24K: Mama Said…

No intro – Get to know 24K, a female emcee on the verge.

AllHipHop.com: You’re from Canada?

24K: Yeah, born and raised, but this is home now.

AllHipHop.com: Why you say that?

24K: ‘Cause it feels more like home, I get more love here. It’s hard because there’s no industry over there especially since I’m from Montreal and not Toronto.

AllHipHop.com: That’s the French side right?

24K: Yeah, and I don’t speak French so that’s real hard for me. I took it negatively when I was young ‘cause I was harassed and I was like “F” that I don’t want to learn French. I regret it now but I speak Greek so it’s all good. There’s no industry in Montreal so a lot of people go Toronto to try to make it, I wasn’t trying to hear that. I think that’s baby steps and Hip Hop didn’t start in Toronto. That was always my mentality so it was either Law school or trying to make it at this so I decided to move here. I love Brooklyn; Brooklyn shows me a lot of love.

AllHipHop.com: So you’ve been in the game for a while.

24K: Almost 12 years now but I was writing before that and I started doing reggae, my dad is Jamaican. I started with that and I did my first show where I did a reggae jam and came back and did a hip hop track, that was the first time I tried it but I was writing Hip Hop, poetry and reggae for a while.

AllHipHop.com: You had some pretty big names on the album, how did you get up with those people?

24K: It wasn’t even supposed to be like that. The album was supposed to come out in October of last year and before that Swizz, Just, Dougie Fresh, none of those people were on it. We were trying to rush and bring it out and we were dealing with some staff members at Loud and things kind of screwed up. So what happened was the label started working with other people and decided to postpone it and make it a bigger project. I think working in studio they saw my potential and that songs were coming out harder than they thought they were so they said aight we’re making this a big one now.

AllHipHop.com: How would you describe your style?

24K: I don’t sound like anyone else, thank goodness. Especially with female MC’s you always hear she sounds like Foxy, Kim or Eve. I never been a clone, Redman’s my favorite MC, KRS, Wu-tang all them the real Hip Hop. My goal to get people to say wow I cant believe that just came out of her mouth. That’s what I love about Redman he doesn’t care to say what’s on his mind. He doesn’t care if he’s not going to sell 2 million copies he’s going to say what’s on his mind and I’m feeling that.

AllHipHop.com: What does it mean to you to be a female MC ?

24K: It’s never been an issue for me. I have got a lot of interview questions saying do you find it harder as a female MC? I don’t find it harder and I think that’s because I don’t feel the pressure to be like every other female MC and I always rolled with dudes, my personal assistant is my only female friend. She’s always been my best friend but I keep my circle tight, I just feel better with dudes.

AllHipHop.com: Do you think its any difference I think it’s extra crazy right now?

24K: I actually feel it’s easier because I think it’s harder for females because of the pressure from labels and the industry to be like a Lil’ Kim and to take the clothes off so I can understand that. I personally have never felt that ‘cause I have been given the creative control. I don’t feel singled out when I train with a bunch of men ‘cause they don’t treat me like that.

AllHipHop.com: What do you mean when you say train?

24K: I box. I have been obsessed with boxing since I was 5 because I spent every summer in Florida and I have an uncle who was shot in the head like 7 years ago. He taught me how to swim, I always saw him with his gloves on so I just really got obsessed with boxing in general when I was about 5. I train with male professional boxers and always on male standards. Female fights are 2 minutes; I train on 3 min. so that 2 min. aint nothing for me.

AllHipHop.com: Have you gone pro?

24K: I never went into it because of the rhyming thing and I opened a marketing company so it was like I’m training and I do want to go pro but I’m waiting to get other things in my life out of the way. I can go pro later there are 40 year old pro fighters so I got time for that.

AllHipHop.com: What did you study in school?

24K: I got a bachelor’s degree in psychology at McGill University in Canada. I got early acceptance so I’m real proud of that.

AllHipHop.com: How do you guys plan to conquer this industry? I mean, you have to pay to get on a mix tape now – its crazy.

24K: We’re willing to deal with it, there’s not much you can do. What are you going to do call the FBI every time somebody does something? It’s hard but there’s a budget set aside and I’m thankful for that so people can hear my stuff. People are tired of the same old hoe rap. It’s getting tired let’s talk about something else, say something important.

AllHipHop.com: Foxy Brown claims that she was unable to alter her clothes but she can spit crazy.

24K: I don’t agree with her attire, I know there’s pressure in the industry and especially when you come out like that, you have a fan base it’s hard to go back. I think she can flow, Lil’ Kim gets on my nerves not only is she taking sh*t to the next level but she came out and put pressure on all females to [have a sexual rap persona] including Foxy in my opinion. I don’t hate on Foxy ‘cause I think she can spit. I think she’s feeling the pressure I understand it, I don’t agree with it but I understand it and I’m not going to hate on her. Lil’ Kim is a different story. Don’t get me started on P#### Kimmy.

AllHipHop.com: Why don’t you like Kim?

24K: As a black woman I feel that she’s not happy with her appearance and she’s changing everything, I think she gives females and the race a bad name. Imagine the way white people must look at her, what does that say about our entire race. I got to give her props because she changed the whole industry. But I have a [4 bars on] “Chickens move out” [and I say] “ you need to find a real nose and put it back on.”

AllHipHop.com: Do you have any responsible messages in your album?

24K: Yeah. I got my thugged out me and I made a dedication track to my crew called “Clak, Clak” and I have another track about domestic violence ‘cause I had a friend that was going through that. “Fallen Soldiers” is with Tragedy. A friend of mine (Andrew B.) had passed a year before; he was shot in the head ‘cause some stripper set him up. It was a year later and I had just spoken to someone who saw his brother and I was feeling real down ‘cause the anniversary had come around and I wasn’t there for it. I have a lot of chicken head bashing on the album. On the single “Skully” instead of going real deep into the metaphors and all that I made it where everybody can understand.

AllHipHop.com: What do you want to achieve and accomplish?

24K: I want to take the world over. I like to battle dudes, I like to fight with dudes let’s just do this. I want to be positive influence for young girls coming up so they don’t have to feel like they have to show their ass.

AllHipHop.com: I agree 100% but people don’t want to admit it.

24K I’m here to admit it, I’m here to say a lot of sh*t. I’m ready to say whatever comes to my mind I don’t care what anyone has to say about it. That’s what my mom taught me so that’s what I’m going to do.

AllHipHop.com: How does your mom feel about your success? Is she supportive of you?

24K: Yeah, I remember she came to my first show, I was cussing up and down on the stage and she was like “that’s my baby!!” she’s supportive in anything I do other than the boxing thing ‘cause she was worried about me busting up my face. She’s always been supportive, she said listen “law school is going to be there. You’re intelligent enough to go back whenever you want, just do your thing.”