“I can tell that you’re mad/Because you getting hostile/’Cause I got my own business/And I ain’t finished high school”
When the cover art came through for this new collab, I did a double-take. I almost confused Consequence with Keith David of Dead Presidents fame. While most of the Hip-Hop world is quiet this Christmas Eve, Consequence, Diggy Simmons, and Mac Miller are continuing the grind with a surprise boom-bap offering in “I’m VIP.”
Lee Bannon handles the beat, using a dusty sample loop for the throwback 90s feel. Statik Selektah adds more atmosphere with scratches of Biggie lines from “Big Poppa” (“Who rock grooves and make moves with all the mamis…”). As you can deduce from the title, this is an “all about me/boasting” track. Consequence keeps a laid back flow for the lead-off position. Young Diggy has the slickest lines out the bunch, and is the emcee most comfortable with his self-boasting (“And y’all got Twitter followers/But I got apostles”). Wiz Khalifa protegé Mac Miller hasn’t had many high-profile collaborations, but he does a serviceable job in the coveted last spot. It would’ve been better to have him switch with Diggy, but it doesn’t hamper the pace of the song.
Consequence’s new mixtape, Movies On Demand 2, is in “coming soon” status, which hopefully translates into early 2011.
CONSEQUENCE X DIGGY SIMMONS X MAC MILLER “I’M V.I.P.”
Everyone from Kanye West and RZA to Q-Tip and Bangladesh have been associated with Nas’ upcoming tenth studio album. One name producer who fans have clamored Nas to work with is 9th Wonder, who’s quietly contributed beats to the legendary Queensbridge lyricist.
Fan demand for a 9th Wonder-Nas collaboration goes back eight years, when the North Carolina producer remixed Nas’ 2002 platinum album God’s Son into God’s Stepson. At the time, many cited 9th’s soul-sample based production as a better fit for Nas’ vocals than the producers he originally used (Salaam Remi, Ron Brownz, Eminem, Alchemist).
When pondering Nas’ beat selections, 9th sees Nas as been making a concerted effort to completely separate himself from his 1994 masterpiece, Illmatic. While cited by many as arguably the greatest Hip-Hop of album of all time, the lyrical classic has also been used as the measuring stick by which all of Nas’ music is judged. Nas derisively references that critical slant on the intro of Stillmatic, another celebrated album which was named dualy to acknowledge and creatively move past his debut.
“I crawled up out of that grave, wiping the dirt, cleaning my shirt They thought I’d make another Illmatic But it’s always forward I’m moving Never backwards stupid here’s another classic”
It’s a high standard of excellence that fans don’t demand from many emcees. According to 9th Wonder, who turned 35 in January, Nas is one of a handful of artists that still represent that late 20s to mid 30s demographic, a generation whose view of Hip-Hop was shaped by emcees like Tupac, Outkast, Redman, Snoop Dogg, Jay-Z, and the Notorious B.I.G. in the mid 90s.
“I just had that conversation in the car. I’ve been trying to figure that out. Nas is an anomaly, man,” 9th Wonder told Beats, Boxing and Mayhem. “He wants to get so far away from Illmatic, and everybody wants him to go back. I think he thinks we’re talking about his subject matter. We’re mostly talking about the sound. Nas is one of the few artists from our generation that’s keeping our generation alive from a mainstream perspective. For a mainstream standpoint it’s Nas and Jay-Z, there’s not too many others like them left.”
During a meeting earlier this year, Nas chose several of 9th’s beats. Now, the ball is in Nas’ court as to whether the selected tracks will end up on his new album.
“I spoke with him. I was actually in Atlanta when I played beats for him earlier this year,” 9th explained. ”He picked some, [but] it’s a waiting game, brah. Unless they come down to my studio and specifically request me, it’s always a waiting game. People ask me ‘when are you going to work with so and so?’ It’s not when I want to work with this person, it’s when they want to work with me. So Nas is a tough cookie to get to.”
Nas has tentatively targeted December as the release date for Lost Tapes 2. His currently untitled 10th studio album is scheduled for 2011.
Jay-Z and Eminem opened their two night visit to Yankee Stadium on Monday (September 13) with an unforgettable show that included Beyonce, Kanye West, Nicki Minaj, Dr. Dre, G Unit, Coldplay’s Chris Martin and Drake.
The show was the first concert at Yankee Stadium, and took on special significance for taking place in the Bronx, the birthplace of Hip-Hop culture. An estimated 100,000 fans were in attendance to see the two of the biggest stars today and in the history of the genre.
After an opening set from J. Cole, Eminem focused much of his set around his blockbuster latest LP Recovery. However, the Detroit star did not forget his previous signature hits like “Lose Yourself.” As a student of history who has cited Treach, Big L and other 90s emcees amongst his influences, Em was humbled by the moment.
“Do not think that I don’t know where I’m at right now,” he told the crowd. “I’m also honored to be on this fucking stage in the Bronx, the fucking birthplace of Hip-Hop.”
In addition to Dr. Dre and G Unit, Eminem also brought out D-12 and B.o.B. as surprise guests.
Jay-Z closed the night by upping the surprise guests and going through a litany of lists that spanned well over a decade. Memphis Bleek was there for hypeman duties, assisting his mentor through “Big Pimpin’,” “U Don’t Know,” and “Hard Knock Life.” Kanye West came through and delivered his own “Good Life” hiy before going into the frenetic ”Power (Remix).” Nicki Minaj received a huge ovation as she graced the stage for a rendition of the trio’s “Monster” collaboration.
Coldplay’s Chris Martin joined Jay for a few extended songs as well, doing his group’s single “Viva La Vida” and handling vocals for ”Heart of the City” and “Most Kingz.” Drake made a quick appearance for “Miss Me” and ”Light Up,” followed by Beyonce with vocals on “Forever Young.” Eminem also joined his fellow headliner for their memorable Blueprint collaboration “Renegades.”
With the show taking place on the 14th anniversary of Tupac’s murder, a tribute went up for the slain rapper and others like Notorious B.I.G., Proof and Pimp C.
The show marks a 2010 that’s seen Yankee Stadium expand beyond its baseball base. In June the venue hosted its first championship boxing match in over 30 years with Miguel Cotto vs. Yuri Foreman. Yankee’s chief operating officer Lonn Trost expects the stadium to soon be viewed as a multi-purpose outlet for future huge events in the city.
“It was a fantastic night for music fans with two of the world’s most popular artists playing to a sold-out crowd at Yankee Stadium,” Trost told MLB.com. “Tonight’s concert reinforces the fact that Yankee Stadium is a venue for premier events of all types…Thanks to the vision of the Steinbrenner family, we are proud to enter this current era in Yankee Stadium history, in which this magnificent building is about more than just baseball.”
Eminem and Jay-Z will perform a final show tonight (September 14) at Yankee Stadium.
Kanye West feat. Jay-Z & Nicki Minaj “Monster”
Eminem “White Trash Party/Kill You/No Love/The Way I Am”
Nas has enjoyed critical acclaim this year for his ambitious Distant Relatives collaboration with Damian Marley, and previous social commentary on 2008′s Untitled. But there has been calls from older fans for the Queen’s emcee to return to the combative street lyricism of his early years that earned him the nickname “Nasty Nas.”
And those fans may just get their wish.
Last week a short but lyrically vintage Nas freestyle leaked named “Power, Paper & Pussy,” off Green Lantern’s Invasion Radio 2K10 mixtape. Regular Nas collaborator Salaam Remi laced the production, and utilized a vintage old school break in Billy Squire’s “Big Beat” combined with the horns of Herb Alpert’s “Rise,” most notable for sample base for Biggie’s 1997 single “Hypnotize.”
This isn’t the first time Salaam Remi has went “retro” with Nas for great results. He used the seminal break from the Incredible Bongo Band’s “Apache” for 2002′s “Made you Look.” In ’04, he reworked Billy Joel’s “Stilletto” (first used by Kool G Rap on “Road to the Riches”) for the original, street version of “Disciple.” That year also saw Remi use the Incredible Bongo Band’s version of Iron Butterfly’s “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” for “Thief’s Theme.”
And before the release of 2006′s Hip Hop Is Dead, fans were in a frenzy off the throwback feel of the leaked “Where Y’all At,” which featured a clever reworking of a break on Minnie Riperton’s “Rainy Day in Centerville.”
Nas’s albums have tended to stray away stylistically from those leaked tracks. But this time Remi assures fans that Nas has much more similar material in store for fans.
“Realistically, it’s nothing that’s ever foreign. We always work together,” Remi told MTV News. “We work when nobody is thinking that we are. It’s not even working — we just do what we do. It’s always going…It can be firing at any moment. It’s just about when it’s time to let it loose, and he’s about to unleash another flurry of music through the multiple projects he has coming out.”
In last two months, Nas has been in discussions with both the RZA and Kanye West to executive-produce his upcoming tenth studio album.
Singer Faith Evans was arrested in California last night (August 21) after being found intoxicated at a drunk-driving checkpoint.
Evans, 37, was stopped near Marina Del Ray. Although her blood alcohol level has not been released, authorities took her into custody on “suspicion” of being inebriated. Evans posted bail within four hours of the arrest.
The negative publicity precedes Faith’s preparations for Something About Faith, her first studio album since 2005′s First Lady (Capitol). The project is also her first as an independent artist and features a loaded list of guests in Raekwon, Redman, Snoop Dogg, Mary Mary, Kelly Price, Keyshia Cole and Estelle.
“I was able to lean on that something or whatever it is that people respect about me,” Evans told HipHollywood.com earlier this week. “These are people who I have an equal amount of respect for.”
Last night’s incident marks the second arrest of Evans’ career while behind the wheel. In 2004, she and husband Todd Russaw were arrested in Atlanta on marijuana and cocaine possession charges.
At press time, Faith Evans has yet to release a statement on her latest arrest. Her new album is scheduled to be released on October 5. Faith’s promo tour will launch the same day at New York City’s BB King’s venue.
G Unit mogul 50 Cent has furthered his public criticism of Sean “Diddy” Combs by issuing a petition calling for the end of his “exploitation” of the memory of slain legend The Notorious B.I.G.
In an interview on Eminem’s Shade 45 radio station earlier this week, 50 Cent derided the Bad Boy CEO for taking the spotlight above his own artists. The Queens rapper also lambasted Combs for what he perceived as a thinly veiled jab at last month’s BET Awards, where Combs stated in an interview that “hate is for suckers…and you know who I’m talking to, you hating ass crab.”
“Puffy is like a bitch. He always wants to be the hot bitch in the group,” 50 explained. “He wants to make sure he gets all the attention. I don’t know who he was talking about, because he didn’t say my name. We used to kick it and talk on the phone even after the Mase shit.”
50 Cent has launched a Twitter petition entitled RIP BIG on the grounds that the recent Diddy appearance on Jay Electronica’s “Ghost of Christopher Wallace” is disrespectful to Biggie’s memory.
“Enough is enough, Biggie’s name should never have become Diddy’s Black Card,” states 50′s petition, which currently has over 1400 signatures. “Just check out his latest video “The Ghost of Christopher Wallace” http://www.bit.ly/jay-diddy Let Diddy know to let B.I.G. rest in peace. When was the last time Diddy really was ‘biggin up his brother,’ not biggin up his bank?”
Since his emergence as a commercial superstar in 2003, 50 Cent has had a tumultuous professional relationship with Combs. In 2002, 50 Cent used B.I.G.’s vocals for the posthumous underground collaboration “Realist Nigga.”
In 2006, 50 Cent recorded the diss “The Bomb” over Diddy’s alleged refusal to release Mase to sign with G Unit. 50 also accused Diddy of knowing the identity of B.IG.’s killers and failing to retaliate.
“Who shot Biggie Smalls? We don’t get em they gone get us all/Man Puffy know who hit that nigga, man that nigga soft/ He scared niggas from the westside will break em off.
Diddy released a freestyle dubbed “I”m Richer” shortly following the diss, which made subliminal references to the feud.
Recently, 50 Cent’s comments have become more venomous against Diddy since the Bad Boy mogul’s formation of the Supreme Team. The group counts Rick Ross as a member, who was embroiled in a highly personal 2009 feud with 50. That conflict spilled over past records to insulting cartoons, and culminated with 50 Cent threatening DJ Khaled’s mother after sending unidentified men to her job.
At press time, Sean “Diddy” Combs has not publicly commented on 50 Cent’s petition or accusations. His album, Last Train to Paris, is due out on September 20.
Miss boom bap? Are you feeling out of step with today’s mainstream Hip-Hop sound? Enter Marco Polo and Torae, the answer to all your Hip-Hop woes. For those missing that gritty, sample-driven Hip-Hop should have picked the critically acclaimed Double Barrel LP that dropped over the summer. The album has been the culmination of over a year’s worth of dedication from both men. But alas, many (too many) slept on this LP. Nonetheless, the duo has been touring diligently to promote their project, and recently took time to build with me following a recent Atlanta performance at the annual A3C Festival. Come check out what you and the game has been missing.
Ismael AbduSalaam: It’s been a few months since Double Barrel been out. How’s the reception been on the road and your opinions of the online reviews?
Marco Polo: I think the reception has been really positive. It was a very simple formula to make an album influenced by the stuff we grew up on. We didn’t over think concepts or try anything futuristic or next level. It was simply hard beats and hard rhymes, with appearances not from trendy whose hot rappers, but people we knew that happened to be the dopest artists out of New York like Masta Ace and Sean Price. All the collaborations were legit. We weren’t cutting checks to get people to work with us. It makes the music that much better, and people really enjoyed. It’s one of those sleeper albums that I feel people will keep discovering over the years.
Ismael: Regarding keeping the process simple, you’re with Duck Down and all labels have their expectations. Were you guys allowed to create this project without much oversight and micromanaging?
Torae: Yeah, we were fortunate enough to work on the album ourselves. Getting a deal was probably the last thing we did. We wanted to create an album with no restraints or time restrictions. It happened organically. The friendship was the same. Duck Down made the most sense. We made every decision, picked every beat, every rhyme. Duck Down being the great powerhouse saw how dope the album was and wanted to get involved. That’s the best; making the music on your own merit, your own time, your own energy, and thoughts. Because it’ll be something you fully believe in and be willing to fight for. You know that you put your best foot forward. That’s why we’re going so strong because this is the album we wanted to make.
Ismael: Looking back what’s your favorite tracks off Double Barrel?
Marco: It changes everyday. I don’t have a specific track that I love over the others. One day I’m in a “Double Barrel” mood, and then I want to hear “Smoke,” or “Get It.” And I think that says something about the overall project; that it’s not just about a single. You have to get the whole project.
Torae: Same for me, all 13 songs stand on their own depending on your mood or the mindset you’re in. I tend to bounce it off of people. Some say “yo, I saw the Double Barrel video and loved it!” Then I’ll listen to it and agree “Double Barrel’s” crazy. Then somebody will hit me on Facebook and say they listen to “Get It” everyday to start their morning. Then I’ll start listening to it every morning and be like “yeah, ‘Get It’ is the joint!” There’s no album filler, its 13 hot joints. You got 3 work weeks and you can listen to a new track every day and rock out.
Ismael: Let me run this by both of you. A few years back Prince Paul was asked about the supposed “decline” of the NY Hip-Hop sound. His reasoning was that the stricter sampling laws had made it harder to utilize that sound. Do you guys see that as an issue?
Marco: With me nothing has changed. No sampling laws have affected my life. I hope I’m not incriminating myself too much [laughs]. I make the music the way I want to inspired by what I grew up on. I buy records every week; I’m inspired by samples and breaks. It’s probably harder to get those type of records out on a huge scale, and I’m sure major labels are reluctant to mess with that type of production. But for me, I always stay disconnected from that.
Ismael: A lot of artists that were out in 90s are quick to say the money has dried up in Hip-Hop and the music industry overall. But for the artists getting in now who don’t want to be discouraged by that stance, where can one sustain him or herself in Hip-Hop? Is it still just the traditional road work? Or is it all about the Internet?
Torae: There’s definitely still a lot of opportunities to make money. Obviously you need money to live. But if that’s your primary focus, then you shouldn’t be in the music business. For one, it’s not reflective of the art. You are making art for people to enjoy. If you want to generate money, you go be an investment banker [laughs]. The road and merchandising has always been the primary way for artists to generate cash. Even if you got a big advance, you have to get out there to get that show money. That’s what we do. With Marco, he’s a producer so he has relationships with artists to get beats placed. I’m an emcee, so I do features, shows, and my merchandising.
I hear crazy stuff all the time, like “dude, if this was 12 years ago, you’d be a millionaire!” I wish you wouldn’t have told me that, now I’m wild depressed because I’m an hundrednaire! [laughs] But I didn’t do it for a Mercedes Benz and a diamond necklace. I had two careers before I decided to devote myself to music. I could have stayed in banking or education to make money. My primary love was to make music. It’s my fulfillment. My bank is looking off the stage and seeing people mouth my lyrics that I sat in my room and wrote. It’s the best payment.
Ismael: Marco you’ve always talked about DJ Premier’s influence on you, and we hear him kicking off the Double Barrel album. What would you say is the biggest lesson you’ve learned watching his career and working with him?
Marco: One thing I take from Primo is he’s never changed his shit. He’s established a brand. Say what you want about other producers, but he’s still here. He’s still a force. With his name, he can work with a completely unknown artist and people will listen to it because of his name…
Torae: It worked for me! [laughs]
Marco: Great example is Torae and Skyzoo did a 12 inch and that’s how I got introduced to his music. And to this day Primo has never got affected by sample laws, this hipster rap bullshit, he just does what he does. Hard beats over hard rhymes. He samples and he incorporates hip-Hop culture into his music with scratch hooks. This has always been what Hip-Hop is but we’ve lost a lot of that over the years through trends.
It makes me feel when I’m sitting down looping shit, and my other producer friends aren’t, instead of thinking maybe I should do what they’re doing, I’m like fuck that. Primo’s a big inspiration because he’s one of the last doing that boom-bap production that he’s basically the creator of. Myself and him are one the last ones doing it.
Ismael: Torae, from an emcee perspective who has given you that same inspiration?
Torae: I love all types of music and can get inspiration from anywhere. I listen to Leann Rimes. “How Do I Breathe” is one of my favorite joints. I can connect to the message. But I can’t leave out Masta Ace. That’s someone I can actually say is my friend. We chill, talk, go out, and I still own his whole catalogue on cassette. Guys like Buckshot I used to watch and emulate growing up. When I listen to my old demos I hear that Boot Camp sound. To be on the label now is a crazy experience. Definitely those two are the premier guys in my life.
Ismael: Marco you touched on hipster rap, but this year has seen a lot of good releases. Are you hopeful for the mainstream’s creativity, or do you think the underground will continue carrying the load?
Marco: Honestly I don’t know. I had really thought it would make a return to the original form, like the album we just made and Duck Down’s other stuff. But I can’t call it. There’s been glimpses over the last couple years, but then some artist completely not that blows up. It’s a crazy time right now. When you get a lot of rappers together you’ll get a lot of intense conversations about that. A lot of artists are scratching their heads. You can spend time thinking about it, or you do like me and just focus on doing the music you love. The one thing I can do is make quality music. No matter what, it’ll be there.
Ismael: Songs these days don’t last long because the fans get the music so quickly. An example I thought of is if Illmatic leaked on a Friday, and Ready to Die on Saturday, how the response would be these days…
Marco: That’s a crazy concept to think of…
Torae: Wow, imagine that…
Ismael: Because the music comes so quickly there’s not the luxury of taking your time and really digesting the art. Is there anything that can be done to change that?
Torae: Everything is moving faster now. 8 tracks became vinyl, cassettes, compact discs, and now MP3s. It’s always about the convenience and the instant gratification. You microwave your food as opposed to baking and cooking all day. You started with Black Planet to Myspace to Facebook to Twitter; a 140 characters a second. Unfortunately the music is the same. You can put your blood, sweat, and tears into it like me and Marco did for a year and a half with Double Barrel. And 2 months later people are like “yo, when is your new shit dropping?”
I’m like yo I put everything into this project. I want you to digest it. There are thousands of people who haven’t heard it yet and it’s my job to make sure they hear it and gets as much enjoyment as I did making it and the initial fans who heard it. I don’t think there’s anything that can be done about it. It’s just the way of man. Everything that happens fast isn’t good for you…
Marco: The Internet fucked up everything. It has positive things as in quick promotion for new artists. But back in the day buying an album was an event. You had to leave your home and go to the record store and buy it. You spent money you worked hard for so you’re definitely going to spend your time listening to it. In that time it allows you to take in the album, everything. You would rock it for a year or two. Now it’s like you get distracted with the next one 3 days later and push that one to the side. It’s really unfair to the projects that are incredible and some get passed over and slept on. People are gluttonous by nature.
Torae: The key is to make quality, and hopefully people go back to it. A lot of albums have come out after Double Barrel but it’s still in the conversation for Best Album of the Year. So it’s still in conversations, and I attribute that to it being a quality release. You get out what you put in. As we get to the end of the year and the lists starting coming, Double Barrel will get mentioned as one of the best.
Admit it, last year before Cuban Linx II dropped you were skeptical Raekwon could deliver. I know I was. Despite the promise of several leaked songs, in mid-2009 I wasn’t convinced Rae would be able to do justice by his 1995 masterpiece. But following this interview the Chef converted me. There was no hesitation in his voice or thoughts when he explained to me why this sequel’s production, lyrical presentation, and theme would satisfy all fans of the original. Only thing missing was that “Verbal Intercourse 2″ I inquired about.
The wait is nearly over. After four years of work, and fourteen years of fan anticipation, the Chef has finally confirmed an August 11 release date for Only Built for Cuban Linx II (EMI). The journey was not without much adversity. Two high-profile executive producers, Busta Rhymes and Dr.Dre, dropped out for still undisclosed reasons. And with Dre’s departure, it also marked the loss of Aftermath’s strong label support. But Raekwon persevered, and found success brokering a joint venture between his own Ice Water Records and EMI.
Now, judgment day will soon be upon us. Will Raekwon be able to capture the essence of his 1995 masterpiece, or will fans be treated to another respectable, but ultimately disappointing solo offering from the Chef?
Ismael AbduSalaam: It’s been over 10 years since the original Cuban Linx album. Of course in that span you’ve grown as a man and an artist. With those realities manifested in your current life, how did you approach the sequel as opposed to the 1995 original?
Raekwon: I just went back in there and basically visited my roots again by listening to the first album. It ain’t really no method to my madness, it’s just me still having the passion to make that kind of music. A lot of people wanted me to go back into that cocaine story, drug life world again. To me, that’s the easiest sh*t for me to do. I’m an artist who wants to constantly grow and come up with more creativeness. So for people to say they love that [Cuban Linx] vibe, style, the Chinese/karate flick sayings, the eerie sounds, I just put all that in my memory bank and really went back out there searching for that production. We came out successful with what we needed.
When we made the first Cuban Linx album, I remember having beats on there that were 4-5 years old, that I held onto like ‘I’m gripping these shits right here! I don’t give a fuck if they’re 10 years old, I’m keeping these right here!’ And that became the same journey on Cuban Linx II. People love that new “Wu Ohh,” that beat is like 4 years old, b! But it sounds so fresh and so right that it still sounds new. I guess shit happens for a reason. That showed me I was on my way to making a classic. I’m from that era that we work hard to make great music.
I took my time out to make sure I really did some soul-searching as far as the production side to really come up with making a classic. And I feel that it’s a classic off top. It ain’t no sh*t that you’ll say he tried to evolve with today’s sound. It’s what you want if you know who I am.
Ismael: Like you mentioned with “Wu Ohh,” you also have that classic RZA Wu Tang sound on “Criminology 2.” How was the chemistry with Dr. Dre on the songs you two worked on for the album?
Raekwon: Dre is a great friend. We met one time and had good chemistry. He gave me his word that he was here for me and wanted to be a part of this project. And once a man gives you his word, that’s all you can stand on. So we made some heat and that was that. As far as going into anything else [business wise], that started happening after the chemistry had been made. And when everything didn’t pan out, we didn’t let that supersede our friendship or our business ties. I just wanted to make sure the brother was on the album and had the opportunity to get in on this Cuban Linx shit.
I respect producers whether they’re a new jack, or someone who paved the way like Dre. It’s just about coming up with that proper chemistry that I feel is the truth. And that’s what happened [with Dre]. This was that classic world I wanted to be in. After I finished, I was like ‘this is some shit right here.’ People are really going to love this one.
Ismael: When the original came out, you laid a modern blueprint on how to approach a cinematic album for your contemporaries in Nas (It Was Written), Jay-Z (Reasonable Doubt), and B.I.G. (Life After Death). Although the LP helped in creating a lot of memorable music, where there any Cuban Linx inspired trends that you disliked?
Raekwon: One thing about me, I don’t really judge nobody’s shit like that. A man is going to make whenever he feels he likes. I can’t sit there and say a nigga stole anything from me. You make your shit, I make my shit. That’s why I made my tape purple. I wanted n*ggas to know the difference between they shit, and my shit! Going through hearing nigga’s shit and seeing that they may have used the terminology the way we used it, I still wouldn’t say anyone is near close to me. Just when you think you’re close to me in the race, I’m gonna fly and hit the turbo boost on you. All I can do is just worry about what the fuck I gotta do and when my time is to come.
I learned from nigga’s in the early 80’s, don’t get me wrong. We all learn from each other. At the same token I still got to make my path for me. I can’t really say anybody’s product is something I got to be pissed about. You Burger King, I’m McDonald’s, nigga. It is what it is.
Ismael: Your last album was in 2003 but you’ve remained extremely busy, especially over the last year and a half. In that span, you’ve worked with Doom, Ill Bill, Big Boi, The Game, and a bunch of other artists. So looking at the industry today, who are other artists you look forward to working with or have worked with for this album?
Raekwon: It’s a lot of people I’d love to work with. I’m in the zone where I got to prove to people that I can hold my own. It’s more exciting for me to work as an artist that’s in a creative zone right now. I don’t want to base my sh*t off who I’m working with. I work with people according to personality and if I respect your art. You don’t have to be a multi-platinum artist for me to be a fan of you. You can be an up and comer, but if I feel you got it I’m fucking with you.
Prime example is the cat Nipsey Hussle. He’s new, but one day his CD got inside my car. Before you know it I heard a line in his verse where he said my name on some big up shit, saluting me. And here I am saluting him as a good artist. It showed me that there are still people out there who get busy.
I want to work with some of the OGs in the game, too. I feel like paying respect to the ones who did it before us is due. You can’t forget these cats. Just looking at the some of the producers I worked with on the album like Eric Sermon and Marley Marl. These are dudes that I grew up on that I really loved what they were making. They were making heat and classical music. It’s all about respecting my origins.
Ismael: That philosophy pretty much defines why you reached out to Outkast for “Skew It on the Bar-B.” You were one of, if not the first NY emcee to really embrace the burgeoning mainstream Southern movement in Hip-Hop.
Raekwon: Yeah, I was the one that opened that door for those South kids to come through. Anybody will tell you that. When the South was down, Rae was there for them. A lot of shit that I do, it just happens. How that Outkast shit jumps off is I’m pushing through the mall in the A, and I see the kid. And its like respect, kings respect kings. And we just got in the studio, I liked the niggas as individuals, and they looked at me the same way. We made history. I don’t go after who’s gonna help me on a marketing level.
Ismael: You’ve blessed us with a “Criminology 2” that captures the aura of the original. Is there any chance of us getting a “Verbal Intercourse 2?”
Raekwon: Thank you. We did the “Criminology 2” because I felt that was a beat that I really loved. When me and Ghost did that one, we were like “we want to start fights in the club.” Not trying to promote violence, [but] you how you’ll be at a club and a fight goes down? And the music is still playing? That’s the vibe I got from “Criminology.” [The sequel] was just a bonus to let everyone know ‘yo, get ready.’ We’re still in our zone, we haven’t missed a beat.
Regarding “Verbal Intercourse 2,” Nas said he’s gonna be on the album. We’re still working on catching him. But if it’s not “Verbal Intercourse 2,” we’ll come up with some new chemistry. And I think that’s the most important thing, to revamp that and bring it back to life. These are my dudes from back in the day, like Mobb Deep, Nas, Fat Joe, and Big Pun, God bless the dead. You never know what’s going to happen. Rae’ still got to move on as a general.
Ismael: On the last Wu album (8 Diagrams), you and Ghost really didn’t care for where RZA was taking the production. When you hooked back him for your project, where there any issues with getting the sound you wanted from him? Or did everything flow like the original Cuban Linx?
Raekwon: One thing about RZA is he’s like the Wizard of Oz. He’ll give what he feels like giving you, but he has other shit that he doesn’t really admire too much because it doesn’t represent his growth and development process. I knew he already had it; it’s just hard to get him to go back into his bag of goodies because he’s so used to dealing with another bag right now.
So that was the situation with the first album. I felt like ‘yo, I want this sound.’ But he was like ‘this is going to be the new sound!’ So now it happens to be a want situation. RZA is the type where you’ll ask for this, and he’ll give you something else. But he always has what you want [laughs]. You may have to search for a little bit, do some soul searching, but you’ll find what you need. That’s why happened on Cuban Linx II. I got what I needed from him for my shit.
[On 8 Diagrams], whatever else he wanted to grow on, we weren’t crazy over it. And that’s the whole thing people took out of context. No one tried to take anything away from RZA as a producer. It was more or less you can’t be selfish, and have to work with everybody’s ears and eyes on something. Him being the dude that he is with mad platinum albums, some niggas be super cocky. ‘I don’t wanna hear nothing, I got this.’ That’s what happened in that situation.
Ismael: I talked with Funkmaster Flex last year, and we discussed how in 1995 you, Nas, and B.I.G. were viewed as the top artists out of NYC. And of course around this time is when the mythical “King of New York” title began to take on a tangible form. But out of the three, you were the only one that never really fed into that competition. Why did that race never really appeal to you?
Raekwon: All that right there my nigga is just egos jumping off the curb. If you’re a king, you’re a king. I never really jumped into that world because I didn’t have anything to prove at that time. My music was speaking for itself. Everybody wants to be on top, when they’re on top. I want to still be able to walk amongst the people, instead of being looked at as ‘yo, you can’t touch me.’ I always like to be in the mix. You got some dudes that feel like they’re so high; they can’t come back down to reality. I didn’t want to fall in that position, because I’m really a street nigga. I really come from this and live it. Everything you hear, see, or witness from me, it’s because of my struggle. I never let myself get super-ego’d up just because I had a hot fucking album out. I’m always going to be grounded and respecting people who helped my career and life.
But I am a silent king. I don’t do a lot of bragging and boasting. It’s like when you come into a club and see a nigga flashing all this money, just to show a bitch he got money. Some bitches don’t like that shit. They’re like ‘real niggas don’t show shit.’ That’s the same motto I have in regards to being a successful artist. I don’t have to be in the flyest V, you might catch me in a rental, b. I’m still live, though. I can have one chain on and the nigga next to me can have 1,000 chains on. The most important thing is to be you and stay grounded.
I love the fly shit. But that don’t make me.
Ismael: There comes a time for everyone when they realize their generation’s culture has become a thing of the past. When you look at Hip-Hop in 2009, have you felt or are starting to feel that when you analyze today’s Hip-Hop culture?
Raekwon: Hip-Hop is about us showing each other growth and creativity. I don’t really get that too much anymore. There are so many fans out there; they’re not even fans anymore. They’re rappers! Me and my people had a discussion about how sales are so important to fans right now. ‘Oh, this dude only did 100,000. This guy only did 40,000 or 130,000.’ When the fuck did fans start paying attention to that shit?! Does it make a difference? Let’s talk about the music, man! The fuck niggas is worried about everything else for? That’s the shit that makes me weary with the game right now. It’s just a hot mess.
Every generation goes through its own trends and shit. All that shit is not important. It’s about making good and authentic music. You can’t base an artist’s merit on sales. Everyone is not going to be a 5 million seller. When I came in the game, I didn’t give a fuck about none of that shit. I was coming to get my respect. I wanted to hear people say ‘he gets busy, he puts it down, he can rhyme.’ But now, these artists they get big headed because they sell millions. It makes you a fortunate cat, but it doesn’t make you that nigga. I’m just old-fashioned, I want niggas to really earn it.
It’s just like how boxing is fucked up right now because we ain’t got no real live heavyweights. Who’s an [American] heavyweight right now? We ain’t even fucking got one! It’s fucked up to me. That’s the shit we got to pay attention to [in Hip-Hop]. The art is special. When you get a golden child you want to feel like he paid his dues. Not like he got help for another artist to blow up.
Ismael: No matter what, the great music will stand the test of time, regardless of sales.
Raekwon: Exactly! I think that’s the most important thing. You can make a good album, but will it stand the test of time? Will a motherucker pop it in 10 years from now? Same thing with Cuban Linx. When I made that album, I didn’t think people would still want me to come with a part 2. There are about 2 rappers out of 2,000 that people want a sequel to one of his classics. That’s incredible. I feel honored to be in that box. People really paid attention to what I’ve done. That’s what it’s all about. The people are saying ‘We know [Rae] has it in him to do it again, and we know he’ll do it.’
This interview happened by accident. Funkmaster Flex was in Atlanta in Summer 2008 to help promote a new Scion vehicle. Primarily, he was answering questions about the car, and I could tell be his demeanor that he was as equally bored as I was. So when we switched gears to Hip-Hop (we both asked simultaneously “let’s do something Hip-Hop questions”), I ended having one of my best interviews to date.
Ironically, his comments about Method Man sparked off a brief feud which I’m not sure has been resolved. Even though Flex explicitly told me repeatedly I could print everything he said, he may have thought better of it later on, as he ignored my calls in regards to a part 2. Nonetheless, I thank Flex for his honesty in this piece. Enjoy, readers.
If you want to explore Hip-Hop history, ask a DJ. The chosen few with clout who man the ones and twos see the greats come and go, witness movements soar then crumble, and still provide a one a kind Hip-Hop soundtrack. In the case of Funkmaster Flex, sometimes a DJ can create trends and become great themselves.
Starting as an understudy of the legendary Chuck Chillout, Flex has gone on to redefine the power of the DJ over the last 20 years. And despite all of his success, the revered NY legend still holds a special place in his heart for the 90′s.
With his trademark zeal, Funk Flex breaks down why he ranks LL over Jay-Z, the hypocrisy of Nas critiques, Ross’ C.O. ghosts, and why a period like the 90′s will never be seen again.
Ismael AbduSalaam: As a DJ you lived through the many eras of Hip-Hop from the 80s until now, but you’ve always showed a strong affinity for Hip-Hop music from the 90′s. For example, you did a memorable five-hour set of 90′s Hip-Hop last year for Hot 97 on the Fourth of July. What about that decade appeals to you so much?
Funkmaster Flex: In 1991 [you had] Naughty By Nature, Cypress Hill, Queen Latifah, De La Soul, Main Source, Tribe Called Quest, Pharcyde, Onyx, Redman, Wu Tang Clan…and I stop at Wu Tang for a reason. [They] made records because they wanted to stand out in front of their house and be hot with their boys.
The records just happened to go national. They didn’t know at the time the East Coast was the best coast. To be fair, whose those guys that did “93 ‘Til Infinity?”
Ismael: Souls of Mischief.
Flex: Them, Snoop, Ice Cube, Eazy-E, NWA, Tupac, Dogg Pound, D.O.C. made records like that. Only a handful of rappers can make a single with a marketing plan and everything in mind. Like Jay-Z and 50 Cent. I’m not going to say Lil Wayne because we all know he doesn’t have [a] marketing plan in mind, [but] makes great music though.
Everybody’s not on that level. And the successes of the 50′s and Jay-Z’s of the world put pressure of the Tribe Called Quest’s and De La Soul’s to try to be more national and commercial. So if you’re a group looking up to them and they’re trying to be national, as a rookie you’re going to try that as well.
KRS-One never loses himself in his music. He may lose himself for one album, but who doesn’t?
I know I keep saying 50 and Jay, but that’s when I feel that 90′s sh*t, but in a current state. [But] LL Cool J is the Muhammad Ali and the Jordan. Not to take anything away from Jay or even 50, but they had a blueprint. LL never had a blueprint, and still doesn’t. LL Cool J is very important to the music. He’s 25 years deep. I love gangsta rap, [but] LL’s longevity [is untouched].
I was at an all-star game and people like Sarah Jessica Parker, Celine Dion, and Derek Jeter were there. I saw LL walk in. A 60-year-old lady said to me “I don’t know if you know but that’s LL Cool J.”
The fact that she knew he was a rapper and associated nothing negative with him is big. I don’t think he aimed for it, but it’s happened. That’s not to slight to gangsta rappers, but we need more of that.
Ismael: LL had that period where everyone hated him before Mama Said Knock You Out shut a lot of that down. 50 is kinda in that same position now. Do you think he can make a similar comeback?
Flex: Remember as a barometer, we’re using a dude who sold a million in a week. 50 Cent’s [problem] is the G-Unit [brand] had been diluted. The recent project had Young Buck on it. But think, when you have a Game album, that’s a G-Unit album. Same with Young Buck. It’s the same brand.
I don’t think it’s over for them, they’re approaching gold. When you read the blogs you’d think he’s dead.
I’m gonna tell you the slept on rapper for 2008…
Ismael: Who?
Flex: David Banner. He has talent, is involved in issues, and has one of the top four albums of the year.
Going back, I like rappers like Soulja Boy and Lil Wayne. But I have a different respect for the Dr. Dre’s, LL Cool J’s, Puffy’s and 50 Cent’s because they made hot records while conducting business. Wayne may be that businessman, we’ll see.
Ismael: What’s your take on the Rick Ross situation that played out over the summer?
Flex: Let’s talk on that. I like Ross a lot. I don’t feel he’s ever talked erratically tough on his records. He’s not saying he’s out here shooting and killing. I know how hard it is to make a hit record. I don’t think it was tough street talk that sold his records.
Ismael: Much of the backlash from the fans seemed to come because they felt Ross was lying after the facts came out. Also, the original Freeway Ricky Ross condemned him as well.
Flex: There’s a part of my heart that feels for him. But why is it any different from the guy who says Jay-Z’s persona is him [Calvin Klein]? Same thing with 50 and the dude [original 50 Cent Kelvin Martin] that’s dead?
Ismael: Could it be the problem arose because there wasn’t a distinct separation between Ross’ persona and real life? When the lying came in about his past that’s when the big backlash started. He may have been clowned for a little bit if he had just admitted the truth initially. But adamantly playing the kingpin figure backed him into a corner.
Flex: That’s a good point, there is that space with Jay and 50. The lying seems to be giving people a bad rub across the board. If he was a C.O. in ’97, he still grinded on record and got himself a deal. He didn’t have a big backing, Khaled just believed in him.
Yes, I too wish if it is true that he would’ve broke it down for me to understand.
Ismael: Are you for or against the growing trend of dance music that is dominating Hip-Hop?
Flex: When people say enough of the dance records, as a DJ that means it’s the domain of people like Soulja Boy and Lil Jon. We don’t want any new artists coming into the mix with that.
Give it to me from SB, Jon, and Hurricane Chris. No more.
Ismael: What’s your take on Nas’ Untitled album?
Flex: My copy didn’t have a track-listing, but I liked those tracks more than the singles.
Ismael: People may recall at one point over the summer, Nas and Wayne had the 1 and 2 albums in the country. That was two drastically different albums from two MCs entrenched in different eras thriving in today’s market. Do you think that speaks well for the health of Hip-Hop?
Flex: Wow, you’re right and nobody even wrote about that. Nas doesn’t have to be Puff, doesn’t choose to. People are funny, I hear people say things about Nas that’s crazy. People get mad at Nas because if he wanted to be Puff, he could. But they get mad because he didn’t choose that lane. Who are we to judge?
I have no doubt in my mind that Nas could find talent, run a label, but he chooses not to. Are we going to continue to be mad about that? Me and 50 had that argument a couple of times. Nas doesn’t have to do that to be great.
Ismael: It appears with him there’s always someone who has a problem with his music post-Illmatic.
Flex: I never understood that myself. Nas gets critiqued too much for a rapper that doesn’t judge people! People really judge him. You know what, it’s because people know he won’t answer back. Not rappers, but the press.
[With that said] I don’t want gimmicks from Nas anymore. I didn’t like the Nigger promotion. I don’t know if it was the label. There was something gimmicky with the last album too, what was it?
Ismael: The Hip Hop is Dead theme.
Flex: Yeah! But people can’t use that to define him. It’s a small piece of what Nas is. People annoy me when they talk about him. What do you want? Do you want 4 million, 500k, street clothes, what do you want from him? He makes good records.
I don’t want to offend anyone, but Nas is the first real lyricist to sell a lot of records. Biggie would be the second. Snoop, maybe. Now let me know, has the last five years made us feel like Snoop isn’t as lyrical as we thought he was?
Nas is the first though. Who sold millions before him? And he was and is lyrical! LL too, but he didn’t have the competition for the first eight years of his career, so I looked at him more as a trailblazer.
Ismael: How about Kool Moe Dee and their feud?
Flex: I’m biased to L on that one. It’s like asking me about Fantastic Five and Cold Crush, I’m biased to Cold Crush. LL was Queens and Bronx, Moe Dee was Harlem. So me being from the Bronx, and there being a wedge with Harlem, there’s a territorial thing.
Moe Dee sold a couple of records. He might have went gold or platinum, but if you didn’t sell a lot sometimes you couldn’t compete against your last hit.
What’s Jay-Z’s first album?
Ismael: Reasonable Doubt.
Flex: That, Illmatic, and I’m going to tell you the most slept on the album from that era…the first Black Moon album! It’s in the same category as Illmatic, Reasonable Doubt, Straight Outta Compton, and Amerikkka’s Most Wanted. I felt a lot of those 90′s Too Short records, too.
Ismael: Even without the remixes Enta da Stage is still in that class.
Flex: You know they put that Tribe Called Quest boom-bap to sleep when they dropped. Buckshot had the crown for a summer.
You know who I was feeling? I can’t remember his name, he was on Jive. He never made it East but he was hard. Kinda like a Mystical, but real street…
Ismael: Spice-1?
Flex: Yeah! He never made it up this way. Do you remember the summer of ’95 when Raekwon and Biggie were neck and neck for the crown?
Ismael: Oh yeah, wasn’t that was before “Who Shot Ya” dropped?
Flex: That’s what separated them. I’ll tell you the talk before that dropped. “Yo Flex, don’t Biggie always be rhyming on R&B sh*t? Your man ain’t street he’s losing it. He can’t hit without the remixes. Why aren’t the remixes on the album?”
(Yells beginning of “Who Shot Ya”) As we proceed! That had niggas pumping their fists. I never seen a rapper respond to what niggas was whispering! That song was so gully and street, I didn’t even understand it.
“Incarcerated Scarfaces” was like that. The lines in it, the fact he shouted out Connecticut was real, as they’re harder than Brooklyn believe it or not. They’ll fight each other just to show New York dudes they ain’t soft.
I’ve lived every era of Hip-Hop. I went to the park to see Grandmaster Flash and Bambaataa. The separation back then was either you were in front of the rope or behind it. Back then either you were with the DJ or you weren’t.
Now we’re approaching 2010. But for some reason the 90′s were like free agency in major league baseball, anybody could pop. I’ve been dying to speak about a rapper that’s been overrated…
Ismael: Who’s that?
Flex: Method Man is the most overrated rapper I’ve experienced in my career.
Ismael: Hmmm Now are you using the Wu solo albums as the main criteria for that opinion?
Flex: Oh hell yeah. Let’s list them.
Ismael: Liquid Swords, Return to the 36 Chambers, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…
Flex: Stop there. Rae’s joint wasn’t the first Wu album, but Ghost and Rae were like Batman and Batman. There was no Robin! “Verbal Intercourse,” “Ice Cream,” “Glaciers of Ice,” damn. But Rae don’t like me no more.
Ismael: What happened?
Flex: Rae feels I didn’t support his career all the way through. I see him [and] we talk, and I feel like he wants to talk about it with me. Me and him were the tightest because we were on the same label and traveled a bit together.
It’s not that he didn’t have decent records but he didn’t have records on Cuban Linx’s level. Meth, too. We came up around the same time in the club circuit.
Sidebar though, I wanna put The Infamous up there as well. Granted, it’s not Illmatic level but I wanna place it somewhere…
Ismael: Where do you stand on Hell On Earth? Many feel that it’s more cohesive and is superior lyrically and production-wise.
Flex: True, it made more sense. But most of that is due to very good A&R work. No slight to the Mobb on that.
Ismael: Now we’ve went through other rapper’s catalogues, let’s put the discerning eye on your own work. Which albums do you feel are the strongest and the weakest?
Flex: People say The Tunnel and [60 Minutes of Funk] Volumes 1 and 2 are my best albums. Volume 3 is the worst. I’m realistic, I’m not just here bashing rappers, I gotta get grilled too (laughs).
Ismael: Those records had a gang of artists on there. How did you manage to get all of them together?
Flex: I never told anyone this before but a lot of my album freestyles like Fugees, Fat, Joe, Pun, Mobb Deep, Rae, and Redman happened with all of them in the same room. People were doing their freestyles while the other rappers were looking through the glass. Kinda fucking bananas.
That why Volume 1 and 2 are my best because rappers were going in under a different kind of pressure.
Remember the Fugees had the best freestyle but when I put them on I had them in the waiting room for a couple of hours. At the time all they had out was their first album Blunted on Reality. Wyclef bring that up to this day about how he was waiting and they still came in and crushed all the big hitters.
Ismael: Speaking of Wyclef, I’m sure you recall when he interjected himself in the LL Cool J-Canibus beef with the diss “What’s Clef Got to Do With It.” An underrated diss people rarely mention is when LL came back with “Rasta Impasta”….
Flex: Over the EPMD “It’s My Thing” instrumental! [That was] fucking crazy. I felt I was the only one playing that record. What happened was they squashed it, so L was like, “Yo you gotta stop [playing it].” But I was like, “Yo, this shit is hard.”
Canibus went hard in that [battle], too.
Ismael: To close, you were the first DJ to put together a team to develop and push new people to the forefront. Did you use anyone as a blueprint for that? I know the first official team was the Flip Squad.
Flex: Flip Squad was first and really Jessica Rosenblum handled that. I picked a few. But the Pitbulls was more mine handpicked. I saw some great solo careers from Flash, Chuck Chillout, Red Alert, Marley Marl and Kid Capri. Still, I felt great DJs weren’t coming as fast as great rappers. Deep down I wanted to extend myself to good DJs. Instead of looking at me as an enemy, I wanted to say, “I can help you.”
From there I got Big Kap, Cypha Soundz, and Mister Cee. Chuck Chillout extended his hand to me so I wanted to do that for others. I didn’t know until I got older how much he really helped me.
