Joe Budden – Interview (Joe Budden vs. UGHH.com) (Mansfield, MA – 2009)

Tentatively titled “No Comment,” witness UGHH.com versus Joe Budden! Foregoing formalities UGHH.com CEO Quest descends upon an unsuspecting Joe Budden as the rapper turned Internet personality is busily conversing with his fans via his blog backstage at Rock The Bells. UGHH’s Van Stylez doesn’t hesitate to add injury to insult as he berates Budden with a slew of questions concerning his recent beef with members of Wu-Tang along with allegations that the idea for Joe Budden TV was birthed by recently incarcerated Amalgam Digital label mate Max B’s Biggaveli TV. Weeks after this interview Amalgam Digital released Joe Budden’s new album “Escape Route” featuring the track “No Comment.” Which came first the chicken or the egg?

Necro – Re-Introduction To Chaos – Interview Trailer (Mansfield, MA – 2009)

Video Summary:
The most sadistic returns! Necro at Rock The Bells 2009 with a little help from his friends in the DMS (Dirty Money Syndicate / Drugs Money Sex) and Psycho+Logical-Records, along with the legendary Lil Fame & Billy Danze of M.O.P., Evidence and Alchemist. This trailer is the follow-up to the most viewed video interview series in the history of UndergroundHipHop.com. Stay tuned for full interviews with Necro dropping over the next month and checkout Necro’s new snuff film / music video, “Human Traffic King (White Slavery 2)” which debuted earlier this week. Necro’s new album “DIE!” is expected to drop in February of 2010. NOTE: Please don’t watch if you are under 21, have children, have parents, or have any inkling of moral rigidity.

Tim Westwood Interview with Lil Wayne video part 1

Tim Westwood Interview with Lil Wayne video part 2

Tim Westwood Interview with Lil Wayne video part 3

Tim Westwood Interview with Lil Wayne video part 4

HST Interview conducted by Cheryl Santa Maria

August 2009

British hip hop act HST (Heaven Sent Thugs) held their first live performance in 2006 at the Essex, formerly known as Club Rinse. “The support from the crowd was amazing,” the boys recall. “Everybody was feeling the vibe and we smashed it.” The group’s eclectic and sometimes hard-hitting sounds quickly captured people’s attention and their popularity shows no sign of slowing down. With a slew of successful YouTube videos and a fan base that’s growing by the day, HST is poising itself to take over the UK rap community.

Following their first performance the boys, comprised of lifelong friends Ras-Daniel, Ace, Playa.Gee, Die-no, Drago and A-Class, have performed at various clubs and raves near their hometown of Rainham, London and have made TV appearances on the Sho Sho Show on Sky channel A.K.A. (formerly Channel U).

HST has also generated some internet hype. Their hit single “Struggling/ Say Your Prayers” has been viewed over 52,000 times on Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/heavensentthugs) and YouTube and their latest single, “Taking Over” is faring just as well – having received close to 40,000 combined views in only four months.

MVRemix was able to take some time out of the boys’ busy schedule for a Q&A. HST is currently in the studio, working hard on albums which plan to be released in late 2009 and early 2010. To find out about live shows and other HST events, visit their Myspace.

MVRemix: Do you have any musical influences?

HST: You’d be surprised. We listen to many genres of music, some that go as far back as the 1950s, and we appreciate all forms of music for the powerful way it can reflect the time in which it was made. We have been influenced by many of the legends, like Bob Marley, John Lennon, Jimi Hendrix, etc., but our main influences are each other.

MVRemix: Any non-musical influences?

HST: We’re influenced by humanity, everyday struggles in society, the things we have to go through individually and as a group and we’re influenced by what goes on in our area. There are so many important changes going on in the world and we have too much to spit about.

MVRemix: HST’s music speaks about struggle and the rewards of hard work. Are there any other messages in your music?

HST: Yes, most definitely. We are a group of mixed races and we’re proud of that fact so we promote diversity, love and peace, but that isn’t apparent straight away. You have to listen in between the lines to understand our messages, hence our group’s name.

MVRemix: What are your long term goals?

HST: Our long term goal is to earn the respect we deserve, for the right reasons, and not ‘cos we jumped on a bandwagon. We want to be respected for being solid English rappers who make music that’s real and not regurgitated American hip hop. We don’t want to be known as a group that jumped on a beat we wouldn’t normally be caught dead on, just to make a few quid. We won’t lie: we all want large bank accounts, the chicks and all the trimmings that come with being successful rap artists, but the main thing for us is to enjoy the process, travel, remain entertaining, meet people and, of course, focus on our music.

MVRemix: What have you learned from the artists you have collaborated with?

HST: We’ve collaborated with some highly talented people, like Ghetto and Shizzle from the grime scene, and we’ve come to realize that you have to stay on it or, as we say, stay ‘warm’. Constant writing is a must. It’s like training at the gym. You can train once a week to keep yourself in check but you’re never really gonna make substantial gains. If you want to be outstanding you have to work hard at it.

MVRemix: If you could collabo. with anyone, who would it be?

HST: That’s a tough one. We favor a lot of the top American artists, like Kanye, Dre, Eminem, 50, Busta, Fabolous and Jadakiss … and the list goes on and on.

It seems that the music industry doesn’t want to take UK hip hop seriously. The industry just won’t take a chance on it. We’ve been told that that’s because the UK isn’t buying hip hop and R&B, but when you look at the British Top 20 each week, 10 of the tracks are hip hop. Apparently, we’ve been told, that’s ’cause they are American artists, and people tend to favour American artists. When an American hip hop/R&B artist scoops up an English artist and gives them their support, like Kanye did with Estelle and Mr. Hudson, or what Akon did with Sway, the music industry praises the great English artists! Were they not great before [they worked with American artists]?

MVRemix: How would you describe your sound?

HST: At the moment it’s best described as Electro-Rock-Rap. We’re pushing the boundaries as much as we can to reach new heights. Electro is our way of representing our future sound and our way of taking the mind into space, so to speak. Rock demonstrates our respect for the past and we like the gut-wrenching, raw power that the guitar has to offer. Rap represents our present struggle in today’s society. We are binding fierce street bars with enlightened ideas and thought-provoking topics.

MVRemix: Are you working on any interesting projects at the moment?

HST: We’re currently working on a few different projects. We’ve just finished the HST album The Awakening, which is due for release in October. The Awakening is an absolute must-have for anyone who enjoys hip hop/R&B and for anyone who has a pulse. We have a plethora of ‘choons’ to please just about everyone.

Ace has just finished his solo mix tape Steel Spittin. It shows his harder, underground side and it deals with darker issues. It’s suitably rated as parental guidance only. There’s another HST mix tape, which is grime-based, called Intravenus Music, which is due for release around September and it promises to be double-hype. We have another two mix tapes that we hope to have finished before Christmas. We’re busy-busy.

MVRemix: What have you learned about the recording industry?

HST: We’ve learned that nothing is guaranteed. There are a lot of ups and even more downs. You have to have a strong faith in what you’re doing before you can expect anyone else to, and you must stay positive, no matter what.

MVRemix: Anything else?

HST: Buy our CDs, watch our videos, and study and enjoy them for what they are … Peace!

HST Interview

Video Summary:
Part 2 of 2: A legend from New York’s infamous Queensbridge housing projects, Blaq Poet first gained notoriety back in 1987 during the Bridge wars when he attacked KRS-One on the song “Beat You Down.” This was the first of a career riddled with taking shots at made rappers including T La Rock, Kool Moe Dee, Melle Mel, LL Cool J, Rakim and the Ultramagnetic MC’s the following year on “All Hell’s Breaking Loose.” That track cemented Blaq Poet’s legacy as hip-hop’s villain long before 50 Cent went at industry greats on “How To Rob.” Blaq Po speaks on who he would aim at with a diss track in 2009 along with what it was like recording at Marley Marls’ original house of hits on 12th Street in Queensbridge.

Conducted by May Blaiz

For those of you who know and for those of you who should know, General Steele along with Tek – collectively known as Smif N Wessun – released a #1 Rap Album, selling over 300,000 copies. This was Dah Shinin’. Remember the powerful uplifting anthem that would brand New York’s concrete Brooklyn “Bucktown”? The trumpet intro followed by Steele’s first verse… “I walk around town with the pound strapped down to my side…”

Little did he know at the time, a 1975 blaxploitation movie was already out there featuring Fred Williamson, Pam Grier, Thalmus Rasulala and Tony King, named what else? Bucktown! “It took about 5 years later, around 1999, when we seen the movie and we realized that something was out already”, Steele mentions.

Bucktown trailer

Inspired, General Steele samples dialogue from this film, in “Welcome to Bucktown”, the first official release off the Bucktown USA imprint. With the goal to portray life in Brooklyn through his eyes and through the eyes of a number of Brooklyn emcees and producers, he states, “I didn’t try to copy the film or the soundtrack, but the concept and feel of it. I was able to relate to what they were going through with the police and with their own comrades and I wanted to depict that vibe & energy with the songs and the artwork.”

In an interview with MVRemix, General Steels shares the making of the soundtrack, his thoughts on modern day Brooklyn, social media outlets such as Twitter, upcoming projects and a sneak peek into what we can expect from his Bucktown USA imprint.

MVRemix: “Welcome to Bucktown” is your first official release for the Bucktown USA imprint. Can you tell me a bit about the making of the soundtrack? You stated at one point that Bucktown is a modern day Brooklyn. Can you describe what that means?

Steele: Smif N Wessun started with “Bucktown”. So, it was only right. I think that it’s important that artists speak about what they know about. Whether it’s from experience indirect or direct. Having direct experience with Brooklyn and me saying that Brooklyn is Bucktown and then having indirect experience travelling throughout the states and saying “Wow, there’s a Bucktown in Chicago. There’s a Bucktown in L.A. There’s a Bucktown in Texas. There’s a Bucktown everywhere. Everywhere is Bucktown” You know what? This ain’t right. Let’s pull it all together, and say OK, this is what we’re dealing with, what is this thing we are dealing with?

Before you listen to the album, it asks you, “Do you believe in God? If you do, then you in the wrong place”. If you come into a sort of place, you’re gonna need more than God sometimes… most times. God is not going to get you through, or whatever Savoir you may believe in or may not believe in. A lot of work has to occur with the individual that’s willing to step into the arena.

Music sometimes has a visual aspect, and if it doesn’t, then we don’t get it. It’s just rap. We are trying to incorporate that feeling of what you get when you listen to Curtis Mayfield or Barry White, without saying we are going to take all of these tracks and make these over. It’s been a long time we’ve been able to listen to an album as opposed to just saying that, “I like this album, this artist and I like these 3 tracks”. So now you have an album which we choose to call a soundtrack due to the question that you asked initially. I want you to feel full. Hopefully you can get into the whole story of knowing why music is an intrical part of our day to day.

MVRemix: You stated that you wanted artists and producers who fit the cast, artists who could carry that 70s energy naturally through their personal contributions.

Steele: As a 70s baby, I was brought under a certain kind of vibe, a certain type of music which fuelled what I’m doing right now. So I have to give credit to something of my birth, into the industry. What’s so great about the 90s was that some people chose to call it “the Golden Era”. You had such diversity within that that you could be a regular person and still listen to a Kool G rap, or listen to a political rap or a hard core rap without somebody saying that you are hard core, political or that you are this or you are that.

We had a time in that era where we can just listen to music and just say that I like this tune. And because we put so much restrictions to that now, some people are saying “I don’t listen to hip hop because hip hop is this” and they haven’t even experienced the full scope of it, they just listen to what’s on the radio or what’s being shown to them on BET or MTV and we all know that what’s on BET or MTV and the radio stations don’t really represent what’s going on. It’s too vast for them to cover that.

MVRemix: So when you did the album and you approached Brooklyn emcees like Shabaam Sahdeeq, Smoothe Da Hustler, Buckshot, Sean Price, and producers like DJ Revolution and Da Beatminerz, did you approach them first with a vision?

Steele: Absolutely. I picked all the tracks first. I picked the producers and said “I think I can hear Buckshot on this track”, “I can hear the whole Bootcamp, this is a Bootcamp song”. And certain producers provided me with the mood as is parallel with the track. As opposed to giving you a track and saying “here’s the beat, rhyme to the beat”, we say, “here’s the scenario, improv to the scenario”. That’s what we try to accomplish. Most rappers already do this but sometimes, unfortunately, rappers get so engulfed with their character that they forget what they are actually doing. People be knowing though. We say they fake, or we say they real.

MVRemix: So with the album, the soundtrack, I should say, what is your message? What do you want the listeners to get?

Steele: That you have an option. It’s always good to express yourself, so long as you have the forum to civilly express yourself, you should utilize that. We have the Patriot Act 3. We don’t want to have Patriot Act 7 where everybody gotta be silent and if you talk in public you’re going to jail.

Now we have something that’s called hip hop where we can basically express ourselves. I can be talking to somebody in Africa today and then be talking to somebody somewhere else in the world tomorrow, through my affiliation with hip hop. It’s a political structure, as well as cultural structure, as well as a social structure. Big up to Zulu Nation, Afrika Bambaataa and Kool Herc.

We do our part when we add on to it and we have to make sure this thing keeps going.

MVRemix: You’re last song are “Things are Getting Better”. Tell me about what that means.

Steele: I want people to know that it’s no secret that Brooklyn has a notorious history, but at the same time it also has a beautiful history. Within the struggle comes great accomplishments, comes great benefits, great glory and if you’re not willing to struggle with it, you’re not willing to receive it. If you thought that Bucktown is crazy and that people are dying, there’s guns, weed and Timberlands and ronchy people who don’t care ‘bout nobody, there’s a different side to that. Things are getting’ better in Bucktown says that if you real and willing to go through things, you ultimately will see the benefits of it. It’s a struggle, it still is.. but like Talib Kweli says… It’s a beautiful struggle.

MVRemix: I want to talk to you about Bucktown USA. Can you tell me about the birth of that?

Steele: People who are familiar with Dah Shining and for those who watched the movie, Bucktown, you’ll see it’s all about overcoming obstacles. Some that you saw, some of them you didn’t and that’s what we do basically in life. We can identify with that if not so much, the pimps, the pushers, the players, and the gangsters…it’s not so much of that, that’s basically the positions that people play, they’ve got mad positions. So the outcome of that is who’s going to withstand through the storm. That’s really what it’s all about.

With Bucktown USA, I ask, you really want to keep going forward in life? You gotta be willing to work, to go through certain things. Some people go through things and say “Oh my god, that’s so hard, I don’t know I can’t do this. I can’t go through this.” If that’s your vibe, then hey, that makes it better for the rest of us.

MVRemix: So you have some films that you’re also working on.

Steele: Yeah. “Band of Brothers” is a docudrama about the Bootcamp Clik. We are working on the album right now. We’re also taking tracks, you can print that! We need tracks. If anybody wants to be a part of history, it’s the story of Bootcamp. I think people are going to enjoy this because it’s not really a rap story, it’s a story about friendship, about the ups and downs and a little romance, but not much. It’s really about friendships and how important friendships are.

MVRemix: You’re branching off into Bucktown USA, doing interviews, television work, how does this impact the day and the life of General Steele?

Steele: I think that as we go into more of the information age and technology is expanding, you have to give. So for example, for the people who know about Dah Shining, what more can I give them? I can bring them to my house, through technology. I can literally say, “You want to come eat breakfast with Steele? Tune in with me at 9am Central and we can have breakfast together” through the technology. The power is at our fingertips.

I mean, we from the hood but we didn’t know that we have stuff in tune with the refugees from Stockholm , the refugees from Africa, from Russia, they from everywhere. They just regular kids, just like us. I really appreciate the fact that like, I’m from Brooklyn. I don’t know the struggles of other people. But when I can say what I’m saying and then other individuals can identify with me because they had a similar struggle, this just empowers me even more.

MVRemix: What are your thoughts on social media, like, Facebook, Twitter?

Steele: Twitter is cool, but it’s more local, it’s like one big party line. Facebook is more personal, more global. I was reading that Twitter, I don’t want to misquote but, it was speaking about how it just makes people feel less emotion, less time to respond. Everything is quick, quick, quick, quick, quick!!

It made me think about music, like the microwave era we live in. Everything is fast. Like, we don’t even want to hear nothing. If you hear Bob Marley havin’ a jam session in the studio with Peter Tosh, he was just jamming cuz sometimes you didn’t have tracks in the studio, you have a jam and everything you did, you had to speak through a microphone. If you hear one of those tapes right now, you hear the involvement of each individual person and each individual instrument.

Today we live in such a modern microwave age, that you just want to hear all that shit put together, quick. “Put it together for me. I don’t have time to sift through it.” We gotta make things fast. It gets kinda crazy where we gotta make music and people don’t want to hear it, so you gotta make something that people want to hear because we know they don’t already.

MVRemix: So you like the touring and meeting people?

Steele: I love meeting people, cuz just when you thought you knew everything, you meet somebody and then you’re like wow.

MVRemix: So, what’s in the future for BCC? Any upcoming tours?

Steele: We’ve been doin’ a campaign called Tribute to the Classics where we do a live show. Black Moon and Smif N Wessun performs with a band. Sean Price is still touring promoting the Heltah Skeltah album and we gonna be making some dates for Welcome to Bucktown where we be doing what I like to call a “broadway play”. We will be doing different things with the show, coming up this year. There’s a Bootcamp album, that I spoke about earlier. There’s also a KRS/Buckshot album out right now. The album is done. They are working on the next level on that. Heltah Skeltah, Ruste Juxx, Torae, Marco Polo is out right now. B-Real album is out right now, DJ Revolution. I don’t know any record label that has as many records out right now other than Duckdown.

MVRemix: I understand that Smif N Wessun is coming out with one as well?

Steele: Yeah, I was going to get to that. That is classified information. I didn’t want to reveal that but since you brought it up…

MVRemix: Is it true that Pete Rock is the only one producing it?

Steele: We’ve been kickin’ it with Pete. We just makin’ sure everything is taken care of, red tape and all finalized.

MVRemix: Why just one producer?

Steele: I think that as an artist, we want to make it meaningful and sometimes when you get a whole bunch of producers you kind of get away from the picture. There’s one producer for the album. Like when we did interviews for Dah Shinin, the only producer that worked on the album was Da Beatminerz. I’m not sayin’ anymore, next question.

MVRemix: Do you have any last minute words for your fans in Canada?

Steele: I love you Canada! I look forward to seeing you guys very, very soon with the entire Boot Camp. In the mean time in the between time, check us out and stay tuned on www.duckdown.com

You can also join us on www.bucktownusa.com and if you just want to see some footage of what’s goin’ on here in the Brooklyn side of things you can go to www.mogulus.com/bucktownusa or www.mogulus.com/bucktownusatv. You can see 24 hours of footage interviews. I have a television show with Cynical Smith. We going on the 5th year and we want to keep the hip hop culture going.

Be on the lookout for the documentary that we are working on on the assassination of Malcolm X. We are doing a day by day documentary on one of the individuals who was convicted on his participation in the assassination and he’s saying he’s innocent.

He’s trying to get exonerated and we doing the documentation of the whole process. It’s more than hip hop, so stay tuned. Salute to everybody out there.

General Steele of Smif N Wessun Interview

Conducted by Todd Davis

Staten Island, New York’s own Theo Bailey, professionally known as Trife Da God, first became familiar to the masses after debuting on his mentor Ghostface Killah’s 2001 opus Bulletproof Wallets. From there, the young & hungry upstart went on to appear on, the self-proclaimed, Ironman’s The Pretty Toney Album, before releasing a joint project, Put It On The Line, with GFK, that following year. Trife has since made shining cameos on the last three Starks’ LPs, leading up to his highly anticipated, just bowed, premier outing, the appropriately titled, Better Late Than Never.

MVRemix: When did your love for Hip-Hop first begin?

Trife Diesel: I first became interested in music by watching Video Music Box after school while doing my homework. I remember watching the (Eric B &) Rakim, Big Daddy Kane and Biz Markie videos, and saying, “I wanna do what they doing!” I wanted to be on the screen expressing my talents. And that’s basically how it all started for me, just enjoying the culture and art form for what it was at the time.

MVRemix: You grew up in Staten Island, a.k.a. Shaolin, correct? So, musically who were some of your early heroes?

Trife Diesel: Yeah, I’m from Staten, the fifth and forgotten borough, born and raised in Stapleton Projects. My influences were Wu-Tang, of course, Biggie, Nas, and the whole Queens’ movement at the time ‘cause they had a strong impact on the rap game at the time. I used to play the block with the hood radio, breaking day, just listening to the (DJ) Clue mix-tapes and DJ Doo-Wop mix-tapes real heavy.

MVRemix: You mention becoming interested at a young age, but when did you get serious about pursuing rap professionally?

Trife Diesel: I wanted to pursue music on a professional level when I saw the nine members of the Clan breakthrough the industry. It kind of gave me more hope, and I became more driven ‘cause these were people that came from where I came from: The Bottom! And plus, I always try to accomplish what I set out to do. That’s just what has been instilled in me by my pops ever since I was a youngin’.

MVRemix: How did you even manage to hook up with Wu Tang Clan’s Ghostface Killah, and later become an integral member of both the T.M.F. and Theodore Unit families?

Trife Diesel: There wasn’t any particular events that led up to me linking with brother Starks. You know the story, a nigga get on and he comes back through the ‘hood to scoop the hottest nigga in the ‘hood at the time. And, it just so happens I was that dude! Plus, his family and mines were basically cool with each other. I was cool with his brother, and I used to just shoot darts at the Ghost every time I saw him. As far as T.M.F., that was the crew that I was running and hustling with and doing music in Basement Studio on the Island. To this day, me and my T.M.F. brothers are still close ‘cause without them I wouldn’t be the person I am today. It’s T.M.F. to the death and Theodore for life!

MVRemix: Define for me your sound…

Trife Diesel: The music I create is just beautiful to the ears of all listeners I touch. I define my music as universal. I try not to just speak about one topic constantly. When you listen to my album, you’ll see and hear many subjects. When it comes to creating music, it’s like being a professional athlete. You have to be well rounded in every aspect. I want you to feel my music and get something out of it at the end of the day, ‘cause I make music with intent to satisfy the fans as well as myself.

MVRemix: Who actually dubbed you Trife Da God? And, since you are now going by Trife Diesel, what signifies the changing of your name?

Trife Diesel: I got the moniker Trife from my man back in the ‘hood, and through the years I just kept evolving. I evolved from Da God, (and) now I’m known as Mr. Diesel. And when I say “Diesel,” it means strength, that good shit. I’m like a good batch of dope!

MVRemix: You recently released a mix-tape, The Project Pope, as a precursor to your solo debut,…

Trife Diesel: The mix-tape is basically a few joints I been did, mixed with a few new joints. It (was) just something to throw out there so I can get reacquainted with the people. And, I titled it The Project Pope ‘cause I’m like a messenger for the ‘hood to spread good music to the people. Plus, the title had a real catchy ring to it. That might be my new moniker over the years!

MVRemix: Why did you decide on calling your first effort Better Late Than Never?

Trife Diesel: Yeah, that’s the title of my debut album. I named it that because I couldn’t have named it anything better. When people hear my name, they say, “When is dude dropping an album?” And, that was like a question I got asked everywhere I went. One day somebody asked me that, and those were the words that came out of my mouth, “Better late than never!” So, I just stuck with the title, and now y’all finally got it! It just means so much to me just dealing with all the shit in my life during the time of me recording the record. This album I feel is what truly defines me as a mature artist, and you can hear the growth in it from when you got your first dose of me on the Ghostface albums.

MVRemix: Why was it pushed back or delayed from its original release date?

Trife Diesel: I really can’t say why it’s been delayed so long, but I can say I just wanted to turn over a new leaf in my life. This is my new beginning for what is to come for Trife Diesel, and I promise you you’ll never have to wait so long for another release from me. I was just used to things happening instead of making things happen, so you can say that’s why it’s been delayed so long!

MVRemix: Lyrically, where do you find your inspiration behind your songs?

Trife Diesel: I draw inspiration from my everyday life, straight up! It doesn’t have to be what I’m going through now, it could be about something in the past that (I) went through or my niggas that I’m surrounded by has been through. Sometimes it’s the track itself that will have you paint a picture that you thought you could’ve never painted. There’s a song on the album titled “Blind Man” that made me write a tremendous story, and when I finished writing and recording the song I truly felt the words and appreciated the song for what it was. It was like I became a fan of myself in a sense, ‘cause the song is that dope!

MVRemix: Who did you collaborate with on Better Late Than Never?

Trife Diesel: I worked with a variety of producers on this project. Mental Instruments, Lewis Parker, this kid Lee Bannon, DJ Snips from London, and my dude Blunt from Canada who laced me with like six off the wall bangers! When I get beats from producers we vibe back and forth. I create good relations with the people I work (with) ‘cause I’m just a down to earth dude. I’m deeply involved with (the) creative process, ‘cause I’m the one that has the final say on how I want my songs presented to the public. Sometimes I’ll tell the producer what I hear on a certain track and they’ll lace it up a certain way for me. Even when I’m recording the song, there’s a certain way different songs should be recorded. So, I play a major part in the process.

MVRemix: Do you have a(ny) personal favorite track(s)?

Trife Diesel: Truthfully, I know a lot of artist say this, but, they are all my favorite! From the opening track to the final track, ‘cause I’m telling a story from front to end. So as the record progresses, I like each track at that particular time as my favorite — If that made any sense? Ha! Ha! Everybody who played a part on the album came through. But, if I had to pick one today, I would say “Mother Like You,” ‘cause it’s dedicated to the two important ladies in my life right now.

MVRemix: What do you feel it is that will help sustain you in this business of music?

Trife Diesel: The key to my success, and this is advice for other (artists) also, is to just believe in yourself, stay consistent and keep the right people in your corner. You got to stay networking the best way you know how to get your name and the product you trying to promote out to the people.

MVRemix: Is there anything else that you’d like to branch out and do futuristically speaking?

Trife Diesel: Yeah, I would like to get into some type of charity work to give back to the less fortunate, and to sick people who have addictions. And, as opportunities come along, I will tackle those at hand.

MVRemix: What are your true feelings about the current state of Hip-Hop?

Trife Diesel: The current state of Hip-Hop, it is what it is. But, you can’t stop that from doing what you do. In life, everything has changes. I’m pretty sure that goes to say with any industry, whether it be the entertainment, sports, and the music industry itself.

MVRemix: With that being said, how has the rampant running of illegal downloading, file sharing, and bootlegging effected, not only you, but the whole industry in general?

Trife Diesel: Like I said, it is what it is because I believe the system was designed that way when the whole shit was created.

MVRemix: What’s the one thing about Trife Diesel that you want everyone to know that they won’t automatically get just from listening to your music?

Trife Diesel: Basically, I’m a regular person just like you. I put my pants on one leg at a time also. I’m a humble (person), and easy to work with.

MVRemix: What do you enjoy doing in your free or spare time?

Trife Diesel: You can catch (me) with my family. But, in this industry, and especially at the point where I’m at right now, there’s no time for a day off ‘cause you got to go hard. Or, should I say extra hard!?!

MVRemix: To date, what has been your biggest Hip-Hop moment?

Trife Diesel: The biggest career highlight for me is just to travel and see the world for what it is — To see different cultures and how people live in different places of the earth. But, my biggest highlight has yet to come.

MVRemix: Looking ahead, where do you see yourself in a 5 to 10 year span?

Trife Diesel: I see myself enjoying life on top, smiling down at the haters who said none of my dreams were possible, and living more comfortably than I am right now. Having a well built foundation for my family, and putting my son through the best college my money can buy. I believe in giving my son what I didn’t have, as long as he stays on the right path.

MVRemix: As for the immediate future, what’s next for Trife Da God?

Trife Diesel: You know, the mix-tape is out now! Go download that online for free, and the album (just came) out July 21st. (Also, just shot) the video for the first single “Respectfully,” featuring Ghost, and I’m getting ready for the road. So, Y’all stay in tune! While I’m on the road, I’m (gonna) just be leaking new music and videos online for Y’all to see how I get it in on the road.

MVRemix: So, there will be a Trife Diesel tour?

Trife Diesel: Yeah, (later) this summer and during the fall! I’m a be posting the dates up within the following week, so please check for that!

MVRemix: What’s the “live” experience gonna be like?

Trife Diesel: You can expect the unexpected! You will definitely get your money’s worth, ‘cause I know it’s a recession so cash flow might be a lil slow for the consumers.

MVRemix: What’s up with the Theodore Unit?

Trife Diesel: As far as the Theodore Movement, I’m pretty sure we’ll work something out to bring to the people. But right now, go check out Better Late Than Never! But, after this album, you’ll (see) a joint from me and my T.M.F. affiliates ‘cause that’s truly long overdue. We’re actually working on that right now, as we speak!

MVRemix: Is there anything I may have forgotten or left out by mistake?

Trife Diesel: Yeah, just check me out on My Space, Facebook, and Twitter, so you can get all the info and updates of what’s going on with Trife Diesel.

MVRemix: Sadly, Thursday 06/25, the world lost the greatest entertainer who ever lived — What was your first reaction upon hearing the tragic news? How does Michael Jackson’s untimely passing affect, not only you, but, music in general? And, in the wake of his demise, what does this mean for the future of recorded music?

Trife Diesel: I just think it’s truly sad. When I first heard of the news, I was in my car driving and it was like, “Nah, that can’t be true!” It felt like the world stood still for a quick second. They started playing his music, and just brought back so many good memories of my childhood. It will affect everyone, if (it) hasn’t already. But, his music is timeless! So, M.J. will never be gone as far as his music is concerned. I remember meeting Michael Jackson in the Hit Factory Studio in Miami. It was crazy! It felt kind of weird. I felt like I met the messiah, for real!

MVRemix: Do you have any message for our readers?

Trife Diesel: Yeah, I just want to shout out the whole Staten Island and to the whole world and make sure you go cop the album in stores and online!

Trife Diesel Interview

Video Summary:
Signed to DJ Premier’s “Year Round Records,” Queensbridge rapper Blaq Poet discusses working with Premier on their joint album “Tha Blaqprint.” Notorious for spending more time in the streets than in the studio, Poet talks about growing up immersed in the violent Queensbridge housing projects. He discusses his many mentors and friends who have fallen victim to the streets, including his cousin, Screwball member KL, whom passed last year, and for whom Poet dedicates his most emotional song to date, “Never Goodbye” off the new album.

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

Hailing from Ohio, the legendary O’Jays are influential across the board in music. It’s amazing to think how many people nowadays are unfamiliar with their music and samples being put forth of their classic material. With a career spanning over forty-four years and a slew of hits from “Darlin’ Darlin’ Baby,” “Backstabbers,” “Love Train” to “For The Love Of Money” and “Lets Ride,” these guys are legends.

Through Sanctuary Urban Records, on September 28th, 2004 The O’Jays released their latest venture “Imagination.”

MVRemix: A lot of people nowadays and throughout your career have looked up to you as an influence and inspiration. Who did you look up to when you were starting off?

Walter Williams: When I was starting off I looked up to James Brown, Otis Redding, Jackie Wilson, The Drifters… I think what really got me going was Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers came to town at the Canton Memorial Auditorium. I think after he came and performed, it seemed like twenty-five or thirty groups sprang up all around that area. Canton, Massland, Alliance, Ohio, Warren, Ohio, Akran, Ohio, the groups just started coming from everywhere singing at the YMCA, at the Urban league. It stayed with us. One of those groups was Rudy and The Romantics. That’s what inspired me.

MVRemix: Which of your counterparts inspired your work ethic to be what it became?

Walter Williams: I really liked the group, The Drifters. They had several different lead singers and of course they had a lot of hits during those days. I like Jackie
Wilson… and James Brown. I thought he (Jackie Wilson) was a phenomenal performer of
excellence. James Brown was the opposite, he was a hard worker but with excellence as
well. I thought I got a chance to see two sides of the coin watching both of them and
actually getting an opportunity to do shows with the both of them.

MVRemix: How do you keep your content diverse while remaining on the subject of love and romance?

Walter Williams: I just think if you get a great response from the audience, and we usually do when we’re up to par, and we try to stay up to par. I just think the love that
they give. You have to give it back. Does that answer your question?

Eric Grant: And also, you have to, when you learn this craft – you have to go out there and project. You have to go out there and get it across to the people. That’s
not always easy. Because, I learned from Eddie and Walter that you have to feel people.
You can’t just go out there and think everything’s gonna go as planned or as you rehearsed it at your rehearsal studio. Sometimes you go out there and something might not work that worked in DC, it just won’t work in LA. You have to be quick enough and have a love for those people and feel those people to say “That’s not gonna work. I need to go over “here” and try this,” because I know this is what they like. Everyone can’t do that. You gotta have a plan, you’ve got to have a game plan. But sometimes you can’t run that running back up the middle. So he might have to flank out to the right, and we may have to improvise.

MVRemix: Is there anything about the industry now that you would have liked more of in your earlier years?

Walter Williams: The industry has changed quite a bit. I think the big plus of the changing industry is the technology. The way we record today isn’t as taxing as it was
fifteen or twenty years ago. You can sing one hook and get it perfect, or as close to
perfect as you can and then you can vie it in [chuckles] for the rest of the song. That’s
a plus. Of course we’re making more money today and necessarily so because things are so inflated and out of proportion that you’ve gotta make more money today. We’re experiencing larger crowds today because the venues are much larger and nicer. You might be too young to remember the “Chitlin circuit” – small clubs throughout the South and part of the North. If in fact they [still] exist, they’re not being worked as much as they were twenty years ago. Maybe someone should do that again because those are grass roots people and it’s a more interesting setting, in my opinion.

MVRemix: Tell me about “Imagination.”

Walter Williams: “Imagination” is just what the title says. Eddie explained it really good earlier today. If you wanna sit and you’ve got a problem and you want to talk it out with your woman, that song is on there for you. If you want to get up and dance with her or anyone else, that song is on there for you. Or if you’re just in a great happy mood and wanna kick it, that song is on there for you too. So use your “Imagination.”

MVRemix: To the generations that have hopped on the soul or R&B bandwagon but know nothing about The O’Jays, how would you school them on The O’Jays music?

Eric Grant: Here’s what I would do – first of all I’d have a big meeting up there in New York and invite all those groups and I would tell them, man, “If you’re gonna be in this business, you have to know this business. That means you have to go back and try to chorale those groups and those singers, the ones who have the talent and dug deep in their soul where they lived. That’s the one thing that I try to tell young people today; if you haven’t lived it. It’s really kind of hard to sing about it. Because you don’t really know what that pain is. When I watch Walter and Eddie sing in the studio. I wonder how they get that soul that they portray on record and it’s because they lived it. And I would have them to actually take out time and chorale your talent and know what your strengths are and what you’re weaknesses are. Whatever your weaknesses are, you need to strengthen that. Do whatever you’ve got to do.

I remember having a group on tour with us one time. There was three guys and The O’Jays are three guys and those guys never ever came to see The O’Jays sing. They were on a show with us but they never came to see us perform. I never understood that. I never understood how you could have three guys and you don’t watch the masters of this, do that. When I was coming up I watched up The O’Jays, I watched The Temps, I watched Smokey Robinson, The Dramatics… it didn’t matter. I learned something from every one. So I would tell those young groups today “Learn this! Whatever you’re trying to do, learn it!” I mean, if you Usher, you should be watching James Brown and Michael Jackson and Jackie Wilson and Joe Tecks. You should know the history of this business. Not just ’cause you get a hit record. A hit record don’t make you have longevity. The O’Jays, The Temptations, The Four Tops and The Whispers, that’s longevity. Patti Labelle, that’s longevity.

Walter Williams: And that’s because you put time in and you worked on having a hit act. You sustained yourself for much longer with a hit act than you do with a hit record. You need ‘em both, but you really need a hit act.

MVRemix: Now, you’ve been sampled a lot in Hip Hop. How do you feel about having your music sampled?

Walter Williams: I think it gives you staying power because again, you’re being put out there with other artists, other acts, and especially if they’re younger then younger people are listening to what you’ve done. If they accept it and they like it then they gravitate to you as well. So I think it’s a plus. Although, I think sampling diminishes your skills to come up with new licks and new ideas. So, there’s got to be a happy medium there somewhere.

MVRemix: What do you think about the fundamental differences between our R&B and your classic material? What do you think contributes to lack of romanticism nowadays?

Walter Williams: Now’s R&B compared to our older material…

Yeah, what I mean is R&B today is more sexual. Whereas your R&B tended to be more loving – there was more depth to it…

Eric Grant: Once again, and I said this earlier. You can’t sing about what you don’t know about. If all you doin’ is hittin’ the skins and runnin’, that’s all you know. If you haven’t been in love, if you haven’t been hurt – you can’t sing about joy and pain. You can’t sing.

Walter Williams: And I think skillfully, and very understandably, you have to convey it simply in a song where people can understand it in good lyrics. That it’s not complicated and make it plain and clear. We talk about men/women relationships a lot. We explain it, just how it happens, how it goes down, so it isn’t complicated. I think that’s the difference; the tenderness, the lovingness, the way it’s explained. Sometimes it’s sexual or with sexual overtones. That’s involved in a relationship and especially a good relationship.

Eric Grant: But it’s not blatant.

Walter Williams: No. And distasteful.

Eric Grant: You have to have some type of reservation for other people’s listening ears. Some of these artists don’t care about how a person receives it as long as they’re receiving it.

Walter Williams: There’s a thousand ways to say “I wanna lick you up and down.” There’s a better way to say it than that. There’s a much more tender and loving way to say it and a way it’ll be received and digested in a good manner. Instead of saying “That’s distasteful, I don’t want my child to hear that.”

MVRemix: Is there anything out there right now that you can see standing the test of time?

Eric Grant: As far as music?

Walter Williams: I like what Beyonce’s doing.

Eric Grant: Love what she’s doing! I put Beyonce.

Walter Williams: Hmmmm. [chuckles]

Eric Grant: It gets rough after that. It gets rough after that because when you look at the substance and you look at… Maybe Alicia Keys.

Walter Williams: Yeah, Alicia’s talented. Her stories are tasteful and you can digest them without any negative reaction. But the field gets very small after that.

MVRemix: Do you have any last words to your fans that are going to be reading this?

Walter Williams: Yeah, thank you! Yeah, thank you for being with us all this time. Its been forty-four years and that’s a long time to be with anyone. Thank you, we love you and we appreciate the love that you’ve shown us over the years.

The O Jays Interview