Interview With Verse
Where are you from?
Parent African. But I'm Brooklyn's own.
How did you end up in Texas?
Trying to stay out of trouble. We'll leave it at that!
NYPD trouble?
That and then some.
How long have you been doing this music thing?
Always knew I could spit but didn't really start taking it seriously till last
year yo. Met a few niggas that go hard. So we formed a group called fourth
and inches. Dropped a mixtape and got dumb love.
Football fan?
Absolutely love football. Big madden player too. My man Mickey Factz also
started doing big things.
Whats your relationship with Mickey Factz?
I'm cool with him like on a personal level so watching him do what he is doing
made me believe niggas like us could really do it. We are good friends.
Who are your influences?
Truthfully the Clipse, Joe Budden, Jadakiss, Styles P, Mos def, Talib Kweli,
Mickey Factz, and 50 cent. But above all I'm a huge Joe Budden Slaughterhouse
fan.
How do you feel about 50 coming back out?
Man I love his energy. I think the game needs 50 cent.
Why do you say that?
The game has to have a villain.Even though I feel like most times n****
start it with him and he finish it. Either way he always is gonna to be the bad guy.
Hip hop is competitive.There's nothing wrong with going at another rapper going
down in hip hop history. There's always been battles. It keeps people interested.
Sadly especially now. The game is built more around entertainment than it is
actual music.
Which two rappers do you really want to see battle each other?
Battle ?Right now with the whole thing with Beans I kinda want to see how Jay
responds if he does that is. Because this is one battle if he takes up he might not
win yo.
Word.this guy 50 is a clown
But a good battle would be Joe buddens and Jadakiss.
Joe Buddens is a monster right now.
He always has been a monster. I've been telling niggas since the triangle offense
that he was dope. Yeah honestly minus he lyrical prowess I dig Joey more because
he spits about his personal issues. Mood music was major to me.
He puts too much out there though.
Yeah but its his life our entertainment.He has succeeded in becoming a show.
What are you working on now musically?
Just dropped a mixtape last month called "Lost Files".
What was the process of creating that?
Its all over imeem. Datpiff all that.Truthfully beats & liqour. But really.Its six
n***8 in my crew we all spit. So we constantly motivate each other to be creative.
As a collective we are called "THE UNION".
How did you guys get together?
Battling each other. Gaining respect for each other's abilities. So we decided to
put all our resources together.
So this album is a group album?
Yeah the last three mixtapes we dropped have been group joints.Its more of a
movement out here. It grew quickly.
Has being in Texas effected your sound?
Honestly yeah it has in how serious I was. People out here just wanna have fun.
So I'm not as complex with my rhymes as I once was because they don't want to have
to read between the lines.Ya dig. That is not a diss cause I met mad lyricists out here.
But if you wanna get your music heard you have to. With that being said we still
go dumb hard.
What is the talent level looking like out there?
I mean personally I don't think anybody F****** with my coalition period.
Everyone else is out here making up dances.That is not what we do son.
You feel me.
How has been the reception in Houston?
Wonderful.
Is Houston really all about Candy Paint and Grills?
Yeah and much more. They are flashy out here.
Who would you like to work with in the industry?
Truthfully if I had a chance to pick one dude to work with right now ! Akon.
Why is that?
He is very talented. Plus he's international. He would open up other markets
and reach more audiences.
Where have you performed?
Street $, Nov 27 we are in concert with Rick Ross.We have been in concert with
Gucci Mane,Webbie, and Fabolous.Even had Jadakiss on the third mixtape we
dropped. People f*** with our movement.
What's the label situation?
A Label got at us.. That I can't speak on. But the money wasn't right.. When you
are doing things right another one will get at us!
To find "The Union" new mixtape.
www.datpiff.com/THE_UNION_The_Lost_Files.m75415.html
Interview With Buck Roger$
So why did you name yourself "Buck Roger$"?
"Its Buck Roger$" and I got it from a tv show "Buck Rogers from the 25th century" I picked
that name because I felt I was the future like he was and its also catchy.
What type of music do you make?
Hip hop but I'm going to convert into more of a rapper/rocker but not as loud as
normal rockers meaning(no 100 tats & piercing.
How will you do this?
Using different type of beats and more diverse songs.
Who are your influences?
Ludacris, Jay-Z, Fabolous,(the old) Lloyd Banks.
Ludacris is very under rated... Who do you feel about that?
Its really messed up, he brings so much creativity to hip hop its crazy he doesn’t
get the respect he deserves.
What's your favorite Ludacris album?
Back for the first time.
When did you know that music was your thing?
Well I started really getting into rap in every aspect in the 9th grade, and my crew
that I hung out with did it. I wanted to be down so I did it too.
So what was the process of putting together your last mixtape?
Finding beats, what I'm going to rap about, the right people to do collaborations
with. Well its a lot of things ,a hard but fun process as well.
What are you working on as of now?
Well right know I'm working on my next solo mixtape its going to be called "Idol Light"
Why did you name it "Idol Light"?
"Idol Light" has many meanings. It is what most people look for, fame, money, and also
you can be looked at in idol light by your supporters or your haters.
So how are the haters feeling about Buck Rogers right now?
They must feel bad cause I'm doing good.
Whats up with the groupies?
No comment.
What was the idea for the "On Demand Tour"?
The idea was that me and some rappers that I dealt with got together and hit
the states grinding.
What other rappers were involved?
Jack Spa77ow, G4 Weaz, J-Brook, Young L & Star Bux.
Are you ever going to do it again?
No I can't say .
What should we expect from this new mix tape and when is it coming out?
I can expect that you see a more different Buck Roger$, being more myself and it should
be out early next year.
What producers and rappers are going to be on it?
I have ideas right now but nothing is official as of this moment.
Anything you want people to look out for?
Jack Spa77ow's "Tw!sted" E.P. Available on Snocap now
Or www.myspace.com\jackspa77ow.
To Find Buck Rodger$ music. http://www.myspace.com/buckrogers718
Interview With D. Julien
As of now how old are you?
18.
How does it feel to be featured and talked about only at 18?
I mean it's cool. As I started getting more features, I started to distance myself from
the "age thought". It was more like the age thing was an added gift and a curse. The gift being
people were always like "wow you're only 18..." and the curse people were like "wow you're
only "18"! So it worked both ways. I'm no where near my goal.
What do you feel is your potential?
I know I could be one of the best when it's all set and done. Every artist's goal should be
somewhere near that. Not every artist has what it takes to do it. Hopefully I prove
myself correct.
Do you feel any pressure coming from Brooklyn?
Pressure? A little, but not to make the music I make but to actually to be well received.
I think that the thought of being from New York or Brooklyn and having pressure put on you has
died down a bit. I think the challenge that's there is actually being successful from New York.
Not too many are on that level right now.
Who are you influences.
Biggie, Nas, Jay-Z, Eminem, Tupac and Big L were all artists that I listened to growing up.
Do you think if Biggie and Tupac were alive today would have been relevant?
Absolutely. They would've been even more iconic. Tupac already branched off into other
endeavors - he was a great actor. In today's world Tupac would've been one of the richest
entertainers, period I think. His music is timeless so that wouldn't have been a problem.
Same with Biggie. I always tell people Jay-Z's success could have possibly been that
of Biggie as well had he not been killed. On the music side, "Juicy" could be a smash
today bro, I know you agree.
Course but do you think they would have been able to Branch out like Jay-z?
Definitely. Tupac had already started to. The only reason why business moves that Jay has made
or 50 Cent has made would've been a bit more challenging for Tupac to make is because of his
continuous run ins with the law that were always made public. He wasn't as polished as Jay and
50 Cent are corporate America I think, but him and Biggie were those dudes! They definitely
would've made the transition soon enough.
Back to J. Julien.. how long have you been rapping?
Been rapping since I was ten really. Thought I was the best rapper in the world.
Now I look back like wow this was trash, ha! Started taking making actual records
and my own music seriously in '08.
What growth have you made since?
From a music standpoint, I've found my sound. A lot of artist take a while to own a
distinct sound. I feel like I've got mine already. From the actual recognition standpoint,
some of my upcoming peers have shown respect, top blogs/sites(AllHipHop.Com,
2dopeboyz.Com, NahRight.Com, etc) has shown, college radios, even XXL Magazine.
With that being said, I'm telling you it's just the beginning.
So coming into making "Live, Love, Learn what were you trying to accomplish.
With "Live, Love, Learn" I just wanted to give people a better understanding of me as the person.
It was a more personal project & it touched home with everyday problems, experiences, etc.
It was just real honest music. The feedback was crazy.
How important to you is to relate with your audience?
Very, because I'm a fan of music first - so I know how it feels, feel me? That's what made
Tupac and Biggie my favorites. They were talking about some issues that touched home.
There's this big misconception that artists are like super-humans, you know. Artists are
people first and I want my fans/supporters/audience to know I'm just like them, I just chose
to express my thoughts through music.
Who would you like to work with?
Julian The three artists that I'd like to work with the most are: Kanye West, whether it's
clashing vocals on a record or him on the production, Lupe - I think he's one of the best
lyricists in the present game and Pharrell. He's very forward thinking like I am when I make
music. His vocals are crazy and his production is even better.
Is there anything you want people to watch out for?
Keep your eyes open for more A lot more material. Go find that "Never Change"
freestyle I just released. I think Hov would be proud, ha! If you're online everyday -
you won't miss it. If you're not, don't worry. My team and I are working on other ventures
and records that will definitely get my popularity up offline. My "Treat Me Different" video
will be out soon. Probably late December, top of 2010.
Check out D. Julien's music at www.djulienmusic.com
Interview With Al Basics
Why do you call yourself Al Basics?
Well Al is short for Allan, my real name. The basics are the fundamentals that everyone
has to learn and appreciate if they expect to become masters or professionals in any field.
I appreciate the Basics.
Do you think the basics are missing from hip hop right now?
I don't believe the basics are missing entirely from Hip-Hop.
Otherwise it wouldn't function. I think a lot of these new dudes don't take time to learn
and study the culture and lifestyle they're embracing and taking part in.
What are the basics?
The basics to me are the roots of hip-hop culture, the usage of metaphors, the understanding
that none of these new cats wouldn't be here if it wasnt for the O.G's. The art of writing. The
power and influence that we have over society. There's just so much to cover.
Who are you influences as a rapper?
Big L. Lupe Fiasco. Tupac. Wu-Tang. Joe Buddens
Nas. John Milton. John Donne. Kurt Vonnegut. Shakespeare. Kurt Cobain
and Hector Lavoe.
Where are you from?
I'm born and raised in Queens, NY. I grew up in Woodside and Jackson
Heights. Now I'm all the way out in Arizona.
How is the Arizona hip hop scene?
It's alive and running... surprisingly. Arizona isn't really on the map as far as hip-hop
goes but there are many talented emcees and producers that I have the pleasure of
working with and meeting.
What is the difference between the Nyc hip hop scene and Arizona?
Arizona is in a weird place geographically. The main difference is that all the lives of
hip hop live here. It's right by Cali, so there's dudes doing that West Coast style. Close to
Texas, so you encounter the down south vibe as well. Finally there's a lot of east coast
people here who are coming to school or what not and they live and breathe that
New York Rap.
Has being in Arizona effected your music?
Well... sort of. I've been here a little over a year now and the biggest effect on my music
has come from being in school. All the reading and writing I'm doing has sharpened my
lyrical abilities. I've become more focused and full of hustle the moment I came here.
Sounds strange, but the reason being is that I want to go back home with things
accomplished. I can't arrive empty-handed.
Are you working on any projects right now?
Yeah. I just finished a cd called "Awaiting a Masterpiece" which is going to be available
on albasics.com for free on Friday November 13th. It's not your average sounding hip-hop cd.
What can we expect from the project?
You can expect a display of lyrical skill both hip- hop wise
and poetically. I'm hungry for this man. You're gonna feel it. I take my music places I
feel haven't been touched before. I took time putting all the tracks together to make sure
I deliver each song. Amazing production from Brinez and K the Phenomenon and appearances
from my crew Kamerata.
How many songs did you record for it?
There are 12 tracks.
Any features?
Just appearances from my crew. I guess I was being greedy and keeping it in the family
for this one. I'm already working on a new project that's gonna have appearances from
emcees from all over the country. Eric Sosa, Spreestyle and Narkotic to name a few.
Eric Sosa... He's hilarious.How was it like working with him?
I've never met him in person, but from his tweets... I be rolling! He's a dope
emcee and can't wait to get the track done. We just agreed on doing a real New York
sounding track together. I was just focused on finishing "Awaiting a Masterpiece" before
I began working on other projects. So stay tuned for that!
So do you have anything else you want people to watch out for?
Besides me? Yea man.. my crew Kamerata. It's a group of emcees, producers
and dj's from here in Arizona and New York.
So who is part of the group?
There's Third Degree (AZ), Talk-Sik (AZ), Young One (AZ),
Brinez (NY) Joey Jenocide (NY) DJ Rebel Noise (AZ) and Kay the Phenomenon (VA).
We're all individual entities working together to take hip-hop.
So will there be a collaboration album?
Yeah. We've all been dropping solo projects but slowly working on group tracks.
It should be out early next year.
Check out Al Basics music at www.myspace.com/albasics
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