Buckshot: Survival Skills Interview conducted by Max Cossette
Buckshot is one of a kind. His theories on subjects like technology, spirituality and the music industry are in-depth and heartfelt. His record company sells millions of units annually, yet his living conditions consists of “a one bedroom and a cat.” This man has big ideas and big plans, but staying “human” is important. His Hip-Hop empire is growing; Duck Down records boasts a powerful roster of youth and experience.
MVRemix was able to have an informative chat with this underground hero.
MVRemix: What does Survival Skills mean to you?
Buckshot: Survival skills are about having what it takes to make in the ring. It’s about knowing how to stay alive. KRS One has been an MC for 20 years, he know’s what it’s all about. It’s a cutthroat industry sometimes, so you need the right tools. This record is about showing we’ve got what it takes. It’s about presenting our reality as we’ve seen it .
MVRemix: How has KRS one influenced you?
Buckshot: I used to work a summer job and I’d listen to KRS-One on my boom box every day. He’s one of the greats. His biggest influence on me has been subliminally. His intricate words had a profound effect on me. Just being a fan of his in the past and coming up on a guy that like. I had a song called breath control, he had a song called breath control too. I was influenced by his breath control. KRS-One has a lot of science behind a tight game, I’ve always been a fan of his. He’s always given great things to Hip Hop.
MVRemix: “Robot” is an awesome song and video. Great dancing by the way.
Buckshot: I was always a dancer. I came up doing that.
MVRemix: You Break?
Buckshot: Oh yeah.
MVRemix: Any tips for young B-boys?
Buckshot: Always look to the past for good moves. Go check “breaking”, “B-Street”, “Breaking 1” and “Breaking 2”. Look to the past to find inspiration. Know what’s out there, what came before.
MVRemix: Knowledge is the fifth element isn’t it.
Buckshot: You better believe it. KRS-One said it. Knowledge Rein Supreme Over Nearly Everyone. You’ll always have people that feel that way. At the end of the day, health, stamina, damage, it’s what it’s all about.
MVRemix: Are you a spiritual person?
Buckshot: Definitely.
MVRemix: How did it come into your life?
Buckshot: Just as a kid. I grew up with a father who had knowledge of self. He was intelligent; he was wise, you start to pick up on those things. As a teenager I gained knowledge of self. And from that point on I studied everything from Islam to Sufism, anything dealing with spirituality.
MVRemix: Do you follow any spiritual tradition?
Buckshot: No, I say my thing is more universal. I’m a universal person. I believe that the creator is all of us. I believe that the creator is both the male and the female. I believe that the male and the female coming together is the creation force of life. Anything born can only be born from a female, and anything birthed can only be birthed from the male. It’s like what came first the chicken or the egg? And that’s the best part.
Hip-hop is about respecting who you are. That’s what hip-hop is about. When hip-hop started, we took nothing and made into something. Everybody had their own version. That nothing was being turned into something. There was a point in time when everybody adopted the same style. They felt that “this is hot when he did it, so I’m gonna do it”. But it’s a failure because then we all become robots, like how I said in the record.
Unfortunately you’re watching and your part of the generation that’s introducing the terminator. You’re a part of the T1 generation. You will see the T1. You will see the first bio-robotic companion. You’re already part of the 2nd life, which has avatars and such. You’re already in the matrix. You will be part of physically seeing robotic forms, people walking around that aren’t actually human, but are humanoid.
Everyone wanting to be a robot is about everybody willing to give up their human rights in order to be relevant to something that only lasts for the moment. Which is a thumb’s up, a “yay”, a praise or an acknowledgement.
MVRemix: Heavy. Any thoughts on 2012
Buckshot: My personal gut instincts and everything that’s guided me up to this point, is telling me that 2021 will be the year we have conflict with Korea. The leader’s going to die and the military going to take over. This is going to bring the UN and the world in a new way. Soon there’s going to be a world dollar. We’ll all be united in as a global country.
MVRemix: Sounds positive.
Buckshot: Yeah, but there are people out there working to remain in power. There are forces out there, you might call them the illuminati. They’ve talked to me and they don’t like me very much. They said they don’t like how I don’t play poker. They’ve got their rituals, under ground power.
MVRemix: Play poker, like deal with the devil?
Buckshot: You could call it that, they want to me engage with them. But I’m not down with excessive power or wealth. Wealth can really change people. When you people get rich over short of amount of time, they’re suddenly into all kinds of weird new experience
Have you heard about these homosexual parties? I’m friends with some black business people who got rich and they all got into these parties. They used to be heavy, now they say they’re all on salad diets. I’m not saying any names, but somebody out there’s knows exactly who I’m talking about. Now they get together and have these freaky parties.
MVRemix: Well to each his own I guess.
Buckshot: I don’t know about you, man, but I dig girls. Women. But it’s true, if that’s what you like go for it. I’m not hating on anyone. But the money can change people. They get to a point where they have everything they’ve ever wanted, so they go for any experience, especially if it’s cool at the time. It’s like sucking some dude off one day, then it’s like “boring, okay what’s next?” Some people get so big and then try to get back down but they can’t.
MVRemix: So it’s important to stay humble.
Buckshot: I call it staying human. I think that I’ve lived on this earth many times already, but I don’t believe in reincarnation. Without being aware of those past lives, how can you believe in reincarnation? I do believe in karma and powerful energy. I think my past lives have been becoming more enlightened and I’m here to continue that.
MVRemix: What’s the difference between independent and corporate labels?
Buckshot: Corporations have a board of directors and investor that make decision. Often they are tapped into the music game, but more often making money’s the most important thing. Being independent and having an independent company means me and the artists get to make all the decision.
People always wonder about my net worth, but no one knows. We sell millions of records, but no one needs to know what I make. I’m making money, I couldn’t survive otherwise. I couldn’t do all the things I do. But nobody needs to know how much I make. Some cats live in an eight-bedroom apartment just to ay they do. You ask them about it and they say, shit I just leave that room empty. I think that’s hilarious. I used to sit in my big backyard and just laugh at the excess.
You get some cats that say they have an independent label, but it’s just a sticker. Nothing more then the word “fantastic” on a bottle of spray. But they’re all working to make something, so it’s good.
MVRemix: Has your success brought good things back to your old neighborhood?
Buckshot: Definitely, I’ve worked on some good projects, but it’s the one on one that made the differences. Just being part of the community. I don’t like the idea of being famous. I like being cheered for at concerts, but that’s cause I just did something good. Getting props for things you did in the past is funny, cause I’m already onto better things.
MVRemix: What does the future of hip-hop look like?
Buckshot: Mm, that question is always tough. It’s gonna stay. As long as there are haves and have nots, there will be hip-hop. We’ll always represent ourselves. We’ll always make something from nothing. It doesn’t matter if Rap music fades from the mainstream; it’s now a global movement. All over the world it’s growing. Wherever there’s poverty, you’ll find hip-hop. It’s the voice of the underground.
MVRemix: Supporting young rappers is important to you isn’t it?
Buckshot: Hell yeah it is. They are the new generation. As Hip Hop evolves they are the ones that are going to carry it into the future. Just being a fan of his in the past. Coming up on KRS-ONE in the past and influencing each other.
Buckshot: Survival Skills Interview
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