hear snippets from the album, and BUY IT here: R.A. the Rugged Man

alright… we’re good now…

So what’s good R.A.? Let me know first of all, how’s Nature Sounds doing with the album?

- Everything’s goin good, you know, we’re a small operation, but we’re not tryin to do, ya know, interscope numbers. We’re just trying to do enough (to) where we can make a profit and get back in the studio and pay bills… and you know, keep music coming. We’re doing really good.. the music game is hurting right now, and we’ve actually knocked out a lot of copies and cats are buying the records, and we’re doin i. We’re doing what we want to do.

Ya, that’s for sure.. “Lessons” is actually bangin on the college radio right now, its probably one of the hottest ones on radio. I also heard there’s a lessons video out.. so what’s Nature Sounds doing with this.. are there any updates?

- well the lessons video is banging… and it’s got a cameo from Vito Antuofermo, the ex middleweight champion that fought marvin Hagler twice. He’s from the Godfather part 3, and Goodfellas, he had a little part in it.. we had Mitch Blood Green in the video, Sadat X in the video, and we wrapped that up a week ago.. we had a rough version out there, but the real version just got wrapped up, .. its a dope ass video with alot of visuals in it, and it’s not rated X for god damn sake, you know?

Alright… speaking of X-rated videos, you gotta explain this to me.. I’m just hearing rumours float around

- Well, I don’t have a pornographic video where my cock is inside women, but i have you know, softcore, lots of titties, lots of pussy, you know.. no cumshots.

Is this in collaboration with your music career? (unanswered… haha)

- I got X-rated movies i did with girlfriends and shit, but those aren’t released… but the shit we got we’re about to put it out right now on the internet. a 3 minute piece from the video was supposed to be on my DVD inside the album, but it fucken.. it never came out

What, they weren’t trying to put it out?

- It was supposed to be on the album, yeah, but it didnt come out.

Let me get some background information on you, for anyone that hasn’t heard too much. You started rappin about ‘86… close to 20 years later, your album drops. Creating tracks like “Every Record Label Sucks Dick” and other various steps you made probably attributed to that, but why so long to drop your solo?

- Well, probably because of the song you just named, you know, thats a fact, that every record label does suck dick, so, I wasnt playing games with them… I didn’t care about them. I didnt care about putting out an album. 15 songs or 1 song, I’m still putting out music. I put a song out here, a song out there, I’ve been makin music for alot of years, and people have been getting my music for alot of years. Somebody wants to give me the right situation, I’ll put a record out, but until then I won’t put them out unless you know.. I own all of my songs on Nature Sounds, its a 50/50 split

I just want to make sure it’s clear that’s a really rare deal, and most people dont ever get that kind of opportunity.

- ya, so thats basically it.. its like “we can’t throw you 300,000 up front, but what we could do is give you.. to where you own your own god damn everything, and we just liscence it” so i said, “yo man, lets do it.”

let me get into some other shit here… you performed with some of hip hop’s legends including the notorious BIG. Since then, there have been quotes saying everything from “I thought I was the illest,” talking about you, to he (BIG) only did it for the money.. so I just want to know how the studio session went itself, and basically any kind of background you can give on that

- well who said something that ignorant, that he only did it for the money, because I recorded with biggie for NO money. I did songs with biggie, there was no money in the studio, and the second time when we recorded that dude (biggie) came to the studio did it for free without a payment – nothing.. and then what happened is we threw him a couple bucks on some “hey, no doubt, here ya go” on some “I had a budget shit, pay my man a couple bucks,” but this was at the time when Juicy was on the radio, and Unbelievable was on the radio and dude was gettin anywhere from 5-20 grand a verse, you know what I’m saying? Like “Yo, wassup”, “Yo, whatever you wanna do.” We would drive around listening to tracks together, listening to joints. We were two up and coming emcees. Biggie wasn’t big yet. Biggie wasn’t the big-time yet, I wasn’t the big-time yet, we were both dope rappers… so anybody ignorant enough to say that don’t know what the fuck they was talking about, and wasn’t on the scene, and should shut they’re fuckin mouth, cause you get punched in the face for that shit.

Alright, I’m glad we got to clear that up, and thats a big Fuck You going to cocaineblunts.com (and whoever their source is).

- It’s an ignorant ass site then, if that’s who the fuck said it. It’s an ignorant fuckin kid, and they can come try and see me.. you know? Where they fuck were they 11 years ago, when I was in the studio with Big? Where were they 12 years ago when I did the first record with Big? Where were they? They were nowhere in the scene they don’t know the fuckin industry, they don’t know the behind the scenes shit, they just know they are fuckin faggot little nerds, and they wanna give an opinion (on something) they know nothing about. Mad people, especially internet-wise, want to give uneducated opinions about shit, when they have no basis behind shit; they just wanna talk. It’s like “ohhhh I believe…” It’s like motherfucker, what you believe means nothing, because you are an ignorant mot herfucker with no knowledge. So don’t fuckin open your mouth, you know? Too many ignorant internet dudes… too many motherfuckers have opinons, and have not studied the artform, and know nothing about the roots and the history, and they just talk and talk and think they have the right to have opinions when they dont know the music

Thank you for that, thank you. Alright, let me get onto something that’s actually kind of related to all of this, producers and emcees alike, its kinda common to get rubbed the wrong way by artists when you’re in the lab with them all day… so I know you’ve probably had some friction with people; how do you deal with this, cause I mean cause it’s like a paid session, so what do you usually do when theres a conflict coming up between artists?

- Me vs. (other) artists?

Ya, I’m saying you personally: what do you usually do when theres a little friction going on in the lab?

- Well I really… rap artists never really approach me. I never had beef with rap artists, I’ve said foul shit about rap artists, i’ve dissed rap artists, but no one ever came up to me personally and confronted me and said “Oh, you said this about me, you said that, you dissed me in that magazine… (etc)” If I don’t like somebody’s music, I’m gonna say it. YOu know, if they wanna take it personal, they take it personal, but I’ve had conflicts with ignorant heads in parking lots, or you know like a dude at a show and you know… “my boy has beef with his boy, blah blah blah” but industry wise, not too many rap cats ever had beef with me, and part of that is because I don’t sell a crazy amount of records. You know, muthafuckas wanna have beef with 50 cause its publicity. Muthafuckas wanna have beef with Ja-rule because its publicity. Havin beef with me… that ain’t even gonna make page 6 in the daily news, you know?

Ya I got you, its all politics

- So why the fuck beef with a crazy muthafucka like R.A. when all it gets me is beef.. it won’t get me nothin else.. haha

Let me comment on this beef. I’m not gonna mention any names or anything, but theres basically some pretty big names biting your beat right now… how often does beatjacking really happen? How often does it happen to you?

- well alot of times in my career because.. see here’s the thing: when you’re an underground artist and the mainstream cats know that they’re mainstream, and that you’re not going there, they know that they can take little lyrics from you here.. a little beat from you there… little hook samples here, shit you did there, they can take from you, and no one ever really finds out on the mainstream, so you know… they like to do that. They like to listen to underground records and go “ohh.. whoa.. this is kinda cool for MY record.” It’s the same thing with filmmaking. Underground filmmakers make movies, and the big hollywood muthafuckas look at the little underground joints and go “Oh, thats kinda cool, I can do that in my film,” you know? Same shit, you know? So I’ve been jacked over and over by mad people that I’ve never met in my life and don’t even know personally, but you meet them sometimes 3-4 years later , and they know everyone of your lyrics and they are like “Oh, I’m a huge fan, I love you”

Let me ask you this: do you think these cats are running out of ideas, just getting lazy, or what, that they gotta be jacking other people’s shit when they’re already mainstream?

- Well, most of them didn’t start off with ideas. Most of them are just listening to the radio like “ohh, I wanna make some shit like this…” That’s why so much hip-hop shit becomes dated so quick, because once one style becomes popular, fuckin 900 dudes jump on that shit, and then that whole style becomes dated. You know, it’s like if mad cats came original, all kinda doing their own thing, there would be a lot more longevity for alot of the hip-hop you know? It’s not the originator’s fault, and I’m not talking about myself either, I’m talking about a lot of rappers. It’s not Rakim’s fault that when Rakim came out, you know, 1,500 rappers wanted to be Rakim, and stole his style and rapped like Rakim. It just happens in hip-hop, and it’s a sad thing. It’s like there’s not alot of originality, there’s one or two original cats per year, and that’s it. And those dudes are original, or at least original TALENTED cats. There’s alot of original untalented dudes that are just original and crazy, because they’re not talented anyways, they just do crazy shit to get attention. Cat’s that are original and talented are hard to come by; there’s (only) a few of them out there. You gotta kind of, you know.. cherish the moment, that then you got a real emcee that’s doing his own shit, you know, you gotta respect that shit cause there’s not alot of them.

yeah, much respect. Hey, let me ask you this too: Talking about starting from scratch and on the underground, you probably started off on some grimey equipment… so what’s the first equipment you actually started working on?

- Well the thing is, I went to a studio when I was 15, that it was some dude’s studio, that I didn’t ever know what the fuckin.. the studio equipment ever was, you know? Like, I never knew the technical side. I showed up, then they turned on the mic, do this for me, do that for me. I guess in about 91-92 I started paying a little bit more attention to the equipment and the Long Island Machine that everybody had, you know.. Eric Sermon, my producer Martis Isles, was called the W-30, and Long Island was totally into that funk production type shit… they had these really funk-bass sounds. A lot of the dudes out in LI would rock the W-30.. a Roland W-30. I know it’s an ancient ass machine right now, but I know when we were younger kids, and we had a studio session, the producer would put the W-30 under his arm and plug that shit in, it was a board that they made beats on. Actually my man Martin Isle taught Eric Sermon how to use his, and Eric used his for mad years… not many are using it anymore, but a lot of people were rocking that shit in LI for years.

Alright, so you started at least on some humble equipment, but you’ve also been in some of the hottest studios, so do you really think there is a huge difference, talent aside, from recording in a bathroom that’s been trea- ted a little bit with a nice mic as opposed to going to a multi-million dollar studio?

- Umm.. yeah. Yes. I know underground cats don’t wanna hear that, but it’s not just the equipment, it’s the fuckin educated engineer, you know that just has the fuckin magic touch. He’s got the mic sounding crystal clear, and the beat sounding like you’ve never heard it before, you get behind that god damn mic, behind the beautiful board, and WOW… you’re like holy shit, you know, the shit feels.. you know. It’s the feel.. and it’s just coming out of you and it feels warm and nice. You know it’s like sometimes you will be rocking up in some dusty ass crib studios, and like the reverb is crazy, and the headphone ain’t feeling good, and the mic is… you know, you can still spit, but sometimes a comfortable, nice sounding studio does let you spit your shit a lot better. The average cat won’t know the difference because they don’t really give a shit you know, they’re like “Hey, he’s a rapper,” but you know, when you are an artist doing it for a lot of years, and you’re used to working in shitholes like I am, and you get one of those big rooms with the warm mic, and the nice, dope engineer making your shit sound ridiculous… you appreciate it, and go “wow, I wish I could really work like this 60 hours a week in this god damn room, and I might be doing better stuff.” Even more important than that in the recording aspect is the mixing.. you know if you get one of those bangin ass rooms with a fuckin no-nonsense engineer to mix your record, you will see a 1,000,000 times difference. You get one of those cats that really really knows how to fuckin mix down a record, you they’ll take one of your beats.. you won’t even recognize the beat no more… like you’ll recognize the beat, but it’ll sound like something you never could have imagined it sounding this big. You know, that’s what some of their jobs are. Those engineers are hard to come by too… most engineers are CLOWNS.

So, sorry to break the news to any of the do-it-yourself producers out there, but I guess having a quality engineer on set with some education in the background is kind of an essential part to the process.

- Well not just the education, but a tight ass ear too. Where a dude has not just the education, but has the fuckin ear where he knows “well, this is a little funny..” and he just gets everything sounding perfect.. so there can be some ghetto ass producer that has a great ear, and he’s in a shitty room, he can still get a better sound than someone that has no ear and no talent in a big room, you know? There’s both sides of it. ya,

I guess talent plays the biggest factor in all of it, for everyone concerned.

- The best studio in the fuckin world, and you give him a year in that studio, he’ll be the king.

Let me ask you a couple questions about the album coming out… first of all you didn’t have too many guests on it. You chose to pick Wu-Fam. Masta Killa, Timbo King, Killah Priest… is there a reason you chose these cats above anyone else?

- Cause you know, wu-tang cats is you know… that’s, you know…. (I think we all know what R.A. means). Masta Killa is a good street brother; when he spits he means what he says, delivers that shit. Timbo King’s a good brother from Brooklyn, he means what the fuck he says. You know, it’s just like these dudes came from it, they lived it, and a guy like Killah Priest, he says some off-beat street poetry shit.. they are all just good brothers, and I got a good relationship with all of them cats. It was more of a “Let’s just make some good music” shit. “Yo, you think I could get a 16 bar from so-and-so?” and they were like “yo, let’s go make some music.” So it was a nice vibe, and I think music has alot to do witha vibe, you know?

I’m glad to hear you are making it for the music. The album’s out, you’re happy with how it’s doing so far, what’s next on your plate?

- Well, for this year I’m moving this record. “Die Rugged Man, Die” is right now on the plate, so there’s nothing next. I stay writing rhymes, I stay doing my thing, but for right now it’s “Die Rugged Man, Die.” I got a whole bunch of projects in the works, a little book deal i got, a little movie deal i got, like little low-budget shit… of course I got cats wanting to make new songs with me, and I’ll be playing some beats and writing rhymes, but right now the important thing is this “Die Rugged Man, Die” album, I gotta get it exposed. There’s alot of dudes that don’t even know the record is out there. I’m not looking to get
Nelly exposure, but I want to get it in the hood a little more. I want all the kids in junior high schools, all the black kids in junior high schools and the hoods to know this record is out. I don’t want it to be just some internet shit.. I want to let everyone to know that this shit exists.

Let me ask you one more question to wrap things up on a producer related thing… if cats were trying to send tracks to you, or any emcee basically, what’s the kind of shit you try to look for?

- It’s funny man… alot of beats that I pick are (… technical problems …) bangin drums, nice little bassline, nice little loop or whatever the fuck they wanna put on it, just some fun, nice sounding shit.. so then when I put my hardcore shit on top of that, I’m making a hardcore record out of a nice track.. a cool track. I don’t like the hard tracks, I like to make a nice cool track hard by spitting on it, you know?

Well shit man, I gotta thank you for doing this interview, so I’m gonna let you know.. and keep us posted on anything new in the works for R.A. but until then, I’m gonna make sure all these cats start buying this album.

- Yeah, everybody go buy that muthafucka, and DON’T DOWNLOAD IT. You know what a funny thing is, I seen on a fuckin site, somebody was like “Yo, it’s the best album you’ll ever hear, Die Rugged Man, Die, you have to download it, it’s great!”

So what’s the main outlet you are moving these records out of?

- Best Buy, Amazon, all of that shit.. distribution’s nice, but we could up the units a little bit more. I hear a lot of people call me back like “Yo, I went to the store and couldn’t find it,” like alot of the records are being sold out, and not being replaced.

Is there anything the fans of your music can do about that? Can they request that from anywhere?

- Well, here’s the deal.. when you’re a big company, you throw about 10-20 copies out to each store, but when you’re a small company the stores only take 2-3. So when the 2-3 sell out, the record ain’t there no more. You gotta be like “Yo, can you get me the R.A. album?” It’s also the distributor’s job to call all the stores and say “yo, do you have this in stock?” You know, DON’T GO DOWNLOAD IT!.

Nah, fuck anyone thats trying to download this R.A. album instead of buying it for $10-12 for the hottest shit that’s probably gonna drop in 2005. Good lookin’ out R.A. I appreciate the interview, I’ll get back with you for more updates, peace.

- Cool brother, peace.

Hello Defari, my name is VOiD, on behalf of HipHopProduction.com -

First of all, why did you and (DJ) Babu decide to form the Likwit Junkies?

Defari: Well, primarily it was because we had done such good work in the past from him being on focus daily, doing the scratches on these dream, to producing Joy Ride for me, producing both for All my Lifes,

I thought it was overdue, so I came to him with the idea and 10 months later we had an album, the LJs

So how was that whole experience?

Well working with Bab is kind of like working with myself, we’re kind of two of the same individuals in terms of our musical background, and the fact that we both have roots in DJs and etc

Working with him was a real pleasure, it was just a natural organic experience and I thought it was about time that the entire world got to experience his whole prod value because he mixed the record as producing the beats, and it showcases his whole production talent as well as my songwriting abilities on a whole nother level

When shopping around for beats, what do you tend to look for, what turns you on?

I’m into melodies, you know? I’m into melodies, I’m into a beat that makes the car knock, you know? Primarily that damn near makes the windows break on the car, you know? SO I’m into heavy heavy kicks, snappy snappy snares, of course I love the west coast clap… and I’m into melodies.

I’m a family oriented type of dude, so I pretty much stick close to the vertebrae of producers in my own camp because within my own camp I have at least 5-7 producers that I know really well who do work with lots of people so, I’m always taking beat cds from up and coming producers. I’m not one of those dudes that says I’m going to listen to it, and then I don’t listen to it. I literally get in the car and put it in, and I ride with it, you know what I mean? …but that’s what I look for in a beat.. Melodic beats that are really knockin

Do you have a personal favorite towards a sampled beat or a keyboard beat?

Man, I don’t care man, as long as it’s knocking. Of course we have our favorite samples that we would like to hear a beat made out of, but to be honest with you, some of the more sonic beats are created from scratch.. no samples. those are the most sonic sounding beats, the one with no samples.

Between the US, and outside the US, where do you feel the most energy from the fans?

I feel the most here in the town.. from the fans in Los Angeles. But in general… generally speaking, it’s hard to say, because depending on the state I’m in, the fans go crazy. you know, and then the other states the fans are looky lous because they are spoiled because they have a lot of live performances.

In Europe, it’s pretty much kind of the same way.. Its just that in Europe they are die hard hip-hop.. they love hip hop. still, somewhat I’m not gonna say , there’s somewhat behind us here in the states as far as technology in terms of hip hop.. In Europe they’d rather buy vinyl than cds any day you know what I’m saying? …but they are true (hip hop) lovers… The difference is that in Europe they know your whole discography, and they know your whole bio as well, so they really get into the artists. and I think that’s because they know the artists come from so far away that its a once in a lifetime chance to see em

that’s a good point, that’s a very good point.. so a little extra love overseas?

It is and it isn’t, it depends on who you are, and where you are at.. I don’t get any more love in the world than I do in LA, but then again that’s my backyard.. Ive been to places like Ottawa Canada, and it was literally like the movie gladiator.. When I touched the stage they were like roaring

I know you guys travel all over the place.. Was there ever a place in the world you performed, where the response just caught you by surprise like, I would never have thought.. Was there any place like that?

Well I think for any artist hat does Europe for his first time, that will be the experience. He’d never thought that people in cologne Germany would be chanting lyrics to his song.. or people in Hamburg, Netherlands, Copenhagen, Switzerland, Barcelona Spain or Madrid or any of that stuff man..

If you do it for the first time, all of that’s going to blow you back like, damn.. These people, my music is that powerful where its around the world, you feel me?

When you are a vet like myself and you’ve done Europe like 8or9 times, it’s tough to get surprised anymore. The only thing that would surprise me now if I went to the corner of Alaska and I rocked like 5000 Eskimos or something, and they knew every word and every lyrics, that would probably surprise me

in your free time, just kickin it, what usually goes on?

man I mean primarily I been just working. if I’m not workin in music then I have another trade in cryogenics.. so primarily I just be workin, and in my free time I spend it with my daughter. Take her around the town; take her to Santa Monica pier, Disneyland, stuff like that. Other than that, I’m a real street type nigga man, so I just be in the streets.. I don’t be doin nothin major, just chillin in the streets with the homies, burnin big…

What do you think your kids will be listening to in 10 years?

my daughter, I think will be listening to the most popular stuff on the radio I imagine… it depends on how hardcore I go at her on the history of hip hop, and how far I go at her with turntable lessons, and stuff like that.

If I force it on her, then she’ll be listening to nothing but hip hop, but I’m not really that type of pop.. id really like to le her choose, and let her find out now true indeed, there’s stuff I will not let her listen to, but shell probably be like a lot of the young girls out there, whatever’s popular, and whatever they see on the video is what they are listening to.

But the thing is, I expose her to everything.. from reggae, to jazz, to soul, to hip-hop. and even a little rock if that’s what she wants to get into. Me, I’m a big music fan period, I love music. I try not to force-feed my daughter nothin, you know?

Is there a beat that you hear and you think I wish that was mine, the feeling of that, the beat is just so..

There’s a gang of songs like that man.. for example Ras Kass’ new beat , the new song he’s got is so killer .. and big shoutout to my man Ras Kass, glad he’s home.

Game’s “Dream” or that other song.. “I’m runnin… ” (haha) that beat… I can go on and on.. Dr. Dre’s whole last album

I can go on and on about killer beats.. Jay-Z’s song “Cry”. All kind of beats that I really love. That’s the beauty of the hop that I’m trying to tell yall, I’m a fan of the music. I do defari, but I listen to everybody, you know?

What do you have planned for the future?
I got a new album, called Extreme Music which is coming out in the New Year, we got a new single called “the big and powful” that’s a double laced side because we really wanted you guys to choose which side is the best.

Right now we’re working on the Air J’s, got a new song on that called Ghetto, and for you DJs, checking me out, brother will be on the other side, cause I know you’ve been wanting that instrumental, so we putting that out for yall.

And then what I’m about to get on the roll me and Babu will be in a city near you very soon, and exposing them to this Likwit Junkies stuff cause this is the real deal. LJ is the brand new era of soul hop, and we want to thank everybody that went out and copped it.

Everybody at HipHopProduction.com would like to thank you for giving us this opportunity, it was a great pleasure man, you take care.

I want to thank you guys, thanks so much for having me.

V: My name is VOiD, and I’m from HipHopProduction.com… First of all, I know you are working on the Beat Kings DVD

M: Yeah…

V: tell me a bit about that

M: You want to know what it’s about, or …

V: Yeah, tell me what it’s all about.

M: Well what I did (is) I went around interviewing producers, so it’s a producer to producer type talk. That way, I mean it’s like you can have people that interview producers easy, but at the same time, coming from another producer it’s like certain questions, and certain things (they) are more equipped to ask than the average interviewer. It’s a lot of information for people that want to get into the business. It shows the business side as well as the creative side, you also got a few people giving you a few little tricks and things like that.

I went around interviewing people like RZA, Marly Marl, Premier, Havoc, Kanye West, Just Blaze, Swizz Beatz, Trackmasters, I went to all different types of music, you know what I mean? It’s bangin, and it should be out in the Fall.

V: It’s safe to say you were basically mentored by RZA right, around the same time he was still making the Prince Rakeem video. How did that start?

M: You talking about the “Ohh We Love You Rakeem” video?

V: Ya.

M: Well back then, I was just DJing, I was DJing for GZA. I knew RZA already, (and) I didn’t even know him and GZA was cousins until he was filming that video. It was like hip-hop was in a different state at that day and time, and everyone was just trying to come through basically. Him and GZA being cousins and everything, and being tight, they were just trying to come through. RZA was on Tommy Boy, and GZA was on Cold Chillin’ at the time, and it was just a good experience to be apart of all that, and just watch the development. From there the whole Wu-tang thing actually formed and came together into what it is now.

V: Other producers in the Wu camp, do they influence your styles? I mean how have they influenced your style?

M: Ya, of course they influenced (my) style. I think everybody influenced my style, every producer that I listened to, because everything I listened to, I studied. I mean personally, like it or not… I may not even like something, but I might listen to it, and like the creative side of it. Or a producer did something, he might have used a hi-hat a certain way, and I’d be like “ohh, I like that..” so I might try to… I may think “Let me do it like this, though.” Every producer definitely influenced me to a degree.

V: Now are there any personal techniques you can bless us with?

M: A personal little technique?

V: Ya.

M: Personal technique? I think my personal technique is not to have a personal technique. It’s to be as loose and free as possible, because if you restrict yourself to a certain way of making a beat, it’s like sometimes you might get stuck. To me, you gotta go with how the wind blow, however you (are) feeling. I think music is more emotional than anything, so if I’m feeling a certain way, then that’s how the beat is going to come out. I may start from the drums, and I may not. I may start from the sample, I may start chopping, or I may start playing… it depends on the day.

That’s me personally. I think everybody is different. There might be certain things that certain individual may always do in a beat, but not me. I do a little bit of everything, I switch it up, I try not to get too repetitive. I try to keep it new and fresh.

V: What’s in your setup? What kind of gear are you working with right now?

M: Well, I stick with my board, the ASR-10, that’s my baby from day one, cause I think I’ve mastered it, so I think that anything you master you should stay with. Anything else I get, I run through the ASR-10. Like a Triton, a Motif, a 505 and that’s really all my gear right now. Sometimes I might switch it up, and run something else through there.

V: So do you play your basslines on the ASR-10? I mean you do all your sequencing on the ASR-10?

M: Sometimes, it depends. Sometimes I might… sometimes I throw it into ProTools, see the ASR-10 keys are so comfortable that sometimes I make a beat, and if I think it’s bangin, I may track it to ProTools, and I listen to it and I’ll be like “Hold on, let me change the bass up, (and) let me do this…” I think ProTools gives me a little more freedom to start adding or taking away from. I tighten it all up in there, because then you got your effects, and like you said, I can play the basslines over what I did, or I can change anything up, and change things around.

V: Is ProTools the only software you are messing with?

M: Basically, I mean I have a lot of software like Reason and Cubase and all that, but it’s like the whole industry is ProTools friendly, so I stick with the ProTools because it’s like you come into the studio with a different program, then (some) don’t get it, or everybody (will) operate different things, so unless it changes, I’m gonna really stick with the ProTools, and I don’t really have time to learn anything else. I stay working, so… I mean if I had to, I would, that ain’t nothing, but at the same time, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

V: Now when you first started producing, the great 3-second rule was still in effect. Now with all of these new laws, does it affect you in any way? Is it affecting you right now?

M: You mean the 3-second law? I forgot what it’s called…. (interpolation?) You definitely have to know the laws.

V: Interpretation?

M: Nah, not interpretation, it’s where you have the ability.. where you chop it up a certain amount, and you make your own arrangement, I mean there’s certain laws, you definitely have to know the laws, and you got to know how to use them for your benefit, but for me, nah they don’t affect me, because most of my stuff, I chop up anyways to where I would be fine, and certain things I don’t… you know?

V: Do you stay in contact with all the artists that you work with?

M: Ya, pretty much so. As far as the artists on my new album, or do you mean my Wu-tang brothers?

V: I mean anybody you produce for, do you stay in contact with them?

M: Ya, I stay in contact… like I speak with my Wu-Tang brothers on a regular basis, like Killa, and GZA, and I’m always on the road with Meth, and things like that. Some of the new artists on my album I keep in contact with, but I may not speak to them everyday, or maybe even every week because I’m constantly busy. Everybody has their own lives, I have a family, so you take out your family time, I have a lot of different projects I’m working on like Beat Kings, promoting this new album, “the Problem,” to working on different individual albums, and making beats, and touring… so it’s kind of hectic, time is of the essence for me, but when I can reach out, I reach out, and when they reach out, they reach out and catch me, you know?

V: The beats on the new album, are they new, or have you been sitting on them for a while?

M: Nah, I’d say about 80 to 90 percent of it is new.

V: Talk to me about the album.

M: The Problem to me is a banger. I worked hard on it, I got everybody from the Wu on it, and I introduced a lot of new cats on it. Some of it is that gritty Wu-Tang sound, some if it is experimenting with certain new sounds, but still keeping my signature in it, because I always leave a piece of me with every track that I make.

On this album, I got more focused on actually making songs more than just making beats. I kind of elevated to producer, you know?

V: Now what’s your favorite Wu-Tang album?

M: My favorite Wu-Tang album? I have a couple of those… Supreme Clientele, Liquid Swords, Cuban Linx, Enter the 36, Wu Forever, ya I got a couple of them. It’s hard to say which one of them is my favorite, it depends on the day of the week.

V: Can you let us know if there is any tour coming up with the Wu members?

M: Well I’ve been out on the road… not on a tour like that, but there’s a few in the works. I know I’m going out with Meth real soon, and I’ll be going out with Ghost… I know he’s wrapping up his project real soon too. I can’t really say 100 percent exactly… because sometimes things tend to change, you know? Things get pushed back sometimes and… you know.

V: We know there’s 2 new producers on the Wu-Tang camp. There’s Bronze Nazareth, and Cilvaringz. How did they get into the chambers?

M: Well they came in through RZA. It’s like anyone that basically comes in, has to come in through the Abbot, so… you gotta go see the Abbot.

V: Now you also got into licensing some music, and you have credit to I believe the new Wanda Sykes theme song? How did you approach that market, and how does it compare to making albums?

M: It’s different. It’s mad different… you have to address it different. It’s like the stuff I did for Wanda and for TV and stuff, it’s like those are comedy shows, so it’s like I said, music is emotional, so you gotta get that feeling. The music had to be funnier than dramatic. Like my album is more dramatic.. like hardcore and gritty, and that’s my normal state, so it’s easy for me to do that. Now when I step to the TV, it’s like even if I was feeling bad, and going through one of them days, it’s like I would have to get happy real quick, because it reflects in your music. It’s different… there really is a difference and I learned a lot from doing it too. I got into it because I was good friends with Wanda Sykes and Lance Crouther, the world knows him as Pootie Tang. That’s my man right there.

V: How has the industry changed for you in the past 10 years?

M: How has it changed? It became more diverse as far as hip-hop music goes. Before you had gritty hip-hop and you had mainstream, and you had people trying to go pop and do all that. Now you still have your mainstream pop type thing, and your gritty, and gritty these days can go mainstream, so I’m not mad at mainstream. Now you got crunk, down south, like the dirty-south, you always had your west coast too, I can’t forget that… it’s like there’s more sounds (that have) evolved in the game. It’s a wider and broader spectrum for people. It’s like now the game changed cause everybody wants to be an emcee, or a producer, and everybody’s trying to get into the game. You have to show and prove (yourself), even with the labels. That’s why I’d rather do things independently, because for one, you control what you’re doing, and you are going to see more of your profits that way. Nowadays it’s like you go to these majors, and they want to control your album, they want to control what you do, and they take all your money, and then they don’t want to give you nothing either for your work. It’s like “Bring it to me like this, or don’t bring it to me at all. And once you bring it to them like that, then they want to give you what they want to give you.

I grew up on hip-hop in a time when we weren’t making money off of it. The most I would make off of it was doing a party or something like that. I was happy to make $250 DJing. Now it’s got to the point where we grew up, and I’ve been living off of this for the last 10 years, and now I have children and a family so now we do it for money, so now it’s definitely a show and prove thing. You gotta keep the fun there, I always try to keep the fun there.

V: So what’s next on your plate? What are you looking forward to?

M: Well, the Beat Kings, I’m working on the part 2 to this album, “The Problem.” Right now I’m wrapping up an instrumental album, and I’m trying to do it… you know how you go back and look at some of the jazz greats, you know how they did their albums… stuff like that, where it’s not just beat after beat, but it’s put together well and the music is kind of threaded together… like a Quincy Jones album… you’re going to have beautiful music, and then you might have the Brothers Johnson sing a song on it, and I have an album I’m working on right now kind of like that… I’m wrapping it up.

V: One last quick question: are you doing production for any artists outside of the Wu family?

M: I’m about to step into that. I’ve just been so busy with all the projects I’ve been working on that I haven’t really had the time. I think what I’m going to do after I wrap up this project, is I think I’m going to take like 2 weeks off, just to get my thoughts together, relax with the fam and all that, then I think I’m going to hit the boards real hard, and poli (network)…. I like reaching out to other individuals, and just see what happens.

V: Great, well on behalf of HipHopProduction.com, it was a real pleasure.

M: I appreciate it man. Peace.

Coming out of New Jeru, he has blazed several different projects over the last few years. So me and him connected to chop it up about his current project that just got scoped up by BBE his beginnings with the black lung brothers. His mission to change the current state of hiphop and where does he see the game and the current explosions of bedroom beat makers

1. Whats up blah blah, blah, so how was 2004 for you?

Overall, i thought it was a great year for hip hop. Lots of great releases and some unexpected surprises.

2. So you started a long time ago, so how do you think your knowledge of old music has helped you to where you are at today?

Listening to hip hop, and growing up to old soul, funk, and jazz music inspired me a great deal. I can honestly tell you that i’m not that much of an old school cat. There’s a lot of stuff i’m up on, but i know there is a great deal of old music out there that i haven’t come across yet. In a way, it’s great because i’m always finding something new, and that helps me to keep it moving.

3. Tell me about the working with the black lung group. And what did that bring you too?

I’m not close with them so much anymore, but I do speak to Jaeon of the Black Lung Brothers occasionally. As a matter of fact, he’s working on another album and i’ve got a few joints on there. The BLB’s were actually the first cats (group of 3 mc’s) to ever rhyme over my beats, so that was pretty exciting! At that time, I wasn’t taking it seriously, but the talent they brought and the songs we did together made me realize that I had a shot in doing the music thing. So, big shout to the Black Lung Brothers!

4. How often are you performing at beat society?

It’s not a regular thing for me or anything like that, but in total i’ve performed 4 different times. Once in NY, Philly, DC, and LA.

5. So what future projects can you tell me about without jinxing yourself?

There are several things i’ve done and am working on, big and small, that i’m really excited about, and all I can say is just to look out for them! I will mention the album I did with producer Symbolyc One of Strange Fruit Project out of Texas though. It’s an album titled The Art Of One Mind, entirely produced by both of us, which features artists such as Little Brother, Darien Brockington, El Da Sensei, Chip-Fu, Ghostface, Supastition, and more! BBE has scooped it up, and we plan to release it by May of 2005!

6. So how does it all start for you? What gives you the inspiration to go to lab?

Lots of things inspire me, whether it’s hearing something hot on the radio, or bumping some classic shit! I’m a fan first and foremost, and that’s how i’ll always look at music whether i’m involved in it or not. Hearing new and hungry producers gets me going too!

7. You know I can’t let you go without asking you some beat questions.

No doubt!

- How long do you usually work on one joint?

It varies, but i’d say on average, from digging for samples, to tracking out in Protools, about 3 hours. It really varies though.

- How many samples do you usually throw in a beat?

Again, I really couldnt tell you exactly. I like to incorporate both samples and synths in most of my beats. I’m not one of those cats who samples from one record, gets a horn stab here, snare there, filtered bass here, etc and uses 20 different records for one beat! All i’m concerned with is making something hot!

- What do you use for sequencing, ASR?

Yeah.

-What knowledge do you have to pass to future beatmakers.

Don’t get into it for the wrong reasons! Fall back once in a while and remember why you even started doing it. And who cares about what your favorite producer uses!! You should know why, and if you don’t then you shouldn’t be making beats in the first place!