Rap Radar

Interview: Brian “B.Dot” Miller

A week before the release of  his debut, …If Tommorrow Comes Maino gets a few things off his chest. In part two of our conversation the Bed Stuy bully speaks on Jay-Z, passing the torch, and the art of making hit records.

Do you feel as if you had the last laugh?
Sometimes I feel like, “Yeah, nigga you slept on me,” but then, I understand why they slept on me. Why have faith in Maino? Why should I believe in him when nothing in New York is working anyway and everybody talking about somebody else. Member how on the mixtape scene everybody was talking about somebody else like I had my buzz but—

Wait a second, Maino. You’re just as guilty of that.
What?

Of talking about people. Remember your “Take It Like A Man” record?
Right, but the take it like a man record, you know what’s crazy about that record? Everything I was saying on the “Take It Like A Man” record is what people are saying today. All I was saying back then was like, “Llisten man. Open up man. Let the new nigga get in the game, you been around too long.” Who’s New York’s biggest star? Jay-Z right?

Yeah. I’d say so.
So you mean to tell me that there is no one capable of becoming a Jay-Z? The problem with New York is that we don’t produce stars no more we sill stuck on the old stars.

But, I think a lot of artists just can’t make good music. That’s what it all boils down to, no?
I don’t think that its just that niggas cant make good music. Take me for example. I have proved hands down that I make good music right? But when Jay-Z puts out a record its gone be like, the biggest thing since the steering wheel.

But Jigga put in the work in.
Right and it opened up the door for me. All I’m saying is New York has to start generating new stars in order to bring New York back. I’m glad Diddy signed Red Café cause nowhere [else] is opening up a avenue for a new nigga. Instead of concentrating so much on his self, he opening it up for a new nigga. [Uncle] Murda was signed nothing came out  of that

Right. But, Jay gave him the lane. He dropped “Bullet Bullet”, but he never capitalized off it.
That is true. That is true.

So it’s hard to blame a Jay-Z or Puffy for that.
No you misunderstanding what I’m saying. For example: A nigga can’t take you to the water and make you drink, but if a nigga shows potential and to be helped, than as an elder than, school him. Give him some advice. It’s just like in the streets. The .OG.’s school you. “I’ma help you with this cause I made my bones already,” It’s no camaraderie between the new and old in New York City. So it being no camaraderie and no connection it makes it that much harder for a nigga to make it to that point to be a Jay-Z . Not to say they cant have to have hits, cause at the end of the day niggas got to have hit records. Niggas cant make the records for you.

So, what’s the secret. What are you doing that other N.Y. rappers aren’t.
You know what? That’s a good question. [I'm] making the best music I could possibly make and still being myself at the same time. that’s all. The same dude that did take “Take it Like a Man”.  I’m the same dude that did “Rumors”. I’m the same dude that held up Lil Cease’s chain in front of mad people. I’m the same dude that did all this. But, it still comes down to a record.

I agree.
what im trying do is just show people that there is a new face to New York City. We love our legends. We love the niggas that paved the way. But, we not just stuck there. We not just stuck in the past. We got to bring something new. Big Daddy Kane aint come back to save the day, it was B.I.G., it was Nas, its was Wu-Tang. It was new niggas! And they had the music and they had the momentum. I’m looking to help inspire that type of movement, where it could be a new regime.

Interview: Brian “B.Dot” Miller

Convict. Thug. Mixtape rapper. One-hit wonder. Yep, Jermaine “Maino” Coleman’s heard it it all before. And after years of sitting in hip-hop purgatory  the Brooklynite finally seeing the light with the release of his debut album, …If Tomorrow Comes on June 30th. In part one of our interview, Maino spoke to Rap Radar about beating the odds, Oprah’s BFF, and, puttin’ on for his city.

On your album, you have production from Just Blaze [“All The Above”] and Swizz Beatz [ “Million Bucks”]. How did you manage to obtain such a great look?
Man, why wouldn’t I get this look? I’m on a major label. That’s what’s supposed to happen, especially after I came out with “Hi Hater”. I did [that] without a major producer. I put myself in the game, so now that I have people that wouldn’t mind working with me. So it easy to go work with a Just blaze with a Swizz Beatz.

Did you know “Hi Hater” was going to be a success?

I knew I was holding on to something. I recorded that record right when

I got out of my Universal deal and I was recording it while I was

negotiating with Atlantic. I actually didn’t have a deal when I

recorded it. When I went to Atlantic, I had it. It was done already.

Atlantic signed me on having “Hi Hater”. A record without a plan ain’t

gone work. So, it put me in a position now from just an average dude on

the mixtapes to now international spotlight.

Do you regret making controversial records like, “Take It Like A Man?”
Nope not at all. I don’t regret those moves. That’s who I am, I don’t regret none of that. The decisions I made yesterday help me get here today. I didn’t come in the game kissing nobody’s ass. I came in the game speaking my mind saying what I want to say. It’s just now, I’m getting to another space so now I got to not move different. I got to think and plot out my moves a little differently and actions a little bit better.

Right.
You got to understand people, didn’t expect me to get this far. People wasn’t betting on me. When the convo came up about who’s gone be this, who’s gone be that a couple years ago, it was never me. When XXL did the who’s next and all that, I was never on the cover. I wasn’t even on the inside. There was no mention of me. I understood though and I forgive them for doubting me.

Why do you think that was?
Because they ain’t take me serious. They thought I was just some goon. My past was right there with me. I was getting into little incidents so it didn’t look serious from the perspective of critics. It just looked like, “oh, it’s just some street dude that just came off of jail. He’s not going to last,” And you can’t even blame them cause its like, N.Y. ain’t been doing good. So, how can you see a Maino coming up? So when it came to who they thought was going do something in the game it definitely wasn’t me.

After “Hi Hater”, you dropped “Hood Love” featuring Trey Songz but it failed to connect. When did you realize that song wasn’t going to work?
See one thing about me is I don’t get emotionally attached to my records. “Hood Love” was great record but coming after “Hi Hater” and the energy that I made in the streets, in the clubs, and on the radio it was like they almost wanted another “Hi Hater” from me. So, “Hood love” was moving but it wasn’t moving as fast as Hi Hater was. It’s no use of crying over anything. Lets get back in the studio lets come back with something undeniable and we came up with “All the Above.”

It seems as if you’re finding your footing. In fact, I hear Gayle King is a fan of yours.
I actually did an interview with her on Oprah radio. What happen was she was doing an interview on Good Morning America and they was talking about the First Lady. She was like “it’s like the rapper Maino who has a song called ‘Hi Hater,’” and they started smiling. And she was like yeah, I know the song and she started singing “Hi Hater”! So then, I heard about that, saw the footage and then sent her some flowers. I found out what kind of flowers she liked, she took that, and was like, “Wow, Maino is a good dude.” She touched out to my peoples and had me call into Oprah Radio and then we just chopped it up and it was all good.

Ha! So does this mean Maino is a celebrity now?
Aye man, aye man. I mean, I don’t know. What the streets saying?

I’d like to think you’re on your way.
All I do is just project success and I’m just try to come up and just because I’m able to perform in front of 65,000 screaming fans and I’m doing stadiums now and people want to touch me now, It don’t go to my head. I’m still who I am. I’m a grounded nigga that’s because when you see me —even though I’m on my third single and my second one is a gold single, I’m still me.

It’s crazy to say, but you’re but new face of New York.
I knew I would be , I felt like I would be. I felt like I had what it took, I was strategic and more strategic than a lot of of niggas were on those mixtapes. It feels pretty good. I want other people to come up to though, it cant just be me.