Rap Radar

Interview: Tracy Garraud

Call 21-year-old Jeremih an R&B singer and he’ll smack you with a smirk. The Chicago native only recently discovered his talents as a vocalist and by recently we mean less than a year ago. While his cousin Willie got his man-band on auditioning for Day 26, Jeremih was busy experimenting with engineering science, instrumentation—and what do you know—rapping. But after transferring to Kanye’s drop-out school, Columbia College, Jeremih solidified his passion in music and when Chi-town caught on, everyday started feeling like a birthday. Currently perfecting his Def Jam debut, Jeremih talks to Rap Radar about the current era of R&B, how he created a radio monster and who’s birthday cake he’d like to taste.

RR: Congrats on the single reaching #1 on iTunes for R&B. That’s a real good look.
Yeah, thank you, thank you. It’s crazy to see how things are going right now.

Yeah, you’re receiving plenty of love super early…
Man, this has only been a matter of months. I wrote the song and recorded it in September of ‘08 and it was October 31st when they first played it in Chicago.

I heard that you just went in to the radio station and asked them to play it?
Well in Chicago they offer a power hour of local talent. They played it back to back like it was a new R. Kelly track. And they were still mispronouncing my name, but I didn’t care (laughs). Then my manager, Louis, gave it to the Hot Boyz from Power 92, who said that by that night their lines were just filled with calls talking about who’s this new “Birthday Sex” dude and from that day on it was more of a reaction record because people would call in every day and be like it’s my birthday.

Ha! Did you have that in mind when you were writing the song…that it could work every day?
I mean some people like it, for it’s sexiness, for it’s words, for it’s content, but some people like it for just it’s composition, for it sounding just like a good ass song. I didn’t think about it when I was writing it, but you’re right, it’s a birthday every day.

How does your mother feel about you having a song called “Birthday Sex?”
(laughs) She sings it now. At the end of the day she knows…

…You’re a grown ass man.
Yeah, and who doesn’t love to have sex? I mean that’s how she had me (laughs). But I managed to write the song, have the title, and have the radio play it, so that means a lot and that it really wasn’t that vulgar. It wasn’t on some, “let me put my dick in you.” I was able to write it more with metaphors and that’s how I write period. 

So how do you feel about everybody flipping it? You’ve got Trey, Fab, Pretty Ricky, Pitbull…It’s like some R&B “A Milli” shit.
Yeah, seems like it. It’s a good feeling to know that people would spend their time writing another verse to it and I’m just this new kid on the block. It let’s me see how big of a hit just this one song is and I’m so curious to see how people are going to respond to the rest of it.

Who did your favorite remix out the bunch?
The perfect remix to “Birthday Sex” can only be done by a female. Teairra Marie did one, this girl Esther Dean from Atlanta she did one, and Shanice who’s a new signee of Def Jam. And they were cool, but I don’t know though (laughs). I don’t even want to brag on myself, but there’s nobody who’s made the song any better than what it was. And that’s personally how I feel. I’ve heard a lot of people make remixes and it just doesn’t hit it. It was either too vulgar or too something.

True life. Is there any one female celebrity that you’d love to be with at the end of her birthday night?
On my birthday I heard Beyonce’s going to be in Chicago…

Um, I heard Beyonce’s a married woman…
(laughs) Recently, I think Keri Hilson kinda grew on me. I think she’s like the female swag version of me.

Well I hear she’s a Scorpio (laughs). So how do you feel about today’s state of R&B?
I feel like it’s a new era of R&B. There’s a lot of things we call R&B now that weren’t considered that back then and people were saying “How is that R&B?” Like a lot of Keri’s records are club, but they’re considered R&B. I think there’s gonna be a name for a different genre of music coming soon. Years ago the number one records were slow, K-Ci and Jojo vibes, but now if they were to come up with that type of sound again, I don’t think it would hit as number one and blend in with this new era. I feel like…it is it good? I mean, it just shows how music has changed.

I know some people thought that “Birthday Sex”, was completely auto-tuned, but then you have the You Tube videos showing that you can actually sing in those chords. So how do you feel about rappers using it now to enhance their voices? Does that diminish the quality of R&B or show it’s popularity?
I think some people diminish their quality with using it. Cause, I aint gonna lie, on “Birthday Sex” I used the slightest amount of Auto Tune, but it made the song sound just a tad bit…the texture of it helped. But now a lot of rappers feel like in order to have a hit they need Autotune. But you’ve got Kanye West and I think 808s and Heartbreaks was a great album. But for some people it just really doesn’t benefit them.

Who are your favorite people in this new era of R&B now?
I would have to say R. Kelly, The-Dream…when I heard his music I was like ohhhh, it’s the type of music I’m in to. I respect his artistry. And R. Kelly is just the king of R&B hands down…still. He knows how to adjust.

Where does your artistry stand?
I’m not even an R&B cat, to be honest. The single was chosen for me. I love all types of music and I make all types of music. Really when I write and produce, I just go off a feeling. It just starts with a blank canvas.

So if you don’t consider yourself R&B, what are you?
Urban Pop. That’s my genre. We’ve got some tripped out rock songs, more old soul love songs, we’ve got club bangers, we’ve some pop and it’s just a variety of songs. I could almost top about three charts with this album. So I don’t want people to think just R&B, this new Dream, R-Kelly dude. Cause “Birthday Sex” is just all you’ve heard.

Interview: Brian “B.Dot” Miller

In part two of our feature, Rap Radar spoke to Bob’s son on his philanthropic efforts to Africa, Jamaica’s music ban, and Westerners’ laziness.

Previously: Nas x Damian Marley: E Pluribus Unum  (Part 1)

Whose idea was it to do this album?                             
It came about through an idea that was really from management. I guess the seed was sowed before [with] me and Nas working together previously. But it was really my manager who brought the idea to me saying that it would great if me and Nas did an EP together toward Africa. So, originally when the idea came to me, it was supposed to be like five to six songs based around Africa. And when we started working on the music, everybody was loving what we’re doing so we decided to make it an album.

Will you be spitting any rhymes?
Um, [laughs] well, the album isn’t finished yet, so we’ll have to see. I mean, a lot of the words I’m using, I have to express myself clearly so that even Nas fans can understand that are my fans. So I can definitely say that about the approach I’ve been taking on this album.

Will any of your brothers be featured on the album?
Stephen will be on the album also.

Have you always been a fan of Nas?
Yeah, definitely. That’s really how he became a part of “Road To Zion” cause I was a fan of his music.

If your father were alive, what do you think he’d say of this collaboration?
Well, I think he’d be very proud. I think Nas would be on the artists he would be a fan of in terms of what Nas stands for in his lyrics and what he has communicated to the fans over the years when it comes to Africa and African philosophy. So in that sense, I can see him being a fan of Nas even without me having to do an album with him. And of course, you know the fact we’re doing an album geared toward Africa there is no secret that was something that was very close to my father’s heart, so that’s something that would definitely resonate with him.

Are they’re any other rappers you think he’d be a fan of?
You kind of put me on the spot there cause I don’t want to name and leave out anyone. I can tell you that, my father is very much a fan of  people who are trying to uplift people and make people become more conscious and more aware what’s going on in life and especially in a very spiritual way. “One Love” is one of the greatest songs of my father and that’s really speaking about oneness of people regardless of faith, regardless of skin color, regardless of culture. So, I know he’d be very much appreciative of anyone that does music of that caliber.

You often speak highly of Africa. Why are most of your efforts connected to the continent?
As Rastas we have a great affinity toward Africa. Our faith is definitely based on a lot of African philosophy and we’re very close to Ethiopia. As Rastas we use Imperial majesty, Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia as reincarnation of Christ in our time. So that in itself brings us close to Africa.

What about in Jamaica? Have you extended your efforts there as well?
Well, you see. The words on the album is going to be uplifiting no matter where you come from. We try to make sure that there is a balance between songs that are really geared toward Africa and songs that anyone could relate too. And even the songs that are geared to Africa, we try to make them related to people who are not from Africa. I’ve done a lot of work toward Jamaica and Jamaica is still very much my homeland where I have a lot love for. At the same time, you know I always try to explain, like in Jamaica and America you have things like public libraries. Adults who don’t have education can go to high schools and get free education after hours in a lot of communities in America. Like wise, in Jamaica too. They’re certain privlages that are not really opportunities that are really available in Africa. As bad as things are in Jamaica, it’s still not really comparable to Africa.
 
True, but places like Spanish Town are real wicked.
Not just Spanish Town—all towns. [Laughs] Yeah, the situation in Jamaica is dire. But like I said again, in Jamaica I think a lot of it has to do with the waking up of the people. There is a lot of opportunity there for the people if they would take it. A lot of it in Jamaica also in America, it has to do with also laziness. So, you can’t over look that factor. Meanwhile in Africa, you still have a lot of people who regardless of laziness, there is not certain opportunities available.

Oh, from lack of resources.
Exactly.

Speaking of Jamaica, how do you feel about the recent music ban?                                                                       
I’m not too much of a big of a fan of the ban. But at the same time, I’m not too much a big of the fan of the fans that created the ban either. That’s kind of my stance. As a Rasta—in the 50s and 60s even the 70s also a lot of Rastas were persecuted for being a Rasta. So in that sense, I’m an advocate of freedom of expression. Freedom of speech. Freedom living how you want to live because I want to live how I want to live. We been through that struggle as Rastas. But at the same time, artists got to remember they’re role models. Whether they like it or not.  You have a lot young children that look up to artists and take what we say as gesture, a lot of young people take it seriously. So, it’s trying to find a balance. Maybe the ban is not the balance, but they’re really trying to find a balance.

It seems crazy, because dance hall has always been rebellious. It’s rooted in Jamaican culture.         
Yeah, it comes out of left field. But as outrageous as we have been, certain things are getting really outrageous and a lot of the problems stem from school kids. There was problems of school kids having sex on school buses, ya know. Doing things of sexual nature in school. Things of that nature which they say we need to influence on the children. It’s a whole stem of where this is coming from. You got to look for a balance.

Interview: Brian “B.Dot” Miller

This June, hip-hop icon Nas and reggae star, Damian Marley plan to release their collaborative album, Distant Relatives. Though the announcement came as a shock, their chemistry proved positive on the mash up, “Road to Zion.” In part one of Double R’s feature, Nas discusses their collision course, his fixation with the motherland, and why a collaborative album with AZ never materialized.

Doing an album with Damian Marley seems like a stretch. How did this even come about?
You know certain things, just happen because they was supposed to happen ’cause it was a good thing. And certain people you just gon’ meet. It could be a two minute conversation or a two hour conversation or it can be a relationship that starts because of two people meeting. I’ve known him for a while and he’s good people, man. And the energy of it and the flow of it is good money, man. Nothing else but pure fun.

Is this coming out on Def Jam?
Well, cause of me, Def Jam is involved. It’s Def Jam, the label Damian is on which is Republic and you have even also Tuff Gong, the Marley label.

So being that this is not coming through a major label, is there less pressure?

Yeah, ’cause it hasn’t been done only [for] a hip-hop artist and reggae

[artists] to the level of my knowledge. Forgive me if I’m wrong. But,

I think it hasn’t been done, so it has its own lane. If we had a radio

hit, cool, but it’s like it has its own lane so it’s interesting to see

what happens with the single. Does it remain among music people and

they choose it? Or, does it become a top ten hit? Who knows, we don’t

know. So, there is no pressure ’cause we don’t have to do the norm. We

can do what we want.

Growing up in Queensbridge, did you listen to a lot of reggae?
I grew up, it definitely was in my mix. Early hip-hop to me is like reggae. From, what’s the kids called? Sound of a generation?

Musical Youth?
Yeah, them. To a few other records that were out when I was hearing early hip-hop, I was hearing early reggae at the same time. So, you know yeah, big time fan.

On your record, “Theif’s Theme” you named dropped Peter MacIntosh. Was he an influence?
Yeah man, “Legalize It!” He’s amazing. Just that whole thing, The Wailers. Like, Jamaica’s own Temptations or Supremes or what have you. But it was just that movement and the music that came out of that group is crazy.

Right. So on this album can we expect to hear you kicking any Patois?
[Laughs] Nah, so far we almost done. But it’s a good chance you might not hear any of that, but we do mess around in the studio. I just haven’t laid my vocals like that, yet. So it’s possible before we close it out. Dame went crazy. His whole style is so crazy ’cause most guys who listen to hip-hop [and] don’t listen to dancehall or reggae, they don’t know what they’re missing. But a lot of the lyrics from reggae music—— and if you listen to any of Damian’s albums, he’s going in. So, with this album, it’s really dope like that ’cause dude is bringing it. It’s for real.

The press release mentions your “bond to African ancestry,” it seems like you’ve always had this fascination with the motherland. Have you ever visited?
Yeah, I been. My fascination is with the fact that there is such a mystery with a great history and [with] the present genocide, it just strikes me like, “Wow”. And in some point at my African American family tree, it cuts off. And at that cut off area, is something now with DNA research you can find out where you from forever. They didn’t have anything like that. And, it’s still a thing that’s not common to everyone. So that whole mystery of Africa has always been crazy to me since Tarzan was coming through the television in black and white.

Right. On your record, “I Can” off God’s Son, people criticized your last verse for its inaccuracy.
Yeah, and I expected that. And a lot of radio stations wouldn’t play that verse. When it comes to Africa, there’s such a beautiful history that’s forbidden to talk about. And, it’s just interesting to me, there are so many people who think they know the history of Africa and don’t have any idea. Or the people who think they know the story behind the African American don’t even really know. Masses of us don’t really know. And it’s so much good to come from it.  I look to it to [not to] bring out any anger or rage. It’s just that when you look at it, you realize, why is this such a mystery? I’m intrigued by mystery. I’m intrigued by the Deep Sea. I’m intrigued by space. I’m intrigued by Rome. I talk about a lot ’cause of my race.

Many fans thought they would’ve seen an AZ and Nas album before one with Damian Marley. How come that’s never happened?
I think certain things have to be ready. You can’t do it for the sake of doing it and mess up what it was supposed to be. Things have to really be in place. They have to——like with Junior Gong, it was meant to happen. There was something puling us together that made it happen. It’s like, last year I couldn’t told you I was doing this. Neither can Damian tell you we coulda been doing this album. But, something’s pulling us together. So, we’re not fighting it, we just going with it. I think that’s when it’s fun. But other than that, you don’t see a lot of duet rap albums because, every artist rap dude or everyone has a way of doing albums. So when you got to get with another rap guy, that process of putting that together can be either easy or can be hard. But, for some reason no one has ever done it. Same reason we never done it is the same reason I guess no other hip-hop—— it hasn’t been done by anybody.

But com’on Nas. You guys made classic records like, “Life’s A Bitch” and “Mo Money, Mo Murder.”
I feel like at one point, it was ready to go and I saw it being ready to go. And I’m saying 10 years ago. It was ready to go and we had The Firm and everything. That was a movement. It was ready to go. But, I don’t know why it didn’t. It was a whole movement we had out there doing and I was out there trying to make it happen and I don’t know why. But I guess it’s not a easy question to answer. There are no duet rap albums. There have never been one.

Wait, let me think.
If there has been, it hasn’t been good cause we should’ve remembered it, know what I’m saying? They’re none, bro. They’re none.

So you wouldn’t be willing to do one with him?
I was willing to do one again ten years ago and I think that was really the time. So if it happens in the future, man, that’s all good. I don’t wanna say yeah and it don’t happen. It’s not as easy at it sounds. Again, we would’ve had at least five rap albums with duets. There is not one. Why is that? That’s crazy! But let me be fair to rap, look at R&B, they’re not tons of ‘em.  You have Roberta Flack/Donny Hathaway. Marvin Gaye and Diana Ross. Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. You got few but there’s not a large amount.

Wait, I got one. What about Black Star?

[Short silence] You got one. That’s one out of a million MCs and can’t even get another one. You got me there. You right.

Um, Let me think of another. Oh, Baby and Lil Wayne did an album together too.

Yeah,

but you know what then, I think you will see that in the future going

down and that kind of thing will start happening more. If that happens,

I’m looking forward to doing that kind of shit.

Interview: Brian “B.Dot” Miller

On the hit 90s sitcom Saved By The Bell, Lark Voorhies’ persuasive ta-ta’s and thighs, gave pubescent boys a reason to ditch the Saturday morning cartoons. In fact, hip-hop neophyte Asher Roth recorded the ode, “Lark On My Go Kart” off his debut, Asleep In The Bread Aisle as a testament. While promoting her new film The Next Hit, Lark spoke to Rap Radar about her future endeavors and never hitching a ride with Mr. Roth.

You recently made an appearance on VH1’s Black To The Future. Aside from that, what have you been up to?
Well, I have invested into my repertoire. Actually I just completed a movie called The Next Hit. It’s going to be a summer release. [It’s about] the rap world in Miami and what goes on in there. And it’s an action adventure thriller. A lot of suspense. I’m the associate producer on it and it’s in the final process re-editing. So it’s coming together.

Oh, so now you’re stepping behind the camera?
Uh, indeed I am. I’m broadening my horizons in that respect. And, it’s not my first time, so I’m getting a good rhythm with it. A nice feel for it. Cause I do enjoy all areas of my craft and I’m enjoying growing and developing. I’m more than just an entertainer, so it’s been fun.

What was it like growing up on the set of Saved By The Bell?
It’s a unique experience. You take on more than one role. And, it’s freeing. But it requires a lot of organization and responsibility. And at an early age, it comes in handy. When you grow up in a professional world, you’re more apt and ready to enter the real one. Once, you reach that age and step onto that plateau you work hard to succeed.

Did you feel any pressure as one of the first African American faces on Saturday morning television?
Nah, I never felt any pressure. Well see, my upbringing prepared me well for that. So, I made it a fun activity. Yes, there is a responsibility. Yes, people did wake up to that. And I had realized that upon auditioning that this was a unique opportunity for someone of my walk of life.  There’s an interesting story behind that. But to suffice to say, to the best of my ability, I like to believe that I lived up to that.

Do you ever watch re-runs of the show?
Definitely. We had such a good time. It’s like going through a treasured picture book.  

Were you aware that you were a teenage crush?
Let’s see.  Well. [Laughs] Like I said, I made it an adventure. You gain so many applicable qualities and abilities. You learn to memorize and translate literature and you just had so many advantages on regular schooling.

Uh, so it never occurred to you?
Well, I did realize I had a value and an audience to cater to.

Indeed. In addition to acting, you were also active in music. Is that something you’re still pursuing?
Indeed I am. We’re still active with it and it’s coming along great. I’m having a really great time with it. I’m working with an independent label, which is exciting, [through] Voorhies Entertainment. When an opportunity suits, you got to hit that entrepreneurship. So, it’s been an interesting ride.

Do you listen to hip-hop?
Absolutely.

Who you do check for?
I’ve been studying different genres of music [so] I have to stretch my hip-hop legs again. My cousin is really good with that. He keeps me posted on who’s hot and what’s going on. We got satellite a few months ago, so I haven’t had my VH1 Soul. Got to hook that up. [But] let’s see. That’s a good question. The Black Eyed Peas. They’re definite favorites.  Some of the music is pretty challenging and pretty racy. Not that I discriminate, but you know, I am careful. You are what you eat. And I’m careful as to what I listen to. I don’t get a chance to talk about all the music out there. It would be overwhelming. But yeah, Black Eyed Peas definitely keep me in tuned. Kanye West. Stuff like that.

Are you familiar with the song inspired by you?
Hit me.

It’s a song called “Lark On My Go Kart,” by a new rapper named, Asher Roth.
Wow.

You didn’t hear it?
You’re the first! This is news to me! I’m excited. Awesome, let me take some writing material. I have to write that down.

Actually, it’s a single.
Awesome! What’s his name again?

Asher. Roth.
I’m going to check that out. I’ll probably get it from Amazon.com. They’ll probably have it. I’m really excited! That is so cool. I really appreciate that. I’m so happy that you were able to pass off that bit of information. I’m quite thrilled. I’m blushing all over the place. I mean, it’s something to be recognized by another person. Growing up with it all my life doesn’t deplete the value of that.

Would you be willing to meet him?
Oh, absolutely, I’d love to. That’d be too cool. If you can hook that up, I’ll really owe you one.

Great! After all, you are an original video vixen.
Ah, ok. I’m going to give you some toast on that butter. That’s nice. Thank you. [Laughs] OK.

Do you think you’d ever do something like that again?
That was fun. At this level, I probably would. It would make sense, being that, “Hello, I’m doing music” but, you know I got a point—[I'm] sticking to the plan. I’m definitely going to go for it.

Interview: Toshitaka Kondo

For those that thought Soulja Boy Tell ’Em’s career was over after the first week numbers for his sophomore album, iSouljaBoyTellEm, came back at 45,000, he’s definitely having the last laugh. Since then, the album has steadily climbed to almost 200,000 copies, fueled by his smash, “Kiss Me Thru The Phone,” which sits at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100, and the cocky “Turn My Swag On,” which has lit the streets on fire. And just for good measure, he recently shot the video for “Gucci Bandana,” with Atlanta’s favorite trap rappers, Gucci Mane and Shawty Lo. The ambitious 18 year old recently took a break from recording his third album, The DeAndre Way, and his upcoming DJ Drama Gangsta Grillz mixtape to talk to RapRadar about his first week numbers, changing his management, and Bow Wow.

Did you think your career was over when your first week sales numbers for iSouljaBoyTellEm came back at 45,000?
[When I saw] those first week numbers, I ain’t think it was over. I thought I had messed up. But I was scared. [Before] I was thinking, I’m Soulja Boy. If I push something, it’s gonna sell. I got cocky and overconfident and after I put the album out, I realized that it’s not about you, it’s about the music. Plus I had the wrong situation so I had to switch up my team. I still think my album is great. I just feel like I went with the wrong first single and had the wrong team in place.

When you say “team,” do you mean management?
Yeah. I switched management to Chris Lighty. I guess I didn’t have that much pull because at this point people still was probably speculating that I was gonna be a one hit wonder. So going into the third album, I done proved myself now as a legit artist, so management that I got now is gonna make sure that none of that gonna happen no more.

Did it cause any friction between you and Collipark given that your old manager was his brother, Derrick Crooms?
Nah. It was a move to better my career so it was no hard feelings.

What made you realize that “Birdwalk” wasn’t going to work?
When it wasn’t selling. I check all the charts myself. It wasn’t coming up on the iTunes chart or the Billboard chart. I just sat back and started just looking at it for what it was like, This is really not it! What the fuck goin’ on? But it was too late. The album was already out and it was the only song I had out.

You had a lot of input in terms of picking the singles though don’t you?
I always have creative control over all my projects, but I do listen to what the label has to say. It was really Mr. Collipark. He said, “They wanna hear you talking ‘bout dancing. I think ‘Bird Walk’ would be the one.” Then everybody was like, “Damn, that dance shit is kinda corny now. We don’t really wanna hear that.” Now they opening their ears to other stuff like “Turn My Swag On,” which is the hardest shit in the streets. You got artists like Wayne, Jeezy, Jim Jones, and Fabolous, that took my song and showed people what it was. It been that same thing the whole time but it’s always how you perceive it.

Given that Collipark told you to go with “Birdwalk,” did it make you lose some trust in him?
Of course. If somebody tell you something and it don’t work you not gonna listen to them again. Going into the third album, if I happen to have first week numbers like that again I want everything to be based off my decisions. He’s gonna have his input ‘cause I’m signed to him, but the final decision is gonna be made by me.

I know you guys squashed the beef. But is everything cool now with you you and Bow Wow?
Yeah, everything’s cool. You know things ain’t gon be how they was when we was doin’ “Marco Polo” together. But that whole thing shouldn’t have happened. Me being from where I’m from, for Bow Wow to even say my name and to come off as a hater, you know how proud my ‘hood was of me man? [Laughs.] On the Internet talking bout, ”Fuck Soulja Boy and you aint got more money then me.” We was lookin’ at that shit like, “We got him. We gonna take this nigga out the game.” I couldn’t believe that he was comin off like that. Nigga done been in the game like what? Ten years. You would’ve thought he handled that situation way more… Like I know if I been in the game for ten years, I ain’t goin out like that. So for him to be thinking like that, that let me know that everything ain’t what it seems and that I’m really blowin’ up real big. Just imagine you wake up tomorrow and Chris Brown got a video up just like Bow Wow had saying the same exact words. You be like, “That’s Chris Brown. He bigger then life.” Well not now, cause of the situation happened with Rihanna. But you gonna be like, “What the hell he arguing with Soulja Boy for?” [Laughs].

Have you guys spoke since that phone conversation that was on the Internet squashing the beef?
We ain’t really spoke, but when I did BET’s Spring Bling this past weekend, [Bow Wow] was there. I just walked up to him and shook his hand, had a couple words with him and kept it moving.

Does it feel like karma given that he was making fun of your first week sales and now his first week sales didn’t come in that high?
Yeah. You just took the words right out my mouth. I ain’t even gotta speak on it, but that ain’t nothing but karma. That’s why I don’t even gotta go in interviews and be like, “Yeah, Bow Wow, you talking all that shit. Look at me now. Now I’m the shit. Where you at?” After I say I’mma leave that situation alone, I left it alone. I could easily just go back and murder Bow Wow, but I’m cool with what I’m doing.

Interview: Insanul “Incilin” Ahmed

Bernard “Bun B” Freeman keeps on moving. He leans back into his black leather recliner to change out of his Nikes and into socks and sandals, but he doesn’t sit for long. He gets up and grabs his iPhone or he stares out the window of Jive’s Midtown office in Manhattan, New York. He’s in New York promoting the final UGK album, 4 Life, which drops March 31st. Taking a moment out of his busy sked, he sits with RapRadar and reflects on Pimp C, the history of UGK, and being apart of the most underrated rap groups of the ‘90s.

You and Pimp were known for disagreeing a lot. What was that process like when you and Pimp were debating about song structure?

It wasn’t a big deal. It was like [leans back into chair and does Pimp's accent]; “How we gone do the last verse?” “You want to do it?” “You want me to do it?” “You want to split it?” “We could split it.”

[Laughs] Like southern gentlemen on the porch.

“What you want to do, 8/8?” “Do 8/8? “ “We could do 4/4/4/4?” “Aite, we’ll do 8/8.” “Aite, cool.” Sip your lemonade and wipe your brow.

One of the things I notice when I listen to your solo albums, is there are a lot of features. Are you a reluctant solo artist?

Well I didn’t want to be a solo artist in the first place… Here’s the thing, when you’re a solo artist you’re used to writing three verses every song. I don’t come from that context; I come from a group context where it was always split. At the most I had two 16s, I never had to form the entire structure by myself. So for me, my first solo album I guess you could somewhat consider it some of it to be more of a cop out. Just being very real, it would be a lot easier if I could let so and so come and do this third verse. It would be a lot easier to just let him rap. It’s not like, I don’t want to do it but just put someone else on it.

In the long run, 10 maybe 15 years from now, how do you want UGK to be remembered for and as?

Honestly, I’m not even going to lie about it, I been thinking about it ever since I realized how long it’s been since we put out our first album, but in 8 years we’ll be eligible for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. So I’m curious to see where UGK stands in that lexicon. There are a lot of great groups that came out around ’92; OutKast, Tribe, Wu-Tang, 8ball and MJG, will all come up that year. There’s a lot of legacies that are getting ready to come up in rap. It will be interesting to see who, when, and how that acknowledgment gets made up.

Is that the acknowledgement you want? Would that make you happy?

It honestly would make me happy because Pimp always wanted UGK to be seen as a true music group, not just two rappers. UGK is a group, with the producer for the group having incredible musical sensibility. UGK was always Pimp’s baby I just helped him raise it… No homo. That’s a good place to put in no homo.

[Laughs]

But to me that’s the essential thing of it. For me, a long time I was very indifferent about UGK: Either it works or it doesn’t. But I realized that a lot of people took it way more serious than I did, so I probably need to respect it because it’s something that I may look at as just a job but it’s something that’s very real to a lot of people. When you realize how people look at you and what you really represent, it gives you a better perspective. What I really lacked for a long time in UGK was the respect of who we were in the terms of everything because I honestly didn’t believe we were on anybody’s radar.

Now that you look back, what was UGK?

Shoo… I think Sach [Sacha Jenkins] and them put it pretty good; I think we probably were the most underrated rap group of the 90s.

The most underrated?

I think that’s fair. That’s what ego trip magazine nominated us. That’s why I say it. I don’t want to say we earned it. But I think it was fair to give us that label. I think UGK gets a lot of credit because of the fact that you put me and Pimp in the studio, you get back an album. And I think that’s the true definition of a duo, a real group. You put those guys in the studio and they come back with an album.

When Pimp first got incarcerated, I think you told XXL, that you were really depressed; you were drinking a fifth a day, punching out windows. Was it like that when he passed?

No, not at all. I think that was more due to a lot of uncertainty. Just to be very real, this is something I never really talked about, but I was mad at him. I was fuckin’ mad at him! I felt like he had taken everything we had worked for and potentially thrown it away. And I was very pissed off about it. Primary, not just for myself but also for him because he was the one who did all the hard work and he just threw it away. Once I came up out of my funk, I was determined to not let it go to waste. I was determined for myself, and for his sake, and all the people who had given so much to UGK, to try to do right by it. And at least keep it where it was. By the fact that I wanted to do right, other people did right and I got a gang of support and it ended up becoming even bigger than it was then when he went to jail.

Apparently, Gorilla Zoe has a new album out today. Yeah, we had no idea either. But in the spirit of good music journalism, Complex interrogated Zoe with a bunch of eccentric questions.

Writer: Tracy Garraud

Kid Cudi is living the indie dream. A name once uttered only within the underground scene, Cudi got his cake when the eccentric yet oddly emotive, “Day ‘N Nite”—off his mixtape A Kid Named Cudi—dipped him into mainstream’s radio-friendly pool. During the summer of ’08, Kanye didn’t bet against success for the 25-year-old and immediately reeled the Kid in to work on 808s and Heartbreak while also signing him to G.O.O.D. Music. But that’s just the basics. Cudi’s still got ink stains from a fresh Universal Motown deal, is currently recording his debut Man on the Moon: The Guardians, and is building a lengthy list of check-happy extracurriculars.

So why the hell is he blogging about being misunderstood? RapRadar caught up with the “lonely stoner” to clear the air.

Congrats on the new Universal Motown deal. What made them the right spot for you?
Thank you. Man when I would play Sylvia my records and she would sit there and listen as if it was me. And I always took note of that. There’s things you have to weigh in when coming to the final decision of which label you’re going to. But it always stuck out in my mind that they had that excitement when they first heard my shit.

Yep, you have to be at a place that genuinely supports your movement, not just your now factor. That’s exactly how I felt. When you’re in the position that I’m in where there’s some kind of legitimate hype, it seems like people get caught up in an artist for all the wrong reasons. I was playing shit for certain labels and muthafuckas were just puzzled. I don’t expect everybody to get it, but, at the end of the day, who I’m doing business with, I want them to know where I’m going with shit. ‘Cause what happens when I’m like ‘Yo, I wanna drop this song that has no drums!’ (Laughs) If they never got my music they’re gonna be like ‘What the fuck is that?!’ So it’s basically a good situation with Sylvia where if I wanna drop a song with no drums, she’s all for it (Laughs).

Yeah you need that because once you’re known for avant-garde work, people don’t expect less.
Yeah. That’s why it was important for me to establish that early on and do something different. So now for my whole career, whatever I do that’s out the box won’t be looked at as crazy. It’s like a new standard with me, people just expect me to make some massive shit. Even if I make an ‘okay’ record, people are going to think it’s wack compared to “Day ‘N Nite” or “Sky Might Fall.”

Do those expectations mess with your head?
Well as far as the semi-celebrity-ism (Laughs) that I’m getting. I find it hard to deal with fame anyway. It’s like a new demon in my world that I’m trying to fight on a day-to-day basis. It’s hard to adjust to some shit after you’ve lived a certain way for 25 years. That’s why I get high (Laughs).

Interesting. So is the album going to sound like a continuum of A Kid Named Cudi?
Yeah. I look at it as, the mixtape was a very successful TV series that only had one season…and now the album is the feature length film. The mixtape was me testing the waters. I was like let me see how far left I can go. Muthafuckas grabbed a hold of the Cudi train and I saw it.

That explains the Man on the Moon part of the title, but where does The Guardians come in?
The artists featured on my album won’t play themselves, they’ll play one of my guardian angels and they’ll have a name. Ultimately my guardians keep on the path of this story. It’s pretty much as if I don’t exist, like a myth.

Any “guardians” confirmed yet?
Nah, not yet. I’ve been throwing out ideas though. Me and Kanye haven’t even done our record yet. I’ve been so in the machine of working with Emile, [Plain] Pat and Dot Da Genius because those are the guys who helped me develop my sound. I didn’t necessarily want an album full of all Kanye beats because it would just sound like an album full of Kanye sounds. So I’m definitely playing that card strategically.

Yeah you’ve got to be distinguishable.
People definitely already put me in the Kanye light with the comparisons and such, but being that this is my first project, I really wanna be seen as standing on my own too.

Speaking of standing on your own, how’d you feel when Jim Jones got on “Day ‘N Nite?”
I was like ‘Wow!’ It let me know that the record was hitting all angles. Before Jimmy, I thought it was just like in the indie scene, but he let me know that it was getting respected in hip-hop.

Were you ever concerned that people would relate the song more to him than you?
Nah. The song wasn’t a baby anymore when Jimmy jumped on it. “Day ‘N Nite” was already a senior in high school and Jimmy gave it that muthafuckin’ scholarship (Laughs).

You’ve blogged plenty times about clearing up media misconceptions. In your eyes, are new artists an easy target for people to toy with?
Yeah because we’re new and they don’t know us. It took a long time for muthafuckas to understand who Nas was. It took a long time for people to understand who Jay-Z was and these guys are legends. I’d rather you take a long time to understand who I am, rather than say, ‘Oh I know who that guy is. He made this song about sippin on this drink, doing this and that.’ I don’t wanna be that. I wanna be a legend in the game.

Is that why you called out Complex for “sneak dissing” you on their website last week?
Yeah. I wasn’t like angry. It takes a lot to get me mad, but when I saw it, I was like “Ehhh, this is wack.” That writer who wrote that shit, he thought it was funny. But it was just not funny. It was poor in taste. That shit’s not cool. Talking about personal issues and financial issues. Then we’d be wrong if we were to see that dude in the street and whoop his ass. Then we’d be out of line. Good thing we ain’t confrontational muthafuckas…well, Charles Hamilton is (Laughs). You can’t be coming out your mouth talking about other muthafuckas. Never underestimate the next man, especially somebody you talking shit about.

You’ve spoken at length about being really proud of the second single “Sky Might Fall.”
“Sky Might Fall” is just a larger than life record. It feels so massive. When I made it, I was like, ‘I’m going to save this to the point where people think all I have is “Day ‘N Nite” and this mixtape.’ Then I’m just going to crack heads open. Wide. That’s how I felt because muthafuckas be standoffish with me.

Why you say that?
Because they don’t get it necessarily. They don’t fuck with the lyrics. They think it’s just too um ABC, I guess. Muthafuckas don’t think my flow is as intricate as it is. But it’s all about my word play and the feeling behind it.

So in your own words, who is Kid Cudi?
Pretty much, I feel like I’m here to be a messenger and spread a message. And that’s all I am. God put me through many tests to see if I was fit for the job and I passed with flying colors. So I am now his hire. And what I will do is continue to tell my story, because it’s something that people need to hear. That’s who Kid Cudi is. That’s the Man on the Moon.

Bonus: “Sky Might Fall”

Words Brian “B.Dot” Miller

Time flies, but 19 years ago today, MC Hammer slowed things down in the game. In less than a year, his sophomore album Please Hammer Don’t Hurt ‘Em, became the first hip-hop album to clock 10 million units. That’s right, diamond—a feat that has yet to be topped in any musical genre, since. In between running his new site, Dancejam and filming his upcoming A&E reality show, Hammertime, Stanley found time to talk to RapRadar about getting his props, MC Serch, and why diamond is a rapper’s best friend.

You were the first rapper to go diamond, how does it feel looking back on it almost 20 years later?
Since in the cycle, the normal life cycle of an album, there hasn’t been any others that made it that more special. It’s a single album. It’s not a double album. So I don’t know if any others in a normal life cycle have done that.

There’s others—
No, no, no. We’re talking about rap. What other ones in rap you know about?

Well, there’s Outkast, but it’s a double—
Actually, that’s actually 5 million sales.

Uh, Eminem’s The Marshall Mathers LP—
Nah, it’s not diamond.

It’s not diamond?
Nah, I think he’s right around 8 and half, something like that. Unless you have an updated number that we just seen. Last I knew, that one was at like eight. That’s the game, everyone put out they sold 100 million. That’s the new thing. But it’s cool, it’s all good. Hustle how you got to hustle.

Well, to your credit you did it in less than year.
That’s why I was being somewhat facetious with you. In the life cycle of an album, normally you say max 18 months, right? So for that to happen and it happen in a normal life cycle, I’m saying 12 months. [Chuckles]. So in its proper perspective, it was unbelievable. And 20 years later, it’s still.

Did you ever think it would get that big?
Nobody can predict that big. My goal was to be the biggest selling one that came out. Prior to that it was the Beastie Boys and I literally made a bet that I would beat [their] album. That’s documented. That’s the bet I made with Capitol Records. If I beat that number, I want a free Ferrari and they had to pay up. So me and the CEO of Capitol at the time made the bet and I won just ’cause I felt the combination of melody meets dance, meets humanity was all encompassed in the record. I thought it had a real chance of doing and surpassing [them]. At the time, three million and some change was the record for a rap artist. So I thought it had a good shot at it. I knew the momentum I had coming out of the other one. I was already a million and half on my first one and I felt like I had just increased the vibration.

In terms of flamboyance, a lot of rappers have followed your blueprint. Do you feel as if your not credited enough for what you brought to the table?
Well, there was a huge period of time it was absolutely true. But now there are artists who very much, give it up because they don’t consider themselves competitive with Hammer. So the thing that was odd that nobody never wanted to put in perspective, was at that time, most would have anything to say where all my competitors.

Huh?
Let me just give you an example: A guy like, 3rd Bass. Never heard of him at the time, right? And 20 years later his album ain’t even gold! [Laughs].

You mean, MC Serch?
My first album is a million and half, right? I’m on my second album and I’m probably at about 4, 5 million. Look, nobody put that in the perspective. He was trying to come at the top man to get some publicity to help sell his record and 20 years later he still—his story sound good. He can get on there and even call himself a legend of hip-hop. I mean, this is all ridiculous stuff. But, it’s all relative to geographical location, right? The hometown hero, right? But in his hometown, he can’t be a hometown hero ’cause there are some real cats who sold real units up out of New York. But, access equates to sometimes viability. In that perspective, this man is an authority on rap. But his authority never got him more than 300,000 sales. And I’m saying that’s the case for almost all “my competitors” relatively speaking, it was always the little guys. It’s like you didn’t hear Prince talk about Hammer. He moving units!

You and Michael Jackson were competitors at one time too, right?
Yeah, we had fun. Even when I made the video and said I want the glove. I talked to Michael before the video came out. He called me. And I said, “Hey Michael, I respect you so much, if you say so, I’m about to edit that part out the video.” And he told me not to. So what I’m saying is we complimented each other back and forth for about 10 or 15 minutes on our dancing skills. I went #1 in January, right? And in June I was still number one. Let me put it in perspective for you. I just kept doing what I was doing. I went to another 5 million. I don’t got time to sit back and worry about what the lil’ cats is doing.

This is it. If you missed 1. 2. 3. Screw you. Oh never mentioned Kamaal and I have same boxing trainer so knowing that maybe the ending makes sense.

On “Life is Better,” you got Norah Jones singing like she