Recent history tells us that a successful independent artist is a scarce commodity. C-Bo has broken the mold and is laughing all the way to the bank. His current resume reads like the who’s-who of Hip-Hop: a true-to-form entrepreneur, owner of all his masters and backlog, and an estimated two million albums sold (all without the help of major label backing or marketing schemes). The Sacramento, CA-based MC is preparing to flood the market, and he is determined to let nothing stand in his way. His label, West Coast Mafia, is in the final stages of releasing two compilations: "West Coast Mafia: Chopped and Screwed" and "C-Bo Presents: West Side Ryders;" newcomer 151 will be releasing his debut, "Code of Tha Street," and C-Bo himself will be releasing his latest solo banger, "The Mobfather: The Return of The Bald Headed Nut." C-Bo sat down with Allhiphop.com to discuss his disdain for major record labels, how he is changing the game and the lives of his artists, and how he intends on continuing to play by his own rules. Allhiphop.com: Let’s get into it, man. You’ve got a lot of albums that are dropping in a minute. Talk about them and what this could possibly mean for the independent circuit. C-Bo: I got my artist 151 coming out June 10th, the "West Side Ryders" and my solo joint "The Mobfather" is coming out in July, you know what I’m saying? My solo joint is sort of different, mature, and still grimy and streetish, you dig? Allhiphop: I can dig it. Talk about you parting ways with your old label and this new label you have right now. C-Bo: We ain’t with AWOL Records no more. It’s called West Coast Mafia now, you know? It’s in the street, you know what I’m saying? You can’t get none of that indy sh*t if you ain’t in the street. You got to be in the street with it, you know? Allhiphop: Cats that are only getting a few pennies per record do not quite get that concept. C-Bo: Grimy n*ggas on the block leave the block to go get it, you know what I’m saying? Allhiphop: West Coast Mafia is your imprint, which means you are getting all of the proceeds. Is it a little more difficult to run the entire operation as opposed to being an artist? How much time and effort is taken away from other things such as family and friends in order to make this vision work? C-Bo: It’s like, I love the game, so we was watching, you know what I’m saying? I was an artist, and my n*gga was doing this, so I was watching. The game just came to me, you know? Allhiphop: Who came up with the bright idea of forming this independent label? C-Bo: Me and Killa Tay. The feds had raided us in Atlanta, and we was sitting up in Cincinnati selling tapes, going that route. We just started coming with our sh*t as West Coast Mafia; we ride for the coast. Pac had died, and was just riding with it. I’m riding for the n*ggas that can’t ride for this sh*t like Pac was, you know? I’m gon’ speak for this sh*t. All these other n*ggas speaking, I’m gonna speak for this sh*t right here. This is where my hood is at, so this is my hood, you know what I’m saying? Allhiphop: Where in California are you originally from? C-Bo: I’m from Sacramento, California. I’m a Northern Cali n*gga. We go to Seattle, too. That’s the Mafia, homie, and we are lockin’ it, you know what I’m saying? It’s pretty much accepted in all the streets out here. A n*gga can hop out and run into the liquor store or whatever, you know? Allhiphop: So, you are still a regular cat despite all the money you’ve made, huh? C-Bo: Exactly. Allhiphop: How many units have you soundscanned independently thus far? C-Bo: We are close to three million on paper, you know what I’m saying? Allhiphop: You’ve done all of this without the help of a major record deal, and you’ve managed to score a seven-figure distribution deal? That’s unheard of. C-Bo: Fa sho, fa sho. I got a lot of records. I got like 15 records out, and they are trying to get my whole catalog, you know what I’m saying? And they want the new sh*t…the new DVD and whatever. We are doing a movie and sh*t, trying to get into all parts of the game now. Allhiphop: Who did you get your distribution through? C-Bo: Navarre. Allhiphop: Who normally takes care of all the production work within your company? C-Bo: I go around and pick my n*ggas who I want to do work. I pick my own beats. I got a few n*ggas that I f*ck with on the regular. Rhythm D., Black Tobin, Mark Sparks, Jellyroll, Bosco…I work with them a lot. Allhiphop: How many artists do you currently have underneath you on your label? C-Bo: Cyco, Killa Tay, Gotti Gotti, Thug Misses, 151… Allhiphop: You’ve got a pecking order of cats waiting in line, huh? C-Bo: There’s lil’ n*ggas coming. n*ggas is waiting in line, you know what I’m saying? Allhiphop: Let’s talk about the business structure of West Coast Mafia. A lot of these major label artists complain about getting screwed out of their deals. C-Bo: n*ggas is meek with the game. Motherf*ckers don’t want to take control of their sh*t. n*ggas want to be little boys in the game, wanting someone to walk them around and hold their hand, you know what I’m saying? That’s the type of n*gga that ain’t getting no money. n*ggas can’t hold their own water. So, when you go to the independent game and switch up, n*ggas is out their getting dirty and handling his own thing in the street, you know what I’m saying? You got to have that mind right and say, "this is what I want." I’m in […]

Style Wars In 1982, New York hip-hoppers were living in danger. They weren’t shooting up each others’ cars, instead graffiti writers, many of whom, kids, were running from police in pursuit of expression. Style Wars captures that essence. The documentary film explores that defiant rebellion that makes hip-hop. Style Wars is not a hip hop film, it is the definitive hip hop film. Along with Wild Style, this film introduced hip hop to many viewers. If you think the film strictly pertains to graffiti, the features on DVD will include Guru telling you why it made him flock to New York. If that weren’t enough, the film is scored to hip-hop classics, as well as remastered with special features including Def Jux music, and updated interviews with Red Alert, Fab 5 Freddie, and even Kay Slay (prominently featured in the original too). In celebration of the DVD release, and a twentieth anniversary, All Hip Hop caught up with producer and director, Tony Silver and fellow producer, Henry Chalfant. These two pioneers told the hip-hop story when nobody cared. To anybody who ever discovered hip-hop outside of New York, the film and the interview deserves a look. AllHipHop.com: Now, a lot of people in hip-hop use the term producer a lot. A film producer is different, and I’m sure under Style War’s circumstances, your job title was even more diversified. Can you tell us what was your role in the conception of the film? Tony Silver: I’m the director, and I’m the producer with Henry Chalfant. The way we worked together was really great, really sort of perfect because we each had a separate and yet overlapping function. Henry had been documenting the culture for a long time in photography, and had made some friends among graffiti writers, and what you. [This was] at a time when no one was paying attention to this except to the graffiti that was really everywhere. I was a filmmaker and he was not. He had the access to the people, I had the interest in getting to them, and making a documentary that would dramatize a lot of things: the drama of the real life theater that was going in New York at that time about graffiti and what to do about it. It had been going on for ten years, and who these people were who had taken over the subway completely. But also, it was about the idea that in the neighborhoods, new art forms were being invented by fifteen year old kids. They were doing it on their own. It didn’t have anything to do with going to school, it just had to do with who they were and where they came from. Henry Chalfant: I was the person in contact with all the graffiti writers in New York, through them, I had gotten into contact with the Rocksteady Crew and other b-boys. Tony Silver: And New York was a bad, burnt down place at that time in a lot of ways. It was a very hopeful and exciting time. So, for me, I wanted to make a movie. A real life movie was going on in the world, and I wanted to capture that. It’s one of the reasons I wanted to use various kinds of music in the film. Allhiphop.com: You introduced yourself to the writers by way of the writers’ bench. If I may ask, who stepped up and first welcomed you in? Henry Chalfant: I met one kid on a platform, his name was Nac. And he told me that his cousin was Daze. He told me where the bench was, and when to go there, which was after school. I went there, and I met Kel, Mare139, Duro, Cey, Crash, Daze and Kos. They came to my studio right after I met them and saw my collection. There wasn’t any single person to embrace me like that, it was several. But I would say they were all from the CIA Crew. They were the core of the first people I knew and continued to know. AllHipHop.com: And Style Wars introduced Grandmaster Flash to people, but it also took other music out of context to dramatize the film. Tony Silver: This film was first broadcast on PBS. Under the copyright law, there is a limited free use of most copyright material when it comes to music and most kinds of images on public television. So at that time, it was not a problem. It became a problem later when we wanted to distribute it in VHS. We made agreements with the various liscensors of the various pieces of music to do that. Allhiphop: Your interviews are special, because you went back and found these writers twenty years later for better or for worse. Tony Silver: It was a very cooperative effort. When Plexi Film got involved, they [wanted to do] six or eight update interviews. So we agreed. I suggested to Henry that he help Joey, because [Henry knew these writers.] So Joey brought an incredible freshness to it. Henry brought knowledge of who they were and how to find them. We were a little out of control to tell you the truth. The first interview ever shot was with Skeem and his mother. Henry and I did that. [The film was shown at the] Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. They suggested that we bring to Cleveland some member of the cast, so to speak. I said hey, how about Skeem and his mom? That would be the most amazing thing for the kind of varied audience that you’re going to get. We hung with them for a couple of days there, and it was amazing to be with the two of them again. They’re wonderful Allhiphop.com: You mentioned PBS in 1983, as almost a documentary art film. In many ways, Style Wars seems to justify hip-hop to an outsider. However, it’s become the visual bible to what hip-hop is truly about to us, how does […]

No intro – Get to know 24K, a female emcee on the verge. AllHipHop.com: You’re from Canada? 24K: Yeah, born and raised, but this is home now. AllHipHop.com: Why you say that? 24K: ‘Cause it feels more like home, I get more love here. It’s hard because there’s no industry over there especially since I’m from Montreal and not Toronto. AllHipHop.com: That’s the French side right? 24K: Yeah, and I don’t speak French so that’s real hard for me. I took it negatively when I was young ‘cause I was harassed and I was like “F” that I don’t want to learn French. I regret it now but I speak Greek so it’s all good. There’s no industry in Montreal so a lot of people go Toronto to try to make it, I wasn’t trying to hear that. I think that’s baby steps and Hip Hop didn’t start in Toronto. That was always my mentality so it was either Law school or trying to make it at this so I decided to move here. I love Brooklyn; Brooklyn shows me a lot of love. AllHipHop.com: So you’ve been in the game for a while. 24K: Almost 12 years now but I was writing before that and I started doing reggae, my dad is Jamaican. I started with that and I did my first show where I did a reggae jam and came back and did a hip hop track, that was the first time I tried it but I was writing Hip Hop, poetry and reggae for a while. AllHipHop.com: You had some pretty big names on the album, how did you get up with those people? 24K: It wasn’t even supposed to be like that. The album was supposed to come out in October of last year and before that Swizz, Just, Dougie Fresh, none of those people were on it. We were trying to rush and bring it out and we were dealing with some staff members at Loud and things kind of screwed up. So what happened was the label started working with other people and decided to postpone it and make it a bigger project. I think working in studio they saw my potential and that songs were coming out harder than they thought they were so they said aight we’re making this a big one now. AllHipHop.com: How would you describe your style? 24K: I don’t sound like anyone else, thank goodness. Especially with female MC’s you always hear she sounds like Foxy, Kim or Eve. I never been a clone, Redman’s my favorite MC, KRS, Wu-tang all them the real Hip Hop. My goal to get people to say wow I cant believe that just came out of her mouth. That’s what I love about Redman he doesn’t care to say what’s on his mind. He doesn’t care if he’s not going to sell 2 million copies he’s going to say what’s on his mind and I’m feeling that. AllHipHop.com: What does it mean to you to be a female MC ? 24K: It’s never been an issue for me. I have got a lot of interview questions saying do you find it harder as a female MC? I don’t find it harder and I think that’s because I don’t feel the pressure to be like every other female MC and I always rolled with dudes, my personal assistant is my only female friend. She’s always been my best friend but I keep my circle tight, I just feel better with dudes. AllHipHop.com: Do you think its any difference I think it’s extra crazy right now? 24K: I actually feel it’s easier because I think it’s harder for females because of the pressure from labels and the industry to be like a Lil’ Kim and to take the clothes off so I can understand that. I personally have never felt that ‘cause I have been given the creative control. I don’t feel singled out when I train with a bunch of men ‘cause they don’t treat me like that. AllHipHop.com: What do you mean when you say train? 24K: I box. I have been obsessed with boxing since I was 5 because I spent every summer in Florida and I have an uncle who was shot in the head like 7 years ago. He taught me how to swim, I always saw him with his gloves on so I just really got obsessed with boxing in general when I was about 5. I train with male professional boxers and always on male standards. Female fights are 2 minutes; I train on 3 min. so that 2 min. aint nothing for me. AllHipHop.com: Have you gone pro? 24K: I never went into it because of the rhyming thing and I opened a marketing company so it was like I’m training and I do want to go pro but I’m waiting to get other things in my life out of the way. I can go pro later there are 40 year old pro fighters so I got time for that. AllHipHop.com: What did you study in school? 24K: I got a bachelor’s degree in psychology at McGill University in Canada. I got early acceptance so I’m real proud of that. AllHipHop.com: How do you guys plan to conquer this industry? I mean, you have to pay to get on a mix tape now – its crazy. 24K: We’re willing to deal with it, there’s not much you can do. What are you going to do call the FBI every time somebody does something? It’s hard but there’s a budget set aside and I’m thankful for that so people can hear my stuff. People are tired of the same old hoe rap. It’s getting tired let’s talk about something else, say something important. AllHipHop.com: Foxy Brown claims that she was unable to alter her clothes but she can spit crazy. 24K: I don’t agree with her attire, I know there’s pressure in the industry and especially when […]

Fans have anxiously awaited an album release from internationally acclaimed rap duo, dead prez, for several, painful months. While it has already garnered stellar reviews sources at Columbia Records have revealed (off the record) that dead prez was no longer on its payroll. The group was allegedly dropped according to unofficial reports as a result of what was deemed “as poor projection of sales.” The politically charged group’s debut Let’s Get Free, moved approximately 300,000 copies in the United States. Execs were apparently concerned about the upcoming project, despite already being completed. In an interview prior to the disappointing, but not surprising news, M-1 likens industry life to plantation life and explains why they “stic” with it. AllHipHop.com: when you and stic first started looking for a deal who did you reach out to and what was your experience? M-1: We had a few friends that gave us some names and numbers because in the beginning we didn’t know all the names and titles of those people at the labels. Then we started calling people and going up in the offices like you need to see us. We approached Russell a few times up in the elevator and his words to us were. ‘ Y’all need to stop cursing so much.’ Cause he knew…he knew we was cursing at the government. He could get with DMX but he couldn’t get with us cause he knew our intentions were different. We tried to get with this lady at Columbia but at the time she took a little too long so we went to Steve Rifkin’s office at Loud Records. They had a good rep in the streets. AllHipHop: What was your experience with Loud? M-1: We were on Loud for 6 years. Four of those years were spent without releasing our first album, Let’s Get Free even though it was ready to go. We saw Big Pun come, we saw Wu-Tang come with albums, we saw a lot happen while we was just sittin. Then, Loud started going through a lot of changes with its distributors we were caught in the middle. Every time they switched distributors, our release date was pushed back. Because once the distribution changed, the partners changed and the company began a new relationship in dealing with the money exchange. Those distributors were the beneficiaries who bankrolled what would happen to Loud Records, the backers. How the checks got cut, new deadlines were set, everything would change each time. That’s why it took four years until we finally saw Sony. AllHipHop: What happened when Loud finally folded? M-1: Once Loud became unable to keep up with Sony’s high standard to put out the kind of records that it sells for the 40 million dollar per year entity that it is. I mean you really have to do a lot of platinum to keep up with that and Loud Records was not a powerhouse platinum label like a Def Jam. For the most part their artists had a cult following but they needed that attention paid but they wanted Mariah Careys. Eventually, that worked to the detriment of Loud because eventually their departments became swallowed up as they couldn’t produce. Loud itself fell into Sony companies, dissolved it and sold it to different parts. That’s how we ended up on Columbia. AllHipHop: Was that your choice? Did you have any say so? M-1: Oh hell no. Hell no. I would have been free. We tried to run from the plantation. We saw the plantation was burning down we was trying to escape in the middle of the night. Ol’ dude was standing in the corner and snatched us up when we were trying to sneak into the woods and took us to the next plantation. AllHipHop: same s### different day, huh? M-1: That’s my total analogy. For anybody that can’t understand that I don’t know how to get it through any clearer than that. We were sold like slaves in the middle of the night AllHipHop: What led to the decision to put out the mixtape you guys released? M-1: In a good way that experience of being bought and sold and feeling like a slave led us to think of ways to do for self on our own. That’s when we produced the mixtape, Turn off the Radio Volume 1. There was a serious lack of understanding and vision on the part of people just paid to do a job in the industry. We could have used some great guerilla tactics promotion and marketing tactics to do a lot more for what I think dead prez needed. But scared money don’t make money. Bossman was too scared to put his money where his mouth was and we ended up making some great records that never came out. Some of them were used on the mixtape. We did some songs with the Marleys, Damon, Julian and Steven. We made relationships with people like Sol Slim from the New Orleans camp. We did some things with Beatnuts, our crew, Tahir, Larry Blackman from Cameo but hey that’s what Turn Off the Radio ended up becoming. We were able to make some statements because a lot of times people look for rap that makes sense but without correct political education you can’t make sense of all this. So, that album helped us to make statements about Iraq and other issues, when there really were no avenues on the radio or anywhere else to do it. AllHipHop: How do you think current attacks on civil liberties like the Patriot Act affect hip hop and do you feel there are efforts made to suppress political voices in hip hop? M-1: Yes. There has to be. Music is the primary tool by the voiceless used to get our culture. With access to it, bourgeois media will suppress our voices, BET, MTV… Whatever. They will govern that to make sure nothing gets through that could impede the steady propaganda that they feed us. We […]