Even With Features Janelle Monae Holds her own on new “Electric Lady”

If you know the fresh, yet nostalgic talent that is Janelle Monae, you know that an album packed with A-list producers and artists is not necessary. But with production and features from Miguel, Erykah Badu, Solange Knowles, Big Boi, Cee-Lo Green, Esperanza Spaulding and the ultimate musical genius that is none other than Prince, her sophomore album Electric Lady is a confident, thought provoking, groovy rocket launch to planet JM.

Lucky us, we’ve already heard Electric Lady, which hits store shelves on Sept 10. Our favorites include the undaunting, girly anthem Queen ft. Erykah Badu, the soulfully sweet title track ft. Solange Knowles and Primetime, the whimsical, yet funky love song ft. Miguel. And damn… that’s only the first three songs of the double CD.

Check out our recent conversation with Miss Monae below:

How will we get to know you better on Electric Lady?

You have to listen…There are lots of different subjects [ on the album.] I talk about politics, religion, sexuality, empowerment, community . I speak about those being marginalized. And I have some amazing guest artists to help me get all these ideas out. I collaborated with Erykah Badu; One of my best friends and I love her so much. I collaborated with Miguel, Esperanza Spaulding, Solange Knowles and my musical hero, Prince.

Primetime ft. Miguel is such a funky song that reminds us of the early ’80s and groups like The Revolution. Did you have Miguel in mind for the song?

I did. I’ve been a big fan of Miguel and he’s been a big fan of mine. So it was very mutual and organic for us to work together. And I just wanted to make sure the song was ‘the’ song. So when I wrote the song, it was just great for him to follow my lead and let me produce him. I flew out to L.A. and we worked. It was a great and amazing experience.

Although you have a signature look, it seems like you get a kick out of almost playing other characters and therefore expressing your style and beauty via those representations. What do you have in store for your fans and those that like to keep track of your fashion and different looks?

You’ll just have to wait. I can never tell people what I’m thinking. I always have to just do it!

Fans Will get One-on-One Time With 2 Chainz on New Album

There’s no doubt that fans love the “ratchedness” that is 2 Chainz. And this go round, on his second album ” B.O.A.T.S. Pt. 2: Me Time,” we can expect more trap confessions and club bangers, but also a chance to get to know the former Tity Boi on a more personal level.

With three platinum singles and 8 mixtapes already under his cap, the Atlanta native is more of a graduate than a sophomore, but on his second album, we may even learn a little more about life while we ride to the 808 production of Kanye West, Mike Will and more.

“There’s a thin line between confidence and cockiness,” says the college graduate with a Masters degree. That’s why the rapper ( born Tauheed Epps) is brazen enough to have few big name features and more of the extravagant, yet genuine personality that is 2 Chainz aka Tity 2 Necklace aka The Hair Weave Killer, but also a father, an intellectual and one of the hardest grinding artists in the business.

On his new mixtape single with Drake and Big Sean entitled “All Me:”
I wanted to put that song out for a along time.

On his sophomore album” B.O.A.T.S. (BASED ON A TRU STORY) PT.2: ME TIME” in stores Sept 10.
For the last two years, I’ve bensistent with quality and quantity. “Feds” is the first single off the album. For the next joint [ Where U Been ft. Cap 1 and produced by Mike Will,) I wanted people to know I hadn’t lost …my “mainstream ratched.”

The album will be one you can ride to. Got the crazy samples since I been fuckin’ wit Kanye crazy ass.

On the second single “Where U Been:”
“…we did it in Paris while I was vibing off my big brother Kanye. [Its] got a lotta 808. I wanted to put something out like “Yeah I Love dem Strippers.”

On why there aren’t many features on his second album “B.O.A.T.S. Pt 2: ME TIME” and recent comments about keeping Jay-Z off the album:
I’m a huge Jay fan. But when you have a title like “ME TIME,” you don’t want a lot of features. There’s certain steps you take before you fuck wit a nigga like Jay or Andre 3000 and people tell me I’m at that level already, but its just me not understanding. If it was another album, I’d probably have more features.

On rappers using offensive lyrics:
Everyone’s walking on pins and needles right now man. What happened to the 1st Amendment Freedom of Speech?

On whether he’ll ever do more “conscious” songs:
I do touch on them, but in a tasteful way. I talk about…my dad and things that have happened in my everyday life.
When I use a platform, I wanna use it the right way. I’m “conscious” enough to know its a process.[But] People are used to hearing certain types of records from me.

On his most favorite (or best) verse yet:
I think for everyone that didn’t know me before “Mercy'” it would be that one ’cause it helped my campaign. My best verse? No, but it got me out there.

On his favorite moment in his career:
ASCAP Writer of the Year. A trap nigga?…actually got ASCAP…? That was sort of a big deal for me.

Last words from the hair weave killer:
I’m turnt up and blessed. We gonna outwork these niggas. I appreciate you guys…and everyone.

Catch 2 Chainz on the Americas Most Wanted tour in your city. “B.O.A.T.S Pt. 2: Me Time” in store Sept 10. Follow 2 Chainz on Instagram @hairweavekiller.

ADD 2 CHAINZ NEW SONG WHERE U BEEN TO YOUR SOUNDCLOUD!!

Click Here!!

Fans Will get One-on-One Time With 2 Chainz on New Album

There’s no doubt that fans love the “ratchedness” that is 2 Chainz. And this go round, on his second album ” B.O.A.T.S. Pt. 2: Me Time,” we can expect more trap confessions and club bangers, but also a chance to get to know the former Tity Boi on a more personal level.

With three platinum singles and 8 mixtapes already under his cap, the Atlanta native is more of a graduate than a sophomore, but on his second album, we may even learn a little more about life while we ride to the 808 production of Kanye West, Mike Will and more.

“There’s a thin line between confidence and cockiness,” says the college graduate with a Masters degree. That’s why the rapper ( born Tauheed Epps) is brazen enough to have few big name features and more of the extravagant, yet genuine personality that is 2 Chainz aka Tity 2 Necklace aka The Hair Weave Killer. But what you may not know is the he’s also a father, an intellectual and one of the hardest grinding artists in the business.

On his new mixtape single with Drake and Big Sean entitled “All Me:”
I wanted to put that song out for a along time.

On his sophomore album” B.O.A.T.S. (BASED ON A TRU STORY) PT.2: ME TIME” in stores Sept 10.
For the last two years, I’ve bensistent with quality and quantity. “Feds” is the first single off the album. For the next joint [ Where U Been ft. Cap 1 and produced by Mike Will,) I wanted people to know I hadn’t lost …my “mainstream ratched.”

The album will be one you can ride to. Got the crazy samples since I been fuckin’ wit Kanye crazy ass.

On the second single “Where U Been:”
“…we did it in Paris while I was vibing off my big brother Kanye. [Its] got a lotta 808. I wanted to put something out like “Yeah I Love dem Strippers.”

On why there aren’t many features on his second album “B.O.A.T.S. Pt 2: ME TIME” and recent comments about keeping Jay-Z off the album:
I’m a huge Jay fan. But when you have a title like “ME TIME,” you don’t want a lot of features. There’s certain steps you take before you fuck wit a nigga like Jay or Andre 3000 and people tell me I’m at that level already, but its just me not understanding. If it was another album, I’d probably have more features.

On rappers using offensive lyrics:
Everyone’s walking on pins and needles right now man. What happened to the 1st Amendment Freedom of Speech?

On whether he’ll ever do more “conscious” songs:
I do touch on them, but in a tasteful way. I talk about…my dad and things that have happened in my everyday life.
When I use a platform, I wanna use it the right way. I’m “conscious” enough to know its a process.[But] People are used to hearing certain types of records from me.

On his most favorite (or best) verse yet:
I think for everyone that didn’t know me before “Mercy'” it would be that one ’cause it helped my campaign. My best verse? No, but it got me out there.

On his favorite moment in his career:
ASCAP Writer of the Year. A trap nigga?…actually got ASCAP…? That was sort of a big deal for me.

Last words from the hair weave killer:
I’m turnt up and blessed. We gonna outwork these niggas. I appreciate you guys…and everyone.

Catch 2 Chainz on the Americas Most Wanted tour in your city. “B.O.A.T.S Pt. 2: Me Time” in store Sept 10. Follow 2 Chainz on Instagram @hairweavekiller.

Styles P: Urban Griot

For years now Styles P (aka The Ghost) has blessed rhyme lovers with his vivid flows and verses. In his latest mixtape the “Ghost Dub Dime,” his street-wise lyrics continue his saga of taking listeners on a gritty journey through the life of a man who is only human.

His last album “A Gangsta and a Gentleman” ( released in 2002,)  made it to the #2 slot on Hip Hop charts and included the club and radio banger turned classic anthem “Good Times (I Get High.”) And now his latest mixtape accomplishment delivers razor sharp lyrics via grimy emotions of swag, dirty deals and street survival, while the Queens/Yonkers native delivers gangsta, yet refreshing hood tales on “Ghost Dub Dime.”

“I am staying in tune with the streets and providing bars that most rappers won’t,” enforces Styles P, one-third of the chart-topping and cult following rap group The LOX.

Styles Peniro (born David Styles) has always thought of himself to be “the hardest MC in the game.” And now he enforces the statement more than ever as he welcomes us into his new world of hood tales and adds the title of “Author” to his hustle palette. With a fresh book deal under Random House and help from author Nikki Turner,  his first novel “Invincible” is now on stores shelves and is only the first of many fiction street tales to come from the urban griot.

“It’s another hustle for me,” he recently told MTv. 

In addition, the soundtrack to “Invincible” is just as explosive as its accompanying novel. With appearances from fellow LOX members Sheek Louch, Jadakiss , newcomer Tyler Woods,  and other LOX fam, gutter jewels of the soundtrack include the first single “That Street Life” (which illustrates Styles’ signature street vigor,) the explosive “One Way or Another” (with a classic 8 bars from 2 Pac’s “Holla if ya Hear me” as the hook,) “Got A Problem” ft. Tre Williams (with a head nodding string rhythm,) and the sincere “I in Win,” where Styles and fam Snype Life, A.P. and Do-Dirt vow to stay true to the code of the streets: loyalty first.

There are so many classic verses and mixtapes under your belt. Has your message and delivery changed since your last mixtape Phantom Empire?

I always switch it up. My style paints a picture. It just depends on the day and what my mood is; and what’s going on.

The first single That Street Life, seems like it may be very personal to you? Is that accurate?

Yeah.   I’m just talking about the real things, some personal issues, and the industry. It’s about my swag and being fly. It’s all from a street point of view.

Ok, so let’s talk about your first novel entitled Invincible. Now, you’re claiming a whole new venture. You’re a fiction writer now!

Yeah, Invincible is the first book in the series. It’s available in Barnes & Noble stores. I wrote the book with a little help. It’s all me. 

It takes an enormous amount of discipline and dedication to write a book. Wouldn’t you agree?

Yeah, but I always wanted to be a writer (of books.) …I’m a creative person… Being a rapper takes a lot of time and it’s difficult at times, especially along with being a father and other [responsibilities.] But, I set my mind to it.  If you wanna get around to everything that you want to accomplish in life, you just gotta get busy. I’m fortunate that it’s happening (my deal with Random House.)

So, what is the novel Invincible about? Coming from you, I know the storyline has got to be ill.

Well, I’ll just say this.  It’s about a good, solid dude trying to live the right life. He gets robbed and ends up in prison and while there, he gets a mystery letter from someone who wants to kill him. I can’t tell you much without giving it away.

How is the art of storytelling with rhymes different from telling a story through novel/book form? Is it harder than expressing an idea in 16 bars?

It’s much more difficult to write a novel. Because, when you’re rhyming, it’s in your head. I definitely respect authors (of books) more, now that I’ve done it.

Well, if the novel is as explosive as the soundtrack, readers are in for the dope sh*t. (laughs)

Yeah, it’s crazy. Got Sheek Louch, (Jada) Kiss, Tyler Woods. It’s 14 tracks and it reads like a book.

Wow, I can’t wait. And we also can’t wait to hear what’s next from you. Will there be another solo album from Styles P?

Yeah, but that will come later. . .I’m proud to be operating as an independent where I have total control of my project…We’re working on the LOX joint now, the new album.

You mean the most anticipated hip hop album of the year? (laughs)

Yeah, and we [Sheek and Jada] all feel real good about that.

Invincible: The Book and full-length soundtrack by Styles P are available exclusively at Stylesp.net and Barnesandnoble.com.  Ghost Dub Dime the mixtape is available at e1music.us.

 

RECENT STYLES P NEWS

“Invincible” the soundtrack is wrapped in “smokable” packaging. 

Styles P appears on Rick Ross’ upcoming album “Teflon Don” and the single “B.M.F.”

Styles P is on tour through July and will appear on JadaKiss’ upcoming solo album “The Last Kiss.”

 

Trina: From Bad to Amazin’

No one knows how it feels to be in charge and in control like Trina. From the time the Miami rapstress stepped on the scene with mentor Trick Daddy, she claimed her status as the what?…You already know the nickname. And since then, the “Baddest B***h” has controlled the music charts from her debut on Slip N Slide/Atlantic, to her platinum selling status and now, her 5th studio album Amazin’.

Growing up in both  the Miami projects and the upper class sector, it’s no wonder how Trina can represent for the hood and still shop and mingle from South Beach (Miami,) to Robertson Blvd (LA,) to Paris and even to Preston Road in Dallas.

Although she has a new album and a new attitude, the rap queen is still a boss with a down to earth and fun personality. With features from Lady Gaga, Keri Hilson, Ludacris, Lyfe Jennings, Nicki Minaj, Rick Ross and her own lyrically hot female group Pretty Money, Amazin’ is the most anticipated album from the Miami diva yet. Read what Trina has to say about her career, her love life and her new album Amazin,’ which is scheduled to hit stores March 2010.

Hi Trina. Wow! It’s great to talk with the Baddest B***h!

Oh! Thank you.! I appreciate it.

I must say that I love the single, That’s My Attitude. Does a new attitude really come along with the single?

Yes!  I’m back… I’m at a great place. I’m blessed…I’m in control of my own destiny.  I have a lot to be happy about; I got my attitude,  my money, new music and a fresh face.

That’s My Attitude is a street record…about staying strong and positive in 2010. [It’s about] stepping your game up and being confident. And it’s always good to have a hot track for the club.

So, what are your favorite tracks on the new album Amazin?

[The title track] Amazin’, and there’s a track with Keri Hilson. It’s an upbeat, uptempo record.

There’s a song called Go So Hard. It’s… totally different from the kind of records I do. At first, I didn’t know if I wanted to do this record. It’s wasn’t the kind of record I was used to doing…It’s laid back. I’m used to doing upbeat songs, but I took myself outside of my element. It’s the record that challenged me the most.

Make Way is a song that shows my growth. It’s about how to stay strong and relevant. That’s the type of thing that moves me.

It’s great to know that both you and your mentor Trick Daddy have new albums releasing on Slip N Slide/EMI. Does Trick make an appearance on Amazin’?

No, Trick is not on this album. We did record one song that unfortunately did not make the album. But, it’s always good to be in the studio with him.

You’ve been spotted in Dallas on many occasions. My guess is that it’s because of Denver Nuggets star Kenyon Martin. Are the two of you still together?

(laughs) Yes. We’re really happy. We’re in a happy place. He’s a great person. I’m happy for his career and he’s happy for my career.

Outside of music, what else is Trina up to?

Well, I just shot the video.  I just attended the BET Awards. I’m excited about that. I missed Milan Fashion Week, but I’ll be there next season.

I have a charity called the Diamond Doll Foundation. 1500 girls came out this year. We teach the girls how to stay grounded. It’s easy to get distracted when you’re young. It’s a big world and you can get screwed up. I was once their age. My experiences evolved me into the woman I am today. [However,] music has been my biggest influence.

I also work with Brothers For Peace. They’re all about stopping the violence and they help younger kids. The organization burns and melts down bullets and turns them into jewelry.

I’m also interested in teen pregnancy and child molestation.

It’s been so much fun talking to you Trina. It’s like talking to a girlfriend. We are girlfriends now! This album has such a strong statement. I love it!

I just want everybody to see what an amazing… place I am in life.

I’m blessed. I’m Amazin.’ God is Amazin’. The album is Amazin.’

To all the “Baddest B****es,” go cop the album Amazin.’ because you love that strong female swagger of Trina, who represents all the positive and sexy urban women of the world. Guys, go cop the album because you love to hear Trina ’s sexy, yet bossy tone that tells you what she likes (and doesn’t like) about a real man.

Saved By A Slaughterhouse? (As Seen in Rhyme & Reason Aug. 2009)

In this present era of hip hop commercialism, “swag“-geration and all-around dis-association with the pioneering charactertistics that ignited the genre, various rap icons have attempted to channel a time when rappers spit on their lyrical ability rather than their material chattels; their respect for the game rather than their infatuation with currency; and their hierarchy and genuine love for the rap game. Even for hip hop’s most gifted this is no easy task because materialism is a mu**afu**a. Still many try (with good intentions) to revive hip hop with temporary lyrical painkillers.

 

Now finally, there’s a quartet with the cure: Joe Budden, Royce da 5’9,’’ Joell Ortiz and Crooked I. Independently, they are all blunt, clever, poetic scholars with a love for combat; whether lyrical or situational. Slaughterhouse has already resuscitated hip hop with several mixtapes. Now, the cure, the self-titled album Slaughterhouse is here, released on Aug. 11. Projected to sell about 25 K,  this is the dose of real hip hop the world is depending on.

Royce, how does it feel to be referred to as superheroes of this rap era and to be called “The Fantastic Four?”

It’s a good feeling. Everything’s been going good. I think they call us a supergroup…because we can all hold our own lyrically and individually. I think we’re getting a lot more attention paid to us now( than we were before)…just because we formed everything together.

 

Joell, some hip heads and critics say that there are too many egoes in Slaughterhouse for the group to work and be successful in the long term. What do you say to these listeners?

None of us are ego-tripping. We get in there and we do songs together and get a buzz going and we completed a dope album; all four of us. I think we form one dope a** M.C. That’s how I be looking at it…We’re all pieces that make up the super group. Royce refers to us as Voltron. These four ill lions…that make one beast. And that’s what the album is. All four of us coming together and forming one beast.

 

Royce: This sh** is working because of the timing. We doing it at a time when we’ve already went through the egotistical bullshit. Whenever we disagree, we shed all our problems in one meeting. We’ve never been in a situation where there was an issue and we couldn’t squash it. As long as we stay on that page…, we’ll be together.

 

 

Joe, when the four of your first started brainstorming for the self-entitled album, was the Alchemist a first choice as far as producers?

Naw, I don’t think it was any set producer that we wanted to have on the album….Just whoever we felt were the dopest.

 

For each of you, what tracks produced the most chemistry between the four of you and as a result are now your favorites songs on the album?

Royce: I can’t name a favorite track; that’s like asking which one of my kids I like the best. But, one song is  The One. We went in [the studio] and we decided to drop a whole lot of rock star names. We added the KRS-One element to keep the hip hop element in it and we saw the way the beat was swinging (that Khalil gave us) and we just went in and laid the verses and kept it moving from there and made that the single.

 

Joell: The record Pray just sounds dope. The concept is dope. Joe couldn’t have put any more feeling out there and the guys just ripped the verses. It’s a therapeudic record, so I listen to it a lot just to be reassured that everything’s gonna be alright. And even though sh** is rough, sh** gets better.

 

Royce, why do think the four of you compliment each other so well?

You know what? I still haven’t figured that out yet… On the mic and off the mic. Even, when we’re doing stuff live…and all together. It’s just the personalities. I don’t think anybody in the group can be replaced with anybody. There’s other people out their that can go lyrically, but I’m not so sure that their personalities would fit. I think the right personalities got together.  It’s not just four dope lyricists.

 

Joell: Yeah, exactly. Both Royce and I are Cancers…, so we gone make sure sh** its alright. (laughs)

 

Royce: That’s gone really make it cool. (laughs)

 

Joell: Oh, and then you got Joey and Crooked. (Both laugh)

 

Crooked has made it clear that the music Slaughterhouse makes outweights the money. Do you all feel the same way?

Royce: Now calm down, it’s not that important. (Joell laughs)

Joell: This is the way we feed our family now. But, we’ re not willing to compromise our artists integrity because of money. But, wake up and pray and go to bed and pray and thank the Lord that the thing that we love doing the most is providing for our families. We just don’t let the thought of being extra hungry compromise our art. That’s all.

 

Royce: Plus, you got a lot of artists out here that just be like, “I’m not in this for the money. I’m in this for the love and forget the money.” And the way they act and carry themselves, it sounds like they going away from the money. We not going away from the money. This is what we do to feed our kids. But, we not thinking about “ How much am I gone get paid from this issue?” while we in the studio session. We go in there and we’re concerned with the music. We wanna make sure that the music comes out right. ‘Cuz no matter what they gone pay us, the music is gonna be out there and we gonna be there together. So we just wanna make sure everything is everything. But, after the music is done and it’s time to go promote,  we going out there to get the money.

 

Joell: That’s right.

 

Joell, what do you say to listeners that may be fans of yours, but not of some of the other members of Slaughterhouse?

I don’t think that’s possible. Anyone that’s a fan of me is a fan because of my ability to rhyme really well, to be real, to be personal, to mix it up and do my very best on a beat and touch people… Not one of my group members are gonna not do any of those things… There’s no way you can be a fan of Joell Ortiz and not a fan of Royce da 5’9’’ or Joe Budden or Crooked I…You’re dealing with the same animal. I know that a couple of Crooked I fans that didn’t know me,  hadn’t had a chance to listen to me. If they fu**ing with Crooked, mod than likely, they fu**ing with me.

 

Royce: We like the challenge…of winning over each other’s fans. We’re going on Tech N9ne’s tour in October. And Tech N9ne has like a 90 percent sell-out rate,. Whether we’re on the tour or not, it’s gonna sell out so we getting put in front of people that might not get a chance to see us …we getting hit with the opportunity to be able to win over new fans and we like that challenge. We do the same things as a unit and as individuals. I love the challenge of winning over people that love Joell Ortiz, but weren’t necessarily into me for whatever reason.

 

Although Slaughterhouse is at the top of their game lyrically, what rappers do you guys pay homage to and give your utmost respect to?

Joell: We’re fans of the hip hop community. It’s so many artists I could name right now, but I don’t wanna miss anybody or forget anyone. Whoever was doing their thing…in the 1990’s,…at some point, I was listening to them and was a fan of and am still a fan of today. So there’s not one particular dude… It was just a mixture of the hip hop community that made me fall in love with this.

 

Royce: I could start naming lyricists, but there’s nothing they can do that I haven’t already scooped up from them. So as a lyricist, I don’t really look up to them anymore. I looked up to the moguls now. I look at the way that some of these guys conduct their businesses and the decisions they’ve made and the way they’ve allowed their companies to grow. I find myself looking up to that now.

 

The two of you (Royce and Joell) seem pretty close. Did the two of you know each other before collabing on Joe’s album?

Joell: As a person, Royce is my homie. He’s a really good friend of mine now and the same things that apply to ni***s I grew up with, apply to him now. Musically, Royce… is a genius and a teacher. He’s definitely teaching me. I learn a lot from being around him; as a man first, and as a musician second.

Joe is a great friend of mine also. The same things apply for him and Crooked as well. They’re all my ni**as.

 

Royce: Yea, it’s the same here. I love all my ni**as in my group. Joell is one of the most important factors in the group because outside of his rhyming, he brings a personality to the group. Like, if I’m sitting in the room with him and he’s cracking jokes and making everybody laugh, and then I say something kind of funny, [everybody’s] like, “Damn, I didn’t know Royce was that funny.” Because I come off as serious. I’m a serious dude, but when I get around him (Joell) and Joey, all the personalities come pouring out and it allows me to be my natural self… As far as the guys as M.C.’s, there’s nothing I can really say. It’s self-explanatory. I’m just proud of…the guys I got to meet outside of the microphone. I had a perception of them before I met them, because I didn’t know them before we did the group. But these guys…I think the whole world is gonna fall in with them just because of the whole package that we got.

 

Following you guys throughout your careers, it seems to me that all of you are pretty serious-acting guys. Who’s the craziest?

Joell: We all got our ways, man. (laughs)

 

Royce: I think Joey’s the most predictable to be unpredictable… and outspoken. You pretty much know when Joey’s about to attack somebody. He’s the most visably crazy one. But, everybody’s got an edge to them in the group. Everybody’s got their ways and that kill switch. I seen it.

 

Since Crooked I couldn’t make it today, tell fans (that may not be familiar with the west coast lyricist,) about his style and what he brings to the group.

Royce: He’s the epitomy of a L.A. ni**a.,, He’s thorough from a to z. He don’t have no ways about him. He’s a real ni**a. He’s been around for a long time. He’s humble. He’s just like the rest of us.

 

 

“The Fantastic Four” Slaughterhouse also has individual projects dropping in soon. Right along with the group’s album, Joe Budden’s Escape Route released on Aug. 11 also. Royce da 5’9” has an album coming out Oct. 20, while Joell Ortiz’s and Crooked I’s album release dates are to be announced. The Slaughterhouse album will be E1 Music’s (formely Koch) second consecutive #1 album next week. 

 

remember suga t?

In 1995, I was graduating from high school, parking lot pimping in my first car and bobbing my head to that summer’s anthem Sprinkle Me. Now, when I think back about the piercing female voice (on the song) that was Suga T’s, I never thought that years later, in the year of hip-hop dominion, I’d be chatting with the Vallejo pioneer of female MC’s.

Suga T is every woman. Not only an accomplished rapper/singer/songwriter/actress, the businesswoman is also a jet-setting empowerment orator and CEO.

Foremost, however, Suga T is a hip-hop mom with fervent views on the genre’s lifestyle, influence and power over the nation’s youth.

Now after once topping the charts with The Click (her brothers E-40, D-Shot and cousin B-Legit,) Suga T is back with a solo album entitled The Game Needs Me.

After this conversation, you’ll certainly understand why.

Being a hip-hip mom, how do you distinguish between having a love for hip-hop and at the same time keeping your kids aware of the potentially harmful issues of the genre?

Suga: There was a time when I was younger and wasn’t as conscious of certain things, but I was able to catch things before they got too far. Then I became more mature and aware of the lyrics that showcased a negative impact. I made sure I started to live better and lead by example.

I started to educate them that you don’t have to have sex at an early age. You can wait until you graduate from high school, go to college and find husband material. I kept it real with them and shared parts of my life…and how they affected me, but in the meantime, I still kept going.

I made it clear to them that [entertainment] is just a part of life. They’ve seen me cook, wash and clean. They’ve seen me go to school and college and go through some drama as well. But it never lasted long.

Since the years when you and The Click were ruling the radio, what other endeavors have you been up to?

Suga: I’ve been doing the same things. I’ve been recording, writing, producing and consulting. I have a corporation where I do a lot of keynote speaking and youth programs, as well as adult empowerment and education. I also have a fragrance line I developed a few years ago. It’s an empowerment fragrance line put together on a Mary Kay type of format. There’s also a training component to it to give people development and entrepreneurial skills. We use it for a variety of other reasons such as fundraising and promotional events. You can also find my products and services at http://www.suga-tfragrances.biz.

So the rumor that Suga T had turned strictly gospel is not true?

Suga: Well, I felt very incomplete at one time in my life. After everything cleared out, I just decided to explore my roots. There were different transitions and challenges that came up  in my life to allow me to understand that there was only so far I could go with sex, money, alcohol, fame, glory and various other things around me that were temporary pleasures. Through the broken-ness, I eventually realized that there was something deeper… a more mature relationship with God. And when I did that, I was very complete and very much at peace and I decided to give something back to myself, God and to those that could use the same empowerment. So I put out my inspirational album calledBe About It, “The New Me.” This album is the message I teach in the Be About It Movement, which is my keynote speaking platform and youth and family service; http://www.beaboutit.biz . This album reassured me and was a challenge to the listeners, that as an African American Hip Hop Mom and example, that I don’t have to glorify only sex, money, alcohol and drugs and we are more than that…

It’s beautiful that you realized the false and transient pleasures of life. Now, tell us about your fragrance line.

Suga: It’s called Suga T Fragrances. Right now we are pushing the Sprinkle Me Collection. The signature fragrance is called Suga Water. Suga Water is a sweet smell for the strong woman. It comes on sweet and stays fresh and clean all day. We have the collection, Bleng Oils. B-L-E-N-G stands for Bringing Life Encouragement Nourishment and Growth. We have a couple smells with that called Boomin’ Berry, CoCo Luv and Poppin’ Nilla. We have another collection called Show Steala’ , that is a home and car fragrance line which has the Sprinkle Me fragrance and a three-way air blast that you can use for your car, room, office , lingerie or linen.  We also carry incense oils and candles. We do parties and special events and provide opportunities for people to distribute the products in a franchise type format in their territory and give them a chance to train and develop their business. It’s also a training component for teens and we’re looking for corporations that want to sponsor this program to give teens entrepreneurship skills.

How is the female rap scene in California right now? Is there any cream of the crop lady MC’s that you like?

Suga: I think that there will eventually be some that will come and I look forward to that. But, it’s bigger than just talent these days. There has to be a business aspect, some understanding, some personality, coercions and some educational components.

Growing up in Cali, you and your brothers were exposed to many talented starlets. What was it like working with legends like TuPac and Roger Troutman?

Suga: (laughs)

TuPac used to always come over to my house whenever he wanted some potato salad. (laughs) He loved to come over and sleep on my couch. He was great and very talented. He was a very blessed individual. My family was able to experience him as well.

As far as Roger Troutman, that was the most beautiful experience ever. We stayed at his home Troutwood for a whole week and recorded the songScandalous off our gold album Game Related. That was the first time that I got to showcase my skills that hadn’t been brought out before. He made sure that I did that. He was a very positive and focused guy. He didn’t allow any extra negative activities around him. He was very talented and a very pleasant person to work with. We also toured with him and I saw him rock many stages.

I have also enjoyed working with CeCe Peniston. She’s a real diva. I’ve enjoyed MC Lyte, Snoop and Da Brat. She really made a big impact on a male chauvinist world. When I was working on this national project, she came out and held it down for me. She was like, “Y’all gotta make sure Suga T represents too. I’m not getting on stage unless Suga T comes out.” (laughs) So she let me know that females do stand up and look out for each other in this game. A lot of us need to do that more often and people won’t always be able to leave us in the back and use us.

It’s great to see you have such tight and personal relationships with fellow female performers. Your group Triple Threat is composed of some other well-accomplished lady MC’s as well, right?

Yes…  I decided to partner and collaborate with a group of females in different aspects of the industry. So Spinderella’s my DJ. Ms Toi, Lady of Rage and (other females that have a like mind) are added components to the group. We all represent something different. We perform together and we do events. We’re repping my Be About It Movement, where I promote and make people aware of violence prevention, positive change and awareness to youth and families… We’re not working on an album yet. We do have some songs together. There’s a song on my album called Back It Up Daddy.

What differences do you see in hip-hop now as opposed to the nineties?

Suga: I think it has tremendously changed. It’s definitely a vehicle for those who may not have other opportunities in other areas of their lives to become successful businessmen as well as an opportunity to expose their talent and make a positive change in the world. That’s the positive side, but the other side of it is watered down with a lot of intangible things that are overrated and shouldn’t be glorified as more important than the things that really make our lives easier and healthier and more successful.

I think its very male chauvinist. But, there’s a lot of lead way for women.

What issues do you think female hip-hop artists are facing today? Have their concerns changed any?

Some of the things that we have to face now are misogyny, male chauvinism, narcissism and being under-estimated for our talents. We are under-paid, under-exposed and generally not respected and not represented positively in the media. We are more than our physical bodies. Some of us have brains andbeauty. Some of us have overcome challenges and by continuing to maintain a positive outlook on life, we work hard, have perseverance and faith in God.

It hasn’t changed that much, but positive change is needed.  I hope that people begin to look closely at the industry and how it influences our youth. Hip-Hop can’t survive without the female perspective because it creates a balanced voice to the issues and the industry in general. Music is a microcosm of the broader society. Although we’re making small steps forward, larger ones are necessary.

We have an African American President and a female Secretary of State, so we have made progress in society, but we need to make greater gain. Hip-Hop needs change agents. It’s time for the industry to evolve to a higher level of consciousness.

The genre needs to become more enlightened. What is the message that we’re really portraying? That’s why I titled my hip-hop album The Game Needs Me.

From our conversation so far about topics like female representation, male chauvinism and spirituality, I’m know our readers understand why the hip-hop game needs such a keen and resilient female presence like Suga T. Tell us about your album The Game Needs Me.

The first single was called Back It Up Daddy featuring Ms Toi. The second single is Original featuring my brother E-40. Other features are with Rob Base, The Click, Spice 1, Spinderella and Ms Toi. Track Kings affiliated with Bad Boy West, Mr. Payback and a few other producers were dedicated to the project.

My Lovin’, The Game Needs Me, Throw Dat Leg Out, Mobbin’ Thru Ya Hood. You can go to my website www.Suga-T.net. The new album The Game Needs Me is long overdue. After going through many personal and professional transitions and challenges in my life, I realized that the timing of when the album was released couldn’t have been better for me. There’s not a lot of females on the hip-hop charts. I felt like no new female talent was being developed and it was desperately needed in mainstream hip-hop. So, due to my past success with Sprinkle Me, Hurricane and Captain Save-a-Hoe, I thought it was my time to put out a new project and be an advocate and positive voice for women in hip-hop.  I think young, aspiring artists need role models and it’s up to the generals like myself and others to guide the generation on how they should behave and treat each other with love and respect.

You are also working on a book. When can we expect to read it?

Yes, it’s called Succeeding Against All Odds. It will be out spring 2009.

Can we expect a Click reunion with you and your brothers?

There’s a Click single on my album and we’re definitely expecting a future Click reunion soon.

What do E-40 and Suga T talk about when they’re just chillin’?

Suga: Well, not a whole lot because we’re [me and my brothers] all working, trying to keep our own lives and careers moving forward. It’s endless; the things that we do talk about. But, at the end of the day, it’s back to work and back to focusing on… how we’re gonna continue to make change in society and move our projects forward.

Personally, I was a big fan of the Lyricist Lounge and it was a thrill to see your appearances on the show. Suga T, Don’t you miss Lyricist Lounge?

I do. I miss it and I will be doing a VH1 show soon.

Any last words to your Click fans that are on their way to purchase The New Meand The Game Needs Me?

Triple Threat is available and I am available for speaking engagements and as a solo act. Don’t forget to visit Suga-T.net.

Who is Shawty Putt?

You may not know the name, but chances are you’ve been bobbing your head and enjoying his hit single on the radio for a while now. 

 

 

The ATL rapper has worked with all of his city’s elite artists and is extremely proud of his single “Dat Baby Don’t Look Like Me.”

 

Produced by Lil Jon and featuring Too Short, the magnetic single exploded on radio stations throughout the country last summer.

 

But don’t mistake Shawty Putt as a newcomer who skipped other ATL artists in the radio play line. Putt has been around for quite a while. Producing for Katt Williams and the Youngbloodz, he has rolled his sleeves up and put in work in the ATL underground rap scene for years.

 

With the video for “Dat Baby…” receiving well over a million hits from YouTube, Shawty ain’t done yet. 

 

Read the full interview at http://theindustrycosign.com/site/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=9472 .

NAPPY ROOTS MAKE A HUMDINGER OF A CHANGE WITH OBAMA PT. 2

 

 

In the conclusion of this two-part interview with Nappy Roots member Skinnie Deville, The Journalista gets the scoop on the group’s latest album The Humdinger, their faded relationship with Jazze Pha and why they’re so proud to be from the country.

 

What are the prize tracks on the latest Nappy Roots album The Humdinger?

Skinny Deville: I like Beads and Braids a lot because it kind of explains what we went through in a sense.

It sums up everything from Wood and Leather up to now. It’s lyrical, the beat bangs,

the hook is catchy. The concept in itself was that because of what we going through,

no one can break us up. We’re tighter than beads and braids. So if you saying something,

fuck what you saying. I know my brothers and I know who I am and we gone keep making the music…’cause gatekeepers, label heads and radio doesn’t want to play anything positive or promote any kind of balance to the hip-hop game.

Down ‘N Out with Anthony Hamilton is a favorite of mine, Pole Position is a very fun, lighter side of the strip club. It’s not just the normal booty shake, disrespectful song, but it’s definitely something for the female college students that are working for small fees (laughs.)

I like Small Town, the last song on the album because it takes you back to rural America. We do a lot of traveling on the road and on the highway …and we ride through these small towns… and the people are very simple. They’re not concerned about fashion, fitting in and stereotypes. There’s a lot of the stuff that goes on in the major cities, like keeping up with the Jones’s. You don’t have to worry about as much in the rural parts of America.

 

So do you guys have a strong relationship with Greg Street?

Yeah. We’ve always dealt with Greg Street just by him being one of the premiere radio personalities in Atlanta and the South. When we started on Watermelon, Chicken and Grits…, we would always run into him and he always showed love and support. And then he told us he was working on a mixtape…and wanted to help us guys get back on the public radar…So he took the record up to Interscope and they wanted to use it as the first single for his album and he knew we were using it for our single as well. So yeah, without Street, we wouldn’t be where we at right now. He’s very influential to what and how we’ve been moving for the last six to eight months.

 

And what about Jazze Pha? Didn’t he work with you guys on the first album?

Well a lot of people thought Jazze Pha produced Aw Naw. And actually, he didn’t. A producer by the name of Groove Chambers, who produced about 75 percent of our album Watermelon, did it… All Jazze Pha did was sing the hook. We had tried to work with Jazze Pha

prior to that for a while, but his schedule never permitted us to actually sit down and collab. So that was our first collab and our last. Unfortunately, he never really gave us any beats to rap on. Other than him singing that hook, we don’t have a working relationship. I can’t say nothing bad about him, but we’ve never worked with him since. I wish, but sometimes the cards don’t fall that way.

 

And there’s one guy that is no longer with Nappy Roots, correct?

Right.

 

Now that he’s no longer part of the group, how important is it to everyone to stay together and make sure everyone’s happy and satisfied?

It’s fine. R. Prophet chose to leave the group about a year and a half ago. He quit recording records and touring with us to pursue a solo career. He felt the time was right for him to venture out and do what he wanted to do. Because he wasn’t participating on the records, it wasn’t a big argument. It was like, if he’s not going to participate, then that’s cool. He’s a grown ass man, so go do you. And that’s what you have to do as a grown man… So for everyone else in the group, we had to step it up a little bit. We had to fill in the gap… which wasn’t that hard to do because everyone in the group was already a great MC… He hadn’t recorded with us for over a year and a half. So we already had two or three projects that were done and he wasn’t on none of them.

…As he was working his way into his solo projects, he was doing less and less and everyone just ended up rapping more. It wasn’t a bad thing. We’re all still cool. We see him out and it’s all love.

You only eat what you kill around here with Nappy Roots. If you ain’t rapping, you can’t really benefit off that because of the size of the group. But now, we’re able to work things out as a group. Being a collective does get very stressful on transportation, rooms, how checks get cut up. But now, by it being five of us, it’s somewhat easier to make decisions and to get to and from a city. A lot of people don’t even realize he’s gone.

 

Does Nappy Roots sometimes find it hard to be taken seriously being from Kentucky?

Not at all. ‘Cause we spend so much time in Atlanta…and on the road with major label acts. People know who we are and they know we get out there and we bust our ass. We rock the show. The lyrics of our songs are innovative and conceptual…and we not trying to be like everybody else. Because of the lack of identity that Kentucky might have, I think we paint a very good picture. Out here and throughout the South, people are very respectful of Nappy Roots, because in early 2000, we helped define the South. When the South was coming up, we were a part of that whole movement.

There’s different colors in the color spectrum that you can paint pictures with. And that’s kind of what we did. We gave the South a different color to to be perceived in. Everywhere we go, people give it up. They respect us when we come to their schools. A lot of troops saw us when we went to Baghdad and Kuwait and performed. Everyone always says thank you for making the music that y’all make.

For a long time, when we would say we’re from Kentucky, people would ask, “It’s black folk in Kentucky?!” All people think Kentucky is is barns, straw and horses. But there’s a city, the biggest city is Louisville, where Muhammad Ali is from and it’s the real home of Nappy Roots as well. So we conduct ourselves in any city, but we hold our head and represent our state as much as possible. There’s a lot of people in the world that are from Kentucky and they say thank you for what y’all do.

 

Even though, Southern rap is mainstream now, what do you say to people that still aren’t fond of the genre?

Well, it’s some southern hip-hop that’s great, dope and phenomenal. Some is underground and you have to be in the south to relate to it. And some southern hip-hop is not good at all. It’s only biting off someone else’s style or what someone else did to get on. And then there’s those that do it just to have fun and only wanna sell it to their hood or block. And that’s cool. You get different variations of southern hip-hop.

There’s a lot of good artists that don’t get the light of day or respect because the record labels and radio stations and gatekeepers of this industry don’t want that kind of music out there. And its real good music, they just feel it won’t sell because violence, sex and drugs is what they want to see out there.

Keep it real, Nappy Roots and other MC’s that are taking this industry very seriously, they don’t get first shake because of what the record label CEO’s… want on shelves and make money off of.  They want to keep an awkward light on hip-hop because they don’t want it to be positive and successful. They don’t’ want it to be empowering and for the people in the hoods and ghettos to be smart, and start reading books more and start going to school and have opinions about what’s going on in the world and have a say. They want you to be stupid and watch the idiot box and stay glued on the inside and not have words to say, so they can run the country…They like the negative side of hip-hop. They want us to keep killing each other and keep us in prison.

That’s more of a bigger picture of what’s out there in the world. There’s different things’ pulling strings in our country that we as hip-hop artists don’t always recognize. Once you recognize, you can influence someone to go to school and get their degree rather than calling their mother or sister a bitch or a ho.

Now, a bitch is a bitch… but not all women are bitches. Some women treat themselves with a certain level of respect and some women don’t. And some men are bitches…and some are snitches. There’s a certain time and place for everything. And everything has a balance. But you can’t have so much bitch, hoes, guns and drugs and not enough read a book, or get educated or buy your mama some flowers before you make the grave, or take care of your children as a father. You don’t get a lot of that. You don’t get you can’t get no money for commersary ‘cause you was selling drugs on the corner for the third time like an idiot. You don’t get no one will come visit you after your third year in jail. You don’t hear about that side of the game and that’s only because there’s not a balance and and there’s people rapping about that side, but they don’t want that out there. And that’s a shame ’cause there’s got to be a balance in music like it is in life. You can’t have all good and no bad.

 

In some cities (like Dallas for instance,) it seems difficult for artists to gain airplay and publicity because of the stereotypes of their towns. Repping a rural town yourself, what advice can you offer these artists?

The first advice I would give is… to keep God in your life because the money, sex and drugs in this business is so powerful that it will corrupt your mind and keep you from being an artist and being creative. If you thank him every day…, you’ll never go wrong. The second thing I would say is get you a team of people that are very smart and resourceful and have your best interest in mind because you’re only as good as the company you keep. If you hang around a bunch of knuckle heads, and they want to see you exactly where they’re at, then you’ll be exactly where they’re at. If you hang around successful people that are doing things and bringing in money and handle themselves well and helping you get out, you’ll do better and get further in the game. You may have to get out of Dallas [or your city.]

You’ll have to travel. The only reason Nappy Roots got to where we are was because we got out of Kentucky. Because it wasn’t a music industry in Kentucky. Don’t think that someone owes you something. You gotta go to where it’s happening and cracking and then make a name. You can’t let the fuses keep you from your dreams and goals. Get you a nice business plan, account and lawyer. Get your internet game on. Get a fan base established. You never know who you’ll meet who will give you that break. Opportunity only knocks a couple of times in life. If you open the door, that’s on you.

It’s very discouraging to be a starving artist. Most people aren’t patient enough. Just because you want to rap today, doesn’t mean you’re gonna be on tomorrow. It’s gonna take…years of hardcore work. You might get alot of doors slammed in your face, but don’t get discouraged.

Visit Nappy Roots at www.myspace.com/nappyrootsmusic.com.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nappy Roots Make a ‘Humdinger’ of a Change with Obama (pt.1)

 

 

The Journalista talks with the overt Skinnie Deville of the group Nappy Roots about supporting Obama, what kind of hip-hop Obama likes, Nappy Roots’ thoughts on Ludacris and Jesse Jackson and why he thinks President Bush is a… Well, read it for yourself. 

 

How did you guys hook up with Obama and what is it about Nappy Roots that affirmed your status in the tour?

 

Well, we did a performance for Barack Obama in Louisville, Kentucky about a year and a half ago. He came in to speak for a congressman that was running at the time. So when we performed at the stadium, …we had an opportunity to meet him and take a picture with him… He was a cool cat. That’s how it all kind of came about…for us to be aware of what he was doing [and him running for] the Democratic campaign for President. That’s kind of how it started, but the second wave of it was us doing Good Day with Greg Street and he got a call from the Black Mayors Convention that was going on in New Orleans at the time. Barack was going to speak there. So, we ended up doing a remix to our song Good Day. It’s kind of a Democratic remix to get people out to vote and use hip hop as the voice and vehicle to create a word that we need to use our voice this time and try to make a decision that’s gonna be better for the country. So in the process of doing that remix, we were able to go down to the Mayors Convention and perform that. I guess his team of campaign people saw it, caught wind of it and thought it would be a good idea if we went around with him this fall and while he’s speaking to these groups and be someone to entertain and such. So that’s part of our fall tour package.

It’s just so wonderful that Obama is not afraid to embrace hip-hop artists. Don’t you agree?

 

I agree. I think it is wonderful. I think that he has to embrace the right artists though. Because if he embraces the wrong artists, the people that don’t won’t him as president… will pick that apart and try to make him guilty by association like they did with his former pastor. So I think that he has to be careful with the artists that he does associate with. Somewhat let them endorse themselves. I think that since he is aware of the hip hop movement and how powerful it is in regards to the torch that we make as Americans; if he recognizes that and supports the whole movement of hip-hop in itself; using our voice to vote, I think that’s a great thing. If he listens to hip-hop or not, I don’t know what kind of sh** he actually rides around to (or if he does at all,) but if he does, it would be very cool. If he’s riding around to Lil Wayne and Jeezy shit, that would be… (laughs)

 

(Laughs)

If he did, would that be cool?

 

I think it would. I’m sure that he would know the difference between what’s real and what’s not real. I’m sure that his collection (if he listens to hip-hop) would be vast. There’s a lot of great music out there in hip-hop that he could listen to that’s not gonna put a negative spin on his plight to become president. A little Nappy, a little Lupe Fiasco, a little Common Sense, a little Jay-Z, a little Lil Wayne. I don’t see how that would be a bad thing, it’s all good music if you ask me.

 

What are your thoughts about hip-hop artists (such as Ludacris) that have tried to endorse Obama, but have been rejected by the candidate and his campaign team?

 

Once again, Barack has to be careful of who he affiliates himself with right now because the spotlight is definitely on him and every decision, whether it be minor to us, could be blown out of proportion by Fox News. I think the propaganda of some of these news stations is to put him in a different light. It’s very easy to be done, if he and his cabinet people are not careful. The news will make statements that were offensive to him and the people around him… and use them to make Barack seem like a not- so-good guy. I don’t see how someone could take offense to that. Right now, he’s got to be very, very clean. He’s like a third-time parolee, he’s three-time felon clean. He can’t do nothing right now. He can even be caught smoking cigarettes like he used to. He’s got to really straighten up and fly right. For the next four or five months, he gotta be on point 100 percent. With that said, the record that we did, because it’s already called Good Day, there’s nothing we were gonna say negative that would portray him (or us) in that light. So I’m sure that there are a lot of records. I know that Hidden Beach is actually doing a compilation CD with…songs dedicated towards the whole Democratic campaign as well. I’m interested in seeing how that will unfold and what kind of songs will be on that as well.

 

Right now, we’re in a crazy time. The economy is not in good shape. The current President has the economy in a very, very bad place. I don’t think that it’s in our best interest to sit back and let it happen again.

 

With that said, we are very into politics and we watch what’s going on on CNN and when we do stop into a city, we read the internet, but we have a choice right now as the hip-hop generation, we have a say in who we want to be President… I voted the last two times, and I feel it was all for nothing because someone came in and tried to do their own agenda and at the same time, ruin the country. The whole agenda … was personal. The situation now with gas, real estate, foreclosures at an all time high, jobs being shipped overseas, I think as hip-hop artists and purists (or whatever you consider yourself in the business,) we have a choice to influence what the world thinks of not just hip-hop, but America. And if we all make the right decision this Election 2008, we can really change how we’re viewed in the world. And we won’t be looked as greedy bastards, as selfish, or about high crime rate, as slow or dumb,… as menaces to the classrooms. I think a new president such as Barack, would come with some fresh ideas. He came from a single-parent home. To me, he’s the perfect candidate. He’s got a white mother, a black daddy that [wasn’t around.] He was raised in the inner city. He’s a minority. He’s fighting for what’s right for the common man. Where as the Republican candidate is only concerned with keeping this going another four years. I don’t think the world can handle another four years of how the administration has been running the country and affecting the world.

 

What was the process for the Black American Committee to accept Nappy Roots?

 

I just know we got a call from Greg Street and he told us to be in New Orleans “tomorrow” was what he said. And we stopped what we were doing and shot to New Orleans. It was a cool road trip and I always had love for New Orleans. I hadn’t been back post Hurricane Katrina. But it’s good to see the city back, but it’s still sad to see how the government and this whole FEMA shit is still not doing the people right.  It’s like, Damn! It’s America and it’s still messed up. People are still living in small ass trailers. Man, it’s like, What’s going on?  It’s a shame. I’m sad to see how the whole thing has been handled from day one. And Bush is a fucking idiot, that’s all I gotta say about that. He’s a fucking idiot. He’s a dumb ass. He was a B average student. He was on alcohol and drugs. He finished last in the military. He half-assed, rode his daddy’s coat tails and all of a sudden, he becomes President. So, why wouldn’t the country be fucked up? ‘Cause he don’t know what he’s doing. My son could run the country better.

 

I’m really shitty about this whole administration. A lot of the troops fighting in this war are really college students who would love to see a Nappy Roots performance, or a Kanye West performance, or a Lupe performance. These guys show up and support the rappers and are fighting in a war that’s unnecessary. I support the troops, but I’m not really 100 percent [sure] why we’re over there. And I don’t think they’re 100 percent [sure] either. They just know they gotta do what they gotta do.

 

What were your thoughts about the remarks that Jesse (Jackson) made about Obama?

 

That showed who he really is. That was a dumb ass remark. It’s like that in hip-hop too. Every time someone tries to do something positive and get the people behind them, someone gotta hate on ‘em. And it’s messed up that Jesse Jackson (of all people,) who was considered a leader prior to Barack; he was one of the last leaders we had left… from the Civil Rights movement that is still around today. We got Al Sharpton; and Muhammad Ali had a voice. But, Malcolm X is no longer, Martin Luther King, Jr. is no longer, JFK is no longer, Biggie is no longer, Pac is no longer. All the leaders we’ve had as African Americans do not exist anymore. So here comes a guy from Illinois. He made a great speech several years ago at the Democratic National Convention. And he’s picked by the people to be the first black President of America. And then you have another Civil Rights leader say he “wants to cut his nuts off.” For whatever reason he (Jackson) feels that way, whether he didn’t go for one of his (Obama’s) planks, or one of his topics or speeches; whatever made him say something to a black news anchor; whether he knew that the mic was on, I don’t think it was appropriate. Now, if he had said that Bush was a fucking idiot, I would be like “yeah!” He’s a hater, Hater #1! Jackson is the biggest hater. And in hip-hop, we recognize haters so easily. So he won’t have a foot to stand on or a leg to hold him up for a long, long time. From here on out, in hip-hop, we gone be like “Shut up, Jesse Jackson.” And I’ve done some things with his son, Jesse Jackson, Jr. and he’s cool. He was like “Dad, you fucked up.” He can apologize all he wants to, but what’s done is done. Personally, I can’t fuck with him. So what’s he gonna do? Go vote for McCain? Is he mad because he didn’t get nominated? Many moons ago, he tried it and wasn’t no one hearing it.

 

 

WATCH FOR PT. 2 AS SKINNIE DEVILLE TELLS US ABOUT NAPPY ROOTS’ CURRENT ALBUM, THE HUMDINGER.