Mic Geronimo is one of those MC’s that took hip-hop through the nineties. He picked up on the gritty styles of the mid-years, and dragged hip-hop through the flashy age, and now on to the independent frontier. Not many people realize that in 1995, Ja Rule, DMX, Cormega, and Irv Gotti were all riding on the tracks of Mic G. Nearly ten years later, where are they, where is he? With a friendly and most content nature, Mic Geronimo puts perspective to his path and his direction. Geronimo understands the ways of the world like a veteran soldier from the streets of Queens. Still, unlike his contemporaries, Mic Geronimo perhaps cares more deeply about where this culture’s coming from, and who it really concerns. All is unleashed, in the words of a veteran rapper still hungry enough to force you to learn his name. AllHipHop: My favorite track you ever blessed was "Man Versus Many" with OC. That cut really earned you respect as an MC. Could you reflect on the inception of that cut for the longtime Mic G fans? Mic Geronimo: That’s what’s up! We just didn’t want to do a song that sounded like everybody else’s. Mr. Walt did the track, and we came in let’s just have fun. ‘Cuz me and O, we real cool, and when we’re not in the studio, we just be spittin’. He was like let’s have fun, like when we just be buggin’ out. Instead of trying to make a song for the sake of the song. It was just one of them things: the right song, the right beat, the right lyrics, at the right time. AllHipHop: What’s your writing process like? MG: It’s different, I’d say. Because I can go to the studio, hear the track, and just write it right there. Or, I could take it home and vibe with it. It all depends on how I feel. I gotten a lot better in terms of just being able to hear something and put something to it right while it’s in front of me. I don’t believe in rushing a song either. AllHipHop: A lot of people believe your name should be bigger than it is. A lot of your competition came up with one team or one producer, and you didn’t. Has that helped you or hurt you? MG: I guess you could look at it where it’s done a little bit of both. In the beginning, I wasn’t so much inclined to being locked into one sound because I never believed if you were, that it would allow you to go where you wanted to go with it. I just like to feel real free in terms of how I write. I don’t like to feel restricted about things. So, in my beginnings, it was just like I didn’t want everything to sound the same. You throw the dice with that like you do with anything else. If you choose to be versatile in picking producers, then you choose to not rock in one sound that people might familiarize you with. So it has it’s pros and its cons. AllHipHop: And now, where do you stand with that? MG: Well now, being that I have my own label, and my own in-house production, it’s like, there’s probably a way could have a sound pegged to us, in terms of your ear being familiar like, "Oh, well that must be a rebellious track." But even with that, every producer we have brings something different to the table. AllHipHop: You mention that rebellious sound. In most of your raps, you always seem to be speaking to an opposing force, be it a person or greater. How do you conjure up that energy to do that? MG: I just generalize it. I just look at it in terms of not a enemy, but the enemy. The enemy doesn’t have to be anybody in particular, the enemy can be things wrong in the game or situations I’m up against. It’s just struggling and hustling. AllHipHop: You started rhyming at fifteen which is pretty late comparing to most. How’d you learn so quickly to be signed within six years? And why so late considering you were brought up in Flushing, Queens? MG: I mean it something I was always into, but I didn’t really start taking it serious in terms of writing a rhyme and even trying to pursue it til’ about that time. I always was deejaying, and I was always into every other aspect, I think, of what makes hip-hop, hip-hop. AllHipHop: We gotta talk about "Long Road Back." Going independent, after a five year break, how does it feel? MG: It feels good because there’s a side to it where I gotta work and I gotta hustle. But you gotta start somewhere. Even when it’s hard at times, I still take solace in the fact that I own my own company now, along with my partners. That’s like a major accomplishment. That even makes you go harder. It makes you wanna make everything work as it should. It makes me just appreciate that fact. AllHipHop: Putting this record alongside "The Natural" and "Vendetta", how do you justify it or promote it? MG: To me, out of all three, it’s my most personal album. That off top, is like something from the first two. And as I said before, putting it out on my own label, which is another thing for me. Just looking at it, I just appreciate the fact that I’m here to do what I love doing and being able to provide it to people. So I look at it as a stepping stone. While the albums out now, it’s still able to go where it has to go. AllHipHop: You sound like a working man though. Is "Long Road Back" a prelude to another album, or what? MG: Oh definitely because the way I think ahead in terms of "The Long Road Back." That’s out […]

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

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

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

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

Tonedeff, Substantial, PackFM, Session. You may have heard them individually, or read about them, but together they’re Extended F@mm. As a group, their music is undeniably catchy and their individual styles are truly unique. Their joint project Happy F*ck You Songs, brought the return of the battle MC mixed with a sense of humor and innovative beats. Their independent label, QN5 Music, is reviving the underground, much like the MC’s on the label. In this enlightening interview, eF@mm discusses the industry, post album success, solo releases, and kicking fans? AllHipHop: How did you all meet up to create Extended F@mm? PackFM: It all started way back in the day, late 90’s when I met this guy right here, Substantial. We went around terrorizing people in NYC as PakiStan. We were part of a little group, and occasionally we would even rap laughs mostly just beating people up. So then after a while we started concentrating on more solo stuff, but I met Tonedeff at a battle and I met Session at Rocksteady and we had just all known each other or whatever. One day Session was in town because he lived in Connecticut and he asked if we would get down to do a track, so we went to Tone’s crib, recorded it and it was really dope! And we just came up with the name and everything, and we weren’t like actually trying to form a group, it was like a little something we came up with. Then like about a year or two later, we just were like “yo this is something we shouldn’t let go of” and just decided to make a group out of it, do an album, and from there it just took off. AllHipHop: Right now, is Extended F@mm going to continue on, or was this just a stepping stone to further your solo careers? Tonedeff: It’s kind of both. Actually we already started planning our next album, which is going to be a proper full-length album. The funny thing is that “Happy F*ck You Songs” was intended to be an EP and then it turned into an exercise in posse cuts, like how you can push posse cuts, but we really didn’t take the idea where we could have taken it. It was sort of done on a whim, but now we’re concentrating on this next record. I mean, if you liked “HFYS” and if you thought it was inventive, the next one pretty much takes everything right over the edge and goes to hell with it. It comes back and regenerates like a phoenix, all that wild Chinese philosophy type of stuff. AllHipHop: The Jean Grey of CD’s? Tonedeff: Very Jean Grey, very good! So essentially it’s kind of both. We’re all in the Plague, which is a bigger crew. The idea was essentially to have Extended Famm as a joint project but now we realize it’s something a little bit bigger than us, so we should just kind of, like, see where it goes, but we’re all working on solo albums right now. Chances are, our solo albums will all be about before the Extended Famm record, but the next Extended Famm record is coming. We don’t have a title for it, but it may be titled “The Second Coming: pause.” laughs AllHipHop: Happy F*ck You Songs definitely created a big time buzz in the industry, how has the feedback been? Substantial: It’s been great, man. I know, as far as Tone and Pack, they’ve been more established in the underground more so than me and Session, so you know it gave their fans something to listen to, and for me and Session, it introduced us to a lot of people who weren’t really checkin’ for us before. It got us a lot of respect and got a lot of people interested in what we’re doing now. So the feedback’s been amazing. The main reason why we’re brainstorming now for this second album is based off the buzz we got from the first one. When we did it, we weren’t even thinking about a second album, but the more and more feedback we got, the next thing you know we’re in a couple of magazines and websites and all of this other stuff, we realized it was definitely something we needed to push more. So the buzz has been great and the fans have been even better. AllHipHop: As far as your live shows, you guys have amazing chemistry on stage. What would you say is the livest city, where you’ve received the most crowd participation? Tonedeff: I mean me personally I feel our coolest, most responsive show we did was in South Carolina. Substantial: Hell yeah. PackFM: Yeah that was crazy. Session: Nah I think New Paltz (NY). eF@mm: Yeah New Paltz!! Tonedeff: See the thing is, all of the shows we do, they’re always pretty decent. I mean, there’re always a couple of bad apples in the bunch, but the one we did in New Paltz was hot. Session: Yeah Pack stagedived. Substantial: Stagedived….successfully. Tonedeff: See the thing with Pack, every time, every show, we hurt a girl. There is always a girl in the front row and the Timbs just catch her head. Substantial: Bam! And like the crazy thing was that he kicked the chick in the head and she still bought a CD! Session: Yup! Substantial: So you know that was a damn good show. Tonedeff: When you kick somebody in the face and they still buy your album. PackFM: You guys are smacks great! Tonedeff: Even at Rocksteady, Mecca took out some chick’s eye with a CD. Substantial: I say the difference between New Paltz and South Carolina is that South Carolina had a very small crowd but the energy was incredible. When we walked in we were worried how the show was gonna be but when we got there the crowd was so appreciative and we’re forever grateful for that. AllHipHop: As far as […]

The Cliff Notes Version of the saga behind The Last Emperor: A West Philly b-boy makes moves in his hometown in the early ‘90s, but emerges as a standout on the mic and in the classrooms at Lincoln University, the nation’s first historically Black college. He shuts down ciphers in campus dorms, proving that he is a fine enough emcee to grab the attention of Andre “Dr. Dre” Young, a recent Death Row Records defectee. Over time, the union crumples. Last Emp keeps it moving with songs like “Secret Wars” and revered underground collaborations. He eventually seeks haven over at Rawkus Records, where his project sits away from his blooming fan base still fiending for his demos. Trapped amid distribution issues at Rawkus, The Last Emperor finally gets to release his long awaited debut opus tentatively titled, The Last Emperor -Music, Magic, Myth. Through it all, ain’t a damn thing changed. AllHipHop.com: Tell me about the new project with Raptivism. Last Emperor: It’s Raptivism in conjunction with my own label Red Planet. They just presented and opportunity to distribute my stuff. It’s a unique situation on my part because I’ve already dealt with two major deals that ended up in me just sittin’ on labels for a certain amount of time and not feeling free to put out stuff when I wanted to. I’ve had somewhat of a history with Raptivism in ‘98 I recorded a song through Raptivism in support of political prisoner Mumia Abu Jamal. Here I am. AllHipHop: So tell me about your new album coming out in August. Last Emperor: The tentative title is The Last Emperor -Music, Magic, Myth. It’s going to be about 14 songs strong. I’ve got producers like the Beatminerz, Prince Paul, Mad Soul, Set Free, Ayatolla, and a few other up and coming individuals. AllHipHop: You have done some collaborations with some well known hip-hop artists. Will we see any of those on your album? Last Emperor: I have a singer by the name of Estero. She’s done work with the goodie mob. She is a very talented singer out of Canada who some people may already be aware of. She’s on a song with myself and a gentleman who is no longer with us by the name of Poetic from the Gravediggaz. I believe this is the last song, or among the last songs he recorded before he passed. It’s a particularly meaningful song to me because he actually describes his bout with cancer and I think this is perhaps the only track where he literally, head on, talked about his ordeal. I also have a song with the Coco Brovas , formally known a Smith N Wessin that will also be on the album. I also recorded some stuff with another singer known as Tekitha who did a lot of the earlier Wu-Tang stuff. AllHipHop: Your earlier songs had consciousness and politics mixed in the flows. Is that the angle you’re going to come from on your album? The Last Emperor: Absolutely, I pretty much don’t stray from what I feel my fans as well as myself expect from me. I just try to be all encompassing of what I’m going through in life and whatever my experiences are. So definitely a lot of the imaginative stuff that people are familiar with along the lines of “Secret Wars” or “Animalistics” and things of that nature and other songs that are imaginative that people have come to expect from me. Were not straying away from that at all. This also places me in the position of a protector or in some instances a warrior. You can uphold and uplift the art form and the people who embrace it and are affected by it, or you can take the other position that we see unfortunately many times out here. Many artists just want to make money or want to exploit the art form or exploit women or whatever the case may be. I have an obligation to defend an art form that was already existing before I got here. AllHipHop: Do you feel like the game is being sabotaged by the popular hip-hop artists? The Last Emperor: I think that as with any other industry, once hip hop made the transition from being something that was completely in our own neighborhood and environment and something that we had free reign and control over, to the board rooms of America and these large corporations it became industrialized. That industrialization is going to bring out certain things in people Those who may have a certain love for the art form but aren’t really approaching it with their hearts and start exploiting their own individual talents. I’ll put it to you this way, our current president Bush shortly after September 11th , pretty much came out and said that he would look towards the entertainment industry, Hollywood and I would imagine the music industry to help combat what he felt was kind of going against the grain of American politics. So, that could range from a film coming out that would express a certain political ideology that he prefers, or it could be certain musical entities that do whatever the government may dictate. Now, I say that to say some information that I’ve been aware of leads me to strongly believe that even within hip-hop we have conspirators who are specifically placed to make certain records, to sign certain artists, and to do certain actions, which will ensure that our community stays in certain conditions. This is an extremely powerful mode of expression that can get people to do things on a massive scale. Let’s say the most popular hip-hop artist would support a political candidate. If they can influence every hood across America to wear a certain sneaker or to buy a certain chain, they also would have the power to get American youth to support political candidates or to vote to not vote, the list goes on. AllHipHop: You have had some […]

It is an undeniable fact that few MCs have contributed more to the game of Hip-Hop than MC Lyte. To say she helped blaze a trail for other female MCs to follow would do her a severe injustice. Not only has she garnered the respect of her peers, she has captured the imagination of those that would come later (Missy Elliott and Da Brat can vouch for that). Her versatility and edgy mic skills have allowed her a successful career in music, movies, and television. With a resume as undaunted as hers, you think it would be easy for her to attain a deal with a major record label. Think again. Despite deals with labels that have ultimately folded and appearances on TV shows that have since been canceled, Lyte appears unscathed and continues to push forward. During a recent interview with Allhiphop.com, we had the distinct pleasure of talking about her new label, her latest Hip-Hop project, upcoming movie appearances, a little bit of this and a little bit of that. She feels blessed to get a second chance at doing what she loves to do most, so take heed, sons and daughters. Not everyone is quite this lucky! Allhiphop: Let me set the tone and the mood of this interview right by singing your praises. You have given this game more than most, and it is a rare treat that I have the opportunity to sit down with a legitimate legend in this business. So, I will truly soak up everything you have to say throughout the course of this conversation. MC Lyte: Ah man! I truly appreciate you sharing that with me. Thank you! Allhiphop: Absolutely. Start off by talking about your latest musical project that is out right now. MC Lyte: It’s called Undaground Heat Volume 1, which is hosted by Jamie Foxx. It was just an idea that we came up with while we were out on the road doing shows. I got back into the circuit of doing shows last year, and people would say, “we see you now, but when are you going to have something out that we can buy and listen to?” I needed to do my own stuff. We went into the studio, recorded the album, did a photo shoot, artwork, and shrink-wrapped it and everything. Allhiphop: Weren’t you on Will Smith’s label at one point? Lyte: Yes I was. Allhiphop: Whatever came of that venture? Lyte: The deal with Interscope went sour, and I just got caught up in that. Allhiphop: The deal was just on Will’s end, right? Lyte: Right. His label (Overbrook) severed its ties with Interscope. I was just sitting around waiting for them to do a new distribution deal. Because they were my friends, I could easily say, “Let me see what I can make happen on my own.” And they were very open to that. So, it worked out well. Allhiphop: You also did some work with my dogs from Def Squad. Talk about that for a moment. Lyte: I’m on Erick’s (Sermon) new album, with him and Rah Digga. And we’re looking forward to doing another Def Squad album. So, as soon as they can get Redman’s album out, then they can look toward making the Def Squad album happen. Allhiphop: Speaking of Rah Digga, there’s a song out there somewhere that y’all did together. What song is that and where can we find it? Lyte: The song is called “Where You At Mama?” You can get it on the mixed CD I got out now, called “The S### I Never Dropped.” Allhiphop: Let’s talk about your recent appearance on the TV show “Platinum.” Tell me about that experience, how it came to be, and how it was to work with Sticky Fingaz and the rest of the cast. Lyte: Sticky is the only one I actually knew for an extended amount of time. We’ve known each other from way back in the day. He was very supportive. They called me up and said, “Look, we got this role for you…can you be in Canada in three days?” So, once I saw the script, I was like, “OK, great…as long as I can get a clean copy of the tape that I can add it onto my reel, I’m happy.” It was a wonderful experience for me. Allhiphop: You’ve been in this game for roughly 15 years. Do you think that due to some of your contributions, females are finally beginning to get a piece of pie? Lyte: I certainly can’t claim it all by myself because Salt –n- Pepa opened up a huge amount of doors for all of us. Before them, so did Finesse –n- Synquis, Sha Rock and The Funky 4 Plus 1 More, Sparky D, Sweet T…I was a fan of the female MC. But today, it feels good because the female rappers let me know how much they appreciate me. Rah Digga will say it in her interviews. Eve will say it in her interviews. Lil’ Kim will use my lyrics. Missy will sample my voice saying something and she’ll tell me, you know? Missy and (Queen) Latifah have no problem telling me. And Brat will get on stage with me and rock “Cha Cha Cha” like it’s her song… Allhiphop: I can dig it. How important is it for artists, whether male or female, to understand the entire history of Hip-Hop and what it was derived from? Lyte: Exactly. I think your fate is sealed if you’re just in it for the money because all of that comes to the light. Allhiphop: Cats went from African medallions to $250,000 medallion on a $50,000 chain… Lyte: What’s funny to me is the cats that really have money wear fake jewelry. There’s no way that they would spend that kind of money on some jewelry that can be ripped off of your neck. White folks keep their jewelry in a safe, and they wear the best quality fake diamond […]

In Nick Broomfield’s recent documentary, Biggie & Tupac, for possibly the first time, someone not associated with hip-hop culture acknowledges the surveillance of the F.B.I. on unsuspecting artists and other figures in the hip-hop community. Implying that the feds have aggressively monitored artists for years in the hope that they will lead them to bigger fish (i.e. Harry-O, Supreme, etc.), but will also cause rifts between one another to destabilize the artist community. Simply stated, the feds who are predominantly upper middle-class, white, and happen to have children who love them some 50 Cent, would love nothing more than to nab a huge drug kingpin as they simultaneously bring down the culture that has their kids matching their doo-rags with their new pair of S. Carter’s. In Biggie & Tupac, Mr. Broomfield goes even further to suggest that the feds have elevated their game and are now not only simply trying to make the culture seem disjointed, but are actually creating the climate for murder. He suggests that the fellow inmates of one Tupac Shakur, who allegedly tipped him off that Biggie was somehow involved in his ’94 shooting, were actually paid informants working for the F.B.I. A little rift that would contribute to two murdered legends, who both just happened to be under surveillance by the feds at the time of their deaths. Unfortunately, this malicious and unwarranted attack on mere recording artists has grown into an all out assault on anyone in the hip-hop community. With multiple record companies now under the watchful eye of federal agents, the attention and scrutiny of hip-hop artists and executives has reached an all-time high. With eyes and ears (and snitches) from coast to coast, the feds seem inexplicably fixated on one city in particular: Houston, Texas. In this Allhiphop.com exclusive, Short Stop Records CEO, Lil’ Troy, breaks his silence on the rumors that have now surfaced regarding a supposed indictment of him as a friend of the feds by Mr. Brad Jordan aka Scarface and lingering allegations surrounding his own run-in with the F.B.I. a few years back. Is this a good ole’ fashioned hip-hop battle, a legitimate beef, or the strategic handiwork of the nations’ top cops? You decide. Allhiphop.com: Let’s just get right to it, what’s your response to Scarface’ “Snitch N***a”? Lil’ Troy: It was a tight song. I don’t see him talkin’ about me. It’s just media bullsh*t, tabloids wanna try to make somethin’ out of it. When you got somethin’ to say about another man you gonna say somethin’ to that man, or say his name or somethin’. Me and ‘Face ain’t got no problem. I ain’t heard him say nothin’ bad about me, so I don’t know where y’all get that sh*t from. Allhiphop: So there’s no beef whatsoever between you and ‘Face? Lil’ Troy: No. Allhiphop: Do y’all speak on a regular basis; have you had any contact with him? Lil’ Troy: Yeah, we see each other all the time in H-Town, he live in H-Town, I live in H-Town, so we see each other, speak, talk. Matter fact, did y’all see the movie, Dirty Third 2? Me and Scarface got a scene in there together. We just did this movie about six months ago, me and him together in the movie. Allhiphop: Well, basically what’s goin’ on right now on the internet, they’re tryin’ to play it up that ‘Face is sayin’ you snitched to get your deal when you had your fed case. Lil’ Troy: I don’t know nothin’ about that, that’s speculation and that ole’ he say/she say bullsh*t. Like crabs in a bucket, when one black man get to the top, the other crabs wanna pull him down. Allhiphop: Have you had a chance to talk to ‘Face directly since this track came out? Lil’ Troy: Yeah, I seen him since the track been out. It ain’t been no conversation like, ‘oh man, I had to make that song,’ ‘cause it ain’t no issue, the song ain’t about me. ‘Face hard enough to come out at anybody he wants to in this industry and eat they a** alive. You mean to tell me if ‘Face wanted to eat somebody alive on a track he woulda came like that? Allhiphop: Nah, not really, not to me, but everything is being played up to he’s got beef with you supposedly because you snitched. Lil’ Troy: Did he say somethin’ about that in the record? Allhiphop: No. Lil’ Troy: Well then, what the hell are y’all promoting? Allhiphop: I’m not trying to promote nothin’. I’m tryin’ to clear up the rumors that are being spread by all of these people out here that say you’re a snitch. I’m tryin’ to give you the opportunity to clear things up. Lil’ Troy: Have you ever seen any papers sayin’ I testified against somebody? Why don’t y’all print the real sh*t! Kill all these f*ckin’ rumors! Cut the bullsh*t, this allhiphop.com, why don’t y’all print what’s really happening, what’s really goin’ on? Allhiphop: That’s what we’re tryin’ to do. Lil’ Troy: Ok, I’ma see what you put out there. Allhiphop: I’ma print every word you say. Lil’ Troy: Alright. Allhiphop: That’s what I’m tryin’ to do. It’s up to you whether you want to discuss why you ended up with the lesser charge of ‘using a communications device to commit a felony,’ when you were facing a charge that carried a 10 to 15 year sentence. Lil’ Troy: Because they couldn’t pin that case on me, the prosecutor had to make a deal with me. Allhiphop: So it wasn’t you goin’ to them, it was them comin’ to you? Lil’ Troy: They came to me, they had to make me a deal ‘cause they were gonna lose the case. Allhiphop: I think the speculation is coming in because you only did 18 months. I got family in the fed, and very rarely do you ever see somebody only do 18 months. Lil’ Troy: Bullsh*t! See you […]

Boston, Massachusetts has been better known more for their sports teams and New Edition than rappers over the years. But Smoke Bulga, a, cocky 22 year old Beantown native, has plans to grab more respect for the unduly looked over city only 200 some odd miles North of New York City. About a year ago he and his crew released an independent project whose substantial regional success peeked the interest of major labels and shortly landed Smoke a deal with Epic Records. With his rowdy single “Smoke Did It” getting rotation he is set to drop his debut Smoked Out in July. Possessing the confidence necessary to make a dent in a hip-hop edifice notorious for breaking the wills of new jacks, while the smoke was clear he made time for a chit-chat with AllHipHop.com. AllHipHop.com: What made you start rhyming? Smoke Bulga: Some kids was coming to school with demo tapes. I listened to them and I felt like I could do it too, so I went home and I tried that s###. When I came back to school the next day, they ain’t believe that was my sh*t. So right there I felt like I had something. The attention…I like it, so I just ran with it after that ya know? AllHipHop: What grade was that? SB: That was the 8th grade. A long ass time ago. AllHipHop: You had never rhymed before? SB: I dibbled and dabbled with it but I ain’t really go hard, like try to write 16 (bars), a verse. That was the first time that I wrote a verse. AllHipHop: Where did you go to school? I went to school in Roxbury, South End in Boston. SB: Coming up in Boston who are some of the musicians or rappers you looked to as inspiration? Really, I just looked to my peers that was around me. ‘Cause was was doing a lot of things. I just found out George Clinton is from Boston man, that’s big for me to know. I always loved their music so it doesn’t just pertain to rap. AllHipHop: When you say your peers you mean the people in your crew? SB: Yeah, because I’m also in a group called Fast Life. My other crew is Rushya. Last hear, we put together a compilation album independently in Boston that charted on the Billboard Top 100 Hip-Hop and R&B chart two weeks in a row. Right there the labels started looking at us. AllHipHop: What number did you get up to on Billboard? SB: It was #68 and I think #72 the following week. For what we was doing, we just sold it out our hood, so that was special to us. AllHipHop: Labels must have started hunting you down huh? SB: Yeah. We wasn’t stopping there man. We had decided ok that out of Rushya and Fast Life, we know that it’s almost impossible to get groups that consist of four members apiece in the door at the same time. So we need somebody to grab the torch (first). That was me. We decided that we going to all run with me first, everyone’s going to get behind me. And once I bust the door open like Scarface, everybody else just all run in. Ya feel me? AllHipHop: Who are the members of Rushya & Fast Life? SB: You got my man Miguel Bang and Robert Wrath. You ever seen Assassins with Sylvester Stallone and the other cat, Banderas? That’s where they got their names from. And then it’s Black and Serge. Then I’m in the group Fast Life. Fast Life is me Smoke Bulga, my younger brother Rock Dukati. Then you got A1 and then you got Left Lane and Nikko Brown. The compilation album was hot, you might have like 2 songs from us first, then 2 songs from Rushya, then a song together. Nobody else did it like that before. It was like an original thing that we came up with. We all from Roxbury, some from Dorchester. South End too. AllHipHop: Why were you chosen as the first artist? SB: Everyone considered me the hottest one. The songs that I did on the compilation, people was checking for. Everybody was feeling them. AllHipHop: Are these all people you started with 10 years ago? SB: Nah, I was already in a group called Fast Life. It was funny how I met Rushya man. It was on some street s###, n##### talking s### on the block. Like my cousin and one of they, my man Hasesh (my bad, he’s in Rushya too but he’s incarcerated in Atlanta right now) . Ya know how n##### be battlin’ in the hood like “F### it, I feel like my n#### will rip your n#### I’ll put up anything for it!” Rushya and Fast Life, we was both making noise at the same time. We just did it like Pablo Escobar did. F### it, we gonna lock down the game. We gonna all get together and just do it for real. Ya smell me? AllHipHop: How long after you started rhyming did you start seriously pursuing rapping as a career? SB: Fam, I was just grinding man. I got a lot of opportunities from cats in my hood. I did some ghostwriting for New Edition cats like Ronnie Devoe. I was like 15 years old. I worked with Michael Bivins a couple of times. Right then and there I knew that that’s what I wanted to do. But all the s### that was going on in my life at the time didn’t allow me to go full force with the rhyme like I wanted to. I ain’t take it that serious man and got caught up with all the s### on the streets. AllHipHop: So what made you get serious? SB: When I did the compilation album that really made me get serious. When I seen how many units we sold in our hood. That peoples was respecting our music. That made […]

“Be in Columbus, never seen Bow Wow” – Cam’ron from “What’s Really Good” This may come as a surprise to some, but Columbus, Ohio actually has a thriving hip-hop community, one that existed prior to a prepubescent pup began reppin’ for the CO (via the ATL). MHz, Copywrite, RJD2, and many other Columbus area hip-hop artists have managed to come to dominate the national independent hip-hop scene in just a few short years. One of those artists contributing to the CO Renaissance has been Blueprint. A producer/MC, Blueprint got his start as one-third of the group Greenhouse Effect. Along with his partners in rhyme, Manifest and Inkwel, Greenhouse Effect released their debut, Up To Speed EP, in ’99 on Blueprint’s own Weightless Recordings label. Soon after, the label would release its second offering, the debut album from Illogic entitled, Unforeseen Shadows. With only two official releases under their belt, the Weightless crew had already begun to garner the attention of the underground scene, which led to a collaborative effort with an up and coming Columbus producer by the name of RJD2 of the now world-renown CO crew, MHz. The union of Blueprint’s rhymes to RJD2’s instrumentals consummated in the now classic Soul Position Unlimited EP in 2002. Now the founder of Weightless Recordings has become not only a member of an elite group of artists in his hometown, but he has also risen to become one of the most in-demand producers and featured vocalists in the underground. And now, with his own solo debut, The Weight Room, ‘Print will attempt to further his own underground legacy and continue the legacy of great CO artists, besides Bow Wow. Allhiphop.com: This interview is going to be seen by a lot of people who are unfamiliar with your work, so how would you describe your music to folks who’ve never had the pleasure of hearing Blueprint? Blueprint: I’d say aggressive production-wise, and kinda grimy. As far as rhymes, not too complicated. Allhiphop: So what can both die-hard ‘Print fans and virgin listeners expect from your new album, The Weight Room? Blueprint: The Weight Room is more a showcase of production, like back in the days when Marley Marl did In Control, how Dre did on The Chronic, obviously not to that level, but how they were able to assemble all of the talent around them. And then maybe rhyme some, but their rhyming wasn’t the focal point of the album. I think that’s what I tried to achieve. Allhiphop: The Weight Room is technically your first solo album, but it almost feels like a compilation. Was that intentional, or did your fam just strong-arm their way on to the album? Blueprint: It was more intentional. If you rhyme you can do a solo album. But it’s kind of from a production perspective. Most people don’t feel that a producer can do a solo album. So really it’s a solo album only from a production standpoint. Allhiphop: At my last count, you were a member of three different groups (Soul Position, Greenhouse Effect, and The Iskabibbles). Do you prefer being on a team or going for dolo? Writer’s note: Blueprint is actually a member of five different groups, the aforementioned, as well as The Orphanage and The Minor League Blueprint: I prefer being in groups honestly. Being a solo artist is something that I’m starting to get used to, but when I first started doin’ shows and gettin’ out there, was with at least three people on stage. Whenever we record, the process of recording can be a lot more fun when there’s people in the studio besides yourself, so I always liked that, but at the same time I do like doin’ my solo stuff. But I never found working in a group to be limiting to what I had to say. Allhiphop: One of your group members, Inkwel from Greenhouse Effect, just made a Mase-like exit from the game to follow a higher power than hip-hop. Did his decision come as a shock to you or was he always talkin’ about movin’ on? Blueprint: Nah, it was a complete shock to me. I basically learned when he posted it on the message board. Which is not the way you wanna really find out. He had called me that day and he didn’t leave a message. And then, someone had asked him something on our message board about the new Greenhouse album, and then he just posted that he was gonna retire. And they were askin’ him about doin’ a solo record, and he was like, ‘no, I don’t wanna do any of those things anymore, I’m gonna retire.’ I was kinda shocked. And then, we have a private forum, so he posted something in our private forum, just for everyone at Weightless to see. I read that and responded there, and then I talked to him maybe two or three weeks later, after he had made it official, on the phone. And then we talked a week ago for about two hours. We had a real deep conversation about it. It’s a shock to me, because I consider him to be really talented, but he got certain things that are goin’ on in his life that are far more important and outweigh that. Allhiphop: So when’s that last Greenhouse Effect album featuring Inkwel, Life Sentences, gonna drop? Blueprint: We’re gonna go for fall, October/November, because we’re gonna put out the Illogic record in probably August. Then we’re gonna maybe wait three or four months to see what Illogic is doin’. Allhiphop: And I gotta know when that full-length Soul Position album is coming, ‘cause the EP just wasn’t enough. Blueprint: Thanks man. Right now we’re goin’ for fall, it could come out around August or September. The single will probably come out around the same time too. Allhiphop: Is that done or do you guys still gotta hit the studio some more? Blueprint: Oh no, it’s been done for over a year. […]

Cormega isn’t the type to let obstacles slow him down. From being shelved on a major label, to releasing two albums that he feels were not promoted properly, the Queens Bridge bred rapper maintains a positive attitude. Cormega reveals the true meaning of hard work, diligence and maturity. AllHipHop.com: What’s going on? Cormega: I’m just recording right now. I’m knocking out the new album Urban Legend. I’m in the studio right now knocking out songs for that and I’m working on 2 things at the same time. I’m working on the "Ayatollah-Comega" EP and I’m working on the "Urban Legend" album. The Urban Legend is going to be more like the "Realness" album. My last album the "True Meaning," I wanted to challenge the critics. When I made the Realness, people was like that’s a dope album,all you talk about is the streets. Basically saying anybody can talk about the streets. The last album I was trying to grow, I was talking about issues in the world and such. The new album is going to be more street than the last album. I got production from Juju from the Beatnuts and DR Period is suppose to work with me. I’m trying to what’s the deal with him right now. AllHipHop.com: What was the feed back on the last one from your perspective – What did you get out of people? Cormega: The last album I was happy with the feed back I got. My biggest thing with that album was the sophomore jinx. A lot of people make a dope album and then next one is wack. A lot of people agree that it was a dope follow up album. AllHipHop.com: You seem to stay out of the lime light. What are you up? Cormega: My life changed in November, cause I had a daughter. Ever since I had my daughter I really haven’t been really doing anything. I’ve been in the "father mode." I’ve been at home a lot, but it’s like I don’t care about the industry,I just want to be a regular dud. I’m living better than I ever lived. So I just want to enjoy life. I got a house so I do house things, I wash my Jeep, I play Playstation, walk my dog, regular stuff. Right now I’m working on putting a basketball court up, a pool.…I’m trying to make my crib dope, and I just go to the studio… AllHipHop.com: The ghetto gold money is kinda good then? Cormega: Yeah. I’m glad I’m independent because if you look at the industry now, except for the 50 cent situation, that’s the only situation…. like Eminem, 50 Cent and DR Dre, they’re gonna sell their records but a lot of labels are struggling right now. They don’t know what to do, cause they don’t know whether to go back to the street now cause of 50’s success. I’m glad I’m not on the majors. Then you got labels like Def Jam – look at the Foxxy Brown situation – there’s no reason that they should be sh*tting on Foxxy like that. AllHipHop.com: That’s an ugly situation too. Cormega: That’s why I may not ever go on the majors again. I mean I was on that label and I was on the shelf like I was garbage, like I was wack or something. They don’t care about the artist, they don’t care about they art, they just care about the buck. I can’t see myself being successful on a major label. AllHipHop.com: Do you ever harbor any bitterness towards the industry – I mean really what happened to you was pretty sad, all in all when people look at the whole situation. Cormega: I laugh at the industry. To be honest, it’s like my life is a book, everybody’s life is a book. Everything that happens to me I guess was suppose to happen but for real, I seriously laugh at the industry. Look at me. I was on the shelf for 4 years, got out of the situation, put out an entertaining album, sold 100,000 copies, then I put out another entertaining album in under a year and that sh*t shipped 100,000. Come on. That’s not making me look like a d*ck and mind you no disrespect, but my promotion was terrible on both of my albums, The Realness and The True Meaning, so for me to do those kind of numbers right there? You a rapper and say your coming out with an album next month. You want to holla at people and they don’t want to do no song with you. Next thing you know your sh*t blow up and your phone gonna be ringing off the hook. That goes back to the question you asked about being real low key. I don’t like being around industry people because they are is phony, every party – how you doing and the fake hug, what’s going on- take my number- here – here… I’m not dealing with all of that, I’m cool. AllHipHop.coM: What’s your take on the beef situation? Chris Lighty and you aren’t getting along and it’s getting kind extra real in the industry right now, especially about the Violator situation with there office being shot up so much, I mean 2 times? Cormega: I can’t even comment on Violator because I don’t even know what’s going on. I know Chris Lighty brings a lot of problems on himself. That’s why DMX punched him in the mouth that time, cause he talking about DMX. You go somewhere and you got you girl with you or one of your homeboys with you and then he don’t know that’s your friend and he sit there sh*tting on you right in front of your friend. That’s how that situation happen so…. Chris has always been that type of person. The beef in rap is disgusting, I think it’s degrading right now. You got Busta Rhymes dissin people and he suppose to be above the game. […]

Bone Crusher has spent over 10 years in the rap game’s wings, waiting for his chance to soar. Waiting patiently and learning from some of the industry’s most successful moguls, Bone Crusher absorbed the knowledge of those around him and is ready to drop it on the rest of the world. Underlying his violent content, there is a positive message to be found. Peep Bone Crusher getting it in with AllHipHop.com and read the interview. AHH: "Never Scared" is a huge hit. How does it feel to have one of hottest, if not the hottest club bangers out in Hip Hop right now? BC: Outstanding, it’s one word "Van glorious." When I be in the club and they put my record on I be like "whoooo…WOW! I’ve created a monster"! AHH: When you wrote the record, did you expect for it to have such an effect or impact on people especially in the clubs? BC: Ummm… yeah! I did. You know, I been studyin’ a long time about ten years in the game, ya’ know what I’m sayin? So I had a chance to learn what is a hit and what aint a hit. I been around some of the big moguls, the L.A Reid’s and the Jermaine Dupri’s and you know it was a situation where I had studied so long it was like studyin’ for a test. If you study all day, all week…Somebody says "you got an "A", Did you expect to get an "A"? "YEAH! I studied all week, all month for this, yes". It’s like wit’ this music thing I studied for so many years I went from elementary school, to high school to college, now I’m in the pros and a lot of Hip Hop guys don’t get an opportunity to do that. AHH: You mention names like L.A. Reid, Jermaine Dupri… What type of tutelage and experience did you get from bein’ around them? BC: Well you know, just bein’ around those cats man… you listen. My grandfather told me that a great leader had to be a follower at one time in his life. So you have to listen. I wouldn’t really ask them (Reid, Dupri) no questions I’d just listen. All the great rappers that I’ve been around I listen to ’em, I learn from their failures and their successes. I was blessed to be around a lot of those people, it was just fantastic, you know OUTSTANDING! AHH: What is happening at the shows you’re doing that make it seem like more and more clubs are "Always Scared" to book you? BC: I aint had that problem where they scared to book me. We have a problem right now wit’ turnin’ people away. The thing is that when people see my show they have to have it. It’s a situation where I feel I got one of the best shows in Hip Hop if not the best show in the world. I can go against the best rock group and win. I can go against the "Stones" (Rolling Stones) right now. I can go to their crowd and have a "Vanglorious" event, you know what I’m sayin’? I just did Conan O’Brien last night the crowd was all white. I rocked ’em. I’m talkin’ thirty and forty year old white people that don’t listen to rap music. I rocked ’em! You know what I’m sayin, Because I’m not scared to have a good time. Whether you’re black, white, green or purple people will recognize when you’re havin’ a good time and you enjoy what you’re doin’, then they start havin’ a good time. AHH: So your message is a positive thing. You’re tellin’ us Look! Don’t be scared to do you and get out there, follow your dreams, goals and do what you gon’ do cause that’s what Bone Crushers doin’? BC: Yeah, that’s what it’s all about. Radio was scared of the record at first because of what I said, but the clubs and the people started feelin’ a certain way. Like one time this guy called the radio station when I was in one of these cities and was like "the record is real violent. How do you feel about aiding violence in America?" I told him "man lemme tell you somethin’, I’m in this game to reach the people. In order to reach people I have to get down there wit’ them in the trenches. If I can’t get down there in the trenches with the people, I’m not reachin’ them." The greatest speakers are those that can reach the people. I gotta get down there in the dirt wit’ them. If you remember your favorite teacher in high school that you respect, it was that guy who talked like you talked. AHH: Yeah, kinda like a captain or a general in the army whose ready to die with his troops. BC: Yeah, exactly. AHH: You seem to be highly intelligent, but your lyrics are violent. What can people who are lookin’ forward to your album expect? Are their more positive messages underlying all the violent content? BC: Yeah, on my album I have songs that get it crunk and keep it very real from a street perspective and songs that are enlightening in a street and more blatantly positive way. We as people are contradictive every day. We are different every day, no one is the same every day. That’s like me sayin’ to you, today I’m gon’ be happy, tomorrow I’m a be happy, the day after that I’m a be happy and the day after that I’m a be extra happy. We have to understand as people that it’s o.k. one day to be like "man, I’m mad as hell", and tomorrow "I’m not really that mad, dog today I feel good". We have to understand that we are everything and we as black people are not what they depict us to be. We as a people have to embrace the fact that "we […]

Shawnna is one of very artists who were blessed with music running through their DNA. As the daughter of Blues pioneer Buddy Guy, she had special privileges coming up as a young girl. Money was never an issue, and she always had the latest fashions before any of her friends and schoolmates. But don’t get it twisted. Rashawnna Guy is one of the illest rhyme spitters out right now, male or female. Representing the Southside section of Chicago to the fullest is just one of the responsibilities she has on her plate. Shawnna is a mother of two, and is on the verge of stardom with her highly anticipated debut solo, "Worth The Weight." Although she is embarking on a solo venture, she makes it very clear that her crew, Disturbing The Peace, is still her family and is walking down this path alongside her. Shawnna sat with Allhiphop.com and discussed how she intends to break the game down and still keep her ear to the streets. Allhiphop.com: Let’s cut straight to the chase and give these people what they want. Talk as much as you’d like about the new album that is about to drop. Shawnna: First of all, it’s called "Worth The Weight," and I call it that because it’s worth the weight in the hood, you know what I’m saying? They have been waiting on this for so f###### long; it’s serious around here. So, it was best to call it "Worth The Weight." ‘Cause when it drops, it’s like that breath that everybody’s been waiting on. I really want to bring across my own talent and show the game what I have. I didn’t reach out far for cameos; I just used whatever connections Ludacris had, which is all the connects in the game. The gist of it is I worked with local producers. I wanted to do that because I feel like until I make a name for myself in the biz, the big cats ain’t going to really give me that s###. If I was in their position, I would do the same thing because it’s all about getting this money. One of my favorite local producers is my little brother named Ice Drake…he’s working with Queen Bee right now, doing a lot of hot s### with her. He did "Posted" on the Golden Grain album. I worked with Kanye West…I couldn’t help but do that. Him and Drake came from the same roots, you know what I’m saying? I worked with Jazze Pha, too. He’s not local no more, but I still had to work with him. I got a couple of other local cats, but don’t front, I got some big dogs on there. I got JD and I got Timbaland. The joint that Kanye did, I got Missy (Elliott) on there. And it ain’t just no hook, neither. Allhiphop: Does she spit lyrics on the album? Shawnna: I must say that that was love. She don’t know me, and she ain’t never heard none of my joints before. Missy is big time, you know? Allhiphop: Yeah, Missy pushes ridiculous amounts of units. Do you have a tentative drop date for your album? Shawnna: I don’t know the exact date because I still have to get in the studio with R. Kelly. His schedule is so crazy, but I got to get in where I fit in. Allhiphop: So, once you wrap that up it is pretty much on from there? Shawnna: That’s a part of "Worth The Weight"…I’ll wait on that right there! Allhiphop: Def Jam is the label that’s pushing this record, right? Shawnna: Yeah, fa sho! Definitely. Right now, they are sitting at the desktop twiddling their fingers, thinking, "what’s going on?" They feel me on the R. Kelly thing, but at the same time they want this s###. Allhiphop: With this being your first solo album, do you think the jinx will set in and your fans won’t get to see a second one? Shawnna: Hell nah, I got big things coming, family. Me being brand new on the label, having Ludacris and so many other things going on, plus I’m scared but anxious at the same time. It’s crazy, but it’s coming, and once it finally hits, there’s no turning back. I always sit up and listen to what others say in interviews and s###. The trials and tribulations they went through just to get where they are; I always listen to that s###. Allhiphop: We are going to talk about your background a lot because I want our readers to get Shawnna, unplugged and uncensored. Shawnna. F### yeah, because I need n##### to know just how serious and street it is. Allhiphop: Right! Talk about what’s going with Disturbing The Peace as a unit. I know the whole crew is pretty much breaking into solo ventures and things like that. Shawnna: Ludacris basically put us together…it’s just guys that he came up with. They was grinding and they all had the same vision. I guess they figured they needed a female, so they went on the hunt, and Chris already knew about me. He was reaching out for me, so I came out and blessed that song "What’s Your Fantasy," and that was the first time everybody in DTP got a chance to meet me. Once they heard me and got outside and vibed, they was like "we f#####’ with you, family!…there ain’t nobody else we can see with us." Allhiphop: With the distance between Chicago and Atlanta, how difficult is it to schedule everyone to be at the same spot at the same time? Shawnna: On that damn ass 2-way! The same way everybody in the industry get down. I like the 2-way better than the phone because you can put that m########### on silent. Allhiphop: How is it that you hooked up with three Atlanta cats and you are from Chicago? Shawnna: Well, I hooked up with that n####…they knew about me being in […]

Ludacris recently took a break from recording and performing the southern club bangers that get us all crunk in the club. In the sequel to “The Fast and the Furious,” he joins Paul Walker, Tyrese Gibson, and Eva Modes in a brief but significant role. “2 Fast and 2 Furious,” directed by John Singleton, gives Ludacris an opportunity to show the world if he can also make hits on the big screen. AllHipHop.com: Tell me about your part in the movie. Ludacris: It’s not a big role, but it’s not a small role either. I play Taj, a street hustler who owns a garage and sells accessories for cars. He organizes all the street races. AllHipHop: Did you have to prepare for the part and did you find it challenging? Ludacris: I’m a natural hustler myself so the part came natural to me since I can relate well to the character. I still feel like there’s always room for improvement so I did have an acting coach. AllHipHop: What did you like most or dislike about making the movie? Ludacris: The worst part about it was “Hurry Up and Wait”. They rush you to the trailer just to have you sit there all damn day. I wasn’t use to this cause in a movie, you can shoot one scene for a week, but when I shoot videos we might have two or three days to do the whole video. AllHipHop: Did you do any stunts? Ludacris: No, but I watched lots of the stunts. I was glad to see it all happening because it really made my adrenaline flow. AllHipHop: Who would you choose if you could pick the director and actors/actresses to work with on a film Ludacris: That would be John Singleton, Janet Jackson, and Halle Berry with lots of sex scenes! AllHipHop: Tell me about the soundtrack to 2 Fast 2 Furious? Ludacris: Its hot…Its got DTP (Shawna, Lil Fate, Tity Boy, I-20, and Chingy), Fat Joe, Trick Daddy, R-Kelly, and Ja Rule on it. I did the first single Act a Fool, which is an everyday expression for doing something to the extreme. Its another club joint so make sure you check out the soundtrack. It’ll be out on May 27th. AllHipHop: Did you do any stunts in the video for Act a Fool? Ludacris: Yeah, I was driving and doing some crazy stuff, but it looks a lot harder than it really is. I’m a dangerous type person anyway so its no big deal to me. I like driving fast as hell, 4-wheelers, and I went sky diving twice so I’m not trippin off of that type of stuff. It’s a really good video though, so check for it soon.

Swinging the lyrical sword of the chosen few Inspectah Deck takes on his personal ills with no fear. Still, INS has survived years of label turmoil and has settled in at a new home with Koch Entertainment/In the Paint Records with new comforts. Here he revels in his past successes and obstacles and his desire to take on the streets with “The Movement,” his latest effort. INS engaged in a candid talk about his own happenings, a lost Tupac verse, Ol’ Dirt McGirt and the Wu-Tang Dynasty. AllHipHop.com: Lets talk about your new album The Movement and what you’re trying to do with this effort? Deck: Just trying to steer the peoples minds straight a little bit. Everyone is kinda focused on a facade out there. There a lot of real issues in the world and things going on besides diamonds and cars. I’m just trying to talk to the people once again. True Wu-Tang form. AllHipHop: Are you working with Rza on the album at all, any new producers being introduced in the mix for you? Deck: No Rza on the album, there’s no disrespect at all. Its just Rza been in Europe, he been hard to get to. So I got a lot of dudes that you hear coming up. Ya know Ayatollah from Queens did a lot of stuff out there, my boy Hots from UMC’s (Phantom of the Beats). They out there putting their grind in still. AllHipHop: Do you have any guest appearances on album at all? Deck: Nah, not a lot of guest appearances on there. I got a couple of heads, my boy Streetlife, Killah Sin from Killarmy, Kool G Rap, Vinia Mojica, just a little roster. A little spices to make the stew taste good ya know what I mean. AllHipHop: Can you compare working at Loud Records back when Uncontrolled Substance (first solo LP 1999) came out to working at your new home Koch Entertainment/In The Paint? Deck: I’ll give you the bottom line straight up, I ain’t even been in Loud, inside their offices, as many times as I been here at Koch. Right there off the bat that’s a good thing. At least from what I’m seeing out my eyes these people work. And they stick to what they do. Its not like you got a street teamer wanting to write you a check. Everybody knows what they do and can pretty much handle their jobs. AllHipHop: Lets swing it over to ODB who is now out of jail and calling himself Dirt McGirt. Can you talk about the situation there for a moment? Deck: Right now I’m just happy my brothers home. Theres a big news story going around that he signed to Roc-A-Fella Records. How true it is, I can’t verify that, but it sounds like its official. I been hearing him making appearances and I been hearing other dudes talking for him. But as far as my brother go, me personally, I just wish he could have got with his children and got with his mind together first. Before he got with his music, he got a lot of leeches and parasites on him that know his marketing ability. AHH: Is there any tension with him right now from the Wu because with him joining the Roc it would almost seem he’s joining a new crew? AllHipHop: You know, on the ground level, that’s treason. But on the grown man level, the man is right out of jail and I’m happy for that. And if he feels he want to go over there and get money then he’s entitled to do that then I’m gonna support him, I’m gonna support him in whatever he does. I’m just saying me personally, that would have been a hard move to make for me. Money being right and all of that, just an ethical question right there. Its kinda like Mack 10 going to Cash Money, or Snoop going to No Limit. I respect those brothers because they came out of the deal on top, starting the labels and all of that. No one knows what Dirty got planned except Old Dirty. AllHipHop: Lets take it back a little while. I remember that track “Show N Prove” from your first album. When it hit the radio there was really nothing hitting right at the time. I loved the message behind that track, if you could go into the creation of that track and it’s unique chorus? Deck: See my mistake with “Show N Prove”, well I wouldn’t even say it was a mistake, but it was like the people were ignorant at that time ya know what I mean. And I tried to put out a message to uplift people and tell them that the power of God is in you, and stop blaming the white man or whoever you blaming and get your life together because that power is in you. That was the essence of that song and ya know it took me to look at myself and say that message to myself too. Like ya know I can’t point the finger at Rza, because I don’t have an album out. I had to really take a good look at myself and say ya know you have the power to do this, show and prove, you can get up and stand up on your own two feet. I put that song out in the midst of everyone being in the club, this that and the third, “Show N Prove” was kinda like preaching on the dance floor. Maybe it wasn’t the best record to come out first, but I don’t regret nothing I did. I love that record and people still run up on my in the street everywhere I go telling me how they liked it. Its a blessing for me, I appreciate it. AllHipHop: What’s new with the entire Wu-Tang Clan if you’ve been in contact with anyone lately? What are the plans for the […]

Three Years. A hiatus of such length is considered career suicide for most rappers, but not Roc-A-Fella’s first signee Memphis Bleek. Bleek was taking care of some real business – the business of family. He witnessed the birth of his firstborn son and almost saw his older brother return to the essence. Now, he is back as a veteran amid The Roc’s blossoming roster, he’s equipped with a new album, M.A.D.E… Respect the true understanding. AllHipHop.com: Can you speak on your new project? Memphis Bleek: This the veteran of the ROC, Memphis Bleek right here. “Get Low is the future, violate and I’ll shoot ya” we for real about it. The album Money Attitude Direction Education (M.A.D.E) will be in stores June 24th and they know everything is a go right now. AllHipHop: So it’s called The Education? M: It’s called M.A.D.E (Money Attitude Direction Education) Made means a lot of things Made moves, Made mistakes, Made money, Made a place to live. AllHipHop: You said you was the veteran of the ROC, what do you mean by that? M: I was the first signed artist on Roc-A-Fella if my album didn’t go gold who knows where Roc-A-Fella would be. I’m still a young dude running around. I’m still an Indian I’m not a chief yet. AllHipHop: The title of the album has a lot of meanings behind it can you talk about some of those changes? M: MADE, I don’t want people to think I’m Mafia or Mob, I aint none of that suit, lobster and shrimp I’m a hustler straight out of Brooklyn Marcy all day. This album is different from my other two because it’s just more personal. In the interviews you can see I talk about my brother’s accident and how he got brain injury. That set me back for a couple years ‘cause I’m close to losing a brother and I never lost nobody that close to me before. So when that happened it helped me find myself, find out what I’m really about and what I’m here for I’m here for my family they need me. In the album I’m just talking about that and then in the process of that I had a son. It’s my first born my first soldier so I’m talking about that I never had a pops I got to keep it real with mine. AllHipHop: Can you speak on being a father, how it was having a child and what does being a father mean to you? M: Having a child changed my life, I was there to see my son born it makes you appreciate your mom more ‘cause you’re like damn she went through that for me. It’s like the instant you see him and you hear that cry it changes your life. I told you I aint never have no pops. if I seen my pops on the street I wouldn’t know who he is. AllHipHop: What is your brother’s condition like now? M: He’s cool, when it first happened doctors said he was going to be paralyzed on one side but he’s cool now other than the scars on his head, he just got a slur in his talk but he’s on point trust me. AllHipHop: It’s interesting to hear you stress the education part of M.A.D.E ‘cause a lot of rappers don’t even bring that word up. M: You got to be educated, a lot of people left school and hustled I followed the same path but I made sure I got my GED. Even though when I did leave school I learned the fundamentals of school, how to read, write, add, subtract, multiply and divide. I’m not an idiot you got to know that dealing with people in meetings all day with you and if your not smart enough somebody will get over on you all the time. I never seen a dumb person win. AllHipHop: What are people going to see and hear on this album? M: Their going to still see the young, the fire, and the attitude I fell back for a minute but I didn’t fall off. I got Trick Daddy on a monster down south joint called “Down Here” I got Donnell Jones on a joint, we did the Michael Jackson joint “PYT 2” for my album, I got Lil’ Cease on a joint, I got Beans and Jay, I got Geda K my artist Calico and Proof from the Get Low family, Rell all over this album too. AllHipHop: What’s the name of the label? M: Get Low, the first group I had was the Co D’s which were Geda K and H Money Bags. H Money Bags locked up he got to do 5 but we still got him. Now the Co D’s expanded I got Calico from Howard ave. in Bed Stuy, I got Proof from Cooper in Bed Stuy, I got a chick named Krissy from D.C. I’m independent, I’m not signed to nobody, I’m not looking for hand downs or nobody to help me. Jay’s my man they signing people labels all day but I don’t look for the hand downs I want to work and earn mines. AllHipHop: So you might be looking at other options outside of Roc-A-Fella? M: Definitely this is a business we’re family but I got to get that money. AllHipHop: What’s the situation with the ROC, it’s a lot of speculation of people beefing. There’s some Internet rumor about Beans dissin’ Cam on a Cosmic Kev mix tape, Do you know anything about that? M: Nah, Beans been doing his thing with State Property, State Property is clothes right now he’s been busy, I have been doing my thing with Get Low I’ve been busy so we don’t see each other all the time like we used to. As far as drama on the ROC, it’s no beef on the ROC – it’ll be some heads bussed. Everybody get along, what people out in the world […]

I’ve never been alive and there wasn’t hip-hop. That is why I feel like I’m fortunate to have this in my life. I’m blessed. –Flo Brown The relationship between an individual MC and hiphop is one that can be observed through the artist’s musical execution. Some emcees have a relationship with hiphop that is strictly based upon money. Not to knock, though, because it obviously works for them but for an MC like Brick City’s Flo Brown, her relationship with hiphop is based upon a different dependency. This type of reliance is unyielding and allows her to continually look towards hiphop for her personal survival whether in sickness or in health. Just by listening to her, you know that her love for hiphop is not a gimmick, but a life’s promise with a reciprocated love demonstrated in her own existence. Through an unconditional trust in where the music will lead, Flo has found a defined purpose that maintains her livelihood. f*ck what you heard or have become accustomed to believing. The (healing and growing) power of hiphop is deep and is as real to Flo as the air she breathes between bars. "Whatever is going to happen with my music" Flo contests, "I am going to leave with it." Her dedication isn’t in vain. Flo’s lyrics have the precision to tear through your psyche faster than you can comprehend. Her poetic beginnings give rise to rhymes laced with complex patterns intermingled with incisive imagery. As a self-directed student of some of hip-hop’s greatest teachers, Queen Latifah, Rakim, and Big Daddy Kane, her delivery is as deft as the words that surge out of her spirit, packaged not in a fluffy decorative covering, but in a raw and resilient core. From Philly, to D.C. to New York, her stage performance leaves you with that dumbfounded look, not sure if you heard right, prompting you to question, "Did she really just rip it like that?" You feel her whether you want to or not and a level of respect forms naturally because she offers no uncertainties about herself, her music or her calling. Armed with a firm faith in her art, she is inevitable. Allhiphop: How did you get into rapping? I know that you started out as a poet. Flo: I wrote poetry since I was real little. I would re-write lyrics and I was real into hiphop when I was five, six, seven, so I would know everything about the lyrics. When I got a little older, like in the eighth grade, I would write my own lyrics in the form of poems. When I got to high school is when I started to write raps, but I still didn’t take it seriously. When I was a freshman, my history teacher would let me say a poem at the end of class, it was kind of funny. I remember this one rap I wrote for my English class, it was so whack, it had references to red, black, and green and February being the shortest month of the year. But even back then I looked at the MC as like oh my god. Like Queen Latifah, Rakim, they were like the ultimate to me. I always had this respect for the game, but it wasn’t until I got to Howard that everything opened up for me. I guess it was because of the fact that I never dealt with my father’s death or his life and I was in DC by myself so I just started writing poems crazily. I associated writing with therapy. I was writing real powerful stuff at the time and after I wrote them I wanted to hear them. So for the first time I attended a poetry reading at one of the boys’ dorms and read my poetry there. After that it was like a growth spurt and I started writing rhymes along with my poetry. AHH: Did the delivery come natural to you? Flo: Yep, it was the flow. I was always called Flo, since I was little. That’s how I know I am supposed to be doing this, it’s so natural. AHH: How did you get hooked up with Lyricist Lounge? Flo: I did this show in Newark that Mos Def hosted. Because anytime there was a show or something, somebody in Jersey or DC would call me and I would go through. So after I performed that day, Danny from Lyricist Lounge came up to me and told me about one of their upcoming shows. So I auditioned for him and he liked it, so I opened for Common at Flamingo. That was one of my first real shows where I rapped because I hadn’t really rapped on stage, people really just knew me for my poetry at that time. AHH: What would you say are your main obstacles? Flo: Probably just a lot of ego. Because everyone is fighting for their agenda, you know, whatever they are about. In hip-hop I look at it as tribal. Like there’s this tribe that talks about guns, and this tribe that talks about sex and woman, and this tribe talking about the art of rhyming. Everybody got their own agenda, everybody is trying to bring their own noise. You ain’t going to get an opportunity to represent that if you ain’t thorough and not just on the mike but if your mind ain’t right as far as what you are trying to bring. I went through a lot. I don’t like to talk about it too much because I don’t like to give energy to it. I am very thankful to be where I am right now to be still writing and recording and popping up on projects because I have been through a lot. Never really having a manager, never really having a team, never really, really having people believe in me not even 75 percent of what I believed in myself. But that’s why I don’t like to talk about the bad […]

The Cunninlynguists’ first album was aptly titled, “Will Rap For Food.” The duo made a record that illuminated a whole breed of conscious MC’s from below the Mason-Dixon. In the last two years, they’ve picked up a third member: SOS, built the rep, and rocked many stages. The group is comprised of two producers DJ Kno and Deacon the Villian who each have been responsible for bangers behind KRS-One, Jugga Da Bully, and even that King Tee, Masta Ace collabo. If you hear the record, DJ Kno will make your beatmaker top five list, guaranteed. Ushered into the scene by ToneDeff, the linguists are in great company. Their new record is terrorizing the underground like a tornado in a trailer park. It appeals to a vast array of hip-hop fans. Still, the Cunninlynguists are relatively undiscovered to many people who would love their sound. AllHipHop thinks you need to listen to their new LP, “Southern Underground”, and hear the group out. See how they analyze their chemistry with typical underground humor. AllHipHop.com: How was Cunninlynguists born? Kno : Well, when a man and a woman love each other, Timmy, they…oh. I see, yeah…we met at the Blaze Battle in Atlanta in 1999, and I was always at the hip-hop events at Morehouse where Deacon was attending and Jugga the Bully was a graduate. I produced one track for him and we decided to do an EP, which turned into an LP and into a full fledged wack-rap-fiasco. AllHipHop: Kno and Deacon are both successful producers. Out of curiosity, why are there no Deacon beats on the new release? Deacon : I feel like my style of beats didn’t fit into the equation that we were working with for this album. My beats are more radio friendly…this album was more emotional than most of my beats would allow. Kno : Plus, he’s wack. AllHipHop: These days hip-hop is plagued with the Jarobi syndome. Groups cut members without hesitation. Why did you guys add SOS? How did his existence in this LP change the Cunninlynguists vision. Deacon : SOS brings an element to the group that makes us feel more whole…it’s hard to put into the words. His rhyme schemes are different than ours, but at least equally ill. He helps bring the best out of the tracks. SOS : Thanks Deacon… you’re dope as f*ck too. Nah, but seriously, Deacon and I were aware of each others skills long before CunninLynguists was even born. We both were southern emcees with the same drive to break into the scene so I heard alot about Deacon, talked to him, made a few tracks with him, and when we all three met up in Daytona Beach right before "Will Rap For Food" dropped, is was inevitable that we were gonna be doing more s### together. Kno : Yeah, Black College Spring Break 2001 *laughs*. I was there for the NASCAR race, wasn’t that the running joke? But yeah…SOS gives me the freedom to concentrate more on the beats, and rhyme where I’m needed. Plus, he has a very distinct style next to us, so it’s not like adding another "Kno" or "Deacon"…it gives us a third dimension like…some sort of…three dimensional thing. AllHipHop: “Love Ain’t” is an uplifting track to anybody who’s ever been hurt. Tracks like these have become what we expect from you. Issues with flow. Does it bore you/sadden you when you rappers spit bars that are punchlines about nothing? SOS : Yes… unless it’s me. Deacon : It bores/saddens me when anybody spits anything about nothing…if you’re rapping about nothing, you’re not in my CD collection. Kno : Depends. I like punchline s### when it’s done right, cats like Rise, Wordsworth…but damn it if I have to hear someone say they are sicker than *insert random penicillin treatable disease here* one more time… SOS : Yeah, I’m just kidding. I don’t rhyme like that… all the time. AllHipHop: Your big guest is Masta Ace. I’m a big Ace fan, and I love the track concept…and RJ is crazy. Were the five of you together for those sessions? What was the recording like? Did Ace offer you any advice? Kno : We initially intended on recording the track at the same spot, but Ace is on tour alot, RJ had just started a tour and we had no plans/means to get to NY for a while, so I planned out the sequencing with RJ and he sent us a DAT and we talked with Ace about the concept and where we were going to go with it and he wrote and recorded his vocals at Tonedeff’s crib after he heard our verses. Deacon : I whooped Ace’s ass in Dreamcast a couple years back, so he asked that I not be present during recording. Kno : That and he was sued for that snare sample you failed to clear on "P.T.A." off of "Disposable Arts". Ace hates you. AllHipHop: Last time I talked to ToneDeff, I asked him what it was like the first time Kno and Deacon got to New York. It sounded like a pivotal moment in your development. Can you elaborate? Deacon : Tonedeff don’t know what he’s talking about. Pivotal my ass. Jus’ kiddin’. Ummm…New York is a great city. I feel like in NY you have to come with your best show, so performing in NY was a great learning experience back then. Kno : Being accepted in NYC is very important, it’s the birthplace of hip-hop. You know what they say, if you can make it there you can make it in Boise. Or some s###. AllHipHop: I love your “War” bonus track. That production just blows me away. I think it fits well in our time. Without getting too political or boycotting freedom fries, what’s your take on the Iraq situation? Kno : Funny thing to have your finger on the big, red button and you can’t spell "button", if you namtalkinbout. I really […]

Ol’ Dirty to Dirt McGirt: Welcome Home A two years stretch in jail is liable to test hip-hop’s collective, forgetful memory. However, when Ol’ Dirty Bastard, now known as Dirt McGirt, was greeted with a flock of reporters, photographers, fans and family – a reminder that Dirt is one of the most fascinating rappers to grace the culture. Now a Roc-A-Fella soldier, what does the man born Russell Jones do? Reinvents himself. Starts a clothing line. Gets a reality show. So, get set for a new album anchored as you are about to be reacquainted with the same affable, zany character that changed the face of rap music. The following is an interview with several reporters from the New York Metropolitan area. [Introduction] Dame Dash: My name is Dame Dash. I’m the CEO of Roc-A-Fella. I think what you are witnessing is an evolution of an empire…and now its time to evolve. It’s time to do bigger things and touch everyone. What we want to do is take over the whole world, the planet. We want to be the best at everything. Any opportunity I see, when I see a good person, when I see someone as talented, that’s about their business, that wants to get money, I could care less about what everybody else says about them. All I know is what I see. And that’s why I have chosen to get with Ol Dirty Bastard. What’s your new name? ODB: Dirt McGirt. [crowd laughs, cheers and claps.] DD: That’s a cake-aholic [wants money]. I think he’s ready to go in the studio and make some hits. He’s consistently done it. He’s entertained us on every level. And all we want to do is give him love and get him to where he got to go. Also I want to thank Mariah Carey for coming out as a friend. [Crowd claps] She’s always there. Mariah: I gotta be fresh to def. DD: I’m proud to present the newest member of The Roc. I have to do the official and give him a chain. [bestows ODB with a gold Roc-A-Fella chain] ODB: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah…It’s like I’m happy to be here, you know. It’s like…I don’t know man…I thought I wasn’t gonna be able to touch another microphone or something. I’m happy to see my mother right here. [Claps] I’m looking forward to a future with Roc-A-Fella, you know what I’m saying? That’s my man Damon Dash right there. He looked out for me. Shout out to Mariah Carey. She’s my sweetheart. And my crew Brooklyn Zoo and the Wu Tang Clan because ya’ll know how Wu Tang gets down. We gets down when we gets down. We go back to the dinosaur days. You know G, just look for it, look for it. Old Dirty, is it true that you just got out today? ODB: Yeah, I just got out. They had me over there. sh*t was wild. They had me in Clinton to Marcey Corrections. I went to Manhattan State Corrections or something. They was trying to lock me in man because I was running around being Dirt McGirt..they were like, ‘We don’t know nothing about this young cat right here.’ I had to hit ‘em with a couple Dirt McGirt wear and they let me go! [crowd explodes into laughter] Is Ol’ Dirty going to be doing more songs with Mariah Carey? ODB: Absolutely. I wanna thank Damon Dash for throwing the chain on me real quick. Its dirty. I like it. It pretty man. Dirty, how did this union come together with you and The Roc? ODB: It just came, man. It just came. Some things are just meant to be. DD: Somebody special brought us together. Things come from the most surprising places. Who? DD: That girl right there from VH-1. I was like if I get with ODB, that would be all good. She made it happen very quick. ODB, how are you feeling physically and mentally, dog? ODB: I’m alright physically and mentally and I’m just…got the little crip with me. I feel good. I feel good. How long were you in jail and now that you are out, how do you feel? ODB: I was incarcerated for like 2 years. Two years and several months. It was hell out there and you know – so what. I feel good. I’m happy to be here. I’m happy my eyes are open still. What’s all the hype with the clothing line you have coming out? ODB: The hype with the clothing line? I don’t know man. I’m just throw it in the streets and BOOM, you know what I’m saying? [Laughter from crowds] What do you think about the current state of hip-hop? ODB: The current state of hiphop? Since I been gone, it got radical. It got crazy. Sitting up in the cell, watching my ni**gas do their thing, its like – I don’t know man. They got it going on man. I just want to jump in there like a swimming pool. [laughter] What producers do you think you will be working with? ODB: Everybody hot. I’m looking forward to my man 50 and I don’t know. Jay-Z. Ghostface. You know. Mariah Carey. You know, I’m out right now, respect that. [Applause] Two things – First, What’s Wu Tang’s involvement in your next album gonna be and, number two, are you gonna tour on the Roc Army Tour? ODB: Yeah, I’m down with that. [group laughs] DD: He is gonna be a involved in anything that The Roc does and anything he can do, he’s gonna do. It’s all on him. This is your thing. And is Wu Tang gonna be involved production-wise? DD: Anything he wants. Do you think your time locked up will impact your lyrics? ODB: Yes. [Crowd laughs] When you went to sign Ol’ Dirty, how much did his past concern you? DD: I’m not concerned at all. You can actually see how much I am […]