Hades Forum

Nicolay: Diggin' Gone Digital
By Paine


Remember when A Tribe Called Quest helped usher in Jay Dee to Hip-Hop ears? Though he??€�s not 9th Wonder, Holland??€�s Nicolay has gained a lot of fans, respect, and work after last year??€�s Connected project with Phonte, as Foreign Exchange. Although Little Brother may be skeptical of the internet reaction to certain things in Hip-Hop, it??€�s brought them Nicolay.

Nicolay and AHH discuss his brand new solo album, City Lights, as well as get some group perspective. American Hip-Hop and Heinekens have been brethren for years, it??€�s time we recognize one of the illest abroad??€¦
AHH: What does City Lights mean to you, as an idea or a title?

Nicolay: For me, it represents a feeling put to sound. The idea of what a city sounds like at night... the traffic, the people, the lights, all of that.

AHH: Is this at all referencing the Charlie Chaplin film?

Nicolay: No, it's not. I have heard of that movie, but I don't think I have ever seen it.

AHH: Personally, I'm interested that you have Wale Oyejide giving you a shout-out in there. Your album, using your own style, tells a story [to me anyway]... which reminds me of Walls Don't Exist.. What albums influenced this project, and what would you say your story is? I know there??€�s something at play with the seasonal references...

Nicolay: I don't really recall having any specific influences in mind while doing this album. The story itself is rather simple and has several plots, if you will. The album follows someone's walk through the city. He starts out in a club, with the main theme playing, and then proceeds to walk and comes across various places and situations. Each track to whatever degree describes a part of that walk. The storyline put against that is of the host, Lunchbox Tha Narcoleptic, as he gets increasingly frustrated with the fact that he doesn't seem to be able to reach me.

AHH: Looking back at Foreign Exchange, what did that opportunity do for your career? I really liked the remixes on The Chapter's album... what else came to fruition?

Nicolay: It basically jump-started my career in a big way. What it ultimately did was put my name on the map, and get me in touch with a lot of people I otherwise would have never gotten in touch with. As a result, I have been privileged enough to have worked for and with a lot of people, like Little Brother, Supastition, Sy Smith, Roy Ayers, Last Poets and many others.

AHH: Between you and Soul Supreme, producers from northern Europe are reaching some of the top MC's in America. Culturally, what does this say? How about Technologically? Nowadays, Public Enemy even makes albums through email...

Nicolay: Culturally, maybe it says that the world really is a smaller place than it ever has been. Technologically, it says that everything is possible if you allow yourself to be creative... and keep in mind that the sky really is the limit.

AHH: How would you describe your specific sound? Moodwise, what does it take to get you working at your best?

Nicolay: I always like to think that my music sounds like it celebrates life in all it's glory. Moodwise, if I feel good... and I have been feeling really good lately, I'm going for the kill.

AHH: If The Minstrel Show truly is the breakout album of '05, how do you see that affecting your career?

Nicolay: I don't necessarily see it affecting my career all that much. It does mark my first major label production, but then again, it's a two minute interlude [??€?Fifth and Fashion??€?]. Hopefully, it will help put the name out more.

AHH: Back to your album, why did you name a song, The Sopranos it certainly sounds/feels out of conjunction with the music we're used to experiencing on the show...

Nicolay: It was some wordplay on the main sound of the song, a patch of some female singing voices. I just thought it was cute to refer to that sound as "The Sopranos", and in that it doesn't really have to do a whole lot with the series, other than borrowing the title.

AHH: "All That You Are" was your breakthrough moment. Tell me about the communication you and Phonte had concerning that moment?

Nicolay: I don't know if I would put "All That You Are" as my breakthrough moment. I would have to say either "Light It Up", or the Connected album as a whole. The communication between me and Phonte was very fruitful. Very efficient. We kinda were working on the album on and off, between day-jobs and whatever other obligations that we had going on at that time.

Cage: Back From Hell
By Pizzo

So, the title of the album is "Hell's Winter", can you explain that a little bit?

Basically, after Movies For The Blind, I just wanted to have another title like that - a kind of play on words. I had the title a few years before the album was made, when I was still on E.C. It's kind of interesting to me now that I really didn't have a meaning, I just kind of put it out there because I dug the title. But it's kind of bugged that it ended up taking on a meaning of trying to make this record, trying to fix my life, which was the most important thing to me. I had to fix my life to be able to take my life a little more serious. And doing that was kind of like "yeah right, when pigs fly, when hell freezes over," basically.

When you say "fix your life" - what does that mean?

Getting off all the hard drugs, getting off the bullshit material that I was putting out.... Getting over all of it man. Just changing everything, from living unhealthy and completely out of control.

Do you not like the old material you've put out now in relation to your new material?

I think my new material is a transition to where I am trying to go. I think the new material is new, it's different for me. But it's me just trying to do something different - and before I could even know what that was, there was a lot of shit that I just kind of wanted to be rid of. All of the material I put on Hell's Winter, the grit of the album was basically what had me so hung up and angry, and fucked up in the head. I had continued to live my life that way, and the music suffered because I was kind of making the same three songs over and over again.

I don't hate music that I made, I don't have regrets for things that I did. But I'm not into it. It's basically the same three songs over and over again. I think the same kind of thing is going on in mainstream rap. It was kind of like the same process, I was just unaware of it.

I remember you told me when you were making the album you told me "I'm not using the word bitch, I'm not objectifying women on this record." What prompted that change?

I have a little girl, you know what I mean? It's just stupid man. Get over it man, it just one of those things you get over. I'm not trying to make music for angry dudes that disrespect women. Nothing against anyone that does - live your life how you want to - but it's not catering to specific groups of people anymore. It's not a matter of "hey I want to music for girls", it's just a matter of making music for anyone that wants to listen to it, whether they have a penis or a vagina. I don't care... and in doing so, again, I have a girl, she's old enough to understand what the fuck I'm talking about. Again, it's just "been there, done that", and to me, it's just not entertaining. "Bitch suckin' my dick, dah, dah, dah." I mean, how many fuckin' rendezvous' with a girl and my penis can I make songs about, you know? It's novelty at best.

You decided to go a lot more personal on this album, revealing stuff about your family, your upbringing. How true to life are the stories on the album?

100 percent real, everything was real on the record. I'm not fabricating things for impact, everything is pretty much true to the bio. If you've read the bio, the record is no shock, and vise versa.

So this was like a therapeutic, "gotta get some shit off my chest...."

That's the entire concept of the album: a fucked up kid, trying to fix his head. That's why it's like "when pigs fly, yeah right..."

So you made a move from E.C. to Def Jux. What prompted the move?

I hit a ceiling with E.C., period. That was it. I wasn't making money. The amount of money I was making with them, I could have made myself. But then again, in doing it myself, how many more pieces would I have sold? I'd be kind of doing the same thing, just not splitting the money so many ways. But it was about expansion, it was about growth. It was what artists do. Me and El talked for a while, before it even went down. We talked for a year about doing it and what we would do, what the record would sound like. Yeah, it was definitely therapeutic, it changed me. When the record was finished I wasn't the same person any more.

The other thing is, and I guess it's all apart of the change, but your physical appearance has changed drastically. You've lost a lot of weight obviously - what kind of regiment did you have to go through to make this transformation?

I wasn't cutting my hair for a long time, I wasn't in the spotlight. It had been a while since I had cut my hair, and I had gotten tired of the stereotypical hip-hop uniform, it just wasn't me anymore. How long am I gonna run with that? Dressing like a child and shit, wearing clothes that are like five times too big for me, and a lot of that reason was because I was overweight. You've overweight, and you wear baggy ass shit. Your guts hanging out, your wearing double X's and shit, hunched over. I just got sick of that shit. I got sick of looking in the mirror and seeing myself looking like that. As far as regiment, I just stopped eating. I didn't get anorexic, when I say "I stopped eating", I mean I was eating all the time. I was eating like a pig, basically. You start dropping a couple of pounds, you start seeing results, and before you know it you've dropped 10 pounds. I dropped like 30-35 pounds over the past year and half or two years. Exercise, I was hitting the gym, walking all the time, stopped driving all the time, being more active.

It was more just for me. I knew this whole thing was a matter of changing everything about myself. My eating habits, exercising, the way that I look, the way that I feel about myself, the way I make music, my artistic approach. I never had an artistic approach. I never had a real approach to making music. (I guess) I had one, it was kind of winging it and making songs the spur of the moment. Everything had to be changed; my appearance was just part of it. You'd be surprised. Any dude out there that needs to lose weight, you start dropping some pounds and chicks start paying attention to you, and it's motivation.

Yeah I did the same shit a while back. I started putting on weight and was like 'fuck this shit', so I started exercising, eating right. You start dressing different, getting attention from women, I can definitely relate to what you're saying.

Now you could wear shit you couldn't wear before. Not only that, when you lose weight, you don't really want to buy expensive shit. I'm not going to spend $1000 on suit that's not going to fit me when I lose weight. I gave a way like six garbage bags of clothes, all my 36 and 38 size jeans. Every fuckin' XXL t-shirt I owned, everything. I looked in my closet and had to start all over again.

The whole look thing, it was just part of it. You start looking in the mirror, your stomach shrinks, and you get used to it. Although I'm not going to lie about it, cigarettes were a big part of it. I'd rather look good and have black lungs, than be a fat dude with clean lungs.

You collaborated with a lot of legends in indy rock or underground rock. How did these collaborations come about and why did you choose to work with these artists?

Well, I think again, going into this record, we were like, "what are we going to do? Do what everyone else does and get a bunch of rappers they don't know?" You know, bigger names than them, in hopes that it will sell the record? We thought that that was wack, and if I am going to collab with musicians that I don't know I'd rather collab with musicians that I listen to. I don't really listen to that much mainstream rap, you know? A few things, the Mike Jones shit, I've been listening to. If we have a certain budget, we want to spend it wisely. The whole approach to the record was like a rock approach. An honest, sincere record in hopes that when people listen to it, that it does stir up some emotions. If I can't make you feel something with the music, than why am I making it? If you listen to a record and walk away like ??€?man, that dude's got some punchlines' or ??€?aw man, that dude is evil, he's sick, or he's twisted'. It's just like, empty. And I was guilty of that, making empty heartless music.

So when we sat down and started making the record, everyone who is on the record is a personal friend or a friend of a friend. We just tapped pretty much everything that we could. Darryl Palumbo is a friend of mine, James and Matt Sweeny are friends of El's, Shadow was a friend of El's. But the thing was, it was the music that got everyone involved. We'd have the contact, but dudes wanted to hear what they were getting involved with. Same thing with James and Matt, and Jello, as well. They heard the songs that they were getting on, they liked the music and they jumped on. With Jello, it was just an honor to have him say that he felt the song was dope, but then for him to want to be a part of it was even better.

So....Well, I guess I see this is kind of a really visual record. One of your main talents is painting these really vivid pictures of whatever these situations are that you talk about on the record. So do you have any plans of taking it further and doing a DVD, sort of like 50 Cent did with his Massacre DVD?

We're actually in the process of working on a DVD. There's a video for "Shoot Frank" which is done. I'm doing, with a close friend of mine, four or five videos. A video for "Too Heavy For Cherubs", which will be a public service announcement against child abuse. Also a video for "Scenester" and a video for "Grand Old Party Crash". This will be my directorial debut - I'm writing, co-writing, directing with a good friend of mine, Alex Pardee, who is a fuckin' retarded artist, who did shitloads of comics, did art for The Used, toys, kid robot shit. He's doing all the artwork on the DVD as well as the menus, and the featurettes. There will be a little segment in there with him doing the animation on the DVD as well. None of these videos are being made to be run or shopped to MTV.

"Too Heavy For Cherubs" for me was like me going back and getting my ass beat, getting abused and shit. You know, people ask me what the record is about. It's about child abuse, spousal abuse, heroin addiction, struggling with drug addicition. These are all things that anyone can relate to, and there are people going through these same things, and if they can relate to it, it helps me. Making the record definitely changed me and altered the way I think about things.

It's interesting that I finally decided to make a record with some substance, and then I'm popping up in magazines. It's interesting; it makes me wonder why I didn't do this type of thing years ago.

Well, I can tell you from my position that if you take the slow and steady route, you're going to win the race. If you make honest music, rather than quick, bullshit, it's going to work.

That's what now I'm stuck with, I'll never make music like that again, I'll never make music like I did before again. I can't do anything but be truthful and make honest music at this point. I don't give a shit about being the best emcee, or the top 100. I don't care about any of that shit, it's nothing to me. It's not even relevant to my life at all. I don't want to be a part of any stereotype in rap music at all. And if that means people are looking at me like "oh, why is his hair like that?!!", that's their own closeted-homosexuality they have to work out, not mine.

Where I'm at right now in my life, I can say that it's the first time I can say that I've been happy in my entire life, and I wouldn't trade that for anything.

Floetry: Opposites Attract
By Donna Marbury


It??€�s funny how two women who used to play against each other on the basketball court in high school now are credited with making some of the most soulful music together. As different as Floetry members Marsha Ambrosius (the Songstress) and Natalie Stewart (the Floacist) seem to be, the better their music gets.
The two splashed upon the U.S. coast from Britain with a spoken word/soul combination that lead to their 2000 debut Floetic. They garnered critical acclaim with six Grammy nods, six Soul Train awards and a NAACP nomination for Outstanding New Artist. A heavy tour schedule that has included at least 160 shows per year since the release of Floetic gave birth to a live album in 2003, Floacism, and fans have been eagerly awaiting new music from the duo.



Anyone who reads the duo??€�s album liner notes would know that they have not been spending all of their time on the road. An accomplished songwriting and production team, Floetry has penned songs for Jill Scott, Bilal, Glenn Lewis, as well as the chorus on the Styles P hit, ??€?I??€�m Black??€?. Michael Jackson??€�s ??€?Butterflies??€? was a Floetry creation, and you can hear Marsha in the background of both Justin Timberlake??€�s ??€?Cry Me A River??€? and The Game??€�s ??€?Start From Scratch??€?.

It has been a busy time between albums for Floetry, but they are back with a new single, ??€?SupaStar??€?, which features Common. Armed with more confidence and a deeper understanding of their femininity, the Floacist and the Songstress spoke with AHH Alternatives about their upcoming album Flo??€�Ology, and the process of becoming better with time.

AHHA: I just saw you two at the Sugar Water Festival Tour. I wanted you to perform longer though.

Natalie: I know, so did we. It was a festival, and it was a lot of people to be on that one bill. All of us could have done that entire show by ourselves, material wise. It was great to get on that. Unless you make your festival start at two o??€�clock in the afternoon there??€�s no way to give people a long amount of time. It??€�s difficult to please audiences though. It was a great show all together for the timeline we had to work within.

AHHA: How was it touring Sugar Water Festival Tour with Erykah Badu, Queen Latifah, and Jill Scott, and the Kool Philosophy Tour with the Roots?

Natalie: We stay on the road; we do like 10 months every year.

Marsha: The Roots tour for me was fantastic, with the live band. It was amazing just to be on the road with them. It was a very diverse crowd of people there to appreciate the music. The Sugar Water tour, even with the time that we had, was a great learning experience to be around so many powerful women on the stage at one time. I thought it was great.

AHHA: Let??€�s talk a little bit about the new single, ??€?SupaStar??€?. How did the song come about, and how did you hook up with Common?

Natalie: Adding Common was the very last part. Our label though it would be good to do a collaboration, and Common is someone we definitely admire. We chose to ask Common to add a piece of the male perspective. In terms of putting the song together, as always Marsha and I hear a beat and there??€�s something to talk about??€¦ the subject matter, the music speaks, the moment speaks. If there??€�s nothing to say at that time then we don??€�t do it. If it??€�s a song for someone else obviously it??€�s different, but this song was for us.
We worked with producer Scott Storch on it. We went into his lab and went through his index of beats, some of his beats were crazy. We went through a whole bunch of stuff until we found two pieces that spoke to us. [The song] is about enjoying the energy and the divine femininity of the mother. It??€�s speaking about the recognition of potential. Everybody wants to be at the finishing line right now. Nobody wants to put in the time and the effort. People don??€�t like to commune and come together and support, whether it be masculinity or femininity. And we just had that piece in us at that point.

AHHA: Since one of you is a singer and one of you is a poet/emcee, how do you combine those two different elements and write a song?

Natalie: The funny thing is, we??€�re both singers and we??€�re both poets and we??€�re both emcees. We just kinda do whatever comes to us with the record. Don??€�t sleep - Marsha can spit a couple of bars real quick, and I??€�m a bit of a Reggae crooner, deep down inside. Creating with Marsha is one of the easiest things I??€�ve ever done. I can??€�t remember doing a song and being like, ??€?Don??€�t say that,??€� or ??€?Say something else.??€�

Marsha: As far as the collaborations go, we kind of stay in our lanes and play our positions to the point where no one is stepping on each other??€�s toes. If there ever came a situation where Natalie thought she had to sing and I thought I had to emcee that??€�s what would happen. It wouldn??€�t be an issue. It would just be how the song dictated itself.

AHHA: So are we going to hear you emceeing on the new album?

Marsha: To me I already do, just the patterns and the melodies??€¦

Natalie: It??€�s a melodic version of an emcee.

Marsha: ??€?Mr. Messed Up??€? was emceeing pretty much. Nat??€�s voice and the Reggae tone she added to that was so melodic to me, it makes my job easier to write because I can already hear the tones in what she writes, and vice versa.

AHHA: With so many people doing spoken word poetry, how do you keep that element fresh in the music that you make?

Natalie: The art of being a poet is a God-given gift. Like jumping high or running far or singing well. That truly is what I am, I??€�m a poet. My gift is words and communication. So we don??€�t have to work on collaborating and keeping fresh, they are what we do, they are what we be. So keeping the spoken word element fresh; it just is. Poetry is relative terminology; I paint poetically, I write songs poetically, I speak poetically. It??€�s a standard of language, a standard of which communication can be measured. So it is what it is, it does what it does.

AHHA: A lot of people aren??€�t aware of the songwriting and production work you??€�ve done with other artists and for yourselves. Do you feel you get less recognition for that?

Marsha: We don??€�t concentrate on that too much. I think we haven??€�t been out there that long for people to know our resume. I think it??€�s an experience to get our name back out there for those who don??€�t know. People who want to know, they know where to look. It??€�s not something bragged about on our part. For Floetry, for ourselves, that??€�s our baby, that??€�s what we do. We really try to concentrate on that and do our job.

AHHA: Tell us about the new CD and how you??€�ve grown between now and the first CD.

Marsha: The new CD is Flo??€�Ology, even if we didn??€�t do it I would love the album??€¦ The difference between this CD and the first one is the time we??€�ve had since the year 2000. We were five years younger and coming all the way from the U.K to American to do a bunch of poetry gigs, not knowing we??€�d end up with a recording deal and an album in stores. All the time in between that made the women that we are now.

Natalie: The new CD, like Marsha said, is an aging process. Art is like wine and cheese, you??€�ve got to live a bit A lot of people try to put everything into the space that they??€�re at. My grandmother had this saying that she??€�s been my age and I??€�ve never been hers. That builds with the fact that things get more mature; articulation grows, understanding grows. There??€�s no ??€?Headache??€? on this album, there??€�s no ??€?Ms. Stress??€? on this album. There are new situations that we??€�ve come across. If you continue to make the same song about the same issue, there??€�s no progress. We??€�ve progressed and have a higher articulation and a higher understanding. There??€�s a lot of that kind of growth on the album. It??€�s such a strong album, there??€�s a lot of strength, divine feminine strength, on here. A lot of responsibility and knowing where we are??€¦a lot of taking matters into your own hands and being mothers. There??€�s a lot of mother energy. Like ??€?SupaStar??€? - most men??€¦ the last time they were called ??€?superstar??€� was when they were like three. This is more about defining what we want by saying what we want, not what we don??€�t want. The universe doesn??€�t listen to the English language. A request is a request. This album is really about defining what you want.

AHHA: On the new album you??€�re doing a remake of ??€?Waiting in Vain??€? by Bob Marley. How did you decide on that song and what kind of spin do you put on it?

Natalie: Well the spin on it is that a female is singing it, like when Marsha and I did the BET Walk of Fame with Smokey Robinson, there??€�s a woman that is singing the lyrics that a man wrote. Why that song? I think that??€�s because I was singing it in a show, right Marsha?

Marsha: Yeah.

Natalie: Somehow it crept in after the show, after ??€?Hello??€? right?

Marsha: Yeah.

Natalie: After ??€?Hello??€?, the topics just linked up. Somebody said we should do a version for the record, and I did. Marsha accompanied me with some wonderful ??€?ooohhhs??€�. I love Bob Marley. My family is from Jamaica. It??€�s just nice because the only people I??€�d like to collaborate with have all passed. It??€�s really nice to be able to do that cover. Personally that was a beautiful moment to me.

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Nas: One Love
By Adisa "The Bishop of Hip-Hop" Banjoko




The year is 1994 and New Year??€�s is creeping up upon us. An MC from Queensbridge named Nas is currently keeping the streets on fire from coast to coast. Many brothers on the block, as well as Rap critics acknowledge Nas??€� debut LP Illmatic to be one of the greatest solo debuts of all time.

In celebration of Nas??€� appearance with Jay-Z this weekend, take a look at Nasir Jones before the legendary battles from way back and peace treaties of today. Here, Nas talks about his youth, how family structure affects the outcome of the life expectancy of Black men, and the politics of ??€?The Bridge.??€� Even in his youth, Nas dropped science and math...

AHH: What were your earliest memories of Hip-Hop? Not much being a part of it- but just the music itself and the culture?

Nas: I remember it just bein??€� the fly s**t, the new s**t. Just n***as, Black people, young Black people, loud music, big speakers, turntables, females, weed, Private Stock, and seeing??€� records. Like, if somebody was a big name, you saw he made a record. I mean, it was mad rappers. But when you look at a n***as record - you seen that was some s**t! As being a young Black man, you would have never thought to see yourself on some wax. And that tight there, you was the man. You was chillin??€�. Even if a n***a never knew you, if they see you on record you was the man.

AHH: So what was the first Hip-Hop album you bought?

Nas: I think it was Run-DMC ??€?King of Rock.??€? If it wasn??€�t that, it was L.L. Cool J??€�s ??€?Radio.??€? Those were the first ones I bought. The other ones, I stole out my man??€�s crate.

AHH: What were the first ones you stole?

Nas: The first one I stole was I think, Mary Jane Girls. I consider that Hip-Hop.

AHH: I understand you used to break back in the day?

Nas: Yo, that was a long time ago. I??€�d rather not talk about it. We all did it.

AHH: I used to do that for a minute. So tell me about your youth. What was your relationship like with your father?

Nas: He was just a cool muthaf**ka. He was different from what I would visualize: a father being when you would look down and watch a [show] like Cosby Show. He was different than that type of s**t. But he??€�s just a cool n***a - a straight up and down person.

AHH: And your mother?

Nas: My moms is real strong, real sensitive, real caring and real intelligent.

AHH: Do you have any business plans?

Nas: Ill Will music, dedicated to my man Ill Will. Bless the dead. He would probably be spinnin??€� for me right now on the turntables or chillin??€� with me ??€?cause he was my right hand man. But now he??€�s still here with me, spiritually.

AHH: We all know a lot of Black men that have lost their lives needlessly. What do you think are the reasons for the havoc coast to coast?

Nas: It??€�s just that we??€�re naturally born Black and aggressive towards getting what we deserves. We??€�re born knowing that something is missing. We??€�re born feeling like we??€�re born in an alien nation. From day one, your moms and what she goes through. I mean just, just, generations. It??€�s what your parents have already been through. Really, it depends on how your family structure is. If your moms is on dope, and your pops ain??€�t there, you gonna grow up real strong in certain ways and real f**ked up in certain ways. But if your moms is there and your pops is there but they are just weak people who didn??€�t know how to guide you??€¦If you??€�re the kind of person who takes things upon yourself, then you??€�re gonna be a different way. You know it??€�s all kinds of ways we come out. It??€�s so many of us that are around each other. So much s**t on our minds. We??€�re thinkin??€� we??€�re tyrants trying to get to the right solution. We??€�re thinkin??€� about all the different ways of getting it and it??€�s mad obstacles in our way. It??€�s mad s**t that we don??€�t see in our way that makes us fall. It??€�s so easy for us to f**k up, especially when you are coming from a poor family.

AHH: On Main Source??€�s ??€?Live at the BBQ??€? you had a line that said ??€?When I was 12 I went to hell for snuffin??€� Jesus.??€? I??€�m not a Christian, but the fact that a man would make a casual remark like that about the murder of an acknowledged Prophet to some and saviour by others- what brings lines like that out?

Nas: When I??€�m feelin??€� up to a point where I??€�m on some s**t where I just don??€�t give a s**t about nobody. ??€�Cause ain??€�t nothin??€� in my pocket. I??€�m going through some s**t, I??€�ll diss anybody I want to. I??€�ll tell you why. I could break the s**t down for you. Because when a person is that angry, that??€�s how he feels about everything. That??€�s how I felt lyrically at the time.

AHH: Reminds me of Malcolm X, in the movie when he yells to the priest ??€?You tell Jesus to kiss my ass! What has he done for me. He ain??€�t done nothin??€� for me!??€?

Nas: I kinda felt like how Malcolm X felt. And this was before the movie, I just thought of Malcolm when I said that. You know what I mean? I knew he would be behind me.

AHH: Are you coming to the West Coast any time soon?

Nas: True indeed. I plan on comin??€� out there with the Queens s**t, the inner side of Queens material. It??€�s a lot of punk muthaf**kas that never say Queens and s**t.

AHH: Why do you think that is?

Nas: I don??€�t know, to tell you the truth. I don??€�t know. It just became like a religion for some rappers not to mention Queens. But I??€�m from Queensbridge, and I??€�m just representing??€�. It??€�s all about the bridge with me.

Adisa Banjoko is author of the upcoming book ??€?Lyrical Swords Vol. 2: Westside Rebellion??€?. For more info visit www.lyricalswords.com !

Atmosphere: Get Fly
By Melissa Mace





Deep within the mass of beats and rhymes found on the Minneapolis
based label, Rhymesayers, Atmosphere's ,
You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having, is already grabbing
critics attention. In Slug's lyrical content that travels the path from 
mind to mouth, you'll find analogies of himself, alcohol and his
 favorite topic: women, to coincide with the background beatsmith,
 Ant's, musical creations. Atmosphere usually resides in the 
underground layers of the Hip-Hop world, but it seems they are
 unknowingly on their way up, out of Minneapolis and past the airwaves
 of college radio. 

Most would think, what the hell does Minneapolis know about Hip-Hop?
But the truth is, they know lots.

The Atmosphere ideology grew from
 their love of Hip-Hop music and created something new, something of
 their own. Eventually, they evolved into the creators of the 
Rhymesayers Collective which now hosts recognized artists such as 
Brother Ali, Blueprint, and MF Doom. Recently, AllHipHop.com caught up
 with the mid-west duo to find out about lyrical meanings, touring and 
of course, women.

 So what does Minneapolis know
 about Hip-Hop? Sit back and find out.


AHH: So far, the critics??€� response to You Can??€�t Imagine How Much Fun We??€�re Having has been good.

Ant: That's good, I hope it helps.



AHH: Recently at a show in Iowa City, you actually performed. I
was very excited about that because you usually don't tour. Are you
taking a new turn in your career? Should we look for Ant at more shows 
from here on out?



Ant: I can't say that for sure, maybe if I'm invited back [laughs]. I
just started getting comfortable, it took a while. It's not my
expertise. It's definitely not a reality for me. It's very odd.



AHH: Well on the new album, I'm really impressed with the last song,
 ??€?Little Man.??€? Slug, it's interesting how you took your father-figure
 and then your son, and almost admitted being questionable at both.
What is the most valuable lesson learned from your youth that you
 apply in raising your son Jacob?



Slug: The most valuable lesson I want him to learn is not to fall for
 ??€?it.??€? When I say ??€?it,??€? I mean not to have to pick sides. Our culture 
is all about that. I just want him to be able to apply common sense to 
all of his decisions. The lyrics in this song bring me back to my
issues of co-dependency and the issues of me with relationships, where 
I have to be validated by someone else. This song is about how I never
 learned how to have an equal-standing relationship. My mom kicked my
 dad out when I was eleven and I accept what's handed to me, because I come
 from a broken home. My mom did her best to put a rational equality 
outlook on life. But I learned through the eyes of a woman who was 
pissed off and from that I carry male guilt. People have been 
brainwashed and when they say I always rap about women, and they think 
I'm a chauvinist but I'm not. I look at it as self-bashing. Does that make sense? I ramble.

AHH: Most definitely.



Slug: I'm surprised that I get to talk to a girl journalist in the
 Hip-Hop world. I like to see more women in the Hip- Hop world, I think
 it is hard for them. It surprises me how many girls are publicists, 
you know. But I like to see more on this side of it. Even within the 
music aspect, there aren't many female MC's. I mean you have Missy
 Elliot, but she still has to wear layers of make up to be accepted.



AHH: I wish there were more women in the game too.



Slug: If you look at an Atmosphere show, there is a 40-50 ratio of
women in the audience. They are allowed to like Atmosphere, but not 
Gangsta- Rap, unless you're a dyke. We don't allow them to like it, we
 think they can't relate to it, but they do. They can have a bad day
 and want to shoot their boss. They can get in their car and turn it up
and feel p*ssed and relate to it.



AHH: Yeah, I know what you mean. Sometimes it is hard for people to 
take you seriously when you're a girl in this business. And Gangsta-
Rap does fit the mood sometimes. Ant, I know you love West Coast 
Gangsta-Rap. If you could work with any 80's Gangsta-Rap legend, who
 would it be?



Ant: MC Eiht, just because I could work well with him. Even though Ice
 Cube is the best, MC Eiht and I would get along really well, I think. I can??€â„?t explain it. 




AHH: Let's talk about your last album Se7en's Travels. It was said you hated this album, and while it was your biggest, it also
 stirred up some disappointment in the core Atmosphere circles. What 
did you learn from the record and how did you apply it? Because,
already, this one is being toted as your best.



Slug: Se7en's Travels I hate because I didn't pay attention to 
supplying something that people could understand. I made a record of 
how confusing my life was, when I found out my fans didn't get it, it 
confused me too. It was a reflection of where I was in my life. After 
making records for like ten years, you evolve, just like your fans do.
 Is it not okay for me to grow lyrically? I know it was relevant than any
other record, I just didn't make it obvious enough. This one is more
refined. Moods are direct. People can get their own versions out of 
it.



AHH: Ant, we saw how versatile your producing abilities are, 
especially with Brother Ali's Shadows on the Sun. You used more
 horns and a fuller soulful sound for him. Why did you feel that worked
better for Ali than say Slug or other MC's you have worked with?



Ant: He has a bigger voice and it can handle a bigger sound. It's a
feel thing, for others it doesn't feel the same. One track on that 
album was originally for Slug, but it wasn't right for him. He didn't
 like it. But Ali ran into it and it turned out to be ??€?Bitchslap??€? on 
Shadows. It's weird how things work out.



AHH: Other Indie producers haven't reached the numbers in sales you 
have, but they get more exposure than you...like 9th Wonder for 
example. Why do you think you're not getting that same exposure?



Ant: Maybe it's a taste thing. Maybe that's what they like. If 
numbers were the case, we'd be talking about the producer for Britney
 Spears.



AHH: True, Would you like to work with some more commercial MC's?



Ant: I would, but I'm not crying over that. I'm open to whatever. I'd
want some power in the situation though.



AHH: In a recent interview Slug said Atmosphere ??€?helps kid's find their 
identity.??€? Do you feel that is a common theme among young people and 
how do you help them with finding themselves?



 Slug: I can't believe I really said that. [laughing] It is the best I 
can hope for. We are playing a small letter in the equation in helping 
them find themselves. I'm not hoping to go platinum, the best I can go
 for is providing quality, positive Hip-Hop within the game.



AHH: Ant, This year alone, with the Rhymesayers label, you are 
producing around five projects. Will you be doing other projects off
 the label?



Ant: I'll do a song here or there.



AHH: How do you chose the MC's you want to work with?



Ant: Obviously, if I know them or if they're good. If I can fit it in
 too. I prefer to work with somebody, not to send something in the 
mail. A lot of people are doing that s**t these days. I don't do that.




 AHH: Let me ask you about the Rhymesayers label. Rhymesayers put out
critically acclaimed albums from MF Doom and Blueprint this last year.
Do you see the company continuing to putting a Rhymesayers flip on
other artist's styles?



Slug: The problem with Indie labels is they tend to create a certain 
sound. I love diversity on our label. We have Brother Ali, MF Doom, 
who is like the Andy Kaufman of Hip-Hop, and Blueprint, who is just 
the all around MC's MC. I appreciate diversity and most important with 
our people on our label, is that they are all good human beings. They
are all people I can bring my kid around. I mean, people can learn to
be dope. I can stick you on a bus touring with Brother Ali and you can
get dope, but in the end, if you're an a**hole, you're an a**hole.



AHH: Ant, I heard when you first met Slug, you didn't care for his 
voice at all, what changed your mind?



Ant: Touring has done some damage to his voice and it's helped his
 voice. It sounds like more of an adult. When we first met, he had that
 teenager thing happening. I mean, it was all right.



AHH: You have said in the past, you are more of a background guy and 
leave the front man stuff to Slug. You also said you are not trying to
be Puffy or anything. What do you get out of producing then? What is 
your ultimate goal?



Ant: When I said that, I meant big in the sense of having my face
 everywhere. Ultimately, I am chasing my dream. I like making music. My
 goal is to accomplish my dream and I've accomplished most of my dream
 already.



AHH: Let's talk about touring. You are one of the kings of Hip-Hop
van touring. With that said, what is the coolest roadside attraction
 in America? I mean it can be a good sandwich or anything.



Slug: Oh man, that is a tough one. I like the mountains, I like 
looking at them. Um, That is a good question. On the road, I am very 
distracted by women. I am completely into studying people. People
 generally keep me going. It is an opportunity to meet future friends,
future ex-wives, future co-workers and on stage I jump around and seem
 loud, but off-stage I am not a loud guy. I like to observe. That is
 why I write so much about people. My writing is about the human
 condition. Did I really just say that?

AHH: [Laughing] No, it sounded good. Speaking of women, let's talk
about the song ??€?Like Today.??€? I heard someone say it gave sexual hope 
to the hopeless. What prompted you to write that song?



Slug: ??€?Like Today??€? is really my version of LL Cool J's ??€?The Do Wop.??€? I 
even ended it like him, where I woke from a dream, but nobody got that 
except me. I never expected people on the outside of Minneapolis to
hear it. It is really about the 'any man' lifestyle for kids in
 Minneapolis. It is the 'any man's' song.



AHH: Have you been worried about sample clearances, since your selling 
more records now?



Ant: A little. We try to clear our stuff or part of it. We're not that
 big where people pay attention.



Watch the video forst then read the interviewer's commentary...recorded this past September at UCLA.

Click Here!

Miri Ben-Ari: Strings Attached
By Todd Angkasuwan


She went from recording "Overnight Celebrity" to becoming an overnight celebrity, but don't call Miri Ben-Ari a one-hit wonder. This Israeli-born artist is out to prove that a violin-toting virtuoso can be more than a novelty in the world of Hip-Hop. Although she came with Bach-inspired fire on Twista's "Overnight Celebrity", the hit song was only the first opus for the one they call "The Hip-Hop Violinist".

Her album, aptly entitled The Hip Hop Violinist, is full of cameos from industry heavyweights like Kanye West, Scarface, and Anthony Hamilton. She also just shot a music video for her single, "We Gonna Win", featuring Styles P. And just for good measure, she recently inked a deal with Reebok to represent the Rbk "I Am What I Am" advertising campaign. It might seem like Miri??€�s success did indeed happen overnight, but her story begins nearly five years ago.

Back in 2001, Wyclef Jean was at one of Miri's performances - and that night, something sparked. It took Wyclef's mindful ear to notice that this talented violinist could offer a fresh perspective in a world in need of innovation. Wyclef couldn't pass up the opportunity to pair Ben-Ari up with Hip-Hop's elite. After a groundbreaking performance at the 2001 Summer Jam set with Jay-Z, Hov had no choice but to invite her to perform at his Showtime concert in 2003. Things haven't been the same since.

AHH Alternatives found some time in Ben-Ari's hectic schedule to chop it up about her humble musical beginnings and how quickly things can seemingly change...overnight.

AHHA: Congratulations on the new album, Miri. It sounds like you've been busier than ever.

Miri Ben-Ari: Real busy. As you know, I just dropped the album. It's my moment right now. I'm busy promoting the album and we're getting ready to drop the video. Styles P is in the video and [Reebok] was involved with that. I'm working a lot with Rbk right now. They chose me as the new face for the "I Am What I Am" [ad] campaign. It's a special relationship because this is the first time a company like that has shot a video for an artist. It's really an honor, but it's also a lot of responsibility.

AHHA: So how did the deal with Rbk come about? Why did they approach you?

Miri Ben-Ari: Like every other event in my life, I was just at the right place at the right time. They saw me at the [NBA] All-Star Game. After they saw me perform, they approached me about working with them.

AHHA: I'm sure after hearing you perform, a lot of people probably look at the violin much differently now, especially as far as Hip-Hop is concerned. Do you come across Hip-Hop heads who express some interest in taking up the instrument?

Miri Ben-Ari: Are you kidding? Every kid I come across now wants a violin. They say they want to be a Hip-Hop violinist. For kids today, it's become cool again. I'm proud that I can play a part in that.

AHHA: On the flip side of that, I've read some comments on the internet from people who say that you might not be taking full potential of your skill by doing Hip-Hop. They say that playing the violin in this very unorthodox manner goes against all the classical training you've had. What do you say to this?

Miri Ben-Ari: This is something every artist goes through; determining which direction they take their music. This is my musical choice. I've taken this instrument from the background and have put it up front as a solo instrument. When you listen to the album, you will have no doubt that this is a mainstream Hip-Hop album and you will have no doubt that this is my album. When it comes to musical instruments, it's one thing to have the concept, but it's another thing to actually execute. As far as the traditional players, they can't say sh*t about me. Once they see what I'm capable of, they're like she can play. I just chose to do it differently.

After playing Classical, I went with Jazz. The sickest name in Jazz, Wynton Marsalis, worked with me on my second album. He basically said, "Yo, that b*tch can play!" [laughter] I never need to prove myself to the Jazz world. I'm not doing Hip-Hop because I couldn't make a career in Jazz. I had a career in Jazz. I had a great career in Jazz! But now, I'm doing what I want to do.

AHHA: How long have you been a Hip-Hop head? Who were you listening to when you fell in love with the culture?

Miri Ben-Ari: My Hip-Hop experience is not as long as my musical instrument experience. I've been playing music all my life. If I had listened to Hip Hop since I was like six-years-old or something, I'd have been a Hip-Hop head most of my life. But my parents didn't introduce me to anything except Classical music. I really didn't have the opportunity to check out the music that I love today, which is music of the soul.

AHHA: What do you think about the Hip-Hop landscape at the moment? Who do you think is hot right now?

Miri Ben-Ari: I'm very happy with what's going on right now with the movement of Kanye West??€¦and John Legend. John is a real musician. John can play the keys. It's not a gimmick. There are other singers like Anthony Hamilton, who are really talented and can really sing. I like Bobby Valentino. He can sing. These guys are real.

AHHA: So what are your thoughts regarding sampling versus live instrumentation?

Miri Ben-Ari: I'm all for production. Don't get me wrong. I play a live instrument. It's what I do. To me, I think sampling can be great, especially after working with Kanye. Kanye doesn't play instruments, but he is so musical! The way he samples??€¦he has an ear. He has a natural ear. It's amazing how he uses samples. Using a sample doesn't mean you cannot play. I use samples on my own album...hell yeah. Samples make a track hot in a way that only samples can do that.

There are so many ways to make music. I even used to play drums. I'm a groove-oriented person. I'm very much into the groove. If it wasn't for my parents, I'd probably be playing drums instead of the violin.

AHHA: Do you have any interest in fusing your sound with other genres of music aside from Hip-Hop?

Miri Ben-Ari: I believe you would not be able to find one type of music that I have not played. I've played everything from Rock, Latin, World Music, Middle Eastern music, Greek music, Jewish music, you name it. That's why I am the person I am today. But Hip-Hop and R&B, what they call ??€?Black Music??€�, is what comes out of me when I write. You discover your own identity when you write music.

AHHA: So what lies ahead for you? Where do you see your career going in the long run?

Miri Ben-Ari: I want to change the game even more. When I started doing my thing, I think it was at a good time. I think people are more ready now than they were in the past. I think I introduced something that made it possible for people like myself to be involved in the game. I think we need to keep it out there and take it to the next level. Like I said, I want to change the game even more. I'm all about making a difference and I'm not afraid to do it.

Your signing to G Unit seemed to catch everyone off guard. How did that happen?

Prodigy: 50 Cent heard that we were free agents. He called Hav like, "Yo, what's up? I'm fucking with y'all. Let's do it."

After seven albums being self-contained, by joining G Unit are you admitting that maybe, your way wasn't working anymore?

Havoc: Nah, not at all. The way we were doing it always worked. It was just the record companies were fucking up. Now we have a better platform.

50 recently said he's picking all the beats for your upcoming album. Is that true?

H: He sends beats to us. If we don't like it, we always got our opinions. But he's got such a good ear that every track he picks is right, so it's all good. I'm still producing somewhere close to half the album.

Did you sign an artist deal?

H: Nah, not like a regular deal. We got a lot of perks. We got more points than any artist ever got to this day, so it's a real good deal.

Perks? Give me a few examples of these perks.

P: We got Porsches.
H: Top of the line. I got a GT3 that's nonrecoupable.

So, I guess it didn't bother you that on "Piggy Bank" 50 said to Jadakiss, "I'll do your little ass like Jay did Mobb Deep?"

H: Nope
P: When he said that line, he was just talking about what really happened. At Summer Jam, Jay-Z put up a picture of me when I was a little kid in my grandmother's dance school. We're all bigger than Jay now.

Similar to Ja Rule's R.U.L.E., Amerikaz Nightmare had it's fans, but it didn't achieve commercial success. Were you worried that your time might have passed?

H: The difference with Ja Rule is people were tired of him. We came out with a good record, but the record company wasn't getting it to the fans.

Speaking of Ja Rule, 50 is known for his beefs. Will it be a problem for you to work with people he's beefing with?

H: I'm a producer, bottom line. Nobody can tell me what I can and can't do as far as me being creative. And 50 is not even like that at all. But, I will say that I'm down for my team, and I ain't trying to start no friction.

Havoc produced "Don't Need Your Love" on The Documentary. And P, you did "Dead Bodies"on the Alchemist's album with Game. Will you continue to work with him in the future?

P: If Fif tells me, "Yo don't give that ***** no verses," them *****s ain't getting no verses, man. It's not gonna stop my money, 'cause I'll get money from somewhere else. I'll be like All right, cool. What verse can I do? That's where I'm gonna get money from, then.

It doesn't matter that someone has a say in your music relationships?

P: Hell no. He made me rich.

How does your G Unit affiliation affect your relationship with Nas?

P: Who that? You're talking about Milkshake? He's not in the picture no more. He left the radar.

Is Big Noyd going to be involved with your new album, Blood Money?

P: Once Mobb Deep gets an album out and goes on tour and our album is selling, then we'll start thinking about different artists. But right now, we're not really worried about nobody else but Mobb Deep.

There was a controversy earlier this year with your former manager Littles, saying you two were breaking up. What was that about?

P: Who that, son? I don't even know who that is.

With your recent appearance on the Anger Management 3 tour, you seem to have lost weight. Are you still struggling with sickle cell?

P: I'm in perfect health. I ain't been sick in a long time.
H: We slim dudes. But check this bank account. Tell me how I look now (laughs). My hips look kinda fat right? My pockets are bulging.

How do you feel about New York's rap chances right now?

H: I mean, everybody gets their time. It started in New York and it's gonna come back ultimately. People go, "What about the South?" That's a tool to pit everybody against one another. We're all making black music. Right now, our Down South brothers are winning cause they deserve it.

Who do you guys feel is really representing New York right now?

H: Mobb Deep.

Duly noted. Since signing to G Unit, what's been the biggest change in your lives?

P: We're megastars now.
H: I never thought it would be this way.
P: When we signed that contract, Fif gave us the keys to the planet. We can open up any door right now.

El-P: Bombin' the System
By Paine




Producers are growing on trees lately. Despite a surplus of rappers in 2005, it's still not easy to make money pushing beats. Often, bedroom producers think they can make a buck doing film-work. Producer/emcee El-P has adjusted with the times and recently scored the just-released independent film, Bomb the System.

Like the "End to End Burners" track, a song from his former group Company Flow, the film deals largely with graffiti. El reveals his thoughts on the film, based upon his own experiences as well - holding it down for the graf heads. That's not all either, He discusses Def Jux's recent signings, plus some more on Cage's hot-topic album of 2005. For anybody who wanted to score a movie, bomb a freight, or start a million-dollar indie, El-P is worth the time.

AHH: How were you approached to score Bomb the System?

El-P: They just kinda approached me. They had been editing and writing the movie to my music, anyway. That's what they told me. Fantastic Damage was a big part of writing the s**t. When I saw the footage, and I saw what they had, a lot of my music was already in there from the album. I guess they were like, "F**k it, let's just try and get El to do some new s**t for us."

AHH: Murs with Walk Like a Man said he doubted the credibility in being approached with his project. I'm sure plenty of student filmmakers hit you. How'd you know this was right?

El-P: I was aware that it was serious when I saw what they had been working on. I didn't know what the f**k it was till I saw the footage. When I realized who was involved - the editor of the movie edited some pretty f**kin' fantastic films.

AHH: Word? Such as?

El-P: Such as uhhh... Requiem for a Dream and a couple other flicks. I recognized a lot of cats who were in the movie too. It just took me a minute to meet them and see what was up. But once I did, it was pretty clear that it's a pretty beautifully shot movie.

AHH: It's coming full circle to see Hip-Hop score movies. RZA did Kill Bills and Lord Finesse has done stuff...

El-P: What did Finesse score?

AHH: It's called Off the Hook. He told us he doesn't like to mention it 'cause the filmmakers stiffed him on the money.

El-P: That's ill. That's a lil' piece of trivia, right there.

AHH: What was your technique?

El-P: For me, I been tryin' to get into this for a while. I don't even think they knew that. I grew up being obsessed with music scores, and being obsessed with movies that had that tripped-out, f**ked up s**t - the 80's. A lot of the samples I've used on records are from that. I have a huge collection of scores. I was kinda amped to do it. Basically, they gave me the footage, and I put music to it - I scored it. It was basically a process of me sitting there, f**kin' around, and tryin' to get it right. It was kinda weird. I wanted to do it the right way, and not just throw this anywhere. They would say, "I need this to happen right here." What was crazy is that sometimes they re-cut the movie to my score. To edit around the nuance, I'm sure that's rare. It was really cool. Dude gave me a huge load of confidence.

AHH: Coming from a graffiti writing background, what do you think of the film?

El-P: I think the film is beautiful. I think it's beautifully shot. I think there's some amazing performances in it. I like the fact that it's modern. It's a f**kin' graf fictional movie set in modern times. And graf is pretty much ignored now. [There are] documentaries here and there about a graf artist or two, but not an actual story set in modern day New York City, and graf now is a much different thing than it used to be. I really liked it.

AHH: How did it compare to your experience?

El-P: My experience with graf was as a kid growing up in Brooklyn. My experience with graf was as a fan and as being down with kids who were writers. I didn't even try, I just ran with cats who were talented. Parts of the film definitely rang true to me. Like graf often ends up starting out as fun and ends up being confusing for a lot of cats, that was definitely true. The whole idea of questioning artistic ideas and s**t - hitting walls and having them buffed the next day. Cats really get heated over that. [laughs] It's realistic. If I didn't think the s**t was legitimate, I wouldn't have f**ked with it.

AHH: Def Jux got a lot of their audience through videos. Your video for "Deep Space 9mm" messed me up. So coming from a visual background, how was it challenging to have the video before the music?

El-P: It was a challenge. It's kinda freeing. With the "Deep Space" s**t, I developed the concept, they've all been co-directed by me. But like you said, you already have a song. In this way, it's easier to make a song, than a film that represents that song. If you hook up with the right people, s**t can happy. It's kinda like producing other cats' albums. It's not about me and my sound and my ideas. I'm just vibing off of theirs.

AHH: When you were graf writing, what did you listen to get souped up?

El-P: S**t bro, this was the 80's - f**kin' Beastie Boys, Fat Boys.

AHH: Cage's Hells Winter album has been a huge turnaround story for somebody that I feel a lot of Hip-Hop fans wrote off. What's going on with Def Jux right now?

El-P: The response has been amazing, incredible. I think people just like to see him in a new angle, and talk about s**t that they were not expecting. It's some real s**t. He knew that. One of the reasons he did the record was because he was tired of feeding into that s**t, he had s**t he wanted to say. This is a 30 year-old man with a kid and a history. As far as Jux, I look at Cage as one of my top tier artists right now. I just look at the whole s**t as being very important. Cannibal Ox is officially just resigned with us. We're amped about that s**t. We're getting to work on that. A lot's happening.

AHH: Cage did speak a lot on the politics of the Eastern Conference departure. Company Flow and High & Mighty were together in building Rawkus. What was the confict for you in the politics of that project?

El-P: For what it's worth, I just do music, man. Cage is my boy and s**t. That s**t is just music, it didn't have anything to do with anything else. Also, Company Flow and High & Mighty were never really that close at Rawkus. But whatever. It's just music. I was just chillin'. I don't have no problem with anybody. That's really something at the end of the day, that has to be between Cage and them.

AHH: Last time I saw my mother, I had High Water with me, and she stole it, she loved it so much. From Co Flow, now you're making records for moms now...

El-P: [laughs] That?s funny. I'm making music for parents.

AHH: That was a crazy Jazz project. What else have you been up to?

El-P: I'm doing a s**tload of remix work. For some reason, the major label world has decided they like me. Obviously, I worked very closely on the Cage record. Now, basically, my main s**t is, I'm working on my follow-up to Fantastic Damage.

And .....some more hot shit GZA talks Check this out

http://www.hiphopgame.com/index2.php3?page=gza

ENJOY!!!!

and..some more good shit

O.C.: Time's Now

By Darin Gloe

It's a real pleasure to be sitting down with you, so what have been up to?
First off, what's up and peace to everybody. I just finished the album like a few works ago, we just got the master in. I'm touring with Hiero, I'm like a kid in the candy store, it's nice to be back.

First thing I have to ask, how does feel to have to have 2 of your albums considered hip-hop classics?

I don't man, that's on you guys. I just do what I do, I do the records for me first. I don't look at an album and think that it will be classic. I let people come into my world, if they like it, they like if not....it's cut and dry like that.

I was once told it took you nearly 6 months to write "Time's Up" is that true?
Nope.

(Laughs) A year?

Yeah man, it took maybe a year to a year and a half. It was before I had a deal. Originally Pharoahe had the beat and I begged him for the beat because it was so banging. Finally when I got the beat and found that it's a hard beat to write to. I went through like 3 books, trying to fit verses and flows with it. I finally came up with something that I thought was cool, but at the end of the day I still didn't like it, that's why it's only with 2 verses.

So your not happy with "Time's Up"?
Now of course I am, but back then I felt it was incomplete and I didn't think it was a good record to me.

There are a lot of things on people's minds, like the Organized Konfusion Reunion for instance. Is this going to happen and are you going to be a part of it?

That's a dead issue, Pharoahe is my dog but it's not going to happen.

Speaking of reunions, we haven't seen a D.I.T.C. album since 2000's stellar "D.I.T.C." LP, will the crew be reuniting?

It's up to the members man, the members are the ones who have to come together. Me, Finesse, AG, and Diamond have all talked about it. Joe advertised it on the back of his album a D.I.T.C. reunion, but who knows. We all have to get together.

Before we get into the new album, what is up with "Starchild" it's being taken off shelves I hear?

Yeah, it's being taken off the shelves because of sample clearances. The album was actually just supposed to be out overseas, but it got so much bigger. Back here at home it caused a big stir, which is a good thing but at the same time it was a bad thing. I didn't have any intentions are on releasing an album like that over here.

So for now people are just going to have to surf eBay for "Starchild" aye?

(Laughs).....guess so.

Let's talk about the new joint, "Smoke and Mirrors" on ReUp/Hiero recordings, drops October 11th. Coming from the East Coast originally, why hook up with a west coast label and how did that all come about?

Domino and Casual hooked up with my partners and I don't really know how it all came about. So my boys were talking to them and they were like "what's up with O", and Domino was like Yo, I would love to put a record out with him. They mentioned to him they we had been working on some joints, and I had been recording for like 2 years at my leisure. I stepped away for a while because I wasn't really enjoying myself, so I look at it if your not liking what you doing then might as well stop. So, anyway Domino stepped to us and I have a mutual respect for Hiero and I was with it. On top of that, I wanted to kind of put the exclamation on it saying that nobody from the east coast reached out and it took some west coast cats to reach out.

So speaking of that, what do you think of the state of hip-hop?

I think a lot of these kids are spoiled. They expect to get a million dollar deal and they it's like batteries not included. They think that everything they get should come with a diamond ring and a car and everything. They have to understand that the fruits of your labor are something you work for. In order to gain money, you have to build your self-respect, you have to get respect from the people in the game and then everything else will come.

The first single is "Rap Dudes", which has been making its rounds in my Sirius mixes. Is this the buzz single or the official first single?

Actually, that's just a throwaway right there. Matter of fact I'm lacing the net with a lot of throwaways. I'm just giving songs away, it's been a long time for me. I owe the people more than that, but I can give away songs. I have like 17 or 18 songs that's I'm just giving away. Like "Rap Dudes" is some straight hip-hop shit, no chorus just me flowing. ("Challenge Y'all" is the official first single)

You guys have been keeping a lot under wraps about the album; care to let the cat out of the bag? Who's producing tracks and who's dropping 16 bars?

Nobody, nobody is on the album. As far as production I'm dealing with this dude named Mike Low, he has been down with Diggin for years but he been playing the background. He produced the entire album except one track that's produced by Soulive. I don't have any guest appearances on the album because I was so tired of hearing albums with 100 collabos on there. The album is 17 tracks of just OC, "Smoke and Mirrors".

So what is the future of OC? Do you have any young bucks you're bringing up in game or you just going to keep doing you?

That is actually one of my faults, I have never brought anybody up in the game so I'm now looking. I'm not talking about just New York either, I'm 34 now and my mind has expanded so I'm not on some only New York type shit. I'm keeping my eyes out and my ears open. My focus right now is to contribute to the Hiero thing and for the next 3 years to stay in people's faces.

So your saying your dropping an album a year for the next 3 years?
Every year, it might be more than an album a year. I want to put in my work and I feel that the people are owed that. I was putting out albums out every 2 or 3 years and dealing with label situations that people didn't even know about. That's no excuse for the people, so I want to make it up and put out a lot of product in the next few years. I mean this album is real cool, it's one big contradiction. I wanted to be real honest and talk about my life and how people look at me a certain way but don't know. It's still straight hip-hop, but I like to wear nice things furs and such but I'm also a big animal right's activist, so that's a contradiction in itself. You just have to hear the album.

Anything else you want to say, shout outs, shameless plugs?

Shout out to everybody who has been a loyal fans and to all the new fans I have made. Look out for Pep Love's album, Casual's new album, look out for "Smoke and Mirrors", go buy Opio's album. Look out for everything out of the Hiero camp, they extended family now so I have to promote everybody. Good lookin....

"Krucial": The Man Behind Alicia Keys and Rakim


It's been a minute since I 've done an interview. I recently caught up with Kerry "Krucial" Brothers. Most of yall are probably like who the hell is that. Well he is the man who you may have seen in random candid shots with Alicia Keys floating around the internet. But more importantly, he is the man behind the sound, and I know ALL of y'all have heard The Diary of Alicia Keys. That's his work.... Alicia is great but how does the saying go.... behind every great woman is a man... or something like that.

Kerry more popularly known as Krucial was first known as a lyricist. He made a name for himself around the Nuyorican Poets Cafe and Lyricists Lounge before going on to blow up the music world behind the boards. So much of a lyricist, he plans on releasing his own EP after he puts the smack down on Rakim's new joint.

He's also laid it down for Keyshia Cole on "I Just Want It To Be Over" and if that wasn't enough, you heard him all up and through Usher and Alicia's duet "My Boo". He spoke briefly with me from his studio on Long Island.

What??€�s the biggest misconception about being a producer or should I say super producer in your case?

That you have to do everything, most people think that as a producer you are responsible for every single thing on a track. And that's not entirely true.

What is your involvement on the Rakim project?
We're re-working his project from scratch. He's headed back to New York and we are gonna redo everything.

Tell us about Krucial Keys, are you and Alicia married and you got her last name?
Krucial Keys is a movement and it's got its own sound. You've only heard a little bit so far. Kinda like how Neo Soul was a sound and movement.

How different is it working with an artist that writes music or play an instrument versus one that doesn??€�t?
Its different but it can be cool. It depends on what people bring to the table. Everyone has a different vibe. One is not better than the other.

Give me 5 songs currently on the Krucial playlist?
Man there are so many. I listen to everything from jazz to country to rap to reggae.

Since he's got his own solo thing in the works.... look out Missy, Kanye and them. We got another producer with the performance gene in his DNA. For more on Kerry, just turn on the damn radio or check out
http://www.krucialkeys.com/

Funkmaster Flex: Hard to Earn Part One
By Martin A. Berrios


For the last decade, Funkmaster Flex has certified himself as Hip-Hop??€�s biggest DJ. From the club dates, to the primetime radio shows, to five Gold albums, as well as branding and marketing, Flex has paved a path to a higher plain. His reputation for quality has sustained him as one of the top ears in Hip-Hop, having given an early boost to many of Hip-Hop??€�s brightest stars now.

Led by Ray Benzino, Flex's name has been tossed around liberally in allged payola scandal, a claim the DJ denies. Funkmaster Flex responds to Benzino??€�s comments in no uncertain terms. In looking at his career, his albums, and his passion for classic cars, AllHipHop.com and Flex analyze the career of the DJ in question. With brutal honesty, Flex admits to slighting friends, and the tempting offers he??€�s received. Regardless of money, Flex??€�s comments ensure that with his A&R background, respect remains hard to earn.

AllHipHop.com: So what's up with this Car Show album?

Funkmaster Flex: I always had the Funkmaster 60 Minutes of Funk Volumes and The Tunnel album. This is the Funkmaster Flex custom car and bike show tour. I got 50, Young Buck, Lloyd Banks, Olivia, the complete Dipset camp, Nas, Xzibit, Fabolous, Mannie Fresh, David Banner. I got a lot of new artists too. I got Papoose, Maino, Stack Bundles, Paul Cain. Two thirds is known big dogs, one third of the album is upcoming New York talent.

AllHipHop.com: Why a car show album?

Funkmaster Flex: I wanted to be different. I'm not going to do the mixtapes anymore. I got five and all of them went Gold. I'm happy with that. I want to do something new. I'm really into the cars. Man, I don't think I've ever had an interview on AllHipHop.com before, to be honest. I go to the site a lot.

AllHipHop.com: I hope you would.

Funkmaster Flex: Yeah. When I do something though, they report on it. They report on it accurate. I'm not going to front, because n***as be fronting. It's accurate.

AllHipHop.com: Looking at the album, Why Koch? Your previous joints came through Loud Records and Def Jam?

Funkmaster Flex: Cam'ron was instrumental in making me feel good about Koch. I didn't really know much about them. And then Cam told me about them and explained it. Def Jam was pretty organized. I was very surprised on how organized Koch was to be honest. I expected it to be run like mad house independent. On top of that, Koch used to be in the old Profile records office. I used to do A&R at Profile records. To walk in that office 15 years later, I almost caught a tear.

AllHipHop.com: In regards cars, I heard the 71??€� Charger is your favorite car.

Funkmaster Flex: I'll tell you what, I have one of those. The Charger is my first muscle car that I got, like ten years ago. So it's got a special place in my heart. I have a 70' Chevelle that??€�s pretty tough. I got a couple of Fords. I got a 67' Ford Galaxy. Ugh, let me think. Let me go through my Fords first. I got two 69' Mustangs, a 76' Torino, a 71' Torino, a 66', 67', 69', 70', 71', 73' Chevelle, two 68' Camaros, two 69' Camaros, a 65' Impala, a 63' Impala, a 69' GTO, a 69' Charger. I just copped a 69' Nova today. That's what I've just been doing all day, making sure this wire transfer goes through.

AllHipHop.com: Check cleared?

Funkmaster Flex: Yeah, it's a relic, but I'll make it something. I got a few Cutlasses. I got a 72' Cutlass, a 70' Cutlass, a 72' El Camino, a 2005 and 2006 Mustang, a 2005 Expedition, a 2004, 2005 Jag, and a 2006 Charger.

AllHipHop.com: How do you feel about Dodge reintroducing the Charger?

Funkmaster Flex: Um, a Charger is not supposed to have four doors. That's the part that??€�s never sat well with me. The new Mustang, I think, is the new muscle car of the last two years. It captures old style of muscle cars.

AllHipHop.com: Who do you think has the best style in regards to rapper whip game? Quality not quantity.

Funkmaster Flex: Wyclef [Jean]. He came to my car show with a monster truck, the Maclaren, he had some motorcycles spinning. It was like a carnival. The kids loved it. He started the monster truck [and] the kids went crazy.

AllHipHop.com: You sure it wasn't a lease?

Funkmaster Flex: [Laughs] I don??€�t know. It wasn't mad expensive. He had stuff that you had to know where to get it.

AllHipHop.com: You've been DJing on Hot 97 for a long time; a lot classic stuff has popped off on your show. What's the illest on air moment you've ever been apart of? The Roc-A-Fella hour long freestyle session was historic.

Funkmaster Flex: G-Unit freestyle session was the craziest. Disgusting. Tony Yayo rocking to "You, Him, and Her" was so crazy. The first time The Lox came to my show was crazy. Ma$e too. I have different things for different reasons. In 92??€� meeting Run-DMC while they were promoting Down With The King. I'm a big Jam Master Jay fan. That was nuts to me.

AllHipHop.com: How about the time you had Nore, Canibus and DMX freestyle. That was ugly.

Funkmaster Flex: Let me tell you something, Martin, Pun was downstairs and security wouldn't let him up. Fat Joe brings that up to me all the time. He was calling me like, "Yo we downstairs, the guard won't let me up". That was crazy. None of their albums were out yet. They were all new. Biggie and Craig Mack was a key moment. That was my biggest show. I had other favorite moments. My best moment might be a little awkward, I don't know. Hammer was one of my favorite interviews. I going to be real honest with you, Martin, I'm ashamed of one thing. I've only told a few people - so you getting an exclusive. Hammer was a friend that I didn't embrace. Meaning, you know when you meet somebody and you know you get along with real good with this dude? I knew me and him would get a long good. The jokes he would tell, me and him had the same sense of humor and everything. Sometimes he would call, and I'd be ashamed to answer or ashamed to talk to him. I fronted on him.

AllHipHop.com: You got industry on him?

Funkmaster Flex: Yeah I went industry on him. And I really enjoyed his friendship. I think I told him recently, like a couple of months ago. Like, ??€?Yo Hammer, I was really digging you, I didn't reach out to you enough.??€? When I met him, he was past he past the ??€?Pumps and a Bump??€? madness. He came to the radio show and I played a club with him, he was so funny. Like the way he was treating chicks, the way he was moving. He was king of generics; he was generic to dudes in the club. I was like this dude got a little style; he ain't a slouch!