills me that niggaz are scared to be themselves. When I was coming up, I’d listen to all types of shit from Kool G Rap and M.O.P, to Tribe and Wu... They were all completely different, but they were all ill nah'mean? Nowadays it’s like everybody’s on the next man's dick. It’s disgusting! As for that bling bling shit, personally it’s not my choice of music to make or listen to, but if a niggaz livin’ like that then let them do them. I also understand that niggaz gotta make radio singles and all that shit. Cool, but when a nigga makes a whole album about the same shit, it gets annoying. It’s fucked up because the youth gets fed this bullshit. They begin to think that that’s the only thing they can rap about. I can’t even count the amount of times that I've seen a young nigga with scuffed kicks, dirty jackets, no shape up, etc... Yet they’ll kick 100 bars about rims and assorted color diamonds. Niggaz need to wake the fuck up for real.

How'd you hook up with J-Love?

MEYHEM: J-Love Nigga! That’s my man nah'mean? We from the same hood, and cool with the same people, so the merging of two of the illest minds to inhabit the planet was inevitable. The first time I met J was through Lo’. I was in tenth grade rockin’ a cream rings jacket and my man Al Greens "the living weapon" was like, "Yo Mey my man has that same jacket" and I was like, "NAAAAAAAAAAAAA he doesn’t have this jacket". He was like, "Yea J-Love" and I was like "The Dj Nigga?!" The rest is history. We did Lo’ deals for a minute before I even told him I rhymed. We were cool on some round the way/Lo shit first.

Again the link is here.

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DJ J-Love Interview

You probably already know J-Love from the mixtape game. Dukes has made best-of tapes for any and every respectable rhyme spitta from the '90's. He has some remarkably annoying drops, but is still somewhat respected among his counterparts.
Anyway, this former online mag called Vintage Gear Addicts, caught up with him for an interview a few years back. Real talk, VGA is thorough with theirs. I'm not all that into clothing and the like, but the depth and knowledge that these dudes possess is awe-inspiring.
Anyway, below you can find a few excerpts, and you can read it in it's entirety here.


I know as far as music people wonder about music credential. With an MC it’s easier to get a feel of what they have to say. I’ve always held a personal respect for the DJ; cause anyone who knows hip hop knows that all of this started because of the DJ… When did you start Dj’ing, and who were some of your early influences?

DJ J-LOVE: Probably like 93’ 94, around the same time that everything else was poppin off for me really... I never really looked up to nobody; it was my love for music for the most part… I like certain niggas, but it wasn’t like, “Oh my god I want to be like this nigga or nothing like that... I had respect for niggas like Kid Capri, Grandmaster Flash, Africa Bambata, Love Bug Starsky, you know certain niggas and shit but I never idolized no man, I just gave respect where respect was due…

What were you up to in the 90’s before you started dropping mix tapes? I know that your music background goes way back, so let everyone know how that all came about.

DJ J-LOVE: : I was just wildin’ out man... making money however I can, counterfeit money whatever. Music always been there… I was like seven years old walking around with like 40 cassettes in my pockets n’ shit. That’s crazy cuz’ one time I got frisked; I had the 25 on me and a fuckin’ knife, and I had so many cassettes in my pockets, them niggas didn’t even feelem’ cuz I had hopped the train in the city n shit… those times were crazy but it is what it is.

Everyone knows J-Love for the mix tapes and all the hip hop but what a lot of people don’t know is that you got a crazy lo’ game going on as well. When did you really start getting into rockin’ lo?

DJ J-LOVE: Like late 93’- 94’ I just been kept it rockin’ since back then. I’m not like these new jack little niggas know what I’m saying? All of a sudden niggas is rocking polo n’ shit like cuz’ Kanye West or fucking eBay or whatever the fuck it is… Niggas used to be nervous! They couldn’t even walk the streets with they lo’ like some kids may have had Polo, but they had to keep in their closets cuz they’d get smacked; niggas would like lick they palm and just open hand smack niggas to take niggas shit. But niggas know me man, I got pictures when I was like 80 pounds lighter wearing the same Indian head I got now; niggas know what it is.

Speaking of, J-Love is white. Again, you can read the interview in it's entirety here.

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Kool G Rap Interviews

The name Kool G Rap should be synonymous with legend in just about every respectable rap circle. G Rap's discography speaks for itself, the work he did with DJ Polo alone would earn him an easy induction into the hip-hop hall of fame, add his solo shits to that repertoire, and you've got one of the unheralded kings of this art form.
Although KGR has released a litany of material, he hasn't conducted very many interviews, which adds to this enigma attached to his character. I've scrounged up a few of G Rap's best interviews below:
XXL Interview:


HHE Interview:
http://www.hiphop-elements.com/article/read/6/6068/1/

All Hip Hop Interview:
http://allhiphop.com/stories/features/archive/2009/11/13/22026944.aspx

HHN Live Interview:
http://hhnlive.com/features/more/201

HipHop DX Interview:
http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/interviews/id.1051/title./p.all

Kool G Rap Interview in The Source from '93:
http://ifihavent.wordpress.com/2006/12/31/after-cop-killer-code-of-silence-kool-g-rap-interview-in-the-source/

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Classic Nas Interviews

If you remember the Nas/Nardwuar interview I posted earlier, you'll know why I'm throwing these up. Nasir Jones has a way with linguistics like nobody else, and the ganja-induced swagger of a sloth. Duke's interviews are magical experiences that take you into the mind of an street poet who penned the ultimate hip hop opus at such a young age. Real talk, it might just be me, but I'm obsessively interested in the making of Illmatic and early Nas. Apologies for the stannery.

Pre-Illmatic


Illmatic EPK


With Fila (Takin' It Way Back)

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5th Flow Interview

Another older interview from the HHHead days. This one is with Houston-based 5th Flow, a threesome that makes an eclectic brand of music everyone should listen to once. I did this interview shortly after they dropped the mixtape Quarter To A Half. You can stream that shit on their site. Or you can cop the tape here.
For reading clarity; Supreme, Rahlo, and JClay are the three members that make up 5th Flow.

What type of new stuff have you guys been working on lately?

Rahlo: Our new single, "I'm on it". Also new tracks for the vinyl 4 mixtape.
Supreme: We also started working on our album "Trafficin".

How do you feel about the biased view of the south and what are you guys doing to avoid that label of "trapstar" or "d-boy turned rapper"?

Supreme: Simple, we just not d-boys period, so we're being who we are.
JClay: I don't think there is a biased view to be honest.
Rahlo: I like the biased view because the South is running shit right now. We are not trapstars or d-boys. We are business owners and we project ourselves that way.

What separates 5th Flow from anybody else making music today

Rahlo: The content, the lyrics, the business model.
Supreme: We got an old spirit in us cuz we not tryin to be one hit wonders. We're puttin our soul into every song we have.
JClay: Plus we are not afraid to go against the grain. we make music that we would jam.

What is your one album that you can bump from cover to cover and recite every word?

Supreme: Eminem - Marshall Mathers LP
JClay: Boyz II Men - II
Rahlo: Raekwon - Cuban Links

Who are some Houston artists you grew up listening to?

Supreme: UGK even though they from PA
Rahlo: I’m from Fort Worth, TX. I didn’t grow up listening to any Houston artists. I listened to my cousins' mixtapes and other Fort Worth artists.
JClay: I'm like Rahlo, I'm from Chicago so I didn't grow up listening to many Houston artists either. If it was on the radio, I would jam it, but that's about it.

What is your all-time favorite song you have ever made? What makes that song stand out?

JClay: Wastin My Time. This songs sums up everything I'm feeling about myself and people in general, quit wasting time. Do something wit yo life.
Rahlo: 1988. It paints a vivid picture of what I saw growing up.
Supreme: California Dreamin. That song...everything about it. It's like a movie. I can actually see everything we talk about in the song.
JClay: The funny thing is all of these songs are on the Quarter to a Half Mixtape.

If you could collaborate with any musical artist dead or alive who would it be and why?

JClay: Jazmine Sullivan cuz that girl can sang.
Rahlo: I would colab with Biggie because he was a fat boy too!
Supreme: i would love to collab with Jay-Z and Eminem cuz they the best two rappers.

Who's more influential in your opinion; DJ Screw or The Geto Boys?

Supreme: DJ Screw
JClay: Yep, the same.
Rahlo: DJ Screw

What is a 5th Flow show like?

JClay: It's like...one of though 5 Gum commercials.
Supreme: 5th flow show is full of energy and exciting.
Rahlo: A 5th Flow show is like going to the doctor for HIV test results and if you can imagine the moment you find out that you don’t have it, that's what a 5th Flow show is like.

Their MySpace.

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Maddox Interview

One of my greatest influences as a human being has been George Ouzounian also known as Maddox from The Best Page In The Universe and his relatively new book The Alphabet of Manliness. The above-mentioned site is well-known across the internets, and easily one of the best free forms of literature available for public consumption online. The book itself is amazing, although I only got in a quick read at Barnes & Noble a few months ago.
Anyway, it was dope when dude agreed to do an quick interview a while back, and he provided some interesting answers to the incredibly generic questions I posed as part of the old FunCrusher Plus.

1. When will we finally see your name on an election ballot?

Probably 2016, when it'll be legal for me to run. Though that hasn't
stopped people from writing me in as a write-in candidate in the past, bless their misanthropic hearts.

2. Has anyone ever confronted you in person over something on the site?

Yes, on my book tour. Generally people are very positive because most people who read my site aren't dipshits (in spite of the impression I give people based on my hatemail section). There was a chick who waited in line for about an hour in Oregon during my book signing to tell me she hated me and my website. I acknowledged her criticism, and asked her if she had anything for me to sign. She didn't, so I moved on to the next person and that was that. I don't what she was expecting, but she came away from the encounter with both ovaries intact, and that's the most anyone who doesn't have a penis can hope for.

3. Do you ever regret creating your site?

Regret is a longing to have done something differently. That's the
dumbest thing I've ever heard of in my life. So, no.

4. Who influenced your writing and satire?

Talk radio primarily. The Don & Mike radio show (now the Mike O'Meara show out of WJFK in DC), Tom Leykis, Phil Hendrie, Howard Stern (but to a lesser extent because he was never syndicated in Utah), and a few others.

5. What's in store for Maddox the author?

I'm working on a manliness themed calendar, and possibly another book. I want to write for film and television, and have done some of the latter, but my forays into TV have thus far been disappointing. There's way too much censorship on television, and way too many hands in the cookie jar. Everyone has an opinion about how a piece should go, and by the time it makes it to the air, every semblance of anything edgy or humorous is usually stripped from the script, so what you get is more bullshit. I'm trying to find a way to circumvent the bullshit in my career.

6. Did you ever think your site would blow up like it did?

Yes.

7. What are people missing if they haven't yet read "The Alphabet Of
Manliness"?

They're missing out on a milestone in literature. Also, hairy knuckles, an increased frequency of intercourse, and a marked improvement to their charisma (as well as a marked decline in hygene). That's what my book does to people. Believe it. Also, it has drawings of boobs.

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Ill Poetic Interview

Ill Poetic has been a slept-on indie Cinci staple for a number of years now. As a producer, you have to respect the guy's creativity and willingness to experiment outside of his genre but within his boundaries. I was lucky enough to get an interview with him half a year ago, and he gave me some pretty interesting answers. You can find the interview below in it's entirety.

For those that don't know who is Ill Poetic?

This is a pretty deep question. Who is anybody? Are we all joined as one? Who knows? I might be an alien, but i'm not sure yet. I think I'm still human right now.

Drop a background history for us. Where were you born? Where did you grow up? How did you grow up?

I was born in Dayton OH, and lived there til I left for college. I grew up in a lower/middle class area called Trotwood, which was a really great place. I grew up kinda poor (not, "i don't know where my next meal's coming from" poor, more like, "on the free lunch program wearing old hand-me-downs" poor) but had really great parents. So the lack of funds was compensated for by genuinely cool parents.

How did you get into hip-hop?

My friends in the 3rd grade made me a mixtape with LL Cool J "i'm bad" and PE "don't believe the hype" as well as some other more forgettable shit. Then he hipped me to ice cube's "The Predator" and that was about it for me. I used to write little corny grade school rhymes with friends, and we kept it going all thru jr. high and high school, until we started getting into lunchroom battles and stuff.

Lately you've been getting a lot of attention for your mash-ups, how do you choose the artists to mash-up? Or maybe I was the only person to think that Outkast and Nine Inch Nails were a strange coupling...

Outkast and NIN just happen to be two of my favorite artists/groups. They both blow me away pretty equally, so it seemed logical to me. Basically, I did the Budden/Portishead one first, and to tell the truth, i wasn't a real Die-Hard fan of either of them. Not that i didn't think they were each dope, but I figured, Imagine how much more i would love to mash two artists up if i really knew their shit in and out. I made this mash-up as a fan letter and business card to a couple of my favorite artists.

Why did you choose to mash-up Joe Budden's MM3? Is it a special album to you, or was it a spur of the moment thing?

This was very spur of the moment. It wasn't even my idea. A label out of Cincinnati wanted to pair me and their producer up to go in on it together. I thought it was a good idea, because the Portishead record was coming out, and it'd be the perfect time to do something like that. Then, after I dropped all my damn drums in their MPC, they got ghost on me, so I did it myself. My friend Zone convinced me it was worth it, so i knocked it out in one day out of aggrivation. I'm very glad he convinced me. I have wise friends.

You also put together a EP with Illogic, how did that come along?

I've been doing shows with illogic for years and years now. I honestly started out as a genuine fan of his (and all of weightless's) work. Eventually we built more and started working on the LP. The EP was kinda made during the LP production. It's really an honor, coming from a fan's perspective, and it makes me work harder to make sure i don't fuck him up lol. Following kats like blueprint and Dj Przm who did full records with him that people know him for puts pressure on me. But good pressure. Pressure to push further and further. I just don't wanna be like Solaar to Guru after Premier left (no diss, i'm just sayin).

I have to ask about the album art for The World Is Ours. How did you find the picture and what's the story behind it?

I originally took a picture of my friends baby sitting in front of they're living room screen door. And i thought, 'he must think this front yard is the whooole world'. And that's where the vision kinda took form. So I just re-created that pic and flipped it a little bit. So now, the kid is looking at downtown Cincinnati in black and white, but he's in color. So it's like a baby looking at his world, and the world seems so black and white. But he's full color, because i figure, none of us are just black and white. We're all 3 dimensional beings with a full color spectrum.

The album title, is it a twist off Nas? Off Tony Montana? An original Ill Poetic saying?

Twist off nas. The first song i made before this was an album was "cincilluminati". I just tried to carry that theme thru the project.

How did you pick up the name Ill Poetic?

I had a horrible name in high school, but i had a group name with a friend called ill poetics. We weren't really using it, so i asked him if i could have it. It still reeks of late 90's "lyrical assassin, yada yada" backpacker type shit, but i learned to love again over time. There was a time a couple years ago where i was really sick of it, but then i found out most rappers were sick of their names. Then i realized alot of my favorite rappers didn't have the flyest names, but their music was so dope i didn't care. So my name actually pushes me further to try to make a good legacy of music.

Where do you feel most comfortable: behind the boards or behind the mic? Why?

I only made beats to put something under my vocals. I don't feel like i've perfected either, which is an exciting feeling. I always feel hungry to evolve in both areas. It's alot cheaper to evolve as an emcee, though. Paper is cheaper than a Triton. I feel like emceeing is 1st nature to me. I think i have a lot more to learn as a producer, because i'm amazed when i hear ALOT of other peoples shit, local and national.

How do you manage to include such a wide variety of genres into your instrumentals?

I used to be caught up in trying to get at one crowd of people to like my shit. Then i stopped caring, and started having alot of fun with everything. I like letting all my influences show. I have alot of good friends who turn me on to such dope music, and i like using their inspiration and my inspiration to twist something new.

I gotta ask, how did you come up with the concept for Soul Electric? It sounds so different from the rest of the album...

Nothing to deep. I loved the sample, and it's by one of Dean Hummons sr.'s (the guy who played keys on it) favorite jazz artists. He used to play in alot of funk and soul bands from Ohio (SUN, Dayton Sidewinders, Heatwave) and these were the artists that inspired him. So i like flipping shit that I know he'll dig, and then having him play keys on it. i wrote the song to the sample (i do that alot). Then I kinda flip the sample around my lyrics...like ping ponging back and forth between producer and emcee.

Who are some of today's artists that you would like to work with?

So so so many. Most prominently Outkast, Sade, and Trent Reznor. On a more logical level: kid cudi, BOB (before they were on XXL, i've been following both of them for a miiiinute), madlib, the killers, just blaze. Really, anybody dope to me. I'm not too concerned with the name factor. I wouldn't put a kanye beat on my LP if was from the c-list. It's not even worth it. There are still some kats from Cincinnati i wanna do more work with.

Who are some older artists (dead, retired, forgotten) that you'd like to work with?

There's a couple i'm working with on my next album from the jazz and soul arena that i'm very excited about. Way too many to mention here. Wow. hip-hop wise, dilla of course. As far as less obvious choices, George Duke, Billy Cohbam, Ron Carter or Stanley Clarke. Kats that i could orchestrate dope melody's to. Then, get a really dope singer on it (i can't say who yet, because i'm still working on getting her on my album).

Is it easier for you to create a beat or write a song? Why?

Lately, writing songs is way easier. I haven't made a beat not designed for a project damn near all year. Now i put orchestration into effect. I'm more into getting session players, horn sections, guitars, live drums, and all those things take time. I really wanna get my engineering game up, So writing is happening way more right now.

Has Hi-Tek been an influence on you (coming from Cincinnati too)?

He was an earlier influence. I moved to cinci when Reflection Eternal dropped, so he definitely had influence for a minute. I think he's dope, but he hasn't really influenced me in the past 4 or 5 years.

How do you feel about Chad Johnson, I mean Chad Ocho Cinco?

I support the bengals because i don't wanna be one of those dudes that hops on when shit's good and hops off when it's bad (it's usually bad). I'm not a super-sports head, But the way Chad handled the bengals in the off season, and the way Cincinnati handled him were both stupid. It's like watching a dysfunctional couple fight. It's lame.

So tell us about The World Is Ours. How did it start? How did it evolve?

It started as a few songs. Then it just kinda all fit together as an LP. Only record i made with no real concept per se. I had a record before that called "illumination". And that one had a concept, and it was more personal, and i had all these plans for what i wanted to do with it. But i wanted to do too much, so i had to use it as a stepping stone to TWIO. Hence why TWIO doesn't have a concept. It was just the new joints i was making to rock at shows. I realized it was too late to push "illumination" because it felt stale performing at shows by that point.
Now I dont have expectations for any of 'em. That way everything that happens is cool.

You can check him at

www.myspace.com/illpoetic

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N.O.R.E.'s Life Sucks Die Interview

I've always liked N.O.R.E.'s interviews/promo work much more than his actual music. There's an incredibly ignorant yet remarkably clever individual hidden behind N.O.R.E. and Victor Santiago plays him well.
Case in point would be his appearance on a porn talk show, giving advice to some guy named Snowflake. You can see that here.
But that's nothing compared to this interview that Superthug did with Life Sucks Die magazine. Not only was it conducted in my hometown (mini-Russia as Melvin Flynt calls it), but it is also full of classic one-liners and nihilistic wit that pulls on the heartstrings.
Below I included a few of my favorite excerpts. Major props to Noz, and you can read the whole thing here.

A lot people try to say that rap is the same as the crack game. It’s not. Anybody that says rap is like crack has never sold crack. Because in the crack game, I give you a package.I tell you, “Out of this $100 package, you give me $60 and keep $40.” If you don’t give me my $60, I’m gonna fuck you up. I’m gonna bruise you and scar you for life. In the rap game, I tell you, “This is a $100,000 here.
You bring me 60 out of that 100 grand and keep 40.” If you don’t bring that shit back and I fuck you up, you sue me! You’re gonna go the full length, take trial, swear on the Bible--it’s nothing like the crack game!

Noreaga- Well , I like full steezies. Do you know what full steezies is?
LSD- You might have to explain that.
N- A full steezie is a bitch that will suck your dick in front of your peoples. She doesn’t really care, she’ll suck your dick in front of everybody. She’ll suck all your niggas dicks...that’s basically my everyday plan. I find a new full steezie...I’m being honest with you, ‘cause I know this ain’t getting to New York, so...You know, I piss on bitches.
[laughter] It’s nothing. I love full steezies. And even I like the full steezies that won’t suck everyone else’s dick, but they’ll suck your dick in front of your man. I like those, too. I’m very uncivilized. Then you got the ones that’ll suck your dick behind closed doors, all day every day. Those are cool, too. It’s all full steezies, but there’s different ways of being full steezie. That’s my everyday life. I discover a new full steezie every other day. And I like to smoke a lot of marijuana. You got marijuana?

LSD- If you took the marijuana away, would you still be the same Nore?
N- Yeah ‘cause I would just get drunk more. And I believe I’m very intelligent. And I
believe I’m so wise, that I’ve never been drunk or never been high before in my life. I believe that my mind controls my high and my mind controls my drunkness. So in a second, I can turn sober if it’s a real situation.

LSD- Okay. So what’s the next slang to come out from Noreaga?
N- We call each other “Slime.” We don’t call each other “son”, we call each other
“Slime.” That’s what each and every one of our individual is. A person that don’t buy
weed but wanna smoke weed. A person that don’t buy cigarettes, but wanna smoke
cigarettes. A person that don’t buy no liquor, but wanna drink all motherfucking day.
That’s each and every one of our peoples. So we call each other “Slime.” And we’re
“Off the Yelzebub.”
LSD- What?
N- We don’t say off the hook, we say “off the yelzebub.” Like BUCK WILD! Off the
yelzebub. Like jumping in the crowd like I do. I’m ghetto. I’ll jump in the crowd and
suck a bitches titties and make her suck my dick after. It’s nothing. And that’s another thing we say. It’s nothing. It’s nothing.
LSD- It’s nothing.
N- It’s nothing.

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Rashid Hadee Interview

With all the Rashid Hadee material I've already thrown up, it should only be fitting that an interview with the man himself should grace the pages of IllCuts. So below is an interview that I did with dude a while back.

When you came up with the title for the Change Gon Come mixtape, was that supposed to be a reference to Barack Obama, or was that a coincidence?

No, it turned out to be a coincidence. That old Sam Cooke song is what inspired the title of the mixtape. Me, Gabriel and Cosm Rocks of The Hip Hop Project were having a meeting and the song "A Change Is Gonna Come" popped up in our conversation. We chose to run with the title cause I related to it. I just felt like I was ready for a change to come in my life. So change became the whole theme of the mixtape. It turned out that a lot of songs that where meant for the mixtape wasn't put on there and lot of old tracks were put on there instead which kinda defeated the purpose. But it still turned out dope. Big ups to The Hip Hop Project.

As a Chicago producer, who would you consider more influential: No I.D. or Kanye West? Why?

Actually both of them. I'd say No I.D. was a big influence for me when I was younger, and Kanye West is a big influence for me now. I can see the main reason is because they both are from Chicago so they are that much closer to my spirit. They both are just extra dope to me in their own way and when I hear their music it makes me wanna make more music.

What does it mean to you to get love from very well-respected artists like Pete Rock and Big Pooh among others?

It's cool, but I appreciate love from anyone no matter what their name is. It means a lot to me to get love from other people because a lot of the time, I'm unsure if people gonna feel what I'm putting out there. What means the most to me, is when the average hip hop fan let's me know that they love my music because that's who I do it for. As far as love from well-respected artists or artists that feel they are well-respected....I'm not sure if they buy my music. Let's say, out of 10,000 other artists, they can count for 10,000 or more sales I didn't get.

What are your thoughts on the rap game today?

The rap game is good right now, and I believe it's a better chance for artists like me to get their music out there. We don't have to go through never gettin responded back by magazines or having record companies throw our demo tapes in the trash anymore. We can go out there and get it ourselves and make all of our money. Just like an artist such as Charles Hamilton for example. His music isn't that good but he has people to support what he's putting out there and that's what counts. I might not be able to adjust my ears to his music, but I definitely hear his name a lot

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What new material have you been working on lately?

I'm working on a mixtape right now, and i'm just gonna put it out there for free. Can't get into the details for it because it's a unique idea. Also, I'm back with another EP titled The Cost Of Living that I plan on putting out this May with Neblina Records. I've also completed a record with Pugs Atomz titled Stormy coming real soon. Also, I've completed a record with Thaione Davis that's titled Still Hear which also is coming real soon. Melatone of Chapter 13 is putting out the Making History 12" which is produced my me real soon. He's also gonna put out an EP this year too. Right now as we speak, I'm with Olskool Ice Gre recording Agent Orange's mixtape and I'm doing all the beats for it, so be looking for that real soon too.

I gotta ask: the Sox or the Cubs?

Cubs all day fam!

I know that Chapter 13 gets mad love in the Chi, so what's been up with all those dudes? Are you planning to make another album together?

Yeah, me and Melatone completed the vocals for the Chapter 13 album already. I still have some tweaking to do to it and it wont be 100% until around summertime. The album is titled The Final Comedown.

The first time I heard you was on the production for Dreams off GetBack. How did you hook up with Little Brother?

I met Phonte, Big Pooh and 9th Wonder back in like 2003 or 2004 after one of their shows. My cousin passed them a CD of the original version of Dedication. The next day, 9th Wonder gave me a call to let me know it was dope and I been cool with them cats since.

If you had to describe your sound in one word, how would you describe it?

Hip-Hop. I feel like I got the essence of hip hop pretty much covered in my all of my music. I've noticed when I let people check out music the main thing everyone says is, "This is so hip hop". So that's what it is.

Who are some Chi-town artists you would like to work with?

I've worked with a good majority of Chicago artists already, but to name a few that I haven't: Kanye West, Mikkey Halsted, Crucial Conflict, The Cool Kids, Lupe Fiasco, and Twista too. I heard a song my Phil G and Really Doe today that was sick, I'd like to work with them too.

You can only choose one. Illmatic, Ready To Die, or Midnight Maruaders. What makes that one the best?

Damn, tough question. Three of my all time favorites. I didn't wanna pick Illmatic cause everybody picks Illmatic but....Illmatic. Only because of The World Is Yours...that song is truly my shit! And also Represent, Life's A Bitch, NY State of Mind, etc.

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Breez Evahflowin Interview

Another interview I dug up from the HHHead archives. In my opinion, this is probably the best interview I've ever done, just based on the depth of Breez Evahflowin's answers and his willingness to really go back in time and share those memories. I'm not the posting the whole thing, moreso like a highlight reel.

What is your hip-hop background? Did you grow up listening to hip-hop or was it something you fell in love with later on in life?

I grew up seeking hip hop. I used to stay up late sneakin past my mom and big sis to listen to the radio late nights on fridays and saturdays to tape the rap songs with my tape recorder pressed up against the speaker cause we couldn't yet afford the stereo with the built in tape decks. I used to watch Video music box when it used to come on only one day of the week, just to catch a glimpse of the rap stars I idolized. to be "up on" the latest hip hop was rare at that time, It was something only a few others were into. I saw some of the other kids b-boyin and writin. although I loved to draw, it was the MC that I wanted to emulate.

Hypothetically now. You get approached by Jay-Z to sign to the ROC and by Slug to sign to Rhymesayers. Who do you sign with and why?

They are both great labels for what they do. the Roc is a major label stronghold, Rhymesayers is the same for the indie hip hop scene. If I absolutely had to choose one or the other I would have to go with the ROC. Alot of what I do is limited by the reach of my budget. I try not to pander to anyone market anymore, I'm just rockin to rock and If I can get that to as many people as possible I'm confident I would succeed to an extent. Proof of which come in the form of last year's Troublemakers release on little ax records. After 5 years of no solo releases I decide to work on a producers project with Dirt E. Dutrch of indiefeed fame. When putting out a record most labels, indie and major, consider the cost of promotions. they have budgets for college radio, mixshows, video promotions, press and some club promotions. the only thing we could afford to do was college radio promotions. We banked it all on that alone and got up to #2 on CMJ in just 4 weeks with only Lupe Fiasco to block the way to #1. Now the benefit of Rhymesayers is probably a better profit margin, but, the exposure level of the ROC, that's the kind of stuff that got a lot of dude still touring the world dropping heavy on the indie market well after their contracts have expired. I would definitely come out of pocket for a real good lawyer before I sign anything.

You're on death row. Instead of a last meal you get to make a last song. And you can choose from anybody. Any producer, any singer, and any rapper. Who produces the track? Who sings the hook? And who drops a verse?

DJ Static does the track, I've learned from experience, when I need a dope track and theirs not a lot of time to wait he comes through with aces! Jill Scott is singing whatever her heart desires.

And there is no one who would be able to keep up with what I know are going to be my verses.

Who are some deceased artists you would've liked to have worked with?

Slang Ton from the Outsiders, he was amazing

How have you changed as a lyricist since you were freestyling on MTV years back?

From the DFX show with Funkmaster Flex and Sway, I got a sober perspective on how the game really works from an insiders POV. I talked with the singer Mya backstage after a show and she confessed with a sad look that she probably should have gone independent. Here was a person who from the outside seems on top of the world with success few could imagine. On another episode I stood near Funkmaster Flex to shoot commercial bumpers and it pained me to do so. He represented everything that i stood against. in my opinion he could never be hip hop. Until one day were standing near one another and as usual he doesn't acknowledge my presence until the camera's come on. we sign off for the commercial break on the live broadcast then the camera's cut off. Flex, oblivious of not only me but every one else in the room, just starts cutting up this break in the record. He is standing there fucking shit up for like three minutes! On some skillful shit!! then as if a man exorcized of a demon, the camera's come on and he's cuttin like DJ 101. Immediately I felt a lot less hatred and a lot more empathy for the man. As I prepared to dumb it down myself, for another cheap win, before an audience not quite ready for what hip hop truly is. I know earlier I said I'd probably sign with the ROC, and I still would, but I'd be mindful of the burden of success. My lyricism reflects and respects that part of it all. I understand why being a hip hop artist has been so important to me over the years. It started as an escape that became a release. A personal release that helps me to be content with what I've gotten and appreciative of those few who continually seek me out.

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Poe Picasso Interview

Above we have Poe Picasso standing in front of a Picasso.
Anyway, I'm going to be posting a write-up of his tape Exhibit A: The Real Hip Hop Project in the next few hours. And trust, once you hear the tape, you'll want to know more about dude, so here is an interview the late HHHead did with Poe:

1. Gotta start it off with the usual. For those who don’t know much about Poe Picasso, can you provide a brief rundown?

Poe Picasso is a hip-hop artist representing Brooklyn as the new face for New York and hip-hop music in general.

2. Exhibit A was dope. Was there an overall message you were trying to get across with it, or were you just trying to get your name out?

Well first and foremost, thanks for taking the time out to at least give the music a chance. Well honestly Exhibit A wasn’t a tool for me to push a name with at all. Not once in the process of recording, did a thought like “yea this shit bout to put my on” cross my mind. In actually “Exhibit A” was exactly what the title intended it be, a “project”.

The overall message that I wanted to convey with this project was that, their were still real artist making age defying “hip-hop music”. Take in account that I began writing Exhibit A in circa 06′-07′ where the topic of discussion was primarily “hip-hop is dead”, so in writing Exhibit A the whole premise of the project was to experiment with real hip-hop music. That’s evident in the production that I choose as backdrops for the pictures I was paintings stemming from J Dilla & Hi-Tek to my own producers “JonnyGo “The Problem Child” & The Architect”. What I mainly wanted to get across was there were still artist “from New York” who had a passion for the art form itself and took their crafts seriously. That was the overall message of the project while still touching upon certain issues such as: politics, ignorance, the economy, global warming, war and many of others while keeping a gritty hip-hop sound which was always associated with. “Real Hip-Hop”!

3. When it comes to music, Who or what were your main inspirations?

For inspiration I would mainly turn to where I grew up, which is Brooklyn. I take everything as inspiration from daily life situations we deal with such as: Work, Unemployment, School, Debt, Street Temptation, Women, Pregnancy, Sex, Relationships, Drug Use, Party Life, Fashion, and everything I see and deal with when I step outside of my crib. Another form of inspiration comes from Movies that I love like Paid in Full & Boomerang, books that I read like Prince of Foxes & Lord Of Rings, Comic Books, Music, Japanese Anime & Manga, Sports, and anything that involves some kind of thought.

4. How did you come up with your name?

Originally I went by another name Poe.it Da Prophet. I dropped the “.it Prophet” part because I thought that shit was wack and wouldn’t look good on anything that would be publicly seen. I felt that the name had a heavy religious undertone so I dropped it and kept Poe. I kept “Poe” solely because of Edgar Allen Poe who was a prolific American writer and “Alpo” because I love Paid In Full. I felt that part would suit me because I always aspired to be a great writer and make a whole lot of money at the same time. It wasn’t until a close friend of mine came up with the Picasso part, because he used to call himself “Marvel Da Vinci”. So one day he just said “Poe Picasso” because both of our names ended with a famous painter/artist. So from that day I adopted the Picasso part. Poe being from Edgar Allen Poe and Picasso coming from the famous artist Pablo Picasso, I was a writer where my words were vivid enough to envision as if you were seeing everything I was saying. Poe Picasso!

5. You’re currently working on Exhibit B, do you have any other projects in the works?

Yea actually I’m in the midst of the second installment Exhibit B: Manifest Destiny. I have a few other projects but the names are too ill to disclose! Fuck around see my shit on the some big name artists’ record, you know how that goes. But I definitely have other projects in the works, one of which is already completed, but that’s between me and you! What I can say is that 2009 and beyond are going be some good years for hip-hop music & music as a whole.

6. What artists/songs/albums do you currently have on heavy rotation?

That’s a cool question because anyone who knows me always ask me “Poe what chu rockin to” because they know my taste in music is ridiculous. As of now I’m really abusing “Mixtape About Nothing” which was Wale’s recent release, my favorite joint on their has to be between “Artistic Integrity & Vacation From Ourselves. I got a lot of Chromeo on deck “Fancy Footwork” my favorite song on their, has to be “Opening Up”. I kill that Chromeo album I swear it reminds me of 80s Scarface club music. I been on “My Dedication II” 06′ Lil Wayne that was my dude. I always have some Pac in the equation whether it’s in the car or the iPod, some old school “Jigga Jay-z and Bigga Baby”! I have my dance hall and cultural reggae music that’s just a Brooklyn thing, Lastly some jams from The Dream, The SOS Band, Maroon 5, Ne-Yo, SWV, New Edition and Mary J. I kid you not I just looked at the different playlist on my iPod. At this very moment I’m listening to “Be” by Common.

7. How would you define your style?

It’s kind of hard to define my style but I’ll try. I feel I’m a good mix of New York Hip-Hop with a progressive and a mainstream twist. A little bit of everything because I draw my style from a lot of places. Honestly it really depends on the feel of my production that day. “Sometimes I rhyme slow sometimes I rhyme quick” Nice & Smooth couldn’t put that line any better.

8. If you had you own label, what would it be called, and who would be the first to get signed?

If I told you I had a name for my label that would be a lie because I always change them. But when I do get the name it would have to be something universal that wouldn’t just limit me to music, and the first artist I would sign to that label would have to be Colin Munroe. I like his energy and he knows his craft.

9. Is there anything specific that makes a beat stand out to you?

Being that I’m always around two great producers, you could say my ear is extremely refined and spoiled. What grabs my attention in beats whether its sample based or original, are the drums. “Sorry I’m just a sucker for good drums”. But the mix on them has be super crispy too because that can make or break good drums from great drums. Like that Cool Kids joint “Black Mags” for example, the drums were mixed so good the snares sounded flawless. One other important thing that attracts me is if the beat conveys emotion. Does it make me happy, sad, fight, dance, cry, aroused, or just feel cool groove? That’s really important for the beats I choose to use. A beat needs to have a story to it behind it feel me!

10. What can we expect from you in the future?

Well you could expect a lot of me but not too much of me to the point I exhaust the listeners. Look out for Exhibit B: Manifest Destiny “Certified Classic” on HHHead.com mark my words. “Save that line for me so you could use it against me if the tape is otherwise”. Mmh also look forward to some new singles and videos from ya boy and some very interesting joint ventures that are in the works. The debut album isn’t coming any time soon but I already have 24 joints for it and have a lot of music that will be available pretty soon. Expect to see alot of innovation in the way music is distributed to the listeners and just look out for the name Poe Picasso. Exhibit A: “The Real Hip-Hop Project” free download on www.myspace.com/Poepicasso and its also on the one and only www.HHHead.com. Check that out and stay tuned. “Brooklyn What Up”.

HHHead.com thanks for having me

Till next time you guys over their keep it official.

One EZ

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