Just in case you haven’t seen this. I like that he laughs off crashing a 1.5 mil car. Where as on there on the other hand a common person who knows what an Enzo is, would cry as if he killed 219381293812 little children.
Sphere: Related Content
Cracked has put together a list of the 25 worst rap names. The name at #1, I don’t know if it is the worst rap name but it has to be one of the most hilarious ones. As for the rest of the list it’s entertaining but I don’t see how ‘The Lox’ is a bad name.
out.
Sphere: Related ContentToday’s topic is the Crew Cut. I would like to say it’slost in modern hip-hop, but in fact, it is all too overused in the multi-featured power remixes of today. In the old days it would be a test of skill in which MC’s would get together with respected peers and try to outdo each other. Today it has been bastardized as the new way to show off one’s recently acquired artists, or to fit in that special “flavor of the month” MC who desperately needs attention between albums. For a brief monent lets forget that the “one blood” remix ever happened, or that Young Dro’s verse was chosen to bring a close to Jim Jones’ “We Fly High” remix. Let us look back on a time when it didn’t have to be a remix, it came out right the first time.
Marley Marl feat. Masta Ace, Craig G., Kool G. Rap and Big Daddy Kane- The Symphony
This song is what defines a great crew cut. Classic DJ. Epic Performers. And a Fresh Voice (Masta Ace) who would later make big moves in the rap game.
Big L feat. Jay-Z, Lord Finesse, Microphone Nut, Party Arty, Y.U.- Da Graveyard
Not that listening to a Big L track shouldn’t be enough, but with all these other hard hitters! Godamn! Plus we get a great verse from a Younger, faster Jay-Z
Big L feat. Buddah Bless , Herb McGruff , Killa Cam , Mike Boogie , Terra, Trooper J , Twan- 8 Iz Enuff
Speaking of Big L. Check this one for a rare listen into when Cam’ron could actually rap.
De La Soul feat. Q-Tip & Jungle Brothers- B.U.D.D.Y.
ITS A CREW CUT!!!! ABOUT PUSSY! Truly a Classic.
Main Source feat. Nas, Joe Fatal, & Akinyele- Live at the Barbeque
What a classic cut if I could I would keep this cd on it’s own radio station. With that fresh Nas! Too hot for TV!
Go and listen. If the links die…..bug your friends.
Sphere: Related ContentYour remember a bit back we got shout outs from Squeek Boogie over in Pheonix, well now you can see Metallungies in MTV News segments. If you look closely, use that pause button VCR style, at about 1:28, you can see the entry we had about that Havoc freestyle. Nice eh?
What’s funny is I saw this segment on MTV2 and noticed nahright & the smoking section but omitted to see ML!! So, thanks to Roberto at cornerstone for the sharp eye.
c’mon homie we major.
out.
EDIT:
Direct MTV Link is here ML is at about with 3:11 left in the clip.
Sphere: Related Content
While walking around today (not making drug deals but rather trying to get a smoothie, in a gangsta flavor, of course), I heard a ringtone for Rich Boy’s “Throw Some D’s“. Then I thought about all the rappers that have freestyles over the beat, Kanye, Fabolous, Lil Wayne, Papoose, The Game, ect. This lead me to the question (2 part joint!): is this the most freestyled over song of the year or what? What have been some popular freestyle tracks from years before? Ja Rule’s-New York, New York comes to mind for me.
Kanye even made a video for his (!!):
[youtube]J7rDWl-DGnU[/youtube] Sphere: Related Content
You heard it here first suckas!
Marco Polo, it’s not the name of an explorer or a swimming pool game kids! Marco Polo, it’s the name of the producer that you need to keep your eyes peeled for. Born in Toronto, but now working out of NYC, he is rapidly putting together quite the resume for a relative-newcomer by working with the likes of Masta Ace, Duckdown Records, Kool G Rap, and Large Professor. All of this, achieved only in a few years, scary to think where he will be in a few more years. Producers like Marco will never die, because they know what the core of hip-hop is and the sound like scientists know atoms. He has put in all that he knows and loves about hip-hop into his upcoming album Port Authority. So not to bore you with a long intro, you better get to reading this in-depth interview. The dude loves hip-hop and its evident through every thing he says to the music he makes. So be like Marco, light up a cig and read the interview where we cover everything from hip-hop to dope streetwear:
Marco Polo: Hello?
Metal Lungies: Hey Marco.
MP: Hey.
ML: How are you?
MP: I’m doing good.
ML: Alright, so what’s going on with you man? Getting ready to publicize the album?
MP: Exactly. We started all the press, we shot the video this past weekend for the Masta Ace joint, things have been great man. Press has been good, you know, from the advance we sent out the feedback has been positive, so I’m just rollin’ with it.
ML: Is the Masta Ace track gonna be the first cut?
MP: It’s actually the B-side to the single. The A-side is Kardinal Offishall’s War.
ML: I just wanted to ask you, you’ve worked with Kardinal for the single, “War”, that you just mentioned. Do you think, ’cause he’s from Toronto, do you think that makes him more slept-on than he if was from say, New York?
MP: You know what, that’s an interesting question. I don’t know what the deal is with Kardinal and why he’s not getting the respect or the love he deserves. I think some, I mean personally speaking, all of the singles he’s put out on a big scale, I think have always been a little different and might not represent what he’s capable of. I don’t know who’s behind those decisions, but I know when you get Kardinal on, you know, some rap stuff, you know, a good rap beat like he’s one of the best.
ML: You just said you shot the video. How did that go?
MP: That was amazing, man. It surpassed all my expectations. The director, Chris, and one of my best friends Theo kinda put it all together and wrote the treatment. It was real official, man. We shot on Saturday and Sunday right before Green and Brooklyn where I live, you know Ace used to live around here which is very fitting. The song is called Nostalgia and the video, it just had that, you know a nostalgic Brooklyn hip-hop feel you know, no bullshit in the video, no women dancing around shakin’ it, just some hip-hop shit. It went off really good. You know we had some cool people show up on Sunday to show some support.
ML: That’s cool.
ML: So when is that gonna be finished, do you know?
MP: It’ll probably be on YouTube and all that shit within, I would say by April 15th the latest, a month before the album.
ML: The other thing I wanted to ask you is, if you just listen to the few tracks, the tracks you have with Skyzoo and the ‘War’ track, you definitely have a New York sound, you know, but do you still listen to, southern hip-hop, current southern hip-hop, or…?
MP: Not at all. I don’t hate on it, it’s just not my cup of tea. It doesn’t speak to me, it doesn’t inspire me, I didn’t grow up in that area, you know. I mean, once in a while there’s a song that maybe is catchy and I might dig it but overall, it’s just kinda, it’s not really my thing.
ML: Say, a southern rapper comes to you and like, “I like what you do with your sound, but can you make something for my style”, would you do that?
MP: Yeah. I mean, it would have to depend on the situation, you know, there’s a lot of factors involved, we’ve all gotta pay the bills, so if the situation was right maybe I would but I don’t really shine at doing that type of production. It’d be more interesting to see one of them on my style. That’s something I’m totally open to.
ML: Another thing I wanted to ask you. Could you describe your setup, what your processes and what tools you use to make a beat.
MP: Sure. I stick mainly with the Akai PC 2000XL, the same one I bought, five years ago with my student loan. I start with that and a bunch of records really in my turntable, that’s all I really use, so my record collection grows all the time, always diggin’, and usually when I sit down and start a beat I always start with the drums, get those soundin’ real good and then I take it from there, and that’s really the process. It’s kind of unorthodox ’cause a lot of people don’t really start with the drums, they might start with chopping up the sample or some sort of loop but I’m always starting with the drums.
ML: Before you make the beat, do you craft a beat with an MC in mind, or do you prefer to get more input from what the MC wants? Which way do you usually work to make a beat?
MP: I mean, I have done that a couple times, somebody will say ‘I kinda want something like this’, but I find that when I just do whatever I do naturally and then present, after the fact, what I’ve made to an MC it works out a little better. Just ’cause I think sometimes trying to force something or create something, it might not [work], I like things to kinda happen naturally. Sometimes I’ll make a beat and an MC, that rhymes in it that I would have never thought but when we connect and do it, it makes sense and it works, it was never planned you know? That’s what happened with the Kardinal joint. Like, you know I love that beat and I sent it to him and he liked it, and I mean I always thought he could have, you know, I could hear him on that beat but when he sent me the final product back it, I would have never envisioned he would have came up with that type of hook.
ML: So, yeah. I guess it could go both ways.
MP: One thing I do wanna make clear is with my album what I did do was, is a lot of the beats that I have for certain artists were picked out for them, but I didn’t, like the Buckshot song or something, I didn’t make it for them, I just made the beat, and then when I made them I thought ‘You know what, this is some Buckshot shit, let me get it to ’em’ and we’ll get some ideas.
ML: Yeah. On one of your first works was Orange Moon over Brooklyn, which you did with Pumpkinhead, right?
MP: Yep.
ML: That came out 2005, correct?
MP: Yeah, was it? Yeah.
ML: Looking back on that album, how do you feel about that album? Would you change anything, would you do…
MP: Yeah, definitely, there was just some beats on there that feel like are, could have been a lot better, and there was some songs that I probably wouldn’t have even put on the record. Overall, as a product, I’m really proud of that album. I think it flows really well, and I’m a big fan of one producer/one MC albums; I think they’re more consistent, more cohesive. But I mean I think if you talk to any artist, when they look back on their older work, I’m a perfectionist, so there’s all these things I look back on, like ‘that could have been better. That snare could have been cracked a little harder’. So I definitely would have changed some things, if I had to on that album.
ML: But you’re still proud of it.
MP: Yeah, I’m definitely proud of it, it’s not a situation where I’m like ‘oh, that was terrible’, I just, knowing my potential now and how I’ve grown as a producer, definitely looking back I would have tweaked some things, but yeah.
ML: Between that album and Port Authority or even before that album, you probably learned a lot of things coming, and going through the industry and whatnot. What would you say is something if you could have done over you would have done over, and what’s the best decision that you’ve made so far in your career?
MP: The best decision hands-down in my career was moving to New York from Toronto when I finished school. That was the best thing that I ever did. It’s the reason why I’m where I’m at now, it’s the reason I know the people I know and who I’ve worked with, all because I moved to New York and got that job at the cutting room, that kinda started it all. Definitely one of the best things I did was, when Masta Ace wanted that track from me for Long Hot Summer, to work out a way to get on the album. A lot of new producers I’m noticing are really money-hungry before they even have any credit to their name and sometimes that hurts you, because sometimes you’ve got to take a loss on the financial end to trade off for other things, and that’s what I did with the Ace situation, you know, it paid off immensely.
ML: Yeah, I notice producers have prices set high and no one knows who they are?!
MP: Exactly, exactly. You’ve got to put in a bit of time and work and get the credits up before you can start, charging a certain amount for your tracks, it’s crazy, so ’cause people are gonna pay you because of your name and because of the quality of the music. That’s what’s going to help them sell, so until you get that up you can’t be asking for a lot of money.
ML: So, what would you… is there anything you would have done over?
MP: Um… hm. *pause* I mean, I’m sure there was a couple little things, nothing really big jumps out to me that I would have done differently, I think everything happens for a reason, you just kinda go with it but luckily I haven’t made any huge mistakes in my career where I was like “damn, I really should have did this”.
ML: Alright. You learned from everything, you wouldn’t change anything because it just made it all came together to put you where you are now.
MP: Exactly. Everything, that’s what I’m saying everything happened for a reason, everything falls into place, every move that I make it just kinda happens. I’m a firm believer in all that stuff, so…
ML: Alright. I was also reading that you first, before you were making beats for a lot of people you were also doing some engineer work. Do you have a favorite story from maybe a studio session that you can share? Maybe from Beatnuts or with Masta Ace, any of ’em? Anything that just pops out at you?
MP: I remember, I mean working at the cutting room there was so many things. Definitely one of the craziest experiences that I was a part of on our engineering trip was when Benzino, who used to own The Source magazine, he rented out the cutting room for about four months, and that I consider to be my initiation into the music industry. It made me a man, it made me see the dark side of the music industry. It was wild, man. You would have so many people in the studio, from people cutting hair, to people, you know, all types of crazy shit, we’d have to order food for like 30 people in his entourage at a time and have interns running around trying to find crazy shit. Once he threw his cell phone against the wall and it broke and he was all ‘oh, I need this fixed it’s broken, it’s not working’, like you just threw it against the wall dude, that’s why it’s not working. Overall he was alright but he had his moments. That whole experience was insane dude, it was insane.
ML: So, you saw all the elements that come to a somewhat big name putting together an album, you saw all that, the circus.
MP: Mm hmm.
ML: That’s pretty funny. So you engineered on his album too?
MP: I mean I definitely, I don’t know if I recorded anything but I definitely assisted in terms of, I definitely got my assistant engineering credits on for… I don’t even know if any of that music ever came out. Maybe it did on an album. There was just so much going on at that point at the Cutting Room. But I was definitely a part of it. *laughs*
ML: He had a lot of random dudes coming in I’m sure.
MP: Yeah, lots of people coming through: producers, artists that he was working with, entourage, you know like I said someone will be rapping in the booth and behind him there would be his hairstylist.
ML: Are you going to get a hairstylist when you make it a little bigger?
MP: Heh, no I’m gonna stay with my boy Trevor in the hood, that’s all I need. I don’t really have much hair I just need my shave and I’m good.
ML: That’s true, that’s true, just a little shave and you’re good.
MP: Exactly.
ML: I was also reading through, and I saw that you’ve worked with Roscoe P. Coldchain. Can you talk about what you did with him or what you have coming up and how’d you hook up with him?
MP: Yeah. That was, that was one of the benefits of MySpace actually. He hit me up through MySpace like ‘yo, I like your beats, send some stuff over to my manager and let’s see what happens’ and I sent him beats and he ended up, using one of the tracks. Will it ever come out and see the light of day? I have no idea, but I heard the song and it’s done and you know, we’ll see what happens with it. But I’ve actually never met him.
ML: Oh, alright. But still, it’s cool that even if you don’t meet him first, just knowing that you’re working with him, I think it must be a real cool feeling.
MP: Yeah, definitely. I mean, I haven’t really entered into the major label side of production yet, so that’s definitely my first experience working with someone [on a major], ’cause you know he had signed to Star Trak label so it’s cool, see what happens.
ML: I was also reading that you definitely would like to do stuff with major labels. How different of a mindset do you have working with someone on an underground label like Masta Ace versus if you have to work with any Top Ten artist right now on Billboard. What mindset would you be in?
MP: Well, I think when you’re working with people that aren’t signed to a major there’s probably a lot more personal interaction in the studio and involvement in the actual song, which I love. I thrive on being a part of every song I produce and I really feel like it makes the track that much better, and from the feeling I get with the majors situation if I were to be working with a lot of those dudes I probably would never be in the studio with them, and maybe I would, but I assume that most of the time they kinda do their own thing and you don’t really hear it ’till it’s mixed, they cut you a check and that’s it. It takes away the personal element of creating a song with the artist and I’m not really a fan of that to be honest but, you know, I’m not opposed to working in that realm and I definitely hope to. I just got a new lawyer that’s pretty official that represents 50 Cent and Eminem and hopefully I’ll start popping up on more major label projects, but yeah that’s one thing I always try to be involved at the creation of a track but just sometimes it’s not possible on that level.
ML: Have you seen Fade to Black, the Jay-Z movie?
MP: Yes.
ML: You know how he’s going through a bunch of beat CDs, you only see he’s only like in studio with only like, select guys, so I guess I see what you mean by that.
MP: Yeah, you’ve gotta build the relationship with the artist so they trust you. If Jay-Z ever picked a beat from me would he call me and be like ‘Hey Marco, what do you think about some verse?’ I doubt it, Maybe, If I have a bit more work under my belt or maybe after like the third or fourth joint that I’ve worked [on], then it starts to happen. It seems that he works with Just Blaze, Kanye, Primo and, maybe those are the dudes he interacts with, the rest of them, he kinda has his team to coach ’em. If you’re a no-name producer they don’t really call you in, which sucks.
ML: Yeah, ’cause that’s where you make the product, that’s where you can improve something.
MP: Exactly, exactly.
ML: Alright. The reincarnation of Rawkus, pretty much, is putting out your album. What do you think the direction for the label is this time? Is it more of the same, just with maybe some behind the scenes things are a little different, but same goals? What is the label trying to do now?
MP: I mean, my involvement with Rawkus is kinda limited to a degree, ’cause I’m actually signed directly to Soul Spazm with a joint deal with Rawkus and now after the fact Rawkus is really getting behind my project and repping it like a Rawkus release. They’ve actually put out a couple albums since they’ve come back with other groups, and I think what’s changed with Rawkus is the financial aspect is definitely not the same in terms of, they’re really really looking for a lot of finished projects before they even sign ’em, and I think their strengths lie more in marketing and promoting finished product and getting it out there. So where as opposed to back in the day Mos Def, Talib Kweli, and all them were signed directly to Rawkus, Rawkus would dish out the budget and, kind of fund the whole project where now they’re looking for finished products. In terms of, where they’re at right now, I feel like my album fit their brand and the history of them 100% perfectly, just ’cause of the artists that I have on the album, and I think it could be a real good thing for them to let fans of Rawkus know that they’re going back in that direction. I can’t really speak on any other projects they’ve put out just ’cause I’m not really familiar with them, to a degree, and I just… I’ve heard some of the stuff and I feel like I’m a little different then them, and I think some of the artists they’ve been putting out have been confusing the fans in terms of [what they are used to hearing]. It’s kind of a little left field from what you’re used to hearing from Rawkus, so I’d like to see them sign a couple more artists in the realm of my album. I think that would definitely help them get back in a zone that you’re used to hearing from Rawkus.
ML: So you pretty much now they’re more one of those logos you see on the back of the album. They’re not like a label that’s working with the artist to make the album anymore, as much at least?
MP: To a degree, yes. I mean, they’re definitely involved in picking what they put out. So I just, I don’t know what the A&R process is over there. It’s just hard for me to speak on it because for me to be, to say I’m really down with the Rawkus reincarnation, their new movement, that would mean that I’m down with all the artists that they’re putting out and to be honest I’m not really familiar with them. Haven’t heard anything where I was like ‘yeah, this is a new movement. I want to be a part of this.’ Kinda like just doing my thing, let the album speak for itself, but I think it fits Rawkus perfectly.
ML: It definitely does.
MP: If I can help them, help the label get back in a direction that the fans are used to from them, and what they put out back in the day, that’s great and I think it’s possible.
ML: Yeah, that’s more good hip-hop.
MP: Exactly.
ML: You’re first signed was Soul Spazm.
MP: I’m signed directly to Soul Spazm Records; that’s who put out the Pumpkinhead, but after the Pumpkinhead release, and they put out a few releases, they left the distribution that they had and they signed with Rawkus and now Rawkus is kinda putting out all their releases. It’s a joint venture, but Rawkus is trying to step it up to a new level with my album.
ML: Yeah, gotcha, gotcha.
MP: So I just gotta be, I like to rep the label that signed me as well so I see it as a Soul Spazm/Rawkus release.
ML: Alright, alright. Some other things I wanted to ask you. I saw you on some MySpace clip. You were wearing a 10 Deep shirt and, you know, you’re based out of Brooklyn so you’re exposed to, a lot of great brands. What are some of your favorite brands, ’cause if you’re wearing a 10 Deep shirt you should know a little something about…
MP: Yeah, definitely. Shouts to my man Josh at 10 Deep who’s always showing me love with the hook-ups. 10 Deep is a brand I’ve been reppin since day one. Always loved their stuff. One of my favorite t-shirts is, I don’t know if you’ve ever seen it, it’s like a 10 Deep joint, it’s got the heart and all the records and it says “I love all this shit” on the front. That’s like my favorite t-shirt of all time, I’ve got it in like four colors. I definitely rep 10 Deep. I’m really picky with clothes; I’m a simple dude so 10 Deep fits my style in terms of clothes, but other people that I mess with, definitely Stussy got some of the skater roots in me. Stussy another brand I definitely check for, and then you know, the simple classic shit I’ll rock some Fred Perry, or always rockin my Dunks, my Nikes, that’s pretty much it. But Stusy and 10 Deep are definitely two of my favorite brands that I’ll be checking for.
ML: That’s cool, that’s cool. Being in Brooklyn do you, on a daily basis, do you see a lot of people, rocking cool shit, like ‘where’d you get that?
MP: Heh. Yeah, definitely different areas of Brooklyn you see different types of things. The styles in Brooklyn are crazy, from like I said it changes neighborhood to neighborhood. You stay in Fort Green, Clinton Hills you see different stuff. You go to Williamsburg that’s a whole ‘nother world right there. Yeah man, definitely.
ML: Do you have a favorite spot you like to go to?
MP: Not really. 10 Deep is kinda hard to find at times, it’s kinda scattered all over the place. I’m lucky that I get to hit them up and sometimes go see Josh and he gives me stuff but I definitely love going to the Stussy store in Manhattan and seeing what they got over there.
ML: Alright, that’s cool.
ML: The other thing, I ask these two questions to everyone I interview. The first thing is what’s the last thing you bought? And it can be anything!
MP: Umm… the last thing I bought.
ML: It can be anything.
MP: A plane ticket to Toronto. *laughs*
ML: A plane ticket to Toronto? Just visiting friends, or you got a show, or…?
MP: I actually gotta go handle my passport situation and get all that squared away but I’m also going back for Easter. All my family lives up there.
ML: Alright, alright. And the other thing I always ask is are you a fan of sports? What are some of your favorite sports?
MP: I used to be really into sports back in high school, but when I started doing my music I kinda lost touch a little bit and my brother and my dad kinda clown me too ’cause they’re really into everything, from college basketball, to football, to watching the Raptors ’cause they’re from Toronto. The only thing that I’m really into, that I refuse to miss, is soccer. I’m a soccer fan ’cause I’m Italian. European Cup comes around every two years and the World Cup comes around every four. Those I do not miss. Everything stops. Music stops, life stops, and that’s what happens when that’s going on. I watch.
ML: Phone is turned off?
MP: Everything. People call me during, I will not pick up at all. People know the deal when it comes to watching Italians play soccer, it’s like I go nuts, so… and they won the World Cup so we’re the World Champions right now so I’m loving that for the next four years.
ML: Gonna enjoy that, all four years of that huh?
MP: Yup yup.
ML: Not a hockey fan though, living in Toronto?
MP: I mean, I definitely like hockey; the Leafs are always close to my heart, I’m always trying to stay in tune, but I’m not super into it in terms of things where I watch every game. Plus it’s tough being in New York. I don’t have cable and all that shit ’cause I’m so fucking making beats. I’ve got love for the Leafs and the Raptors. I heard the Raptors are actually doing decent this year.
ML: Yeah, they’re first in their division, so.
MP: Yeah man, we’ve got the Italian dude, we’ve got Chris Bosh doing his thing. Every time I go back I’m always at a couple of Raptors games.
ML: Yeah. I mean, well, you should be looking for The Leafs too ’cause I remember, I think like two months ago they had a whole broadcast of a Maple Leafs game in Italian.
MP: Oh wow, that’s dope.
ML: And I know they have like two Italian players.
MP: On the Leafs?
ML: Yeah.
MP: Right. I know the Raptors got Bargnani and he’s doing his thing. The Leafs I’m not sure I gotta check into that.
ML: Yeah, so maybe Italian pride in the Leafs too, you know, you gotta look it up.
ML: Are there any hip-hop artists that you know are hockey fans? I’m just curious.
MP: I don’t know. I mean, anyone in New York that I’ve met, never, I mean in Toronto maybe it’s possible ’cause up north hockey’s real Canadian shit so you’d have to ask Kardinal about all that. But I’ve a feeling that he’s probably more of a Raptors fan.
ML: Yeah.
ML: So, the other thing I always do with every artist, when they have a new album coming out, I like to run through the track list, and you give me a one or two sentence tidbit about each track, and maybe you can get even better insight, ’causeyou’re the producer, sound good?
MP: Yeah, no problem. Let’s do it.
ML: Alright, let’s start with the intro. What can we see on the intro?
MP: I’m a big fan of epic album intros, circa Busta Rhymes classic albums, he always had these epic, dramatic intros, and when I found that sample for the intro, I was like this is real spooky and dark, and that’s kinda how I wanted, that’s where my mind’s at right now, I wanted to set the album off like that. I got my man D.V. Alias Khryst to hum, kinda like a spooky harmony. That’s just what he does so well if you know D.V. Alias Khryst and his hooks from Back in the Daylight that’s his style. And then once I got that, I got DP One to lay the cuts to kinda piece [it] together and set off an intro from me to the world then I got OC to do what he did and speak on the intro and [he] really said a statement about hip-hop not being dead and this is what I’m trying to do. It was just perfect, so I’m happy with how that came out.
ML: So like a huge movie intro type shit.
MP: Yeah, I like that feel man. I just want you to feel like there’s an event about to take place, like “yo, get ready for what’s about to happen” over the next hour or however long the album is.
ML: Alright. What about Get Busy with Copywrite?
MP: That song just came out amazing, so… I always knew that I wanted Copywrite to set off the album ’cause I’ve always been a fan of him, and that’s another beat where it just, it’s kinda a little dramatic and up-tempo and well not so much up-tempo but the sample just feels like some shit, and it’s really just the perfect beat to set off my album, and I sent it to him, and he loved it, and he killed it man, he just went off on a tangent. His verses are kind of extra long on that, and then Linx put together the cut hook. It was the perfect joint for me to set off the whole album.
ML: Alright. Marquee with OC?
MP: That was… I’m so proud of that song. That was… me and O were overdue to do a joint for my album for the minute and we finally connected in the studio. I had picked that beat out and to me it just sounds like some classic DITC, Buckwild sounding type beat, so O came over and I played it, and he was like “yo, that’s fresh” he’s like “this is the one” and I was like “yep” and we started working on it, and it just felt good to hear O rhymin’ on some shit like that.
ML: That’s good. I can’t wait to hear that, ’cause I’m fan of OC and DITC.
ML: Alright, what about the aforementioned War?
MP: I mean, I wanted Kardi on the album a. because he’s Canadian and I’m Canadian and I wanted to have some sort of representation of Toronto, and b. because he’s amazing, more than anything of the Canadian thing. I sent him a bunch of beats, that was the one he picked out, when we set up to do the song I had no idea it would turn out to be the single. I just wanted to make some hot shit, and when he sent me that I listened to it 40 times straight, the demo that he sent me, I was blown away. From the hook, to just what he did with it, the whole message in the song, it just fit, it just fit how I felt at the time too about hip-hop. This whole ‘this means war and we gotta take this shit back’ and it was perfect. It surpassed all my expectations. Shouts to Kardi.
ML: Alright, alright. Nostalgia with Masta Ace?
MP: That was the first song we recorded for Port Authority before I even had the idea to do an album, He kinda wrote that like it was his exit out of rap, his last solo song, and he wrote each verse starting and ending with a classic Juice Crew line and then Linx got the cuts together. He picked all Juice Crew lines for the cut. We got [Roxxane] Shante and Biz [Markie] and [Big Daddy] Kane and [Kool] G Rap and Craig G all cut up and we just shot the video. That shit, to me, just felt right.
ML: Yeah, that sounds like a great concept for that track.
MP: Yeah man, I can’t wait for the world to see the video too. This is going to make it that much more official.
ML: Alright, The Wrong One with Wordsworth?
MP: Words, that’s my dude. We’ve done so many joints that we have in the stash, it was really hard to pick one from him to put on my album. I was this close to using another song, but “The Wrong One” was just some hard boom bap shit that. I think a lot of people aren’t used to hearing Words on a beat like that, like he raps on a lot of soulful, hip-hop type stuff. I wanted to get him on some harder shit, ’cause that just where I’m at with the album, so, we had that song on the stash and Linx added the cuts, it came out real dope and I think people are really gonna like that song.
ML: It’s sort of a posse cut on The Low-Budget All Stars.
MP: Yeah, that song was a pain in my… *laughs* Only because when you’re trying to get five people to rap on one song it takes time, but definitely shouts out to them. I’m a fan of Kev Brown, that’s the reason I know about the other dudes, ’cause I was a fan of Kev Brown’s production, so all those dudes can rhyme their asses off, and I made that beat and it kinda sounded like something they would have been rappin’ on or making, and I was like ‘yo, let me try and get these dudes all on track’ and they’ve never [done that]- even though they’re all from the same crew they’ve never been on a song together, all five of ’em.
ML: Oh really?
MP: So I was proud to make that happen for the album and I definitely see a lot of those dudes as the future of hip-hop right there, so to have them on an album is a good look.
ML: Yeah. I got the Ken Starr album that came out a few months ago and he really is someone to look for, in my opinion.
MP: Yeah, definitely. His verse on that song is dope.
ML: Alright. An artist that you worked with for Speak Softly, Jo Jo Pellegrino, an artist that should at least have an album out by now, but still doesn’t, talk about that track.
MP: Ah, Jo Jo. So painful to talk about Jo Jo ’cause I really feel like he has the potential to do such great things. Me and him have incredible chemistry in the studio, so that song is kind of old but it doesn’t sound old, it’s only old to me ’cause I know it. He is such a raw hip-hop dude, and it’s funny ’cause the actual things he did release when he was signed to Violator on the major, were more commercial singles. People don’t really know what that dude is capable of. Quote me on this if he ever comes out and does some hip-hop shit and people get a chance to hear it, watch out. He could take over this whole shit, easy. He’s on a whole level, I’m talking like Eminem and beyond, as talented as Eminem, his talents as an MC are ridiculous.
ML: Definitely. I’ve heard a few of his mix tapes and I always think, like ‘why doesn’t this guy have an album’ ?
MP: Yeah. You know, I ask myself the same question all the time, but he’s working towards it, he’s just such an artist, he’s got his mind always racing, he’s such a creative dude that sometimes I think it holds him back from just settling down and doing one thing, so you know hopefully I can help him and you know get him in the studio. I’d love to do an album with that dude one day, just me and him.
ML: True. A little side note, you said the album, that track is old to you but you can’t tell it’s old. It’s not like dated by what the current hot sound is. It’s just a representation of like a whole golden era of hip-hop, you know?
MP: Yeah, definitely, I mean that can be a real positive thing and like I take it as a compliment. I don’t sit down and try and make throwback music, I just try and make music that’s dope. I don’t really pay attention at time stuff, but if people wanna come compare it to that era by all means, ’cause that was a classic era and I’m fine with that, but you know when I just sit down to make beats I sit down to make dope music.
ML: Yeah, it’s not necessarily that you’re trying to make a throwback sound but you’re making a hip-hop sound that’s still appreciated, that’s reminiscent of it.
MP: Definitely, ’cause I want people to get that feeling I got when I heard, Gang Starr, A Tribe Called Quest..
ML: Next is Pete Rock’s homeboy, Ed O.G. with Time and Place.
MP: *laughs* Yeah, my only regret about that song is he said ‘it’s ’06 stupid’ and I didn’t take it out and that’s gonna haunt me for the rest of my life.
ML: *laughs* You’re gonna wake up with nightmares.
MP: Exactly. Talking about things that date an album, those are things that date an album.
ML: Yeah, this track was recorded in ’06.
MP: You know, it just didn’t need to be there. If I would have taken out that 06 no one would ever know when it was recorded, but whatever. Shit happens and the song is amazing. I met Ed O.G. through my boy Jayceeoh. He picked that beat, you know he just sent me the verses and did half the hook and Linx put the cut together, but that song just came out bangin’.
ML: Alright, what about The Radar with Large Pro?
MP: That’s… that song I’m just so proud of. It was so humbling to work with Large Professor. He came to my crib and chilled. That was just one element of the song. He came through and did his verses, and I’m such a Large Pro fan. I made that beat, but it was just a simple hip-hop beat. It just felt right, I felt like he was gonna kill it, and then to put it over the top I got DJ Revolution to do the cuts and he took the song to an entire new level. He destroyed it. He cuts for about 30 seconds at the end of the song. When you hear it you’re just kind of like in awe, it just seems like, I call him the Robot from the Future because he’s fucking crazy.
ML: Yeah, Revolution… he can cut records.
MP: Yeah, I mean I’m even going to be as bold to say he is the best cut DJ on records in the world.
ML: Alright, alright. Did he work with you on any other tracks?
MP: That was our first collaboration and hopefully it will not be our last.
ML: Alright. How about All My Love with Jayshaun?
MP: That was a sneak attack, that song right there. That wasn’t even supposed to be on the album. I just worked with Jayshaun because I know him through Ed O.G. and I sent him some beats to work on for his stuff and he recorded that song and sent it to me and I was blown away by it just ’cause of the content, what he’s talking about is so real and I think it added a dark edge to the album so I asked him if I could use it and he was really excited to be down and we got it on there. But that wasn’t even really supposed to be on Port Authority but I’m glad it is.
ML: Did you meet up with him through Ed O.G.?
MP: Yes that’s how I met him. I met him through Ed O., Jayshaun and this rapper named Slaine, they are in a click..
ML: Special Teamz
MP: That’s the click! Special Teamz is Jayshaun’s fling with Ed O.G. so that’s how I met them, ’cause I did some work for their album too.
ML: Oh, alright. What album was that?
MP: They have an album coming out on Duckdown actually.
ML: Oh, Duckdown?
MP: Yeah, I don’t know what it’s called, but I know one joint for sure, it’s going to be on my new Port Authority mixtape that’s dropping and I think they just took another beat from Jayceeoh for that album.
ML: Another little side note before I forget, talk about the mixtape. What’s going to be on that and you’re doing it with Mick Boogie?
MP: There’s going to be about five, six brand new joints that no one’s ever heard, including songs I cut from Port Authority and new songs I recorded specifically for the mix tape. The new songs include a track with Skyzoo, a track with Grand Daddy I.U. called “The Veteran”.
ML: That’s a good look, Grand Daddy I.U.
MP: Yeah, Smooth Assassin is one of my top ten LPs of all time. It’s an honor to work with him and that song came out crazy. I would have put it on the album if the timing was right. Then I got another song with my man Torae who’s killin’ it right now. Torae was just on that new song with Primo and Skyzoo called “Get It Done” I’m not sure if you’ve heard that.
ML: I don’t think, no. Is that gonna be on anything, do you know?
MP: The MP3 is definitely online and people have it but they’re gonna put it on a 12 inch actually. Skyzoo and Torae on two Primo beats, it’s gonna be an A and B side both produced by Primo, so it should be pretty dope when it comes out.
ML: I’ll definitely look for that.
MP: Yeah, Torae’s definitely doing his thing and we did a song called “Casualties” on the mixtape. Then I got a song with Copywrite and his whole crew, a brand new one separate from the album joint that’s on there. I did a joint with Brooklyn Academy that didn’t make my album that I put on there called “The Growler” which is Pumpkinhead blocking Mr. Met. Then there’s a song that’s the Skoob mix of an old song I did with Skoob (of Das EFX) called “How I Get Down” that was on my Canned Goods CD, I did a remix of that and that didn’t make the Port Authority so I threw that on there. And there’s a Special Teamz joint that’s been on my MySpace page that’s brand new, that’ll be on their album. So those are all the new things, then I got album joints from Port Authority like Kardinal, the Large Professor and the Kool-G Rap on there so people can get a taste of what’s about to come. Then I got old productions I’ve done with Boot Camp, Sadat X, Masta Ace.
ML: Alright.
MP: It’ll kinda be a resume like past, present and future of me so people can maybe hear some of the songs that they might have missed from me or like ‘oh shit, he did that’.
ML: Yeah, yeah.
MP: It’s called New Port Authority in the whole spirit of me chain-smoking like a bastard.
ML: How many packs do you smoke a day?
MP: When I’m making beats it’s pretty bad. I run through like a pack and a half in a session, so…
ML: Alright. When does the mixtape drop, is there a date?
MP: Maybe out in a couple weeks hopefully. Boogie has all the joints and he’s actually piecing it together in the next week or so. I’m just gonna post it for free download, but I will also be selling copies for a nice cover price, five to seven bucks.
ML: Alright, alright.
MP: But it’ll be free, everyone can download it in a couple of weeks if they look out for that.
ML: Yeah I’ll definitely have a link to that once I get my hands on it, on the site.
ML: Next, As I Lie Down from Roc Marciano, the U.N.
MP: Love that song. Roc Marciano is like one of my favorite MCs, he’s another dude I’m supposed to do a whole album with. Him and his group, the U.N. put out a classic album a few years back that-
ML: 2005 I think it was.
MP: Called U.N. Or You Out everybody slept on that. The whole world just fucked up by not catching on to that shit. That was the last classic rap album in my opinion that I just loved top to bottom. Roc Marciano was just a beast with it, just one of those dudes that says, actually, he’s the king of singing absolutely nothing and making it sound good. I’m just such a fan of that dude from his work. When you’re working with Pete Rock and getting that close on there’s got to be a reason and ever since then I’ve been checking for him. Had the chance to meet him and work with him and we’ve done a couple songs together and that was our little, I mean that song actually, he rapped to a whole ‘nother beat and I switched the beat on it just ’cause it fit the flow a little better and it kinda turned into our little “Ode to Long Island” and EPMD and we got the DJ Scratch type cuts on there. You know, EPMD’s one of my favorite groups of all time, so.
ML: Did you make a new beat or did you just replace it with a beat you already had?
MP: I had a beat, and for some reason I had a beat already made in my mind. My boy Shylow was like ‘you should slide that beat into the vocals and see what it sounds like’ and it worked perfectly. Like, people won’t even know he didn’t rap to that beat. I hate remixes that sound like remixes.
ML: Yeah, yeah I know what you mean.
MP: So I’ll be pissed if people go like ‘oh, it sounds like he’s not rapping to that’ [but] I don’t think anyone’s going to have a clue.
ML: Alright, Go Around with Buckshot?
MP: Buckshot is such a cool dude from my work with Boot Camp. I got a chance to know him a little better, and that’s actually the second song we recorded for Port Authority. The first one we recorded came out real dope, but I knew we could do something a little bit more focused for the Port Authority album and we recorded that song and that beat just… when you hear it, it just puts you in that kind of Black Moon state of mind, you know. Then I got Smif N’ Wessun to come in and do the hook with Buckshot, which made it extra-special to me.
ML: Oh, Smif N’ Wessun are on the hook?
MP: They’re on the hook and in the intro, really light. It’s got that whole [feeling], when you’re on the hook you’ll know if you’re a Black Moon fan it just feels so right to hear Buck on the beat like that. It came out dope.
ML: Alright. What about Hood Tales?
MP: Yeah, that’s another special joint that’s working with one of the greatest rappers of all time in my opinion you know, I met G Rap through Jo Jo Pellegrino. That beat is dark, gritty, it’s like a Spanish guitar loop and it’s some real street shit, he kicked some verses about the streets and he did what G Rap does best. Then D.V. Alias Khryst’s crew came in and sang the hook and it’s just perfect in all the details.
ML: Alright. What about Heat with Supastition?
MP: That’s a joint that’s supposed to be a B side to his last album if he did a second twelve inch but with indie labels you’re lucky to get one twelve inch so… I love the song so much I want him to be on the album that I just took it back. I was just like “I’m using this! So if you’re not gonna put it out” and he was cool with it and it made the album. Supastition’s another MC completely slept on. I think when people think about North Carolina they always think about Little Brother and rightfully so but I think Supastition is on even ground with those dudes and doesn’t get the shine he deserves.
ML: Alright. It seems like for the album you had to do a lot of work like putting together a puzzle. Do a trade-off here, get that track he didn’t use?
MP: Exactly. But the thing is, nothing went on the album that didn’t make sense, so I wasn’t just trying to get-
ML: Whatever was left, like you said.
MP: Exactly. If anything, it doesn’t matter how big you are, if you came and recorded something with me and it wasn’t up to what I saw for my album, it got cut. You know, you could be Jay-Z and I wouldn’t use the track, where a lot of people would be like ‘it’s Jay-Z rapping on my beat, let me use it’
ML: Yeah, and have just like a huge sticker on the album promoting some horrible song just because it has Jay-Z.
MP: Yeah, and there was a producer album like that this year, without naming names, it had an incredible cast of people but when you actually listened to it, it didn’t really stick with you too far. I tried to avoid something like that.
ML: Alright, alright. What about Rollin? What’s with Sadat X, AG and Ju Ju?
MP: I don’t smoke weed. I used to, I used to do a lot of things but I stopped now but I’ve always been a fan of [that] part of hip-hop, the classic weed songs. When I made that beat there’s a sample with a girl sayin’ ‘Rollin’ so I was like ‘let me try and play some ill posse cut’ and I reached out to my man Sadat, Ju Ju from the Beatnuts and AG from DITC, like if I can make this happen, get them all spittin’ about weed and hip-hop shit. That’s what happened and it came together and at the end of the song I got Ju Ju to shout me out and make fun of me for not smokin’ weed, called me a ginger-ale asterisked motherfucker. Hilarious.
ML: On the track he calls you that?
MP: He was trying to shout me out on the hook, like ‘Marco Polo be rollin’ I was like ‘nah, I don’t smoke weed I don’t wanna be fraudulent you know what I mean? Let the world know that I don’t’ he did a great job of it at the end, so it was funny.
ML: Then you’d have random dudes coming up to you, like
MP: ‘You wanna smoke a blunt?’
ML: Yeah, that would have made for an interesting situation.
MP: Exactly, so I didn’t want to put myself out there like that. I’m all about being honest. *laughs*
ML: Alright, alright. What about For the Future with Critically Acclaimed?
MP: That was the second joint we recorded for this album. Their part is low-budget, I don’t really think they’re doing music anymore, them two dudes. They were dope when we recorded that song. It was tough ’cause I couldn’t find a spot for it on the album just ’cause it was so mellow but I love the song. It just seemed to find its place at the very end to kind of end off the album in a peaceful, mellow manner and it came out dope, so that’s the way the album ends in my mind, then it goes into a little bit of a gap and then the J Davy joint comes on.
ML: Yeah, talk about that track with J Davy.
MP: She’s, I know her as Brianna. When we did that record I wasn’t even aware that she had a group called J Davy. I figured it out later. I met her through my homeboy Al and we did a cover, she wanted to do a cover of “Electric Relaxation” so I flipped the beat, added my little changes, and extra details and she sang on it and it came out crazy. I was a little worried ’cause I didn’t think it really fit into my album; my album’s a little dark but I mean ultimately it’s still some hip-hop shit. So I included it on the album but you know I made sure to mark it as a bonus cut. It’s actually on the 12 inch too, it’s the C side with the Ace and the Kardinal but that song came out real dope and she killed it.
ML: Alright.
ML: You did the album but what else are you trying to do? What else do you have up your sleeve for the future?
MP: I’m all trying to figure out my next move right now. I really love making albums with a focus where I’m doing all the production. I’m a real perfectionist and real picky when it comes to music so I like to have a bit of a control problem. *laughs* But in a good way, so I see myself connecting with maybe one MC for the next project. Who that’s gonna be, I have no idea. I have lots of people I would love to do an album with like Roc Marciano or Copywrite or Supastition or my man Torae and it could be any of those people but nothing’s confirmed. I definitely see myself jumping into a whole new album from scratch ’cause I love doing it, I love putting it together, I love the stress it brings me, I just love making cohesive albums because that’s what I grew up listening to, albums with one producer and one artist, you know, like EPMD) with Eric Sermon on the beats or early Wu-Tang with RZA or Tribe Called Quest with all The Ummah. Those albums are classics to me because they have a cohesive sound. I’d rather leave my mark doing albums than trying to spread out a million random tracks.
ML: Yeah, ’cause artists of those days, it’s as if they were trying to tell a collaborative story, instead of just the artist picking just producers that he wanted, you know? It’s just I don’t know, albums like that are always more special to me, you know?
MP: Exactly, and I mean I’m always checking for new talent, I would love to find a MC that nobody knows that’s amazing and help shape them, start a group. That’s definitely a possibility for me. ‘Cause it’s hard man, people always look at Nas’ Illmatic and be like ‘well he used different producers’ but that was a different time and for whatever reason that album flowed incredibly even though it was four or five different producers but I really feel like a lot of MCs can’t do that. They’re more interested in picking the names out over does the beat actually fit the album, and sometimes they fuck it up.
ML: Yeah, that’s the other thing that, they’re not even sometimes going for the sound but they’re going for the name.
MP: Exactly, because the producer’s almost become the new artist. Producers are getting a lot more shine now than we’re used to seeing. They’re really getting pushed to the forefront as the artist. I don’t know how I feel about that. I mean, with this album I’m really trying to rep my artist ability as putting together an album but I really feel at the end of the day that it should be the MC who is the face of the music. I just want to play the back and help mold albums and help develop artists, just cohesive projects.
ML: Alright. You mentioned MySpace before. What role does the Internet play in like, your career? What role does it play?
MP: I mean, right now it’s become so impersonal just because the Internet makes it so convenient to send emails and talk over it. I think a lot of people like it for that reason, ’cause you know you stay more private, but for me there’s been a lot of positives in the sense that I can reach out to people, and there’s so many ways to contact people that I never thought you’d be able to contact, because of the Internet. I can go find someone’s MySpace page and most of the time some of these artists, they check it themselves. You can send a message to an MC you want to work with. Will they read it or respond? Who knows! But at least it’s a new way to get at people, and in that respect it’s definitely positive. The downside is you get a lot of people hitting you up for bullshit. It can be tough to keep up with it. In that respect it can be a little difficult, and the Internet also presents the opportunity for anyone and everyone to post up their music and flood the market with a lot of garbage and some of the good stuff gets lost in the shuffle.
ML: Yeah, that’s very true.
MP: It has its pros and cons you know, usually back in the day there was a certain amount of stuff that came out and a lot of it was really good but now there’s just so much junk coming out and so many producers and rappers trying to do their thing and they’re not necessarily that dope.
ML: What’s your take on people, I’m not a producer myself, but do you think people can make hot shit with fruity loops?
MP: Yeah, I definitely do. I really never had a problem with anyone. Whatever you use, as long as the music is good at the end of the day, to me it doesn’t matter what you use. If you use pots and pans in your kitchen and make it up, if it’s good music it’s good music.I remember a lot of people used to get on 9th Wonder about it, but it doesn’t matter! If they’re making good music they’re making good music it doesn’t matter what the hell you use.That stuff doesn’t make the producer, the producer makes the music, ultimately. Until they make a machine that literally makes the beats for you, I have no gripes with anything anyone uses as long as it’s good music, it’s good music.
ML: Alright. What are your three favorite LPs and what are your three favorite 12-inch vinyls?
MP: Aw, man, so tough.
ML: Alright, to make it easier, what, off the top of your head, are some of your favorites, not necessarily your…
MP: Ok, some of my favorite albums of all time? There’s no way I’m not gonna forget some stuff, so I’ll try my best. GZA’s Liquid Swords is definitely up there, just ’cause I’m real into dark-sounding, you know themed hip-hop and that, I consider that to be production-wise and just on their rhymes they’re both at their peak, the RZA was killing it and that’s when the Wu-Tang was killing it. That album definitely stands out to me. EPMD, what was the second album? Unfinished Business?
ML: Yeah.
MP: Yup. I’m gonna go with EPMD Unfinished Business, man, any EPMD album really. I love EPMD, that’s my favorite of all time. Eric B and Rakim Paid In Full, A Tribe Called Quest Midnight Marauders, Gang Starr Moment of Truth or Hard to Earn, classic Slum Village Volume 2 definitely up there. So much stuff. I mean, for albums that’s definitely a few that stand out. 12-inches… anything with Primo on that shit, you know what I’m sayin’? I’m gonna stay away from the 12-inch one just ’cause there’s so many that are just classic.
ML: Alright. Do you ever reach that point where I feel there’s just so much like, good hip-hop, even like old hip-hop that you want to listen to that there’s just not enough time in the world.
MP: Absolutely, absolutely.
ML: It drives me mad.
MP: Yeah! No, it’s tough man with this whole iPod shit, you get your iPod it’s like you’re a kid in a candy store. You put pretty much your whole collection now or most of it into this thing. I’ll be listening to my iPod and then a song comes up like, I forgot I even had this shit in my iPod! And it sucks, yeah, there’s just so much stuff from back in the day that you forget so much good stuff. Throw it in the iPod, eventually it will come on when you put it on shuffle. The fans will be “oh shit, I forgot about that!”
ML: Oh yeah, he put this out! *laughs* Just like, I know for example I’ll cop your new album, and then there will be like two new reissues come out, you know
MP: *laughs*
ML: So I’m trying to catch up with the new stuff, old stuff coming back up, it’s good music everywhere.
MP: That’s tough man, and that’s why you’ve got to work that much harder to make sure your shit stands out ’cause the next man’s going to release an album and that’s what I was saying, that there’s so many releases every year and I just really want my album to stand out and I really feel confident about it standing out, you know it’s going to do that, so, just because of the time I put in. A lot of this shit is so disposable. Masta Ace named one of his albums Disposable Art. That shit is so true
ML: Yep, yep. On a personal question, you mention EPMD, one of your favorite groups. Did you get Eric Sermon’s last solo album, Chilltown New York?
MP: Nah, I never heard the whole thing. No, the last couple Eric Sermon albums I don’t have. I should have them just ’cause I’m such a fan but I’m really hoping EPMD does another record to be honest.
ML: Yeah. There’s been rumors of that, so…
MP: I would love to work with them, man. That’s a group that, something about their chemistry that, the vibe they had was just, ah it was dope.
ML: Yeah, yeah. Yeah I know they had a little like, falling out but then they got that settled.
MP: Exactly, every group goes, it’s hard, you know what I’m saying?
ML: Yeah, but you should definitely check out that Chilltown New York ’cause I remember I think it came out 2005, summer 2005 or 2006, and that album was definitely slept-on.
MP: Wait, was that the one with… no, that wasn’t the one with “I Love Music” that was the one before.
ML: Yeah, that was like 2001 I want to say.
MP: Ok. Cool, because I love that song. That shit was great.
ML: Alright, and the last thing I wanted to ask you was, you know, you’ve put in your work, you’re starting to finish putting in your grunt work with more artists, you’re becoming real close with groups like Boot Camp. What’s the best advice you would give to either producer or either rapper ’cause you kinda see both ends. You see rappers that are trying to get in, you see producers that try to get in, so what advice would you give to both?
MP: I mean, straight up it’s… if you really want to do, it depends on what type of music you want to do, but if you’re trying to do hip-hop, New York style and really want to establish yourself as a producer. S. I would suggest moving to New York. As much as it’s expensive and it sucks, it’s where you gotta be and it made all the difference for me. And you gotta be ready to sacrifice everything. Personal life, family time, everything. If you wanna do this, you gotta put everything into it 100% dude. No half-assed [shit]. You can’t get a 9 to 5 and make a couple beats a week, you’ve got to be on that machine every day perfecting your beats, ’cause at the end of the day on the producer end of things you’re really not selling yourself it’s the music that sells itself. If the artist likes the music they’re gonna be with it. It definitely helps to put in some work early and not stress the money, just kinda get some stuff out there that sounds dope so people can hear it. Then just keep hustling and show up to shows and get in these artists faces and give ’em CDs. They might not call you back the first 15-20 times but you know that’s what happened to me. Eventually it’s gonna start happening after a while, ’cause rappers are always gonna need beats. That’s never gonna stop.
ML: Yeah, as long as there’s rappers there’s always gonna be a need for beats.
MP: Yeah there’s always gonna be a need for the music. There’s definitely obstacles but if you work hard [you’ll be good]. For every day I don’t make a beat there’s like a thousand producers making ten, you know? Whether they’re good or not I don’t know but it’s all about that hustle. Look at all the success stories, like at Timbaland. Those dudes don’t sleep, they just work. They work non-stop, and that’s the mentality you’ve got to get into. There’s too much competition to jump into and be lackadaisical, you’ve got to put everything into it and that’s what I did. I’m talking about sacrificing girlfriends, everything, having fun, having a social life and I am a troll most of the time. I stay in my apartment, hiding, making music, ’cause I love it and I want to succeed.
ML: Yeah, I gotta add, I just want to say some things to that. Have you seen the documentary Scratch?
MP: I think so.
ML: And they were talking to Grand Master Caz and he was like “you know, I stayed in my mom’s basement for a year and not going anywhere and just perfecting my DJing” so that just goes hand-in-hand with what you said, if you want to do something you’ve got to do it like 100% you know?
MP: Exactly, exactly. A lot of people clown me, like “yo, you never come out man. You gotta come out and hang out!” and it’s like “yo, I would love to but right now I’ve gotta do this” you know, if I want to be on top and keep making it happen, Especially now with people’s attention spans so low. Albums don’t have the shelf life they used to and it sucks. You could make an album back then and chill for two years, now it’s not like that. Everyone’s putting out an album every frickin’ seven weeks. New album, new album! Ultimately I’m not trying to do that ’cause I really think that when you do that there’s no way they could all have lasting power. I believe Port Authority is gonna have a strong shelf life, but it’s definitely not the same.
ML: Yeah, I feel like it all started with like, DMX when he put out like three albums in the span of one year and they’re all number ones, you know?
MP: Yep.
ML: So ever since then it’s like, you just came out with an album and people are always asking like “what’s your new album?” you know? Like I know Redman’s coming out with a new album, he’s already talking about his next album, so…
MP: Exactly. It’s this specific time. No one has attention anymore with all this TV and Internet, and everyone needs instant gratification quick. Like you sit with an album for a couple of weeks and they’re like “cool, what’s the next shit?” Like damn!
ML: You know, like I remember when I first started getting into hip-hop like I could listen to one album for weeks.
MP: Yeah man. I mean, I still do that now. But that’s how it was, you just rock an album like non-stop for like, a couple months you know?
ML: Yeah, until you know like every little sound, every little lyric, and now just like you still listen to albums for a while, but it’s definitely not the same. You feel a lot more pressure to look at other shit as well, you know.
MP: Exactly. The market’s flooded, man.
ML: Alright man. Well, that about wraps it up. Thanks a lot, yo, I had a great time talking to you.
MP: Yeah man, no doubt. You asked a lot of good questions brother, no one’s asked me and I appreciate that shit, ’cause I’ve been doing interviews non-stop and you know it gets real monotonous. *laughs*
Port Authority is in stores Mary 15th, check out his myspace, as well as check back here for a link to his free mixtape & the video for Nostalgia.
Mp3: Marco Polo Ft. Kardinal Offishall-War
Mp3: Marco Polo Ft. Skyzoo-Block Shit
Mp3: Marco Polo Ft. Masta Ace-Nostalgia
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Everybody loves a good true hip-hop show, you can’t go wrong with A-Plus of Hieroglyphics/ Souls of Mischief. He is going to be touring in support of his debut solo album My Last Good Dead. Joining him on the tour will be the likes of Masta Ace, Wordsworth, DJ Flo Fader, Bukue One, iCON the Mic King, and Zeph & Azeem.
The Dates are:
Sphere: Related ContentFriday April 13 Nashville, TN @ The Rutledge
Saturday April 14 Atlanta, GA @ A3C Festival held at The Loft
Sunday April 15 Johnson City, TN @ The Hideaway
Wednesday April 18 Brooklyn, NY @ Southpaw
Thursday April 19 Ottawa, ON @ Heaven
Friday April 20 Killington, VT @ Tabu / The Outback
Saturday April 21 Hamilton, ON @ Pepper Jack Cafe
Sunday April 22 Ann Arbor, MI @ Blind Pig
Monday April 23 Chicago, IL @ Abbey Pub
Tuesday April 24 Milwaukee, WI @ The Stonefly
Thursday April 26 Asheville, NC @ The Emerald Lounge
Friday April 27 Wilmington, NC @ The Soapbox
Saturday April 28 Chapel Hill, NC @ Signal Fest held at Cat’s Cradle�
Sunday April 29 Greenville, SC @ The Handlebar
Monday April 30 New Orleans, LA @ The Howlin Wolf
Tuesday May 1 Jacksonville, FL @ Thee Imperial
Wednesday May 2 Fort Lauderdale, FL @ Roxanne’s
Thursday May 3 Orlando, FL @ The Firestone
Friday May 4 Tampa, FL @ The Orpheum
If you haven’t heard on the ESPNs that Pacman Jones of the Tennakey Titans has been running a wild. Well this video helps you get a sense of what has happened (so far?).
out.
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We mentioned her before, but we got the opportunity to talk to her and find out who Emily King is. Growing up with parents who were both jazz singers definitely molded her to become a musican. One of her first major experiences was writing for Nas, where she penned Reason off Street Disciple. Now the time comes for her to do her own thing with her debut album. Her great sound and voice combined with the backings of industry veterans who have helped modern legends like Lauryn Hill, Nas, Biggie, amongst others in her corner all signs point to major success. Be sure to check the bonus at the end.
ML: Hi, Emily.
EK: Hey, what’s up ML?
ML: Hey, how are you.
EK: I’m doing great, how are you doing?
ML: Pretty good. Having a busy day doing all these interviews?
EK: Good. Oh, you have a lot lined up?
ML: No, I’m saying are you having a busy day. You’re my only one today.
EK: *Laughs* Oh, I thought hey, you’re a busy guy. Yeah, It’s cool, I’m here with OP, he’s always good company.
ML: He’s keeping you sane.
EK: Exactly, that’s the word. *Laughs*
ML: I wanted to ask you – I was looking up stuff about you, and I saw that there was a version of Walk In My Shoes with a Biggie verse on it. Have you heard that?
EK: Yeah, I did.
ML: Do you think that type, I don’t know if you want to call it a remix, but it kind of shows what your sound is like, if you can put a Biggie verse and it still sounds hot.
EK: I think that’s definitely like a cool thing about it. You know, I grew up listening to Biggie and my producer, Chucky Thompson, he worked with Biggie, and produced a lot of his hits. That was actually Chucky’s doing; he had some scraps of Biggie talking and rhyming and he hooked it up with Walk In My Shoes, and I was like, wow, that’s incredible, and it kind of became like an underground thing.
ML: Any chance of that seeing any sort of release on anything?
EK: We’re still working it out, but I would be happy, I would definitely be honored to have that.
ML: And it probably could reach a whole different audience with that alone.
EK: It kind of tears all the rules down.
ML: The other thing I wanted to ask you, I was reading both your parents were musicians. Could you tell me what artists you picked up from them, while growing up? What music were they listening to where you were like ‘Oh, I like that too, I’m going to listen to that’?
EK: They listened to a lot of vocalists. Eddie Jefferson, Lambert, Hendricks and Ross was a vocal group that was incredible – I always try to shout them out – just a lot of songs. Duke Ellington, all those jazz standards. Ella Fitzgerald, classic styles of singing. Really, it’s like a vocal exercise when you sing those songs.
ML: Louis Armstrong type stuff?
EK: Yeah, all that old stuff.
ML: Kind of jumping ahead, I saw on the sampler that you have Ain’t No Sunshine and that’s a Bill Withers original. Were they listening to Bill Withers?
EK: Yeah, they mixed it up for sure, but most of the time they were working on their repertoire so we listened to all that older stuff. As I got into junior high school I started listening to Al Green and Bill Withers, all that stuff is really in the same family. It kind of came naturally. But I just love that tune Ain’t No Sunshine; it’s one of my favorites.
ML: What was the reason you decided to cover that song? You cover it, but you then put your own touch on it, changing a few lyrics around. And before you answer that, I just want to say, the strings! who produced that track, because the strings on that track are incredible!
EK: Oh, that’s all Chucky Thompson.
ML: All Chucky Thompson, all right.
EK: Thank you, though.
ML: I was like, wow…
EK: The idea of a cover came up, we talked about a lot of different things, I did some Beatles’ stuff; all different types of stuff. Ain’t No Sunshine was one of the first ones that we recorded and toward the end of the process it came up again. Everyone was feeling it, it was just kind of like a natural progression. And then those strings came, and then more production came and I was feeling it even more, and I was like, let’s do that, let’s keep it in.
ML: So it kind of grew from a little thing to a big production.
EK: Exactly. It grew, it definitely grew on me.
ML: It grew on me too.
EK: Cool.*Laughs*
ML: Have you heard the DMX song that samples that track?
EK: No, I haven’t.
ML: He had the song on the Exit Wounds soundtrack that sampled the same exact song. I’m kind of ashamed to say that’s the first time I’d heard this song, because of the DMX.
EK: Yeah, that happens a lot of the time with me; I’ll be like, oh, that came from that?
ML: That happens to me all the time too. Also, I wanted to know what is your plan with you and your record label to get your name out there? How do you want people to find out about Emily King?
EK: Right now, I’m really focused on the shows and on live performance. I think that’s always a great way to do it, it’s really like *the* way to do it. Just going back in the day, they didn’t have MTV, videos, internet, all that stuff; you get to know the artist through their performance. Getting ready to go on tour soon I’m very excited about that.
ML: Can you talk about that? Where are you going to be?
EK: I would talk about that but I don’t have all the details, we’re in the works right now. Definitely be on the lookout for that, possibly an international tour.
ML: Uh oh, doing it big
EK: I’m so excited! *Laughs* Get some traveling miles in.
ML: But all that info will probably be on your MySpace site.
EK: Yes, that’ll be on the MySpace site EmilyKingMusic.
ML: You said at your start you wanted to work on perfecting your shows. Talk about the first show that you did once you had a record deal. How was that?
EK: Oh my god.*Laughs*
ML: Talk about that. A little pressure?
EK: You know, I was thinking of that on the subway ride over here, all the little shows I’ve done, I’ve done so many open mic’s, and things like that. Most of the album was recorded in Maryland.
ML: That’s where I’m from actually, Maryland.
EK: Oh, really? What part of Maryland?
ML: Montgomery County.
EK: Is that near White Plains?
ML: That’s about an hour away from me.
EK: Yes, yes, that’s where I was at.
ML: That’s cool.
EK: We would venture into DC and I would do open mic’s. But I don’t know if I can tell you the first show. There have been so many coffeehouse shows, and just anonymous private events. This year, well, 2006 actually, I had the opportunity to open for a lot of people. And that was a great experience for me I went on tour with Lyfe Jennings, and opened for Gnarls Barkley and Floetry, and Musiq Soulchild.
ML: Common?
EK: Common, yes, Even Sean Paul.
ML: You opened up for everybody.
EK: Everybody I know. *Laughs* That was a growing experience. Big audiences. That was an acoustic show, I didn’t have a band yet. Learning myself, and learning performances, and learning the craft of performing.
ML: So you’re on your own?
EK: Well, I have a band now. It’s been great. I think that’s one of the best parts of it is performing.
ML: Being on tour, do you have a favorite story – I always like to ask artists that – from the tour recently that you can think of?
EK: Umm..
ML: Any marriage proposals, random stuff like that
EK: Random stuff, ooh, I wish. *Laughs* We were in Vegas recently and went crazy…I won’t go into that. I do want to tell you €“
ML: Stays in Vegas.
EK: Exactly. *Laughs* I would tell you, but it’s just the law, you can’t tell.
ML: I believe you.
EK: When I opened for Common, I always go back to that. Right when I got offstage – like 20 minutes later – he was about to go on, we were all downstairs. My manager was talking to him ‘Oh, just have Emily sing a song for you, just one song’ and I ended up singing ‘You and I’ for him before he went onstage. Which is kind of crazy, cause I felt bad cause he’s supposed to go onstage. *Laughs* ‘I hope I didn’t distract you before your show.’ Anyway, he ends up going on, and I’m chillin backstage, you know, vibing to the music, whatever – and all of a sudden this dude comes up from his crew and says ‘Common wants you onstage’. I was like ‘What? I have my sandals on!’ *Laughs* I was dressed down. But I ran on that stage and it was outdoors, it felt like Woodstock, you know like a college thing, one of the best experiences. It was like a dream and he totally didn’t have to do that.
ML: He showed you love.
EK: Yeah, he showed me love and then after that it was like he endorsed me.
ML: That’s really dope. Since you don’t have the final album out yet, but you have the sampler, I’d like to go through the track listings and you give me one or two sentences or even more if you’d like, maybe a little tidbit about each track. Is that cool with you?
EK: Yeah, yeah, definitely.
ML: Walk In My Shoes, how about that? We’ll start off with that.
EK: Walk in my Shoes. Ah, therapeutic, just the stress of New York, growing up. Just trying to find your way.
ML: Did that song come to you quick, real quick?
EK: It came so quick. It was the fastest song written on the album and just it came out like it was supposed to.
ML: Color Blind?
EK: Color Blind. Another release; it’s a little more intimate, it talks about my upbringing, an issue being multiracial that I wanted to touch on, finding your place in the world.
ML: You and I?
EK: You and I. A love story. The best part of love, the height of being in love. *Laughs*
ML: The epitome?
EK: The epitome of love, right when you meet that person, you’re waiting for them to call, you’re checking your messages ‘Did they call me?’
ML: Checking your MySpace account…
EK: Yes, checking your MySpace and you see the new message thing and you’re like ‘Yeah!’ That’s You and I. All the way.
ML: Hold Me?
EK: Hold Me. Another love story, but more universal, but not to necessarily a partner. Whether it’s God, or your family, or somebody that you really care about, an animal. It applies to all parts of love.
ML: Ain’t No Sunshine?
EK: Ain’t No Sunshine. My first breakup.
ML: Oh, your first breakup.
EK: Yeah. It came at the right time for that.
ML: Helped you get over it?
EK: Yeah, I definitely cry a lot singing that.
ML: When were most of these tracks done? Did you do them within the last year or within the last few months?
EK: I think it’s been about a year now.
ML: About a year now. What else is going to be on the album? What else can we look for on the album?
EK: In terms of song titles?
ML: Not necessarily song titles, but just what kinds of songs are you trying to go for? Are you going to maybe have a concept song? What other type of songs can we look for?
EK: Wake up in the morning and feel good songs. Go to sleep at night and feel shitty songs. And then wake up in the morning again. *Laughs*
ML: And go back to feeling good.
EK: Right. Then take a trip to DC and picket the war, whatever. I dunno, political songs, just everyday type of songs. Women, what we go through as women.
ML: Is the album all ready to go, or are you still working on it?
EK: The album is done.
ML: Looking back on the album that you’ve completed, how big do you think a part of it, where you come from, New York, play on your album?
EK: It’s a huge part. When you’re in it you don’t realize how unique it is here. It’s a world in itself, so diverse. I learned so much young. I mean, I went to elementary school on Christopher Street, the height of diversity, freedom, free love, free everything. That concept alone, was something that was just natural to me, he’s himself, she’s being herself, that’s fine. It wasn’t until I ventured out into different states, different places where you saw that people didn’t always agree with how other people lived or had problems with it. It formed my belief system, being in New York, and I definitely display that in my songs.
ML: Something to look out for. Do you have a concrete date for the album?
EK: Yes, it’s kind of concrete, June 12 right now.
ML: Has the whole process been stressful for you, because I know the album was originally supposed to drop a little bit earlier and now it’s June. Has it been stressful for you, or how are you dealing with that?
EK: I think it could be stressful if you allow it to get that far, to go that far. I try not to think corporate.. I try just to focus on what I am doing and just get better at what I’m doing. I think it was definitely a blow to me that things take time, *laughs* that’s just nature. Things take time, it doesn’t always come like American Idol, you got a deal, that’s it, you know what I’m saying. It’s grassroots, and I’ve just been working, and I’m really grateful to have the time to work on myself because I think it’s happening when it’s supposed to happen.
ML: Yeah, that’s really true. Did anyone else other than Chucky Thompson work with you on the album?
EK: Yeah, and I’d just like to shout out everybody, cause I went through a process of experimenting who I wrote with, from John Garrett to Angie Stone to Raphael Saadiq and Ne-Yo; there’s Harold Lilly, Marsha from Floetry, the list goes on. Those songs are wonderful, and it ended up to be a collaboration between Chucky Thompson and myself.
ML: So it’s just you and Chucky Thompson on there?
EK: It’s me, Chucky and there were two other producers appearances: Vada Nobles who worked on The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, and Salaam Remi who’s done a lot.
ML: Yeah, everybody.
EK: So that was definitely cool and then there is some songwriting collaborations: Big Drawz, this writing team that’s amazingly talented, Rasheem Kilo Pugh, who also worked on The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.
ML: A lot of people, the whole process.
EK: It was, I learned a lot from it, and it really helped me to define exactly what I want to do *laughs* and what I don’t want to do.
ML: With this whole process of putting out your first album through J Records, do you see the road as different, or do you think is it more the same for a female artist as for a male artist? In the whole process of getting your music out there.
EK: I think it depends on what style of music you’re doing, that has a lot to do with it. It depends on who you are, and what you’re representing, whether you’re male or female. Obviously, guys get away with not having makeup on, *laughs* or being a little overweight. That’s definitely accepted a lot for males. When you’re with a major label, they definitely want you to look pretty at all times, which is nice, it’s nice to look pretty. But when I came in I definitely wasn’t really focused on the pretty – I mean I came into a Clive Davis meeting with torn up jeans, no makeup – which is still the essence of who I am, but it’s nice to also grow as a woman, and it’s something to play with. I’m just kind of learning myself as a woman right now.
ML: I was talking to my girlfriend about you and she wanted me to ask you how you would describe your style, cause she really liked your style?
EK: My style…it’s funky, it’s playful, and it’s definitely downtown Manhattan.
ML: Do you have some favorite brands?
EK: Do I have..I like Red Engine jeans…I like expensive shoes. *Laughs*
ML: You don’t discriminate.
EK: No, I’m used to hand-me-downs, which I still love, but it’s nice to get nice things too.
ML: I feel you. The last few things I wanted to ask you, are there any albums you have currently in rotation that you are really feeling, any album like that?
EK: I haven’t really had a full album in rotation for a while.
ML: All right, what are some songs?
EK: I’ve been listening to Amy Winehouse, I really like her voice. Who else…Feng Shui, a song on Gnarls Barkley’s album. I have my iPod right here, let me see…Jill Scott, Golden, Willow Weep For Me, Nina Simone…this isn’t recent stuff; you asked about recent stuff, right?
ML: It could be recent; just what you’re currently listening to.
EK: The Shins, James Brown, I’ve been heavy, heavy into James Brown.
ML: The other thing I always ask everyone I talk to: are you a sports fan, do you watch any sports at all?
EK: You know, I never got into watching sports.
ML: Not a sports fan.
EK: I used to play basketball, and I was really into basketball, but I didn’t even like to watch it on TV. I’m an action person.
ML: The other thing I always ask is what was the last thing you bought? It could be minor, major…
EK: I bought thirty-cent Double-mint gum on my way over here. *Laughs* Which used to be twenty-five cents but now is thirty cents.
ML: You’ve gotta protest that cost.
EK: You know what I’m saying? What the hell?
ML: You could always just have one coin, now you gotta have two coins jingling in your pocket.
EK: *Laughs* Weird.
ML: Not cool, not cool.
EK: So that’s the last thing. What else did I buy?
ML: Newspaper? No newspaper reading?
EK: What’s that?
ML: No newspaper for you? On the train?
EK: Newspaper, I listen to the news in the morning. On 1010 WIN. *laughs*
ML: That’s the way to do it.
EK: I’m a hustler. *Laughs* I get people to buy things for me.
ML: That’s the way to do it.
EK: That’s the way to go. I’m about to go have a free lunch right now.
ML: I wish I was getting a free lunch. I’m jealous.
EK: Come on down! We’ll hook you up. *Laughs*
ML: Alright, well, that about wraps it up. Do you think you’ll be in DC soon for a show?
EK: I would love to. I’m sure I’ll be back down there soon
ML: I’ll definitely cover that.
EK: Oh, thank you.
ML: Have a really great time, good luck with the album. Can’t wait to hear all of it.
EK: Thanks ML, I appreciate it!
Much Gracias to Emily, check out the album when it drops in June and hit up her myspace for all the latest info on Ms. King. Shoutout to cornernstone!
…and do some reading up on Chucky Thompson his resume is thorough.
BONUS ML EXCLUSIVE: Emily King Ft. Notorious BIG- Walk In My Shoes which features an unreleased biggie verse.
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