When The East Is In The House: Blah

http://www.hhnlive.com/features/more/387

Jake Quimby

“When the east is in the house, oh my God, DANGER!” If you remember those words then you remember Blah. HHNLive.com catches up with the NY MC to talk about running with B.I.G. & Mr. Cee, creating an east coast anthem, where the game is today, why comedians are the new rappers and much more.

Blah on runnin’ with Mr. Cee: “Mr. Cee used to go to Biggie’s crib and beg his mother to let him out the house to do this music stuff.”

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Jake Quimby: So Blahzay, what’s good man? What’s goin’ on?

Blah: Aww man, everything is beautiful man. You know, ready to heat the streets up.

JQ: Oh for sure, but before we get into the new track, which is called “Dunkin Heinz” right?

BZ: Yeah it’s called “Dunkin Heinz”

JQ: Which is nice, and I saw the video, it cracked me up!

BZ: Alright, that’s what’s up.

JQ: But for those who might not know who you are, let’s speak on Blahzay Blahzay for a second, if you don’t mind?

BZ: Okay.

JQ: Blahzay Blahzay formed in ‘85, right?

BZ: Yeah, well, I’ve been doin’ this for a long time. Like, I’ve been rappin’ since I was 10. Me and my older brothers was rappin’. We got in the game; I’ve been recordin’ since like my pre-teens, recordin’ music and it wasn’t like you seeing now. We hadn’t evolved the way we evolved now. But I was recordin’ in the ‘80, back in the late ’80s, I was recordin’ music.

JQ: No Doubt, then you guys dropped around ‘96 right?

BZ: Exactly, ‘96 we caught the deal, put the deal out in ‘96. Album dropped in ‘97. It dropped during a critical time in hip-hop. Hip-hop desperately needed an anthem, an east coast anthem.

JQ: Glad you brought that up, what was it like to be coming up in such a critical time in the hip-hop era, during that “resurgence” of New York Hip-hop, what was it like to be a flagship of that?

BZ: It was crazy and it was real difficult for me, like. . . It was crazy because it was just like how it is now. You wasn’t hearing any New York hip-hop…New York hip-hop wasn’t there, it wasn’t present. At that time it was West
coast hip-hop, and that’s just what was dominating the airwaves. Like, Snoop, Ice Cube, it was just a strong era for west coast hip-hop. At the time I was in and out of the game. You know there wasn’t no record deals. I was runnin’ with Mr. Cee, doin’ ad libs for Biggie Smalls. Biggie Smalls stuff was poppin’. But not a lot of my stuff was poppin’, but I seen the tribulation that Biggie Smalls was goin’ through and that’s what really motivated me to really try to be active, and really put something out there. Something that could really respond to what was going on.

JQ: So you were runnin’ with Biggie and Mr. Cee back in the early days?

BZ: Yeah, when Biggie was in his early days. Actually, Mr. Cee used to go to Biggie’s crib and beg his mother to let him out the house to do this music stuff. Mr. Cee was managing me back when he was doin’ the Big Daddy Kane thing, he was managin’ me. So, I was there when Biggie Smalls peoples brought his demo tape over to Mr. Cee’s house.

JQ: Wow

BZ: Yeah, and so, I went through the whole thing. From him goin’ and getting his moms, convincin’ his mom to let him do the hip-hop thing, I was all a part of that.

JQ: So after being there, being at the beginning with Mr. Cee and Biggie Smalls, and really being at the core of New York Hip-hop; How do you feel about the state of New York Hip-hop now? Is anyone carrying the torch? Is New York Hip-hop as important or prevalent as it was in that era?

BZ: Oh of course not, of course not. Nah, it’s not. It is defiantly not. Hip-hop, the way it is now, lacks a natural feeling. Now, you just have radio records. And nothing has a real natural feel to it anymore. That’s the biggest shame. That’s the biggest difference.

JQ: So, (hip-hop) nowadays almost seems forced, like their lying?

BZ: Yeah, it’s like they lying. Of coarse, you hear the rappers and what they’re talkin’ about. It’s like everybody’s doin’ what they feel they need to be doin’, instead of just doin’ what they feel.

JQ: OK, which is clearly not the case with you. Let’s get into your “Dunkin Heinz” track. I may be wrong, but the song seems satirical, almost like you are playing off of what is going on in hip-hop now. In a tongue and cheek sort of way with how you present “get that cake!”, it feels almost like you are mocking some of what’s out there. is that true?

BZ: Yeah, there is a little bit of that. There are a lot of things in there pertaining to makin’ that cake. What it is, I feel a lot of what’s goin’ on right now is comical. Like, rappers are like comedians now.

JQ: Expound on that for me, if you will. What do you mean by, “Rappers are like comedians.”

BZ: OK, I think rappers are like comedians now. A lot of things rappers are doin’ right now is real funny. And I actually think that comedians more reflect what’s goin’ on and remind me of when I first heard hip-hop. When I first heard hip-hop it was like, stuff that I left at my crib. It was issues goin’ on in my house. Now, it’s like, when I hear hip-hop, I don’t hear that, I don’t hear that with Hip-hop anymore. I hear that with comedians. Comedians got their fingers on the pulse of what’s goin’ on, what’s goin’ on in the street, and what’s goin’ on in families and the underground culture.

JQ: Has Hip-hop gotten too big? Is it out of touch? Gone pop?

BZ: Yeah, it’s too pop. It’s too pop. You got artists that are worried about numbers too much. They are just always talkin’ about numbers and such.

JQ: Well, with a veteran like yourself, and I’m askin’, don’t you think the record labels are a little bit responsible for that?

BZ: Nah, I wouldn’t really say that. And I’m sayin’ New York rappers. I mean ’cause back in the day we use to have production companies. You would have an artist that was out there, and he would develop another new artist. He would bring him through the proper channels and as an artist, develop him. Give him the proper idea of the way he
needs to make his music, and the way he needs to think. Now you don’t really have that. You have guys gettin’ money, comin’ into the game with no type of guidance…comin’ in the game however they came in the music business, and just puttin’ their stuff out there. It doesn’t really have a natural feel. You know they spittin’ it, and no one is really coachin’ them or pointing them in the right direction. Then they goin’ straight to the record companies and the record companies just sayin’ make me that money. Like a share croppers mentality. The record company is just saying make that money. No one is out there to say, nah, show some integrity. Show some integrity to hip-hop, show some integrity to the culture, and we’re gonna do it this way. Like, we’re gonna get money, but that’s not the main issue. That’s just not the main thing, you know what I mean?

JQ: I hear you. So that is what you’re goin’ for with this “Dunkin Heinz”. Like, yeah I’m gettin’ that cake, but that’s not all it’s about. That’s not what the culture is about.

BZ: Nah, defiantly not. I mean hip-hop is about dancin’. It’s about dancin’, dancin’ always been a part of hip-hop. But hip-hop is more of a vibe. When I was doin’ this song, it was about dancin’ and it had a commercial feel to it, but it was hard. It was a hard beat; it was a New York beat. It was about the kicks and the snares. It was about givin’ you a vibe. A hip-hop vibe. It wasn’t just a dance record. Nah, I was like, let’s make something that’s hip-hop.

JQ: Absolutely. What’s goin’ on with you right now as far as this project is concerned? I know this is the first single. What’s on the horizon?

BZ: What we doin’ right now, is puttin’ out some singles. I got a distribution deal for my label 258, through Universal. We gonna put out singles have lots of fun. I’m putting out a mixtape called “It’s A Blahzay World.” Well, I’m not gonna call it a mixtape, I’m a call it a street album. It’s gonna happen before my commercial album, and the street album will be a combination of hard core hip-hop form the mid to late ’90s, mixed with lots of comedians. I have comedians on there
like Joe Frazier, Rip Michaels, some of the hottest comedians coming out of New York that’s gonna be on the album. On there talkin’ a lot of shit. Also, it’s gonna be in touch with what’s goin on with kids today. It’s gonna give the kids what they like, they like to dance, and have fun. So, we will give them that.

JQ: So you got a whole big project comin’ up here in ‘08?

BZ: Yeah, I mean like over the last 2 years what I’ve been doin’ is promoting a lot of shows for a lot of comedians. Stuff like that, hustlin in the street making money. That’s when I made the connection, like here’s what I’m gonna do. I’m gonna combine what I feel is the pulse of the street and what goin’ on right now in the street. So, like I was tellin’ you earlier, they (rappers) don’t really have they finger on what’s goin’ on. You see a good comic, he’s talkin’ about stuff that you just left at the house or you just went through. Or even gettin’ to the venue, you just got into it with the police, and
some crazy shit, just gettin’ to the venue. And he is commenting on that. We don’t have that with rappers today. Rappers are on some old fairytale stuff, that I aint really with.

JQ: Understandably so. Do you think there is anyone out now who sort of gives off that same vibe that you yourself, as well as others in that ‘95-’96 era, gave? Especially for New York?

BZ: No, I don’t. If they are out there, they are not relevant. They are not at the forefront. I’m sayin’ there might be someone else out there doin’ it or tryin’ to put it together, but it’s not visible.

JQ: From your experience, what avenues have you found to make yourself relevant?

BZ: Basically we are using the net. Trying to show a strong presence on the net. The net has like, revolutionized the whole game, and revolutionized society. Whereas now we are able to go from our home, to the studio, straight to the public. We are able to keep music out there, and keep our fingers on the pulse of what’s goin’ on. We are gonna show a strong presence on the net. We’re gonna work the net hard, we’re gonna work the streets hard, but we startin’ with the net. Usually, like when I came out in the mid-nineties, we worked the streets hard. Now it’s about workin’ the net more. I think that’s kinda crazy, ’cause back in the mid nineties, that was a nerd. Like he’s and internet rapper or whatever. But now that’s the fundamental way to get your stuff heard and be relevant in the game.

JQ: Was it strange to go from beatin’ the streets, to just hoppin’ on a computer?

BZ: It wasn’t really that hard. I was always a fan of big business. I was involved with a lot of people like Paul Rosenberg, who manages Eminem now. John Shecter that does has Hip-Hop Honeys. I would watch them do business, and watch them develop. They kept me around, I always had a good relationship with them. I had seen how they took a strong hold in the business and how they did a lot of things. That made the transition a little better for me. It made the transition smooth. After I came out, I got into the business of the industry. When you study the business of the industry, (the net) is the only place it leads you.

JQ: Now in the era of everyone being a mogul, you seem to be doing just as much behind the scenes as in front of the mic. Were you always interested in all facets of the game?

BZ: Of course it came natural. I always loved business. But, when I was younger and first in the game, I had to get my sh*t off. That was my first focus. Gotta put out a hot album or try to make a hot record. So, the business thing was kind of secondary. So I couldn’t really display a business talent. My business talents actually weren’t displayed at all. Now I am able to sit back, take a step back, focus, and really see the game for what it is. It’s great timing. I was just telling my friend, it was like the game came back to me. I’m not back; the game came back around to what I’m doing.

JQ: Where do you see hip-hop going? You were there at the inception, saw it take some dips and then rise to as big as it’s ever been. Where do you think it is headed?

BZ: I think hip-hop will continue to grow around the world. I just did a song with this group called Gardinia, they are like the number 1 hip-hop group in Thailand. In the last 5 years, they brought hip-hop to Thailand. That’s a part of the world that never had hip-hop, and now it does. I see it reaching all corners of the earth and becoming part of the global economy, the global market.

JQ: Do you think these grassroots movements in other countries will help us get back to where it started?

BZ: Of course. They love the grassroots hip-hop, that ’90s hip-hop. It’s like that’s where they at. It’s like any artists that came out after 2000, 2001, they’re rejecting it. They want real hip-hop.

JQ: Any last thoughts you want to give to the people or points you would like to make before you go?

BZ: Keep supportin’ hip-hop. We gotta support hip-hop in the next year. It’s gonna be very exciting. We got a lot of stuff we are puttin’ on the market. Defiantly come check for it. I didn’t come back to the game, the game came to me. And that’s what it is. Blahz’ here and we gonna do our thing.

Sha Money XL: Super-Size Me

http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/features/id.981/title.sha-money-xl-super-size-me

Jake Paine

Black Thought and Peedi Crakk rhymed, “There must be something in the water where I come from.” Although perhaps true of Philadelphia, that line certainly suffices in describing Queens, New York. From Run-DMC to LL Cool J, to Nas and 50 Cent the borough that was clowned in Coming To America is serious in retaining Hip Hop’s throne.
Sha Money XL used Queens to navigate his way into the Hip Hop industry that he dreamed of being in. Starting out as an intern for Steve Stoute, watching hometown heroes count money, Sha emulated Mobb Deep’s Havoc in his production pursuits and started landing placements with Cormega and Onyx.

It was with another local guy, 50 Cent, that Sha Money went from industry to mainstream, in his would-be role in G-Unit. In a comprehensive discussion with HipHopDX, Sha brings the readers along for this journey, and explains why filling the scene with newjacks won’t do, but that today’s hit-makers need to better mentor tomorrow’s. From Queens to becoming a king, Sha Money XL played the cards he was dealt to the fullest.

HipHopDX: I don’t think enough people in Hip Hop understand the merits of your work as a producer. Going back to your first placement, which I consider to be “Angel Dust” for Cormega; what did that mean at the time for you?

Sha Money XL: At that point in my life, I was so heavily trying to get into the game that I was willing to do anything and everything. So I was part of Nas’ street team. I was one of the street team guys that you would see out and about, handing out flyers and promoting It Was Written. That’s how I met Cormega. Steve Stoute gave me the opportunity to intern and hand out these flyers and books. That’s what I did. I went up to Harlem and Cormega and Nas was performing on 125th [Street], and that’s how it started.

DX: Were you coming home every night and making beats in the basement?

SM: Yup, I was making beats in the basement. I was on my [Akai MPC] 3000, heavily involved, trying to get that sound right, and make the best beats possible. Havoc was the best guy out there, so emulated a lot of the vibe – to be what Mobb Deep was. I was a Queens head and Mobb Deep was the best shit out.

DX: You say you emulated Havoc, but did you have a mentor or were you self-taught?

SM: I was experimenting on my own. I looked up to [DJ Premier], Havoc and A Tribe Called Quest. That whole Queensbridge era did a lot for me, coming from Queens.

DX: How did Sha Self evolve into Sha Money XL?

SM: Sha Self is who I still am. I’m a loner; I run by myself. In this industry, I move by myself from city to city. I’m always gonna be Sha Self. What happened was there was another producer out by the name of Self (Ja Rule, Onyx, Diplomats) and he was starting to gain recognition, and he also was a friend of mine, who was from my neighborhood, who was locked up for a long time. So when he came home, he come back with his same godly attributes to name himself Self, and I was a youngster, 18 years old called Sha Self, so at a point, I realized it was time for me to make a switch because people would confuse us. He was working with affiliated people that I was working with, like Onyx. So I had to backpedal. I said, “I’m about the money, and I’m gonna be as large as I can be.” That’s when it became Sha Money XL; I’m gonna get this money.

DX: Certainly, you did. With that money and extra large mentality, do you feel a connection today to Queens or its rappers?

SM: Right now everybody is about the south rappers. In Hip Hop, it was always about Queens. Queens was everything; it was New York. There are more successful Queens artists in Hip Hop than any other borough. Queens artists was the first ones to go platinum. Queens artists was the first ones to sell 10 million. There’s something about the water in Queens that just makes us some special dudes. Queensbridge had that whole get-up together, they had Mobb Deep, Nas, Tragedy Khadafi, Cormega, LL Cool J, Lost Boyz; we was all over the place.

DX: As time goes on, you really attached yourself to the 50 Cent movement; you were a major part of it. What is it like, as a guy from Queens, to first meet Dr. Dre?

SM: It’s an amazing experience. Coming from that and meeting Dre, Dre blew me away…you’ve been listening to his music, watching his videos, trying to be what Death Row was doing, and when I met him, I was in shock. I had to hold myself, hold my composure. It was definitely a serious blessing for me in Hip Hop, to meet Dre and on the terms that we were meeting him on.

DX: You segued from producer to mentor so early in your career. At what point and why did you do this?

SM: This is what made Fif completely understand that I was the truth. When we was in my basement, it was my studio, so normally, when you’re in somebody’s studio, all you’re gonna be doing is rapping to their beats. I would be the advocate and say, “Nah yo, Rob Reef, he got this ill beat right here; we need to listen to him. And Digga had this.” This happened with other producers on the scene – Megahertz, Rockwilder, guys that were already hot. It wasn’t only about me. It was about these dudes too, ‘cause they had some hot joints. Fif seen that and said, “Yo, you’re the first person…everybody I go to is all about ‘me, me, me,’ they only want you to hear they joints,” and that made him more comfortable knowing that I didn’t conflict my ear. I was able to hear other talented peoples’ hot beats.

DX: How did you network with those other producers back then?

SM: I was in the industry, so when you’re in the industry, you want to be in the loop. There was Industry Night Tuesdays; you wanna be where it’s poppin’ at and where you can meet these guys. Queens had that formula. Rockwilder was from my hood. All these other guys around me was comin’ up. All the producers, they kick it. Also, I was interning at Def Jam from ’96 to ’98; I met a lot of people through that.

DX: You interned for Nas and for Def Jam?

SM: Yup. Yup. Yup.

DX: So you get into this tremendous position of power. So many new money guys are all about new blood. What made you look out for New York veteran producers like Buckwild and B-Money too?

SM: Veterans are the ones that had the sound that had me looking up to them. You’re always gonna have the veterans in the industry that paved the way for you, that inspired you. Buckwild was one of them. Diggin’ In The Crates, you can’t go past that. That was an early in Hip Hop where they had that whole game locked. With that said, you want to mix it up with the OGs, the veterans like Easy Mo Bee and Large Professor and all of them, and at the same time, sprinkle it with the new guys, the roses that grew out of concrete.

DX: You just used a 2Pac line. I really enjoyed and admired your work on Pac’s Life, the album. How challenging was it to come in and handle a project that you know is going to get criticized for its lack of authenticity by hardcore fans?

SM: Mentally, for ‘Pac, it was like, “Yo, this is my chance.” So many great guys I really want to work with, and ‘Pac was one of them. I used to see him in my hood with Stretch [of The Live Squad] and they were so scary that you wouldn’t approach these dudes. I was so young that I ain’t have no swagger to even holler at them dudes. I’ve always been a fan of ‘Pac and Big, and I didn’t get to work with [either]. When I got that ‘Pac opportunity, I’ll tell you man, it was one of the best opportunities. He’s better than working with a live rapper, man. His work is just ridiculous. His vocals, it really just brings a lot out of me.

DX: Looking at that album, “Dumpin’” is a classic moment. You’ve got Carl Thomas and Papoose on there, but also Fatal. It’s a powerful production, and contains that authenticity in Fatal. Tell me about producing it, and your vision and execution…

SM: Certain sounds you know ‘Pac has. The church bells, the organs, the strings, the piano – those are sounds that you know are in ‘Pac [records]. So what I did, so I just gathered up all the instruments from all my favorite ‘Pac beats, and just had those thoughts. I just got into a ridah frame of mind, like I was from the west, and just knew that it had to be that live instrumentation. ‘Pac always sounded good over live music, so I wanted to keep that all in place.

DX: Whether Dre, RZA or Showbiz, there have been other producers who mentored others. What makes this your calling, in regards to Money Management?

SM: I watched guys like DJ Clue and Steve Stoute make money, and I watched guys from my neighborhood – even Irv Gotti, who rose to the top, and I’m watching these guys. I’ve got the talent; I wasn’t just in the music industry ‘cause I wanted to make money, I was in the music industry ‘cause I wanted to be in the music industry. I love music. I knew there was some money there, and I knew I had to completely give my all to it. Everybody I seen give they all, they made it.

DX: Young Buck’s Buck The World was an incredible album for gangsta rap. It was the best thing till summer. As a music industry person, why didn’t it get pushed harder – or as hard as his debut?

SM: I think the industry’s attention-span is ADD completely. Everyone just keeps going; they don’t sit still. The labels and the consumers. They’re gonna keep going. I think with 50’s album and T.I.’s album coming, there were other main attractions that got peoples’ minds drifting and thinking of something else. Hands down though, I’ll say this on the record, [Young Buck’s] album was better than 50’s, T.I.’s and all of theirs’. Buck made an incredible album.

DX: As a businessman, do you think the absence of somebody like Kevin Black not being at Interscope anymore made the difference?

SM: No. I think this whole depression from the label…we didn’t get that belief. They made you scared. Everybody was just scared to make moves. It was a terrible sight, man. The vibe wasn’t there. Everybody had different thoughts on what they wanted. We had to be careful, ‘cause 50 was comin’, so he was on our heels. We was worried that he would outshine us. There were a lot of things to think about.

DX: Is Young Buck’s label compilation a hard thing to push through that system right now?

SM: Early next year. I’m literally on my computer as I talk to you going through all my paperwork in sitting up the whole label. I’m here running the label with Buck. We’re going all out. This is gonna be a time of independence. We’re gonna be signing anything new, talented and good. I don’t only want guys that’s been in the game, I want guys that’s new and on the come up. I’m gonna start doing talent showcases. At this point, all we can do is make the right marketing budget, where we don’t spend ridiculous amounts of money but we get all the impressions we need to make sure everybody knows the record’s in stores. After that, the music should speak for itself.

DX: How do you still find the time to produce?

SM: I’m at the point where I want to be a producer almost full-time, but my business is really important to run, so I can’t. But I do take a lot of time out to make beats. I don’t ever want to be an artist; I want to work alongside an artist. I can help them get they swagger in effect, ‘cause some of these people just become turn-offs to the industry.

DX: I think of Ice Cube and Sir Jinx linking up with The Bomb Squad for Amerikkka’s Most Wanted. Would you be open to the possibility of doing an established artists’ whole album?

SM: Absolutely. I’m actually, I’m working with somebody else that’s in the game, that hit a mark, but I feel like hasn’t been respected they way I feel they should respect this person.

DX: What else you’ve got in 2008?

SM: 2008 is gonna be great. This Red deal is in place, so we’re gonna be dropping records each quarter. I’m looking to drop four records next year. March 8 and 9, I’m holding my annual One Stop Shop Producers Conference. Over 600 producers attended last year. Swizz is doing a lot with me on this one. That’s my way of giving back. After Jam Master Jay died, I lost somebody who was there for me as far as mentorship. Coming up in this industry, you need someone who helps you, guides you, gives you advice.

Maybach Music: Rick Ross

http://www.hhnlive.com/features/more/381

St. James

HHNLive.com sits down with Rick Ross to discuss his new album “Trilla”, his west coast inspirations, the death of Miami’s Sean Taylor, his charitable work, growing up in Carol City and much more:

Rick Ross on Ice Cube: “He was the God of rap to me.”

St. James: How you feeling?

Rick Ross: I’m trying to get over this cold, working hard on the album so it’s all hood.

St. James: You’ve come up relatively quick in the MIA in terms of the music game. Miami has a nice movement going with you, Trick, Pitbull, Khaled, etc. What have you done to put yourself in the position to be considered “The Boss” at home and nationwide?

RR: You already know man, paying dues and staying down. Paying all those same dues, you know I was on the road with Trick for years. Poe Boy Entertainment, May Bach….you know we’ve been on the scene forever. We came out with the “How Can I Be Down” summit, to the C’s, to Poe Boy Entertainment and you know we here.

St. James: You did the huge song “I’m So Hood” with Khaled. Talk to me about the whole Miami movement and how you’ve all benefited from the love amongst each other and the blessings of those who came before you.

RR: What it is was like, we were on the sidelines for so long we watched the other coasts do their thing. I was enjoying the West Coast run. To me that’s when rap music was at its best. That’s when I think the fans really loved it. You know fans used to cry over artists, stuff like that. In that time it was Tupac, it was Snoop Dogg, Tha Dogg Pound, it was Rage and Dre, it was BIG, it was Diddy, it was The Lox, Cam’, Ma$e. It was the best ever for music. That’s how I tell my dudes, how we must present it so that we get that type of love. We have to keep it real amongst each other because that’s how we’ll eat FOREVER. That’s the difference in eating for 3 years and in eating FOREVER.

St. James: No beefs right?

RR: Nah, no beefs. Everybody is on the same page.

St. James: You have your second studio album Trilla dropping in February. What have you been cookin’ up in the lab?

RR: Awwww man. Big records. Big records for the streets. One of my singles is “MayBach Music” with Jay. It’s incredible.

St. James: You and Jay-Z?

RR: Yeah that one has me and Jay on it and J.U.S.T.U.S. League produced it.

St. James: Who produced the “Street Money” record that’s out there?

RR: My man J-Rob produced it. He’s one of Poe Boy Entertainment’s in house producers. So it’s all hood.

St. James: Is there any significance to the album title?

RR: Yeah. You know down south we refer to Trill. My uncle Bun-B put out the Trill album, I just put the Michael Jackson spin on it and we got Trilla.

St. James: With record sales being low and the fabled “sophomore jinx” opposing you, how do you feel about your body of work and how the public will receive it?

RR: Nah man I’m confident. And with the success of records like “We Takin’ Over” and “I’m So Hood”, the streets know what it is. I’m most definitely confident that Trilla will exceed expectations.

St. James: You were discovered by Slip N Slide correct? How did that flip into a major deal with Jay over at Def Jam? (give the artists some insight)

RR: Yeah, you already know. My first deal I had was with Suave House. But shortly after I signed, they went under with Universal. Draper kept it all the way gangster and we just parlayed that into a Slip-n-Slide deal. I stayed down here and we chopped it up. Then once the single “Hustlin” hit…you know Slip n Slide was running all of their artists through Atlantic. I felt like I really didn’t want to f*ck with them. I wanted to make the biggest move we could make to make this as big as possible. I felt that meant going with Jay-Z and Def Jam. We put the Port of Miami together, debuted at #1 Billboard, two singles later, we platinum. I love the structure, the teamwork, unity, and the love. At the end of the day it’s getting the job done for The Boss you know what I’m saying?

St. James: What’s your relationship like with the major labels?? A lot of artists are saying they are satisfied as an indie.

RR: …when you independent, you independent because you have to be independent. You would love to be on a major but you have to make the best of whatever. There are positive points, a lot of positive points to being independent. But we are all bosses and we all want to do it as big as we can. That’s when the major dollars come into play. You got to do it big. Straight up.

St. James: You’ve got the group Triple C’s (Gunplay Murdock, Ashley Ross, P-Nut, GT, Jae-Hoffa) coming soon. What’s the rundown on a compilation?

RR: The album Triple C’s: Black Flag Resurrection, that’s coming on my Maybach Music Group imprint. That’s coming summer 2008. Gunplay is doing shows everywhere now. Everybody know what it is and everything is coming together.

St. James: Talk to me about growing up in Carol City, Miami and how that gave Rick Ross the drive and determination to be where you are today?

RR: I’m not going to lie, being young, you know I graduated high school in ’95, so I first heard Luke SkyWalkker “Hey we want some pu**y!” in like the 4th grade. I’m young as f*ck and I love the music but also I’m watching their growth. I wasn’t just interested in the music, but when I used to walk to the store and buy an album, I used to read the address of the office buildings…get the phone numbers. I was interested in that. I’m like he’s making music and getting money? That’s what I NEED to be doing! And I’m thinking this in like 4th and 5th grade real talk. I bought everything faithfully. Everything they released I was buying. And that turned over into when N.W.A. came out and I left Luke and them’s sh*t alone. That’s when I was introduced to Ice Cube. He was the God of rap to me.

St. James: Real talk!! He was my favorite back in the day real talk!

RR: Ice Cube, I didn’t care about whoever. When N.W.A. went against Ice Cube, I was like “F*ck N.W.A., Eazy-E (R.I.P.), f*ck’em”. Because I felt that connection with Cube. He’s probably the one artist who has influenced my style the most. That straightforward hard sh*t. Because to me like “Amerikkka’s Most Wanted” was like the hardest album ever!

SJ: Hey, Kill At Will was that beast too though. Kill At Will was pretty hard.

RR: Kill At Will was super hard! It was just that Amerikkka’s Most Wanted…It did it for me.

SJ: (singing) Once upon time in the projects….

RR: When everybody said he was over with, N.W.A. dissing him 100 Miles and Runnin’, and he stood up like a muthaf*ckin boss!!! (starts singing a verse from Amerikkka’s Most Wanted)

SJ: LOL! That’s that sh*t!!

RR: I was like that’s what it is. I wanted to get money like Luke and rep Miami like Luke. But I said I want my style to be like Cube!

St. James: How did the disparity between Carol City and what is advertised as Miami (i.e. South Beach) affect you and those around you?

RR: Well Carol City was like the Compton of Miami you know what I’m saying? That’s why I most definitely felt that connection. They were like boy “Compton is the worst place in the world” and I was like sheeeeeeee-it…it can’t be worse than this! You know when we talk about the other side of the bridge, that’s what we are talking about. Liberty City, Overtown, Carol City. That’s the sh*t you see when you watch “The First 48 Hours”. You ever watch that show?

St. James: Yeah Yeah.

RR: Those are the parts of Miami that you see. Those types of things are happening. You know that’s where we grew up, that was our whole set. That’s why I felt that connection to the West Coast gangsta music. So that’s why the gangsta music comes from the Trick Daddy vibe, the Rick Ross, the d-boy talk. That’s what it is around here.

St. James: What’s the significance or symbolism behind your name Rick Ross?

RR: Everything that’s going on has something to do with it. But what is important was, when I first heard the name I was 18, and I didn’t hear it in a way where they were talking about the person. I was in a conversation where a lot names were mentioned and I kind of repeated it. Then I said “Boss” with the “Ross” and it just kind of stuck. I said it in a verse and some of my homeys just kept saying it, so it stuck since I was like 18. You know of course after the single came out the real Rick Ross and his background surfaced. Most definitely I salute him and that’s what it is.

St. James: You do a lot of charity in Miami, through Rick Ross Charities, Inc. What do you hope to show young inner city kids about succeeding out of an environment like that?

RR: Yeah what it is, we always had the worst image. I never had the best image my damn self. So when we are in the city you know, out and about, you know it’s not like we get money doing other things. We get money in the public so I definitely want to reach out and give back at the same time. So you know what it is. We just set up a little Hip Hop spot in Miami. It’s kind of a fake 40/40. The Hip Hop Grub Spot, it’s really for young kids and teenagers after school who want to get early schooling being a black, white, or Latin entrepreneur. Being in the music business. Being a DJ or Manager whatever. Mixtapes, video games and that type of stuff. Building record pools. But these are young teens though. It’s just being a structured school where kids can be a part of that.

St. James: Right to show kids there’s more to the business than being a rapper.

RR: Yeah yeah yeah! Most definitely. 9 out of 10 times you won’t be the rapper but you can still get money in this business. Instead of learning it when you are 25 we are showing them when they are 12 or 9th grade or whatever.

St. James: I’m from VA and I just want to say my heart goes out to Miami and the family of Sean Taylor. What is the city of Miami going through with this immense tragedy of a native son?

RR: Man that’s such an unfortunate event, and it goes to show you that tomorrow is never promised. You have to keep that pistol under that bed man. You have to take that charge. That’s what I’m kind of mad about, about the whole situation. You know he had to take a little heat for the past situation and he felt like he couldn’t have that in his possession. I mean someone come into my house? Sh*t I would’ve been fired 100 rounds through the walls and everything at you’re a**. You know what I mean? But you know it’s unfortunate, this dude laying here, his young child is there, his female is there and he’s trying to defend them you know? He lost his life behind that. It’s senseless violence, I’m pretty sure they are going to find out who the suspect is. I’m pretty sure they are going to catch him but you know…that man is dead and gone. He lost his life.

St. James: I know man….it’s just beyond words dude.

RR: You know he had the previous charges and whatever and he couldn’t have one. That’s just it though, you got to protect your life and your family. Anybody out here reading this…I’m sorry that’s just my stance on it. The whole thing too is the kids you know? Do it for the kids. The kid could’ve gotten hurt in the situation too you never know. It’s just a blessing things did not turn out worse.

St. James: She (Sean Taylor’s 18 month old daughter) was reported as being present.

RR: That’s what I’m telling you. Dudes don’t usually leave witnesses you know. So God is good in that respect but we just wish his family the best you know? It’s really sad.

St. James: Tell the people something they don’t know about Rick Ross.

RR: Ya’ll already know man. Ricky Ross man. I’m just keeping it regular you feel me? The streets, the hood, the movement. Any artists out there, any producers…get at your boy. Trilla 305.

Prodigy Release H.N.I.C. Part 2 in over 1,400 Languages

Prodigy Announces the Release of New Solo Album Titled H.N.I.C. Part 2 on Voxonic Music.   Album to be released in multiple languages using Voxonic’s ‘Voice Conversion’ technology   NEW YORK (December 25, 2007) – Prodigy, one half of the hip-hop’s legendary platinum selling duo, Mobb Deep, announced the domestic release of his second solo album, H.N.I.C. Part 2, to be released world-wide on Voxonic Music in partnership with AAO Music/Reality in March 2008. The announcement comes at a bittersweet time as Prodigy is preparing to start serving a 3 ½ year bid which begins early January 2008. “Throughout my life, I have always lived through adversity.  I’m a survivor. You don’t understand the mental power that I have.” While I’m locked up, I’m going to be writing lyrics, working on the script for my second feature film, Dope, and finish writing an autobiography of my life which will be finished by the time I’m released.  My mind is going to be focused and I’ll have time to think and map out my entire plan. The experience will make me a tougher, stronger person.  I’m gonna work on getting out faster, so I can get back to doing what I do best.  When I get home, it’s gonna be on!” The new album released by Voxonic Music will be Prodigy’s second official solo album.  H.N.I.C. Part 2 returns “P” to the more edgy real life street tales that have been Mobb Deep’s signature for nearly a decade.   Alchemist and Havoc will produce a bulk of the album along with several other hot up-n-coming producers.  For the first time ever, hip-hop fans around the world will get to soak in the provocative thoughts of Prodigy, one of hip-hop’s most prolific lyricists. Through the Voxonic technology, fans in other countries will be able to hear Prodigy’s H.N.I.C. Part 2 in his own voice converted with 99% accuracy into different languages including Spanish, French, and German. Voxonic Music, the recording home of international reggae star, Ky-Mani Marley, has trademarked an exciting new technology.   “I’ll be the first hip hop artist to release a record that’s converted into foreign languages using the Voxonic voice conversion technology. The technology they use is a great opportunity for me to keep supplying my fans around the world with music to hold them down while I’m away,” states Prodigy. “I want to thank Fred and Arie Deutsch of Voxonic for believing in me and recognizing the wide appeal my music carries.”  Arie Deutsch, President of Voxonic Music and Voxonic, Inc. states “Voxonic is excited to work with an artist the caliber of Prodigy.  Our technology will allow Prodigy to market himself with unconventional methods no other hip-hop star is currently using.  H.N.I.C. Part 2 will be a great way to demonstrate the international influence of Hip Hop and how Voxonic’s technology can help bridge the communication gap for artists and their fans.” VOXONIC MUSIC & AAO Music /Reality will embark on an aggressive online and grassroots campaign to promote the project. “AAO Music is known for our creative and unique marketing campaigns,” states Peter Kuys, Chairman of AAO Music.   Kuys further says “We welcome the opportunity to work with Prodigy and challenge the traditional marketing ideas.” A unique web site has been created at www.hnic2.com through which Prodigy will be able to blog with fans using the Voxonic technology.  A world premiere of the controversial video for the first single, “ABC,” can be viewed online at www.hnic2.com along with an exclusive interview with New York HOT 97 Radio personality, Angie Martinez.  In this insightful interview Prodigy reveals his thoughts about the recent conviction and his impending sentence.  To view visit  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aR2FQ5PaAe4. ######### About Voxonic Inc. Voxonic Music, a full fledged record label and division of New York-based Voxonic Inc. has developed some of the most innovative software since windows revolutionized the computer industry in the early nineties.  This exciting technology is able to convert any person’s voice into any known language in the world. The applications are endless streaming from international business, politics, music, entertainment and the video game industry.   About AAO Reality Music, Inc. 2004 marked the launch of a new music label named REALITY.  REALITY was born out of a concept that music can, and should be made, for the sake of artistry and the love of music. Our concept cuts out much of the excessive glitz, glamour and expense and brings to market great music from talented, proven recording stars that is valued priced. REALITY artists are some of the most influential and successful artists in the world.  The REALITY label is founded on the premise of a direct relationship between the artist and the retail stores. This translates to more aggressive pricing, better in stock positions and more artist meet & greets which ultimately benefit the music buying customer.

In addition to Prodigy’s official site www.hnic.com, below are a few useful links: Grand Introduction is where he talks about the night of his arrest and the charge.http://www.hnic2.com/profiles/blog/show?id=1622086%3ABlogPost%3A802 Here’s Prodigy’s bio in his own words…http://www.hnic2.com/profiles/blog/show?id=1622086%3ABlogPost%3A1336 Here’s a recent interview he did with New York HOT 97 personality, Angie Martinez where he talks about his most recent charge. – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aR2FQ5PaAe4

Britney Spears Sister is Pregnant-Should We Blame Hip Hop?

 

Britney Spears Sister is Pregnant… Should We Blame Hip Hop?
By Davey D

So yesterday word came down that Britney Spear’s little sister Jamie Lynne is pregnant at age 16. Yep, the little sis who is a frequently trotted out as a role model on the Nickalodean channel. This comes at the heals of her mom getting ready to drop a book on parenting. How ironic is that?

I’m not gonna take any sort of glee in that. Teenagers getting pregnant has been going on since human beings showed up on the face of the earth. It happens. I’m just wondering what will happen in the aftermath. For example will conservatives trot Lynne Spears out and give her major kudos for NOT getting an abortion? Or will they pound their chests and say this is the result of not teaching enough abstinence? I’m asking this because Lynn who lives in the Bible belt comes from a place where teaching abstinence is mandatory… maybe that course of action ain’t working.

I do know that we are already hearing praises being heaped upon her for ‘being responsible’ and keeping the child. We rarely hear those praises for young Black and Brown mothers who have kids at a young age. We look at them and say the country is in crises. But let me not digress.

I wonder if that Fox News flunkie Jason Whitlock will be dragged out and made to pen a ‘compelling’ column where he somehow blames Hip Hop for this atrocity? Did Lynn get pregnant because her older sister recently did a song with Lil Wayne? Or because she was produced by Timberland? Or because they watched too many rap videos? If Whitlock doesn’t do it because he usually smashes on his own people maybe Bill O’Reilly or Sean Hannity will take up the mantle? They’ll praise Jamie Lynn for being responsible but then find a way to blame Hip Hop…

I bring this up not to be far reaching or to just blow smoke, but to bring attention to the really serious aspect to this situation-Jamie Lynn’s boyfriend-Casey Aldridge. He’s 19 years old. Now I know many of you who are reading this will say what’s the big deal? Teenagers are teenagers? In a sexually charged environment should we not be surprised that folks get together?

Well lets keep this in mind several years ago a young man who was an honor student and home coming king by the name of Genarlow Wilson was sentenced to 10 years in prison for having oral sex with his 15 year old girl friend. Wilson was 17 at the time. His sentence was recently overturned, but not after he had to under go the horrors of being in the state pen for a few years. Will the heavy hand of the law come down on Jamie Lynn’s boyfriend? Isn’t it against the law to have sex with a minor? Here in the Bay Area about 10-11 years ago, rap star Ray Luv spent a year in jail after it was discovered thathe got with a 16 year old while he was 19 and we are liberal as hell. What’s gonna happen to this Casey guy? It’s interesting to note that many of the news agencies aren’t stating his age. Instead they are sugar coating things by saying things like ‘long time boyfriend‘ and ‘boyfriend who she met in church‘…. mmmmmm thats the sort of thing that makes you wonder. Lets keep an eye on this one folks…

====================================================

Why Bill Oreilly & Sean Hannity Are Punks

Not That I’m a big fan of the Democrats.. This is worth reading…

Davey D

It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.

- J. Krishnamurti

********************************************

Human society is passing through a crisis … The economic anarchy of capitalist society as it exists today is, in my opinion, the real source of the evil… The result of…[the concentration of private capital in a few hands] is an oligarchy of private capital the enormous power of which cannot be checked even by a democratically organised political society.

- Albert Einstein, 1949

*********************************************

This is really an eye-opener

Democrats:

Richard Gephardt: Air National Guard, 1965-71.

David Bonior: Staff Sgt., Air Force 1968-72.

Tom Daschle: 1st Lt., Air Force SAC 1969-72.

Al Gore: enlisted Aug. 1969; sent to Vietnam Jan. 1971 as an army journalist in 20th Engineer Brigade.

Bob Kerrey: Lt. j.g. Navy 1966-69; Medal of Honor-Vietnam.

Daniel Inouye: Army 1943-47; Medal of Honor, WWII.

John Kerry: Lt., Navy 1966-70; Silver Star, Bronze Star with Combat V,Purple Hearts.

Charles Rangel: Staff Sgt., Army 1948-52; Bronze Star, Korea.

Max Cleland: Captain, Army 1965-68; Silver Star & Bronze Star, Vietnam. Paraplegic from war injuries. Served in Congress.

Ted Kennedy: Army, 1951-53.

Tom Harkin: Lt., Navy, 1962-67; Naval Reserve,1968-74.

Jack Reed: Army Ranger, 1971-1979; Captain, Army Reserve 1979-91.

Fritz Hollings: Army officer in WWII; Bronze Star and seven campaign ribbons.

Leonard Boswell: Lt. Col., Army 1956-76; Vietnam, DFCs, Bronze Stars,and Soldier’s Medal.

Pete Peterson: Air Force Captain, POW. Purple Heart, Silver Star and Legion of Merit.

Mike Thompson: Staff sergeant, 173rd Airborne,Purple Heart.

Bill McBride: Candidate for Fla. Governor. Marine in Vietnam; Bronze Star with Combat V.

Gray Davis: Army Captain in Vietnam, Bronze Star.

Pete Stark: Air Force 1955-57

Chuck Robb: Vietnam

Howell Heflin: Silver Star

George McGovern: Silver Star & DFC during WWII.

Bill Clinton: Did not serve. Student deferments. Entered draft but received #311.

Jimmy Carter: Seven years in the Navy.

Walter Mondale: Army 1951-1953

John Glenn: WWII and Korea; six DFCs and Air Medal with 18 Clusters.

Tom Lantos: Served in Hungarian underground in WWII. Saved by Raoul Wallenberg.

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Republicans -(and these are the guys sending people to war-what makes them especially bad is that none of their kids serve either.. Talk about pimpin’ these guys have been wrapping themselves around the war flag without ever taking a blow. Only an fool would fight for people like these guys. I am especially disappointed in all those who serve and still continue to vote for a body of people who routinely make budget cuts for vital resources needed by veterans. How many homeless vets do we see on our streets? hell I brought someone some food the other night because these idiots who are listed below talk a good game but aren’t willing to back it up… The guy pictured above (Dick ‘Bitch Ass’ Cheney) as well as ‘America’s Mayor’ (Rudy G) who brought terror to Black and Brown people in New York never even volunteered )

Dick Cheney: did not serve. Several deferments, the last by marriage.

Dennis Hastert: did not serve.

Tom Delay: did not serve.

Roy Blunt: did not serve.

Bill Frist: did not serve.

Mitch McConnell: did not serve.

Rick Santorum: did not serve.

Trent Lott: did not serve.

John Ashcroft: did not serve. Seven deferments to teach business

Jeb Bush: did not serve.

Karl Rove: did not serve.

Saxby Chambliss: did not serve. “Bad knee.” The man who attacked Max Cleland’s patriotism.

Paul Wolfowitz: did not serve.

Vin Weber: did not serve.

Richard Perle: did not serve.

Douglas Feith: did not serve.

Eliot Abrams: did not serve.

Richard Shelby: did not serve.

Jon Kyl: did not serve.

Tim Hutchison: did not serve.

Christopher Cox: did not serve.

Newt Gingrich: did not serve.

Don Rumsfeld: served in Navy (1954-57) as flight instructor.

George W. Bush: failed to complete his six-year National Guard; got

assigned to Alabama so he could campaign for family friend running for U.S.

Senate; failed to show up for required medical exam,disappeared from duty.

Ronald Reagan: due to poor eyesight, served in a non-combat role making movies.

B-1 Bob Dornan: Consciously enlisted after fighting was over in Korea.

Phil Gramm: did not serve.

John McCain: Vietnam POW, Silver Star, Bronze Star,Legion of Merit,

Purple Heart and Distinguished Flying Cross.

Dana Rohrabacher: did not serve.

John M. McHugh: did not serve.

JC Watts: did not serve.

Jack Kemp: did not serve. “Knee problem, ” although continued in NFL for 8 years as quarterback.

Dan Quayle: Journalism unit of the Indiana National Guard.

Rudy Giuliani: did not serve.

George Pataki: did not serve.

Spencer Abraham: did not serve.

John Engler: did not serve.

Lindsey Graham: National Guard lawyer.

Arnold Schwarzenegger: AWOL from Austrian army base.

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Punkass Pundits & Preachers (these are the guys who talk the most shit… Next time you see them keep them in mind as folks who do a lot of talking but won’t back it up with their own actions.. They are the worst type un-patriotic scum of the earth..What makes these idiots so bad is that they are constantly calling other people’s patriotism into question… Take special note of some of these cats on the list especially the sexual pervert who picture I put up… Fair and Balanced?? I think not.. How about Unfair and Scared as hell!

Sean Hannity: did not serve.

Rush Limbaugh: did not serve (4-F with a ‘pilonidal cyst.’ i.e boil on his ass)

Bill O’Reilly: did not serve.

Michael Savage: did not serve.

George Will: did not serve.

Chris Matthews: did not serve.

Paul Gigot: did not serve.

Bill Bennett: did not serve.

Pat Buchanan: did not serve.

John Wayne: did not serve.

Bill Kristol: did not serve.

Kenneth Starr: did not serve.

Antonin Scalia: did not serve.

Clarence Thomas: did not serve.

Ralph Reed: did not serve.

Michael Medved: did not serve.

Charlie Daniels: did not serve.

Ted Nugent: did not serve. (He only shoots at things that don’t shoot back.)

Please keep this information circulating.. spread the word and refer to these people as busta ass marks…

Breakdown FM: The Origins & Evolution of the Hip Hop Police

 

http://odeo.com/audio/17383333/view pt1

http://odeo.com/audio/17383413/view pt2

http://odeo.com/audio/17433053/view pt3

The Origins and Evolution of the Hip Hop Police

By Davey D

Many people have long believed the first Hip Hop cop came out of New York City and recently arrived on the scene sometime after 9-11.Much of this is centered on the Hip Hop’s infamous Hip Hop task force whose existence was initially denied by law enforcement but later discovered to be run by former NYPD detective Derek Parker. Things really hit the fan so to speak when it was discovered that this NYPD task force had amassed a 500 page dossier that detailed the comings and goings and other sensitive detail of some of Hip Hop’s biggest stars. Parker and his task force have since been the subject of several high profile news stories, a documentary and a book he authored.

However, long before Parker and the Hip Hop Task Force came along I was aware of another Hip Hop cop whose name was shrouded in mystery but he was known among law enforcement as the go to guy when it came to dealing with gangster rap. His name is Ron Stallworth and he came straight outta Salt Lake City, Utah. In my mind he is Hip Hop’s first cop and he is the author of 4 books including; 1)Gangster Rap: Music, Culture & Politics, 2)Significant Developments in Gangster Rap Music Since the Rodney King Uprising, 3)Bringin’ The Noise–Gangster Rap/Reality Rap in the Dynamics of Black Revolution, and 4)Real Niggas: Gang Bangin’ To The Gangsta Boogie in AmeriKKKa.

If that’s not enough Stallworth has testified before Congress and the Senate Judiciary Committee where he submitted some very compelling papers. Currently he is retired but still lectures to law enforcement communities around the country about Hip Hop.

A Brief History of Blacks Being Surveilled

Now before we move on lets look at rappers being watched by the police and put things in some sort of historical perspective. This means that we have to go back to dates and times that predate Hip Hop.

Organized and institutionalized surveillance of the Black community, Black organizations and Black men in particular has been around ever since we were dragged here from the shores of Africa in chains and made slaves. Whether it was the threat and fear of revolting slaves on the plantation or freedom fighters like Marcus Garvey, Martin Luther King, the Black Panthers or Malcolm X revolting against the system in more contemporary times, Black folks who chose to stand up and take on ‘the system’ have always been watched by those in power.

As KRS-One eloquently put it in his song ‘Sound of the Police‘, once upon a time we had overseers watching the Black slaves on the plantation. Today that overseer has turned into the officer who is now charged with watching over Black folks in the hood.

For those who think this is exaggeration, all you have to do is look to the ‘hey day’ of the Civil Rights and Black Power Movements in the 60s and 70s where you’ll find the enactment of the FBI concocted a program called COINTEL-Pro.Then FBI director J Edgar Hoover felt that many of the freedom fighting organizations like SNCC, The SCLC, the Black Muslims and the Black Panthers were a threat to national security and thus needed to be infiltrated and monitored In fact at one point some of these groups were labeled terrorists.

The leaders of these groups sparked a deep seeded fear in Hoover who stated that it was important that the US government contain militant groups and watch out for the rise of a Black messiah. The FBI used all sorts of tactics to disrupt the unity and organizing efforts these groups attempted to forge. The FBI became really concerned when these groups and leaders reached out and attempted to form bridges with urban street gangs or in the case of King and Malcolm X attempted to reach out and identify with freedom fighters on the international stage.

The Cointel-pro program was supposedly dismantled in the 70s as the Black Panthers and other Black Power organizations were dismantled, neutralized or outright destroyed but many believed surveillance of Black leaders and groups still continued in some form or fashion-under another name.

With respect to Hip Hop, law enforcement definitely had its scope locked on folks because Hip Hop emerged from gang culture. Under the guise of restoring ‘law and order’ and maintaining public safety many of the large street gangs coast to coast that came up in the aftermath of the Panthers demise found themselves at war with law enforcement. In New York City gangs like the Black Spades where a young Hip Hop pioneer Afrika Bambaataa served as a war lord were definitely being watched.

Bam confirmed this in a recent interview when he noted that back in the pioneering days as gang culture was giving way to Hip Hop; the NYPD had a ruthless anti-gang squad called the Purple Hearts who would routinely come out and harass and shoot gang members. He noted things really got out of hand when some of those gangs including his Black Spades surrounded the police station and physically confronted police to protest the brutality. Bam also noted that although the gangs were essentially outlaws, they were still influenced by the Black Panthers and that willingness to stand up for Black Power was reflected in the rebellious spirit of the gangs. So in a nutshell if Cointel-pro was designed to destroy the Panthers it didn’t succeed in killing the spirit.

In the early 70s the Black Spades under the leadership of a politicized Bambaataa began to change their ways and became the Organization. The Organization later morphed into the Mighty Zulu Nation with the emergence of Hip Hop culture as a backdrop. The Zulus who took their name from the South African tribe that fought against Dutch Rule in South Africa, went on to become Hip Hop’s earliest and now oldest organization. Although it took a long time and many meetings, Bam’s goal was to get some of the rough and rugged gang members to turn a new leaf and start cleaning up the projects and become a international organization. With all this in mind, it would be naïve to think that law enforcement surveillance suddenly stopped because people were not actively gang banging.

If anything more surveillance was likely to befall groups like Zulu Nation because they were politicizing the gangs. Many speculate it was this sort of politicizing activity that led to the assassination of former Black Panther leader Fred Hampton in Chicago who was trying to link the Black Panthers with Chicago street gangs like the Black Stone Rangers and the Black Disciples. We now know that he and the panthers in Chicago were constantly being watched.

If we chronicle some of the biggest street movements within Hip Hop you’ll find that it wasn’t too far removed from the street gangs. You can look at the new era of Hip Hop ushered in by acts like Eric B and Rakim when they dropped their Paid in Full Album and see right there on the back of their album cover the notorious Fort Greene Crew which included legendary stick up kids like the original 50 Cent. You don’t think the police weren’t keeping an eye and ear out on those guys?

If we fast forward into the so called Golden era of Hip Hop in the late 80s and early 90s when groups like Public Enemy, X-Clan and Brand Nubian hit the scene when can again see that important connection to the streets, gangs and organizing. And yes, there is no doubt that these groups were being watched. It may have come in the form of the 98 Posse and Nation of Islam with groups like Public Enemy, the 5% Nation with groups like Brand Nubian or Poor Righteous Teachers or Blackwatch with X-Clan. On the west coast you had groups like N.W.A. and Ice T who helped introduce the world to Southern Cali’s gang culture which included the Bloods and Crips. We also can’t forget the 1992 Rodney King Uprisings where Hip Hop was a main catalyst in helping spark the gang truces. It is on this west coast connection where Ron Stallworth comes in..

His books were written when gangsta rap first started to come out of Los Angeles and LA gang culture began to makes its way to Utah in the late 80s and early 90s. He continued to update his findings till the day he retired two years ago. His books are department issued self-publications which have been read widely by his fellow officers. They are extremely thorough, very detailed and have a keen political analysis that would actually shock most people outside of law enforcement because of some of the positions and conclusions Stallworth takes.

In addition to breaking down the lyrics, street culture and gang connections behind the songs and groups Stallworth and is Utah based unit (Department of Public Safety) kept tabs on, his books gave prophetic warnings as to what would likely happen if certain suppression based policies and practices weren’t changed or completely eradicated. Stallworth felt that it was important his fellow officers had a clear understanding of the socio-economic and political conditions that gave rise to some of the material put out by so called gangsta rappers and Afro-centric socially conscious rappers. He let his fellow officers know why some of the rap songs being put out advocated for harm and outright killing of police. In a recent interview Stallworth noted that some of his analyses did not always fit well with his brethren, but he vowed to remain objective and speak the truth.

I first became aware of Stallworth’s existence back in 93-94 when I sat on a Hip Hop panel at Laney College in Oakland alongside an Oakland police officer who was also on the panel. This particular officer happened to have a copy of his first book ‘Gangster Rap: Music, Culture & Politics‘ He let me look at the book for a few minutes and as I thumbed through the pages I was blown away by the amount of detail it had on popular gangsta rap acts at the time like Eazy E and NWA, DJ Quik, Ice T and others. When I say detail, I mean it would mention the artists and note his gang affiliation and had lyrics to his songs with explanations as to what the artists was saying and what he was really meant. At that time I had not seen any book out like that…

Just as I was starting to really get drawn into things the panel started and the officer told me I could no longer look at the book because it was just for officers in the Oakland police department. I asked him where he got the book and he became real vague. He said the book wasn’t available for the public and that it was just for police officers and that the guy who wrote it was a Sergeant out of Utah. He told me the guys name was Ron ‘Shuttlesworth’ and told me to look him up on the Utah police department.

Now, here’s a few things that were running through my mind at that time. First I kept asking myself, who in the world would ever think a police officer from Utah would be up on gangsta rap? Second, it blew me away while at the same time it left me impressed that OPD had such in depth details about rap. The author of this book from what I read seemed to know a hell of a lot more than most people who were in the industry itself. Over the years I would tell people to be aware that OPD had some sort of book detailing all the rappers and that folks needed to be aware and careful about the things they said and did.

Lastly I never was able to get a hold of Sergeant ‘Shuttlesworth’ because years later I discovered the Oakland police officer had given me the wrong name and telephone number. Over the years, I tried in vain to track down this book with no luck. Every time I would ask officers who were guest on my radio shows about this book on gangsta rap, they would look at me and say they didn’t know what I was talking about. It became a running joke of sorts because usually when I had Oakland officers on to talk about some sort of topic connected Hip Hop they would display a great deal of knowledge about the genre and I would always comment that it was because of Stallworth’s book. They would in turn always emphatically deny having these books. I even asked former Oakland Police Chief Richard Ward about the books and he too denied their existence.

It got to a point where I had so many officers look me in the eye and say there was no such book on gangsta rap, that I began to wonder if I had actually seen the book.

I finally got confirmation about three or four years ago when my old DJ partner started working for the sheriff department. He saw the book and told me that there were updated versions of what I had read and they were pretty detailed. He went on to add that he could not bring them to me because they were only for the police department and as a rookie officer he did not wanna risk getting in trouble.

I felt somewhat vindicated, but it wasn’t until I read an article on the AP wire about Stallworth retiring from the Utah police force that I felt completely vindicated.

His name came up in the most usual way. You see about 30 years ago Stallworth made a name for himself by infiltrating the Ku Klux Klan in Colorado Springs.

That in itself is a crazy story. How in the world did a brown skin Black man infiltrate the Klan? What’s even more bugged is that Stallworth was so good at his job that he was even offered the position of Klan chapter leader. His Klan membership card was issued by to him personally by KKK leader David Duke whom he once bodyguard. His incredible police work led to the eventual dismissal of Klan members who had joined the United States Army with a couple of members actually working at NORAD. (North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).

This is a story that is so unbelievable that in many ways eclipses Stallworth’s work in Hip Hop. In fact it was at the end of this article of him joining the Klan that there was a one line sentence stating that Stallworth was an expert in gangsta rap. Hours after I posted a blog running down my long search for Stallworth that I got an email and eventual phone call from him where he gave me the run down of what led him to becoming an expert on gangsta rap. We eventually connected face to face and did this incredible interview

In part 1 of our Breakdown FM Interview we talked with Stallworth about his adventures with the KKK and how after 27 years David Duke is just finding out he had been duped. What’s even crazier is that on the back of the KKK membership card which Stallworth is shown holding in the photo above the first rule that all Klansmen are obliged to follow is to -Never talk to undercover cops… It looks like David Duke violated his own rules. Maybe he needs to be kicked out.

Breakdown Interview Evolution of the Hip Hop Police pt2

In our interview explained that he had no intention to become any sort of expert or to keep tabs on rappers. He’s an old school type of cat who was working in Utah department of Public Safety.

One of the things this department was charged with doing was engaging the youth gangs. In the late 80s and early 90s Stallworth noted that many of the white Mormon kids started to associate themselves with Crip and Blood culture out of South Central LA and Compton and thus formed gangs. This sort of attachment puzzled Stallworth who eventually made trips to Los Angeles and teamed up with gang task force leaders to see first hand how gangs were operating and how and why they had such a hold on white kids in Utah. He eventually discovered that gangster rap via groups like NWA is how these white Mormon kids were getting their leads and cues. They were fascinated with what they concluded was ‘black culture’.

Out of necessity Stallworth had to become an expert in this new subgenre of Hip Hop. The rest they say is history. Stallworth felt it was important to truly understand the culture of He then began to see how police misconduct had fueled a lot of the rage being expressed in the songs. This led to Stallworth writing a ten page paper which contained his conclusions and observations became the basis for his first book.

In this interview Stallworth breaks down the methods he used to gather intelligence. He said it was all about connecting the dots and that ironically many of the rappers themselves through their lyrics and album covers which showed graffiti, street signs and other key indicators provided all the information he and other law enforcement officials needed to paint a picture.

He talks about how the biggest challenge he faced was explaining to other officers the perspective of the rappers and how and why law enforcement needed to change some of their approaches. He wanted the police to study the artists, and find common ground which he felt could lead to better relationships in the community.

He admitted that many officers were invested in maintaining a negative outlook and too often over reacted to situations that could best be diffused with better understanding. In our interview Stallworth referenced a situation in Detroit involving NWA where plain clothes officers rushed the stage after the group attempted to perform the song ‘Fuck tha Police’.

In order for Stallworth to maintain what he saw as an objective outlook he would write the books that was issued to the department on his own time and publish them with his own money and resources.

During our interview we discussed the history of surveillance in the Black community in particular Cointel-Pro. Stallworth explained in great detail how and why what he was doing was not the same as Hoover. First and foremost he felt Hoover crossed the line and violated the constitution. In fact he noted that Hoover needed to be jailed. With respect to his operation, he basically listened to the material put out by the artists and then cross referenced things with police resources. In other words if a rapper said he was down with gang, then Stallworth would check that out and see if it was true or not. If an artist took a picture of a street sign and put it on his album cover, he would check it out and see what the deeper significance behind it. In short many rappers were telling on themselves.

Breakdown Interview Evolution of the Hip Hop Police pt3

We conclude our three part conversation with retired Sergeant Ron Stallworth. Here we talk about the 4 books he’s written on Hip Hop and Gangsta Rap. We pay particular attention to the book he wrote on Hip Hop activism.

He spoke about the things he saw and heard within Hip Hop that predicted what would eventually take place during the Rodney King rebellion in 1992.

Stallworth noted that today rap music has been neutralized and has lost a lot of its urgent message. He says today kids are all about making money and that’s clearly reflected in many of the songs that are commercially viable. Says we live in a time when people want to escape poverty.

We spoke about the Stop Snitching Movement. He personally finds it disgraceful; however he understands the sentiments behind it. He says people in the community are getting the wrong message when they are being asked to tell while Congressmen remain silent when they are asked to speak out.

We talked about studio gangsters. Stallworth said there are a number of rappers who say lots of things in records that don’t add up when he checked them out. He cited Snoop Dogg and Ice T are glaring examples. He also talked about the 2Pac case and Suge Knight. He said if he was running the investigation into Pac’s killing he would start with Suge. He then talked about the Death Row organization and it being a unique in the sense that it was represented by both Bloods and Crips.

Lastly we talked about the music industry and the role that street gangs played and how they are perceived by law enforcement versus traditional organized crime like the Mafia. We talked about how and why the street gangs came under surveillance and why we don’t hear as much about the mob.

Darryl “DMC” McDaniels gets a kick out of taking 140 NYC foster children to Radio City for the Christmas Show.

Darryl “DMC” McDaniels, co-founder of THE FELIX ORGANIZATION / Adoptees for Children gets a kick out of taking 140 NYC foster children to Radio City for the Christmas Show. Darryl of Run DMC fame (far right) joins Shana Rahman (far left), Jessica Colon (second from left), Naquan Samuels (second from right) and Nasia Stapleton (far right) in front of Radio City Hall.  Enjoying the Rockettes and making holiday memories was made possible by the generous donation of tickets and souvenirs by Sam and Carol Nappi. THE FELIX ORGANIZATION/Adoptees for Children provides opportunities and new experiences that will enrich the lives of children growing up without parents.  As an adoptee, Darryl recognizes his fortune to be raised by a loving family and in founding THE FELIX ORGANIZATION said, “we got taken home – we want to give to those children who didn’t get taken home.”

Dropping Serious Gems-Ani vs KRS-One: The Lost Interview

Ani vs. KRS-ONE: The Lost Interview

by ani yapundzhyan

My KRS-ONE plates got stolen at an Afrika Bambaataa show. When I bought my brand new Honda Civic at age 18, I was more excited about getting my customized KRS-ONE license plates than I was about the actual car itself.

I thought those plates would be my and Hip Hop’s little secret. I initially expected a few hardcore heads to know what was up, but never did I imagine the impact that those plates, and thus the man himself, would have on people.

In the three years that I drove the KRS mobile around, before I got carjacked at that Bam party, I got stopped hundreds of times on the street by fans-and never have I seen such a diverse group of people so passionately express their appreciation for an artist.

Latinos, blacks, white people, old and young, would pull me over every day and shout out from their windows, “I love KRS-ONE, that is so cool!”

His impact on society was made obvious to me one day when an old Cadillac convertible with two blondie surfers inside, armed with their boards, motioned for me to roll my window down and the girl actually stood up in the car and screamed to me, “Oh my god, he’s my favorite rapper!”

‘Oh my God, he’s my favorite rapper.’

Word?

I was astounded. I realized, gleefully, that the ‘underground emcee’ known as KRS-ONE had gone far beyond the realms of Hip Hop; his music, his philosophies and his ideals had engulfed mainstream America, and even more amazing, America understood him.

All this without mainstream marketing and promotion.

His constant (and rightful) criticism of American society and his keen understanding of the impact of speech has me thinking that KRS-ONE is the Noam Chomsky of the Hip Hop culture.

Chomsky is one of the ten most-quoted writers of all time, just behind Plato and Freud as the 8th most intellectual luminary of all eras. At age 79, he is a self-proclaimed anarchist and one of the world’s leading linguistics experts.

This year KRS-ONE celebrates Boogie Down Productions‘ 20th anniversary as a true OG in the game. Whether it be his early recordings as an originator of gangsta rap where he outlined the problems of his community, or his later recordings as ‘Tha Teacha’ where he went on to address the problems of society-and Hip Hop-on a larger scheme, KRS-ONE has spit some of the most intellectual and important verses in Hip Hop history.

“You Must Learn” is a quote made famous by KRS, and it is the essential message that Noam Chomsky has been spreading for decades and decades.

Perhaps the most similar characteristic between the two intellectuals is their understanding of linguistics. KRS-ONE comprehends the fact that as an emcee, it is not just what you say that matters, but how you say it: the tone of your voice, the pace of your speech, the velocity. And like Chomsky, KRS knows that speech patterns are a tool of control.

Conversing with KRS and his emcee friend Triune, I get right down to it and ask him why there is so much structure in the American education system.

“‘Cause they want to control you,” KRS responds immediately, “Structure is Powa, and they want you to stay in the boundaries of their powerfulness and your powerlessness.”

He takes on a very low, comforting tone, “Be an idiot for me, I need you to be an idiot. I need you to be my slave right now.” KRS looks me deep in the eyes, which is his hint that I need to be paying sharp attention to his words, “If you ask somebody politely to be your slave, they’ll just be your slave. If you keep saying it politely, ‘thank you, I can’t live without you, you’re my best slave’, I’ll bet they’ll just be like, ‘awww’.”

Triune jumps in, “Will they give you a slavery certificate when you graduate?”

KRS laughs, “I’ll give you Master’s degree!”

Triune: “You are a master slave!”

KRS: “I’ll give you Master’s degree.”

“It’s all vibration,” KRS explains, “Word combinations give your thing value or decrease your value.”

It is in this ironic way that KRS gets his points across. “Today’s American education is training the student for the job market, and the job market basically leads to nowhere,” he continues, “We’re being bred more accurately, for the job market. I wish there was real job training going on in the colleges and universities. We’re being bred to take decisions, we’re being bred to not think, to obey, follow the rules. But you can get out, because the whole system is fake: that’s the freedom.” He points across the room, “If all of this is a fraud, then you’re free.”

I mention that his philosophy sounds very Eastern and Buddhist.

“No doubt its Eastern,” KRS agrees, “but its also the effects of an uninstatutionalized mind, if I may be very Zen. Nonetheless, this is how you get out: by realizing that college is not the end-all-be-all. That’s the trap, to believe in the authority of college over your awareness, over your education.”

I immediately feel proud to be a college dropout, somehow it means more when KRS speaks of it than say, Kanye. I begin to realize that maybe my dropping out is not such a big coincidence, considering I grew up on the man’s music.

I mention that college is a privilege. “Knowledge is a privilege,” KRS adds, “This is the truth: quit school and become a dj. You know of anybody who would say that? I quit school in the ninth grade, I studied in the public library, now I teach at Harvard at least three times a year. This Hip Hop shit is crazy. This whole thing is corrupt, you can educate yourself. The human mind is intelligent at birth. Can we really talk like that on Oprah? She’d be like, ‘you mean drop out? Get off the couch.’”

There is a certain word that keeps popping up in our interview. When I ask him why gangsta rap gets blamed for highly-publicized acts of violence in this country, instead of the marines or the army who breed killers every day, the first word out of KRS’ mouth is “Denial.”

“America’s number one disease is denial,” KRS emphasizes, “we’re all suffering from it. 32 people just got killed [in the Virginia Tech shootings] and they’re not blaming that on rock music or skateboarding or whatever he’s into. Whatever the school’s into, they’re not blaming it on that. ‘He was just a strange guy killer.’

The same reason that’s going on,” he continues, “that’s the same reason black people are shocked at Imus. Denial. Imus comes out, he speaks his mind, ‘Nappy headed hoes!’, he loses his job. But Stephen Hill, the program director at BET-a black man, by the way-programs that station to influence Imus’ statement everyday on television, keeps his job…in fact, he gets a raise. We. Livin’. In. Denial. We don’t want the truth. We want our emotions caressed.”

If a society as a whole would rather have ‘emotional caressing’ than truth, then we can’t be mad when programs such as “Fox News” are established, to give the population unfair and biased information that only confirms their ignorant views.

“Fox News is the CIA,” KRS says very seriously, “That’s government propaganda. Nazi Germany…but to even know that its bullshit is a privilege. Don’t’ give that privilege away so quickly.”

According to KRS, America is still not ready to look at 9/11, as the news media labeled him a terrorist and anarchist when he voiced his opinions after the attacks. “When they called me an anarchist on the evening news,” he recalls, “I was like, ‘Thank you, at least you got that part right.’ It’s better than being a part of this bullshit. Its better than being geared up and jumpin’ out of a tank in Iraq, that’s what its better than. ‘All I wanted to do was get a job and pay for somethin’ and now I’m busting a big gun…’ But we’re in denial. “Terrorists” killed over 5,000 people at 9/11. the act of killing those people makes them a terrorist. Mass murder makes them a terrorist. Bush lies about the war, its clear. How many are dead…you stopped counting.”

Me: You hear people complaining every day about the dead American soldiers (up to 3,000 now) who signed up on their own accord-

KRS: -to kill

Me: -but nobody complains about the fact that there are between 62,000 and 650,000 dead Iraqi civilians who had no choice in the matter. And the reason there is such a gap in the numbers is because Bush has made it illegal to count the Iraqi casualties, so no one knows for sure.

KRS: Oh yeah, of course, we’re not even gonna go there ’cause that’s straight barberism. And its denial. And this is why you cannot put your vote down on a system that refuses to correct itself. And rehabilitate itself. Fuck all these candidates, Barak Obama as well. Until these cats step to people like me and you…you had a rhyme (speaking to Triune)

Triune: Until Bush meets deep in my community, I’m hustling for mine until I get an opportunity.

KRS continues, “That sums up the whole of America. That sums up my America, the America that I live in. And I tell you, its denial.

You look at Mexicans for instance. White people are so terrified, (in a whisper) ‘Mexicans are comin’ across the border, oh God!’ (screams) ‘We’re gonna dieeeee!’ You already got Mexicans in your house…like what don’t Mexicans run in California? From the government to breakin’ into your house. This is my point, denial…

You know who made the streets? Who actually carved the streets, it’s the Mexican population that makes the streets, the actual sidewalk. you know what kind of skill you gotta have to carve a road? Man, if you got knowledge like I do, and some kind of experience where you know that’s Math. That’s math and motion that Mexicans seems to have in their blood.

Mexican spacial awareness without measurements is some fascinatin’ shit. But look, do Mexicans know it? Do they act like they’re special? See, we go back to that again. Will one or two Mexicans out of 20 step up and say ‘Nah man, fuck this, I come from a great civilization and I’m gonna do something with myself’? Same thing with whites, blacks, Asians. Our people are lost. Every single one of our people are lost. And you know what the shining light is? Hip Hop. That is it, man. I don’t see nothing else that’s uniting our people, lifting our people up. We have a 10.5-billion dollar culture.”

Me: But the majority of Hip Hop today is not uplifting. In your speeches, you’ve mentioned the “kids of 2020.” Where will their generation end up if they’re growing up on Young Jeezy, Lil’ and Wayne?

KRS: They’ll be exactly where you are. You grew up in a time similar to now [late '90's], it wasn’t as ignorant, but nonetheless the ‘Golden Age’ was ignorant too. We had all kind of stupidness going on in our culture, but somehow it’s your character, not the music, not the culture-forget Hip Hop right now for a second, hard for me to do- but who are you inside?

Some people gravitate toward robberies. They like robbing people, they get a thrill out of stealing. Some people get a thrill out of lyin’, they just like to lie. They don’t even have to, they just like to. Some people get a thrill out of God. Some people love knowledge, love wisdom. Some people love Love. No reason. You can’t judge, you can’t point a finger, because he’s a pimp and she’s a ho or vice versa, that’s what they chose to be with their being. But here’s who I am. Let me not get caught up in that, that’s not who I am.

I’ll put it this way: One Dead Prez to ten Young Jeezys. That’s what the ratio is though, but that’s the strength. For every one KRS, it will take ten Jeezys to match my One rhyme. One. One lyric with one sixteen-bar rhyme out of my mouth to a crowd, even his crowd. Thugs. He’ll be rhyming “Everybody ride up. Everybody g’d up.” KRS comes out, and be like, “Yo be a father to your child,” all G’s go like this (slumps down in his chair with a sheepish look on his face) “Yo man, let me go call my baby motha, man.”

Everybody gonna break down because the truth is what it is. A kid hungry in the street, a murderer understands that. A rapist understands that what he or she is doing is wrong. They understand it. And so you must have compassion, for those who jump out there and say, ‘ I’m killin’ everybody, I’m the crack cat on the block.’ We done seen Biggie already, Tupac done taught that lesson ten years ago, you don’t know? You don’t know that lesson already? Have mercy on their souls, don’t judge them or criticize them, they’re on their way to the cemetery. They’re on their way to prison. We’ve already seen it.

Me: A lot of times, people use the beat as a scapegoat to justify listening to wack shit. ‘I don’t like Puffy but I like his beats.’ Okay, in that case, why is it that artists such as Dead Prez have not reached that commercial level of success even though a lot of their beats are bangin’ and could be played at the club?

KRS: You don’t go to the club to be taught, you go to the club to bug out.

Me: You can still bug out to Dead Prez

KRS: You can.

Me: If I can put aside my pride and integrity as a conscious woman and dance to Snoop saying ‘Put it in your mothafuckin’ mouth’, why can’t these guys do the same with some conscious shit? Who has more at stake?

KRS: It’s obvious to you because you have a higher conciousness. But lets now step out of our obviousness. (takes on the tone of a ‘thug’), ‘I didn’t come out here, spend $25 to hear some cat tell me that everything I do in my life is wrong. I’m spending $25 cause (singing): ‘I’m a flirt, boom boom, I’m a flirt, goddamn right I’m a flirt!’ I’m a flirt and I wanna hear that in the club.’

(voice gets serious) Now if I’m a Revolutionary, I wanna hear that in the club. But revolutionaries don’t really be in the club. Revolutionaries are doin’ somethin’, they got somewhere to go. If you’re at the club, you’re there with a friend, your favorite artist is there. You’re there for a reason. You’re not there to pick up a guy, you’re not a flirt! You’re not goin’ there like that, you’re not…well, most of the time…

(laughs real loud)… because I’ve been some situations, even as a married man, where I’m like ‘Man, did I just get off the stage with a whole revolutionary message, and these girls are still trippin’?’ I will say though, they say the fastest way to get a woman undressed is to spit knowledge.

Me: Isn’t it better for a woman to respond to your mind over your body?

KRS: It’s the same willpower. ‘This man is safe for me. I’m going to deal with him.’ Okay, conscious guy is safe for you, (taking on the tone of a woman) ‘The thug with the gat and the pistol smellin’ like weed, that’s safe for me as a woman, that was my father, that was my older brother. That’s what I grew up in. so even though I know these cats really dog me out and they treat me like shit, that’s still my fathah. See it even goes back to that, like how were you raised, what man did you see growin’ up? What’s in your mind?

It really hits women hard because we live in a masculine society, so boys kind of get the whole society to fall back on, if you ain’t had a father you can kind of still be a man, in this society…I grew up without as father. And I consider myself a man, no doubt, but I could see where a lot of it had to do with society. I went to the public library, and I could read about all the men, and I had Martin Luther King and Malcom X, there were other things in society…

As a woman? Nah, man. Society is not kind to women. And that’s why women are fighting for their rights, it’s unfair to women. Its an injustice to women, this society that we live in. Christian ethics are an injustice to femininity and womanhood. An injustice. And I like Christian ethics, by the way. I like it. As a man, I believe that my wife should serve me, no doubt.

Me: As you should serve her too…

KRS: Christians say the man is the head of the household and the woman is subservient to him. He is the Christ, the head. And the woman is the body, the home. Now of course no man on this planet could even live with a woman under that kind of archaic philosophy, women are not that.

Me: I mean in the beginning, Eve supposedly bit the apple, and its automatically her fault from the get green, but lets get back to Hip Hop… you started in the game making street music, there is a consenses that ‘The Blueprint’ really was the blueprint-to gangsta rap. What were the key differences between the “gangsta rap” y’all were making as BDP and the 50 Cent kind?

KRS: There’s not many differences, and here’s why. Everything you do today, its instantly YouTubed, ituned or mtv’d. When we did it, you couldn’t see it. So you hear about 50 Cent’s shootouts…well in our day you heard about ours. There was no news camera. It was ghetto news. We had beef with Shan okay? That was never on the news on the tv, but cats in the hood was like, (Fat Albert-type voice) ‘Yo yo yo, did you hear the latest? KRS went up to Queensbrige and dissed Shan, did you hear? Shan was over in the Bronx, Red Alert and Marley Marl.’

Now the difference is, everything we do today is instantly heard around the world. So it only appears that Young Jeezy and others who may be ‘gangsta rappers’ or labeled as that, are doing something so crazy. To be honest with you, they’re like kittens compared to the roaring that went down in the ’80’s. 2000, the new millennium is nothing compared to the ’80’s. West Coast 80’s is legendary. Okay. East Coast 80’s is legendary. Miami? In the ’80’s? Leeeegendary.

Everything cool though, we gettin’ money today. Everybody gettin’ money today. You really don’t have too many murders today, crews runnin’ up on crews, there is a respect that has been established today. 50 Cent and others would never disrespect KRS-ONE and I would never disrespect 50 Cent, but notice what I said:

They would never disrespect KRS-ONE. Never. In a million years. Not because they’re afraid, not because they not men either, but because there is a respect for the OGs. There is a real OG respect from one G to anotha’. There’s people still walkin’ around with lumps on their head because of that KRS-ONE [Criminal Minded] over there. Now, he chooses to clean his life up like we all really want to do. He’s doing what every thug really wants to do; go from Criminal Minded to Spiritual Minded…

But why do I get the respect? Not because of my Philosophies. Not because I have conscious lyrics. No, its because I threw PM Dawn off the stage, its because of the battles…I can say ‘Yo, you wanna hear somethin’? E equals Emcee Squared. That means all you emcees, y’all need to really pay attention to what mc means scientifically..it means Light. Energy, Mass, mc. Matter and Light. C is light.’ Cats will be like, ‘Alright Kris, ummmm…I’m gonna go play By All Means Necessary, I respect you, but its all good’…but if I go, ‘You know what I really feel like doin’ is jumpin’ across the table and beatin’ your fuckin’ ass!’ Suddenly, my philosophy’s become cleara’. Suddenly, when I show up to the club in New York with fifty thugs, and we all dressed in black, and nobody’s smilin’, suddenly, you understand what ‘Stop the Violence’ means. Suddenly, peace, love, unity, and havin’ fun is obvious now. When I came to you as a philosopher, humble, you can’t hear me. But if I come and say, ‘Listen, one more word out of you, and you’re not gonna have a mouth no more!’ suddenly, its ‘Yo, I get it.’

Now why is human nature like that? Why does the philosopher have to have an army? Why do we have to run up on your crew and prove that we are superior warriors?…don’t you realize that real Gs, real cats, ese, they study this. They’re not tattood up cause they look good, these are war scars…that’s where respect come from, you talkin’ to a real G, you watch what you say, you watch how you say it because he knows how to fight. Hand-to-hand, he knows how to fight. He knows how to break you down, with his hands. Not no gat, you gonna get broke. So you watch how you talk around him. Or her. Watch how you talkin’ around a real G.

And I bring that up why? Because these cats are fake Gs, that’s the difference between then and now. Real Gs care for their community. You ask any Crip, Blood, you ask Tookie Williams, ‘What was it about?’

‘We was tryin’ to lock down our community. These cops was buggin’, the drugs was buggin’, the government didn’t care. It just got out of control.’

Ask the Black Panthers, ‘What were you tryin’ to do?’ ‘Lock down our community.’

me: Until they got shut down…

KRS: But look how they got shut down. East Coast/West Coast. That’s the first East Coast/West Coast beef. Fred Hampton on the East coast, Huey P on the West coast, locally. F.B.I. was all in it. How long we gonna keep going for that shit? How long is the black and brown gonna keep fightin’? That’s why I say, your people goin’ to jail? My people goin’ to jail. For some reason, you and I are sittin’ here in Heaven. We in the kingdom of heaven. Be thankful that your role is what it is.

You ask anybody, ask anyone in jail, ‘How’d you get here?’ the ultimate answer, (hushed whisper.) ‘I don’t knowwww. I know I killed somebody, I know I did.’ But when you dig deep deep deep deep deep, like why’d you kill to kill to kill to kill to kill, ‘I don’t knowwww…’ Be thankful that the universe has made you an oracle and not a murderer. Be thankful that nature has made you a wise woman, and not an idiot.

Me: You did a show tonight and there were a lot of children at the theatre…

KRS: My rhymes will be focused on five and six year olds this year. Hip Hop Lives (see sidebar) focuses on the adult hip hoppa, but my personal rhymes will focus on young, young, children. I wanna apply my emcee skills in that way. I wanna show young kids what it means to be an emcee, and have them be inspired by that…the way a doctor feels that everybody should know something of medicine? I’m an emcee. I think everybody should rap…every single human being on the planet should know how to rap.
And that’s my life’s mission.

KRS speaks his last words truly as ‘the Teacha’. “I believe rhyming is healthy for you, I believe it helps you think faster, I belive it helps your vocabulary, it helps you read faster as well. I think that every adult, every child, should learn how to emcee. E-M-C-E-E.”

If Chomsky is the intellectual luminary, KRS-ONE is a cultural luminary. His Hip Hop roots allow him to communicate the same message his counterparts are spreading, but to the hood.

The motherfuckin’ hood better be listening.

words/article by: ani yapundzhyan

BILL COSBY & BEANIE SIGEL UNITE IN PHILLY!!

Beanie Sigel & Bill Cosby march together against violence at Peace Week 2007.
 
YES! Beanie Sigel walked hand in hand with none other than Bill Cosby at a anticrime march in North Philadelphia yesterday, December 20 to cap off “Peace Week 2007.”  Earlier that morning, Cosby and Sigel both spoke to 30 at risk youths at William Penn High School in Philadelphia.
 
Sigel known for his not so clean image, stood tall speaking to a crowd of young men, women and children. “I come from these things, the streets,” Sigel told the crowd gathered in the yard at M. Hall Stanton School. “I’m at a time in my life where I’m trying to make the transition from something negative to something positive.”  The efforts of both men along with local community outreach group Men United for a Better Philadelphia is to keep Philly’s ever rising murder rate below 400.
 
Beanie Sigel will be on an ongoing tour visiting local high schools, juvenile facilities and jails as well as can be seen on local PSAs encouraging youths to exercise their minds and stop the violence.
 
Beanie Sigel’s new album The Solution  addresses the issues of crime, teen pregnancy and personal struggles.
 
The Solution is in stores now.
 
Also check out the TV clip:http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3tiph_beanie-cosby_shortfilms

Feed The Streets: DJ Drama

http://www.hhnlive.com/features/more/384

Jay Rose

HHNLive.com writer Jay Rose talks to Mr. Gangsta Grillz, DJ Drama. Jay and Dram discuss his arrest, why he decided to drop an official album, his future plans with Lil’ Wayne and much more.

DJ Drama on the bickering between the east and the south:

“That shit is last year. Everybody really trying to get money now. Our real enemies are these niggas out here taking pictures…”

–

Jay Rose: What’s good Drama?

DJ Drama: I’m chillin. I’m in New York. I’m in the Atlantic building.

JR: That’s what’s up. What have you been getting into lately? I know you got the album on the way.

DJD: Shit man. I got the album, I’m excited about that. You know Gangsta Grillz the album…it was a lot of hard work. A lot of dedication. It’s the accumulation of all that, so you know the album is banging. One of the best mixtape albums EVER. You know that Gangsta Grillz on steroids. I’m excited to bring good music to the people.

JR: What was your reasoning for turning the Gangsta Grillz mixtape installments into an actual album?

DJD: I mean I think for everybody at some point in their career if their interested – you know definitely in the music business, whether you’re a back-up dancer, drummer, guitarist, a DJ, or anything – you know what I’m saying you want to be able to have your name on an album. You know that’s just a big step. I grew up watching Kid Capri, DJ Clue, and Flex. You know I just looked up to them. And for me to get to this point, to be able to do my thing is dope. It’s like I’m keeping the game alive. You know we the next generation of big DJs, of putting out albums and bringing good music to the table.

JR: Definitely. Are you confident in bringing the record out, seeing as record sales haven’t been doing too well lately?

DJD: You know at the end of the day I believe that my brand is strong. You know I know record sales are definitely lacking and it’s hard out here, but I just think that it’s important regardless. My obligation is to make good music. You know a hit record is a hit record. It was proven this year, you know when good music comes out – like Kanye and 50 or TI and Jay-Z – you know the people are going to go out and support it. People still do buy records, but a lot of it has to do with the quality of the music that is coming out.

JR: So this record symbolizes your push into the mainstream?

DJD: Um I mean. Yea definitely mainstream. I think mainstream is all about how you take it. Like American Gangster the movie is mainstream, but it’s still a gangster flick. You know Jay-Z is mainstream, but he’s still showing these niggas how to spit. You know what I’m saying? So it’s just about what you do once you get into the mainstream. You know I want everybody to go cop the DJ Drama album of course. It is still going to be called Gangster Grillz.

JR: You definitely played a huge role in blowing up Lil Wayne into the superstar he is today. With the whole Dedication 1 and 2. What’s your relationship like with him today?

DJD: Me and Weezy cool. Me and Weezy chop it up all the time. You know when I see him, I salute he salutes. You know what I’m saying. I’m loving what he’s doing in the game right now. Hopefully we’ll be able to get back in and get a Dedication 3 going next year.

DJD: Is Dedication 3 still up in the air?

JR: Oh yeah it’s definitely still up in the air. But you know when we did Dedication 1 and Dedication 2 it was a different time in space. You know what I’m saying. Lil’ Wayne is on the cover of every mixtape out right now. He is basically the poster child of Hip Hop. You know what I’m saying? And I as well have a lot going on in my career. So if we do it we both know that it has to be something really special. You see what I’m saying? Because the Dedication was so potent, so powerful that we can’t just do it just for the sake of doing it. Like it’s got to be right. Why tarnish two classics that meant so much to hip hop?

JR: What are the financial benefits for you and the rapper/rappers when you DJ a mixtape?

DJD: It builds a lot of awareness. It gets the streets hot. Gets the streets on fire. When that happens you can ask for a lot of money when you go do a show.

JR: How have things been going since you were busted by the feds?

DJD: It’s been on and popping. I’ve been all around the world doing gigs. You know magazine covers. My album is coming out. I’m on the radio everyday. You know it made me more famous.

JR: Can you go into detail about what took place the day you were busted by the Feds?

DJD: Yeah it was bugged out. You know they came to my door step. You know with M-16’s armed with vests. It was like the scene out of New Jack City when they rated the Carter. They told me I was under arrest for bootlegging and racketeering. When they came that’s where they assumed the drugs and the guns were, so I’m sure they expected to find more then they did.

JR: Where does the issue stand?

DJD: It’s pending but I haven’t been back to jail, so God bless on that. I’m alright though. Doing my thing.

JR: It seemed like after your arrest the mixtape game was took a huge blow.

DJD: Yeah definitely.

JR: It seems like things are getting back to normal.

DJD: It’s coming back to life…it’s definitely coming back to life.

JR: Do you see the Feds making any more future arrests?

DJD: Ah, I can’t say, I don’t know.

JR: Do you have any comments on T.I.’s recent arrest?

DJD: Free my nigga T.I. man. Innocent until proven guilty.

JR: Exactly. Have you talked to him?

DJD: I talked to Tip. Tip good. He’s at the crib, cooking dinner, taking care of his kids man. He’s on I-chat a lot these days, you know just bugging out and writing for the new album Paper Trail, so he’s doing his thing.

JR: How has his arrest affected the whole Grand Hustle team?

DJD: Everybody’s good ya know. My album is coming out, so you know we rocking and rolling man. Four quarters trying to earn.

JR: Out of all the rappers you’ve worked with, who possesses the most talent?

DJD: Ah, I can’t say. Everybody’s a super hero in my book.

JR: Do you have a favorite to be with in the booth?

DJD: Yeah Willie the Kid.

JR: In ‘08, who should Hip-Hop fans keep their eyes open for?

DJD: DJ Drama and Willie the Kid.

JR: Do you have a favorite mixtape you’ve put out?

DJD: Nah man I like all of them that I put out. Each one means a lot to me. There all different phases in my career, so it would be hard to just pick one. I like it as a whole series, you know you can’t take anyone out of the equation.

JR: What’s your relationship like with other DJ’s in the game such as Khaled?

DJD: Khaled my big homey man. That’s my brother man. We getting it in. We opening the doors for more DJs to come. So you better watch out. And Don Cannon’s working on his next project. That’s going to be a Don Cannon album under AMG. Aphilliates Music Group.

JR: Any comments on the bickering that was going on between the east and south?

DJD: Nah that shit is dead man. That shit is last year. Everybody really trying to get money now. Our real enemies are these niggas out here taking pictures, you know what I’m saying. Not each other man. We all in it to win it.

JR: Any last comments Drama?

DJD: Yea Gangsta Grillz album go get it. I pledge allegiance to feed the streets for the rest of my life.