MC. Poet. Rock Star. Actor. Writer. Activist. Artist. B-Boy. Saul Williams carries many titles, only some will he admit. While he’s been in the inner-circle of Hip-Hop for the last half decade plus, he’s still unknown to many despite his many mediums. His debut album was largely misunderstood and mistimed, but Saul has returned in full creative control to come ‘Twice the First Time’. The new self-titled album passed the tough test of AllHipHop’s ears, and we caught up with Saul on the wake of his monstrous opening performance for Nas in Central Park at the end of the summer. He shared some secrets, we shared some laughs, and you’ll never believe who shares inspiration to Saul. Peep game and give Hip-Hop’s poet laureate another long look. AllHipHop.com: Amethyst Rock Star wasn’t the album it needed to be. A lot of people, myself included were just left unsettled. Rappers are prone to criticism. Artists and poets aren’t as much. How did you deal with the criticism, and how was it applied to the new album? Saul: I couldn’t even f**k with it last time, just because you said you got it when it, ‘hit stores’. Well, it hit stores a year and ten months from when I recorded it. If only you could listen to it and imagine that it had been recorded two months earlier, then it would’ve perhaps [clicked]. It was so disheartening. I feel really blessed to have the opportunity, and was so happy when it finally came out – like a baby. But also, so much my ego attached to it. It was really just a strange time for me. AllHipHop.com: And this time? Saul: This process has been much more beautiful for me. I had so much fun recording it. I did most of it by myself, at home. And I did it as a work of leisure – whenever I felt like. And I learned a lot about songwriting and this stuff and I really wanted to focus on structure. I wasn’t even a big fan of the [Amethyst]. Initially I was. When the album was mixed, I stopped liking it. I lost a lot of stuff that I liked during the mix. AllHipHop.com: As we gear up for the election, I frequently think back upon, ‘Not in Our Name’. I play it too often – but I’m surprised you didn’t tie in any political agenda to this record. Saul: The stuff that I did for [that], that was pertinent for the time. When I was writing that stuff, I knew it wasn’t album material – it had to come out then on the EP. For the album, [politics] is a part of it. But it’s only a part of it. Just as, what’s happening in the U.S. is only a part of what’s happening in the world. That political fear is only a part of what’s happening to me. And the album is self-titled. I don’t second-guess myself as much with music. It’s so much of a critique and analysis that happens with poetry for me. AllHipHop.com: Mo Bee and I recently talked about Miles Davis’ style of recording, and his improvisational sense. How much do you improvise, musically? Saul: A great deal. A lot of the melodies in these songs…like there’s a song called, ‘Surrender’ that I did the music first, then turned on the mic and recorded myself singing the verse. I didn’t know what I was doing. I’m really into opening lines. So the idea of [saying], ‘F**k you’ – I thought that was cool. Same thing with ‘Reparations’ and ‘List of Demands’. AllHipHop.com: What some other interesting muses in the album. Saul: There’s a song called ‘African Student Movement’. That was inspired by R. Kelly. In the car, flipping stations, and there was [‘We Thuggin’] on there. The beat was just killing me. I hated myself for loving this song. So dope! This is the s**t. I [wanted] a beat like that. I don’t think [my] beat is anything like the song, but it made me think of it. The way I approached it was ‘Freedom. Ignorance. Jealous. Belligerence. Where my N*gga’s at?’ – which has nothing to do with R. Kelly. But it’s all improvisation. AllHipHop.com: Rappers have these wolf packs of dudes with ‘em in the studios. When you record something at home, you lose that. You also lose the assurance that something is indeed dope. Were you at all concerned with that? Saul: I’m not like that, at all. I think I have an active enough imagination so that I kind of imagine the response. I do contemplate what the response will be. Like with ‘African Student Movement’ – I knew that some of my fans will be bothered with [my use of ‘N*gga’]. Then I have other people who won’t mind. I was thinking about it. The whole time I knew it would be cool, ‘cause some people will hate it, some will love it, some will not think about it. They say Spike Lee polarizes his critics. That’s what I like about art. AllHipHop.com: You want to challenge? Saul: I want the discussion. AllHipHop.com: The album opens unbelievably. In ‘Telegram’, the line about cordless microphones blew me out of the water! But soon after, you say, ‘Send my regards to Brooklyn.’ I loved that. It sounds like a war letter. What prompted that? Saul: [Laughs hard]. That’s the funny s**t. ‘Telegram’ is the only song on the album where I don’t think I wrote either of the verses to the music. I think they were more like journal entry poems. I wrote those out of my frustration with Hip-Hop. I don’t know what me say [that]. It probably was some Jay-Z stuff. For me, most of this s**t is funny. To me, good Hip-Hop is like a crossword puzzle. I was explaining this to my daughter. It’s not necessarily immediate. You’re like, ‘Oh…oh, s**t. Oh!’ To me, one of my favorite images in that […]

In 2000 you might remember seeing a video on BET’s Midnight Love that featured this Asian cat singing soul music. His name is Toshi, and while he might be a hazed memory to you, he is hysterically famous in his native Japan, and he is famous for being a soul singer. Toshi was introduced to soul music as a youth in Japan when he took advantage of a soda company’s promotion and exchanged 12 bottle caps for a free album. Unable to read the English on the album cover or play the album because he didn’t have a record player, Toshi was left only with the image of five Black men with afros – The Stylistics. Needless to say, Toshi eventually got that record player, and from the Stylistics to The Dramatics to Stevie Wonder he became enraptured by soul music. By the time he was in junior high school he had his own band, and by the time he was in college he was touring clubs. Toshi has nine releases to his credit in Japan, and more than 20 years experience performing soul music, but the unusual image of an Asian man singing soul music left Toshi’s first American release, Nothing But Love, lost in translation. Toshi’s latest, Time to Share, boasts production from Orthodox & Ransum, the team responsible for giving Musiq his sound, as well as Buckwild and Ali Shaheed Muhammad. Guest appearances include Mos Def and Angie Stone. Allowing himself a short break from touring with Anthony Hamilton, Toshi, who is still mastering speaking English but who sings English fluently, spoke with Allhiphop.com Alternatives in his surprisingly syrupy accent about his new album, women, and his efforts to change our thoughts of what soul music can look like. AllHipHop.com Alternatives: Would you call your first album a success? Toshi: No, it wasn’t successful. AHHA: Why do you think that was? Toshi: The contents of the album were fine, but it was tough dealing with Americans. I’ve learned that when dealing with Americans, including record label people and club promoters, it’s important to hang out with them and [effectively] communicate with them. A Japanese person doing this kind of music is sometimes a little to fresh for Americans. AHHA: What will be the mark of success for Time to Share? Toshi: Hearing my music on American radio. AHHA: Do you think that being Japanese will be an asset or a hindrance in you reaching that goal? Toshi: Both, because people have an image of what soul is, and a Japanese guy singing soul music is strange to them. At the same time, I hope it could be seen as unique and different. I know it’s not going to be easy to get rid of those types of stereotypes and prejudices, but I hope my music helps. AHHA: What’s the first single off the album? Toshi: A song called ‘Breaking Through’. It’s a song about a relationship between two people who have different backgrounds and they need to break through the barriers. I think it’s a very funky song. AHHA: Is the subject of that song kind of a parallel to your relationship with the American audience? Toshi: Could be, I never really thought of it like that. AHHA: Do you write the lyrics for your American albums in Japanese first? Toshi: Sometimes. I get the idea in Japanese, and the producer or lyricist helps me with the English. AHHA: Are their any distinct differences between your first album and this current release? Toshi: Basically I’m doing the same thing. The production is a little different. AHHA: Your music speaks a lot of love and relationships. Are you currently involved? Toshi: [chuckles] Always. AHHA: Have you found there to be big difference between Japanese women and American women? Toshi: I don’t know, lately they are very similar. Ten years ago a Japanese woman was very shy and quiet, where an American woman was very aggressive. These days they are both aggressive and creative. These days they are the same. AHHA: Do you think that is a good thing? Toshi: Some people say a woman being too aggressive isn’t too cute. I think it is fine, they are attractive to me. Japanese woman, American woman, European woman, and African-American woman, I really love them all [laughs]. AHHA: It seems that the young people of Japan are really attracted to the urban arts of America, would you say that’s true? Toshi: Yes that’s true. It’s in fashion. Years ago, soul music was just an African-American thing, but it has hit our streets through Hip Hop. People want to hear Hip Hop, and people want to wear baggy jeans. The advance of technology, the internet and computer, has helped Japanese young people to listen to and create Hip Hop music. AHHA: Did it take a lot to sell your parents on your career choice? Toshi: Yeah, they hated the idea at first because they wanted me to be a Japanese business man or something. Now they are very happy for me. AHHA: What was your most difficult challenge about making this new album? Toshi: It wasn’t so difficult. The first album was kind of difficult to deal with the producers, but this album I know what I want and the producers I choose understood me easily. It didn’t take us a long time to find mutual ground, so this album was pretty easy. AHHA: Do you use a translator in your sessions? Toshi: No, I don’t need it because it’s music.

When Ozomatli’s sophomore album, Embrace The Chaos, was released on September 11, 2001, it sat in vacant record stores all over the country as all eyes and hearts were fixated on the most catastrophic day in contemporary American history. While our entire country paused to absorb the magnitude of 9/11, Ozomatli felt it important to give their fans an opportunity to escape the pain and confusion of the Twin Towers by keeping all their show dates, and allowing them to rock out to their conscious rhythms. Three years later Ozomatli is back, and the events of 9/11 greatly shaped the sound of their new album, Street Signs. Ozomatli explores America’s newly inextricable connection to the Muslim world and culture by infusing Arabian and North African sounds with their already perfected blend of Afro-Latin rhythms and Hip-Hop. The results on Street Signs are wonderful, and as always Ozo pulls no punches with their anti-war convictions and social critiques. From Gatwick, England, Ozomatli’s Jason Poree talked with AllHipHop.com Alternatives about the reasons why Ozomatli’s musical calls to activism aren’t just talk, but a way of life for the band. AllHipHop.com Alternatives: The general consensus among your fans was that the second album wasn’t as good as the first. Which did you prefer? Justin: I liked different elements about all the albums; I don’t really like any one album more than another. The first album – it’s like you spend your life writing that album and there are not expectations. So the first album is the easier album to make. Then you start to tour that album and you can end up touring for a year or more, and in that time your expected to record another album. While you’re touring you’re suppose to be writing the next album, and we didn’t really do that, so the second album kind of got put together in fragments and there wasn’t as much focus. AHHA: Your last album, Embrace the Chaos, was released on September 11, 2001. While every other music act in the country was canceling their appearance dates, you all kept your dates. Why? Justin: For many different reasons. One is that music is a way of soothing the soul and it helps people forget about their worries. We went to New York two weeks after September 11th happened, and it was just a weird place – people were just walking around in a daze. When we played that show in New York, a lot of people wrote on our website that they left that show feeling a certain enjoyment in their heart. So for that moment in time people could step away from all the destruction and heavy heartedness. AHHA: With your first album being so well received, everyone was eagerly anticipating your second, and then on the release day of your sophomore effort, the album that’s suppose to push into the forefront, 9/11 happens and for the next nine months nobody’s even thinking about music. Did you think about that at all? Justin: I don’t know man; I had so many different thoughts that were going through my head. I mean, yeah it’s unfortunate that our album came out on that day. It’s like the whole country shut down for a year consumer wise, but what can you expect? It was complete culture shock for us to have something like that happen on our soil. AHHA: How did the members of Ozomatli find each other? Justin: We met at a community center in L.A actually. After organizing a protest to earn rights to a facility, Wil-Dog started a foundation called the Peace and Justice Center. In order to raise money to keep the organization and the building going, they started having bands, and comedians and all kinds of performers come through. So Ozomatli was one of the bands that started playing there to raise money, but it was basically just a jam band and anybody who wanted to play could show up. It wasn’t really a band yet and it wasn’t called Ozomatli, it was just like come and jam and we’re gonna have a party and raise money. AHHA: So how do Cut Chemist and Chali 2na fit in the mix? Justin: Chali and Cut were definitely pinnacle in the formation of Ozomatli. Cut was there from the beginning in the Peace and Justice Center days – without him the group would not be what it is today. He is one of the most lyrical, innovative and musical deejays I know. Chali 2na had been in a band with Wil-dog (founder of Ozomatli) long before Ozomatli got together. Chali and Wil’s step-brother Matt were also graph writers and used to piece together back in the day, and Wil would hang with those two and piece as well. I remember the first time Chali sat in with us was at a club in Hollywood called Moguls. We were playing with a newly formed band, Black Eyed Peas, and prior to that gig we had no rapper and were more of an instrumental jam band of sorts. When Chali sat in the combination fit so right, and Wil asked him to do more shows with us. Next thing we knew Chali was part of the band. AHHA: How did Chali split his time between you and J5? After the first album Chali toured with us but was also committed to J5. Both bands were blowing up at the same time and J5 was Chali’s first commitment, so he decided to do J5 full time. AHHA: So even before the music came, Ozomatli was rooted in activism and creating change? Justin: Yeah very much so, that’s what we’re about. Ozomatli is: Jiro Yamaguchi: Percussion Wil-Dog Abers: Bass, Vocals Justin Poree: Percussion, MC, Vocals Asdrubal Sierra: Trumpet, Lead Vocals Raul Pacheco: Guitar, Lead Vocals Ulises Bella: Tenor Sax, Clarinet, Vocals Michael Duffy: Drums Rene ‘Spinobi’ Dominguez: Turntablist Jabu: MC

It appears that this election year the actions of our President and the current world situation have energized everyone, even the usually apathetic, to become involved in the political equation. Whether you disagree or agree with our Presidents decisions in the last four years, our country is collectively galvanized to express their political voice, especially young urban minorities, a group traditionally and virtually absent from political discourse. This new energy can be partly attributed to strong feelings toward our current administration, but credit can also be given to individuals like Russell Simmons and Sean Combs who have made strong efforts to educate and motivate the youth of our country to vote. Simmons’ Hip Hop Summit Action Network travels from state to state encouraging all young people to register to vote while underscoring to them how influential and important they are to the political system and direction of our country. With the first two Presidential debates behind us, Allhiphop.com talked with author, thinker, social commentator, and University of Pennsylvania Professor of Humanities, and African-American and Religious studies, Michael Eric Dyson, to get his thoughts on the political climate and the Presidential Debates. Dyson is a regular commentator on National Public Radio’s The Tavis Smiley Show and he is the author of Holler If You Hear Me: Searching for Tupac Shakur and Mercy, Mercy Me: The Art, Loves and Demons of Marvin Gaye. AllHipHop.com: Generally Republicans are thought to be less civic minded and more in favor of the affluent, where as Democrats are thought to be for the people. Do you think these perceptions are relevant? Dyson: Absolutely. Not to besmirch the civic character of Republicans, I wouldn’t dare suggest that they are less incline to be concerned about the fabric of the larger society. However, at their best, progressive and left leaning, and liberal Democrats are mightily concerned about the unraveling of that fabric. The Republicans, through their President and the Congress, have attempted to redistribute wealth upward by providing tax cuts for people making over 200,000 dollars a year. The people who stand to benefit from the economic policies of the Republican party are overwhelming wealthy, highly educated, protected by lobbies, and driven by corporate concerns. On the other hand, Democrats, when they’re not dressing up in Republican clothing, are part of a legacy that addresses the necessity for the downward redistribution of wealth. So broadly speaking, civic and public policies are progressively promoted by those in the Democratic Party at their best. The centrist wing of the Democratic Party has surrendered too much territory to the Right in regards to these social issues, but by in large I think we have a better chance with the Democrats than with the Republicans. AllHipHop.com: Some say that a wave of new, sometimes uninformed, voters is dangerous, would you agree? Dyson: Uninformed voters are always dangerous, new or old. We certainly need more people voting, but we need that new voting group to be profoundly and deeply informed about the issues and not influenced by how somebody looks, how charismatic they appear, or whether they look like the underdog. One of the ingenious strategies of the conservative movement is the fact that they’ve successfully portrayed George Bush, a man of enormous wealth, social status, and privilege, as an everyday guy. The truth is George Bush ain’t the cowboy from Texas, but rather the privileged kid from Maine. Having said that, it is important for voters not to be pushed along by unseemly passion, but rather to root their analysis of what candidate to choose in critical, objective scrutiny of the issues. We’ve been disadvantage by an isolationist President out to prove that America won’t take it, and we’ll beat you down if you don’t do we want you to do or if you feel you’re a threat to our security. Voters need to be informed of the difference between that approach and an approach that says we are not going to be unilateral and just decide willy nilly what we want to do. AllHipHop.com: Do you think that the age of 18 is a good voting age? Dyson: Sure, at the age of 18 you can go to war, you can defend the nation, you can die for the heroic pursuit of ideas, so of course if makes sense that young people should be able to vote at 18. They need to be informed, but there are people 28, 38, and 48 who are ill-informed. Unfortunately many young people are alienated from the political process because it doesn’t tend to represent their interest. It’s not that young people don’t have any political stakes, it’s just that it is not always obvious. That’s a problem that is the fault of political professionals and others who don’t take the time and explain to young people why it is that they should vote and why it is that their vote matters. I think that if we expect young people to exercise that democratic maturity of voting, demands that we educate young people about what’s at stake and secondly generate their interest. We’ve done a poor job making voting appealing to young people, and not in a kind of sexy, market driven way, but in I a way that says if you are concerned about cash for your family and the education of your young people, than you’ve got to become involved in politics and you’ve got to see your future connected to those that are elected. AllHipHop.com: Does it speak to any fallacies in our system that a contending third voice never arises in our elections? Dyson: Oh sure, the hegemony of a two party system where viable voices are all but excluded is directly attributable to the paradox of our system. On the surface it looks like you’ve got real choices, but often you aren’t presented with real alternatives. Third parties have not been very successful in this country because of the sheer dominance of corporate and political interest in both parties that […]

Jill Scott is a combination of intriguing beauty and flawless emotion. Combined with an array of talent and a smile that illuminates every place she graces, Jill has proved time and again that she is one of the world’s most contagious souls. Her latest opus, Beautifully Human: Words and Sounds Vol. 2, is titled perfectly, and the contents are sure to amaze. Always on the verge of something groundbreaking, Jill took a mini hiatus to rediscover her human side and reenergize the spark from within. Her return, the release of the album, and her new video, “Golden”, are all a testament of her ever-flourishing spirit. In a candid and heartfelt conversation with Allhiphop.com Alternatives, she covers all the bases, including what she did during her time away from the spotlight and all the things is doing now to prove herself to be the gold standard of soul music. AllHipHop Alternatives: Can you speak on what you are doing differently on your new project? JILL: One of the things I thought was most important was not to stray away from my core; which is story telling, intentional voices. I like to use the right voice for the right song, and I try not to over produce the music or project – so that the lyrics can stand out more than anything else, and the feeling of it meets the lyrics. I try to stay in that particular pocket. I can’t really say how much I have done differently I like to stay in a particular course. AHHA: What made you stay away so long? JILL: It is funny that when you tell people you got married they assume you have to [stay away], but I didn’t have to, I wanted to. I took a year, and it wasn’t intentional – I just took that long because I was tired. More of spiritually exhaustion more then anything, because being on stage is a lot of spirit work, so I realized that I needed to replenish and I went home. It wasn’t the best idea for me not to support the album, but I needed to replenish. I learned how to make new meals, planted roses in my house, I wrote a book of poetry called The Minutes, The Moments and The Hours which will be out in 2005. I directed a video for a friend Jeff Bradshaw, I was in a movie called Cave Dwellers with Kevin Bacon, Adrian Quinn that will be on Showtime this year in the fall. I started a foundation with my girlfriends called Blues Bay named after my grandmother – her name is Blue. We have sent 60 kids to school so far, we have given track suits to track teams and kept some libraries open. I just needed to do something outside of music, and I didn’t sing at all for a year. Eventually the lyrics started coming. I wasn’t even looking for it – I thought it was over. I was like, ‘There is nothing happening. No music to wake me up’, and thought I should just move on. But then [songs] started coming in my sleep, waking me up really getting on my nerves, and I thought it was time to get back into it. AHHA: Was your label going crazy waiting? JILL: No. I am really thankful for that. They were very understanding, and I did see them when we went on vacation; talked about family things hung out and had fun. When the music started coming, the lyrics started coming. Yeah, they were happy, and we did about 60 songs in the course of that year. I am prepared. I am going to do some more music – because, of course, it hasn’t stopped coming – and do the next album a lot sooner than two years. As long as I know how to work now – I use to work hard, now I work smart. The work ethic is still real, but now I think smart instead of just running without going home. I would like to wash my own tub, iron my own clothes – those things are necessary to maintain your state of humanity. AHHA: While gone did you have a fear of people forgetting about who you are? JILL: It really wasn’t up to me. I have been following the spirit my whole life, and when I didn’t follow it I was jacked up. It was clear after a while I needed to refuel. You can’t drive a car forever without giving it some gas, you can’t wear the same sneaks without cleaning them up, whatever… you have you have to take care if it. It is the same thing with life. I thought, ‘Okay, whatever happens, happens the way it is suppose to be’. If people purchased the album supported it, listened to it to feel human and just feel, then great. If they stay away from it, it is not gonna stop me. I am still going to go on tour, I am still gonna do what I do. AHHA: When I first heard ‘Golden’ I thought it was a gospel song. Would you consider it as gospel, because it has a certain spirituality to it? JILL: That was not necessarily the intention, but any music could be anything; sometimes R&B sounds like Jazz and Jazz sounds like Hip Hop. It is all a fusion of a lot of things. I just chose to sang it like I did, I just chose to write it the way I did, because I felt that people were curious about where I was, and I just had to let them know. Like I am really nurturing my spirit, claiming my spirit – I am not a slave to an industry and I am not a slave to what you want either. You know people want you out there making music, and I do want to do that, but I feel a lot of artists have put themselves in that […]

Erykah Badu’s debut album, Baduizm, marked the beginning of a unique blend of old school soul with Hip-Hop sensibility that would dominate and influence the way soul was done from that point forward. Since then, artists like The Roots, Lauryn Hill, D’Angelo, Jill Scott, Anthony Hamilton, Common, Talib Kweli, Bilal, and Musiq have all released albums touched by this evolution in R&B. The man whose hands have been involved all of those projects is musician/producer James Poyser. He has become the ‘Soul Man’, the go-to creator of that soul that goes bump. Within in the industry Poyser is known and revered, but among fans his name still hides in the tiny print of liner notes. Preferring the anonymity of his studio to the shine of a video shot, Allhiphop.com Alternatives puts Poyser and his talents on blast. Get to know the cloaked man who has been turning out baby-making music for an entire industry. AllHipHop.com Alternatives: You are so revered within the R&B realm of things and you’ve contributed to your fair share of Hip-Hop albums as well, but you’ve never become that celebrity type of producer that’s always in the video. Why is that? JP: That’s not my personality – I’m not really one to be seen. I like to just contribute the way I can and leave it at that. I just love the music. I’m not into the whole glory thing or whatever. I’m not dissing it, if that’s your thing cool, do you. I’m a musician first and foremost and I just like to play music. AHHA: What was the first instrument you played? JP: I played drums first and then I switched to bass guitar, and now I’m a keyboardist. I wouldn’t dare call myself a drummer now surrounded by cats like Ahmir [?uestlove]. AHHA: With the immense respect and popular that you have in the R&B world, have you thought about being the first R&B producer since Quincy Jones to do an album the way that the Hip-Hop producers often do? JP: You know that has be talked about and discussed for year actually. I really didn’t want to do one ‘cause I didn’t want the attention, but lately I have been thinking about doing that kind of thing. Following the blueprint of what Quincy did with The Dude with some guest singers and emcees. AHHA: What happen to the Soulquarians? JP: Hey, I don’t know, I still consider myself one. Jay Dilla is working and Ahmir is doing his group thing, and I think [D’Angelo] is working on some things here and there. I’m still friends with everybody, it’s the kind of friendship where you might not speak to someone for a while, but I still consider them friends. There’s no ill will between anybody that I know of. I think what happened was that the thought was out there that everybody who was doing soul music was part of the Soulquarians. Some articles were written about who the Soulquarians were, and I don’t know if everybody considered themselves a part of the whole thing. Initially it started out as us four cats, and we all liked the same music and all our birthdays were around the same time. We all are Aquarians, so that’s were the name comes from. AHHA: Us four cats? Who are you speaking about? JP: D’Angelo, Jay Dee, Ahmir and myself, that’s who it was originally. I don’t know how it turned into everybody who was doing some soulful music was a Soulquarian. That’s the way it was portrayed, and I really didn’t see it like that and I think some other people didn’t really see it like that either. AHHA: You think any bitterness was created because of that? JP: Ughhhhh, maybe [laughs]. Ya know, there were some established artist themselves that were kind of lumped with us. From my point of view, I was like, ‘Oh no, no, no I never contributed to his success or her success.’ I may have worked with them. Then there were some artists that I had never worked with that were lumped in. It got sort of messy. AHHA: Do you see a possible reemergence of whatever project was talked about with the Soulquarians? JP: I would really hope so. Me and Ahmir still work on some projects from time to time, but ya know his main hustle is with The Roots. His studio is right down the hall from my studio, and when he’s around we’re always in each others studios. Me and Jay, I haven’t spoken to him in a while, but we’ve worked on stuff in the past and I don’t see why we wouldn’t work together again. The same thing with D, he’s working on some things and if he would want me to do something with him, I’m there. Again there’s no beef that I know of. AHHA: Speaking of D’Angelo, the rumors surrounding him are wild. Have you seen or spoken to him lately? JP: I have spoken to D in quite a while, I really don’t know what’s going on with him. AHHA: As far as him not talking to anyone, why do you think that is? JP: I don’t know man, I honestly don’t know. D is a genius in my opinion and there are many other people who would say the same thing. He is doing his thing in his way and maybe that’s part of being a genius. AHHA: But if you had it your way, you and he would be speaking? JP: Yeah, but he’s doing it his way and I don’t really know anything about what he’s doing. I do know this, from what people have told me who have heard some of the stuff he’s working on, the stuff is like ‘wow’. I haven’t heard anything myself, but these are trusted people who are great themselves, so if they’re saying ‘wow’, than I can only imagine [laughs]. I can only imagine. AHHA: What types of music do […]

Boxing has been sharply criticized lately with some extremely controversial calls that many affiliated with the sport are furious over. The latest mêlée at Mandalay Bay was the title bout between defending World Boxing Organization champion Lamon Brewster and Pan Pacific Heavyweight titleholder Kali “Checkmate” Meehan. The split decision left a sour taste, once again, in the mouths of boxing fans and aficionados who felt the champion, although going the whole twelve rounds, didn’t take enough rounds to retain the title. The fact that fight was another illustrious Don King Production, didn’t help the public opinion of fair play either. Regardless, Lamon “Relentless” Brewster is still the WBO Champ and he’s got his own pointed view of why things when down the way they did. Furthermore, the champ invites anyone who has a problem with it to step up to the ring and try to change things. Brewster chops it up with AHH Alternatives about the fight, his future plans and his purpose for boxing. AllHipHop.com: Let me start by asking are you happy with your win against Kali Meehan? LB: No, not really because I did the big no-no and that was bringing my personal feelings into the ring. Feelings get in the way and almost cost me the fight. It was a hard fight because this is someone who used to be my sparring partner and it’s hard to think about trying to kill someone in the ring I’m cool with so I didn’t have that fire that I should’ve had and it really almost cost me the fight because he’s a great fighter. AllHipHop.com: How do you feel about people saying that because it was a Don King fight that it was a set up for you to win? LB: It wasn’t set up because I really almost lost the fight. I won the first few rounds then he took some of the middle rounds and I came back and gave it my all the last four rounds and that’s why I feel I won. You know you hear all the rumors about Don and the things that he’s done to some fighters and all I can say is that he’s never done me wrong and the difference between me and those other fighters is I have lawyers but there’s no amount of money that would make me throw a fight, I don’t have to. AllHipHop.com: With Evander Holyfield as your next fight, how will you prepare differently? LB: I’m going to watch tapes like I normally do, but I’m going to study how to effectively dismantle him with my brain not my muscles. Evander’s a much older fighter and he’s not the fighter he used to be, but he’s a smart fighter and I have to be a smarter fighter. I have to break down his body to take him out and I’m just going to make sure I’m in the right frame of mind to dismantle him the way I know I can. AllHipHop.com: Who would you fight if you had your choice? LB: Vitali Klitchko . He’s the best fighter out there right now. I beat his brother before and now I wouldn’t mind taking him on. He’s here in Los Angeles and so am I so that’s a fight I want because as a fighter you should want to take on the best and he’s a contender right now. AllHipHop.com: How long do you see yourself boxing? LB: Hopefully not too much longer. I want to be there for my kids because my family is all I have. AllHipHop.com: What is it that makes someone want to get in a ring and get hit and sometimes almost beat to death? LB: You know I’m glad you asked that because there are two roads in life, yours and God’s. When God cast the devil to the earth and gave all his gifts to man God gave us free will and the gift may not be what you want per say, but it’s what God gives you and you have the choice to follow your own path or God’s path for you. Boxing is my gift, I’m good at it and I just had to take that leap of blind faith and let God guide my steps and this is where they lead me. I believe that through my boxing I’m supposed to be a role model for young people because kids need to see what perseverance and determination can get you. This country is in such bad shape because we’re so busy looking out the window at everybody else and not realizing we have our own problems that we need to fix here. There’s a problem when you have companies investing more money into prisons than into education and I feel it’s my obligation to live my life to give hope and inspire young people to want to do and be more, so I try to use my boxing career as a way to be a role model and however long God blesses me to be here, that’s what I’m going to do.

The long awaited third season of "The Wire" aired on HBO on September 19th to the delight of the show’s loyal following, and AllHipHop.com was able to catch up with a couple of the actors from this exciting streetwise series. First up is JD Williams, who plays the sometimes quiet but always aware character Bodie. A native of Newark, New Jersey, Williams has appeared in several television shows and music videos over the course of his career, and also had a long-running role on the now defunct HBO Series Oz. His appearances on popular shows like "Sex & The City," "New York Undercover," "The Sopranos," and "Third Watch" along with guest spots in various music videos have made his face easily recognizable. He starred in Christopher Walken’s short film "Popcorn Shrimp," and had a role in the comedy "Pootie Tang," and although his HBO bio states he appeared in "Graffiti Bridge," he assures us that he was not in the film [that was Tevin Campbell, folks]. JD took some time to sit down and speak with AllHipHop.com Alternatives about the connection between "The Wire," the citizens of Baltimore where the show is filmed, and the fans that bring him so much inspiration. AllHipHop.com Alternatives: How much research in Baltimore did you and the other actors do to prep for your roles? JD: The first year, I got down there like two days before we shot – it was like 12 or 1:00 in the morning. I just threw on a black hoodie and walked around. I went to one of their hoods and watched that night. I learned not to do that no more, I was lucky I made it back that night. That was my little personal thing, because I didn’t want to go onto the set that day like I’m portraying a Baltimore [resident] and I ain’t even been around Baltimore. I think everybody does different things, but the guys who play the cops have to study more police procedure than they do streets. A couple of the new guys you see, they’re from there, so that’s easy for them, but me, Wood [Harris], Idris [Elba], Hassan [Johnson], we’re not from Baltimore. As the weeks went on, we learned some of the nuances that separated them, but I think initially none of us were really 100% prepared. People have different levels of who they are in Baltimore, so I think all the [actors] did something different [to prepare for their roles]. AHHA: Do you frequent any spots in Baltimore where people will give you more insight about the city? JD: Yeah. It’s funny ‘cause I work a lot of places, but I still live in my own hometown, and I’m always walking around Newark all the time. I get sort of that hood love, like home love, so when I go [to Baltimore] we shoot there and they see us walking around. We seem so recognizable and familiar to them that it’s almost like the same thing, it’s almost like I get the same feeling. That’s definitely a bonus. We get a lot of support from the locals. AHHA: How do you feel about Season 2 when the story focused more on the docks and took away from your screen time? JD: I look at it like… of course the actor side of me wants to be on camera, but as far as being a fan-slash-writer myself, it’s like if you look at it, you see the concept of how they wanted to change it. Overall I’ve heard from the fans that that storyline was kind of slow or bland, but I still think that it proved it’s purpose. It balances out. I don’t mind a little bit less work, we’re going to get paid the same. AHHA: How much input do you have regarding your character? JD: It’s usually like on set modifications, I don’t do stuff beforehand. When I was on Oz I used to go a week before and write in pencil what I wanted to change and show it to the script supervisor. On this show it’s kind of like immediate, but usually usually [the crew] lets us get away with something, but if they don’t get it they just don’t get it. Sometimes there’s certain dialogue – they might check up on the police jargon or the medical terms or the law terms, and check with real lawyers and doctors and cops, but when it comes to the slang a lot of the times they just make it up. A lot of times we really gotta correct them on the slang, but other than that [it’s okay]. AHHA: Do the writers generally make decisions to knock off a major character based on contract situations or something else? For instance, they let the police officer, Kima [played by Sonja Sohn], live, while they killed off D’Angelo [played by Larry Gilliard, Jr] in prison. JD: Actually, I think [D’Angelo] shouldn’t even have made it to the second year – story wise the character shouldn’t have made it. I think it’s how we affected the audience that dictates how the writer writes it. Certain things gotta stretch out. [Kima] was supposed to be killed earlier last year, but sometimes they just change things. Me personally, that’s the actor in me saying, ‘Yeah, change it for the audience,’ but the writer in me says ‘Stick to the storyline, if somebody’s supposed to go they supposed to go’. AHHA: It’s been said that some people in Baltimore have tried to emulate the characters on the show. How much affect do you feel "The Wire" has on the city? JD: I don’t think that we affect Baltimore, I think Baltimore affects us. If they weren’t like that before I came down there, I apologize. My character is wild, but it’s not like he doesn’t think. He tries to be a thinking thug. I think if it really affected them, things would actually be more calm. AHHA: Does it frustrate […]

When you first see Ciara on your television screen, you may think that she is just a beautiful young lady made to compliment the scenery. Do not be fooled by first impressions, kiddies. This 18 year-old is the scenery, the backdrop, and she is determined to be the entire show. With a hot scene like Atlanta on her side and a whirlwind of talent that she brings to the table, Ciara is primed and ready to set your ears on fire. Her newly titled debut, Goodies, is set for a September 28th release, and the single with the same name has gotten as much airplay as any hot single released this summer. In a recent conversation with Allhiphop.com Alternatives, Ciara took time to let the people know what exactly to expect when her album drops. She also offered words of encouragement and enlightenment for those open to the message. Take a listen. Allhiphop.com Alternatives: By now, music fans have gotten to know you and have seen you quite a bit recently. Talk to me about all the different activities you have going on. Ciara: I’m actually doing a lot of promo right now, promo touring [and such]. I’m also in the process of finishing up the album. AHHA: How much grandeur and exposure has ‘Goodies’ gotten you to date? Radio stations and television outlets are playing the song and the video pretty heavily. Ciara: It’s been going really good so far. I’ve been trying to get more live show dates, like [BET’s] 106 & Park, places like that to get exposure. The schedule is crazy right now. It’s been real hectic, but it’s all good. AHHA: Did you honestly believe that the single would blow up this much? I cannot imagine that you knew right from the start that your song would be one of the hottest singles of the summer. Ciara: I really believe in the record. Truthfully, I believe the record is definitely a hit record. I just didn’t know that it would move so quickly. I knew people would love the record. The first part of my goal is accomplished. AHHA: Was the beat and the overall flow intended to sound like Petey Pablo’s ‘Freek-A-Leek’? There is an undeniable commonality between the two tracks. Ciara: I didn’t even know about Petey’s record when I did ‘Goodies’. It was written five or six months before. I did ‘Goodies’ before Petey’s record came out. I’m not going to sit up here and say that I’m the best singer in the world. But, I definitely have some vocal talent. You’ll get to see and hear more of it on the album. There’s no other record on my album like ‘Goodies’. All of the songs are different from each other and they are all great records. The record is something that everybody and their mother can sing, though. AHHA: Describe the ‘Crunk & B’ style that you have implemented on this album. Ciara: It’s not my style, but this particular style is Crunk & B. It’s just when you mix crunk with R&B. AHHA: Talk to me about the beginning of everything with your music and how everything has gotten you to where you are. Ciara: I started out in a group, but the group didn’t work out. The company that I was signed to decided to stick with me and develop me as a solo artist. That’s where it all began. AHHA: You were also a military baby as well, right? Ciara: Yes. My father was in the Army and my mother was in the Air Force. AHHA: With all of the traveling that you have obviously done, have you incorporated all of those different experiences growing up into your music? Ciara: Most definitely. I think it was kind of prepping me. I was able to adapt to different cultures and different surroundings. I think it was really beneficial for me. AHHA: Atlanta’s music scene is on fire like no other region has been in a long time. How have the locals accepted you and opened up to what you have to offer? Ciara: Just knowing that artists have been out well before me and they are showing me love and support is really crazy to me. It’s not about who the people are; it’s about the respect that I hold for each individual and they’ve been showing a lot of love. It feels real good. What can I say? This is my first album, and all the support I’ve been given is crazy. God is really blessing me. AHHA: Is there one message more so than others that you attempt to get across on the songs that you sing? Ciara: I hope my music will reflect the person that I am. I know who I am. I’m just a real around the way girl and down to earth. I want people to love themselves for who they are. I don’t believe that I’m here just to do records. I do not believe that God put me in front of millions of people to just sit there and do songs. I definitely have a message, and hopefully I can inspire people to go out and do something good with their lives. Whatever you see yourself doing, it is definitely possible. AHHA: Let the people know what they can expect to get on Ciara’s debut album. Ciara: It’s going to be crazy! It’s innovative and it’s refreshing. Jazze Pha is the executive producer on the album. I worked with R. Kelly, Missy Elliott, and Jermaine [Dupri], although you may not hear anything from Jermaine on this album. I also worked with Dallas Austin, and other up and coming producers. I also co-wrote on 10 out of the 12 songs that will be on the album. You’re going to love it. It’s a whole new sound and something that all demographics can relate to.

Don’t get caught up on the name. Yes, he is named after the late Martin Luther King Jr., and yes, he has a certain rebellious spirit – but the only preaching this Martin Luther will be doing comes from the wail of his guitar, or maybe even at your next business seminar. Martin Luther has such a strong entrepreneurial awareness, and is so determined to maintain a certain amount of autonomy in the pervasively parasitic culture of the entertainment industry, that at times he can sound like a MBA student instead of a recording artist. Luther would argue that in today’s musical climate, the two should be difficult to differentiate, as he feels it is his duty to be a part of the business and not just a maker of the music. His relentless desire to be abreast of his options was passed to him by his father, a successful and hard working business man himself. Business savvy aside, Martin Luther is making dope music and is doing so in the newly popular, but still largely uncultivated vein of post hip hop rock and funk. He is ready to put his name in the hat with cats like Prince and The Time. Currently on the road with The Roots and playing shows along side fellow funk guitarist Cody Chesnutt, he is prepping the release of his sophomore effort, Rebel Soul Music. Fresh of a plane from touring with The Roots, Luther to a minute and spoke with Allhiphop Alternatives. AllHipHop.com Alternatives: I have to say, there was a sense of pride that came over me when I found out you were a Morehouse grad. ML: Good, cause only we can forward that type of spirit, or whatever that is that we’re talking about. That’s a healthy bond, it’s not an anti-anything else type of thing, it’s just a healthy bond between cats like you and I. AHHA: What’s the concept behind Rebel Soul Music? ML: It comes from a few different things, being that I starting doing music in high school, me and my partners we’re checking publishing deals and dealing with distribution way back then. Those deals never seemed to be way lucrative other than you was way hype off the fact that you had a deal. We decided to put more time in investigating how the business goes. I went off to school and that basically waylaid a lot of musical progress. In 97’ a group I was in disbanded and I decided to go and do a solo record and that was The Calling. So the concept of Rebel Soul Music is tied into all of this process because I’m not really an easily categorized artist. I can do music that you would consider Hip-Hop, as well as I can do something that would be complete Rock & Roll. My music isn’t an attempt to do either, it’s just what it is. My name, Martin Luther McCoy, the spirit of that name also seems to carry with it a rebellious attitude, cause ya know Martin Luther reformed the Catholic Church. I was just recently having a conversation with my pops, who is a local minister, and I was like ‘If the church folks drink alcohol, it seems to me like the church can find ways to generate income for itself by meeting the needs of its patrons’. We need to get involved in restaurants, get involved in car services or get involved in a liquor store or whatever else we spend our money on. What I notice in Jews and what I notice in Italians is they aren’t tripping off whether you are playing blues or gospel, they understand that you want to hear music and that you want to buy it, and so they’re going to set up shops so that you can have that need serviced. AHHA: So what did your pops have to say about the liquor store idea? ML: Well he was like ‘That’s an interesting idea’. To me it needs to be a hardcore reality, cause then you talking about having a level of control over your economics, having a voice. Ownership is key in these United States. Foreigners come to the U.S. and they understand the value in owning property, and we’re just sitting around hanging out. So Rebel Soul Music encompasses the spirit of all of this type of thinking. AHHA: From what I’ve read about you I understand that navigating your own ship is important to you, as is owning the master rights to your music. With that said, are you entertaining major label offers? ML: Of course, because that will help the process of bringing my music to a well deserved audience faster. We are not saying we got to keep everything, but maintaining ownership is important because we then have a level of influence over what happens. Ultimately, in the business of music there are others that you will have to deal with outside of your immediate culture. They are the gate keepers, and yes we want to work with them. AHHA: I get the impression that you want www.rebelsoulmusic.com, to be more than just a place to check for your music. ML: Yes indeed, cause pretty soon we’ll have advertisements for Saul Williams project which is also coming out alongside my project on September 21st and K-OS from Canada who’s also dropping on September 21st. There’s a film called Sounds of Spirits, coming out in the Bay area. If anyone is interested in me and wants to know what I’m talking about or what I think is interesting, the website will reflect that. Hopefully it will become a place to come and check out about sh*t. AHHA: How is this record different from your debut? ML: It’s the same cat. This time we got better equipment to work with and what I talked about in the first record was a lot more love inspired. The Calling was like me answering a call, it’s was like I […]

When he was known as ‘Science Fiction’, AllHipHop.com embraced his project Walls Don’t Exist as one of the top-shelf albums of 2003. We’ve watched our boy do a stellar EP, work with DOOM and Jay Dee, and come back try to do it real big in ’04. If you caught the latest review, One Day, Everything Changed is sizing up to be another top album for the experimental Hip-Hop crowd this year. While Wale’s debut had a looming tone, this one is highly more political and relative of the journey in growth that Wale’s made. Check it out as Wale and AllHipHop.com Alternatives reflect on the music, the culture, and the state of the union in the States. For those without hope, just remember…it can all change. AllHipHop.com Alternatives: In the creation of the last album, you were living in California. I know you moved back to Atlanta, what affect did that have on the music? Wale: Pretty much, all of [the album was made here]. This was actually a quick record. It was one of those things that once I started working on; I was feverishly at it until it was done. I’m not so much sure that it was sure it was a change of scenery, than just a change of lifestyle. Just to move back with the crew of Shaman Works and DOOM being down here, it’s great to be back. It’s energy. AHHA: Walls Don’t Exist was not a particularly happy album. Granted, it had its uplifting moments. But it was dark and moody. This is a much happier album. What do you attribute that to? Wale: I think, in a way, One Day Everything Changed generally speaks on a lot of issues. Like me being a foreigner, but coming to this country at a pivotal time. I was a teenager when I moved out here. I feel like as much as I’m a Nigerian, I’m an American. Different things happened out here as far as music, and shaping who you are. So for me, it was kind of a way to explain my musical influences out there [from Nigeria]. So it starts with an Afro-Beat feel, and gradually progresses to a more Westernized Soul type of deal, to a straight Hip-Hop feel to it. AHHA: This album definitely cites the Soul genres more than the Rock influences, or even Jazz influences on the last. How has your own listening diet progressed? Wale: I think it’s pretty obvious. With Walls Don’t Exist, I was big into my Jazz phase at the time. It had samples from everything from Coltrane to Wes Montgomery to straight-up Jazz, and grainy stuff like your Radiohead and Coldplay samples and stuff like that. This album, I was [listening] to more 70’s stuff, more Afro-Beat, a lot of Sly Stone. That was a major influence. At the same time, dead prez, Badu, and Common, were obviously [there]. AHHA: Politically, this is a very relevant album. Your stance on war and national pride seem to shine through. I’m guessing you have a very firm and strong view on the whole deal… Wale: I’m not into preaching or beating your opinions into somebody else’s head or whatever. I was watching the news yesterday and there was talk of wanting to delay the elections because terrorists might strike on Election Day, out of nowhere. That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard as of late, and there’s plenty of ridiculous things I’ve heard. So it’s like, people in power are doing anything and everything to maintain their chokehold that they have. For me, it’s not even really about demonizing a George Bush or any one person, because I don’t know what goes on in Kerry’s household or whatever. But for me, it’s just about wanting things to be better. AHHA: One track that really speaks on this in your album is ‘Riot & Revolt’, but in comes in a real general sense. It applies to all things like this – anywhere, anytime. I feel like great music political does that. I don’t know if my grandkids will understand a Paris, but they might be able to relate to yours. Wale: That was kind of the plan. It’s not so much picking on any one particular figure, because this is the type of thing that’s been going on for decades, centuries, and unfortunately – it’s not gonna stop anytime soon. It’s just a matter of the guard changing, and making things better for yourself and your children. For me, coming from Nigeria, the government is pretty notorious for being corrupt and just taking things out of the hands of the people. But that’s everywhere now. This can happen on your block. Just ‘cause you see it on the news, doesn’t make you safe. I would just like people to be more aware. AHHA: Again, as a ‘foreigner’, do you feel vulnerable to criticize the government. I mean, Cheaney’s wife says I’m not a patriot, and I was born here. What about you? How do you take that vicious criticism into consideration? Wale: If you go to Nigeria and talk to natives, you’ll find, like in a lot of developing countries, that the people – while their situation might seem bleak, and they have no facilities, a lot of people are strangely, really happy. They have troubles and they deal with what they have to deal with. But then they go and they party every Friday night like it’s all good. For me, I think that traveling a lot that people overseas have a real broadened view, and a more positive outlook to life in general. Realize, you just have to keep pushing. They know that things’ll change eventually, and you gotta have faith and keep moving and working. At the end of the day, the government sucks, but you gotta feed your family. America is comfortable. Things are easier. Not to say ‘Mo’ Money, Mo’ Problems’, but you get a different set of problems. AHHA: When I […]

O’Ryan is one of the rare R&B artists blessed enough to have a sizable fan base long before he releases his debut album. Being the younger brother of former B2K front man Omarion and IMX’s Marques Houston has helped considerably, but he plans to carve his own niche above and beyond anything done before him. The 16 year-old “singsation” refuses to be pigeonholed into one single category, and will stop at nothing to separate himself from the flooded R&B scene. Backed by a savvy marketing campaign by Universal Records, constant appearances in popular magazines worldwide, and sold out shows across the country, O’Ryan can only foresee himself being lifted to the highest of highs. In a candid interview with Allhiphop.com Alternatives, he briefly discusses his budding career and certain issues that surround his brother’s former super group. Allhiphop.com Alternatives: When did you first fall in love with music? O’Ryan: I fell in love with music while I was in my mom’s stomach. Before I was even born I fell in love with music. AHHA: As far as you career goes, are you more interested in writing, producing, or performing? O’Ryan: I am shooting for the top, but you know, I am not in this business just to be in it. [I am not doing this to] get a number one album and make a lot of money. I am in it because I love music and I love performing music. I just want to be successful to my highest ability. AHHA: Is your first album age appropriate only for teenagers or is it a versatile album that everyone can relate to? O’Ryan: It is pretty much an all-age record. AHHA: When it was first put out that [former B2K manager] Chris [Stokes] was supposedly robbing B2K, what was your reaction? Did you take his word for that he did not, or did you check things out? O’Ryan: Chris and my mother are co-managing me and I have known Chris all of my life. He has been like an uncle to me, so when they said he robbing B2K, it was totally off the wall. He was really upset and he felt like he got stabbed in the back. He even showed me, but it doesn’t matter because I know he got me straight. AHHA: Ever since the formal break-up of the group, have you worked with any of the other members besides your brother? O’Ryan: No. AHHA: Which genre of music more fits your musical style? Is it Hip-Hop, R&B, or some other form of music? O’Ryan: I would say R&B. AHHA: Are you going to be taking any of the credit for the writing portion of your album? O’Ryan: Not this time around, but on the second album, I will most definitely be doing what I have to do on the writing side. AHHA: Have you heard about Raz-B’s recent run-in with the law? If you have, do you have any comments about it? O’Ryan: I just hope he’s alright. I do not really know any details about it or anything. AHHA: Does it satisfy you or bother you more to just be known as ‘Omarion’s little brother’? O’Ryan: It’s no different. [Either way] I am Omarion’s little brother. Growing up I have always been under him, so it’s not a bad feeling. It’s cool, but I want everybody to know me as O’Ryan and not [just] Omari’s little brother.

Making the unlikely transition from Gospel to R&B has not been as difficult as Tarralyn Ramsey once envisioned. As a matter of fact, it has seemingly bolstered her career in both arenas. Tarralyn is a startling talent at the age of 22, already having shared stages with music’s most prominent figures. Her self-titled debut is proof positive that this beautiful Florida native is definitely here to stay. As one of the first acts featured on Tommy Mottola’s all-new Casablanca record label (distributed by Universal), Tarralyn’s first order of business is to show her fans that she has a song in her heart, thunder in her voice, and God by her side to keep it all together. In a recent conversation with Allhiphop.com Alternatives, she talks about her fusion of many musical styles and how she intends to make them blend as one. Allhiphop.com Alternatives: As I am talking to you, I have your debut album playing in the background, and I really dig it. Talk about it for a moment if you could. Tarralyn Ramsey: My record is a record that obviously has a lot of different styles of music, but it’s definitely R&B. My new single is called ‘Remedy’, and it is my baby. I love singing ‘Remedy’ – it’s a song about a girl who was in this relationship with this guy and he was messing up! [laughs] His only excuse was he got caught up one night, and she doesn’t want to hear any reasons why. She meets this new guy that’s her cure from pain. It’s a great song. AHHA: Do you have that same passion for any other song on the album? Are you going to feature another song with a similar message or a similar vibe? TR: Another song on the record that I really love is ‘Up Against All Odds’. This song is a testimonial; it’s very emotional and it lets you know that you can overcome any struggle and any kind of pain that you have. It’s the typical overcoming and powerful type of song. AHHA: You were one of the featured acts at the ‘Born To Diva’ show on VH-1 sometime ago. Was that event the defining moment in your career to that point? You were amongst some legitimate legends in music. TR: I feel like the ‘Born To Diva’ competition was definitely the start of my secular career. The defining moment for me was when Tommy [Mottola] called the studio and told me I’d sung a song very well. I was freaking out! [laughs] He said he thought I had an exceptional talent and a voice like mine hadn’t come around in a long time. That was definitely my pivotal moment. AHHA: Were you the least bit intimidated being surrounded by such an exceptional group of talent that night? TR: I think it kind of tripped me out when I was on the red carpet and Beyonce walked past. Then, you saw Ashanti, Chaka Khan, and all these legendary people. It was really amazing. I had actually been on tour with Mary J. Blige before, so I knew how she performed, but to be on the same stage with all those world-renowned people was amazing. I don’t think I was ever intimidated; I just felt like I took my rightful place. AHHA: I think that is the kind of confidence that younger people such as yourself and I need to exude on a consistent basis. As the old saying goes, ‘closed mouths don’t get fed.’ TR: That’s right! AHHA: Share with me some of the positive feedback you received after the curtain dropped that night. TR: Jewel was really nice and said I had a really beautiful voice. Sharon Osbourne had some nice words for me. Beyonce caught me backstage and congratulated me. Ashanti was also very pleasant and really sweet. They showed me some love. AHHA: Now, you come from a very deep rooted gospel background. My natural assumption would be that you got your start during that time, right? TR: I started singing in church, and I sang my first solo when I was three years old. My mother was the minister of music at my church. Some years after that, we had this very prominent youth choir in our town. It was the ‘it’ choir; everyone wanted to join our choir, but you had to be at least sixteen to get in. I was only twelve at the time, but they let me audition and let me in the choir. Once I got in the choir, it was over from there! A lot of people asked me do solos, then I became the funeral singer, the wedding singer, and anywhere else I could sing. Eventually, I landed a gospel record deal and recorded a gospel album. AHHA: Did jumping from the gospel scene to secular music get you any objections from church members or close family members? TR: Obviously, everybody was concerned, so I can’t say everything was peachy keen. I can honestly say that I got my objections, but we sat down and talked it out. Everybody was able to see my vision for what it really was. AHHA: Of course, God and religious subject matter play a big role in your music, but is there any other particular message that you try to bring across more so than others? TR: I want people to know that when I sing, I’m singing from my heart. There’s an emotion that you feel, and it’s real. You know how some music is just raw and real? That’s what I feel I bring to the table; just the rawness and realness of a voice. AHHA: I think you and I both know that realness and rawness of that nature does not necessarily translate into gospel in the church. Are you still welcomed with the same open arms that greeted you before your transition? TR: Believe it or not, when you are just a gospel artist, you don’t get a […]

When Boston grade school pals Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, and Bobby Brown formed a singing group in 1978, they may not have known the impact that their decision would make over the next two decades and beyond. Within two years of getting together, they added Ralph Tresvant and Ronnie DeVoe to the group, and were eventually discovered by Maurice Starr after a series of talent shows. In 1983 they released the album Candy Girl independently on Starr’s Streetwise label with the hits “Candy Girl”, “Popcorn Love”, and “Is This The End”, and were eventually offered a deal with MCA Records. In 1984 they released their self-titled double-platinum MCA debut, which spawned the hits “Cool It Now” and “Mr. Telephone Man”. As the boys’ vocal maturity was beginning to progress, they completed the platinum All For Love album in 1985 before any of them had even turned 18. Bobby Brown chose to pursue a solo career in 1986, and came so hard on his debut album that fans wondered what would become of New Edition without him. Nevertheless, the group was reborn in 1989 with the classic double-platinum Heart Break album, with Johnny Gill fielding the spot that Bobby left open. The success of “If It Isn’t Love” and “Can You Stand The Rain” further solidified the young legacy that New Edition had created for themselves. Meanwhile, Bobby Brown’s second solo album, Don’t Be Cruel, was on its way to selling an amazing seven million copies. All the members split after touring for the Heart Break project to pursue other endeavors. Ralph Tresvant and Johnny Gill both enjoyed platinum status with their self-titled solo albums in the early 90’s. Ricky Bell, Ronnie DeVoe and Michael Bivins formed Bell Biv DeVoe, and catapulted to the top of the pop charts with their Poison album, churning out five hit singles and selling over three million copies. More albums were released from each camp as the individual artists attempted unsuccessfully to match their previous sales numbers. Michael kept pace with his own label and management company, discovering groups like Boyz II Men and Another Bad Creation. Johnny linked up with Keith Sweat and Gerald Levert to form LSG. Ronnie got his real estate license. Bobby stayed in the headlines. In 1996, all six men, Bobby included, met up in the studio to record the Home Again album. The reunion gave New Edition two big hits with “Hit Me Off” and “I’m Still In Love With You”, however after a promotional tour for the album, they chose to go their separate ways once again. In 2004, New Edition is back like a phoenix from the flames of perceived obscurity. Sean “Puffy” Combs signed the men on with Bad Boy to record again – this time without the notorious bad boy, Bobby. Michael Bivins and Ronnie DeVoe took some time to speak with AllHipHop.com about the challenges that comeback kings face in today’s music scene. AllHipHop.com: Talk to me briefly about signing to Bad Boy and coming back out – how has that been for you and how did that come about? Ronnie: We were on tour in Summer 2002, touching all our die-hard fans, and Puffy happened to be one of the people at one of our shows, and saw that we still had it and were still relevant as a group. So he got in contact with Mike and asked questions about the present position of our record label, because we had some problems with our record label at the time. But Puffy was willing to do everything to smooth the situation out, along with our lawyers, Mike and our manager. We are here now and we have an incredible record out. AllHipHop.com: ‘Hot To Nice’ is the new single, and you just shot the video right? New Edition: Yes it is. AllHipHop.com: What’s the theme of the video, what’s going on with that? Mike: Well it is actually Hype Williams coming out of retirement to work with New Edition; we never had that opportunity before so that is very special. It is very sensual; it’s right there but still TV-friendly. I actually saw a Q-Tip video today, and it reminded me of how he got away with going right there, without them making him cut the stuff out. This is what Hype did with us – he brought the song out even more. He gave the song a look that you don’t hear or can’t really see when you just play the record, and I think he mastered that very well. AllHipHop.com: Who are some of the producers that you guys worked with on the album? Ronnie: We worked with some classic producers – Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, they handles their business with four joints on there. They are representing for the true new Edition fans. We also have Stevie J on there, which was a big thing for us. Some new and upcoming producers; Ryan Leslie has a few joints on there. We have tracks from the kid Nephew from the Dr. Dre camp so we have a little bit of the West Coast flavor. It’s a great balance of classic New Edition and the bounce of Bad Boy. As well as the Bel Biv Devoe Energy, a little Johnny Gill energy you know. AllHipHop.com: So with the September 28th album, what’s the title of it? Mike and Ronnie: One Love. AllHipHop.com: Let’s talk a little bit about what happened on the radio in New York earlier this week. There was some conversation about New Edition’s relevance in the marketplace in 2004 and beyond. What do you guys have to say to those critics who are non-believers? Mike: It’s just a thing that you have to understand here in New York City, they have taken a stance that a couple of the radio stations have taken; that it is important to program a lot of rap. You have a lot of R&B people who were on when we were off, that […]

When you hear the name Rowdee Black Giants, you might start thinking about some testosterone infused heavy metal version of Living Colour, a group of b######## guys screaming and destroying musical equipment. Actually, The R-B-Geez, as they are called by their fans, don’t destroy their equipment and they aren’t even a bunch of Black guys. Initially, the R-B-Geez are an odd looking collective of emcees and rock/funk instrumentalists, but when they begin playing, all thoughts of their odd appearance are absorbed by the dopeness of their music. With percussions and horns that are undeniably Hip-Hop, and attitudes that yield the improvisation of jazz and the edge of rock, the group is an unseen force in music. Sounding like neither Linkin Park nor The Roots, the R-B-Geez musical fusion manages to avoid mimicry, but instead exemplifies originality and innovation. They have been creating a buzz in their home town of Philadelphia as well as cities like New York, so Allhiphop.com Alternatives caught up with some members of the group to chat about their history and their future. AHHA: Who are the Rowdee Black Giants about? Mutation of Greatness (M.O.G.) (emcee): The R-B-Geez are exactly what the name says, the Rowdee Black Giants. Our name has nothing to do with color or anything like that, it’s a statement saying that if everybody is doing one thing in the game, we are going to do what everybody else isn’t doing. The whole vibe is just all different types of cultures, all different types of people, putting that together in a pot and giving you this musical gumbo. That’s why we got cats from Ireland, cats with Hungarian backgrounds, we got emcees straight from the hood, and we got cats with college educations. We want to show people that we got all these different types of people making this wonderful music. Da Average Man Earnin’ (D.A.M.E.) (emcee): Everything right now is at a stand still. We got a lot of groups, a lot of radio stations, a lot of mass media pumping the same sex and violence and we are here to destroy all of that. We are on the same path as Public Enemy back when Chuck D said he wanted to be the Black CNN. Ed Docktor (bass player): As an instrumentalist, the R-B-Geez really give me a wide open range of expressing myself all different ways. I have a more rock background but this group allows me to groove more. I can really have fun with the music, stay in the pocket or make it melodic. AHHA: What’s the symbol represent? The chicken, the shovel, the mic, all of that seems very calculated, break it down. M.O.G.: This group has been in existence since about 1988. It was formed by two Emcees who are the elder statesmen of the group, Rowdee (Darryl Evans) and Black (Derrick Ward). Me and D.A.M.E., we were the young boys of the group, we were just trying to get our feet wet. After a ten year hiatus, me and D.A.M.E. picked the group back up and we kept the name to express our loyalty to the family. A Black Giant is a special breed of gamecock used by Tyson and Purdue to mate with their chickens to build real strong, powerful birds. If you want a bird to kick some ass, get a Jersey Black Giant. So that’s why we took that name, the gamecock just represents that aggressive ass bird that’s used to build stronger minds and build people up and make them the best that they can possibly be. The mic and the shovel represent our waking people up—just like roosters do—to dig what we saying. So that the whole breakdown of what the mascot represents, it shows loyalty and our purpose. We’ve been brought together to build stronger people to build stronger minds and to expand cultures. AHHA: What’s a Rowdee Black Giants live show like? Ed Docktor: You can tell that we’re having a lot of fun on stage, we communicate a lot on stage. Even songs we play in set come across different because we all have some many different backgrounds. We have musicians from Ireland, they bring an Irish sound, I’m more of a rock and blues guy and we all just blend it together. We try very hard to make every song different cause we all are a bunch of song writers whether with a mic, a bass or drums. We try to give the crowd a good time and I think we do. M.O.G.: It’s that gumbo sound. It’s blues, funk, rock, jazz, it’s so many different styles of music. And when you combine them with a Hip-Hop bass line, you can jazz the guitars out, you can rock the guitars out, you can funk them out, it’s just totally refreshing. D.A.M.E.: So many different genres that we break them all. AHHA: Through music, society has been able to see people of all different backgrounds and cultures collaborate and fellowship. Why does it seem that society is so slow to yield that same positive fellowship? Ed Docktor: Because most of society isn’t interested in dealing with our differences. Music is just such a great forum to bring all kinds of people together cause you really see how much you really have in common with each other. When you play music with someone, you have that bond with them and all the little differences don’t matter at all. I think it’s great that all kinds of people can get together and create something beautiful. AHHA: What’s going to make 2004 a successful year for the R-B-Geez? Rowdee: It’s time. It’s something that has been in the works for so long and it’s survived so many different mutations in line ups, that I think we’ve finally got the right mix now. Everybody’s head is pointed in the right direction and it’s time for the world to experience the Geez. We want to feel the buzz, we want to walk the […]

AllHipHop.com: It’s really good to hear somebody like yourself say these things. It’s good for us to be able to talk like this and really be real and let people know that it’s not a joke. Rick: But you know what? It’s just that Black people are just taking the stance that they just don’t care. And, it’s scary. AllHipHop.com: I don’t understand how people can’t just care. My parents grew up really poor… Rick: People don’t know what they are about. There’s no more SNCC [Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee] and no more H. Rap Brown and no revolutionaries anymore. There are no people that will stand up anymore. AllHipHop.com: I couldn’t believe that Al Sharpton signed on for a reality show. Rick: Oh that freaks you out? AllHipHop.com: [Laughs] Rick: That freaks you out? Jesse Jackson will sign on for one. Come on lets talk about the Uncle Toms of the world. AllHipHop.com: I guess I’m and idealist. Rick: I’m an idealist, but I’m a realist too. I’m getting ready to do one of those reality shows too. Me and Jamie Fox. It’s going to be about getting Rick James back in shape, going out again. So, I’m going to be able to talk some good s**t and let people hear it. It’s not like music; I can say things and motherf***ers have to listen. AllHipHop.com: Is this in development now? Rick: Yeah, matter of fact; I have to call Jamie today. AllHipHop.com: I’m happy for you. Rick: Allah is blessing me. He ain’t blessing me to keep my mouth shut because I ain’t never did that. AllHipHop.com: Most people are scared to talk. Rick: They ain’t scared to talk, they ain’t got nothing to say! They are a bunch of knuckleheads. AllHipHop.com: I’m a tell you because it’s true, but it’s not true. I interviewed Lloyd Banks, 50 Cent’s boy, and he had a lot to say… Rick: All I know about 50 Cent’s is he got more bullets in him than Al Capone. He’s a player hater. He’s the only ni**a I saw sitting down at the f***in’ [BET] awards show not giving props. To say something, you have to have something to back it up. You better have knowledge. I don’t care what you talk about, whether its politics, theology or whatever. You better have your times and your dates together. When dealing with these fake a** people or these politicians, and I f**kin’ be blowing their minds [and they are like] “So, you never even finished high school?” No, but I did something else, I read and I studied – So lets talk motherf***er! AllHipHop.com: I think artists are scared. As much as gangsta rap is hardcore, they rarely upset the powers that be like Ice-T or somebody did. Rick: That’s their problem. I ain’t afraid of s**t. I’ll take a bullet for what I believe is right. I’ll die in the name of Allah at anytime. AllHipHop.com: That’s the thing with the war…it’s like they are fighting for their God. Rick: Muslims are fighting in the name of God; [the U.S.] is fighting in the name of dollars and cents. AllHipHop.com: When somebody is fighting in the name of God… Rick: …you can’t win, you cannot lose. AllHipHop.com: Wow. Rick, thanks a lot. I don’t really have anything else to say. Rick: Much love to you. I have a feeling that you will be blessed greatly. You have an open-heart and an open mind and you are willing to just talk about it. I can wait until one day we can meet eye-to-eye and just talk more. AllHipHop.com: I hope to meet you and your daughter. Rick: You all get together and you take care of her. Please look out for her. AllHipHop.com: It was such a pleasure. By the way, one thing about Hip-Hop is that, even though it’s based on sampling, it really allows some of us to appreciate people that they don’t promote anymore. AllHipHop.com: Rick: Nobody is trying to stop us from your memory. They’re trying to stop us from going forward. They are not even thinking about us much, so we have to give them something to think about. [Muhammad] Ali tells me, “Rick, keep saying what you are saying and keep it real.” I love him and he’s like my mentor. And I’m not going to stop.

AllHipHop.com: Are you Muslim? Rick: I study Islam and prefer to call God, Allah. I have studied Islam for 7 years. I am a spiritualist, I believe in God but I prefer to call him Allah AllHipHop.com: What attracted you to Islam? Rick: Because Islam is one of the most powerful dedicated regimented religions that I have ever studied. And it opened up a whole new light for me. AllHipHop.com: Did you study this on your own, or did you have someone…. Rick: Allah, or God, leads you towards what you are supposed to do, when I was thinking about my stroke, and my mother and stuff, the only person I could turn to was God. Christianity, I didn’t believe in. Islam is not interested in what you wear, and it doesn’t care for all of that. AllHipHop.com: I had expressed converting to Islam, with a girlfriend of mines… Rick: When you convert to Islam you have to be ready, you have to pray five times a day. You have to know what you are getting into. AllHipHop.com: She was immediately turned off, now with mainstream and in accordance with situation in Iraq… Rick: There has always been in every religion, warriors and soldiers, you have fanatics. Bin Laden, we are the Bin Laden terrorists of the world, we have killed more people than Bin Laden and Saddam put together with Adolf Hitler. We dropped bombs and killed millions of people in Japan. AllHipHop.com: Do you consider the current war, a holy war? Rick: No, it isn’t a holy war, it is a war based on money. The only reason we went over there was to kill Saddam to get the oil. It’s a shame, ‘cause Bush’s racist brother was stopping blacks from going to the polls. AllHipHop.com: Have you seen Fahrenheit 9/11? Rick: I loved it. What do you think? I mean, Republicans believe it’s not true, but it is fact based. The media seems to not be as critical of the President. The President does not have the ultimate power; the largest power seat in the US is Chairman of the House. Because you can’t f**k with him. That’s what Arnold Schwartzenegger is going to run for. Louis Stokes is my first cousin and he has been a congressman for over 50 years. Me and him talk a lot, and he told me that’s the most important position. People don’t know that big brother’s are going to be watching them. AllHipHop.com: I watched 1984 just the other day. I read the book when I was 15. I read the book and then saw the movie and thought this is so much of what is starting to happen today. Rick: Yes, I read it too. I never graduated from high school but I was damned if I was going to be dumb. That’s why in my songs, I used innuendos and stuff I gave them a glimpse of wordology, and I never lied to them. AllHipHop.com: Are you going to have these messages on your double album? Rick: They already have been. I had a song about nuclear warfare. I’m trying to talk to our people. AllHipHop.com: A lotta people like Bill Cosby, Spike Lee… Rick: Bill Cosby has no f**kin’ idea. Spike Lee is so self-f**king-indulgent. Danny Glover is the only person that makes any sense. And Colin Powell is a cracker cookie black killing piece of s**t. Bush is a f**kin’ maniac. AllHipHop.com: Wow. Have you heard of the possibility of a draft? Rick: Ain’t gonna be no f**kin’ draft. Soon as they do a draft, its gonna be a Third World War right here in the United States, because Black people ain’t going. AllHipHop.com: You ain’t lying. Rick: How is there gonna be a draft when there ain’t even a World War. The next world war is a button, man. And, Korea is gonna start that s**t up. Korea already told us, “Kiss our ass!” [Like a U.S. official] “We’d like to take all of your weapons of mass destruction and destroy them.” Korea said, “I’ll tell you what you do, bring ya a#### over here! And ya’ll destroy them, motherf**kers!” AllHipHop.com: [Laughs] Rick: And Revelations in the Bible says, the Dragon will rise so shall be the end of the times. The Red Dragon is Korea. Korea told us, “Kiss our ass! Now come on over here!” AllHipHop.com: I don’t think we’ll mess with Korea. Rick: We said, “Ok, excuse me.” Give me a f**kin’ break. Korea ain’t having it. I love Korea, man. Korea is a Muslim country. There are many Muslims…It’s very deep. Just think how I feel. Most people walking around the street just don’t give a f**k that any minute if they don’t have money, they will have a number stamped on their ass. They don’t give a f**k that money is going to be obsolete. AllHipHop.com: You are right. I can’t seem to live without my ATM. Rick: Computers, man. You won’t even need to type. AllHipHop.com: I’m on the computer too much. Rick: All those computer are gonna be taken away and its going to be vocal. Anything you want the computer to do, you will talk to it. Its also going to watch you’re a**. AllHipHop.com: In a way, they watch you now, because they can monitor your email, where you surf… Rick: No, the government is going to run computers and TV’s. Eventually, there are things that you can say in the telephone and you’ll have helicopters over your f**kin’ house in five. AllHipHop.com: My whole thing is how do you prevent these things from happening? Rick: My whole thing is being conscious and not just running around here thinking everything is all right because it ain’t. And my whole thing is trying to teach other Blacks, whoever wants to listen, that there is a better way. We can run this s**t if we unify. All Spike Lee wants to do is talk about a bunch of […]

When AllHipHop.com announced this 5 part series, we like everyone else, could never have forseen this shocking blow to the music industry, especially black music. Rick James had died. Like Ray Charles, Rick James was a titan that influenced several genres of music. The first group he was in was known as the Mynah Birds, which featured Neil Young and Goldie McJohn (Steppenwolf..think ‘Born to be Wild’). He pioneered what was labeled as “punk funk.” Don’t let his statements about Hip-Hop fool you. Rick was down with Hip-Hop back then. He released a chart topping single on Reprise Records named “Loosey’s Rap,” a number 1 record that featured Roxanne Shante. Read this interview carefully. Rick James is telling all of us something. AllHipHop.com: I’m unhappy with a lot of Hip-Hop music; I don’t even listen to tthe radio anymore. The corporations have taken over… Rick: Universal would have bought other corporations, but black rappers and dope money have a whole other move in the industry. They have taken young black rappers through dope money and have made them successful. I won’t have my child walking around talking about, “N***er this , N***er that.” AllHipHop.com: All rappers aren’t like that… Rick: Don’t turn a blind eye, black music has always taken people to a spiritual and elevated plane. Ever since Miles Davis, Motown, Earth Wind and Fire. AllHipHop.com: None of the positive Rap gets played on the radio anymore… Rick: Music has now taken another toll, man. Quincy was saying that music is sad. There will never be another music that will come that will change the consciousness of people. Every decade a musician comes that saves the world, and that’s not happening now and its been over 20 years. I am a musician and I am excited about hearing a group that makes me feel like I want to live again. But when I go to a club and hear a rapper singing about, “N***er N***er N***er,” and wearing their pants down pass their a###### it makes me sick to my stomach. AllHipHop.com: Do you think the artists will eventually grow out of that and change? Rick: Hell no, they are not going to grow out of it…. because they are going to buy cars, and end up with their cars and out of the business. Rap changes so quickly. I saw a kid on TV, Lil Jon, but he has got a mouth full of diamonds. I like Kanye cause he is simple, I worked with him because the kid is simple and I believe he has been touched. He released an album, puts God stuff in it, and it goes number one. AllHipHop.com: I believe the corporate structure isn’t set up for positive influence anymore. Rick: It has never been set up for that. Everybody out there is a duplicate. There is an artist out there with a baldhead who sounds like Stevie Wonder. This is a very sad state of affairs. AllHipHop.com: Do you think there is originality anymore? Rick: Yes, Outkast is making big money I think. Everybody else has baseball hats, and sings the same. It’s incredible. AllHipHop.com: Who do you like? Rick: There are so many people that I like, I am talking now about the esoteric part. I think Eminem is brilliant, I like Dr. Dre; I like Scarface, Tupac, Biggie Smalls. But when I heard the Fugees album, I threw it out the window. AllHipHop.com: Your daughter is rapping now… Rick: My daughter is rapping about s**t that is positive. You don’t need no man to take care of you, take care of yourself, b***h….she is running her s**t. AllHipHop.com: How are you going to help her? Rick: By supporting her and keeping her away from all the snakes. I think she is blessed. She asked to use my studio, I said “for what? She said she just wanted to mess around, I said well go ahead, I pass my studio and heard it banging. Didn’t even know it was my own daughter. She has a song called, “Dad” that speaks out my whole life. AllHipHop.com: Do u think she will be able to establish an identity apart from you? Rick: My daughter never did any drugs, she doesn’t do any drugs, and she is the total opposite to what I am about. AllHipHop.com: You know they say that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree…. Rick: Who the f**k said that? That is some one of those ridiculous things..s**t is thicker than blood…you can take all those stupid things and stick them up your ass! Life is about the love of God.

AllHipHop.com: You guys made timeless music, we always say that the type of music Hip-Hop is, when we are older we won’t really be able to enjoy it… Rick: Hip-Hop is a replica or a refurbished version of old school. When you can’t make a hit record unless you do a Rick James album what does that tell you? On one hand I love it, but on the other hand it is taking music out of schools and kids don’t know how to play instruments. They resort to the best thing they know how, like black people surviving, taking away an art form. Can I really love that? I am pro-black, so for me to see these kids grow up in the projects and they can’t play nothing, but they can take a Rick James record and turn that around the turntable as Rap: sitting, drinking Crystal. I mean it’s a beautiful thing just as well. AllHipHop.com: What do you think about kids not playing instruments, I am a former musician myself I used to take interest in guitar and drums… Rick: I think it is a very sad thing, I think it’s a plot by the government, number 1 to take music out of schools. I think it is the worst thing that the government has done to the educational program. When I was growing up, you could play guitar, drums, saxophone, learn music theory, harmony all that s**t. Now, you can’t even get an instrument in high school and kids have nothing to r resort too, and that’s a very sad thing. AllHipHop.com: Can you speak on that project that you, Kanye West and Bumpy Johnson are doing? What did you guys do together? Rick: Well that’s a very strange thing, how that happened. My son called me up once when I talked to him, and said to me that his favorite rapper was Kanye West, and I didn’t know who the hell Kanye West was. He had introduced me to Andre from Outkast in Atlanta and I didn’t know who the hell he was either. I was wearing an Outkast shirt that I had bought, so I went over to him and we talked, I told him I loved all his records, but I didn’t know one record. This Kanye West thing my son turned me on to it too and my ex-wife, she said “Rick you have to get this album by this kid, Kanye West,” so I said “why is it so special?” Because he doesn’t look like a rapper with gold teeth, baseball hats on the side, he’s not talking about b***hes and hoes, and he isn’t shooting people. He actually has some religious connotation to his music, which really attracted me. I went and bought the album and I liked it, thought this boy had some talent, next thing I am getting a call to do a Kanye West bit. So you know God works in mysterious ways. AllHipHop.com: So did you play instruments or just sing? Rick: What I did is, I laid about 16 tracks of vocals, just to help with the melody. He was a very sweet kid, very humble. It was really a joy; it is always a joy watching these young kids who learned from us do what they do now. Because a lot of stuff these kids are doing, I can’t do. I hear some tracks going on, and say what was he on? I think they need to get together more often. One of the reasons why Andre and Outkast is so great is because they grew up from what he told me, on the old school. I mean he knows about the Beatles; he knows about Rick James, Jimi Hendrix; he has done his homework. Their album is one of the best rap album’s I have ever heard. AllHipHop.com: Did you work with Andre? Rick: We are trying to match our schedules, it’s just that he is so busy now. What he is going through right now, I went through. He is so busy I don’t even like bugging him, and we keep missing each other on the phone. He wants to work with me really bad and I want to work with him also. But if we never work together its okay, I just want him to enjoy his fame. Who knows if next year anybody will buy Outkast; and if he strays to far away from his black base, he is really going to lose it. It going to be like a Prince thing, that’s what f**ked Prince up; he was getting too white. There is a middle ground there, cause I think me, Stevie Wonder, Earth Wind and Fire, The Commodores got that middle ground, unlike Lenny Kravitz. He wants to do a black thing but he is successful with his white thing, but he doesn’t feel comfortable because it’s a white thing and there are no black people in the crowd. If you have 20,000 white people out there paying 100.00 a ticket, and all are girls, be happy! People come over to my house, musicians, and Lenny won’t touch an instrument, because he feels inferior. Think about it, its like Hootie & the Blowfish trying to come up on stage and jam with me. AllHipHop.com: You talking about a double album, talk to me a little bit about that. Rick: It’s going to have about 26/27 songs and it is going to be very interesting, it is going to be a lot of things that I always wanted to do. AllHipHop.com: What kind of label situation are you working out? Rick: I am doing my own label, independent. I want to be just like Puffy. I want to make $700 million. If I could have done it 20 years ago, I would have done it. AllHipHop.com: I spoke to Stephanie Mills, and she kind of echoed the same thing about the entrepreneurship of rappers and she’s doing her own independent […]

Everybody has a reason to love Rick James. Whether it’s his celebrated musical legacy or his outspoken nature. Hell, if you are media, his ability to generate headlines for living a defiant rock star lifestyle is reason enough to praise him. Rick’s life is one massive canvas that’s still being painted. In his past, he’s blessed us with hits like “Super Freak (Part 1),” which does not begin to quantify his legacy. He also served two years in prison after being convicted of assaulting and kidnapping a woman. Similarly, his time behind bars does not mark the totality of his legacy. Recently, Rick has been honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award from ASCAP and spoofed by comic Dave Chappelle, a different sort of tribute. AllHipHop.com talked and talked and talked and talked with Rick. The interview will be presented in an ongoing series, because frankly, its one of the most interesting dialogues to be featured on this site. Remember: HE’S RICK JAMES, B***H!!!! AllHipHop.com: I would like to congratulate you, because it seems as though you are making a comeback and you are all over the place now. Rick James: Yeah, I am definitely resurfacing in the world of entertainment. Back into the “bump and grind.” I am very happy about that, it feels good. I am learning a lot and I have matured a lot. I have a son, I have a family and I am taking life a lot more serious now. AllHipHop.com: What are your plans? I know you have the movie coming out… Rick James: Well I have the movie we’re working on that’s coming out and the book Memoirs of a Super Freak which is an autobiographical book. It was a great thing for me to do the writing, and that happened when I was locked down so it was very introspective, as far as my life is concerned. It gave me insight on musicians, a business aspect, as well knowledge on drug addiction and all that stuff. AllHipHop.com: So you wrote it while you were incarcerated? Rick: Yes I did, I wrote it while I was in prison, got a chance to look introspectively at myself and it was like therapy. AllHipHop.com: I want to speak a little bit about Dave Chappelle, because he has infamously parodied you… Rick: He is making a lot of money off of me, that son-of-a-b***h… AllHipHipHop.com: He just resigned with Comedy Central for quite a bit of money [reports say $50,000,000]… Rick: I know. AllHipHop.com: What did you think of the skit, I mean obviously you were part of it but… Rick: I laughed, I think it was funny, it was satire, and it was fun. You know people are too serious about things nowadays. A lot of people were expecting me to get offended, f**k no! Dave is a good friend of mine. So is Charlie Murphy, and I actually lived that life and to look at myself now, and to look back on my life and see how insane I was, is pretty funny to me. I used to do things like “I’m Rick James b***h!” and kinds of stuff. AllHipHop.com: Oh you really used to say that? Rick: Of course I used to. “Show my your t*ts b***h” and all that stuff, it was my world and I was the king of it. So if you lived in it, and you didn’t do what I said, then get the f**k out! When I look back on it, the insanity of it all; the drugs- when I made the statement about “Cocaine is one hell of a drug”- cocaine – that was the foundation of our party atmosphere, it was about that. AllHipHop.com: What about the whole drug scene, some rappers are experiencing those kinds of problems… Rick: One thing about rappers that I have noticed is that most of them smoke blunts, and that’s their big thing. But they smoke a blunt and they can’t remember their rap. So that could probably be worse than cocaine. You don’t really see a lot of rappers using cocaine; it is kind of a phased-out drug for them. Maybe because they saw their mother and fathers go under or there is some kind of psychological ramifications that they’re dealing with, but not lot of rappers use cocaine. AllHipHop.com: Did you ever do crack or anything like that? Rick: Crack is for poor people. AllHipHop.com: There are some rumors that DMX is having problems with crack. Rick: Well, I hope that DMX is all right and I hope that it is just rumors. Basically, cocaine is cocaine, and a drug is a drug. But people don’t realize that the biggest drug in the world is alcohol, that’s worst than cocaine. This drug that eats up 5-6,000-brain cells every time you take a drink, that do not replenish themselves. There is a lot of money in that too. And tobacco, now those are serious drugs. AllHipHop.com: Yes, but you are talking business now. Rick: Yes, but cocaine is business too…but if you want to talk about a serious drug, alcohol that is the number one drug. AllHipHop.com: Right, I feel you on that. Business rules America. Rick: The THC content in marijuana eats away your endorphins; it trains your endorphins to act totally different. So that is like not a good thing, alcohol kills thousands of brain cells in a single drink, I mean we have billions, but still. Cigarettes destroy your lungs. So if you think about it, you walking down the road and the guy on the bus is smoking a pack of cigarettes, then what can you really do that is healthy? I mean everybody is an addict for something, few of us will admit it. I am not in denial about my addiction. I live it everyday. AllHipHop.com: As corny as this sounds, I am addicted to candy, personally. I drink juice to get my sugar now. Rick: Candy is a horrible thing. Because of the […]