Posts tagged ‘interview’

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May 10, 2012

T.Mills Has Left Home

T.Mills is the 22 year old, Riverside California native, who became an Internet sensation after producing his own songs, rapping and singing over them then posting them on MySpace and YouTube. His ability to cross over genres and make ‘hip pop’, makes his music appeal to a wide and diverse audience, and his f*** you attitude means that he makes music that he loves, not what he’s being told to make.

Now signed to Sony Music, he has released a free album since being with them called Leaving Home, and his recently released 6-track EP also titled Leaving Home. Now he is working on a full-length album that is due to be released on Colombia Records this year.  Shireen Fenner talks to him ahead of his first live shows in the UK.

You’ve been making music since you were 13. Now that you’re an established signed artist, how much involvement do you still have in the production of the beats?

I still have a lot of involvement. When the producer and me are sitting in a room, we will craft the song together. I’ll tell them what sounds I like and how I want it arranged, and its just very hands on. Other times if I’m on tour or something and a producer sends me a beat, then I’ll take it and run with it. It’s very unique to the moment.

Your early exposure was generated through your music being on MySpace and YouTube. To what extent do you feel that the Internet contributed to you being where you are now?

100%, I feel like before any labels or anything like that that was my job. I would put a song out and then stay online for like 8-9 hours a day talking to kids. I did everything myself. MySpace and YouTube just gave me that platform to expose myself. Without that no one would have seen the music videos that I dropped which led to me getting signed. I would drop a song that I recorded in my bedroom and it would get 140,000 downloads.

Who are you trying to reach with your music primarily?

I feel like I’m really blessed because my demographic is so wide. At my shows you’ll see a 12-year-old girl with her mum and they’re both singing along. Then you’ll see an 18-year-old girl with her boyfriend. Then you’ll see a 22-year-old girl with 4 of her girlfriends and you’ll see a couple of 17-year-old dudes. I mean it really appeals to everyone; my fans are so diverse and so eclectic. I’d say anywhere between 11 to 28 years old. Facebook gave me a really good insight, 15% of my fans are over the age of 50.

You’ve got an established fanbase in America, so how do you think the UK will embrace your music?

Starting back when I was doing my Internet stuff in my room, I had a lot of fans from the UK. I feel like their really going to like it. My live shows are going to be something new which my fans over there haven’t had the chance to experience yet. I feel like it brings a whole other element to me being an artist, I have a chance to connect with kids. Back when I was sitting in my bedroom I had fans all over the UK doing fan photos, I had fans in Germany getting my name tattooed on them, it was just insane.

What does hip-pop mean to you?

Originally I just started throwing it around. I really feel like I just came into it and I can identify a lot with it. It’s the attitude and the energy, the rawness of hip-hop, which is what attracted me to the music when I was a little kid. Pop is a little polished its kind of dressed up a bit because I’m a singer as well. I wanted to make music that could just say f*** you, but just do it in a beautiful singing voice so it doesn’t sound as harsh, like a beautiful way of saying f*** you.

What was the one defining moment in your career where everything changed for you?

Getting a record deal was pretty heavy; it didn’t change my work ethic or anything, because I feel like I’ve always worked really hard. I definitely got more opportunities being with a major label. That was a dream, I never thought that a people from Riverside would go to LA and get signed to a major label, or even record in studios and stuff. I didn’t think that that happened.

Your style is very unique and memorable with all your piercings and tattoos. Which of your tattoos is your favourite and is there a story behind it?

The one on my knuckles would have to be my favourite tattoo and it says patience. I got them tattooed when I was 18 kind of on a whim. I had really bad ADHD really bad. I just have zero patience, I’m the most all over the place person, and is just go go go. I thought getting patience tattooed on my hand is kind of a reminder, and kind of a joke because its something I don’t have. At the same time its very positive and a virtue that I need to invest in and to be mindful at all times.

How are the girls feeling the boy now, or have you always been a hit with the ladies?

I’ve always had a personality so I’ve always been able to talk to girls. My fans now its just craziness, like jealous girls who don’t even no me that will get mad if I’m talking to other girl fans. I don’t get it sometimes, I try not to pay attention to it, it’s just weird to me. Even on twitter if I talk to a girl they’ll jump on and be like, ‘f*** that b****,’ it’s a bit overwhelming at times. I’m just amazed that people have that much passion for me and the love for me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lAvsZkoIcA&feature=player_embedded

Why have you called your new EP Leaving Home and talk us through what it’s about?                                                      

Leaving Home, is the title track off the EP. I made that song with a dude called Colin Munroe who is from Canada, he’s an artist that I’ve admired. We were just talking and I had written down these lyrics that said, ‘you can stay in that small town/but imma break out/I’d rather lose your love then have to stay and live in doubt,’ that was about me moving away from home to purse what I wanted to do, and a love interest that didn’t want me to go. Its just a story about how I’m out there and I’m pursuing my dreams and what I wanted to do in a non cliché kind of Hollywood movie way. It’s like the start of everything to come.

How much creative control did you have over the new EP? Are all the tracks on it your first choices?

We put out a free album which had ten tracks on it, which kids were able to go and download on my website. We wanted to put 5 songs on the EP and a brand new song. It was both of our decisions; we kind of brainstormed and worked out the 5 best tracks off the album. Looking back on it I would have put my song, Scandalous, on the EP, we shot a video for it and the song just started getting a really good reaction live. It’s picked up and become a lot of people favourite, I wasn’t aware of that until I started playing it at shows.

Do you have any interesting collaborations’ in the pipeline, and do you intend to work artists from very different and diverse genres to yourself?

Definitely. I really want Travis Barker on my full-length album that were working on now. I have a song in mind for him to play drums on. I’ve been a fan of McKenzie Eddy for a long time, and been saying I wanted to work with her, then she reached out to me on twitter, so were about to work on something when scheduling is right. I’ve never really been a huge collaborator with other artists. I did a song with Juicy J and we put it out virally, which was amazing because I’ve been the biggest 36 Mafia fan since I was a teenager, to have him on my song was crazy. Once I have a body of work to go through it will be easier for me to see where I can see certain artists.

What’s the message from you to your UK fans?

I’m over here! I’m doing a few shows, one in XOYO, Koko and Yoyo’s. I just want to say thank you to all the support, because without my fans I wouldn’t be able to travel the world and plays shows and put out music. Thank you for listening and I’m grateful for all of it.

Follow T.Mills on Twitter @ilovetmills

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May 8, 2012

Dot Rotten – Overload ft. TMS

Dot Rotten uses Robert Miles’ Children giving Overload a familiar but unique, strong sound at the same time. Check out the visuals below.

Check out my interview with Dot Rotten below

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May 4, 2012

Just Blaze Talks ‘Hip-House’ & Why He’s Not Working With Jay Electronica At The Moment

New Jersey producer Just Blaze was interviewed by HardKnock.tv recently and said Jay Electronica’s move to London is why they haven’t been able to work together. He also talked about growing up listening to house music, and how he tried his hand at dance tracks in early 2000’s.

“I grew up on house just as much as I grew up on Hip Hop. So I was probably trying to reintroduce ‘Hip-house’ too early,” said Just Blaze after mentioning dance tracks he created for Rah Digga and Joe Budden. “But I mean it’s cool. It’s great because again that just opens the door for us to be able to play both at a party without it being a weird thing. Cause there was a certain point where if you played one at a party you wouldn’t play the other. It was either a Hip Hop party or a house party…I kinda feel like where music’s at right now you can play a little bit of everything.

A lot fans of the work Just Blaze and Jay Electronica have done together will be disappointed. Due to Jay Electronia’s move to London, it has been hard for them to work together.

“Jay moved out to London. Jay’s got a situation in London. He’s doing good out there. He’s happy out there,” Just Blaze explained to HardKnock.tv. “I personally, I can’t be out [in London]. My life is here in the U.S. We’ve gotten back in the studio, we’ve sat down, we’ve chopped it up, we’ve exchanged some ideas and what not but in terms of being heavily at work we’re not really.”

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April 25, 2012

Lioness Is The Next King Of The Jungle

Izabelle Fender aka Lioness is the British grime artist hailing from South London. Her skills as a lyricist match up to many male MC’s in the UK, which gives her the title as one of the top MC’s, not just one of the best female’s in the game. Spitting from the age of 14, Lioness soon joined her family members in Mastermind Trooperz. From Loch Ness Monster to Roarness, Lioness is ready to show she is King Of The Jungle.

Can you remember the first tune you ever MC’d to?
Yes I can, it was with these boys and it was called ‘Storm’ I think, it was on Channel U. Embarrassing times (laughs), I was young and at the time I thought the bar was good. When I look back now it was like oh my God, what were you saying (laughs).

You took time out of your music to focus on education for a while; did it feel weird not doing music for that period of time?
It did, I would always do music, but I would always be sidetracked and not doing it fully. For me music’s a hobby and me getting my thoughts and feelings off of me and onto paper. So I’d do that when I was stressed or whatever, but in terms of taking music seriously I couldn’t because of school, A Levels and uni. Now I’m doing it full time. I went to uni and in lectures I just wasn’t paying attention, and I was writing bars. I just thought do you know what if I’m going to be here and paying for this, let me take it seriously or let me just go.

Did you feel that by having an education it would make you a better MC?
No not necessarily not at all. I know some people that haven’t been to uni, or got kicked out of school, but they still do music. If you can read that’s it, you don’t have to go uni to be able to read. To be honest I don’t read, I do feel a little bit thick now (laughs) considering I don’t go to uni anymore and I don’t read that much. No you don’t need education to be able to do music.

When you started out you were quite young, did you feel ever that people weren’t taking you seriously being a female?
Yes I did. They would just be like what is she doing here, or why is this girl here, then I’d go to the mic and they would be like alright cool, but still why is she here. They would never be like ahh she’s actually good. One time when I went pirate radio, and a lot of the girls back in the day just used to go with the boys, and they would be like hoes or whatever. That’s probably what they thought about me, she’s probably one of them type of girls. Then when I went up to the mic they were probably thinking, why this girl so inna, like whys she near us taking the mic? They didn’t want to just be like ah she’s good.

What’s the best advice you would give to a young female MC?
I feel like we’ve paved the way. So for any up and coming female it’s alright, you’ll be able to do your thing. No one is going to tell you to get back in the kitchen because it’s accepted now. Just keep going and don’t listen to people, just ignore it.

There are many female artists that do well in the US, but often sexualise themselves and their lyrics. How do you feel about this?
Maybe that’s what they feel they have to do in order to get recognised. It is true sex does sell, but for me the reason why I do music is because I just want to get stuff off my chest. If you happen to like what I’m saying whoop de doo for me init. If you don’t there are other girls you can go listen to, that fine. I don’t think anyone needs to do it, but if you want to and you think that’s going to get you further then that’s your prerogative. I’m feminine and wear heels and stuff, people say it’s nice that I wear heels and be a girl but really you’re an MC. In the UK a lot of us are tomboys.

Yourself Lady Leshurr and A.Dot make up 367. Are there plans for an EP?
All we need to do is sit down for a day and the EP will get done, because it’s so fun the environment being around them. It’s like ‘listen to this instrumental,’ or we could do this or this, its just fun, so we just literally need a day. It definitely will happen. We all got our tops ready for the launch. We just need to find time in all our schedules to just make it work. When we do it will be big.

Are there any plans to go more mainstream with your music, and how do you think you would make the transition?
There are plans; obviously that’s what I want to do. I’m not prepared to alter the way that I am at all, so I’m just waiting for a sound that’s still me, but I can pass over. I don’t know what that sound is yet, so I just need to find myself in that respect. Once I do that, I think I’ll start doing full on singles etc., but I don’t want to put out a single that I’m not 100% happy with.

What do you think about the current state of the grime scene at the moment? Do you think it’s in a healthy position?
I think it’s very healthy. I think everyone is still doing grime, but they’ve done there on spin on it. I think I still do grime, but it’s my take on it. I think a lot of people do that. Everyone says grimes dead grimes dead, but it’s not its just really evolved. What grime used to be is pirate radio vibe and anger, clashes, because that’s all it was about, but now we can see it can go much further. People just want to stick to how things used to be that’s why they said its dead, but its not dead, its healthy.

Do you think anything needs to be done?
No I don’t think anything needs to be done. I know a lot of people are trying to bring clashing back, because obviously LOTM3 has come out. I don’t see the point in clashing for fun; I don’t think that’s fun. I remember when I was young and I used to clash, it wasn’t fun, it was a real problem. For the person that I am if someone’s done something to me, I’m not going to want to write a song about it, I’m going to want to say ‘why did you do that for are you mad?’ Everyone still needs to be making tunes, and working together and bringing the UK back up there. The US can keep their tunes now to be honest, the UK were doing our thing at the moment.

Apart from London, where do you feel is the strongest city for grime right now?
Birmingham most defiantly. I rate everyone. I fully rate Trilla because I feel like he brought Birmingham completely on the map. I think Leshurr came and cemented it, and I think them two really paved the way for Birmingham. C4 I love him, all the Stayfresh love Stayfresh. There are a lot of producers up there like TRC, TC4, and Bassboy. Big up the Midlands gang!

In terms of the future, what do you think the next step is for you?
EP, iTunes, I haven’t had a CD on iTunes. I’ve been doing music for 8 years, I’ve only had 2 CD’s, and so my third CD is going to be the EP King Of The Jungle, April 18th on iTunes. Hopefully there will be some singles from there. Everyone says you should call your CD Queen Of The Jungle, and I think that’s so obvious for 1, 2 why Queen? So I’ve decided to be King Of The Jungle. All lions do is eat, sleep and beat, those three things that’s all they do, and the lioness does everything else. I feel like lioness might as well take the title, and I feel like in music you don’t need to say female MC’s, were all MC’s I’m on the level as a lot of the men out there.
There are collaborations with Ghetts, Mercston, AL, I really want to get Ms. Dynamite, probably Leshurr and A.Dot too. I want to try and put some people I haven’t worked with on there, there’s a singer called Baby Sol, I really like her.

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April 22, 2012

Exclusive E.X.O Interview

Check out what went down when I went to interview E.X.O from USG for Channel AKA ahead of his first single release after his signing to 36o Records. Filmed and Edited by YungCapes & DmanTheDesigner

They Call Me E.X.O is out now available to buy from iTunes here.

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April 21, 2012

Suge Knight Threatens To “Beat The Dog Shit” Out Of Rick Ross and Doesn’t Believe Tupac Is Dead

Former Death Row mogul Suge Knight has threatened to beat up Rick Ross when he sees him because Ross put out the song Tupac Back.

In an interview with US radio station 93.5 Suge Knight said he would “beat the dog shit out of Rick Ross” if their paths ever cross. He did state that he enjoys Ross’ music and he’s not bitter towards him, just he feels it was very disrespectful that the Maybach Music rapper would put out a track title Tupac Back when he has ties with Diddy who Suge feels was the one behind Pac’s death.

“I can’t sit up here and say I’m bitter to Rick Ross, ‘cus like anybody else, we don’t know Rick Ross,” Suge said. “That’s a guy who uses somebody else’s name. This guy comes from being a correctional officer. I don’t got nothing negative [against him] personally, I just feel like he do do good music, and you can’t take that from him. That boy got bars, he’s gonna write…at the same time, I feel like there’s a line you cross, and Rick Ross crossed that line. If you’re gonna be with guy [Diddy] who killed Tupac, you can’t go turn around and do a record [called] ‘Tupac Back’…Rick Ross is a grown ass nigga. I’ll beat the dog shit out of Rick Ross for manipulating these people out here.”

In the same interview he was asked about how he felt about people saying he was involved in the death of the Tupac Shakur.

“I got a [4.5] inch bullet in my head. Into my skull by grabbing Tupac, pulling him down. That’s really what happened,” said Knight in an audio clip obtained by TMZ. “Second of all, people know what happened at the end of the day.”

He went on to say how no one actually saw Tupac dead, and the man who cremeted him is now dead too. Suge beleives he is still alive and well somewhere.

“Maybe the question is Pac really not dead. Pac’s somewhere else,” Knight explained. “I mean it’s the truth if you really look at it…Nobody seen Tupac dead. The thing is this the person who supposedly cremated Tupac, his mother wanted done quickly, he passed. So this guy got about three million dollars personally from me, cash. And next thing I know I never heard from the guy or seen him again.”

 

 

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April 20, 2012

Clement marfo and The Frontline: Destined to hit highs and headlines in 2012

Meet rapper Clement Marfo, who has been making waves as an individual on the underground grime scene. Then there’s the band: you have vocalist Kojo, Dion-on drums, Johnny on bass, Rich and Dan on guitar, and the only female, Stacey, on keys and vocals. Collectively their sound is unique, uniting hip hop with grime, rock and pop. They have been together for three years, playing shows on the underground circuit as well as supporting Example, Plan B and Florence + the Machine. Now 2012 is set to be their year, to be at the forefront. Flavour meets Clement Marfo & The Frontline to talk fusion, concrete and Captain Kirk…

So, can Clement Marfo function or exist without The Frontline, or The Frontline without their frontman?
CM: That’s a good question. I was a hip-hop MC before this, and a mutual friend hooked me up with Dion, and Dion knew other musical people and recommended them to me. Everything just came naturally; and I swear, if I wasn’t with the band, I don’t think I’d be in this position.
Dion: As a band, instrumentally we can hold it down, but this dude’s stage presence and energy is amazing. We bounce off each other. If any of us out of the seven wasn’t there, it just wouldn’t feel right.

Your sound has been described as a fusion of grime, hip hop, rock, pop and R&B – is that how you’d put it?
CM: The thing is, you can’t put us in a box. There are seven of us with different backgrounds. Dion’s into his rock, I’m into hip hop, Kojo’s into soul, Stacey’s into pop… there’s different aspect of things. We can cross genres. I would say hip-hop rock. We borrowed those elements and incorporated them in our music.
Do you think by mixing up all these genres it unites today’s youth?
Dion: I’d say so. I’ve met people that are strictly grime or strictly rock, and the two worlds just can’t understand each other. I feel as a band, hopefully we bring it all together. Kano did ‘Typical Me’ – that’s when everyone started to go, ‘OK.’
CM: People are borrowing elements. I think we’re in this generation where it’s not like your jazz, your hip hop, your pop; everything’s mixed around. When you come to our show there’s a wide demographic; there’s kids, adults, teenagers, black, white, Asian people. It appeals to everyone, not because of the music, but because of the seven figures you see on stage.

Does having so many creative individuals within one entity often lead to creative differences?
Dion: No chance.
CM: Were a family. I wouldn’t say not a chance.
Dion: No, because I feel like…
CM: We’re having a dispute right now… [all laugh]. It’s the quality control, everybody puts a contribution in, which is positive. It’s not like, ‘I want this in because I’m a rock guy.’ We all sprinkle our ingredients on it to come together. I’m the frontman.
Dion: Captain Kirk.
CM: There always has to be someone who makes the executive decisions, in a way. You’ve also got to listen, and the guys have got so many valid points, it makes you think outside of the spectrum.

How do you begin to make a song, with so many of you involved?
CM: There’s two ways: One is where a producer might come up with a little snippet of a beat and we kind of loop that and put an instrumentation of that. Or we go in a rehearsal studio or a sound check, for example, and come up with a natural jam.
Dion: We’ll go into a rehearsal room and start jamming and doing our thing, and Clement will come out with some screenplay, he’s very visual.

Tell us about your latest single ‘Overtime’. What has the reaction been so far?
CM: This is the first step in the door, I think. With this track we’re here to set a mark and the response has been crazy. It’s No 2 on the MTV Base Chart, and Radio 1, 1Xtra have all been supporting the track, and it’s got us MTV Brand New for 2012. The track is about nobody works harder than us, it’s about work ethic – in order to get where you are you have to work harder than the people around you. Someone like Ghetts, his work ethic is crazy – every year he’s got singles, mixtapes, collaborating – he was perfect for this.

Your second single ‘Mayhem’ is out in March, so tell us about it…
CM: We’ve had this track for a year and a half now. We knew it was going to have some heat on it, because when we did it on a few shows it gets the crowd hyped. With Kano on it, he just added an extra something.
Dion: He just swagged it completely.

Clement, how do you feel about other MCs on a track, being the group’s rapper?
CM: I like collaborations; I think it helps us as a campaign and as a product. People want to hear a great UK legend on track. If it was any Tom Dick or Harry, I’d be like what’s this?
Dion: For me, if you can bring it…
CM: It’s a very competitive field and it steps my game up. It’s great because these guys are inspirations to me and it feels like I’ve worked hard to be on stage with guys that I’ve looked up to.

What was the track that you feel first got you guys noticed?
Dion: It has to be ‘Champion’.
CM: Yeah. We wrote the song on the day of David Haye’s fight – we wanted an entrance theme, that was the inspiration for it. The day we recorded it, I remember the producer was like, ‘This is it, this is a hit.’ Then A&Rs started coming to our shows: Warner came, Sony came, EMI, it was like, woah, crazy! So after a few months we were offered a contract with Warner Brothers; it was like, damn, massive major label!
Dion: That was one of the best days, but we didn’t want to get gassed.

How long do you think it takes to create an underground buzz?
CM: You can’t blow in six months; you can’t blow in one year.
Dion: You just can’t do it like that.
CM: There are ways, though; with the likes of YouTube you can have one song and blow up. Everything takes steps – you can’t run before you can walk. We’ve been together maybe three years and I believe that’s how long it takes. You’ve got to build a foundation, get the concrete, make sure everything sits perfectly and then you can start building.
Dion: You need to be going out and tearing shows to pieces. I think what’s worked for us is we like to go out and talk to people after shows and just hang out with them. If you want to keep them on board, you have to give them something to remember.

You’ve worked with many great artists. Who’s been your favourite?
Dion: You could ask each member of the band and everyone’s got a different answer. For me, I feel torn, because Ghetts’ energy on stage is incredible, and then Sway, when he came down and I heard his verse, it was just like incredible.
CM: Ghetts matches our energy, and I love that. Sway adds a polish and Kano adds a package full of swag.

What’s the nicest thing a person in the music industry has said about your music?
CM: Mike Skinner from The Streets, we did a gig with him at the Freeze Festival and he said, ‘Keep doing what you’re doing, because you know what it is, I’m not going to make your head big, but you guys are the future.’ This is Mike Skinner, he’s sold millions. ‘The future’, that makes us feel amazing. He’s an icon, a legend.
Dion: There was a session drummer, Ginger his name is, he came down and saw the set and said, ‘That was incredible.’ For me, from drummer to drummer, that was just beautiful.

What can we expect from the forthcoming debut album?
CM: We’ve written 60 songs; I know in the back of my mind there’s eight songs that I want on the album.
Dion: We’ve all got our lists of what we want; because there are seven of us we need to get a shortlist.
CM: Expect something like ‘Champion’, big energetic hooks, full of instrumentations; we’ve got two guitarists so it’s going to be a very rock/hip hop/pop album. It’s out this summer, just before the Olympics.

Is 2012 going to be your year, we expect great things from you?
CM: I wouldn’t like to say yes, 2012 is our year, because I might jinx myself or underachieve.
Dion: I think it is; the momentum at the minute is building, and if we keep going how we are, then yes.

Follow Clement Marfo & The Frontline on Twitter
@ClementMarfo or visit
www.clementmarfo.com

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April 18, 2012

Unreleased Biggie Interview At The Set Of “Warning” Music Video

Biggie is seen in a rare and unreleased footage at the Warning music video shoot. He speaks on the success of his Ready To Die album, his newborn daughter, and the name change from Biggie Smalls to Notorious B.I.G

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdsP0VB3bps&feature=player_embedded

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April 16, 2012

Obie Trice Interview

Obie Trice is the rapper from Detroit, who Eminem introduced to the world on his single ‘Without Me,’ by saying “Obie Trice, real name, no gimmicks.” He was the first rapper signed to Shady Records, but as we reveal in this interview left due to problems with Interscope. Now after a six year hiatus, Obie Trice is back with his own label Black Market Entertainment, and his new album ‘Bottoms Up.’ Shireen Fenner speaks to the Obie about the shooting which killed Proof from D12, his own shooting thus the reason for taking a break from music, working with Eminem and Dr. Dre on his new material and more.

You have become involved in trying to increase the opportunities and possibilities for young people in Detroit to pursue music. What was available to you when you were starting out?

For me it was just the hip hop shop in Detroit, Maurice Malone was a clothing designer here in Detroit, and we had this cypher that we used to used to go and perform and do our thing in this little boutique clothing store, with hardwood floors and print t-shirts with prints on them insinuating different things hanging on the walls. There was a DJ booth a DJ would be there scratching and putting on instrumentals for people. There would be guys from all over Detroit, who would come here on a Saturday afternoon just to showcase their skills. That was defiantly one of the places where I started.

What makes a Detroit rapper stand out from other American rappers? What is it about being shaped by Detroit that is unique?

It’s the mid-west we don’t only take in West Coast music, or South music, or East Coast music, we feed off it all. They have always been in the public eye as far as hip hop is concerned, so we have a diverse sound here, because we haven’t been in the public eye. That’s what differentiates us from other places.

How does being shot in the head change your perspective on life?

Yes it did, it told me to sit my ass down (laughs) and stop hanging out so damn much. It definitely changed my perspective, I almost died from that situation, and the bullet is still lodged in my head. Three months later, Proof got a bullet to the back of his head but he didn’t make it. It definitely was a very eerie and morbid and overwhelming for me. I had to take a break from the media and being in the public eye. I just had to do what I had to do, that was one of the reasons for my hiatus. I always created music and I never stopped working in the studio making music it just wasn’t in the public eye. Then I wanted to establish my own company being that Interscope didn’t want to further an Obie Trice project

How different do you imagine your situation would be if you had not met Proof and been supported by him?

That’s kind of a hard question to answer. I met Proof at the hip hop shop but not as far as hanging out at that time. Our relationship got close when I was signed to Shady, but we did know each other. He was the one that told me to use Obie Trice as my name back in the day, I do love him and he loved me. I always put out music, back to the first question I put out music through a company called Buzz and a company called Landspeed and they distributed my music internationally. That was the outlet for me back then, and Eminem got wind of it and Proof was like I remember that dude, and that’s how things came about. Our relationship just really grew when we were on Shady together.

You have strong links with both Dr. Dre and Eminem. How would you best describe your relationship with the two artists?

Me and Eminem are brothers, we always make music together. It’s just a great relationship, we always have been close. It was a personal when we made ‘Richard’ and it was fun and hilarious in retrospective. Dr Dre is definitely on the same level, he sent me the beat, and I wasn’t actually in the studio with him when I made that record but he wanted to see me succeed and he knows that he has the sound that I like so I’m sure that we will continue to make music together.

What was the reason that you left your previous label and set up Black Market Entertainment?

It wasn’t a split up with Shady; it had more to do with Interscope and Jimmy Iovine. We kind of bumped heads and we couldn’t come to an agreement on furthering the business opportunity. It wasn’t feasible for the both of us and my people at the same time, this is Eminem’s boss, so Shady had nothing to do with that. It was an Interscope and Obie Trice thing. There’s no bad blood with Interscope or Jimmy Iovine, that’s what I kind of explain in some of the songs on ‘Bottoms Up.’ Shady was always supportive and will be my family forever.

How has the reaction been so far to your latest mixtape ‘Watch the Chrome?’

The reaction was pretty good, it was a good look. I definitely wanted to warm up my fans and the people that have been waiting for a long time, and let them no I apologise for the hiatus and things like that. It was to let them know I’m still here with the music, I never really left, and that was basically it.

Why did you call the mixtape ‘Watch the Chrome?’ Is there a story behind it?

I appreciated the ‘Watch The Throne’ album that Kanye and Jay Z made.’ Watch The Chrome’ is the environment that I come from; I wanted to incorporate how things are in my neighborhood and my upbringing where everyone carries a pistol. The chrome is the coating on a gun. I wanted to put that in there and change it up a little bit. I’m definitely still a fan of ‘Watch The Throne’ and that’s where the inspiration came from.

What can we expect from your forthcoming album ‘Bottoms Up?’

I had to pull Eminem’s tooth to produce a record on the album because he doesn’t produce records anymore, he doesn’t go on the beat machine anymore. I wanted to have that old feel also as well for my fans, and then with the Dr Dre joint I wanted to have some of Dre’s influence on the record as well. I got up and coming producers from Detroit on the records that are very talented. It’s like vintage oldie, you can ride to it, and it’s definitely a breath of fresh air from where hip-hop is right now. I believe a lot of people will enjoy it.

How does it differ from your older material?

I never really left so I’m always working, I’m just not in the media, and I’m always in the studio. I guess its just gradual development. I just continue to do what I do, and the records that feel good to me is the ones that I use.

What does Bottoms Up mean to you?

‘Bottoms Up’ was supposed to come out on Shady Interscope and I was going to name it Debt. The situation had changed. ‘Bottoms Up’ for me now is a fresh start for me and it’s a celebration being because that I’m putting out an album on my own imprint, which is Black Market Entertainment. My mother had just passed from breast cancer last year, and she has this picture of me as a baby above her bed in her room so I took that and I was going through all the things and getting her stuff together all her photo albums when she passed away. I came across that photo and thought this is where it all began from, so I just wanted to use this photo as the album cover. ‘Bottoms Up’ I’m a drinker as well, so it all fits.

Buy Obie Trice – Bottoms Up here

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April 12, 2012

Sway – Money Matters

Derek Safo aka Sway is the rapper who has changed the game in the UK. Since his first mixtape release in 2006 This Is My Demo, he has released six more and sold over 100,000 albums.

We haven’t heard much from Sway since his last album release three years ago The Signature LP, but now he has come back with the high impact single, ‘Still Speedin’ which has had Lewis Hamilton and Nigel Mansell talking about it on Twitter. It has various remixes including another one of the UK’s premium rappers Kano, and another from American rapper and producer Lupe Fiasco. This is the first single off Sway’s third long awaited album Deliverance, which is out in 2012.

Jobs before music
For my first ever job, I was a paperboy. I was about ten at the time. I used to deliver newspapers. The last job I had before my career took off was at Gap in Marble Arch, but I don’t think it’s there anymore.

Paycheck
When I was a paperboy it wasn’t a check though, it was like a tenner a week they just gave it to me out of the till. My first cheque was from Universal as a street team boy. I used to run out of vans and hang up posters promoting their artists, that was the first time I got a cheque. I got a cheque for my first mixtape This Is My Promo Volume 1, when I took them in to a record store and they sold out.

Investments
I brought a house in Ghana. I also own my own publishing company, I have three writers under me and they are sub published by my main publisher, so I’ve invested in quite a few things.

Business man
I have Dcypha productions, I have a music publishing company and I’m looking into other ventures as well but that’s between me and the bank. (Laughs)

Money sensibility
I’m 50/50 when it comes to being sensible with money. I have periods when I’m very sensible, and I have periods where I live for the moment. I live a reasonable life.

Impulse buys
I spent £1200 on a suede Roberto Cavalli blazer once, and I thought that was a bit much. I’ve worn it 3 times, because I wore it in a video, I’m conscious about wearing it everywhere else. When you wear something in a video, people assume that you wear it everyday.

Best Advice
It has to be my dad, he tells me not to throw it all away. He’s good at that sort of thing, but he’s not good at taking his own advice.

 

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