INTERVIURI

[Bazooka Joe]

Am facut o rubrica separata si pentru interviuri ... sa se adune toate aici ca nua re rost vorba cuiva sa deschidem un post la fiecare nou interviu

10x

[Deena]

In this exclusive SOHH.com interview, Buckshot and 9th Wonder speak on chemistry, label changes and the new generation of Hip-Hop heads.

After working with Jay-Z and Destiny's Child, 9th Wonder has returned to the underground and has teamed up with Buckshot for a full-length project. While Chemistry is the first full-length collaboration between 9th Wonder's Justus League and Buckshot' Boot Camp Click, the record originated when members from both camps began work on a few tracks.
9th was actually doing production for Tek and Steele and doing production for Ruck [Sean Price]. I knew [they] really needed some good production. I felt like 9th Wonder was the savior of their production," Buck told SOHH.com. "It just was so real that I was blessed to get a track too. Then the next day, we just did another joint and the next day we did another joint and our chemistry was so good together that it just became Chemistry."

Back in North Carolina, 9th has made it his trademark to produce entire albums. After Little Brother's debut, The Listening, the lanky producer crafted LPs for (Definitive Jux's) Murs' Murs 3:16 the 9th Edition and underground femme fatale Jean Grae's Jeanius. While he welcomes major label credits, 9th said he's content with his present niche.

"I grew up in an age when cats made albums, point blank period. Everything I've been involved in has been an album. Even the Jay and Destiny's Child records, they have been albums. It hasn't been, ??€?Ok, it's a couple of cuts,'" 9th explained. "It has been a solid theme all the way through. So that's my thing; so to speak as opposed to other producers who may jump on this project and that project or whatever. For me, I gotta do albums."

After releasing several albums through Koch, Duck Down Records has parted ways with the distributor and entered a new agreement with Navar Distributions. Despite the label switch, the imprint's on-going projects, Chemistry, Sean Price's Monkey Bars and Tek and Steele's Reloaded, are right on schedule to drop in the spring.

"I give (Duck Down CEO) Dru [Ha] the utmost respect. Here's a person who was able to do the impossible. Why? Because while we were suspended in mid-air, he was able to not only get us from a bad deal and get us a good deal, but get us on a new label. Right when the projects are about to come out, we not only got a new label, but no one even peeped it. We lost no timing," Buck revealed to SOHH.com. "It ain't like we have to make a press conference and say, ??€?Everybody, we gotta push these albums another few months, a whole year. Why? Cause Duck Down just signed a major deal with Navar Records, a multi million [dollar] label,' Nah. Navar gave us an opportunity and Dru came through and got that opportunity. That's an incredible height because Navar will be Koch in a year from now."

Interestingly, 9th and Buck appear to be heading in different directions. While Duck Down just inked a deal to prolong its independent journey, Little Brother signed with Atlantic Records last year and is preparing for its major label debut this September. Still, with a major contract and multi-platinum contributions, 9th Wonder is still considered "underground."

"Underground changed so much. It used to be underground 'cause cats didn't know who you were. Now it's underground from what you talk about, what you sound like. It's a mind state. Master P's ??€?Ice Cream Man' was an underground record for a long time and ??€?Bout It Bout It.' But I think [that] thanks to cats like Kanye West, people are slowly understanding that this stuff sells. It's been selling," 9th tells SOHH.com. "But the kids have been desensitized with all this crap. My nephew was down for a weekend and he was listening to the jam that I was working on. He was like, ??€?Uncle Patrick, who is that?' , ??€?Buckshot. Man, he hot. I'm tired of all this crap on the radio; they need to be playing that.'"

9th continues, "I mean these labels think they know what the kids wanna hear. They have no idea. How can you tell what a kid wants to hear, you ain't beating the streets and you scared to go to the hood. You getting on the Internet saying, ??€?Ok, this person has 30,000 scans, this must be what the kids wanna hear.' Everything runs in circles. I think Hip-Hop is running in a circle and just coming back to the real good music no matter where you from. I think kids realize that they just refuse to pay $14.99 for two songs."

Buckshot and 9th Wonder's Chemistry featuring guest appearances by Sean Price, Big Pooh, and Phonte of Little Brother, Joe Scudda, and L.E.G.A.C.Y. hits stores in June.

[Deena]

DJ Kurupt: I Got Next
By Kay Konnect Ink






AHH: Before we get into Kurupt the DJ, let??€�s get a synopsis of this unique tour that the game is buzzing about!
DJ Kurupt: There hasn??€�t been a good DJ in a long time to rock the crowd across the map, hood-to-hood, and I feel that I am the one. The tours goal is to reach out to the people in selected markets who have supported DJ Kurupt. I wouldn??€�t have reached this far into the game without the support from my fans universally, so I just want to give something back.

A lot of activity follows this tour. I??€�m working on a DJ Kurupt independent album, which has top selling names on it. I??€�m also seeking new talent to bless my tape. I??€�m for the streets, and I want to bring that fire back to the game. Come party with DJ Kurupt at the same time, I know there is a lot of unheard talent out there, and I want to help give them exposure. I want to be a part of the new generation of Hip-Hop. I want to let people see DJ Kurupt in action. I truly want the game to get closer and understand what I stand for and represent.

AHH: So where is this tour actually going?
DJ Kurupt: The tour is set to start of in the South with a few dates Mid-West and back to New York City and through New England. Log on to DJ Kurupt.com to find venue locations and tour dates. So whatever city you are in, you need to be there. You are about to witness what has never been done before, a mixtape DJ with his own tour. I??€�m calling the tour the King Kurupt Tour because I am a king at what I do. I touch every angle of what is expected from a DJ.

AHH: Are there any sponsors on the tour?

DJ Kurupt: Yeah, FYE and Coconuts are the official sponsors. I will be doing in-store appearances throughout the cities that I touch. I??€�m encouraging new artists to come out and holler at me. Bring demos for consideration of future projects.

AHH: Earlier you mentioned that you touch every angle of the DJ. What makes a solid DJ?

DJ Kurupt: From my expectations I feel that a DJ should be able to cover all grounds. DJ??€�s should know how to separate their talent. For instance, a good DJ should know how to rock on the radio. It??€�s not the same as being in the club. Some DJs think that, but whatever. Creating a mixtape is also not the same as spinning in the club. They are completely different things. As a matter of fact, most people look at me like a mixtape DJ, yet I??€�m producing a track on Ness of Bad Boy??€�s album. See I try to step out of traditional boundaries.

< AHH: There has to be a starting ground. You don??€�t just wake up and be that hot DJ??€¦where did the whole DJ Kurupt, King Kurupt run start from?

DJ Kurupt: I didn??€�t know I was going to be a mixtape DJ. I didn??€�t know I was going to be producing mixtapes. I had no idea what all that s**t was. I started on my block, me and all my boys, we used to find parties to get into, but we couldn??€�t get into parties at that age. We said to hell with it. We are going to throw our own parties. I had a lot of music. I always had a lot of music. I had a lot of cassettes. I didn??€�t have turntables yet. I used to take my moms stereo equipment out the living room and bring it to my boys crib. We did that every weekend so you know I was the one with the music. I was the one selecting it. I did parties so much that every weekend it got to a point where I really started to like it.

A couple years went by and I was still bubbling. I got my first turntable in 1991. I got my first couple of records around the same time. From the basement every day, all day, I was grinding. I then snatched a job working at a record store. It really became over then because I used to get my records. I kept it moving. It got to a point where my job was interfering with what I was doing on the DJ front. I had to leave my job. I then got on college radio for free doing parties and nightclubs. I was doing all that s**t for free. I didn??€�t have a car back then, so I used to take the taxi to the club. I would throw my records in the trunk. I was really grinding then grew with it. I grew with it because that was what I wanted to do.

AHH: At what point did you realize that it was time to move as DJ Kurupt the brand?
DJ Kurupt: The time I realized it was time to move on with that name and to keep it moving was around 1995/1996 or maybe 1997. It was due to the reaction and the demand. I created a demand without really knowing what I was doing. People from the streets were asking about the drop dates for my tapes. It was crazy. I had to supply the demand. I was just doing what I liked. Around that time my tapes were moving around the streets like crazy. The tapes then ended up in the hands of Two Friends Management, who then became my first managers. They put me into a lot of s**t and got me into a lot of clubs. They really helped me get to where I am at. I can??€�t ever forget about that.

AHH: You are now in New York, where did you originally reside?

DJ Kurupt: Originally I am from Springfield, MA.

AHH: That was DJ Kurupt then, now you are a New York bird. Let??€�s talk about how you got to New York and how the move shaped your hustle.
DJ Kurupt: All that came from the demand of me just making mixtapes and CD??€�s in Springfield, MA. The tapes traveled from Springfield to VA. Sooner than later, the tapes created a demand all on its own, so I was like I need to move, I need to go the Mecca of this music s**t, the center of the world and really get it poppin.??€� So I got New York, now things are just bigger and better.

AHH: How does DJ Kurupt or King Kurupt get a rap giant like 50 Cent to host an exclusive?
DJ Kurupt: You got to hustle, its all about the hustle, the grind, and the consistency. You have to put out tapes frequently. You have to get the tapes in the hands of the game, the fans, and so on. I have a mailing list of top record executives and magazine companies that I rock with. Justo, the Mixtape Awards producer has every last one of my mixtapes. I used to send them to him every time they came out. He started to see who I was. My name was hot on the streets, so label representatives started calling me to play their songs or to get so and so to host a tape. I was on the radio so I built a lot of connections and a lot of contacts. I used to go to tons of conferences to build relationships.

AHH: What separates DJ Kurupt from every other DJ in the game?
DJ Kurupt: I would say my presentation skills and my creativity. I can??€�t just make a mixtape. I have to have a concept. I have to be different. At the same time I do more than mix tapes, I rock crowds and the radio. I??€�m not just a mixtape DJ. I don??€�t want anybody to get confused. I??€�m also no stranger to TV. I was on Rap City numerous times. I??€�ve been in top publications around the world. I was nominated for Best Mixtape DJ of the Year at the Underground Mixtape Awards in 2004. I won that. This year I was nominated for Best Mixtape DJ of the Year at Justo??€�s Mixtape Awards. I didn??€�t get the #1 spot, but I??€�m #2, and I could live with that ??€� for now. [laughs]

[Deena]

Ice Cube: Steady Mobbin'By Tiffany Hamilton




Since his initial debut on the Hip-Hop scene in 1986 with one of the most controversial groups on history, NWA, Ice Cube has been setting trends. After selling over 30 million albums with NWA and creating street felt anthems such as ??€?Express Yourself??€?, ??€?Boyz In Da ??€?Hood??€? and ??€?F*ck the Police??€? which gained the group public criticism and attention from the FBI, Ice Cube left the high profile group due to money issues. After severing his ties with NWA and it??€�s members in the early nineties, he went on to release the classic albums Amerikkka??€�s Most Wanted, Kill At Will, Death Certificate and the highly underrated album Bootlegs and B Sides.

After conquering the charts, Ice Cube then set out to take over the big screen. With his break out role as ??€?Doughboy??€? in the John Singleton film Boyz In Da ??€?Hood to his portrayal of one of four US soldiers in the aftermath of Desert Storm aside George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg in Spike Jonze film Three Kings, Ice Cube has definitely proved that no matter what he will dominate. Several movies, a production company (Cube Vision), and four directed high grossing box office films later, Ice Cube is back this time starring a long side Samuel L. Jackson and William Dafoe in the XXX: State of the Union. AllHipHop.com got a rare chance to sit down with Ice Cube at the premiere of his new film to discuss his journey, projects old and new, and why he??€�s never going to stop making music.

AHH: I remember the first Ice Cube solo album I heard, it was Amerikkkas Most Wanted. That was the hardest album I feel that was ever created, are your fans going to get a taste of the old Cube on your new album?
Ice Cube: You miss the old Cube huh, the hard core straight gangsta??€� Cube. [laughs] Well, all I can say is that I am going to write about what I see. I feel that the new album is definitely going to reflect on the old Ice Cube, because it??€�s more old school and like the old stuff I used to do. It have a little tones of political, but in Hip-Hop if you don??€�t ride the waves as far as change with Hip-Hop you can find yourself on the outside looking in, and not even being heard. I mean when I first came out [solo], we were just coming off of NWA, BDP and Public Enemy, so the tone in the air was for politics to be in the music because that??€�s what people expected. But with the G-Funk era and Mafioso era coming, consciousness has faded, so you have to slowly set the tone for Hip-Hop to go that way. One record can??€�t do it, especially if it??€�s too political, because people are going to be like ??€?I don??€�t want to hear that,??€? and keep on going. So you got to make sure that you give them what they want, with a little bit of what they need.

AHH: Do you feel that Hip-Hop as you knew it has changed for the worst?

Ice Cube: It??€�s definitely changed, because it??€�s more accepted now. It??€�s no longer about political change, but more about partying. So I think to most that is what??€�s making Hip-Hop seemed as if it??€�s softened up. The political aspect of us trying to become better through the music or explain our position on certain policies that the government has is no longer of importance, so from that aspect it??€�s also changed.

AHH: You are a father, a husband, a businessman, an actor and a rapper how do you find time to juggle the many hats you seem to wear?

Ice Cube: I decided early on in my career that I would have a limit, I would have business hours, so I wouldn??€�t have a strain on my relationship, my kids, my music or any thing. I rarely take a meeting after six o??€�clock, if it doesn??€�t happen before six then I know it will happen the next day. So that is what keeps me at home when the kids need me for homework, to talk, and it doesn??€�t keep me out in the streets until midnight and then leaving at nine in the morning, to where I am so much that I don??€�t know who my family is. So with me keeping to that, I have a lot of free time, so much that I am actually bored. [laughs]

AHH: Touching on the film, in XXX: State of the Union, you have a clever way of quoting Tupac, do you feel that Hip-Hop will ultimately find it??€�s way into the history books?
Ice Cube: I think so, I mean look at Edgar Allen Poe, when he was alive he was an outcast but so many people got into his poetry [after his death] that they made him an icon, so I feel that it will ultimately happen to the poets of our time and Tupac and Biggie both were definitely some of them. The only thing we have to see is that it translates from generation to generation and that their words live on like the Marvin Gaye??€�s and those before us, so ultimately only history will tell.

AHH: How was it working with Nona Gaye?
Ice Cube: I had actually worked with her before, I shot a video with her and Prince for a song they did together called ??€?Love Sign??€? back in 1994, so getting a chance to work with her again and seeing how great she is on screen makes me wonder why she doesn??€�t do this full time. I mean she was great on screen.

AHH: You were also alongside Samuel L. Jackson. How was that? Ice Cube: It was great. He??€�s a real cool person. I mean I was watching Sam [Jackson] since he was working with Spike Lee. I think he respects my work. I know he was criticized for what he said about rappers and acting but he was talking about those who were getting roles because of their name not their talent. I loved the fact that I got to work with him in such a film of this caliber, it was truly just a dream come true.

AHH: Do you have any scars from XXX to remind you of a certain scene, I heard you got turf toe?
Ice Cube: Yeah, I still got that s**t. Before I got it, when players would say they were injured [with it], I would be like, ??€?Man, get ya punk ass out there and play.??€? laughs] But when I got it, I saw how serious it could be because I hyper extended my toe, so I still can??€�t even turn correctly and you know when something wrong with your feet, your whole body is messed up.

AHH: When fans go see the film, what do you want them to walk away with?

Ice Cube: I want them to walk away knowing that we deliver. I want them to be like, ??€?Vin who???€? [laughs] Nah, but I really want them to see that the brand XXX delivers and gives fans more than they expect from the film.

AHH: What draws Ice Cube to a script, do you look at it like ??€?I need action??€� or??€¦

Ice Cube: Naw, I really look at who is it co-starring and what the script is about.

AHH: Are you planning on adding another film to the Friday franchise? Ice Cube: Yeah, It??€�s starting to rekindle. Every time I put it to bed, people start asking me about it. I talked to John [Whitherspoon] and Mike [Epps] the other day and they were telling me that we need to do another one, so it??€�s definitely floating around in the air.

AHH: Back to your album, you said that your new album is going to show traces of the old Cube, but the old Cube was real hard. In essence, you just didn??€�t care, do you think that with the success of your movie career that fans will find it hard to get with your old sound?

Ice Cube: I can??€�t worry about that type of stuff you know? I mean my main concern is making music for the fans who have been down with me since day one and have watched my career both musically and on film develop, because those are the people who truly know who I am. I mean I am just going to do what I have always done and that??€�s make a record about how I feel,. With movies that??€�s one thing, that??€�s me being professional but music has always been my comfort zone, so I am going to continue to do it hard because I have always done it hard. I just can??€�t do it any other way. Maybe people will accept it and maybe they won??€�t.

AHH: Looking back at your career, would you do it the same way, as far as your split from NWA and choices you have made through out your career?

Ice Cube: I would do it the same way, I have no regrets and I wouldn??€�t make any changes in my life because it helped make me into who I am today, you know. When [NWA] started we were a bunch of kids who felt that no one would understand what we were talking about, coming from South Central and Compton, we felt like that was our world. The only time we thought about New York and other places was when we saw a video on TV, so we never really new that people was going through the same thing that we were going through, so when we first did it, our goal was really just to be ghetto superstars and it turned out to be so much more, so no I wouldn??€�t change any of it.

AHH: What would you say was the legacy of NWA?

Ice Cube: I always say that NWA made it possible for artists to be themselves, to do it how you feel it, and not do it how you think it should be done, because with out us there would be no Osbournes, No Marilyn Manson, No Eminem, because we really proved that saying what you think is just words; it??€�s how you think. Expressing yourself isn??€�t going to hurt nobody, so when artists saw that it really helped artists in general go a lot farther because they were able to stem from the base of reality.

AHH: Are you planning on taking your craft even further, maybe expanding on to Broadway?
[Laughs] Naw, I don??€�t think so...I don??€�t think I am going to go that far. It feels good that people respect my talent, but I feel that I have so much more growing to do.

[sunrah]

Copywrite

Hip-Hop Core : First, Copywrite, thank you very much for this interview.

Copywrite : Oh, no prob.Thanx for havin' me.

HHC : How did you get your first taste of hip-hop and who gave you the will to become an emcee ?

C : My first taste of hip hop music was in 89 listenin' to Will Smith's parents just don't understand.And I think I would have to say scarface gave me the will to be an emcee.

HHC : How did the MHz crew was created ?

C : Well, thats kind of a long storie.Lets just say since the first second I've ever even tried to spit,Jakki was there, so its basically a deep rooted friendship thing.

HHC : Your first solo LP "The High Exhaulted" has been released in 2002 on Eastern Conference Records. Can you explain why you have chosen this title and speak a little about how you feel about your album a few months away from its release ?

C : It's my debut and I just wanted a nice short title that I felt summed things up.I feel the release could have been better.I know that there are kids that have had a hard time finding t.h.e. but hey,what can I say.I'm just happy that theyr'e out even looking 4 it.

HHC : You seem to have a particular relationship with RJD2. There is definitely a chemistry between you, as best evidenced on the gripping "June". Can you tell us more about your bonds ?

C : Well, he's a cool,down to earth cat.I work better with people like that.I hate dealing with cats that get all sensative when you give constructive critisism.It's like working with a child to me.With RJ,I can tell him something he made made me wanna vomit and he can tell me the same.It dosent bother us, so in turn were able to get out some shit that we really feel musically.

HHC : How exactly did you come in contact with Eon & Mighty Mi ? Why did you chose to sign with EC instead of another label ?

C : I met mighty mi and Eon through cage.who I met through bobbito.I feel theyre smart cats so why not get down with theire label?

HHC : Is there any MC you'd like to collaborate with ?

C : jay-z,eminem,jadakiss.

HHC : You used to live in Columbus, Ohio. Then you've settled down in NY, I believe. How was the transition ? Any major differences ?

C : I didnt settle down in ny.I moved back to Ohio.The vibe is better here for me.It's where I grew up.I just prefer living were I grew up.It's nothing for me to travle, so this is the place for me.I lived in NY for maybe a little over a year.It was cool.

HHC : How was it being a white emcee during your battling days of old ? Did you feel any racism towards you or something ?

C : There was racism,ma little in certain situations.But for the most part,everyone in my city knew who I was so they already knew not to pull that race card shit, cause I'd only embarress them more.

HHC : "Table Scrapz" is truly a cult album for me, do you think that MHz will unite again for another LP ? I've heard that Tage Proto has stopped rapping. Is it true ?

C : First off...table scraps is NOT AN OFFICIAL ALBUM.Its exactly what the title says"TABLE SCRAPS".In other words, a bunch of songs from OOOOOOOOLD demos and some of the first singles we released on fondle 'em records.But thanx anyway.I appreciate the compliment.But, for the record, that is by NO MEANS THE MHz DEBUT.We are all talking and getting ready for the officall MHz debut album and NOOO TAGE DID NOT QUIT RAPPIN'.He is sill very much a large part of MHz.

HHC : Are you still in contact with Bobbito Garcia (who kind of revealed MHz through your Fondle'Em 12" and his radio shows) ?

C : I havent spoken to Bob in a minute, but thats my homie 4 life.

HHC : In 2002, we've been graced with quite a lot of valuable releases in hip-hop music. Do you listen to hip-hop on the regular? What albums did you appreciate lately ?

C : Jay-z,gift and the curse,8-mile soundtrack,...can't think of any more.

HHC : By the way, what kind of music do you listen to, apart from rap ?

C : Mostly rap man.I like bits and parts from every genre of music, but I just can't get anough rap.

HHC : You've toured the USA with "The Revenge of the Robots Tour" along with Cage, Camu Tao, Mr Lif, Camu Tao, RJD2 and El-P. How was it ? You must have discovered a lot of new places ?

C : It was dope/It wasnt my first u.s. tour though, my first us tour was with m.o.p.I had fun.I had no clue I had so many fans in certain areas.Like new mexico for instance.They kept us chiefin' with the trees out there.

HHC : What are your links with Def Jux ? EC artists and Def Jux artists seem pretty close.

C : My linx with def jux are that I know el-p and many of the artists on the label and that's it.

HHC : Can you tell us more about the upcoming Weathermen LP ? It's going to be one of the biggest events of 2003. But who are exactly the official members of the Weathermen ? Can you give us some details about "The New Left" ? Who will produce it ? Is there going to be any guest appearances ?

C : I dunno now about production, except camu tao,mighty mi and rjd2.as far as the weathermen go, I think at this point heads know who they are.I f you don't do your research.

HHC : On the "EC All Stars 3" compilation, you've been aiming directly at the critics that accused you of being one-dimensional and of repeating some of your lines. Why did you decide to put your anger on wax ?

C : It's not really anger, its just me stating a fact.

HHC : There's a rumour going on about a beef between MHz and Esoteric. Can you give us the whole story and your views on this ?

C : There's no beef.Ive never heard the guys voice in real life speak to me.so how could u have beef with a person youve never spoke with?

HHC : Today (01/11/03), Cage is in France for a show in Nantes. Do you think you're going to come to France in the next months ?

C : I might.France is the shit.

HHC : What are your projects ? I've heard that there's going to be a "Fire It Up" 12".

C : yeah a fire it up 12" with jeah! and won';t stop as the b-sides with THE HOT AS OSU ARTWORK.614 represent!!!

HHC : Thank you once again for this interview. To finish off, do you have anything to say to the readers of Hip-Hop Core ?

C : Keep doin' your thing whatever it is, whether its slanging weight or spittin hate.

[Chill Will]

WORD UP!!!




P.S.:Sursa?

[sunrah]

http://www.hiphopcore.net/ ma favorites mo` hai ca ai de lucru daca te bagi acolo .. eu de aceea m`am bagat la ore de franceza..sa pricep ce scrie pe site acolo kiddin` evident..enjoy

ps: cum de`i spui "WORD UP !!!" unei maneliste ?

[Chill Will]

offtopic : asteptam sa zici "maneaua sus" in loc de big up!

[sunrah]

Rza .. for who has patience !

HHC: Can you tell us a few words about your first group: All In Together Now, that you had created with GZA and ODB. How did you sign with Tommy Boy? And why didn't you release anything under this moniker?

RZA: All In Together Now was never signed to no label. See, me, GZA and ODB had a crew called FOI: Force Of The Imperial Master, nahmean? We made a song, called ??€?All In Together Now', which became famous on tapes throughout Brooklyn , Staten Island , New York, all the way down to Miami. I remember Biz Markie, when he was famous and I wasn't famous, and he was like: "Yo! I heard that shit! Your song with Ason Unique and the Specialist". I was the Scientist. So we never got signed as a group back then. We never had a serious record deal under that title.

HHC: After the disbanding of this group and before the creation of the Wu-Tang, you released in 1991, a single 'Ooh We Love You Rakeem' as Prince Rakeem. Can you tell us a little more about this? How do you get this opportunity?

RZA: Well, All in Together Now never really disbanded. We're cousins, so we always made tapes and demos together. But GZA had a man called Melquan, he's president of a record company called Jamaica Records. They call him Funky President Melquan. He had a group named Divine Force, with Sir Ibu. "It get Busy??€¦" Ghostface did it over on his "Supreme Clientele" album, on 'Mighty Healthy'. When Ghost did it over, Sir Ibu, who was my buddy, came over and said: "Yo, I need money for that!". So I gave him 2500$. Motherfucker! (laughs) That's my nigga though. Anyway, back then, Melquan was making a good name in the underground. Remember the song 'Going Way Back' by Just Ice? At the end he says: "By the way I say peace to my brother Melquan??€¦". His father had the label, Jamaica Records. He signed me and GZA on his label, but to manage us. That's how Melquan was able to go to Tommy Boy and secure a single deal for myself with an album option, and go to Cold Chillin' and secure a single deal and an album option for GZA. The GZA album option got picked up, he released the album called "Words From The Genius"; Tommy Boy put out 'Ooh We Love You Rakeem', but the album option never got picked up cause I went to jail.

HHC: You're always referring to the past with some kind of nostalgia. According to you, was this period THE Golden Era everybody seems to talk about? Do you think Hip Hop was doper back then?

RZA: It was rarer. Doper, I wouldn't know, because as tastes go on, tastes get better??€¦ You look at G3, it goes to G4, from G4 it goes to G5, but you gotta respect the first Apple Commodores computers, nahmean? You gotta respect Tomy, cause they made video games before Nintendo or Playstation. So I wouldn't say it was better, I just would say it was more rare. When I started emceein', you had 500 maybe 1000 rappers in the whole world. Now there's 1.000.000, nahmean? I speak of a time when samurais were few, a time when there wasn't as much commercialization of what we do. I would travel through America to visit my cousins, my family: Virginia, North Carolina ??€¦ and nobody knew how to rap. When I rapped, everybody was like: "Ahhh...??€?. People were so impressed, nahmean? Now, all my cousins rap. All my little cousins, the next generation, that's what they do, they rap.

HHC: In your opinion, was Hip Hop a more creative form of art in these days?

RZA: I don't know if it was more creative. Because you know what, after knowledge comes wisdom. After wisdom comes understanding so I wouldn't say it was better, cause now Hip Hop's global, that's how I'm here on tour with you motherfuckers. How old are you?

Phara: 20

RZA: Ok, 20, that's a good example. That means you're born in 84: there was maybe 500 rappers. Now? 1 000 000. Like I said, I don't know if it's better or worse, cause time changes everything. But the corporations didn't have control over Hip Hop. Corporations just gained control over Hip Hop over the last 5 years and if there's a problem, THAT'S the problem: these corporations are made of people who don't listen to it, who don't give a fuck about it, don't care about it, all they see is dollar signs and they exploit it to the best of their abilities. That's the real problem.

HHC: In the Wu Tang Manual, you explain that you formed your group with a vision in mind and that to realize it, everyone in it the group had to adapt to it. You say yourself that it was like a dictatorship. Are you satisfied with the way it happened or in retrospect would you have organised things differently?

RZA: In the year 1992, I formed my company Wu-Tang Productions, and up to 1997, everything went according to plan. I promised everybody??€¦ I was like: "Yo, trust me, we will be n?‚°1??€?, and in 1997, after the 5 years were over, we were n?‚°1. There was nobody else??€¦ That's what I said, what I promised, and I delivered it, nahmean? So I think I did it proper. After that, after 1997, I didn't have a plan, it was whatever. I just recently got a new plan more for myself and those who want to get involved with it. But from 92 to 97, I had a real serious plan, I had inspiration and a vision; I lived it out, and it worked. It helped break out Hip Hop to a whole new realm of listeners, a whole new world. That was my duty, that was my plan, that was my job and I feel like I completed it.

On 1997, I personally tore Wu Tang Clan up. I won't forget this day, we were on the Rage Against The Machine tour bus. Everybody was becoming lazy, niggas even started not showin' up. I said "Yo! I did my shit! From this point on, do what the fuck you want. The Wu Mansion? Y'all turned that shit to a club house! From now on, The Wu Mansion is MY house. You wanna come and rock? I'll be there??€?, and niggas respected it. To me, it's like Mike Tyson: he got to the top of the world and shit, and he stopped trainin'. Fuck that, you must never stop trainin'. Well you can stop if you want, if you're happy, but if you wanna go further. All I did was promise to get'em to there, from this point, it's up to each of them. For that, Method Man's a good example: he took it to the movies and he went to the moon. So brothers had no success after that, nahmean? Cappadonna, see, he's drivin' a cab.

HHC: Oh he still drives a cab?

RZA: Well, he's aight, we take him on tour, he makes a couple hundred grands, so??€¦ He's my man, he's hustlin'??€¦

HHC: There is a project that your fans have been yearning to hear since his announcement in 1998: "The Cure". Is there any hope for us to hear it in the coming months like the mixtape "Formula For The Cure" seemed to announce it.

RZA: This mixtape was actually done by one of my homeboys named Dreddy Kruger. He really believes in me, he believes in what I speak, but he did it without me, I almost had a fight with him: "What the fuck is that: The Formula For The Cure???€?, "You gotta do The Cure!??€? , "Fuck that! You don't put my motherfuckin' name on those shit without talkin' to me first!??€?, "Yo God, blah blah blah??€¦??€? (laughs). Dreddy's been down with us since 1989, he was a dancer for GZA, he's a real nigga and he went to put out CD-R of "The Formula For The Cure" for the fans, but I'm a type of man who lives up to his word. I said I'd do an album called The Cure: I wrote it already, 4-5 years ago, maybe longer, I almost recorded it. Trust me: it will be an album you can listen to, but it'll serve you better if you write it down.

HHC: Don't you think that this whole stuff about "Wu-Tang Forever" release date being constantly pushed back for over a year and this constant change of release dates or even cancellation of other Wu-Tang projects has really run of the nerves of your fans and that you've lost a lot of your momentum due to that problem?

RZA: Maybe, I don't know??€¦ You know, sometimes fans are like girls: they go for whoever's cute, whoever's got the biggest dick or the most money, whatevers' goin' on at the time. And some fans are real, true, loyal, they don't give a fuck about all that, they love you cause they love you. Some people who love Wu Tang never loved Hip Hop before Wu Tang. It's a pity they didn't know about all the great Hip Hop that was out there, and when Wu Tang put albums out, they went other ways and they said: ??€?Oh shit, this is good too!??€? . So it's all good.

To me it's like: "Many shall come, few shall be chosen??€?. I know for an actual fact that the things I say or that my brothers say on the mic are valid for life. What we say, if you're smart you get it, if you're stupid, you learn about 3 years later. When the buildings came down in Manhattan, people were like "Ohhh??€¦??€?. We been tellin' you this shit was gonna happen. Even Sunz of Man, Killarmy: an album called "Silent Weapons For Quiet Wars"??€¦ That's what's happenin' around the world, son??€¦ The people who's doin' the trouble are silent, but the world goes on. And people are dyin', people are losin'??€¦ AIDS, I could go on like this for hours, but I don't really wanna talk about this. But for the wise, it says in the Bible: when a wise man hears wisdom, he reacts. When a fool hears it, his acts are folly. If you wanna be a fool, help yourself, it's not my problem.

There's a chapter in the Bible, St Luke, XII, verse 47: "And the servant who knew his Lord's will but prepared not himself neither went according to his Lord's will shall be beaten with many strikes??€?. That means that a person who knew what time it was but didn't act like the time it was or didn't give a fuck about it, he's gonna get fucked up! Then the next verse says: "He who knew his Lord's will and went according to it and warned others??€¦??€?, he's aight, he's cool. That's what I am. I warn people. Whenever I see and I feel things in my heart, I speak it.

HHC: Everybody knows about your love for Soul music, mostly Soul from the South. But there's a Funk compilation out now (ndlr: "Kings Of Funk", chez BBE), that you've compiled with Deep Funk specialist Keb Darge, so we'd like to know if you're as much as an avid collector for funky sounds than for soulful ballads?

RZA: The Soul samples I used probably became more famous than the others samples I used. But I love much music, nahmean? Funk, Reggae??€¦ I love Reggae, I love Jazz. Quincy Jones told me: "RZA, you're good??€¦ But you need to study Jazz??€? (laughs). And he gave me a book. Quentin Tarantino, he was like: "Yo, Spaghetti western soundtracks??€¦??€?. He gave me a whole bunch of stuff. So I love much music, and I study as much as I can. From Leonard Bernstein to Henry Mancini to James Brown, no problem. If it's good it's good. You got many brands of Champagne , and they're all good to get drunk (laughs).

But this compilation you're mentionin', heard the show tonight? Heard this Sueside interlude? It was Jimmy Ponder, and it's on that compilation. It's different from the other Deep Funk compilations because it's not just Funk, it's Soul-Funk. Anybody who is a DJ or a producer can buy the CD and definitely appreciate it.

HHC: Tell us about your vinyl collection. Do you still dig in the crates?

RZA: Superduperly. I have boxes I haven't opened yet. I've bought vinyl from many countries. One time I spent 10 grand for records in Italy . I bought 8 boxes and I've only opened one. But from the one I opened, I sampled stuff for "The World According To RZA" and for "Iron Flag".

I love vinyl, you know? To me it has depth, warmth, it's he best way to really sample. CD's easier to carry, then you have these websites with thousands and thousands of stuff that you're lookin' for and they got it.

HHC: Do you think it has made things easier for some producers? That it has killed the fun to go hunting for these records?

RZA: I do think it has killed the fun. But fortunately for me, I've learned how to play piano, I've learned to play guitar, I already knew how to play drums. I make shit that you can't get nowhere else but for me, nahmean? (laughs). There's a song on the "Danny The Dog" soundtrack, which is called 'Baby Boy' where you can hear me play the piano and orchestrate my own vibes. It's very soulful but it also sounds like an opera. I'm at a level where I can sample and play some shit too.

HHC: Two compilations entitled "Shaolin Soul", made by a French guy, were released over here a few years ago. They gathered some of the original tracks that you sampled for the Wu albums (group or solo albums). Are you one of these producers who prefer to keep the mystery around the tracks they sample, or do you think that it's a good idea to put them out on the market at the disposal of the public and maybe help some soul or jazz artists being re-discovered ?

RZA: I think it was a good thing, it's a blessing for the artists. Look at Syl Johnson: you know who's Syl Johnson, right? You know I sampled him quite a lot. You know who's his daughter?

HHC: Err??€¦ No.

RZA: Syleena Johnson! And do you know who Syleena Johnson's singin' with? Kanye West! She's makin' money there!

HHC: Yeah, obviously??€¦

RZA: Syl Johnson would always call me: "Yo RZA, you gotta talk to my daughter??€?. His daughetr's first record was on GZA's album "Beneath The Surface": she sang on it and made a great job. But we didn't sign her or whatever. Now, she's getting' a lot of money cause she's on Kanye West's album.

As for Syl Johnson, when I sampled his music, he called me up, he's like: "Yo man, thank you man??€¦??€?. I said : "Yo, I will use 10 more of your songs in the next 5 years. I wanna pay you 100.000 $ right now??€?. He's like "What?!??€? (laughs). I paid him??€¦ I used the songs??€¦ He's back in business and he's makin' 1.000.000 $ a year now. So it's a blessing to help other older brothers get their shit cause so many of them have been robbed, cheated of their publishing.

But "Shaolin Soul" has been put out without my fore consent. They got my consent but before that, that guy Emmanuel from Delabel had sold 300.000 copies, and then he called me and he was like: "You know??€¦??€? (laughs). But because he made so much money, we were able to do "The World According To RZA": he gave me 1.000.000 $ to produce it. That's how I came to France, to Germany??€¦ So it's all good, because from one idea, hundreds of families got fed.

HHC: Let's talk about your productions. Do you feel limited by the prices of the samples at the present time? Raekwon said that he would have liked to work with you for his last album but that it was a real nightmare to clear all the samples, etc.

RZA: You know, I don't really have to sample no more. R.I.P ODB, he's got a brother named Ramsey Jones. On "Iron Flag", there's a track called 'Babies': that's ODB's brother playin' the music. Same thing on 'Birth Of A Prince??€? (sings) "See the joy??€¦" That's Ramsey and his band. Same thing on Ghostface's 'Maxine'. On ODB's new album, there's a song called 'Back In The Air' with Ghostface, sounds just like a sample: it's Ramsey again. All I need to do if I need a guitar sound (imitates a guitar) I go "Wakah wakah wah??€¦??€? and they play it. We can play it ourselves, there's no problem. But if you need samples, I got the hottest samples available. If you wanna pay 20-30 grand, we can do that too.

HHC: You've used many names or identities during your career. Does it affect your way of writin' or producin'? For example, do you sometimes tell yourself: "I'm in a Bobby Digital mindframe so I'm gonna flip this beat that way?".

RZA: Yes! And please forgive me, I don't wanna pat myself on the back, but I'm a person that reads and studies and??€¦ I've been drinkin' a little so don't take me too deeply, but there are many names to Allah plus one you don't know. And each name is an attribute that flexes his characteristics: the Benevolent, the Merciful, the All-Knower??€¦ And to me, my names be flexin' personalities of myself: Prince Rakeem, Bobby Digital, Bobby Steels, the RZA, the Rzarector??€¦ These are personalities of myself. I'm able to realize that. You do the same thing: you don't act the same with your mother, with your friends, with your girl, with your fuckin' boss. I'm able to recognize that and put a name on each of these motherfuckers. Me, today, you heard me as Bobby. I'm not Bobby, I'm Bobby to you, but I'm also the RZA! Nigga what! Every aspect of your personality, if you're wise, you're able to separate each one of them and put them to use at the best time for the best position. Peace, Wu Tang!

[Deena]

GZA: Know the Legend

Over the years there have been many MC??€�s that have dropped albums with lyrical content of phenomenal feats. One of the secrets and main skills to being a true formidable MC is adaptation. Some can pull this of well and are accepted by fans. Others get mocked and criticized for losing sight of their original goals. In other words, they become forgotten memories. Only through true self-knowledge can one attain a higher state of being.

Fifteen years ago, Hip-Hop was introduced publicly to the Genius. This name was powerful on the mic, but when scratched on the turntable, The GZA, was even liver. In true honor of Hip-Hop Appreciation Week, AHH wanted to look at the mind and accomplishments of a true survivor in his craft. Fifteen years deep, GZA stays motivated in his art to push it onward. Look at the past, future, and present as one.

AHH: Because it??€�s Hip-Hop Appreciation Week, let??€�s take it back a bit. What was going through your mind during Words from the Genius?

GZA: At the time, I was just trying to get an album done. It was my first deal. I had been shopping around for six or seven years at the time. It actually felt like forever. I was in a real lyrical mode and was just trying to get my music heard. I got on with Cold Chilln??€� in 89??€� or 90??€�. I went out on tour with Grand Daddy I.U., Masta Ace and Kid Capri. It felt good to kick it with them, but I never really felt like I was apart of the label??€�s family. I never felt a real connection with the label. It felt like they weren??€�t really interested in the album.

AHH: You and RZA were the first Wu members to get signed to a record deal.

GZA: Yeah, I was signed to Cold Chilln??€� in 1989 or 1990. RZA was signed to Tommy Boy around the same time. We both released some single and a few videos.

AHH: That would be some serious Wu treasure if still available. I bet heads would be bidding in the $100??€�s for it on Ebay.

GZA: I??€�m still looking for the stuff myself. I would like to put together a video compilation or portfolio.

AHH: Going way way back, let??€�s talk about All In Together Now.

GZA: The All In Together Now Crew was me [as] ??€?The Genius??€?, RZA, ??€?The Scientist.??€? and Dirty, ??€?The Professor.??€? It was our group I the early to mid 80??€�s. I had a song called that. Me and Dirty performed it together. He was on the human beat-box, because he was ill at it. It was mostly just a few demos and routines. It was a long time ago. We were mad young. It was never laid on wax or anything. It was way before CD??€�s. There were a few tapes circulating around. Actually a cat was recently telling me that he had a copy of me and Dirt performing it in 85??€� or 89??€�. I don??€�t think that you could find any of that unless you knew someone that had it.

AHH: On Return to the Liquid Sword, there was no swearing. At the time, I heard that you felt that MC??€�s focused too much in profanity and less on their lyrical content. Do you still believe this?

GZA: It was something subconscious at the time. No, actually I was conscious of it, but that??€�s just the way that I write. Besides the album that I recently made with D.J. Muggs [of Cypress Hill], none of my tracks really have swearing on them. Don??€�t get me wrong, I swear in my everyday life all the time, and I may drop a ??€?f**k??€? or a ??€?n***a.??€? When I write, it??€�s just the way that it comes out. ??€?I??€�m an obscene slang kicker/ With out an obscene sticker.??€?

Ya, know? Some times you do need to swear to make a point, but if you make a video and half of your lyrics are swearing, you loose a lot. It gets censored out and you miss half a sentence. It??€�s not really a good look. MC??€�s should practice that style of writing. You have to learn to adapt. As a child, you didn??€�t curse in front of your mother. You can say what you want, as long as it??€�s clever.

AHH: What record label are you on right now?

GZA: I??€�m actually free-lance right now. Like I mentioned earlier, I just did an album with DJ Muggs on Universal. There is not release date yet. I??€�m working on a ??€?mix-tape??€? album. It??€�s going to be coming out on the Babygrande label in August or September. I??€�m also working on a script.

AHH: Over the years, Hip-Hop??€�s sound has changed drastically. How have you and the other Wu members survived in Hip-Hop so long?

GZA: By always being true to one??€�s self. You do what you know is right in your heart. You can change your style, but you must be yourself first. Lyrics used to come first, but today it seems like the beat comes before the lyrics. I always stuck to doing what I liked to do. You may not hear Wu on the radio all the time, but we??€�re all always writing or working on something. The fans stay loyal and true. I sometimes like to walk through the city and people are always stopping me and saying, ??€?Yo, we need you guys back.??€? We were in Europe and the crowd was from the ages of 16 to 23. That means, somewhere, heads caught on. We still have a young crowd base though. It??€�s a great feeling to still be respected after all of these years.

AHH: Not to say that Wu-Tang will never put out another album as a collective again, but you are all well established solo MC??€�s. Who do you think still carries the Wu torch?

GZA: I think that I do. When I say that, I mean my son, Justice. He has an album coming out later on this year. He makes a few appearances on my mixtape also. In the future, you should be on the look out for more releases from Wu affiliated members.

AHH: Wu tracks have often had more than one meaning. When a person hears a track for the first time they may hear one thing, and then later on realize that it has a dual meaning.

GZA: Yeah, there is always more than 1 meaning. You have to look deep. They should be thought provoking. You shouldn??€�t make lyrics so complex that you need a thesaurus to understand them. They should be clear and intelligent. What one MC can say in 16 bars, I can say in four or six. I may only have 20 rhymes in my arsenal versus someone with 200, but he can??€�t handle them. Sometimes, less is more. Knowledge is key. Through that, we look, listen and observe. What we don??€�t say, can actually mean a lot more than if we were to speak. That is the key to good writing.

AHH: Friends passing pause tapes has always been an important part of Hip-Hop. How do you feel about bootlegging music?

GZA: I think that it hurts more than it helps. Bootlegging has positives and negatives. It??€�s negative because it takes money away from your pocket. Me personally, I don??€�t by bootleg albums. I like to see the lyrics, the book jacket and the album art. If you buy a cd off the street and it??€�s scratched, you can??€�t go and get your money back. More than likely the guy is gone.

AHH: And if he??€�s not, hell probably laugh at you for asking for your money back.

GZA: Exactly. If I buy an album from Tower Records and it??€�s scratched, I can go and exchange it or get my money back. More than likely the guy on the street will just give me another album and it probably is the same quality as the other. I sometimes just buy music and don??€�t even listen to it. I will give it to my son to listen to and he??€�ll tell me what he thinks of it.

AHH: What about DVD??€�s? You??€�re a movie buff.

GZA: DVD??€�s are a different story. Sometimes, the movie isn??€�t available in the store. I can get something that I normally couldn??€�t get or before it comes to the states.

AHH: Hit us off with new kung-fu flick that we should be on the look out for?

GZA: You have to ask RZA, but Ong Bok and Kung-fu Hustle were dope.

AHH: Did you see Sin City?

GZA: Yeah, but I need to see it again. There was so much going on at once. The look was great and everything was dark. It wasn??€�t too comic booky, but it had a real dark comic vibe to it. The scenes and the actor were great. Who was that, Mickey Rourke? He looked just like his character from the comic. Nothing has ever been made on that level. I still want to see it again, just to catch the part that I missed.

AHH: When I saw it I thought that RZA should have done the score.

GZA: I agree.

AHH: Are you still affiliated with the Five Percent Nation of Islam?

GZA: I??€�ve learned a lot, but I??€�ve grown. First and for most, I am Self. People get categorized as a whole and that??€�s how people begin to perceive them. The Nation of Gods and Earths was just the first stop. I am still Justice. I learned mad lessons back in the day. I am a part of the Nation, but I wouldn??€�t say that I am a Five Percenter.

AHH: What was the reunion show like? Was it like back in the old days?

GZA: Yeah, it was great. It was the first show that all 10 members [including Capadonna] had performed together on stage in a long time. The vibe and feeling were on point. Dirty was sounding amazing. Before the show, on the stage, and afterwards; cats were getting crazy. It??€�s a piece of history to carry in my pocket.

AHH: You??€�re going on tour soon again, solo.

GZA: Yeah, I??€�m doing nine dates. I??€�m going to hit up New York City, Connecticut, and Maine??€¦

AHH: Maine doesn??€�t exactly seem like the Hip-Hop capital of the world.

GZA: Yeah, but there??€�s fans there. It??€�s big. I bet there are probably some astronauts in space banging a 50 Cent CD or something. Hip-Hop is universal.

[sunrah]

Gza ....ma favorite ...............10x Deena

[Deena]

cu placere. . . anytime gurrl! . . .

[Chill Will]

thanx Irina!



p.s.:fetelor,mie care-mi ia interviu!?

[sunrah]

offtopic > iti voi lua eu SamBata

[Deena]

The Dangerous Connections Of 7L & Esoteric"(2004 interview)

Making connections in the hip-hop world is essential to survival. While white emcees and producers tend have to earn the respect of hip-hop lovers, 7L & Esoteric have been an underground staple since 1992 and their list of friends and supporters continues to grow. Straight out of Boston, 7L & Esoteric took the same format as Gangstarr. Like Gangstarr, 7L & Esoteric consists of one DJ and one emcee, both of them are from Boston and scratching is an essential aspect to their music. Some journalists have even labeled them as the white version of Gangstarr. 7L first heard Esoteric on radio show. From then on, 7L has been making beats and rocking the turntables as Esoteric has been spitting his ??€?bars of death??€? on the microphone. Like Premier, 7L??€�s boom-bap beats have thick kicks and strong bass lines as well as unique samples. The scratching is also an essential part of their sound. While some may think of 7L & Esoteric as underground or backpackers, they are simply lovers of hip-hop.


Their debut album ??€?The Soul Purpose??€? had collaborations with Inspectah Deck, Akrobatik, Mr. Lif, and Jedi Mind Tricks. Their 2nd album ??€?Dangerous Connection??€? had collaborations with J-Live, Count Bass D, Kut Masta Kurt and more. Fast forward to 2004, 7L & Esoteric signed to Babygrande Records (now home of Brand Nubian, Canibus, Jedi Mind Tricks, and more). Their brand new album ??€?DC2: Bars Of Death??€? is an extremely tight LP with guest spots by Celph Titled, Main Flow, Rise, and Army Of The Pharaohs (which consists of Vinnie Paz, Outerspace, & King Syze). While one track is produced by J-Zone, one by DC, and another is produced by Apathy, 7L produces 90% of the LP. On a hot evening in September 2004, I had a conversation with 7L, the producer & DJ behind 7L & Esoteric. We discussed the new album, production, labels, and even their beef with Vast Aire. While their connection to the underground continues to flourish, 7L & Esoteric will continue to survive in this dangerous world of hip-hop.

MVRemix: Your new LP 'DC2: Bars Of Death' just came out. Tell us about it. Who is on it? Who produced it?

7L:On it, we got our Army Of The Pharaohs and Demigod fam, plus Main Flow, J-Zone blessed us with a track, so did this new cat DC, aside from those, I produced the remaining 14 cuts.

MVRemix: What is the meaning behind 'DC2: Bars Of Death?

7L:No real meaning, the DC2 is for ??€?Dangerous Connection 2??€�, as sort of a sequel to our last LP. This was originally supposed to be an EP, but we kept doing more songs, and since we already had the Bars of Death thing out there, we just stuck with it.

MVRemix: Do you have a favorite song on the album?

7L:Mine would be either ??€?Loud & Clear??€� or ??€?Rise of the Rebel??€�.

MVRemix: What song took you the longest to do? Why? The shortest? Why?

7L:Really they all came pretty fast, well at least faster than our previous albums.

MVRemix: You recently signed to Babygrande Records. Why did you choose Babygrande? How are they different from your last label?

7L:They are a bigger label with more resources. We feel that we have been on the grind for a minute now and needed someone with more connections. Everything has been great. Big shout to Jonathan and Jill who been helping out big time with all the press and what not.

MVRemix: How would you say 'DC2: Bars Of Death' is different from your last 2 LPs?

7L:It??€�s probably our best, and I know that seems like the obvious thing to say, but we just had a little more time to work on it, and we had fun, which was real important for me at least.

MVRemix: You did an amazing collaboration with Inspectah Deck. How did you hook up with him and what was he like to work with?

7L:Our manager at the time was a guy named Matt, who now runs Solid records. At the time, he was working at Loud and we had expressed interest in working with Deck because he had just signed to Loud. More importantly, we were big fans, you know. So, we went to my man Sean C's crib in BK and banged it out. Deck came through. We ordered Pizza. It was a wrap.

MVRemix: Although you produce most of the tracks, sometimes, you get an outside producer to produce a track. How is your production style different from other producers?

7L:I just make what I am feeling at that point, I don??€�t think that I have a definite sound, where you would hear a beat and you would be like ??€?Oh 7L did that'. Still, I feel I do stick to a certain criteria of how I make beats, as far as using original sample, keeping the drums clean, sh*t like that.

MVRemix: When making hip-hop songs, does Esoteric go into the studio with pre-written rhymes, lyrics, and themes or does he hear the beat first and write then and there?

7L:Usually I will give him a beat CD, and he will pick from those. Then, he will go off on his own, and let me know which tracks he wants to record in the studio. I don??€�t get involved with any of the lyrics, while at the same time, he doesn??€�t get involved in the beats.

MVRemix: What is your favorite part of your live show?

7L:Uh...the fans and the drinks.

MVRemix: How has your live show evolved?

7L:We have our man Beyonder more involved now, and we really spend time on working on our set.

MVRemix: When did you first begin making beats?

7L:Maybe around 1994. They weren??€�t any good then, but I learned fast.

MVRemix: Production wise, who are your major influences?

7L:In the past, Showbiz and Large Professor. Today? Alchemist and Just Blaze. Out of all-time? Premo.

MVRemix: Recently, Vast Aire dissed you on a track (??€?9 Lashes??€�) on his new album (??€?Look Mom No Hands??€�). When did this beef between you guys and Vast Aire begin? Is there still a beef? What did you think of the track?

7L:I think Vast should worry more about his heath condition, being that he is overweight, rather than making phony threats on record about smacking me, or was it eating me? I am not sure.

MVRemix: What song made you fall in love with hip-hop?

7L:Doug E fresh & Slick Rick??€�s ??€?The Show??€�.

MVRemix: What producer would you like to collaborate with in the future?

7L:Working with DJ Premier of Gangstarr would be dope.

MVRemix: What are the 3 best things about living in Boston?

7L:The best things about Boston are the girls, the clubs, and girls...

MVRemix: What was the lowest or dirtiest thing you ever did for money?

7L:Uhhh, no comment.

MVRemix: What has been in your CD player or on your turntable recently?

7L:Paul Nice??€�s ??€?Black Album remix??€�. It??€�s f*cking incredible! I know people aren??€�t sleeping on it, but I have no idea why he isn??€�t getting the same press as the 'Grey Album' or even 9th Wonder's Nas remix LP. This Paul Nice thing was so f*cking well done. I mean, it??€�s on par with the real Black album. I have been listening to G-Unit ??€?Radio 6??€� with The Game hosted by Steev-o. That new Beatnuts record is f*cking dope, that 'Find Us' joint is such a banger.

MVRemix: Since you guys are white, what kind of obstacles or issues did you have to deal with?

7L:Having to work harder on account there are so many corny white dudes who get into the game and out faster than an eye blink. But I don??€�t mind it, cause as it slowly pays off, we appreciate what we have done more.

MVRemix: Abortion - pro-choice or pro-life?

7L:Next question. Well, I do feel it is the woman??€�s choice.

MVRemix: Death Penalty - For or against?

7L:If they are guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, like you got a dude on video killing a family, sure, kill them.

MVRemix: Where were you on Sept. 11th (The World Trade Center Terrorist Attack)? How did you deal with it? How do you think it has affected music?

7L:I think it has made me more aware in that George Bush is f*cking Satan, and I have to go and vote this November, because, truth be told, I have never voted before. So it made me aware that if all the f*ck ups, like myself, went out and voted last election, we may have not have been in such a tough place right now.

MVRemix: What collaboration are you most proud of?"

7L:I like them all pretty much the same, but I think our first 12" under the name God Complex, where we worked with Madsoul, was our first real taste at making our own sh*t. It was the best time in my life. That period from 94-96 was my favorite time ever.

MVRemix: Word association time. I'm going to say a name of a group/emcee and you say the first word that pops in your head. So, if I say 'Chuck D', you may say 'Revolution'. Okay?

Wu-Tang Clan.

7L:Tiger Style.

MVRemix: Eminem.

7L:Detroit.

MVRemix: 50 Cent.

7L:Bang em smurf

MVRemix: Phife Dawg.

7L:Atlanta?

MVRemix: Cee-Lo.

7L:Bugged out.

MVRemix: Jay-Z.

7L:Greatest rapper alive.

MVRemix: Vast Aire.

7L:Who?

MVRemix: Gil-Scott Heron.

7L:Take a look around, Master Ace

MVRemix: George Bush.

7L:Satan.

MVRemix: What do you think hip-hop or music (in general) needs these days?

7L:People to lighten the f*ck up!

MVRemix: What is the biggest mistake that you made in your career?

7L:F*cking around too much early on, just going out every night and sh*t, not grinding as hard as we should have, but we are on the right track now.

MVRemix: What are some major misconceptions that people have of you?

7L:I think most of the people who hate on us, haven??€�t heard a song we have done since, Be Alert.

MVRemix: What is next in the future for 7L & Esoteric?

7L:We are going on tour with Jedi Mind tricks and Outerspace in the fall.

MVRemix: What collaborations should we look out for?

7L:I am working on a record with Main Flow, plus me and Beyonder are finishing up ??€?VINYLTHUG vol. 2??€�, which will feature cats like Apathy, Esoteric, Celph Titled, Outerpace, it will also be out in the fall.

MVRemix: Any final words for the people who are reading this?

7L:Buy the album, it??€�s out now!