The Boombox Music Blog

KRS-One: Connie Chung's Harsh Words, LL Cool J's Disobedience & Retirement

Keith Murphy — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 11:50:00 EST

Bryan Bedder, Getty Images The truth is KRS-One has always existed in extremes. The celebrated Bronx, N.Y., MC evolved from giving birth to the controversial rap genre known as gangsta rap to dropping a politically conscious classic. He was leader of the influential hip-hop group Boogie Down Productions, who crafted their landmark 1987 debut 'Criminal Minded,' then a year later they released the startling LP 'By All Means Necessary'. And that's just the first chapter of the 46-year-old's 25-plus year career as one of hip-hop's true lyrical giants. Indeed, when you dissect the impressive run of KRS-One, it's clear that the man does not lack conviction. Fans who want empowering music that blasts the historical devaluing of black culture should check out 1990's 'Edutainment.' Or how about an unfiltered, two-fisted statement that thoroughly embraces the power of hip-hop with a pure, Evangelical zeal? That would be KRS' DJ Premier-featured 1993 solo classic 'Return of the Boom Bap'. The Blastmaster even dropped a born-again Christian rap album with 2002's 'Spiritual Minded,' a bold and much-debated work that was more than a risk for an MC that had a made a career out of questioning organized religion. Yes, KRS-One is a complex artist. But he's also the most passionate ambassador for his beloved Bronx-bred artform as evident by his creation of the Temple of Hip-Hop school. With a new Boogie Down Productions release, 'The BDP Album,' currently out in stores, KRS-One is still fighting the good fight. The BoomBox caught up with the legendary MC to discuss Connie Chung saying his career was over, his respect for LL Cool J after disobeying his record label, denying Lyor Cohen his skill set and why he will never put down the mic. ...

Did you and the rest of BDP have any idea that you were helping create a new hip-hop genre called gangsta rap with the 1987 release of 'Criminal Minded'?

We didn't really look at it like that. 'Criminal Minded' was all about exposing the truth. The illusion was that we came out with 'Criminal Minded' just to satisfy the street head, but that wasn't the case. The truth is we were posing as revolutionaries trying to warn our people about the crack cocaine era and senseless street violence and how we can preserve hip-hop by getting more conscious about it.

But ironically it was senseless violence that took the life of your partner and friend DJ Scott La Rock, who died trying to peacefully settle a beef. Take me back to the summer of 1987 when Scott was gunned down. Did you believe that BDP was finished following such a ground-shaking death?

A lot of people felt that way, including some members of BDP. It was hard on everyone. I remember being interviewed by Connie Chung, who was working for Eyewitness News Channel 4 at the time. And she started out the interview with, "Well, now that your career is over what are you going to do?" So this is what we were going up against. But I knew we had to keep going. I knew Scott was watching over us.

Listen to KRS-One's 'Time's Up'

When did you know your life had changed after the immense success of that first album?

When 'Criminal Minded' came out, Lyor Cohen [former head of Island Def Jam and current Warner Music Group CEO], who at the time was running Russell Simmons' Rush Artist Management, asked me to sign with him after Scott's death. He threw me a gig at Madison Square Garden thinking I was going to be impressed. And I was impressed; I appreciated the Garden, but I wasn't signing with Rush. I was cut from a whole different cloth. It had nothing to do with them.

Looking back, how crazy was it for you, a relative newcomer, turning down the hottest management group in hip-hop at that time?

I wasn't trying to make a statement. I didn't need anyone to manage me. I knew they could not hold down an artist like me. So I told Lyor several times, "No, I'm not signing with you guys." And on top of that, I'm taking shots at the top rappers in the industry who happened to be signed to Rush [laughs]. It was crazy!

There are some great stories connected to the making of the anti-black-on-black violence single 'Self Destruction.' When you think back to leading such a monumental all-star project -- that featured everyone from the late Heavy D and Kool Moe Dee to MC Lyte and Public Enemy -- what comes to mind?

The fact that LL Cool J still showed up to the session even after Def Jam told him not to. Just imagine a triple-platinum artist wanting to show up and be part of a project so bad, but he can't because of his record company. But again LL still shows up! Can you imagine MC Lyte and LL together writing a verse for 'Self Destruction'? Lyte was so hardcore and so much New York female hip-hop. She was battling everybody back then. And she's in the corner writing with a superstar like LL Cool J and they are trying to figure out how to save our children! If I was a man that cried that was my time to do it.

It seemed like in the late '80s and early '90s, hip-hop thought it could really change the world through music. How important was it to showcase a socially conscious viewpoint during that era?

We all felt that way. In 1989, me and Chuck D [Public Enemy's founder and lead MC] did a lecture together at the University of California. This was one of the first times ever rappers were giving a college lecture. Me and Chuck tore that place down in terms of lecturing and speaking. We had peoples' minds right. That's what's missing from hip-hop today. But it doesn't take a rapper to speak about the truth. We are all hip-hop.

You were never the type of artist to stress over record sales. What is your view on having commercial success especially as an MC, who has made some of the most uncompromising albums in hip-hop history?

I look at it like this: you may only sell 20,000 to 100,000 albums. But those albums are going to be heard by future doctors, lawyers, judges, fireman, etc. Those albums are being sold to the right people that move society. They're interested in what you have to say. But really, the minute that I sell over a million records you should write up in this article that says KRS-One's career is officially over [laughs].

What was your mindset going into your first Boogie Down Productions album since 1992's 'Sex and Violence'?

That it's time for us to get off our asses and write a dope rhyme and put it out. Why isn't there any 50-year-old MC's killing it? I'm 46. Am I the only one? I can't wait to get to 50. I'm going to let everybody know it! I'm going to wear a shirt that says "I'm 50."

Is there one song on the new album, 'The BDP Album,' that makes you shake your head and say, "I'm still No. 1"?

My favorite song on the album is 'Times Up,' which was produced by Jesse West. The crazy part is Kenny [Parker] [longtime member of Boogie Down Productions] titled all the songs. Production wise, we are being daring with the beats because they don't sound like anything out today. We are bringing back that sparse, snare and kick album production. All of that is the Boogie Down Productions formula and Kenny nailed it.

So needless to say retirement is out of the question anytime soon, huh?

I'm going to do this forever. I'm going to be past 50 years old and still spitting that raw. This is what we dreamed about when we were kids. We said, "Yo, we never going to stop MCing. We gonna rhyme and be b-boys until we are grey." I'm here to inspire young people to be part of the most magnificent culture on earth: hip-hop. And to inspire older people to never put the mic down and sell you vinyl.

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Ness 'EYE2025': Rapper 'Zones Out' on Futuristic, New Collection

Keith Murphy — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:00:00 EST

Chevon McIntyre The description that's getting bandied about for Ness' 'EYE2025' EP is "a hip-hop 'Clockwork Orange.'" The late prolific filmmaker Stanley Kubrick would have never imagined that his brilliantly warped, violent, dark and dystopian view of the future would be the unofficial template for such a challenging musical project. But Ness, a member of the politically minded duo A-Alikes -- high-profile affiliates of the Dead Prez-led outfit People Army/RBGs -- is all about defying expectations. Available now, 'EYE2025' is a psychedelic, genre-hopping release that mixes hardcore hip-hop, '80s electro-pop, rock, funk and '70s analog sounds. Longtime fans of the A-Alikes expecting something of the order of their 2006 underground classic 'I Eat, You Eat' will no doubt be taken aback by the experimental tone of 'EYE2025.' But for Ness, it all makes sense. "It's basically about being free," says Ness, who hooked up with The BoomBox recently to discuss his bold new set, the future of the A-Alikes, his early days with Dead Prez and the respect Jay-Z and Kanye West have for his work. "Whatever sound inspires me to write -- I'm not just going to stay in a box and say, 'Nah, that's too weird," he says. "I'm going to just make music." Spoken like a true rebel. ...

As a member of A-Alikes, you are usually involved in more political and socially conscious releases. 'EYE2025' has a more conceptual, experimental tone. How did it come about?

It started with me doing a movie soundtrack about a year and half ago. I was talking with film director Paul Biedrzycki about doing the soundtrack for a movie set in the near future. Something that's tangible, something we can deal with. Not like a 'Star Wars' or something like that [laughs]. Being a musician, I wanted to do the score for it. But it ended up rolling into this 'EYE2025' project. The script is on hold, but I moved forward on it in terms of making music. But the actual concept of 'EYE2025' is still based in the future. There's poverty and [political, social and technological] strife. Very conceptual.

Structurally, that had to be different, right?

It was very different. You know, A-Alikes is usually rooted in right-now, street and political day-to-do experience. But this project is saying imagine you as a person still having your politics and worldview, but let's give it a different perspective. Imagine where the world is going to be years from now. Imagine how music is going to sound and where people's heads are going to be at and paint that picture.

Was there any particular movie score that you listened to for musical inspiration?

I was listening to scores from certain movies like 'Blade Runner.' I was trying to imagine what sonically would we be listening to years from now. And politically how would that also come off, content-wise. With the A-Alikes, doing what we have been doing for years, I felt the political climate getting more intense. I think hip-hop reflects that. But you have to keep it from being a niche thing. That's what 'EYE2025' is all about. The content is a lot more general. It's some next s---. It's not just straight-up boom-bap. There are elements of electronic, pop and rock music. You can hear different genres in the music.

Watch Ness' 'Satellites'

That has to be an irony, given that you started working on this project almost two years ago, as music was changing so rapidly?

Exactly. Sonically, this project is not just three-bar loops. Since I started working on 'EYE2025,' things have kind of progressed to the point where people are doing a lot of genre-bending. You hear a lot of electronic music out right now. And then there has been the political changes, the Occupy Movement. This has all happened in a year-and-a-half, and it's not even 2025 yet.

Specifically, what sound were you aiming for?

At the time, when I first started it, I was opening up my musical taste from just listening to classic East Coast hip-hop -- Nas, Mobb Deep, and stuff like that -- for most of my younger years to now listening to classic '80s pop music and underground electronic music. I incorporated those elements into the project. I even started listening to '70s analog dance music ... Giorgio Moroder, who did stuff for Donna Summers and soundtracks for 'Scarface' and 'Midnight Express.' There's this crew, this French electronic duo called Justice. They had an album called 'Cross the Universe.' I was just amazed. I just thought to myself, "How the f--- is this even out and the hood or cats that just listen to dope beats are not even up on it?" This is what I was researching.

Did you work with any other producers on the mixtape?

There were a couple of beats I got. There's this one producer Enki Alien. She's from Australia. She engineered the last A-Alikes album. At the time I was working on the beginnings of the 'EYE2025' project, she was coming over to the loft and was like, "This is amazing. I got some tracks for you."

Did you think about the fact that you were working with a female producer, a rarity in hip-hop?

Not really. One thing about me is I'm in my own lane. I do what I want to do. Being as she was my engineer for the last project, I kind of seen her grow. When I played it out, it was dope.

How much of a battle was it to do an entire project without you're A-Alikes partner K?

It took some getting use to. A-Alikes has been rocking since the early '00s. This project was an exploration into the music process and learning about what I like and what I want to do. When you are in a group, you have to compromise; you have take in account what your band members want in terms of sound and content. But this time around, I just wanted to do this myself. I don't want to negotiate my creativity. I just wanted to zone out. I learned a lot about myself. It was real fun, man. It was freeing and therapeutic. It wasn't just me saying, "Oh, I'm going to do an album that's set in the future." I just wanted to take myself out my own comfort zone and showcase this story.

Take me back to what it was like coming up as a member of the People Army/RBG movement and being in the same circle as Dead Prez. Artistically and politically, did you guys think you were really going to change the world?

Well, the irony is I really thought and felt that we were going to do the things that we were talking about as far as pushing the envelope, attacking the system and helping the people rise up. We wanted to free ourselves from the economic and social situations that we were in. And that may not have happened. But there are still so many people who come up to me and say, "Oh, Ness from A-Alikes -- you down with Dead Prez and RBG's? Y'all changed my life." People tell me that all the time, how they were in college when Dead Prez's 'Let's Get Free' came out, or when A-Alikes' 'I Eat, You Eat' dropped. That we made them care about their health and what they eat. That we put them on to certain books. You can't pinpoint what we did to change the world. But I know the vibrations that we put out there -- the whole People Army and RBG's -- I know it helped shift the consciousness of the hip-hop collective. Maybe we were naïve. But we played a part in the protesting that you see now.

And it must have been cool to see artists like Kool G. Rap, Jay-Z and Kanye West have reached out to your crew over the years for collaborations and performances. What does it mean to know that these acts have a respect for you?

For a long time, I would say, "Well, I don't care if you have a big name." And I still hold on to that. People are people. But looking back at my career and moving forward I find a level of pride in knowing that I've been involved with certain artists that people look up to and respect. From going back and forth spitting rhymes with Kanye to being around Mos Def and hanging out and building with Dead Prez. All of these things are cool to look back on.

The thing that was always cool about you guys is you critiqued everybody -- not just what you saw as racist power structures and the self-destruction that goes on in minority neighborhoods. You also helped put together a 2008 documentary about Barack Obama's presidential run and what it meant to the hip-hop nation. It's not exactly a love letter. Why did you decide to tackle the documentary world with such a thought-provoking subject?

The documentary, directed by Paul Biedrzycki, is called 'The Ballot or The Bullet,' which comes from a Malcolm X speech. Kennedy was going to be president and Malcolm was telling people don't fall for the okey doke. Does it lead to freedom? So when we got a black candidate that had a real chance to win, we wanted to ask hip-hop, what does it all mean? Will it help us? Can we get free through the ballot? So we went around to activists and artists like Chuck D [of Public Enemy.] We went to his home in Long Island and talked for three hours! It was incredible.

That sounds insanely epic, huh?

It was ... and we talked to Stic man and M-1 from Dead Prez. We built with Immortal Technique, and we built with Malcolm X's daughter Ilyasa Shabazz and what would Malcolm say about Obama. And we even had Joy Bryant, the model and actress, for that film. It was great to be a part of it. I got a certain level of insight into other people's opinion. I'm still not a fan of voting. But my politics have become less rigid. The same can be said about my music. I'm going to do one more A-Alikes album. Me and K will link back up because we will always have [that chemistry]. From there, anything is possible.

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French Montana: 'Teachers Call Me', Drake's Beef 'Happens'

Keith Murphy — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 14:20:00 EST

Johnny Nunez, WireImage French Montana signing to Sean "Diddy" Combs' Bad Boy Records in December 2011, was an eyebrow-raising yet worthy move. There were reported deals on the table for the Bronx, N.Y., MC to link up with not only Jay-Z's Roc Nation, but Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Music and Rick Ross' Maybach Music Group. However, less than a decade ago, the mere thought of Montana being one of the most highly recruited rappers out of the Rotten Apple was highly unlikely. The enterprising street rhymer, who was born overseas in Rabat, Morocco, struggled early on in his career to break out of the East Coast scene. But after a string of buzz-heavy mixtapes, DVDs and an omnipresent 2011 'hood anthem 'Choppa Choppa Down' featuring Atlanta spitter Waka Flocka Flame, Montana proved all the skeptics wrong. With a new album, 'Excuse My French,' due out later this year, and his 'Shot Caller' track circulating radio stations, Montana now turns his attention to delivering on all the hype. The BoomBox caught up with the rapper to discuss his surprising ascension, why he feels New York hip-hop is on the rise, his feelings about Common and Drake's beef and the seasoned producers he's working with on his forthcoming LP. ...

You are featured on one of the most talked about songs in the country right now, Rick Ross' 'Stop Schemin.'' How does it feel to be a dude from the Bronx, N.Y., who is making this kind of noise?

Man, it's been like a blessing. One day you wake up and you the most hated, and the next day you the most loved. It shows you how much things have turned. Like I said, it's a blessing for me.

What's your take on the Drake and Common battle, given they both used the 'Stop Schemin'' record to air out their beefs?

I didn't really know it was going to happen like that [laughs]. I didn't even know who was taking shots at who. But big shot-out to Drake. I've known Drake for a minute. He's my brother. And shout out to Rozay. I just stay away from all of that stuff. I'm trying to make music and make some money.

The song 'Shot Caller' seems to be one of the few East Coast-sounding records out right now, even down to its sampling of the Lords of the Underground's early '90s classic 'Funky Child.' And then there's the video, which was shot in the Bronx and features Fat Joe, Busta Rhymes, Diddy and N.O.R.E. Were you making a New York statement with that song and clip?

I just made it in my own New York state of mind. I can't really control what goes on out here and what kind of music people make. I just know what I can make. But it's very New York. And shooting that video [with the artists you mentioned] was a blessing. It's so humbling. It's the Bronx. I'm just soaking it in.

Watch French Montana's 'Shot Caller' Video Feat. Charlie Rock

You came to the U.S. at the age of 13 from Morocco. How did you discover hip-hop and how much of a culture shock was it for you to be immersed in African-American and Latino culture as a Middle Eastern kid?

Coming from Morocco was just different, man. It's a third-world country and you are trying to make it happen. That's all it is. I didn't have any problem hooking up with the black kids because I'm from North Africa. And as far as Latinos, we are all the same.

What is your earliest memory of hip-hop?

Hip-hop is worldwide, my brother. It's everywhere. It's the only worldwide language that everybody speaks. Hip-hop was in Morocco. I don't care where the f--- you go. You are going to hear Tupac and Biggie, especially at that time. Hip-hop was always around.

Did you have a favorite MC?

I really liked Tupac, Scarface, Snoop Dogg, Biggie, Big Punisher and Jay-Z. It was always like that.

Talk about how you were able to garner notoriety in the south with 'Choppa Choppa Down.' And how did you get Waka Flocka Flame to come on board for that track?

Shout to Debra [Antney], that's his mother, who is also my manager. Waka is like my brother. We worked together and it came out like that. The way that song [blew up], it just happened. I couldn't tell you why. I don't even know how it happened [laughs].

What has been the biggest change for you since having that success?

Man, I'm so in the middle and all in it that I don't know how really far I am in the game. Everybody hits me up now. I even have my old teachers calling me [laughs]. Teachers I haven't spoken to since I was a kid. But to keep it 100, everybody measures success differently. As long as everybody is happy -- my friends, my family -- that's how I know I've made it.

Let's go back to early days to your 'Cocaine City' DVD in the early 2000s. Were you worried that people would take that drug reference in the wrong way?

Hell yeah, I was [laughs]. But when you are young and stupid you don't care about s--- like that. That's how I looked at it coming up in the game.

You signed with Akon's Konvict Muzik label imprint. What was that whole period like and why didn't it work out?

I was never officially signed with Akon, but it was a shopping deal. That was around the time he was going through some problems with his label at Interscope. I waited, but when a deal didn't happen, I just went out on my own.

What has being signed to Bad Boy and having Diddy in your corner meant for your career?

I felt like for what I needed, Bad Boy got me...they got me covered. Especially Puff, man. He's going to be the first billionaire rap entertainer. At the end of the day, they need me. Other artists-labels don't need me, but Bad Boy and Puff needs me. And I need them. It goes both ways. Bad Boy was where my heart was at.

Before you signed to Bad Boy there were reports that you were headed to Jay-Z's Roc Nation, Rick Ross' Maybach Music and Kanye's G.O.O.D. Music. How close were you to joining any of those labels?

It was crazy. We worked so hard to get to that point. So when you have people like Jay-Z, Ross and Kanye, and Puff and everybody like that looking at you, that shows you are a part of hip-hop history.

Talk about the making of your upcoming debut studio album, 'Excuse My French.' What can fans expect in terms of your sound and collaborations?

I'm working with the best new producer. His name is Harry Fraud -- he's the one that did 'Shot Caller.' I'm also working with Lex Luger, Billionaire Boyscout and Play-N-Skillz. I'm working with a bunch of producers, man. I'm not going to go to a producer that's going to take me in a studio and charge me my whole budget and give me a fake head nod. I'm just trying to make good music. I appreciate everybody that's supporting me.

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David Guetta: Nicki Minaj Has 'Different Talents' -- Exclusive

Keith Murphy — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 13:10:00 EST

Jeff Kravitz/AMA2011, FilmMagic If by chance you suddenly get violently ill while listening to a David Guetta production then it may be best to avoid the radio all together. Actually you should also trash your flat screen TV, take a self-imposed hiatus from all dance clubs and sequester yourself from all pop culture obsessed Internet sites. Indeed, the omnipresent French dance music producer has been virtually unavoidable on all media formats over the past three years. Guetta has been both celebrated and blamed for ushering in the Euro-pop sound, bolstered by his chart-topping work with the Black Eyed Peas (2009's 'I Gotta Feeling'), Akon (2009's 'Sexy Bitch'), Kid Cudi (2010's 'Memories') and Usher (2011's 'Without You'). Yet Guetta reminds you that beyond his mammoth synth-heavy international hits and work with rap's biggest stars, he's really just a local house music DJ at heart. "I've been a DJ all my life producing club beats that have been more underground," Guetta tells The BoomBox of his days in the mid '90s playing at such French clubs as Le Centrale, the Rex, Le Boy and Folies Pigalle. "But I'm also known now for combining that with an urban music sound. Whether it's pop or R&B, to me it's all dance music." For Guetta, who is responsible for dance pop's current music takeover, he is anything but contrite when it comes to fighting for the, at times, maligned music genre. In fact, he's proud of the entire scene. The BoomBox caught up with Guetta to discuss his re-shaping of America's dance music scene, his much debated collaborations with R&B and hip-hop artists, his artistic crush on Nicki Minaj and why he just may be the most influential producer today. ...

Let's start with the enormous impact you have had on pop dance music, which has had a huge influence on R&B and hip-hop artists like Usher, who you featured on your own hit 'Without You,' as well as Chris Brown, Nicki Minaj and Akon. Have you been shocked at the sheer volume of acts that have gone the Euro-club pop route?

It's been great. I always wanted to create that bridge between the European electronic music culture and American urban culture.

Watch David Guetta's 'Turn Me On' Lyric Video Feat. Nicki Minaj

Was there one particular song that you credit with opening up the floodgates for that sound in America?

I credit that to three records I produced: 'When Love Takes Over,' which featured Kelly Rowland, the Black Eyed Peas' 'I Gotta Feeling' and with 'Sexy Bitch,' which I did with Akon. Even though 'I Gotta Feeling' was one of the biggest successes of the last 10 years, 'Sexy Bitch' has been just as influential because that sound really changed American pop music. That opened up a lot for me in America.

In a past interview, you have given your take on hip-hop, talking about its evolution from the Sugarhill Gang to producers using soul samples. What's your take on the hip-hop artform today and its continued growth in Europe?

Hip-hop is not as big in Europe as it is in America, but it's becoming very popular. I think artists like Nicki Minaj, who is experimenting with their sound, is a big part of that.

You mentioned Minaj. You have worked with her on your radio hit 'Where Them Girls At' as well as your recent track 'Turn Me On,' which garnered a lot of attention because Minaj sings on the majority of the track. Are you surprised how well she has come off on those dance pop songs given her rap background?

I'm not surprised at all. At the time I started to be interested in working with Nicki she was not that known [beyond us artists] in Europe and she was just starting in the U.S. But then I went on the Internet and I saw one of Nicki's video and I was like, "Wow..." I usually never call artists because I would rather have them call me if they want to work with me. But I changed that for Nicki because I really wanted to work with her.

Glowing words, huh?

Well, Nicki is very well-rounded. But it was hard to get to her because I really didn't know her. But then we recorded 'Where Them Girls At' and then it went so well that I decided to go another direction with her with 'Turn Me On,' which took her in a totally different direction. She has many different talents.

You started out your career as an underground house music DJ in France. But your sound has gone way beyond that in the last decade. Can you talk about some of your influences beyond American dance music?

I have been influenced by everything from really underground to electronic beats. But my sound has also been influenced by the bigness of the rock chord progressions.

So you are a rock head?

I love rock. What I'm trying to do is use the base of the hugeness of that sound into electronic music. Because when it comes to sound and energy, nothing can beat us. Nothing can beat dance music. I'm trying to incorporate the bigness of rock to give that stadium feeling and bring that soul element into electronic music as well with these incredible artists.

Those are pretty lofty goals aren't they?

Well, I love bringing people together. I will always do that with my music.

Would you say that you are the most influential producer on the scene today?

That's for others to say. But it's great for people to look at you in that way. I am humbled.

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Mateo Says Alicia Keys 'Ups My Standards' in the Studio

Keith Murphy — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 15:35:00 EST

Charley Gallay, Getty Images You could say Iman "Mateo" Jordan is a hopeless romantic. "I know it sounds cliché," the Ohio singer-songwriter-pianist tells The BoomBox with a hint of amusement in his voice. "But I have to describe my music as love. I think everyone can relate to that." Indeed, the crooner, who was signed by producer Kerry "Krucial" Brothers and Grammy-winning superstar Alicia Keys to the Krucial Noise imprint in 2010, wears his heart on his sleeve. His 2011 mixtape 'Love & Stadiums' is huge on love, breakups and redemption. With his official EP debut, 'Love & Stadiums II,' led by the Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz-featured track 'Say It's So,' Mateo sat down with The BoomBox to discuss his rising career, working with a modern day R&B icon and why today is the best time to be a musician. ...

What was the concept behind your mixtape 'Love & Stadiums'?

We were basically just trying to describe the music. The hardest question to always answer is, "What does the music sound like?" I mostly do love songs. But the stadium part comes from the big drums and the instrumentation that we use, which has a big, arena sound. It's that type of music where it really feels like you are in a stadium for a show. That's how we came up with the title.

You were one of the first artists to sign with MySpace Records before signing to Krucial Noise. Why didn't it work out for you?

I'm not sure it totally didn't work out for me. But when I signed to MySpace Records, it was an incubation period for me. I was able to hone in on my style and sound of music that we were trying to create. When I signed to MySpace, I did so thinking that music was going towards new media and online and that being with MySpace would be a really good look. But that didn't work out as well as I had planned, but on the flip side I became a better artist. We put out a live EP a couple of years back ['Get To Know Me: Live at Swing House']. We started forming online and blog relationships. But by the time I was ready, MySpace was on the decline and I was ready to get out. And it was all perfect timing. We had already gone on tour and made a lot of relationships in the business. We were really prepared for the next situation to come about.

Watch Mateo's 'Say It's So' Video

Let's talk about that situation for a moment. You were able to sign with Kerry "Krucial" Brothers' label Krucial Noise. What does it mean to be associated with someone that has been a huge part of the career of a superstar artist like Alicia Keys?

It's amazing. I first got to meet Kerry through a VJ at MTV's 'TRL.' We were trying to get Kerry to do a remix on one of my records that was coming out. Since then, we just kind of kept in contact and when I was leaving MySpace he was like, "Yo, I'm starting a new label. I want you to be my first artist." And that was perfect for me because I knew the standard of music that he's created with Alicia Keys. It's been unparalleled. The music that they have created has helped to define the first 10 years of the century. What I loved about their sound is it was authentic and it was different. They were never trying to chase radio. Kerry and Alicia stuck to being themselves and yet they were able to go mainstream. And they won with that. That's something that I wanted for my career and music.

What was the biggest change for you after signing to Krucial Noise?

I went from working out of a bedroom studio to working at a huge studio with all the equipment you could ever want. Kerry and Alicia are the type to get gear. If they need a vintage guitar they will go out and get it and that's very rare today because all the sounds are made from computers. It's a really great experience. It ups my standards in terms of the music making process.

You have several guests on the mixtape including Goapele -- on the track 'Don't Shoot Me Down' -- who is viewed as one of the most underrated R&B vocalists of her era. What was it like recording with such a talent?

She has one of the most beautiful voices. It's one of those things where there are people who have had training to sing. But with her, it's all about God-given talent. The sound and texture of her voice is amazing. And she is one of the most underrated artists out there. It was a pleasure working with her. And we also have backing vocals from Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz on the song 'Say It's So,' which is featured on my EP 'Love & Stadiums II.'

'Don't Shoot Me Down' samples and takes the name of Lil Wayne's original track from 'Tha Carter III' album. What made you use that groove?

It's funny. A while back ago I was playing around the idea of it. I loved that Wayne track because it sounded a little alternative... it had that gangsta bass in there as well. We just started kind of flipping it and it came out great. I played it for Kerry and he liked the record. And I was Lil Wayne fan. I just think that what he is able to do is so different. It's the same way I feel about Kanye West. Urban music is going into the direction where you are incorporating a lot of different genres and influences. The sounds could even come from overseas. I think that's really dope. This is a great time to make music.

Watch an Interview With Mateo

You come from a very diverse musical family. How did that impact you?

My grandfather was a pretty big jazz and blues guitarist in Ohio, which is where I'm from. He played for King Records, which was based in Cincinnati. He was playing for James Brown and Charles Brown and a lot of different artists. And my grandmother on my dad's side of the family was a touring singer and musician. She's the biggest diva in the world. She will wear a gown right now and kill it [laughs].

So music was in your blood, huh?

Yes! And my dad plays guitar. So when I came into this world they were like, "You are going to do something musically." I started playing classical piano at five and I started performing at every Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday without will [laughs]. But I never wanted to do music professionally. I thought it was dead-end, so I went the regular path of going to college. But music was always around me.

What can fans expect from your first studio album?

The music is coming out amazing. It's the best music that I have ever created. There are some defining songs. When we come out with it [in 2012] it will definitely stand out. It's all about love and relationships. But it's that feel you don't get from urban music today. My sound is very euphoric. It feels like you want to scream it out. It's like performing at a Coldplay concert. It's really anthemic.

Watch an Interview With Alicia Keys

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Betty Wright: Lil Wayne Has 'Total Recall,' LP Is a 'Movie'

Keith Murphy — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 11:45:00 EST

Diana Levine If Betty Wright comes off as no-nonsense, abrupt even, she's not in a rush to apologize about it. "When I'm in recording sessions, I'm real good for saying, 'Child, y'all are going to have to slow that down,'" muses the 57-year-old soul singer-songwriter-producer. "I have to be honest and real. That's just me." Maybe such brazenness comes from the fact that Wright has nothing to prove. After all, the Miami native and otherworldly vocalist -- that's a four-octave vocal range, thank you very much -- has been an R&B fixture ever since she released her 1971 breakthrough single 'Clean Up Woman.' And the influential standards continued: 'Where Is the Love,' 'Tonight Is the Night' and 'No Pain No Gain.' Wright would go on to win a Grammy and become one of the first female artists to record and release a gold album on her own label -- 1988's 'Mother Wit.' Through the years, she's toured with reggae deity Bob Marley, recorded with shock rocker Alice Cooper, appeared as a vocal coach on Sean "Diddy" Combs' MTV reality show 'Making the Band,' and logged studio time with Lil Wayne. But Wright is all about the here and now. Her latest album, 'Betty Wright: The Movie,' is a labor of love backed up by the legendary Questlove-led Roots crew. There are collaborations with the diverse likes of Joss Stone, Snoop Dogg, Lil Wayne and Lenny Williams. But it's Wright's powerhouse singing that stands center stage. The BoomBox caught up with the influential diva to discuss her legacy, current project, her surprising views on hip-hop and why Questlove may be the best producer in today's music business. ...

Was there a concept behind the album title 'Betty Wright: The Movie'?

Every time I have written a song from the time I can remember writing, people would always say, "I can see what you are singing about. Just like a movie." Sometimes when you have a song you listen to it and say, "It's OK. It's music to drive to." But then there are songs where you can actually hear it as a movie. You can see the actual scene of the lyrics. I think that's the kind of writer God put me on this earth to be. When you listen to my music, you can see the whole story.

During your career you have produced your own work as well as such acts as Joss Stone and Tom Jones. Can you describe just how challenging it was to segue into producing, something that was a rarity for female artists and performers?

Let me say this. The saddest part about it is there were many female producers back in '60s, '70s and '80s. But because we came up in an era when performers were not clearly defined, we've always thought that the engineer is the producer. Had we known that back then, 'Betty Wright Live' there would not have been any other names on it. If it was my live show and I wrote it, and put together the choreography, then who produced it? I did. That's just a fact. There have always been female artists and singers putting bands together all the time. But we were not always getting credit for that because we didn't know any better. But in this day of the Missy Elliott's and the Lady Gaga's, that's changing. Still, we have to stand our ground. Society doesn't want to see women in that position because they think it's a masculine trait to be in charge. But people have to understand that the hand that rocks the cradle rocks the world.

Listen to Betty Wright's 'Grapes on a Vine' Feat. Lil Wayne

Can you talk about how The Roots became involved in 'Betty Wright: The Movie'?

This is the funniest story ever. It's a Grammy story. I'm walking out from a pre-performance because God blessed me to be nominated for a single I put out last year about domestic abuse called 'Go.' But in that same category was The Roots with John Legend. Henceforth they win, but I get the chance to perform on the pre-show with Cyndi Lauper and Mavis Staples.

Not bad company, huh?

Right! So, I'm going over to the regular Grammy telecast and I see Questlove and The Roots and I say, "Hey, congratulations...because y'all better be glad y'all are my boys...I would snatch that Grammy and run. You just want to beat up on grandma." Everyone starts laughing. I end up riding home with the guy I had decided I was going to do my record with -- S-Curve Records' Steve Greenberg who I did the Joss Stone record with. Sure enough, Steve ends up sitting next to Quest, and they get to talking and their brains start working. The next thing you know I get a call like, "You know, it would interesting to see what you guys could do on a couple of songs together." And this is after I performed at the Grammy Jam with The Roots and people were really feeling it. Next thing you know, two songs with The Roots became, "You know what? Questlove wants to work on the whole album." I could take credit for us getting together, but I really had nothing to do with it [laughs].

How tough was it to give up that control to Quest and the band?

Me and my partner Angelo Morris co-write just about everything on the album. He's been my musical director for 25 years. We just said we were going to put ourselves in The Roots' hands. I knew that if I came in and I was trying to run things I would get nothing done [laughs]. It was a blessing. We took the songs to another level. The Roots and I wrote a new song too. It's called 'You and Me.'

It seems like you and Questlove get along rather well. Was he easy to work with?

I love Quest! He's extremely quiet, but focused on his craft. There are a lot of things that go on around him, but he still keeps his attention. I wish there was a machine that can help him go back and remember every single thing that he is doing right now because he is doing so many things. He is just a phenomenon. I hope I didn't frustrate him too much because I always say what's on my mind.

On your album you not only collaborated with The Roots, but Lil Wayne and Snoop Dogg. What is it about hip-hop that has allowed you to embrace it in such an emphatic way?

I have to tell you that I love people. When I see the kids coming up and see what they have done with the music, it's amazing. I used to hate sampling, but it was basically because everyone was getting paid but us. But when they began to do the legislation and get it right, I realized that the kids just did something that if maybe we were smart enough we would have done it as well. The hip-hop artists helped us to stay relevant and they have brought a new generation to us.

Betty Wright

A lot of artists in your generation have been very critical of today's music. Do you sometimes feel the same way?

We have to stop hating on folks and allow them to be able to express themselves without censorship. That doesn't mean that I want to hear you cussing every minute, but they are writing about their pain. When I was growing up, we came up in a society where there was not a lot of money and the husband felt like, "Well, if I'm only bringing $200 home, maybe I won't come home. I'll just get drunk and feel good for about five minutes." Those were the things we wrote about: lost hope and lost love and falling in love. Now the rappers today write about police harassment, drugs and becoming successful. I don't know who said this, but my generation was willing to die for what they believed in. Today's generation is willing to kill for what they believe in. We have to make sure that we keep working from our palette and they work from theirs. That way the children that are growing up today will get to see all of the above.

What was the experience like working with Lil Wayne?

I've been working with Lil Wayne since he was 15. We've had an association for a while. I've worked with him as a producer. Wayne is definitely a talented artist. He has total recall, which is so much of an asset in this business. He's creating those raps and he's not writing them down. They are coming off the dome.

Take me back to when you had your first commercial breakthrough with your 1971 hit 'Clean Up Woman.' How did you get away recording that kind of risque material at the age of 17?

I was grown in a crazy kind of way. I was in high school when I did 'Clean Up Woman.' That record was gold before I was even 18. Everybody in my family was entertainers. I had a brother who played with Junior Walker & The All-Stars, King Curtis & The Kingpins, and my sister sung with KC & The Sunshine Band, so we were already doing this. But the thing was I knew how to act. My mother said I was always a better actress than I was a singer [laughs]. That's what I do in my music. When I do these songs, I become that person in the song. If I want to sing a love song, I'm going to be that lover. If I'm going to sing a song about dancing, you are going to see me do some dancing.

You have had your own solo hits and worked on recording sessions with everyone from Alice Cooper and Stevie Wonder to Erykah Badu and the aforementioned Lil Wayne. How have you been able to have such a ridiculously diverse and rich career?

I think because of my mother, God rest her soul, she instilled in us something that I cannot put a dollar value on. She taught me a brand of humility. I see people talk about it, but not walk about it. My mother told me from a little girl, "There's nothing good but God and nothing great but God." I have lived my life having to be able to sing background on a lot of sessions. I've had a blessed career and it's still going strong. I want people to listen to this new album with an open heart. You don't have to love Betty Wright. But there's something about me that you are going to love.

Listen to Betty Wright's 'Real Woman' Feat. Snoop Dogg

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MC Lyte Grammy Committee: Jimmy Jam Encouraged Position

Keith Murphy — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 12:15:00 EST

Amy Graves, Getty Images In the late '80s and early 90's, MC Lyte became one of the first female MCs to find lyrical respect and authority within the male dominated artform of hip-hop. To say that the raper, born Lana Moorer, could match two-fisted rhymes, sneering braggadocio and cool wit with the best of them would be an understatement. The Brooklyn born rapper went on to drop such classic albums as 'Lyte As A Rock' (1988); 'Eyes On This' (1989); and 'Act Like You Know' (1991), paved the way for popular female spitters like Foxy Brown, Lil' Kim, Lauryn Hill and Nicki Minaj. And while MC Lyte has since went on to release several projects -- most noteworthy her 2006 critically acclaimed collaboration, 'Wonder Years,' with iconic producer DJ Premier -- and become an in-demand voice-over personality for television commercials and award shows, it's her latest gig that is most intriguing. ...

In June of 2011, the pioneering hip-hop legend became the president of the L.A. Chapter of the Grammys Recording Academy. With the 54th Annual Grammy Awards coming up on Feb. 12, Lyte says that so far, the gig has been rewarding, yet daunting. "This week I had rounds of meetings that happen twice a year with presidents and trustees," Lyte tells The BoomBox of her duties. "But what I found out was it's not just about addressing some of the issues with the Grammy Award show. It's about all the other entities that exist outside with branding, partnerships and the philanthropic side of the Grammy Museum."

Lyte, who is also executive vice president at DuBose Music, says it was former L.A. Grammy chapter head and influential hit-making producer Jimmy Jam who persuaded her to take on the position. "Not too many years ago, Jimmy invited me down to a board meeting," she recalls. "That was the first taste that I got for that type of forum. It's a huge responsibility. I'm the first African-American woman to do it. I am elated. I look forward to the upcoming Grammy Awards."

Watch 'MC Lyte Says Missy Will Be Back Better Than Ever'

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The Roots Say 'Undun' Taught 'Patience,' TV 'Made Us Better'

Keith Murphy — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 11:45:00 EST

Johnny Nunez, WireImage The concept album. It's a nebulous, musical roll-of-the-dice that can garner both awe-inspiring returns -- Marvin Gaye's genius 1971 protest statement 'What's Going On' -- and laughable, self-indulgent-plagued scorn -- Garth Brook's 1999 laughable, Ziggy Stardust-biting 'The Life of Chris Gaines.' Knowing the history of such a risk-taking genre, it's little wonder when the news that celebrated Philadelphia hip-hop act the Roots was set to release their first official concept album entitled 'undun,' some observers reacted with a side-eye. Yet for the group's ambitious leader and drummer Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, he says the 10-track set, which follows the 1999 shooting death of lead character Redford Stevens, was born not out of some pretentious exercise. 'undun,' due out Dec. 6, came about by sheer necessity. "It's very easy for me if you tell me to make a 10-song conceptual record with a limited amount of resources," Questlove tells The BoomBox. "I can do that. But if you tell me to write a 3-minute pop song that was straight to the point, I would have a problem doing that. I'm not that disciplined as a pop songwriter." Indeed, the whole left-field idea of the Roots, a unit that made their 1993 debut under the banner "hip-hop band," has always taken the harder road. Besides, when you've dropped classic works like 'lladelph Halflife' and 'Things Fall Apart,' conquered the live album format with 'The Roots Come Alive, confidently delivered grown-man rap delivering 'Rising Down' and 'How I Got Over' and took a chance with their indie street-cred by becoming the house-band for late show host Jimmy Fallon, you can do whatever the hell you want. Questlove talks about what goes into making a modern day concept album, the Roots legacy, his views on hip-hop today and why classical music is so damn cool. ...

Because of 'undun's' conceptual nature, what impact did having to stay on message have on Black Thoughts rhyming?

This was really our first record of the 13 albums that we really were as scrutinizing with the lyrics as we were with the music -- actually more so. The thing that always defined us a group was that our musical output was a little bit different than anyone else's. You tend to concentrate on one area, but because Tariq -- Black Thought -- is such a wordsmith, at the end of the day, it is what it is. People will probably say he's really matured as an MC because this is the first time in our 20-year history that he even invited the type of scrutiny and dissection of his rhymes.

What kind of scrutiny are we talking about?

Literally everyone's verse on this record had undergone major, major operations. Phonte's verse on 'One Time' went through 17 re-writes. Dice [Raw's] verse on 'Tip the Scale' went through at least nine complete verses. My website [Okayplayer] is asking me if there are any extra songs or bonus cuts and I'm like, "No. But there are definitely 10 songs with at least seven other verses." That's the thing that really differs us from anybody else out there in hip-hop.

Listen to the Roots' 'Make My' Feat. Big K.R.I.T.

How so?

Hip-hop usually falls into the yes-man syndrome. You hear something and you really don't want to give constructive criticism. You are like, "Yeah, man! That's dope. That's dope. That's dope." I believe that's the one true element that has helped us create quality product. There were songs where I had to do my drum parts over and over again. We are not afraid to be critical of each other.

I'm sure that has caused some epic scraps, right?

Well, I've stopped recording vocals long ago. I stopped after 'Illedelph Halflife' because it always became a cause for a fist-fight [laughs]. If I say to someone in the group, "Nah, you didn't nail that part right," it takes a certain type of psychologist to make an MC work his ass off. And Tariq definitely has high standards. He cares about putting his best effort forward. Everything that he puts out there is bar-none quotable. When you look at his lyrical arsenal, you rarely find any embarrassing stanzas or something that doesn't make sense.

You sound like Black Thought's biggest fan.

I am. He's always great, but he really showed me something on this album. I'll say even three months ago when we were finishing 'I Remember' or 'Lighthouse' and Rich [executive producer of 'undun,' Richard Nichols] would be like, "I don't like that verse." And I'm telling him, "Yo, that's some ill s---." And he's like, "Well, the ending is cool, but I don't like the first seven lines. Change it." I'm expecting Tariq to be on his hot-tempered, "Get the f--- out of here" thing because that's how I would roll. But he turned out to be even more patient than me.

One of the most interesting aspects of the Roots' career has been your loyal fanbase and the rather strong opinions they offer when it comes to your music. Where do you think 'undun' will fall into the entire Roots' canon for Okayplayers?

There are some Roots fans that say, "Aw, man, my favorite is 'The Tipping Point," or "My favorite is 'Game Theory.'" But 'undun' is not going to be for everybody. Still, I can say that people look at us and can say that we put effort and thought and care into our work.

Watch the Roots' 'undun' Photo Shoot

Can you take me inside the recording process on 'Make My'? There's a lot going on in that track.

Because of the nature of the song, you have to understand that we built this concept record as a means of somebody dying in the beginning of the record. So the very first song is this person at the end of his life at the moment he pretty much gets murdered. So when we were listening to the song I said, "Well, I don't get the feeling that his spirit is leaving his body. I want to know that he is really dying." So I put a coda at the end of the song so that you get this sort of weird feeling sort of like Mobb Deep's 'Shook Ones.' The way that Prodigy describes the burning sensation that you feel with a bullet goes through your body, it's almost like a beautiful description of such a violent act.

That's a heavy description, huh?

It is. But I worked so hard on 'Make My' for over a month. Even with the intro of the album, I went through nine versions before people in the band were happy. I got out-voted on a drum patch [laughs]. They didn't like the mix or the way my hi-hat sounded. I think making this album taught me patience.

What was it about Big K.R.I.T. that made you say, "OK, we have to get this kid on the record?"

The process is always the same. There's a social interaction. It's not like we went and looked in the blogosphere to find the hottest mixtape MC. We just happened to be curating these Hennessy shows where we would perform with the likes of a new act like Big K.R.I.T. and also perform with the veteran likes of Chaka Khan or Bobby Brown or Ronald Isley. These were private shows that we did all last year and we did about six of them. Just on a social level we got real cool with K.R.I.T. He would tell us he was a huge fan of ours and that one of his favorite albums was 'Headphone Masterpiece' by Cody Chesnutt. He was like, "Yeah, y'all definitely put me on to that when I was kid."

That must have been surprising, right?

Yeah, we just bonded. So when it was time to record 'undun,' it was more like us calling our friend up rather than us calling someone that had some buzz on them. It's way easier for us to collaborate with people who we are in good social standing with.

Watch 'The Roots Are Green for Sade'

There's been a lot of talk about the orchestral element of 'undun.' The Roots have used strings before, but on this one you guys take it to new heights. What was your inspiration behind taking on a more classical feel musically?

There are a lot of quiet side projects that we do. It may catch the ear of the occasional Pitchfork blog, but there are a gazillion collaborations that I do with different genres of music that kind of goes under the radar. One of them was a project that I have been working on in Philadelphia called 'Philly-Paris Lockdown.' They wanted me to give my interpretation of the early 20th Century Renaissance era of classical music -- the French composers. When they first asked me if I had any interest in doing classical works and what did I know about it, of course I told them about me having gone to performing arts school in Philly and that I had experienced classical music. So I did about two or three of these types of orchestral works during these Philly concerts, which mixed jazz with classical music with great artists like saxophonist David Murray and [pianist] D.D. Jackson.

How did that classical element translate to 'undun'?

Having worked hard on 'Philly-Paris Lockdown' all year I didn't want to let it go. So I wanted to see if I could include come of that experience on 'undun.' We've always worked with strings before, but never to this level where we just started writing straight up compositions without it having it be connected to hip-hop or anything. One of the things that interested me was the Impressionist period of French classical music. It's sort of like their foray into modern music, which you could say Miles Davis picked up on when he started doing 'Sketches of Spain' and the kind of work Miles was doing with Gil Evans.

When the news came out that you would be allowing fans to view the lyrics to 'undun' tracks online, you referenced Lil Wayne, Drake, Kanye West and Nicki Minaj and made the following quote: "I'm over 40 now and I'm no longer haunted by a young man's hoop dreams. But, I'm anything but resigned, just comfortable in my skin." Why did you feel the need to make that statement?

I think the more honest you are about the situation, the more it actually frees you. I think a lot of people, despite hip-hop's 30-year presence, I would expect there would be at least one or two figures that could supersede hip-hop and show the possibilities of it. I feel like a lot of the times the Roots have to prove ourselves and over-explain certain situations and why we do things. Starting with our last album, 'How I Got Over,' I want this to be a time where we just don't have to over-explain so much on what our motivations and intentions are.

What impact has being the house-band on 'Late Night with Jimmy Fallon' had on your career?

I will say that being a part of Jimmy Fallon has really marked the first time that I've given time to concentrate on just being a songwriter. The problem with us doing the 250 shows a year was the fact it took a lot of effort in crafting and building a show. You really don't get that much of a chance to hone your craft that got you there in the first place. When 'Things Fall Apart' came out, it took us two years to make that album. We put all our energy and effort into it and we were rewarded as such. We put out that record and the next thing you know we were on tour for three years. It got massive acclaim and our audience was building by the thousands. But when we got home, we had to start the process all over again. Next thing you know, it takes two years to make the next record. Now that we are in a place where we have a regular steady life, we can now put a lot of energy into writing songs.

Fallon opens up the Roots' most productive period. Who knew?

Being on Fallon requires it. That's my day job. I'm required to make songs all day whether they are used or not. Just being in an environment of writing and being in that editing process, where you see them cut to the chase to get to a certain point quicker, has made us better.

Watch the Roots' 'Don't Say Nuthin''

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Keith Sweat: Lil Wayne Is 'Ridiculous,' Album Is 'Younger'

Keith Murphy — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 13:30:00 EST

Michael Roman, WireImage "You know who I respect work ethic-wise?" queries Keith Sweat. The veteran R&B singer is attempting to explain just why a multi-platinum artist with 25 years in the rearview is promoting his latest album, 'Til the Morning,' out now, with the hunger of a newly signed act. Sweat's marathon rollout includes an overseas tour, a music special on the Centric cable channel, promotion on his highly rated syndicated radio show, The Sweat Hotel and a relationship advice book collaboration with erotic fiction author Zane, due May 2012. "I look at what Lil Wayne does," Sweat says of his unlikely inspiration. "His work ethic is ridiculous... He never stops. I try to always stay busy." Yet Sweat could be forgiven if he wanted to shut it all down. The 50-year-old Harlem native would prove to be the perfect muse for Teddy Riley's revolutionary R&B sound dubbed new jack swing. The singer's landmark 1987 debut, 'Make It Last Forever,' ushered in the ghetto fabulous, genre-shifting era, which was hip-hop mixed with soul music set to an infectious, swinging groove. It was brilliant and highly lucrative -- with close to 4 million copies sold. Yet the romantic crooner would go on to extend his productive career with a string of gold and platinum albums from 1990's 'I'll Give All My Love to You' to 2010's well-received set 'Ridin' Solo.' And Sweat is still at it. The BoomBox spoke to the seemingly unstoppable singer to discuss his influential career and beyond. Read on as the Harlem, N.Y. native explains his choice to collaborate with an unlikely southern rap star, the inspiration behind penning a new book and why he can't get away from Facebook and Twitter. ...

Watch Keith Sweat's 'Make You Sweat'

You've been in the music business for over 25 years. Why did you decide to sign with E1 Music -- was there a particular vision they had that made you say, "This is the best place to be"?

They've done a good job with talent. I just felt like nowadays labels don't put in time to promoting records, especially for a veteran R&B artist like myself. They seem to do a good job when working an album. I really needed that at this moment of my career.

Your current single, 'Make You Say Ohh,' has such an old-school feel about it. Were you going for a throwback soul sound?

That's just one song out of 12 songs. I try to do different things. The album has a younger feel. I'm working with a lot of younger producers and writers. But really, the songs have that young feel, but it's still Keith Sweat. I think people tend to put that old school tag on me because it's me [laughs]. It's Keith Sweat.

Who were some of the producers you worked with on 'Til the Morning'?

Me and this guy named Angelo Ramone produced the first single. When I was looking for younger talent to work with, I wanted people that liked R&B the same way I like R&B. If they know about the O'Jays then I know they got that R&B in them. I know I can work with them. They can offer me the things musically that I can utilize. There weren't any well-known producers I went out to get. I grabbed people that were passionate about the music.

Wow. That's a lot to live up to.

But that's how it's always been. It's just like when me and Teddy came out. Nobody knew who Teddy Riley was. Nobody knew who I was. We weren't Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis or L.A. and Babyface. We were not there yet. There are a lot of people out there who have great music and are very talented that the public don't know about. You didn't have 'American Idol' or the websites when me and Teddy came out. You didn't have Facebook. If we had all that stuff we probably would have sold 15 million albums instead of just 4 million [laughs].

Watch Keith Sweat Perform 'Make It Last Forever'

My eyebrows were raised when I saw T-Pain's name on the album. That's a curve pitch, huh?

I'm just a fan of music. I have a song with Johnny Gill on the album. I have a song with T-Pain, which I think will surprise some people. I have a song with Coco from SWV on the album. But it's still a Keith Sweat album.

Take us back to your 1987 debut album, 'Make It Last Forever.' Did you realize that you and groundbreaking new jack swing producer Teddy Riley were kicking off the next great era of R&B?

I had no idea what Teddy and I were about to get into. But once we came out the studio after the 'Make It Last Forever' sessions, we knew it was something special. We just didn't know how special it was. It just felt good compared to everything we were listening to on the radio at the time. We would drive down 145th St. and 8th Ave. in New York listening to the songs in Teddy's car. We would just look at each other and say, "Yo, these joints are hot!" However, we weren't the consumer. We had no idea how the music public would react because it was such a new sound. But when the album finally dropped the reaction was like crazy, ridiculous.

You and Teddy are called the Godfathers of New Jack Swing. How does that make you feel when you hear such soaring accolades?

I'm still not used to it. Akon calls me the godfather. They all call me godfather and uncle -- all of that. But to me, James Brown was the godfather [laughs]. It just feels good. It shows that they respect my legacy. They respect what I have done in this R&B game and music as a whole.

You were able to go double and triple platinum in the '80s and for much of the '90s on your own terms. You never had to take that obvious pop turn that a lot of your peers took with their music. What pushed you to stay with your R&B base?

Well, I felt like I wanted to stay true to the music. What allowed me to crossover was the realness about the music. It crossed over by itself. When I first came out I was telling people, "I'm not a pop act," even though people were trying to get me to record pop records. It was funny because the more I stayed on that R&B sound the more pop music fans came to me.

Watch Keith Sweat's 'Make You Say Ooh'

That had to be surprising to the label suits, huh?

Yeah, it was. But that comes from some people undervaluing R&B. Think about it -- R&B was always going pop going back to Little Richard and the Isley Brothers. Their records were always going pop. You had Jackie Wilson making R&B songs that were considered pop records for their times. I'm just staying true to those roots. People are either going to accept it or not accept it. Fortunately the fans have accepted it.

'Til the Morning' stands as your 11th album while many of your new jack swing peers are no longer recording music. What do you attribute to that?

The reason I'm still relevant is everybody still listens to that first Keith Sweat album. I hear people tell me all the time that they still listen to 'I Want Her' or 'Make It Last Forever.' And that's a statement that people are making. I tour a whole lot on my musical catalog. I tour so much on those records that it's ridiculous. The statement people are making to me is do what you do, we will support what you do. When I go into the studio I'm writing and I'm singing what I feel. Anybody that tries to get me to write anything other than what I feel will make me sound watered down.

Can you talk about the promotion of the new album?

The way I promote my music now is through the Internet -- Facebook, Twitter and my website. As I said before, these were things I didn't have early on in my career. You may go to a radio station and the program director may say, "Well, it doesn't fit our demographic." There are other ways around that now. Artists today have the Internet and television. And then there's my syndicated radio show The Sweat Hotel.

Surely it doesn't hurt that you can play your own songs on-air whenever you want to, right?

[Laughs] For me it's all good because I'm at 50 markets under Clear Channel. It's funny. You get the "Am I really talking to Keith Sweat?" when people call into the show. Initially, people were mad at me because I started doing radio. A lot of people didn't think I would be successful on radio because when I started I was in eight markets. They thought it would be short-lived, but thank God it wasn't.

The thing is my success is all on me. I have to be willing to do the interviews. I have to conduct myself like I did back in the days when 'Make It Last Forever' came out and nobody knew who I was. I have to do a ton of interviews and release a ton of songs. It's all about how much you want to work.

Watch 'How to Play Make It Last Forever on the Piano'

Are there any plans for you to do another reality show similar to Centric's 'Platinum House' featuring Dru Hill?

I've been thinking about doing another reality show. The Dru Hill 'Platinum House' was very successful, but I have to do it on my own terms. To me, I'm not willing to be no fool for nobody. I'm not saying that on all reality shows you have to act like a fool, but some of that is scripted. If I can't come off in a positive way then it won't be for me. I'm also working on 'As Written,' another show on Centric. I'm talking about certain things that I've done in terms of working up towards my new album and my overall history. And I also have a relationship advice book coming out next May called 'Make It Last Forever: The Do's and The Don't's.' It's going to be published by Simon & Schuster, and it's about what you should do in your relationship to make it last forever.

Wow. That's the reality of the music business today; you have to always do more.

Right. You have to remember you are never too big.

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Mannie Fresh Accepts Drake's Juvenile Remake, Talks Beef

Keith Murphy — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 13:50:00 EST

Erika Goldring, Getty Images When music from Drake's sophomore album, 'Take Care,' leaked earlier this week, the standard critique, buzz and discussion flooded the hip-hop universe. But there was one particular song that truly ignited chatter. To say that 'Practice,' the emo Toronto MC's clever re-working of Juvenile's 1998 classic club workout 'Back That Azz Up,' was a surprise is an understatement. For starters Juve and the throwback track's groundbreaking producer Mannie Fresh both parted ways from Drake's current label home Cash Money Records under negative circumstances -- both claimed they were cheated out of money. ...

Yet Fresh, who has since made peace with his former label, is giving 'Practice' a thumbs up.

Listen to Drake's 'Practice'

"I feel like if there was any new artist on Cash Money that deserves to touch that song it's Drake," Fresh tells The BoomBox. "I met the brother a couple of times and he's been nothing but super cordial. I was DJing in New York and the dude came and rocked the party with me. So that meant a lot to me. I just felt like Drake didn't have to do that. We didn't talk about business... We just had a good time."

Fresh says what impressed him the most was Drake's humble request to use 'Back That Azz Up.'

"We spoke about it before he recorded the song," Fresh says of the evolution of the track. "I even sent him some beats. I know my history and business of it kind of makes it crazy because who he is signed with. But Cash Money reached out to me and handled their business in a professional way. Drake called and made sure to say, 'Get in touch with Mannie, give him whatever he wants and make sure the business is straight.' That's all I've ever asked for. I never had a problem with Cash Money. I just had a problem with the way they did business."

Watch Mannie Fresh & Juvenile in 'I Got That Fire'

Fresh continues: "I feel like Drake is a different artist. I know he is signed to Cash Money, but I would not put him in the middle of my business with them. I'm big enough to say, "Yo, whatever happened between me and Cash Money should not affect what happens between me and Drake."

And according to Fresh, he still has love for the imprint now headlined by superstar rapper and Young Money mogul Lil Wayne. "I still feel like they are my brothers," he says. "We grew up together. There were things that happened that I didn't like, but I still consider [Birdman] and Ronald [Cash Money co-founder Ronald "Slim" Williams] my brothers. Regardless what anyone of us says -- Juve, B.G., Turk -- we still got Cash Money DNA."

As for the future, Fresh -- who in recent years has produced hits for the likes of T.I. ('Top Back') and Young Jeezy ('And Then What') -- is in the lab working on new music. He points to his latest banger, 'Power,' a recently released Juvenile track that features omnipresent rhyme giant Rick Ross.

"The crazy thing is the track is not one of my greatest songs," Fresh says of the song, which has garnered major press among hip-hop bloggers. "It's just that nobody is doing songs that sound like 'Power.' That's what makes it so good. Everything sounds the same right now on the radio, so let's just go a little different route. I feel good about how the fans have accepted me again. I'm trying to get an album out of Juvenile. There's more music to come."

Watch 'Drake's 'Take Care' Leaked'

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A$AP Rocky Has 'Pizzazz,' Says Drake Wants World to See Him

Keith Murphy — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 10:05:00 EST

YouTube.com A$AP Rocky sees the absurdity of his current situation. Just how did a 23-year-old kid from Harlem -- who rhymes over smoked-out, dusty beats that sound like they were crafted in a shotgun house in Houston and looks like the East Coast, gold teeth-stunting cousin to Midwest rap giants Bone Thug-N-Harmony -- become the Big Apple's most prized newcomer since the days a young 50 Cent was sneering his way into the public's consciousness in the early 2000s? "I don't know, my dude," he laughs. "But I know I've been working hard." And there's more to the unlikely story. Rocky, who recently dropped his mixtape ode to glorious swag and stoner bliss 'LIVELOVEA$AP,' has managed to go from local hipster favorite to the future of East Coast hip-hop and beyond. From glowing write-ups in the New York Times to a gaudy $3 million recording deal with the Sony/RCA distributed Polo Grounds Music, Rocky and his A$AP crew have their eyes on a complete rap takeover. Still absurd? After The BoomBox sat down with the 'Peso' MC to find out what all the unmitigated hype was about, maybe not. ...

You recently dropped your mixtape, 'LiveLoveA$AP.' Were you worried about living up to expectations of the entire buzz surrounding you?

Not at all. This is what the fans have been waiting for. And I'm not alone. I have Bun B on my mixtape, Paul Wall, Main Attractions, Spaceghost Purrp, A$AP Nast and more. I'm bringing a new movement. It's not just about making [hit records].

What made you go with Sony/RCA's Polo Grounds Music, given that you were garnering a lot of attention from other record labels?

I look at it like these guys are more sincere. They understand that you have to let an artist be an artist. Of course every record label is an opportunist. They are not signing me for their health [laughs].

Watch A$AP Rocky's 'Peso'

No record label is these days is, right?

Right! But I saw sincerity from Polo Grounds and Bryan Leach [Polo Grounds Music founder]. He and I sat with each other and got to know one another on a personal level. I like him as a person, so I know I was in good hands.

And the $3 million you received didn't hurt, right?

[Laughs] Hey, when you get offers you can't refuse who would turn down $3 million at 23 years old? I don't know too many people who would. These guys have helped me sign all of my friends. They are all signed to my own label A$AP Worldwide. Sony helped me get all that.

One artist that has been in your corner is Drake. How do you feel when you hear such a mainstream platinum artist shout you out during interviews and take you out on the road?

I hear praise from a lot of people, but the fact that Drake wants people to know that I'm the future by taking me out on tour with him, that's what's up. A lot of people love Drake for what he is doing for me right now. They are like, "Yo, you are a good dude for that." Because Drake is a good dude.

Are you taken back by the support Drake has given you?

Yes. It's been crazy. Think about it. Drake could have easily just have said, "Oh, I'm inspired by this cat, but nobody gotta know." None of that happened. Drake was like, "Dude, I'm inspired by you. Come out on tour with me. The world needs to see you." Drake didn't even know my situation. He didn't know if I was going to have a deal or not. He just wanted the world to see what he saw. And I really appreciate it.

Take me back to 'Peso,' the song that introduced you to most mainstream hip-hop fans. Instantly, people pointed to the large southern rap influence, specifically Houston, on your sound. And in the video your look seemed more understated than the flashier Harlem swag we've come to know. What statement were you trying to make?

That it goes to show you that you can make a great music video without diamonds, cars and half naked women, like your typical music video. You can do other s---. It doesn't have to be all bling bling. I'm from Harlem and I have pizzazz and class. I know how to swag it out. I was born in the '80s, but raised in the '90s. But this is how we do it now. That 'Peso' video portrayed my lifestyle: I drink 40's on the regular. I roll dice on the regular. I style on the regular... that's all I was doing.

You made a comment in a New York Times interview that you don't like New York hip-hop, yet you are from Harlem. You received a lot of flack for that statement. Care to clarify?

I f--- with that classic New York sound. So it's not like I don't love New York hip-hop because I do. That's how I came up. I just don't like the modern New York sound. This is basically the New York sound today, first four bars: "Wake up fresh, about to get dressed, diamonds on my neck, bitches on my Lex..." What the f---? Am I lying? [laughs] I like all the older New York hip-hop. I was listening to everyone from the Wu-Tang Clan and Mobb Deep all the way to Dipset. I was also into the Digging In The Crates crew, that whole Harlem World movement, Children of the Corn, Big L and I was a huge DMX fan because of my big brother. Really, I was obsessed with DMX.

Watch A$AP Rocky's 'Purple Swag'

People point to the style connection between you and the Diplomats. Would you agree?

Honestly man, I feel like I've been reincarnated from the Dipset [laughs]. I think my [A$AP] crew is like the Dipset, like Wu-Tang, and young Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. But as far as Dipset goes, I was highly influenced by them. Them dudes were fly! They had the baddest chicks, nicest cars, nicest swag and coolest rhymes. We liked all that s---.

So how would you describe A$AP Rocky?

Me? I have the best weed, best rhymes, best looks, best heart and best chicks. But I don't have the cars yet [laughs]. I'm not really on that level yet. I'm more like before, I couldn't afford all that stuff, so I'm not going to pretend that's what my life is like now -- that I'm surrounded by diamonds and jewels or nice ass foreign cars and mansions. I'm still regular: 40 oz. and dice.

Is your first studio album in the back of your mind?

F--- that. My new album is in rotation in my mind [laughs]. I just directed a video two days ago for Danny Brown called 'Blunt After Blunt.' It was my first video that wasn't mine that I directed. I'm working on my fourth video for myself called 'What's Up." And I'm getting into my new album now. I have some songs already recorded. I just want people to take me seriously with everything I do.

Watch 'How to Do the Harlem Shake'

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Tristan Wilds Sings and Rhymes on New EP, Fan of Mos Def

Keith Murphy — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 10:55:00 EST

Jonathan Leibson, FilmMagic On the popular CW reboot of the '90s television classic '90210,' actor Tristan Wilds plays Dixon, aspiring hip-hop producer and DJ. Now the 22-year-old thespian is turning fiction into reality. Wilds, who first garnered fame as the layered character Michael on the critically-acclaimed street drama 'The Wire,' is gearing up to release an independent EP in late November. He calls the work, with production from Rico Love and Dre & Vidal, a mix of hip-hop and R&B. "My album is going to be predominantly singing with some rhyming on it," he tells The BoomBox. "I had fun working on this music. I'm planning on dropping a free 7 song EP this November. Not to be all like the other actors [laughs], but music is a big part of my life. It is who I am. I feel like I don't have to love one thing over the other when it comes to acting and music. I want to do a little bit of everything. I'm learning how to play the guitar a little bit. I take music very seriously." ...

As for his influences, Wilds, who has appeared in music videos by Jay-Z and Lil Wayne, says that many fans will be surprised to know that he has quite an eclectic list of musical favorites, courtesy of his older sibling and high school peers.

"I'll go from electronic from Diplo and then the same day listen to Kanye West and Jay[-Z] and then listen to Mos Def and Blackstar and then listen to the Police and Iggy Pop," he explains. "I blame that on the way that I grew up in the projects with my older brother who was a super hip-hop head. And my mom and dad had me listening to soul music from Marvin Gaye to Norman Conners. I then went to a predominantly white school so they taught me everything about Bob Dylan and stuff like that. I'm all over the place."

While music is a passion, Wilds is not quitting his day job. He is set to star in the George Lucas produced Tuskegee Airman era war drama 'Red Tails,' which premieres January 20, 2012.

Watch Trista Wilds Read an Excerpt of 'Perfect'

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Obie Trice Recalls 'Upset' Jimmy Iovine, Talks Eminem Collabo

Keith Murphy — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 11:00:00 EST

Ray Tamarra, Getty Images Getting shot in the head has a way of giving you new perspective. For Detroit rhymer Obie Trice, that harrowing night on Dec. 31, 2005, changed everything. The former Eminem protégé had experienced the spoils of rap stardom out the gate with his 2003 debut, 'Cheers,' a factor that Trice admits had a negative effect on his already mammoth ego. He showed up late to interviews, clashed with Interscope suits and openly beefed with local Motown rivals. "I was really doing too much," Trice tells The BoomBox of his high times on Shady Records-Interscope. "I needed to be taught a lesson." And that lesson was soberingly clear: respect the game. Yet the run-up to his third album, 'Bottoms Up,' due Jan. 17, was darkened further by the untimely death of his mother, who succumbed to cancer this past summer. When you've dealt with such knock-down tragedy, you can forgive Trice for being overtly passionate when he talks about his newfound independence. Having split from the powerful Interscope machine, the tattooed rapper sat down with The BoomBox to discuss his new studio release, his beef with major labels, why Slim Shady is still the best and why he decided to start his own imprint. ...

What is it like operating independently with your own label, Black Market Entertainment, after being a part of such a commercially successful, mainstream behemoth like Shady-Interscope?

It has its ups and downs; its positives and negatives. I've had to spend money that I wouldn't necessarily have to come out of my pocket on when I was dealing with Interscope. But it's better because you have more control of the moves that you are making and the music that you want to put out. There's a lot of different things going on at Black Market. We have songs that we want to be released. We have songs that we want to be heard... and now we can do that. That doesn't happen on a major company where they want to put out the joints that they feel necessary for you to sell albums.

The single 'Battle Cry' from 'Bottoms Up' really sounds like a cathartic statement for you. You seem to be giving a middle finger to the music industry and some of your doubters. Do you relish the role of being an underdog?

Yeah. That's the statement I was making on 'Battle Cry.' There's a lot of negativity that influenced my time with me and Eminem and Interscope. A lot of people just feel like I can't be successful without Interscope. They were saying that I was nothing without Eminem. But I created myself. Eminem came and found me as an artist after hearing my music when I was selling music out the trunk. Eminem is my homie, and he still is to this day. We were a great team together when we made music, but I was also his protégé. That's why I feel like 'Battle Cry' is a necessity because of everything that I have heard from my critics.

Watch Obie Trice's 'Battle Cry'

Is it an angry song?

Not really. It's a song that felt good to get out. I do my best work when I don't force my music. 'Battle Cry' just came to me. I had to address different issues. It grabbed me in that direction. That's how the actual song made me feel. And how did I fly? I felt like, "I'm here!"

Before we get into more of the new album, let's get into what you described as the negativity at Interscope. You mentioned how close you still are with Eminem, yet your relationship with Interscope and Jimmy Iovine is a different matter, correct?

Well, at that time when I was at Interscope, I had missed a Big Boy [radio] interview and that was a huge thing. And Jimmy Iovine was really upset with me for that. I used to be at Jimmy Iovine's house hanging out with him and watching movies. We would be in the theater room and Mary J. Blige would be two rows behind me. So the relationship was there. Jimmy just felt like I didn't want it as bad as I should have. But that wasn't the case. I was just young when I came into the game. But I understand it now. This is a business.

Do you blame the lackluster album sales of your second album, 'Second Round's On Me,' on Interscope?

Sure. I believe that had a lot to do with Jimmy being upset with me for the kind of moves I was making. I didn't do as well as my first record, 'Cheers,' because of the lack of promotion. There are a lot of things to this game. You live and you learn. You understand and you grow and you hope that the people that supported you in the past don't forget about you.

Watch Obie Trice's 'Cry Now'

Can you talk about some of the serious things you have been going through during your time away from being shot in the head to your mom passing away after battling cancer?

It's definitely been a tremendous road. There were financial issues with the IRS., getting shot in the head and facing death. And then you got my homie Proof getting shot in much the same way in back of the head. You got my separation with Interscope. You have all these personal issues, but the toughest was my mother's death. It's definitely been a hell of a road. But I love hip-hop. Last night, I was hanging out with Tony Touch in New York. I hung out with DJ Finesse, who was killing the old school. I ran into Greg Nice [from Nice & Smooth], I ran into Grand Puba Maxwell, all of these cats I looked up to. I needed these guys when I was going through all the stuff that was happening. This is what I do, to be able to put that energy into hip-hop music has been very important for me. It's a gift.

Did being shot in the head change your life personally and artistically?

Yes and no when it comes to my music. I just do what I do. But in my everyday life, I changed. I was out of control, reckless. I had a platinum first album out, so it was one of those things where I felt untouchable, unstoppable. God put me in my place and put me in check. He told me, "Hey, you don't have to be here." But at the same time, I don't take any s--- from anyone. I don't give a f--- who you are. But I am definitely more humble. I feel blessed. I'm a totally different individual.

Being from Detroit, we all know how diverse the Midwest can be when it comes to hip-hop. Who were you listening to coming up?

I was really into the Notorious B.I.G. I loved Ice Cube, MC Lyte, Big Daddy Kane, Common, Wu-Tang, and later on it was Nas and Hov [Jay-Z]. I got a long list from Queen Latifah to Scarface. I'm in my early 30s. That was the era that I came up in. I've done songs with some of the greatest artists. I respect the game.

Both Eminem and Dr. Dre appear on 'Bottoms Up.' How easy was it to work with two individuals that have had such a profound impact on your career?

It was great, man. Having Dre and Em on my album? Those are my guys, my dudes. You have to be under a rock for years to not know who Dre is [laughs]. Just to have him tell me, "Obie, I'm with you, man. I got whatever you need." That's a beautiful thing. You have to understand, I was the first, new artist that Dr. Dre ever rapped with. This was my first album and Dre was spitting on it. And Eminem is one of the greatest to ever do it. And we are still cool. A lot of people forget the realness behind everything. There's a lot of fakeness in the game. Just having Em and Dre on 'Bottoms Up' is more than a good look. I'm proud and I'm happy.

Watch Obie Trice's 'Got Some Teeth'

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Everlast Has a 'Toilet Grammy,' Recalls 'Jump Around' Success

Keith Murphy — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 14:50:00 EST

Astrid Stawiarz, Getty Images For Everlast, writing music these days is quite simple: If you have nothing to say, keep quiet. It's a mantra that the rapper-singer-guitarist carries unapologetically on his latest album, 'Songs of the Ungrateful Living,' due Oct. 18. For the man who once made millions of fans 'Jump Around' as a member of House of Pain, the bleak conditions smothering America -- whether economic, political or social -- are too devastating to ignore. He has to say something about them. The 42-year-old white MC is not afraid to tell it like it is, even calling out his hip-hop brethren for what he perceives as a lack of balls. The BoomBox caught up with Everlast to discuss his 20-plus year career. While he may have parted ways with the House of Pain, hip-hop is still very much a part of his repertoire. Read on as he explains why many of today's rappers have "lost touch," his right to be hostile, his daughter's fight with cystic fibrosis and the reason his Grammy award sits over his toilet seat. ...

There's talk that 'Songs of the Ungrateful Living' has a more hip-hop feel. Is this a return-to-rap-form for you?

That hip-hop back beat is there on this album. I'm always hiding things in my music. Sometimes there will be a melody or a chain of events hidden in there that are from something that touched me hip-hop wise. I wanted to use the "got it good" line from Audio Two's 'Top Billin'' for my first single 'I Get By.' That was my idea. Milk Dee is one of my favorite voices of all time. I try to sneak something into almost every song. I produced this whole record. I had a little help with some co-producers, but this was the first one I took the whole lead on.

Listen to Everlast's 'I Get By'

Does it bug you when people say that you left hip-hop behind for the more rock and blues guitar-centered sound that made 'Whitey Ford Sings the Blues' such a huge success?

Even though I may sing on some of my songs you can still break down what I do lyrically. It's pretty much written in my same MC rhyme patterns. I spent the first half of my life digging through every kind of style of record you could think of -- trying to find something to flip and make it into something else. In hip-hop, you wind up borrowing all this music and trying to make something new out of it. So there is no genre that technically isn't hip-hop. 'Songs of the Ungrateful Living' is still hip-hop to me. It has that spirit. That's all I've ever done.

There are a lot of political overtones on 'Songs of the Ungrateful Living.' You have songs about how the high unemployment rate is crushing the spirit and livelihood of Americans, class warfare and how politicians in Washington are seemingly looking the other way. Were you getting your Bob Dylan on?

I wouldn't say that [laughs]. A lot of people considered my last album very political, but I was just angry. But the music I'm making now is more reality-based. If it ain't my life, it's something directly touching my life. I'm not doing anything new. This is what hip-hop used to be about. You had groups like Public Enemy saying the same things. But hip-hop today has become more about what I have and what you don't have. It's more materialistic.

It goes back to class warfare, right?

Right! How can you identify with someone rhyming about flying on private jets? I've elevated myself financially. I know rich people, but I don't know if I can call myself rich. I don't smash my success in people's faces. It's almost like Marie Antoinette's "Let them eat cake." It's disrespecting the same fans that are struggling to get by. If I wrote a rap about having $8,000 on me, I would feel stupid. I have that money because I have to pay for something later, not because I'm trying to show off for people. These cats have lost touch. That's why I made this album.

Is there a song that especially hits home for you on 'Songs of the Ungrateful Living'?

I have a song on the album called '65 Roses' that's about my daughter, who was born with a disease called cystic fibrosis. When kids are little and they are trying to say it, they wind up saying '65 Roses.' But the song is about me and my wife dealing with that knowledge, finding that out and learning how to accept it. Everything is good in my life. But that's the kind of things I have to write about. I can write a fun song, but it has to saying something.

What's the difference between the fans of Everlast that have been supporting you since you were down with Ice-T in the late '80s as a member of Rhyme Syndicate and the fans of the guitar-strumming Everlast?

One is all these crazy knucklehead B-Boys that have been following me since I was a youngster. And then there are the post-'Whitey Ford,' more adult, contemporary rock folks. I'm just trying to make them all understand -- all these cats that don't think they are hip-hop fans -- if you listen to what I do today, you are a hip-hop fan.

Did you ever want to bury House of Pain's 'Jump Around,' a song that threatened to make you into a one-hit wonder?

I never wanted to bury 'Jump Around.' But when I was making 'Whitey Ford,' I wanted to distance myself from that song. I still performed it live during that 'Whitey Ford' phase, but I did this really nutty, weirdo, live band version that wasn't the song. But I've accepted it now. It's just one of those things. 'Jump Around' is still big to this day. I can name five rappers that use 'Jump Around' during their show. Snoop [Dogg] closes his shows with that song. I know Slick Rick puts it on during his shows. I can't even take all the credit for it.

Watch House of Pain's 'Jump Around'

What comes to mind when you think back to those years rolling with Ice-T?

Man, those were great times. I'm one of the luckiest cats in this business. I never chased a record deal. I used to run with this cat Divine Styler. He is still a good homie. I'm a son of Divine, that's how I even got in the rap game. I used to want to be a graffiti writer and he was nasty and teaching me all these styles. He was rhyming and trying to get his career going and he was already dealing with Ice-T. I used to spit raps as jokes and make up funny s--- while we were painting. And Divine and his buddy would say, "Yo, you should make a tape." And that's all it was back then.

Life was much simpler back then?

It really was. You had a Tascam 4-Track -- a sampler and they made a beat and I made a tape. They played it for Ice and he was like, "Man, I like this record. I want to get him involved in Rhyme Syndicate." But when they told him I was white, Ice lost his mind [laughs]. I was just trying to be like Rakim. I was stealing a lot of my style from him. I had Five Percenter terminology in my s--- [laughs]. I was running with cats that were influencing me.

Did House of Pain come together in the same organic way?

It was the same thing. Like I said, I never chased a record deal. I ran into DJ Muggs [Cypress Hill and House of Pain producer], who I had known through his first group 7A3, who were close to signing with the Rhyme Syndicate back in the days. We were both messing with girls who were roommates. I wind back at this girl's place and that's where I met B-Real from Cypress Hill. They played me Cypress' first album and this was eight or nine months before anyone had ever heard it. They popped that tape in and I was like, "What the f--- is this, man?"

B-Real's high, nasal voice had to be shocking alone, huh?

I still get goose bumps when I think about it. I knew Cypress was going to change the game. Me and B-Real started freestyling together and later we are in a car and B-Real tells Muggs, "Yo, you need to be working with Everlast." Within a week we were working together on 'Jump Around.'

Considering how huge of a departure it was musically from the House of Pain, were you confident going into the 'Whitey Ford' album?

I had no clue. When I quit House of Pain, I thought the record business was over for me. I was in a bad mental spot. The reason I quit [the group], besides some personal things that were going on in the band, I found myself going to gigs that I wouldn't have went to if there wasn't a check. I wasn't having fun in the moment anymore. I was just about getting some money and paying the bills. I never really wanted a job. I watched my father break his back his whole life doing construction. A job is the last thing my father wanted me to have. He wanted me to have a career.

Did your label freak out when they saw the bluesy rock direction you were going in?

My label didn't even want to put the record out. They wanted me to rap. They didn't want nothing to do with 'Whitey Ford.' As much as they will take credit for it today, it was me and Dante Ross [legendary A&R executive] telling them this is going to work.

Around that time you had emergency heart surgery. You've even said in past interviews that you thought you were going to die. What was life like after facing death?

It was humbling. The first record I wrote after that whole ordeal was 'Put Your Lights On,' which was on the Santana album ['Supernatural']. I had to basically sale my home because I didn't have medical insurance. I was a young man at the time, so I didn't even think on that level. And the taxman f---ed me that year, so between the hospital and government, I owed around $600,000 or something. I was like, "F--- it. Sell everything." So now I'm in the city and I'm writing a song and the lights are coming on in the city and I'm like, "All you sinners, put your lights on." That songs describes it all.

What's the fondest memory of your career?

I love what I'm doing now with 'Songs of the Ungrateful Living.' And having a successful album with 'Whitey Ford' was great, but winning a Grammy with Carlos Santana was even cooler. To be able to tell him, "Yeah, I wrote you a song and it won a Grammy for you." And this was the night he won nine Grammys. Now you are a part of history. I take pride in that when I go in my bathroom and I see the Grammy sitting there on my toilet.

Come on man, the toilet?

Yeah. I keep it there to remind me that it's not that important [laughs].

Watch Everlast's 'White Trash Beautiful'

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Van Hunt Says Odd Future Are 'Rebellious,' Talks New Album

Keith Murphy — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 11:05:00 EST

Rick Diamond, WireImage Van Hunt is a man without a musical home. In political terms the Dayton, Ohio singer-songwriter-producer could be cast as a nomadic refugee. He's much too eccentric to be R&B. His funk chops seem almost too polished to break bread with the likes of George Clinton. Hunt would probably get a steady barrage of side eyes if he attempted to sit at the rock table. And jazz purists would scoff at his brief excursions into the atmospheric worlds of Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk. Yet Van Hunt has managed to release some of the most interesting musical statements of the last decade. The jack-of-all-trades artist, who first gained buzz after penning Dionne Farris' melancholy 1997 hit 'Hopeless,' went on to drop scribe-praised albums -- his 2004 self-titled debut and the sneering 2006 follow-up 'On the Jungle Floor' -- as well as confounding efforts -- the strange, but cool unreleased 'Popular'. So what do you do for an encore? You go independent and unleash a Sly Stone-meets-Bo Diddley-meets-the-Sex Pistols-meets-Joni Mitchell-meets-Charles Mingus eclectic statement. Yeah, it's a head-scratcher. However, his new LP, 'What Were You Hoping For?' displays Van Hunt's bold, who-gives-a-f--- approach to making music. No one ever said it was easy. But it's quite refreshing. ...

With the release of your new album, 'What Were You Hoping For?' you have taken the independent label route. How is life after the majors?

It's actually going very well. It's a lot of work, but I'm more aware of the deals involved and what goes on with my career. I'm more mature now than I was then. I've been able to be involved in artist development, strong A&R and strong songwriting. Just having a team around me that's influential in many ways. It's taken me a while to get there.

Did the messy experience of being on Blue Note Records, which refused to release your 2008 album 'Popular,' sour you on being signed to a major label?

The thing with Blue Note is they just decided that that record wasn't a part of what they wanted. Times were changing. They were seeing the writing on the wall with the recession and the dwindling music industry. I was just glad that I was able to get out of that relationship and move on and allow the dust to settle on the new music. I'm very comfortable right now.

Watch Van Hunt's 'Dust'

Some of your past album titles seem to give a wink and a nod. What was the inspiration behind 'What Were You Hoping For?'

You brought up the title of the album, which is also the title of one of my songs. I have to touch on the making of the song. Writing the tune was essentially a response to some of the things I have seen as a result of the global recession we are going through. I wasn't trying to make any political statement. I was more making a philosophical comment that essentially says we have all these unspoken issues in our society. But I see a collision of those ideas and unresolved issues. My question is what could you have been hoping for when we make the kind of decisions in our society that we have made.

Did you go into this project thinking, "OK, this is going to be my punk rock album," or "This is going to be my funk album"?

Well, I knew I was going for a harder edge. But it wasn't necessarily punk music. It was more about trying to capture the growl of a cello. That to me is as nasty as it can get. That's a beautiful sound to me. When people talk about the distortion on the guitar, I hear the same thing with that growl of a cello. That's what I'm going for [with 'What Were You Hoping For'?] as opposed to just distortion coming from a guitar.

You mentioned the raw aesthetic of your new music. But a song like 'June' has a very somber jazz element about it. It sounds like something that could have found its way on Joni Mitchell's 'Mingus' album with its upright bass and blue chord changes.

Man, that may be too big of a compliment [laughs]. I really appreciate that. But sonically you hit it on the head. I was trying to set a blue mood because 'June' is really about a somber girl. I'm identifying with her somberness, but trying to make her smile.

June is supposed to be that awakening period for all the months, right?

Exactly. But the June bloom has set in her and she's struggling with it.

Did you do most of the songwriting and production by yourself on 'What Were You Hoping For?'

I started this record like I always do. Usually I'll make the demos at home and go into the studio with 40 musicians [laughs]. We spend months essentially getting people to play what I played on the demo, which turns out to be unfair for those musicians. So this time, I said I'm going to make the demo my usual way, but bring in people who I trust to do what they do without a whole lot of guidance from me. I rehearsed with my drummer for about two weeks, just to give her the changes and the new tempos. Because this is a different set of tempo for me. We did this for two weeks. I just did the basic tracks in the studio with her and I called up my keyboardist and told him I just wanted him to give me an aural landscape on the songs. He did that and I shipped the whole thing. It was the most hands off approach I've taken thus far on an album.

Kevin Winter, Getty Images

What was so different about the time cadences on the new songs?

A lot of people call it punk rock [speed], but to me, it's just old church, gospel quartet stuff. When you listen to a song like 'Time Machine Is My New Girlfriend,' it has a Bo Diddley rhythm. But really it's old Negro spiritual gospel music. So it's hard for a drummer who spends most of their days living in modern music and trying to make a living among modern artists to take their minds back to what that is, which is much more primal.

Well, I don't know too many brothers who would do a cover of pre-punk godfathers The Stooges' 'No Sense Of Crime,' which was featured on your 2006 album 'On the Jungle Floor,' and make it sound funky.

[Laughs] I just identify with that need for aggression like most dudes. You go to some of those shows, even the post-punk stuff like Bad Brains, and it was mostly dudes there. That was essentially me back then. And while I didn't follow one particular group or one movement, there were just things that came into my life like Bad Brains and Fishbone while at the same time Thelonious Monk and Sly Stone did.

Of course there's that strong funk element as well, which can be found in the music of Sly. Were you always a funk disciple?

I think it's just a natural feel, it's second nature. I grew up in Dayton, Ohio. When I was there, funk was all you could listen to. People had so much pride in their groups. And I'm talking about the eight or nine groups that were hot then. There's a smaller group called Dayton and I actually know all their songs. And of course, you have the bigger groups like Slave and the Ohio Players. I had to know all that stuff. It was like you were given a quiz.

How underrated are the Ohio Players?

That's amazing to say for a group that was as popular as they were. But I agree with you. They are definitely underrated and under-explored. That was a group of brilliant dudes.

What comes to mind when you listen to your self-titled 2004 debut album?

To be honest, I see a hint of grays and shades. Somebody was telling me, "Well D'Angelo was really into your first album." And then I get embarrassed because I'm listening to it like, "Aw man. We had too much reverb on it." [Laughs] Just silly things. But I was a little disappointed in that album because I felt like that record had been tainted and interfered with.

Watch Van Hunt's 'At the End of a Slow Dance'

How so?

I didn't compromise much, but I compromised enough to make me feel insecure about what I was offering.

There is one song that you have become well known for, which you ironically wrote for another artist, entitled 'Hopeless.' Erykah Badu says that 'Tyrone' will forever be attached to her. Do you get a sense that 'Hopeless' will one day become your "Freebird?"

I think there has only been one person that has hollered out that song [laughs]. I don't have to worry about that as much as Dionne does.

What are your views on the music scene right now? Are you listening to Lady Gaga on the low?

I like some of the sounds that seem like there's a convergence of ideas going on. While it may not be something that I would listen to all the time, I like the strangeness of it. Like a Frank Ocean and the crew he comes from.

Odd Future?

Right. I like that crew, like Earl Sweatshirt. Some of those tracks sound so strange [laughs]. Even the Weeknd, you listen to their music and it sounds like Marvin Gaye mixed with the Art of Noise. I like the rebelliousness that's going on in today's music.

What do you hope for your fans to get from your new music?

I can get into that song-by-song, but I'll be here all day. I would love for people to listen to 'Time Machine Is My New Girlfriend.' Just allow themselves to be washed over by the expansiveness of that record, and go from there. But as far as what my goals are for this album, I really just want to present something that I felt like the culture should aspire to. As long as I represent that, I'm fine.

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Listen to Van Hunt's Album at AOL's Listening Party

J. Cole Reveals Hip-Hop Nickname, 'Winning' for Jay-Z

Keith Murphy — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 12:10:00 EST

Getty Images When you are about to release one of the most anticipated hip-hop albums of 2011, you can be forgiven for coming off a little anxious. Certainly you can hear it in the pressing tone of J. Cole's voice. Add on the fact that the North Carolina lyricist just so happens to be Jay-Z's first signing to his Roc Nation imprint, and you've got the makings of unmitigated show-and-prove pressure. The 26-year-old MC has spent the last two years toiling in the recording studio, working on music that at times has been praised, dissected and criticized from a hardcore Internet-fueled contingent of fans that are as loyal as they are outspoken. Indeed, 'Cole World: The Sideline Story,' due out Sept. 27, will go a long way to giving credence to the talk that J. Cole is destined to be his generation's Nas. Cole is humbled by such talk, but he understands that releasing his first official musical statement is worlds away from the string of critically-acclaimed mixtapes that have garnered him respect. J. Cole wants to win. From talk about his early childhood hip-hop nickname to sacrificing his personal life for his career, J. Cole opens up about it all. ...

'Cole World' has been close to two years in the making. Do you now have a sense of relief given that your first official single, 'Work Out,' has finally been released to radio?

I'm really excited. I'm ready. There are no nerves at all. It's just a feeling that I [want] to prove my fans right and make them proud. I know what the album is. The next step is just letting the fans hear it -- to let them know that everything they thought about me as an MC is true.

A lot of your fans were shocked at the overt commercial feel of 'Work Out,' which seems to be aimed squarely at the clubs. Were you worried about alienating more hardcore fans that were used to hearing J. Cole in a more lyrical setting?

I'm just going to be me. That's it. Of course I want to be commercially successful. That's not the label making me feel like that, that's what I want to do. I don't want to have music that goes under the radar for the rest of my life. I want to win at all levels of this career. I'm not afraid of success. Back in the days, I was worried about what becoming a star meant. I was afraid of becoming successful too fast. Now I want my music to be heard by everyone. I think 'Work Out' is a summertime, feel good record. It sounds like some [old school] West Coast, that Roger Troutman [voice box] feel. It just feels good. But I also want to show that I'm still that artist lyrically.

Watch J Cole's 'Work Out'

There are plenty two-fisted moments on 'Cole World.' Your work with No I.D., who has produced everyone from Common to Jay-Z, comes to mind. Talk about that collaborative process.

No I.D. is great, man. As someone who also produces I look up to him as a mentor. He would come into the studio and make a beat there on the spot. He's so talented. Overall, I had the pleasure of making the album that I actually wanted to make. So when you hear 'Cole World,' just know it's really what I wanted. My music will always grow, but to my core, I will never change. As long as I stay true to myself, you will always be pleased as a fan.

How surreal is it to be connected to someone as larger-than-life as Jay-Z?

It's crazy to just even be associated with that, man, with everything that he has done in the game. Now it's kind of like, OK, it's been two years, let's get this album out [laughs]. Still, being in Jay's office or being around him you still feel like, "Yo, this is Jay-Z, man." He's arguably the greatest rapper of all time. The facts are the facts. No one has done what this man has done in this game.

As Jay's first signing at Roc Nation, is there any part of you that wants to give credence to his confidence in you as a viable artist?

I don't live with that pressure. I don't wake up everyday like, "Aw man, I'm Jay-Z's first signing!" But as a businessman, I want Jay to be successful through my success. I want him to win because I'm winning. I want the label to win because I'm winning. I want to come through for him.

What do you make of some of the earlier lyrical comparisons to the likes of Nas and Jay you were receiving during your early mixtape work?

It's a compliment to be compared to some of the greats. You hope that you can do half of what Jay-Z did in his career or half of what Nas did in his career. It's very flattering that somebody would think that you are good enough to represent this generation for a long time. That's flattering.

Getty Images

You grew up in North Carolina, but your rhyme style leans more heavily with the East Coast-based artists that we named up top. How did that style evolve in such a southern setting?

Even though it's a southern state and a southern town, it's a military town, which brings you people from all walks-of-life. Fayetteville, N.C. is a funny place. I can't speak for all southern states, maybe Florida because you have a lot of different styles down there. But North Carolina today is more southern leaning -- what we call southern music. But back then it was different because we were right in the middle of Florida and New York. So what was happening was you had people who were listening to Tupac, Geto Boys and Scarface and Outkast, which I was, too. But then you had a heavy Nas and Jay-Z influence. It wasn't like it is now.

North Carolina is a totally different scene now, right?

Right. Now it's heavy leaning music like Gucci Mane and Rick Ross, which is great. But when I was coming up there was way more of a balance, so I never felt like I was doing something out the ordinary. I was just rapping like my favorite rapper. I carry the effects of that today. Sometimes people are like, "Man, where you from?" They really can't place where I'm from. That comes from me trying to rap like these guys for so long and also me moving when I was 18.

What were your earliest memories of hip-hop?

I can remember liking Kool Moe Dee. I couldn't tell you why. I just remember having his posters in my room. Everybody used to call me Moe Dee. That was my little nickname. I had to be three or four years old back then. That's the first hip-hop memory I had. Of course I was into Kris Kross as a little kid.

You were one of those annoying young kids jumping up and down like a fool?

[Laughs] They were my group back then! I also liked the 69 Boyz -- anything that was going on with the bass music that was coming out of Miami was really hot where I was at. But the first rapper I was listening to and got into their words for real was Tupac. My stepfather came home from Desert Storm with a whole new collection of CD's. And one of them was '2Pacalypse Now.'

That's a pretty heavy album for a kid.

I will never forget listening to 'Brenda's Got A Baby' and just riding around with my stepfather listening to that album. I knew back then that Tupac was more than just a rapper. He was so real.

So are you ready to be that MC on somebody's wall?

I'm ready, man. I'll be touring for the rest of the year. I have the next seven months of my life blocked out. I won't be having any personal time. And that's cool. I have accepted that fact. That's all for the cause. The minute you take a break, you are finished. I heard a rumor growing up, before I was even close to this industry. You would hear that Jay never had a vacation.

You're trying to go hard?

I feel like the minute you take a vacation the chances are super high for you to fall off and lose your spot. There's somebody else out there that will fill the void while you are gone. So understanding that the next eight months of my life will be all touring and all work, maybe in the next five years, I'm cool with that. I might get tired, but it's all for a greater purpose.

Watch J. Cole's 'Can't Get Enough'

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Ninjasonik Compare Their Life to Jimi Hendrix Years + More

Keith Murphy — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 10:00:00 EST

Mel D. Cole So let's get right to it. Ninjasonik is weird. Not in that all too cliché, "What the hell was Lady Gaga wearing last night?" weird, but in a "Wow! These guys are a record executive's worst dream." They're somewhere between an Albino R&B singer and a heavy metal polka band. And that's what makes the electro rap duo of DJ-vocalist Jah-Jah and rhymer Telli so intriguing. A product of the Brooklyn underground dance, hardcore and hip-hop scene, Ninjasonik doesn't stick to any one particular script. The tandem's brazenly unpredictable 'Peter Pan Syndrome,' due in early 2012 -- the album follow-up to their provocative and at times hilarious 2010 debut, 'Art School Girls' -- takes hysterical and witty jumps to house music, rock, rap, punk and everything else in between. While you wait for that unconventional offering to drop, you can check out Ninjasonik's last mixtape, 'No Swords or Masks,' released in July and features the likes of mainstream pop-synth explorers Cobra Starship and eclectic Brooklyn MC Theophilus London. It's no doubt a left-field statement. But as The BoomBox finds out from Ninjasonik's spirited interview, the guys wouldn't have it any other way. ...

Let's start with coming out of Brooklyn and being a part of the whole electronica-hip-hop scene. How hard was it for you to get record labels to pay attention to you given that you have never fit into a particular musical box?

Jah-Jah: Well, we come from a D.I.Y. scene out of Brooklyn, where the shows we were playing the majority of the time were with hardcore and punk rock bands. Just that alone, traveling through that scene and playing with different genres of bands, once we started getting recognition from the labels, it was really hard. People don't know where to fit us. They don't know if we are an electro band or a rap band or a punk rock band.

That mish-mash style is tough to get across. How hard was it?

Telli: But it's always a constant battle. We are always fighting for our music when we get onstage. When we perform, there are the cool people that know about us, and sometimes they don't. It reminds me of when Jimi Hendrix played 'The Star-Spangled Banner' and killed it. But then the next week, he played in Harlem and nobody knew who he was. That's the constant fight. We are always fighting for our survival, but I feel like our consistency is going to help us in the long run... maybe not this generation, but the next generation. People will see that we actually merged cultures as one. Music is not a fling or a hobby for us... this is our passion. Everyday we get onstage we perform like it's our last show.

Jah-Jah: Really, when we first started, we were a DJ band playing at dance parties then we added the rap element to the band. That really twisted the whole sound around and gave it more of a voice and an explanation. I feel like now the way music has been changing around, with hip-hop using more of the electronic sound, there's more leeway for us. We were being ourselves from the beginning, so now the music industry is starting to understand why the kids like our sound so much.

Jah-Jah, you met up with Telli when you were DJing around Brooklyn. Did you guys have an instant connection?

Jah-Jah: It's a funny story. It's a story of fate. When I met Telli in 2006, I was wearing a particular shirt that he liked. He was like, "Oh, that shirt is dope. I think I've seen you around a lot." I would skate through his block everyday. It was later that Telli met our former bandmate who was working on some Ninjasonik music at a friend's basement. And he was like, "Oh, check this out. This is what I do." And it was this song 'Tight Pants,' and Telli was like, "I have to meet this kid." I came home one day and Telli is at my house and I'm like, "Oh snap! I know you!" It was crazy how that happened.

Your sound is all over the place. You must have a gumbo of influences?

Jah-Jah: I listened to a lot of Minor Threat, Black Flag, Morrissey, Michael Jackson, of course, and the Wu-Tang Clan. I was all over the table, man.

Telli: That's what makes Ninjasonik original. Jah-Jah is the punk and I'm the rapper. I come from the 'Video Music Box' era. Of course, there was Michael Jackson, but I was also listening to people like Chubb Rock, Big Daddy Kane, Wu-Tang. I'm talking about the era of hip-hop when you could only really do it if you were nice. What was out there was top quality like the whole Native Tongues crew. My first tape I got was Slick Rick's 'Children's Story' I got from my uncle. I remember for Christmas, my mom brought me a Walkman and N.W.A. and LL Cool J. She didn't know N.W.A. had curse words on it [laughs]. I was even listening to Prince and Earth, Wind & Fire back when The Wiz store was open. And then I was a church kid. I sang in the kid's choir. So music was always there.

The title of your forthcoming album, 'Peter Pan Syndrome,' speaks to being young at heart, right?

Jah-Jah: Yeah. Basically we are trying to show people that you can be grown and have responsibilities and take care of them, but that doesn't mean you lose your artistic imagination. You have to handle your business and pay bills, but don't forget we are all kids.

Telli: 'Peter Pan Syndrome' is really about not growing up. We will be 50 years old and still be cool and building that bridge between the kids and us. We will still be there giving off that positive energy.

There's been a lot of buzz about your single, 'Mosh Pit.' How did you hook up with the Dutch DJ duo The Partysquad for that track?

Jah-Jah: Well, when we went overseas, our tour manager had been good friends with The Partysquad for a long while. He told Telli and I, "Yo, you gotta meet these kids. They are awesome." So when we got in the studio with them, we just clicked. It was just amazing. It was almost as if we were reading each others' minds. The music that we are making, the sound of it is so close to home. There was no way in the world that we were not going to do this. It's supposed to happen.

Telli: We also got production [from everyone from] Jimmy Harry to Cobra Starship on the album. They produced some records for us. We also have Disco Pusher and Unstoppable Death Machines. They are a real hard band.

You were also able to bring in some pretty high-profile artists like Theophilus London and Cobra Starship, who Telli already mentioned, for your mixtape, 'No Swords or Masks.' How were you able to recruit such mainstream acts for a mixtape?

Jah-Jah: I think it comes down to respect. But also, Theo is our close friend. Cobra Starship are close friends. A lot of the bands that we have worked with in the past, like Matt & Kim, these are not only fellow musicians, but they are close friends. We go to see their shows and they come to see our shows. It's so organic. We feel honored to know these successful acts and for them to have the same respect they had for us before they got bigger. They promote our music as well.

What has been the best moment thus far on the road? Has there been one particular show where you looked at each other and said, 'Holy s---! We made it!'

Telli: I still think, "Oh, we made it?" [laughs] But me personally, when we went to Paris for the second time for a show, the driver took us to the wrong hotel, the wheel on my bag broke and while we were waiting, one guy comes up to us and says, "Ninjasonik!" Then another guy walks up to us and says, "Ninjasonik!" And I'm like, "This is serious."

Jah-Jah: You just think, 'Wow, I'm not even in my country right now.' We've only been in France once before and eight months later we are recognizable? That's crazy. We have a language barrier, but that's not stopping communication.

You are set to perform at the Brooklyn Afro-Punk Festival with Cee Lo Green and Janelle Monae in late August. What is it like being on the same bill as such critically acclaimed acts who have also garnered immense mainstream praise?

Jah-Jah: It's great, dude. Last year when we played Afro-Punk we met the Bad Brains, which was like, "Whoa!" I listened to those guys like everyday.

Telli: Me personally, I'm an idol killer [laughs]. I don't get freaked out by a lot of big musicians. Now, if I met Bill Compton from 'True Blood,' that would freak me out. But I'm at a point now where we are fighting for our music and I'm in such a zone that we will soak it up all later. I'm so hungry for respect. I just want to let everybody know how good we are.

How far do you want to take Ninjasonik?

Telli: We are not going to go nowhere. We have mastered the art of evolving. Some people may even call us legendary before it's all said and done because we have created something that has allowed so many people to be themselves. Our work is never done. We want to keep inspiring people through our lifestyle and our music. I'm pretty sure we will be around forever, if not physically, our body of work will be there.

Jah-Jah: Where music is going now, it's all a part of the visual and tech media as well. Kids want to see you and hear you. And that's something we do well: presenting a visual whether it's onstage or online. We are constantly leaking videos and looking to create short films. We are all over the place, even fashion. We take our music to be more of a culture than just the sound itself. Ninjasonik stands for a lot.

Watch Ninjasonik's 'Moshpit'

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Kelly Rowland Discusses Lil Wayne, New Single, 'X Factor'

Keith Murphy — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 11:45:00 EST

Maury Phillips, WireImage The weight of expectation can be crushing. Yes, there is the undeniable springboard of being a former member of one of the most successful girl groups of all time. After all, during Kelly Rowland's time in the multi-platinum-selling trio Destiny's Child, success became almost a foregone conclusion. Starting with their self-titled 1998 debut, the Houston-based act went on to sell roughly 50 million albums. But Rowland's career post D.C. has been a classic hit-or-miss exercise in stardom. Inevitably, the questions start to loom. How do you compete with the ghost of past commercial triumphs? Is it possible to find success on your own terms at the same time when Destiny's Child frontman Beyonce Knowles rules the music landscape as a world-beating, pop supernova? Will Kelly Rowland ever become a solo star? The answer to the latter is, yes. That much is clear judging from the immense it-girl coronation that Rowland is currently experiencing with the mammoth chart and radio success of her single 'Motivation.' It's nearly impossible to avoid the omnipresent Lil Wayne-featured track, which finds the cutesy Rowland in a frisky, sex-kitten mood. With the recent July 26 release of her buzz-heavy third album 'Here I Am,' the underrated vocalist seems to have found her mojo. The BoomBox sat down with Rowland to discuss how having patience pays off, why she loves Weezy and Kanye West and judging alongside Simon Cowell on 'The X Factor.' ...

Your career journey up to this point has been filled with highs and lows. Now you are experiencing an across-the-board hit like 'Motivation' as a solo act. Do you feel critics and music fans are finally starting to see you as a talented solo artist beyond your work with Destiny's Child?

I think it speaks to hard work. I have a great team around me, and I've watched so many artists for years have so many different opportunities. I would look and them and say, "Oh my Gosh... I want to do that style of music... I want that record." For me it was really about being honest with myself.

In what way?

It was me saying, "Kelly, are you really working hard enough? Are you really going the extra mile?" That's what you have been seeing from me. I've been working extra hard. I now have the proper team around me. That's what happened with 'Motivation.' Above anything radio has been so incredible. And my fans have been very supportive. I can't say that enough. They call the radio stations up and text and tweet and go on Facebook and every other social network that you can think of that I probably don't even know exists [laughs]. I have the best fans. I am so incredibly blessed.

When you first heard 'Motivation' did you know it was going to be a hit?

I knew that I loved it and I knew that I wanted everyone to love it the way I did. That was my only thing. You only hope that you people love your song the way you love it.

Were you at all worried about the suggestive nature of 'Motivation?' It's become an unofficial strip club anthem.

[Laughs] Well, for me, being in Destiny's Child, we were very much about female empowerment. And that was because other women had come before us and empowered us in different ways. So I felt like I was in a place where I was coming into my own sensuality. There's nothing wrong with that. Sensuality is a very empowering place as well. It makes you feel strong sexually.

There's an undeniable chemistry between yourself and Lil Wayne, who appears on 'Motivation.' It sounds like you guys could even record a full album together. What is it about Wayne that makes him such a transcending presence on that track?

You know what, Wayne brings a lot of sex appeal to that record. With the things that he says and the fact that he is giving you the whole play on everything. He proves that your imagination can go anywhere. He's great with that, at telling stories. I just love Wayne because he's a true artist.

He seems to be really intense in the studio, huh?

Yes. When he loves something he just goes for it. He's not a Hollywood-type person. He believes in music and artistry. I just really appreciate that about him. There's no Hollywood B.S. about him.

When you were working on the 'Here I Am' album what was your frame of mind in terms of your artistic direction?

This record 'Here I Am' is all about the title. I'm showing that I'm very happy in the place that I am. I'm coming into my own -- where I am in my life as a woman and as an artist. You can hear it.

In past interviews you have given a lot of credit to your producers for lighting the spark of creativity on 'Here I Am.' Can you elaborate?

Well, it all started with Rico Love and Jim Jonsin in the studio. We recorded 'Motivation.' And then Rico was getting tracks from other producers. He would tell me, "Oh, I got 'All Of The Night," which is another song on the record. Then I worked with Tricky Stewart and it was just like we had known each other for years. And I was able to work with Rodney [Jerkins] again, and we made magic together with 'Work It Man' and 'Turn It Up.' It was just awesome watching everything just kind of mold itself together. That's exactly what I wanted.

Were you aiming for a sexy, conceptual album?

I was just aiming for a strong album. I wanted to build a record where people would say, "Oh, she's here. She's not playing." When I started to play the record for everybody they were like, "Oh, my God... We've been waiting for this album." And I'm like, "Thank you! So have I." [laughs].

There was a time when it seemed like you would never make that out-the-ball-park Kelly Rowland album, especially coming off the immense success of your single with Nelly ('Dilemma'). Why do you think it has taken quite a few attempts for you to completely break through as a solo artist?

I completely believe that timing is everything. And my timing has not always been the best timing. I truly believe that God's timing works way better than mine. Everybody is just really excited. I think a big contribution has been the fact that everything is different from my first record ['Simply Deep']. I have a great support system. There are people who come up to me, who I don't even know, and they tell me, "I'm so proud of you!" And I'm like, "What?" [laughs] That feels really, really great. I want them to know that I am definitely here working hard. I feel blessed. I appreciate the support.

Have you already decided on the next single?

The next single is this record I did with Ester Dean and Hitboy called 'Lay It On Me.' Big Sean is featured on it. And I love Big Sean. Love, love, love him.

You spoke of your love for Wayne and Big Sean. If I were to check out your iPod, who would be some of the other MCs that I would find on there?

Of course, you all know I listen to big brother Jay [Jay-Z]. But also I'm a huge Kanye West fan. I love Kanye and I'm so excited about what him and Jay are doing together. I can't wait for the ['Watch The Throne'] album.

Wow. Kelly Rowland is the all-around American girl?

[Laughs] I'm into everything. I'm looking forward to doing a tour in support of the record. Right now I'm in the U.K. I'm actually one of the new judges for 'The X Factor.' It will be running until December. I'll probably be working and doing spot dates up until 'The X Factor' ends.

Sounds like fun. Don't let Simon Cowell intimidate you.

Oh, no. Simon is really cool. The funny thing about him is he really does want people to win. He wants to bring the best out of people. I'm really excited.

Watch Kelly Rowland's 'Motivation' Featuring Lil Wayne

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Tech N9ne Opens Up About Devil Worshiping, Banking $15 Mil

Keith Murphy — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 11:05:00 EST

AP He laughs at the irony of it all. The fact that Kansas City rapper Tech N9ne stands as one of the most successful independent artists of the past four years is a sobering realization that he is still trying to adjust to. But Tech's wonderment has nothing to do with a lack of confidence. On the contrary, it's the fact that he is genuinely shocked that a self-described weirdo who wears faint paint, raps about dark subject matter and puts on the type of wildly aggressive live spectacles that are more in line with an off-the-rails, balls-out metal act than a rap concert seems to be all the talk. The indie talent that established his Strange Music imprint and empire with business partner and CEO Travis O'Guin in 1999, is now getting shout-outs by the mainstream likes of Lil Wayne, Snoop Dogg and Busta Rhymes. With Tech N9ne's latest album, 'All 6's and '7's,' literally shaking up the music industry -- in June, the release made a shocking No. 4 debut on the Billboard 200 charts -- the self-contained artist, label head, producer, merchandising machine and touring force still wants more. The BoomBox finds out what fuels this seemingly unstoppable force of nature, why he won't jump to a major label and the reason why people think he's a devil worshiper. ...

A lot of the mainstream press came around to you when the news got out that your independent label, Strange Music, grossed $15 million in 2009 alone. How much did your life change after that figure was released?

It was crazy. It's like winning the lottery. But I don't want my picture up on a billboard saying that I won $15 million [laughs]. I didn't want that to get out. But it's out there now. It's a real f------ number and I hate it.

But it seems like the hype is for real. Your latest album 'All 6's and 7's' debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200, selling 55,000 copies. Can you talk about what it's like to achieve that type of mainstream success without a major label pushing you?

I think it's by the grace of God. All the other artists recognize my ability to rhyme and my overall skill. When I was signed to Quincy Jones before I went independent, he told me to rap what you know and people will forever feel you. And I stuck to that. No matter how many people called me a devil worshiper, no matter how many people call me a cult leader. I stuck with rapping about what I know. Real s--- will always shine.

People actually thought you were a devil worshiper?

[Laughs] How crazy is that? People looked at my face paint, my crazy lyrics, my wild red hair and how loyal and intense my fanbase the Technitions were. They were talking about me being a cult leader. Can you imagine being in a place early on where outside of Strangeland everybody calls you a devil worshiper or a cult leader and your own people -- black people -- are not even coming to your shows? So you do a Rock the Bells show in 2008, with Busta Rhymes, Nas, Damian Marley and Raekwon and everybody is commending you. I thought everybody thought I was a weirdo! That show let me know that everybody was paying attention to me. I created my own lane. I had no idea that Nas and Damian had respect for me. Nas would be like, "Come out on stage, Tech. Rock with me." That's crazy to me. I had no idea, dude.

There was also the Lil Wayne co-sign you received earlier this year. How big of a shock was that?

That's when music fans outside of Strangeland started talking about me. Wayne saying that he liked Tech N9ne to Funkmaster Flex on the radio when he was locked up in Rikers was huge. I felt the same way when Busta Rhymes was calling me and saying, "Man, I really need you on this track." That lets you know real s--- will shine no matter who tries to tarnish it.

And both Wayne and Busta appear on your new album. That's a pretty great look for a so-called independent act, right?

When I do an album like this for the first time with Wayne, Yelawolf, Twista, B.o.B, Snoop Dogg, E-40, the Deftones and Mint Condition and it all comes together, it's a validation that I have been doing the right thing the whole time.

Do you sit back and think, "How in the hell did I pull off getting all of this star-power on my album?"

[Laughs] It's kind of funny. But it's proof that no matter if you are independent you can have success. I don't have to be on a major label to get these major artists wanting to work with me because I am right there. I've always been right there with them. I've always been an elite artist. Now people are starting to figure it out because of my numbers and the artists they listen to are speaking my name. Everybody knows I make wonderful music even if they say, "Aw, that's that weirdo s---." I love Lil Wayne for even having people look my way. I respect T-Pain and Busta Rhymes for giving me accolades. Thank you for recognizing real s---.

When you were recording 'All 6's and 7's,' what was your focus going into the album?

It starts off aggressive and gets kind of dim. It's a complex album. It gets dark with 'Strangeland' and 'The Boogieman.' It gets real sexual with the Wayne and T-Pain on a song called "F--- Food." It gets kind of pornographic with E-40 and Snoop and then it gets really personal. It's all kinds of confusion, but it's a wonderful confusion.

There have been reports that every label from Def Jam to Interscope have been after you to sign a major deal. Do you ever see yourself jumping into that major label world?

Every time I talk to Travis while I'm out on tour he'll tell me, "Def Jam called today." And I'm like, "What? I love Def Jam." It's great to hear that. That means a lot to me. But I have to have complete control -- 100 percent. The majors would have to give me millions to sign. I have to be able to write what I feel and do what I want. I have to be able to say, "Travis, I think we should release a EP on Halloween," or "Travis, I think we should put out a CD on my birthday or my mom's birthday." We can do whatever, man. We are the label.

You talked about the pros of being independent. What are some of the cons?

The cons are that you will have no videos on TV and no songs on the radio. The radio game cost a lot of money, man. I would rather put my money into tour buses, merchandising and shows. Until we figure out if we want to play that majors game again, the way we tried to in 2002, and spent nearly $2 million doing it, we will do it again. The problem is, I don't look like anybody. With my face paint on I don't look like a regular black dude. MTV Jams is playing my videos now, but BET won't play me.

Did BET give you a reason?

They told me, "Well, that's not our format." But I'm something different. You have to conform to what I do. You have to come to Strangeland. You have to turn into Strangeland for a minute because there's something beautiful happening over here. My challenge has been getting my own people on it, but they are coming around slowly but surely.

Your bread-and-butter has always been touring. In an era when concert box office totals have been steadily declining, how have you been able to find success on the road?

We've been selling out shows for a longtime. But the shows are double and triple now. The places are bigger and we are still selling them out. It's so crazy. I'm seeing it bubble before my eyes. It's growing like a forest fire and it's hard to concentrate because I'm looking out at all the people stacked in there on a Monday night. We do a show everyday. You are not supposed to sell out Las Vegas on a Monday night. We are playing to anywhere from 1,000 to 4,000 people. I do over 250 shows a year. It's going to be more this year because we are doing 82 shows in 85 days. This will be the longest tour I have ever done. My fans are great. People call them the new Deadheads. I have the Juggalos that are loyal, I have the metal heads, and the gang bangers. It's a melting pot.

When you think back to the days when labels were turning you down in the early 2000s, what comes to mind?

That this music thing is hard as hell. You have to have some kind of pilot to guide you through it all. You need money. We took losses, man. That first Hostile Takeover tour in 2001, we lost hundreds of thousands of dollars. You have to really believe in the music to lose that type of money on a tour. Back then, that's when I was into my drugs and ecstasy. I almost died taking 15 pills one night. It was hard for anyone to accept me. And I'm independent? Nobody wanted to open doors, radio, video, nobody. So we had to open our own doors. That's why I'm so grateful for all of my success. I want to keep it going.

Watch Tech N9ne's 'Show Me A God'

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Will.i.am Says Black Eyed Peas Make 'Life Music' + More

Keith Murphy — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 11:05:00 EST

Getty Images Will.i.am is seemingly inescapable. Within a span of a week, the ubiquitous frontman and producer of the Black Eyed Peas has made headlines for brazenly proclaiming that ad agencies were so "yesterday," made a surprise appearance on a Paris fashion runway for buzz-heavy Japanese designer Rynshu and saw his chart-topping group ink a deal to release their own dance-centric video game entitled, what else, 'The Black Eyed Peas Experience.' This is why it's always an intriguing exercise when discussing music, art and life with Will.i.am. With over 50 million albums sold, the pop-leaning Peas -- which also includes Taboo, apl.de.ap and multi-platinum vocalist Fergie -- have become one of the most successful and polarizing acts on the scene today. With the Peas' latest album, 'The Beginning,' still cranking out singles, Will sits down with the BoomBox to discuss producing hits for John Legend and Busta Rhymes, touring with Public Enemy and denying claims that his group's "selling out." ...

In past interviews you have spoken about how natural and free-flowing hip-hop was in the early '90s when you signed to Eazy E's Ruthless Records. Can you describe what it was like to be an MC during that era?

Back then, it was battling with punchlines and clever wordplay; you were battling with patterns and cadences. Today, hip-hop has turned into battling with hooks and how long your song is No. 1 on the radio and on the charts. Now it's rappers battling over how much they are balling [laughs].

Everyone has become a Superman. It's all or nothing, right?

Right! They are balling on record. But it's like, 'N----, that car is rented and that house ain't really yours.' And if you live in a s----- house, but you got a million dollar car, that ain't balling. That's spending all your own money and going broke.

Before the Black Eyed Peas really broke through your first big tour was 1998's Smokin' Grooves tour. How huge was it to be on the same bill as the legendary likes of Public Enemy and Gang Starr?

It was beautiful, man. This was our first tour. The first time we ever stepped out on the road was on a tour bus, not a van. There was no, 'Oh, I'm calling shotgun.' We were on the road with Wyclef, Cypress Hill, Public Enemy, M.O.P. and Gang Starr... this was dope! Then our second tour was the Warped Tour. We went from a hip-hop tour to a punk rock tour. Who does that? It was all about performing live and battling anyone and anything.

Fast forward to the record-breaking commercial success of the Peas on albums like 'Elephunk,' 'Monkey Business,' 'The E.N.D.' and your latest release 'The Beginning.' What are your thoughts when you hear critics say that your group sold out?

When I hear that I say, "Who the f--- are you talking about? Me, n-----? You don't know s---." The people that say that have no idea what they are talking about. We have always been about bringing hip-hop to places that have never experienced it. I'm talking about places like Palestine, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Philippines... the world is big, man. It's bigger than just New York and England. It's bigger than France. Now the Black Eyed Peas is on every single corner of the planet. We are the only group to be sold legally in China. You can play 'I Got A Feeling,' 'Boom Boom Pow,' 'Just Can't Get Enough' anywhere. The Black Eyed Peas have a license from the minister there. We are talking about China! I don't look at it as doing pop music or hip-hop music. We are making life music.

What's the formula to making a hit?

[Laughs] I can't tell you that. But I can tell you that it's not always about making hits. When I wrote 'Ordinary People' for John Legend that wasn't a song that I thought was going to be big. I told John we didn't write that song to be a hit. We didn't write 'Let's Get It Started' to be a hit. The only songs we were trying to make hits were songs like 'Shut Up' and 'Boom Boom Pow.' All the songs that we thought would not become hits became hits. That's why it's best not to chase hits.

You have now become a go-to producer in the music industry. Was there a particular moment that people started to recognize you as more than just the frontman for the Black Eyed Peas?

I think it was when I produced Busta Rhymes' 'I Love My Bitch.' That was the first outside song I did. This helped me because people in the music industry didn't know I did beats. They didn't even know I had something to do with 'Ordinary People.' They just thought I only did music for Black Eyed Peas. Then I did a Mary J. Blige song ['About You']. Then I did the Game ['Compton']. Then I produced songs on Fergie's album. She sold, what? Six million albums. Then I did the 'American Boy' song for Estelle. My thing is being diverse.

You just named four records that sound nothing alike.

That's my point. Like Boogie Down Productions said on 'My Philosophy,' "You gotta have style and learn to be original..." That's what I live by. A Tribe Called Quest had a song where Phife said, "Styles upon styles upon styles is what I have." Everything back then was like, "I got many, many styles." And for some reason everybody today has forgot that you are supposed to have a whole bunch of styles. All these mother------s out today ain't got no style, but one. And the one style they got is somebody else's style [laughs].

So why do you think a lot of music acts today are too scared to artistically take chances?

It's the money. I think artists worry about money too much. It's not always about getting paid. You should want to have a stable career; you should want to build sustainability. That's what people don't get. Success is not buying a watch. It's not buying a car. You have to be up on your technology. The new ways people are getting music. You have to be willing to tour relentlessly. The reason why 'Bridging The Gap' faded away so fast was because everybody had it on Napster. I had to learn a lot back then. I learned a lot from how it felt to be hungry going into the Peas' second album to branding and marketing my music to doing international tours. You learn that the flavor of the month is not the true influencer. You really don't see the real people pulling the strings behind the scenes.

What's the most important piece of advice you can give to up-and-coming artists?

Try to stay humble. I fly both first class and coach. When you become one of those artists that always fly first class you lose your touch with the people and yourself. I get my own bags when I'm at the hotel. I stay humble because the place where I'm at now I won't be 10 years from now. Ten years from now, I can be much, much bigger. So I'm humbled about how I have been able to grow. I've gone from playing colleges to playing stadiums.

How hard is it to be humble when your group has sold over 50 million albums and playing before an average of 40,000 people each gig?

I understand that I'm not doing s--- compared to what I will be doing 10 years from now. That's where the Black Eyed Peas are at now. We are still growing. We never stop. We are always creating. When you are on tour the music comes out. You get to the point where you have to make music; you have to finish that song in your head. The next time you travel and you are walking down the street or you are eating at a restaurant, just look at the people around you. Question what life is all about. How does things come to be and what is the meaning of it all?

Are you getting metaphysical on us?

[Laughs] I can talk to you about this all day. Once you start looking at the world in that way, keep it in your mind and use it for inspiration. That's what inspires my music.

Watch Black Eyed Peas' 'Don't Stop the Party'

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Atmosphere's Slug Talks 'The Family Sign,' Respects Eminem

Keith Murphy — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 14:00:00 EST

Steve Jennings, WireImage There is something to be said for straight-no-chaser honesty. For outspoken lyricist Slug, a member of the influential Minneapolis hip-hop act Atmosphere, it has always been a hallmark of his triumphant and, at times, turbulent career. As a duo -- his partner Ant serves as both DJ and producer -- he's pumped out EPs and albums with substance. On their newest LP -- the sixth studio album in Atmosphere's catalog -- Slug rhymes and storytells, addressing fame as well as looking inward. The BoomBox went one-on-one with the veteran MC to discuss the work behind 'The Family Sign,' his early struggles in the hip-hop game with Ant, leading the early '90s indie rap charge and why Eminem deserves respect. Atmosphere is known as a group not afraid to evolve musically. What was your thought process going into the new album, 'The Family Sign'? I was trying to make a statement to my people and to my community to an extent. But I'm not trying to keep anybody out either. I just felt like the last two years for me has been so full of ups and downs. I was trying to make sure I was strengthening my connectivity with my family, my friends as well as the people who appreciate the things that we do. If someone had never heard of Atmosphere, what would be a song on the new album that would tell them everything they need to know about the group? I know this is going to sound funny, but I would say the intro and the outro, which is 'My Key' and 'My Notes.' We put those on there and created them that way intentionally. If you listen to the first and the last song on 'The Family Sign,' I explain what the record is about in those two tracks. But if it came down to one song, it would probably be 'I Don't Need Brighter Days.' That's the one I will say, "Yo, you should peep that." ...

You and Ant have been in the game since the mid '90s. Can you describe what it was like coming up in Minneapolis as a hip-hop artist?

Coming out of Minnesota, we didn't know anything about how to break into the hip-hop industry. We didn't know, "Oh, you are supposed to make a demo tape and make sure you only put three songs on it," or "Make sure you put the best song first ... " When we were younger, we only knew what we could learn from the records themselves or reading articles from the Source. That's how you would get your info because there was no mentorship. There were a lot of groups in Minnesota that were fresh, but none of us knew how to make records and break out. We had to learn on the job. It was a very self-taught era. Everybody was trying different things. We reached the place where we all just started doing what we wanted to do instead of doing what we thought we were supposed to do.

How hard was it to go by that do-it-yourself mentality in a place more known for the iconic likes of Prince than hip-hop?

It was a learning experience. I could spend $1,000 and go out to the New Music Seminar -- and this was in the early '90s -- and try to float some tapes to people and try to network. Or I can take that money I busted my ass at a job trying to make and put it into making music and selling it in my hometown. That's what really happened in Minneapolis. It turned into a real do-it-yourself city. We finally realized in the mid-'90s that we can't really wait for anybody to notice us. We can't wait for anyone to sign one of us. So let's just get busy. I'm going to stand outside the Fugees concert and try to sell my tapes to people as they leave. And it wasn't just our city. As I started traveling and meeting different people I realized that this was common in other places. The Living Legends out on the West Coast were doing the same thing, but we didn't know about each other yet. This was the next phase. And we were one of the groups that were part of that movement.

How did it feel to get play on MTV in 2003, with 'I'm Trying to Find a Balance'? Were you worried that your longtime fans would think you were going too mainstream?

You always worry about your longtime fans and how they will accept an album. But there's a part of you that wants to say, "Well, if you are going to judge me based off of who is listening and checking for me, then f--- you." As an MC, if you are not going to just judge me on the words coming out of my mouth, and you are judging me on my clothes and my fans, then f--- you. I didn't want you anyway. But let's be real, that's not reality, that's just your pride talking. You are really thinking, "Damn, I don't want people to hate on me because I'm getting play on MTV."

But you guys were able to break a lot of ground. You were one of the first hip-hop acts to go on the Warped Tour.

Because I wanted to go out on the Warped Tour. I liked the idea of putting out a rap album on Epitaph, which is a punk-rock label. All of these things that are popping off felt like a new way for me to communicate with some people who don't even know what's going on in hip-hop. And let's be real, hip-hop is a music of struggle, man. It's born of struggle and it's made for everybody. So you can't tell me that these suburban kids don't have some sort of struggle going on. The suburbs have become broke as f---, too. Those same kids are on drugs too.

You mentioned Eminem. As a white MC, what kind of an impact did Em have on a lot of the other white rhymers that were coming out? Did he hinder or did he help?

I'm not sure if it was either. I can only speak on it from my surroundings and my city or the cities I was touring. I wasn't seeing a bunch of people trying to emulate Eminem, but I was seeing a lot of people in the late '90s and early 2000's who were going to opposite direction of Eminem because they were insecure about being affiliated with him. Because you know how it works, man. Somebody who gets famous in the underground doesn't want nothing to do with that fame [laughs].

The underground heads thought they would be selling out, right?

Yeah. But I think Eminem and his existence and how big he got did influence the underground by making artists try to go the other direction. I was already kicking my s--- off before Em got big. I had my second and third record out, and I was already touring when that 'Slim Shady' album popped off. And I was like, "This motherf----- is dope!" I think that in most of the communities I frequented, that's how Em was regarded. You really couldn't take anything away from the guy. He was dope and he had Dr. Dre co-signing him! So to me, if you hated on Eminem, you were just a hater [laughs]. As he got bigger and became more of a pop star, that's when some of the backlash started. But it was never based on him as an MC. Because let's be real, a lot of the hate was about jealously. There were a lot of MCs that hated the fact that Eminem was the one that made it and they didn't. That wasn't even a white thing. That was an MC thing.

It seems like the gulf between underground hip-hop artists and their mainstream counterparts has shrunk considerably as a result of music downloading and social media. What are you thoughts on the Lil Wayne's and Rick Ross' of the world, who seem to have an indie spirit about them?

To me, it's two separate things. I don't really push the art and the business together like that. If you got your business tight, that's a different type of art. Wayne and Ricky to me are ... there's a reason why a lot of people like their music. They are communicating to people, which is very important. MC's want to write-off underground rappers and sometimes they want to write-off the mainstream rappers. And I'm like, "Man, it's all the same thing." We all come from the same tree. We all come from Grandmaster Flash, Run-D.M.C., KRS-One and Scarface.

Is there one album or artist that communicated to you in that very same way early on?

For me it was two albums: Boogie Down Productions' 'Criminal Minded' and 'By Any Means Necessary.' Those were the two albums that made me say, "I think I want to be a rapper." KRS-One is the one that perfected the style of talking to you instead of talking at you. His style was and still is very personable. He was rhyming as if he was giving a lecture. That was unheard of back then. He's just the best, period. Nobody can rhyme like that dude.

Watch Atmosphere's 'Shoulda Known' Live From Bonnaroo

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Ledisi Wants Q-Tip Collabo, Talks Life as a Breakdancer

Keith Murphy — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 16:00:00 EST

Christopher Polk, Getty Images Ledisi is not one to conform. The Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter has taken her jazz chops to the world of R&B, hip-hop and soul music. Maybe that's the reason why the New Orleans native has always been a tough artist for the marketplace to nail down. It was during the commercial heights of the neo-soul movement in the early 2000s -- a moment when such headliners as D'Angelo, Erykah Badu and Jill Scott were being hailed as the new standard for rhythm and blues -- that the gifted Ledisi found herself going along for the ride. But the ambitious vocalist was always more than a tag. Ledisi proved so when she was nominated for a Grammy for Best New Artist in support of her breakthrough 2007 album 'Lost & Found,' a project that not only garnered critical acclaim, but also received consistent radio airplay. With five albums under her belt, Ledisi returns with her new project, 'Pieces of Me,' currently in stores now. The effort is a heartfelt work she calls her most R&B-centered release to date. The BoomBox caught up with the unpredictable vocalist to discuss new music, her love for one veteran hip-hop group, why she was ready to quit the music industry and what it's like to be onstage with Prince. Going into the new album, 'Pieces of Me,' what was your thought process in terms of musical direction? Well, 'Pieces of Me' is definitely straight R&B. And its very much hip-hop influenced as well. I worked with Claude Kelly, Ivan and Carvin, Kay Gee, Frank City. Rex Rideout and I executive produced it together and he's also producing on it. John Legend wrote a song for me as well. And Salaam Remi is on it as well... we did a song together. And Jaheim is singing a duet with me. There's a lot of other great people and wonderful things on the new album. ...

You mentioned Claude Kelly, who has become the go-to songwriter for a lot of pop acts like Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears and Kelly Clarkson. What it was like to work with him?

I wrote the title track for the new album with Claude and Harmony. It's a great song. On this CD I was not really focused on genres of music. I was just doing music. I feel more confident more than ever because I finally know who I am and I what I do. It feels really good. I have a glow. I'm more personable on this album. I'm kind of making my own lane.

I want to take you back to 2000's 'Soul Singer-The Revival.' What was it like to be mentioned with the likes of D'Angelo, Maxwell, Erykah Badu and Jill Scott during the neo-soul era?

I didn't have a clue at that time [laughs]. I always felt like the underdog. I didn't know people were associating me with the artists that you named. I went unnoticed by many in the mainstream, so to hear people now include me with those great artists makes me feel like I had a part in that era. That time was beautiful. I learned a lot about the business side of being an artist. But the spirit of the music was more about the grind of being a soul singer. And the response from the fans was incredible. There are still new people getting on to it.

You won an Outstanding Jazz Album award in 2003 from the California Music Awards for your album 'Feeling Orange But Sometimes Blue: The Jazz Singer.' What was it like going into that jazzier territory?

Everybody was against me, including the people who were creating the album with me. They weren't against the music, they just didn't know what I was doing. There was the question of, "Why do you want to record a jazz album?" They didn't want me to use the term jazz. Everyone was against me, but as soon as I got that California Music Award in my heart I felt really good. Ironically, I didn't start in jazz. I started in pop, classical and hip-hop. Even some of the jazz people hated that album. But what it did was open the ears to the hip-hop community as well.

A lot of your mainstream success came from the Grammy-nominated album 'Lost & Found.' This is when fans really started picking up on you and the urban radio stations got behind that project. What did the success of that album mean for you going forward?

'Lost & Found' was me ready to quit. I was exhausted and singing about being unnoticed and unheard. That was my thought process -- please don't let me become unnoticed. But when I finally put it out and decided to stay in the business and it gets two Grammy nominations, that just blew my mind! It was my first major label album and it was a year and a half of crying about that.

You thought being nominated for a Grammy was crazy. What were you thinking when you found yourself sharing the stage with Prince?

It was beyond words. I'm onstage with Prince and he's nodding to me to follow him as I am singing background. This was my second big background gig. One of the first ones was with Isaac Hayes. I think I'm a horrible background singer [laughs]. But I'm there with Prince! He's like, "Sing" and I'm like, "Huh?" [laughs]. I was too busy looking at him play guitar. And then he's singing with me. It was amazing. When he talks to me I think to myself, "Is this for real?"

You mention your hip-hop influence. Who did you listen to coming up?

I love A Tribe Called Quest. They are one of my favorite groups who mixed jazz and hip-hop together. But before that, I used to break dance and all that stuff. But ya'll wouldn't know that [laughs]. Because people think all I do is jazz. But it's funny how every genre of music wants me in their genre. I have the potential of doing whatever I want to do, if I decide to do it. Everybody just grabs on to whatever sound I'm on and says, "Yes! She can be in this genre." But I didn't grow up that way. I listened to everything growing up. I like Willie Nelson and Patsy Cline and the Beach Boys. That's how I was raised.

Could you see yourself singing on rap tracks like Badu and Chrisette Michele did for Rick Ross on 'Aston Martin Music'?

I would love to do it [laughs]. I've already gotten a few calls from some hip-hop artists. I don't want to call them out. But one of my favorite hip-hop artists is Q-Tip. I recently had a conversation with him and hopefully we will be working on something. And I love Black Thought from the Roots. They are two of my favorites because they are so knowledgeable about music.

Will we see you out on any touring dates in support of 'Pieces of Me'?

If I get through one date that's great for me [laughs]. But I do know in the fall I will definitely have a tour. We are working on it now. This summer, I'm definitely doing some dates. But we don't want to do too much until the fall happens because we want people to get familiar with the album on their own. There's going to be a lot of promo. The fans can follow me on Twitter, Facebook and Ledisi.com.

Who knew you were the online guru?

[Laughs] Yes, I'm a social bug. I love talking to people.

Watch Ledisi's 'Pieces Of Me'

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Pete Rock, Camp Lo Talk New Group, 80 Blocks From Tiffany's

Keith Murphy — Tue, 24 May 2011 12:00:00 EST

WireImage / Getty Images 80 Blocks From Tiffany's does not come off like the run-of-the-mill name for a hip-hop group. But this is not your run-of-the-mill act. Indeed, the bold supergroup -- comprised of Mount Vernon, N.Y. super producer Pete Rock and Bronx tandem Camp Lo -- understands that such a union should not be treated as a random event. For one, Rock's revered as a hip-hop studio god who has produced for the legendary likes of Public Enemy, EPMD, Big L, Nas, the Dogg Pound and Common, and two, Camp Lo changed the course of lyricism in hip-hop with just one song: the 1996 single 'Luchini.' With the release of 80 Blocks From Tiffany's critically-acclaimed self-titled mixtape and a debut studio album set for this summer, the BoomBox caught up with Pete Rock and Camp Lo's Geechie Suede and Sonny Cheeba to talk about what inspired their union, if they ever thought about competing with Waka Flocka Flame and what's to come on the follow-up project they have in the works. On paper, the pairing of Pete Rock and Camp Lo seems like a savvy move, given that you guys came to prominence during the burgeoning '90s New York hip-hop scene. Did you find forming 80 Blocks From Tiffany's to be a natural fit? Pete Rock: Yeah, it was pretty natural. I've always been a fan of Camp Lo's music. I was actually leaving a studio session and bumped into Technician the DJ on the street as I was picking my car up. The Camp Lo guys were in a session nearby, so Technician asked if I could come up and say hello to them, and I did that. I ended up jumping on a song with them and Styles P. They liked some of the beats I played for them. That's when we decided to [link up]. ...

Was there any initial concern over merging two very distinct sounds?

Geechi Suede: I think that's why it worked. Pete Rock is one entity and Camp Lo is another. The way we bridged it was through 80 Blocks from Tiffany's. So the whole dynamic of the sound is something that is completely different than from what people have known any of us to do.

Sonny Cheeba: What we bring to the table together cats haven't seen yet. That soul feel is still there. We have a lot of visuals in mind and approaches that nobody is doing.

Pete, you are rightly regarded as one of hip-hop's most celebrated producers. And now it seems like Camp Lo is finally getting their recognition as a groundbreaking group who contributed an original rhyme style, slang and cadence to rap. How does that make you feel that 15 years later, fans and critics are praising you for your work as trailblazers?

Sonny Cheeba: I'm glad to hear that. When I listen to the praise it's even better. With all the slang and flow switches we contributed and the beats that MCs were rocking over that made cats feel a certain type of way. So to hear that now is big for us. That '90s era was crazy competitive. You just couldn't hop in. There was no EZ Pass to get in at that time. Either you had talent or you didn't.

Geechi Suede: He's right [laughs]. There was so much going on when we first came out.

Pete Rock: We built our castles with straight brick, man. And we were all about originality. So that's important to us as a group. It was always important to me as a producer and as an artist... To be original. When you are original that's what makes you dope. When you originate something and have people following you, that's true power.

So what is your take on today's hip-hop scene?

Cheeba: Today, I have to say respectfully, that you really don't have to have that much talent. You can hear it in the music... It's a little more emptier. That's why the music is changing back to that solid foundation of the '90s.

Has there ever been a time when you said, "Forget this. How am I supposed to compete with Waka Flocka Flame?"

Pete Rock: [Laughs] I don't look at it that way. We have been doing it for so long, so that should tell you how much we care regardless of the ups and downs because we roll with the punches.

You have already released the 80 Blocks From Tiffany's mixtape. There's been talk that you guys are already working on a sequel.

Geechie Suede: Yes, we are working on part 2. The [recording process] has been great.

Pete Rock: And I'm producing the whole thing. It's going to be a dope mixtape because it's going to be like an audio cinematic movie. We are really riding this thing hard. Then we have the 80 Blocks From Tiffany's album coming out this summer. We are really taken this seriously.

Respectively, are there any other projects that you are working on for the near future?

Pete Rock: I'm working on a Styles P album. I just finished an album with Tek and Steele -- Smif-N-Wessun. I produced the whole album and its called 'Monumental' and it's coming out on June 28. I did a song with Anthony Hamilton and Heavy D. There's a lot going on.

Sonny Cheeba: 80 Blocks right now is what cats are getting into. It's a little different for us because we don't produce beats. There are other projects we are working on. We got 'VIP' coming and 'A Piece of the Action' when we get ready.

So how far do you want to take 80 Blocks From Tiffany's?

Pete Rock: We are taking it all the way to space where there's no air. I'm taking it as far as I can take it. It's such a great collaboration because not only are we easy to get along with, we all fall into the same types of habits and things that we like to do as men.

Sonny Cheeba: I feel that we can take it all the way out. We just want to make great music.

Watch 80 Blocks From Tiffany's 'Mic Check'

Mack 10 Says He May Release Solo Album Later This Year

Keith Murphy — Wed, 18 May 2011 14:55:00 EST

Getty Images As Mack 10 slowly recovers from an April stomach surgery, the West Coast rap veteran continues to garner buzz from his acclaimed collaboration album, 'Money Music,' with new school California MC Glasses Malone. The project, which was released off Mack 10's Hoo Bangin' label, saw the re-emergence of the platinum rapper, who first gained prominence as the protégé of legendary hip-hop icon and Hollywood heavyweight Ice Cube in the mid '90s. Backed by such standout solo albums as his classic self-titled 1995 debut, 1997's 'Based on a True Story' and works with the multi-platinum supergroup Westside Connection, Mack 10 talked with excitement about his time back on the concert stage before his surgery. "Me and Glasses stay doing shows," Mack told the BoomBox of some of the show dates he has done with Malone, who he signed to his label imprint. "The fans lose their minds over my whole catalog. I have classics. You think 'Foe Life' is going to wreck, but then 'Only in California' comes on and people go crazy [laughs]. Then 'Backyard Boogie' comes on. The list goes on." ...

Mack said that while he's not one to live in the past, he understands why fans have held on so tightly to the '90s rap era. For him, it was a fruitful time for mostly everyone involved. "In the '90s you were getting basketball money," Mack explained of the monetary level of success rappers were achieving. "So if you were a successful rapper you were living like you were playing in the NBA. And you were putting up real numbers. There were 10 times more record labels than there is now. You could sell 10 times more records and there wasn't any downloading. So all you could do was sell records. The only thing you had to worry about was music bootleggers and that wasn't so bad compared to today."

However, Mack said today's music era is high with possibilities. "I love the fact that you can instantly connect with the fans through [online]," he added. "Right now I'm just focused on this Mack and Malone record. But I might give them another Mack 10 solo album. I haven't really buckled down and decided when, but I'm sure later on the year I will release something."

Watch Mack 10's 'Mirror Mirror'

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Prodigy Reveals He Wrote 20 Albums in Jail, Is 'Competing'

Keith Murphy — Wed, 18 May 2011 13:40:00 EST

Rob Kim, Getty Images Prodigy doesn't mince words when it comes to his time behind bars. As one-half of the bruising hip-hop duo Mobb Deep, the bantam veteran MC, along with his rhyme partner-producer Havoc, blazed a nearly 20-year standout career that saw the pair take New York gangsta rap to a brazenly dark and complex direction with such classic albums as 'The Infamous' (1995); 'Hell on Earth' (1996) and 'Murda Muzik' (1999). But Prodigy admits that his three years spent in prison for criminal possession of a loaded gun was more than just a sobering moment. "Going to jail is beyond what anyone thinks it is," Prodigy explains to the BoomBox of his incarceration. "You can go to jail for a year and end up doing life in there because you may have to hurt somebody. You may end up killing somebody. You can bump into some C.O.s [correctional officers] that wanna just throw a razor in your cell, throw a knife in your cell. Or a C.O. could just say, 'Yo, he spit on me.' And that's a seven-year assault charge. So little things like that can happen to you. But you don't even realize it can go that far." ...

Simon & Schuster

Prodigy, born Albert Johnson, has since made the most of his March prison release. He has dropped a well-received autobiography 'My Infamous Life: The Autobiography of Mobb Deep's Prodigy,' a book that details his wild times in and out of the proverbial spotlight. There's family-driven tales of growing up in Long Island, his brotherly relationship with Havoc and their coming-of-age story in the notorious Queensbridge, New York projects, and the early days of a teenage Mobb Deep. But what's grabbed most of the headlines is Prodigy's often times harrowing and hilarious stories detailing his experiences with a who's who of hip-hop royalty. From Havoc accidentally shooting a Def Jam employee and Prodigy's beefs with the late Tupac Shakur and Jay-Z to Prodigy attempting to bed Lil' Kim, it's all there, many times without filter.

"I wanted to tell my story," Prodigy simply says of his reasons for writing the book. "A lot of industry people already knows some of these stories, but the fans didn't know." But it was his time in prison that really sparked the project. "I did a lot of reading ... I read a lot of books. I've never read that much in my life," Prodigy adds with a laugh. "You stuck in this hole, in this cell, and you are not really progressing in a sense. So in order to overcome that, I decided that when I go in there I was going to transform myself mentally, physically and spiritually. I ain't do too much watching TV and playing card games. There was nothing else to do but to workout, read and write."

Of course Prodigy was also writing lyrics for new music. "I wrote about 20 albums in there," he says. "So yeah, I got a lot of work done in there, so I used my time wisely. I think that I definitely did what I planned on doing with the time."

Mobb Deep fans have already gotten a taste of the group's next artistic phase. Prodigy recently released his solo work, 'The Ellsworth Bumpy Johnson EP,' a digital-only project that doesn't stray too far from Mobb Deep's double-fisted roots. "It was a gift to the fans," Prodigy says of the set. "I'm not doing anything different ... Just being me. I just wanted to release something that could [hold down] the fans until we release a new Mobb Deep album."

But the question remains: What does a new Mobb Deep album sound like in 2011? Both Havoc and Prodigy have managed to stay relevant throughout label changes and sweeping musical turns. The duo, who were dropped from 4th & Broadway Records in 1993, following the lackluster sales of their debut album, 'Juvenile Hell,' went on to help drive legendary hip-hop imprint Loud Records, an influential label that had the likes of the Wu-Tang Clan, Big Pun, Xzibit, and Dead Prez on its storied roster. And while a 2004 switch to Jive Records didn't work out for Mobb Deep, the pair was able to bounce back after signing with 50 Cent's G-Unit label. So what's next?

"We are not signed to a label right now," Prodigy says of Mobb Deep's current state. "We will worry about that later. But we are working on new material. We have a lot of songs ready to go. It's about competing. Me and Havoc want to show that Mobb Deep can be that hip-hop group 20 years [into a] career and still make a great album. That's what we are trying to do."

Watch Prodigy's 'Give It to Me'

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Fabolous Talks Ryan Leslie, Ne-Yo Super Group

Keith Murphy — Thu, 12 May 2011 11:00:00 EST

Getty Images It was in mid-April when Brooklyn MC Fabolous released the remix to his infectious radio hit 'You Be Killin' Em.' The synth-heavy track, which has already been circulating online and in clubs, features R&B crooner and songwriter Ne-Yo and studio wizard Ryan Leslie -- who also handled production duties on the female-friendly cut. And according to Fab, a much-rumored supergroup featuring his remix cohorts is now beginning to pick up steam. "We've been kicking it around," Fabolous tells the BoomBox. "I think the only issue is everybody's schedules ... me, Ryan and Ne-Yo." As for what fans could expect from the ambitious trio, Fab says the skies the limit. "You can hear the potential on 'You Be Killin' Em Pt. 2" he explains excitedly. "That was a little taste of the Fab-Ryan-Leslie-Ne-Yo project. That song is directed a little bit more towards the ladies, but it's not the whole package of what it could be. We are capable of so much more." Recently, Fabolous dropped his critically-acclaimed 'The S.O.U.L. Tape.' He is set to release his follow-up studio album, 'Loso's Way 2: Rise to Power,' later this year. ...

Watch Fabolous' 'Wolves in Sheep Clothing'

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Killer Mike Says Yom Kippur Helped Him Bury Big Boi Feud

Keith Murphy — Wed, 11 May 2011 13:00:00 EST

Moses Robinson, WireImage In basketball terms, Killer Mike is a tough cover. The stout Atlanta MC, who first came on the scene under the wing of OutKast spitter Big Boi on the 2000 'Stankonia' rhyme assault 'Snappin' and Trappin,' can go menacingly hard in the paint with the type of seething 'hood nastiness that would make an in-his-prime Scarface shake his head. He possesses the complex, savvy court vision that when translated to the hip-hop world conjures up lyrical deity Nas. And Killer Mike boasts the kind of do-it-all triple double game that has become the hallmark of Jay-Z's long and prosperous career. But despite an intriguing career in which Mike has dropped such critically-acclaimed studio albums as his 2003 debut 'Monster' and his 'I Pledge Allegiance to the Grind' series (released in 2006 and 2008) and put out a string of street-praised mixtapes, he has remained an underground figure in mainstream music circles. That should all change with the May 17 release of 'PL3DGE,' the first official project off of T.I.'s Grand Hustle label. The effort features such rap heavyweights as Young Jeezy, Twista, Gucci Mane, and the aforementioned King of the South. The BoomBox caught up with the underrated spitter to talk about his new album, making peace with Big Boi and his thoughts on the current Atlanta rap scene. Was there vastly more pressure signing with T.I.'s Grand Hustle label following your initial music industry stumbles? I didn't feel any pressure. Why would I? I'm actually encouraged. I think I'm dope as s---. I think having those high expectations placed on me and working with someone like T.I. makes me better. I think this 'PL3DGE' album is going to tell the story. You seem to be making a statement with 'PL3DGE,' given some of the high profile names attached to this project like Young Jeezy, Gucci Mane, and T.I. What was your mindset going into this album? I was thinking about my mom being on dialysis. My grandmother raised me and they both had hard times last year. Both of them gave me the inspiration to do what I do. I love those two dearly. I really want my mom and grandmother to see me how they first saw me six or seven years ago on MTV and on the radio. I got love from MTV Jams with 'Ready Set Go' [featuring T.I.]. And I have to thank satellite radio for their support. But going into this new single with me and Young Jeezy, I'm excited. God is good. ...

Talk about working with a versatile MC like a Jeezy who can exist with you, Jay-Z and then appear on a record with Kanye West. How easy was it to work with an MC that stylistically diverse?

I just think Jeezy's really what he raps. You look at the people that I've had the opportunity to record with, whether it was Jay-Z, OutKast, Bun B or young brothers like Pac Div, I think it goes with that saying "to thine own self be true" -- when you are true to yourself and to your sound it attracts others. I have a lot of respect for Jeezy. He's one of my favorite rappers. I love listening to him and he listens to my stuff, and we just used the opportunity to show the world how we get down.

Are you one of those MCs who goes into an album project thinking, "This is going to be my street record" and "This song is going to be my radio single?"

I don't go into albums like that. I went into 'PL3DGE' not with the thinking of, "This is going to be my commercial single." I went into it thinking, "This album is going to be jamming." I have 12 songs on this record and nine of them could be a single. I went into the studio consciously knowing that this record would have a greater jam factor. I think I did that perfectly.

One producer attached to the 'PL3DGE' album is No I.D., who has become a respected veteran in the music industry. What did he bring to the album that was different from the other producers you worked with?

Dion is like a big brother to me. Initially, I worked with lot of new Atlanta artists that people are liking now like B.o.B, CyHi Da Prynce and Travis Porter. But while I was taking some time off, Dion was the one in the studio with me helping me figure out the next stage of my career. He's just incredible. Every time I work with No I.D. it's like working with family. I'm not looking at him as this underrated super producer. I'm just working with my brother from Chicago who just wants to help me advance what I do. So it's really easy working with someone like No I.D.

You mentioned some of the new generation of hip-hop talents coming out of Atlanta today. Do you consider yourself the missing link between OutKast and the likes of B.o.B and CyHi Da Prynce?

I can't say, but I thank you for the credit. Because so much of my career has been forged out of fighting to stay relevant and to make known how dope that I am, I haven't had a chance to objectively look back at any part of my career. What I do know is beyond me being the missing link between OutKast and what's going on in Atlanta today, me, Tip, Ludacris and Jeezy really helped pushed Atlanta into being famous in other lights. On the bigger side, I am the bridge between the intellectual and the streets for Atlanta. I am probably what the world lost when Goodie Mob stopped recording. I'm that 100 percent.

It's well-known that you and Big Boi had a bitter falling out after your stint on his Purple Ribbon label. Yet, you were able to bury your feud as he appears on the remix for 'Ready Set Go' and in the video. What does that type of unity show to the new generation of hip-hop artists who are used to the idea of beef songs and making their personal battles public?

Well, I'll never forget my accountant Robert who is Jewish-American, man. He's a very good person. He took me to a Yom Kippur celebration. He talked to me a lot about the holiday. It's a holiday in which Jewish people have their opportunity to apologize for transgressions they might of done towards each other over the course of the year. Or people they have the opportunity to forgive others and go into the next year. That really resonated with me. I really believe if you've ever loved someone how could you act like you don't? That really helped me see that no grudge was worth holding on forever.

That seems like a pretty heavy moment.

It was. A lot of times we take issue with other people and not with ourselves. Me being removed from that Big Boi situation, it really was a matter of my own ambition outweighing my time. My ambition was bigger than what my mind was ready for at the moment. So it took me leaving [Purple Label] and experiencing the bumps and bruises for myself to fully understand how difficult it is to be an artist and to run a record company. I would have been a fool to hold a grudge. It was never about Big Boi or anybody else. It was really about me and dealing with my own situations.

You have been known as a relentless touring artist. Are you happier being onstage performing or in the studio working on music?

I'm happier onstage. I hate being in the booth [laughs]. I can't take that s---. Being in the booth at Tree Town where I recorded 'PLEDGE' and recording at Stankonia are probably my two happiest studio experiences. Tree Town just has a culture about it. It makes you love recording. And Stankonia is home for me. But those are the only two studios I love working in. I like the stage much better.

How do you want your new album to be received by your fans and the public-at-large?

I hope the album does 10 million. Realistically, I don't know what the album is going to do, but I know for the first time in five years I'm on a national tour with Young Dro, Dee-1 and Pac Div. I have two more tours coming up and that's just in anticipation of this album. I expect from this album for me to be at least touring 200 days a year. I'm trying to have a musical legacy, not just make a cash-out album.

Watch Killer Mike's 'Ready Set Go' feat. T.I.

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Chuck D Says Public Enemy Doesn't 'Kiss A--,' Talks New LP

Keith Murphy — Fri, 06 May 2011 12:50:00 EST

Retna When Chuck D talks, people listen. The outspoken leader of the legendary hip-hop group Public Enemy is not much for holding his tongue on any subject. With more than 30 years in the hip-hop game, the fearless Mista Chuck has seen and done it all. Now one of rap's most respected voices sits down with the BoomBox to discuss the upcoming Public Enemy album, the revolutionary days of his socially conscious, controversial crew, his thoughts on today's hip-hop scene and what makes Jay-Z a great MC. So let's talk about the status of Public Enemy. There has been a lot of talk of the group releasing an album partially funded by the fans. Is this unique project still happening? Yes, there will be a new Public Enemy album. We are going to drop 'Most of Our Heroes Don't Appear on a Stamp' late next year. We have never been in the music business to make friends. We've never been the type to kiss ass. We've always strived not to repeat ourselves album to album. What do you believe is the main difference in the hip-hop scenes between say the late '80s/early '90s when Public Enemy was dropping groundbreaking, controversial albums like 'It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back' and 'Fear of a Black Planet' and today's Internet-driven hip-hop scene? I like the fact that the technology has leveled the playing field for artists. It's given us the ability to release music without being under a record label. Unfortunately, another difference is today making music is merely about product and profit. The few artists who are signed with the record companies left are not encouraged to take real distinct different roads. ...

Artists are not being pushed to stand out amongst the crowd, right?

Right. There's no patience for the business plan and there's no patience for an artist plan. So it boils down to artists being forced to be more similar than different. Back when you had, say, an Eric B. & Rakim, Queen Latifah, Boogie Down Productions, N.W.A. and De La Soul, we all were encouraged to be different. Because if you didn't have your own sound your ass was left behind [laughs].

Do you sit back and marvel at how diverse hip-hop was in those days?

It was an interesting time. You have to understand, in 1987, Public Enemy was doing the Def Jam tour and we shared a bus with Stetsasonic, who has to go down as one of the most underrated rap groups of all time. The next year they came out with a great album called 'In Full Gear.' Now out of that bus ride with Stetsasonic you had Daddy-O, Delite, Wise, Frukwan, and Prince Paul. You had the guys behind 'It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back' coming out of that bus ride. And then you had De La Soul's '3 Feet High and Rising,' which was produced by Prince Paul. There was a lot of talent on that bus. But I'm always looking ahead.

Do you think in general music artists today are taking full advantage of the ability to record a song and have it delivered to their fans on the Internet the same day?

I don't think that's the issue. The biggest problem area is if an artist sees something that is significant, the tendency now is to stray away from it. I think right now if you have an Alabama rapper and they can't rap about tornadoes because they don't think it will sell records, then that's a problem. If you can't make a bunch of songs about what happened in Japan then you know you have a bunch of artists that's just in it to be loved and accepted. And like I said before, Public Enemy has never been in it to be loved. We came into hip-hop to make a statement. You take it or leave it. That's contrary to, "I'm only in this business to get money." So yeah, you can make a living from this, but what I'm saying is nobody will have power over my words.

It goes back to when I said rappers are afraid to call bulls--- with the way Donald Trump was going at Obama with all that birth certificate stuff. It's like a dude driving a car, right? You see your friend's mom and she's on the corner walking. And you are going in the right direction, but you are like, "Damn, I know that's her. But I'm going to just go on by because I don't know where she's going." And somebody will tell you, "Come on! That's some bulls---.' This dude's mom is walking in the same direction. We recognize bulls--- when it happens. You have to call it out.

What's your take on someone like a Jay-Z, who has been able to successfully walk the fine line of being a highly commercial artist and, for the most part, critically respected?

The mainstream and the powers that be look at Jay-Z in the vein of how much money he's made instead of what he has brought to the table lyrically. They don't know what he rhymes about. The average cat doesn't even know what Jay-Z is about other than, "Oh, he has a lot of money and he raps." You have to understand why Jay-Z is a great MC. He's like LL Cool J. People sleep on LL. He was very dominant; has that [witty wordplay]. It's like someone being a big fan of Michael Jordan but they can't tell you what year he came in or what team he played for after the Bulls. They can't tell you any of that s---. Fans today are so brand-oriented. Sometimes the branding has branded their brains so much that they can't get away from the facts and talent.

Public Enemy has been together for more than 25 years. There's talk that you will be the next hip-hop act to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Is this something you think about?

Well, I'm a fan of music. I'm a musicologist. It's like sports. I don't play in the NBA, but if I were to play I would love to be elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame. I've always fought for rap music getting its respect. When Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five and Run-D.M.C. got [into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame], the genie was let out of the bottle. But it's strange that people are talking about Public Enemy going in when Afrika Bambaataa, Kool Herc, LL Cool J and the Beastie Boys are not being mentioned in the same light. It would be really weird to go in before those guys.

Greatness. It must be nice.

I try not to think about it too much. I'm just a regular cat. I drive through all parts of America and fly through all parts of the world. I'm planes, trains and automobiles [laughs]. Right now I'm on my way to go speak at Stanford University. I'm not on that star s---.

Watch Public Enemy's 'By the Time I Get to Arizona'

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Fabolous Wants to Evolve Like Nas, Talks About 'Gangsta' Fans

Keith Murphy — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 15:30:00 EST

Gilbert Carrasquillo, FilmMagic The truth is, we never saw Fabolous coming. Indeed, the veteran Brooklyn MC, first introduced to the hip-hop nation by influential mixtape powerbroker DJ Clue in the late '90s, has always had a tougher sale when it came to competing with his larger-than-life New York rhyme counterparts. Fab was never as universally celebrated as lyrical deity Nas; he could never pull off the glorious cultural transcendence of the uber regal Jay-Z. And he never boasted the mythical street-cred of 'Get Rich or Die Tryin' era 50 Cent. And yet Fabolous proved himself to be a savvy talent who went on to carve out a surprisingly long and rewarding career highlighted by platinum albums (chief among them, his 2001 debut, 'Ghetto Fabolous') and a dedicated mixtape fanbase. Mr. Punchline, who recently dropped his acclaimed underground project 'The S.O.U.L. Tape,' is not showing any signs of slowing down. He wants more. Here's why. As an artist who is currently enjoying a hit song, 'You Be Killin' Em,' more than a decade into your career, you have been one of the few MCs from the late '90s to survive the unpredictable evolution of hip-hop. How have you been able to pull it off? I pay attention to what's going on in the music scene. I pay attention to what people like and what the radio market pushes as well. When you make a record for the commercial lane, it's real easy for them to pick it up. Certain records are too vulgar, but they still end up being on the radio. But it's also important to keep that relationship with the streets and the mixtape scene. ...

So is it just as simple as making something melodic so you can crossover?

No. There has to be a demand for your music. But if you have something that is ready for the stations and Internet that's catchy, it's a win-win. It's not about being commercial. It's about keeping yourself visible whether it's through making a record with Trey Songz ['Say Ahh'] or releasing a mixtape for your core fans.

While you have always been ranked amongst some of the best New York-based lyricists for your clever usage of punch lines and witty metaphors, over the years you have also taken hits for some of your more overtly commercial songs. Is there one track that you look back on that you can't believe you recorded?

There's a song I did with Tamia called 'Into You,' which turned out to be one of my biggest hits. But at the time, I thought it was a little too soft to be released as a single. It was more female friendly, but the crazy part is it became one of those joints that guys would dedicate to their chicks.

That must have been a shocker, right?

Yeah [laughs]. But in real life not everybody is hardcore and gangsta all day. We have girlfriends, too. Maybe 'Into You' wasn't a song that you rolled around bumping in your hood, but when you were with your lady you turned it up in the car. I've also heard plenty of dudes in jail say that they've dedicated a song or two of mines to their ladies. So I think those female friendly songs can work on that level.

The other side of the coin has been your mixtape work. How differently did you approach the making of your latest underground project 'The S.O.U.L. Tape'?

Making mixtapes is an outlet for me. I wasn't worried about creating a hit with the 'The S.O.U.L. Tape.' This project is all the way around about my life over great soul beats. I wanted to make a statement with creative lyrics and some of my favorite [soulful] sample beats. This is a pure hip-hop album. That's the best way to describe it.

Have you been surprised at the positive reaction from younger fans given that 'The S.O.U.L. Tape' contains samples that seem more at home in the early '90s hip-hop scene of RZA and Pete Rock?

The response has been great. We recently had a listening session at the Recording Academy of the Grammys. They actually let us use their space! They reached out to me, which was crazy because I never heard of the Grammys even being in the same room with any kind of mixtape stuff. But I guess they wanted to be a part of it. We had a great time. We even had soul food. It was fun.

You are also one of the few New York MCs to rhyme over a Lex Luger-produced track. Did you feel like you had to do anything different lyrically over 'Lights Out,' off 2010's 'There Is No Competition 2,' given Luger's biggest hits have been with southern artists like Lil Wayne, Rick Ross and Young Jeezy?

You really can't approach it that way. Whatever I do, it's always me. I respect the [southern rap scene]. I love what they are doing right now, and I'm cool with a lot of the southern rappers like Wayne, who I have [collaborated] with. 'Lights Out' just felt like a good mixtape cut. We threw that one out first before 'You Be Killin' Em' to keep it in the space of a mixtape. We didn't want to just come out the door with just a joint for the ladies and a radio record. We wanted to still keep it in the mixtape space, but make some good universal music at the same time.

Overall, how do you see your legacy as an MC?

I just want to lead the way and show people as you get older, your music should get better. A lot of changes happen when you grow up. A lot of times, the audience wants to hear the old you. They want to hear the same rhymes and concepts. I'm guilty of it as well. I've listened to certain music and I'm like, 'Damn, I wanna hear the old Nas or the old 50 Cent.' But what I had to understand is as Nas got older he changed the style of his music. It's not the same as 'Illmatic' or 'It Was Written,' but he was still able to show he was a dope lyricist. He was making the kind of music that he was comfortable with, and that's what really is important. Nas is an evolved artist. That's what I want to be.

That's some pretty distinguished company to shoot for.

Well, I want to keep myself happy with who I am, but still make great music that people appreciate. To me, that's greatness.

Watch Fabolous' 'Wolves in Sheep Clothing'

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Anthony Anderson Envisions Ice Cube in Horror Films

Keith Murphy — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 13:00:00 EST

Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic Actor Anthony Anderson is currently featured in one of the most successful horror film franchises of all time, and he wants to spread the wealth. The gregarious talent stars in the recently released Wes Craven horror flick 'Scream 4,' and says he has the perfect person to appear in the next high profile scary movie: gangsta rap icon, director and actor Ice Cube. "I would love to see Cube in a horror flick," says Anderson of the legendary former member of N.W.A., who after a successful solo career went on to become a major Hollywood player, starring in the landmark films 'Boyz n the Hood' and 'Friday,' as well as producing such crossover projects 'Are We There Yet' and its TBS television spin-off. ...

"I think it would be interesting to see him come out of that tough-guy persona," the 40-year-old actor states. "He's great to work with and Cube has that West Coast swag. And he has that attitude. I would love to see how he would handle being chased by one of those crazy killers in a scene."

Of course, Cube wouldn't be the first hip-hop star to appear in a horror film. Everyone from LL Cool J ('Halloween H20: 20 Years Later') and Snoop Dogg ('Bones') to Ice T ('Leprechaun in the Hood') and Redman ('Child's Play 5: Seed of Chucky') has been featured in scary flicks. "But could you imagine Ice Cube running for his life?" muses Anderson, laughing at the thought. "That would be something to see. I would tell anyone to go work with Wes Craven, who is an icon. Shooting 'Scream 4' was a lot of fun."

Anderson, who appeared in the aforementioned Ice Cube vehicle 'Barbershop,' is no stranger to hip-hop. He was featured in the critically-acclaimed 2005 southern rap-centered independent drama 'Hustle & Flow' and was a presenter at 2009's VH1's Hip-Hop Honors. Although he has made waves as both a comedic and dramatic thespian, Anderson says he remains a huge rap fan.

"My favorite rapper out today is Kanye West," he explains. "I respect his honesty. He's so unapologetic. How can you not be a fan of his music? I'm also a fan of Jay-Z, Biggie and 2Pac. I'm a West Coast boy, but I like East Coast artists. And as far as the new artists, I like Wale. He's got a cool style about him."

'Scream 4' was released to theaters this past weekend and grossed $20 million. Next up for Anderson? The Steve Martin and Jack Black comedy 'The Big Year,' due out later this year. "For a lot of actors, it's really hard to do both comedy and drama," Anderson says. "Very seldom do you see dramatic actors flip it to comedy. But you see comedians go into drama all the time, from Robin Williams and Jamie Foxx to Tom Hanks. I don't want to be boxed in."

Watch Ice Cube's 'I Rep That West'

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DJ Quik Sheds Light on 'The Book of David,' Wants to Hug DMX

Keith Murphy — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 10:00:00 EST

Rebecca Sapp, WireImage DJ Quik is not supposed to be here. It's a fact that he points out to you several times when the storied rapper-producer talks of his groundbreaking two-decade-long career. In terms of acclaim and impact amongst hip-hop studio deities, Quik sits at the same G.O.A.T. table as Dr. Dre, DJ Premier, Pete Rock, RZA and the Neptunes. Since his landmark platinum debut, 'Quik Is the Name,' the multi-talented performer has not only released a string of critically-acclaimed albums, but has produced for the likes of 2Pac, Snoop Dogg, Tony! Toni! Tone!, Jay-Z,Whitney Houston, Talib Kweli and Ludacris. But during Quik's impressive run there has been heartache. The violent deaths of close friends, a battle with alcohol abuse and a five-month 2006 jail stint from a 2003 physical assault charge all threatened to derail his career. Now with his April 19 release, 'The Book of David,' DJ Quik continues his ambitious amalgamation of hip-hop, funk and R&B. The man is a survivor. And he still has quite a lot to say. ...

Let's go back to your 1991 debut album, 'Quik is the Name.' You were able to stand out amongst your hip-hop peers because you could effortlessly go from a hardcore, two-fisted gangsta rap track like 'Born and Raised in Compton' to a more jazzy, R&B sound heard on 'Tonite.' Were you aware that you were taking hip-hop in a new musical direction?

Not at all. On 'Quik is the Name' I don't know if the musical aspect of those songs was subconscious or on purpose. I just knew that when it came to my production I always remembered how Isaac Hayes' 'Hot Buttered Soul' album affected me. One of my favorite artists is Curtis Mayfield. That music defined my life. I would never want more than what I got and that was to be born in the '70s and witness that music firsthand. I was always a very musical person. R&B was just as huge to me as was hip-hop when I was growing up and DJing in Compton.

Along with N.W.A., LL Cool J, Public Enemy, Ice Cube, and a few others, there were not a lot of hip-hop acts going platinum during your first year on the scene. Yet, you were able to sell over a million copies of 'Quik Is the Name.' How did that immense success change your life as a kid coming out of city as notorious as Compton, Calif.?

I never thought I would go platinum. No one at the label did, honestly. It was surreal to be out there with MC Hammer, N.W.A. and En Vogue and meeting these famous people. These are my legends today. But back then I used to stare at their album covers all day and dream.

In past interviews you have been open about some of the personal battles you have endured during your rollercoaster career. Was there ever a moment when you thought, "That's it. I'm done with the music business?"

There were a few times I thought about walking away. When [I was recording] the 'Rhythm-al-ism' album [1998], my best friend was killed in my studio. That was a dark moment for me that I struggled through. And then a few years later, [my musical protégé] Mausberg was killed, which just added on to everything.

When did you realize you had a serious problem?

When I was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. But before that, I didn't know how serious it was for me. Just looking back at my life, it sometimes makes me almost feel sorry for myself.

So how did you get through those dark times?

I did a lot of drinking, a lot of vodka. I didn't want to face reality. But going to jail was a wake up call. Now everyday is another day that I can reinvent myself. Everyday is another day that I can forgive my enemies. Everyday is another day that I don't have to drink. Everyday is another day I can try to be more like a legend in my families' life; in my daughters' and son's life.

Your new album, 'The Book of David,' is being called one of the best efforts of your long storied career by music critics. How does it feel to still be releasing well-received work 20 years after 'Quik Is the Name'?

I don't know what to think [laughs]. This is what I do. 'The Book of David' is coming out on my label MSR [Mad Science Records]. It's distributed by Fontana. Shout out to Sylvia Rhone, who is one of my people. The new album impresses me because within the music we have the analog sound back. When the music went all digital, I think something was lost in my music. I'm back to square one with the music. This record is an album of clusters. Three songs in a row just go hard together because they all cut into each other. It's not like track No. 1 and 4 are cool, but No. 7 and 13 sucks. These songs have a theme. Even if you don't like the production you have to admit this album is well sequenced.

How do you envision taking 'The Book of David' out on the road?

The way the new songs segue together, it's very fluid. I'm doing 'The Book of David' from a place where I want to be remembered like Barry White -- a great soulful conductor. So I'm going to have fun with this tour. When I do shows today, I hire a string section and put them onstage with my band. And instead of just doing 'Jus Lyke Compton,' 'Sweet Black P---y' 'Tonite' or 'Born and Raised in Compton' and 'Down Down Down,' we will perform 'Love's Theme' by the Love Unlimited Orchestra. And the audience is just blown away. I use my boy Jeff who is the hip-hop orchestrator. He comes onstage with me and we tear that s--t down!

It's an exciting time to be DJ Quik, right?

I'm just glad that people are still listening to my music. At one point in my career I think I became a little bitter. I thought that nobody needed a DJ Quik beat anymore. But I'd like to thank people like Clive Davis. He put me in the Grammy exhibit out here in Los Angeles. I have an exhibit in the hip-hop part of the Grammy Museum.

You sound choked up. How huge of a moment was that for you?

I'm just honored. I'm really emotional right now. I've been through too much. When I see people like DMX I'm going to give that dude a big ass hug [laughs].

Watch DJ Quik's 'Safe + Sound'

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Kool G. Rap Announces Marley Marl Reunion on New Album

Keith Murphy — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 11:00:00 EST

Johnny Nunez, WireImage How does Kool G. Rap -- one of the most celebrated MCs in hip-hop history -- stay hungry? The rhyme giant never stops evolving and continues to do what he loves with the reckless abandon of an 18-year-old. That's how old the rapper was when he made his 1986 debut, along with DJ Polo, on his razor-tongue single 'It's a Demo.' The rap icon and member of the legendary Queens, N.Y., rhyme collective the Juice Crew has released seven albums and influenced everyone from Nas to Jay-Z to the late Big Pun. With the news that G. Rap is set to drop his eighth studio album, 'Riches, Royalty, and Respect,' on April 19, the Godfather of East Coast Street Rhyme is reuniting with his mentor and one of hip-hop's most celebrated producers -- Marley Marl. According to G. Rap, the surprising reunion with the studio pioneer, who recruited the two-fisted rapper into the Juice Crew and featured him on the seminal 1988 posse cut 'The Symphony' -- a track that also included stand-out MCs Big Daddy Kane, Masta Ace, and Craig G -- almost didn't happen. ...

"I just got the track back from Marley the night before last," G. Rap tells the BoomBox. "I wasn't sure he was going to make it on time. Working with Marley is like coming back home. It's like coming back full circle again. He has done a lot to contribute to my legacy. So I got a lot of love and respect for him."

It was on his classic 1989 debut album 'Road to the Riches' that G. Rap's fast-paced, labyrinth-like flow and gangsta-fueled storytelling on landmark tracks like 'Men at Work,' 'Truly Yours' and the title cut were driven by the dusty funky samples of Marley Marl. On 1990's 'Wanted: Dead or Alive,' G. Rap showcased a young, up-and-coming producer who called himself the Large Professor, highlighted by the straight-no-chaser single 'Streets of New York.' And 1992's 'Live and Let Die' saw the ambitious rhymer connect with the West Coast, a groundbreaking move that produced an unlikely musical alliance with Ice Cube and DJ Jinx, led by the harrowing track 'On the Run.'

But unlike previous efforts, G. Rap says 'Riches, Royalty, and Respect' features mostly newcomers on the boards. "I have a lot of up-and-coming names on this album," explains G. Rap. "I really didn't do brand name chasing on this album because the young hungry cats were so available. I got a lot of heat from names like Level 13, my man DJ Super Dave and the Insurgency. They are hungry, and when you are hungry like that, your firepower is at its maximum. But I also have Infamous, who works with Lil Wayne and my man DJ Pain, who did tracks for Young Jeezy. I'm bringing it on all levels."

While listening to G. Rap speak, a sense of humility can be heard in his trademark lispy voice. Indeed, when he discusses the loss of some of his hip-hop peers over the years, his tone turns somber. "It's a blessing to still be around," he says of his more than 20-year career in which legends like Cowboy of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Tupac, the Notorious B.I.G. and Jam Master Jay have passed away before their time. "There's a lot of cats in our business that didn't make it because of street violence," he continues, "So for me to be here in 2011 is a blessing."

G. Rap then pauses and adds, "To still be embraced and accepted by the public as one of the greats keeps me going."

Kool G. Rap's eighth studio album, 'Riches, Royalty and Respect' hits stores on April 19.

Watch Kool G. Rap's 'Road to the Riches'

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Songwriter Claude Kelly Takes R&B to the Next Level

Keith Murphy — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 10:00:00 EST

Angela Weiss, Getty Images Claude Kelly is used to receiving accolades for his work with some of the biggest pop acts in the business. Indeed, the in-demand songwriter has written hits for Kelly Clarkson ('My Life Would Suck Without You'), the late Michael Jackson ('Hold My Hand') and Bruno Mars ('Grenade') and recently collaborated with Britney Spears ('Gasoline') for the pop star's upcoming 'Femme Fatale' album. But it's another music genre that gets Kelly truly excited: rhythm & blues. Kelly speaks most glowingly when he discusses his past studio time with Melanie Fiona ('Priceless'), Chrisette Michele ('Notebook') and Fantasia ('I'm Doing Me'). "I have a soft spot for female R&B singers," he tells The BoomBox. "I've spent a lot of time working with Ledisi and Tamia. They are both amazing." Kelly says when it came to writing for these two distinct acts he approached both divas differently. For the critically acclaimed Ledisi, who was nominated for the Best New Artist Grammy in 2007, he wanted to take the singer out of her comfort zone. "Ledisi is very jazzy and soulful," he explains of the New Orleans born vocalist. "We wanted to go for a more progressive sound. I am trying to help her make a mark in a way that she hasn't before. I'm trying to get her the notoriety she deserves." ...

As for platinum talent Tamia, who was first introduced to the public by lauded music giant Quincy Jones with the hit 1994 ballad 'You Put a Move on My Heart' and released her self-titled debut album in 1998, Kelly wanted to put the spotlight back on the unsung singer's 5-octave vocal talents. "Tamia of course is a veteran with a great voice," he says. "She's doing R&B but we are taking it up a notch. I wrote some really classic R&B songs for her that I'm really proud of."

One artist that Kelly says will take people by surprise is British raven-haired import Jessie J. The multi-talented performer, who rap and R&B legend Missy Elliot praised on Twitter in February saying, "I just wanted to say I enjoy hearing ya sang!," is currently receiving mammoth buzz for her hit 'Price Tag.'

"I had the opportunity to work with Jessie J on one of her first singles 'Price Tag,'" he says of the upbeat track that features Atlanta rhymer B.o.B. "It went No. 1 in the UK and it's picking up on the charts here as well. I mean this wholeheartedly, but I've been fortunate to work with a lot of artists. And Jessie is probably the most impressive new artist I've ever worked with."

Kelly continues: "Jessie J can sing-sing. She can go from R&B to pop to jazz and even show tunes. Her voice is un-real. The more that people will see her perform live and hear her they will understand what I'm saying. She's going to be around for a long time."

Watch Jessie J's 'Price Tag' feat. B.o.B.

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Wiz Khalifa Promises 'Roll Up' Not About Weed, Praises Cassie

Keith Murphy — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 16:00:00 EST

Roger Kisby, Getty Images Look around. From magazine covers to television, you can't miss Wiz Khalifa. Indeed, the burgeoning Pittsburgh MC, who has become a household name after enjoying a No. 1 hit with his smoked-out, hometown anthem 'Black and Yellow,' is getting used to his newfound fame as an omnipresent hip-hop force. Wiz says he has his sights set on continuing the buzz with his latest single 'Roll Up,' a melodic, laid-back track that has already garnered heavy radio airplay across the country. Given his image as a lovable pothead, many fans and critics were under the assumption that 'Roll Up' was a playful nod to the sticky icky. Wiz, however, maintains that's not the case. "Roll Up' was produced by Stargate," Wiz tells the BoomBox. "But contrary to what the title might sound like, it's really about me knowing a girl that might be in a situation that she is not too much feeling with her boyfriend. It's just letting her know that I will be cool and there, whenever she calls me." ...

As for the video for 'Roll Up,' Wiz, who is currently in a very public relationship with statuesque model and it-girl Amber Rose, says he enjoyed shooting the Los Angeles clip. "We shot it with Cassie on Venice Beach," he says of his drop-dead gorgeous co-star. "It was really fun."

When asked if Diddy's protégé and girlfriend was easy on the eyes, Wiz mused with a laugh, "Yeah ... You can say that."

Wiz Khalifa's Atlantic Records debut album 'Rolling Papers' is due out March 29.

Watch Wiz Khalifa's 'Roll Up'

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Raphael Saadiq Readies 'Stone Rollin'; Jams With Mary J. Blige

Keith Murphy — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 10:00:00 EST

Robyn Beck, AFP / Getty Images Just call Raphael Saadiq analog man. The Grammy-winning singer/songwriter is finally set to release his throwback project 'Stone Rollin'," an album that mines the spirit, instrumentation and sound of the late '50s and '60s soul music scenes. But while Saadiq's last studio effort, 2008's critically-acclaimed 'The Way I See It,' was a love letter to Motown, Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions-era classics, 'Stone Rollin'' showcases a sharper, aggressive feel and mood. "This album was inspired by great artists like Howlin' Wolf," Saadiq tells The BoomBox of his upcoming set. "Stone Rollin' has a harder, bluesy sound than my last album. I got the chance to work with [legendary bassist for Sly & The Family Stone] Larry Graham. We did a duet together, a hidden track on the new album called 'The Perfect Storm.' I played bass, but I put my bass down [laughs]. The first day I tried to play bass for him, I couldn't even play. I froze three times. He's my all-time idol!" ...

In his usual collaborative fashion, the founding member of the influential R&B band Tony! Toni! Toné!, who throughout his 20 plus-year career has worked with everyone from DJ Quik and Snoop Dogg to D'Angelo to Erykah Badu, has also just logged studio time with the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul. "I just got done working with Mary J. Blige," Saadiq says. "I was in the studio with her for two or three days. We haven't finished yet, but she's always someone I like working with."

As for how soon fans will get the chance to experience his new material live onstage, Saadiq says his upcoming trek will kick off in April. "I'm going on tour, doing Coachella and South By Southwest," he adds. "And I'm touring the States and Europe where 'Stone Rollin'" has really jumped off for me. I love what I do. Music is my threshold. It's really where I thrive."

'Stone Rollin'' arrives on March 22.

Watch Raphael Saadiq's 'Good Man' off 'Stone Rollin''

Mack 10 Revives Hoo Bangin'; Signs Glasses Malone, Xzibit & Richie Rich

Keith Murphy — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 19:30:00 EST

Gilbert Carrasquillo, FilmMagic The current narrative when it comes to West Coast hip-hop is that it is in need of a serious recharge. But as the South continues its musical and cultural dominance in the rap landscape, there's another Cali-visionary joining the ranks of platinum Compton spitter the Game and West Coast rap icon Snoop Dogg to bring his region back to the rhyming forefront. Respected veteran Mack 10, who recently re-launched his Hoo Bangin' label, is taking matters into his own hands. The one-time cohort of rap giant Ice Cube, who enjoyed gold and multi-platinum success in the '90s as a solo artist and as a member of the super group Westside Connection, explains that he bought back his Universal-distributed imprint simply because it was time. "I only stepped away from the label because I had a lot of other things going on in my personal life," Mack tells The BoomBox. "But I never cared about what the East Coast was doing or what the South was doing or what the West Coast was doing. I was just worried about what Hoo Bangin' was doing. I got a formula that works and it's been working for over a decade now. Now I'm off to the races again." ...

Indeed, Mack has signed up three diverse acts to kick off his high profile return to the game: West Coast underground MC Glasses Malone; million plus-selling rapper/actor Xzibit and Bay Area legend Richie Rich. Mack 10 promises the roster will make some serious noise.

"I embrace the younger generation because I'm not insecure," Mack says of his signing of Glasses, who he recently collaborated with on the buzz-heavy Internet hit 'Money Drunk.' You have to put new soldiers on. Glasses Malone was sincere, which reminded me of me when I was younger. You could just tell from his raps that he knew something about what he was talking about. He's really from the streets. And Xzibit, he's a real rapper. He had a company Open Bar Entertainment and he's from the West Coast. He doesn't need anything but real distribution. And Richie Rich ain't lost a step. He's a real street dude. He's going to sound current if nothing else. And his rhymes are even fresher than his '90s stuff."

Mack 10 adds that he's looking to release new albums from Xzibit and Richie Rich this summer. As for his own return to the mic, the outspoken MC says fans will be able to get an uncut dose of the 'Foe Life' rapper on a much-talked about collaboration album with Glasses Malone. "It's coming out April 12 ... Mack & Malone," he says of the inspired project. The album is called 'Money Music.' Me and Glasses were planning on doing it for a couple of years, but I just really buckled down and got serious about doing it. It's a good record. It's going to be one of those records that people will talk about."

Watch Mack 10's 'Mirror Mirror'

Juicy J Talks New Three 6 Mafia 'Laws of Power' Project

Keith Murphy — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 09:45:00 EST

Jason LaVeris, FilmMagic Fifteen years have passed since Three 6 Mafia released their first album 'Mystic Stylez.' That hip-hop era seems light years away from today's Downloading Age, dominated by acts like Lil Wayne, Rick Ross and Nicki Minaj. Which is why Juicy J, one of the founding members of the controversial and groundbreaking Memphis act, is shocked at the current interest his group has been garnering amongst younger rap fans. "A lot of the new fans have been Googling the old Three 6 Mafia stuff," Juicy tells The BoomBox. "It's surprising that they know all the old songs. A lot of times when I'm doing a show and I see the younger kids out there I'm like, 'You probably wasn't even born when 'Tear Da Club Up' came out [laughs]. It's such a blessing, man." ...

But Three 6's newfound rebirth has not come out of a vacuum. Their headline-grabbing 2006 Oscar win for the song 'It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp' took the act to new pop culture levels and even helped them score a well-received 2007 reality show on MTV called 'Adventures in Hollywood.' Yet it's been Juicy J's own recent power moves that have shined the spotlight back on his group.

In late December, J released the acclaimed collaboration mixtape 'Rubba Band Business' with in-demand producer Lex Luger of 'BMF' (Rick Ross) and 'H.A.M.' (Kanye West and Jay-Z) fame. But perhaps the biggest surprise came when Juicy J was featured on the star-studded remix to Wiz Khalifa's No. 1 single 'Black and Yellow.' It was a guest spot that received positive notice from music critics, bloggers and hip-hop heads.

"That was another blessing, man," J says of the omnipresent track. "Me and Wiz met on Twitter. We just started talking on the phone about doing music together. He asked me to jump on the remix and I was shocked like, 'Wow, are you for real?' I did my thing, but I didn't know whether he was going to use it or not. It turned out to be a smash."

And Juicy J says Three 6 Mafia intends on capitalizing on his group's reinvigorating buzz with a new album entitled 'Laws of Power,' a project that has been in the making for more than two years.

"We've been doing so much work on this album that I can't even say when it's dropping," J says of a pending release date. "We've recorded over 75 songs. We will release something hopefully this summer. But it will be this year."

Watch Three 6 Mafia's 'Side 2 Side'

Busta Rhymes Talks New Album; Eyes Nicki Minaj Collaboration

Keith Murphy — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 09:45:00 EST

Bryan Bedder, Getty Images When it comes to hip-hop, Busta Rhymes has literally seen and done it all. The Brooklyn-born MC, who made his musical introduction in 1991 with the influential underground rhyme group Leaders of the New School, has witnessed (and at times collaborated in) the rise of the influential Native Tongues crew; experienced Death Row Records' rule over the rap industry; saw New York's return to glory with landmark releases by Nas, the Wu-Tang Clan, and the Notorious B.I.G.; weathered the violent murders of Biggie and Tupac; studied the dominance of Master P's south; and became a platinum superstar in his own right. Which is why Busta laughs at the mention of the R-word: retirement. The animated showman says he's currently finishing up his ninth studio album, adding that he's not going anywhere anytime soon. "I'm really taking my time with this one," Busta says of his new, untitled release. "I'm going into this one different than the last album. I don't want to start talking about producers and album titles just yet because I don't want to spoil anything. But you know I'm going to come out with that good s---. I promise you that. I've been in the business for a minute and I still have a hunger for it. I'm not going to stop until the people tell me to." ...

One of the biggest reasons why Busta Rhymes has been able to stay relevant within hip-hop, despite a slide in record sales, is his flurry of guest appearances and unofficial remixes. Chief among the current remixes are his song-stealing verses on Kanye West and Jay-Z's 'H.A.M' and Nicki Minaj's 'Roman's Revenge.' On the former track, which many rap fans have cited as lyrically superior to the original, Busta says he's humbled but not surprised at the positive reaction his version has received.

Listen to Busta Rhymes' 'H.A.M' Remix

"That's what people are supposed to be saying," Busta muses of the buzz. "I take pride in still being able to be amongst the best MCs. This is what I do. I respect both [Jay-Z and Kanye West]. I just wanted to put my stamp on the song."

As for the latter Nicki Minaj track, he is hopeful that he will appear in the future video for 'Roman's Revenge,' a track that utilized Busta's now iconic "Rah-rah, like a dungeon dragon" line first heard on A Tribe Called Quest's indelible 1991 posse cut 'Scenario.'

Listen to Busta Rhymes' 'Roman's Revenge' Remix

"It would be only right," Busta says of a future collaboration with the platinum Barbie. "I would definitely be down to appear in the video. I really like what Nicki did with the whole dungeon dragon thing. I've been doing a lot of remixes lately and I've gotten nothing but positive responses. This is bigger than hit records. I love what I do."

No word yet on when Busta Rhymes' next release will drop, but the rapper says fans can expect new music later this year.

Wiz Khalifa Only Channels Good Vibes in Stardom and Ladies

Keith Murphy — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 10:15:00 EST

Joseph Llanes Wiz Khalifa is having the best time of his life. In between logging studio sessions with such hip-hop icons as Snoop Dogg, performing at the NFL's AFC Championship and currently having one of the top pop songs in the country with 'Black and Yellow,' the smoked-out Pittsburg spitter is enjoying all the spoils of success. Indeed, with his major label studio debut 'Rolling Papers' due out March 29, it's good to be the Wiz. "It feels great," the lanky MC tells The BoomBox of his star-making time in the spotlight. "There's a lot of hard work that went into becoming a success. And there's a lot of hard work that comes with it. I'm just ready for everything that comes my way and really just knocking it out and trying to look good while doing it." ...

A major part of Wiz Khalifa's public image is that of the lovable stoner. However, the tatted-up rhymer says that he will not be downplaying his support and usage of marijuana even as he becomes a mainstream darling. "I think people take what they want to take out of it," he says of his duties as a role model. "The public can separate certain things about me as an artist and as a person. At the end of the day, it's all about the music and the vibe. What I bring ultimately is positive. There's no way anybody can hate on that."

One element to Wiz's newfound success has been the sudden interest by online tabloid bloggers. The former underground mixtape favorite, who is now dating Kanye West's criminally-gorgeous ex Amber Rose, is still getting use to paparazzi shadowing his every move. But he insist that Rose is the best woman for the situation.

"It's at the point to where when you do certain things people just become interested in all aspects of your life," Wiz says in a diplomatic tone. "The fans and the media want to see what you are doing at all times. So anytime that I spend with Amber or if I'm seen with her, she's just a sweet girl. She's great. It's just cool to spend time with a positive person. Just being around people who have a similar vibe that I do. That's the point where I'm at. It's just that people take pictures of that s--- [laughs]."

One person you won't be seeing hanging around Wiz is ex-flame and former 'Bad Girl' reality show star Natalie Nunn. The outspoken socialite and fashion plate has had some disparaging comments to say about Wiz. However, the rapper says he's moved on from the public barbs.

"I just stay positive," Wiz says of the controversy. "I build my career on positive vibes. I'm not going to wait until now to be influenced by such negative energy. I only deal with positive people . . . people who will help me move forward in the direction where I'm trying to go. Anything else is just a distraction so I don't even pay it any attention."

Yes, Wiz is keeping busy. Yesterday, he released the nine-track mixtape 'Cabin Fever' out of nowhere, surprising his fanbase. The previous week, Khalifa dropped the second single off 'Rolling Papers' and the song entered the chart at No. 48. On April 1, Khalifa will hit the road behind his huge stash of new music on the Green Carpet tour, kicking off in Raleigh, N.C.

Watch Wiz Khalifa's 'Black and Yellow'

Akon Reinventing Himself With Upcoming Album 'Stadium'

Keith Murphy — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 16:15:00 EST

Ian Gavan, Getty Images Akon is literally a man on the run. In between working on his upcoming release 'Stadium,' touring, his myriad of outside collaborations, and gearing up for Lady Gaga's upcoming buzz-heavy 'Born This Way' set, it's a miracle that the singer/songwriter/producer has time to sleep. But Akon says all the hard work will translate to what he calls his most ambitious project to date. "We are going to branch this new album off with something new," Akon tells The BoomBox. "It's been a minute since we broke off heavily in the States outside of my collaborations." ...

When asked if 'Stadium' will feature the same club-oriented dance grooves that has propelled his most recent work to global chart success, Akon says some of those musical elements will be present, but there will also be new sounds. "I always try to give my own albums space in between so I have time to create a new sound and give time for people to miss me," he adds. "You have to come out fresh and reinvent yourself. I've been doing the Euro-pop thing for a minute. Now everybody is doing that style. It's time for something new. But I'm also working on eight other projects, including Gaga's upcoming album. I like staying busy."

However, Akon says he takes exception to some of the criticism he has received over his usage of the up-tempo sound. "People say what they want to say, but they don't study the history of dance music," he says. "It's the same thing with hip-hop. This generation loves hip-hop, but they don't have a clue on how it started and why it started. They don't know why we used DJ's back in the day. They couldn't answer any of those questions ... they just like what they like. If they studied they would know."

Watch Akon's 'Home Grown'