For Those Who Can't Sleep On Hip Hop

BLACK ICE by Dirty Angel

October 2, 2006

DEF POET BLACK ICE COMES STRONG WITH DEBUT LP, ”THE DEATH OF WILLIE LYNCH”

By Khalid J. Strickland a.k.a. Dirty Angel

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     The Iceman cometh

Brilliant poet Black Ice, whose stand-out recitals on Russell Simmons’ Def Poetry Jam brought him national fame, is a precious gem in an entertainment business packed with rubbish.  Black Ice’s profound compositions caught the ear of superstar singer Mary J. Blige, who personally requested him to join her on this summer’s Breakthrough Tour, a showing that made its way to thirty venues nationwide.   Cameo appearances on releases by Method Man, Fabolous and Pete Rock also decorate Ice’s lengthening resume.  With his debut album, “The Death of Willie Lynch”, Black Ice defies hip-hop music’s holy trinity of rims, grills and dope.  Released by Koch Records on September 5th, 2006, “Willie Lynch” is a substantial work of art that properly displays Black Ice’s impressive, thought-provoking verses over tight grooves.  During an interview with Insomniac, Black Ice elaborates on the title of his album.
     “Willie Lynch was this (man) who supposedly came to the docks of Mississippi when the slave owners couldn’t control their slaves,” articulates Black Ice.  “So they brought (Lynch) through and he was supposed to have masterminded this technique of breaking slaves and horses or whatever. (Lynch) prescribed the method of breaking Black people down as a unit.  Come to find out, (the myth of Lynch) was actually false.  The reason it was found to be false was the contradiction in the English.  The English that was used in (Lynch’s) speech wasn’t even invented at the time.  A couple of college professors broke that down to me.  So the title of my album actually symbolizes the death of that theory…the death of that myth.”
     Breaking away from the multi-producer formula that makes many albums sound more like compilations and less like a single artist’s creative vision, Black Ice enlisted one producer for “The Death of Willie Lynch”.  Eric Greene Jr., a prospering young producer who, as a drummer, has toured with Pharell Williams and Jill Scott, was tapped by Ice to create a hip-hop concept album; the likes of which hasn’t been seen in some time.
     “(Eric) is a phenomenal young prodigy who is the music director for my band,” Black Ice explains.  “We met some years ago when the idea of putting my (poetry) on an album came into creation.  Our career paths split us up for a second.  But we came back together.  I always wanted a (unique) sound.  I didn’t want to be this cat who was known for being on ten-thousand different producers’ tracks.  I’m very particular when it comes to who I work with and how the work gets done.  It has to be very organic.”

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Musiq Soulchild and Natalie Stewart of popular R&B/hip-hop duo Floetry are just two of the guest artists who lend their unique talents to “The Death of Willie Lynch”.  With fellow Philadelphian DJ Jazzy Jeff (of “Fresh Prince” fame) at the helm as executive producer, Black Ice’s debut album is equal parts entertaining and enriching.  Although he had an opportunity to release his maiden LP under the famous Def Jam banner, Black Ice opted to sign with Koch Records, a popular choice for artists seeking more artistic freedom and equitable dividends.   “Def Jam is kind of a mass-producing, color-by-numbers company,” discloses Black Ice.  “I need more development.  I’m more of a boutique artist.  I’m not Macy’s, I’m not Bloomingdale’s; I’m more of a SoHo boutique.  (Def Jam) was a learning experience so I can’t knock it and say it was a f****d up experience.  I did gain some notoriety from my time there, so I can’t speak too bad of them.  If the (music) industry was organized religion, Koch is kind of like the Yoga center.  It’s a place where you can breathe and do your thing without that eye over the top of you telling you how you have to play and so on and so forth.  And the math was better.”
     Although he’s expanding his audience with “Willie Lynch”, Black Ice remains grounded and focused on meaningful, rather than material, goals.  On the subject of African-American unity, Black Ice doesn’t mince words.
     “Coming up in the hood where we come up at, (people) find success and it hypnotizes (them) into leaving where they come from,” Black Ice points out.  “So nothing ever gets regenerated, which is another one of our ailments.  We don’t put back.  We raise ourselves above the mentality of our environment and then we move on.  We don’t try to raise the rest of us up, and I feel that’s why we don’t succeed ultimately.  We succeed individually but we don’t succeed ultimately as a unit because everybody’s raising themselves up and then saying ‘f**k everybody else’.”

For more information on Black Ice & “The Death of Willie Lynch”, visit www.myspace.com/blackicemusic.

For more stories & work by Khalid J. Strickland a.k.a. Dirty Angel visit www.supremearsenal.com and www.myspace.com/blackpacino.  

 

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From the Slaughterhouse to Scattered patterns, Lord 360 delivers!

September 30, 2006

LORD 360-THE ANOMALY LP (THE BATTLE CRY) CIPHER INFINITUM

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Back in the days when I was a backpacker (don’t laugh!) digging for the most obscure Hip Hop, I came across a crew from Chi-Town named “The Slaughterhouse V”. More notably though, I came across an emcee named Lord 360. After digesting the “Pentagon Destructo Factor EP”, the crew disbanded and I was pissed. But all wasn’t lost as sometime later on a solo project named “Scattered Patterns”, Lord 360 appeared showing that didn’t need a crew to shine. Now the name might sound familiar to some but that’s because he has appeared on many various mid-west projects making cameos with artists such as the OPUS, Maker and ATMA to name a few. But if you’re not familiar with the name, acquaint yourself ASAP or you’ll miss something great.

360’s newest weapon is called “The Anomaly LP” and what you will hear is an artist that rhymes with passion, tightness, and conviction. In other words, he’s damn good at what he does. Right from the start, “Twisted Smiles” kicks one in the face with his thick, rubbery, and lockstep delivery while incorporating some clever stylistic and textural variations as its chock full of flavor, a sampled chorus, and a bobbing bass and drum. There’s another version of this track out there but this one seems like it was re-mastered and sounds more menacing.

Without a break, things continue with “Playful Jab” where straight battle rhymes are exchanged with complex patterns and outer world content. It’s heartfelt, deep and eloquent writing at its best. The track that garners the most attention though is “Previously Pillaged” featuring the vocal stylistics of Blueprint. It has a sick whining type voice sample, a staggering drum, and voices that know how to ride this track. And while there are so many gems on this LP, it has to be one of the best tracks on here. My review of each track stops here as I don’t want to tell you the whole story.

Vocally, 360’s style is somewhere between Mr. Lif and say, a J-Live. I mean this in the sense of clarity and conciseness of his delivery. Each word is clear and is delivered with much conviction as I stated earlier. He had me hang on every one of his words dissecting and deciphering his thoughts.

On the production tip, Lord 360 has skills too. He provides the perfect audible background like on tracks “Death to Ingsoc”, “Last Go” and the previously mentioned “Playful Jab”. Other beatsmiths who contributed were Overflo, OPUS, Japan’s Nejel Mongrel and Maker. But, I can’t leave out the mechanically inclined beat made by ScanDLS on the Def Jux like “How Much Longer”. Amiss all this is the hidden classic “Hail 2 Da Profit” at the end of track 13.

One thing about this album is that it brings back a touch of the ‘no-nonsense’ approach that got lost somewhere in the nineties. What I failed to mention earlier is, the first thing that immediately jumped out on this album to me was how consistent the album sounded as far as vibe and intended sound is concerned. Even the artwork on the CD cover is tight! The Anomaly is what it claims to be; a battle. It’s a battle in life, the industry, government, society and the battle with oneself. Support Lord 360 by visiting http://www.myspace.com/cichi or http://www.cichi.com/ . Thanx CyPhEr777

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DEL THE FUNKEE HOMOSAPIEN – Interview by Todd E. Jones

September 29, 2006

Del The Funky Homosapien“The 11th Hour Of Del The Funky Homosapien”


 An Interview with DEL THE FUNKY HOMOSAPIEN
(Oct. 2006)
Interview by Todd E. Jones (aka The New Jeru Poet)
toddejones@yahoo.com
Del The Funky Homosapien states, “Time is too expensive.” A true hip-hop legend, Del has maintained his credibility and eccentric nature through his consistent musical evolution. He knows what his “love is worth”. Cousin of Ice Cube and leader of Hieroglyphics, Del has earned a mythical reputation due to his work as a solo artist, producer, and in side projects.
 Released on Elektra Records, his 1991 debut album, “I Wish My Brother George Was Here” spawned the hit, “Mistadobalina”. His sophomore 1993 album (also released on Elektra), “No Need For Alarm” displayed a major growth with an extremely brutal edge. The thick grooves and sharp melodies coincided with Del’s signature flow and aggressive lyrics. “No Need For Alarm” included the classic tracks “Catch A Bad One”, “Wrongplace”, “Wack MC’s”, and “Boo Boo Heads”. One specific track, “Worldwide” claimed to feature a pre-teen emcee named Unicron. The mysterious and aggressive Unicron was actually Del performing through vocal effects. Many people still believe that the kid was a real person. As Del continued to artistically evolve, Elektra Records did not share his vision. Although Del completed his third album “Future Development”, Elektra refused to release the recording.

With the help of his own wisdom and his crew’s loyalty, Del decided to take the road of independence by creating the label, Hieroglyphics Imperium. The funky human being has been traveling the independent road ever since. Hieroglyphics Imperium was one of the first independent hip-hop labels that successfully utilized the Internet. The company has set the standard for profitable independent hip-hop labels on the web. As a crew, Hieroglyphics consist of Souls Of Mischief, Casual, Pep-Love, Jay-Biz, Domino, and others. A multi-dimensional artist, Del began to also produce beats for himself and his fellow artists. The debut crew album, “3rd Eye Vision” by Hieroglyphics was a classic collection of tracks that made Del fans yearn for his next solo effort. Del staked his claim on a variety of tracks including “You Never Knew”, “The Who”, and “No Nuts”. His solo track, “At The Helm” was one of the strongest and most memorable songs on the album. The follow up Hieroglyphics album, “Full Circle” displayed an overall maturity from the entire crew.
 The new millennium marked Del’s resurrection. Not only did he begin to study music composition, but he also began to learn other languages. His solo album, “Both Sides Of The Brain” was unique project with wild electronic hip-hop beats. A lover of video games, Del produced the majority of the album inspired by the video game sound. “Proto Culture” is a track where Del expressed his love for video games. The song, “Catch All This” was actually used for a video game. Guest producers for “Both Sides Of The Brain” included Casual, A-Plus, Domino, and Prince Paul. Guests included Casual, El-P, Khaos Unique, and A-Plus.

Side projects continued to be an essential element of Del’s success. Released almost simultaneously with “Both Sides Of The Brain”, Del released a side project with Dan The Automator and Kid Koala. The concept album, “Deltron 3030” (75 Ark Records) is a magnificent timeless classic in the form of a space opera. Stand out tracks included “Madness”, “Virus”, “Positive Contact”, and “Things You Can Do”. Guests included Damon Albarn (of Blur), Mr. Lif, MC Paul Barnum, and others. His most successful work to date was on the self-titled Gorillaz album. Songs like “Clint Eastwood” and “Rock The House” earned him money, respect, and exposure. Del also worked on both Handsome Boy Modeling School albums. His contribution to the “Think Differently: Wu-Tang Meets Indie Culture” LP (Babygrande Records) was also a shining moment. Del toured with Haiku D’etat and Zion I, which led to the compilation CD and DVD “Calicomm 2004”. Del remained extremely prolific without releasing a full-length album.
 Del The Funky Homosapien is on the verge of his next chapter of artistic creativity. Del recently released “The 11th Hour” DVD. The film features live performances, documentary footage, interviews, and more. The absorbing DVD hides nothing from the fans. Del emotionally expresses himself without holding back. He discusses the music industry, Gorillaz, money, family, relationships, violence, sex shops, food, and more. We get to see where and how he creates his own music. The film is an intense portrait of an inimitably creative individual.

As the Summer of ends, the year of 2006 begins to die. On a late weekday afternoon in September 2006, I had an in-depth dialogue with legendary funky homosapien, known as Del. Like his DVD, Del had no problems expressing himself, stating his opinions, or letting his guard down. Without a gimmick or a fake persona, Del is one of the most down to earth and realest artists I have interviewed. We discussed independent labels, his music, relationships, technology, hip-hop, and a myriad of other topics.
 As “The 11th Hour” approaches, Del The Funky Homosapien has a plethora of new projects in the works. The audio album, “The 11th Hour” will soon be released. Del is also working on another Deltron 3030 project too. The more Del studies music composition and music technology, the more he becomes a well-rounded artist. “Time Is Too Expensive” but, Del tries to utilize every single second.

TODD E. JONES: “What goes on?”
DEL THE FUNKY HOMOSAPIEN: “I just wiped out an HD filled with all of my work and applications that I owned. A Hard Drive, a Lacie Firewire drive about 200 gigabytes worth of music, applications, from like the last 5-6 years… gone. So, I’m just shook up. I’m trying to recover the drive now.”

TODD E. JONES: “In your new DVD, ‘The 11th Hour’ displays how you truly engulfed yourself in music technology. How did this happen? What inspired this? Since there are so many programs and hardware to utilize, where did you begin?”
DEL: “Yeah, I been computer literate since 5 or 6th grade. Well, reading about computer programming, I saw what was going to be the new wave of composing. A lot was just being aware of what the advances were in music. A lot of different theories.”

TODD E. JONES: “Your new DVD, ‘The 11th Hour’ was just released. Tell us about it.”
DEL: “Me and Grant, the director of the DVD, just kind of let it formulate and come together, naturally. He thought that my lifestyle was interesting enough to do. The DVD centered around it, as opposed to just tour footage that I pulled from different places, helped me formulate my own theories.”
 TODD E. JONES: “You get very personal on the ‘The 11th Hour’ DVD. Was this an intentional move?”
DEL: “Naw, I’m just open. Once you get to know me, I really don’t have nothing to hide.”

“You get very personal on the ‘ DVD. Was this an intentional move?” TODD E. JONES: “What happened to that crazy girl who came after you with a knife?”
DEL: “We got into mad stuff. We could’ve killed each other. I eventually moved to the crib I got here to get away from her because she was going to get it, eventually. She did mad stuff. The worst was hanging herself in my garage… twice.”
TODD E. JONES: “When she hung herself, did you save her or did someone else save her? What happened?”
DEL: “I saved her, although I hate to say it like that, like I’m some superhero.”

TODD E. JONES: “After you released the album, ‘No Need For Alarm’, did you get some negative reactions about some of your lyrics about women? For example, ‘Boo Boo Heads’ was particularly angry.”
DEL: “A little, but you know, there’s nothing I can do about some chicks and how they do things. Dudes ain’t no better though. I’m equal opportunity dissing.”

TODD E. JONES: “So, are you in a romantic relationship with a woman now? In the ‘Calicomm 2004′ DVD, you were talking about how love is not a big priority for you now.”
DEL: “Yes. I’ve known her since high school. So, we good. She doesn’t really destroy stuff like the other two chicks I was with. So, it’s all good. The last two relationships I were in were more like pimp/ho type relationships, although I wasn’t pimping. I just had to turn on my pimp motor to prevent them from clowning me.”

TODD E. JONES: “Do you think that there can be a balance of power between a man and a woman in a relationship? Or, will one always play the dominant role while the other plays the submissive role?”
DEL: “ Of course! I think women need to be able to submit though, as well as men. But women, definitely, sometimes, need to learn to shut up and listen because a lot of women can’t accept the truth coming out of a dude’s mouth. They got to be right, even if they wrong. Let me elaborate on that thought so that there is no misinterpretation, because there will be anyway. Let me be clear on the subject. A lot of women, because of whatever they have been through with men, do not hold much respect for their word. Therefore, I have been in situations where I may actually be correct, but still, it’s an argument where logic should reign. Notice I said, ‘correct’ and not ‘right’. I don’t believe in right or wrong. That’s opinion. But, a lot of women can’t stand being wrong, like it’s a defeat or something. Even though we all cannot be correct all the time, it’s like giving it up. You know? It’s like ‘Hell naw, n*gga! You still wrong!’ Find something else to drag into the argument, just to be right about something. It’s like denial. Like I said, dudes are just as bad, if not worse. They are the ones who started the chain of events anyway. But, to submit is simply to give someone their respect, ‘Okay, you got that, my bad or error, my mistake.’ Some can never do that. They got a thing about being wrong in front of certain people.”

TODD E. JONES: “‘The 11th Hour’ is also the title of your new album, yet to be released. Tell us about that. Why did you release the DVD first?”
DEL: “Happened that way. No particular reason. Some things just happen. You can’t really plan it all. The album wasn’t finished yet, due to, well, you seen the DVD. More concentration.”

TODD E. JONES: “How is ‘The 11th Hour’ album different from your past albums like ‘No Need For Alarm’ or ‘Both Sides Of The Brain’?”
DEL: “On quality, content, musical consistency, and what people wanted to hear versus what I wanted to express.”
TODD E. JONES: “What is the meaning behind the title, ‘The 11th Hour’?”
DEL: “It’s too late or just in the nick of time. Allah is one. Humans try to dictate the outcome of everything.”

“What is the meaning behind the title, ‘?” TODD E. JONES: “I love the song, ‘Press Rewind’ (featuring Sadat X) on the ‘Both Sides Of The Brain’ LP. What was it like to work with Sadat X? How did the collaboration happen?”
DEL: “That was just a cut. (laughs). But, I know Sadat though. He’s mad cool. I was trying to get him some music production for his next album, as a matter of fact.”

TODD E. JONES: “When creating a track, do you have a set theme and pre-written lyrics, or do you start with an idea or the music first?”
DEL: “As a musician, I usually come up with an inspiration for some kind of musical theme or motive. This is musical or rhythmical. So, not really anything lyrical yet.”

TODD E. JONES: “Each Del album has a signature sound, style, or vibe. How would you describe the sound of ‘The 11th Hour’ LP?”
DEL: “I tried to finally present something more comprehensive. Like, okay, this is Del. Expect this from now on, not every other thing I’m into mixed into one, just Del. Save the rest for other projects like ‘Deltron 3030’. I thought that my fans deserved that. This next Deltron Event 2 is going to be better.”

TODD E. JONES: “I think ‘Deltron 3030‘ was one of the best hip-hop albums in the last 10 years. It is one of my all time favorites.”
DEL: “Thank you.”
TODD E. JONES: “How did the ‘Deltron 3030’ collaboration happen? How did you approach the album? How was the recording process and creative process different from your other work?”
DEL: “Like the Del project, it was more comprehensive, by chance, which is why this time, we are going at it more with a mind on it. I think the people deserve that for they hard earned.”

TODD E. JONES: “Tell us about the 2nd ‘Deltron 3030’ album. Are you still working with the same people?”
DEL: “It’s still me, Dan, and Kid Koala. Dan and Koala are more involved in the theme and motives of this one here. I’m glad they are. I want it to be a group effort. It’s completely different from the last one, but still relative to the space opera theme. Not music-wise really, but theme-wise. This one definitely has more of an underlying theme to it, but it’s kept basic so anyone can enjoy it, like ‘Hunger’ or ‘Greed’.”

TODD E. JONES: “On the song, ‘Power, Money And Influence’ from Guru’s ‘Version 7.0: The Street Scriptures’ album, Talib Kweli remarks that Pro-Tools made producers lazy. Do you agree?”
DEL: “Not really, because

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POISON PEN of STRONGHOLD / EMVEEZ by Dirty Angel

September 27, 2006

POISON PEN: ON THE GRIND HEAVY

By Khalid J. Strickland a.k.a. Dirty Angel


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Finally! A hardcore rapper who isn’t afraid to smile.    

     On the subject of so-called “underground” rap music, hip-hop icon Kool Keith once stated, “There’s no such thing as an underground.  It’s just all about how many people know you.”  With that ideology in mind, Poison Pen, a founding member of the revered NYC battle-rap collective Stronghold, has been making the rounds like a rhyming politician.  Poison Pen’s campaign trail has included numerous cameos on records by the likes of MF Doom and Aesop Rock, guest spots on DVDs such as Insomniac’s acclaimed “Street Credentials” documentary, and countless performances nationwide and abroad.  Compound those achievements with Pen’s appearances in Rockstar Games’ products, including “Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories” and the current success of his hot mix CD, “Pick Your Poison” and the stage is set for Poison Pen’s forthcoming albums.
     The sequel to “Pick Your Poison”, titled “Pick Your Poison 2: The Mark of the East”, is another tightly rolled collection of mix tape material and original bangers to be released by Cleopatra Records in February of 2007. In April of ’07, Poison Pen’s long-awaited solo debut album, “The Money Shot”, will hit stores courtesy of Duck Down Records, home of the famed Boot Camp Clik.  While his upcoming projects marinate, Poison Pen continues to shore up support for his music.
     “I’m from Bed Stuy (Brooklyn), in the middle of Watts doing a show,” accounts a very animated Pen, as he illustrates one of the many stops in his goodwill tour.  “It’s tough out there, for real.  I got family in South Central (California).  My n****s in South Central were like, ‘You going to Watts? I ain’t going out there.’ The show we did was on some unifying the black and brown (people) because (in Watts) they really don’t get along.  So they see me and Immortal Technique up there together and they’re like, ‘Oh s**t, this black mother*****r and this Latino mother*****r is up there together.  Wow. That’s crazy!’  They love it because most (performers) don’t come to the hood and deal with people.  Mother******s be in Cali, they’re in Beverly Hills or Sunset.  I be there too, but at the same time you’ve got to come to the hood and see the people.  I got on stage, the first thing I said was, ‘Yo, we’re from New York and we ain’t in Hollywood, we’re in the hood!’ They appreciate that, real recognizes real.  Cali has a lot of love for brothers and I’m glad that they gave me a little pass, so to speak.”
     After subjugating the battle-rap circuit of New York City with the Stronghold crew, which features superhuman spitters like Breez Evahflowin’, C-Rayz Walz, LIFE Long and the aforementioned Immortal Technique, taking his grind on the road was the logical next step for Poison Pen.  But the burly, six-foot  tall, 240-pound rapper hasn’t soured on his stomping grounds, though the “Rotten Apple” crowd, saturated with aspiring emcees that do little to assist one another, can be very tough at times.
     “If you think (New York rap) is irrelevant, then maybe you don’t know what the f**k you’re doing,” Poison Pen exclaims with his typical verve.  “Everything that’s done in hip-hop points back to New York.  You can argue that New York isn’t the powerhouse right now, and in some ways you’d be right.  But if you look at the top selling rapper to this day, it’s somebody from New York.  You say the South is poppin’? That’s very, very true.  Rick Ross just came out and went number one.  Who executive produced that album? (Jay-Z), a n***a from my hood, Bed Stuy.  Who’s f*****g with Jeezy? A n***a from my hood.  That’s all Def Jam, that’s all New York, regardless.  I’m not discrediting nothing that they do, but it all reflects back.  You look at all the 808’s and all the bass-heavy s**t, I can point you out something from 1983 that sound like that, something from New York.  I’m a hip-hop historian, all this s**t reflects back to us.”
     “I’ll tell you one thing, New York draws,” continues Pen. “I be on tour, son.  We sell out everyplace we go.  We sell more tickets and sell more records on the West coast than we do in New York.  The problem is New York don’t support New York.  Yeah I’m from Brooklyn, I rep that forever, that’s where I’m from.  But f**k that, I’mma go where n****s buy my s**t.  I’mma be in Albuquerque, n***a.  I’m not mad the South is doing it, because at the end of the day if a New York n***a is doing it, that s**t ain’t bringing no money to my pocket.  I ain’t rolling with that mother*****r, so who cares?  Like Jay-Z said, ‘What you eat don’t make me s**t.’  I’m not worrying about these mother******s, if they’re making money more power to them.”

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The original “Pick Your Poison” mix CD, hosted by Pen and Immortal Technique, is a first-rate compilation of freestyles and original joints that co-star such artists as Supastar Billy Gram, Illa Noiz, Boot Camp Clik’s Heltah Skeltah and members of the Stronghold fam. On the song “Drowning My Sorrows”, which features an off-the-meter verse by Swave Sevah, Poison Pen hems up the brass knuckled beat and announces why he’s on the grind so heavy:
     “This rent don’t pay itself / doin’ the same s**t I did at age twelve just ain’t gonna help / I get a little change rappin’ in the indies / every single it’s a new label and ‘Nervous’ just ain’t on their grizzly / It’s a blow that’s hurtin’ the ego / when your mans get signed, switch sides and change their circle of people / Most of ya’all underground don’t support / if I don’t do something that sounds like it was recorded in ’94, ya’all say I fell off / Metaphors don’t pay my lights / and my grandmother’s cot ain’t a comfy place to stay at night”
     With his star on the rise, Poison Pen maintains his humility and relishes his reputation as “The Mayor”, due to the fact that he knows so many people in so many places.  Despite his achievements, accolades and brilliant future, Poison Pen maintains that he could never be anything but down-to-earth.
     “Rap is the main (hustle) but it ain’t all I do,” says Poison Pen.  “I live in New York, the cost of living is too f*****g high, son.  You might see me walking down the Ave. with a three-piece (suit) on. There are 300 million people in this country, most people could (care) less what you’re doing.  Eminem sold 5 million records, that’s dope.  But the other 295 million people that live in this country don’t give a f**k.  So it don’t matter, you’ve got to stay grounded.  You got to stay grinding.  I ain’t better than nobody, I just put it down.”
     For more information on Poison Pen, visit www.myspace.com/poisonpen.
     For more stories & work by Khalid Strickland a.k.a. Dirty Angel visit www.supremarsenal.com and www.myspace.com/blackpacino.        

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OBIE TRICE interview by Dirty Angel

September 22, 2006

FOR THIRSTY LISTENERS, THE “SECOND ROUND” IS ON OBIE TRICE

By Khalid J. Strickland a.k.a. Dirty Angel 

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You’ll still be able to drive home after this “Second Round”

     Although his 2003 debut album, “Cheers”, is certified platinum, rapper Obie Trice is well aware that life isn’t all sweet, even for a promising hip-hop artist whose star is on the rise.  Seizing a golden opportunity, Obie flaunted his considerable skills to impress rap-megastar Eminem, who was personally introduced to Obie through mutual friend Bizarre of rap-group D-12.  Eminem immediately inked Trice to his very own Shady Records, an imprint distributed by music industry juggernaut Interscope.  After a brief appearance in Eminem’s blockbuster film “8 Mile”, and a string of memorable performances on DJ Green Lantern’s popular mix CDs, Obie Trice unleashed “Cheers” to an anxious listening public, moving 1.5 million copies of the acclaimed LP.
     In December of 2005, however, Obie was shot twice while driving on the Lodge Expressway in his hometown of Detroit.  One of the bullets remains embedded in Obie’s head to this very day.  At this time, no suspects have been brought to justice and the Detroit police, who are without a concise motive, are stumped.  Obie Trice narrowly escaped meeting his maker, but the misfortune didn’t end there.  In April of 2006, Trice’s good friend and label-mate, rapper Proof of D-12, was shot dead in a Detroit nightclub.  Trice later made a moving speech at Proof’s funeral, where he addressed the catastrophe of black-on-black violence, lamenting, “I want to talk to the black men in here that’s coming up in the ‘hood, coming up in the struggle. We’re killing each other, dog. And it’s about nothing. We’re all dying over nothing.”
     The tragedies of being shot and losing a comrade didn’t stop Obie Trice and Interscope Records from releasing his sophomore album, “Second Round’s On Me”, on August 15th, 2006.  Apparently, these painful incidents have bestowed Obie even more vigor and resolve.  In a recent interview with Insomnaic, Obie Trice spoke on subjects including his eagerly-awaited “Second Round” to the attempt on his life.
 
Dirty Angel:  Does “Second Round’s On Me” differ from “Cheers”? If so, how does it differ?
 

Obie Trice: This album shows a lot of growth.  I’m doing a lot of different things on this album lyrically that I didn’t do on “Cheers”; a lot of different topics from “Cheers”, na’mean? And I’m a couple of years older so (“Second Round”) shows a lot of different things socially.  (“Second Round”) has conscience messages in it.  It’s just a different album.
 

Angel: The last joint on this new album, “Obie’s Story”, that s**t is hot, man.  I like how the beat changed up.  The beat gets stronger and changes up as it goes on.  How did you come up with that? Were your verses written to the beat, or did you just go in and zone-out?
 

Obie: It was basically a zone-out thing.  J.R. Wrotem, the producer of that song, was in the studio playing a piano.  Riggs Morales, who works for Shady, he was like, “Yo, we should make a never-ending song… a different beat change-up type of joint”.  So (J.R.) got on the piano, and all of that (on “Obie’s Story”) is live piano playing.  I was just formulating the lyrics in the top of my head, and that’s how we did that song.  For this album I didn’t write anything on paper.  It’s a whole different type of album from “Cheers”.  “Cheers” is more structured as far as lyrical content, because it was written on paper.  (“Second Round”) is a little more spontaneous because I would think of eight lines off the top of my head and think of my next eight lines and piece it together like that.  None of this album was written on paper.
 

Angel: That’s tight.  So as a lyricist, because you have a lot of depth and substance in your rhymes, do you feel that lyricism has been lost in the current rap music?
 

Obie:  I think it’s definitely not a lyrical game right now.  It’s a more “hooky” game.  The hook is what everything is based off of.  What the listeners are grabbing hold to is something simple… a hook.  That’s what’s going on.  But I’m not mad at the state of Hip-Hop at this time.  I think that it’s evolving and I think it’s growing and I hope it continues to grow.  You get a group like Three-Six Mafia winning an Oscar, I think that’s incredible.  I think there’s no roof on Hip-Hop music.  It’s forever growing and I’m just glad to be part of it.

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Angel:  You have another tight joint called “Snitch”.  I’m anti-snitchin’ myself.  Do you believe that there’s a difference between a witness and a snitch?
 

Obie: Yeah, I think there’s a major difference between a witness and a snitch.  A witness has not indulged in the illegal activity that went on.  A snitch is involved in it.  He’s a part of it.  He’s been getting illegal monetary gain off of it with whoever he snitched on.  He knows the ins and outs of it and he decides to give information to the law.  So I think it’s total difference between a witness and a snitch.  MTV and a lot of (other) people thinking I was saying snitch in the wrong aspect.  They didn’t want to back it and didn’t want to get involved in anything that has to do with snitchin’ ‘cause they feel like the kids is confusing snitch with just being a witness.
 

Angel: Speaking of witnesses, in regards to the (shooting) incident that happened with you, have there been any witnesses stepping forward to offer any information to you?
 

Obie: Nah, the freeway was a little empty.  There were a few cars, I remember.  But it wasn’t crowded.  I think somebody came forth and said something; a lady; but she really didn’t have enough information to find out who did it.  It’s just one of them things, y’know? I was hoping the streets would talk by the end of the summer, but that didn’t happen.  It’ll all come through though.  They’ve been very quiet.
 

Angel:  Do you think the anti-snitchin’ sentiment, or the people who get things confused, has something to do with people not speaking on that incident?
 

Obie:  Some people want to be anonymous, some people come forth.  It depends on the individual and what they have experienced and how they’ve experienced life.  Some people don’t want to get involved.  Some people don’t want to get pinpointed as the witness of a crime.  It’s just one of them things, you got people who do it; you’ve got people who don’t.
 

Angel:  Has your incident, and the incident that happened with Proof as well, changed your perspective on coming back to the hood at all?  There are some artists and celebs who never really come back at all, because they fear incidents like that happen.
 

Obie:  Well, my incident didn’t happen in my hood.  I’m always in my hood, that’s where you’ll find me a lot.  I don’t stay in the hood, but I’m always visiting my hood.  The incident happened on the highway leaving downtown Detroit.  But I’m welcome in my hood.  I always come back and chill and kick it with my folks.  I’m just like that; that’s just the way I’m built as a person.  I stay very, very far from the hood but I’m there, though, quite often.
 

Angel:  A lot of artists nowadays have hustles outside of the music.  They got clothing lines or they got liquor or whatever.  Do you have any hustle outside of the music?
 

Obie:  Me and my family, we’re into real estate, so we’re doing real estate real tough.  I’m trying to get a clothing line put together right now.  I have this guy I’m really working with, my man Nino.  (We’re) trying to get some proposals together and get the clothing line going on.  But really, it’s about this music and getting this album, “Second Round’s On Me”, to where it should be.  It didn’t have a good first week and that’s due to albums not being promoted.  I don’t think the promotion on it was tough enough and I think it could’ve been promoted better.  It was also pushed back, and I think that causes a problem.  (I did) 75,000 the first week.  “Cheers”, my first album, did 255 (thousand) the first week.  So I know times are changing and the economy is different right now, but I just want to push this album and really get this album looked at like it should be.  I’ve got a whole lot of faith in it; instead of just dropping the project and moving on to the third album.  We’ve really got to push this album.
 

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Angel:  Do you have any feelings on people downloading music and the way things are with the computer nowadays? People can just jump on the internet and snatch up songs if they feel like it.  Some artists are all for that.  A person like Chuck D says that’s a good thing.  A brother like Ghostface said he ain’t really with that.  Any thoughts?
 

Obie:  I mean, if you’re paying for it (it’s okay).  You should be able to pay for it ‘cause this is hard work.  A lot of people be getting it confused and think that (music) is easy.  This is not an easy job at all.  You want to be compensated for your music and with piracy that’s not happening.  They’ve got it on some places where you can get songs for $1.99 or whatever the case may be.  At least you pay for that artist, pay for that music and let that artist get what he deserves.  And on the flip-side, if I wasn’t an artist, I would still go out and buy an artist’s record.  I want the real record.  I don’t want bootleg; I can’t stand bootleg movies.  It’s just not quality.  I want my thing to be quality.  If I had a female buy me the CD or hustled up a few dollars or whatever, I’d take the time out and buy an artist’s CD.  I’ve always been like that.
 

Angel:  Do you feel that if you weren’t on a label as large as Interscope with so many huge artists, you’d do more numbers? Don’t get me wrong, platinum is nothing to sneeze at, I’m not saying you ain’t doing numbers.  But you said things weren’t promoted right, so do you think that being around so many huge artists affect your project?
 

Obie:  Yeah, I have thought about that before.  That’s been something I have considered and thought of.  I’ve even thought of where I’d go to; what label I would represent.  At the same time, Shady Records is my family.  Eminem is my family, that’s my people.  D-12, that’s my people.  So it’s like, for me to leave right when we’re getting started…. I do feel a little anxious sometimes; there are a lot of artists on Interscope and there’s a lot of people who are in better positions than I am, as far as record sales.  At times, a label can look at that and say, “we’ll just do Obie’s project half-a** because he’s going to do his numbers”, instead of giving me that extra-strong push that I feel I deserve; (in order) to make that transition from just a mediocre-selling artist, a platinum-plus artist, to selling a great deal of records.  I just think I need to be heard and seen more.  You know, a lot of these deejays have an attitude with Eminem.  They feel like they broke his records and made him who he is today, and that he doesn’t come back and see the core deejays and things like that.  So they put these types of problems on me. It’s a political game.  I’m just trying to let these people know I’m not Eminem, dude.  That’s (his) situation.  But since we are a team and on the same level people associate us to that degree.  They’re like, “I’m not playing an Eminem record, so I’m definitely not an Obie Trice record.  Eminem don’t know how to come back and holler at us.”  And they associate me with that.  So there’s a lot of different political things me as an artist have to deal with, and that’s just how it is.
 

Angel:  You’ve been all over the place on tours and such.  Do you feel that in other parts of the world Hip-Hop receives more respect?  Is there a difference in the way people treat Hip-Hop culture as whole in other places as opposed to here in The States?
 

Obie:  As far as shows and record sales, we just get a lot of music.  We get artists coming to town every other week.  Every other week somebody’s coming to town to do a show.  So, we’re spoiled to the music.  These people overseas and different places like that don’t get artists going there as much as the United States.  So of course they appreciate the culture a little more than we do.
 

For more information on Obie Trice and “Second Round’s On Me”, visit www.myspace.com/obietrice. 
 

For more stories and work by Khalid Strickland a.k.a. Dirty Angel, visit http://www.supremearsenal.com/ and www.myspace.com/blackpacino.

 

 

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